Eclesiastes 3:15

Aquello que fue, ya es;
y lo que ha de ser, fue ya;
y Dios restaura lo que pasó.

Salmos 63:8

Está mi alma apegada a Ti; Tu diestra me ha sostenido.

Daddy's advice of the day

(spoken in Jiujiang dialect)

Daughter, don't be afraid of taking challenges.
Don't mind suffering.
Everything will pay off at the end.

Poems

I was going through my old IB files (heck, I was bored) and I found some poems, written by me...that were ahem, actually good.

I haven't written poems for a long time. Maybe because I am not that sentimental anymore or just too lazy. Before, I would write and write, play with words, structure and sounds. I would write poems to my friends to encourage them.

I should retake this. I miss the old 'poetic' me.

Here is one of my spanish poems. This was written while we were studying Pablo Neruda. It's not one of my best, but I like it:

Vi volar tus sueños con la brisa del mar.
Infinita, como las estrellas, es la hermosura de tu paladar
En la llanura de tu cuerpo, azota y da aliento el viento del verano.
Navega mi alma en tu mar de dulzura
Tempestad, majestad, eternidad en tres besos.
Oye, el zumbido del viento que traspasa nuestros corazones,
como una melodía en el silencio…

Psalms 63:3

Because
Thy lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise Thee.

Family

I decided to publish this sort of "anecdote" or whatever it is...written by my brother Miguel after my visit to Costa Rica.

My apologies to all English speakers. This is only available in Spanish.

My brother should update his old blog or open a new one.

-----
Aca te mando un detalle para q no te resintas de mis explosiones masivas en el trafico imposible de San Jose. Jajajajajjaa

Había una vez leí esta frase de un autor anónimo “uno nunca sabe que tan especial y preciado es algo hasta que ya no esta presente” Esta pequeña frase estuvo girando en mi cabeza durante unas dos horas después de despedirme de una visita que mi madre y hermana realizaron. La visita fue todo un fracaso en el aspecto turístico, sin embargo el estar con la familia y queridos fue todo un éxito.

Aunque no pudimos ver las imponentes cataratas que fluían en la región del Poas y no poder pescar una trucha saltante con nuestras propias manos, pudimos entender que es en verdad tener una familia. El ver a mi mama limpiar y cuidar con detalle y esmero mi apartamento, fue todo un símbolo de amor que ella tiene hacia mi. El ver a mi hermana traer desde las congeladas tierras de Canada deliciosos truffles y un exquisito Salmon de maple me hizo ver que en este mundo uno nunca esta ni solo ni sin que nadie lo ame.

Cada día que despierto anhelo poder vivir lo que viví estos tres días. Tener a mi mama prepararme un apetitoso desayuno y una hermana en el cual uno pelea por usar el baño, la televisión o computadora es un sentimiento que uno nunca aprecia hasta que no lo tiene presente todos los días. Uno no tiene que esperar hasta el día de cumpleaños o el show marketing de día de las madres y el padre para hacerlos sentir especial. Debería ser cada día que debemos hacer sentir a estas personas especiales.

La palabra “especial” hoy en día tiene muy poco significado. A nadie le importa como se sienten la gente que los rodean y menos de hacerlos sentir “especial”. Especial solo aparece en los combos de hamburguesas del Mac Donalds o Burger King, o en los anuncios de oferta que ofrece taca cada temporada baja. Claramente el mundo cambiaria si un día todos los humanos detuviéran todas sus rutinas diarias y se pusieran a pensar porque estan en este mundo y quienes los rodean.

Más jóvenes atestados de alcohol en sus hígados y perdidos en las discotecas entenderían porque a media noche tienen a su madre esperando en el comedor con una cena fría. O tal vez mas gente le podrían menos importancias a sus amistades mundanas y fijarse en el regalo que sus hermanitas les preparo con esmero en el Kinder. Estas personas entenderían que vivir es para amar y para amar hay que entender quienes nos rodea y que tantos nos aman.

En el nombre de Jesús Cristo oro que todos en este mundo entiendan que es el amor familiar el cual emana de El.

John Steinbeck

I read this passage last night and it completely blew my mind.

My question about Free Will were answered.

------
From John Steinbeck’s East of Eden (Penguin, 1992, pages 301–303):

[Lee said,] “The King James version [of the Bible] says this — it is when Jehovah has asked Cain why he is angry. Jehovah says, ‘If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.’ It was the ‘thou shalt’ that struck me, because it was a promise that Cain would conquer sin.”

Samuel nodded. “And his children didn’t do it entirely,” he said.

Lee sipped his coffee. “Then I got a copy of the American Standard Bible. It was very new then. And it was different in this passage. It says, ‘Do thou rule over him.’ Now this is very different. This is not a promise, it is an order. And I began to stew about it. I wondered what the original word of the original writer had been that these very different translations could be made ...

“My [elders] felt that these words were very important too — ‘Thou shalt’ and ‘Do thou.’ And this was the gold from our mining: ‘Thou mayest.’ ‘Thou mayest rule over sin.’ ...

“The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou shalt,’ meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel — ‘Thou mayest’ — that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’ — it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.’ ...
“Now, there are millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, ‘Do thou,’ and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in ‘Thou shalt.’ Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But ‘Thou mayest’! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.”

A Dream within a Dream

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

---Edgar Allan Poe

Never has a poem made me cry so much. It's so beautiful.

I should stop being so sentimental these days!

To the Fountain Of the Palace Of the Bakchisarai

And only dreamed imagination
Had drowned in the empty dark
Its flitting visions' pale reflections,
The soul fancy's easy mark?

---Alexander Pushkin

Juan 17: 20-21

Mas no ruego solamente por éstos, sino también por los que han de creer en Mí por la palabra de ellos, para que todos sean uno; como Tú, oh Padre, en Mí, y Yo en Ti, que también ellos sean uno en Nosotros; para que el mundo crea que Tú me enviaste.

NO MORE IB!!

English A1 Higher Paper 1
English A1 Higher Paper 2
Math Standard Paper 1
Math Standard Paper 2
History Standard Paper 1
History Standard Paper 2
History Higher Paper 3
Biology Standard Paper 1
Biology Standard Paper 2
Biology Standard Paper 3
Psychology Standard Paper 1
Psychology Higher Paper 2
Psychology Higher Paper 3
Spanish A2 Standard Paper 1
Spanish A2 Standard Paper 2

I'M DONE!!!

This is the piece of music that played inside my head when I exited the exam room.

East of Eden

And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction its wishes, undirected. And this I must fight against: any idea, religion or government which limits or destroys the individual. This is what I am and what I am about. I can understand why a system built on a pattern must try to destroy the free mind, for that is one thing which can by inspection destroy such a system. Surely I can understand this, and I had it and I will fight against it to preserve the one thing that separates us from the uncreative beasts. If the glory can be killed, we are lost.

---John Steinbeck

Faith! again!

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not...ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; it shall be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Matthew:21:21-22)

------
Are You, O Lord, trying to tell me something?

I already know the answers. I just needed this extra oomph today, to stop doubting and make real my decisions.

I love suprises! Please, do give me one!

:) :) :)

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding (Proverbs 9:10)

Pop! goes my heart

Description: Hugh Grant in an 80's music video.

La Dolce Vita

Abide with me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

---
I am the Vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Holy Poopy!

G.K Chesterton reads my mind.

"An imbecile habit has arisen in modern controversy of saying that such and such creed can be held in one age but cannot held in another. Some dogma, we are told, was credible in the twelfth century, but it is not credible in the twentieth. You might as well say that a certain philosophy can be believed on Mondays but cannot be believed on Tuesdays..."

"The real trouble with this world of ours is not that it is an unreasonable world, nor even that it is a reasonable one. The commonest kind of trouble is that it is nearly reasonable, but not quite. Life is not an illogicality; yet it is a trap for logicians. It looks just a little more mathematical and regular than it is; its exactitude is obvious, but its inexactitude is hidden; its wildness lies in wait."

"Of all horrible religions the most horrible is the worship of the god within."

"The men who really believe in themselves are all in lunatic asylums."

---Orthodoxy

By far, one of the best books about Christian theology I've ever read...kudos and many kudos to my dear ol' Chesty.

ponderings

For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow (Job 8:9)

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. (Isaiah: 40:7)

------
I have often meditated about the fact that how short and limited is our lifespan. That we occupy a small portion of the history of mankind.

Our lives here on earth is a tiny fraction of eternity.

So, let's give our best shot. Waste no time in doubting or regretting. And live our life to the fullest to glorify Him.

Nineteen days.

19 more days for school to end.

Part of me says that I have so gotten over highschool a long time ago.

And part of me says that I will miss it like crazy because I will no longer see my classmates every day.

Maybe because I grew up with these people, I have shared the last 15 years of my life with them.

I am having mixed feeling about it.



People that I love...:)

Olivooo and me messing with the camera. GOD, I'M SO GONNA MISS HIM!!!!!!

With Olivo and Katy! I'm so glad I had a chance to grow close with Katy.

with Yani, Oli and Luli!

Us girls messing around in lunch. Hehehehe.

Kandom convo of da moment:

Andrew says:
what ifs are dumb questions
Andrew says:
what if the sun dies out? what if your bladder explodes? what if you're never ever able to have ice cream again, because you become allergic?
Andrew says:
what if the sun never dies out? what if your bladder is always healthy, and you never feel a surprising urge to pee again? what if you acquire a condition where you can eat all the ice cream you want and it becomes healthy?

Free

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.

-Augustus Toplady
---
I am renewed!
His mighty right hand restoreth my soul!
And took away that stupid clump of lead
And made me new and pure!

Kandom tip of da day: Prayer = rapid recuperation in Christ. Try it!!!

:(

Guilt is like a clump of lead,
that poisons a pure heart
and clogs the circulation of the soul.

worship

The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind:
the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down:
the LORD loveth the righteous:
The LORD preserveth the strangers;
He relieveth the fatherless and widow:

But the way of the wicked He turneth upside down.
The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God,
O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

(Psalms 146:8-10)

----

The Lord brings out the best of our weakness. He loves us to be humble. He loves to change the bad things into good, useful things for Him. So great is His glory!

Favourite Psalms

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me. If I say,
“Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.

Psalms 139

"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."

Blue like Jazz

"The most difficult lie I have ever contended with is this: Life is a story about me"
---Don Miller

The Fall of Icarus

Painting: The Fall of Icarus by Breughel

About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters; how well, they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

---Musee des Beaux Arts by W.H Auden

John 10

Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture."

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

-----
He is my good Shepherd. I shall not want. He has laid down His life for me. What else should I wish for?

Jesus was a revolutionary. He changed me.

He is the Love of my life.

Tango por una Cabeza (Scent of a woman)

I absolutely love the music!

(Al Pacino is acting "blind" in this movie. Hence, the weird stare.)

Hello Spring.

"A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere"

Ephesians 6

(To Phillip and Peggy, but to all those soldiers of the Cross as well)

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saint and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel."

-------
We cannot depend solely on ourselves. We cannot depend on our abilities or "how good we are." All our faith, trust and hope depends on the mighty power of God and His word.

Our power as humans might be compared like wooden sticks, but we got the Ultimate Bazookah backing us up agaisnt the old Serpent.

Yes, there might be trials and tribulations ahead. And fear. But let us be stand firm and fight until the end!

United in Prayer!

Mathematics

Math is like my first love (I was super good at Maths like in 7th-10th grade...I even got A in IGCSE -sick irony) that has become the reincarnation of the she-devil of my worst nightmare (11th-12th grade). Yesterday, I had one of those Christ-empathetic moments. You know what I mean...the moment I walked in the examination room, I felt as if I was a lamb walking towards the slaughter-house.

Ahhh...life has its moments.

I found these awesome math problem-solution. I ought to show you these:







I wish math would be so literal. Hahahahaha.

Colossians 3:1-4

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ, who is Our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.

-----
I am living the sweetest love story ever. Christ is my life. I have a special place in His heart. Whatever affects me, it affects Him too!

You can find so many layers of meaning by just reading a mini-fragment.

:) Tis so good to have Him in my life!

Life ist gut

Today I had my first German lesson. It was awesome. I learned how to present myself and to count in German!

Wie Heißen sie?
Ich bin Karen!

Woher kommen sie?
Ich Komme aus El Salvador.

Inspite of the 5 hour-intensive course, I love the language. I like the pronunciation, the complex grammar...it's beautiful.

Last night, I hanged out with Kawing, Lula and James. It was a craaay-zeey night. I brought some fireworks to burn and at first it was fun but then...whoa. We had an intense near death experience. We lit up a bottle rocket, and instead of going up, it shot right at us. We ran to the backdoor for shelter and closed the door. Kawing was banging furiously because she was locked out! (the poor dear) So James opened the door. After that, it was like intense explosion and lights. I will never light a bottle rocket again. They are the fireworks of deception.

Anyways, we then played Texas Hold’em, Indian poker and taught Lula to play Big Two (a Chinese card game). It was fun. I love you guys! And will miss you all so much when we go off to college.

Photos, photos, photos:


James dealing the cards.


Lula pimpin'


Teheee.


Lula and Emo me.


Emo freaks. James is crying because he lost all his monopoly money to Kawing.

'
The four of us. (James is hiding in the background)


Lula, James and Marvin Gaye (he lives in our hearts).

Joey's testimonial post

Hello Karen!

We are now in biology, it is 8:35am and we are working on a paper on honeybees. This post will serve as my testimonial about Karen. Karen, a good friend and biologist is constantly worrying about the health of animals and her friends. Take for instance our latest lab: she brought a rat (which we soon after named Jeffrey) and she fed it carrots. However, the story that I will never forget about Karen is the famous "Pekin Duck Story".

Here it is:

The Pekin Duck Story.

One normal day, a duck woke up and was put in a cardboard box and taken to a place it had never been. Once the box was open during a psychology class, the duck was experimented on for its behavior. After exhausting trials, the duck was put back into the cardboard box and was never to see the light of day again. The day after, I was told that Karen was the owner of the duck and had brought the duck for a psychology behavior experiment the day before. Later that day I also realized she had invited a small group of people to her restaurant to eat. Testimonials from witnesses that attended that dinner stated the main course was shocking and disturbing: something: Pekin Duck! Isnt it strange that the duck had gone missing the same day the dinner was served? How would you feel if you were the duck? Poor duck, it never had a chance to live a good life.

The end.


Now, this is the public version, the true version was too intense for the public. Well Karen, hope you enjoyed the dinner, remember you still owe me one Pekin duck meal too, jajaja. Take care,

Joey.



Us back in 10th grade.

Desmayarse

Desmayarse, atreverse, estar furioso,
áspero, tierno, liberal, esquivo,alentado,
mortal, difunto, vivo,leal, traidor,
cobarde y animoso:

no hallar fuera del bien centro y reposo,
mostrarse alegre, triste, humilde, altivo,
enojado, valiente, fugitivo,
satisfecho, ofendido, receloso:

huir el rostro al claro desengaño,
beber veneno por licor süave,
olvidar el provecho, amar el daño:

creer que el cielo en un infierno cabe;
dar la vida y el alma a un desengaño,
¡esto es amor! quien lo probó lo sabe.

-Lope de Vega (1562-1635)
-----------------

Me encantan los poetas del siglo de oro!

Faith.

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with Mine eye. (Psalms 32:8)

O love that wilt not let me go

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.