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Saturday, October 10, 2009

life is fragile

the title of this blog is Life! Once again, today I was reminded of how fragile life is...

Over the last couple days there have been many tragedies, the earthquakes in the south east asian countries, the tsunamis brought on by those earthquakes... closer to home, two days ago a fellow student at UCLA was stabbed multiple times, resulting in critical hospitalization, and then today I was notified that my cousin had been hit by a car. He was not in a car when he was hit, but standing next to his car... a hit and run by an SUV. He's in critical care.

It seems as if tragedies come closer and closer to home. You don't seem to be extremely affected when it occurs in some other country. Yes we hurt for them... say that we care.. but often times, the thoughts we have on them, are fleeting. For me the closer and closer it got, the more I began reflecting on exactly how fragile life really is.

The death counts have been increasing worldwide, due to widespread violence and disease... and then there are accidents, and then old age. How many of these people who die... will see Christ in heaven? How many of these people who die... will end up in eternal flames?

How urgent then... is it to share the Gospel news. The news of Christ, come down to earth, fully man and fully God, born of a woman, born into a family, live life on earth without sin, was persecuted, was mocked, yet endured it all.

Christ endured it all in order to glorify the Father more, in order to satisfy the wrath of OUR sins. In order to save us from the depths of destruction, to call us to Him, a people, children of Him.

How selfish am I to with hold this love. This Crazy Love... emphasized again and again at Fresh 2009. The counter-intuitive love, the all encompassing, and... amazing love.

If life is so short, if life is so fragile, and could be taken away at any given time, why am I not more urgently sharing this truth, this love, this Person with all those around me... why am I not more concerned with pursuing each relationship with a desperation of soul saving?

life is fragile...

Saturday, October 03, 2009

It is Well

It is well
with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul

When peace like a river attendth my way
when sorrows like sea billows roll
whatever the loss, Thou hast taught me to say
it is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.