May be going blind but at least I have a fish.

You’ll have to excuse my spelling. I left my apartment today, after unblinkingly staring at my bible, computer, encyclopedias, Greek dictionaries, and charts for the last few days, and came to the realization that I couldn’t see details anymore. Unless it was within a foot of my face, it was only a shape with color. Good news is, we have finished Galatians! I have prayed for years that the bible would come alive to me and it finally has. My thinking and views of God are already being changed and I’ve only studied one book. One down. Sixty-five more to go. Oh, what’s that? You want to hear a little bit about Galatians and what I have learned? Well, ok. I would love to tell you.

Paul the apostle wrote the book of Galatians to the newly established churches in Galatia. After hearing news that the believers were being swayed from their faith, Paul writes one of the most emotion filled letters of the bible. The new believers were being approached by false teachers, the Pharisees, who began to teach them that yeah, the gospel is good and all but it isn’t enough. You also need to obey the Law. They were teaching that Jesus’ sacrifice, what he did on the cross, was not enough for people to be saved. The Galatians listened and started following a gospel that taught that salvation could be attained through works of the Law. Paul, who had spent morning, noon and night with them, investing in them, growing them, and challenging them was filled with anger, frustration, disappointment, and sadness that these people that he loved so dearly were being swayed by something so undeniably false. He cries out to them, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel…O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” There is no other way to God except through Christ. For it is by faith that we receive the promise of salvation by God. Before Jesus we were all under the curse of the Law for if we were not able to abide by all the laws and do them, then we were cursed (Gal 3:10). Christ however came and redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for our sake. For it says, “cursed is everyone hanged on a tree.” We, all of us, were on the shelf of the cursed and God came and bought, redeemed, us at the cost of his son Jesus. Our salvation does not come from anything that we have done or could ever do. We cant repay God. How tiring would it be if we served a God who was a task driver and a collector of dues? We don’t have to prove anything to him to be saved. He never expects anything but love in return. No one is ever too far-gone, too sinful, or too messed up. We’re already bought and paid for. We’re all bought for the purpose of redemption.

How amazing is the God I serve?

Taiwan Life.

I live on the top floor with the gated balcony.

I have now been here about a week and a half, and I absolutely love it. There are 59 of us here. We live in different apartments around the city; all within five minutes walk of each other. I’d like to say that I have the best house… now that we have hot water. My roommates are amazing. I live with a Mongolian, a Korean, a Taiwanese, and two Americans. I am so blessed by my new friends. Since being here I have taken the most uncomfortable two day trip Hong Kong to try get my visa, returned back to Taiwan, rekindled my beautiful friendship with one of my best friends Stephanie, reunited with my friend Basil who I haven’t seen for three years, made new friends, completed my Galatians studies, and bought a fish. That’s right, a fish. I figured since I am going to be here for nine months I might as well make this my home. Nothing says home like a red Beta fish named Heather. It’s perfect for me… I barely have to take care of it and it wont die.

Sounds like the life, eh?

Hopefully I have better stories to tell you next time. Until then, zai jian.

….I have to say, I tried to be all cool by throwing in Chinese at the end as if I actually knew what I was saying. The truth is, I just asked my friend. At least I know how to say hello, thank you, and Pineapple. You should be so proud.

Four Movies and a Layover.

I made a promise to myself long ago that I would never fall victim to the blogging fever. When I was in middle school, before myspace had shown its ugly face, many of my friends began participating in something called the “web journal” or “online diary.” You can only imagine what the writings of pre-pubescent girls amounted to. Not much. I’m not going to lie, if it weren’t for the fact that I didn’t know how to set up my own account, I totally would have created my own. It wasn’t until almost a year later when I realized how pointless and somewhat embarrassing those online diaries were. I was glad I never had one. You see, in my mind, blogging and online diaries were essentially the same thing. I was immediately repulsed. But here I am, many years later, writing my…very…first…blog…

For those of you who do not know, I left today for Taiwan and will be gone for a total of nine months. I was recently reminded of the fact that nine months is the exact gestation period for humans. Yes, I am eating healthier like Christy when she was pregnant. Yes, I felt squeamish a couple mornings at work. Yes, my skin had a weird glow to it … But no, I am not with child (especially not Javier Delgado’s child). For the next nine months I will be taking an SBS (School of Biblical Studies) here in Taiwan. I know it’s going to be one of the hardest and greatest things I have done yet. I am so excited to be immersed in the word of God- the very true and everlasting word of God. I’m not doing this to feel like I have all the answers, to debate unbelievers, or to feel that I am a cut above the rest. I am doing this because I crave to know truth, to let the Lord form and reshape my thinking and ways, and so that I can speak truths over people’s lives.

Today I said my goodbyes to Salem. I said goodbye to my hardworking, inspiring, and honorable older brother, Isaac, via cell phone… Squeezed my beautiful, truth seeking, and challenging (in a good way) friend, Amanda… suffocated and giggled under the weighted hug of my infectious, joyful, and life giving brother, Nick… Hugged and hugged and hugged my wise, caring, hardest working, loving, and teary-eyed father… double hugged my glowingly beautiful, considerate, godly, and amazing friend and sister, Emily… melted under the hugs and “love ya, Naph(‘s)” of my handsome, God-fearing, smart, hilarious, and wonderful brother, Ethan… and hugged and said goodbye (only a million times) to my radiant, righteous, self-sacrificing, loving, and BEAUTIFUL mother. I love my family.

Before I go, I am going to make a couple promises to those of you who read my blog. Promise 1: I will tone down my never-ending stories. Promise 2: I will be creative with my blog as far as the content goes (there may be an embarrassing story about me (I never lack those), I might write something about a verse that spoke to me or something I learned, I may write testimonies of what has happened…. The sky is the limit. Promise 3: I will put pictures in every post (starting after this one… and when I can figure out how to do it.)

This is my way of taking you on this Taiwanese Jesus adventure with me. That is all! I hope you enjoy what is to come.