Love

This past Sunday, Pastor Steve Korch summarizes the love definition according to 1 Cor 13 as follow:

When I choose to act in love,

• I choose to NOT act like a jerk
• I choose to NOT get OFFENDED when others act like a jerk
• I choose to look for the BEST in others

What a reminder! Now for the grace and power to actually put it in practice =)

Quotes from "To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain" by Matt Chandler

I recently read Matt Chandler's book "To Live is Christ To Die is Gain" where he explains the book of Phillipians. Here are some parts that really got me:

Always, always, always seek the cross. It is there that we see our example for service and sacrifice for others. It is there that we get the power to serve and sacrifice for others. And it is there that we receive forgiveness when we fail in serving and sacrificing for others. (To live is Christ, to Die is Gain - Matt Chandler)

Nobody stumbles into godliness, ever. It simply doesn't happen. There is no autopilot mode for the Christian life. We never see people in the Bible growing in godliness by coasting along. Not even the person who gets the miracle. 

Entertainment

Note to self:

“Entertainment is the devil's substitute for joy. The more joy you have in the Lord the less entertainment you need.”

― Leonard Ravenhill

What a year!!!

These past few years have been very adventurous for me! Starting Montessori training, being in the classroom, getting involved in Joni and Friends family retreat!

After fretting and praying and agonizing about my decision to go back to Indonesia for good early in the year, I made peace with my decision and start to use the rest of my time in U.S spending time with dearest friends, bidding farewell to my favorite places, get to go to 2 Joni and Friends Family Camp with 5 sisters from IEC, hiked half dome, camping, etc. A lot of things have changed by the end of the year, but God remained constant!

In October, I got a chance to go to China with my parents and my sister to visit relatives living in mainland. Some of the cousins and aunt/uncle I've never met before! It's such a precious time to spend time and get to know them in person.

In November and December, many of my Bay Area friends were coming to visit their families in Jakarta. I am so grateful to get a chance to meet them as well.

I don't know what God has in store for 2017, but I know it is going to be good! If only I can keep my eyes open to the things He is doing and He wants me to do. If I remain faithful in His calling. If I don't get sidetracked with "busyness" nor "idleness".

The round entryway (as pictured above) always reminds me of Matthew 19:

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

That's my prayer for this year, that I will keep on looking forward to joining God in doing the impossible =) 

"Continuous Weakening"

Ever since I moved to a new place earlier this months, I've been reading 7 chapters from Bible and a very short devotional notes before the morning break. Today was the first time I missed. I woke up at 4, felt a bit tired to get out of bed and finally succumbed to my flesh, staying in bed and doing other things on my tablet.

I was still in bed when my mom came into my room and ask me to go to the market with her. I don't want to go out "empty" so I quickly read the short devotional notes for the day. It says,

"The final failure comes from the continuous weakening." ( taken from Edges of His ways by Amy Carmichael)  

Amy quoted Westcott commentary on Hebrews 12:1-3 when she wrote this. 

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." 

I am so grateful for the timely rebuke. Last month, a friend of mine said that our choices create our character. The choices we make even in little things has greater consequence than we think. The moment I choose to "let down my guard" is the moment I am heading into disaster. Today, it is "only" one "miss", but for sure it is not getting me closer to the place I want to be (closer to His heart).

What about you? Are the choices you made leading you to the place you want to be? To the place God wants you to be?

Let us:

• Throw off everything that hinders and
• Throw off sin that so easily entangles.

Let us:

• Run with perseverance the race marked out for us
• Fix our eyes on Jesus

Consider Him...so you will not grow weary and lose heart. 

 

If

I've been blessed so much by the devotional book "If" written by Amy Carmichael. During our weekend trip to Lake Tahoe, this page speaks loudly to me:

If I make much of anything appointed to me, magnify it secretly to myself or insidiously to others; if I let them think it hard, if I look back longingly upon what used to be and linger among the byways of memory, so my power to help is weakened, then I know nothing of Calvary love. 

Brethren, I do not reckon to have laid hold of it yet, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and extending myself unto those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

Help me to not dwell on things from the past - whether they are successes or failures. May I only press forward to the work you have placed in front of me. 

 Afterwards we went to church and I was reminded of God's love for me. The sermon was taken from Genesis 3 where the Bible records the fall of man AND the promise of salvation from God. I was reminded of a Father's heart for His children. In that moment, I felt that God is inviting me to step into the future with full confidence in His love for me, instead of with fear. I love how He always prepares me for what lies ahead! God is indeed good, all knowing, and wise.

Anxiety

It is exactly a month away from my departure date to Indonesia. Lots of thoughts, feelings and emotions crowding up my mind and heart these days. In May and June, I felt like I am in a swing, where I get excited about moving at one time and feel depressed about leaving at another time. These days, those emotions change very rapidly like a roller coaster. But thanks be to God who keep me sane and grounded through the love of so many friends around me. God is so good and faithful!

One of the things that overwhelms me big time is packing. Clutter is very natural to me - to get organized for daily living is already hard for me. I actually have my peace with being an organized clutter (my stuffs can look messy, but I can always pull them out when I need it). In fact, I would always have trouble finding the stuffs I need when I tidied up my space. Needless to say more, packing up thirteen years of life into two suitcases is an extreme challenge for me. 

I've spend so many unproductive hours fretting and confused on where to start - to the point of paralysis. I came to realization that I need help - lots of it. As always, my mom comes to my rescue. 

Mom and Dad at Bryce Canyon National Park

Growing up, my dad is always the one who eager to pamper me and my siblings. He doesn't speak much, but he always know the things we enjoy most and would present it to us without being asked. He is quick to give little "pick me up"s.

My mom, however, being a stay home mom, is not so easily manipulated by our words. When we say we are tired and rather procrastinate, do things later, etc - she won't back down on that! I always recognize her love as being a tough one. 

So last night when we talked on the phone, my mom asked me what am I worrying about? Am I not secured in my decision of moving? Why can't I start packing? No words come out from me as she ask these questions. I suddenly don't remember why I am so lost in thoughts that I cannot do the things I need to do. This morning, I am reminded to "do the next thing". 

1 Peter 5:7New International Version (NIV)

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Half Dome Hike

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands  ~ Psalm 19:1

My friends and I attempted to hike the famous Yosemite Half Dome this past weekend. It is one of the most beautiful and popular hike, that the National Park Service has to issue permit on lottery system to limit the traffic. 

Last year, my brother got in for July the 4th weekend, but our group ended up not going because of bad weather. This year, I was the one who got the lottery and the weather is absolutely perfect for the hike. 

We started driving to Yosemite around 10 pm at night. We arrived around 2.30 am and started walking in the dark using flashlight. The dawn breaks at around 5.30 am when we are just past Nevada falls. We reached the bottom of the dome around 9.45 am. 

The dome

For me, the cable is the scariest part of the trip. The rock was so steep, my foot don't always have a good footage to support my weight and to lift it up. That means my arms has to do most of the work pulling my body up, which I am not very used to. There's about three steps from each bar, some of the bars are easier than others. I really have to learn to do in one bar at a time, be patient and take my time. 

On top of the dome

Look how small I am compare to the vast valley. I don't know what to feel once I reached the top. Maybe because it was so tiring climbing the dome. I thought I would be overwhelmed with emotions, but truth is, I was very sober. I am very grateful that I made it safely to the top, but that was it. 

Honestly, the part I enjoyed the most was the journey itself, not necessarily the top of mountain experience. I enjoyed walking in the dark, where I can only see a couple feet down the road at a time, while hearing the sound of waterfalls. I enjoyed seeing the breaking of the dawn, when the sky slowly brightens up and change colors. I enjoyed hearing the birds singing in the morning. I remember telling myself over and over again, one step at a time. 

I am humbled to be reminded to enjoy the little things on the journey in life, not to rush to certain destination, which I've been doing these days. There are thoughts like, "If only I reached this or accomplished that", yet once I reached those points, it wasn't what I expected them to be and I completely missed the lessons God has for me in the mundane and dailiness of life. 

Right before I left for Half Dome, I started my own hymn book, recording hymns that blessed my heart and helped me along the journey when life seems hard. This is the hymn that's been playing in my head as I walk each step to the top of the mountain (and as my feet were cramping in the middle of climbing that cable!) O how sweet indeed to walk in this pilgrim way, while leaning on His everlasting arms that keeps me safe and secure from all alarms =)

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
O how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

JAF - Indo Service Testimony

Folks,

this is the my testimony script at Indonesian Service IEC post Joni and Friends Family Retreat. I haven't got a chance to type it nicely, but I do want to share with you before I forget =) Enjoy!

Selamat pagi semuanya. Terimakasih atas kesempatannya untuk bisa sharing pengalaman saya melayani di Joni and Friends Ministry 2 minggu yang lalu.

Joni and Friends ministry didirikan oleh Joni Eareckson Tada pada tahun 1979. Tahun 1967, pada usia 17 tahun, Joni yang sehat dan atletis tiba2 menjadi cacat tangan dan kaki akibat kecelakan. Dari pergumulannya, Joni merasa terbeban untuk melayani keluarga keluarga lain yang punya pengalaman yg serupa.

Pelayanan Joni and Friends memberitakan Injil dan memperlengkapi gereja2 untuk melayani, mendukung dan melatih keluarga2 ini menjadi murid Kristus.

Program mereka yang saya ikuti 2 minggu lalu adalah Retreat Keluarga. Dalam retreat ini, seluruh keluarga datang bersama2, lalu setiap anggota keluarga ada program masing2.

Ada program

• dewasa (parents) – ada kelompok kecil untuk bapak2 dan ibu2.
• youthful adult (mereka yang usianya dewasa tetapi ada kondisi fisik atau mental yang berbeda dengan dewasa pada umumnya – autism, down syndrome, dll)
• teen / remaja (mereka yang highschool/middleschool. Kebanyakan kakak atau adik dari anak yang mempunyai kelainan jatuh dalam kategori ini. Mereka sendiri sehat secara fisik, tapi anggota keluarga mereka ada yang cacat)
• anak2
• nursery – bayi dan balita

Orang2 yang datang ke family retreat ini disebut camper. Camper paling muda tahun ini usia 3 bulan, paling tua itu usia 61 tahun.

Kami ikut sebagai Short Term Missionary (STM). Saya dan Jen masing2 dipasangkan dengan satu keluarga selama satu minggu. Tugas kami adalah menjadi teman camper kami, menemani camper kami dalam program mereka, makan bersama, menyatakan kasih Kristus kepada teman kami dan juga kepada keluarga mereka.

Saya secara pribadi belajar banyak hal dari Retreat ini.

1. Kuasa doa
   Satu bulan sebelum retreat, saya minta teman2 mendoakan saya dalam persiapan. Sebelum campers datang kami para pekerja berdoa di setiap ruangan yang akan dipakai, supaya Tuhan memberi perlindungan dan menyatakan kuasaNya. Setiap pagi saya ikut kebaktian doa pagi yang sebenernya tidak wajib, tapi saya merasakan manfaatnya sepanjang hari. Saya merasakan kuasa doa teman2 melingkupi saya sepanjang hari.
2. Identitas dalam Kristus
   Saya merasakan Tuhan mengubah hati saya terhadap orang2 dengan kebutuhan khusus ini. Saya ga lihat mereka sebagai orang cacat, tapi saya perhatikan karakter mereka. Misalnya ada satu anak, tingginya 6 feet (2m), dia ga bisa berkomunikasi secara verbal, tapi anak ini sangat penuh kasih. Tiap kali dia liat mamanya, dia datang trus kasih kiss. Ada lagi satu orang yang tangannya kecil sebelah, tapi hatinya sangat caring. Setiap pagi sebelum kebaktian dia datengin orang2, kasih salam, nanya how are you?
   Saya bersyukur Tuhan ubah hati saya melihat mereka sebagai ciptaan Tuhan, sama seperti saya. Kita semua diciptakan sesuai kehendak Tuhan dan kita semua perlu anugrah keselamatan dari Tuhan
3. Staff
   Saya merasakan support yang unconditional dari staff, coordinator yang mentor saya dalam pelayanan ini. Pelayanan ini sangat baru bagi saya, dan saya banyak kekuatiran dan tidak berpengalaman. Staff mendukung saya bukan hanya dalam bentuk informasi, tapi mereka juga berdoa untuk saya dan memberi semangat buat saya untuk terus bersandar kepada Tuhan dalam segala hal. 
4. STM
   Kebanyakan dari STM ini adalah anak2 highschool dan college. Retreat ini ga murah yah, kami bayar $450 untuk biaya training dan akomodasi. Tidak termasuk ongkos transport (sebagian orang2 datang dari state lain). Kebanyakan anak2 ini ga cuma ikut satu kali, ada yang ikut 3 kali tahun ini. Mereka diberi bantuan dana dari gereja, tetapi banyak dari mereka yang harus kerja atau jualan untuk menggalang dana. Dan mereka semua kerjainnya dengan sukacita.
5. Keluarga
   Saya melihat Tuhan memang memberi karunia yang khusus kepada keluarga2 ini. Saya sangat tersentuh melihat kasih yang tidak bersyarat yang diberikan kepada anak2 mereka. Tapi kenyataannya, punya anggota keluarga yang ada kelainan itu banyak tantangannya. Banyak dari pasangan suami istri yang cerai karena anak mereka yang punya kelainan butuh banyak
   perhatian dan pasangan suami istri tidak ada waktu untuk memupuk hubungan mereka.
   Saya bersyukur di retreat ini ada family counselor yang terlatih untuk membantu membimbing dan memberi dukungan kepada keluarga2 ini.
6. Adopsi
   Saya melihat beberapa keluarga yang mengadopsi anak2 ini. Mereka bukan adopsi anak2 yang sehat, tetapi anak2 yang ada kelainan. Ga cuma satu lagi! Ada satu keluarga punya 4 anak, dan sekarang dalam proses mengadopsi satu anak lagi. Mereka merasa terpanggil untuk membuka rumah mereka untuk anak2 ini dan mereka taat pada panggilan Tuhan tersebut. Saya merasa tertantang untuk punya ketaatan yang serupa, apapun yang Tuhan kasih dalam hati saya, saya mau lakukan dengan sungguh2. 

Saya sangat bersyukur untuk orang2 yang saya kenal melalui retreat dan juga pengalaman2 yang Tuhan ajarkan. Sesaat saya ada merasa seperti di Surga, di mana orang2 keliatan berbeda tetapi kami semua sebenernya sama2 ciptaan Tuhan. Kita semua sama berharganya di mata Tuhan.  

What Now? - Steven Curtis Chapman

What now?

by Steven Curtis Chapman

I saw the face of Jesus in a little orphan girl
She was standing in the corner on the other side of the world
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my heart
Didn't you say you wanted to find me?
Well here I am, here you are

So, What now?
What will you do now that you found Me?
What now?
What will you do with this treasure you've found?
I know I may not look like what you expected
But if you remember this is right where I said I would be
You've found me
What now?

And I saw the face of Jesus down on Sixteenth Avenue
He was sleeping in an old car, while his mom went looking for food
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my soul
Didn't you say you wanted to know me?
Well here I am, and it's getting cold

5 loaves of bread and 2 fish

After having classes after classes on Saturdays, I finally have the first Saturday of the month free. I decided to serve the residents of homeless shelter Innvision (influenced by a song by steven curtis chapman that i will share in next post).

There's 4 of us and 40 people to feed. Tante Rini Hing did a good job leading us the team. She showed us how to cut and clean veggies, meat and she would assign us on a task we can accomplish. We had a good pace and ready to serve the food by 6.30pm

Surprise came at 6.15pm, the cook(s) for the other house did not show up, so now we need to feed additional 50 people from the other house - that's 90 people total! Under ci Rini's direction we quickly prepare another meal and cut up more fruits, hoping that there is enough food to feed everyone who are coming. 

At the end of the meal, many people got second servings and one person actually can actually get 3rd servings and everybody who came get sufficient amount of food! Really, if Jesus can feed 5000+ people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, ramping up 40 meals into 90 is a piece of cake for Him! 

What a mighty God we serve! =)

Consider others

My sister in Christ, M, asked me to sleepover at her house while her husband was on business trip. She had 2 daughters, M (10 y.o) and C (6 y.o). They are all such a delight, but I have one specific experience with C that I want to share with you.

We were playing with Disney princesses: Tatiana, Mulan, Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Jasmine. So C wants me to pick 3 out of these 6. I really don't have preference, and as the older one, I felt that I need to yield to her and let her have her picks first. But she insisted, so I said we'll take turns making choices: I'll pick one and then you'll pick one, we'll continue until all princesses have owner. She agreed.

We finally went down to 2 princesses: Cinderella and Ariel. My previous picks were Mulan and Jasmine, so I want the last princess to have a proper dress, so I picked Cinderella. C instantly shouted "Yes!!!" then excitedly get Ariel to her team. "I really wanted Ariel," she said. I started protesting, telling her that she could have told me that. Her answer was, "I know, but I want to you have all your favorites."

My heart fell to the floor the moment she said that. I was totally humbled. C, at 6 year old, taught me what it means to consider others as more important. To yield and to think of others first, before your own wants.

Matthew 18
New International Version (NIV)
The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven

18 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me

Beanie story

Our pemuda group had a camping trip 2 weeks ago. One of the thing I am afraid the most about the trip is enduring the cold at night. Bay area weather never requires us to own a beanie and don't want to buy one just for the trip.

It started as i browse around the Goodwill's store. I love looking for stationeries: colored papers, file divider, crafting supplies, you name it! I give credit for my friend at Montessori school for getting me plugged in to this store!

I saw a roll of pretty heavy yarn on the store. It sells for $ 1.59, and i impulsively bought it. I have crochet sticks from way before (even before Max Tan was born!) But never really have a completed projects before (booo!) I do realized that i had too thin of a yarn before, so this time i get a heavier one hoping that the project will finish faster  :)

I followed instructions from this tutorial. The result totally surprised me!! Well, let's be honest, it's not the neatest stitch, but i can't stop taking about it! I made it! The hat, as humble as it is, have me delight :)

I have better understanding on how God takes delight in us because we are His!

Anyways, I completed the work the night I brought it home. It took me about 4 hours to complete. Is there any project that you've been meaning to try? Trust me, if i can complete a hat, You can do anything you set your mind to!

Hope this post encouraged you to go and try DIY projects for your own :)

Hiking with Yeye

BoTh Yeye and i have a free Saturday this week, which doesn't happenthat often. We decided to go on a hike because both of us need to lose weight: I need to lose weight for my cousin's wedding in October, yeye for his bro's wedding in December.

It's a bit challenging to pick a trail, because neither of us are real hikers. On Saturday morning i opened up my Google Now browser and found out about wildflower festival in Sunol. It's a bit far, but still managable. They have booths and guided walk. Its perfect for us, i thought!

When we arrived at the park, we couldn't hide our disappointment for a small booths area, as it doesn't seem like they have a lot to explore. So we decided to go hit the trail rightaway.

We have no maps, no idea how long the trail is, or what to expect whatsoever. We just followed the crowd leading to the hiking area. In the very beginning, the trail branches into two path: one looking really steep and the other one looks a lot flatter going along the creek.

It was no brainer which trail we chose! I remember one of us said it's impossible to do the steep trail. So by the creek we go. We talked, enjoyed the wonderful weather (including too much sunlight!), but we were not really impressed by the trail. We were starting to wonder where the trail would end,  whether it's a loop or an out and back trail. We went up to a point called little Yosemite, where the creek ends, and we saw large rocks and !ini waterfalls.

We were contemplating whether we should continue the loop or go back the same way. Then sudenly I felt an urge to go uphill to continue the loop because i want to see the view from higher elevation and we sure glad we did!

The views on top are gorgeous!! We saw cows too:

Yeye said surely we can't lose to them!!! Hahah

Anyways i learned not to get intimidated too easily by the things we see as reality. The hill sure looked high when we started, but we ended up finishing the whole loop in one piece. We did get awfully hungry afterwards, but that's normal, yeah? 

Too good to be kept alone

I recently found this article (six lessons in good listening) and felt an urge to share with you. It is in line with what I've learned at BASS conference on coaching, by Pira Tritasavit (founder of kingdom professionals, ci Santi's classmate from Western Seminary).

Coaching is a way to serve others by "helping them want what they want the most and help them accomplish what they want the most"

The field of coaching is distinct from counseling, consulting, preaching and teaching. Just like a trainer in a gym, a coach is there to motivate the trainee. The trainee would have to do all the heavy lifting and the exercises.

This article reminds me of that concept. Letting people finish their thoughts, listening carefully and not jumping into conclusions are one great way to be a better servant for our brothers and sisters.

Hope you enjoy this article!

On a date with the One who loves me most

Ever since I heard Sam Earp sermon on devotional and having a soul care time, I've always been meaning to try it out but I've always been distracted with other stuffs that it never get to happen.

So this past Monday, on my birthday, I have a strong determination to finally have one. A quiet time to reflect and pray and asking wisdom for direction in the future.

So i went to a quiet cafe, spending time praying and just enjoying the Lord's presence. I then started to read back my journal entries from 2004. The journal itself was a birthday gift from ci kiki way back then.

I kept thinking to myself how funny it is, that although my name is Fonda, all my life stories have been all about grace. Anyways, looking back those years overwhelmed me with gratitude for all the things God has done in my life. There is a sense of wonder of how he orchestrated my life, crossing my paths with others to pray and encourage one another, to learn from one another, to speak truth to one another.

As I read my journal, I see all of them as and extension of God's grace. I'm grateful for these people who pursue the introverted me, building friendship with me and inviting me to their lives. I'm grateful that although I am still introverted, over the years God helped me to be more fond of people, to get interested in their lives and to see God's handiwork through them.

Anyways, this year's birthday theme has been all about gratitude. I am grateful that I get to spend time with the one who loves me most and get my love tank filled up :)

Ordinary (Original Song) by Tim Be Told

I'm really blessed with the honesty he sang in this song.

"Why am I such in a rush to be somebody, leaving behind all the things I'd rather be?"
"People always telling me that I am something special, well, it's too much pressure to take"
"I may never be a perfect person but I'll do my best to try to make you happy"
"I will never meet your expectation but I never care at all"

Enjoy!

Encouraged

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Phillipians 4:13

It's amazing how God encourages us in ministry especially in times when we are down.

This weekend has been tiring for me. I am attending a friend's wedding in LA but I have to be back on Sunday because I lead worship in Sunday School. I went with sore throat and come back with a flu.

I am supposed to be in class by 9.45 this morning, but I couldn't get there earlier than 10. In my head I started to think worst case scenario where the kids are going to be hyper and running around (as what usually happens in my class) and I have to yell aloud through my flu. I also prepared to tell the Children's Ministry coordinator that it's too much for me, I can't come on time, and that I better stop doing this altogether. Along with that I plead to God to help me since there is no way I can do it without Him.

I arrived late in class. I can barely speak loud enough through the flu, but interestingly the kids are pretty responsive. Instead of running around, the kids sat in circle and I started with prayer. We sang Hallelujah praise ye the Lord in Indonesian. The kids got so excited to sing in different languages that I promise next time I'll try to google it so we can sing it in Spanish. (Ha!)

Then Elianne got an idea to have some of the kids sit down during Hallelujah and stand up during "Praise ye the Lord" - it was so fun! Then we sing it slower and faster. When the middleschoolers came, we sing "Jesus loves me" as we do offering - then Elianne said "I bet you don't know how to sing it in Chinese", so we did! I don't have the lyrics on the power point so I have to promise them next time I'll have the text on. I guess it's not time to quit yet.

I smile when I think about this morning. I know only God can put order in my class!

Redeemed

My car got towed today T.T
No surprise, it was my fault anyway....

So I had meeting at some friends' apartment - which has parking limit of 3 hours. After meeting, I moved my car to another spot (around 5.30 PM) and left for dinner and dessert after. I came back around 10.30 PM and my car is GONE!

One thing for sure I learned - rules are there to be followed, not to be broken. I need to get into habit to ALWAYS choose to do the RIGHT thing even when NO ONE is checking on me! A lot of time I compromise with rules and regulation, because everyone else is doing it or because it is not reinforced anyway. Should've learned from Nana!

As I told my friends that my car got towed, they generously told me that we are going to split the cost of retrieving the car (aren't they sweet??). But of course it does not make sense for me to do that because I am the one at fault. Why should they help paying for my mistakes? All the way home after retrieving my car, I kept thinking how unfair it is for my friends to pay for my mistake.

Nevertheless, I know ONE person who chose to pay for my mistake - IN FULL! Yes, you got that right! It's Jesus! I am the sinner, yet He is the one who bears the punishments. He paid my debts in full. It is unfair for Jesus to pay for my sins, yet he did that anyway.....

All in all, I came home with a deeper understanding of redemption - that I made mistakes but Jesus covered them with His blood - more motivation to pursue holiness.

Yes, it is kinda hurt to pay so much money to retrieve the car, but my biggest debt has been paid in full at the cross. I am forever grateful. Besides, it's God's money anyway, if He thinks it is how much it cost to teach me a lesson, then I shouldn't have any complains.

Blessed evening

Last Friday I got a chance to go to " An Evening with Mercy Me & Francis Chan". People have been asking if I wanted to go since last month, but I was not sure if I could / wanted to go. Last minute, one of our friends who has ticket decided not to go because he has to take care of new students - so I got spare ticket for me - and I'm really glad that I got to go. Having Mercy Me & Francis Chan shared their experiences with the Lord was great, having Rachel Chan (Francis' oldest daughter) also onstage was a cherry (or sprinkles?) on top of ice cream!

I just finished reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan (eventhough Nana's been advertising the book for years now) and I am very encouraged and challenged by his passion to take the Bible really seriously and follow Jesus without compromise. One thing that really impressed me was Francis' life example. He truly models what it means to put God first - sharing with the poor (bulk amount of royalty earnings from his bestselling books goes to charity), leaving a mega church (and all its fame and reputation) to start church planting movement among the poor in Tenderloin District of San Francisco. He always gets confused why people calls him radical because he is convinced that's exactly how a follower of Christ should live.

Throughout the night, the Holy Spirit gently speaks to me through the band & Francis. One of the things that was a highlight for me was when Bart Millard shared how he imagined to be in heaven, meeting with all the greatest saints in the Bible. He would ask Moses, "what is it like when the Red Sea parted", then Moses would asked him back, "No.....YOU tell me what is it like to have the Spirit of the Living God in you?"
For as we received the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit come and dwells in us, believers. Through Him we found power to live in His light, to obey Christ, and to minister in His name.

Although I'm pretty sure I've heard it somewhere before, I was so blessed to be reminded of this fact. I often take for granted the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life. I do pray as I studied the Bible that He would open my mind and give understanding, but I often belittle the POWER of the Spirit to change lives.

Another highlight was when Francis come up to the stage with his daughter, Rachel. For the whole time they were at the stage together, Rachel has her arms around Francis waist, hugging her dad. Then Francis shared one prayer he has for his daughter is that she may love God. He also shares his frustration in early years when he doesn't think his daughter got it, and the realization that you can't make someone to love God. It resonates with me as I too share this kind of frustration.

Throughout this week I've been praying for God to help me to love Him more, to know what it means to love Him and put Him first.  

I've said earlier that having Rachel onstage was cherry on top of ice cream, so I saved it for last. I love all her songs - I think I have found a new favorite artist! =)
Despite being young, all the lyrics reflect a sense of security in her identity in Christ. The songs also talk about friendship, boys, uncertain future, peer pressure in an honest way - all in light of who she is in Christ.
Go check it out for yourself!

Have a blessed week!

Fonda