{FROM THE EDITORS} WHAT IS SAFE & WHAT IS GOOD?
Going to Avalanche 2014, the speaker, Pastor Travis, explained a concept I once thought I understood. Matthew 5:13-16 states that we are the salt and the light of the world. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Originally, this was pretty easy for me to grasp—we have to proclaim the glory of God to the world because we are His people; we are poor beggars showing other poor beggars where the free food is. This is our Great Commission. Pastor Travis lit a candle to demonstrate the foolishness of placing a trash can over it. Obviously, the flame would sputter out because there would no longer be any oxygen. He proceeded to tell us that if we were afraid the candle would go out and tried to keep it ‘safe’ by putting something over it, we would ultimately end up extinguishing it without allowing a chance for the candle to keep on burning brightly. With the same breath that can blow out a candle, a flame can be fanned into something greater; a fire cannot simply be put out with the same breath that snuffs out a candle. Instead, the
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wind only causes it to grow bigger and bigger. We are that candle that wavers between becoming smoke or becoming a bonfire—and the decision lies upon our shoulders. How many times have you prayed for safety and/or protection? I’m not saying asking for safety is necessarily bad, but isn’t there so much more to life than avoiding risk and danger? Weren’t we called to higher purposes, to a greater plan that our ridiculously insufficient human minds could never comprehend? I’m not free of this either; I pray for security, spiritual aegis, shelter from the uncertainty and threat of death that stems from this world. We were born with the mindset that persecution and oppression would harm us, maybe even break our very souls—but in actuality, doesn’t it help us strengthen our faith? Doesn’t it keep us rooted and dependent upon the Lord? And even though persecution may be the hardest thing we will ever endure on this is earth, isn’t the promise of Christ better than our lives? Isn’t the assurance of God what we should strive for? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:38-39 God never said that following Him would ever be ‘safe’. He never gave us a guarantee that
we would emerge unscathed. When Jesus beckoned to the fishermen (Mark 1:16-20), they left everything that would have assured them of a successful life to follow Him. Simon and Andrew probably abandoned all hopes of leading a good life with a steady income and job, while James and John left behind their father without knowing what was in store for them. In The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis, the question of whether or not Aslan is safe pops up. “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr Beaver; “…Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.” Aslan represents God; He isn’t safe, and following Him may mean you will never be able to go back. But He is good, above all, and He
never breaks His promises. Back during the time when Jesus proclaimed that we were the salt of the earth, the salt the people used was not refined and 100% salt. So if all the saltiness disappeared, all that was left was gravel. If we do not live out our purpose, we are worthless (very harsh, but very true). If we are too afraid of our light dying and we hide it, what good is it? Who will benefit? We have to have faith in the Lord that He will fan our flame. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. –Philippians 1:21 Paul says this in the sense that our reason for living is Jesus, and even if we die, we inherit the kingdom of heaven—and who wouldn’t want that? There’s going to be a lot of fear living out the life as a disciple of Jesus. There’s going to be pain and suffering. But it’s worth it; every single thing will be worth it. God isn’t safe, but He is good. Give feet to your faith. Let Him kindle the fire in your soul.
— Michelle Shen 3
{FROM THE EDITORS} WHEN TO SAY ‘I LOVE YOU’
There you are, sitting in the middle of the park with your significant other after a wonderful night out. The sun has set and you two are finally alone. There’s this strange and awkward tension in the air, and you’re not sure what to do—is it time to head in for the night, or is this the time to pull out those three magic words? Flustered and embarrassed, you manage a string of syllables that come out as a gurgle, and with that, your romantic night is over. Saying your first “I Love You” can be very intimidating and difficult, especially if you don’t share your feelings easily. Figuring out exactly how you feel, knowing what saying it means for your relationship, and having a longterm plan can help you avoid uncomfortable and confusing situations like this. When it comes to communicating those dreaded three words, the first question is when. The first step is to understand what “true love” means to you and your relationship. There are certainly no set of rules or guidelines to follow. However, many consider this point to be a life-changing decision, and that saying “I love you” means that you are ready for a long term commitment. Some may even believe that saying “I love you” should be reserved for when someone thinks they have found their life partner— after the couple goes through several ups and downs and passes the honeymoon phase, and are stronger in love than ever. The right moment is different for each of us, and the only way to know when is to know what “love” means for you and figure out whether or not it describes your feelings and your relationship. This could require much reflection, research, and support from your friends and family.
When you decide that you are finally ready to take the scary first step of a committed relationship, it is important to communicate it in the right way. Sharing your sincere feelings is a very personal matter, and most would consider it extremely rude, impersonal, or insensitive if relayed in any way other than face to face. Texting or calling can often do for quick on-the-go messages, but in order to make these three words special and meaningful to you and your partner, it is best to set up a more romantic, face-to-face setting. Start with a place or an activity that is special to your relationship or a place that you think your significant other may particularly love. After the dinner or night out, wait until you feel it is the right moment. Here, you can get creative: examples could be spelling it out with food, taking a walk to a spectacular view, or simply telling them after the conversation dies down. Finding a unique setting and the perfect moment can play a great role on the effect of these powerful words. After the task is accomplished, it is essential to not expect hearing it back right away from your partner. Give him or her time to sort out their feelings. This process may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, or even months—everyone comes about it differently. Remember that saying “I love you” should have no strings attached, and you said it because you meant it—not because you wanted to hear it back. This may be a difficult pill to swallow. If you truly love your significant other, be patient. If the love is reciprocated, you two are ready to start a new chapter.
— Melody Zhang 4
A LIST 1. We are very selfish people. 2. Everything we do is for our benefit; we are self -indulgent. 3. "I will raise my hands during worship to seem more passionate." 4. "I didn't get anything out of this retreat because the night of worship wasn't 'good'." 5. Worship is not Christianity. 6. Worship is not how you look or how you move physically. 7. Worship is not about emotion and it is not about the words. 8. Do not interchange praise songs with words of the Bible. 9. Worship is praising and glorifying a God so great and mighty and powerful—because He deserves it. 10. He deserves praise to the most infinite amount and yet even that is not enough to encompass all that He deserves. 11. Instead of solely focusing on worship and how it makes you feel emotionally, I urge you to delve into the Word of God with the same amount of passion and fire you sing with. 12. Actively seek to know God more. 13. Please do not sit like a potato and hope for some miracles. 14. Here is some advice: if you plan on sleeping with your Bible under your pillow, you will acquire knowledge via osmosis. 15. I am just kidding that last thought is false hahaha ha ha 16. We must glorify God in everything we do. 17. "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV) 18. We must live every breath for Him, let His 5
light shine through us, and spread the good news to those who don't know. 19. What's the point of living if you're not living for God? 20. “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." (Matthew 5:13 NIV) 21. Stay salty pls 22. He made the ultimate sacrifice and we can't even ask a friend to church. 23. We're too lazy, we're too busy, evangelizing is too uncomfortable. 24. “I'm an introvert.” 25. “Evangelizing isn't my gift from God.” 26. “Nah I jus’ ain't about that lyfe.” 27. EXCUSES!!! …aka first world Christianity problems because we live in a country with religious freedom and we can go to church and not get shot and people don't actively hunt us down and we don't have to hide. 28. We don't have to hide our belief. We choose to hide it. We are ashamed of a God who has saved us from an eternity in hell (of which we rightfully deserve). 29. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14, 16 NIV) 30. In case you're wondering how to evangelize on the smallest level, start with Matthew 5:16 (quoted above). 31. "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"
32. Please do not hide your light under a bushel. Or an umbrella. Or Patrick's rock. Or a hairnet because if you hide it under a hairnet the hairnet will most likely catch fire and the lunch lady will give you bean mush for the rest of your high school career… oops. 33. But actually, our God is amazing and infinitely overflowing with grace, love, and mercy. The least we can do is to shine our light so others can also rejoice in His greatness. 34. God, you are fabulous. Seriously.
35. Lastly, never forget that God loves you. You are His beloved. 36. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He's got your back; He's got your life. 37. You're constantly battling against the world and the devil himself—but why doubt, why worry when you have God on your side? 38. "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 NIV) 39. God's on your side! YOU'RE GONNA WIN, GOD DOESN'T LOSE!! 40. Like if this was an elementary dodge ball game, God would totally be first round pick. 41. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39 NIV) 42. We get so caught up in the trivial side of life. We doubt over the insignificant but who are we to lose faith when God's love is eternally greater than all of our greatest problems combined? 43. He's always there. 44. Omniscient. 45. Omnipotent. 46. Omnipresent.
— Christine Leong 6
FROM SUMMERFEST Can I just say… wow. I’ve attended conferences and some other retreats before, but I’ve never really experienced something quite like what I experienced at Summerfest. It was phenomenal, a huge amount of positive energy, and a lot of people… it was kind of crazy; I’d never really been to something like that before. But when I really think about it, it was just another retreat. Just another conference in which our spirits were hyped up in the excitement of everything. I hadn’t really been to a conference in a while, but I remember before it used to be just focused on the spiritual refueling. I’d go to the conference/retreat, get hyped up, feel like I was on fire for God; but when I came back, I’d feel spiritually dry and I wouldn’t do anything or make any attempt to follow God at all. This was the revelation I received: don’t take conferences as just something to refresh your spirit upon, but take a conference as something to meditate upon, something to think about, and most of all something to apply it to your life. We receive convicting sermons all the time, but how many of us actually push forward to make it part of our lives? How many of us actually turn our gaze to Jesus after that sermon? Sadly, back then, at the end of the retreats/conferences… it became all about me. I wanted to be fulfilled, I wanted this conference to meet my expectations, I wanted this conference to tell me what I wanted to hear, otherwise it wasn’t a good conference… etc. It’s time for that to stop. It’s time for me to put what I’ve heard into action. It’s time to live out my life and let my actions speak louder than my words. It’s a bold claim, but I want my actions to show my love for Christ and my love for the Sons and Daughters of God. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. –James 1:22 To be honest, I’ve been slacking on my Bible reading recently. So, what are the reasons why I haven’t been reading the Bible? I’ve been looking around me instead of looking up
and getting distracted by the very place God has placed me in. I’ve been feeling discouraged and thinking and worrying too much about my future life instead of putting my faith in Him and trusting that He will provide. I haven’t been praying much for strength to come to me from God or the endurance that I need to withstand the power of loneliness, and I fall under pressure. It’s been all about me the past few days and I’m putting myself above God and above everyone else around me. I’ve keep telling myself that I’m lazy while I’m actually not a lazy person, thus deceiving myself and making me unable to pick up Scripture to pass this test. After Pastor Fergusson’s sermon, I was completely blown away, baffled by what he shared. Through all the things that had happened to me, not only did I not turn to the miracles God already provided for me to see, I turned toward the sin that Satan caused to distract me. Do not focus on Satan and the world; rather, focus your life on Jesus and only Jesus. If you focus too much on getting rid of your own sin with your own hands, you’ve completely missed the point of the Gospel. I’m not saying you should stop trying to get rid of sin; instead of focusing on that, you should focus your eyes on Jesus and He will stand next to you to help you get rid of all the slavery and sin. I feel renewed through Summerfest, but ultimately, I feel renewed because I know that no matter where I go, God will test me, and no matter how hard the hardships are, He will provide. After Satan tempted Jesus, who had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, the Bible says: “Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” (Matthew 4:11) Not only did Satan leave Christ, but because Jesus passed His ultimate test, angels came to minister to Him, to take care of Him, because our God is just that good.
— Brian Wu 7
HOME
To my dad, who taught me that tough love can be a good thing. Love is not always cheesy rom -coms and kissing in the rain (why is that even romantic?) and chocolates and Valentine’s Day. Love can be kind of mean, sometimes. “Get good grades.” “Do the dishes.” “When you do the laundry, don’t forget to hang up my dress shirts and pants.” Let it be known that I don’t like to be told what to do; in fact, I’m pretty sure no one does. But there’s value in these words. Get good grades—I want you to have a good future. Do the dishes—I want you to be able to take care of yourself. Make sure to hang up the dress shirts and pants—there’s value in taking care of others, especially the person you might end up marrying. Because the stoic, silent figure who seems to be completely absorbed in his work all day is the same person who still occasionally gives me a goodnight kiss when he thinks I’m asleep. To my mom, who taught me how to love unconditionally and sacrificially. Because love is sticking it out when it gets rough, when you don’t actually want to deal with the people around you but you still have to because deep down inside, you know they care about you. Because this is the woman who had to convince my dad to have even one child, let alone a second; this is the woman who felt completely alone with the rest of her family back in China, her children too young to understand her; this is the woman who wakes up
early on weekends to make breakfast, not just for her family, but for her church. This is my mother, who, despite her own health, works a full-time job, supports her pastor husband and her children, and leads various small groups at church. She is so clearly dependent on Christ that it is no wonder that I am learning, little by little, what the meaning of sacrifice, and as a result, life, truly is. To my brother, who taught me that love is patient, love is kind. I used to (attempt to help) change his diapers when I was two; now he’s taller than me and doesn’t need my help anymore. He’s the one I deal with most often, the one who can grate on my nerves in one moment and be super helpful the next. It seems like I have all the responsibility between the two of us sometimes, but I think in the end it all works out. Because love is patient, and asking him for the hundredth time to stop playing League is not very patient. He’s still learning to balance responsibilities, and so am I. Because love is kind, and being condescending, as if I were better than him because I’m older, is wrong. Love never fails, and where love never fails, God never fails. To my Father in heaven, who taught me that God is love. That above all else, when I have nowhere left to turn, not even my family, I can find rest in His embrace. His arms are open wide, saying, Beloved, as the father has loved me, so have I loved you; now remain in my love. And God does not break his promises.
— Esther Yan 8
AVALANCHE: DAY 1 please teach the humble me about—excuse my severe rudeness for asking this presumptuous question—how this connects to your “hook?” Right. The hook. A disciple, by definition, is one who is “a personal follower of Jesus during his life.” Easy enough, right? Wrong. A disciple is a person who follows the Word of the Bible… constantly. Every single second that we are alive, we must follow God’s Word to be a disciple. Imagine that. And yet, becoming one is difficult. Jesus said to his disciples: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) In other words, Jesus is telling us to give up our current lives—be it a stable career or a happy life—to follow Him. It is certainly a leap of faith. Your point is? My point is simple. A Christian is simply a name. A disciple of Christ, however, is leading a new way of life. Aim to become a disciple of Christ. Becoming a Christian is simply the first step.
As a believer in Christ, should we strive to become a Christian or a disciple? Why Arnold, is there a difference between becoming a Christian and becoming a disciple? Why yes, there is! Let’s create a character named Timothy. Now Timothy, who has never gone to a church, suddenly decides he wants to go to one named Sisao. Now, at Sisao, after two years of learning about the Trinity, he decides to accept Christ. It is at this exact point at which our dear Timothy becomes a Christian. Therefore, whenever we say that someone is a Christian, it simply signifies that he or she has accepted Christ. Simple enough right? O brilliant Arnold,
LOVE Love is an elegant word. It is a word special to all of us. Love describes a single feeling that we cherish, but who am I to say? It's an obvious fact that all of us know. HOWEVER, Valentine's Day, although deemed "the day of love" by the public (whose ignorance of some subjects is baffling), should cease to exist. Originally, Valentine's Day came from Geoffrey Chaucer's poem, "the Parliament of Fowls." Well, technically he was the earliest person to write about Valentine’s Day but not the originator. What troubles me is the fact that we need a day to display our LOVE to another, be it our significant other or just a crush. Everyone has heard of the phrase "the only
universal language is the language of love", and justly so. Ask anyone about the ways to show love and they will give you the same answers. We all know what love is, so why wait for one day to show it? Chocolate companies and flower companies are taking advantage of our feelings! Valentine's Day is a facade. Fight against them and reject the idea of Valentines Day! Disclaimer: This is just a work for entertainment. Any and all ideas are mine only. Valentine's Day is adorable and an awesome time to buy chocolates. Have fun!
— Arnold Zhou 9
TEDDY’S FOURTH HAIKU WAS DONE BEFORE 10:30 JUST TO LET YOU KNOW God's Valentine gift Is not candies or flowers It's Jesus, His Son!!
— Teddy Du
PICKUP LINES BY YOURS TRULY, SHANON SHEN
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VALENTINE’S SURVEYS!
[Editor’s Note: Hope it went well!]
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VALENTINE’S SURVEYS!
[Editor’s Note:: Ask Ann for her Frozen joke!(;] 12
[EDITOR’S PICKS]
— Jenny Boudon 13
Love your editors, ANNOUNCEMENTS BIRTHDAYS: FEBRUARY 24—Joanne Tan MARCH 8—Lucy APRIL 3—Joni APRIL 8—Danielle APRIL 11—Hannah Lau EVENTS: February 28—athen’s coffeehouse MARCH 7—Churchstock MARCH 17—Leprechaun Day
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