Man's true purpose

I was just looking through my blog and found this post I wrote two years ago on Winter Break, but didn't post. As I'm reading The Slumber of Christianity (Dekker), Mere Christianity (Lewis), and Desiring God (Piper) my mind is once again drawn to this subject but with even more clarity and this post becomes current in my mind again.

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Why does man suffer? Or, why do we not find answers to why we have suffering for different reasons?

I think this all goes back to the purpose of man.
All people are created with purpose. The need for a purpose is easily visible in people today throughout our nation. Many people make this purpose out to be the old "American Dream" of wealth and independence. Some people take the apparent morals which are popular in society today such as a happy family or the advancement of mankind. While not bad, these purposes are not the ultimate purpose of man which he was created to fulfill. This purpose, I believe is to glorify God through the means which God has provided and through the plan which conforms to His will or plans for our lives.

Is man's purpose to fulfill his desires, to be happy for happiness' sake, to have knowledge for knowledge's sake? This brings up another question: Ultimately, what fulfills man's desire for happiness, and joy. Is it being free from pain? Or is it from being healthy? Or, does material wealth give ultimate happiness and fulfillment?

A look around: There are wealthy people that commit suicide in every generation. How can wealth bring happiness? It would appear that it does not. According to the scriptures, it does not. In Ecclesiastes 2:1-10, Solomon, one of the richest and most wise men ever to walk the earth talks about how he thought wealth and material possession was his fulfillment. He talks about how through hard work he built up wealth and possessions for his enjoyment, but in verse 11 he says "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun." He explains more in the rest of the chapter, but that seems to answer that question.

Another look at today's people shows that people with health and wealth alike are equally not happy and bring themselves to bitter and untimely ends. How can health alone bring happiness? We see people that are in some of the worst of physical cases with the happiness not found in ten people around at a glance.

Does knowledge bring happiness? Do we have knowledge today? As my Prof. Mr. Phillipps said in class "knowledge for knowledge's sake is not knowledge at all. Knowledge for the Lord's sake is true knowledge." (that's a paraphrase since my notes are still in my dorm) With the invention of the internet we have knowledge galore. Everyone's knowledge is everyone else's knowledge. Again from Solomon we hear "For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow." (Ecc 1:18). Knowledge has not fulfilled man ultimately.

If the ultimate purpose of man is not fulfilled with health, wealth, or knowledge what brings ultimate fulfillment of man's purpose? Ultimately nothing can be as great or as noble as bringing glory to the creator of man. Bringing glory to God, the creator of the universe and mankind is the greatest purpose mankind can ever have.



All people are created with purpose, or the need for one. The need for a purpose is easily visible in people today throughout our nation. Many people make this purpose out to be the old "American Dream" of wealth and independence. Some people take the apparent morals which are popular in society today such as a happy family or the advancement of mankind. While not bad, these purposes are not the ultimate purpose of man which he was created to fulfill. Those without purpose become enslaved with depression and self-loathing because of the lack of purpose, the disillusionment that is cast by the thought that one is useless and worthless. This purpose which is ultimate fulfillment, I believe, is to glorify God through the means which God has provided and through the plan which conforms to His will or plans for our lives. Bringing glory to God is the greatest purpose.

~Yokanchi

Fall 2008

Well, this has been quite the semester. My friend and next-door neighbor eloped and dropped out of school, I was put on chapel probation without even going over the 6-miss limit, my roommate and good friend graduated this semester, I had a new boss, and I punched someone in the face while I was asleep.

Learning all along the way, I feel that I've matured greatly in the school of life, with my grand God the presiding head professor.

The most important lesson I feel I've learned this semester is how to let go of strong feelings impeding godly behavior like anger and resentment as well as feelings stemming from desires for revenge and stress from various things, not excluding homework, work, roomates and other trials of life.

God has shown me my innermost thoughts can be revealed when I least expect it, and therefore the importance of developing the right mindset brought about by correct beliefs in truth, and evidenced by correct attitudes, producing ultimately right, godly actions in my life.

Though I haven't reacted perfectly and maybe not even in the best way, I feel that overall God has brought about these situations, and sometimes even trials, while providing me the strength in maturity and discernment to have come about through each of these things having provided an adequate and righteous reaction. In this way I feel that my experience, knowledge and wisdom have been increased this semester in a visible way, and for this I thank my almighty Creator for His providence, wisdom and loving care towards my soul through these times.

I also want to tahnk all my friends and professors fora ll the things you've done for me and taught me, Thanks for being there for me. Whatever happens in the future, whether I see you all again or whether your path in life departs from where God has led you to in my life. I pray that God would heap blessing upon your life and bring prosperity and joy more and more into your life!

Thanks friends!

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Billy A.

Doing Something Different

Sometimes you just want to do something different. Something that will get noticed. Or, maybe it won’t . Maybe you feel like doing something different and seeing if people even notice. Maybe you do it to reassure yourself you aren’t invisible. Or maybe it’s just for fun?

Maybe you’ve never done that. Do you ever look around and see people that you can imagine have never changed a single thing about their lives for the past 20 years. Makes you feel sad for them. But maybe they are more content than you. Do you think contentment is happiness? Why does that scare you? They probably are different unless you haven’t changed in 20 years either. Maybe they are afraid of change. But maybe they are really happier than you.

People say the only thing you can expect to remain the same is change. It’s always going to come. Often it’s inevitable. Maybe your house is washed away by a hurricane, or collapsed by an earthquake, or carried away by a tornado. That’ll make something change. Are people created to be dynamic in nature? Why does habit bring comfort then? Why do we fear too much routine? Or do we really?

Are we naturally creatures of habit really? Or are we really creatures on the move? Always pursuing, always chasing, always working, always accumulating, always thinking, always eating, always breathing, always speaking.

Seems ironic that we can’t even figure out ourselves sometimes, what is our motive? If we never know our motives, what will become of us? Are there people who never question their own motives? Are there people who always question their motives? Is it better to do it or better not to?

Maybe we were meant to always question, but never fully answer. Perhaps it is part of our endless (by all appearances) pursuit of what we want or need. If you knew everything would contentment come? Or would you be dissatisfied by the lack of pursuit?

Many have said contentment is a state of mind.

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

~ Frederick Keonig

Psalm 37:7 - Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Proverbs 16:8 - Better is a little with righteousness,
Than vast revenues without justice.

(http://www.biblegateway.com NKJV)

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.
- Baltasar Gracian
(That's confusing, anyone know what it means?)

Hey if anyone has any good ideas for the layout of my blog I'd really like to change it. Maybe even go to another blog host, I don't know what's good. Any ideas??

The Majority

One day, at a drag race while they were giving away prizes I realized how often I’m in the majority. A white middle class American teenager.

I’ve never really won prizes. There are different groups of people those who got the prize, and those who watched. I wondered why it always seemed to be this way. Maybe I was created to be average, to be in the majority. Someone has to be the majority, after all with no majority, there is no minority.

People always laud upon the unique. They encourage it. Seems like those who have something practical to accomplish always encourage the opposite though.

It never bothered me to live in the majority, though. Yes, it could be exciting to be the one who wins the prize, who is unique, but in America, to be average us really pretty good. I was actually pretty happy with my life. Not happy, as if I had accomplished something, but content to where I never really longed to be in some other situation.

I’m riding on a bus now. Every time I’m on a plane I feel more average than ever before, enough that sometimes I have dressed up and down to be unique. Different.


Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

The Electric Typewriter

If you'll take a look at the new title you'll notice I changed the title slightly by removing an errant 'R' which once blotted the face of the white title parading across the top of this green glob of wordiness.

My writing teacher took a look at my blog about 2, 3, or 4 years ago and I finally realized, "you know, I could actually change that so it says what I meant."

Anyways. For an update.
I haven't been too specific here in this blog, at least about my current life. I've been a little busy for that. Seems like that started ever since I came to college. Looks like it has no signs of changing either. I like writing still, but don't spend nearly as much time. So, I will try and update, but if you're curious for more facts or a closer look, or want to know how I"m doing, just ring me up, shoot me an e-mail, fly by me on facebook, or drop an IM on me. Or attack me like a ninja (though the aformentioned methods of staying in touch sound a little less effort filled, I still enjoy a good ninja attack once in a while. or something).

So anyways...
Tomorrow, I'm going home for a two week vacation from work and most school. That'll be fun. If you're anywhere in CO, give me a call or something and we can hang out or something. (or ninja or something)

Also, hopefully I'll have more time to blog. Which I really would like to do. Blogging seems to only occur on vacations now, but I decided I will try to post without going into the slimy details of my mostly mundane life and boring you to death.
Anyways, thanks for reading. I have about 10 minutes till work, so...
TTfN, and hopefully a new post awaits your ever curious eyes in the near, future.
Praying for you all and,

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
- JRR Tolkien

(woah, I just figured out what that means finally!)

Stuffalufagus

Yep, that's the title. Didn't want to write anything else.
So Cooper my friend who works with me found this really really random site. I would say go check it out if you have a few minutes to spare reading strange little poems and stuff.

It's http://www.nobodyhere.com/justme/me.here

Just go there and start clicking things and enjoy :)

So it's been pretty boring here on campus. There's not a whole lot to do. Luckily I get to go do things with friends alot of weekends, but it's kind of random, and if I don't find someone to do something with me then I'll end up having the most boring weekend ever.
This weekend was kind of fun, actually pretty fun.
More than last. When I have a blast again it will be a milestone. i don't think I will be able to have a ton of fun for a long time. I'm still getting over things, learning to live differently and stuff.
If that doesn't make any sense you can ask me, and I'll explain, ha.

Anyway, I got to go to a jazz concert with Danny and his girlfriend this weekend and then go play guitar hero and stay up late at his place. That was fun, then yesterday I went with my roomates to someone's house they are housesitting and we watched like four movies in a row lol. Two Arnold movies, and then both Transporter movies. That was sort of fun, but they're pretty quiet during movies. I like talking and hanging out unless it's a really good movie, but oh well.

Then today after going to another church I went to Placerita again, and then tonight got some friends together to go to Pho's and that was cool. It's a vienamese resturant with really good soups and great serving sizes.

Well, tomorrow I'm going to go in an hour early to work and watch them upgrade the wireless network controllers.
And.... my contact needs to be put back in, it popped out like 5 minutes ago and I've been typing with only one eye open.

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

PS if you're in town or nearby the school, let me know, I'm always up for hanging out and doing whatever. Especially since I have so much free time.
Just give me an e-mail or get my number and call.

That green gentleman (Things have changed)

I love this video.
The song sounds really cool, and the video shows what it's really about.
I think it's really well done. Enjoy it!



Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
yokanchi

Real Update

Ok, well here's what's happened since last August (ish).

This will be condensed, if you want to find out more about what's happened with me I'm free to talk through IM, phone, or e-mail.

Well, now I'm a junior in college.
Still signed up to come here to TMC next semester. In October I started dating someone, but just recently (a month ago) became single again.
It was quite a year. Busier than ever before. The first semester was busy because I joined Choral. This is the show choir of our school. Because I was so busy I dropped almost all my music courses including Choral.

However, it was at least as busy, probably more because I took 18 units, which was more than I've ever taken in a semester before. And also was dating, until the very end. This made last semester the all time busiest over all.

Anyway, finals week was absolutely killer and drove me into the ground, but I made it.

As for the summer, I plan on staying out here and working on campus for the summer. I will be an interesting adventure (I doubt I will do it next year, but that remains to be seen).

Well, I'm out of time. I plan on going back for a week or two to visit family, do something fun and visit some friends.

Time to go back to work.

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

A long due update

Here's a long due update, after two semesters of school.
Here I am at Bob Hope airport, a junior in college. I just got in trouble for leaving a $20 air-soft pistol with only 140 fps in my box which I originally intended to check with my luggage, not bring as a carry-on.
What happened was that last night I packed a lamp and some assorted junk that I wanted to keep at home in the best box I could find, which was unfortunately very small. Well after I packed that, I found some other things that I wanted to bring home and didn’t need at college and realized I should pack the lamp in my clothes so it didn’t break.
One thing I found was my bag of air-soft stuff. So, of course as soon as I took my box of assorted junk to get checked at the airport and check it in with my suitcase I forget that I have this packed and assume I have my lamp packed inside instead of my air-soft junk. So then as I’m checking my luggage outside, the guy tells me that they won’t be liable for what happens to the box and that I can take it with me on the airplane. Of course dumb me starts thinking that, “well, they’re not afraid of breaking everything in this box I’d really like to see my working lamp survive the trip, and so I should bring it with me.” So I take it with me.
Of course once they see this gun thing in the x-ray scanner, they stop the box and pop it open with me okaying it all the way since I figured there being all this random junk they would want to look inside and expected it. Then they find that, and ask me what it is, and I realize what it is, and tell them they can trash it they decide that we should wait a little longer, so we wait like 15-20 minutes. Granted, it’s probably not that long, but the TSA security guy brings over the cops and they look at it and stuff.
Then after writing all kinds of things on a piece of paper in his illegible strange writing after looking at my driver’s license, the little Mexican man with his strong accent and face that has probably not cracked a smile in several weeks, tells me: “it ees your luchky day de police are not going to press charges”. I was very thankful, but started wondering how the heck the police are going to press charges on me for carrying a plastic toy gun that can’t even break your skin.
The frustrating thing to me was that the stupid TSA security guy wasn’t smart enough even recognize what kind of weapon toy this was, considering the fact that it is a widely known sport and is available at almost every wal-mart store for as cheap as $10. Shouldn’t the security for an airport be well enough educated to recognize the difference between a clear plastic toy and a real killing utensil. Obviously not. Whatever, this is LA.
Well, this is longer than I thought, so I’m going to do more update next post. Now I’m in the plane waiting for the boarding to cease and the flying to begin. Home, here I come.
Written at 6:51pm, May 14th, 2008

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

On Hold

Yes, that is what this blog seems to be on for now.
Quick update.

Winter break was good.
Went to winter camp.
Kelly came for that. So Christmas was amazing.
Got to go skiing the day before I came back to college (where I am now) again (which happened last year too, lol).

I am now in my 2nd semester as a sophomore.
Classes look hard, but manageable.
I'm taking the most classes I've ever taken before in a semester, or at least the most units.
On the upside (at least for my time's sake, I've got less work this year to fulfill my work/study award), also I have no real music classes anymore. I have to drop piano and Choral, but am still in one choir for fun.

Well that's enough for now. Thanks for reading.
Prayers are appreciated. Have a good day!

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

Just sittin here

Well, half of my finals are over. They seemed to go well.
I still have a really hard one and a moderately hard final to get through.
The accounting final shouldn't be hard, but I don't seem to do the best on these tests, so I'm trying to study alot for it.
The theology tests are always impossibly hard and then he curves it.
Amongst all that mish-mash of grade basketball, I usually don't come out with more or less than a B or B- unfortunately.
This is something I don't like (obviously). Soo, I'm going to study my brains out if I can do it, and go for the best. I would appreciate every prayer.
People use prayer as a joke for test, but some of the best grades I've gotten are because I've asked the living almighty God for the power of His knowledge, and then take my tests with the best of my ability. One of these, was my final programming test.

I want to appreciate my God. I am his dependant and he is my provider. The one true source of all knowledge.

Бог Хваления (Praise the Lord)

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

Something I found

Two things I request of You

(Deprive me not before I die):

Remove falsehood and lies far from me;

Give me neither poverty nor riches-

Feed me with the food allotted to me;

Let I be full and deny You,

And say, "Who is the Lord?"

Or lest I be poor and steal,

And profane the name of my God.



-Proverbs 30:7-9





Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

I-5 remains closed after truck pileup in tunnel - Los Angeles Times

I-5 remains closed after truck pileup in tunnel - Los Angeles Times

So, today I was supposed to go to the beach, but this is what happened last night at 11pm and so I couldn't because the route to and through LA to the beach is through there.

Kind of crazy. It's like something that doesn't happen unless you're watching an action movie.

Till next post.
Your faithful typer-writer,
Yokanchi

Rain...

I'm sitting in my living room at 1:21am listening to the rain.
I love rain. The wetness, the coolness.
It's amazing.
I even love cloudy weather.

Call it gloomy if you want. It makes me so cheerful.
It's like a present from God that frees us from the norm.
Sun is nice, but there's plenty to go around.

Clouds and rain are like an exotic import from the tropics.

Even the cool weather is wonderful.
It makes wearing something thick cozy and comfortable well worth it.


I think I wnat to move to washington someday. I would love it.
I think if it ever rains when I have to write a paper, it'll be the best paper I've ever written.
I think if I moved to washington I could become a writer......

Praise the Lord, who shares the wealth of his heavenly storehouses full of wet cool liquid life that rains from the beautiful mystical clouds and washes the earth, grows the plants and cleans the air. Blessed be the name of the Lord and all who praise, serve, and adore him. He loves the World. The evidence is crystal down to the smallest feature of his beautiful masterpiece of magnificent machinery we call the world even after sin has corrupted for so many a century.

Our God is an awesome God full of love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness and beauty.

Till next post.
Your faithful typer-writer,
Yokanchi

Indians Take To Streets Against Wal-Mart - Forbes.com

Indians Take To Streets Against Wal-Mart - Forbes.com

Aw, that's mean! That was my second reaction to this article.
The first of course was, "oh those poor indian workers losing their jobs to Wal-mart" That's what they want. Really why it's mean is that people just don't want to change the way they do things. If someone comes up with a brilliant business plan that revolutionizes business and culture, we shouldn't freak out so easily just because that's not what we're used to. It's not like Wal-mart is destroying jobs! They're only creating as many as are destroyed. There's always places to work for Wal-mart. And, if people don't like working for Wal-mart. Then they're going to have to get innovative and creative! Sounds mean, maybe, that's capitalism. Not real friendly, but honestly not that mean if you really look at the options.

Input please! Leave comments! What do you think?

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

Science validates Biblical princibles for marraige

Wired News - Study Ties Marital Strife, Heart Disease

I always wonder if God thinks, told you so. When something like this happens.
This is an instance where Science has found that it is very important to marry the right person, and most importantly keep a good marriage.

"'What we add here is that, 'OK, being married is in general good, but be careful about the kind of person you have married.' The quality of the relationship matters,' said lead author Roberto De Vogli, a researcher with University College in London."

Of course, divorce is left out of the possibilities for someone who is a Christian and has a bad marriage. Their best and technically only option is to improve their marriage by being servant-like and trying to make their spouse happy as much as they possibly can.

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

School business

Well, lately I've been too busy to even think about updating this blog. Unfortunately, it may be that way for a while. I don't know how much I'll update this blog, but I would expect not much.

Of course inspiration comes at strange times and in strange amounts. I will try to blog when I have the inspiration. In the mean time, remember I'm here, but I'm sorry about the lack of content.

In the meantime. Just a few things I'm doing.
Right now I'm trying to get a paper written on Predestination and free will. We have to read a book about 200 pages and write a 2000 word essay about it. It looks like it'll be hard. It's due Tuesday (trust me I started reading as soon as I found out, it kind of came on very quickly (only the second week of classes).

Also, I had an idea this morning. Nowhere on campus can you buy Arizona tea. The other day I saw someone with a big case of it. I'm thinking I should find out where I can get one of those and sell them for about a dollar each to whoever wants them from my dorm room. If people like Arizona tea as much as I do I'm bound to make some sales. I figure for buying a whole case I'm bound to save some money on each individually and that way, if I sell for a dollar it might make a little profit (just for fun mostly). And I'll have Arizona tea on hand for myself. That'll be nice to have if no one wants any.
Anyway,

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

PS let me know if you drink Amazon

Psalm 78

Wow, I was just reading Psalm 78 and it amazes me what can be found.
If you ever want to teach a lesson that covers the history of Israel this is a great chapter to use as your base.
You don't have to go and make your own summary, it's already written for you! This whole chapter (and yes it is a bit long as you might imagine) covers from Abraham (Israel) to David.

It's really a great history, only including the important stuff, which would be Israel's relationship with God.

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

On campus for two weeks no-school?

Classes are starting tomorrow!!!
It should be fun, interesting, crazy. All that.

These past few weeks I worked on campus full time.
After work I found things to do, like watch movies with people nearby, or work out at the fitness center or take walks.

Anyway, I gots stuff to do, and so do you!

Till next post.
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi

Being a Christian is Paridise.

Why you ask?

Because, of course, and I knew you were wondering. Because, my good friend, you always have good news!

And that is why!

Till next post (however long it may be).
Your faithful typer,
Yokanchi