2013년 12월 31일 화요일
Vindicate for Truth
"Have patience awhile; slanders are not long-lived. Truth is the child of time;
ere long she shall appear to vindicate thee."
- Immanuel Kant
Things that irritate me
Yesterday, I realized that there is a pattern in some situations that irritates me. Usually, these situations are triggered by someone who is persistent or stubborn in his own way that it affects the mood of those around him. I'm usually a reasonable person, or at least I'd like to think I am. But when I'm with someone who keeps annoying me in the same manner over and over again, even I feel frustrated and annoyed. Usually, I'd like to tell the person to get off my back, but there are situations or people that I can't just directly say that. I know that I'm being a coward if I can't be honest about my feelings with other people but sometimes i can't say things like that directly. It's either because I don't want to hurt their feeling or because it's considered as very rude if I do that.
Most of the times, when I tell a person to stop doing whatever that is irritating me, he or she usually stops. But the problem is that some people just have to have their way about things even if it annoys other people. It really is frustrating to deal with someone like that. You can't reason with them (or maybe my reasons are not good enough for them) and it seems like the only way to solve it is to raise your voice and show them that you are really irritated by them. But what would that do? It would only cause conflicts and ill feelings towards one another. Well... I guess sometimes you just have to confront them (as respectfully as possible) one way or the other. I just wish that people have some kind of common sense to leave each other alone when the other person is irritated.
It's not too much to ask, is it?
Smoking Facts
Facts from different websites:
Tobacco use leads to disease and disability.
- Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung diseases (including emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airway obstruction).1,2
- For every person who dies from a smoking-related disease, 20 more people suffer with at least one serious illness from smoking.3
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death.
- Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year, and current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030.4
- Cigarette smoking is responsible for about one in five deaths annually (i.e., more than 440,000 deaths per year, and an estimated 49,000 of these smoking-related deaths are the result of secondhand smoke exposure).1,2
- On average, smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers.5
...
Many adult smokers want to quit smoking.13
- Approximately 69% of smokers want to quit completely.
- Approximately 52% of smokers attempted to quit in 2010.
- Smokers who quit in their mid-30s to mid-40s gained about nine years of life. Those who quit from their mid-40s to mid-50s gained about six. Those who quit later than this, but before age 65, gained about four additional years.
- Smokers between the ages of 25 to 79 were three times as likely to die as non-smokers in the same age group.
- People who never smoke are about twice as likely as smokers to live to age 80.
No. 2: Don't Go Cold Turkey
It may be tempting to toss your cigarettes and declare you've quit, plain and simple. But going cold turkey isn't easy to do. Ninety-five percent of people who try to stop smoking without therapy or medication end up relapsing. The reason is that nicotine is addictive. The brain becomes used to having nicotine and craves it. In its absence, the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal occur.
No. 3: Try Nicotine-Replacement Therapy
When you stop smoking, nicotine withdrawal may make you feel frustrated, depressed, restless, or irritable. The craving for "just one drag" may be overwhelming. Nicotine-replacement therapy can help reduce these feelings. Studies suggest nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches can help double your chances of quitting successfully when used with an intensive behavioral program. But using these products while smoking is generally not recommended.
No. 6: Manage Stress
One reason people smoke is that the nicotine helps them relax. Once you quit, you’ll need another way to cope with stress. Try getting regular massages, listening to relaxing music, or learning yoga or tai chi. If possible, avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks after you stop smoking.
No. 7: Avoid Alcohol, Other Triggers
Certain activities may boost your urge to smoke. Alcohol is one of the most common triggers, so try to drink less when you first quit. If coffee is a trigger, switch to tea for a few weeks. And if you usually smoke after meals, find something else to do instead, like brushing your teeth or chewing gum.
No. 9: Try and Try Again
It's very common to have a relapse. Many smokers try several times before giving up cigarettes for good. Examine the emotions and circumstances that lead to your relapse. Use it as an opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to quitting. Once you've made the decision to try again, set a "quit date" within the next month.
No. 10: Get Moving
Physical activity can help reduce nicotine cravings and ease some withdrawal symptoms. When you want to reach for a cigarette, put on your inline skates or jogging shoes instead. Even mild exercise is helpful, such as walking the dog or pulling weeds in the garden. The extra calories you burn will also ward off weight gain as you quit smoking.
No. 12: Choose Your Reward
In addition to the tremendous health benefits, one of the perks of giving up cigarettes is all the money you will save. Reward yourself by spending part of it on something fun.
No. 13: Do It for Your Health
There's more than the monetary reward to consider. Smoking cessation has immediate health benefits. It lowers your blood pressure and reduces your pulse after only 20 minutes. Within a day, the carbon monoxide level in your blood returns to normal. Within two weeks to three months, your risk of a heart attack decreases and your lungs begin to function better. Long-term benefits include a reduced risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other cancers.
2013년 12월 30일 월요일
Quit smoking
I have decided to quit smoking starting today. There are many reasons to quit smoking, but the main reason is that i want to set an example as a Christian to other people. I can talk to people about Christianity all day but if they see me smoking, what kind of message am i sending? That i am a weak minded hypocrite who cant even quit smoking? More often than not, people judge the message based on the messenger. If the messenger turns out to be a hypocrite who is untrustworthy, then his message loses its credibility as well. I cant allow myself to do that. Although its impossible to be a perfectly good person who doesn't do anything bad, i must make an effort to quit doing things that might give the wrong impression to people about my faith.
Also it just looks bad to other people especially to women and children. Can you imagine a pastor who smokes in front of other people? People will think very negatively about the pastor.
Often we hear Christians or pastors talk about drugs that can ruin our lives such as alcohol or illegal drugs. But if they smoke cigarettes and cant quit the bad habit themselves, why should we listen to them? It is more important to 'show' them what you mean by setting an example yourself instead of just talking like a hypocrite. Quitting smoking is not just about me any more. It is about the message i am trying to convey to other people.
I thank God for making realize this.
2013년 12월 23일 월요일
Proof that Jesus Christ is Son of God
Psalm 110:1
'The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'
Below is an excerpt from http://rightwordtruth.com/a-study-of-psalm-1101/
"The first time Ps. 110:1 is quoted in the New Testament is in the context of Matthew 22:41-44. In verse 41 we learn that some Pharisees were gathered together and Jesus asked them, “What think ye of Christ, Whose Son is He”? And the Pharisees answered, “The Son of David” (verse 42). And our Lord’s answer is significant, “He said unto them, ‘How then doth David in spirit call Him Lord, saying The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool”. If David then called Him Lord, how is He his Son?”
The point Christ was making to these Pharisees was that David refers to the coming Messiah as “Lord” and this proves that the Messiah was going to be much more than the Son of David. Who could David, the King of Israel, have possibly called Lord other than God Himself? No one! Christ was, of course, David’s Son. But the point of these passages is that Christ was much more than David’s Son, or David would not have called Him “lord”. Christ is in one sense the Son of David, but He is also the Son of God.
Going now to the second time Psalm 110:1 is quoted in the New Testament, we find it in Mark 12:36. Once again Christ asked, this time of the common people, “How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? For David Himself said by the Holy Ghost, ‘The Lord said unto My lord, sit Thou on My right hand, till I make Thine enemies Thy footstool”. David therefore, himself calleth Him Lord; and whence is He then his son?” (verses 35-37). This is the same point made in the same way as we read in Matthew 22. That point being that David would not have called his own son “Lord”. That Messiah is the Son of God is the whole point of this discourse."
2013년 12월 21일 토요일
Matthew 15:4
"15:1 Then the Pharisees and scribes from
15:2 “For what reason do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?
For they are not rinsing their hands whenever they eat bread!”
15:3 But He, in answer, said to them,
“And as for you, for what reason do you transgress the law of God through your tradition?
15:4 For God issued commands saying,
‘Honor your father and your mother,’
and ‘He who curses father or mother must end in death.’
15:5 but as for y’all, you say,
‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother,
“Whatever you might be obligated [to receive] from of me was a donation,”
15:6 thus he never has to honor his father or his mother,’
and y’all invalidate the command of God on account of the tradition of yourselves!
15:7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied well concerning you, saying,
15:8 ‘This people is honoring me with their lips,
yet their heart keeps far away from me.
15:9 And it is in vain that they are devoting themselves me
while teaching commandments of men for doctrines.’”
By fulfilling, we are no longer obligated to perform the rituals that ancient Jews performed (e.g. animal sacrifice). However, it is very important to note that the Old Testament laws still guide us to what is right and what is wrong. For example, in the OT, it is required by the Law that you must honor your father and mother. This Law tells us that it is wrong to not honor your parents. But the ritual side of 'stoning' an unruly child does not apply to us this day since this is the 'punishment' aspect that does not tell us what is right or wrong.
This explanation of the Old Testament laws does make sense if you understand the whole context of both the Old and the New Testament. However, what troubled me for a brief moment was the verse from Matthew 15:4, which reads "For God commanded, saying, HONOR THY FATHER AND MOTHER: and, HE THAT CURSETH FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM DIE THE DEATH".
This quote is said by Jesus Christ when the Pharisees questioned Him why His disciples don't follow their tradition of washing hands before eating. Jesus pointed out that the Pharisees were being hypocrites by valuing their traditions more than what God has commanded (which is explained in chapter 15).
Now, here is the question: Jesus Christ said in the last part "LET HIM DIE THE DEATH". This was very confusing for me since I thought that we no longer had to stone or kill anyone over a violation of the Law. But in this verse, we are told to follow the exact tradition that puts a sinner to death....
I am not an expert of the Bible by any means. But this has been very confusing for me for the last few hours. Now, I have done some online research about it and a very few people were able to actually explain what it meant. I know that Jesus Christ wanted us to honor our parents and value God's Commandments more than anything else, but I am very curious why He said that last part about "Let him die the death."
Does that mean killing of a disrespectful child is still the punishment of the Law?
I have done some research and below is the best explanation I found so far:
"
- Finally, we can compare this principle
with what the rest of Scripture says:
- According to the Bible, only God (who
has all power over the issues of life and death and who is the ultimate
judge) and the State (which has the power of the sword
– Rom. 13) can deliver a death sentence as a punishment, so this
statement cannot be speaking to families or individuals or
churches, except as a warning of the judgment of God or the judgment
of the State on a matter over which God or the State has jurisdiction.
- Since we are not the
ones who are ordained to carry out judgments in the case of personal
offenses against God, the passage can only be talking about what the State should
do.
- This also cannot be talking about putting
children to death for careless talk, since God never
gave the State jurisdiction over everyone’s speech.
- I conclude therefore that this is
addressing situations where a child is in serious, unrepentant
rebellion against parents, has made public defamatory
statements that he refuses to apologize for, and is in such an advanced
state of rebellion against all forms of order in society that he threatens
civil order and must be put to death to protect the people
around him. The state would have jurisdiction to put someone to death in
a case like that.
- There is, however, a sense in which even
a careless snide remark aimed at your parents could lead to death, and
that is in God’s jurisdiction.
- Anyone
who has dishonored his parents even a little bit by saying something
disrespectful about them or toward them (and that means every one of
us!) has broken the 5th commandment and thus sinned
against God.
- If Jesus said in Matt. 5:22 that calling
your brother Racca/Fool was enough to send you to the fires of
hell, then aggravating the offense by saying it to your own parents is
not going to go over well before the judgment seat of God.
- As
such, every one of us is guilty of the punishment that God has decreed
for breaking His commandments, and that is death. (Ezekiel 18:20 “The
soul that sin[s], it shall die.” KJV, cf. Gen. 2:17, Rom. 6:23)
- This
is why Jesus came. He said, “Father, I know that you will be making
Paula Wilson the mother of Amos Wilson and that you want Amos to honor
his mother in order to accept your providence in his life, but I also
know that Amos is going to gripe about what his mom told him to do and
that you will find that offensive that he does not like the ordering of
his life which you so graciously give him. I also know that the only
just way to make up for that is for Amos to die for his sin. Let me
therefore offer myself in his place. I like Amos. I want him to be
close to me forever, so I want to be killed according to your judicial
punishment for his sin in order that his sin may be paid for, so he can
live and be close to me forever. Let’s also send our Spirit to move his
heart with sorrow over the way he will dishonor his mom and convict him
that he deserves your punishment of eternal death so that he will beg
me to be his savior and want to be close to me
forever.” And that, dear friends, is the good news of Jesus, if you’ll
believe it!
- Whatever the case, we must agree that this
second quote from the law in Matthew 15:4 underscores the fact that the 5th commandment
is nothing to trifle with, since its violation could be punished so
severely by death. (J. Calvin)
- However, man in rebellion to God, does not
want to live under the freedom of the simplicity of God’s commands. Apart
from God, humans make up complex and contradictory systems of rules. This
is what Jesus points out to contrast the rabbinical code with God’s
commands:"
Source: http://www.ctrchurch-mhk.org/sermons/Matthew15_04-09Parents.htm
What this is basically saying is that the State has the authority to carry out such punishment while it does not apply to any child who badmouths his parents but to an unruly person (notice I don't use the word "child" here) which the State sees as a threat to society. So, not every unruly child is to be punished with death, but a person, who is most likely an adult, is to be punished. The Bible does not say that a child (who is very young) should be punished in such manner but a sinner can be an adult who is being disrespectful to his parents. The situation has to be extremely chaotic for the State has to step in and take care of it since the parents were powerless to stop his unruly behavior because adults' behavior is difficult to regulate.
That still brings another question in mind, which is "should we really kill the sinner?"
Jesus Christ saved the adulterous woman from being stoned to death because she repented her sin. Is that how we should treat other sinners as well?
For example, if a person is convicted of being disrespectful to his parents, should we forgive him and offer him another chance to live if he truly repents his sin?
I believe so.
Jesus Christ told us that the greatest Commandment from God is to "love thy God" and "love thy neighbors." If we were to love our neighbors, we should allow a sinner to repent his sin by not killing him. The punishment is not as important as these two Commandments since a sinner will be punished by God sooner or later. Love is more important than punishment.
In conclusion, I believe there are few things to remember about applying the Law.
1. The Laws of loving your God and your neighbors triumph other 'ritual' laws including punishment.
2. Just because someone commits a sin, it does not automatically warrant a death sentence since Jesus Christ saved a sinner from being stoned before.
3. We as ordinary citizens are not the ones to do 'punishment' but only God and the State do (The State was given authority by God).
4. Therefore, killing an unruly person for disrespecting his parents is not necessary or enforceable by ordinary people.
5. And most importantly, Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price for our sins which we don't have to be subject to death punishment any more, but if we believe in Him and ask for forgiveness in His Name, our sins will be forgiven by God.
If you have any questions or doubts, please let me know with a comment below.
2013년 12월 18일 수요일
Nothing to write
I started this blog so that i can practice writing, but theres not much to write about. I think that in order to be a good writer, i must write and read a lot. I have been reading some of my old books that i bought long time ago but never had the time to finish them. And now that im on winter vacation, i have a lot of time and i think im going to do some of the things that i always wanted to do.
Hmm for example, first i am going to choose one or two books that i want to read the most and finish them before the end of this year.
Second, i want to attend some court hearing or trials so that i can observe how courts work. American court system has always interested me and i think im going to do some exploring some time next week.
Third, i am going to have some sushi tomorrow or the dat after. I have always been a sushi fan and it kind of sucks to live in a place where theres not many sushi restaurants. When i used to live in california, there were sushi places at every block. I wonder why sushi is not so popular in this area. Makes me wonder. There is this one very good sushi place (the only sushi place nearby) but they charge too much than other places. I spent almost 40 bucks last time when i usually spend 10 bucks less in other places. Yes i know sushi is supposed to be expensive and good places usually charge more but still their sushi wasnt that good. Eh im gonna just go there tomorrow anyway because i love sushi.
I just spent 300 bucks on christmas gift too, come to think of it.
2013년 12월 16일 월요일
Goldfish
I look at you inside the fish tank.
You stare back at me with your blank eyes.
I wonder what you are thinking.
You wonder what I am thinking.
I ask you, what's the point of all this?
You ask me, why are you doing this?
My words cannot reach you.
I cannot hear your voice.
All we can do is stare at each other
and wonder why...
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