Sunday, November 30, 2003
Mendocino. Spent Thanksgiving in Mendocino with my family. It is their first time there. The four-hour drive up along the beautiful Californian coast in itself is a nice getaway. Although the weather was cloudy, rainy, and cold, we still had a good time of sharing and taking time to pause and think of the blessings this year. I was reminded of who I am and my place before God. I am able to serve as a Sunday School teacher and able to feel a close relationship with God, not because of something that I've done. Jesus said in John 6:65, "no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him." I am forever indebted to God for Him enabling me to come before Him and be His chosen children. What else can be greater than that?
See pictures here.
See pictures here.
Tuesday, November 18, 2003
A moment of eternity. According to the experts, "eye contact rarely lasts longer than three seconds before one or both viewers experience a powerful urge to glance away". Well, there are two times in my life when I looked into someone's eyes, yet I felt so calm, peaceful and just melts my heart.
Over the weekend, I went to see Lucas and Sydney, now 4 years old and 18 months respectively. As I was sitting in the back of the minivan, Sydney turned around and looked directly at me. She stared at me with a fixed gaze. It was a gaze that was so tender, innocent, pure and loving that felt like time itself had stopped... as if I had caught a moment of eternity. Anything could have happened at that moment, and it would be alright.
Sometimes don't you wish you could capture those moments on video so that you can pause it and relive it over and over? Well, if only we knew what God knows, we would know that the greatest moment in this world is only a glimpse of the best things to come.
Over the weekend, I went to see Lucas and Sydney, now 4 years old and 18 months respectively. As I was sitting in the back of the minivan, Sydney turned around and looked directly at me. She stared at me with a fixed gaze. It was a gaze that was so tender, innocent, pure and loving that felt like time itself had stopped... as if I had caught a moment of eternity. Anything could have happened at that moment, and it would be alright.
Sometimes don't you wish you could capture those moments on video so that you can pause it and relive it over and over? Well, if only we knew what God knows, we would know that the greatest moment in this world is only a glimpse of the best things to come.
Friday, November 14, 2003
Missing piece of the puzzle. You know that feeling when you are missing the last piece of a puzzle, you search everywhere, but it is no where to be found? Without that last piece, there's no completeness.. You can't walk away from it because you are so close from being done. You know if you can't find it, the restlessness goes on and it will hunt you day and night. You feel that you are trapped in an emotional prison, and you longed to be freed. Frustrating as it is, nothing can replace it. You can convince yourself that it is only a puzzle, but that awful feeling doesn't go away.
Well, many people I know are going through what they called "mid-life crisis". They have graduated for few years now, and have enough money to meet their day-to-day needs. Yet, they may or may not have noticed, they all go through life, trying to find the one thing that will fill the missing void in their heart. It is hard for them to get a grasp on what that void is, but the fact is, it is there, and whatever it is, it needs to be found. Some try to make sense by changing from job to job. Some try to find meaning by creating a safe and comfortable environment for themselves. While some are in a desperate search for a significant other. Some may have given up completely and think that so "is life".
The fact is: our needs for love, food, material things, sex, security, and approval do not give complete satisfaction. It may satisfy our hunger temporarily, but the hunger will come back. I know, because I struggled with it as well.
You probably know where I am heading with this. And you probably say that "good for you that you found your inner peace through religion, but don't try to convert me, it won't work for me". But I am here to say that "Christianity is simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread". And as Jesus says in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." And I strongly believe that God alone can satisfy our deepest needs, filling the void in our heart. In Him, there is completeness, there is contentment.
I am grateful, because in the palm of Jesus' hands is the missing piece of the puzzle that I have looked hard for (the nail print from the cross). I felt much joy and relief as I start to get a little glimpse of that missing piece. It won't be until we actually get there will we know exactly how that missing piece fits. Nonetheless, it has been eye-opening as God reveal it little by little. I like to quote my friend Chin who said, "God is the one thing in life that you can be totally crazy about and it's all good". It is my sincere hope that everyone will realize that there is a loving God, who is ever so patient, standing there, waiting for everyone to turn to Him to be completed.
Well, many people I know are going through what they called "mid-life crisis". They have graduated for few years now, and have enough money to meet their day-to-day needs. Yet, they may or may not have noticed, they all go through life, trying to find the one thing that will fill the missing void in their heart. It is hard for them to get a grasp on what that void is, but the fact is, it is there, and whatever it is, it needs to be found. Some try to make sense by changing from job to job. Some try to find meaning by creating a safe and comfortable environment for themselves. While some are in a desperate search for a significant other. Some may have given up completely and think that so "is life".
The fact is: our needs for love, food, material things, sex, security, and approval do not give complete satisfaction. It may satisfy our hunger temporarily, but the hunger will come back. I know, because I struggled with it as well.
You probably know where I am heading with this. And you probably say that "good for you that you found your inner peace through religion, but don't try to convert me, it won't work for me". But I am here to say that "Christianity is simply one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread". And as Jesus says in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." And I strongly believe that God alone can satisfy our deepest needs, filling the void in our heart. In Him, there is completeness, there is contentment.
I am grateful, because in the palm of Jesus' hands is the missing piece of the puzzle that I have looked hard for (the nail print from the cross). I felt much joy and relief as I start to get a little glimpse of that missing piece. It won't be until we actually get there will we know exactly how that missing piece fits. Nonetheless, it has been eye-opening as God reveal it little by little. I like to quote my friend Chin who said, "God is the one thing in life that you can be totally crazy about and it's all good". It is my sincere hope that everyone will realize that there is a loving God, who is ever so patient, standing there, waiting for everyone to turn to Him to be completed.
