Friday, March 28

STORM: watched minority report

in the movie, john anderston was fighting against the pre-cog's prediction of his murderous act. she told him to run away, "you have a choice, john."

you have a choice.


"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 corinthians 10:13

more than desire to hurt/murder, more than a desire to cheat, more than unclean thoughts of lust. this verse is about choices in every aspect of your life.

the world will say that it is ok not to pray when you are having a meal with big-wig attendings who start right off by discussing patients. the world will say that it is understandable to go to sleep without reading the word of God in QT, because you've been working hard for 16 hours straight in the OR. the world makes little of you lusting after natalie portman, cause DUDE, she's HOT, and all guys like her. the world says that it is ok to engage in certain activities cause we are young, and young people need to live it up!

there is absolutely NO situation where we have no choice, where we are FORCED to think a certain way, to accept conventions of this world. in each and every situation, we have a choice. there is only one standard: that of the one and only holy God.

*****
war in iraq: today's top headlines:

- Missile hits Kuwait City
- Explosions rock Baghdad, Mosul
- U.S. Marines recover bodies of fallen comrades
- U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warns Syria about military shipments to Iraq
- Scores of American soldiers airlifted deep into Iraq


there is a phrase that is thrown around quite frequently: "live like this day is your last."

as war swirls around us, i'm beginning to think of this phrase in it's literal meaning. right now, this war is very distant to most of us. but what if: arab nations get upset at what is happening in iraq? what if, saddam realizes that there is no way he can gain or recover, so, in anger, decides to launch nuclear warheads? what if, russia, china, and france decides to join the war, kicking off WWIII, upset at US and UK's drastic annhilation of arab countries? what if, seeing the instability of the international community, N. Korea decides to invade S. Korea, or launch nuclear bombs at S. Korea?

this is a series of what ifs, and may possibly show my ignorance of politcs more than anything else (or perhaps this merely reflects the way i play risk. when i play, i play to WIN, and when i can't win, i set out to cause as much desctruction as possible, especially vs. those that screwed me during the game), but for me personally, the world situation has reminded me that my life on earth is fragile and limited. i was similarly reminded of my mortality during the first huge earthquake i experienced in LA, and the crazy car accident my college buds and i had in florida.

in such situations like these, my thoughts are not of my long hours, my career, my future wife and kids, or what geographic area i will live in. my most pressing thoughts are of those friends i have that do not know Jesus Christ as their personal savior. there have been times in my life that i've tried to share the gospel. there have been too many times that i have NOT tried. as JH told me, we only have the chance to share this good news while we're on earth. there is no evangelism in heaven.

even as i write this, i have certain friends that i have in mind, friends that i want so much to receive Jesus. some of you know who you are. in some ways, i feel desperate, because it is so important that you address this NOW. maybe you've pushed it off, thinking, i'll deal with this later, or when i'm on my deathbed, i'll ask God to speak to me, to take me to heaven. there may be no "later." why put off the most important issue in the entire world? of your entire life?

******
and maybe i'm also being morbid because a patient on my serivice died today.

i don't think i can ever get used to this, as some residents seem to do. it leaves me trembling, nice structured planes of reason and order shattered into infinite pieces. even if it was known that this pt was so close to death, it was difficult and unsettling. how is it possible that a person can be pink with life one moment, and so white and grey several minutes later? the visual difference is overwhelming. just like that, a life becomes a corpse.

good night.

edit: 11:30pm
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
there is 4:35 left in the SECOND quarter of the lakers/wizards game, and kobe has 40 pts!!!! HE'S ON FIRE!!!!!
shooting 14/16, and 7/8 on three pointers. he's on pace to hit 70-80 points for the game
i think this is his personal tribute to michael jordan. the greatest respect he can pay to jordan, to play his guts out...

yakob at 11:27 PM

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