The Vine by Oasis Vine

From the Editors

“It’s a different race I’m in, not a relay, not a 5k nor a marathon. It’s this final stretch of high school, looking at faces and feeling that prick of “will I see you again after…after I graduate”; it’s savoring laughs and hugs and times and those little bits of light that manage to pierce this cloudy world. It’s that retreat into silence and thought nowadays, this anxiety to finish off strong but that nagging sense of senioritis and realization that these grades, don’t, count. Not really. And it’s that sadness, realizing that all these faces and the people who are behind them are going to scatter like seeds, to different states and counties and towns and schools, and smiling when they suggest future encounters because you know inside that most likely, it’s not happening. Relationships were never my forte — how could I, how could we, my friends and I, keep up this level of familiarity across miles and borders? Realism hurts.

I see these people and I can’t help but split them into groups of people I will stay in touch with, people I will still attempt to connect with, and then the ones who I can’t manage. Terrible as it is. And will we ever cross paths again… And it’s there, shining over the horizon, that glorious graduation date in which after 3 years I will no longer be on the stage the entire time playing music, but instead, music will be played for me. This reversal is startling. I will mount those steps and I will get this rolled up piece of processed tree bark which inscribed inside will tell me that yes, I am done, and I am allowed to continue. But what that paper won’t read is all the experiences I’ve had and the friends I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned and the trials that I’ve overcome. No. It won’t mention anything. It’ll be clean, unified, neat, printed out the day before. It will have my name, hopefully spelled correctly. But I am more than my diploma, and as hard and exciting as graduation is, how easy even, it will be secured in wellworn pages of the book I am living. And then, it’s summer and I have time to recover losing my senior status before returning in the fall as a freshman.” I wrote this on my Tumblr a little while ago, and now rereading I realize that I didn’t even mention God, being so preoccupied with current difficulties and tasks. I am planning to go out- of-state this fall, something I’ve wanted to do, partly, to challenge myself, to let myself grow in a whole new environment. It’s like if I were a plant, and I’ve been moved from my home plot of soil to another plot of soil elsewhere, with a different climate, different forces, different precipitation, different influences. I’m excited and nervous to see how I will turn out. I’ve been playing it super safe these years, never wandering too far out of comfort. Who will I be without parents to chastise me for slacking on Bible reading or questioning church attendance? What choices will I make? The one thing I hope is that I’m not subconsciously going farther away from home as a feeble attempt to run away from God. He’s omnipresent after all, and it would be a sure folly. I’m not sure why out-of-state attracts me so much — but as the days pass I’m beginning to realize how much God has provided and what sacrifices I need to make on my side to make this whole thing work out. It’s complicated and nerve-wracking at times (those of you who know me well can see how oblivious I can be at times hahaha and clueless) but you know what? It’s gonna be alright.

- Kelly Yu

From the Editors It’s Not About the Cost

Jesus plainly states that there is a heavy cost for following Him. Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” —Luke 9:58 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters— yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” — Luke 14:26 Those who do so with whole and sincere hearts will feel outward pain but an inward joy that can never be put out by any persecutions of this world. This abandoning trust in God is what I desire, but it seems too much of a risk and burden to sacrifice a life for something so intangible, does it not? And perhaps this is a big part of the problem. When we talk about following Jesus, many of us may talk radical in theory yet are lukewarm and hesitant when it comes to action. Being a Jesus follower may sound exhilarating and to us, Paul might be our role model, but somehow we can never bring ourselves to really do what he did. Besides our usual complaints of “barriers” like academics and a sheltered life (more on that later?), we cannot bring ourselves to jump off the cliff, leaving everything behind, for fear that we will not fly. Instead, we bring parachutes and safety items that will ensure a safe flight — but where? — ultimately to the bottom. I want to change this in myself, my insecurity in letting more and more of myself go to follow Christ. And maybe it has to do with my thinking — in the end, what am I truly thinking about when I think about Jesus? Who am I truly talking about when I talk about Jesus? The answer, I find, is always myself. I think about the burdensome, persecuting cross that I must bear for Him, but it’s not really about the cost; it’s about the worth. I guess it all comes down to a constant focus check within myself to make sure that in my thinkings and doings, I focus on the worth of Jesus Christ and the glory he deserves instead of what it will cost me. And thinking about how many riches we will gain in heaven will in the end render me as still selfish, not selfless though it may appear so. All life-changing love requires a life-changing sacrifice. If I spend my time understanding, knowing, and growing in the worth of this one and only Love, maybe my sacrifice will come easier, and my heart will overflow with joy regardless of the cost. Here we stand, our hearts are yours Not our will, but yours be done

Melody Zhang

From the Editors “Come and rest here Come and lay your burdens down Come and rest here There is refuge for you now” Guys I have been so exhausted lately. I have bags under my eyes and please I am the girl who (used to) sleep at 10:30! I am sure there are many of you that are feeling just as bogged down. But, hey, remember what Jesus said to us? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” —Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus is literally calling us to rest in Him. Does the world offer that to us? Does my track coach ever invite me to start walking in the middle of a race just because I’m tired? Do your teachers ever tell you to just sleep in class because you’re tired of integrating variables that make absolutely no sense whatsoever? Jesus is different. He yearns for us to come to Him. Run. Run into His arms. What is stopping you? Because when you carry His cross, His yoke, His burden, when all that your eyes are fixed on is JESUS, it is there you will find peace. This is my prayer every morning: “[O Lord] be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” —(Isaiah 33:2) Cry out to Jesus. Let Him take you into His arms, let Him delve into your heart that we may all grow with a desire to love God that deepens every single day of our lives. Jesus offers us peace. This peace will transcend all understanding, and guard your hearts and minds. “You'll find His peace And know you're not alone anymore He is near You'll find His healing You're heart isn't shattered anymore He is here” —Here, Kari Jobe

- Sharon Shen 4

It is as Simple as That “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” —Acts 1:8; NIV [This was our object of fascination one bright Sunday morning, what we were about to dissect with great care. And so we did.] Jerusalem: for the disciples, it was home, it was reasonably known, safe; a place where the church grew: where it grew in numbers, where it grew in learning about the Word, serving the church, leading the people, building relationships with one another upon our cornerstone—and oh, it was comfortable. Judea & Samaria: for the disciples, it was venturing into the unknown, where one could be persecuted, could be killed, could be thrown in prison—it was a nightmare, not knowing what would happen to you. But through the Holy Spirit’s power, the disciples preached Jesus, and they were witnesses to God’s Word. Jerusalem: for us, it is our spiritual home, it is safe, it is known, and it is comfortable: it is Refresh & Oasis, Livingstones, OCC, KUMC, Woodside, Zion—it is Troy & Rochester & Madison Heights, Michigan. We stay in Our Jerusalem for quite a long while, before we venture out into Judea and Samaria. In the same way, we stay with our family for a good portion of our lives, before we enter the real world. The church is our family—but we eventually have to go out into the world. LIKE COLLEGE. The world is beyond Our Jerusalem—beyond, as in, evangelism, mission trips, and church planning. The very wise pastor said a very great thing. He said, “Evangelism is only telling people about you, and what God has done for you.” And when I think about that, that sentence basically sums up what I’ve been trying to understand for a long time. Evangelism: the art of simple exchanges, outlining the portrait of Jesus and his gift of salvation. What it has done for us. It is as simple as that.

- Michelle Shen

Cyclic Confession All these years I have called myself a Christian, but that was the greatest mask I have ever worn, and I still wear it today. How do I possibly define my existence as so when I am addicted to porn for all of those same years? I am serving two masters, yet somehow I found nothing wrong with that. Who cares if I had affairs every other night, masturbating to what I considered beautiful, or rather, lustful? Who cares if Jesus was right there next to me seeing me do such atrocious things and not just burn me with fire at that moment? Who cares if I soon realized that by being so addicted, my view on daughters of God has changed so severely? Who cares… until maybe I have become so desensitized all my emotions flood back again? Then maybe I start caring. Why does Jesus still have faith in me? Why do others still have faith in me? Why am I still alive? Why am I still breathing? Am I a waste of space? Am I worthless? Am I less than scum? Of course… I am all of them, but maybe the point is to realize that with God, I am none of them. But God can’t save me, if I don’t let Him save me. I just don’t know if I truly want Him to save me. I wonder sometimes if anybody cares. I wonder sometimes if I am alone. But once I feel alone, of course I try to fill that hole with lust that puffs up instead of builds up. I don’t turn to God, hardly at all. I can do Christian things, but I never lived a life for God. Should I stop calling myself that then? What difference would it make? Why has it taken so long for me to see all the pain and suffering I am causing others? Why would I ever want to go back? Because my mind tells me so. But my heart tells me otherwise. So does God. I’m sorry for ranting. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry I’m apologizing, because my apologies aren’t really worth anything. Now I see, without God next to me, I can’t do anything. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” —Proverbs 3:5

- Anonymous

One Verse, 1 a.m., and First Steps Tl;dr—God is there for you. The Bible is good. Read it. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” In Matthew 11:28, God is promising us solace. Those who are just tired of this world’s trifling matters, those who are beleaguered by the constant pressure to perform well, those who are struggling to maintain a composed appearance, those who wrestle within themselves to be a “good person” “all the time” in “all situations” (in class and at home, ahem), those who can’t contain biting remarks, those who combat depression, confusion, slothfulness, or apathy? Those who are experiencing a rough time in their lives while pretending everything is rosy? “Come to me.” It really is THAT simple. In the past few weeks, I’ve finally started reading through Scripture. As cliché as this is, I feel an overwhelming sense of peace every time I sit down to read His Word. During moments where I just hate school or regret procrastinating or something else equally trivial that mildly annoys me, I take a breath and remind myself that I get to read a few chapters later. It’s so comforting for me to just know that the Bible is never-changing, everlasting, 100% truth, and 100% helpful . (I’m, also, finding myself “falling in love” with Christ all over again. Relationships are two way streets of communication. Prayer is our voice and the Word is his response.) Reading the Bible doesn’t have to consume all of your time every day. Maybe start slowly, a few chapters a day. A few times a week, to get into the swing of doing regular devos. Find a buddy to do it with you. Keep each other accountable for reading. Discuss with each other. Start with a book you’ve heard a lot about (ie. quotes from Romans are quite popular) or with the basics (Genesis and the Gospels). It’s a worthwhile step in your growth in Christ.

- Sarah Tsung

Don’t Forget to Pray Earlier this week, I came across a picture on Tumblr that had the saying “Don’t forget to pray today because God did not forget to wake you up this morning”. I thought it was extremely powerful, reblogged it, and did not think about it until a couple mornings later. To put it simply, I have been a Christian my entire life. I have never truly struggled with the idea of there being a God but I have struggled with my personal relationship with him. I know he is always with me on my journey through life and I thank him often for this. However, I have problems doing more than that in my prayers. I can always come up with surface level things to thank him for i.e. food, shelter, friends, family, and the oh so classic thank you for all my blessings but I never can seem to come up with prayers for others or myself that are deep. I find praying hard and something that I myself am not completely as comfortable as I feel I should be with it. Since I have this trouble and have for a long time the first part of the quote really hit me hard. Praying is a large part of anyone’s spiritual journey and I feel that I am missing out. Praying puts me out of my comfort zone but maybe that is the only way to truly grow with God. As you can see I struggled with the first part of this quote and as I moved on to the second part I realized how much this quote spoke to me. On the surface it seems that it is just a reminder of how much God has given us and that we should speak with him daily as he does with us. But I feel it says more to me than that. For many years I have been struggling with depression. I have never been suicidal but there have been points where I have asked God why he wakes me up every morning. I knew God was there but I thought of the billions of other people in the world and thought why would he care about me, me with depression, dyslexia, some anxiety, and struggles with self worth. It has taken me a while but I have learned that God created us in his own image and even though we all have our problems he loves us because of it (even though we have all heard this since we were little it is hard to accept it right away). Everyone is different. Everyone has their own struggles and problems but what makes God great is that he wakes us up every morning with a smile on his face ready to help us face the day. We might not feel that we are, or that we will never be ready, but he keeps us going. He continues to remind us there is, as cheesy as it sounds, a light at the end of the tunnel. We might not be able to see it but he knows it is there. I would like to thank God for being there when I have my dark days but also in my happy days. I will not forget to pray and you, God, have never forgotten to wake my up or pick me up when I have fallen. Praying has not been a large part of my life but looking back at everything you, God, have done for me, praying is the least I could do to show my gratitude towards you.

—Anonymous

Get Rid of Fear “But when Jesus heard it, he answered him saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole." —Luke 8:50 MATTHEW 9:23-31; MARK 5:35-43; LUKE 8:49-56 Jesus told Jairus to "believe only," implying that faith and fear can operate in us at the same time. This is also the reason James tells us not to be double-minded, or to waver (Jas. 1:5-8). Fear will negate faith. We can have both thoughts of faith and thoughts of unbelief at the same time. Fear and faith are opposing forces. Fear is actually faith in reverse. Fear is believing something or someone other than God. Therefore, fear makes us subject to Satan and his death, just as faith makes us recipients of all that God has to offer. This is the reason Jesus told Jairus, "Fear not." Jairus' fear would have sealed his daughter's death. Instead of trying to build huge amounts of faith to overcome our fears and unbelief, a simpler method is to remove our fears by cutting off their source. Then, our simple, "child-like" faith that remains will do the job. It doesn't take big faith—just pure faith. Where does fear come from? Second Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love, and of a sound mind." It doesn't come from God. The way that fear is able to come upon us is that we take our attention off of Jesus and put it on our situation. Fear or doubt cannot "just overcome" us. We have to let it in. In the same way that faith comes by hearing the Word of God, fear comes by hearing or seeing something contrary to God's Word. We would not be tempted with fear or doubt if we didn't consider things that Satan uses to minister that fear and doubt. Satan tries to distract us with thinking about our problems. No problem is too big for God. We should cast our concern about the problem over on God and just keep our eyes on Jesus, the Word.

—Jason Qin

Perfect Peace Peace out, yo April is probably one of the most stressful months of the year, since everything happens to be planned in this month. It’s as if everybody got together and decided, “Alright, let’s make Esther as busy as is humanly possible without her completely dying by making everything happen at the same time! Isn’t that just the best idea ever?” …No. It’s not. At discipleship we talked about the fruits of the spirit, and we were challenged to pray about what fruits God wanted us to change in our lives. The problem is, I never feel like God is ever talking to me or challenging me to do anything when I pray (maybe at other times in my life, but not specifically when I pray), so I was slightly hesitant. But anyway, I prayed. And…nothing happened. Well, not exactly. Something did happen, but it wasn’t a clear, “THIS is what you should fix,” it was more like I was reciting the fruits of the spirit (which, by the way, is Galatians 5:22-23), and I began to wonder, what is peace, and why is it so important that it is a fruit of the spirit? The other fruits of the spirit seem to benefit others—you love others, when you are joyful others are also happy, you can be patient towards other, etc. But peace, at least to me, never seemed like such a big deal, and it doesn’t seem to benefit anyone other than myself. Lately, though, peace has been a struggle in my life. I become anxious very easily—like if track practice doesn’t end at five I freak out or if I get homework in more than two classes I feel like I’ll have to stay up super late or something. And, to be honest, these things really aren’t a big deal… but my mindset is always that I need to get things done because I just have soooo much to do. And maybe I do, but when my stress takes away from me glorifying God, it becomes a big problem. So, what is peace? The world’s definition of peace is very different from the biblical definition of peace. We often describe peace as the absence of fear. It’s not a wrong definition, but the biblical definition also includes a sense of completeness. God alone is the source of peace; the covenant he created with the Israelites (and now us) promises wholeness as long as we maintain our relationship with Him. The Hebrew word for peace actually had a lot of meaning—not only was it the absence of war, it also meant good health, good relationships between two parties, and success or prosperity.

So google = the best resource ever. The more important question is, why is peace so important in my life? I know that lately I haven’t trusted God as much as I should have. And maybe I’ve put Him on the back burner of my life so that I can focus more on sleep/school/track/everything else. And maybe I don’t have enough faith to trust that God will always provide and to really believe what I know to be true. But peace, like the other fruits of the spirit, is something God provides for me as long as I continue on in my relationship with him. Some days are better than others, but at least I know that God is good and will always provide for my needs. “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” —Luke 12:27 And also, I don’t think having peace in my own life only benefits myself—people see peace in times of distress, and they wonder, how does that work? What do they have that I don’t? And it leads to a curiosity in Christianity; we can be witnesses of the great things God is doing in our lives. I will never not be stressed, but at least I can rest in the comfort that God provides, knowing that I am whole and complete and not just freaking out all the time at life. “And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:7

-Esther Yan

How Does Your Chocolate Taste To You? SPECIAL ARTICLE FROM MR. LEE, OUR FORMER DEACON!!! (MUST READ) When I was young, time seemed to go by very slowly and it was filled with stories that my memory can recall. As I grew older, the perspective on time became quite different even though the absolute scale of time has not changed. I probably can tell you about the crazy stories of my college life (good, bad, beautiful and ugly) for many days and nights.

On the contrary, the conversation may not last for an evening if you ask me to share memorable stories of the past ten years. Nevertheless, as a college student I would dream about the future and hope the present time would go by faster. Ironically, these days I talk about those good old days much more often than looking forward to what may be coming. Maybe this is just me or it’s something unique to my generation. I have wondered if the younger generation will be totally different. This is just one of the many things I was curious about when I started to come to Oasis on a weekly basis three years ago. Okay, you are probably puzzled about what that has anything to do with the chocolate. Well, we will talk about that later.

"Every man dies, not every man really lives." —William Wallace (movie Braveheart) “……I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” —Jesus (Bible John 10:10) “Glory of God is man fully alive” —St. Irenaeus “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get” — Forrest Gump (movie Forrest Gump)

I’ve listened to your conversation and sharing in small groups. I even got some chances to talk to some of you who were brave enough to engage deep conversation with me (really rare cases). I came to the conclusion that the way the majority of you are dealing with life is actually not much different than I did when I was your age, even though we’re from different eras and grew up in a different culture. Our time and thoughts at this stage of life are pretty much consumed by school work. Frustration and challenges in relationships (with the opposite gender, friends and parents) is a popular topic in the conversation. Computer games is another one, but it is only for boys. You are frequently bored with the daily life, as was I. Like I mentioned earlier, we seem to want to fast forward our teenage lives to the next chapter. We expect, or I should say, are “convinced” that the next chapter will be more enjoyable and meaningful. Really? Jesus said that He came so that we may live life to its fullness. Life is already a complicated topic to understand, and now we need to comprehend the “fullness” of life. People have different ideas or expectations on what the fullness of life is, but it must be very important since it is what Jesus said his purpose was when he came a long time ago. Even though we may not have the same definition, you have to admit that it does sound very good. So do you think that you are living your life to its fullness? I think we all know what kind of answer we can expect.

I know it’s hard to connect your current status of constant pressure from school work and the frustration of relationships to the fullness of life. So, is the fullness of life only limited to certain periods of our lives? Maybe certain periods of our lives are just chores. Some may say yes, if fullness means achieving certain accomplishments, reaching certain statuses, or acquiring certain “stuff.” It is definitely not what Jesus meant. To me it’s the essence of life from God like water continuously overflowing out of a cup. It’s not some particular milestone but the norm or the nature of life that Jesus promised. I can imagine that this kind of life should be so vibrant and joyful that others will be naturally drawn near to it. After all, Jesus is the “life”, and when a person is full of life, shouldn’t he be overflowing with something divine? It sounds good but is too abstract to me. I think we need to start with learning how to embrace life and see the big picture of each chapter/season of our lives.

The only certainty about the life is its uncertainty. I like how Forrest Gump describes life, as a gift of a box of chocolates. If you think about it, it is really profound. Our lives are all like a box of chocolates with mixed flavors. There is no way to expect how it will taste by simply looking at the nice wrapping. Some of them are exactly what you like and you will take the time to enjoy them, and others may be too bitter to you and you will want to spit it out. The fact of the wide variety of taste is actually what makes life interesting. Each chocolate (chapter/ season of life) is from God. It may not be the flavor you preferred, but each one is carefully prepared and contains a rich and unique taste. The first bite may not be what you have expected, but as you continue to chew on it, you will appreciate and actually enjoy each piece. What is going to happen in the next chapter of your life is not about it being better or worse than the current one. In fact, I am very sure you will be facing bigger challenges and greater pressure. Underneath any seemingly good or bad day is the opportunity to see God’s hands in your life and experience the light of His face shining upon you. Everyday you can have an “aha” moment to find out His great grace and strength. “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That’s why it is called the present.” —Alice Morse Earle We should enjoy our everyday journey. Everything that has happened to us is a piece of puzzle in a beautiful picture. At the end of each chapter/season, you will have a full understanding on what God is doing in your life and be filled with awe and reverence at the grace that He has poured on you. So what does your chocolate taste like to you?

—Mr. Lee

Teach Me How to Love ALUM ARTICLE!

“If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” —(1 Corinthians 13:2, 3 NIV) It’s so hard to love on someone with consistency. When you get closer to them and learn more and more about them, what is revealed to you are a mixture of good and bad qualities. Many times when I learn more about them, I have this desire to get as far away as I can from them…trying to keep my hands clean by avoiding the messiness of what it actually takes to develop a relationship and speak God into their hearts. I guess that is simply the easy thing to do. It keeps me “holy” even if I totally ignore Jesus’ command in Matthew 28. I feel empty when I run away. Even if I successfully avoided the messiness and frustration, it seems like nothing has changed — and nothing did change when I ran except the loss of a friend and an opportunity to be a part of bringing someone back to God. I can’t love on my own. That love in my eyes is something that’s selfish, prideful, envious, distrusting, and impatient. It keeps records of wrongs and it looks for ways to dishonor others in hopes of being better than someone else. It is truly nothing. The only way that I can love is to have Jesus’ love alive in me. It’s not about me anymore…not that it has ever been about me… I’m learning about patience — how I need to accept that God has his own plans and his timing for what he does, kindness — accepting and embracing the fact that people’s lives are messy, comfort — that I do not have to be envious for I already have Jesus in my life, humble — there’s nothing to be proud of or boastful about if I am nothing, protecting — because Jesus died on the cross to save me, trusting -– because love from something perfect won’t fail, and hopeful — because God promised that He will return and He will wipe away our tears…to only list a few… After all: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” —(1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a NIV)

—Jerry Xu

Who is Your God? So, ask yourself, Who is God? Like really, who do you say He is? Do you think He is just some deity that we, as Christians, should worship....and that’s it? How seriously do you take God, the all-powerful creator of the universe, a being that is outside of time, NOT TO ADD THAT HE STEPPED DOWN FROM HIS GLORIOUS SEAT TO SAVE SICK, DEAD, BLEEDING, SCUM LIKE US. Now ask yourself, Who is Jesus? The Son of God? Like really, who do you say He is? The person that came and died for our sins and rose again? We throw that phrase around so casually now that it has become a “Christian Answer.” Oh, you know, Jesus ONLY rose from the dead and he ONLY paid the price for our deaths. How many times have you thought about it that someone NOT ONLY took a single bullet for you, but took a hail of bullets just to save your wretched, damned soul. Do you ever realize how pathetic we, as humans, are? We hunger for the world’s cravings and thirst for some of the dumbest things (I, myself, being nonetheless different). HE DIED FOR YOUR SINS. HE SAVED YOU FROM HELL. HE WANTS YOU TO STAND IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD INSTEAD OF SATAN. DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN IT IS FOR A SON TO HAVE HIS FATHER TURN HIS GAZE AWAY FROM HIM WHEN HE SUFFERED ON THAT CROSS? Alright, now who is the Holy Spirit? Like really, who do you say He is? Just some spirit that lives on in our hearts now that we have accepted Jesus Christ? He is not “just some Spirit.” He is the spirit of the LIVING God. Ok really, how many of you guys have said “Father” or “Jesus” when you have prayed? A lot of you. Alright. What about “Holy Spirit”? How important is He to you? Like, He is what currently lives INSIDE of each one of you. He is equally as important as the other two-thirds! Now, how many of you guys think that miracles were only in the “olden” days when Jesus and the apostles were around? Since WE have the Holy Spirit, WE have the power IN JESUS CHRIST’S NAME TO USE THIS POWER TO GLORIFY GOD’S NAME! HOW COOL IS THAT? You have the power to heal, perhaps prophesize, maybe even speak tongues! WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT GOD? Now, Who is your God? Your God is the Creator of not only plants, animals, water, light, but also galaxies, not just ONE galaxy, but tens of thousands of galaxies! And, all of this was created by His command and solely by His command! And, most of all, He created you. You are his perfect and unique masterpiece and you were designed to carry out the will of the Almighty Creator! So, my question to you is, Why.Is.It.So.Hard.To.Carry.His.Will.Out? Why do the things of this world perpetually step in our way and drag us down to this place known as Earth? You have God looking over you. You have Jesus seated next to Him. You have the Holy Spirit residing in you. How much more protection can you ask for? How much shelter do you need in order for you to spread the good news? If you are that scared to share your faith to even your closest of friends, think about it this way : They.Will.Not.Be.Joining.You.In.Paradise. Scary, but true.

-Anonymous

Editors’ Picks Let me just take this time to write an opinion column on………….(DRUM ROLL PLEASE.) The Vine. Let me tell you about the Vine. When I was just a wee little eighth grade girl in Refresh, I picked up a Vine that had been neglected and tossed onto the floor. (This does not mean that leaving the Vine on the floor is okay. If you want to give it to someone in Refresh, come to Refresh!!) I read it, obviously. And I was inspired. I think oftentimes people do think the Vine is just a joke. All the spamming on facebook asking for people to write for the Vine, the silly announcements we make after Oasis. But you know what? Underneath all that, the editors truly CARE about the Vine. We’re not here to make this a joke. But truthfully, it can get discouraging when we have to scrape the bottom of a… milk bowl? (scrape the bottom of...an Oreo? Idk I’m hungry k) for articles. If you are reading this right now, you might say, well, take a hint, no one wants to write! Or, please, take a hint, no one reads this. (Which would obviously be false because you are reading this right now.) Do you know that the Vine can change lives? Hey, the Vine changed my life. Sounds dramatic, no? But I was such an introvert beyond an introvert I was introvertception. And writing was my escape. I loved picking up the Vines thrown behind (unfortunately someone else missed out on the great wisdom from his or her fellow family in Christ) but it made me thirst more for a relationship of my own with God. If you think what you have to say is not important, THAT IS NOT TRUE. WIPE THAT FROM YOUR MIND. Writing grows you. In every way. Your English teachers would even be proud of you for creatively writing. Writing is important. If the people who wrote the Bible had just decided that they didn’t feel like writing, or they didn’t have time to write, or they were bad at it, or they didn’t have anything good to say, then we wouldn’t have a Bible. That would be awful. But you know why we do have the Bible? Because the authors of those books didn’t need to do anything but let God speak words onto their heart and then write them down. The Vine works in the same way; it allows opportunities for God to speak into your own life, and thus share the good works He is doing through you with your fellow brothers and sisters here at Oasis. Think about it. Also let me take this time to ask that if you are interested in becoming an editor next year, please email all three of the editors with the answers to this short application (due May 16th): 1. Why should we choose you to be an editor? 2. What is an original idea that would further expand the ministry of the Vine? 3. How has the Vine impacted you? God bless you all. He is good.

Love your editors,

May Announcements May 4—Oasis SG night!

Give me articles!!! Mel | melody.c.zhang@gmail.com

May 11—Retreat registration comes out! Register for retreat!!!

Kel | kelly_yu_2013@yahoo.com

May 6-17—APs no one die okies

Sha| xdancer.shen@gmail.com

May 17-May 18—30 Hour Famine @ OCC keep fundraising until then (:

Trivia: What is wrong with the picture above? Hint: there is only one thing. Choose wisely!

Happy AP & IB Studying!!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥