Responsible but Dependent

I love paradoxes. Probably because I don't like to make decisions. Like take, for instance, divine sovereignty verses human responsibility: Though I am actually doing the working of my own salvation, it is actually God who is doing the work in me. So I am responsible but totally dependent at the same time. I've read a few books by Jerry Bridges and a theme he repeats in many of his books is 'dependent responsibility'. I always breathe a sigh of relief when I read stuff like that. Plus, it makes me more grateful for my salvation because not only am I justified before God, but I am also sanctified as well. Salvation means that I am both declared righteous as well as progressively made righteous. And both are by God's grace.

All these thoughts were (re)sparked by a blog post by John Piper. Check it out. You too can "abandon any anti-Bible intellectual baggage you have inherited from planet earth, and recalibrate your brain to embrace the paradoxes of real human choice and decisive divine sway". The comment section is worth reading as well and was very influential in my thoughts.

Valentine's Day Vent

It really shouldn't be this difficult. Why is it so difficult? That's what I want to know. I mean I am probably way too picky (or was) now I know that you need to 'settle' (I suppose) but maybe... I don't EVEN know. But 30, still single, NOTHING on the horizon (that I can see). I always wonder if I'm the problem or if it's God's will. I go back and forth. I'm cool with it if it's God's will--I mean I get impatient but I'm a pro at dealing with impatience by now. But if it's my problem then... what do I do? I can't undo what I didn't (did?) do. It's not like a whole lot of guys were interested anyway. I mean there were a few (I can think of 3, maybe 4)... but maybe I wasn't supposed to marry them... Who even knows? I am happy that I'm not lonely, though, so things like Valentine's Day aren't horrible. In fact I kind of like Valentine's Day. It's all about love anyway, in whatever way you receive it. I mean, what's better than thinking about love all day? Also I'm glad that I don't think I'm a loser because I'm not in a romantic relationship. There are other reasons that make me think I'm a loser (sometimes, like today when I got mad (and, like, really mad) at my brother for the locking the keys in my car while it was running with the spare key IN the car when we were already late for church... yeah) but at least it's not my singleness that makes me feel like a loser! Also I guess there's a lot of things that I'm doing that I most definitely couldn't do if I was married. Ah well.

There I feel better. : )

Israel Rocks

ABC World News ran a segment tonight praising Israel's highly efficient field hospital in Haiti. CNN and Fox News have also run segments on Israel's work in Haiti. The Israeli unit was up and running within 15 hours of arrival and (I believe) operational on Saturday morning. "And Israel came from the other side of the world", one frustrated U.S. physician stated. U.S. medical/surgical facilities hope to be operational by Tuesday morning, a full 72 hours after Israeli facilities.

The Israeli hospital has specialized units, imaging equipment, full surgical capabilities, ventilators, etc. Check out this video to see the comparison between the Israeli facilities and the U.S. facilities.

Other articles on Israil's relief efforts in Haiti: Israel sending relief to Haiti Israel's Haiti field hospital: a microcosm of a country's turmoil Praise for Israeli mission in Haiti: 'Only ones operating' Israeli Hospital, The Most Advanced in Haiti

I visited Israel last year around this time and was so impressed by their highly efficient organizational skills. Seeing these videos and reading the articles make me really want to go there again.

Israeli Defense Forces Search and Rescue

Helping Haiti

The situation in Haiti is desperate. I keep thinking about the people and how horrific it must be for them to be without food, water, and sanitation. To see body parts sticking out from crushed buildings. So much death and despair. And it's probably going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

A blog entry on 01/17/10 from Doctors without Borders : "We need more space to perform surgeries. We need the inflatable hospital, if it ever arrives. So, it's getting worse. Patients who were not critical only three days ago are now in critical phases. This means that people will die from preventable infections. It's horrible. It's really so terrible that people are begging for help and we can't help them all to save their lives!"

I pray that aid will come quickly to them and that God will turn this desperate situation for good. Here are a few things you can do to help:

1. Don't judge. Don't listen to people like Pat Robertson. His words are unkind, unhelpful, and presumptious. Who are we to speak for God and say why such a tragedy has happened? Instead, I appreciated the following responses and comments to the Haiti earthquake:
Does God Hate Haiti? Al Mohler
Yo, Pat Robertson. What's God got to do with it? Elizabeth Esther
A Compassionate Response to Pat Robertson on Haiti Matt Bell

2. Send money. I chose the following organizations to support: World Vision, Compassion, Convoy of Hope (Assembly of God), Doctors Without Borders, and Mercy Ships. You can also text donations using your cell phone though the donation may not be applied for up to a month or more. Text 'Haiti' to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross or text 'Haiti' to 864833 to donate $5 to the United Way. The donation will show up on your phone bill next month.

3. Pray. Haiti has limited to no infrastructure so aid workers have been having great difficulty obtaining and mobilizing supplies. Pray that there will God will raise up people to organize and administrate the relief efforts. Also pray that God will use the Christian workers to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.

"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:36

Image: FT.com

I think it would really cool to...

... get married on 10/10/10 or 11/11/11. And it would totally work out because 10/10 of this year is a Sunday and 11/11 of 2011 is a holiday (Veteran's Day).

I do have one teeny, tiny problem........ I've got no one to marry! Um, so... any guys out there want to have a REALLY cool anniversary? I'm totally free for either day! : )

Thanksgiving Repost

I blogged these thoughts two years ago and I think they're so good that I'm reposting them again. : ) Happy Thanksgiving!!

"During Thanksgiving, I was trying to think of what I was most thankful for. I am thankful for many things, but I wondered if there was something I was thankful for above all else. Then it hit me--I am most thankful that God saved me!!

"...we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do". (Ephesians 2:3b-10)

I was an object of wrath and dead in sin but God in His mercy sent Jesus to save me! I never did anything good and yet God still saved me. And not only that but I have become His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

"[B]eing confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

I am so grateful and thankful that God saved me, and not only that, but that He is working in me so that I can do good works that He planned in advance for me to do. I pray that my life would bring glory to His Name."

Better than Pride & Prejudice

Have you seen the BBC's movie version North & South (based on a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell)? I just rewatched it recently and it is SOOOO good. : ) If you haven't seen it, here's a fan-made trailer to pique your interest (warning: spoilers).


If you've seen it, what do you think? Better than Pride & Prejudice? Equal? Worse? I'm pretty faithful to Austen and I do think the book Pride & Prejudce is 10 times better than North & South, but I really like the inclusion of the history, politics, and religion in North & South. Also, my Dad liked this movie and actually stayed awake for it so that's saying A LOT.

The movie version of Wives & Daughters (also by Gaskell) is very good too.