A journey in ink

Every life is a story written in indelible ink

Author: JIIN

  • Nostalgia

    What makes me feel nostalgic is the smell of freshly baked bread, a quiet signal that a new day has begun.

    Over the past few months, I have developed a fondness for bread to the point that it has become a regular substitute for my usual breakfast. Each time I have it, I am reminded of my travels in Europe, where mornings often began simply, with bread and jam.

    It does not have to be an artisans loaf or a carefully crafted pastry. Any bread that is freshly baked and still warm is enough to evoke that sense of comfort.

    Having carried this memory to the moment, I now experience a subtle, almost foreign nostalgia whenever I have bread as my breakfast.

  • Judgement

    Daily writing prompt
    Are you a good judge of character?
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    Since a very young age, I have been keenly attentive to reading people.

    Maybe due to personal character and cultural background. I learned to read between the lines and catch nuances even before I spoke my mother tongue fluently.

    This has been both a blessing and a curse, as one might imagine.

    Yet it is one thing to understand a person’s character, and another to judge their behavior, for the latter is an apparent sin.

    Romans 2:1

    You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

    And it is often a sin with which I still struggle, as though I had any right to do so.

    No one does.

    No one is superior to another, for we are all fall short.

    Only through the mercy of Jesus Christ can we overcome such sin and be free from condemnation.

    However, it is certainly beneficial to understand people better, especially during the Christmas season, as it allows me to prepare more personalized gifts for my family and friends.

    Merry Christmas, everyone!

  • Is my life today what I pictured a year ago

    Daily writing prompt
    Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?
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    Yes. Today is the life I envisioned a year ago.

    I did not plan every detail, how could I? Yet I knew I was moving toward my dream, and I am doing so now.

    I see light, and I choose to follow it. I am learning discernment, with the hope that, in time, I will be able to distinguish the sun from the fire.

  • Receiving the greatest gift in the world

    I was born into a very faithful Christian family. My family went to church every Sunday; everyone knew where we would be on Christmas and New Year.

    And I thought I was, too.

    For the last year, I’ve been isolated from the world by my choice. I wanted to focus on my future, and during that time, I had more time to connect with my God.

    I have been studying the Bible recently, as in actual study.

    • I learned the term “gospel”-funny how I didn’t even know the meaning.
    • What sets Christians apart?

    We receive a gift from God Himself-salvation through His one and only Son-so that we, too, can be clean in the eyes of God and enter the realm of Heaven.

    And no work-no amount of good deeds-would be enough to earn that gift.

    That is why it is a gift. All we have to do to get the ticket to His home is to accept it.

    Accept that He is our Lord, and only through Him are we reborn.

    I also learned about the Holy Spirit. His presence was unclear to me all these years. Here is my understanding: He is our advocate. Jesus had to leave so that the Holy Spirit could come to all of us—to protect and guide us.

    And since it is a gift, we are sin-free as soon as we accept Jesus and repent. (it is an instant cure, not a reward you get gradually through a process of work) When we walk with the Holy Spirit, we are whole—we are cured, perfect in ourselves.

    I finally understand these words.

  • One technology I can live without

    Daily writing prompt
    What technology would you be better off without, why?
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    That would be e-books.

    I do read e-books occasionally such as Kindle versions and I find them useful at times.

    However, as a 90s kid, I still prefer the experience of reading a physical book, in a more analog style. There is something uniquely satisfying about highlighting meaningful lines, feeling the texture of the pages, and physically turning them as you read.

    There is also a certain charm in the little games we can play with physical books—such as opening to a random page and seeing who finds more characters on their page, or who lands on the earliest alphabet. Those small, tactile moments are part of what makes hardcopy reading so special.

  • Internet, AI, and music ..threat to Christianity?

    I recently stumbled on an interesting video — “He Asked ChatGPT One Question and It Gets Disturbingly Prophetic” by Dennis Gorcea.

    In it, he shares insight about how the development of the internet and AI can be a threat to Christianity.

    As technology advances, people will depend more on it and less on God.

    People will become more isolated, just as social media has already made us.

    This was a wake-up call for me. I had been enjoying the convenience and chose to blind myself to the consequences.

    Take a look at modern music — secular music. I used to think of it as just a fun, creative way to express one’s identity. Never did I imagine that music could become a channel for demonic influence. I really didn’t.

    Which was quite foolish of me, if you think about it.

    I sing and listen to Hillsongs every day, hoping that my Lord will hear my worship. And yet, how did it never cross my mind that other songs — songs that glorify everything Jesus died for: hate, jealousy, and curses — can be just as spiritually impactful as Hillsong’s songs are?

    I haven’t enjoyed secular music recently, not because I already knew these truths, but because I simply found more fulfillment in worship music. Now I understand why. My spirit was warning me to stay away from doors that demons can open.

    As it is written in the Bible, Satan comes to deceive, kill, and destroy.

    But many of my pastors have told us that God can bring good even out of bad things. We can now listen to Hillsong, access sermons from all over the world, and connect with believers globally. Just as Satan is finding new ways to reach us, so is God.

    And through His mercy and love, Jesus’s love will always prevail.

    With the love of Jesus Christ, I pray for all Christians out there who are being fooled or deceived, even right now. And I humbly ask Jesus to open my eyes to the things I still do not recognize.

  • Alternative job

    Had I not pursued my current career, I would have chosen to become an architect. I have always loved admiring magnificent historical structures such as the Sagrada Família in Spain and the Louvre in Paris. I find the exterior of the Louvre even more captivating than the art within its walls.

    To me, architecture represents the perfect blend of creativity and purpose. It would be an incredible honor to create something that serves and inspires people for centuries. If I were fortunate, I might even design a landmark that becomes part of a city’s identity, leaving behind a legacy that endures for generations.

    In short, it would not only be personally fulfilling but also a meaningful way to preserve and enrich my community.

  • Travel to the moon

    Travel to the moon

    I would pay about the same as the current highest airplane ticket to go to the moon.
    Landing my foot on the moon would surely be a once-in-a-lifetime memory, but I can create equally if not more meaningful memories anywhere on Earth with the right person. So the joy that time on the moon could bring would not exceed the happiness I can find here on Earth.
    Therefore, in terms of worth, defined as the amount I’m willing to spend, I would pay roughly the same as a round-trip flight from Asia to Europe or America.

  • Highest goal in life

    Highest goal in life

    Dream high or go home – I always thought that having the highest goal I could achieve should be a professional one, something that could be evaluated by social and financial values.

    But as I grew older – although it may be a little hasty to judge the meaning of life at this age – I’ve realized that it’s the ordinary things that are actually hard to achieve.

    For me, finding the right person to build a family with seems like the most unattainable goal, especially in this digital era where everything is so easily replaced.

    On top of that, living an “average” life is not so average anymore, especially when the idea of “average happiness” is so exaggerated nowadays.

    It is only through faith- holding on to the belief that a promise is coming, though I don’t know when or how – that I keep myself alive.

  • Computer is my life

    Daily writing prompt
    Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
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    I can’t imagine life without a computer. I even carry my laptop on vacations, like I’m doing right now.

    I need to write my thoughts to organize them properly and to see more clearly where I’m heading.

    P.S. October in Vietnam is humid and rainy, but still amazing for walking.