Mt. Whitney November, 2013

Hey guys, I have been putting off this summit post for a while, but finally I am finding the time to do it!

Mt Whitney has always been on my bucket list, not just because of it's prestige (being tallest peak in the lower 48 states), but because I love exploring the outdoors, seeing everything God has created for us.

We decided to climb Whitney almost literally last minute...Because weather was the biggest determining factor, we saw a short open opportunity to do so and took it! We were literally sitting in a organic chemistry lecture at 6pm on a Friday night, and by 5:45am the next morning we were hiking the glorious Mt. Whitney. Being sleep deprived combined with high altitude would significantly impact us later on. I just want to say this trip was a blessing. God was with us. Pictures speak more than words, so here it goes.
 

  Note: Pictures are limited...as we could only take a few quick ones during break

Daniel, 5:45am just around sunrise,we are off

Sun was rising quickly, revealing the glory of the mountain

making good progress

WAHOOO!

Approaching outpost camp, after ~2000' gain, now around 10,000feet

"selfie"

  Whitney summit barely peaking out from high above

We are past the timberline level where no trees grow...this an oasis! 

more altitude =more snow+sun...need shades

Daniel, Trail Camp, ~11,000ft,  99 switchbacks in front of us...I thought it was the hardest/most dangerous part of the trail

Trail Crest! made it this far, almost there!!!

one of the 2 hikers we met along the way...filtering water from hole made in a frozen lake...seriously a boss

 AWESOME PEOPLE HERE. Guy holding the pole basically carried my heavy pack along with his own all the way down, shared his water his us(we ran out :/). The young guy in the green jacket safely and correctly guided us down.I look dead tired, Daniel just seems happy to get finally get off the mountain! Started at dark, end at dark :P. Round trip took ~13-14hrs of extreme hiking. TIRED BUT A GREAT DAY!

After getting much needed sleep (we slept in the car) We head back home. I highly recommend driving on Hwy 395 if you ever get a chance...just amazing stuff.

 Last seflie, before back home :)

 We did not technically make it up to the very top...we made the decision to turn around about 5-10mins from the summit. Altitude really started hitting us 12000-13500feet, starting at the 99 switchbacks. Daniel vomited everything he had eaten, my head was throbbing and started having hallucinations. As much as I wanted to summit, it got to point where it was too dangerous to keep going...we needed to get down asap. 

I seriously had doubts if I would make it safely down the mountain...

I had carried up with me a small Gideon Bible...not knowing what to read I opened to Psalm 23. As I read it, my soul was overwhelmed by God's love. He's was here guiding me down, protecting my steps. He is my shepherd. Amen

Psalm 23 

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
³     he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for his name’s sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,^[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.

The Wise Man According to Proverbs

I have recently been reading lots of Proverbs and Psalms, which are full of encouragement and wisdom. I read them when exhausted and discouraged.(pretty often recently...) I encountered a very good resource in my study Bible (NIV) that I believe is worth typing up and sharing. It is an outline of Proverbs and provides a good way to navigate through it.

As I read through this outline, I noticed many things I personally need to work on. In my Bible I placed a little check mark next to them to remind myself to work on those. Use this resource as you want. :-)

Click here for more on Proverbs 

Summit post is still coming up, probably in 2weeks! (after Finals).

Stay in Christ. Be blessed!

Proverbs Outline:

• His Character
• He Is Teachable, Not Intractable
1. He receives and loves instruction (18:15; 19:20)
2. He grows in wisdom (1:5; 9:9; 10:14)
• He Is Righteous, Not Wicked
1. He fears the Lord (1:7; 14:16; see below under relationship to the Lord)
2. He hates what is false (13:5)
3. He shuns evil (3:7; 14:16; 16:6)
4. He does what is righteous (2:20)
5. He speaks the truth (22:21)
• He Is Humble, Not Proud (15:33)
• He Is Self-controlled, Not Rash
1. His temperament
1. He is self-controlled (29:11)
2. He has a calm spirit (17:27)
3. He is slow to become angry (29:8,11)
2. 2. His actions
1. He is cautious, not hasty (19:2)
2. He thinks before he acts (13:16; 14:8)
3. He thinks before he speaks (12:23; 15:2)
• He Is Forgiving, Not Vindictive
1. He is patient (19:11)
2. He is concerned about goodwill/peace (14:9)
3. He forgives those who wrong him (10:12; 17:9)
4. He is not vindictive (20:22; 24:29)
• His Relationships
• To the Lord
1. He fears the Lord (9:10; 14:16; 15:33)
2. He trusts in the Lord (3:5; 16:3,20)
3. He is ever mindful of the Lord (3:6)
4. He chooses the Lord’s way/wisdom (8:10-11; 17:24)
5. He submits to the Lord’s discipline (1:2-3; 3:11)
6. He confesses his sin (28:13)
• To His Family
1. To his parents
1. Respects them (17:6; contrast 30:17)
2. Listens to them (23:22; cf. 1:8; 4:1)
3. Seeks to bring them honor and joy
1. By being wise (10:1; 15:20; 29:3)
2. By being righteous (23:24)
3. By being diligent (10:5)
2. To his wife
1. He appreciates her
1. As a gift from the Lord (18:22; 19:14)
2. As his crowning glory (12:4; 31:10-31)
2. He praises her (31:28)
3. He trusts her (31:11)
4. He is faithful to her (5:15-20)
3. To his children
1. He loves them (3:12; 13:24)
2. He is concerned about them (1:8-9:18)
3. He trains them (22:6)
1. Reasons for training them
1. Own peace of mind and joy (29:17)
2. Child’s honor and well-being (1:8-9; 4:9; 19:18; 23:13-14)
2. By teaching/instructing them (1:10; chs. 5-7; 28:7; cf. 4:1-9)
3. By disciplining them
1. By verbal correction (13:1)
2. By physical discipline (13:24; 23:13-14)
4. He provides for their
1. Physical needs (21:20; cf. 27:23-27)
2. Spiritual heritage (14:26; 20:7)
• To His Friends and Neighbors
1. To his friends
1. He values them (27:10)
2. He is constant to them (17:17; 18:24)
3. He gives them counsel (27:9,17; cf. 27:6; 28:23)
2. To his neighbors
1. He fulfills his obligations (3:27-28)
2. He strives for peace (3:29-30)
3. He does not outstay his welcome (25:17)
4. He does not deceive or mislead them (16:29; 26:18-19)
• His Words
• The Power of His Words
1. Their power
1. The power of life and death (12:6; 13:14; 15:4; 18:21)
2. The power to heal or to wound (11:9,11; 12:18; 15:4,30; 16:24)
2. Their limitation
1. No substitute for deeds (14:23)
2. Cannot alter the facts (26:23-26)
3. Cannot compel response (29:19)
• The Character of His Words
1. They are honest, not false (12:22; 16:13)
2. They are few, not many (10:19)
1. Not boastful (27:2)
2. Not argumentative (17:14)
3. Not contentious (29:9)
4. Not a gossip
1. Revealing secrets (11:13; 20:19)
2. Spreading slander (10:18; 26:20-22)
3. They are calm, not emotional
1. Rational (15:28; 17:27)
2. Gentle and peaceable (15:1,18)
3. Yet persuasive (25:15)
4. They are apt, not untimely (15:23; 25:11)
• The Source of His Words
1. His heart/character (compare 4:23 with Mt 12:33-35)
1. Positively, he is righteous (cf. 10:11; 13:14)
2. Negatively, he is not
1. Proud (13:10; cf. 6:16-19)
2. Hateful (26:24,28)
2. His companions (13:20; 27:17)
3. Reflections (15:28)

Thoughts on Life

Every time I slow down to think about my life my thoughts run wild...there is so much going on everyday, every moment at the same time, its overwhelming to think about the purpose of everything.

I have had more than one situation in my life where my life was on the line of life and death... It not until was  not after it has happened I have come to realize that God has, and is intervening and protecting me every time. He knows every detail of my life, and has led me thus far, but I still at times, I struggle to trust Him in certain areas of my life. Life is a Journey, I know God is working in me, and He will complete what He has started.
Verses about Trusting God: (only few of the many) 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart  and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.                  Proverbs 3:5-6

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;  but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.             Isaiah 40:28-31

God calls us to trust in him with every aspect of our lives. We are His children, and like a child runs to a father, we run to God. Not only in times of need, but both is in the good and the tough. He is Lord of all. Constant and never changing.When I think about this concept I am overwhelmed. We serve the God of the universe, He created everything...You, me, the world and everything within. There is over seven billion people on earth and God of the universe wants a relationship with me?!

Life gets complicated...and many things sometimes distract us from the ultimate goal. Life is a marathon. Spiriting a marathon will not get you far before you get exhausted and overwhelmed. (I have experienced this!)We press on toward the goal with perseverance. This comes day by day. Be the best you can be today. Give your worries to God and let him be Lord of your life!

I thought of a interesting analogy (though it has its flaws): Life is like a puzzle. All the pieces are there, but we may not know where they go together, until other pieces start to reveal it. God wants us to trust Him, He will reveal in due time certain things about our life- our purpose, job, significant other, every detail he knows ahead of time. Picture will be complete in the end. There are many things that we have no control over. Let go, and give these things to God.  Ask for wisdom for the things that you can control.

When you want truth, you need to go to the source. Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life. (John 4:16)
He is the only way to God because we are sinful that opposes the very nature of God. Jesus intervened and took our place on the cross to give us life.

Know the truth. Know life and live with joy that Christ has set us free!

thanks for reading,


SUMMIT POST COMING NEXT!  I had a great privilege to journey to Mt.Whitney with a good friend. Truly a blessed experience.

Daniel  near "cables" around 13,500 feet. Elevation definitely was having it's affect.

Not of us

 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. ³ Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.  Galatians 5:1-6

Brothers and sisters, Christianity is not of our own works. We are answering God's calling, and it is HIS Spirit that is at work in our lives that produces fruit. Our boast should be in him. Not of what we have or what we do. 

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Ephesians 2:8,9

"But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14

This is what Paul is talking about in Galatians 5. The Jewish people that were trying keep all the laws and boasted that they were circumcised, Paul writes that circumcision is of no value to them unless they keep all the laws. Being born in a sinful nature, we are all sinners, God's word says there is no one righteous, not even one. God wants us to be obedient to Him and do good works but that it is a result of His Spirit working through us. Through Christ's sacrifice, death and resurrection we are a new creation in Christ. Only through his blood, our slate can be made clean. Not our works. They a result of his working through us.

Christ died to fulfill the law. Imagine you are in a court room and you are guilty for committing crime A,B,C, whatever it be. The judge presents the evidence and we are clearly guilty. We have broken God's law and now stand in judgement before God Almighty. The penalty of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). There really is no way out. We committed sin that has separated us far from God. God is Holy, that his nature, He created us in his image, but we have abandoned his word, and sinned- contrary to what he created us to be.But then in the biggest love act in all of  history of the world, Jesus Christ radically took our place for us. We deserved death. He took our place at the cross where he suffered and died so we can have life through Him. While we were still sinners, he still loved us unconditionally. Now When the judge looks at the case, he no longer sees the death sentence anymore because the penalty has been payed. He looks and sees the blood of His Son, who is pure, and he sets us free to go.

That is essentially the Gospel.

It is a free gift given for all who accept it. Because of Christ we are a new creation, (2 Cor 5:17) our nature has been renewed and we live a life radically different than a unbeliever.

Christianity is a way of life, letting God's Spirit work us. Our character and attitude changes to be that of Christ.

Do Not Worry, Worship!

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  Matthew 6:32-37

Struggles and temptations will come in the life of Christian! There is no doubt about that.
When going through struggles in life, focus on Christ, He is right besides you leading you through his Holy Spirit. God promises to never leave us or forsake us.

Come to God, humble yourself as you are, there is none rightetoues, not one, we are all sinners. It is through only Jesus Christ, who has paid the ultimate price to give us life. Tell God all your anxieties, struggles, weaknesses, and He will give you rest.

Do what you need to do to get your heart right with God. He will satisfy your soul.

Here are some of my favorite worship songs below:  

Love Outran me

 

Yahweh

 

Set a fire

 

This is Amazing Grace

 

Breath of Life
 

In Christ Alone
 

Hosanna

 

Lord, I need You

It is God who Sustains Me

 " I have upheld you since were conceived and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and grey hairs, I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and will carry you." Isaiah 46:3-4

Amen!  Our God is an awesome! I can testify that when I am exhausted, broken hearted, or just tired of living here on earth, I can go to my God and cast all worries,all my fears to Him.

I am on the pre-medical path, and nearly everyday is a struggle. Everyday is filled tough material to learn, studying, focusing in lecture. Just the fact that only about 2% of students get, causes a great stress on my mind. What do the 98% end up doing?

Jesus is my peace. He has led me up to here, and He will keep me going where his will is. He is the vine we are the branches. We will bear good fruit if we abide in Him.

I have learned to stop caring what other people think about you. Care about God's standerds, you will give an anwer to him, not other people.

TRUST IN HIM! MY GOD WILL SUSTAIN ME!

At the end of my life I want to be able to say as apostle Paul: " I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

The Narrow and the Wide Gates

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" Matthew 7:13

I read this passage this morning and it placed a nervousness in my heart, not because I have doubt in my salvation, but because there are so many people who don't know Christ and power and life given by the gospel. As daily life continues, there is so much that distracts, and as busy as life gets, we must have our priorities straight. Don't cut away time from your daily meditation or devotion.

Few verses later, Jesus talks about living out the gospel in practical terms. He is ending his sermon on the mount which he gives laws on how to live for God, what God really wants from us. We must not only follow his 10 commandments, but honor him with our hearts. For example, "You have hear that it was said, ' Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a women lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28.

“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Samuel 16:7

I highly recommend everyone to read and live out the sermon on the mount. Matthew chapter 5-7

Sow, and you will reap a plentiful harvest

 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶ But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27

There is no point of reading the Bible if you do not apply it to your daily life! Use it, it is powerful!


Have a great week everyone!