You might want to save this for watching this later, because it’s a bit long… but soo good:
Dr. Albert Mohler - Cultural Discernment from a Biblical Worldview
57min (from New Attitude 2006)

As a late Music Monday feature, this song comes from one of my favorite artists, growing up in my high school years! And it’s from one of my favorite old CDs — I actually had it stolen with my old CD player but I loved it so much that I bought another copy The following song is one of the most pure and powerful tracks off the album.

Just To Have You
by Jennifer Paige

Lyrics here: Read the rest of this entry »

From Grey’s Anatomy - Season 3, Episode 25 “Didn’t We Almost Have It All?”
Preston Burke’s wedding vows for Cristina Yang:

Cristina,
I could promise…to hold you, and to cherish you. I can promise to be there in sickness and in health. I could say, ‘til death do us part. But I won’t. Those vows are for optimistic couples. The ones full of hope. And I do not stand here, on my wedding day, optimistic or full of hope.

I am not optimistic. I am not hopeful. I am sure. I am steady. And I know that I’m a heart man. I take it apart, I put ‘em together, I hold them in my hands. I am a heart man. So this, I am sure: you are my partner, my lover, my very best friend. My heart, my heart, beats for you. And on this day, the day of our wedding, I promise you this: I promise you to lay my heart in the palm of your hands. I promise you me.

Now that’s one powerful wedding vow!

You know how old you’ve become and how serious your life has developed into when what occupies your sleepless nights is the need for a partner in ministry — a.k.a. a “see-mo”. And I am not speaking of this lightly — but as seriously as I am scared to know how, as a future pastor, and if God would allow, the father of “pastor’s kids”.

It’s been over a year and a half since I’ve been in a relationship (first and last so far), and it’s been that long also that I have not prayed for a relationship. After the last one, it never dawned on me to seek after God’s blessing and grace of companionship again anytime soon. For about half a year from the beginning of my second last term in university, I prayed only to survive–first and foremost that I would have enough faith to live on, and secondly, to get through school without needing extra time to finish.
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For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
(2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

The die has been cast. I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

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Life is hard.

School is hard.
Work is hard.
Relationships are hard.

Getting into the right school is hard. Getting good marks is hard. Keeping up those marks are hard.

Getting a job is hard. Keeping the job is hard. Doing a good job is hard. Being missional in the workplace is hard.

Friendships are hard to start. It is hard to keep what friendships you do have strong. Not hurting each other when you become good friends is hard. Not losing contact with friends is hard. Dealing with the fact that you’ll likely lose contact with some friends, that’s hard.

Life is hard. Why are we so surprised when life turns sour? Whoever said it was going to be easy? Why do we whine and complain when it is hard? Why don’t we give thanks to God enough for life when it is not too hard? Who was it that tricked and deceived us to think that it would even be remotely easy? Who lied to you? And while we’re asking the question, who lied to me?
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