Remember Xanga had a "Currently Reading" blurb? Well here is a list of some Currently's in my life.
Currently Reading:
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Currently Wanting to Read:
The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller
Currently Listening To:
Christmas Music! A Very She & Him Christmas and Oh For Joy by David Crowder Band.
Currently Watching:
Modern Family
Currently Interested In:
Flag Football
Currently Thinking:
Oh My Gosh! it's almost 2012!!
Currently Wishing:
For a pick in Turkey Bowl
Currently Wanting:
to Snowboard
Currently Needing:
Sleep!
Currently Inspired By:
Colorful Baskets with Cool Patterns. (random... i know)
Currently Feeling:
Simple and Happy
Currently Reminiscing About:
past two Mississippi Trips.
Currently Thankful For:
Friends
11.10.2011
11.09.2011
10.24.2011
Jonathan
Growing up I remember not liking my name, because it was so common and I always had this desire to be unique.
In grade school I remember there were 2 other Jonathans in my class and I was Jonathan Pa! "Pa" for the first two letters of my last name. The other was Jonathan "Po". Not only was it bad enough that there were three Jonathan's in class, There was another boy whom we shared the same initial of our last name. I didn't like that one bit because in our little cubbies mine would be labeled "Jonathan Pa", not even Jonathan Park, but Jonathan Pa! What the heck teacher?!? couldn't you just add two letters to "Pa"?
Then I got into middle school and high school and there was another fellow named Jonathan Park. I could call him my arch-nemesis in some ways, because we share the same name and were always being compared. At this point Jonathan with the full last name written out would not suffice to distinguish us. In middle school friends would use our physical features to distinguish between us. One was called Jonathan Park "Tall" the other called Jonathan Park "Short". Take a guess which one I was? Yep... Jonathan Park "Short" was me!
Then in high school my height caught up to him and there wasn't so much of a disparity to distinguish each other between "short" and "tall". So people started distinguishing us by another physical feature. There was Jonathan Park "buff" and Jonathan Park "skinny" Guess which one I was? Yep!.... Jonathan Park "skinny" was me!
For some reason we were always compared because we had the same last name, which I really didn't like. I always got the crappy end of the label! But we are worlds apart. To show how different we are, he went to a military college, while I went to art school. I always felt that we were polar opposites. Only thing we shared in common was our name. Funny thing is that at the end of graduation they give a picture from all the grades you attended the school district in the yearbook and my 7th grade picture is a picture of him!
Anyways... now I've gotten to really like my name and proud that my parents named me Jonathan. And also proud to bear the last name Park. More so I understand that my identity is not bound by the name I was given. Although there are thousands of other Jonathan Parks, there still really is only one me. I looked up the name Jonathan and it means "God's gift". I like how Jonathan is a biblical name and I also really like who Jonathan was in the Bible. Jonathan was David's BFF (best fwiend foeevah!) Jonathan could have sought kingship for himself because his father being King Saul would have made him the natural heir to the throne. But Jonathan had a right understanding of God and His will, and helped David escape and protect him from his own jealous father. He had the spiritual eyes to see things beyond merely the physical. He could have sided with his earthly king and Father Saul. He instead chose to side with His TRUE King and Father God.
Some other notable Jonathan's are:
Jonathan Edwards – great theologian in the 17th century during the Great Awakening!
Jonathan Barnbrook – awesome British graphic designer.
Jonathan Ive – Senior VP industrial designer for Apple. (All those pretty Apple products is because of this guy!)
Jonathan Foreman – lead singer and songwriter of Switchfoot.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas – voice of young Simba! (hahaha!)
If you've read thus far... Please blog about your name!
In grade school I remember there were 2 other Jonathans in my class and I was Jonathan Pa! "Pa" for the first two letters of my last name. The other was Jonathan "Po". Not only was it bad enough that there were three Jonathan's in class, There was another boy whom we shared the same initial of our last name. I didn't like that one bit because in our little cubbies mine would be labeled "Jonathan Pa", not even Jonathan Park, but Jonathan Pa! What the heck teacher?!? couldn't you just add two letters to "Pa"?
Then I got into middle school and high school and there was another fellow named Jonathan Park. I could call him my arch-nemesis in some ways, because we share the same name and were always being compared. At this point Jonathan with the full last name written out would not suffice to distinguish us. In middle school friends would use our physical features to distinguish between us. One was called Jonathan Park "Tall" the other called Jonathan Park "Short". Take a guess which one I was? Yep... Jonathan Park "Short" was me!
Then in high school my height caught up to him and there wasn't so much of a disparity to distinguish each other between "short" and "tall". So people started distinguishing us by another physical feature. There was Jonathan Park "buff" and Jonathan Park "skinny" Guess which one I was? Yep!.... Jonathan Park "skinny" was me!
For some reason we were always compared because we had the same last name, which I really didn't like. I always got the crappy end of the label! But we are worlds apart. To show how different we are, he went to a military college, while I went to art school. I always felt that we were polar opposites. Only thing we shared in common was our name. Funny thing is that at the end of graduation they give a picture from all the grades you attended the school district in the yearbook and my 7th grade picture is a picture of him!
Anyways... now I've gotten to really like my name and proud that my parents named me Jonathan. And also proud to bear the last name Park. More so I understand that my identity is not bound by the name I was given. Although there are thousands of other Jonathan Parks, there still really is only one me. I looked up the name Jonathan and it means "God's gift". I like how Jonathan is a biblical name and I also really like who Jonathan was in the Bible. Jonathan was David's BFF (best fwiend foeevah!) Jonathan could have sought kingship for himself because his father being King Saul would have made him the natural heir to the throne. But Jonathan had a right understanding of God and His will, and helped David escape and protect him from his own jealous father. He had the spiritual eyes to see things beyond merely the physical. He could have sided with his earthly king and Father Saul. He instead chose to side with His TRUE King and Father God.
Some other notable Jonathan's are:
Jonathan Edwards – great theologian in the 17th century during the Great Awakening!
Jonathan Barnbrook – awesome British graphic designer.
Jonathan Ive – Senior VP industrial designer for Apple. (All those pretty Apple products is because of this guy!)
Jonathan Foreman – lead singer and songwriter of Switchfoot.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas – voice of young Simba! (hahaha!)
If you've read thus far... Please blog about your name!
10.04.2011
Note to Self:
1. Do not go grocery shopping when hungry.
2. Do not write emails when pissed.
3. Do not listen to John Mayer when sad.
4. Life is Unpredictable.
5. Add to this list.
2. Do not write emails when pissed.
3. Do not listen to John Mayer when sad.
4. Life is Unpredictable.
5. Add to this list.
9.19.2011
Let's Get Physical!~ Physical!~
I realize that I spend way too much time in front of a computer and sometimes hate the fact that we live in a digital age. My job consists of me staring at a computer screen for hours moving my mouse around and typing away responding to and composing emails. Lame-O! I sometimes wish I was a designer before the invention of a computer. Those designers were dope! Although it took forever to create something, they physically moved type around and mix paints, had to manipulate images by hand and compose their work by drawing. Nowadays, we manipulate images using Photoshop, we illustrate using Illustrator (moving pixels around) Even photography is all digital. Although the process was long and grueling there is something to be said about physically making something and creating a work of art.
Even with books, I'll be really sad if my kids grew up never having to buy a physical book and if they carry around an ipad or something of that sort where millions of books can be stored into one device. The smell of paper, the physical turning of the pages, the breaking of a spine, the texture of the cover and the pages will all be lost. Also, it would be impossible to have a pop-up book on a digital device! The bookshelves would not be filled with various shapes, colors, designs, and designs of spines, but made up of an ipad or a kindle! WAH!
I'm sure the generation before ours thought the same and never imagined music being digital. But there is also something to be said about having a record. To pull out a record, place a needle on an LP and having to switch sides to listen to the entire album through is so much more cumbersome than to click "NEXT" with a mouse. But there is a beauty in a record that I can't really explain that is so nice!
I also thought about going to the gym. We are getting physical excercise by simulating what one would do if our work and labor was actually physical. Like if I was a farmer, I would proabably be doing alot of heavy lifting I just hope all of this is not lost in the future. Let's get Physical! Physical!~
Even with books, I'll be really sad if my kids grew up never having to buy a physical book and if they carry around an ipad or something of that sort where millions of books can be stored into one device. The smell of paper, the physical turning of the pages, the breaking of a spine, the texture of the cover and the pages will all be lost. Also, it would be impossible to have a pop-up book on a digital device! The bookshelves would not be filled with various shapes, colors, designs, and designs of spines, but made up of an ipad or a kindle! WAH!
I'm sure the generation before ours thought the same and never imagined music being digital. But there is also something to be said about having a record. To pull out a record, place a needle on an LP and having to switch sides to listen to the entire album through is so much more cumbersome than to click "NEXT" with a mouse. But there is a beauty in a record that I can't really explain that is so nice!
I also thought about going to the gym. We are getting physical excercise by simulating what one would do if our work and labor was actually physical. Like if I was a farmer, I would proabably be doing alot of heavy lifting I just hope all of this is not lost in the future. Let's get Physical! Physical!~
Thus Far
See that guy on the way right wearing green with the stupid smirk on his face?.... Yep. That's me!
I was browsing through the old GNC website and came across these archived photos. The photo above was taken in 2005 when I was fresh out of HS. It was my first retreat at GNC as an 18 year old kid. I was arrogant, naive, ambitious, and excited. Some of the best combination of traits you can put together for disaster. haha! Anyways... I tried to remember what it was like and all the things that I was going through at the time and questions I had for my future...
At that time in my life I was praying for three things.
1. Church. Which one do I go to?
2. Art Center. Is this where I am supposed to be? Am I ready?
3. Girl. I like! Should I pursue?
In hindsight is 20/20... But seeing how all these unknown things at the time played out, it brings me such clarity and joy to how much God works in our lives and how sovereign He is. Even in the little details. All of these things were unknown to me and who knows what the future holds, but it's all in God's hands and as Phil Wickham's song suggests, we are safe in His arms! [insert body worship here]
9.17.2011
Absolutely Unlovable, Yet Absolutely Loved
What I find amazing about the gospel are the three words:" God Loves Me" We hear that phrase all the time. And people throw it around so flippantly you begin to think “uh… yeah ok… whatever” You can also think, Uh duh! God loves everyone and not think of it as that big of a deal. I don’t know about you, but the more I think about that statement, as cliché as it may seem, the more it starts to resonate in my soul.
First of all, why SHOULD God love you or me? If you try and think really hard, there is no reason why He should. Does He love me because I’m so awesome? Nope! Does he love me because I'm so good-looking? Nope! Does he love me because I'm so athletic? Nope! Does he love me because I'm so smart? Nope! Does He love me because I'm so artistic? Nope! Oh! I know! He must love me because I'm kind-hearted and obedient! Nope! Try again! I'm not even any of these things, but try and think REALLY hard why He should love you? You can't come up with an answer. God is not impressed with anything we do. Whatever accomplishments we find impressive, He doesn't. He doesn't look at Kobe Bryant scoring 81 points in a game and say "WHOA! You are sOoOo athletic! I now love you!" Or He doesn't look at how "good" you are and think "WOW! I love you!"
In fact, when I begin to think deeper I come to see that I am despicable. Despicable ME! If I TRULY looked and gazed into my own heart, it would shed light how unloveable I really am. Inside lies all my pride, all my insecurities, all my hate, all my lusts, all the wicked things I’ve committed in the past, and all the things I did and will continue to commit to directly offend God. You may also think... God can never love me!! I've done so many horrible things! I've raped, I've stole, I've killed, I've this, I've that!
The wonderful thing about God is that He doesn't see me when he looks at me, but sees Christ. His righteousness and beauty becomes my righteousness and beauty. Through faith, Christ takes my sins, I gain His righteousness. Unfair huh? Why should someone who did nothing wrong die for it? And why should someone who did EVERYTHING wrong gain? I don't get it either, and I'll spend my lifetime trying to understand it, but it leaves me at sense of extreme gratitude and a magnificent sense of self worth and humility! Tim Keller really put it well in that the gospel is the only thing that gives you a great sense of humility AND confidence! Nothing else can do that. I am humbled knowing that I did nothing to earn my righteousness and I am completely undeserving of it, but I am confident in knowing that all of my failures and sins (as great as they are) have been paid for! I no longer bear the guilt of my sins and I don't have to beat myself up because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
It really doesn't get any better than the gospel! All glory and honor and praise be to our God!
First of all, why SHOULD God love you or me? If you try and think really hard, there is no reason why He should. Does He love me because I’m so awesome? Nope! Does he love me because I'm so good-looking? Nope! Does he love me because I'm so athletic? Nope! Does he love me because I'm so smart? Nope! Does He love me because I'm so artistic? Nope! Oh! I know! He must love me because I'm kind-hearted and obedient! Nope! Try again! I'm not even any of these things, but try and think REALLY hard why He should love you? You can't come up with an answer. God is not impressed with anything we do. Whatever accomplishments we find impressive, He doesn't. He doesn't look at Kobe Bryant scoring 81 points in a game and say "WHOA! You are sOoOo athletic! I now love you!" Or He doesn't look at how "good" you are and think "WOW! I love you!"
In fact, when I begin to think deeper I come to see that I am despicable. Despicable ME! If I TRULY looked and gazed into my own heart, it would shed light how unloveable I really am. Inside lies all my pride, all my insecurities, all my hate, all my lusts, all the wicked things I’ve committed in the past, and all the things I did and will continue to commit to directly offend God. You may also think... God can never love me!! I've done so many horrible things! I've raped, I've stole, I've killed, I've this, I've that!
The wonderful thing about God is that He doesn't see me when he looks at me, but sees Christ. His righteousness and beauty becomes my righteousness and beauty. Through faith, Christ takes my sins, I gain His righteousness. Unfair huh? Why should someone who did nothing wrong die for it? And why should someone who did EVERYTHING wrong gain? I don't get it either, and I'll spend my lifetime trying to understand it, but it leaves me at sense of extreme gratitude and a magnificent sense of self worth and humility! Tim Keller really put it well in that the gospel is the only thing that gives you a great sense of humility AND confidence! Nothing else can do that. I am humbled knowing that I did nothing to earn my righteousness and I am completely undeserving of it, but I am confident in knowing that all of my failures and sins (as great as they are) have been paid for! I no longer bear the guilt of my sins and I don't have to beat myself up because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
It really doesn't get any better than the gospel! All glory and honor and praise be to our God!
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