Utmost – the Impartial Power

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Few writers can express the greatness of the absolute redemptive gift we have in Jesus — and its implications for our lives — as lucidly and as powerfully as Oswald Chambers, in his daily devotional My Utmost For His Highest:

No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “…there is no other name… by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.

– from Dec 8 devotional: “The Impartial Power of God”

Hi-C Orange

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“Good afternoon sir welcome to McDonald’s may I take your order?”

“Filet-O-Fish sandwich with small fries and medium orange juice, please.”

“Sir, you want Hi-C Orange sir?”

“Yes, orange juice, please.”

“Sir, Hi-C Orange?”

“Yes, that’s the orange juice, isn’t it?” Is she trying to make me say the brand name?

“Sir, we don’t have orange juice. Would you like Hi-C Orange, sir?”

(At this point, I thought of playing a little game to see who would give in first: would the attendant give me the orange juice or would I be forced to order by the brand name? But I was hungry, so I just nodded, waved my hand noncommitally, and shoved the cash towards her. It was a yummy Filet-O-Fish with orange juice.)

The rug is pulled

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And suddenly, the rug was pulled.

I’m no longer assured of parental aid to finance my postgrad schooling.

Mom doesn’t want me going to the US next year, partly because of The War Against Terror, partly because she may not be able to afford the funding for two brothers taking Master’s courses at the same time, and partly because she doesn’t feel I’m ready. (“You’re not ready” is a phrase I’ve heard from my parents a LOT since I was a kid. It’s a major reason I had to move out.)

So here I am, with a pile of prospectii, course descriptions, admissions instructions, application forms, self-addressed envelopes, and transcript requests — and no certainty regarding my ability to pay for any of it. If I take the leap next year, and if I do commit to a one-year or two-year course, I will have to work through it, and pay my way with blood, sweat, and tears.

Well, a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.

But before forms are signed and envelopes sealed and mailed, one must take that integral first step: that of falling to one’s knees with Book in hand, and consulting the Master for direction and assurance.

This is going to be a challenge. Fun, fun.

Get cracking!

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As I sit here, eating my leftover lemongrass chicken with rice and chili-garlic sauce, I think to myself: whatever happened to my earlier plans to leave for the US in pursuit of that M.A. in Graphic Design?

Events since then have given me some pause. Certain loved ones in my life aren’t too eager to see me go There now, for fear of my catching anthrax or being caught in a tall building near low-flying planes. Am I being silly, or at least ridiculously cautious, to give credence to these fears?

And who am I fooling? I’ve been slacking off. After finding the schools and courses I want to aim for, I’ve procrastinated on getting admissions forms or requirements. “Later, later, tomorrow, tomorrow, busy, busy.”

Ack! it’s been four months of tomorrows, and the admissions deadlines are coming. I’d better get cracking.

Broccoli and Christopher Walken

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Interesting. I wasn’t aware of it, but my broccoli entry bore an uncanny resemblance to The Onion’s column on hotdogs by Christopher Walken. (Satirical, of course.)

Yes, I love broccoli that much.

Broccoli Lover

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I hope you won’t be shocked at my saying that I love broccoli. Yes, you heard right. I do so love to eat broccoli. Whether sauteed in oyster sauce with beef or served fresh by itself from the microwave, broccoli is my favorite fun tasty vegetable.

Yesterday, I bought a head of broccoli. Today, I sliced it up, washed the stems and flowers, and stewed them in a pot with butter and garlic. But woe, oh woe, I overcooked it, and the result was mushy broccoli: not quite as fun or tasty as the fun tasty vegetable I love.

But I ate it anyway, with roast lemongrass chicken and rice. What a yummy lunch.

Corny Joke S,M,L

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Q: What do you call a midget psychic who has just commited a crime?

A: A small medium at large.

Virtual NYC Tours

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The first — and last — time I ever went up to the Statue of Liberty was in mid-1976. I was riding in my Mom’s womb, so I didn’t get to see anything. I could hear her talking, though, and I remember being jostled a bit while she was climbing the stairs.

I’m just kidding, of course. I was a zygote. I have no such memories.

In any case, since I probably won’t be able to go to New York City anytime soon (unlike my brother, who is there now for the holidays), it’s nice to have a Statue of Liberty Photo Tour so we can see what it really is like up there. Now I’m going to check out the World Trade Center and check out how the tour went before 9/11. Maybe I’ll even see the Doomed Tourist Guy of Legend.