Loving old friends - part 3

A friend whom I haven't seen in awhile recently Facebooked me telling me he was in town, and wanted to see if I would like to meet up. I was quite surprised by his message, because when I was a young Christian, he was one of the giants of faith at my fellowship, so being the shy me, I never mustered up enough courage to really speak to him. Sadly though, I heard from friends that he had been struggling in his relationship with God in the last few years, and as I headed to dinner, I really didn't know how I should go about conversing with him. Should I pretend like things are same old? Or should I ask about how he's been doing? I couldn't not care for a friend's eternal well-being, but if I asked, I feel like I would be prying...

And of course, God is amazing! Because even without asking, this brother just poured everything out, and my heart broke as I heard his story of pain and hurt. But by God's grace, I was able to share my experiences with him, which weirdly, he seemed able to relate to. Even though this brother still has a rough journey ahead, but I trust that God will be there leading and guiding his every step. May God heal his heart, and remind him often of Jesus' amazing, unconditional love for us!

Cultivating a heart of repentance is love!

Lately, I've been a little short-tempered, especially at my dad. This is really horrible, because it's has not only been been hurting our relationship, but it has been making me a really bad witness for Christ! I try to be good, but unfortunately, just like Paul says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing."

So what do I do? I cry out to God, because I know that only God can overcome sin as deeply rooted as this. I believe and trust that when I acknowledge my sin, and turn back towards Him, that He will give me the courage to do what is right. This courage and strength is not something that I have myself. What's most encouraging though, is that over and over again in the Bible, God shows us that having a repentant heart is what we need, not loud acts of worship or sacrifice. And so, I pray that God will help me to cultivate a heart of repentance, so that I can love others well!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Thanksgiving weekend and my family LOVES to celebrate it...by inviting friends over for a nice turkey dinner and eating lots and lots.
I can't wait!
I really love to bake so I made pumpkin cheesecake! The first time I made it with friends, the crust burnt and I felt it wasn't sweet enough so I decided to go for Martha Stewart, which requires more time and a few more ingredients. Try it!

Loving D

There's a sister I know, whom I think must be one of the smartest people in the whole wide world. I know she must have a stash of letters following her name, but I can count the number of times on one hand that she has talked about her degrees. So it wasn't a surprise when I found out that she moved to Hong Kong, because the number one consulting company of the world recruited her, and merely 2 years after joining the company, she was already promoted to manager.

Now this sister is definitely a type-A girl, but she handles whatever the stress the world throws at her with much grace. Although we don't get to see each other too often, since her job has her all over the world, but every time we do see each other, we can just pick up wherever we left off last. I'm so thankful for her. :)

Today is this dear sister's birthday, and I felt like an email, or a regular ecard wouldn't do the trick (she's been put on a really tough client), so I put together a picture of us on the beach, as an encouragement to her to keep steadfast, and stay hopeful!

Sending God's Truth to others is love!

In encouraging others today, instead of merely replying emails with "I will pray for you", I also sent people Scripture verses, because I believe that God's Word is the Truth; it can not only bring hope, but has the power to heal. "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."

In fact, "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." So could it be, that when I send others the Word of God, I'm actually sending a bit of God Himself? Woah! That blows my mind...

Praying for the 1040 tour is love!

JMA's most recent post told of obstacles they have been encountering on the 1040 tour. JMA called for us to pray, and pray we must, because that is the most important thing that we can do! Send JMA your prayer to support the tour!

Here's my prayer:
Our Father in heaven,

You are amazing and wonderful! We give you thanks and praise and all glory for the work that you are doing through Jaeson and the 1040 team. May You protect them, physically and spiritually, and bless the work of their hands. May You lead them and give them wisdom. May You fill them with the Holy Spirit and help them to stand firm in the Truth. God, may You help them with any and all logistics involved with the tour. May every vacant seat be filled at every single showing. May every heart be turned back toward You!

Father God, may You rain down Your love upon each and every single person who attends a 1040 showing, or watches the 1040 film. May Your love and Truth fill their hearts and souls. May we be empowered by Your love to live a life that is worthy of Your calling. Father God, we be humble and contrite in heart, leaning on You always, and loving You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

In Jesus' powerful and mighty name,
Amen!

Giving up your freebie parking discount is love!

At some shopping malls in Hong Kong, you can often get a discount or a full redemption for your parking fee if you spend money at the mall. Us Hong Kongers love this, because in such a tiny city where space is so precious, parking can be quite costly!

I drove my dad to lunch today, and while we were there, he ran into a good friend, who eventually joined us for lunch. We had a good chat, and it was quite interesting listening to the two go back and forth with juicy stories from the past. When it was time to go, we only got one receipt that could be used to redeem one parking ticket. And without further thought, I of course handed it over to "uncle". It wasn't every day that we got to see him!

Not insisting on your own way is love!

Today, I got in a disagreement with mom. She wanted to go left, and I suggested that going right was better. I insisted and persuaded, but she would not budge! And even though I still think that my way is better, but I stopped trying to insist my own way upon her, because God says that "love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful."

I do pray though that the next time I encounter a similar situation, that I'd be more graceful and loving in dealing with it. God wants us to be loving and gentle to each other, just as He is to us!

Showing tourists around HK is love!

I was in TST with a friend tonight, and it felt like I was in Shanghai, because there were sooo many 同胞 (fellow countrymen) here for Chinese National holidays. Although I sometimes get frustrated with some of the habits that they bring to the city (e.g. squatting, spitting, shouting, squeezing into your personal space etc.), I am thankful that they are here to support the Hong Kong economy, and ooo and ahhh at the beauty of this city. So, welcome, fellow citizens....

Tonight, I met 2 ladies who were visiting from 江苏 (Jiang Su). They were looking for a good local place to eat. Unfortunately, the place where we were standing had nothing around the area. Instead of just pointing them in the direction that they should go, my friend and I walked them to the MTR station and showed them on the map where the best local places could be found. We also taught them how to get home at night. I hope they have fun!

Spending time with someone is love!

Today is China's National Holiday, and what does that mean? A day off work!! And today was extra special too, because the weather was so beautiful. The morning dawned with clear blue skies, some puffy white clouds, and a gentle breeze telling you that autumn is here. In short, it was Cali weather in HK! Whatever burden one may have, it's weather like this that makes you go, "ahhh, life is good."

So of course I wanted to take every minute of the day to relax, stroll around outside, and gaze into the great mountains and oceans of Hong Kong. Little did I know though that God had other plans in store for me. Halfway through the day, a sister called to ask for my company. I can think of a thousand and one excuses to tell her that I was busy, but I knew that God wanted me to love, so I took some time out to spend with her instead. In the bustling fast-paced city of Hong Kong, time is often the most valuable gift you can give someone!

Interestingly, just the other day, a friend sent me an interesting reminder about the gift of time:
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son.. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you.. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him... He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important...Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word.. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away..

The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture.....Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said

"What box?" Mom asked..

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package.. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.

Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. "Mr. Harold Belser" it read.. Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.


"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box.. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch..

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover.. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most was...my time"

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days.

"Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said.

"Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!"

Loving my coworkers - Part 3

To be very honest, I'm not a big fan of receiving wedding invitations, especially invitations to weddings for people I'm not very close to! It makes me question if they're just asking me for money... I'm horrible, I know.

Well, recently, there's a coworker, whom I work with on occasion, who sent me a wedding invitation. Given what I mentioned above, the regular me would gripe and groan. But, given the 365 day love challenge, what a great opportunity for me to show some love instead! So, although I couldn't physically make it to her wedding, I thought it would be nice to send her a blessing via some red pockets!

"I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing."

Loving my mom - Part 3

Everyone has their pet peeves. Some people don't like others touching their feet, while others can't stand massages. I don't like ears. My own ears, I'm ok with, but I don't really like touching other people's ears, whether that is helping someone put on earrings, or cleaning them out.

Well, recently my mom got some water stuck in her ear, and it was really annoying her, so she asked if I could help. I really really really didn't want to. Giving her a massage, helping her clean her closet, or even giving her a pedicure, I'm ok with, but ugh... ears are a sensitive thing for me.

Needless to say, it took a lot of persuasion and prayer for me to give into helping her, after which I found out that it really wasn't too bad after all! Maybe God did have a purpose in mind when He created our ears ...

Loving others means stepping out of your comfort zone!

Loving my neighbor - Part 2

This post about loving my neighbor is a bit different from the neighbors in my previous posts, because while I didn't really know the neighbors that I tried to reach out to earlier, the neighbor in this post is actually a good friend from high school, who is literally moving in next door!

I'm so excited, because after 20+ years of living sooo far away from all my friends, and commuting 45+ minutes to meet up with them, someone is finally moving to my neck of the woods! Woohoo!! To help my friend get adjusted to his new environment, I bought him some shuttle bus tickets (we kinda live in the boonies) and drew him a map of where the bus stops are.

I pray that God will bless his new home, and that everyone in his household may know the great love of Jesus!

Loving my small group

So, from yesterday, I was still on a high by being able to help Tim and rejoin Fuse, and I was really looking forward to attending a class that he was going to start teaching today. However, the time of the class clashed with a meeting that my small group leader had called, in which he was going to announce that he was stepping down from leadership.

Oh man, that meant that not only was I not going to make the class, but I had to now struggle through the issues of a small group that might fall apart! As much as I loved my small group, honestly, I really struggled with having to miss the class for the meeting!

But I'm thankful that God used a dear sister to speak Truth to me, and convict me of my motives. The small group meeting turned out to be very encouraging! And God used that time to not only remind me, but many others in attendance to "not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Praise God for reminding me that when we lay down our own selfish motives, that is when we can hear Him speak with clarity!

Loving Mr.汤水 + Fuse + Tim + God

Today was a pretty neat day. In the morning, I prayed for God to show me how He wanted me to show love to someone, and not only did He bless me with one interesting experience, but two!

As I was walking the streets of CWB, on my way to catch the tram, I spotted an old man in his 60's banging away with great rhythm (and speed) at this wooden xylophone. He didn't seem like the typical street artists, because a) he was playing a huge and rare instrument, and b) he was neatly dressed and seemed to really enjoy what he was playing.

The old me would have just dropped some cash in support of the artist's work, and run off. But I realized how much God has been changing my heart through this 365 day love challenge, because not only did I financially support the artist, but I ended up chatting with Mr.汤水 for almost half an hour! Even though I didn't get to share the gospel with him, however, he was greatly encouraged that someone cared enough to actually learn about what he was doing and about his passion for music. It turns out that Mr.汤水 is a music teacher, and he knows how to play 15+ instruments, many of which he taught himself how to play! Wow! May God "put a new song in [Mr.汤水's] mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD."

Then, at night, I went to Fuse, our Young Adult Ministry at Island ECC. I was really excited about this meeting, since it's been over a year that I was last able to attend. We had some fun ice-breakers, and Tim gave a great message that challenged us to think about what Truth is. After the meeting, as I was getting ready to leave with everyone else, I felt prompted to say bye to Tim and see if he needed help with anything. I thought he would say no, since it seemed like he had already cleaned everything up, and plus, I'm a little crazy and giddy around my pastors, because (hehe) I get star-struck by them, but Tim actually asked me to help carry some stuff back downstairs for him! And, I not only got to do that, but I also got to help do the dishes too!! :)

I know, you're probably thinking that I'm crazy, because I'm so excited that I got to do dishes. Well, yeah, I probably am, but I'm just so thankful for the body that makes up Island ECC, and I love our leaders! So, no matter how big or small the task is, I'm overcome with joy when I know that I can help. And I think this is how God wants us to love and serve Him too. When we adore Him, anything that He calls us to do, and anywhere that He calls us to be, should bring us an overwhelming sense of joy!

Loving Hong Kong

"The world's fourth richest man, Li Ka-shing wants to give away HK$300 million with his philanthropic campaign called "Love HK Your Way." Anyone with an idea for how to improve Hong Kong can submit their project proposals to the organization and try to gain some of Li's dough." (per CNN).

I'm already pretty busy and stretched quite thin, but my friends and I love Hong Kong, so even though this means a bit of work ahead, but we're hoping to get an idea submitted to help improve this great city! I hope the idea works!

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."

Loving Dad Part 4

My mom, my sisters and I have been fervently praying for my dad's salvation. Today, we took him to Noah's Ark at Ma Wan to show him God's covenant to mankind.

The Noah's Ark in Hong Kong is truly an amazing place! I'm in awe of how Noah could have built something like this by himself so many years ago, and without the help of modern technology and equipment! (Perhaps that's why it took him 100 years. :P)

We spent the day looking at all the different exhibits, and watching simulations and short movies (in 3D and 4D!) of the gospel. Although my dad still has many questions and hesitations, however, I was greatly encouraged that he joined us in our time of prayer at night. I do pray that God will continue to open his heart and to replace it with a heart of flesh! May he experience the covenant love that God the Father has promised us since the days of Noah!

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.""

Praise be to God for His wonderful love to us!

Encouraging my leaders is love

Being a leader is a high calling. God holds leaders to a higher level of accountability, and will hold them responsible for how they lead and shepherd His people. So, I thought I would send my leaders @ Alpha an encouraging email to root them on in their leadership:

"Hi leaders!

Thanks for your time and dedication in directing people to Jesus! I was doing my devos last night, and came upon this passage that I hope will be an encouragement to you (and us), as we continue to point people to Christ:

"The ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ involves a spiritual battle in which the evangelist is nothing more than an ambassador. Whether a person responds negatively to the "glorious gospel of Christ," or whether he believes and is given new life, the battle is fought on a spiritual plane outside the control of the messenger.

Why do some people reject the gospel? Satan has blinded their minds so they cannot see. Why do other people accept the gospel? "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in their hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor 4:6) For this reason, "we faint not." (2 Cor 4:1,16) Paul faced persistent opposition and rejection throughout his ministry. He stayed in the battle, refusing to quit, because he knew that in the final analysis the struggle did not involve him personally.

You can easily misunderstand your task as a witness for Christ and take it personally when people reject His message. Conversely, you think too highly of yourself if you take pride in your ability to win others to Christ. In either case, you fail to grasp that you are limited to merely sharing the good news. Beyond that point, it becomes a spiritual struggle over which you have no control. Once you assimilate the significance of this, you will not be timid in sharing the gospel nor lose heart when people reject the message.

You do not preach for temporal gain. In sales, you only get credit for what you sell. With the gospel, you only get credit for proclaiming the gospel, irrespective of the response. For these reasons, "we faint not.""

- quoted from "Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man" by Walter A. Henrichsen

Let us not lose heart, but continue to gently show love to those who have yet to experience God's grace and love! And may God fill you with wisdom, as you pray and lead Team 10 in discovering the glories of Calvary!"

Helping an old lady down some stairs is love!

Today was a rainy rainy day in HK. (No typhoon = 3 days of rain. sigh!) As I was rushing to lunch, I saw an old lady trying to get down some steps. The steps looked slippery, and it didn't seem like she could see very well, so I went up to her and asked if she needed some help. She accepted gratefully. :) She's happy, and I'm happy. And it made me realize that helping someone makes not just one person happy, but TWO people happy. Helping people can give you a joy that cannot be replaced by anything else else in this world. I think that's the type of joy that God wants us to experience all the time. May we not miss out on it, and keep spreading the love!

Reminding myself to love...is love!

Earlier, I wrote about a struggle with a sister. To make sure that I remind myself to keep loving her, I sent her a gift, and included an encouraging note! Loving someone doesn't mean just showing them love once, but loving them on a consistent basis. "Love never ends."

Loving God - Part 2

Lately, I've been feeling weak; not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. A small incident would send me reeling into the depths of a pit, where I would wrestle and struggle to get out without much success. And honestly, it's easy for me to keep wallowing in self-pity and despair.

But reading His Word today, I realized that loving God means following His commandments. (See the book of Deuteronomy.) It means remembering His promises to us, even when I don't feel like it. It means trusting and having faith that He is good, even when the circumstances around me don't seem like they'll get better. In Joshua 1:9, God commands us to "be strong and courageous." He commands us not to be terrified, because He is with us wherever we go. So if I love God, I need to follow Him in His commandments of being strong and standing firm.

And you know what? After a few hours of reminding myself of this truth, it doesn't seem so dark anymore. :) I pray that regardless of your situation or the circumstance, that you would remember His goodness too!

Loving my nephew

Originally, I had planned to go out after work today, but when I found out that my sister was taking my nephew out, I decided that whatever I needed to do could wait. Besides, who can turn down a date with such a cutie?

Lunch with a 3 year old shrieking little man was quite an experience. My sister bravely fought and won the battle of flying noodles and dropped pork bits. Seeing her so patiently trying to teach her 3 year old despite his disobedience really inspired me - what love! I wonder if God sees us as (cute) shrieking 3 year olds too.

Being a parent in this day and age is so hard... the least I could do was to treat them to lunch! May God continue to give my sister and my brother-in-law great wisdom to raise their kid!

Getting to know your neighbor is love!

I work in one of those old industrial buildings, and unlike modern offices, the offices in our building are pretty spaced out from each other, so it's quite hard to get to know our neighbor, unless I proactively try to seek them out.

Well, God knows I'm lazy (horrible, I know), and still blessed me today, by letting me cross paths with one of our neighbors. I was at one end of our long corridor getting ready to get in the elevator going down, when she just stepped out of her office, all the way on the other end of the long corridor. Instead of getting into the elevator really fast and closing the doors on her, I yelled down the hall to let her know that there's an elevator on this side of the corridor, and for her to take her time, because I could hold it for her.

Even though the elevator ride was short, but it was refreshing being able to meet our neighbor. I pray that God will let our paths cross again in the future, as He tells us to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Loving God

"We love because He first loved us." So, before I can learn to love others, or even love myself, I must know how to love God. But what does it mean to love God?

Does it mean that I should give God money, like tithe to church, or donate to good causes? Does it mean that I should spend hours and hours at church, reading the Bible, or praying? Perhaps it's a little bit of both these things, but most of all, I believe that loving God means to revere Him and His word, and to cultivate a humble heart: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My Word."

Honestly, I haven't been loving God much; I haven't been humble, because I've been too busy being bitter and upset at life. I'm too tired and too angry to love. I'm frustrated because it seems like no matter how hard I try to "do good" in this fallen world, things will still be broken, people will still be hurting, and bad things will still keep happening.

But recently, I realized that God didn't design us for to be a fixer of things. Rather, He designed us to worship Him, He calls us to trust Him, He wants us to love Him. When we learn "to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength," and focus to on that first, we will naturally know how to love others, because it will be an outflow from our hearts, rather than a striving that we try in vain to push ourselves to do.

So I pray that God will remind me to love Him first, even if I don't feel like it. I must persevere in faith. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

I believe that when we choose to trust in God, and believe in His goodness, despite our external circumstances, that is when we are loving God. May God help me to love Him more!

Confrontation could be love...

I'm not one to like confrontation. I don't even like discussions that seem remotely like they are heading down the path of confrontation. But perhaps God is trying to grow me in that area, because I have a sister, whom I seem to get into disagreements with every now and then. Honestly, I would rather sometimes just stop reaching out, so that I don't have to get hurt, but I realize that God blessed me with this relationship for a reason, and for this reason, I am called to learn to love this sister, because loving her means loving God. Although my sister and I will fail each other from time to time, and fall short of each others' expectations, but I know that Jesus is the one who teach us how to love, and will heal us of all our deepest hurts. People will fail us, but Jesus never will.

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail."

Giving manga is love!

My cousin loves manga. In fact, this summer, I ran into him in Wan Chai, as he and a few thousand other youngsters headed over to the annual comic book fair. So, it most fitting to give him some manga to read on his flight back to the States. I'll be missing my Carebear!

Praying for Alpha

It was the first meeting for Alpha 2010 @ 633 King's Road yesterday, and woo hoo was it awesome! The room was packed, and my friend stuck to his word and came along! In the beginning, he was a little nervous, because he was worried that he wouldn't know anyone and feel out of place, but I reassured him, "Are you serious? You're O! I'm sure you'll know a ton of people!"

And sure enough, as if "by coincidence", he not only recognized a few people that he had met before, but a really welcoming brother, Geoff, that O had not only met, but worked with previously, is the leader of our Alpha group! God is so awesome in how He orchestrates things to happen!

Even though O is going to miss Alpha next Monday, but he is keen to come back the week after. I can't wait to see how God will work in his heart through this Alpha course, and prayed for him that night that God will touch him in a special way in the next 10 weeks. I pray that God will reach out to him and let O know that He is God, the Alpha and the Omega, in a way that O comprehends and needs. I also prayed for the other members of my Alpha group by name. I'm thankful that God has placed us together as a group, to grow together, and to support and encourage each other. Whether we have walked with God for years, or are still holding God off at a distance, I pray that He will speak to each of us personally, and that we would encounter Him in a mighty way!

"The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:

"Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge.

"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.

I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

"Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

Sharing an umbrella with someone is love!

It's been pouring rain in HK lately, which is fine for me, because I love the rain. But for those who hate carrying umbrellas around, they won't like HK much in this season. I ran into one of these no-umbrella-for-me type friends after service yesterday. He was standing in the rain, looking forlorn (in the rain, we all do!) So I went up to him (scared him a little bit though), and shared my umbrella with him, as we strolled over to the nearest subway stop.

We chatted about everything from our summers, to the differences between the Christian and Islam faith. It was the best 15 minute conversation that I've had in a long time, and it's all because of the rain! In retrospect, this incident reminds me to take hold of every opportunity, even little opportunities, to show love, because you never know how God will use it show you something and to bless others!

Leave it to God to do the judging; we are just called to love

Have you ever seen those people who stand on the streets holding cardboard signs that either say, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is near", or "Jesus died for your sins"? If you haven't seen them on the streets of downtown, you've probably seen them in an end of the world type movie, like 2012.

When I was shopping with a sister in a busy intersection of Mong Kok this afternoon, we saw one of these men. We just walked by him, and I jokingly said to my friend, "heh, maybe we should go say hi and give him a shout-out." Jokingly, because I was taught not talk to strangers. Not thinking too much more about it, we spent the next 2 hours wandering around and looking at the interesting knick-kacks in Flower Market.

As we were leaving, we spotted the old man again! The "normal" me would just smile and walk by, but for some reason, I turned to my girlfriend and asked if we should go say hi, to which she agreed! We timidly went up to him together to ask if we could buy him a drink, since he had been standing there holding the sign for some time now. He declined our offer, but began chatting with us about theology. Splendid! I love talking to theology; this was turning out to be much less frightening than I imagined it to be!

The conversation we had was quite interesting, and personally, I questioned a lot of his theology and also how effective his method of standing there with a cardboard sign was. However, I realized that it's not for me, but for God, to judge; I was only there to give the man encouragement. I pray that somehow and some way, God will use this man to point others to Jesus. Because the simple Truth, with everything stripped away is that "for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Chickeeduck love

Although I couldn't be there for a sister's baby shower, but I was able to take part in congratulating and blessing her and her baby by sending some Chickeeduck love!

Being real - Part 2

Lately, God has been using many different ways to show me the realities of life. That's not to say that I have been living with my head in the clouds for the past 20+ years, but that hearing about pain and suffering is very different from truly understanding it with your heart. Knowing about these painful events in our heads is just being able to recite the facts, but only by knowing with our heart can we then be prompted for action.

Recently, I've been staying at home to spend time with my mom, and we've started watching a really good TV series called 蜗居, Dwelling Narrowness. It's such a realistic depiction of the struggles of life for the Chinese people living in the big cities, that it's been banned from airing in China.

For the past 6+ years, God has placed the Chinese on my heart, and I've been praying for them and seeking God's purpose for making me a Chinese American. But honestly, it wasn't until I watched this TV series that I felt my heart break for them. Yes, China's economy has been growing at rapid speeds for the past 10 or so years, but it doesn't come without dire social consequences. Surely there must be more to life than just the rat race!

Although I'm still unsure as to what exactly God wants me to do, but at the very minimum I have become more compelled to share the Good News with more of those around me, especially with my coworkers. May they come to know that only through freedom in Christ can they break their bondage of sin and of the chains of this fallen world!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Being real

Lately, a lot of things have been going on at home and in my personal life, so much so, that I feel like I'm living in some type of Korean soap opera. Honestly, for me, I feel that it's easier to just keep quiet and get through it, than to share these personal and painful experiences with others.

It's not that I don't want to admit that I'm struggling with all these problems (well, maybe it partially is, because who wants to be known for being in a mess?), but it's also because I don't want other people to pity me or feel sorry for me. Now I'm not trying to be tough and all, because God knows my heart, but I just don't want a pity party. It's bad enough, pitying just makes the mood worse.

But then again, who am I to question other people's good intentions? I've been reminded that suffering and trails are a very normal part of life; that's the fallen world that we live in. The glorious reminder is that God is faithful through it all, and that we have a beautiful heaven to look forward to as followers of Christ! This a heaven that is free from pain or sorrow, a heaven where we will be doing what we love, and where we will be in the presence of God forever and ever.

So in light of that, how can I keep this glorious truth from others, especially those who might be suffering as well? Sure, suffering is not fun and glamorous, but I shouldn't be wasting these experiences by keeping them to myself. Rather, I should be real and honest with people, sharing plainly with them my honest thoughts and feelings, in hopes that they too can see the hope that is in me; this hope being not from me, but from Jesus Christ!

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

My coworker is Ichiban!

I really appreciate of one the colleagues that I work with. She's efficient, great at what she does, and very helpful to everyone. She inspires me greatly at work. To appreciate her, I thought I would get her one of her favor snacks from Aji Ichiban.

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Loving Mike-y

Mike-y is like the younger brother that I always wished I had; he's fun, kind, and hilarious! I met Mike-y when he was just starting out as a freshmen in college. I had graduated then, but was still helping out in college ministry, and one of my good friends asked if I could help watch out for Mike-y, and plug him into our fellowship.

The first time I met Mike-y was when I drove over to pick him up for church early one Sunday morning. Even though it was the first time we met, being the friendly person that he is, he came up to my car, and said, "I saw this kid at the student center on the way over here, and he looks like he's waiting for something, can we go ask him if he wants to go to church with us?" I was a bit surprised, but this kid's enthusiasm really inspired me, so sure, why not... It turns out that this guy was actually there waiting for someone to turn up to give him a ride to church! We were his answered prayer!

Well, fast forward a few years, it turns out that because of Mike-y's invitation to this guy, they became fast friends, and throughout their years in college, they encouraged and inspired each other in their walks with the Lord, like Nathan did to David.

Mike-y is graduated now, and it came as no surprise to me when I found out that instead of settling with the status quo, he is taking 2 years off to go to Japan to share his love and hope from the Lord to those there. What faith! What love! Of course I had to support and encourage my bro! May God be with Mike-y as he heads off for another year to Japan, and may God grant him more opportunities in which he can draw others to Christ, just as he had done with his friend in college...

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Helping someone get plugged in is love!

When I walked into the sanctuary for service yesterday, I spotted an acquaintance sitting in the back of the room. Since I was attending service with a friend, I didn't get a chance to say hi, before my friend whisked us away to our seats.

After service, I was leaving with a few friends, when I ran into that acquaintance again on the street. I wondered for a few minutes whether I should say hi, since he didn't seem to recognize me (what nerve... :P), but I decided to go out on a limb and say hi anyway. He was a bit taken back (as would have I been, if someone just came up to me and introduced themselves), but he remembered who I was after my introduction (that's better.)

We had a good chat during our MTR ride, and it turns out that he had just moved to the city and was just trying to settle in. Settling down in a new place is always a struggle, so I tried to invite him to a few upcoming events, in hopes to introduce him to some other brothers and sisters. I prayed that God would surround him with great fellowship, and that he would encounter God in a mighty way during his time in HK.

Stepping out of our comfort zone, and helping someone get plugged in is love!

Love requires going out of your way to do something for others!

Lately dad has been pretty tired, so I try to drive him around as much as I can. Plus, he's getting old, so he deserves a break! Originally, I had planned to meet with a friend for coffee after lunch, and my plan was to drive my dad to lunch, have lunch with him, and depart for my coffee date. However, it turns out that he was a lot more tired than I had expected him to be, so instead of slipping away after lunch, I drove him all the way home, and came all the way back out to meet up with my friend.

Although I was rushing to make the coffee date, and was inconvenienced, but I realized that it's exactly the inconvenience that makes the act of love, well, loving.

May we go the extra mile for those who need our help!

Sending love via snail mail

I was on gchat with a good friend the other day, and we were having a great conversation pouring our hearts out to each other. Towards the end of the conversation, I asked her, "btw, how was your birthday? (which just passed about 3 days ago)" To which she replied, "It was great! But how come you didn't even wish me a happy birthday?" I know she wasn't saying that out of contempt, but rather asking out of curiosity. Oddly, I did remember her birthday; in fact, I made sure I sent her an ecard! Well, I guess as good and as convenient as technology can be, it still fails us sometimes...

So, to make up for it, I sent her a birthday card via snail mail, because I figured that she won't be expecting it, so it'll be a nice surprise! Besides, why do you need a reason to tell someone that they're special to you and dearly loved by Jesus?

Running for love

Unfortunately, the title of this blog post does not describe me, because I'm a pansy and can't run for long stretches, but at the very least, I can support my friend who is doing it for Unicef! It's her second half marathon this year, and I give her props for training for this, on top of all the other changes and transitions that she went through this past year.

God gives us strength, especially when we do things in love, so I pray that He will give her strength and remind her that He is God today!

Fruit Pastilles make life sweet!

Recently, I've been blogging a lot about my cousins. They are people that inspire me. I'm so thankful that my mom and dad had siblings, and that I have sisters. I can't imagine what it's like to be an only child; my heart really goes out to all the Chinese kids of the One Child Policy in China!

Anyway, after work yesterday, I went to visit my aunt in the hospital. Of course my cousins were there standing by to help out and to root my uncle on. The last time I went to visit, I brought with me some lychee fruit pastilles. Little did I know how much they liked them, because seeing them "fight" over it I vowed to get them more next time! Well, next time came around, this time I was more prepared. Not only did I bring the lychee fruit pastilles, but I also got them the mango and the blackcurrant ones too! I hope the gummies can bring them a little sweetness during these rough times!

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." May my uncle and cousins be filled with the joy and strength of the Lord!

Loving my neighbors

I decided that it wasn't enough to just send love and invite one person to Alpha, so I picked up a stash of Alpha cards, and stuffed them in my neighbors' mailboxes. Sure, I'm spamming people, but this spam could change souls for eternity! I thought I could take the risk of being called a solicitor, in hopes that more will come to know the glories of our wonderful Lord!

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.
God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him."

Inspiring someone with Nick Vujicic's powerful testimony!

At the beginning of the summer, I blogged about how much I was looking forward to the summer, because I could spend time with my cousin. Well, the summer definitely flew by, and given everything that happened, we unfortunately didn't get to spend as much time together as we would have liked... we didn't even get a chance to finish watching the Nick Vujicic DVD that we started watching the last time she was over for dinner. So, as an encouragement to her, and as a thank you for being such an awesome cousin that she is, I gave her the Nick DVD as a gift, and included a card with words of encouragement and Truth. I know that this summer had been a really stretching summer for her, but I also pray that she would remember that nothing is too big or too impossible for our great God!

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?"
Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?
For from him and through him and to him are all things."

I was invited to blog here by a dear friend ... what a privilege. Thanks dear! I think this blog for me is about being mindful of living each moment as a possibility to reflect the love of Christ.

No moment is ever wasted, if you think about it. Whether you're stuck in line at the bank or waiting for a friend, you won't be bored, because you have the most powerful activity at your disposal--prayer!

This was hammered home to me over the weekend. I was at the gym and about to go to yoga class in the studio, when I noticed in the spinning studio next door there were some people talking urgently and the music still blaring but all exercise had stopped. I understood that someone had collapsed during spinning class and he was still on the ground. A lady was on the phone with 911, describing the situation. The instructor was administering CPR. It had JUST happened, so there weren't many people around yet; they had alerted the manager of the gym but he hadn't even arrived on the scene yet.

The HK side of me wanted to go by the studio and peek in... see what the man looked like, etc. I could've done so easily, without getting in the way of anyone, but I didn't. And I couldn't be of much use. Instead I went to the (empty) changing room and prayed--out loud. I prayed for him to not be scared, that angels would come into his unconsciousness and tell him about Jesus.

This incident also showed me the urgency of spreading the gospel--you could be exercising one minute, and then unconscious with no pulse the next. I don't know whether people are given a "last chance" to accept Jesus before they die, but either way, they are missing out on living a life on THIS earth knowing our Lord and Saviour in intimate way, and doing HIS work in cooperation with Him. I have never experienced more joy than when I know God is using me.

Pressing on through the sleepiness

Do you have days where you feel so tired that it's hard to even keep your eyes open? (It reminds me of an episode in the Tom & Jerry cartoon, where Tom was so tired that he had to keep his eyes open with toothpicks.) That's what I felt like last night. Since 4 that afternoon, I was already looking forward to jumping into bed after dinner.

And of course, God always has the best timing in challenging us to love others. After struggling to stay awake and responsive through dinner, I was just getting ready to say good night to everyone, when my sister asked if I could drive her around to run some errands. Oh mannnnnn.....

Thankfully, it was a lot quicker than I expected. Plus, it reminded me how fun and relaxing it is to go out at night in your pj's. I'm glad that I got to spend that time with my sister, and she was very thankful for my help as well.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

True love is costly

It's interesting how love and pain go hand in hand sometimes. One would think that in love, there should be no pain, that we'd just be lying on fluffy clouds and skipping in meadows with one another in perfect harmony... and yet, often times, real love is only experienced through pain and suffering. Think about it, any true act of love requires sacrifice. When we help others, it requires us to step out and give up our time, our energy. When a mom gives birth to her precious child, it requires painful labor. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, it cost Him His life.

Yesterday was supposed to be the greatly anticipated annual super duper lovely jubbly Island ECC Sports Fellowship summer time junk trip. Boy was I looking forward to it, especially when I was going to bring my cousins! The summer had been pretty rough on all of us, and we were really looking forward to being able to get away and have some fun in the sun. Unfortunately, 9 hours before we were about to take off, one of my cousins called and informed me that our aunt, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer, was not doing well and was struggling immensely to hang onto life. So yesterday, instead of riding on jet-skis, the Carebears (cousins) spent the afternoon together in the face of pain and suffering, comforting each other, and rooting each other on.

It's one thing to hear about suffering; it's another thing to be in the midst of it. Suffering is heart-wrenching and agonizing. Suffering makes time drag on forever. Suffering can deflate people and make them bitter. And perhaps that's why Jesus had to come and live in this fallen world, so that we would know that He too, experienced in our pain and suffering, and because of that, can give us the hope that we need, because He is victorious over pain, and suffering, and even death itself.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

An unexpected love opportunity

I was really looking forward to catching up with a sister over dinner. We were both super busy this summer, and hadn't really seen much of each other. Even finding a time that we were both free to meet was quite a challenge. So you can tell my excitement when dinner time drew near. I was literally skipping down the street on the way over to meet her.

We ended up going over to her house for dinner, and although we spent some time catching each other up on what's been going on, an unexpected house guest arrived (her brother's friend, who was in town for a holiday) and joined us at the dinner table.

Hm, so much for girl talk. So, in efforts to be welcoming to the house guest, we ended up talking about everything else under the sun, like scaling mountains and internet speeds, to life at boarding school and Judgment Day; everything besides what I had intended to talk to my close girlfriend about.

Honestly, in the back of my mind, I was trying all night to figure out an excuse to get away from this house guest, so that I could catch up with my sister. But perhaps it was God's plan for us to talk to this house guest instead, because for a part of the night, we talked at length about faith issues and his personal view of faith. In retrospect, I feel very privileged that I had this opportunity to have such a heart to heart talk with someone whom I just met, and I appreciate his honesty in opening up his heart to a stranger, like me.

Although I didn't share the gospel with him, but I pray that seeds were planted, and that God will make them grow. I pray that he will discover that following Jesus is not about following a set of rules and rituals, but about having a personal relationship with the Creator and Savior of this world, who loves him dearly.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

May we continue to lay down our agendas for the sake of reaching out and helping those who are still walking in darkness!

Humility

M inspired me to blog about humility. Recently, one of my sisters has been going on an emotional rollar-coaster ride, and taking many of us along with her. Now of course everyone has their good days and their bad days, but for this sister, she often seems to have more bad days than good, and the things that she claims causes her bad days, IMO (in my opinion), are not always worth of sympathy.

And of course that's where my problem lies, because I'm trying to view her struggles IMO. "To practice humility, we need to think less of ourselves and more of others." To this sister, her struggles are real, the obstacles are huge, and the darkness is thick. I pray that God will help me remember that, and put myself in her shoes, even when she calls me at the most inconvenient times to talk, even when it's late at night, and even when it seems like she will never understand or change.

God never gave up on us, so how can we give up so easily on others, who are struggling and need our help?

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends."

#56 Humility

Yikes...so how many weeks am I behind? I will just keep going forward.

I was really blessed by Jaeson Ma's post on Humility. I could really relate to his struggles dealing with pride. He wrote, "To practice humility, we need to think less of ourselves and more of others." This is a challenge, because friends have recently come to me sharing their stories and I quickly give them a list of "what they should do" and "what not to do" when all along, all they needed was a friend to listen and understand them fully...
how foolish and arrogant of me to see myself as the "know it all."
God is opening my eyes to see that we are all sinners, we are created equal..of course I know this, but do I live this out daily?
my friends don't need me to ramble on with advice and judgment, what they really need is love and support.

Humility does not mean you think less of yourself. It means you think of yourself less.
-Ken Blanchard

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. -Proverbs 27:17

Loving the lost by inviting them to Alpha!

I'm a chicken when it comes to inviting the lost to Christian events, because I'm scared that it would be awkward for them, and honestly, I don't really like getting shot down. However, Jesus reminds us that "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven."

I don't know about you, but I want some reward in heaven!

There's a good friend that I've been praying for ever since returning to HK. We've known each other for years, and go way back, but I didn't get to know him better until coming back to HK this time around. Our friendship is something that I really treasure and am thankful for. And perhaps precisely because of this, I was so afraid of inviting him to church. Thankfully, God gave me the courage that I needed, and I invited him to Alpha over lunch today, to which he said, "sure!" Wow! It was so easy! I feel so silly for being such a chicken...

Righteous Anger?

Like the rest of Hong Kong, I was in a state of anger and unrest all day today. I still cannot believe that the slaughter in the Philippines actually happened. What kind of a world are we living in?? It is in fact 2010 and not 1010, isn't it? Just because we cannot get what we want, does that give us the right to harm others? To destroy families?

Honestly, I'm still trying to reconcile how God would want us to love in this situation. How do we love a country and a government that is so irresponsible? How are we supposed to trust them again? How do we forgive such a heinous act?

The only thing I can do and must do, is pray, for God says "For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

I pray that God will comfort the hearts of those who are mourning. I pray that He will bring vengeance on those who refuse to repent of their wicked ways. I pray that He will again fill His people with hope and love and faith.

Sending love via words of encouragement

Dayspring makes great cards. They are always so encouraging, and so pretty. I knew 2 people who really needed a pick-me-up today, so I got each of them a Dayspring card, and wrote words of encouragement that I pray will shed light into their darkness. And I trust that this will be done, because these words that I wrote are not my own words, but God's Words of Truth that will bring hope and life.

Love challenge: "therefore encourage one another and build each other up."

MPF

By law, all Hong Kong employers are required to help fund their employees' MPF, or Mandatory Provident Fund, aka the stash of cash for your retirement. But does this apply to only HK residents, or can ex-pats enjoy this work perk too? Uh....

So, I did a little research, and I found out that HK employers are also required to fund their ex-pat employees' MPFs. When the contract is over, and you switch over to work for another HK company, you can carry-over your MPF to the new company. If you decide to leave HK, you can cash out on your MPF.

Hm, looks like I learnt quite a bit through my act of love today... perhaps it should be my ex-pat friend's act of love instead!

Dim Sum Love

Hong Kong people love dim sum. For me, having dim sum typifies family time, because ever since I was young, whenever family friends and relatives come to town, our family would bring them to have dim sum.

This summer, my cousin came back for granny. Normally, whenever my cousin is back in town, my super awesome brother-in-law would take him and his family out, and treat them to dim sum. He would do so every time without fail. This time, I felt that I should also treat my cousin and his family too, so even though they didn't know, I helped foot part of the bill. (My family likes to eat, so those dim sum bills can really add up!)

This incident made me realize that giving in secret is really powerful. It not only is something that God approves of (Matthew 6:4), but is also something that brings great joy, enough to fill your heart for the whole day!

Have you ever given in secret, and in doing so were so filled with joy?

Trying to reduce the plank size

In my previous post, I wrote about a coworker that wasn't performing at work as she should be. Today, God gave me another chance to reach out to her and to build up our relationship. When she sent over her work to me for review, instead of railing on her and listing out all the changes she needed to make, I praised her for the work that she had done. And it wasn't the type of "oh, this is good, but...." type praise, but praise that I really meant from the bottom of my heart. Although it was only a few sentences, but I think it was enough to give her some encouragement. She seems to be performing a bit better at work these last few days. I hope that it persists, not just her performance at work, but more importantly, that my love for her will be consistent, so that she can see Christ in me. Christ loves us despite our work; we should love others the same.

"He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities... But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Loving others means getting your hands dirty

For those of us who often cross the Hong Kong/China border, we're armed with either two cell phones, or cell phones that take dual sim cards (i.e. two numbers that can send and receive calls on one phone.)

On my way back from China, I sat next to a lady, who definitely was not a frequent border crosser. For most of the trip, she struggled with trying to take one sim card out of her phone, and replace it with another. Perhaps it was her nice long manicured nails that got in the way, or maybe it was just that she wasn't used to the drill. In either case, she managed to drop the little sim card... somewhere... somewhere dark and not very visible. Great.

Do I pretend not to see anything and just keep banging on my berry? I wanted to! But of course the Holy Spirit wouldn't let me! And so we searched, high and low... and we finally found it! ... stuck between the yucky crack of our two seats. Well, she wasn't going to stick her nicely manicured nails down there, and it seems like her hands were bigger than mine anyway, so I volunteered to tweeze the tiny sim card out of the crack for her, after which I dropped it in her hand with a smile. She was very grateful. It only cost me a few minutes and 2 dirty fingers, but I'm glad that God gave me the chance to help out a stranger!

When was the last time you got your hands dirty helping someone else?

There's a plank in my eye!

I've been starting to realize that the more I wrestle with something, the more likely that God's telling me that I need to grow in that area. Lately, again and again, God's been challenging me at work. Recently, I've had to take over someone else's work, without any guidance or direction. It was pretty much a sink or swim type deal, and dude, I started sinking quickly! Not only did I not understand what I was doing, but the people who helped out this person who's job I took over, were not very smart or on top of their work either! Sadly, I have zero patience for incompetence! (No, it's not a positive trait of mine...)

Unfortunately, a few days ago, one of the colleagues, whose bad work attitude others have started complaining about, got it from me. I wouldn't say I yelled at her, but my words were definitely not laced with much patience or mercy. It probably sounded like noisy gongs and tasted like sour lemons.

Well, today, God graciously gave me a chance to try to redeem my poor attitude, and show this coworker some love. I heard from someone else that she had taken 2 days off earlier because her mom wasn't feeling so well, so I called her up, and instead of just diving into correcting her on her work, I chatted with her a bit to see how she was doing, and to see if there's anything I could help her out with. I think she seemed to appreciate it, especially because she seemed much more positive in regards to the work that I told her she had to do afterwards - haha!

In all seriousness though, people just need a little bit of love. We just need to off over our own high ground. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?"

Day 49: Love Don't Cost a Thing (or does it?)

I was reminded me of J. Lo's 2001 hit song Love Don't Cost a Thing this morning. Well, I was thinking more that love always costs something. It's the cost of it that makes it all the more valuable.

On my way to work this morning, rushing as usual. Had just dooted my way into the mtr station. Walking briskly towards the escalators, I heard a man's voice shout out 'leng lui' (or beautiful girl). It cracked me up that several of us ladies turned our heads at once. It was an old uncle standing on the other side of the divider (the outside of the mtr). He managed to catch my eye and asked: leng lui, can you pass me a newspaper (free newspapers stacked on my side of the divide)? While all the other ladies had rushed off already and in those brief few seconds, a thousand excuses flooded through my head. I'm in a rush...should just go...already passed the newspaper stack...would have to walk back...maybe someone else will help him...

When it suddenly hit me like a brick wall, how selfish could I be? A simple gesture of love to make someone's day. How much did it cost me? A few seconds time. Sure, that few seconds could have cost me to miss an earlier train, which would have possibly led me to being late for work. But I'd rather be late than pass up an opportunity to lend a helping hand.

So I walked back, grabbed a newspaper, walked over and handed it to the uncle with a smile. He smiled back and gave me a heartfelt thank you. And in some way he seemed surprised that I had made a U-turn and gone back for the newspaper. Good surprises that make your day are the best.

Love challenge: Surprise someone today with unexpected kindness.

Manga!

I just met a friend who started publishing Christian manga. His vision is to capture the hearts of this generation's youth by sharing stories of God's faithfulness to us. And what better way to capture their attention than through manga and anime?

He's all the way on the other side of the world though, and to encourage him, I thought I would send him some manga (Next Manga!) from this side of the world (though technically, I'm just sending it back to where it came from, because it was published in his neck of the woods. :P) In any case, I pray that it would be an encouragement to him, and give him some good ideas for his own Christian manga!

Have you ever read Christian manga? What do you think of it?

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
May manga be used for the glory of God and to usher in His Kingdom!

Learning forgiveness

Whenever I think of forgiveness, I often think of going up to someone, with my tail between my legs, head bowed, very embarrassed, and mumbling a quick "sorry", before scurrying quickly away. Or, I think of someone coming up to me, while I'm in an arms-on-hips, head held high, eyes looking down on the wrong-doer type stance. But this Sunday, my pastor reminded me that forgiveness is not about either of those things. Forgiveness is about remembering that Christ forgave us by dying on the cross for our sins, and as such, we have no right to be able to keep the record of anyone else's wrong-doings either. Forgiveness is about letting go of hurt and bitterness, so that we can grow in maturity. If we don't forgive, our heart will grow hard and die out. What a great reminder!

And of course the test comes bright and early on Monday morning...

The craziness at work continues, the uncooperative people have not gotten better, and sometimes, it seems like the break will just never come! And it's at times like these, when people seem to like to test my patience the most. Yet, I must remember at times like these that God died for my sins. I'm sure it wasn't convenient for Him then either, but He did it, for me. So I must try to do it for others, without (any more) whining or complaining, and without letting any bitterness take root in my heart!

Is there something you have to let go of and forgive someone else for?

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."