God’s Love Imperfect People

I am definitely not perfect. Not seldom but often I do make mistakes but I am grateful that God loves me in spite of my imperfections. 

Being alone in this room has made me think of good things and bad things. Honestly my 14-day quarantine has given me so much time that I decided to write again on my blog though I am not sure if anyone reads my blog. 

Probably the main reason I write is to release the too much thoughts and words on my mind.I used to write poems when I was young and stopped when I got so preoccupied with studies.

I don’t know what will happen after my 14-day quarantine here in Yangmingshan but looking out at my window and seeing trees and rain each day has made me think of the abundance of goodness of our God. He sends rain each day to me and to all, like His “shower of blessings.” I now look and think the goodness of each situation just the scripture says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Philippians 4:8)

I have friends that I love though they are not perfect, just like the love of God to us. God knows that perfect people do not exist and His love is bigger that our mistakes. He loves imperfect people, you and me. His word guide us as we read it and study it each day and through the guiding of His Spirit by His word, we are saved from our imperfections because it shows us the truth about ourselves. So when insecurity starts to make you feel fear and doubt (especially being in quarantine) flip your mind around and say, Lord God, this feelings of fear and uncertainty for myself is real but I will not doubt You, please let Your perfection override my feelings of imperfection and help me do what you want me to do in Your good, pleasing and  perfect will. 

Who You Say I Am?

She smiled at me and talked to me happily. I looked at her and her cute small morkie (crossbreed of Yorkshire Terrier and Maltese) dog. We talked about our favorite topic and that was about our dogs. I showed her photos of my two cute furbabies and she laughed that my two dogs were wearing cute dresses and ribbons. She was enjoying talking to me when she asked me where I came from. This lady and I met at San Zhi San Sheng Trail of Tamsui as me and my friend went there last March 31 for trekking and to see the Sakura (Cherry Blossom). My friend and I enjoying our drinks when we encountered this lady with her small dog at the coffee shop. When I started to greet her dog––she smiled and started to talk with us. And then the “question” came. I smiled and told her, “I came all the way from Taipei City.” She asked me again why I can speak English, “What are you?” My answer was, “My father is Chinese, and my mother is a Filipina.” And then she turned her look away and stopped talking in an instant after hearing my answer––she did not talk to me again. I was surprised a bit but remembering encounters like this before that each time people would fondly talk to me and would ask me “What I am,” if I was a Korean or a Japanese––they would stop talking to me each time they would know “Who I am.”

I remember the story of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman at the well and his disciples were surprised to see him with her––knowing that Jews never associate themselves with Samaritans. But still Jesus talked to this woman and even asked for a drink of water (John 4:1-42) With these thoughts in mind, I sang a song (Who You Say I Am) to myself:

Who am I that the highest King

Would welcome me

I was lost but He brought me in

Oh His love for me

Who the Son sets free

Oh is free indeed

I’m a child of God

Yes I am

Free at last, He has ransomed me

His grace runs deep

While I was a slave to sin

Jesus died for me

Yes He died for me

In my Father’s house

There’s a place for me

I’m a child of God

Yes I am

I am chosen, not forsaken

I am who You say I am

You are for me, not against me

I am who You say I am

I still will tell what I am undauntedly if anyone would ask me. I will not fear of what other people will think of me or judge me of what I am. Our negative emotions and the words of the enemy can attack our self-images with lies. Sometimes listening to songs like this remind us of the biblical truth that will free us from disapproval and anxiety. 

I am a child of God––we are all children of God because of our Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the truth and if anyone will ask you again––what are you––who you say you are––tell them that you are a child of God. 

“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,” Galatians 3:26. 

There are many things in this life that will try to tell you WHO YOU ARE–– your identity deserves better. What matters most is not what your your racial or cultural background; your past or  your gender: or your marital or employment status says about who you are. What matters is WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE! You are chosen and loved. You are made in the image of God. 

Prayer:

My Lord, 

I will be forever grateful of your grace for me, that is my Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him, I became Your child. Thank You, in Jesus Name. Amen. 

Are You a Sheep or a Goat?

Look at the photos and you will notice the smiles and the joy on their faces. These people are volunteers who visited and gave their time to spread Christmas joy and love with the inmates of Gweishan Prison, in Taoyuan, Taiwan last Thursday, December 14, 2017.

Christmas time is all about sharing love, joy and peace just like the first Christmas day––when Jesus came to us as a baby to bring us peace, joy and love with His Presence. And as believers of the Word, we would like to be doers also of the Word. That is why I called these volunteers that visited the inmates TSL (the sheep of the Lord) not TGWOH (the goats who only hear) of the Word.

Matthew 25:31-46 says,

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

It is truly amazing how the Spirit of the Lord works and inspires His children to know His Word and helps them to be His light and hope in this hurting world that badly needed His love. 

_________________

An article from this event will be on Kaibigan Magazine

You Steady My Heart

Today, January 30, Monday, first day of work after Chinese New Year. As you walk the streets of Taipei, you will  hear lots of noise of firecrackers and will also see lots of local people burning paper and offering food for their gods. They usually do this every year on the first day of work after Chinese New Year as a custom or ritual to have good luck for their business. The local people here believe that good luck in business will steady their hearts and give them joy and peace.

For me, the only One that will steady my heart amidst the turmoil of life and of the world is my God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I praise Him that He is helping me to put my trust in Him even with not so good circumstances. I cannot believe in Him on my own, His Spirit is guiding me and helping me every step of my walk with Him. I don't have to worry because the God who made everything, is the One who is holding me in the palm of His hand. His forever love for me is steadying my heart even on times that it's hurting. The peace that transcends all understanding that He is giving me, keeps me smiling everyday. 

Supernatural Transformation

The one great transformation happened in the Bible was when Saul-the former persecutor of Christians-encountered God on the road of Damascus in Acts 9. We all know that he was changed and began preaching the good news.
The morning of April 7, Thursday, at Battambang Cambodia, I again went with the Outreach Team to a school and an orphanage in Preydach Village. The orphaned kids wearing their uniform of white shirts. The Team did some singing with the orphans and rendered two skits. Ruth Shih shared her testimony with an  interpreter. She also taught the children origami and Trillium Chang shared the gospel through straw and the cube cards with Pastor Lim as the interpreter. After lunch, the team went to Asia's Hope orphanage in Battambang. The orphaned kids were so nice and lovely with their yellow shirts. They welcomed us with hugs and smiles and held our hands even when we had not got off yet from the van. I started to feel different like wanting to cry by the immensity of presence of love in the place. The Outreach Team had visited them the day of April 6, when I was with the Construction Team and they were so love stricken that they wanted to see, play, hug and talk with them again. Honestly I was also smitten by these orphaned children. They started to teach us some hand-games and had put stickers on our faces. These children were so adorable that our "goodbyes" were so hard.
After Asia's Hope Orphanage, we went to the site of the new orphanage of New Hope for Orphans, where the Construction team helped build a fence. We had our dinner and a small farewell party for our last day in Battambang. The Construction team did some shopping for the orphaned kids in this place early in the morning. They bought slippers and clothes. The night was so lovely, the Mission Team playing with the orphans, singing and hugging them for the last time. I was singing, Jesus loves me yes I know, on our dinner table and the orphans with us on the table started crying while singing. I started to hug and tell them that even though we were leaving, we would not forget them, and would be praying for them, and promised that we would be back to see them. Everyone was so emotional and we had a prayer led by Pastor Sinai. We prayed for the new place and for the children and for the coordinator of the place. After prayer we lit some firecrackers to our enjoyment. What we had experienced this day and the past days was life-transforming. It was a supernatural transformation. I believe that each member of the team has been changed to a better person with a new better perspective in life. Like Saul who became the apostle Paul, the Lord has put a fire in our hearts, a fire of love, a fire of hope, a fire to share His word, and a fire to be an instrument to change a child's life from darkness to light. This fire cannot be quenched and it all began with a small step of just deciding to join a mission trip.


I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws -Ezekiel 36:26-27

Trusting God with Tomorrow

This morning, April 9,  I took some chinese noodles for breakfast and coffee after I packed and prepared my things and luggage to go to the airport later around 10 a.m. Waiting at the lobby for Maryann and the group, they went out for breakfast and shopping at the Russian market. I needed to stay to download all photos to my mobile me and to do my work here on my computer at the hotel lobby because of their slow internet. Well this is our last day in Cambodia and it's like having mixed feelings. I feel happy that I will be able to see my Mika and Yumi again (my two furbabies) later the day but I feel sad too, remembering the orphans and their unhappy faces when we said our goodbyes to them.

Yesterday morning, April 8, we traveled from Battambang to Pursat and went to Pursat 2 Children's Home, we shared the word of God through singing and gave them some bag of goodies. The orphans received us with bright smiles and hugs and rendered two dance numbers for us that we really enjoyed. In the backyard they are raising pigs and some chickens. We also met one male Portuguese volunteer-teacher in a classroom with the orphans, and he is teaching them English.
We traveled back to Phnom Penh in the afternoon for about 5 hours and after we ate our dinner and celebrated Maxine Tu's 16th birthday, we proceeded to Phnom Penh Children Home and Church Building to have a small meeting and sharing of each one's stories and experiences for this mission trip. After prayer and devotion, we headed to our lodging place to have our much needed rest for a long day trip after our meeting.
As I opened my computer to work on it during the night, I had felt deep in my heart the big help that these little orphans needed, having seen their plight, I would like to do more but could do only so little, just promising them that I would be praying for them and loving them with hugs and smiles and telling them the love of Jesus for them, and that God is always there to help them. I wish I could give them more or do more and I felt so hopeless that I could not give or do enough to help them. Suddenly as I poured my anxious heart to God, I have felt His peace and reassurance that He is working and our mission team had done just what He wanted us to do, one small work, one small deed to a bigger step ahead that He alone can do. I can only say that I have to trust God with tomorrow because even in the darkest place or time, He will surely send His light through His children to help the people and children in straitened circumstances. Thank You,  Father, that when I am afraid, I just need to trust in You (Psalm 56:3)

Scorching heat, Bright smiles and Warm Hugs and unconditional love

I went with the Construction team April 6, after we had our devotion about acceptance and our scripture was Romans 15:7. The orphanage was approximately ten minutes away from the place we are staying. The place is huge and the team is helping to build a fence around the area. The first personal impression for the place was, "It's way too sunny out here." The open area on which the team needs to build the fence was full of bright sunshine that will make you drink a lot of water for the day, especially when you are doing construction. As a person who is not used to stand and be in the heat for long hours, I could tell you now that I feel like screaming, "It's too hot, I feel like I am in an oven"
While I was taking photos at the site, I felt that I was starting to feel bubbles in my stomach and started giggling to myself and talking to God, "Yes, I know you're laughing now because I am walking out here in this scorching heat. I am even wondering, why I am doing this". And I felt in my heart that God was telling me, "That's why you can feel the breeze, and you haven't fainted yet because I am walking with you and giving you My Strength. My heart stopped for a moment and realized the fact that I was really walking in the heat and not fainting yet. I used to faint when I was in high school because of my health, I have this very short tolerance for heat.
It was inspiring and encouraging to see the Construction team doing their work, especially that all of them are not used in doing construction. I could see that they still have their smiles and good attitude. They still were very sweet and loving to the orphans and even talked with them and played with them and hugged them. Doing a short-term mission work is really a serious tough job. You can never do something that is beyond your comfort zone if you don't have love in your heart, that unconditional heaven-sent love.
Pastor Doug led the devotion (our scripture verse was Romans 14:19) after lunch about building up and had encouraged us to find ways to build each other. I've got all my building up and encouragement from seeing how the construction  team worked and shared love to the orphans and I also got encouragement from the orphans. One orphan girl climbed a mango tree and picked some green mangoes for me to eat, and it was sour but salt made the difference for me. I dipped the green mango in salt and I love green mangoes. It is like the lives of  the orphans, very sour because of their poor circumstances but because of the salt, which is the love of God through His children helping these orphaned kids, and just like the green mangoes that do taste better for me because of the salt, the lives of these orphaned kids will get better because of love.