shifting sand

three stars

i finally finished the sword of truth series. you can find my review here.

even if the series attacked religions that believe in the afterlife, i couldn't help but notice that its author dreamed up a political messiah, redeemer, and judge in the form of Richard Rahl.

Master Rahl, teach us
Master Rahl, guide us
Master Rahl, protect us
In your light we thrive
In your mercy we are sheltered
In your wisdom we are humbled
We live only to serve
Our lives are yours

so goes their devotion to the Lord Rahl.

and he wasn't even perfect. how many of us can say we have the kind of devotion that can be seen in our everyday lives to the one true God, the Lord Jesus Christ?

not i. but He is faithful to complete the work He began in me.

not only on this day of thanksgiving will i remember to give Him praise.

wizards and such

i finally received an electronic copy of the finale of the sot series mentioned in the previous post at least two days ago. many thanks, jordan! ^_^ i will read your review soon. i'm close to finishing the book myself. i have trouble "putting the book down".

g'nyt, world! even if it the dawn will break a few hours from now. =p

yatta!

the last book of the sword of truth series by terry goodkind was released 6 days ago. i need to grab a copy asap. i will try to download an ebook just in case i won't be able to drop by a bookstore in the near future.

the long wait is about to end. ^_^

good news

The best news in all the world to the “ungodly,” who grieve under the cloud of darkness and guilt, is the news that God, by faith alone, counts them as righteous
because of Christ. This is the rock where we stand when the dark clouds gather and the floods lick at our feet: justification is by grace alone (not mixed with our merit), through faith alone (not mixed with our works) on the basis of Christ alone (not mingling his righteousness with ours), to the glory of God alone (not ours).

[from When the Darkness will not Lift by John Piper]

but this isn't our default condition. we are sinners. enemies of a Holy God. until we make that commitment. to repent of our sins and to accept what Christ did for us and to make Him the center of our lives.

a Christian isn't a Christian because of his religion. but because he has Christ.

once and for all

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

(Hebrews 10:11-14)

click to read whole chapter

water cycle

"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
         And do not return there without watering the earth
         And making it bear and sprout,
         And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
         It will not return to Me empty,
         Without accomplishing what I desire,
         And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:10-11

the thread

That way lies our hope where sits our greatest fear.  Doom hangs still on a thread.  Yet hope there is still, if we can but stand unconquered for a little   while.

~ Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings

Lestat

It's an awful truth that suffering can deepen us, give a greater luster to our colors, a richer resonance to our words. That is, if it doesn't destroy us, if it doesn't burn away the optimism and the spirit, the capacity for visions, and the respect for simple yet indispensable things.

(Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice)

of fairytales and happy endings

well, not exactly... ever read about little boys who shake off their genitals to become angels? castrato. mutilated at usually an early age to prevent their voices from changing. and yes, they're said to sing like angels, their voices inhuman just like the operation they went through. anne rice's "cry to heaven" is about their story. it is beautiful in all its monstrosity. an exquisite torture that managed to strip me of all traces of innocence. to say it is passionate would be an understatement. i can't  possibly do the book justice with my attempt of a review, but i'm not exactly eager to let anyone else read it. i even hid away my copy in the hopes that no innocent would lay their hands on it. it's also heartbreakingly depressing in its revelation of man's cruelty.

then there's "veronica decides to die". it's a marvel to discover the freedom enjoyed by the insane. it makes me wish i were one, but then again, maybe i am. she got tired of life. so did i. but she found the courage to live. as have i. but it took me one rebuke after another. but for those who search for the meaning of life, why not try ecclesiates? it's the book in the Bible after proverbs. time and again, i discover that there's something fresh to learn from it when life seems meaningless and empty.

Gabrielle

It had all been said in one form or another...She could not give me what I wanted of her. There was nothing I could do to make her what she would not be. And the truly terrible part was this: she really didn't want anything of me!

She was asking me to come because she felt the obligation to do so.  Pity, sadness -- maybe those were also reasons.  But what she really wanted was to be free.
(The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice)

she sounds a lot like me...

A Series of Unfortunate Events

At times the world may seem like an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad...and what may seem like a series of unfortunate events might, in fact, be the first steps of a journey.

Wizard's Rules

1. People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true.
2. The greatest harm can result from the best intentions.
3. Passion rules reason.
4. There is magic in forgiveness -the magic to heal! In the forgiveness you grant, and more so in the forgiveness you receive.
5. Mind what people do, not only what they say, for deeds will betray a lie.
6. The only sovereign you can allow to rule you is reason.
7. Life is the future, not the past.
8. Deserve victory.
9. Contradictions don't exist, in whole or in part.