He Is - Mark Schultz

Listening...loving...overwhelmed by the words and the message...

Good Eats - Zahav

Dinner last night was at Zahav, a relatively new restaurant to Philadelphia serving authentic Middle Eastern/Israeli cuisine.  There's a reason it was named #1 in Philly Mag Top 50 restaurants of 2009; the food was delicious and the bill didn't break the bank!

Zahav

237 Saint James Pl · Philadelphia

http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/

215-625-8800

Vision

The eye really is a beautiful creation.

When I look in to examine all the intricate structures of the eye, I sometimes forget that there’s a soul looking back at me.  That patient is a person, sitting in my exam chair, whose past experiences and relationships significantly color how they see and perceive the world.

Vision is so much more than just 20/20, it’s about processing what you see against what you know.

What do I know?

Nothing for sure, that’s the short answer.

I feel like more and more I’m becoming a person I don’t recognize or at least am not comfortable with at the moment. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but I definitely feel like I’m at a crossroads in life. Things I’ve held to be true and certain of myself, seem to no longer apply or have drastically changed.  I wonder shouldn't I be getting surer of myself as I get older or is that a myth that everyone perpetuates? Do significant doubts and questions inevitably occur with every new season or transition in life?

When I entered my mid-twenties I distinctly remember starting to become comfortable in my own skin. I thought “Finally!”, I no longer feel like an awkward shy teenager riddled with insecurity and doubt.

But these days, it’s different. These doubts are not superficial as of my teenage years, but delve deeper into the core of who I am.

What do I want?

What will I stand for?

What won’t I stand for?

How am I living?

What are my desires and how do they differ or coincide with what God has clearly shown me to be good and true and right?

In the past two years for reasons I have yet to fully understand, these questions about myself have been popping up. The one saving grace though is that as I do become unwound and unraveled, my depravity reaches for things that are not of myself (because they no longer exist or are certain), but for the one thing that I know to be true, God himself. 

Truthfully.....at the moment, it feels like this is the only thing I know to be certain.

Movie Lines

Okay, so the source of this quote isn’t the greatest, but I like it anyways =).  I happened to catch a mid-morning matinee today and in the previews for upcoming movies, Ashton Kutcher (don’t laugh) appeared in a scene with this line:

"Love is the only shocking act left on the planet."

I like the quote, I like it a lot.

Quotable Quotes

To regret one's own experiences is to arrest one's own development. To deny one's own experiences is to put a lie into the lips of one's life. It is no less than a denial of the soul.
-Oscar Wilde

Spring Reminder

I took this shot with my cell phone a couple months ago because it was too pretty to pass up.

Just a reminder of spring and newness and life amongst the bitter cold of today.

The Shack

About a week ago I finished reading a book called The Shack by Wm. Paul Young.  It’s about a man’s encounter with God several years after the brutal murder of his daughter. While reading it I thought some of the scenarios and depictions of God and the Trinity were a little hard to swallow, but I could appreciate the book for what it could convey, and for trying to break some of our natural human misconceptions on God, our character, and how God views us and our relationship with Him.

There were a lot of statements and quotes in the book that made me think and maybe might make you think too. Here are a few that stuck out to me…

*There are times where you choose to believe something that would normally be considered absolutely irrational. It doesn’t mean that it is actually irrational, but it surely is not rational. Perhaps there is suprarationality: reason beyond the normal definitions of fact or data-based logic; something that makes sense only if you can see a bigger picture of reality. Maybe that is where faith fits in.

*Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship.

*…we could talk about the nature of freedom itself. Does freedom mean that you are allowed to do whatever you want to do? Or we could talk about all the limiting influences in your life that actively work against your freedom. Your family genetic heritage, your specific DNA, your metabolic uniqueness, the quantum stuff that is going on at a subatomic level where only I [God] am the always-present observer. Or the intrusion of your soul’s sickness that inhibits and binds you, or the social influences around you, or the habits that have created synaptic bonds and pathways in your brain. And then there’s advertising, propaganda, and paradigms. Inside that confluence of multifaceted inhibitors, what is freedom really?

*Everything is about him [Jesus]. And freedom is a process that happens inside a relationship with him.

*You, on the other hand, were created to be loved. So for you to live as if you were unloved, is a limitation.

*I [God] don’t need to punish people for sin. Sin is it’s own punishment, devouring you from the inside. It’s not my purpose to punish it; it’s my joy to cure it.

*The real underlying flaw in your life, is that you don’t think that I [God] am good. If you knew that I was good and that everything - the means, the ends and all the processes of individual lives - is all covered by my goodness, then while you might not understand what I am doing, you would trust me.

*You humans, so little in your own eyes. You are truly blind to your own place in the creation. Having chosen the ravaged path of independence, you don’t even comprehend that you are dragging the entire creation along with you.

*To force my [Jesus] will on you, is exactly what love does not do. Genuine relationships are marked by submission even when your choices are not helpful or healthy.

*Just because I [God] work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies doesn’t mean I orchestrate the tragedies. Don’t ever assume that my using something means I caused it or that I needed it to accomplish my purposes. That will only lead you to false notions about me. Grace doesn’t depend on suffering to exist, but where there is suffering, you will find grace in many facets and colors.

*I [God] have never put an expectation on you or anyone else. The idea behind expectations requires that someone does not know the future or outcome and is trying to control behavior to get the desired result. Humans try to control behavior largely through expectations. I know you and everything about you. Why would I have an expectation other than what I already know? That would be foolish. And beyond that, because I have no expectations, you never disappoint me.

*Forgiveness does not establish relationship. In Jesus, I [God] have forgiven all humans of their sins against me, but only some have chosen relationship.

Never Been Unloved

I have been unfaithful,
I have been unworthy;
I have been unrighteous,
and I have been unmerciful.

I have been unreachable,
I have been unteachable;
I have been unwilling,
and I have been undesirable.
And sometimes, I have been unwise,
I've been undone by what I'm unsure of -

But because of You
and all that you went through,
I know that I have never been unloved.

I have been unbroken,
I have been unmended;
I have been uneasy,
and I have been unapproachable.
I have been unemotional,
I have been unexceptional;
I have been undecided,
and I have been unqualified.
Unaware - I have been unfair,
I've been unfit for blessings from above.

But even I can see
The sacrifice You made for me, to show me
that I have never been unloved.
-Michael W. Smith

I saw this song on someone else’s blog using it to describe their past year and I thought….Yup, this pretty much sums up me and my year as well. What better time than the beginning of a new year to look back, see where you need improvement, and then make resolutions for self-improvement. Let’s be real though, I will still likely be all these things come 2011 (hopefully with some improvements). But despite all my faults, I’m glad I can’t do anything in the next 365 days and beyond, that will ever turn away the love of Christ. 

Here's to a new year.....not dedicated to a list of resolutions, but simply dedicated to growing in God's indescribable love.

And to quote the previous blogger…
From your undone, unworthy, unfaithful, but oh so thankfully never unloved blogger friend =)

2009 in Rewind

Seriously folks, where does the time go?  Looking back, this year has been an emotional one, filled with milestones along with some twists and turns, but through it all God has been good and gracious and I thank Him for bringing me to where He has at the close of 2009.  I have to say I’m looking forward to 2010 and seeing what the Lord has planned….for me and for those I love.

Year in Review

1)   Ringing in 2009 (Moroccon style) with some of my oldest and closest of friends

2)   Hosting the Leadership Conference in Philly

3)   Having dinner at Morimoto’s

4)   Seeing both my parents retire after 30+ years of working and enjoying the fruits of their labor

5)   The birth of so many new babies, both of friends and family alike
6)   Continuing with a great group of people into our 4th year of the Romans Bible Study  (and yet we’re still only on Romans 8...we may just be the slowest readers ever =P)
7)   May 2009 being 5 years of practicing optometry
8)   Taking my 8th trip to India with both my immediate and extended family and trying out some new adventures like houseboating
9)   Seeing my 2 younger cousins get married and celebrating with them in their joy (engagements, bridal showers, weddings, etc)
10) Taking a trip to Spain with my best friends to celebrate a new decade of life
11) Turning 30 along with the rest of our 6 (wo)man crew, aka “the Boyz”, and being able to celebrate with most of them
12) Starting a blog!!!
13) Finally getting to see The Lion King on Broadway
14) Watching the Phillies get to the World Series
15) Getting a new Bible (ESV) that’s changed the way I learn Scripture and motivating me to really learn on my own
16) Buying my first car =), and saying goodbye to my Forrester of 9 years (you don’t understand, it was emotional, we’d been thru a lot together)
17) Taking part in the Philadelphia Marathon by running and training for my first 8K
18) Cooking and hosting another Thanksgiving meal
19) The always fun and festive "annual" K White Elephant Christmas party
20) Digging out of the 2nd largest snow storm of all-time in Philadelphia (23.2 inches to be exact)
21) My friend S running a third successful Host-A-Christmas Drive
22) And finally….God bringing people to intersect my life and teach me things about the world and myself, people that have stayed awhile, some that haven’t, but both having an impact and challenging me in ways that have brought me closer to the Lord.

Have a Happy New Year everyone and may 2010 be filled with warmth, kindness, and joy for all of you.

Good Eats - Iron Hill Brewery

It's an annual holiday reunion of sorts with "the Boyz" tonight, minus a few key players this year.  It's always great to catch up with my oldest of friends and laugh the night away remembering the ridiculous stories of our youth.

Dinner Tonight:

Iron Hill Brewery

The Shoppes at English Village
1460 Bethlehem Pike

North Wales, PA 19454

P: 267 708.2000

F: 267 708.2050

http://www.ironhillbrewery.com/

"We're passionate about producing distinctive, full-flavored handcrafted beers, accompanied by fresh–from–scratch New American cuisine in a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Our goal has always been to provide food and beer that is inspired, consistently crafted and presented by a knowledgeable and courteous service staff."

Strength in Weakness

When you are in the midst of a trial, there's a power coming into your life that you've never experienced before. When you see a hard thing coming, try saying, "I may not want this, but I know I'm going to see Christ working in my life in an incredible way."

God never allows a thorn but that He provides sufficient grace and strength in our weaknesses. Sufficient grace is not just enough to survive, but enough to have supernatural joy in the midst of anything He allows us to go through.

-Taken from the Weekly Walk by James MacDonald

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me... For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Merry Christmas

As I was sitting in church and looking at some of our parishioners faces, it struck me how painful the holidays can be sometimes. It’s often referred to as the holiday blues, right? I was looking around at the families who currently have very sick children, husbands that have lost wives, children that have lost fathers, and on a day that is described as joyful for most, it can be very painful because we‘re reminded of what we may be missing. Even if we haven’t gone through any earth-shattering life changes, whatever struggles we may have, big or small, they all seem to be under a magnifying glass between Thanksgiving and New Years. Even at work my boss and I were remarking that during this season our patients seem to be a little more stressed, have a little less patience, and can often come in with very foul moods. As much as we describe Christmas as "the season to be jolly", there's very little joy to be found among us despite what the Christmas songs profess.  It sounds depressing doesn't it? I promise this post does get better.

Growing up, I used to think of people as either having a happy or not-so-happy demeanor, nothing in the middle. But as I’ve made my way into adulthood, I realize that life happens, and depending on the circumstances (as mentioned above) we now have to try…we have to try to maintain that joyous outlook despite what may be going on around us and in us. And on this Christmas day, I’m reminded that instead of trying, I can believe that my outlook on life can be eternally fixed. That on this day a baby was born, so that I can have an eternally joyous outlook. That on this day “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory… and from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1: 14-16). That on this day, all those faces I’ve seen that may be struggling because of life’s circumstance, can be as joyous as the person who’s lost nothing, because Christ came to this earth and experienced everything that we could possibly experience and then some. That true joy doesn’t depend on anything that happens on this earth, but comes from delighting in the words and life of our Savior.

So on that note, I wish away any holiday blues you may be feeling, and wish you all a truly joyous Christmas and a contentment that can only come by resting our faith on that humble babe that was born on this glorious day.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Good Eats - Bonefish Grill

A rare dinner out with the family tonight at one of the nicer chain restaurants in the area...and more importantly a restaurant my parents actually like!

Bonefish Grill

1015 Easton Road, Willow Grove, Pennsylvania

(215) 659-5854

http://www.bonefishgrill.com/

Light up the Night

Excerpts from this week's The Weekly Walk by James MacDonald . .
it offers us a new way to look at the Christmas season.

"One of the favorite traditions of the Christmas season is to turn on the Christmas tree lights and light up the night . . . This tradition is well suited to the real celebration of the season. John 3:19 says that when Jesus Christ was born, the light came into the world.  In fact, more than two hundred times in the Bible, God is described as light. Figuratively and literally, whenever God appears, light appears.

Have you ever been in some pitch-black place when you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face? That's what life is like without Jesus. You can't fully appreciate the light until you feel the weight of the darkness.


If you feel lost, alone, and trapped - searching but not finding - Jesus Christ is the light.


If you feel cruelly crushed under the wrongs done to you, Jesus Christ is the light.


If you feel perplexed by an issue or circumstance that you can't figure out, Jesus Christ is the light.


Maybe loneliness, despair, and confusion describe you. If you want to know the way out, you first have to admit that you’re in darkness. You may not be ready to die, but you're also not fully living. You don't see any purpose to life, and you don't see any hope worth trusting. But all that can change right now.


Like any other genuine follower of Christ, nothing made sense to me either before I turned to Jesus. I couldn't sort out anything in this mixed-up world. But since receiving Jesus as my Savior, I understand what's going on. Although life still isn't perfect, and never will be until eternity, I realize what my own sin does to my life. Suddenly Christmas is so much more than a stale exchange of gifts and some silly guy in a red suit. At Christmas those of us who know Him celebrate the forgiveness of sin that can be found only in Jesus, the gift of Christmas."

Good Eats - NYC Edition - Lupa

Today was a day off and I decided to spend it walking the streets of NYC.  I've always found wintertime to be a really enjoyable time in the city amongst all the shoppers, the lights, and the different sights and sounds that come with the season.

After a little window shopping, sipping some hot apple cider in Bryant Park, and a visit to the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza, the night ended with some good food at one of Mario Batali's restaurants in Greenwich Village:

LUPA

170 Thompson Street
between Houston St.

and Bleecker St.

New York, NY 10012

(212) 982-5089

http://www.luparestaurant.com/

Quotable Quotes

This is my wish for you:

Comfort on difficult days,

smiles when sadness intrudes...

rainbows to follow the clouds,

laughter to kiss your lips,

sunsets to warm your heart,

hugs when spirits sag,

beauty for your eyes to see,

friendships to brighten your being,

faith so that you can believe,

confidence for when you are in doubt,

courage to know yourself,

patience to accept the truth,

love to complete your life.

-Anonymous

Happy Birthday Jerry!

27 years ago today, God decided I no longer needed anymore attention from my parents. Therefore he gave me a little brother to upstage me from then on out with his smarts and many accomplishments. =P

In all seriousness, may God continue to use your life and the amazing gifts he’s given you for His glory.

 Happy Birthday Jerry…love ya!      

Good Eats - Gaya

Dinner Tonight:
Office Christmas Party 2009

GAYA KOREAN RESTAURANT

Authentic Korean Cuisines

http://gayarestaurant.com/

1002 Skippack Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422
T. 215.654.8900 // 215.654.8300 // 215.654.8311 

A look at the insane amount of good food we had at dinner tonight

Video from Matt

So I've come to know of this story from a friend's tweets (yes, I just said that...I knew there was a reason why I joined Twitter.)  The message in the video below is so simple and simply so powerful. I've never heard of this pastor (Matt Chandler) until I saw this, but listen to his whole powerful testimony if you can. 

Video from Matt

Things I'm convicted of as I listen to it for the the umpteenth time:

I'm a person who can easily let worry and fear get to the extreme, to the point where it can stop me cold in my tracks and literally incapacitate my life.  I've easily written it off as "I'm just a worrier, it's natural to think and dwell on the worst-case scenario...I'm just wired to get anxious."  When actually, I'm realizing how much of a sin it is on my part, truly a sin, to live a life that puts so little faith in the Lord and doubts His will during hardships.  I keep hearing the Lord say during those times, "Where is your faith?"  It's so freeing to watch this video from a man, who as he says stands to lose everything, and still says "I am not afraid" because nothing is better than HIM.