It’s June 8 now, and I’m only now going through all that I have listed down here… Quite a lot on my plate, but when I get this done, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be feeling a whole lot better.
Really tempted to do other things, really tempted to have another go at Shogun 2… But, I’m telling myself that I should respect my past, present and future by setting this up and ensuring I have all that’s been stored up in my brain, down in writing: A tribute to the past, a checkpoint for the present, and reference for the future.
With that being said, I give praises and thanks to God for His faithfulness and goodness, enduring through the hours and days, as much as He endures through entire seasons, epochs, unto eternity.
To Him be all glory and praise. He deserves all the worship and adoration, indeed. Amen.
June 2, 2025
God is with us, never leaving us.
God is for us, not against us.
God is always thinking of us, never forsaking us.
Nothing will ever separate us from Him.
Everything reminds us of Him.
We carry the Spirit. The Spirit carries us.
Flow. Trust God. Thank God.
Here’s something I came up with while I was walking last Monday – something I should have shared to our congregation group chat, something definitely making it there tomorrow. Indeed, we need a constant reminder of how our Lord and God is the Source of our security, and how our Father is the Source of our confidence; He is our Strength to stand, and our Will to step forward.
June 3, 2025 – Around 3-4am
Just about to start my first training session, for a job. That’s right, a job. I’m sharing to others about how I agree with Naval Ravikant, specifically on the stance he had against trading time for money… and here I am, about to share time for money.
Hypocritical, much? Probably. But it’s more of me actually rebounding from close to nothing, getting a flow of capital back… but the difference this time is simple. I at least know where the money is going to go this time.
True to what Andy Stanley shared so many years ago, I’ve technically allocated my projected salary into his suggested priorities: To give, to save, and to live on the rest.
Or, specifically in my case, I’ve designated a budget to monthly expenses/benevolence, monthly savings, and monthly investments.
Also, this time it’s not just about working a job, but actually adding value to a cause that I’m very passionate about; It’s a company that has its share of workers that are military veterans, and a huge clientele of military veterans as well. This is basically me joining my military veteran family in taking ‘thank you for your service’ to another level.
Right now I’m about to log into Google Meet, but I just wanted this typed down before anything else: I acknowledge the Lord, and I commit this work to Him, and I am thankful that my thoughts will be established… that my steps will be directed.
To God be the glory.
It’s 4:49AM. I’ll be right back.
June 4, 2025 – Bible Study with Dox, et al around 11am-1pm
Here are notes I took:
NEVER DOUBT GOD’S MIGHTY POWER
working IN you, FOR you, and THROUGH you.
‘You will never fear again’ – I would say fear only lasts for a moment. Perfect love casts out all fear in that fear is temporary, and love is not merely perfect, but everlasting. Forever. Always enduring beyond the furthest that fear can claim.
‘We really should be meditating on the Word‘ – And take note, meditation need not take effort. As every day is a new day with new exposure and new experiences, so we have new opportunities to see the Word of the Lord in practical application. New encounters develop reactions to responses. New experiences lead to new revelations. Victories develop our humility as much as defeat does. Defeat reminds us of our dependence on our Father, much as our victories should.
I was only able to join the Bible study as it was at its tail end, but I was able to pick stuff up, and this is more or less what I had to say when it was my turn to share:
In our Youth services, we’ve been directed to follow a lesson plan we’ve used in other similar fellowships. This lesson plan has a difference ‘virtue’ discussed each meeting, and we’ve had some common buzzwords, as well as some challenging ones, ranging from patience and respect, to tolerance and reliability… and, it never fails – Though, obviously, we approach each virtue differently, we ALWAYS end up saying one common line in conclusion: Virtue as you are virtued. That is, have patience with others as Christ had/has patience on you. Respect/tolerate others, as Christ respects/respected you. As Christ is reliable and trustworthy, so we can be reliable and trustworthy when we are needed.
I mentioned that I started work, as of last Monday, and at the time, I was quite intimidated, because the expectation was set that before the end of the week, I was already going to be taking live calls. Now, this is quite an escalation from what I was used to – From at least a month of training, now down to a couple of days before I take calls… But unlike back then, now I’m more excited than fearful. As mentioned in my log last Monday, well, I’m more excited to be of help, than I am worried of making a blunder. There’s more excitement, more awe than there is fear and anxiety.
Indeed, we practice what we preach, in that we’re telling the youth that we love as we are loved… and, well, in our own jobs, we’re fixated on loving others more than being focused on ourselves.
…And what a love we have! What a Life Christ has paid for us!
Because, see, gone are the days when we tell people that you accepted Jesus, so now you gotta do this, gotta do that… Gone are the days that we burden people with religiosity AFTER their ‘accepting’ Christ, with the lingering fear that they lose what they don’t maintain.
No, now, we tell people that we have such a great adventure, a great life in Christ – beyond positive thinking, this is true eternal Life!
Live it out! Live Christ!
How would you live life knowing you God’s love was poured out upon you, through Christ?
How would you move knowing His everlasting love was at your disposal?
To these two questions, I respond:
In Christ, the best has come and the best is yet to come.
Later on that Wednesday afternoon, I visited our Worship team. Usually, we have our practices on Friday, but since the sound system was going to be away until Saturday, we thought to rehearse this early.
Now I wouldn’t say that we were undermanned, but there were a lot of us who couldn’t make it – our singers, to be precise. With that in mind, the Worship Team asked for my help in leading right then and there… and even if we were going to be ending with a new song to introduce to the congregation, well, I took on the responsibility.
Sometime as they were preparing another mic for me to use in rehearsal, I noted this down. This was coming from my being excited/worried about the calls coming later this week, and, now, this time that I’m taking on a new song, and another expedient responsibility:
You can’t just say you aren’t ready. Necessity not only demands expediency, but reminds us of how we are blessed with every blessing for good works, here and now.
Necessity reminds us of how we have the Holy Spirit, our Helper. The Friend who sticks closer than a brother. The Spirit of Truth who leads us into all Truth. The Spirit of Comfort. The Spirit of Adoption.
You’d think at my age that I’d be ready for anything… but there remains remnants of the old psyche, the old mindset that would insist on comfort, the old default mode that would twist and turn against any sudden changes to expectations. I’m actually glad for these upcoming job responsibilities and presentations, because they are necessities that develop our humility and remind us of our dependence on Jesus Christ.
Sure, there’s the worry and fear that lingers… but I thank our Father, because in these moments we also have the Holy Spirit consistently convicting us of our right-standing with God.
We are righteous no matter what mistakes we make. None of these things will ever separate us from God… but on the other hand, these upcoming calls and the upcoming song-leading will remind me, secure me in His everlasting love.
More than positive thinking, indeed.
Now, the song I’m to lead is ‘Worthy’ by Elevation Worship – and, actually, it’s not a totally new song but their rendition of a classic, with their own flavor to it. The bridge is especially beautiful:
Be exalted now in the heavens
As Your glory fills this place
You alone deserve our praise
You’re the Name above all names
And, yes, you can be sure that as in most worship portions in today’s services, we’re going to be singing that bridge a lot. Anyway, commentary aside, I was actually reminded of a verse while we were practicing:
12 O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 May my accusers be put to shame and consumed; with scorn and disgrace may they be covered who seek my hurt.
14 But I will hope continually and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge.
16 With the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.
Psalms 71:12-16
Now I shared the context here, but I really just remembered verse 14. The point I wanted wasn’t as shared here in the ESV, but the NKJV says: But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.
I’m thinking I share something along these lines in passing, after the verses and the initial choruses (chorii?), right before the bridge…
In our victories, in our defeats; In our progression, in all that’s fading away;
Though we are alone or surrounded by enemies and uncertainty, or even in our safety, in our being with the brethren;
In all we’re anticipating, in all we’re consequently fearing or in all we’re looking forward to;
In all the constants, in all the uncertainty; In all we’ve left behind, and in all we’re moving on from;
In our relationships, in our personal lives;
In our affliction, as much as in our health; In our hopes, and in our fears; In our lack, and in our plenty; In the darkness, as in the light…
In all of this, oh, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we proclaim, we declare, our response will be that by Christ, We will hope continually, and we will praise Him yet more and more!
We’re happy, and we praise Him! We’re sad, and we praise Him! In all things, let us praise Him!
Now that was quite a lot through a couple of days, and I still have a couple more things to write about here… So I’m calling a checkpoint here to consolidate everything I have.
At the beginning of the week I was reminded of the undying, always enduring, always full and always present, fully present faithfulness of our God and Father… Just as I was also reminded of a phrase, a personal ‘mantra‘ I’ve derived during the wild events of Q4 2024… Something I told myself would be applicable here and now, 40 years before, and 40 years ahead: Flow. Trust God. Thank God.
It’s important for us to keep this in mind, and for us to be thankful that the Lord always keeps us in His mind as well, especially when we venture into new things, and into changes.
I forgot to say this earlier but starting the weekend before June 2, I was experiencing discomfort, and not pain specifically, to my left at the back of my head. All sorts of theories as to where this came from arose – from dormant rabies (and thank God that’s gone, in the name of Jesus), to blood pressure, to stiff neck / muscle strain, and/or stress. I even went to my cousin dentist to make sure it wasn’t the denture I had installed, incidentally, in the left part of my mouth. As the week progressed, and as we learned new things, and placed new things in front of us… As things were defined and clarified, well, the pain naturally went away, to the point that here and now, I’m good. It’s like it was never there.
So, thank God, because though there is anxiety in anticipation, there is greater relief in revelation – leading us, again, to flow, to trust God, and to thank God.
And that’s well and good for us to know, to keep us grounded and at the ready in the present… but as more and more things come, we need to heighten our awareness to include the past, and especially the future… and because of this, we give thanks to God, once again, for Christ – Why? Because it’s through Christ that not only are we secure and safe in the present, but we are also excited – and not merely excited, but ready to move with divine force, towards the future; In Christ, the best is yet to come!
This is a constant in Christ, no matter what we face. The fear is there. We acknowledge it, but we are more fixated on the greatness and glory of God, through Christ, the expression of His love; We are less fearful, much more hopeful, confident unto actual action, knowing that the best is yet to come. We flow, we trust God, and we thank God, praising Him all throughout.
It is June 8, 9:31AM. Should have done this yesterday, but oh well.
Part 2 coming soon. God bless us all!
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JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
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