Looking Back, Looking Forward

It's been way too long since I posted on here. I had an overall nice December, and was so glad to Skype with many relatives around Christmas time. I spent a wonderful Christmas Eve with my Korean family, and between the Christmas carols and Grandma's ragrug cookies, it was in the top 5 best times of the year. Other highlights of 2011 were my family's visit to Korea, my visit home this summer, the arrival of my good friend Karen's first baby, and I guess I'll leave the fifth spot open for whatever I've forgotten that was really worth remembering (the Handel's "Messiah" concert?!).

This week I worked hard to finish my 12th book of the year, so it would average out to one a month. :-) I wanted to write a blurb about each, but now I'm out of time. I'll just mention briefly how they changed me, if they did. However, they're all worth reading, and the list includes:

           

Peace Child, by Don Richardson

•       Inspired me to study Korean with diligence and discipline (yeah, I didn't expect that either).

Jesus for President, by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw

•       Got me so excited about theology and church history that I seriously looked into all three seminaries in Seoul that offer English-language programs.

Enrique's Journey, by Sonia Nazario
 Crazy Love, by Francis Chan
Forgotten God, by Francis Chan
Please Look After Mom, by Kyung-sook Shin
The 33 Laws of Stewardship, by Dave Sutherland and Kirk Nowery
Girl Soldier, by Faith McDonnell and Grace Akallo

•       Inspired a donation to the relief work that Samaritan's Purse is doing in Northern Uganda, and inspired me to watch the documentary "Invisible Children"

Living Water, by Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway

•       Made me hungry enough for communion and faith application to do something about it.

One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp

•       Opened my eyes to grace in undesirable situations, and when at first I couldn't see grace, it at least caused me to search.

And, drum roll please.....
멈출 수 없는 하늘의 열정, by 정진호

•       Helped me see the value of laying down your life to reach your students.

하늘의 언어, by 김우현

•       Inspired me to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and to long eagerly for the gift of tongues.

(I wanna double the Korean titles next year!)

Well, I have one hour left until the New Year's Eve service (yes, this is Korea, where every special day gets a church service in its honor). 2011 has been a hard year for many around the world, including my family and me, but tonight I want to remember Emmanuel--"God with us". May the hope born at Christmas encourage and strengthen us to walk boldly into 2012, trusting in Jesus for the uncertainties that lie ahead. Happy New Year!

Celebrating Advent: Shame to Splendor

"Awake, awake, O Zion,
clothe yourself with strength.
Put on your garments of splendor,
O Jerusalem, the holy city.
The uncircumcised and defiled
will not enter you again.
Shake off your dust;
rise up, sit enthroned, O Jerusalem.
Free yourself from the chains on your neck,
O captive Daughter of Zion.

For this is what the LORD says:

'You were sold for nothing,
and without money you will be redeemed.'" -Isaiah 52:1-3

I've been struggling with sin these days. (When am I not struggling?) When I indulge in sin and later reflect on it, I'm filled with shame enough that I even avoid the Light. I don't want to come into God's presence unclean, disgraced, and humiliated in my weakness. This is natural, given that Light exposes darkness, God abhors sin, and our human inclination is to shun humility and weakness. But tonight, these verses fill me with hope.

It's like God is calling me personally to wake up, trade my grimy rags for a shining robe, shake off the shameful residue of sin, trade my compromising complacency for a dignified and authoritative posture, and pull myself out of the devil's vice-grip... ALL BECAUSE...

I have been redeemed by Jesus! On this first (well, technically second) day of Advent, I'm thanking God for giving us His son... His only son, Jesus... that we might be redeemed--that is, ransomed from the clutch of sin by the blood of Jesus--to reign with Him in righteousness. Hooray for the birth of our Redeemer!