"A Shocking 'Confession'..."

Article is from the Adventist Review about the Willow Creek Community Church (the main leader in the “seeker sensitive” movement). Click Here.

Heart Examination

Taken from Messages to Young People, pg. 122

Closely examine your own heart, and the state of your affections toward God. Inquire,

1. Have I devoted the precious moments of today in seeking to please myself, seeking for my own amusement? Or have I made others happy?

2. Have I helped those connected with me to greater devotion to God and to appreciate eternal things?

3. Have I brought my religion into my home, and there revealed the grace of Christ in my words and in my deportment?

4. By my respectful obedience, have I honored my parents, and thus kept the fifth commandment?

5. Have I cheerfully taken up my little, everyday duties, performing them with fidelity, doing what I could to lighten the burdens of others?

6. Have I kept my lips from evil, and my tongue from speaking guile?

7. Have I honored Christ my Redeemer, who gave His precious life that eternal life might be within my reach?

GYC Update

I had such a great time at GYC! I enjoyed the plenary sessions, workshops, and fellowship. Check out audioverse.org to download the sessions and seminars for free. I am looking forward to GYC 2008 in San Jose, CA, but I hope Jesus comes back before GYC celebrates its 10th anniversary!

BTW, check out this cool SDA networking/resources site. It's called "Army of Youth." I enlisted! How about you? ^_^

View pictures from Minneapolis.

It's COLD!

Right now I'm in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the GYC Conference, and my family and I came a day early to go sightseeing. I'm not used to cold weather or snow. It's freezing over here!

Matthew 23:12

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

Modified Betty Crocker Streusel Coffee Cake

Original recipe: Click Here

(Thanks to Shylene for the Picture)

Modified Recipe: (Thanks to Shylene)

Prep time: 10 min
Start to Finish: 35 min
Makes: 10 servings

Cinnamon Streusel
2/3 cup cup Original Bisquick mix (I used the heart healthy kind)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons margarine (I used Earth Balance. I think 3 T would be OK too)

(use half of streusel for the middle and other half on the top)

Coffee Cake
2 cups Original Bisquick mix (I used the heart healthy kind)
1/2 cup soy milk (I think 2/3 to 1 cup would be better cause you need to be able to pour the batter)
2 tablespoons organic sugar
Egg-replacement equivalent to 1 egg (I used Egg-Replacer)


1. Heat oven to 375 F. grease 9-inch round pan (don't grease if using silicone pan). In a small bowl, stir streusel ingredients until crumbly; set aside.
2. In medium bowl, mix coffee cake ingredients until blended. Spread 1/2 mixture in pan. Sprinkle half Cinnamon streusel on top. Pour rest of coffee cake mixture. Top with the remaining half of streusel mixture.

3. Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown

The Testing Time

"In summer, as we look upon the trees of the distant forest, all clothed with a beautiful mantle of green, we may not be able to distinguish between the evergreens and the other trees. But as winter approaches, and the frost king encloses them in his icy embrace, stripping the other trees of their beautiful foliage, the evergreens are readily discerned. Thus it will be with all who are walking in humility, distrustful of self, but clinging tremblingly to the hand of Christ. While those who are self-confident, and trust in their own perfection of character, lose their false robe of righteousness when subjected to the storms of trial, the truly righteous, who sincerely love and fear God, wear the robe of Christ's righteousness in prosperity and adversity alike." (The Sanctified Life 11)

"The testing time will come to all, when the hopes of many who have for years thought themselves secure, will be seen to be without foundation. When in new positions, under varied circumstances, some who have seemed to be pillars in the house of God reveal only rotten timber beneath the paint and varnish. But the humble in heart, who have daily felt the importance of riveting their souls to the eternal Rock, will stand unmoved amid the tempests of trial, because they trusted not to themselves. 'The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his' (2 Tim. 2:19)." (The Sanctified Life 12)

I pray that we Professed Christians (myself included) are firmly grounded with Jesus Christ, so that we are not a reproach to the cause of God when the testing time comes.

Elijah's Answered Prayer

"The servant watched while Elijah prayed. Six times he returned from the watch, saying, There is nothing, no cloud, no sign of rain. But the prophet did not give up in discouragement. He kept reviewing his life, to see where he had failed to honor God, he confessed his sins, and thus continued to afflict his soul before God, while watching for a token that his prayer was answered. As he searched his heart, he seemed to be less and less, both in his own estimation and in the sight of God. It seemed to him that he was nothing, and that God was everything; and when he reached the point of renouncing self, while he clung to the Saviour as his only strength and righteousness, the answer came. The servant appeared, and said, "Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand." (RH May 26, 1891)

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" Psalms 66:18

Does Jesus Care?

Words by: Frank E. Graeff
Music by: Joseph L. Hall

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song;
As the burdens press, and the cares distress,
And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain:
Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares!
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said goodbye
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Banana-Strawberry Dessert! YUM!

Thanks to Haije for letting me know about this really simple and yummy dessert! =)

Thaw frozen strawberries, then slice them
Slice Bananas
Mix 1 tub of vegan marshmallow cream with 3/4 tub vegan sour cream
Add fruit to creamy mixture
Enjoy!

The Sin of Eli...

"The sin of Eli had consisted in passing lightly over the iniquity of his sons in sacred office, and over the evils prevailing throughout the land. His neglect to correct these evils had brought upon Israel a fearful calamity. His sons had fallen in battle, Eli himself had lost his life, the ark of God had been taken from the land of Israel, thirty thousand of the people had been slain, - and all because sin had been allowed to flourish unrebuked and unchecked. Israel had vainly thought that, notwithstanding their sinful practices, the presence of the ark would insure them victory over the Philistines. In like manner, during the days of Jeremiah, the inhabitants of Judah were prone to believe that a strict observance of the divinely appointed services of the temple would preserve them from a just punishment for their wicked course.

What a lesson is this to men holding positions of responsibility to-day in the church of God! What a solemn warning to deal faithfully with wrongs that bring dishonor to the cause of truth! Let none who claim to be the depositaries of God's law, flatter themselves that the regard they may outwardly show toward the commandments, will preserve them from the exercise of divine justice. Let none refuse to be reproved for evil, nor charge the servants of God with being too zealous in endeavoring to cleanse the camp from evil-doing. A sin-hating God calls upon those who claim to keep His law, to depart from all iniquity. A neglect to repent and to render willing obedience will bring upon men and women to-day as serious consequences as came upon ancient Israel." (PK 416)

Vegan Green Bean Casserole

Last night our ladies' bible study group came early to cook together, and we made a vegan green bean casserole, roasted garlic mashed potatoes with "chicken" gravy, and carob peanut butter cups! The food was really delicious! Thanks to Loramin for the picture!

Vegan Green Bean Casserole Recipe

We used 2 canisters of the french fried onions, but I like those so much I might use 3 next time!

From the Chapter "Entanglements"

"We dread malarial fever, and fear lest it should get hold of us and drive us out of the mission field. Should we less dread this spiritual malaria, the fever of a restless soul, which has a power, we know not how, to enervate the very fiber of our being and so unnerve us for the fight? Surely this is the most dangerous form of fever possible. A fit soul in an unfit body is doubtless uncomfortably crippled, but it is not wholly ineffective; but what is the good of a fit body with an unfit soul inside it? It may as well go home at once for all the fighting it will do on the mission battlefield.

But is there not a better way?

Searcher of spirits,
Try Thou my reins and heart;
Cleanse Thou my inward part -
Turn, overturn and turn.
Wood, hay and stubble see
Spread out before Thee;
Burn, burn.

Worker in gardens,
Dig round my hidden root,
Let branch, leaf, bud and fruit
Respond in quickened life.
Seek out the canker there -
Cut out and do not spare
Thy knife.

Savior of sinners,
Out of the depths I cry,
'Perfect me or I die -
Perfect me, patient One';
In Thy revealing light,
I stand confessed - outright,
Undone.

O to be holy!
Thou wilt not say me nay
Who movest me to pray:
'Enable to endure.'
Spiritual cleansing Fire,
Fulfill my heart's desire:
Make pure."

~ Amy Carmichael, God's Missionary, pg. 27-29

One Day at a Time...

"One day is mine. I will in this one day do my best. I will use my talent of speech to be a blessing to some other one, a helper, a comforter, an example which the Lord my Saviour shall approve. I will exercise myself in patience, kindness, forbearance, that the Christian virtues may be developed in me today." (In Heavenly Places)

Weekend in Arizona

Arizona was soooo much fun!

On Friday, Sharon, Emma, Ryan, and I went to the Arizona State Fair. I got to feed a camel, giraffe, zebra, ostrich, llama, baby donkey, and other animals. I even got to touch a couple of them! Then we stopped by a Thai restaurant, ordered the food to go since it was almost Sabbath, and ate at a nice park. After that we headed off to Oliver's house in Scottsdale where he, my sister, and Peter were waiting for us. Luke and Ashley came later, and we finished the evening with a small Bible study.

On Saturday, we went with a couple of Thunderbird Academy students to a church 2 hours away where they were in charge of the church program. Then we went to another church where they had a yummy lunch prepared for us. In the afternoon we went to a church member's house, and she gave us a very insightful message on health. We were only supposed to be there for an hour, but we had so many questions that we ended up being there for another hour. Then we all headed back to campus with renewed energy and praised God for His blessings.

We ended our trip by visiting a wildlife park (http://www.outofafricapark.com/) on Sunday. It was AMAZING! Let's just say the pictures on their website aren't just a hype. On our way home, instead of just taking the boring 10 fwy back, we took the back roads and passed through several small towns. In between towns it seemed as if we were the only ones in the world, with darkness around us, but it was comforting to know that up in the sky the stars shone brighter than ever. I was reminded that even in the midst of loneliness and darkness there is hope and that God cares and watches over us.

View Pictures! ^_^

The Christian and the Evergreen Tree

"When the testing time shall come, those who have made God's word their rule of life will be revealed. In summer there is no noticeable difference between evergreens and other trees; but when the blasts of winter come, the evergreens remain unchanged, while other trees are stripped of their foliage. So the falsehearted professor may not now be distinguished from the real Christian, but the time is just upon us when the difference will be apparent. Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of prosperity." (GC 602)

It is my prayer that we become like the evergreen tree.

What a Man is...

"What a man is has greater influence than what he says. Piety in the daily life will give power to the public testimony. Patience, consistency, and love will make an impression on hearts that sermons fail to reach." (AH 353)

Enough said.

Some Sobering Thoughts...

"Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." Ecclesiastes 10: 1

Reputation and influence are powerful! The wise King Solomon was on a pedestal, and he fell HARD. And though he sincerely repented, there were those who were forever led astray and others who could not fully trust his leadership.

"Solomon's repentance was sincere; but the harm that his example of evil-doing had wrought, could not be undone. During his apostasy, there were in the kingdom men who remained true to their trust, maintaining their purity and loyalty. But many were led astray; and the forces of evil set in operation by the introduction of idolatry and worldly practices, could not easily be stayed by the penitent king. His influence for good was greatly weakened. Many hesitated to place full confidence in his leadership. Though the king confessed his sin, and wrote out, for the benefit of after-generations a record of his folly and repentance, he could never hope entirely to destroy the baleful influence of his wrong deeds. Emboldened by his apostasy, many continued to do evil, and evil only. And in the downward course of many of the rulers who followed him, may be traced the sad influence of the prostitution of his God-given powers." (PK 84,85 - bold and italics supplied)

I hope that we be watchful and prayerful that we not lead others down the wrong path because it is very difficult to get back our positive influence after we have done wrong. I pray that we "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1,2) Let us encourage each other: we won't fall if we keep our eyes on Jesus!

Still Jetlagged

It's been over a week, and I'm still suffering from jetlag! I went to play volleyball to tire myself out, but now I'm just sore. I haven't had this much insomnia since my freshman year in college...

Jetlag

I need to sleep but I can't so I'll blog my first blog. I just want to say that this is the worst jetlag I've ever had. I've been to the Philippines 3 times before and it's never been like this!

MIP PI2007 Mission Trip Photos