Sunday, December 26, 2010

and you can tell everybody

...that this is your song.


My gift is my song...
and this one's for you
And you can tell everybody that this is your song



"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
-John 3:16


It maybe quite simple,
but now that it's done


"And God said, “Let there be light,”
and there was light."

-Genesis 1:3


I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down in words...

"...because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."
-Psalm 139:14


How wonderful life is

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined


now You're in the world

"...what God has prepared for those who love Him."
-1 Corinthians 2:9.

And you can tell everybody

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
-Matthew 28:19


that this is your song

"God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things..."


It may be quite simple but now that it's done

—and the things that are not—
to nullify the things that are..."
-1 Corinthians 1:28


And you can tell everybody
that this your song
.

"...While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
-Romans 5:8




"...how much more, having been reconciled,
shall we be saved through His life"?
-Romans 5:10



red dot.

-"Come here, let me see what happened."

-"It really hurts, I can't tell if it's bleeding.."

-"Hmm..it doesn't look like it's broke through skin..
it looks like you're bleeding on the inside."

-"What does that mean?"

-"It means it was hard enough to break some blood vessels inside,
but not enough to puncture skin."

-"Er..but what does that mean?"

-"It means it's bleeding inside your skin,
but not on the outside."

-"Is it better to bleed on the inside or the inside?"

-"Well, it's fine if it's inside.
It means nothing can get in."

-"...The red mark is getting bigger."

-"That's because you're bleeding on the inside,
so nothing can get out either.
Nothing can get in,
but it also means nothing can get out."

-"...Is it okay?"

-"Yeah, you're okay."

"...It's just gonna hurt a lot for a while, that's all. "




sometimes,
this is what it feels like.


i wonder if it really is better on the inside.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

solo para ella

i didn't get a chance to tell you

but what my status meant
was that

my sole reason for being on aim today
was in hopes of getting the chance
to talk
to you <3

and im incredibly happy
that i did =]

thank You.



we put the FUN in funnel,
delu

i miss the people i know

and the ones who know me.

its like craving some sort of comfort food or meal
that you know always cheers you up, and just..feels right.

it's like the feeling of being completely content, just as you are
and being confident that you know who you are
and having confidence even amidst the things
you don't yet know

one shallow feeling of satisfaction
and temporary purpose
will follow one another

until i finally learn to seek
what it is my heart really needs

..im still confident
ill find my way back
but for now i want to let my heart
wander to its content--or rather
discontent

till it knows, sees firsthand
and experiences itself
that amidst all the successes
hurdles leaped,
and mountains climbed

that those accomplishes will be hollow victories
in a race that cant be won

i want to stop trying to be
confident in me

and my efforts
my will
my capabilities
and dreams


id rather
have the confidence
that lasts

...in Him.

Monday, December 20, 2010

transition

"Here we stand
Somewhere in between this moment and the end
Will we bend?
Or will we open up and take this whole thing in?

Everybody else is smiling
And their smiles don't fade
And you don't even wonder
Why you just don't think that way

Maybe you and me got lost somewhere
We can't move or we can't stay here..."

i can't stay here


i want to


i don't

where do You want me to be?


i need to know
what being next to You
looks like




i want to stop walking away
from believing
in You again

Thursday, December 16, 2010

thought exhales

..is it true?

are most my friends i hang out with usually..guys?


what do boundaries mean to me
is this one-sided?
am i really as self-aware as i think i am?

..or just selfish, manipulative, a people-pleaser, and a liar?

ahem.
so far every morning ive taken a different
hair tie from my mom's bathroom
and at the end of the day when i take it off,
instead of putting it back i take it off before bed
and put it on their nightstand.
i wonder if by the end of this trip,
ill have successfully moved all her hair ties
from her bathroom sink
to her nightstand.


bwahh...
now that i think about it--
maybe my family actually really WOULD love the game catchphrase D:

in other news--turns out my mom avoids caffeinated teas too D:
its not allowed for my dad, but she avoids it just in case

i wonder
will i be healthy when i grow up..?

im not sure what one hour on a treadmill
actually equates to in running time

do i have the attention span to continuously go for an hour?

..truth is.
as soon as i found out it was
the popsicles that we usually ate--
i was excited to have an excuse to get you
to go back and share one with me again

sometimes i wonder
are you, or do you ever get
as bored as you think i am?

what does 'fun' even mean?

i miss michelle's laughing.
actually--i miss laughing
with michelle.

i also miss talking to yuki =[
i love that talking to nabi is still pick-up-able from where we left off
and i love that me and pri-pri can understand each other
with or without talking
and in the midst of long drawn out rants
about life's
long drawn out
rants

i. am. DEATHLY. afraid
of not getting these personal statements finished =/
i havent heard back...from anyone
other than ray, so far for the later drafts...

im scared that my trying to work ahead will be for nothing
if im unable to get people's feedback on time on it
...sometimes i wish i could just do things on my own
and i have to remind myself its a blessing
not to have to be
...just scary
at the times you feel like
or wonder
if you are

ZOEY IS ADORABLE.

i want one.
not any time soon though,
just to play with and make baked goods with

speaking of--
tomorrow is my late grandpa's bday
and sassy's, our puppy =]

i will make scones < 3 .

Thursday, December 9, 2010

you're not so wise, i apologize




and just because i've failed

ive let me fool myself into thinking,
that it could in any way affect or cause or mean
that God will fail.

it's not that i can't hear Him
it's that i still wont
listen

..isn't it always more extreme than you realize it is at the time?

the lie you're buying into at one time or other.

how many of these lies, are lies
because they deny your entire identity
as someone who is His
and in the process
denies His.
by being
consumed
by 'you' entirely.


"who do we think we are?"
-francis chan,
crazy love.


i'm not so wise.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

condiments

(picture coming soon.)
(er. someday.)


i just had condiments for dinner.


YES.
this is post-worthy.


i had filipino sweet spaghetti...
which has a main base
of banana KETCHUP

with a side of potato salad
which is basically potatoes
swimming in MAYONNAISE.



without anything profound or meaningful to say,
hannah


Sunday, November 28, 2010

for His highest

while i don't always agree with everything
this book speaks on/the way things are put...
there are some things in it, that seem to respond
to the words that i speak
and then demand
that i respond
in return



"Riches of Destitute"

". . . being justified freely by His grace . . ." —Romans 3:24


The gospel of the grace of God awakens an intense longing in human souls and an equally intense resentment, because the truth that it reveals is not palatable or easy to swallow. There is a certain pride in people that causes them to give and give, but to come and accept a gift is another thing. I will give my life to martyrdom; I will dedicate my life to service— I will do anything. But do not humiliate me to the level of the most hell-deserving sinner and tell me that all I have to do is accept the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God through our own efforts. We must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest spiritual blessing we receive is when we come to the knowledge that we are destitute. Until we get there, our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us as long as we think we are sufficient in and of ourselves. We must enter into His kingdom through the door of destitution. As long as we are “rich,” particularly in the area of pride or independence, God can do nothing for us. It is only when we get hungry spiritually that we receive the Holy Spirit. The gift of the essential nature of God is placed and made effective in us by the Holy Spirit. He imparts to us the quickening life of Jesus, making us truly alive. He takes that which was “beyond” us and places it “within” us. And immediately, once “the beyond” has come “within,” it rises up to “the above,” and we are lifted into the kingdom where Jesus lives and reigns (see John 3:5).
-My Utmost for His Highest, Nov 28th
by Oswald Chambers


And I'm so filthy with my sin
I carry pride like a disease
You know I'm stubborn, Lord, and I'm longing to be close
You burn me deeper than I know
And I feel lonely without hope
And I feel
desperate without vision
Please
wrap around me like a winter coat
Lord, come and free me
like a bird
sometimes my own words
need a little
convincing

sometimes my own words
are what hide me
from Your truth

Sunday, November 21, 2010

the kid with the story

....no one would believe:


that.

people hurt.

...if we did.
i think it would be a little easier
to allow ourselves to

and forgive ourselves for it
and others as well.

for asking the same question
the same
prayer

we all want to hear
answered.

little did we know


" I know you've murdered
And I know you've lied
And I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you'll listen I'll tell you that I...

I will love you for you
Not for what you have done or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew"


that we were the ones
who weren't
listening.

Friday, November 19, 2010

not okay


not right now at least

for a zillion reasons and one.
for endless reasons and none.

i dont think im good at trusting God with things

sometimes i dont think im good. at.
anything at all



i don't know how i'm doing.

i cant tell apart the things i want to do
and the things im doing to run away

i gave a long spiel today on how put together i am
to present myself to a potential academic letter of rec writer
only to realize right after
just how overwhelmed i am with how much im not

that's a potential lie btw.
(but that could just as well be a lie too)

i think i just
had a stressful evening.
regret the combination of
uncalled for pride and overwhelming lack of confidence in my decisions.
so quickly forget to count my blessings
am scared of the future
am running from the present
and looking too longingly
at the past


i don't think i could fully express to either of you
just how lonely i am without you
just how much i miss knowing
and being known

and standing
on surprisingly
solid ground



...i dont wanna go to lunch tomorrow.



Tuesday, November 9, 2010

the sick

"Jesus heals."

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about Him spread all over Syria, and people brought to Him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and He healed them. Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed Him. [Matthew 4:23-25]

-the Sick


good news
implies that it is both a positive
and foreign concept
to those listening
and are hearing
probably
for the first time
as we were meant to
..again and again.

the kingdom
is something much, much
bigger
than we could possibly
understand
it's something that reigns,
that lives
and is actively
..living
breathing
loving
existing.
as something
more real
than we allow ourselves
to comprehend

disease and sickness among the people
...we're all infected
our daily lives
our words, our actions
our hearts
are tainted
with the urge
not to love

about Him
news
about
Him
cuz it was never about us
because it was
never about
me
because we
and i
could never heal
what yours and my
fragile, dirty, hands
and scratched up
calloused palms
would only
hurt more
to touch
and try to keep
for ourselves
and as our own
gollum-like treasure
and not
for the sake
of saving another

people brought Him
ordinary people
like you and me
not just to who we felt like
not just to who "deserves" it
and away from those who "dont"
we brought Him
to all.

we are ill
this much we can't deny
even on our best days
when we try to forget
just. how. much.
we're deteriorating
the truth is
...the truths are
and some days
we just..
let them

with various diseases
pride. vanity. jealousy.
laziness. apathy.
fear.
we live our daily lives
harboring.
it could mean anything..
diseases of the soul
inhaling the polluted air
of a broken world
of selfish wants
and made up lies
..it can come in almost
any, and every, creative form
but don't let that change
in your mind
what you already know it to be
and what you already know
it couldn't possibly be

Truth.


suffering
implies they are in the present form
of actively, at this moment
suffering
in mid-tragedy
crisis, or breakdown
currently
being eaten away
by the things
that feed off
seemingly
unreachable
pain
we are
suffering
that's present-tense
that is
now
...and it is also
now
that He reaches us.

severe pain
...the kind of severity
and pungent depth
of which no words
could ever
do justice
to try
to describe

demon-possessed
cuz sometimes..that's really
the only way to put it
to make any sort of sense
of the kind of thoughts
that slither unconsciously
through the consciousness of our minds
the kind of dark
that is the blackest
of black
that just
stings
to the touch
and is overwhelmingly
blinding
to our already
limited sight

having seizures
reoccurring fits,
convulsions,
when your whole body
jolts in currents of shock
out of your control
hearts, overwhelmed
cut off from oxygen, or peace
struggling to
breathe
when the body
that once belonged to us
is captured
by force
by things that grasp
our mind
and hearts
and dont
let go

paralyzed
quiet beating
of heavy hearts
that yearn to come alive
limbs hanging
arms dead on either side
lungs that havent
for so. long.
felt the living inhale
of a running breath
face that's forgotten
the feeling of
the rush of cold air
against its cheeks
legs that ache
to sprint
to run
and leave
the dead weight
of the rest of me
the me thats...

paralyzed
unable to move
feeling stuck
where we are
our feet
glued,
sinking
to the rising
ground
and the horizon keeps
getting further and further
away from the span
of where our frozen fingertips
could ever
hope
to reach

paralyzed
...with fear.

He healed them.

He
healed
all of this.
He
healed
all of
you.
He
healed
all
...of me.

...I just keep forgetting that.

i want to stop living my life
forgetting that.

i want to gather
in large crowds
of once broken
now complete
walking,
breathing,
living,
loving,
saved
people


i want to start running forwards
and not away

i want to stop getting lost
in the paths i wander
and circle
within
myself,
pursuing
only
myself
...i want to pursue
and follow Him.

Friday, November 5, 2010

hoppĂ­polla

jumping in puddles


Smiling
Spinning round and round
Holding hands
The whole world a blur
But you are
standing

Soaked
Completely drenched
No rubber boots
Running inside us
Want to erupt from a shell

the wind
An outdoor smell of your hair
I breathe as hard as I can
with my nose

Jump into puddles
With no boots on
completely drenched
Soaked
With no boots on

And I get a nosebleed
but I always stand up

And I get a nosebleed
but I always
stand up


adventurers
pirate ships
and bunny ears
laughing
tea
and costume
parties


...i miss these.



i miss you. < 3

Thursday, November 4, 2010

overwhelmed

instead of feeling overwhelmed with You

i find myself
overwhelmed
by me.

this is not where i want to be.
at. all.







What can I do with my obsession
With the things I cannot see
Is there madness in my being
Is it the wind that moves the trees?


Sometimes You're further than the moon
Sometimes You're closer than my skin
And You surround me like a winter fog
You've come and burned me with a kiss


And my heart burns for You
And my heart burns...for You

And I'm so filthy with my sin
I carry pride like a disease
You know I'm stubborn, Lord, and
I'm longing to be close
You burn me deeper than I know
And I feel lonely without hope
And I feel desperate
Without vision
You wrap around me like a winter coat
You come and free me like bird

And my heart burns for You
And my heart burns...
My heart burns
for You


Wednesday, October 27, 2010

i hate to break it to you

but I’m not drowning


There’s no one here [for you] to save


Who cares if you disagree?
you are not me
Who made you king of anything?
So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

You sound so innocent,
all full of good intent
Swear you know best
But you expect me to jump
up on board with you
And ride off into your delusional sunset

I’m not the one who’s lost with no direction
But [it's like] you’ll never see
You’re so busy making maps with my name on them in all caps
You got the talking down,
...just not the listening

And who cares if you disagree?
You are not me
[i am not He]
Who made us king of anything?

So you dare tell me who to be?
Who died and made you king of anything?

All my life I’ve tried to make everybody happy
While I just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me--[but now] it’s my turn to decide



He cares, though they disagree
They are not me
They're not king of anything
Though they dare tell me who to be


...because He died
He is my King of everything

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


it's not up to you
...it's not up to me

im not "king" of anything either
i cant save you
and pleasing you
...wont save me

i think i need to finally be okay
and not be so scared, or hopelessly hurt
over one person thinking im a bad friend
..because id be a bad friend
to abandon what i thought was right
to condone a behavior
that's been destructive to someone already, in the past
just because itd be easier to

i want to not care so much
about how to please others
and think more about
how to love
myself
to acknowledge the love
God has for me too

because my friends
should matter enough for me
to want to take care of myself too

"love thy neighbor as thyself"
didn't mean..spoil them because you can
..it meant, to love them as you want to be loved

and sometimes loving someone doesn't mean
giving them exactly what they want all the time
it means..to care more about them, than your own reputation
or what's easier and minimal effort for you

it means to love them
the way you want to be loved
and i want to be loved
enough
to be trusted
and given room
to grow

its what our hearts ask
all the time
and need the opportunity to
from others

"im asking you to believe in me."

..and believe it or not.
that's what im doing
by doing what im doing now too.

i want to believe
he can do better than this
i want to believe
He can do better
than me.


i want to believe
that the love
that saved me

can save him too.



Thursday, October 21, 2010

my bed covers wont save me from closet monsters that exist in real life.

i dont think i like the whole...

calm before the storm thing.

don't get me wrong--
the storm sucks too.


but id rather...
get. through. the battle
no matter how messy
its gonna be

and truly
sincerely,
be..at peace


...than spend a single hollow day
pretending to be.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

"carpe diem"

...what does that look like?

i want to know.

someone tell me..?

Monday, October 11, 2010

sand between my toes

there is sand
between my toes
from the sandbox
at babysitting this morning

a mostly empty
chocolate soymilk carton
on my desk
that isn't really mine
(volunteer desk)

and an excel file open
of a daily schedule
that has done nothing
but give me a tangible
representation

of the empty
weeks
ahead.

...makes me wonder how
or why it's felt so busy so far though

until now, i still feel like
im trying to catch up
with all of these things
running past me
in life

in fact,
i have two purses today
and one of them
has my journal, tiny bible, and lime green pen
space for my laptop
and a still untouched gre book
reminding me
with its mere presence
just how. much. fail.

ive been fitting
in my not really busy
but somehow filled
daily
schedule


"What happens when God answers prayer?"

I'm not so sure,
but that's what this book is asking
Oh--uh
and it's not my book either
I found it on this not-mine desk

It's the volunteer desk at my CL shift
I wonder whose it is
I wonder where they're from
and what they're doing
and who they are

God answered a prayer almost instantly this weekend

"We give this day to you, Lord."
...And He took it.

And held it
in its struggling
tear-stained,
tantrum-throwing
5-yr-old,
feet-stamping-
didn't-get-my-way
so-im-gonna-sulk-and-mope-about-it
even-though-i-supposedly-know-better
...form

in His arms


"When God answers a prayer, that doesn't mean case closed. It isn't a curtain being closed on a topic, but a curtain being opened to the rest of your life."


...but i still can't...quite see
what's on the other side.
=/

Sunday, October 10, 2010

on dressing for my volunteer shift

why take the initiative
in vaguely professional attire?
the world view seems obvious enough--
but beyond it...?
random revelation:

if you look like you care
then people...can tell if you do

...if you dont look like you care
then people
assume you don't.

you can try to prove them otherwise
but then you also have to stop and think
if you look so convincingly like you dont
..they why is that?

i want to care
i want to want to be here
i want to come here knowing that it is a blessing
that the opportunity to be here at all is a blessing

i want to care
sincerely
not just for the sake of convincing someone else

and i want to care
so much
that it can show in
everything i do
and the way i live my life
and the way i carry myself
around the people here too..

"Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words."-Gordon Tsai


i want to care
not just in words, or best intentions
or hoping they can assume, im some sort of good person
but by action
and life
and breathing the life
i chose
when i accepted Christ into my life
to live

i dont want to live on a surface level assumption
of what a good person looks like
i dont want to think people will assume
or assume myself
that i am a good person
just by being here

cuz honestly...they can't
and i need to stop thinking
im in any way
entitled for them to

i want to do good
not just by
doing the things
that "good people" do

but by caring enough to recognize
that im not good
just by doing these things

but by how much i care
by my recognition of
how much God cares
about the people im doing them for

it's God
who is good

i cant just..
show up here looking like a bum
as if they arent worth my time
to try to be presentable for


i cant show up here
without sincerely desiring
that they would be part of my life
recognized individually, by name, face, and spirit
and not just by labels on a resident chart


it isn't about me
...it never should have been

i guess in sum
i want all that i do..
(especially in a setting
where i signed up to serve)
even the mundane things
like dressing, or speaking
the way i say hello
or sincerity with which i ask someone
"how is your day?"
to be glorifying
to Him

and at some point,
professional attire isn't gonna be
just a standard to meet

and personal appearance, or care
isnt about just tending to my own self esteem
or glorifying myself in any way

but that even those things
actually can be...
and to some extent
have to be
given to God, as well


as provided by Stella's status:

"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.
If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides,
so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.
Amen."
-1 Peter 4:11

thnx stell =]


/end ramble on one of the first of many adulthood revelations of things
God is demanding of my grown up perspectives
to keep focused on Him

Saturday, October 9, 2010

ordinary day

Just a day,
Just an ordinary day.
Just trying to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.

But he was looking to the sky.

And as he asked if I would come along
I started to realize...



That Your warmth is,
Crashing down on in.

"Take time to realize,
That I am on your side.
Didn't I, Didn't I tell you?"


That everyday you'll find
Just what you're looking for,
Like a shooting star He shines


If you just realize what I just realized...


"But I can't spell it out for you--"
"No it's never gonna be that simple..."
"No I cant spell it out for you."


If you just realize what I just realized...


We got our feet on the wire
Talking 'bout flying
Maybe we're diving in over our heads


"Could we be perfect for each other?
Will we never find another?"


Scared of what I'm feeling
Staring at the ceiling

"Would we never have to wonder
if we missed out on each other now?"


Here tonight

His vision borrows mine.
And I know He's no stranger,
For I feel He's held him & me for all of time.


And He said take my hand...


Come on and lay down these arms
All our best defenses
We're taking our chances here on the run

..live while you can..

The fear is an anchor
Time is a stranger

Love isn't borrowed
We aren't promised tomorrow

"This all could pass you by..."


We'll never be ready if we keep waiting
For the perfect time to come
Hold me steady,
we'll never be ready
When we don't know,
though we can't see
Just walk on down this road with me
Hold me steady,
we'll never be ready


Just a dream, just an ordinary dream.
As I wake in bed
And the boy, that ordinary boy

Or was it all in my head?


Did He ask if I would come along?
It all seemed so real...
But as I looked to the door,
I saw that boy standing there with a deal.

And He said take my hand...

You're okay here with me
Here in the silence
With all of the violence
crashing around
Saying we can't go
Saying we don't know

This road that is narrow is the one we should follow

Please come with me,
See what I see.


"It's not always the same."
"no it's never the same..."
"...if you don't feel it too."
If you meet me half way
If you would meet me half way.
It could be the same for you.

Touch the stars for time will not flee.
Time will not flee.
Can you see?

Steady my hands
this one could turn around
Steady my heart,
it's beating faster

Steady my hands this one could turn around
Steady my heart, it's beating faster
Beating faster now


He said take my hand,
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams
lay right in the palm of Your hand




And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not feel

"...i'm here."

For I felt what I had not felt before
And you'd swear those words could heal.


"...and i'll be here for as long as you need."

Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But we are looking
to the sky.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

"..cause we'll wake up older."


i still have so. much. growing to do.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

steady my heart, this all could turn around

"Lead me with strong hands
Stand up when I can't
Don't leave me hungry for love
Chasing dreams, what about us?

Show me you're willing to fight
That I'm still the love of your life
I know we call this our home
But I [don't want to] feel alone."







"Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone."

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

every once in a while....i'm terrified





Dear friend, please tell me who I am
And start from the inside
Or wait instead, before it's said
All these monsters I couldn't hide...

But every once in a while I'm terrified

Hey you, could you analyze my state of mind, my state of mind
What did you recognize? What did you find? What did you find?
Better days I've fantasized if I'm satisfied, am I satisfied?
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing
Get rid of this low feeling with soul healing

Please talk before the clock runs out

[because it will.
and guaranteed,
sometimes
i will.]
And I'm still a mystery
i'm not so wise, I apologize
i still care what you think of me...

The truth is, i bruise too easily



Convince me.
it's alright
That loneliness will subside
My hands tied,
surrendered
To all these
storms that I've weathered
Are you
listening? Whatever
Why is this
taking forever
Heal it quick, I don't care
Just
fix me now


"...but you're still learning."

Sunday, September 5, 2010

when things hurt

...i wanna know when you're mad

i wanna know when things hurt

i wanna know why they do
and what lies these fears come from

i wanna know the way
the things i do
confirm
these
lies

because i know that i am broken

and can very well be
just as much of a
breaking point
for you

as you've always
been afraid to be for me

i am not afraid.

but at the same time...

i really...
really am.

i am not afraid
of the things
that hurt

because i have learned
in the past
that our God
can make
anything
better

i am confident that
the things i cannot do
will not do, wish i could do
would never think of doing on. my. own.

i've learned and know
in the most loved
most courageous
regions of
my heart

that
i am loved

He makes all things better
He is Good.
He is with me
and for me.

...but what if
in the darkest, most filthy
depths of my heart

the broken pieces
still cut like
dangerous
shards of
shattered glass

crystal tears,
wandering delusions,
stained serenity

sometimes when
my fears
overcome
my courage

and i am left to wonder
if these are all
there is
left in me
to find

...and from there
i do not
want
to be found...
anymore

for fear that what they'll find
are the things
i myself
have learned,
no,
adapted
to
reject
for so,
so, long,



what do i do
when all that can save
is love itself
in its perfect form

yet my own fear
of love itself
as my trembling
human hands
have grasped for it
so many times
before

is what keeps me from this healing
to enter through
the walls of
my heart
to begin
with?

i truly have a long way to go
before even coming anywhere near close

to understanding
the depth,
perfection,
mind-blowing
courage,
strength,
and grace
with which our God has loved us,
will love us and loves is even still
as our present selves
struggle, and weep
sin and regret
break and is broken

still, He loves not just the past
of the children we were meant to be
or the future, of the children who have fulfilled that

but He loves who we are now
simply because of who He is
and who we are

we are His beloved children


...that means more to me--to all of us
than we could ever know.

and this is a Truth

that both the depths
of my fears
and the heartbeat
of my courage
agree upon,
and know for sure.




Wednesday, September 1, 2010

"...keep singing."

its like you're standing on the edge

of a breakdown

with every image
you try your best
not to re-create

and every moment
you wish you could
re-live

and say
the words
you wish you had
more time
to say..

"i love you."

Thursday, August 26, 2010

a reason to sing

My friend, you know how this all ends.
You know where you're going.
You just don't know how you'll get there.
So say a prayer and hold on.
Cause there's good for those who love God.
But life is not a snapshot.
It might take a little time,
but you'll see the bigger picture.

i never told you
what i should have said
no, i never told you
i just held it in

Would you dare, would you dare to believe
That you still have a reason to sing?
Cause the pain that you've been feeling,
It cant compare to the joy that's coming.

i miss everything about You


So hold on, you gotta wait for the light.

there's freedom waiting in the sound:

"we're here now"

....the Light meets the dark


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

half of my heart

I was born in the arms of imaginary friends
"Free" to roam, made a home out of everywhere I've been
Then You come crashing in, like the realest thing
Trying my best to understand all that Your love can bring



Oh, half of my heart's got a grip on The Situation
Half of my heart.
takes.
time.


Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you
That I can't keep loving You
can't keep loving You
Oh, with half of my heart

I was made. to believe.
I'd never love somebody else
Made a plan--stay the man who can only love himself
Lonely was the song I sang,
...until the day You came
Showing me another way
and all that my love can bring


Oh, half of my heart's got a grip on "the situation"
Half of my heart takes time
Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell You
That I can't keep loving you--can't keep loving you
Oh, with half of my heart
With half of my heart



Your faith is strong



But I can only
fall.
short for so long



Down the road, later on
You will hate that I never gave more to you
Than half of my heart


But I can't stop loving you
I can't stop loving you
I can't stop loving you
I can't stop loving you

I can't stop loving You
With half of my . . .

Half of my heart
Oh, half of my heart

Half of my heart's got a real good imagination
Half of my heart's got You


Half of my heart's got a right mind to tell you
That half of my heart won't do



Half of my heart is a shotgun wedding
to a bride with a paper ring
And half of my heart is the part of



a man who's never truly loved anything



Half of my heart, oh, half of my heart
Half of my heart, oh, half of my heart
Half of my heart, oh, half of my heart
Half of my heart . . .
---


"nae. ma-eum. ee."


sometimes i feel like
i only love God
with half

of what i should be

i keep falling short
of understanding

what it means
to
love
anything
at all.



"...ah-pha."

Friday, July 30, 2010

closing doors

Lyin' next to you
Wishing I could disappear
Let you fall asleep
And vanish out into thin air

It's the elephant in the room
And we pretend that we don't see it.
It's the avalanche that looms above our heads.
And we don't believe it.

Tryin' to be perfect
Tryin' not to let you down...
Honesty is honestly the hardest thing for me right now

while the floors underneath our feet are crumbling
The walls we built together tumblin'
I still stand here holdin' up the roof
Cause it's easier than telling the truth


we pretend
we pretend
we pretend

we look straight ahead
we look down
we look away
we're too afraid
to close our eyes
...or do anything but that


i want to be there for you
but i know im not the one to
i know he isn't either
or her, or them
or any of us

its out of my hands
..or have i stopped reaching?

my heart breaks
breaks
breaks
breaks
for you

i want everything to be okay
i want to promise you that
i want to do that much for you
i want to convince you
make you believe

..give you something
to believe in

im so scared
of the things i couldn't be
wish to be
might not be
hope to be
and always
at all the wrong times
am


with all of my selfish desire
i just want for you
to be okay

when right now
maybe what you need more
is to realize
just how much
you arent
...yet

but at the same time
already
are


Stop ignoring that our hearts are mourning
And let the rain come in.
Stop pretending that it's not ending
And let the end begin.

to open the doors
to open your heart
to a new
beginning

something
someone
the One
you can believe in

i love you.
and this is why
this is all
i can do

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

1 john 4:18

i always get scared when these things happen.


or are gonna happen, are about to, or in the process of.
these things meaning...big things
these things meaning...growth (or rather, the need for it)
transitions
change

then i remember this verse
and my first thought is..
that means..no fear right?
that..no, i can't be scared

but i think..that's a really limited black and white view too
i cant just trap myself into being something im not
especially if it means feeling a certain way
that i may not necessarily feel either

i think..maybe im scared
but even though i am..
it's okay to be

and it goes back to that one quote
where it isn't about if you're scared or not
as much as it is..if you remember that there's something
more important than that fear that you're feeling

and in this case, it would be faith
faith is more important
than change, or even growth
faith that whether i understand what's happening or not
or am uneasy about what's about to happen or not

that there is something greater
greater than my own worries
greater than my own fears
with love that will fulfill
in my place
the promises, and healing
that i could never fulfill
or heal myself
on my own

thank you, God
for taking care of my family

thank you, God
for the hope, and the faith
that no matter what
that You're also
taking care
of me


Friday, July 9, 2010

dumb dog

the laundry room door.

no matter what,
that's where my puppy kept coming back
and ending up at =/

shae got spayed today
and besides all the other worries that come with
having a newly fixed/just out of surgery pet..
(lack of energy, pains, etc)
is the fact that i feel like my pet,
shae in particular,
comes with the added complication
....of being extremely.
dumb. D:

like..seriously.
this thing does NOT know when to quit.

all she knows is that she's tired,
things don't feel good
she doesn't feel right
she's restricted (cone u_u )
and she's not the way
she's supposed
to be.

..but instead of obediently resting,
or listening to what we're trying to get her to do
like, drinking a lil bit of water so shes not dehydrated
eating even just one bite,
so hunger doesn't add even more uncomfortableness to her symptoms

or like, i dunno, what about
NOT jumping off from high places,
like the couch to the floor, or vice versa?! (she's a TINY dog, dangit)
only to cry out,
in the most pitiful, confused, surprised, lil puppy cry
we've ever heard ><

and she'll pause for a second,
dumbfounded, scared.
why does it hurt?
who would do this to her?
isn't she in enough pain already?
why..why does it hurt more?!

...not realizing, for a second
or having the capability,
to understand...

that it's her.

that she's the one who caused that sharp pain.
she's the one who increased risk to what was trying to heal
that it's her..doing what she thinks is best,
doing whatever it is SHE wants to do

that caused that sharp jab
in her own, newly stitched up tummy

she wouldn't even take her own pain medicine, dangit!
we spent a good 15 mins, trying to coax her into opening her mouth
trying to get her to eat it, picking it up when she spit it back out
and watching to make sure she swallows it whole
the whole time facing the hurt glare
of a confused, indignant looking puppy
feeling as if she's being bullied by the very people she loves
or who claim to love her, by being forced to eat it

i kept feeling like i was being overprotective
or paranoid, even, when i was sitting on my sister's bed w/ her
my sister has a super tall queen size bed..
and after restless laying down a nd getting up
shae got up and was wandering over near the edge
then sitting down quickly, as if to lay down when I panic and reach for her
then pretending to rest her head down to sleep
only to get up again as soon as ive seemed to divert my attention

and im like. im crazy. that's crazy.
my dog is a little slow, but after her couch jumps you'd think she'd know--
of COURSE she wouldnt even DREAM of jumping off
a place like this

...i had to
DIVE. D:
across the bed for that thing,
when in a moment's notice,
she made it to the edge,
and crouched back on her hind legs
to leap off the zillion times her height top of the bed
only to basically keel herself on the way down
cuz of her stitches

you should have seen
the LOOK.
on her face
when she wobbled as fast as she could
to the open backyard's glass door
only for me to shut it as soon as i saw her approaching

she looked up at me
like i was the BIGGEST villain
in all of pet owner history
she had ever been so unfortunate enough to see

i know this is a lot of space
to be rambling about,
my dumb dog

but for the record
as much as she drives me crazy
i love her.

i love her
like i do those little mini cakes at the lil bakery shops
the ones that probably taste exactly
like their bigger, and cheaper version counterparts
in the other store, or in slice form next to it
but cost extra
just cuz they're adorable. and small.

..again, a little too much pet-owner rambling there.


but i think what stands out the most to me about this entire exhausting ordeal...


is how much
we're all
just.
like.
her.

when we're happy,
we're happy.
we've got our own important business to attend to
our own, limited vision goals and purposes.

im sorry, im busy right now.
i just know i saw that cricket here somewhere.
or..you just don't understand
i NEED to get that ball
not just any ball
the purple one.
yeah. that one
huh? why?
..well. cuz i can.
and i will.
hm? well..yeah. i know itll just be thrown again
but ill get it anyway. and ill bring it back
it'll be great! we can do this all day!
what a productive day it'll be!
or..
arent you proud of me? cmon?
praise me! look at the way i barked at that passing car.
it's never gonna come back here again, i'll tell you that.
im gonna bark at it again if it does.
cmon, love me! hey..be proud of me!
i brought the ball back--
look at me!


ramblings of a spoiled, and totally unaware
self-absorbed, self-important little kids
who've decided the way we see the world
is the way it must be

and therefore,
anyone who gets in the way of that
must be doing something
very, very wrong

and the scary part is that we think these things
not just about circumstances, decisions, life choices, or people...

...but even about our God.

there is
NO. way.
for my puppy
no matter how many genius doggy classes she takes
years of training she receives
or years of experience she lives

there is no way,
that in those years that she lives
that she may ever...EVER see the benefit,
or understand why or how on earth
there could possibly be a good reason
for what just happened to her

for how she feels. for the things that hurt.
eff, even for the humiliatingly tricky clear cone she has to wear
and repeatedly bump herself into the doorway with

there is no way
to explain, or make her comprehend
the purpose
of any of these things

that..that even if she doesn't get in contact with other dogs
that there are higher risks, health-wise..for her not to get spayed
that this is somehow healthier for her,
or will help her live longer
or that it will prevent her from
any future risks
if there ever were any encounters
or any motherly heartbreaks
when her puppies are given away one by one
while she sulks, left behind in her own home without them


...it's just like us.
and the limited understanding we have
of the things God's will
allows to happen in our lives

we sulk, we cry, we're angry, we're upset
we continue to do the reckless, or seemingly responsible
or common sense things we want to do
because we want to do them

and we try to push our will
on the situation we're in
as if our will
should be the one in control
and not the under-acknowledged
more powerful will
of the One who made us to begin with

we may never
understand, the purpose
or reason, or greater good
or situation
that we're really in
..but what we really have to understand
and keep in mind
..is the nature
of the God
who put us, or allowed us to be in them

the nature of our God
who wants the best for us
who understands us
who wants the pain to go away
who spends His time
watching over bratty little you
while you glare at Him for the things that go wrong
allowing you to blame Him, if it's what will help you feel better at the time
but knowing someday,
we'll realize that to do so
isn't the thing that will lead us any closer to the healing
we've sought after
for so long

..regardless of these limitations, though
i think..somewhere in there
unconsciously, somewhere in our own nature
identity, will, or heart
..i think we do understand

even just a little bit

that there's something missing?
that there's something out there?
that there is a purpose to the desire to love and be loved?


..cuz, for example, my puppy
shae who looked up at me just a second ago
with the most betrayed, looking-at-a-bully-looking eyes
..is now
once again

curled up on the pillow
next to me leg
leaning back against my shin
and taking a nap < 3

that has to be the one comforting thing
i've observed all evening

that regardless of the ..er..lets say
communication/language barrier
and disagreements, and conflicts of interests
in these seven hours that she's been home

all evening, the one consistent thing she's done
(besides make dumb decisions D: )
is that no matter what,
she always seems to be drawn back
...
to warmth < 3


more specifically..human warmth?
mine..my dad's, my brother's, gramma's, my sister's?

my dad discovered it first
when as soon as he finally finished cooking
he picked up a trembling, wobbly shae
and sat down on his armchair-ish seat in the living room
and let her lay against his stomach,
and for a while..just..held her
just like that
petting her

it was the first time all evening
that my dazed dog and flustered dog
finally seemed to settle down

she's followed a consistent pattern
i took a turn holding her, so did my sister
and eventually when my sis went out
i let her lay on the bed next to me while i typed
and despite not wanting/being able to lay on me anymroe completely
she'd make sure to curl up
just close enough
so that some part of her body would be touching mine

even now, after id committed the horrible act
of slamming the glass backyard door shut at her face
she sulked long enough to curl up in a corner in the other side of the floor
only to eventually come back to lay on the pillow, but facing away from me
but now, to being sprawled, laying back against my shin once again
while she naps, monopolizing the pillow,
i had originally asked my brother to bring down for me to sit on



..i think whether we know what grace is
or understand, or have ever been in contact
with Christianity, or faith

i think that we as people
..have that hope.
that hope
that seeks that warmth
from something
that nurtures
and something
that forgives.


whether we understand it or not
i think we, like shae,
in our limited understanding of how the world works
are somehow drawn
to that unexplained warmth

the one that
follows us around,
even when we don't want to be
or think we're too capable
to need to be looked after

the one that pushes a pillow for us to rest on
towards our direction
even after we've sulked,
blaming it for our tiredness to begin with

the one that
pets our hair,
when we've fallen asleep
even after the way
we openly villanized it in our wake

i know that
my love for my dog
(especially a troublemaker like this one D: )
is nowhere near in comparison to the kind of love
that God feels, so passionately for us
and pours out,
so relentlessly
for our sake

..but if anything
that just makes it
even more humbling
that such love
would be poured out
on such selfish lil kid creatures
like us to begin with


...as i write this
im sitting on the laundry room floor
as i have been for the past two hours
with my two dogs
(im afraid she'll do something dumb if left alone @@)

when i left my sister's room to wash my hands
apparently, my genius puppy made a break for it
and hobbled down her painful way down the first set of stairs
and was hurrying for the second set, when she saw me rushing down after her

after picking her up and letting her go downstairs,
i followed her..wondering what on earth she could possibly be doing
only to watch her go into the unlit laundry room (how emo ._. )
pace back and forth, only to curl up at the corner of the door
that leads to the garage outside

..after i got past thinking how ridiculous it was
to leave a perfectly soft bed
and upstairs AC,
for this unlit room by herself

i realized what this laundry room door
must actually mean


..it's the room where her loved ones
disappear.
and more importantly
the place where
they reappear

we use this door more than the front door
when we leave the house and come back

im wondering who she could possibly be waiting for
and i remember, that actually...
i'm relatively new here
im nice--i spose
and they play with me?

but my sister is the one
that takes care of them
day in and day out

and this was the door
that she disappeared into
right before she headed to go out with her friends

i only realized that she came back to this spot every time my sis leaves
cuz my sis left way earlier for the store, just for half an hour or so
and shae kept pacing around the downstairs as if looking for something
then coming back to this very door

...on the topic of warmth
i think she came back here
to wait for the
most familiar
warmth
that she could remember

the most familiar
warmth
of all

...i wonder how many of us are sitting there
in our own metaphorical laundry room floor
waiting for a familiar warmth
to return

and i wonder how many of us
realize
the names
for that warmth

..like Grace
Hope
Love
and faith?