I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart =)

Thank you Lord for the things You gave me this year. Thank you Lord for the things You didn't give me this year. In everything, no matter good or bad, I give thanks to You.


I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart;
I will enter His courts with praise.
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made.
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
He has made me glad, He has made me glad,
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.
He has made me glad, He has made me glad,
I will rejoice for He has made me glad.

black friday shopping

Today I went to Staples and bought a wireless mouse ($12) and a bluetooth headset for my cell phone ($9.99).

heehee...

A Turkey on Thanksgiving - a story by RZ

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/11/20081126-3.html

It's holiday season again. Many students will be back home to enjoy the Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy your turkey.

I remembered back in high school I wrote a fairy tale for 10th grade English class. I posted the story below and hope you will enjoy it.



A Turkey on Thanksgiving

by Richard Zhang
Nov 27, 2003

Having a turkey for dinner on Thanksgiving is an old tradition of America. Every year on Thanksgiving, millions and millions of turkeys have to give up their lives. However, a ceremony began in l947, when President Harry Truman gave a "presidential pardon" to a live turkey on Thanksgiving day. Succeeding presidents have continued the practice faithfully. Our story begins with Monica, a turkey who was released on Thanksgiving of 2003.

Monica was born in a small farm in California. She had nine brothers and sisters. Under her parent’s unconditional care, she and her family grew up happily. Monica loved this world has to offer: unlimited supply of food, blue sky and polite humans. She was so closed with her family. She felt that the most important thing in her life was to live with them.

It was a blazing hot day. The sun burned down in a clear, cloudless sky. Monica and her family enjoyed the sunshine at the farm.

“You guys are all strong enough to leave us and have your own lives. ” Mother told her children.

“No! We can live together forever!” Monica shouted out.

“We can live together forever!” Her brothers and sisters shouted out together.

Mother’s smile mixed with the sunshine. They were all hugging and kissing.

On an afternoon in early October, Monica was surprised to find out her mom was crying alone.

“What’s going on, mom?” Monica asked.

Mom sign and looked down at Monica. “I’m afraid I have some very bad news for you.” She spoke really slowly. She told Monica there was something that Monica had to know. Last Thursday in November was the people’s Thanksgiving Day, a holiday. On that day, every family was going to have a Thanksgiving turkey dinner. Thanksgiving Day was a holiday for people, but it was also the Turkey Day, the end for all turkeys’ day.

“Thanksgiving holiday is just a holiday. Why do people want to eat turkeys?” Monica was angry.

“It’s a tradition of the American people. You can’t change it.” Mom petted Monica’s head softly.

After Monica spread this bad news to every family member, everybody surrounded Mom and Dad. From time to time, they looked at one other, but with their future such a mystery they could think of nothing to say. Then they were silent. Terrible silent.

At bedtime, Monica tossed and turned all night, scarcely getting any sleep between the loud snoring of dad and her own worried thoughts. The worst time in your life is the time before you know you are going to die and you can’t help it. It’s a crunch time for millions and millions turkeys.

On the afternoon of November 26, 2003, Monica’s whole family were packed in an enormous box and moved into the kitchen in the White House.

“Here we are,” A worker said, in a voice undoubtedly meant to be cheerful. “Your new home.”

Monica looked out and saw the prettiest house on the block. The while bricks had been cleaned very well, and through the wide window one could see an assortment of well-groomed plants.

“You turkeys are going to be a part of the Thanksgiving dinner for the First Family. What an honor!” The worker petted Monica’s father, who was moving from side to side.

“Who is the First Family?” Monica asked her mom.

“The First Family is the family of the president of the United States. His family is the First Family. His wife is the First Lady. His dog is the First Dog,” Mom explained to Monica.

“Are they going to eat us?” Monica asked again.

Mother nodded her head with sorrow.

“Why can’t our family eat his family?” Monica felt cheated.

“My poor girl, turkeys never eat people. We have no choice but to die.” Mother smiled with some bitterness.

“I hate here!” Monica said. Her voices rising as she got more and more upset. “I hate this house! I hate this world! ...”

“I hate it too,” dad said, and Monica looked at her dad with relief. Sometimes, just saying that you hate something and having someone agrees with you, can make you feel better about a terrible situation. “I hate everything about our lives right now, Monica,” dad comforts her, “but we are together.”

They spent their last night at White House. This building was like a jail.

At the morning of Thanksgiving Day, two men appeared in the kitchen. There was a bald man with a very long nose, dressed in a long black robe. Behind the bald man there was a man with very long and skinny arms, at the end of which were two hooks instead of hands. Monica had already been staring and shrieking while they were examining her family. The bald man reached over and held Monica, bringing out of the box.

“This one, okay?” He pointed at Monica.

“Excellent,” the skinny man agreed.

Monica was crying. She didn’t want to leave her family. Her mom was also crying with despair.

The skinny man picked Monica up in one scraggly hand and raised her so she was staring at him in the eye. Needless to say, Monica was too scared to even try to bite the hand that held her. She struggled, trying to escape but not avail. The hand was as powerful as the pliers.

“What’s the matter with you? You are chosen to be released by the President. You should feel lucky!”

They brought Monica to the White House Rose Garden. Monica had a chance to see the so-called “President”, who had just flown back from Baghdad. There were dozens of reporters surrounding him.

The president rubbed his hands with great glee. He moved toward Monica with smile on his face. Then he opened the box, petted Monica’s head.

“Now you are free,” the President told Monica.

Monica hesitated a second, then jumped out of the box. Nobody tried to stop her. She then danced in the grass. The grass glistened wetly, and the ground beneath her was soft and moist.

Everybody applauded. Everybody was trying to take picture for her.

Monica wandered around the building. Everybody she met smiled at her.

She wanted to see her family, but they didn’t let her go into the kitchen.

At nightfall, the First Family was having dinner together. She walked into the dining room looking for her family desperately, hoping against hope that her family members were still alive. But all she saw was her dead mother lying in a dish. Her mom was watching her with a dull look on her face.

“Dad, look! There is a turkey wandering around!” The First Daughter said as she saw Monica.

“That’s the turkey your dad released today. Maybe she wants to give us thanks on Thanksgiving Day. What a miracle!” The First Lady told the First Daughter.

“You don’t have the right to release me!” Monica cried.

The First Family never knew a turkey could talk. They were all staring at Monica.

“YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!!!” Monica said each word with hatred.

“Your mother?” The President was confused.

“Yes. My mother,” Monica pointed at her mom. “This is my mother!”

The First Family gazed at each other.

“Kill me! Please kill me! I must be with my mother,” she begged.

A drop of the First Daughter’s tear plopped down on the dinner table.

Monica tensed her leg muscles, took a deep breath and prepared to jump. Nobody moved. Monica jumped on the table. She wanted to be with her mother.

The First Lady screamed out loud.

One of the security guards hurriedly took out the gun and shot at Monica. Monica covered her mom with her wings before she died.

The next day, the president spoke with the new governor of California.

“Last night I saw a turkey who spoke to me in English. I’m not kidding,” the president told Arnold.

“Yes, Mr. President. You are not kidding. But be careful somebody is going to recall you if you keep saying it.” Arnold shrugged.

Something every heart is loving

http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=nt&n=547

Something every heart is loving:
If not Jesus, none can rest;
Lord, my heart to Thee is given;
Take it, for it loves Thee best.

Thus I cast the world behind me;
Jesus most beloved shall be;
Beauteous more than all things beauteous,
He alone is joy to me.

Bright with all eternal radiance
Is the glory of Thy face;
Thou art loving, sweet, and tender,
Full of pity, full of grace.

When I hated,Thou didst love me,
Shedd'st for me Thy precious blood;
Still Thou lovest, lovest ever,
Shall I not love Thee, my God?

Keep my heart still faithful to Thee,
That my earthly life may be
But a shadow to that glory
of my hidden life in Thee.

I realized that some simple YP songs make so much sense right now, after I have been through many experiences. Even though the words are simple, the experience of the writer is deep and sweet.

Oh Lord, Keep my heart still faithful to Thee, That my earthly life may be But a shadow to that glory of my hidden life in Thee.

philosophy paper

In my philosophy class, I have to write a final paper on account of Aristotle's explanation of Moral Excellence. So for the first time in history, I went to the sections from other five TAs to hear what do they have to say about the paper. (unbelievable huh?)

For that paper I have thoroughly analyze Aristotle's idea of Moral Excellence. How does moral excellence leads to true happiness, etc. They are some obscure and random stuff.

It's funny and sad how some people take this kind of stuff seriously, thinking that they have the truth. They don't know that only Christ is the aletheia, the truth, and thus the only way to eternal happiness.

One call of "I Love You, Lord Jesus" trumps all Greek philosophies. =)

Californians Approve Proposition 2

As a long-time and active member of The Humane Society of United States, I am glad that prop 2 was passed! Californians have spoken.

Proposition 2 passed with more than 60% of voters taking a stand against the mistreatment of farm animals. This measure ends the practice of confining veal calves, egg-laying hens and breeding pigs in crates and cages so small the animals can barely move over the course of their entire lives.

As a result, we brought forth a new, more compassionate age.

The President The Humane Society of the United States wrote to us: Giving farm animals a little extra room to stretch their limbs, to move like animals should, is a small matter for us humans. But it’s a very big thing for a hen who would otherwise be confined with a half-dozen other birds in a cage about as big as a filing cabinet for her whole life. It’s a really big thing for a sow who would otherwise be stuck in a crate so small she couldn’t turn around. It’s a way big thing for a calf who would spend life chained inside a miserably tiny crate.

Brother Lee once said that you can tell how much a person loves the Lord by observing the way they treat the animal. I think being humane to animals is one of the good human virtues that express God's divine attribute.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Of course, the real and everlasting kindness is God Himself.

right path

Christian life is a journey. God leads me to the paths that I would never imagine. I don't want to know everything and plan out everything. It's more fun this way. Human preparation can only take me so far, the rest lies on the hand of God.

Watchman Nee once said "If God leads you to walk a way that you know, it will not benefit you as much as if He would lead you to take the way that you do not know. This forces you to have hundreds and thousands of conversations with Him, resulting in a journey that is an everlasting memorial between you and Him."

Sometimes God's will is very clear to me for some matters through His sovereign arrangement. But some matters I am not sure what the will of God for me is. I just like to keep my heart open and set on the Lord, hoping that the merciful Lord will correct me and lead me to right path if I am on a different one.

Building Up or Tearing Down

When we fellowship with one another, we should always ask ourself: are we building them up or are we tearing them down? That's doesn't mean we are ignorant of the challenges we are facing. Everyone has problems. However, we shouldn't always complain. We can offer each other a word of encouragement, rather than a word of discouragement; a message of hope, rather than a message of fear; a confirmation of belief, rather than a question of doubt.

Being spiritual doesn't necessary mean being legalistic. One definitely can be spiritual and practical at the same time.

During the retreat, the brothers from Texas told brothers, you watch how much does that sister loves the Lord, and sisters vice versa. That's the highest quality you are looking for in another person is how much their heart is for the Lord. When the reality hits, when we are not rooted in Christ and not loving Christ, there is gonna be conflicts. When the money problems come in, there is gonna be conflicts. When the sickness comes in, there is gonna be conflicts. There are many heavy things and pressures that's gonna come up. But what would bring the couple more and more into oneness is that they both love the Lord. Their relationship is based on Christ himself. It doesn't matter how compatible you feel you are, you watch when the pressures come up you will see how uncampatible you are. The thing that really brings us into a sweet oneness is loving the Lord Himself.

I remembered a few months ago during our usual "bros" conversation, Paul Daubenmire told me that "the sister is attractive when she is in her spirit." I didn't feel the same way as him back then. Now I couldn't agree with him more. =)

From the spirit we can get life, peace, strength, hope, joy, deliverance, forebearance, forgiveness and so much more! We can never graduate from loving the Lord. We can tell when we touch a heart of a person, what their heart is for and what's number one in their heart. The number one should be God and His purpose on the earth.

Christians on Campus College Retreat

We went to the college retreat last weekend. It was a great experience. It really refreshed my love for the Lord.

Not only Jesus is the complete God. He is also a perfect man who has total identification of man in the way of experience. He is the one who can be touched with the feeling of out weaknesses. There is no struggle that He cannot identify.

5 ways to pursue Christ
1. by knowing and loving Him
2. by yearning for Him
3. by being drawn by Him
4. by counting all things loss on account of the excellent knowledge of Christ
5. by laying hold of Christ (forgetting and stretching)

The real Christian life is inward and largely hidden. Our life is daily, small, slow, hidden, and also corporate.

We need to develop a good root system while we are in college. Otherwise we wouldn't stand it when the storms come later in our lives.

This weekend the Lord forced me to get our of myself and focus on Him. The mind set on the flesh in death and the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. =)