Psalm 12, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #251

MEMORY VERSE: "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

NOTES: Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; 

   those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
² Everyone lies to their neighbor;
   they flatter with their lips
   but harbor deception in their hearts.

 ³ May the LORD silence all flattering lips
   and every boastful tongue—
⁴ those who say,
   “By our tongues we will prevail;
   our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

 ⁵ “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
   I will now arise,” says the LORD.
   “I will protect them from those who malign them.”
⁶ And the words of the LORD are flawless,
   like silver purified in a crucible,
   like gold^[c] refined seven times.

 ⁷ You, LORD, will keep the needy safe
   and will protect us forever from the wicked,
⁸ who freely strut about
   when what is vile is honored by the human race.

To be honest, this passage sort of confused me...so my notes today are going to be a series of questions that I have about the passage:
1. Why does David say that "the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished" in v.1? Doesn't that seem a bit like a generalization? What does he mean by this?
2. How does the first part of the passage--v.1-3, relate to the second half of the passage(v.5-8)?? It doesnt seem like flattery/deceiving tongues and oppression of the needy have a lot in common...Then again, "the words of the Lord are flawless" (v.6)
3. What is the context of this Psalm? Who are the wicked that he is referring to?
ACT OF LOVE: Today, I accompanied my mom to buy lightbulbs for our outdoor lamps and helped change all the bulbs since most of them didn't work.

Psalm 11, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #250

MEMORY VERSE: "Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

NOTES:*Ok SOMEHOW my chapters don't align with the QT...so this is the actual Psalm 11, yesterday's was Psalm 10..so confused.

In the LORD I take refuge.
   How then can you say to me:
   “Flee like a bird to your mountain.
² For look, the wicked bend their bows;
   they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
   at the upright in heart.
³ When the foundations are being destroyed,
   what can the righteous do?”

 ⁴ The LORD is in his holy temple;
   the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
   his eyes examine them.
⁵ The LORD examines the righteous,
   but the wicked, those who love violence,
   he hates with a passion.
⁶ On the wicked he will rain
   fiery coals and burning sulfur;
   a scorching wind will be their lot.

 ⁷ For the LORD is righteous,
   he loves justice;
   the upright will see his face.

This passage seems the emphasize the difference between worldly strength (of the wicked/evil--v2-3) and heavenly power (v.4-7). Even if the wicked destroy foundations & shoot arrows at the hearts of the righteous, God's refuge is one so powerful that nothing else can even compare. I mean if you even just compare "arrows against the strings"(v.2) of the wicked VS raining "fiery coals and burning sulfer; a scorching wind..."(v6) everyone would obviously side with the latter. Thank God that He loves justice & is so powerful! :)

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I held open a door for a family with alot of young children as I was exiting Del Amo Mall.

Also, I baked some delicious peanut butter blossom cup cookies with my sister for my family & friends! They are delicious!! 

Psalm 11, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #249: TEA, ESSAYS

MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

NOTES: (v.1) "Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?"
(v.2) "In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak...He boasts the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord."
(v.5) "His ways are always prosperous; he is haughty and your laws are far from him; he sneers at all his enemies. He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me; I'll always be happy and never have trouble"
(v.10) "His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. He says to himself, "God has forgotten; he covers his face and never sees."
(v.12) "Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. Why does the wicked man revile God?"
(v.14) "But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless."
(v.16) "The Lord is King forever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more."

ACT OF LOVE: Enjoyed a wonderful cup of honey-lemon tea with my mom this morning. Listened to my mom share about alot of her experiences and convictions!
Also, helped my friend edit some of his college essays by making comments/giving advice on his supplements.

Psalm 10, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #248: FELLOWSHIP IN THE WORD

MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrew 12:11

NOTES: there seems to be alot of juxtaposition in this passage between those who are oppressed and needy versus those who are evil and wicked:
(v.4) "...You have sat on your throne, judging righteously. You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever." VERSUS (v.18) "But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish."
(v.9) "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you." VERSUS (v.20) "Strike them with terror, O Lord, let the nations know that they are but men."
(v.13) "O Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death, that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation" VERSUS (v17) "The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God."
What stuck out to me is that ultimately, no matter if you are wicked or righteous, God will use you to glorify His name. For the wicked, however, it means being "ensnared by the work of their hands" while for the oppressed it means "proclaiming among the nations what he has done."

ACT OF LOVE: Helped my mom around the house by throwing out the trash and cleaning up some rooms.
Tonight, there was a great time of fellowship/sharing about Jesus at my friend Nathan's house. We just sat around a fire pit and talked about our spiritual walks this past year.
Also, listened to a friend share about some of his spiritual struggles tonight. Encouraged him with my personal experiences & scripture (Romans 8:28-30), offered any advice I could and promised to pray for him! It's soo refreshing just talking about Jesus with fellow brothers and sisters :)

Psalm 9, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #247

MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

NOTES: (v.1) "I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."

(v.5) "You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever."

(v.7) "The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice."
(v.9) "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."

(v.16) "The Lord is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I lent my scarf to my friend who was cold while we were eating lunch outside of In N Out.

Also, I lowkey mopped extra rooms (the kitchen + laundry room) while I was helping my mom clean the house today. Cleanliness is next to godliness! 

Matthew 2, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #246

MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

NOTES: (v.6) "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler, who will shepherd my people Israel."
(v.9) After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
(v.13) When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
(v.19) After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt ²⁰and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”


ACT OF LOVE: Today, I edited one of my friend's college essays and offered him any input/suggestions to improve his essay! 

Matthew 1, Luke 2, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #245

*I've decided to do a mini two-day Christmas series on Matthew 1 & 2 since it's Christmas Eve!

PASSAGE: The Birth of Jesus Christ

MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

NOTES: Matthew 1:18-25
What I focused on in this passage was Joseph's character as a husband and servant of God:
(v.19) "Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly" Even though it seemed like Mary had been unfaithful to him (since she's pregnant, and they were not married yet), he still maintained a respect and consideration for Mary by not exposing her
(v.20-23) Joseph receives a dream from God that tells him about the virgin birth of Jesus. "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son." <
Luke 2:1-20
(v.1-7) Joseph and Mary were traveling to Bethlehem because of a census ordered by Caesar Augustus. While there, Mary gave birth to Jesus and placed him in a manger.
(v.8-20) Angels appear to shepherds in this field nearby, and they declare the good news of Jesus' birth.
"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger....The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."

ACT OF LOVE: Did all the dishes today without being asked so that my parents didn't have to!
Also, purposefully woke up earlier today for my sister and her husband, who left this morning.

Psalm 8, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #244

MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

NOTES: LORD, our Lord, 

   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

   You have set your glory
   in the heavens.
² Through the praise of children and infants
   you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
   to silence the foe and the avenger.
³ When I consider your heavens,
   the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
   which you have set in place,
⁴ what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
   human beings that you care for them?^[c]

 ⁵ You have made them^[d] a little lower than the angels^[e]
   and crowned them^[f] with glory and honor.
⁶ You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
   you put everything under their^[g] feet:
⁷ all flocks and herds,
   and the animals of the wild,
⁸ the birds in the sky,
   and the fish in the sea,
   all that swim the paths of the seas.

 ⁹ LORD, our Lord,
   how majestic is your name in all the earth!

This passage is pretty cool in that it first describes how awesome and powerful God's glory is, and then he talks about how God has given all that He created to us! (v.4-7). It just goes to show more of God's love for us, that there is nothing good that He is not willing to give to his children.

ACT OF LOVE: I gave my hair jaw clip to my sister, since the one she was using was really small and wasn't doing that great of a job of holding her hair up. She liked it alot better cause it was sturdier and bigger, which suited her hair better :)

Psalm 7, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #243

MEMORY VERSE: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

NOTES: LORD my God, I take refuge in you; 

   save and deliver me from all who pursue me,
² or they will tear me apart like a lion
   and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

 ³ LORD my God, if I have done this
   and there is guilt on my hands—
⁴ if I have repaid my ally with evil
   or without cause have robbed my foe—
⁵ then let my enemy pursue and overtake me;
   let him trample my life to the ground
   and make me sleep in the dust.^[c]

 ⁶ Arise, LORD, in your anger;
   rise up against the rage of my enemies.
   Awake, my God; decree justice.
⁷ Let the assembled peoples gather around you,
   while you sit enthroned over them on high.
 ⁸ Let the LORD judge the peoples.
Vindicate me, LORD, according to my righteousness,
   according to my integrity, O Most High.
⁹ Bring to an end the violence of the wicked
   and make the righteous secure—
you, the righteous God
   who probes minds and hearts.

 ¹⁰ My shield^[d] is God Most High,
   who saves the upright in heart.
¹¹ God is a righteous judge,
   a God who displays his wrath every day.
¹² If he does not relent,
   he^[e] will sharpen his sword;
   he will bend and string his bow.
¹³ He has prepared his deadly weapons;
   he makes ready his flaming arrows.

 ¹⁴ Whoever is pregnant with evil
   conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment.
¹⁵ Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
   falls into the pit they have made.
¹⁶ The trouble they cause recoils on them;
   their violence comes down on their own heads.

 ¹⁷ I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness;
   I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High.

What stuck out to me in this passage is v.3-5 is that David, who writes this Psalm, takes full responsibility for his actions. In fact, he asks God to give him punishment if he indeed has "guilt on [his] hands." This ties into what God has been teaching me lately, about facing my sins and flaws and being willing to endure discipline--even to welcome it. David pleads for God's anger and justice because "God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day" (v.11). He not only asks for the judgement of his enemies, but much of David's psalm centers around God's judgement on himself: "Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High." Ultimately, God's wrath and justice is a beautifully painful thing because it kills off evil and gives birth to righteousness and love.

ACT OF LOVE: Poured a cup of tea for my aunt and my mom during lunch!
Also, helped babysit my nephew this afternoon while my sister & her husband went out to watch a movie. Played the ukulele for him and entertained him quite a bit! He started cracking up every time I played my uke. I only knew like 2 songs, but he loved it anyways and kept laughing until my sister came home from the mall. I love babies!

Hebrews 12, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #242: REPENT & FORGIVE

MEMORY VERSE:  "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

NOTES: ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children

 ⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,   “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, 
   and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, 
   and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”^[a]
 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
 ¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,”^[b] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

I don't have much else to say besides that this is exactly the passage I needed to read today. 
Also, Sam Ock's rendition of "Jesus Paid It All" began to play literally the moment I started reading this passage. No joke, it was a huge tremendous wave of encouragement

ACT OF LOVE: Today was one of the most discouraging, humbling, and painful days ever. I don't really feel like going into great detail, but through a long and incredibly vocal 1.5 hour drive with my parents, almost all of my flaws were made apparent. Though it was centered around college apps, many other character faults were brought into light.  As much as I would like to complain and disagree, I know that alot of what they said about me was true, and I did indeed have much to grow in. Normally when my parents yell at me, I tend to block them out and close off to all the screaming and yelling. However, remembering the sermon I listened to earlier on Proverbs 9 (about loving instruction vs hating it), I took in everything they said and began to genuinely repent. Throughout the entire car ride I didn't talk back or lash back out at them, but instead listened with an open heart. Also, I forgave them of any false accusations they made about me in their anger. (Colossians 3:13). 

Even though I'm still kind of sad, I'm thankful because today is a day that I really felt God's discipline. There was a point where I felt completely helpless and trapped (emphasized by the fact that I was in a locked car with two angry parentals), and I remember just praying to God in desperation for strength & hope. By God's grace, I began to see the blessings in this experience, albeit a painful one. I'd rather have gone through this day & fixed my sin than live on with this hidden flaw until it snowballs into something worse. 

Psalm 6, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #241

MEMORY VERSE: "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them." Matthew 6:1

NOTES:  LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger 

   or discipline me in your wrath.
² Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint;
   heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
³ My soul is in deep anguish.
   How long, LORD, how long?

 ⁴ Turn, LORD, and deliver me;
   save me because of your unfailing love.
⁵ Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
   Who praises you from the grave?

 ⁶ I am worn out from my groaning.

   All night long I flood my bed with weeping
   and drench my couch with tears.
⁷ My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
   they fail because of all my foes.

 ⁸ Away from me, all you who do evil,
   for the LORD has heard my weeping.
⁹ The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
   the LORD accepts my prayer.
¹⁰ All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;
   they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

This passage has some intense emotions in it, and I haven't had that many experiences where I can say that I can truly empathize with the feelings expressed here, but one thing that did stick out to me is the end of the passage: "The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer." It seems like an underlying theme for Psalms (at least so far) is how God hears. Reading this passage reminds me of John 11, which we studied in Sunday School last week (about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead). One thing that was emphasized was v.17: "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in the spirit and troubled." Even though Jesus knew about Lazarus' death beforehand and was going to eventually raise him from the dead, he still empathized with Mary and Martha and could truly understand their deep pain and sorrow. That, I think, is pretty mindblowing to know that the King of Kings, who has the power to raise people from the dead, understands our pain.

ACT OF LOVE: Gave the second half of my Diddy Riese to my sister because she was still hungry and wanted more :) (Went to Beverly Hills/West LA today with my sister, her husband, my nephew, and Jackie! Got Diddy Riese & Sprinkles for the 1st time!)

Humble Pie

"I’ve learned in 2010 that it’s not about me, it’s about Him… it’s not about what I can achieve, what I can do, how much influence I can have, what I can do to become a success… it’s about being obedient. We say this, that we want to glorify God, but at the end of the day is it really for God or is it really for ourselves? I have to struggle with this question as a broken human everyday…

My goal in 2011 … to become invisible so that He may become visible. I want to stop striving and start living, I want to stop performing and start becoming..." 

-Jaeson Ma

Humble Pie. Just read this post by Jaeson Ma and personally it's been pretty convicting. Upon reflection, I realize that I live for myself much more than I would like to admit, and it's definitely a day-to-day struggle to not to live to appear "holy" or praised by others, but solely for the glory of God. It's challenged me to bring a new dimension to my 365 Days of Love Challenge: to do as many acts of love as possible in secret. I don't know what that exactly entails but basically the only time I'll mention my acts of love is on this blog, or if someone directly asks me what my act of love for that day is. Please pray for me as well, that God would continue to change me so that I desire His glory above my own.

"He must increase; I must decrease." -John 3:30

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven...But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret" - Matthew 6:1, 3-4

Psalm 5, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #240: PUTTING SHOES AWAY

MEMORY VERSE: "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them." Matthew 6:1

NOTES: Listen to my words, LORD, 

   consider my lament.
² Hear my cry for help,
   my King and my God,
   for to you I pray.

 ³ In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;
   in the morning I lay my requests before you
   and wait expectantly.
⁴ For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
   with you, evil people are not welcome.
⁵ The arrogant cannot stand
   in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
 ⁶ you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
   you, LORD, detest.
⁷ But I, by your great love,
   can come into your house;
in reverence I bow down
   toward your holy temple.

 ⁸ Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness
   because of my enemies—
   make your way straight before me.
⁹ Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
   their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
   with their tongues they tell lies.
¹⁰ Declare them guilty, O God!
   Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
   for they have rebelled against you.
¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
   let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
   that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

 ¹² Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous;
   you surround them with your favor as with a shield.

(v.1) "Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray."
(v.4) "You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell."
(v.8) "Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies--make straight your way before me."
(v.11) "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, since it was so wet outside all of our shoes got drenched from the rain. I put my family's shoes inside in the garage to dry off. Also, I put away all the guests' shoes in the house when we had a bunch of people over!

Psalm 4, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #239: TIME WITH MY NEPHEW

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against each other. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

NOTES: Answer me when I call to you, 

   my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
   have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

 ² How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
   How long will you love delusions and seek false gods^[b]?^[c]
3 Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
   the LORD hears when I call to him.

 ⁴ Tremble and^[d] do not sin;
   when you are on your beds,
   search your hearts and be silent.
⁵ Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
   and trust in the LORD.

 ⁶ Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
   Let the light of your face shine on us.
⁷ Fill my heart with joy
   when their grain and new wine abound.

 ⁸ In peace I will lie down and sleep,
   for you alone, LORD,
   make me dwell in safety.

My favorite verse is v.4: "In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." Oftentimes, when I find myself angry I need to keep repeating this verse in my mind. I think it's one opportunity for me to "offer right sacrifices" and to practice trusting God more than lashing out. 

Also, highlight v.8: "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord make me dwell in safety."

ACT OF LOVE: Helped my sister out throughout the entire day by periodically watching and playing with my nephew. He is the cutest thing ever! :)

Psalm 3, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #237 & 238

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against each other. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

NOTES: LORD, how many are my foes! 

   How many rise up against me!
² Many are saying of me,
   “God will not deliver him.”^[b]

 ³ But you, LORD, are a shield around me,
   my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
⁴ I call out to the LORD,
   and he answers me from his holy mountain.

 ⁵ I lie down and sleep;
   I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
⁶ I will not fear though tens of thousands
   assail me on every side.

 ⁷ Arise, LORD!
   Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
   break the teeth of the wicked.

 ⁸ From the LORD comes deliverance.
   May your blessing be on your people.

(v.3) Reminded me of Ephesians 6:14-18, which talks about the armor of God:
-Belt of truth buckled around your waist
-Breastplate of righteousness
-Helmet of salvation
-Shield of faith
-Feet fitted with the readiness that come from the gospel of peace
-Sword of God
I don't think that's the exact order that Paul mentions it, but I think I got all the armor down. Anyways, I think that Psalm 3 connects with Ephesians 6 in that both passages emphasize how we are, in essence, in a constant spiritual battle against Satan. Not only are we fighting our own flesh & sinful ways, but (as David writes), it's expected that Christians will face opposition from the world as we try to live out the will of God. Yet, we don't have to fear the "tens of thousands" because ultimately we are fighting with the armor of GOD. Hallelujah!

ACT OF LOVE #237: Helped one of my classmates pour a big container of soap into her soap dispenser in Anatomy <3

ACT OF LOVE #238: Gave my friend my water bottle when she was thirsty! :) Also, helped my mom around the house with the dog and throwing away the trash when my sister came home today. & I looked up directions for my brother-in-law to get to the Long Beach Airport.

ALSOO...started using Chrome for a Cause! It's super easy, so you should do it too :)

Psalm 2, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #236

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against each other. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

NOTES:
Why do the nations conspire^[a] 
   and the peoples plot in vain? 
² The kings of the earth rise up 
   and the rulers band together 
   against the LORD and against his anointed, saying, 
³ “Let us break their chains 
   and throw off their shackles.”

 ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
   the Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ He rebukes them in his anger
   and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
⁶ “I have installed my king
   on Zion, my holy mountain.”

 ⁷ I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:

   He said to me, “You are my son;
   today I have become your father.
⁸ Ask me,
   and I will make the nations your inheritance,
   the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron^[b];
   you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

 ¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise;
   be warned, you rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear
   and celebrate his rule with trembling.
¹² Kiss his son, or he will be angry
   and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
   Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

This passage brings up an aspect of God not commonly discussed: the extend of God's wrath. In contrast to the loving and Fatherly figure that Jesus is, we are also called to "Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling." So often we talk about God's loving kindness and forgiveness that I think it's easy for us to minimize the ever powerful nature of God's wrath. What stuck out to me was v4: "The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them." All the power and forces of the world means nothing to God!

And yet, the passage does conclude with a comforting remark: "Blessed are all who take refuge in him." I think part of understanding God's powerful wrath is that though in one sense we should have a godly fear towards Him, there is great comfort in that absolutely nothing in this universe can compare to Him

ACT OF LOVE: Helped a friend with some of his college applications by offering advice and helping to clarify some things.
*Please pray for my sickness! Woke up today with a slight sore throat that worsened throughout the day. I also have that achey/sore feeling you get throughout your body when you're sick. Running low on energy, but I still have a lot to do! :(

Psalm 1, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #235: HELPING TEACHER

*Yesterday, I finished my study of the New Testament! (Well I guess I shouldn't say finished, since there is still alot more for me to soak in even though I finished reading through it.) I'm not sure what my QT plan is going to be for the next few months but for now, I'm going to start in Psalms and try to work my way through the Old Testament :) Yay

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

NOTES: Since it's a pretty short passage, I'll just paste the whole thing here:
¹ Blessed is the one
   who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
   or sit in the company of mockers,
² but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and who meditates on his law day and night. 
³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, 
   which yields its fruit in season 
and whose leaf does not wither—
   whatever they do prospers.
 ⁴ Not so the wicked!
   They are like chaff
   that the wind blows away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
   nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
 ⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
   but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
What stuck out to me was v.2: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Do I delight in the law of the Lord? Not just the mountain-top retreat highs, or the crazy fun fellowship activities, or the rejuvenating Friday-night worship; do I delight in reading God's word and obeying his commands? Do I meditate on it "day and night"? 
Am I like "a tree planted by streams of water, which yields fruit in season"? What does being fruitful look like? 


ACT OF LOVE: Today during 1st period, I helped my teacher hand back a huge stack of papers that needed to be returned. I didn't do it out of an underlying motive to suck up or anything, because I'm normally not the type of person who participates extensively in class heh. But today, I handed back a stack of papers to my classmates in love!

Revelation 22, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #234: ECON BOOK

*Made a few changes recently to my blog layout in case you haven't noticed. A few new things:
-"Sites to See" (lol see what i did thar. punny)-scroll down to the very bottom of the blog, you'll see links to some sites that I visit somewhat frequently (Jaeson Ma, John Piper, etc). Sources of inspiration, encouragement, study tools, sermons, etc!
-Prayer Requests Sidebar--let me know prayer requests & I'll post them up as a personal reminder and as an opportunity for others to pray for you as well!
-Total Pageviews--below the "About Me". Just for fun.
-more to come? perhaps..

PASSAGE: The River of Life, Jesus is Coming

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

NOTES: (v.1) "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. One each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations."
(v.3) "No longer will there be any curse....They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheards. There will be no more night."
(v.12) "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book. My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."
(v.17) "The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty; let him come; and whoever wishes, let min take the free gift of the water of life."
(v.18) "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, whicha re described in this book."
(v.21) "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I let my friend take my Econ book home with her since she didn't want to walk to her locker to get her own (ha ha), and I didn't need mine for today.
Accepted a command that my mom decided ungrudgingly(?), even though it wasn't something I particularly wanted to do. Practiced joyful obedience to my parents.

Revelation 21, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #233: PRAYER & ENCOURAGEMENT

PASSAGE: The New Jerusalem

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" Colossians 3:13

NOTES: (v.1) "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband."
(v.3) "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
(v.6) "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." <Overcome" by the Desperation Band as I read this. (Watch their story behind the song. It should be in the related links to the song above). How fitting to be reading this passage, given the context that the song was written in! This passaage is so pretty..I can't even begin to imagine how it will be when "the dwelling of God is with men." To me, it'd sound something like Phil Whickham's song "Cielo"
(v.10) "And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very previous jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of teh twelve tribes of Israel."
(v.22) "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp."
(v.27) "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful, deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."

ACT OF LOVE: Today, prayed for multiple things! (You can see the full list on the new "Prayer Request" sidebar to your right! hehe). Also, sent a mass fb message to the eManual group to randomly encourage fellow hsf-ers to continue seeking God!
*I'll be posting up updated prayer requests on the sidebar so you can pray too! Links included (most of the time)

Revelation 19 & 20, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #231 & 232

*Yesterday, I finished cleaning up at around 11:30pm, and this morning I had to wake up at 5:00am to go to the garage sale, so I was too tired to blog. BUT I still did the Scripture read/acts of love, so here's today's and yesterday's

PASSAGE: Hallelujah, The Rider on the White Horse, The Thousand Years, Satan's Doom, The Dead are Judged

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you" Colossians 3:13

NOTES: Chapter 19
(v.1) "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments, He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries. He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
(v.6) "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, and was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)"
(v.11) "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war."
(v.16) "On his robe and on his thigh he has his name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords."
Chapter 20
(v.1) "I saw an angel coming down out of heaven....He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, and bound him for a thousand years....After that, he must be set free for a short time."
(v.4)The first resurrection: Those who had been beheaded for their testimony and had not worshipped the beast (or received the mark on their foreheads) came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
(v.7) "When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth...to gather them for battle....But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur."
(v.11-14) The Great White Throne Judgement: "the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."
(v.14) "The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

ACT OF LOVE #231: Hosted the HSF Christmas party yesterday at my house! Some acts of love: helping "bartender" by pouring some drinks for people, helped decorate some extra, unused ornaments, and cleaned up almost everything so my parents wouldn't have to!

ACT OF LOVE #232: Did the CSF Garage Sale to raise money for Haiti today--woke up at 5:10am and worked the garage sale from 6am-12pm! Also donated 2 boxes of stuff/clothes from my own house to help raise money, and bought some things as well to help donate :) In addition, I went with my teacher to her classroom at 6:00am to help bring some boxes over because it was still really dark, foggy, and scary. Even if you're not alone, it's pretty dang eerie walking through a dark, deserted, and foggy school campus. After the garage sale, I helped clean up and pack the extra stuff into boxes/bags to be donated.

PHOTO CREDIT: DANICA HU

Revelation 18, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #230

PASSAGE: The Fall of Babylon

MEMORY VERSE: "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

NOTES: (v.2) "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird."
(v.4) "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues, for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes"
(v.11) "The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore--cargoes of gold, silver, previous stones and pearls"
(v.14) "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered."
(v.20) "Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you."
(v.21) "Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: "With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again."
wow. epic.

ACT OF LOVE: Today, alot of my friends needed help with Lit hw since we had a whole bunch of stuff due tomorrow, so I helped everyone who asked me with their LA's! Also, gave my friend a big encouragement about his singing (he was going to do a presentation in class by singing and wanted some input). I could tell he was a bit nervous, so I tried to give him more confidence in his skillz. Also, helped my mom find a place around the house to put a new picture frame that she just bought.

Revelation 17, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #229: FAVOR

PASSAGE: The Woman on the Beast

MEMORY VERSE: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature" Galatians 5:16

NOTES: (v.3) "Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns."
(v.4) "The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries." <
(v.6) "I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus....The beast....will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction."
(v.9) "The seven heads [on the beast[ are seven hills on which the woman sits. They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for a little while. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king."
(v.12) "The ten horns are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. They have one purpose and will give their authority to the beast."
(v.14) "They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings--and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
(v.15-18) Waters on which the prostitute sits = people/multitudes/nations/languages
Beast & ten horns hate prostitute, and will bring her to ruin
(v.17) "For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled."

ACT OF LOVE: Gave one of my classmates a hairtie when she didn't have one for the dance instructor that we had today!
Also, did a favor for my friend who wasn't able to access internet tonight but needed to get something done.

Marks of a Healthy Relationship, 365 Days of Love #228: FREE SNACKS

PASSAGE: Today I studied Part 2 of the Loveology series (this part was based on Song of Songs). LINK

MEMORY VERSE: "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 1 Peter 3:13

NOTES: 4 Marks of a Healthy Relationship
1). PURSUIT: It is the man's job to pursue the woman
-The man should be willing to risk himself; don't live in fear
(2:14) Lover; "My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice"
2). PASSION: 3 Kinds of Passion
-Friendship: enjoy spending time, talking with each other, best friend
-Sexual
-"Ahava"; don't settle for the person you can live with; go with the person you can't live without
(8:7) "It burns like blazing fire, like a might flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash away."
3). PURITY:  purity builds trust
(2:7), (3:5), (8:4) "...Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires"
4). PURPOSE: a relationship should be moving towards or away from marriage (if moving away, then break up)
(3:7) "Look! It is Solomon's carriage...all of them wearing the sword, all experienced in battle, each with his swoard at his side, prepared for the terrors of the night."
Extra notes: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
1 Corinthians 7
-Prepare your field
-Don't date potential
-Don't date for too long

ACT OF LOVE: Today at the CSF Board meeting, we had a whole bunch of extra unsold snacks from the snack sales that we could take for free. I took a big bag of snacks & gave out all the snacks to my classmates & friends! Gave out Veggie Chips, Sunchips, gummy bears, fruit snacks & Rice Krispies. It was sort of funny because they thought I was selling them, so they always said "I don't have any money.." & when they found out it was free they were super surprised & happy! People + food = love

*Random quote: "You are not passionate about something unless you are willing to suffer for it"--"Passion," by JMA.

Genesis 24, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #227: HAND SANITIZER & PRAYER

PASSAGE: Today I listened to a sermon about the marks of a godly man and woman based off of Scripture (the story of Isaac and Rebekah). The pastor is a hilarious but very convicting speaker--I suggest you listen to it! (These notes are on Part 1)
LINK

MEMORY VERSE: "Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 1 Peter 3:13

NOTES: 7 Marks of a Godly Woman:

1) Part of God's family

(v.3) "I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac" 

2) Willing to follow her husband

(v.5) "The servant asked him, 'What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"

(v.8) "If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there"

3). Beauty

(v.16) "The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her." [Ref verse: 1 Peter 3:3-6]

4) Purity

(v.16) "The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her."

5). Servant's heart 

(v.17-20) "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink."

6). Desire to Become a Mother

(v.6) "And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, "Our sister, may you increase to thousands upon thousands; may your offspring possess the gates of their enemies"

7) Modesty

(v.65) After Rebekah sees Isaac: "Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?" "He is my master," the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself."

3 Marks of a Godly Man

1). Priest 

(v.63) "He went out to the field one evening to medidate"

2) Provider

(v.67) "Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah" (provided her shelter

3). Protector

Chapter 26: Isaac fails at protecting Rebekah by calling her his sister because he feared for his life. But still, God showed him grace, and so did Rebekah: "Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold because the Lord blessed him" (v.12)

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I offered hand sanitizer to my groupmates during 1st period after we had a lab in Anatomy (since they didn't like the smell of the soap).

Also, stopped homework and prayed for a baby boy named Samuel & his family. Read the full story here & pray too: http://greglovesjesus.blogspot.com/