distilling God's grace

Distilling.

It's the end of the year again. Previous year-ends have meant so much in terms of sharing and rebuilding and redirecting. Lately, the year-end is merely another day less to going home, another day to rush around doing all that needs to be done.

What really needs to be done is to spend time with God. I feel like the bustle of having my sis and family around really stopped me from doing my qt. It was good to do family devotions, and pray with my sis... but I miss my alone time with God. I kinda think He must have know that too because today, Jah fell sick and cant meet me... thus giving me the whole morning to effectively spend my time with God and myself.

Looking back at 2004, I must say that this year has been full of God's grace. I've been through alot. Maybe not fire, and fury or brimstone or death... but tough studies, emotionally trying times, spiritual highs and lows and a lot of loneliness. I've learnt more than I imagined... about God, myself, my parents, my sis, my friends....

In this year of grace, I've kept my 4.0 (important for scholarships), I've completed enough courses fitting 4.5 years of study into 3, I've dropped my graphic design major for an art minor, I've been to church camp, I've been up Mount Kinabalu, I've changed church in Tulsa, met new American Chinese friends, had Eileen come, became a leader on my wing, done a little bit of field experience, healed friendships, joined msn, started this blog, left my teenage years behind, got attached....

Ha. God has been really good though. I feel myself slowly becoming used to the idea that He really is full of grace and compassion, and that He's really accesssible. I have talked to God alot, but it's just that, I think this year... my conversation with God has been more integrated with my own life. I think more often than not, I sit and try to hear God for other people... which is good... but being able to hear Him even when I'm not in deep intercession... that something that I really think has surfaced more and more this year.

Well... So I guess i'm going to spend the rest of todasy waiting with open arms to hear from God about last year and the next year. For me, for us, for my family and friends... I guess I want to encourage you guys to take that little time off to think about what your year has been. Not in the "i need to share in 5 minutes" sense, but in well... just peace and surrender... knowing that the bad things that have happened will be redeemed, and the good things that have happened requires us to show our gratitude. Think about God, and our walk.. and distill all those memories... into a sense of knowing that somewhere, this year fits into a bigger purpose for our entire lives.