When Your words showed up, I ate them - swallowed them whole. What a feast!           Jeremiah 15 : 16, The Message

But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They're like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers - Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.                  Jeremiah 17 : 7-8, The Message

The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.                Jeremiah 17:9-10, The Message

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Lord, I would eat all Your Words You gave and let them point out my faults in my mind. I truly trust You, Lord since You have been the source of my joy and peace. 

In Jeremiah 2, there are some verses that can lively describe ourselves:

'When will you stop running? When will you stop panting after other gods? But you say, "Save your breath. I'm in love with these foreign gods, and I can't stop loving them now!" '                 (verse 25, NLT)

'...they never look me in the face. But when things go badly, they don't hesitate to come running, calling out, "Get a move on! Save us!" '                (verse 27, The Message)

'... But my people forget me. Day after day after day they never give me a thought.'                 (verse 32, The Message)

'... I have done nothing wrong. Surely God isn't angry with me!...'                  (verse 35, NLT)

What did the Lord respond to our rebellion? See the chapter 3,

'... Turn back, fickle Israel. I am not just hanging back to punish you. I am committed in love to you. My anger doesn't seethe nonstop. Just admit your God-defiance. Admit to your promiscuous life with casual partners, pulling strangeres into the sex and religion groves while turning a deaf ear to me.' ... 'Come back, wandering children!' ... 'I, yes I, am your true husband. ...'                      (verse 12-14, The Message)

How His Tremendous Love!!! Thank you Lord. I am deeply touched by Your everlasting love and forgiveness. Your endless Mercy drives me not to hurt You anymore and treasure every forgiveness as jewel.

Since I had joined the facebook, birthday greetings and phone calls from friends were greatly increased in number this year. So fantastic tool of communication!!!

I made my birthday wishes at 00:00 with my lovely wife, Joey. AND she prepared dishes for me tonight, pawns and noodles with beef sauce, tomatos and some seafoods ... so delicious ... I was amazed what she cooked (she told me that she had prayed before cooking, haha) and touched by what she did for me (she's really tired from work).

Thanks, Joey, my sweetheart. You have already entered somewhere in my heart I never open it to others. At last, thank you Lord, You sent her as my lifelong partner. She is the One (the Only one) I longed for. We both are growing spiritually, socially and mentally when living, chatting, playing, reading the Bible together. What a blessing!!!

He gave me TWO signs that let us know we are on the right track.

1. My GRE score is exactly the same as the average score of one of the US university. (Note: the total score is 1600)

2. When I had a lesson in Breakthrough Youth Village last Wednesday, I found that there were 4 guests wearing clothes printed 'IWU' (Indiana Wesleyan University) that is one of the target schools (Note: there are several thousand universities / colleges in US).

Um...I am not saying that we can go to the US and start our study in coming September after observing these 2 signs, BUT we recognize that Jesus knows our faith in Him was not great enough. He then let us know a fact 'He holds our future' by sending these signs. How wonderful He is!

For me, most importantly, my wife was amazed and touched by His works! This is what I concern most. 

Dear Lord, may You keep my wife's faith in You growing and your plan be done in Your time . Amen.

You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.     (5)

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!     (7)

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.     (14)

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.       (16)

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!       (17,18)

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!       (6)

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In my history and my shadow, He was there.

He is here and clearly knows what I need.

I truly know He will be there. He is faithful and loves us forever.

Thank you Lord, I begin to know what the purpose of my life is. Please keep it and let it burn ever. Amen. 

When I read the below verses in my devotion hour, I wondered what David had written was the things God did the same on me. These verses briefly describe His mightiness, miraculos acts and mercy on a christian's life. As for me, so many memorizable scenes, that they are almost forgotten as the time passes, are suddenly rewinded in my mind. When I look back, You really turned my life full of sorrows and fears into the one full of blessings and peace. How wonderful You are! Thank You, Lord. 

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescured me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise His holy name. For His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.           Psalm 30 : 1-5

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You have truned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.         Psalm 30 : 11-12

'(Jesus said)... Don't worry about such things (eat and drink). These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.'                      Luke 12:29-32

Forgive me, Lord, I have not put my whole faith to you even though I know that You, the Creator, have already known my needs.

I still hold some areas that I don't allow You to touch or handle. Please loosen my hands on those areas and hand them to you completely. This is what 'Seek His kingdom FIRST' means.

'That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life - whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?'                               Matthew 6:25-27

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At the moment I am thinking about which seminaries / universities is the most suitable one for my study, I sometimes worry about my future career / ministry. After reading the above verses, Your Words enlighten me again. Thanks Lord, You teach me to hand all my worries upon your shoulders since You are faithful. Lord, You clearly know my heart so much that I am not striving for the one I like the most, but the way You think the best for us (Joey and I) or the place You desire us to serve. I trust You very much since You never make me disappointed in the past years. Um ... I believe that I have already distinguished the difference of two words,'worry' and 'concern'. May Your peace, wisdom and strength overwhelm my negative thoughts ever. Amen.