Testing, Testing...

Well...
This is my first video upload with my Flip video camera...
Let's take this thing for a ride...
One of our friends, Josh, is here for the break...
He is a teacher in China...
So, Diana, he, and I went to Seoul to hang out for the day...
The following footage is the result...

Merry Christmas to Me

Behold, I am now all that is man...
www.theflip.com

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There is Grief in Wisdom...

Currently Hearing: No Wings to Speak of by .hopesfall.



Santa Claus, please hear my cries to you...
In my anguish, do not cast me out...
I need this...

You Hold Everything Together...

Currently Hearing: Psalm 3 by David
Currently Feeling: Out of Shape After a Short Run by the Ever-So-Humbling Treadmill

So, I started a plan to read through the Bible in a year...
I had been going through on my own from beginning to end, but I found a great plan on the website of Bethlehem Baptist Church that actually is composed of 4 short readings each day so that you read a portion of the Gospels, a part of the remainder of the New Testament (beginning in Acts), a Psalm/passage from Proverbs, and the Old Testament (starting in Genesis, minus Psalms and/or Proverbs). You can find the reading plan here. It is really great because, as the plan indicates, it allows the reader to better grasp the unity of the Scriptures (and I strongly believe that the Bible should be seen and read as a whole) and is built to not be overwhelming, but enjoyable.

So, I was reading Psalm 3, and I came across this in verse 5:
"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me" (NIV).
All I can say is, "Wow..."
How often do we take for granted that the only reason we are able to open our weary eyes in the morning is because of the hand of the Almighty Lord sustaining our very existence...
Incredible, absolutely incredible...

Reading this awe-inspiring verse reminded me of Colossians 1:15-17:
"[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (NIV).

The author of Hebrews states, when speaking of Christ:
"but in these last days [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir af all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word..." (Heb 1:1-3a NIV).

Christ, our Lord, is prophesied about by David, Jesus' very ancestor, when the man after God's own heart makes the bold, yet God-glorifying claim that the very reason that we can rise in the morning with breath in our lungs is due to the Supreme Christ, Maker of all things in heaven and on earth...
Paul and the author of Hebrews go on in the New Testament to note the glory of Christ by asserting that he sustains all things in the universe - that means us! How often do we neglect the immense power of the crucified Lord and his role presently in creation? Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, holding all things in creation in their proper place. Judging from these passages, I can do nothing but argue that God is much more than a mere influence over His creation. Rather, he is the very giver of life and order in the universe through the power of his word.

It is my prayer that we would begin to fully recognize the power and glory of God and His control over all creation and praise a God that is fully in control of all things in heaven and on earth.

May the Name of Christ Be Made Great

Pizza: The Cost of True Happiness

Currently Hearing: Tons of Sermons by Mark Driscoll
Currently Reading: Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by Various Authors
Currently Craving: Pizza, Pizza, Pizza by Pizza King

5 Pet Peeves
1.) Audiobooks
2.) Short Sink Faucets
3.) Musicals
4.) Mosquitos
5.) Dropping Something, Only to Pick it Up and Drop it Again

Now you know me a little better...

I Need a Voice That's Louder than Mine...

Currently Hearing: Phil Wickham
Currently Reading: Suffering and the Sovereignty of God by John Piper
Currently Awaiting: Thanksgiving in Tokyo by the Merciful Hand of God

I just recently finished a book by John Piper known as Spectacular Sins and their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ. It was absolutely amazing. I have just finished the first chapter of another book in which Piper made a contribution that is closely related to this topic (see above for title). The idea of God's sovereignty has been an issue of much contemplation and study lately, and, to be honest, has really revolutionized my view of God. Understanding God's sovereignty in a fuller extent has done so much to deepen my sense of awe and humility when I approach God. The best part about this is, you too can benefit from the amazing resources of Piper by merely clicking here!

In his book Spectacular Sins, he discusses the role of God and God's sovereignty in such sinful acts as the Tower of Babel's construction, the Fall, the selling of Joseph into slavery, and the death of Christ. All of these events, as Piper argues, bring about the glory of Christ.

You seriously need to check out some of this stuff.
This pastor does amazing theology that is bound to Scriptural truth (as if there is really any other way), always pointing to Christ, and is aimed at empowering the believer to a fuller reliance in the Supreme God.
Absolutely incredible.

May You Grow in the Love of Knowledge of Christ,
Brandon

Korean Grammar for International Learners...

Currently Hearing: For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
Currently Looking Forward To: My Trip to Tokyo by Thanksgiving Break
Currently Confused About: How I Got This Huge Jelly Stain On My Pants by The Part of Me That Doesn't Want to Pay for Dry Cleaning

Question:
Does anyone else CONSTANTLY receive the same Spam in their e-mail?

I am not sure how I deserve this, but some guy named Michael Vincent is really looking out for me...
He keeps e-mailing me every couple of days or so...
I guess he is working really hard for me, because I keep getting e-mails with the same subject title - "I found a new job for you"

So, I am not sure about who you are or why you are so dilligent about finding me new jobs, Michael Vincent...
But, thank you, you virus-bearing Spam cyborg...