quangxvu's Xanga

we must go

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:24:58 GMT

It's easy to open up the newspaper each day and think that God is silent. Take a quick glance at the world and you immediately feel like something is wrong. Most people would wonder where is God in this world? Why isn't He doing more? Why can't any of us see Him?

I've come to the conclusion that if God is silent, it is because His followers are silent. How can we expect the world to recognize the presence of God when we ourselves live like He doesn't exist? It's in our actions. It's in our attitude. It's in our speech. God is manifested through His people and I can personally say I myself have been too silent.

So it's no wonder the world can't accept God. The only way God will become tangible to the world is if the body of Christ starts living the kingdom of God, starts living in love, patience, faith.

God has revealed Himself to those who were willing to listen. He has set the mission. It's up to us now to be His hands and feet.

Such a simple concept but I'll probably be spending the rest of my life figuring it out. This isn't about religion, politics, rules, or guidelines. This is about how I live. Do I love?

untitled for now

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:24:15 GMT

I liked you. I pursued you. I disliked you. Then I never knew you. You had your life and I had mine and we lived with this great divide. We filled the gap with bitterness and pride. I had so much to say. I wanted to speak but I chose to hide.

But today there's a bridge between you and I. Almost overnight. It took no effort and no might, just time for God to set things right. It's strange to cross this bridge, my feet feel too light. The steps are awkward and put up a fight. That's just 'cause I remember your anger and spite.

But this is where we are. The future is bright. I really wonder if we could be friends... friends for life?

Please don't ask me who this is about. I'm just freewriting =)

for the lost and broken, this is for you

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:30:11 GMT

This song is for you.

Hillsong United - You Hold Me Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx2-Inc8TkA

This is a tribute.

For anyone who has ever had a bad day. A day where they had to stay in bed due to sickness. A day of illness. A day where they learned their best friend has died. A day where the tears flowed unceasingly with no end in sight. A day full of pain and sorrow. A day where someone told you had weeks to live. A day of disappointment. For anyone who has ever had a reason to frown, a reason not to smile. For those with aching hearts. For those with broken dreams. For those with nothing to call their own. For those who have lost the world. For those who have hit rock bottom.

One of the great things about being a Christian is I have this hope that there'll be a day when my life will be flooded with joy and happiness. I know one day I'll smile with my heart and I won't be able to stop it. I know one day I'll never be sick. I won't be underweight. I won't be out of shape. Not that any of that will matter to anyone then. I know one day any sadness remaining in my heart will be replaced with love. The bandages I've placed on my heart will fall away as I'm given a new heart perfectly filled to the brim with love.

Until that day, I have this song to remind me of what I've living for.

Here are the lyrics.

Hillsong United - You Hold Me Now

On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace

All my fears swept away
In the light of your embrace
Where Your love is all I need
And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails

Where Your name is lifted high
And forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name
I'm believing for the day

Where the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

Happy Father's Day DAD!

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:47:27 GMT

This is the anti-tribute tribute to my dad this Father's Day.

My dad is responsible for a lot of discontent in my mom's life and in my life. If you don't know already, my parents are divorced. When it finally happened it had been a long time coming, and the whole process took so long it was like shooting a horse in the leg and letting it bleed to death.

Don't get me wrong, I love him. I appreciate him. I've forgiven him. But I have vowed to never be like him.

So this father's day I visited him. He had a father's day get together to remember the anniversary of grandpa's death. As I watched my dad interact with people and play music it was sort of scary to note how alike we are.

1. Younger than most of his friends. Dang I thought her was old until his friends arrived to the party.

2. If he thinks you're dumb, he'll talk down to you. Now I don't do this, but I used to. I've come to understand that I'm pretty dumb myself (he hasn't).

3. Calm and collected on a microphone. I don't understand what he's saying half the time on the microphone, but people laugh and respond to him. To this day I am still as nervous in front of a mic as I was when I first started leading worship three years ago. But there are many moments where I experience a sense of clarity and I am able to express myself through words.

4. Loves beer. Self explanatory.

5. He is a flirt. Okay this one only mildly applies to me. I'm not a flirt. I think I'm just a friendly and open person. That's why I can blog and write public entries. I joke around and I like making people laugh. I see my dad interacting with all the women in the room and he's always making them giggle and saying sweet things to them. Maybe he's just being friendly too. I can see how it can get blurry.

6. Deep thinker. He would overload xanga with blog entries if he knew how to use it. He analyzes everything, questions everything, and doubts everything. I think at his age though, he has learned to relax. I'm still working on it.

7. Loves music. If his woman ever left him he'd sing a song about it. No tears. Just pain. Music is in his veins. I can't describe it. But I'm the same way. Sometimes the best part of feeling sad is when I find a song to commiserate. I seek music in my best times. I seek it in my worst times.

Bold Move

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:08:32 GMT

I purchased a Blackberry Bold with two year agreement!!

So at my new job the company pays for my cell phone service. This means I can finally have mobile access to the internet! Truth be told, I've had a Blackberry phone for months now, but no data plan. A Blackberry with no data plan is like a man who has had a vasectomy; no potency. (NOTE: But that doesn't make him less of a man!!!!) It was very anti climatic every morning waking up and realizing I had an internet phone with no internet.

So with free cell phone service, I needed to get a killer 3g phone! Yes the iPhone came to mind. But I despise Apple products. (Not because Apple sucks. They make excellent, solid, and trendy products. But they also somehow managed to cultivate a user base that partially consists of really snobby wannabe tech geeks that think they're better than everyone else because they own an Apple product. BAH!) But a more objective reason for not getting an iPhone is that the whole purpose of my getting a phone was that I had access to corporate email. And mobile email is synonymous with Blackberry. So hmm what is like an iPhone, but not... ah the Blackberry Storm. I went and tested that phone out. It's a beautiful phone but typing on that phone is the opposite of what typing on a Blackberry should be: Fast.

It seems so simple now that I write it down but I was torn between the Storm and the Bold for weeks! I thought that only Verizon Wireless, which carries the Storm, was the only carrier that included voice-navigation-gps features and the ability to use your phone as a modem so you could get internet anywhere you get a signal. But then I learned the Bold can do both of that. But then Verizon Wireless has the largest 3g network in the nation. But the Bold doesn't suck at typing.

So anyway I ordered the Bold today. Please congratulate me with 2 eprops or a free gift on facebook.

miracle on calhoun

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:19:59 GMT

Accounting Final Exam Numbers

80% of the final was over 5 brand new chapters. 20% would be on previous 8 chapters.

I read 1.8 of the 5 brand new chapters. In other words, I had covered 36% of the new material. Which means I was prepared for an optimistic estimate of 48.8% of the total exam. I didn't review the previous chapters at all.

Hopefully I scored higher than a 48.8. I actually felt pretty good about the test leaving the room. So we'll see. If this is to be used as any indication of my intelligence, it should demonstrate that I am an idiot for procrastinating, but more importantly it will be a miracle if I passed.

finally, something to say

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:37:02 GMT

     There are few things worth saying any more these days. When the whole blog thing started years ago I was writing every day. Every thought or idea I had suddenly seemed worth broadcasting to the world. Every idea seemed fresh. Life actually felt new under the same old sun. But I should have known better. "There's nothing new under the sun." Since then I've discovered that nobody cares. Heck, even I don't care most days. No one cares what you or I think. I care for very few things as well.

     So you might wonder why I am taking time to write all this down while fully aware of the implications of the question, "If a tree falls in the middle of nowhere, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

     Honestly, I'm just hoping to be wrong. Maybe people do care.

     Anyway.

     I've been living life in auto-pilot mode. My mind is on leave or something. I go here. Do that. Learn this. Sing that. Pray here, pray there. There's no end in sight. But I am happy. Every day I can honestly proclaim life is good. Don't misunderstand, I have enough struggles and issues to occupy my time, but I can't shake the feeling of peace in my soul. Sometimes it's so overwhelming I find it hard to be affected by anything, to be upset or angry. I feel so distant no matter where I am or how many people I'm with. It's making me irresponsible. I could stay like this forever, but no. That's complacency.

     Strange.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:24:47 GMT

This is the next song our band shall learn. Best. Song. Ever.

Who is Ike?

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:26:57 GMT

Who is this Ike character people keep talking about? All around campus I hear his name whispered. He sounds like trouble! We don't want him!

happy birthday to me

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:28:35 GMT

     I think I've been saying this to myself every successive birthday for the past 5 years, "This year was better than the last." Every year gets better and better. I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of blessings. I feel grace raining down on me with torrential force. I'm covered in love.

     Last night surrounded by so many people I call friends and family, I had never felt more complete. It is not that I depend on others to complete me, but we are called to love. We came from love, and we are all seeking love. Love is the beginning and love will be the end. Love sounds a lot like God. As I was surrounded by so many people that I loved, I came to experience a moment of clarity where I couldn't see God with my eyes but I could His footprints in my life. This pastor recently told me that when we meet God the Father in heaven, we will realize that we had known Him all along. He is in the love that we find and have for others. I understood it at the time. But last night I experienced it. I sort of wish my life had ended last night on such a beautiful note.

     I just want to thank all the people that were there who gave their time to be with me. I want to thank every one who has been and still is a part of my life. Most especially my best friend Jen whose compassion for the people around her continually challenges me to grow deeper in faith and in love for others.

God is love!