(Source: humortrain, via bul-lyang-ayi)

bul-lyang-ayi:

when I was a kid and tv shows showed these transformation scenes I would freak out and get horrified that they would show pure children like me naked bodies so I would cover my eyes and wait ‘til I heard talking from the tv again. oh and I always wondered why it took so long for them to transform like wouldn’t the bad guy just be able to shoot them while they’re transforming? .____.

(Source: mooneternalpower)

swimmertkesh:

And He took my place
Knowing He’d be crucified
And You loved, You loved
For people undeserving - Hillsong: To Know Your Name

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. - 1 John 4:9

For some, love is a language spoken through eloquent words. For others, love is a language spoken through elaborate acts. Still, there are people, like my dad, for which love is a language spoken through the seemingly subtle and mundane. Love is checking my banking account and adding money “just in case.” Love is getting out of bed and connecting my iPad to the TV so I can watch a movie. Love is knocking on my door and apologizing after an argument… even when I say “Go away.” My dad and I don’t communicate like my mom and I do in the sense of having “deep” conversations about my future career, relationships, etc. However, I know that our conversations about my tuition and housing and phone bill (no matter how irritating at times) is simply an expression of his concern. My father is not wealthy or popular or prominent. But he has lived his life fully devoted to God. And when I think about what makes my dad the best dad I could ask for. I’d have to say: because him loving God, while seemingly apart from my own spiritual walk, helped me know and love God. 

(Source: spiritualinspiration, via spiritualinspiration)

So give me a heart 
To love like you do 
Fill it with joy 
To be more like you

tribvlmvtter:

THIS IS SO GREAT. JUST GREAT.

(Source: piercinald, via deeplyinfatuated)

Calling Korean guys gay because their fashion sense is different is messed up. Ethnocentric much? Masculinity (whatever that means) shouldn’t be defined by clothes. (How do you even define masculinity anyways?) Bashing someone’s appearance and attacking his sexuality doesn’t make you better or somehow more “manly.”It may not be your preference but so what.

midnightfitnesss:

Hahah

(via motivationforfitness)

corgis-everywhere:

[video]

(via theanimalblog)

ghibli-cafe:

joekidos:

japanese bird videos always make my day better

The bird is singing Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro). :D How cute. :3

(Source: digimeme, via bul-lyang-ayi)

(via phan3)

I think Roger was right on for starting this weekend’s Biblical counseling workshop with the topic of legalism. I didn’t really think that was something I particularly struggled with, but breaking down what legalism was and looked like, I realized that it was very much prevalent in my life.

Legalism is anything added to the Gospel that compromises the sufficiency of Christ or jeopardizes the adequacy of the Spirit.

In simple terms, legalism is justification (acceptance) derived from performance, where as the Gospel, true Christianity, is freedom derived from acceptance. Christ pursuing us. Grace being freely given. Nothing merit-based. Nothing created from or by ourselves.

I think about how often times I feel I’ve done what is expected of me as a Christian by going to church or going to small/large group or downloading/reading the devotional on my iPhone app. And yet, how HERETICAL to think that I’m “safe” or justified through my works.

So the question arises then, how do we or how did we become such legalists? Legalism comes from our pride and desire to take control through our performance.

It’s easy to say doing x, y, and z, makes us Christian, makes us “righteous.” It’s easy to confine the Gospel into a to-do list that’s based on performance. Because THAT is so much easier (ironically) than the actual “light” burdens God calls upon us to carry— namely, following Him, being persecuted for Him, giving up our worldly desires for Him.

I admit, grace is a hard concept to swallow. We’ve all been so trained to think that it is or that it should be all about what we’ve done or what we can do. And I think Galatians 1:10 raises an important question.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

But the bottom line of course is: legalism doesn’t save you.

The solution to legalism is Jesus.

I think about Freshman year when I strived so hard to be that”good” person. Serving FOR acceptance, instead of serving FROM acceptance. I was SO exhausted. I think I thought that NOT doing the “bad” things, NOT partying, NOT hooking up, NOT etc. etc. meant I was somehow doing the right thing. But today it really hit me.

Freedom is being united with Jesus.

The Gospel shouldn’t be looked through a lens of a “set way of doing things” but through the lens of freedom. A non-Christian friend asked me the other day about what he viewed as a hypocrite— someone who partied, drank, etc, on the other hand “acted” as a devoted, righteous Christian. And okay, this is somewhat of a “touchy” subject, but I think one thing needs to be clear: salvation isn’t about our human actions. Being a “true” Christian doesn’t somehow mean you are or will be immune to temptation. Every Christian looks different. Of course, Christians shouldn’t be taking advantage of grace, but Christians also shouldn’t be condemning brothers and sisters who are struggling with let’s say “worldly desires” Because it’s so true that…

Legalism creates barriers.

I thought today about how perhaps many of my approaches to handling certain people or situations, while at the time I thought was the most loving thing to do, was perhaps very critical and in some ways detrimental. I should have and should be focusing on loving instead of judging.

I was pretty blown away by the vulnerability of tonight’s introductions. A room full of strangers and yet so many people let down their guard. I really had to reexamine myself today- ask myself why my heart had become in so many ways hardened and prideful. I’m so glad this summer is starting off with this workshop about counseling. Because in all honesty, I know I’ve lost some of my sensitivity. I think part of it is that I’m scared of the level of empathy that is required by certain types of “counseling”. Especially with people going through hard times, I know I have to reach into the dark places of my own past which terrifies me. But God calls us to bare each other’s burdens. And I look at the people who have touched my life in that way and I am so beyond grateful.

exclamate:

instructmehowtothankthee:

yo yo yo! best fran jessie slammin’ down that petry! (my brit friends have axed me to speak more gangsta lately so i’m practicing — you may as well hardcore judge and laugh at me because they all did when i first tried) but really czech jessie out. this poem is AWESOME

LOL

what’s up my home skillets, i wrote this poem in response to propaganda’s challenge to write a 90 second poem on identity. and well.. i tried as best as i could to fit all my thoughts and all my struggles with this topic into a mere 90 seconds, and found it extremely difficult, because for me and i think for many others (including mulan, hence her song “who am i inside”), finding my identity has always been a challenge. which makes sense, because identity is where someone finds self worth and purpose. by definition, it’s the essence and core of who we are. and society’s all like “don’t let a guy define you, you be you” and i’m all like “what does that MEAN” and then society’s all like “well what are your talents? what are your passions? follow that and be independent!”

but soon, you begin to realize that the latter is just as much as a trap as the former. you can dress it up with whatever you want to make it sound less pathetic, but both solutions tell you that who you are is entirely dependent on your performance- whether it be to perform for someone else’s approval or to perform to meet your own extremely high standards.

which is entirely too stressful for me to handle, because i never perform well enough. there is always someone out there who’s better than me. there is always a person who does not approve of me. there will always be a time when i disappoint the people i love, when i can’t love perfectly nor be loved perfectly.

so you can imagine how much of a relief it was to me to find out that in God’s eyes, who i am is not defined by what i do but rather by what He’s done. to the people who aren’t familiar with christian theology, what that essentially means is that Jesus’s perfection, righteousness, and blamelessness are imputed onto those who believe in him- this is how God can bring a sinful people to his holy self. ohohoho what brilliance is this. i can fail as i oftentimes do, yet still stand completely whole, because my identity no longer shatters into fragments when i fail. i can be okay with the fact that i will not achieve fame and status in the world’s list of “do-gooders” because i’m already content in the status i’ve been given in christ.

this by no means gives me an EXCUSE to fail though. on the contrary, it gives me so much freedom. do you see how fear is crushed upon knowing that my state of being isn’t fragile, but rather strong and mighty, founded in God himself, creator of the heavens and earth? and do you see how this grace is motivation enough to push me to want to work more, to pursue excellence in all that i do so that my savior, my identity-giver, can be glorified and lifted high?

gah wow i ranted for far too long about things i’ve already said in a 90-second poem, so… yeah, if you were to watch the poem, you’d still get the same gist of what i’ve typed HAHA. but i think that the process of writing both the poem and this long tumblr post has just been an incredible reminder for me of who i am. i love it because God has truly brought me through quite a lot regarding this topic, and finally, He has brought me to himself. the journey was perfectly crafted, with all the heartbreak and insecurity and self-hatred and then the immense amounts of pride, so that i could see how worthless all other pursuits were in light of the pursuit of my precious, precious savior. i still remember this one late night in 7th grade when i simply couldn’t go to bed, and i got up and started singing from my room to the empty streets below, “who am i? who am i?” incredibly cheesy and dramatic, but a very genuine question coming from a very lost girl.

turns out those streets weren’t empty. oh Father, how you’ve held me, molded me, disciplined me, loved me. i am so. freaking. whole.

(via diosteadora)