.oo9

im getting married in 35ish days.

i can't wait. i can't focus. i can't sit still. my head is just running at 1,ooo miles an hour thinking about getting married.
this is quite a hard stage to be in. i am not just "dating", it is more than that. there is a deeper dependance on the other person, there is more transparency, and there is a greater commitment to that person.
but,
you aren't married yet. you don't get to express you love in that physical way.
so, its kind of like that already... not yet... state. already married in some ways, but not yet in other ways.

this is kind of like the state that believers are in... we have already been saved, but we await the full redemption of our physical bodies that will come.

we should be in anxious anticipation of our full redemption. continually thinking about that day, and acting in accordance to that...

i can't imagine what it would be like if my fiance told me everyday that she is excited to marry me, but didn't want to spend any time with me at all and didn't talk to me and actually ignored everything i told her....

that just wouldn't fly...

we do that so much when it comes to our faith...
we say that we can't wait to go to heaven or see jesus, but yet we don't spend any time with him, we don't talk to him, and we ignore everything that he tells us...

if we are truly in love with him and can't wait to be with him, lets love him and obey him..

i can't wait to get married....
i love you more and more everyday!

.oo8

to know God should be THE thing we strive for.
for this is eternal life, to know him, the father, the creator, the life-giver, the all sovereign, all knowing, all loving, all just, all faithful, all gracious, all merciful, everlasting, unchanging, perfect, redeemer, saviour. (paraphrase of course)

if eternal life is to know God, let us start now. it should be our heart to start now, learning about our infinitely beautiful and glorious God.

al.

.007

hey,
i hope that you all had a good holiday break. During this break, i looked back upon this past year and all that happened, seeing how much God had done in my life. He took me out of so much things that did not bring him glory. he turned my heart towards him. he provided for me, to move to california, to go to school, to live in an apartment, to have food to eat, all while not having a job. i see his good hand in that, allowing me to focus on my studies for the first semester of bible college. it is so amazing how God's plan is perfect.

after getting engaged, i knew that i had to start working, and also with my savings running out, i didn't have much time to find a job.

the day before i go back to hawaii for the christmas break i stopped in the family christian bookstore, (which i applied to for a job at the end of august with no luck) to do some last minute christmas shopping. while i was in the store, the manager recognizes me from the one interview i had with him. He calls me over and asks to talk to me in the back room. Long story short, he asks if i am still interested in working there. I just respond, "yes, I'm still interested." I didn't really have hope in getting a job there because that was the same type of thing he told me in the interview i had back in august. so, small talk goes by and he says he will contact me once january rolls around.

i sit in my apartment today, praising god. i am employed. i start work tomorrow.

it's so amazing how god works. how perfect his plan is. how perfect his timing is.
I walked into the store to go shopping, and the manager approaches me with a job offer!?!?!
how often does that happen?

praise God for he is good. praise God for he is worthy of praise. praise God for his continued provision over you and me.
look at what God has done for you, look how he has provided for you.

he is worthy of praise.

al