i never knew this movie was so Gospel-centered. i almost cried when Miriam and Tirzah were healed of their leprosy. what a beautiful picture of forgiveness. double imputation is crazy. our Lord truly loves us.

Thought of the Day: "I felt him take the sword out of my hand."
Song of the Day: Foo Fighters-Everlong

"Just as Jesus was not defiled by contact with lepers, so he is not corrupted by contact with "sinners."  He is the physician who heals spiritual as well as physical sickness.  But those who do not know they are sick do not go to a doctor.  Lack of awareness of serious disease is often the most insidious "symptom" of all."

Thought of the Day:  96 Degrees.

Song of the Day:  Boa-Shine We Are

do you guys remember that old korean song, "Nul Buryussuh", by E&C (Eddie & Chris?)? well, i don't. i only heard about them from a few people back in high school and i always heard their first (and only) album was pretty good. well luckily, i randomly found that Nul Buryussuh song in a forum today. i really like it. it has that old school flavor.

there's a big part of me that wishes i could go back in time to that era-'96-'98. in fact, i was downloading Diva and SES music videos yesterday. ah, those middle school years. the happy korean music days. baggy pants. brown bangs. pager code. breakdancing. tommy hilfiger jackets. "west side." lol.

Thought of the Day: Effective is better than Efficacy.
Song of the Day: Chun Sang Ji Hee-Boomerang

Thought of the Day: Black teeth.
Song of the Day: Diva-Why Do You Call Me?

leprosy. A variety of skin diseases may bave been termed "leprosy", but the dominant form was Hansen's disease, a disfiguring bacterial infection that attacks the skin and nerves, often resulting in loss of feeling and muscle control. Loss of feeling can lead to infection and decay from unnoticed injury, while loss of muscle control can lead to atrophy and even paralysis. In advanced stages the rotting flesh can literally crumble off the extremities and even the face. This "living death" was greatly feared and served as a graphic picture of sin. Touching a leper made one ceremonially unclean. In this case, however, Jesus did not become unclean, but the leper became clean. Although the sin that resides within each of us is immeasurealy more disgusting to Jesus than leprosy, he is willing to touch us also and make us clean.
-Spirit of the Reformation Study Bible commentary

Thought of the Day: RER.
Song of the Day: Third Day-Medley

i am finally back in education. so far, i don't like any of my classes this quarter. my math professor is a foreign immigrant, my psych TA sounds even worse than him, and i have a very hard time appreciating research methods for my psychology lab. the commute to irvine every monday, wednesday, and friday morning takes one hour. *groan* maybe i'm just not conditioned yet. but i know today was one crappy second day of school-

missed street turns twice.
late for class.
finished lab early but forgot to save data. started over.
the ear part of my sunglasses snapped off.
took the 55 instead of the 5. traffic. a car almost hit me.

"sounds like somebody's got a case of the mondays!" right? i'm sure tuesday will be much better. i can wake up at 9:45 as opposed to today's 6:20...plus, we're starting clusters tomorrow! i never thought i'd ever be excited about leading clusters. it's a good thing. tomorrow HAS to be better than today.

there's been a lot of fuss about people leaving churches these days. many members left after p. dennis went to go start off City Light. even after that craze, i still heard of a few who left for other reasons. i know the youth group has had a pattern of students leaving the church once they hit that infamous senior year in high school. and if you hadn't heard, recently, kcpc had a woman pastor come into their youth group. that obviously did some damage to their congregation as well. what's going on here? church members bouncing in and out. friends following friends to "better churches." various plans to leave the church after college group. seriously, what's going on here?

i have to admit that i've been tempted to leave CPC for selfish reasons before. but when it all comes down to it, dinko says, "switching churches is a cop out." there are only a few reasons why anyone should leave the visible church. i think this article from the OPC website does a decent job of putting it all together (thanks, chang): http://www.opc.org/new_horizons/NH00/0002d.html

Thought of the Day: Krazy Glue.
Song of the Day: Foo Fighters-My Hero

they don't spam.

Happy 21, Crawford.

Thought of the Day: Get your mind out of the gutter.
Song of the Day: Solid-Catch The Night's End

i'm really bored these days. reading books and watching movies can only entertain you for so long. i actually got really excited when my brother asked me to pick him up from school because the bus driver was late. i can't even fall asleep early only to leave me waking up at 11 every morning. this may disgust you but i'm actually longing for school. productivity. mind stimulation. hot girls. no, just kidding about the hot girls (i know everyone believes there is some truth behind every joke, but REALLY, just kidding). due to my lack of activities, i've been spending much of my time thinking about upcoming events, random people, and of course, myself.

i'm really looking forward to leading clusters this year. it's like having a fresh batch of people since so many couldn't commit last year. new group, new leader, and a new book pretty much makes it a new year.

i feel like a ton of people have hooked up in the past 6 months when it's only been 4 couples. well, i guess 4 is a pretty big number when you're referring to relationships. of course when people start hooking up with each other, you can't help but wonder about yourself. "i wonder when I'M going to meet her?" a number of stupid people still remind me that i only have until winter time til i have to commit to lifetime missions. (shaking head). but nevertheless, it is something that i think about alot. since i'm getting a bit older, i do hear of more people in my life who are getting married or having a baby. haha. i can espy the pressure from a distance (i really like that word: espy). but like most people, that special someone pops up when you least expect it...which leads me to another common thought.

korea. i only have one more year of college left. and i'm sure that just like the others, this year will go by hella fast. my "future plans" are approaching and mere dreams are slowly becoming exciting realities. of course, ANYTHING can happen between now and next summer, but things seem to be going along its course just as i had planned. different culture, different people, and DIFFERENT CHURCH pretty much makes it a different life. i take much comfort in this, "escape", if you will.

so these are just a few of my fa-vo-rite things...i mean thoughts. random: as much as i hate boy bands, i cannot stop loving the Backstreet Boys' "Quit Playing Games With My Heart". i hadn't heard it in a while until yesterday when it randomly popped up on my winamp playlist. it made me really happy.

i'm trying to make it a habit to not babble when i pray now. you may not know it, but i probably pray for you just about everyday. haha. i need to stop writing now.

Thought of the Day: Movies are my escape.
Song of the Day: Super Mario's Sleigh Ride OC ReMix

audrey hepburn was truly beautiful. i always thought she was overrated with her famous "Breakfast at Tiffany's" pictures. i mean, i didn't think she was ugly or anything...just not THAT great. but after watching Roman Holiday, my eyes fell in love with her small, innocent face. i don't know what it is. she just looks so unique!

after i finished watching the movie, i watched the special features and there was a short clip of her giving a speech back in 1992. obviously, she had aged over the years and lost much of her young beauty. i found out that she passed away a year after that speech. beauty is fleeting. fame is fleeting. and of course, life is fleeting.

so many of us adore the beautiful people of our society. actors and actresses become stars and role models. they are admired and idolized. when it comes down to it, beauty can be seen as a good thing. it is desirable and gives pleasure to the eye. but when we see beautiful people (such as Audrey Hepburn), we tend to praise them for looking so good as if they did something to earn that beauty. we unconsciously say to ourselves, "Good work, beautiful person! Job well done!" but when i think about all of the attractive people i've seen or known, i realize that not a single one of them deserved any of their physically postive qualities. they did not choose their genetic makeup or the environments they lived in. everything that they are is because of the one who made them beautiful.

too often, we forget that the creator is the one to be praised and not the creation. this obviously goes beyond beauty. take any piece of creation-music, art, sports, even technology. every skill, technique, and function is beautiful because its maker is beautiful. Beethoven's 9th symphony is not awesome because Beethoven was awesome. God is awesome. the Pythagorean Theorem doesn't make Pythagoras an intelligent being. God is an intelligent being! i think you get my point. so in conclusion, Audrey Hepburn was not beautiful because of anything she had done. rather, our God who MADE her beautiful is infinitely more beautiful and worthy of praise than any piece of creation our Lord has decreed. amen.

Thought of the Day: Studying on Sundays.
Song of the Day: Yann Tiersen-Comptine d'un autre ete

Pretzelboi96 (11:46:30 PM): i'm having a discussion with my friend about apologetics
Pretzelboi96 (11:46:38 PM): he doesn't think we should use it
Vantilian522 (11:46:38 PM): ahhh that's cool
Pretzelboi96 (11:46:39 PM): haha
Vantilian522 (11:46:41 PM): haha
Vantilian522 (11:46:46 PM): ask him why
Vantilian522 (11:46:53 PM): and that would just defeat his argument
Vantilian522 (11:46:57 PM): self-defeating
Pretzelboi96 (11:47:21 PM): lol

Thought of the Day: 24's awesome.
Song of the Day: Queen-Save Me

ever since i put wheel covers on my car, it's never looked the same. it actually looks like a decent automobile now. it's been three weeks and i still get surprised every time i look at it. i can't believe i was driving without covers for over two years! buying those things was the best thing that happened to my car, and they only cost me $15. it kind of reminds me of "ugly" girls who blossom after losing weight or changing their hairstyle. you simply cannot believe how something so unpleasant can become so attractive after just a few changes.

remember that one Family Matters episode when Steve Urkel goes through that transformation machine and becomes Stefan? well, some of the pictures on my computer can testify to some major transformations that have occurred within CPC:






















































good times.

Thought of the Day: Scandal.
Song of the Day: Starfield-Filled With Your Glory

"the Son knows personally and experientially what is it like to endure temptation. Jesus was and is without sin. Tempation did not arise from within him, as it does with us. Yet, as true man, Jesus was indeed tempted. Only one who resists temptation feels its full force."
-commentary from Spirit of the Reformation Bible

i like that last statement. it's kind of like not fully knowing how high a mountain is until you've reached the top. when Christ resisted the temptation to turn the stones into loaves of bread, he was resisting an appeal to a biological drive. i never knew that. Christ really experienced every temptation we could face. no, he actually faced greater temptation b/c his authority was being challenged as well. the Lord sympathizes with us. His power really is made perfect in our weakness. awesome.

Thought of the Day: Stupid Biola.
Song of the Day: Temptations-Ain't No Mountain High Enough

i don't know how but the debate of whether a tomato was a fruit or vegetable came up at the dinner table. my mom was SO certain that it was a vegetable...

(in korean).
me: but tomatoes have seeds. if it has seeds, then it's a fruit.
mom: it's not! i can't believe he's challenging his own mother.
me: ok, then how do you know it's a vegetable?
mom: ...
me: ...
simon: ...
mom: just know that it is!

i've never seen my mom so happily stubborn in my life. i just had to disprove her...

(in korean).
me: mom, it's a fruit! it says on askoxford.com that "a tomato is definitely a fruit."
mom: (looks at website). "a tomato is definitely a fruit." umohmohmoh! eehsanghaneh!
me: ahahhahahahhah.
mom: no, i read in a magazine that everyone believes it's a fruit but it's really a vegetable. i'm going to look for that magazine.

looks like mama doesn't always know best. =D

i had my first real day of relaxation this summer. no plans, obligations, duties, appointments, tutoring, or time to wake up.

1. 10 hours of sleep
2. ate brunch
3. started reading Pilgrim's Progress
4. ate lunch.
5. read again.
6. fell asleep in my chair.
7. balled with simon.
8. showered.
9. ate dinner.

chillax on a really hot day.

yg retreat was really good. very gospel-centered sermon/bible studies. very hot. very red.

one really important thing i learned from yg retreat was that there shouldn't be a single habitual sin that we cannot overcome. to say that we cannot overcome particular sins in our lives is to spit at the Gospel and say that Christ's work was not good enough for us. for sure, pastor ben was the best retreat speaker i have ever had in my life. so convicting. so passionate. so scary. so gospel.
cg retreat was really good too. i almost feel like it was good in the ways yg was not: more interactive and laidback speaker, smaller and more mature group, lighter schedule, food 10x better, nicer cabins and better bathroom system, and of course, better pictures for better memories.

i was so encouraged by pastor john's sermon on loving God with our minds and thoughts. i've never heard someone speak so passionately on studying for God's glory and seeing how all of our studies should point to Christ (i can't believe zen missed that sermon!). i'm really glad that dykas (especially) heard it. haha. pastor john kept telling me to considering learn Greek even after the retreat. what a passionate and geeky pastor. LEGOS!

i have lots of time on my hand for the next 3 weeks or so. my goals are to finish reading Pilgrim's Progress, The Holiness of God, and Every Young Man's Battle (this year's cluster book). it's like finishing one book every week. summer is the only time i make time to catch up on my reading. try to keep me accountable by asking me what i've been reading about.

upcoming events: 9th grade sleepover, senior class sleepover, and outreach!

the fun never stops.

Thought of the Day: Soonjung = Pure Heart.
Song of the Day: Ivy-Midnight.

christian academy worst memory...

student: you don't know how to teach.

it's finally over...

and so the retreats begin.

Thought of the Day: Senoritas Bonitas.
Song of the Day: Black Eyed Peas-My Hump

i got home at 9:30 and just got out of the shower. it is 10:05pm and i can finally relax for at least 30 min. until i go to bed. man, i have been realy really stressed the whole day today. i can't stop thinking about christian academy stuff and car trouble. no matter how hard i try, it won't escape my mind. i am truly heavy with burden.

i was reading through xangas and i came upon some really encouraging entries. i have friends who are truly happy just about every day of their lives. even in their hardships, they are rejoicing in the Lord and reminding themselves of God's faithfulness. i think i can best sum up their lives (based on their entries) with one word: passion. man, when was the last time i lived a life of passion? when did i last encourage someone because i was living my life so passionately for the Lord? i honestly feel like it's been years. it's funny cause as i was reading those xangas, i was listening to the Righteous Brothers' "She's Lost That Loving Feeling."-You've lost that lovin' feeling. Now it's gone, gone, gone, woah-u-woah-u-woooah.

passion should never be a phase. it should be a lifestyle. we have every reason to live very rich and full lives that reflect God's glory. every moment of our lives should be beating with joy because of the Gospel salvation we have received. people should be wondering why we live the way we do. people should stare at us in amazement and curiosity. why does my life lack this kind of passion?

these days, i feel so weak and inadequate. i am ashamed and disappointed in myself. i feel like Job after he lost everything: humbled. but even in his suffering, he did not fail to praise God.

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!

this is my prayer, oh God. when i am weak you are strong. Hallelujah.

Thought of the Day: Basic geometry.
Song of the Day: Righteous Brothers-She's Lost That Loving Feeling