Let not the things of this world ever sway me

ULTRAAAAA

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:17:12 -0500

ULTRAAAAA

Photo

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:52:33 -0500

Cleansing!

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:15:03 -0500

DETOX TIME

Completely floored by how true and great our God is..

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:04:04 -0500

Completely floored by how true and great our God is..

What a great week at SXSW 2013. So glad to have done it during...

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:05:23 -0500

What a great week at SXSW 2013. So glad to have done it during my last year of college. Another item to check off my things to do in Austin, Texas!

City of House | Chicago!

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:34:23 -0600

City of House | Chicago!

Shine bright like a diamond. SOUND THE ALARM

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:18:43 -0600

Shine bright like a diamond. SOUND THE ALARM

Trying to find the motivation to study

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 02:12:02 -0600

whatshouldwecollegeme:

every day…

When people talk about Graduation

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 09:39:54 -0600

whatshouldwecollegeme:

or is it the other way around? AHHHH. Graduation approaching. My life is consumed with CPA studying. Not the best way to spend my last semester, but hey, still blessed and thankful. Going to miss this.

You shoot me down, but I won’t fall

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:27:00 -0600

You shoot me down, but I won’t fall

It all starts with 12

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:47:22 -0600

Urbana wasn’t something that I thought deeply about. I registered for the conference this time around because I knew that I’d be in a time of my life where everything I learned would be more impactful. In a season of transition, I was trying even more so to rely on God on my next steps. Little did I know when I first signed up for Urbana 12.

My time at Urbana is something that I’m going to remember forever. Urbana was not just a 6 day conference where I heard about Jesus and His mission. It was challenging, humbling, and life changing all at the same time. It was where I said yes to Jesus and His calling for global mission in my life.

I had the opportunity to room with Cheng Ma, Joseph Pao-wu, Joshua Ling, and Peter Kim. I’ll be honest and say I was a little nervous about the rooming assignment at first. Before we shared in our roommate huddles, I almost felt like I was intruding on something that was already established between the senior guys. As Cheng so eloquently put it on the bus ride to St Louis, “You’re the odd one out in the group.” And as much as I hate categorizing people into so called “groups”, I realized the truth in that statement. I wasn’t in their grade. I didn’t play ball. The relationship just wasn’t as connected as the rest of them… My anxieties and doubts of how rooming would turn out was quickly destroyed after our first roommate huddle. The sheer vulnerability and openness that I was able to experience with this group of brothers definitely made my Urbana experience the way it was. Rooming with them was a true blessing - I was surrounded by a group of men who genuinely cared, challenged, and loved on one another. This kind of community that I was able to be a part of was something that I realized was rare, but very special. So thanks guys for our nights together.

Aside from having awesome roommate huddles, I gained 4 things out of Urbana that I want to share:

1) I realized how much I had limited God and His existence in this world. I often times only thought about what God was doing at MY school, in MY life, with MY family, with MY friends, etc. Urbana opened up my eyes to see the God of this universe. At Urbana, I got a glimpse of how big God’s kingdom truly was. Worship this time around was something that I enjoyed and even appreciated. Worshipping with 16,000 other people and singing in different languages around the world made worship an incredible experience. (Urbana 09 was simply not for me. You can ask about that later)

2) God broke my heart for the things that He cared about. God opened my eyes to the rest of this world and grew my heart for social justice the night we made care packages to the caregivers in Swaziland. My heart ached while praying for the situation in Africa and I knew right then and there that I could no longer continue living the way I was back home. This was probably one of the few times in my life where I felt like I was doing something to help with God’s mission. This semester, I’m committing to World Vision Acts and Big Fish to continue to seek opportunities to help out with social justice issues.

3) I came to the conclusion that I still held on to my own comfort and success in this world. David Platt asked us, “What plan or dream will you give your life to that is more significant than this?” I was sad to admit that I still held onto to the American Dream – a life full of security, success, and comfort. I wanted to provide for my future family. I wanted to give back to my parents. I wanted to live a life that was simply… comfortable. Before attending Urbana 12, I had always just imagined myself to do “Business as Missions.” BAM! I never really thought about being the one who went out – just the one who sent others. My plans all along were to pursue my career and climb my way up to make money, so that I could GIVE BACK to the church and somehow be a part of God’s mission. After David Platt’s talk, I was devastated when I realized I had taken my own dreams and my own plans and manipulated those to “fit in” God’s plan for my life. I was always the business guy… I knew about recruiting strategies, I helped friends and peers with their job search, I even TA for underclassmen that just got into the business school. I thought I had it all planned out, but I was wrong. I was living a life for myself – a life full of comfort and other earthly riches. This leads me to my next point.

4) I came to the table and accepted God’s invitation of global mission. The night that we made commitments, I made a commitment to both short-term and mid-term missions. Again, I love being comfortable! But during Urbana, God asked me to sacrifice my comfort, and follow Him whole-heartedly. This summer, I committed to going on a Global Urban Trek, where I will actually be living incarnationally in the slums around the world. I’m really looking into India, but we’ll see where the Lord sends me. As for my mid-term commitment, in pursuing God’s call in my life, I am no longer looking at my career as a long-term goal. Instead of holding onto the things I once did, I am now realizing that God didn’t just want me to be a ‘sender’ but a goer as well. After a couple of years of experience in Chicago, I plan on leaving the firm, and going out into the mission field. I don’t know what that all looks like yet, but I do know one thing: God is faithful and He is good, and I am willing to give up all that I am for Him.

I really didn’t know what I had coming when I first signed up for Urbana, but I’m glad I went. God transformed my life and turned everything upside down during those 6 days in St. Louis. I’m blessed beyond reason and want to bless others with what I have been given.

“I will go, I will go I will go,

Lord send me To the world,

To the lost To the poor and hungry 

Take everything I am 

I’m clay within your hands 

I will go, I will go, send me  

Let me not be blind with privilege 

Give me eyes to see the pain 

Let the blessing You’ve poured out on me 

Not be spent on me in vain 

Let this life be used for change”

Search My Heart

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:57:15 -0600

Shine Your light
And show Your face
In my life
Lord have Your way

With all my heart and all my soul
With all I am, Lord, I will follow You

Hear my cry
And hear my prayer
Draw me close
I know your near

New Year’s Eve. I love this song and scene.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:44:01 -0600

New Year’s Eve. I love this song and scene.

Auld Lang Syne

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:05:00 -0600

Wow 2013 already? 2012 was a year full of ups and downs, much like any other. However, this past year was also the year I felt like I truly lived life. In 2012, I (in no specific order):

Cared for my baby girl, Mia

Traveled to San Francisco, New York, Chicago

Planned AACM-TASIA for our Senior Lady Friends

Got into Electronic Dance Music

Traveled to Austria, Germany, Croatia, and Amsterdam

Had my own Senior Farewell

Went to my first Spazzmatics Concert

‘Graduated’ with my fellow class of 2012

Raged at Nocturnal

Went strawberry picking

Led my first small group

Got my first pick in IM Football

Ran my first and last 10k

Re-dedicated my life to the Lord

Tubed for the first time

Studied abroad in Prague

Cruised the Bahamas

Danced at my first Orange and White Ball

Served the Freshman class through New Student Ministry

Became an IM Volleyball Champ

Got a job offer

Had my life transformed at Urbana

So cheers to 2012. Here’s to another year full of adventure in 2013. Already starting it off right with the road trip I just got back from. More on that and my time at Urbana later :)

Frost

Tue, 25 Dec 2012 00:38:37 -0600

But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

This movie was too cute.

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 22:59:50 -0600

This movie was too cute.

Its Time.

Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:18:12 -0600

So this is what you meant
When you said that you were spent?
And now it’s time to build from the bottom of the pit right to the top
Don’t hold back
Packing my bags and giving the Academy a rain check

I don’t ever wanna let you down
I don’t ever wanna leave this town
‘Cause after all this city never sleeps at night

It’s time to begin, isn’t it?
I get a little bit bigger but then I’ll admit
I’m just the same as I was
Now don’t you understand?
I’m never changing who I am

ellenthankyou: How I feel about school. Featuring Kristine,...

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 19:48:51 -0600

I think I'm done with it...

But it's not done with me.

ellenthankyou:

How I feel about school.

Featuring Kristine, photos by Vickie.

Mere Thoughts Unsorted: Testimony - Struggles through Homosexuality.

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 19:50:57 -0600

Mere Thoughts Unsorted: Testimony - Struggles through Homosexuality.:

emceelee:

I know some of you all don’t know this about me, but through the past several years, I’ve struggled with homosexuality. Thankfully, I’ve found a wonderful community of brothers and sisters in Christ who have walked alongside me through all this, pointing me to Jesus all the way.

This past…

Amen, Matt. You are such a testament of God’s love. I love you.

Shambles

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:20:00 -0500

1) recruiting nonstop and haven’t seen anything lined up yet; unsuccessful and beginning to worry x99999

2) failed first round of exams

3) worst social vp and project manager ever.

4) haven’t had enough time to invest in small group and feel like sg’s not going anywhere. i owe my guys a big apology.

5) haven’t kept up with anyone in my class

currently at my worst. i don’t know how much more i can take before i break down.