Slow Fade

Inspiration

By Casting Crowns. Song writer: John Mark Hall

Be careful little eyes what you see. It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings. Be careful little feet where you go for it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray. And thoughts invade, choices are made. A price will be paid when you give yourself away. People never crumble in a day. It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade.

Be careful little ears what you hear. When flattering leads to compromises, the end is always near. Be careful little lips what you say for empty words and promises leave broken hearts astray.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray. And thoughts invade, choices are made. A price will be paid when you give yourself away. People never crumble in a day.

The journey from your mind to your hands is shorter than you’re thinking. Be careful if you think you stand. You just might be sinking.

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away. It’s a slow fade when black and white are turned to gray. And thoughts invade, choices are made. A price will be paid when you give yourself away.

People never crumble in a day. Daddies never crumble in a day. Families never crumble in a day.

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see.

Speak the Truth in Love (part 2)

Love

There are many things God has given me throughout all these years, both heavenly and earthly, that I’m grateful for all eternity. One of those is my dad. We’re not biologically related, and I only came to know him since I was 16. But when my life turned upside down and when I lost everything, he was there to lift me up, encourage me to follow my dreams, motivate me to never give up, and walk me toward Christ. I really hate the phrase “blood is thicker than water” because I experience first hand how that’s not true. Dad and I are not related by blood; we’re related as a family through Christ. The bond I have with dad is now even stronger than the one I have with my biological father because we have one thing that connects us that my biological father doesn’t have: Jesus. And Jesus makes all the difference! It’s a girl’s dream to marry a man like her dad. That goal is surely mine as well. But there’s a problem here. My dad is such a great man and a humble, dedicated servant of God that I don’t think any man can ever reaches that level, which probably explains why I’m still single! Obviously there are many things I like about my dad; one of them is how he speaks the truth in love.

We are the worst critique of ourselves because we know all of our thoughts, motives, deeds, and actions. People cannot see what we think inside our mind and how we feel inside our heart. People cannot see what we do in secret. But surely we know them all, and so does God. Because of that, only we know the sinful thoughts in our mind, the anger in our heart, the lust in our eyes, and the sinful actions we do in the dark when nobody is around. Because of that, we are our worst enemies. We push ourselves down, unintentionally and subconsciously even, because we know who we truly are, all of our secrets deep down inside. That’s why we need other people around us to show us the positive side and lift us up. And that’s exactly what my dad does for me all these years since we became a family. He speaks the truth in love to encourage me, to show me the right path to go, to convict me from my sin, to bring me back to God when I lose my way, and to bring me to the next level of intimate relationship with God. I learn, little by little, how to detect whether an advice comes from God or Satan. If the advice comes from God, even if the truth is painful and convicting, it’s still positive. God rebukes me, through the Holy Spirit in me and sometimes through other people around me, but that’s for my own benefits to stop sinning. There’s hope after all of the mess. It always lifts me up and shows me what to do to correct my mistakes. It always points me back to God, not my sin or my past. It’s about the present and the future. It’s about forgiveness to move forward from the past and present to the future. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Whenever dad talks to me, he speaks with truth and love because his heart is filled with the Holy Spirit. So in a way, it’s not dad speaking to me. It’s God speaking to me using the Holy Spirit in his servant: my dad. When the advice comes from Satan, it’s the opposite: always negative, no hope, push me down, no clear actions to take to clean up the mess and get better, point back to the sin and not God, about the past not the present or future, full of pain with no way out, full of disappointment, guilt, shame, and condemnation. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit; condemnation comes from Satan.

The key here is forgiveness, which is freely given to us all through the blood of Jesus. But we have to repent and ask for this forgiveness. The gift is freely given, but we have to accept it. There’s nothing we can do to earn forgiveness, but God won’t force us into accepting it either. The decision to repent and ask for forgiveness is a free choice that He allows us to make. Scripture gives us step-by-step instruction to detect the lie from the truth and recognize the source of where it comes from, whether it comes from God or Satan. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4: 1-3). So if a spirit comes from God, the truth spoken must align with what Jesus has taught us, and it has to be spoken in love. So what did Jesus teach us then?

  • “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespasses against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6: 12-13)
  • “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6: 14-15)
  • “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin” (Mark 3: 28-29)
  • “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28)
  • “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24)
  • “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector” (Matthew 18: 15-17)
  • “So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 17: 3-4)
  • “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you” (John 16: 7-15)
  • “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God” (John 8: 44-47)

So many people, including me, complaint that they want to hear God’s voice but they just can’t hear it or maybe they can hear it but not clearly. Dad taught me something very important about hearing God’s voice. It’s more than just hearing His voice. It’s a responsibility. Before we can hear His voice, we do things our ways; we make our own decisions because nobody tells us what to do. After we hear God’s voice, now we are accountable for what He says and what He tells us to do. So hearing His voice is a responsibility where we are held accountable for the decision we make: to do it His way and give up control completely to Him or to walk away and do it our way. So the decision to give up control of ourselves and follow God completely to do things His way needs to be made first before our spiritual ears are open to hear His voice. Plus God talks to us constantly everyday, so when we don’t hear His voice, it’s not because He doesn’t speak to us; it’s simply because we don’t listen or we don’t know how to listen. Again to be able to hear His voice, we need to first make a decision to follow Him completely and do whatever He asks of us. Then if we’re serious about it and listen with our heart, He will open our spiritual ears so that we can hear Him.

Quantity of Love

Love

Last Monday as I was having lunch with my mentor, he taught me two questions at the beginning and at the end of a sales pitch that a good salesman should always ask his prospective clients.

  • Before the presentation: what are your goals?
  • After the presentation: what are the best things you get from this presentation?

That inspired me to examine my faith and ask myself two questions.

  • What are my priorities in life?
  • What are the things I appreciate the most from God?

At Bible study that night, one of the girls raised a question of why some people want God but don’t see anything happening in their lives. That question reminded me of a story I read on Facebook. There is an ambitious young man striving for success but doesn’t know the direction toward his goal. So he comes to see an old wise man for answers. The old man tells him to come back the morning of the next day. When the young man arrives, the old man takes him to the middle of the river. When they are standing in the middle of the river, all of the sudden, the old man pushes the young man’s head beneath the water and drown him for a few seconds. The old man finally lets go. Confused, the young man wonders what just happened. The old man explains: “If you want success as bad as you want to breath, you will be successful. That’s the secret ingredient.”

Let’s replace the word “success” in this story with the word “God.” Many people say they want God, but how much do we really want God? Do we want God as much as we our successful career? Do we want Him as much as we want a good family, a beautiful body, and all of the powers we can get? When we want something really bad, we work for it. That’s the human instinct in us. When we put our career first on the priority list, we will fight with everything we have to climb that corporate ladder. No matter what’s or who’s in front of us, we will find a way to overcome and jump through each step to get to that position of power and financial gains. We will stay late in the office, work long hours, answers emails on the weekend, join all of the meetings, hang out with the right executives, make the right jokes, say the right things, and do the right things to get higher and higher in corporate world. When we put our physical beauty first, we will again fight with everything we have to get that perfect body. No matter what challenges are ahead, we will do everything we can to achieve that image. We will go to the gym for intensive workout everyday, go on the most healthy diets, take the best supplements for weight loss, pay for the best trainer, eat the right things, and do the right things. But how about God? Where is God on our priority list? When we say we want God, do we really want Him or do we just want what He can give us? Do we want His promises more than God Himself? Do we put the gifts above the giver? And if the answer is yes, we want God, then how much? Do we want God as bad as we want to breath as if we’re drowned in the water? Do we want God so bad that we will pay whatever price it costs to be closer to God and glorify Him? Do we want Him so bad that we will fight with everything we have to stay strong to His words and uphold His commands? My answer is yes I do want God. Months ago I didn’t want Him that bad, and He wasn’t number one on my priority list. But the moment I felt His unconditional love for me through the forgiveness of my sin, everything changed. I asked myself: do I want God more than I want the Mercedes, the penthouse, and even better Harvard? After that experience of unconditional love, my answer is yes I do. I want Him more than anything right now. I just want more and more and more of Him. All of the sudden one Bible study a week was not enough for me anymore, now I want to study the Bible on my own at home all the time. Prayer once a day was not enough for me anymore, now I want to talk to Him 24/7. Helping somebody once a while was not enough for me anymore, now I want to let Him use me whenever and wherever He sees fit for whoever He chooses in whatever situation He decides, and I want to do it with a servant heart toward God and God alone. That doesn’t mean I don’t want the Mercedes and the penthouse anymore, and it certainly doesn’t mean that I give up on my Harvard dream. But for me, it means that I will put all of those things below God. He is number one on my priority list, and after that, the list continues. So if I don’t get a Mercedes or a penthouse, that’s fine. If I don’t ever get in Harvard, that’s OK too. But if I don’t get closer to God, that’s a big no-no!

So many times when we face trials, we are constantly reminded at church to trust God. But what does it mean to trust God? And how do we trust God? The typical answer: that He has a great plan for us, that whatever happens His will is the best, and that even if He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we ask, it’s still working out for our good. That’s true, beautiful, and powerful. But I think we should take a step further and take it to the next level. To trust God also means to love Him and not get angry regardless of how the situation turns out. The math is simple: to trust God = to love God. This love has to be unconditional, meaning that whichever way He decides to answer our prayer, we love Him regardless. We don’t complaint, we don’t become anxious, and we don’t get mad at Him. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). Why don’t we replace the word “love” with the word “God” since after all God is love anyway? “Whoever does not love does not know God for God is love” (1 John 4:8).

God is patient, God is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonor others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Again the math is simple: to trust God is to love God since love always trusts. At church and Bible studies, we always hear the message of unconditional love of how much God loves us. He loves us so much that He died for us on the cross. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15: 13-15). “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” (John 3:16). This message of how much God loves us is true, beautiful, and powerful. But I challenge us to take a step further to the next level and ask ourselves this question: do we love God back? Really do we love God? If so, how much? Only a little bit or unconditionally? Do we still love God if He stops giving us all of the physical, material things? Do we still love Him if He decides to answer all of our prayers the opposite of what we ask for? Again the math is simple: to trust God is to love God. So if things don’t go according to our plan and what we ask of Him, do we still love Him? Or do we get angry at Him? Do we get impatient and anxious? Or do we truly trust Him and whatever plans He has for us because we love Him unconditionally? Do we continue to put our faith and hope in Him? Or do we walk away? God’s love for us is a given, and we have the entire Bible to prove that. But our love for God is not guaranteed. It’s a decision each of us has to make everyday through each trial in our lives.

Seven months ago I asked God to help me win the H1B lottery so that I could move forward with my immigration process. And He said no. I never got that lottery after two years and three shots in the system. On the surface and in front of everybody, I told all of the people around me that I trust God. That I know His plans are better and that this is for my own good. I recited Bible verses in my head with the motto of fake it to make it. Well it didn’t work. My mind told me to trust Him, but my heart wasn’t following. Even after He revealed to me why He said no to my request and how this rejection would turn out for my good (which it did), I was still mad at him. My pride got in the way. I was so angry at Him because He said no. I was confused, and I wanted the answer my way. My anger blinded my faith and my judgment. I got so mad at God that I gave in to temptation and committed to sin. Thankfully, He took me back with His unconditional love through the forgiveness of my sin. The power of what Jesus did on the cross that day has washed away my sin, white as snow. And for that I’m grateful for all eternity. Now looking back, I realize at that time when God didn’t answer my prayer the way I requested it, I blindly trusted God with my mind. I was trying to fake it till I make it. But my heart wasn’t right. My heart didn’t trust even when my mind was trying to. I knew that I was supposed to trust God, but I didn’t know how to trust Him the right way. The secret ingredient is love. Simple yet powerful! To trust Him and His plans regardless of the situations, I must love Him first. And I must love Him unconditionally with all my heart. So when things go the other way, I shouldn’t be angry. I should rejoice that He has a nice surprise for me ahead. I should be excited for it, not become anxious, ungrateful, and doubtful. “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

My dad once told me an old song “If I were a carpenter, would you still love me?” Jesus was a carpenter. He didn’t guarantee financial or physical rewards. He only promised the healing of the souls and spiritual rewards. So do we still love Him then? For me, I do. Growing up in Vietnam and watching Chinese movies, I was taught that love is not a feeling. Love instead is a decision; it’s a commitment and a responsibility. Feelings come and go, but the decision to commit and the responsibility that comes with this commitment stay the same. I apply that principle to the love I have for God. I make a conscious decision everyday to love God. Because I love Him, I commit myself to walk with Him and follow Him wherever He leads me. And because of this commitment, I have a responsibility to follow through and persevere with my decision to love God. I don’t work for Him because I want Him to love me more or to earn my salvation. I know that He loves me the same regardless of what I do, and that my salvation is a free gift from God alone, not by works. I serve God simply because I love Him, for who He is. Just pure love. It’s my decision, my commitment, and my responsibility for Him. Seven months ago when trial came, I failed because my love for God wasn’t enough. I don’t know when the next test will come, but when it does, I want to be prepared. And I want to make sure that my love for God will be enough for me to pass the test, to trust Him completely, and to love Him unconditionally. At the same time, God demonstrates His love for us through decisions as well. He didn’t create us as robots to worship Him. Since the beginning, knowing the possibility of sin, He gave us freedom to choose, to make a decision to love Him and have fellowship with Him. If there’s no freedom, there’s no true love. But because there’s freedom, love is a decision by choice, not a mandate by force or a fluctuating feeling by chance. “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

So that answers the first question regarding the priorities of my life. The second question is based on the first one. One time at Bible study I asked my teacher why Paul gave up everything he had to proclaim the gospel. My teacher said she believed that Paul never got over his salvation. So that brought me to my second question. What are the things that God has given me that mean so much for me that I still can’t get over until this day. There are two: my scholarship to college and His unconditional love. When I was 18, God saved my life. He gave me a full scholarship to college, and I didn’t get deported. It’s already been five years, and I still can’t get over it; nor do I want to get over it. I have already graduated, but I’m still grateful for that scholarship everyday. And I will never forget what He has done for me that day during the darkest time of my life. Because of that, I have been tutoring students for almost five years and just recently started an annual scholarship fund for other international students to make their American dreams come true. The amount is small, but I believe with all my heart that through time, as long as I continue to humbly walk with God and put Him first on my priority list, He will multiply that amount and use the scholarship fund to bless many more people. The math is simple: God uses my dad to bless me, so I will let Him use me to bless somebody else; then hopefully that person will allow God to bless another one after them; the number will multiple, and the cycle goes endlessly. I have three dreams in my life 1) Harvard dream for my mom to graduate from an Ivy League school. This is the reason that brought me to America and also my mom’s dream for me before she passed away 2) American dream for me to finally one day become a citizen. I love this nation and truly believe this is the best country on earth 3) education dream for God to create a scholarship fund to bring foreign students to this land to make their dreams come true. The scholarship that God has given me was so big; it meant so much for me that until this day I still can’t get over it. And I just want to give back more and more and more for Him.

The second gift that I still can’t get over is His conditional love. After I have tasted and experienced first hand the power of His love upon me, I was speechless. I knew the laws. I had the knowledge. I had the words of God in Scripture to support me. I heard the Holy Spirit telling me to walk away. Yet I listened to Satan’s sweet whispers of lies in my ears. I deliberately chose to sin against God. But the moment I repented and turned back toward Him, He was right there all along the way. I ran away, yet He stayed with me. I sinned against Him, yet He forgave me completely. I failed into temptation, yet He remained faithful. I made the decision to violate His law, yet He died for me on the cross. I deserved to be stoned to death, yet His only response was “go and sin no more.” I got so angry at Him, yet He loved me the same as if it has never happened. Love like this made me speechless. I was so overwhelmed by His love that until this day, I still can’t get over it. Because of this, I decided to write this blog to glorify His name, to testify all of the good things He has done for me, and share with others the knowledge I have received. The more I know God, the more I want to know more about Him. I’m so caught up and overwhelmed by His love that I just want to have more and more of Him. I just want to be closer to Him, to understand Him more, and know Him better. I just can’t get over it!

The Cycle

Growth

A few months ago I tried to volunteer to be a greeter at church and help with the high school youth group, especially for the teen girls. Disappointingly, there was no response. But last Sunday morning, as I accidentally joined a life group, I was asked by the leader in charge of the greeters if I would be interested to volunteer for this position. The next day I was asked by the youth group director if I would like to volunteer for DNow. It was very disappointing at first when man said no. But when God says yes, at His timing, everything will be done smoothly and perfectly according to His will.

DNow stands for Disciple Now. This is a weekend-long series of events where high school students get to go to church, study the Bible, worship, and have a big slumber party at the end at houses sponsored by adults at the church. The kids are divided into groups; each group is led by a 20-something leader of the same gender. For me it was an honor to be asked by the church to volunteer. It was a privilege to be asked by God to give back what I have received. When I was 15, I packed my bag, hopped on the plane, crossed the ocean, left everyone and everything behind, and arrived in Saint Louis MO. Here I was required to go to church with the family I was living with. I did it out of obedience and by force. But I remember one day one of the girls in my AP Chemistry class in my sophomore year asked me to join the event at her church. They had a big Valentine’s Day celebration for the youth group. Out of curiosity and the desire to have fun, I accepted the invitation. The event was very similar to DNow. I will never forget the feeling I had on that day. It started with a Bible study, and of course I got lost immediately. I was thinking to myself: What on earth are they talking about? How can they find those sayings (verses) that fast? And what is this big book every kid is carrying with them (this was before the time of Bible app on smartphones)? But the most surprising part was when I actually felt like I fit in. People cared; they talked to me. I was treated as a person, not an object to pour the Bible on, not a case to convert. They asked about my background, my culture, my American experience thus far, my hopes, and my dreams. They wanted to get to know me, and they welcomed me for who I am. They accepted me when I was a stranger to their family. That’s something unusual we don’t see nowadays, even at churches. But the youth group at that small church in Saint Louis has treated me with the love of Christ, something I have never experienced before growing up in Vietnam. They made me feel so welcomed and loved that I didn’t want to leave. Now thinking back I just realized that event at the youth group was my first time meeting Jesus. When I went to church, I heard of Jesus and I didn’t understand what I was hearing. But when I was welcomed to that family among the high school students my age, I met Jesus for the first time through the love of His disciples. I believe that God already knew me before I knew Him, but that night was the first time I felt His presence. For me that was the first time we met. We didn’t make it official and start our relationship till a couple years later, however, so I guess God and I, we took it slow!

Another thing that got my attention was the way the host treated his wife. The way he loved her tenderly and took care of her needs blew my mind away. At that time I thought it was an American thing. Well now I realize it wasn’t; it was a Christian thing! When we truly walk with God, we just can’t help but showing it to the world. When we are so loved by God and when the relationship we have with Him is so strong, we just can’t help it but spread that love around like crazy to everyone we come in contact with. That event with the youth group made such a big impact on my life that I will never forget. And until this day I still remember the joy and peace I felt that night as I first experienced the love of God through His children. It planted the seed in my heart so that years later, when the condition was right, God watered the seed and made it grow. I will always be thankful for that girl in my AP Chemistry class who invited me. She took the action of faith to invite a stranger, a pagan into her loving family of Christ. We lost contact so I can’t tell her how much I appreciate what she has done for me. But if you are reading this article, I hope that you will be encouraged to invite somebody to your church events, especially non-believers. And please don’t judge when somebody comes to Bible study not knowing where to find the verses in the Bible or if they don’t even have a Bible. Teach them, love them, and welcome them to the family. Bring them to the party! As I’m thinking about volunteering for DNow in a couple months, I wonder if there will be another Mimi coming to the event to check it out, to have fun, to see what these Christian kids are like. And who knows what can happen? Maybe at the event she will also feel God’s presence and Christ’s love through the people around her. And maybe further down the road, this little Mimi will one day accept Jesus in her heart and give her life to Him, all because the little seed is planted at the youth group event.

Last Tuesday I had a rough day at work. It wasn’t dramatically bad but definitely not a great moment of my life. As I stumbled into my Bible study, I felt sad and angry; I didn’t connect at all with anyone. I was talking with the people around me, but it felt more socializing than fellowship. But of course little did I know, God already had the whole thing planned out to change my mood. At the end of Bible study, I had an opportunity to walk out with one of the girls who was struggling with her situation at work. I truly believe this was a divine moment from God. As we were talking, I was able to share with her the knowledge I have gained through my walk with God. My day started bad at work but God used the Holy Spirit through me to bless somebody else that night, to encourage her on her walk with Him, and to teach her the right way to fight the battle. Because of that short conversation at the end of the night, it doesn’t matter how bad my day was. That one moment working for God is more valuable and fulfilling than countless hours in the office. So I would say I had a pretty good Tuesday then. That one moment serving God is better than all of the hours mistreated by man.

This is the cycle of battles that I have recognized from these two small incidents and from what I have been blessed with throughout my walk with God. As trials come into our lives, our first initial, natural response was complaint, anxiety, and fear. But I think we’re wrong. If trials come to test our faith, strengthen our relationship with God, and bring us to the next level of intimacy with Him, then we should feel pretty good facing trials in our lives. I mean what a honor that the most High God decides to use me to fight the battle in the heavenly realm against Satan and draw me closer to Him. This is exciting! So instead of facing trials with negativity, I propose a new solution: let’s face trials with excitement and heavenly joy. If we fight with God, we already know that victory belongs to our side, so why should we worry and complaint about this? We shouldn’t. Let’s have fun facing trials to show Satan one more time the kind of God that we serve. It’s a great honor to be on His team. He doesn’t need us to fight the battle for Him. God is strong enough to defeat His enemy. But He delights in using us to fight the battle with Him because He knows that trials will bring us closer to Him and make us stronger at the end as long as we preserve. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1: 2-4). So as we face trials, we pray to God, we asked Him for help, and we joyfully fight the battle with Him. The result is guaranteed as long as we don’t give up on God; that’s the power when we fall on our knees. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12). Sometimes God will deliver somebody into our lives to help us fight the battle, so it’s a team effort here, a big group event. And of course a celebration party at the end when Satan is defeated. But the story doesn’t end here. God will use the experience we have gone through and the knowledge we have gained to bless and help somebody else. I certainly hope that He will use me to bless another high school kid at DNow in a couple months. That would be my honor to serve God to give back what I have been given freely and lovingly.

cycle

Spiritual Growth

Growth

A couple months ago, I used to believe that our faith is like a stock chart with ups and downs, and hopefully the trendline is going upward. Therefore, this trendline is invisible. It’s only a direction of where our faith is going overall. So the blue ups and downs line below is our faith, and the red broken trendline doesn’t mean anything but direction.

broken

But recently I changed my mind about this theory. Our faith is indeed the red solid trendline, which is our spiritual growth whereas the blue ups and downs line is our life, with positive and negative events. This is our earthly issues and physical body whereas the red trendline going upward is our faith because we are constantly growing in Christ.

solid

It’s impossible to grow spiritually in faith without pain and trials since all experience is the lesson drawing us closer to God. The book of Job is a great example here. If Job had never gone through any of these losses, he wouldn’t have been able to understand the magnificent power and unconditional love God had for him. The valleys and mountains are earthly life with trials, issues, successes, and failures. They are not our spiritual life. Instead the solid upward trendline is our spiritual life, our spiritual growth in faith through trials, through mountains/successes and valleys/failures in life. Through all of this and all experience, we gain spiritual knowledge and wisdom in God. Sometimes God can turn even our sin into something good. I remember when I was struggling with my own sin, I ran away from Him because I felt so shameful, guilty, filthy, and fearful. But He turned it into good. After I sincerely confessed my sin, for the first time in my life, I experienced first hand His unconditional love through the forgiveness of sin. This particular sin I committed was the valley of my life, but thanks to God, He turned it into something good to push my faith to the next level and help me grow spiritually by giving me a deeper understanding of His perfect love for a sinner like me. However, it doesn’t mean that we have to sin to get to the next level in faith. The valleys can be anything. It can be a sin in that example. It can be a loss of the loved one, a discouragement from a close friend, a financial setback, a disease, a failing relationship, a rejection from college, or in my case the fear of deportation sometimes. As long as we continue to preserve with our faith in God, He will reward us with spiritual growth and knowledge to bring us to the next level of faith to be closer to Him. That reward is worth it. That reward is better than any trials and setbacks combining.

Some people say that one has to be a backslider to grow spiritually, and I used to believe that until recently. But now I disagree with that concept! Our faith should grow constantly, and sin shouldn’t be required for that growth. Again the example of Job proves this theory. When Job lost everything, he didn’t listen to his friends and curse God. Instead he remained faithful. Yes he did complaint, but he didn’t turn his back from God; he didn’t live in sin. He chose to be faithful and continue to cry out to his beloved Creator. The reward: not only Job got back double his portion in the worldly possessions, he got something far greater: he got spiritual knowledge through the experience of pain and trials. He got closer to God, the love of his life, the one he chased after. Satan doesn’t know our faith, so that’s why he constantly challenges our faith. But God knows our faith because He knows the most intimate details about us. When I read the conversation between God and Satan at the beginning of Job, I wonder if they still have the same conversation about us today? Perhaps sometimes they even talk about me. Does Satan want to attack my life because he sees the growing faith I have? And does God allow the attack because He knows my faith is bigger than the trial and temptation Satan presents? Some preachers say “I will scare the hell out of them to bring them to God” when they plant the fear of hell in people’s minds, hoping that the fear will grow so big that the individual will turn to God to secure a spot in heaven. I propose a new solution: let’s love the hell out of them to bring them to God. Instead of the fear strategy, let’s use the love strategy. Let’s love every piece of sin and hell out of that person. Let’s love them so much that they want more and more of that love. Let’s be an ambassador of Christ, an example of heavenly love to draw the individual to the source of unconditional love: God.

A prophecy given to a servant of God must serve only two purposes:

  • To increase their desire for God like a burning fire inside their heart
  • To motivate them to choose to serve God like a humble servant

It shouldn’t be about personal gain; the prophet should have absolute no earthly gain from the prophecy. It’s only for the good of the individual receiving the message. My dad wants me to one day be able to get to the level of spiritual growth and knowledge to hear God’s voice directly and minister to others around me. To be a humble servant, a chosen disciple of God. Typically parents have a vision for their kids to be a successful doctor or lawyer, but I guess my dad is quite different! He has a different vision in mind for my future. He doesn’t care about the level of man or the successes of man. He wants more for me. He wants the best for me. He wants the level of God and the reward of faith for me. I guess our family tradition is somewhat different! I’m excited to get to that level, but at the same time, I honestly don’t know what that means. It’s like something I can feel but can’t really see or touch. I guess that’s where faith comes in: “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). The good news here is that even though I don’t know what the destination looks like, I know that I want it and I know how to get there: to continue studying the Bible, stay grounded in prayer, put God first on my priority list, and constantly humble myself before Him with a servant heart. That’s the action plan!

Right now I think I pass level 1, the elementary stage knowing that there’s a God, and His name is Jesus. That He loves us. He helps us. And He answers our prayers. Now I’m preparing for level 2: knowing that God speaks to us. That He guides us, and He wants us to be His servants. Level 3 is more advanced to be able to hear His voice directly and be able to distinguish His voice from Satan’s voice. The task is indeed difficult, but we have an instruction of step-by-step process to accomplish this: “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world” (1 John 4: 1-3). Also another instruction from God is this: “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3: 7-8). Also coming at this level is the battle between heaven and hell, clearly described in Scripture: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Personally this verse is more scary than any Halloween horror movies I have ever seen! But of course, the fight is worth it because the reward in heaven is worth it and the victory is already on our side when we stand with God. Level 4 is to be able to walk with God and listen to God every step of every day everywhere. I don’t mean “feeling like the Holy Spirit is talking” but actually know what the Holy Spirit is saying like talking to a friend at lunch time hearing every single word he’s saying. This level takes a tremendous amount of faith because the servant must comfortably allow God to take control over all of the steps at all moments of his day and his life. I asked my dad what’s next after this level. He didn’t tell me. He said that when we get to this level, we will know what the next one is because at this stage, we already have the spiritual knowledge needed for constant growth.

I have been a Christian for awhile now (Jan 14, 2017 is my 6-year anniversary with God). Throughout all this time during my walk with God, I only know one person that has reached the highest level described above: my dad. I’ll give a simple example. When I was home for 5 days for spiritual training, his phone never rang once. The day I left to the airport to go back to Florida, it phone started ringing; God put him back to work (for the ministry God is doing through him). That small example shows that God, not my dad, controls his schedule. God decides when my dad’s working on the next project, where it is, and what it is. He tells dad which roads to take, whom to talk to, and what to say. One time my dad was speaking to this stranger about the biggest secret he was doing. Well no surprise here but the guy was shocked! He thought nobody knew what he was doing. I guess he was wrong. God knew what he was doing. God told my dad and used my dad to confront him. Again going back to the two solely purposes of prophecy: my dad didn’t gain anything from this situation, but the stranger confessed and got back to God. Hallelujah! Most of the times, if not always, we speak too much and know so little. That’s why it’s important to close our mouth and open our ears to listen to God and listen to others for God.

To get to the next level, there’s a price to pay. For me, the entry level was baptism when I publicly announced to the world I would give my life to Jesus and follow Him. The price for me was the loss of my mom. When we are ready for the test, God will present the scenario and show us the price we have to pay to get to this level. At that point, we have to make a decision 1) to pay the price to be closer to God and have a stronger relationship and understanding of God at a deeper level or 2) to not pay the price and stay at the same level we currently are. If we choose option two, it doesn’t mean we lose our salvation; it simply means that our faith is not strong enough to get to a higher level of spiritual knowledge. None of us knows when the test will come, what that price is, or under what scenario. So what we need to do is to CONSTANTLY GUARD OUR FAITH; we need to always be grounded in spiritual growth to fulfill the requirements of the price to pass the test when it comes. To put it in practical terms, I will continue to study the Bible and maintain a humble servant heart before God. How good of a servant I am depends on how much and how hard I study.

To stay humble, we must understand its opposition: pride. For me where I am right now, I see pride as priority or intent of the heart. If my priority is me, I will do whatever it takes to satisfy me. That’s pride. I’ll help somebody to make me look more appealing, sound smarter, feel better, and be higher than that person. If my priority is man (people around me), eventually I will lose the desire to help anyone because I won’t be able to please everyone. The best scenario is if my priority is God, then I will serve, bless, love, and help somebody else not because I’m so good, but because I’m so bad and God is so loving that He still wants to use me to do His work. I’m nothing without him. I can do nothing unless He’s preparing it, planning it for me, and doing it with me “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). So it only comes down to this: what’s the motive behind our actions? To serve ourselves, man, or God? There are three options; the math is quite simple, but the decision is tough. Which one do you choose today? Tomorrow? And for all eternity? “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Which one do you serve today? Tomorrow? And for all eternity? I choose to serve God today, tomorrow, and for all eternity. On October 22, 2016 I made this commitment to God. Since then I have been following it and today I want to restate that commitment to God.

God I accept the responsibility to be your disciple. I choose to love you, honor you, praise you, and walk with you everyday. To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you for the rest of my life and all eternity.

Some people say I’m too young to do the kind of things I do and have the kind of knowledge I have. I used to believe it until recently I disagree. Age is a label put on us by man; they put it on us the moment we were born. Don’t act your age. Act the spiritual age God wants you to act. What is your age in God’s standard? Are you an infant, teenager, adult, or senior? Well as for me, I’m no longer an infant. I think I’m in elementary school now as I excitingly prepare for middle school.

Speak the Truth in Love

Love

The phrase “speak the truth in love” from the verse “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15) is one of the many verses that have been misused a lot in the world today, both inside and outside the church. Most people stop at the “speak the truth in love” part and never finish the verse to “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” The purpose of speaking the truth in love has to be growth, meaning that whatever we say to our brothers and sisters in Christ, it should lift up them to help them grow. If the purpose is not right, the consequences are negative, and the action is not just. To speak the truth in love is not just how you say it, it’s also why you say it. What is your intent to speak that truth to your brothers and sisters? Is it to lift them up or put them down? Is it to serve you or God and the other person? If a brother is growing and serving God and you get jealous, you may point out to them their negative traits and sins in the past. When that happens, you may want to ask yourself: by me saying these things, am I helping them to grow? Do I lift them up? Is my heart right with God? Is my motive pure for saying these things? Does my intent come from jealousy or compassion and love?

The first part “speak the truth” has to be dealt with carefully. It’s ok to point out the negative aspects of the individual, but again is it for a good purpose? If a brother is sinning, it’s our duty to point it out to him. Conviction is hard. It hurts but it also brings a sense of joy and peace because there’s a hope of forgiveness through Christ. If the brother wants to improve a certain skill or if he’s not doing something so well, it’s ok to point it out what you think can help him improve. So that’s the good kind of speaking the truth. However, if we bring up the sins in the past, we may do so because we listen to Satan’s lies out of our jealousy and anger toward the brother. Once we sincerely confess our sin and ask God for forgiveness, the blood of Christ washes the sin away. It’s gone, deleted, forgotten, erased, washed away, past tense, no more, as if the sin has never happened. The only one that will ever bring it up again is Satan to hurt us, to make us feel guilty and shameful because he cannot stand the fact that we have gone back to God and turned away from that sin. God will NEVER bring it up again to hold us accountable for that sin. So when you “speak the truth” by pointing out somebody’s past sin, you’re not doing God’s will. You’re doing the opposite of God’s will, you’re doing Satan’s will because you listen to Satan’s lies instead of God’s voice. Another way this is misused is when we point out the negativity of an individual for no good reason. For example, if a brother is called to teach a Bible study, you may get jealous and give him all of the reasons why he’s not a good fit for the job: he’s shy, not good at public speaking, not have enough knowledge, too young for the job, etc. These things may be true, so you can cover it by saying you’re speaking the truth. But in reality, the action is unjust because you’re not doing this to help him grow and to serve God. You’re doing this to bring him down out of your jealousy and anger.

That leads to the second part of the verse: IN LOVE. Every good thing we do has to be in love. Otherwise, there’s no meaning. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13: 1-7). So when we speak the truth to somebody (point out their sin, negativity, or anything else), we have to ask ourselves the following questions based on this instruction from God:

  •  What is the intent of the truth you’re speaking? Does it come from love or jealousy and anger?
  • Do you speak out of faith in God or faith in yourself?
  • Do you speak up to help the brother or to boast about yourself? Do you lift them up? Or do you put them down so that you can feel better about yourself, so that you can be above them, so that you can satisfy your pride and jealousy?
  • Are you being patient?
  • Are you being kind?
  • Are you jealous and prideful? Is it about your ego or their growth?
  • Does it put them down to boast you up?
  • Do you listen to God’s voice or Satan’s whisper of lies to your ears when you speak the truth?
  • Do you protect them from sins, harm, and lies?
  • Do you give them hope?
  • Do you encourage them to persevere?

Most of the times we don’t realize the power of the tongue. Words can encourage and lift somebody up, but at the same time they can destroy an individual. God calls for unity; Satan calls for division. The devil can whisper lies into our ears to turn us against each other. He doesn’t like Christians, and his goal is to tear us apart. Sometimes when we’re not careful, we become his assistant by listening to his lies and acting it out. When a brother is serving God and you speak the truth out of jealousy, a couple things happen. First, you probably listen to Satan’s lies and actually believe it. So between you and God, you need to reconcile by turning away from Satan, closing your ears on him, and instead listening to God’s voice. Second, between you and the brother, you have done him wrong. So you need to come to him and ask for his forgiveness. Third, between the brother and God, he needs to ignore what you say and only listen to what God says. This is the test of his faith. Will he listen to his friend or his God? The book of Job is a good example here. Will he persevere and continue to do God’s work: teach a Bible study, lead a ministry, join the worship team, serve for a great cause, etc.? Or will he have a self-pity party and quit? That’s the decision we each have to make. And when you make these decisions, ask yourself this:  when I stand before God and see Him face to face, what kind of discussions will we have about the decision I make today?

A good friend, also a sister in Christ, recently “spoke the truth” to me out of jealousy. It was discouraging, and it hurt. I cried about it and asked God for direction. It didn’t take Him long to answer that prayer. Immediately the Holy Spirit delivered the truth in many ways; all of them are in love! So I chose to ignore what my friend said; I chose to serve God by teaching the Bible study.

Before the Throne of God Above

Inspiration

Original Words by Charitie Lees Bancroft (1841-1892). Alternate Words by Vikki Cook

Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea. A great High Priest whose name is Love, whoever lives and pleas for me. My name is graven on His hands. My name is written on His heart. I know that while in heaven He stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart. No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there, who made an end to all my sins. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me. To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen lamb, my perfect, spotless righteousness. The great unchangeable I AM, the king of glory and of grace. One with Himself I cannot die. My soul is purchased by His blood. My life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ my Savior and my God. With Christ my Savior and my God.

Love Your Enemy

Love

Jesus, throughout His journey on earth, constantly talked about love, especially the concept of love your enemy. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:43-45). Well this is definitely easier said than done. How am I supposed to love those who persecute me? They surely don’t deserve it. That goes back to another issue: why does God love us when we so don’t deserve it? When we sin, we become enemy of God. Yet He loves us so much that He died for us on the cross to bring us back to Him, to have fellowship with Him like how it was designed to be at the beginning of time in the Garden. If He loves us that much, then who are we not to love our enemy? “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Joyce Meyer was sexually abused by her own father, yet when she became an adult, she treated him with love and care. She helped him with the house, brought him back to her life, and took care of him as a regular loving daughter. How did she do that? The families of the victims killed by the shooting in Charleston stood up in court, spoke to the judge, and told the murderer they have forgiven him. How did they do that? Obviously this kind of love cannot come from this world. This kind of love is so big that the world knows not of. This kind of love, or if I may call unconditional love, comes only from God above. Only He can love like that. And because He loved Joyce, she loves her father. Because He loved the families of the victims, they too love the shooter. This love is contagious, like a domino effect. Once we have received and tasted how wonderful this unconditional love is from God, we can’t help it but spreading it around to love and forgive others, even those who don’t deserve but desperately need it more than anything.

That’s the true meaning behind love your enemy. It’s more than just saying hi to the kids we don’t like at schools, staying cordial with the colleagues and bosses we can’t tolerate at work. Love your enemy is taking action to actually love and forgive others, especially those that hurt us and persecute us. It’s the choice we have to make every day to love and to forgive. During the most difficult time of my life when my mom passed away and my dad went bankrupt and ran away, one of my uncles said the most hurtful thing to me, blaming the death of my mom on me, the 17-year-old teenager at the time. It wasn’t nice what he said. But I have to make a conscious decision every day to love and forgive him. Not because I’m righteous and perfect, but simply because God loves me and forgives me every day. If He loves me that much, the least I can do is to love somebody else. If God forgives me for all of my sins when I become his enemy, the least I can do is to forgive my own enemies.

Unconditional Love

Love

The first time I got to know God is through the power of prayer and faith when He provided and rescued me out of my despair and hopelessness. I knew at that time that He is the Almighty God who can do anything. He can move the mountain, part the sea, and do what man calls impossible. Since then my journey with God has been great. I was taught at church and countless Bible studies about love and what it means in the Christian context. At one of the Bible study, we were examining the difference between Philos (brotherly love between man) and Agape (unconditional love from God). But it’s not until I faced the most scary trial of my life that I really understood and felt God’s unconditional love for the first time. Out of my fear, shame, and guilt, I received His unconditional love through the forgiveness of sin. And I’m eternally grateful for that. How He could look at me blameless and call me righteous I will never understand. But I know that the moment I sincerely asked for forgiveness, forgiveness was given to me freely, and He looked at me as if I have never sinned. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

I understand the concept of salvation with my mind, but that unconditional love touched my heart and made me truly appreciate what Jesus did for me on the cross that day. I don’t deserve any of it, yet He still died for me, forgives me, and loves me anyway. The love like this is so big that the world knows not of. Throughout my journey with God and even before I knew Him, He has provided many many blessings for me and got me through so many trials. But the two things that I still cannot get over until this day are the scholarship to college that saved my life and His unconditional love through the forgiveness of sin. These gifts are are like fire burning inside my heart to show me how much He loves me and that I need to do something to give back what He has done for me. No matter how many people I touch, how many good works I do, it will never be enough comparing to what He has given me. But I have to share this love that I freely and gratefully receive, desperately need, but never deserve.

John 8 tells the story about a woman committed adultery. By the Law of Moses, she would be stoned to death, and she deserved it. That’s the consequence of her sin, the decision she made for her life. But all Jesus said was “go and sin no more.” It didn’t mention in Scripture how she felt at that time, but I can only imagine: fear, shame, guilt, and unconditional love at the same time. It didn’t mention in the text but I assume that deep down inside, she really regretted her sin, disgusted by it, never ever wanted to do it again, and desperately asked God for His forgiveness. And then her prayer got answered. She was forgiven; her sin was washed white as snow as if it has never happened at the first place. Her sin was forgiven, deleted, erased, forgotten, washed away, gone, no more. I deserve to be stoned to death, but all He said was “go and sin no more.” We deserve to be stoned to death, but He voluntarily took that burden on Himself that day when He walked to the cross.

When we sincerely ask for the forgiveness of our sin and never ever want to do it again, as long as we are SINCERE about it, God already forgives us. He will look at us blameless and righteous as if it has never happened, just as He looked at Christ because we are covered under the blood of Jesus. God will never bring it back and hold us accountable for that sin anymore. The only one that will ever bring it back to accuse us of the sin, to make us feel shameful, guilty, filthy, and unworthy is Satan. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy Christians. So when the moment comes, we have to stay strong and believe in God’s word when He told us He has already forgiven us. Spiritual warfare will take place as we serve God; trials are promised to us as we start our walk with God and give our lives to Him. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4: 12-13). When I started serving God to bless somebody else, immediately spiritual warfare took place. Satan reminded me of the sin in the past and whispered his lies in my ears about why I’m not worthy to serve God by serving others. Constantly I had to remind myself the verse in 1 John 1:9 to continue my mission to serve God. Our lives are the battlefield, and we should expect that the moment we give our lives to Christ and follow Him. But the good news here is that Christ has already won the battle, overcome Satan and this world. So we just have to continue the fight, faithfully submit to God, knowing that victory is already on our side.

Testimony

Testimony

 

Everybody has a story to tell, a life story. Some may be sadder than others; some may sound more interesting than others. But for each of us, our own story is the most important because the story paints a picture of our lives. However, when we look outward and listen to other people’s stories instead of focusing on our own, we can learn so much from their stories. And sometimes when their stories are similar to ours, we can relate and get encouraged by hearing what they have been through.

Because of that reason, I decided to create this website to write down my testimony of how I came to God, accepted Christ in my life, and decided to follow Him. This website and my story are not about me. When you read my story, please keep in mind that this testimony’s main purpose is to glorify God, my Savior who has provided me every single step through every single trial. I hope that my story will encourage you to continue putting your trust in God and believing that He will deliver you from whatever you are going through.

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