Quotable Quotes

Prayer is not for gratifying our natural desires. It is for gratifying our desires when those desires have been so purified and so saturated with God that they coincide with his plans.

-John Piper

I Can Only Imagine

I have a confession.
When no one's home, I like to blast music soooo loud that it drowns out my own thinking.
Why did I tell you this??.... well try it while listening to the whole song below and see how your heart and mind respond.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

I wanted to write this post on Thanksgiving, but amongst all the cooking and the eating, and then the ensuing food coma...well, let's just say the day got away from me. Thanksgiving does too often get overshadowed by the food and entertaining, and as a result I don't take enough time to reflect on things that I am so thankful for.

So after waking up on the day after Thanksgiving, and in seeing my dad clean up after the big dinner and then wake up early to cook us breakfast, I’m reminded of how grateful I am for these people I call "Mummy" and "Daddy". They have been a living model of sacrificial love to me. Parents, who despite having two grown kids, insist on doing anything and everything to make life as easy as possible for us.

God also knew how much I would need a woman like my mother in my life. I marvel at how she is able to empathize and relate with my struggles despite her vastly different upbringing. There have been many a times I have cried on her shoulder (still do when needed), and I thank the Lord that her words of Godly wisdom and prayers have pulled me through some tough days.

I am grateful for a younger brother who gives me advice that is wise beyond his years and my own.

I am thankful for my friends....for these people who make me laugh like no other, who have seen me through some of my darkest moments, who don't judge me when I stumble, who challenge me in my faith, who stand up for me when I can't stand for myself, who speak the truth even when I don't want to hear it, and who have been there far beyond what the word friendship calls for. Some of these friendships have lasted as long as decades, some only a few months, but both have impacted me beyond measure.

I'm grateful to see the joy of so many of my friends and family bring new lives into this world and embark on their new role as parents.....for the opportunity to hold and play with these little creatures and wonder at what the Lord has in store for them.

I am grateful for having a life where there is an over-abundance of everything and never truly being in "need" of anything.

I'm grateful that I have a job where I come across people from all different walks of life, to be able to hear their stories, and be touched by some of the things they share. A perfect example being yesterday: seeing a patient at the young age of 19 who had already lost vision in one eye due to a military accident, and is now eager to serve his country again as he prepares for a 7 month tour in Afghanistan.

I am thankful for the opportunities I've had to traverse the globe, for experiencing the beauty of majestic mountains and breathtaking sunrises in different corners of the earth.

I am truly blessed and thankful for all of these things, but if for some reason the Lord decides to take it all away or decides that it is enough.…..I know my heart should still be grateful because I will forever be called a child of God. I am most thankful for that security He has mercifully bestowed upon me.  Not only has the Lord guaranteed me life beyond this world, but he's also given me a "script" to live the most meaningful life while I am on this earth, all very neatly packaged in a book called the Bible.

It's a shame how often I do take these things for granted. I’m guilty of more often than not portraying a "woe is me" attitude rather than a "how grateful am I" demeanor. I am blessed beyond measure, and yes, sometimes it does take a holiday to put it all in perspective.

Good Eats - Sabrina's Cafe

This past Sunday's post-race brunch:

A "diverse" menu featuring "innovative" "comfort food" "combinations" wins praise at these "adorable" New American twins in the Italian Market and Fairmount, where "awesome" brunches and "all-day" breakfasts are "worth the wait", and dinners are a "treat"; the digs remind some of "their grandma's basement rec room" but it doesn't dampen the "creative" vibe, which extends all the way to the "friendly" staff's "hair color". - ZAGAT survey 2009

Italian Market                                   

910 Christian Street          

Phila, PA 19147     

http://www.sabrinascafe.com/

Fairmount/Art Museum

1804 Callowhill Street

Phila, PA 19130                             

"Run, Forrest, Run"

8K - 5 MILES - 47 min 53 seconds...
my official time for the first race I ever ran!

A few of us this past weekend decided to take part in the Philadelphia Marathon by running the Rothman 8K.  Now it's no marathon or 1/2 marathon, but 5 miles was more than a sufficient challenge for us because we were all newbies to running. 

Prior to this, the most I ever ran was about 2.5 miles while on the treadmill. Even though I've been more diligent in working out as I've gotten older, running was never my thing.  The stamina and patience needed for it is usually what kills me.  Let me tell you how pathetic I was.  I remember back in high school asking the gym teacher if there was any paper/busy work he needed done on the days we would run track outdoors.  I dreaded those days because I could barely run a mile in under 15 minutes and I would often be at the back of the pack.  Thank God things have changed since then.

So in the past couple weeks leading to the race, it was fun to go down to Kelly Drive and to start training outdoors...1st 2 miles, and then adding about a 1/2 mile every week. Kelly Drive is just such a beautiful place and running there definitely became a stress reliever and a time to relax and reflect.  My main running partner sent me an email during our training and since I don't think I can re-state what she said any better, I'm just going to cut and paste her exact words :)

i wanted to share this thought with you. while i was running yesterday, i was inspired and reminded of an old academy award winning movie called, chariots of fire. i dont know if you've ever seen it, but it's about a true story of two athletes in the 1924 olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian, and Harold Abrahams. facing much opposition, Liddell sees running as a way of glorifying God before returning to China to work as a missionary. It's really a great story on finding God even in the ordinary things and how much He means for us to enjoy it. there's a well quoted line by Liddell towards the end of the movie, "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure." If you have a few spare hours, i think it would be a real blessing and maybe even a great blog =)

The whole experience has definitely been a blessing and needless to say I took her advice on the blog as well =). I haven't seen the movie yet, but it's on my list of movies to watch.

So in our training, the most we ever ran was 4.5 miles. We were hoping the adrenaline would carry us the last 1/2 mile and we were right. There were 18,000 people registered total to run between all 3 races and everyone is essentially running at the same time. When you get to the last 1/4 mile, there's thousands of people cheering you on on both sides of the track. It's just such an awesome sight to see: a sea of people rooting you on as you're heading towards that finish line. There's no way not to feed off that contagious energy of the crowd, and it just pushes you till you reach the end.

The 5 of us enjoying our post-race brunch

I think all of us have been bitten with the running bug now, so we're planning to do the 10 mile Broad Street run at the beginning of May next year...and dare I say maybe even the 1/2 marathon next November =).  I'm excited to keep up with the running and to see how far we'll all go...we shall wait and see.

Quotable Quotes

The soul hardly ever realizes it, but whether he is a believer or not, his loneliness is really a homesickness for God.

-Hubert van Zeller

Healthy Baking

I like to bake, but I have to admit that I don't make the healthiest baked goods. So on my day off today I decided to experiment with some healthy baking.  I know it doesn't sound appetizing...luckily though I found this great website, 101 cookbooks, which makes healthy meals sound and look delicious.

The only problem with baking this way is I usually have to search high and low at specialty grocery stores for alot of these ingredients, and also usually pay double the price.....oh well, there's no price for good health, right?

So from the website I decided to make an Apple and Carrot Shortbread Cookie (right) and a Carrot Oatmeal Cookie (below), which also happens to be completely vegan.

Some of the interesting ingredients included things like whole wheat pastry flour, semolina flour, coconut oil, Muscavado brown sugar, etc.

The cookies definitely are not as sweet as your normal typical cookie, but the flavors of the natural ingredients like the apples, carrots and even the coconut oil really do shine.  I definitely am going to experiment some more and hopefully I can continue cooking and baking with an edge on the healthier side.

For My Good

What's your reaction when you feel like you're being disciplined by God? Are you even aware of it when it's happening? When it does, do you feel disheartened or angry or unfairly punished? Within the past couple years, I can honestly say God has made me more attuned and aware of when He is disciplining me. Instead of being thankful for God dealing with me as a Father should, my reaction is often one of sadness, guilt, worry, shame, etc.
But the thing is, God doesn't see it that way....He sees it this way:

"It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons." - Hebrews 12:7-8

"How is it with you today? Are you in a difficult circumstance as a discipline from your loving Father? Do you feel His sadness that it had to come to this in order for you to learn? I don't want to get older and still be an adolescent Christian. I want to grow up in the Lord and trust my heavenly Father even when I don't understand what He's doing. I want to believe that the Lord is way smarter than me. He gets it. His discipline is for my good...Your Father loves you. Everything He allows is for your growth and good. He sees the long picture, even when you can’t. I wonder how I make God’s heart sad when I don’t understand that He lovingly draws near to me even in times of learning (See Psalm 34:18). "      

          --Taken from The Weekly Walk by James MacDonald

Sunday Thoughts

During bible study today we were focussing on I John 2:15-17.

It reads:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

You may ask why I post or share such things. It may seem like it's to share and spread the Gospel, and to a certain extent that is part of my intention.  At the core of it though, it is more for selfish reasons.  It's to keep myself accountable.  If I'm not writing about it, I'm likely not thinking about it....and I NEED to think about these things.  I want to transform my way of thinking because I find my life and thoughts are too often consumed with things that are of this world.  This is my way of constantly reminding and inundating my mind and heart with the ways and words of the Lord. 

Good Eats - Creperie Beaumonde

The place we had dinner tonight isn't worth mentioning....so I won't.
On the other hand, the place we stopped in for dessert was fabulous.

Creperie-Beaumonde

Northwest corner of 6th and Bainbridge Streets

Philadelphia, PA 19147

215.592.0656

http://www.creperie-beaumonde.com/

Booty, God, Booty

Did you just go huh? I did when I read that title.

Now that I have your attention, read the short and sweet post that goes along with it....

http://stuffchristianslike.net/2008/04/113-booty-god-booty/

I promise you'll at least chuckle.....while realizing how true it is.

The Touch Of The Master's Hand

When I doubt my worth in this world....

It was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer thought it hardly worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin, but he held it up with a smile.

"What am I bid, good people", he cried,
"Who starts the bidding for me?"
"One dollar, one dollar, Do I hear two?"
"Two dollars, who makes it three?"
"Three dollars once, three dollars twice, going for three,"

But, No, From the room far back a gray
Bearded man came forward and picked up the bow,
Then wiping the dust from the old violin and tightening up the strings,
He played a melody, pure and sweet
As sweet as the angel sings.

The music ceased and the auctioneer
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said "What now am I bid for this old violin?"
As he held it aloft with its' bow.

 "One thousand, one thousand, Do I hear two?"
"Two thousand, Who makes it three?"
"Three thousand once, three thousand twice,
Going and gone", said he.

The audience cheered, But some of them cried,
"We just don't understand." "What changed its' worth?"
Swift came the reply.
"The Touch of the Masters Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune
All battered and scarred with sin
Is auctioned cheap to a thankless world
Much like that old violin.

A mess of pottage, a glass of wine,
A game and he travels on.
He is going once, he is going twice,
He is going and almost gone.

But the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd never can quite understand,
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the Touch of the Masters' Hand.

- Myra Brooks Welch

Veteran's Day

Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat, whether you're for or against our international policies, today was a day to remember the everyday people who make a choice to put their lives on the line to serve our country.

A couple years ago, I got a healthy dose of what reality is for these men and women when I worked at a VA hospital for a year and a half.

The majority of patients I saw came with charts filled with diagnosis after diagnosis of physical, mental, and traumatic disorders. You would think that we as a country would do our best to take care of them, but more often than not, these veterans have to fight to get the necessary care they deserve. In the back of my mind I would wonder, "Why would anyone willingly want to do this?" And yet, the majority of these veterans, despite their circumstances, walked in with a smile on their face, grateful for what they do have.

Today is a day I'm reminded of the veterans I came across and the sacrifices they made. The least I can do is acknowledge them and lift up a prayer tonight for them and their lives.

Happy 40th Birthday....Sesame Street?

Sesame Street is celebrating its 40th birthday today.

I don't know about you but I can't believe it's ONLY 40 yrs old.

I just assumed it was established decades before my time....when actually it had only been around 10 yrs when I was born....meaning that I'm feeling very old right about now.

Well anyway, Happy Birthday Sesame Street....here's to another 40 years!

Agape cont...

Bear with me for a moment.

I'm still thinking of agape.

I'm thinking...It's so much more than the warm fuzzy feeling I reduce it to...

I'm thinking...I've heard this a million times at every wedding, but I think I need to hear it again...

Love is patient and kind;

love does not envy or boast,

it is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing;

but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things,

believes all things,

hopes all things,

endures all things.

- I Corinthians 13:4-7

Agape

"Agape" was a word that was thrown around a few times in yesterday's Sunday sermon. It's a word I haven't heard or thought about in quite awhile. To even call it a "word" is really an understatement. It's more of a concept that describes a state of being that I am light years from ever fully grasping.

If you look up the definition of agape on Wikipedia (because who looks at the dictionary anymore), it's defined as a "Greek word translated into English as love. Many have thought that this word represents divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, and thoughtful love." So many times I use the word love like it's such an ordinary thing. Yet, have I ever really loved anything to the extent that was described above? Have I ever fully gave myself unconditionally expecting nothing in return? I know myself, I am too selfish a creature to even come close to what agape describes.

The author C.S. Lewis is given the most credit in defining agape through his book The Four Loves. He distinguishes agape, the kind of love Christ taught and showed, as "the highest level of love known to humanity - a selfless love, a love that was passionately committed to the well-being of the other."

Can you imagine the depths of the relationships we could have with one another, or how different this world would be, if we all strove to love as Christ loved us?

Good Eats - New Delhi Restaurant

Lunch Today:

NEW DELHI INDIAN RESTAURANT

4004 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA

[P] 215.386.1941 / 215.386.2125

http://www.newdelhiweb.com/

My friend and I had been craving North Indian food for awhile now so we hit up New Delhi for lunch today. We hadn't been there for several years and it used to be a favorite of ours during our college days. It was a little nostalgic because it's still packed with all these young college kids. You get a great tasting and filling North Indian buffet for a really cheap price. You can't beat that as a college student....or as an adult. :-)

By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North

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Well, that does suck

It was a great series to watch, but the NY Yankees proved to be too much for the Phillies last night. Of course, I'm still very proud of the Phillies for how far they did get.

I think even worse than the Phillies losing the World Series.....is now having to listen to all those NY Yankees fans :)

You're Not Going Under

This is Pastor James MacDonald's devotional for this week from The Weekly Walk. A great message that I've surely needed to hear in the past, and will surely need to be reminded of in the future. Read on and be encouraged.

"Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right." - 1 Peter 4:19

I've said it for years, there is nothing good that God brings into your life by way of transformation that He doesn't bring through the funnel of perseverance. If God can get that one characteristic into your life, He can truly make you what He wants you to be.

First Peter 4:19 encourages us with,"Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."

Did you hear what you're supposed to do? Entrust your soul to your faithful Creator. God is faithful to you. He's got His hand on the thermostat. The fire will not get too hot. He's watching the depth gauge; this trial will not get too deep. God puts up the boundaries to your trials."That's all. That's my daughter. I know what she can handle. Not that much. Not there. Not now." God protects His own. He will not allow you to be tried beyond what you are able to take. And in the middle of it all, He tells you to entrust yourself to His care.

God knows you better than you know yourself. You're not going to lose it; you're going to be okay. You don't know what you are capable of when you're resting in God's strength and not your own. You're going to get through this one way or another. It's not going to last forever and you will get through it - because God is faithful. He's not tired and He's not wondering when this is going to be over.

Reassure yourself, "I'm not going under." You can keep going for another day, another week because God is producing staying power in you. The ability to remain in that marriage - as hard as it is. The ability to remain in that job - as hard as it is. The ability to stick with it in that difficult circumstance - no matter what. If God can produce in you that staying power, He can give you everything else.

The good's not coming if you quit. Listen, God can get every characteristic of Christ into your life if He can just teach you to stay in the game.

No Surprise

You know how you hear a song a million times, you know you like the beat and the feel of the song, but you never really paid attention to the lyrics. And then finally for some reason, you decide to pay attention.....and it takes on a whole other dimension, a song that provokes a deep visceral response.

I had one of those moments with this song as I was driving into work the other day. At the moment it's one of my favorites.

It's amazing how talented artists can take an experience from their lives, no matter good or bad, and can create a great piece of music from it. Even if you and I don't relate to it, you know someone out there is having a deep gut reaction to the words. That's the beauty of a great song.