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| Healthy Guy-Girl RelationshipsOk, it's been awhile (a lloooong while) since i've posted anything on here but i had so much fun writing this devotional for the youth group i work (Teens United For Fellowship = TUFF) with that i thought i'd post it for fun. Enjoy and i hope it's to some benefit.
Dear TUFFers,
Last large group we talked about if you're not ready for marriage, to consider making a commitment to wait on romantic dating. So if we're gonna wait to date, what do we do in the meantime? Should we change TUFF's name to monks and nuns? This past week we talked about what God has called us to: healthy, genuine, deeper guy-girl friendships and looking in Ruth 2, we found:
When we commit to God's (1) ______ for others, our (2) _____ will follow.
Ruth's such a great story because everything she does, the world tells us to do the opposite. The world says 'get away from your parents!' She chooses to live with her bitter old-hag mother in law. The world says 'dress to attract!' Ruth attracts Boaz not by her (3) _______ but by her (4) _____________. And what about ma man Boaz? Instead of just stealing looks, thinking about her all the time, and stalking her on facebook, he (5) _____ to her. He defines the (6) __________. He's not out to get what he wants from her but to give what she needs. He remembers that before she's your (7) ______________, she's your (8) ______. And when Ruth is (9)_____ because she asks (10)______ are you so kind to me, Boaz really shines, sharing his desire that she experience God's best and showing that he is the answer to his own prayer. When we commit to God's best for others, our best will follow.
Ask yourself: why do I develop friendships with the opposite sex? Why do I talk to boys like i do? Is it to make them like me or do I really care about how they're doing? Why do I do nice things for girls? Am i trying to get something or am I giving without expecting anything in return? On the other hand, why do i not develop friendships with the opposite sex? why do i not make deeper friendships with guys? Is it because they're immature or I don't want them to think i like them? Or why do I not talk with girls? Is it because i feel uncomfortable or scared? Or do i develop friendships only with girls i think are cute? See, if we love based on what's in it for us, we'll love to be loved or not love at all.
The root of relationship problems between guys and girls is expectations, looking to someone to fill my needs. God knows your heart's desire for a prince...or a princess. Trust him. Bc when u do, it will free u to love like Ruth loved Naomi and like Boaz loved Ruth who found that when we commit to God's best for others, our best will follow.
Answer key:
(1) best (2) best (3) curves (4) character (5) TALKS (6) relationship (7) potential gf (8) sister (9) wise (10) why
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| Keep BreathingYesterday I made a mistake. And while it's not the end of the world, it's the end of a trust that someone put in me and despite trying my best, I burned them. And I have been beating myself up over it. So angry. So angry I think I forget to breathe sometimes! I had a clean slate with them. And despite my best efforts, I let them down and there's a mar on my record now. That's why this song speaks to me right now, because EVERYONE INCLUDING ME needs compassion. NEEDS forgiveness.
Last day of finals. It's been crazy. Keep breathing. Keep trusting. Keep breathing. Keep remembering. My God is mighty to save. He is mighty to save.
Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
A kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender
Shine your light and let the whole world see
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus
I see if I can throw an update on here sometime?  | | |
| Last update from Macau: God's #1 Fingerthis is embarassing: i haven't posted in so long, i forgot how to post a new entry!
And also seeing u are really busy (SuperStar like schedule), worry (ur eyes show) exhausted, unhappy and discontented for many things…but remember? GOD’s #1 finger….u and I and every Christian have experienced already la…so..Why don’t u just SMILE FOR EVERY PAGE YOU HAVE VISITED IN THE BOOK OF UR LIFE? ~sister's SMS text message the week before i left. Though i constantly try to reach out & care for people, God is able with one finger to accomplish all his will for everyone's life in his time...hence, "God's
#1 finger".如 今 我 把 你 們 交 託 神 和 他 恩 惠 的 道 ； 這 道 能 建 立 你 們 ， 叫 你 們 和 一 切 成 聖 的 人 同 得 基 業 。~使 徒 行 傳 Acts 20:32
"No sacrifice. No victory." ~Transformers!
The past month in Macau, i lived 2 lives. The first was helping my
home church from Portland OR say hello to Macau.
Having US and Macau youth together side-by-side showed me how i had changed to be more in between both cultures. The first time i spoke English to our US team, they started laughing because I spoke so slow, enunciating each word with a Chinese accent "like a FOB"! I'd also say things under my breath like "crazy Americans..." which made me realize how much who i see myself as and how i view people has changed.
I was very proud of all our students for how they came together to reach out to the lost. Our US team emboldened our Macau students and our Macau students inspired our US team. Here we are very very happy
after holding a concert/auction for World Vision's AIDS ministry. I also discovered my hidden talent as an auctioneer!
My 2nd life was (L-R clockwise) finishing/passing on ministries like the basketball team, student leadership team and new believer small groups, goodbyes with my graduating students, goodbye parties (here at Auntie Yammie's tutoring center), and personal goodbyes with students.
I leave Macau with a heavy but clean heart. It's heavy because i left people at various stages in their quest to know God. Some have all they need and aren't interested in Christ. Others break my heart when they share with me their struggles yet are not ready to accept the One who alone offers the solid foundation for our lives. Others came to church for the first time on my last day. I remember 2 weeks before i left, asking one girl "Are you 100 sure you're going to heaven?" and she said "55%". But then the day before i left she comes up to me and says "When you come back, i'll be 100% sure". Still others have decided to accept Christ and are already being discipled, have short term mission teams, are faithful in devotions, and have cried when their friends accepted Christ...all in the past 30 days!
My heart is heavy because these people are a part of me and it hurts not to walk with them in their quest to know God. My heart is clean though, because by the grace of God I did my best to meet, love, and share Christ with each person He entrusted me with. Now I commit them and myself to the Lord.
Thank you, because in giving me your prayers and support you have given me your hearts as well. This is such a precious privilege for me and not one that i take lightly but I praise God for you and pray that one day you will meet face-to-face the brothers and sisters your prayers impacted for all eternity.
I am at Portland airport now, about to go and start the 4 year Master of Theology program at Dallas
Theological Seminary. I trust God will use my time there to build the character, theology, linguistic skills (Hebrew/Greek) and prayer life to love him more and serve his people for the long term.
If you'd like to keep up with me online, join facebook.com and check out www.xanga.com/jswong24 (i will try to begin updating again!)
Remember God's #1 finger and until next time, goodbye from Macau =)
Jonathan
Photos:
PC and Sung Ai pics from July 2007
CFBC in Macau pics
My last days in Macau pics
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| Macau Prayer Update 2 addendums*We went
down to Sacramento to see my grandparents and share with them about
Christ, but we knew it would only be the Lord who could help them see
their need for God. My dad and Uncle Tom explained that a good life is
not enough to be right in God's eyes. They were praying like crazy
because Grandpa didn't seem too interested but he understood that
Christ rose from the dead. They then invited him to pray to receive
Christ but he seemed to not be able to bring himself to admit his sin
and accept Christ as his Savior. So I tried and he followed me to pray
to receive Christ. It was very emotional and one of the most joyful
days in my dad's life.
**The minute Pastor met me for lunch, he perceived I wasn't my happy self. This spring I learned to accept that
1) no matter how hard you try, sometimes conflicts don't end in reconciliation
2) you can only give as much love as people are in the place to receive.
These things
I accepted, but now I realize I didn't thank God for them from my
heart. Instead, I thanked God for the many reconciled and fruitful
relationships I did have and resigned myself to the rest. In the fall
I had taken too hard my disappointment with relationships and
ministry. In the spring I was determined to not let my heart be shaken
but be faithful to finish well.
Somewhere along the line, that resolution led to a stoic mentality that
enabled me to 'be faithful' but numbed my heart. Many times at the end
of the school year I did give my heart and found joy, but whenever I
felt overwhelmed (I was finishing finals, had ~25 farewell meetings,
mailing ~200 support letters, attending mission training in Denver,
hosting family, and graduating in a 2 week span), the tendency was to
revert back to the stoic mentality of joyless accomplishment.
The long face and empty eyes have followed me home. The weight of
raising support and renewing friendships, things I usually enjoy doing,
have been heavy upon me. I've been going to bed hating how I spent the
day, being stressed and task-focused. I haven't been caring or
listening to those around me. I haven't been taking joy in life. On
top of this, I haven't felt like I've been accomplishing anything
(until today!), because I'm never satisfied and because to de-stress
myself I give in to distractions and not manage my time well. Finally,
it has been hard to not share my heart with my mom as much since she
works now. These are just the normal growing pains of life and even as
I've been giving these anxieties over to God, it is easy to fall into
old habits.
1 Corinthians 10:13.
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| Closing a Chapter: Graduation
this is egregiously late, but it is appropriate to close this life-changing chapter called among many things, college.
May 12, 2006
Well, I suppose I’ve been waiting for the computer to
automatically form May 12, 2006
for a long time now though I didn’t know it.
Father, today is graduation from college day. I can still remember (thankfully) my first
days of college, the stress and sweat of moving in, saying a tearful goodbye to
my parents and flapping my wings, on my knees in the dark seeking the Lord
alone, finding a family on campus. Praise
the Lord I end my college career with many of the people from that same
family.
It has not been an easy road though I have had plenty of times to relax and
take it easy.
Through many trials, toils, and snares
I have already come
Tis grace that lead me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home!
Praise the Lord!
Graduation day.
Sunny. Lotsa people. Nice to greet and feel the love from all my
friends. Glad I could shake
hands. Real glad about ending in grace.
May 13, 2006
Nice wedding. I
enjoyed the slideshow and musical selections (How Beautiful, In Christ
Alone). They stuck with tradition in
having the groom and bride with their back to the crowd and added great touches
like the sermon on love (the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the
church and as his own body) and communion.
They were aspiring to what I think every couple who loves God most and
puts him first aspires to- a wedding that is a worshipful, joyful testimony to
God’s love and faithfulness throughout their lives to bring them together. Thai food was good. The blowing of bubbles was a great way to end. It was also great to see friends that I hadn’t seen in a year. It was also solemn to say goodbye to those who have walked with and loved me over the past 4. I know we were close when I
feel like I’m losing something valuable.
Finally, it is with great joy that I post today for today Bob and Jess
get married! Congratulations, but I know it is to God that praise
and joy will overflow today. May even the hardest miser crack a
smile ;).
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