Family and Wedding

My previous post is a little too long... let me attach my pictures here!

Finally... Happy family reunion




... and my cousin's wedding reception.

Update for a week - Malaysia

Yes. I am home. No, I mean HOME – Penang, Malaysia.
It is amazingly that I do not feel as uncomfortable as 3.5 years ago. God must have mercy on me because it has been raining everyday since the night I arrived. My parents look pretty and cute and my sister treats me much nicer than before. It must be the result of our prayers!

So spending time with family, working at Starbucks, and eating are my daily routine. Somehow, I prefer to tease my mom a little more, talk about life philosophy with my dad, and attempt to have short conversation and share some silly jokes with my sister. My friends can only have a little of my time and I feel sorry for them, yet as before who I am in their hearts change not.

My neighbors still greet me with good cheers and as usual Aunt Ling teases my hair, skin color, outfit, and of course my hundred and thousands never exist boyfriends. I enjoy her hilarious charm.

…. Sigh… the only thing that put me down a little is my on-going project. I try to wrap it up by faithfully staring on the screen everyday. There is good progress but I know it could be better if there is no distraction. OK… let me correct, GOOD distraction. I pray that God will give me divine knowledge, wisdom, and understanding to push over the bar that I set. … Speechless…

Ok, you don’t have to ask. It is a truth that I shopped a lot in Hong Kong, so as in Penang. Nevertheless, I am not used to letting my daddy pay for my food, my shoes, and my clothes. The first day, he gave me $500 but he paid everything I bought. So, I did not spend a cent. The next day, he wanted to give me another $500, I stared at him with my jaw dropped down and told him that I hadn’t even get a chance to spend on anything. Today, he went to bank and withdrew more cash and told me that this was for my mom and I to spend in Indo. Oh, I forgot to mention, my dad literally became the chauffer of me. Anything that I mentioned, my mom and dad will make sure that they are there. I know… I know… @_@ You know what? If my earthly father can cherish me and shower me with his time, money, and energy, how much more my father in heaven loves me. For those of you keep asking me what kind of man I would marry, let me tell you… he cannot be less than my dad, I tolerate no belittlement or a little less love than my dad for me. Kakakakaka!!! Of course surely, my mom will tell me that don’t be so stupid and let your hubby control you. So, she promised me that she would chase my future hubby to the end of the world if he dared to raise his voice or hands. Thank God for mother! Wait, hands? No hands, not even a finger!!

In honor of women around us

Every Woman Is Beautiful -

A little boy asked his mother “Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m a woman,” she told him.

“I don’t understand,” he said.

His mom just hugged him and said, “And you never will.”

Later the little boy asked his father,

“Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?”

“All women cry for no reason,” was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God; and when God got on the phone,

he asked, “God, why do women cry so easily?!”

God said: “When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world; yet gentle enough to give comfort”

“I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children”

“I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining”

“I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly”

“I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart”

“I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him falteringly”

“And finally, I gave her a tear to shed.

This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed.”

“You see: The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.”

“The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart * the place where love resides.”

Miracles

I am still reading Yancey’s book but at the same time I started on my Acts marathon. It appeared to be such a coincidence yet perfect in timing. On one hand, Yancey stated how faith did not spring out from miracle; instead, miracle sprang out from faith. Jesus knew that miracles and signs did not convey the message of love nor resolute the hardness of doubt. He emphasized not on miracle works and He restrained Himself to mark only a handful of supernatural deeds during His time on earth. His miracles ceased after rising Lazarus up from the dead and before the triumphal entry to Jerusalem. God Himself shy away from using His power to win us back, and sure enough there was no cosmic drama of rescue on the cross.

On the other hand, in Acts, signs, wonders, powers, miracles, and celestial beings happened one after another. The “Acts of Holy Spirit” launched within Jesus’ disciples and spread all over the land. I read Acts with a whole new sight, as if I read it for the very first time. I was overwhelmed by the power of God upon Jesus’ 11 disciples and Paul. Imagine how the shadow of Peter caused healing to many, the face of Stephen was as bright as an angel when he was persecuted before the Sanhedrin, the couple fell flat dead after lying to the Holy Spirit, angle rescued apostles from the jail cell, and all the mysterious and miraculous works of Paul.

I am amazed how God shifted the spotlight on His disciples rather than on Himself. He sneaked to the back of the curtain and commissioned you and me to carry on what He has been doing. Look around today, where is the power? Where is the “act”? Where is the impartation of the Lord? Where is the passion to live? Somehow, we are buried under the lies and so-called “reality”. We are assumed to be helpless and powerless. Hold on, let’s see what the very word of God tells us, “the kingdom of God is within you – Luke 17:21,” “… you have been give fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority – Colossians 2:10.”

To me, the best scripture that restating the fact of Christ has passed the torch to us is this, John 14:12 – “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do EVEN GREATER THINGS than these, because I am going to the Father.”

Breakthrough

There is joy in a breakthrough.

I witnessed close to twenty individual baptisms on Sunday. I could still hear Pastor Dave’s voice crying out, “Tender… tender… tender is your spirit…” “Deep calls to deep… as the spirit of God is calling out to your spirit…” He went on and on prophesizing to individual under the anointing of the Lord. My heart was moved every time when I saw an individual looked sternly and seriously into the eyes of Pastor Dave and declared that Jesus Christ was his/her Lord and he/she would follow Him for the rest of his/her life.

I couldn’t help but whispered to them, “Thank you for loving Jesus!” I could see myself in some of them. I could see their broken spirits being mend and healed. I could see some of them hanging on to this very hope with all that they had. As if I walked through the time portal, I saw myself closed the door, which once allowed me to go back to my old life. I saw my tears of joy of finding Jesus. I saw myself on my knees telling Jesus that I would not turn back and I gave it all for Him.

Pastor Dave kept looking and smiling at me, I believed somehow he recognized that I walked through the same path to approach the throne of God. The presence of the Holy Spirit was heavy in the multipurpose room and I came out of the room with pink blush on my cheeks.

Heart felt congratulatory to How Chwan for he made a decision that changed his life and many others’ lives on Oct. 30th, 2005. He buried his old self in the water but rose again with the anointing and glory of God. He, indeed, will find a set and predestined place in the body of Christ. Welcome on board to the “touching heaven, changing earth” business!!