Traces of God During Lecture

"Then Jesus said to him, 'See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'" Matthew 8:4

A traditional Korean folktale of healing has several components: a sick mother who has tried everything to get well but to no avail, a son who is upright and loving as seen by everyone in town, a supernatural calling that directs the son to a mythical herb somewhere far away, the arduous travel and the happy ending.

This was one of the first points our Pharmacology professor discussed, that our inherent belief of healing to be miraculous needs to be broken. Now, I thought this was true for all Christians as well. Too often, we become passive and blindly ask God for answers to all our life's problems. Often, however, God has already given us a lot of potential to go seek the answers ourselves. How else could you explain all the countless research and findings of the entire civilization? We have knocked, and we have received so many!

Why is it that Jesus tells the man to keep the miraculous healing to himself? Maybe it was to show that our physical needs are no greater news than our spiritual salvation. Why is it that we need to break free to holding onto miracles? Maybe because the only miracle we need to ask for is for us to be messengers of the gospel, not our daily needs.

Morbid Thoughts

I could beg for God to be merciful and bring healing to her and I probably would, but at times I do not think it will happen. Sometimes I think it is a calling to come back home, to come find rest at last.

I sure hope that she finds it.

Climbing Mountains

Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”

Then Moses set out with Joshua his aide, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.”

When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Exodus 24: 9-18

This may very well be the simplest form of our spiritual journey: climbing mountains, desiring to be closer to God, yet all under the presence of the Lord.

I Am

I am a prayer, a culmination of body, mind and soul
I am history, a lineage, kingdoms and families
I am a cry in the dark, a shadow lurking beneath broken dreams
I am selfish. I am shackled
I am the tragedy of modern society
I am a constant battle, a competition, a race

Yet, I am hopeful

I am more than a grade, more than a simple number, a soul in slumber
I am cold, hungry, stressed
Yet I am bold, ready, though pressed, silent
I am a trumpet blast, high above the clouds
I am selfless, joyful and jubilant

I am actively passive and passively active

I am none, yet all

I am a prayer

Fragments of Past

Just some prayer requests I had written

08.26.12
Someone to be with at Service Saturdays / Northway
Being open to people everyday
Academics as a lot for my own
Tuesday Worship to share a passion
EWB for a vision
Meeting someone crazy about God
Thanking others for being a community for me
 
09.15.12

Thanks to God for the Northway small group

09.17.12

Asking for at least one fruit, to love someone more than myself

 

09.24.12
Prayer on not forgetting, keeping my visions clear

 

09.29.12

Prayer on knowing what I truly want

10.25.12

Is it my shortcomings that I find no interest in daily matters?

11.04.12

Road to being a doctor, an obsession? What is greater?

Life of the mundane, Finding joy in YG
Beating temptation

11.14.12

Thankful for nearly a semester’s pull

Begging for passion and purity

Another Day Another Way

Back for more.
Hoping to be graceful this time around.

Content

It's alright
It's all good

Delayed Post

With a bigger cage, life grows to fit.

With greater dreams, we call upon a greater strength

Greater strengths call forth greater men.

How has great been defined but from God?

Challenge to the Next Generation

There was a time when I felt like God was giving me a choice: to stay on course the route I had planned for myself or drop everything and start anew. As I had learned that all of my life is indeed a gift from God, I took with thanksgiving and followed the course that lay ahead. I have found more of God's blessings and have experienced God in such a new way. However, there still lies a small whisper, a faint glimmer of a voice that asks what would have happened if I had taken the other road, the more irresponsible decision, the extremely daring, almost foolish path. 

I write this here now, so that one day, if my children ever come across such a way, I would thus point the other way, for God will be there also. 

A Small Lecture

If I had an audience, bright spotlights in radiance,
if I was given a microphone with ears and minds together in one tone,
If I could point to one direction, what would be my intention?

I could recite a love sonnet. I could play an instrument.
I could recount the lives past, of the famous and the popular.
I could teach science or even talk about the world in its magnificence,
but none gratifying, all too unsatisfying.

One passion still lingers in my heart,
but my declaration would only be a decoration to the already glorious. 

He sang lullabies when I lay awake in darkness.
He taught me about maturity, the responsibility of a man.
He led me on adventures, small and large alike.
He showed me love and gentleness.
He found purpose in my life, truest happiness.

As with each second my life edges toward the end, 
my only desire would be to say that I love you, Lord.
And everyday of my life, I wish to hear the words, 
"you are my son" while I wait for the kingdom of God. 

Dream Sequence: Tea time

Jesus arrived and sat in front of me.
He asked, "What is it that you want?"
"I desire you, Lord."
He replied, "You already have me."
I then asked , "How about the ability to do your will?"
Again, he said calmly, "You already have that too."
"What is it that I need, then?"
He smiled and left me to my thoughts.

I’ve Learned by Omer B. Washington

I’ve Learned by Omer B. Washington

I’ve learned that you cannot make someone love you.
All you can do is be someone who can be loved.
The rest is up to them.
I’ve learned that no matter how much I care,
some people just don’t care back.
I’ve learned that it takes years to build up trust
and only seconds to destroy it.
I’ve learned that it’s not what you have in your life
but who you have in your life that counts.
I’ve learned that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes.
After that, you’d better know something.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself
to the best others can do,
but to the best you can do.
I’ve learned that it’s not what happens to people,
It’s what they do about it.
I’ve learned that no matter how thin you slide it,
there are always two sides.
I’ve learned that you should always have loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you’ll see them.
I’ve learned that you can keep going
long after you think you can’t.

I’ve learned that heroes are the people who do what has to be done
When it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I’ve learned that there are people who love you dearly,
but just don’t know how to show it.
I’ve learned that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.
I’ve learned that true friendship continues to grow even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.
I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to
doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned that no matter how good a friend is,
they’re going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
I’ve learned that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I’ve learned that no matter how bad your heart is broken,
the world doesn’t stop for your grief.
I’ve learned that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but we are responsible for who we become.
I’ve learned that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.
And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned that sometimes you have to put the individual
ahead of their actions.
I’ve learned that two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.
I’ve learned that no matter the consequences,
those who are honest with themselves go farther in life.
I’ve learned that your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don’t even know you.
I’ve learned that even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned that writing,
as well as talking,
can ease emotional pains.
I’ve learned that the people you care most about in life
are taken from you too soon.
I’ve learned that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice
and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.
I’ve learned to love
and be loved.
I’ve learned…