Psalm 48, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #311

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man, they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace, they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued, I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground, you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant, I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you, you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you" -Psalm 73:1-25

NOTES:  ¹ Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise, 

   in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

 ² Beautiful in its loftiness,
   the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon^[b] is Mount Zion,
   the city of the Great King.
³ God is in her citadels;
   he has shown himself to be her fortress.

 ⁴ When the kings joined forces,
   when they advanced together,
⁵ they saw her and were astounded;
   they fled in terror.
⁶ Trembling seized them there,
   pain like that of a woman in labor.
⁷ You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
   shattered by an east wind.

 ⁸ As we have heard,
   so we have seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
   in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
   forever.^[c]

 ⁹ Within your temple, O God,
   we meditate on your unfailing love.
¹⁰ Like your name, O God,
   your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
   your right hand is filled with righteousness.
¹¹ Mount Zion rejoices,
   the villages of Judah are glad
   because of your judgments.

 ¹² Walk about Zion, go around her,
   count her towers,
¹³ consider well her ramparts,
   view her citadels,
that you may tell of them
   to the next generation.

 ¹⁴ For this God is our God for ever and ever;
   he will be our guide even to the end.

ACT OF LOVE: Sent random texts to most people in my small group (except for once, cause I didn't have her number). Each one was a personalized encouragement to keep up the commitments they made at retreat and to ask for any prayer requests.
Also, today I was bombarded with a huge load of stuff to do. I had rehearsal right after school and didn't get home until 7:15ish, had 4 Reader Responses to do for English, math hw, financial aid stuff, needed to prepare and memorize 2 monologes for auditions tomorrow, and make the CSF board agenda for tomorrow. However, I did my best not to complain and to maintain a positive attitude. To be honest, I did find myself complaining a few times, but trying to be positive did help me finish my work a lot faster!

Psalm 47, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #310

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles, their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man, they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace, they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. They scoff, and speak with malice; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued, I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground, you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved, and my Spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant, I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you, you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." Psalm 73:1-25

NOTES: ¹ Clap your hands, all you nations; 

   shout to God with cries of joy.

 ² For the LORD Most High is awesome,
   the great King over all the earth.
³ He subdued nations under us,
   peoples under our feet.
⁴ He chose our inheritance for us,
   the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.^[b]

 ⁵ God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
   the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises;
   sing praises to our King, sing praises.
⁷ For God is the King of all the earth;
   sing to him a psalm of praise.

 ⁸ God reigns over the nations;
   God is seated on his holy throne.
⁹ The nobles of the nations assemble
   as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings^[c] of the earth belong to God;
   he is greatly exalted.

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I wrote longer and more personal encouragement letters to 6 different people in the fellowship! I plan to distribute them on friday.
Also, I decided to clean out my closet and bookshelf. I realized that I had way too much stuff, and wanted to clear out some clutter. I gathered a giant plastic bag full of clothes to donate, as well as a bunch of books to give out to my friends (most of them are school related books, so they don't have to go out and buy their own copy).

Psalm 46, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #309

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace, they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long have I been plagued, I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground, you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one aways, so will you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved, and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant, I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you, you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. " Psalm 73:1-24

NOTES:  ¹ God is our refuge and strength, 

   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.^[c]

 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 ⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields^[d] with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”

 ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Verse 10 is something that I've been learning and trying to practice--just being still before God and letting Him speak to me. Sometimes I just forget to wait on God and take it slow and be willing to just spend time with Him, even amidst all the business of life. I pray that God will give me more patience to wait on Him and to just  be still and worship him.

ACT OF LOVE: Went to a prayer meeting and prayed for the church, the leaders, and missions worldwide!

Psalm 46, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #308

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace, they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued, I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so will you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my hear twas grieved, and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant, I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." Psalm 73:1-24

NOTES: ¹ God is our refuge and strength, 

   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.^[c]

 ⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

 ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 ⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields^[d] with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”

 ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.

ACT OF LOVE: Today, we had a movie night in HSF. My friend had taken off his tennis shoes and placed them somewhere in the back of the room for the movie. After the movie ended, he found that some mischievous prankster had super mega tied his shoelaces together. like boyscout status. He was having trouble untying all the knots, so I helped him untie everything lol.

Psalm 45, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #307

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so will you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved and my Spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand." Psalm 73:1-23

NOTES:¹ My heart is stirred by a noble theme 

   as I recite my verses for the king;
   my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

 ² You are the most excellent of men
   and your lips have been anointed with grace,
   since God has blessed you forever.

 ³ Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
   clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously
   in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
   let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
   let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶ Your throne, O God,^[c] will last for ever and ever;
   a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
   therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
   by anointing you with the oil of joy.
⁸ All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
   from palaces adorned with ivory
   the music of the strings makes you glad.
⁹ Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
   at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

 ¹⁰ Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
   Forget your people and your father’s house.
¹¹ Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
   honor him, for he is your lord.
¹² The city of Tyre will come with a gift,^[d]
   people of wealth will seek your favor.
¹³ All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
   her gown is interwoven with gold.
¹⁴ In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
   her virgin companions follow her—
   those brought to be with her.
¹⁵ Led in with joy and gladness,
   they enter the palace of the king.

 ¹⁶ Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
   you will make them princes throughout the land.

 ¹⁷ I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
   therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

I think this is one of the most romantic Psalms I've read--especially since it's a wedding Psalm. The first half describes a righteous kind, whose majesty runs forth "in behalf of truth, humility, and righteousness" and whose hands "display awesome deeds." This poem describes a true man of God, who is anointed by God and "love[s] righteousness and hate[s] wickedness." On the flip side, it also describes the great joy in a beautiful and pure wife (v.10-17).

ACT OF LOVE: I went to 1st period this morning and saw that one of my tablemates was in a cranky mood, so I tried to cheer her up by giving her my tiramisu cake pastry that I bought from the korean market! Her face brightened up a bit.
Also, signed up for the Blood Drive with one of my friends (who was sad that no one signed up with her yet). I'm pretty scared of needles and pain, but I figure it's for a good cause. Plus I get free cookies. And a movie ticket.
In addition, I lent my calculator to one of my classmates to use during class. yay for math
finally, gave my mom a random hug. <3

Psalm 45, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #306

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice, in their arrogance they threaten oppression. They mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued, I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so will you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved, and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand." Psalm 73:1-23

NOTES: ¹ My heart is stirred by a noble theme 

   as I recite my verses for the king;
   my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

 ² You are the most excellent of men
   and your lips have been anointed with grace,
   since God has blessed you forever.

 ³ Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one;
   clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously
   in the cause of truth, humility and justice;
   let your right hand achieve awesome deeds.
⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;
   let the nations fall beneath your feet.
⁶ Your throne, O God,^[c] will last for ever and ever;
   a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
   therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
   by anointing you with the oil of joy.
⁸ All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;
   from palaces adorned with ivory
   the music of the strings makes you glad.
⁹ Daughters of kings are among your honored women;
   at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

 ¹⁰ Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:
   Forget your people and your father’s house.
¹¹ Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;
   honor him, for he is your lord.
¹² The city of Tyre will come with a gift,^[d]
   people of wealth will seek your favor.
¹³ All glorious is the princess within her chamber;
   her gown is interwoven with gold.
¹⁴ In embroidered garments she is led to the king;
   her virgin companions follow her—
   those brought to be with her.
¹⁵ Led in with joy and gladness,
   they enter the palace of the king.

 ¹⁶ Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
   you will make them princes throughout the land.

 ¹⁷ I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;
   therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

ACT OF LOVE: Let one of my classmates use my gov textbook for her homework since she didn't bring hers!

Genuine: Winter Retreat 2011

Praise God...

-For blessing us with SNOW; real, thick, genuine snow. And for clearing up the weather by Monday so that we were able to drive back on sunny roads and clear pathways.

-For the most vulnerable, Spirit-driven, honest and vibrant small group discussions that I've ever experienced

-For an amazing guy/girl time in which we experienced walls being broken down and true community with fellow Sisters in Christ. For being truly honest with each other, without judgement or condemnation.

-For a weekend without Winners games or boy talks (at least for the girls)

-For an amazing speaker that God used to challenge, inspire, and motivate the fellowship into being genuine

-For five loving and serving counselors that became true brothers and sisters

-For the most encouraging campfire, from which some unexpected sharings came from unexpected people

-For an amazing cabin, and giving us the energy to stay awake during the sermons after 3 hours of sleep

-For each of the testimonies that displayed God's goodness in very different ways

-For being good, all the time.

God basically defied all expectations and consumed us with His presence at this retreat. He definitely went above & beyond in answering all the prayers that went into this retreat, and never stopped to amaze us with even the littlest of things. I can't even begin to list all of God's goodness at this past retreat, but here's a very small picture of what WR 2011 looked like..

SNOW! <3

Small groupie :)

Cabin 11!

Ahh Seniors <3

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands" Psalm 19:1

Matthew 13, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #301-305

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice. In their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued, I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so will you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. When my heart was grieved, and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you." Psalm 73:1-22

NOTES: Most of Retreat was centered around Matthew 13 and the theme of being a genuine Christian rather than a good-looking fake. Here are some notes:
Message #1: The Rich Young Man (Mark 10:17-31)
-Theres more than meets the eye (v.17-22): God cares about your heart
-Heart transplants are possible (v.23-27): it's impossible to get to heaven with your own heart, but with God all things are possible
-Many who are first will be last, and the last first (v.28-31): What are my motivations?
Message #2: The Hard Soil (Matt 13) = the unresponsive hearer
-There are two ways to live:
1) Our way: to reject God & run life our way. Results in condemnation, death & judgement
2) God's way: Submit to Jesus as ruler, rely on death & resurrection. Result: Forgiven by God, given eternal life.
Message #3: Rocky Ground = the superficial hearer
-How does Jesus care for me during seasons of suffering?
-Genuine Christians know there is a purpose for their suffering, and that they are not alonge
-Know that God will help them endure
-Know that they can have hope because there is a better life to come
Message #4: The Weedy Soil = the worldly hearer
-How do I love Jesus more than the world?
-Trusting in God
-Being generous/sacrificing idols
Message #5: The Good Soil - the embracing hearer
-Hears the Word, understands the Word, & Produces fruit
-John 15:1-16: How will my life change when Jesus is close to me?
-Abide in Christ
-Bear fruit
-Be obedient
-love others

*Acts of Love done at retreat are out of order and kind of random. Since I didn't write it all down, these are just what I remember.
ACT OF LOVE #301: Went to Pine Valley for my last HS Winter Retreat! Brought a giant, Costco-sized bag of delicous Sour Cream and Onion POPCHIPS and shared it with everyone on the bus.


ACT OF LOVE #302: Offered my clothes to my fellow cabinmates. Let someone borrow my CSF jacket, my CSF sweater, and my shower slippers! Helped people with their Secret Pals by giving hugs, serving people meals, and delivering candy.

ACT OF LOVE #303: Wrote encouragement notes to everyone in the fellowship, including counselors and speaker. Also took some time to get to know Gavin, our speaker, and his beautiful family.

ACT OF LOVE #304: Had an amazing girl time with the fellowship. Allowed myself to be vulnerable, and supported others in their vulnerability. Amazing time of honesty and fellowship with fellow sisters.

ACT OF LOVE #305: Sent my friend a pic from 2 years ago. It was a trip down memory lane!

Psalm 44, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #300

*I will be at retreat for the next few days, so there will be a brief halt in posts. Please keep the retreat in your prayers!!

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure, in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued, I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them into ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so will you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies." Psalm 73:1-20

NOTES:¹ We have heard with our ears, O God;

   our fathers have told us
what you did in their days,
   in days long ago.
² With your hand you drove out the nations
   and planted our fathers;
you crushed the peoples
   and made our fathers flourish.
³ It was not by their sword that they won the land,
   nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
   and the light of your face, for you loved them.

 ⁴ You are my King and my God,
   who decrees^[b] victories for Jacob.
⁵ Through you we push back our enemies;
   through your name we trample our foes.
⁶ I do not trust in my bow,
   my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies,
   you put our adversaries to shame.
⁸ In God we make our boast all day long,
   and we will praise your name forever.
                         Selah

 ⁹ But now you have rejected and humbled us;
   you no longer go out with our armies.
¹⁰ You made us retreat before the enemy,
   and our adversaries have plundered us.
¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
   and have scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your people for a pittance,
   gaining nothing from their sale.

 ¹³ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
   the scorn and derision of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us a byword among the nations;
   the peoples shake their heads at us.
¹⁵ My disgrace is before me all day long,
   and my face is covered with shame
¹⁶ at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
   because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

 ¹⁷ All this happened to us,
   though we had not forgotten you
   or been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned back;
   our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals
   and covered us over with deep darkness.

 ²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
   or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹ would not God have discovered it,
   since he knows the secrets of the heart?
²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

 ²³ Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
   Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
²⁴ Why do you hide your face
   and forget our misery and oppression?

 ²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;
   our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up and help us;
   redeem us because of your unfailing love.

This passage seemed to apply to a whole bunch of things that I've been learning/listening to. When I read this yesterday, I had just finished watching a sermon by Francis Chan (search: "Radical Christianity is Normal by Francis Chan"), in which one of his points was that it's important to act upon what you learn in Scripture and Biblical preaching (referring to Rev. 3, the church in Sardis and the church in Laodicea). Often, we don't act because we are fixated on what our own abilities are rather than what the word of God says.
Yet, starting in v.9 the passage takes a turn as it starts to emphasize the suffering induced in following Jesus. It reminded me of a sermon that I listened to a few days ago by John Piper (search: "You Will Suffer by John Piper"). He stated that it is through the love of Christ prevailing through our suffering that people will be saved.  Specifically, he mentioned the prosperity gospel and how promising "the good life" isn't going to draw people to the love of Christ.

ACT OF LOVE: Today, I decided to bring snacks to school instead of buying them to save money. I brought a bag of chips, an almond pastry, and one of the tiramisu cake pastries that you get at the Korean Market. When my friend saw that I had the tiramisu pastry, he got really excited because that was one of his favorite snacks, so gave it to him instead! He was kind of surprised at first, but I knew that he liked it more than I did.

Psalm 44, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #298 & 299

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure--in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies." Psalm 73:1-20

NOTES:

Psalm 44

    For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.^[a]

 ¹ We have heard with our ears, O God;
   our fathers have told us
what you did in their days,
   in days long ago.
² With your hand you drove out the nations
   and planted our fathers;
you crushed the peoples
   and made our fathers flourish.
³ It was not by their sword that they won the land,
   nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand, your arm,
   and the light of your face, for you loved them.

 ⁴ You are my King and my God,
   who decrees^[b] victories for Jacob.
⁵ Through you we push back our enemies;
   through your name we trample our foes.
⁶ I do not trust in my bow,
   my sword does not bring me victory;
⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies,
   you put our adversaries to shame.
⁸ In God we make our boast all day long,
   and we will praise your name forever.
                         Selah

 ⁹ But now you have rejected and humbled us;
   you no longer go out with our armies.
¹⁰ You made us retreat before the enemy,
   and our adversaries have plundered us.
¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep
   and have scattered us among the nations.
¹² You sold your people for a pittance,
   gaining nothing from their sale.

 ¹³ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,
   the scorn and derision of those around us.
¹⁴ You have made us a byword among the nations;
   the peoples shake their heads at us.
¹⁵ My disgrace is before me all day long,
   and my face is covered with shame
¹⁶ at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,
   because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

 ¹⁷ All this happened to us,
   though we had not forgotten you
   or been false to your covenant.
¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned back;
   our feet had not strayed from your path.
¹⁹ But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals
   and covered us over with deep darkness.

 ²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God
   or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
²¹ would not God have discovered it,
   since he knows the secrets of the heart?
²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
   we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

 ²³ Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
   Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
²⁴ Why do you hide your face
   and forget our misery and oppression?

 ²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;
   our bodies cling to the ground.
²⁶ Rise up and help us;
   redeem us because of your unfailing love.

ACT OF LOVE #298: I was standing in line to buy a snack and I saw that my friend had arrived a few minutes after me. Offered to buy her snack so that she wouldn't have to wait as long. She was super grateful! :)

ACT OF LOVE #299: Went to my advisor's classroom during lunch to watch over her classroom and accept applications from people since she wasn't able to stay in during lunch today. Also, at the Souplantation Fundraiser tonight I (lowkey) paid tip to the waiter because no one else wanted to.

Psalm 43, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #296 & 297

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been punished; I have been plagued every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus, " I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors!" -Psalm 73:1-19

NOTES: ¹ Vindicate me, my God, 
   and plead my cause 
   against an unfaithful nation. 
Rescue me from those who are 
   deceitful and wicked. 
² You are God my stronghold. 
   Why have you rejected me? 
Why must I go about mourning, 
   oppressed by the enemy? 
³ Send me your light and your faithful care, 
   let them lead me; 
let them bring me to your holy mountain, 
   to the place where you dwell. 
⁴ Then I will go to the altar of God, 
   to God, my joy and my delight. 
I will praise you with the lyre, 
   O God, my God.

 ⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

It's interesting to me that he repeats what he said in Psalm 42 in this Psalm: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God" (Psalm 42:5, Psalm 43:5). It's a good reminder that our praise and thanksgiving should not depend on our circumstance or emotions, but should rather be consistent and repeated each day. Even through dark times, God is our hope and Savior!
ACT OF LOVE #296: Handed out more "Valentines" (coupons for a free donut at Krispy Kreme!) to random people at church!

ACT OF LOVE #297: Helped my mom pick out new curtains for the house, and prayed for 3 new people today!

Ephesians 6, 365 DAYS OF LOVE #295

MEMORY VERSE: "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. From their callous hearts come iniquity; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. The scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. Their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth. Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" This is what the wicked are like--always carefree, they increase in wealth. Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. All day long I have been plagued--I have been punished every morning. If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand this, it was oppressive to me until I entered the sanctuary of God, then I understood their final destiny. Surely you placed them on slippery ground, you cast them down into ruin." Psalm 73:1-19

NOTES:  ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

 ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Lately, I've been starting off my prayer times with a prayer that I would take on the full armor of God. I think this week I began to really realize how it truly is a spiritual battle against the devil, and how important it is to take up the full armor of God each and every day. I slept shortly after the prayer meeting, but I woke up at around 4:30am. Since I couldn't go back to sleep, I decided to pray and wait on God for about an hour. I went back to sleep, but shortly after I was awakened with something like scissor lock. It felt like someone had taken a giant wooden board and pressed it against my body so that I couldn't breathe. I prayed in the name of Christ, and the pressure immediately went away. Afterwards, I turned on all the lights and read my Bible more haha. It was the first time that it had happened to me, and I definitely think there was some spiritual warfare going on. But God is even greater!

ACT OF LOVE: My parents had some guests over, and one of the daughters was my friend in hsf. I talked to her about Christianity and gave her advice on how she can minister her faith to her friends who are nonbelievers. At night, went to a prayer meeting where we prayed for the fellowship and even missions worldwide.