Top 6
I. Pastor, Wisdom (15)
II. Knowledge, Hospitality, Leadership, Intercession. (14)
After a roughly 6 month hiatus, I am back…with one word: Skinny-dipping.
The word actually means nothing to me, besides the fact that I have done it before and probably will again sometime in the future, but these past six months have been turbulent and been some of the most challenging and best times of my life.
I leave it to Macklemore to conclude for me:
“This is your life, you can’t escape this bitch when it’s hard. Just know that it passes, but you’ll collect scars- They never go away, but they will make you who you are. This is a beautiful struggle…”
au revoir à l’été de l’amour
Strengths are talents that were invested in and developed with time and energy. People can become skilled in things which they were not talented in and people can have unrealized talents which never become strengths. The point of this test is to discover what our main talents are so we don’t waste time pouring our time and energy into things which may not be our forte.
I – Strategic
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Driven by your talents, you notice that multiple solutions to nagging problems automatically pop into your mind. You usually study each option from many different angles. After carefully evaluating the entire situation, you likely choose the alternative that makes the most sense. Why? You habitually aim to outscore or outperform most of your rivals most of the time. Instinctively, you are innovative, inventive, original, and resourceful. Your mind allows you to venture beyond the commonplace, the familiar, or the obvious. You entertain ideas about the best ways to reach a goal, increase productivity, or solve a problem. First, you think of alternatives. Then you choose the best option. Chances are good that you usually feel satisfied with life when your innovative thinking style is appreciated. You automatically pinpoint trends, notice problems, or identify opportunities many people overlook. Armed with this knowledge, you usually devise alternative courses of action. By evaluating the circumstances, available resources, and/or the potential consequences of each plan, you can select the best option. By nature, you generate innovative ideas. You offer unique perspectives on events, people, and proposals. You probably inspire people to start projects and launch initiatives.
You tend to identify a goal, devise numerous ways of reaching it, then choose the best alternative.
This explains why you see opportunities, trends, and solutions before your teammates, classmates, or peers see them. It’s very likely that you have a knack for identifying problems. You spontaneously generate alternatives for solving them. You probably consider the pros and cons of each option. You often factor into your thinking prevailing circumstances and available resources. You feel life is good when you sense you are choosing the best course of action.
II – Achiever
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Chances are good that you labor tirelessly when you know your performance and results are being compared to those of other people. You probably find it hard to recall a time when you failed for lack of effort. You are naturally motivated to be the very best — not merely one of the top finishers. Your satisfaction comes from being “number one.” By nature, you customarily establish weekly performance targets for yourself. You organize and plan new projects. Usually you know exactly where you are headed, how you will proceed, and when you will reach your goal. Pushing hard for desired results energizes you. Because of your strengths, you normally direct most of your talent, energy, effort, and reasoning to the task at hand. Your good judgment probably allows you to establish long-term goals that are truly worthy of your undivided attention. Driven by your talents, you usually give your undivided attention to individuals. You automatically concentrate on whatever they are saying. You earnestly strive to eliminate distractions or reduce interruptions that get in the way of your really understanding someone. It’s very likely that you think intensely to conceive vivid mental images of the future. Many individuals lack your ability to envision what will be possible in the coming months, years, or decades. As a result, they regularly rely on you to do this visioning for them.
III – Belief
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Because of your strengths, you refuse to live a meaningless existence. You seek a vocation that allows you to express your deepest values every day. Work or school provides you with the opportunity to enrich and deepen the quality of your life. You really want to do what you love doing. Your job or studies need to be much more than a means to an end — that is, a paycheck or a diploma. It’s very likely that you are enthused about being declared the very best. The experience of winning likely means much more to you than any monetary reward. Chances are good that you associate false praise with dishonesty. This is one reason why you are cautious when giving individuals feedback. Your integrity demands that you say what you mean and mean what you say. Your compliments are hard-won and genuine. As a result, people really value them. Instinctively, you are determined to push for changes that will benefit humankind or Earth itself. Your desire to have an impact motivates you to enter into conversations with intelligent people. Drawing on their wealth of knowledge and ideas as well as sharing your treasure trove of wisdom is exciting. These discussions frequently cause you to think in new ways and to reexamine your purpose in life. By nature, you refuse to be blinded by others’ enthusiasm about what is possible. You are hardwired to isolate the issues that lie ahead. Working with overly optimistic people is difficult for you. You have seen them accidentally derail more than one promising project or unwittingly sabotage more than one inventive, yet undeveloped, idea.
IV – Responsibility
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
It’s very likely that you are determined to be victorious. As much as you yearn to be “number one,” you know cheating is unacceptable. You probably experience remorse when you unintentionally take unfair advantage of anyone. You likely think finishing first counts only when you have followed all the rules just like everyone else. By nature, you often describe your life in favorable terms even though obligations force you to keep working until you reach your goal. Instinctively, you are known as a reliable and dependable person. You are motivated to work diligently. You cannot rest until you have completed what you told someone you would do. Because of your strengths, you consistently work at assignments and chores to their conclusion. People have confidence that you will see whatever you do through to the very end. Driven by your talents, you derive much satisfaction from pulling newcomers into discussions or friendly chitchat. Over time, you may have become more aware of your abilities. They also have shown you how to be accountable for your words and deeds. You exhibit maturity beyond that of others your age.
V – Futuristic
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Instinctively, you have a capacity for envisioning what the coming months, years, or decades could, should, or will be like. Frequently you are prompted to transform your ideas into things you can touch, taste, see, smell, or hear. Chances are good that you crave moments alone with your thoughts. You consider whatever arouses your intellectual curiosity. Setting aside time each week to explore your ideas is not only a pleasurable but a necessary activity for you. Because of your strengths, you create detailed and vivid images of what the future promises. You can describe it long before others can imagine it. Driven by your talents, you have an imagination that allows you to peer into the future and see what is possible. Thinking about the coming years or decades makes you feel a lot more upbeat about yourself, your prospects, and your life. By nature, you may perceive that you have an ability to create vivid word pictures to describe the future. You may inspire people with your images of what can be. Perhaps individuals appreciate your forward thinking. They might want or need to hear from you more often.
My original goal of posting at least once a month, has proven to be successful, with the exception of August 2011. Commemorating this, here is the first legitimate picture of myself:
(It’s honestly not that great of a picture but I love it.)
The DISC test measures the styles and preferences of an individual within an environment – a measure of behavioral style, if you will.
Dominance: 36. Relating to control, power and assertiveness.
Influence: 36. Relating to social situations and communications.
Steadiness: 20. Relating to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness.
Compliance: 8. Relating to structure and organization.
Personality Type: You have a strong inner motivation to influence people and circumstances. You thrive on competitive situations and challenging assignments.
The stresses and pressures of everyday work and life are unlikely to reduce your effectiveness and enthusiasm.
Dominance: Comparatively High
– Enjoy competition and challenge.
– Are goal orientated and want to be recognised for their efforts.
– Aim high, want authority and are generally resourceful and adaptable.
– Are usually self-sufficient and individualistic.
– May lose interest in projects once the challenge has gone and they tend to be impatient and dissatisfied with minor detail.
They are usually direct and positive with people, enjoying being the centre of attraction and may take it for granted that people will think highly of them.
They may have a tendency to be rather critical of others. Consequently, other people may tend to see them as being rather domineering and overpowering.
Influence: Comparatively High
– Are strongly interested in meeting and being with people.
– Are generally optimistic, outgoing, and socially skilled.
– Are quick at establishing relationships.
Sometimes their concern for people and people’s feelings may make them reluctant to disturb a favorable situation or relationship.
Steadiness: Comparatively Low
– Tend to enjoy change and variety in their work and non-work life.
– Are expansive by nature and tend not to like routine and repetitive work/activities.
They enjoy stretching themselves intellectually and physically.
Compliance: Comparatively Low
– Are independent and uninhibited.
– Resent rules and restrictions.
– Prefer to be measured by results and are always willing to try the untried.
Free in thought, word and deed, they long for freedom and go to great lengths to achieve it. They feel that repetitive detail and routine work is best “delegated” or avoided.
“Love languages are the way in which you receive love, that makes you the most happy. And also, a way of showing love. Generally, you show love in the way you like to receive love but not always. Ps. Love languages are neat.”
-AC
Physical touch (8)
Quality Time (7)
Acts of Service (6)
Receiving Gifts (5)
Words of Affirmation (4)
(Out of 30)
If anyone had told me graduation day, as I celebrated the end of my college years, that I would: spend the next six months in a fruitless job hunt before returning home to live with my parents in Colorado, spend 2011 in the same futile job hunt, and I would be applying to enter into a leadership institute for 2012 – I wouldn’t have believed them. My first reply would have been: What is a leadership institute? My second assertion would be that God would provide something. He has to. And my final statement would have been, what am I doing going back into school, if it’s not medical school? I just graduated! God’s plan for our lives rarely matches what convention dictates or what we envision. But through this season in the wilderness God has revealed to me so much of Himself and myself, and brought me to a place of faith I could never have reached on my own.
C.S. Lewis once wrote that the interruptions we experience throughout the day are one’s life and the perceived life being interrupted is but a figment of one’s imagination. It’s always been a defense mechanism for me, something to trick my mind into a sense of purpose or direction or safety – to have a plan, my concept of my ideal life. I suppose this is the first brick wall we’ve got to hurdle and there is no way around it but over it: can God direct our steps? Because He will, whether we like it or not, and it will either be a stumbling block, a source of bitterness, or a wellspring of faith and comfort. But after that brick wall comes another: what if the redirection isn’t to our liking? Being denied a promotion and then receiving a job offer elsewhere for a better position is one thing, but what if we lose the promotion and get stiffed with a pay cut? Or what if, like my case, we make plan after plan but none of them work out? When we’re down and out with our backs to the wall, who do we turn to?
Through all of these circumstances, especially what has transpired in my life the past two years, I have learned more and more to trust in God. It’s one thing to agree that God works all things to our good when life is going well, but when you walk through the valley, everything takes on immediate significance. This season in the wilderness has revealed to me so much of the character of God the Father. When you rise from the couch of comfort and enter the trenches of the spiritual war being fought around us, you must overcome the impasse: it can no longer remain head knowledge but a conviction lived through faith. Is God good? Then live in His goodness. Are the pleasures of God yours? Then chase no longer the fleeting pleasures of this world. Are you a citizen of heaven? Then live as foreigners in this world. And with each of these and more, I’ve found that as I step forward in these truths by faith, God will answer. He may not give a mountain of food, but His daily bread sustains us. He may not fulfill all His promises immediately, but where we are is exactly where He wants us to be.
This life is a journey, a progression, nothing is static. And through this time in the wilderness, I have come to a deeper level in my relationship with Him. In the sense that He has revealed aspects of Himself I never knew, He has moved Himself powerfully on my behalf, and He has brought me into a deeper level of fellowship and intimacy with Himself. The entire tone of our adventure together in this life has changed and just as gold refined by the fire, I see impurities in my physical and spiritual life melting away in ways I never thought possible. When God strips everything away, you’ve got no choice but to confront the nakedness of who you are and the truth of who He is. I am learning to follow Him step by step even when the path is unclear, and for it, the dynamic of our relationship can never be the same. In the absence of a master plan, I’ve become acutely aware of the importance of every day. When your circumstances and heart drive you to the throne of grace every day, everything will change.
In Philippians 4:7, Paul writes that “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Many believers have peace, but not a peace which transcends all understanding – a peace that doesn’t make sense. Unbelievers looking in should be perplexed at this great peace, and believers looking in should be encouraged in the truth they know. Truly, He is with us.
Extraverted(33) iNtuitive(12) Feeling(25) Judging(56) [ENFJ]
- E – Extraversion preferred to introversion: ENFJs often feel motivated by their interaction with people. They tend to enjoy a wide circle of acquaintances, and they gain energy in social situations (whereas introverts expend energy).
- N – Intuition preferred to sensing: ENFJs tend to be more abstract than concrete. They focus their attention on the big picture rather than the details, and on future possibilities rather than immediate realities.
- F – Feeling preferred to thinking: ENFJs tend to value personal considerations above objective criteria. When making decisions, they often give more weight to social implications than to logic.
- J – Judgment preferred to perception: ENFJs tend to plan their activities and make decisions early. They derive a sense of control through predictability.
ENFJs are the benevolent ‘pedagogues’ of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it’s usually not meant as manipulation — ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are.
ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.
ENFJs are, by definition, Js, with whom we associate organization and decisiveness. But they don’t resemble the SJs or even the NTJs in organization of the environment nor occasional recalcitrance. ENFJs are organized in the arena of interpersonal affairs. Their offices may or may not be cluttered, but their conclusions (reached through feelings) about people and motives are drawn much more quickly and are more resilient than those of their NFP counterparts.
ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear.
Extraverted feeling types seek continuity through harmonious relationships and collective values. They excel at picking up on the tone of a situation and acting accordingly, adding warmth to a cool setting or turning sour into sweet. They naturally seek to know what people do well, what they enjoy, and where and how they work. They seem to have an infinite number of acquaintances from all walks of life and are always on the lookout for people in need and those who can help out. ENFJs weave and strengthen the collective fabric of social conventions and interactions. Inclusiveness is important and they are particularly sensitive to those who are excluded.
ENFJs focus on others, feeling a glow when those around them are happy, and troubled when something is amiss. They are natural cheerleaders, often expressing support, gratitude, and encouragement, and heaping praise onto those they appreciate. They take note of what is being done and what needs doing, offering their assistance wherever necessary.
ENFJs enjoy organizing group activities and tend to take their commitments seriously. In general, they are reliable and do not like to disappoint others. As team players and project leaders, they have a gift for rallying their players, focusing on what is being done right and each member’s strengths. They are loyal and they expect loyalty. They carry conversations well, finding common ground with their speaker. They tend to find the correct and gracious way to respond in any given situation, no matter how tense or uncomfortable it is.
Types with dominant extraverted feeling may uphold a wide range of values, simply because shared values are what create harmony. Some will profess the importance of tough-minded logic, justice and scholarly debate because their environments have these shared values. They tend to adopt the collective values of those in their social group.
Dominant: Extraverted feeling (Fe)
Fe seeks social connections and creates harmonious interactions through polite, considerate, and appropriate behavior. Fe responds to the explicit (and implicit) wants of others, and may even create an internal conflict between the subject’s own needs and the desire to meet the needs of others.
Auxiliary: Introverted intuition (Ni)
Attracted to symbolic actions or devices, Ni synthesizes seeming paradoxes to create the previously unimagined. These realizations come with a certainty that demands action to fulfill a new vision of the future, solutions that may include complex systems or universal truths.
Tertiary: Extraverted sensing (Se)
Se focuses on the experiences and sensations of the immediate, physical world. With an acute awareness of the present surroundings, it brings relevant facts and details to the forefront and may lead to spontaneous action.
Inferior: Introverted thinking (Ti)
Ti seeks precision, such as the exact word to express an idea. It notices the minute distinctions that define the essence of things, then analyzes and classifies them. Ti examines all sides of an issue, looking to solve problems while minimizing effort and risk. It uses models to root out logical inconsistency.
Quick! First verse that comes to mind when you think about the love of God!
Was it John 3:16 by any chance?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Most people read this and they fixate their attention on “gave His only Son” and immediately jump to the cross and His suffering with a vague connotation of eternal life (heaven).
But what is at the heart and center of His goal – the ultimate purpose for which He gave His Son?
Because syntactically, the ultimate end of John 3:16 isn’t the crucifixion, that was the means by which the premise (God loved the world) is enacted, the destination and purpose of it all is that we might receive eternal life. John clarifies it in John 17:3
This is eternal life, that they know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
The essence of eternal life is the never ending knowing of God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
You can further confirm it in John 14:21
Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.
Put it all together and you get: That God so loved the world, that at the cost of His only Son’s life and suffering, He brought us into an everlasting knowing, admiring, loving, enjoying of Himself and Jesus. The love of God is the gift of Himself.
This should give us a new lens through which to view the love of God: He loves us not by sparing us death or suffering, or giving us health or wealth, but by showing Himself to us and giving Himself to us; by how much of Himself He reveals to us.
This is so crucial, yet, so easy to miss, because we can get caught up with our circumstances. If God loved me, then surely He’ll work everything out so that my life is just peachy!
We gloss over stories of tragedy and trials in the Bible: Job, Daniel, Jeremiah, Paul, Stephen, Jesus.
A perfect example of this is the story of Lazarus. John 11:1-44
Long story short: Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary, are a family loved by the Lord and close to Him. One day Lazarus becomes seriously ill so his sisters send word for Jesus to come, but He waits until Lazarus dies and then heads over. Mary, Martha, and the crowd question Jesus’ love with a variation of: “Lord, if You had been here my brother would not have died.” Then Jesus goes to the tomb and Lazarus’ decaying body is brought back to life.
But what makes this story so noteworthy is how Jesus responds to each of the doubts and questions.
To Martha, He responds by presenting to her profound spiritual truth: an explicit declaration of His Messiah-ship, of the promise to come, and a profession of faith only found elsewhere in Peter.
To Mary. He responds by showing His emotions, He was emotionally engaged and personal.
To the crowd, He reveals His love through the power of His action – the only biblical instance to that point where a decayed body is resurrected.
What can we take away from this? Jesus put them through this, He could have spoken a word of power and healed Lazarus the moment he heard the news, or He could have immediately left for Bethany instead of waiting until He knew Lazarus would die. But He put them through this:
This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.
He let Lazarus, His friend die. He let the sisters go through grief and doubt. But it was about the ultimate goal – that He would be glorified and through this and He might show and display His unfailing love to all involved.
“In the days of suffering, darkness and loss, and it seems our souls would give way, Jesus loved us – not first by taking away the suffering or the loss or the darkness, but first by giving us Himself in ways that could not have been ours without this painful season. If you demand that God love you the way the world expects to be loved in this life, you won’t know what it is to really be loved by God. The love of God is the gift of His glorious self… [and anger, unbelief, suspicion, and questioning can be the very things that keep us from seeing the glory of Christ in our pain.]”
If you can step away from what the world says that love is and step into how God demonstrates His love for us, it becomes a foundation for us; something the world can’t take away, circumstances can’t dim, and hardships can’t shake.
-Inspired by Pastor John Piper
Soli Deo Gloria
So much of who we consider ourselves to be are simply resume fillers: age, education, work history, etc. What if it was all taken away? Stripped from all titles, diplomas, and pretenses, what would remain?
I am Daniel Sung Un Im. Eldest of 4. Korean-American. Follower of Christ. Prayer warrior-intercessor. Mentor-teacher.
My name is in the Book of Life; I have been dressed in white; I am victorious even as I grasp for victory.
I’ve heard the devil laugh and yet, found the darkness overcome by the light. I’ve driven out demons; seen visions; healed mind, body, and soul; and speak in the tongue of the Spirit.
I am called Child and Beloved of the Most High God.
I have a missionary’s heart and a yearning for justice and righteousness – to be a voice for the voiceless and a light in dark places.
In all I do I find my epitaph ringing clear: May the Lamb who was slain receive the reward of His suffering. And so I remember – For The Lamb.
I am an adventurer – this life is my adventure, and Christ my guiding light.
07/2011 Revolution5 LEAP Retreat
Coram Deo - Living Before the Face of God 