MrsProverbs31

Zoua

2011-11-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was young, I had always admired my sister. She has always been good to everyone. She had a great smile and she always shown it, even when she was sad.

We were separated for several years during the Vietnam War, so the most crucial years were stolen from us. She was the second child and I was the last of five. We were 2-3 years apart, so she’s ten years older. Therefore, the closeness was not there-and the separation didn’t help any.

However, she cared for me. She helped my mom buy my first car for my high school graduation present. She loaned me money to start my quilting business. But what I admired most about my sister was that she always passed her sound advices to me.

One of her advice to me was, “Don’t engage in talks about your husband,” (that was before I got married). She said when other people brags about their husbands don’t brag about yours, it will only lead to jealousy. And when they talk bad about their husbands, don’t talk about yours in such a manner, it would mar his reputation and your devotion to him.

The most recent advice she gave me was just before my father-in-law passed away. She said, “your family is not mom (my mom was sick with liver cirrhosis and on hospice care), but your husband and his family. Go take care of your duties to your father. [Charlie] and I will take care of mom. If anything happens we will call you.” I was heart-sick to leave my mom, but at the same time I was confident she would do as she said.

You’ll have to be Hmong to understand this particular advice. But I appreciated it so much. I knew that her care of my mom would not take my place, but she did her best. Because of her encouragement I was able to help with my father-in-law’s funeral, providing the best I knew how to honor him. When my mom passed away (the Sunday after we buried my father-in-law), she put mats on the floor in her living room and slept there while I slept on her futon in order to keep me out of fear. She was and is always thoughtful and considerate.

Zoua does not know the Lord and she’s not well versed in English, but I know that if her daughters read this they would be very proud of their mother and hopefully share it with her. I hope you will join me in prayer for her and her family’s salvation.

Maum, kuv zoo siab ua Vajtswv tsaug uas kuv muaj ib tug niam laus uas zoo tshaj plaws. Ua koj tsaug rau koj txoj kev hlub kuv. Txawm yog wb ib leeg taug ib txoj kev los, kuv paub koj yeej hlub kuv. Thov Vajtswv foom koob hmoov rau txiv laus neb kom noj qab nyob zoo thaib khwv tau nyiaj txiag los duav neb lub neej tsis tu ncua. Kuv hlub koj.

“And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” ~ John 3:36

My Mother-in-law

2011-11-14T19:33:00.000-08:00

Note: I wasn’t going to blog about my mother-in-law because I was saving her for Mother’s Day, but the Lord is persistent in promenading her in my head. The thank you part to her will be written in Hmong so that whoever read it to her will not have to translate.

One of the things I appreciate most about my mother-in-law is that she’s very generous with her advice. She encouraged me to drive a stick-shift car. She said so and so drive stick, “so you can do it, too, you’re bright and intelligent. It’s nothing.” If she hadn’t said so I probably made all kinds of excuses and missed out on all of the fun.

She once said to me that in order for a family to succeed in life the wife has to take an active role in her family-she must do the leading. At the time I was offended, because I’ve always heard others said that a man should take lead in his family. I started to disagree, but she was adamant about her statement, so I dropped the subject. Years later as my relationship with Christ grew more personal, I began to understand what she was saying. And, I agreed.

Although she doesn’t drive or even know how to dial the telephone, she has a good common sense about life. She’s not afraid to dish out her opinions where it is most needed. And, she’s not afraid to be herself.

However, the greatest gift she gave me was four days with my mom before she passed away in August 2011. She put aside her mourning for her husband- we just buried him on Monday, August 8, 2011, and on Wednesday I flew to see my mother who passed away on Sunday, August 14-to babysit our children so my husband could return to work and I go visit my mom. Those four days with my mom were more precious than gold. I’m so glad I listened to her advice, otherwise I would never have seen my mother before her passing.

Niam, Kuv zoo siab ua koj tsaug uas koj muaj kev hlub kuv. Koj txhawb kom kuv mus xyuas kuv niam, kuv thiaj tau mus tus nws ob peb hnub ua ntej nws tu siav. Vim yog koj muaj kev hlub koj thiaj muab koj txoj kev quaj txiv thawb ntiag rau tom qab es koj tuaj pab Txhiaj Vuab wb zov wb cov menyuam kuv thiaj tau mus xyuas kuv niam. Qhov uas koj ua nov zoo tshaj nyiaj thiab kub. Kuv yuav nco ntsoov mus txog hnub tsis muaj kuv.

Ib xyoo tim nkaus los txog lub kaum ib hlis ntuaj uas yob lub tebchaws Mekas no los nco txiaj ntsim ntawm lawv lub neej. Kuv thov qhia rau koj hais tias kuv zoo siab uas Vajtswv pub kuv los ua koj tus nyab. Kuv yog tu tau koobhmoov vim koj yog ib leej niam uas zoo. Ua koj tsaug rau koj txoj kev hlub peb txhua tus uas yog koj cov menyuam. Thov Vajtswv foom koobhmoov rau
koj.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live,…to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ~Titus 2:3-5

Abia

2011-11-10T19:05:00.000-08:00

Abia. What can I say my awesome daughter? As she said, she’s forced to grow up fast. She’s had her challenges just like all the other teenagers. She’s had her ups and owns, but she’s always fast about turning around. She gets mad quick (short temper), but she’s quick to forgive and forget. She lives the verse in Ephesians 4:26, “…Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.” She doesn’t even let the sun go down. She just bounces right back.

However, what awes me the most about her is her passion for righteous living. She speaks out about her peers when she sees they do something against the rules and regulations or the unspoken moral rules. For example, one year one of her “friends” was acting pretty intimate on the bus with another boy. It bothered her so much that she told the teacher about it. And, when he didn’t do anything about it, she was so upset she came home crying and told me how awful and mad she was at her friend for acting so disrespectful in public.

She has a lot of acquaintances, but no close friends. Her perspective of life just doesn’t fit in with the society. And, she gets lonely and sometimes, she wonders why, but she doesn’t mourn about it. She knows and understands that she’s chosen the narrow path and she refuses to compromise. I am so proud of her.

She has always been very definite about her path of life and career choices. She’s got a great plan in place and looking forward to accomplishing it. She motivates herself to succeed and works hard to improve. She’s the parent when we go shopping, because she would remind me that if it is not a need, I need to put it back on the rack. If I make a list of things to buy, she will stick to it better than me.

She is a good cook. Whatever I want to eat, she can cook. Sometimes, she gets burn out about cooking, especially during the summer when she has to cook for her siblings. But, she does it and they love her cooking. Her father encourages her about cooking better than her mother. Darn.

Abia, I appreciate you. You are growing quickly into a woman of faith and righteous living. I love you. I am proud of you. I know you will observe the laws of the Lord and live to give Him glory.

Maysia

2011-11-08T19:25:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I do not obtain permission for praises. So, if you see your name and you don’t agree, please talk to me. I will pull your article out. These names are not organized in any order. I prayed for God’s recognition of people who has made an impression in my life and I simply write as the names come up.

And, I’m sorry for the missing days. I was sick and then fall behind because of that.

Maysia. I’ve known her for six years and of her for about 10+ years. I’ve never taken the time to sit down with her. She’s younger and we don’t have quite as much in common. She’s quiet and I’m loud and talkative. She’s calm and I’m pensive.

She’s been in my Bible study class for the past three to four years. I’ve observed how she responded to each question and most of them are quite measured. She’s very observant and thoughtful. She’s gifted with children and crafts.

One of the things that she made an impression on me is the way she answered her study questions. Some of her answers awed me. And, she didn’t answer often, but when she did, her answers were carefully worded. Another thing is she’ll do something unexpected, whether it is with a phone call or a gift. She’s always surprised me. She has a very quiet spirit.

Maysia, I appreciate all you’ve done as a student and friend. You are thoughtful and kind. I am grateful the Lord has brought us together as a family and friends. It has been an honor to know and study His Word with you. It was such a blessing for you to call me when my mother passed
away, even though I didn’t actually talk to you, it was good to hear your voice and that you cared enough to take the time to call. I truly appreciate that. Thank you for always being thoughtful and kind.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their
heartfelt advice. ~Proverbs 27:9

SR

2011-11-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

SR

November 5, 2011

SR is a recent college graduate, currently working with children in her community. I met her on my flight to Springfield, MO to visit my sick mother. She was my seatmate.

We were strangers, but she talked to me. And, I found out we had a lot in common. When the plain had a few rough bumps, she reached out to make sure I was okay. And, when we were ready to land, she prayed for my mom and me. She had great conviction. She gave me her cell phone number and email address so that I can let her know the outcome of my mom’s health. She is a strong witness to everyone she meets and the children she works with.

SR, I’m not sure we will ever meet again, but I want to thank you for helping me hold on to my faith and listen to the voice of my God with extra care. Though my mom went home to Jesus, I will always remember you and pray for you. May everyday that you live bring God great glory.

The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. ~Isaiah 52:10

Kristina

2011-11-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

November 4, 2011

When we were younger, she was one of the girls sitting inthe back of the room, putting on make-up and giggling with silly jokes. I remember it used to irritate me so much that I wanted to send her out to the hallway. But, I don’t ever remember it bothered her a bit that her actions bothered me. She was just there to meet her friends and have a good time. And,she was faithful to show up for every church and youth events.

When I married my husband and came back to finish my last semester, she approached me and said she needed to talk. We took a walk and she opened her heart to me for the first time. Shortly, afterward, she married her husband and moved away. We were thousands of miles away from each other. I thought I would never see or hear from her again.

But, years later, when I moved to South Carolina, she found my phone number and called me. She wanted my husband and me to go talk to her husband about God. We didn’t feel it would be right for us to tread on someone else’s territory, so we referred her to a local pastor of our denomination. However, she was determined to have us over. After much prayer and discussions and a few more calls from her, we decided to meet with her and her husband.

The trip was three hours away, so we decided to leave on Friday night in order to spend more time with her family. When we arrived, it was quite late, but her husband was still at work because he worked third shift. She waited up with her children. I should’ve known the enemy would compete to steal our time with her. She was busy trying to engage us with home movies. I thought, “Something is very strange about her behavior.” She acted as though she was trying to avoid the very subject she invited us over. So, after everyone went to bed, I walked through her house and prayed.

The next morning, after breakfast, I urged my husband to sit them down for a talk for she was still being Martha. And he did-a very good job. He said he would contact the local pastor for a follow-up. A few months after our visit, Kristina’s husband accepted Christ and attended church with her. Though, he’s not very active, she never gave up and continued to keep in touch with me on a regular basis.

She’s a changed woman. Her ministry to senior adults is compelling. She has six children, is self-employed; sells life insurance and estates, but she makes time to transport the seniors in her community to the stores, to doctor appointments and translate for them-for free, of course. When I visited her, I had to go with her on her errands to a spend time with her. She makes herself available for her family, extended family, friends and her community and, now her church. She is Mrs. Proverbs 31 in my eyes. But, she doesn’t think of herself that way. She gets frustrated, stressed out and bummed out, but I know none of them, only from hearing her say so.

Every time I see or talk to her, she’s always on the way to a business meeting, to an appointment with a client, or run an errand for someone. I’ve never been able to enjoy a still moment with her. She’s so full of life. She’s thoughtful and generous with everyone. And, she has no servant.

I just had a conversation with her last night. (While we were talking, she was making eggrolls for her daughter’s soccer team’s victory celebration.) She said her friends from our youth changed. She felt like they don’t have much in common anymore. I told her I believe she’s the changed one. She’s become mature and responsible. I always learn something from her through our conversations.

Kristina, I am impressed and proud of the woman you’ve become. I am grateful to the Lord for bringing you into my life. If I am authorized by God to crown you Mrs. Proverbs 31, I would. You’ve developed a closer walk with God and become an example for your family, friends and community. I am privileged to be your friend. May God bless you!

Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates. ~Proverbs 31:31

So sorry for today

2011-11-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry, my reader friends. I'm feeling a little under the weather. I do not feel I can do the next person justice if I post her tonight. I'm going to sleep so I can be clear-headed tomorrow and do a good job at it. I'll be back.

Rebecca

2011-11-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Parenting is such a mixture of joy and frustrations. Sometimes, I just love them to a whole. And, sometimes I get so frustrated, I just want to cry. I was frustrated with my daughter because she accused me of being an unfair parent. She wanted me to make her the same pillow I made for her sister. She would not yield when I explained that I didn’t make her sister a messenger bag or a purse either. She stuck to her desire. She wanted the same pillow. I had no more of the same materials. I sent her to bed.

Next day, I went to work and came out for break time. Rebecca was sitting in her office. I said “hi” to her. I asked her how she was doing and she returned with the same question. I don’t really remember how we arrived at my daughter’s tamper tantrum the night before, but Rebecca simply said, “Why don’t you tell her that…” I came home. I pulled my daughter aside after dinner and we had our little talk. I explained to her that if she wanted to trade with her sister and she agrees, she may do so. But, I made them different things because they are different persons. And, the things I made are expressions of my love for them. I haven’t had the same tantrum since.

Now, why don’t I think of that? Because I was simply reacting to her tantrum without logically thinking and listening to what she’s actually saying to me. Rebecca doesn't talk much to me except hi, hello, and how are you doing. But, once in awhile we have snippet conversations. And, she brings out the best in me. She’s encouraging to talk to. I know I can tell her things and it would stay between me and her.

Rebecca, you are a gem. You taught me the value of saying a few words that are worth a lot. I am blessed to have known you and work for your family. Your willingness to help us with labor work has taught me the value of humility and hands-on leadership. You remind me of the following quality in Proverbs 31.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. ~Proverbs 31:27

Melody

2011-10-31T22:15:00.000-07:00

When the Lord put a desire in your heart, you always wait expectantly for news that allows you to put your foot in the Jordan River so He can part the water. No matter how long it has been, He won’t let you forget it. He will always keep you at peak interest for that is His heart’s desire for you.

For many years now, the Lord instilled in me the desire to become a Christian speaker to a group of people I am afraid of - women. I started, then stopped, then started and stopped. I told the Lord I had nothing interesting to tell. Nothing I’ve been through was unique (1 Cor. 10:13). My life had not been easy, but neither had it been thrilling or thriving.

So, the Lord took me on a journey of challenges which were very common: Last year, our house was hit with a tree. Two weeks later, before the adjuster came to evaluate the disaster, our kitchen was caught on fire. We had to move out for two months. It was hard for our children. It changed their attitudes on life.

Also, this past couple of years have been especially challenging to my family due to family illnesses. In August of this year, we lost my father-in-law to cancer and my mother to liver cirrhosis – back to back. This left a hole in our hearts and we battled this on a daily basis. It was hard for the children, my husband and me. We couldn’t talk to one another. There was nothing to discuss. We already knew what each is going through. The only way to make it go away is to bring them back, but we already knew the answer to that.

Though, I tried to stay positive, I became depressed. I had “nightmares”. I couldn’t sleep at night and extremely tired during the day. I made numerous mistakes at work. And, I bump heads with my co-workers. Graciously, they calmly corrected me. This humbled me tremendously. And, I went back to the throne of grace. I asked Him to renew my courage and strength and open doors for me to serve Him; to cause me to see and wisdom to recognize His directions.

Then, one evening, I was cooking and was in a pretty good mood, actually. The phone rang, I answered, this excited lady at the other end was talking a million miles an hour (well, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but she was talking quite fast). She told me she went to the Women of Faith conference and she’s taken on their challenge to become a woman of faith-to present the love of Christ to women and invite them to join her for the next conference.

I didn’t really understand her at the time. But, I told her I would think about it because I don’t have many ladies and I wasn’t sure it was worth her time to make the trip. She said, “I think I would come, even if it was just you.” She said as long as I was willing to listen, she would come and talk with me because if she could make a difference in my life, it would be worth her time. She sounded confident and comforting.

She was willing. She didn’t care if she was presenting to 10 or 1. She just wanted a chance to make a difference in someone’s life. She made such an impact in my life that all I could think of the next day was what she said to me. The fact that she was willing to travel for nearly two hours just for me, tickles me. It caused me to reflect on my own willingness to serve.

Thank you, Melody. You brought me back to writing and you’ve inspired me not to give up and take each assignment, large or small, as life changing opportunity. For as long as I live I will always remember your words that brought me back to His work. May God bless you and keep you moving contagiously about His kingdom. You are a woman who fears the Lord. I am grateful to our God and to you for the opportunity to have spoken with you and for your courage to wake me up from my pity stupor by making that call.

“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary...” (Isaiah 50:4a).

Wait on God

2011-01-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

Psalm 62:1 "My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation." (NASB)

When I started MrsProverbs31, my sole purpose was to encourage women to have a more intimate relationship with God. I wanted them to be encouraged to have this relationship regardless of what the world thinks of them. We as women, live in a self-fulfilling prophesy. We want to be the best, not just in one thing, but in all things. We want others to see us as worthy and desirable to be around. Thus, we work harder to present ourselves as worthy to the world, forgetting His purpose for us-to wait on Him, allowing Him to use us to present His glory to the world.

God alone is master and creator, and from Him alone comes salvation. In order to fully experience salvation and the blessing of doing His will, we must be willing to wait with great anticipation as He unfolds His power and goodness moment by moment through us. If we understand that only God can provide salvation for us, and without Him, we can do nothing, then we know that the best thing we can do for ourselves is to wait on Him.

If we are still unwilling to wait on Him and for Him, then this intimate relationship with Him has not been manifested in us and our claim of it is defective. Waiting on God should be a joy and our brightest hope. Only when we are willing to be dead to ourselves, allowing Him the full power in us, will His glory manifest through us.

May we experience the joy of waiting on Him.

"My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation." -Psalm 62:1

Spam Comments

2010-05-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I notice that there has been some Chinese comments with links to adult sites and at the moment I cannot delete this particular comment (it has been coded in such that I can't figure out how to delete). I do not endorse these disgusting comments nor am I associated with these sites. I'm sad to say this is an attempt to defame the Word of God and discredit my ministry. However, I know God is working and aware of this situation. In the meanwhile, do not click the links.

Thank you and may God richly bless you!

Love is a Choice

2010-02-13T20:15:00.001-08:00

Then the Lord said to me, “go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to their gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.” ~Hosea 3:1, NKJV

We do not know Gomer’s background, whether she was a prostitute to begin with or she was unfaithful to her husband. Nevertheless, she was a harlot. After Hosea redeemed her and brought her into his house, she chose to return to the street. Many times, Hosea redeemed her and many times, she returned, but Hosea chose to go back again and again under God’s instruction. Gomer had a choice to live a life of respect and peace, and yet, she chose to return to a life of destruction.

The Israelites were no different. They intermarried, they changed their beliefs. They followed other gods. They turned to other gods, made by man. They forgot their Lord who was their bountiful provider (Hosea 2:8). Gomer was an example of the Israelites' unfaithfulness to the Lord, and Hosea was exemplifying the Lord’s love for them.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, celebrating love for one another. We choose to give gifts of love to those we care about most. Many times we receive and many times we give. It is all done with choice. We choose the ones we care. We choose love. Just as we choose to love others, so God chose to love us, even when we are unfaithful to Him. Prophet after prophets, He declared His love to us, and yet many choose to return to the pagan world.

Finally, He sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins. His love is so great, He became man so that we know He truly understand us completely and yet He has authority to change circumstances and protect us. God chose to love us. Christ chose to die out of love for us. What will we choose to do?

Father, thank you for Your love for us. May this day not only be a day of us loving one another, but a day of remembering Your love for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Forty

2010-02-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

I recently celebrated my 40th birthday. God inspired me to write a thank you letter to people who have influenced my growth one way or another. After I wrote the letter, I asked my husband to read it, he did. He asked me what the purpose of my letter was. “Why is forty so significant to you?” he questioned.

After listening to him for a bit, I grabbed my Bible and looked up forty. I found several passages about forty. “This will be a very long letter,” I commented.

“Why are you looking up forty in the Bible?” He exclaimed. “I wanted to know why you’re writing this letter. How did these people specifically affect you in a way that would cause you to write them?”

“Ohhh…I’m sorry. I thought you wanted me to explain the significance of the numb forty in the Bible,” I answered.

I proceeded with the letter without the Bible. However, the number forty intrigued me. There were a lot of mentions in the Bible about forty: the Lord caused it to rain for forty days and forty nights; the Israelites’ rebellious nature caused them to wander in the desert for forty years; After Jesus’ baptism, He fasted for forty days and forty nights in the desert (Matt. 4:2); After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples for a period of forty days (Acts 1:3). Thus, the number forty is important in biblical history.

Turning forty is also important to me. It inspired me to think of all the people who has influenced me and steered me in this direction. The saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” rings true in my life. There were so many people who helped my mother raise me. Without them I wouldn’t be alive. In my adult life, there are a lot of people who taught me the lessons of life-how to love my children; how to respect my husband, how to stay close to God, etc.

Turning forty caused me to reflect on the necessity of relationships: how we affect one another-positive or negative. It gives me a new perspective on life. I am most grateful for God’s grace. Daily, I ponder on His love and mercy. I am in awe of His goodness. Like the Israelites, I have a better understanding of what being obedient means.

Lord, I thank You so much for this reflection. I know that I need others' help in my walk with Jesus. I pray that I will not turn to left nor the right. Please, help me to never take others for granted. Help me to show my gratitudes daily. In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

His Handiwork

2010-02-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

This past weekend’s weather taught me a lesson on the power of God. All we received was cold and a few drops of rain. No snow and no ice. However, to the North and East of us was a different story. Our family was supposed to go to Hickory, North Carolina for the Sunday Service – my husband was to preach. However, on Saturday evening, the elder from that church notified my husband that the church was closed due to snowy weather. They had a blizzard. We, on the other hand, had dark cloud on Saturday and sunshine and cold wind on Sunday. As we head for church, I couldn’t get over the fact that on my side of the neighborhood, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the weather other than the coldness. And, yet, the blizzard hit the North and the East. It was Sunday, January 31, 2010 for all of us, everywhere.

I couldn’t get over it. I kept on pondering how it could be that on one side of town, churches were cancelled while on the other side, people were enjoying the sunshine and dry weather. “Oh, God, only You can fashion such vastness and beauty.” I felt utterly limited by this incomprehensible act of God. As far as my eyes could see, everything was perfect. And, yet, just beyond the horizon, there were blizzards all around. No matter how hard I tried to feel the pain these neighbors felt, I couldn’t. All I could feel was the sunshine and cold chills.

God, indeed, is the great “I AM”. His Word says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). This past weekend’s experience said it all. Only God could’ve divided the experiences of the weather so uniquely. Even, the earth sings a different song to the Lord at the same time.

Lord, thank You for teaching us about Your mighty power. Remind us daily that You are in control. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

2009-11-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

He Pays

2009-11-15T03:57:00.000-08:00

Matthew 20:1-16

Landowner is God
Works are believers
Vinyard is the Kingdom of Heaven

Those who work the longest underneath the beating of the hot sun received salvation. Those who came last-probably didn't even have to face the sun-received salvation. Those who came in between received salvation. God extends salvation as payment for our willingness to come to Him. He pays us to believe in Him.

It is interesting that Jesus used the word, "pay". He pays us to believe in Him. He pays us to do the Will of the Father. He pays us to tell His story. He pays us to take care of our husbands. He pays us to raise our children. Then, He pays our children to pass on the torch. He pays. We don't work for nothing-and when we work out of love for Him, it isn't work. He made us. He can choose to treat us as slaves, and yet He chose to give us freedom and pays us.

Father, help us not to take Your gift of salvation for granted. Help us to understand that it is by Your grace alone that we can come before Your throne as children of the Most High God.

Freedom

2009-07-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

“…Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” ~Matthew 15:28

Independence Day is a fine holiday to celebrate. Freedom is no small feat. It takes determination, faith, and belief-it takes breaking out of the traditional belief and practice. Freedom cannot be accomplished without wisdom and knowledge of the opponent’s plan of execution whether the battles are of the mind or body.

One extraordinary battle a woman had to fight was the answer to her request of healing for her daughter. She heard that Jesus, the Son of David, was in town. He was the one with the power to heal her daughter of the demon-possessed disease. So, she made the trip to see Jesus and presented her request.

Surprisingly, when she presented her request, Jesus ignored her. He just went on as though He didn’t hear her. Then, she asked again and again until He finally answered her by saying that “it’s not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” Hearing this, she acknowledged the fact that though she was not a Jew, Jesus was capable to give her blessings that many Jews did not claim.

One thing Jesus clearly showed me was that for centuries the Jews have been told they were the chosen race and they bluntly blurted it out to others. They believed it and preached it to the nations around them. They put themselves in pedestal: they were the chosen race after all. They were chosen and for them that meant that they were favored by God, not just any god, but the Sovereign Lord. They made sure that everyone around them knew about it-they were bragging. So, this Gentile woman came and wanted Him to heal her daughter of demon-possessed. And, Jesus, wanting her to know the truth, turned around and called her a dog. I would’ve been so offended-if I have just looked at the surface, but listen to this wise woman. She wasn’t taking anything that was reserved for the Jews. She simply acknowledged the fact that she understood the Lord has chosen the Jews as His chosen race and yet He was big enough to spare her the blessings which the Jews didn’t claim.

One thing Jesus wanted to hear from this Gentile woman was her verbal confession of the truth-although, the Jews were His chosen race for displaying His magnificent power, they were not the only one to receive His love and protection. For generations, this woman was repeatedly beat down by the Jews community that they were the chosen ones, not her. She was not worth it to receive His blessings, but she knew better. She presented Jesus with the truth that not every Jew claimed that promise, therefore, she could certainly take what they didn’t claim and Jesus granted her request at that. Jesus wanted to know whether she would choose to believe what the Jews told her or believe in Him who is the author of Life and freedom-from demon-possessed.
Today, millions of Americans celebrate Independence Day because our founding fathers believed that freedom was given to everyone, not just the British government. They were willing to pay taxes with representations, but they had none and with all their heart, our founding fathers believed they needed to break away from the tradition. They needed their freedom. They fought to gain their freedom.

What about you? Have you been imprisoned by the traditions of your mental education? Do you believe the things you were taught or told that you are not good enough, not smart enough, or in my case, not rich enough? Have you been told that you were destined to fail? Today, Jesus wants you to believe otherwise. He wants you to believe that He can set you free from the traditions of thoughts and beliefs. He wants you to know He is the way, the truth and the life. Take that chance, make the request, and be freed from your prison. Freedom in Jesus is truly free. Will you accept?

Jesus, Lord, thank You for this piece of truth. As we celebrate Independence Day, help us to remember that true freedom is found in Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Motherhood Privilege

2009-05-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

As I reflect on my motherhood experiences, there were many hurtful moments because I didn’t appreciate my position as a mother. My love and my care for my children were genuine. But, I was overwhelmed with responsibilities with little understandings from others. I felt I was constantly misunderstood, mistaken, and mistreated. The harder I tried to be a good mother and wife, the more I felt less of me. I lost myself in the midst of motherhood and joy was nowhere in sight. I cried many times in front of my children and alone in my bathroom.

I called out to my Father in desperation and He answered me by changing me. He transformed my mind and my thoughts to look at my children and husband through His eyes. And, I saw love, patience, self-control, kindness, gentleness, joy, goodness, and faithfulness blooming around me. I cried alone, but this time with joy.

Along with joy came the response ability which enabled me to cling onto my Father and little by little, I found myself faintly reappearing and the dark cloud quietly disappearing. And, I am grateful that He made me realize before too late to enjoy my children. I just watched a home-made video of my middle daughter’s birthday and we had nothing on the table except, a home-made cake sloppily labeled with her name on it. But, the children were waiting with anticipation to eat the cake. And, they enjoyed it. The most important thing I saw in that video was health and the presence of all of us.

I learned that children may act like they want everything the world can give them and what their “rich” friends have, but at the end of the day, they always return to their mom for protection, healing, comfort, and wisdom. Though, I am a little short of the above, it comforts me to receive their hugs with love. I realize that being a mother is a privilege, not a burden.

Happy Mother's Day, my friend.

Father, thank You for the privilege of motherhood. Thank You for placing me in the company of joy, peace and love.

He Who Has Ears

2009-04-10T06:02:00.000-07:00

I awoke to a gentle knock on my bedroom door. “I’m coming,” I said as I slipped out of bed, realizing that my children have day camp at my friend’s church. Another knock came shortly after, and I repeated, “I’m coming, just get ready.” I scrambled around to look for my sweat pants and went towards the bathroom, the third knock came. Again, I said, “I’m coming. You guys just get yourselves ready.” Just as I entered my bathroom door, another knock came louder than the first ones, and it aggravated me, so I yelled out, “I’m coming, GO get ready.”

“See, Pretty,” said Princess.

When I came out of my room, I peaked into the girls’ room and surprise to see them sitting comfortably on their bed with their PJs still on. I said, “What are you doing? You knocked my door and I told you to get ready, why are you still not dressed?”

“Well, I knock on your door, and I didn’t hear anything,” said Pretty.

“She told me to do it,” Princess said pointing straight at Pretty.

“Just get ready,” I pouted.

I thought about how many times we cry and beg Jesus to come into our aid, and we never take the time to listen to what Jesus said. We demand for His attention, but never take the time to listen and hear His directions. We stand there and watch for Him to come out to help us, take us to our destination, but, we’re not ready. Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9).

Jesus was teaching in parables and required the attention of His listeners. Were they paying attention to the details of the parables? Did they even hear Him or were they on dreamland? Are we any different than His disciples? We’re knocking, but are we listening? Or are we like Pretty and knocking without hearing?

Today, if you’re waiting on God to answer a prayer, put your hope and faith together, and listen, perhaps, the answer has already been given, and all you got to do is act. You don’t have to keep on knocking. Trust and obey. He is on His way to take His part in your life. But, are you ready? Are you prepared to take your part to meet Jesus?

Pray for my friend's family

2009-04-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

To all who may come across this, please pray for this lady I wrote about on my previous entry. She passed away yesterday. Pray for the family. It has been a very difficult journey for them. I do not know of their spiritual background. But, I do know that she loves the Lord and I know she's up there looking down.

Cherish Our Loved Ones

2009-04-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

“See, I have engraved you in the palms of my hands, and your walls are ever before me.” ~Isaiah 49:16

At the beginning of March 2009, my uncle passed away due to cancer. It was emotionally draining because he was my closest father figure. Even now, I think about him often and the chance I lost in loving him. I regretted all the times I spent in resentment toward him for something he didn’t do for me long ago. When he passed away, all that came to my mind was all the good he was. And, although I tried to hold back, tears gushed out. The funeral was emotionally moving.

Two Sundays ago, a lady in our Sunday school class who has been battling cancer came with exclamations of joy for no cancer was found in her body. She was so happy she came to Sunday school just to tell us the Lord has healed her and she had nothing but gratitude to express. It was moving for me, because I kept on thinking about my uncle when they told him that he was cured, and, a week later he was gone. However, my heart moved to joy and I was filled with tears for all the good the Lord was doing all around me.

But, today I witnessed her unmoving body in ICU. No life was apparent and her family was present. I witnessed the tears her daughters shed and the sorrows they showed, I felt powerless, I stood there motionless and tried to speak, but no word would be of comfort to them. I spoke to her and asked her to fight for her daughter’s sake. I said, “I don’t know if you could hear me, but I came to visit you…I want you to fight for your daughter’s sake, for the sake of those who have been praying for you, and for my sake. I’ve been encouraged by your courage and strength. I may be selfish, but I want you back for a little longer. Please, come back.” As, I spoke her daughters sobbed and their uncle stood by. I prayed for her and one of her daughters ushered me out to the waiting room to meet the rest of the family members.

I left physically, but my thoughts were digging for answers to comfort her family and what will happen to her. I was deeply moved by what I saw, I lost track of my directions. I have no idea of the directions I came and I had to ask the workers of the hospitals for help, they ushered me out of the building.

I continued to wonder and contemplate on her condition. What will happen to her and how soon before I know the outcome? “Lord, help her. Please, comfort her daughters.” As I started my car, my mind shifted to my mom. What would I have done if that was my mom lying there?

Then, I thought about my aunt. What has happened to her and how is she doing without my uncle? So, I reached for my phone and called my aunt. No answer. And later on, I called my mom. The sound of her voice seemed to bring some comfort into my heart.

As I hung up with her, I continued to wonder about how often we forget to treasure the presents God gave us. He wrapped and decorated each present-our loved ones in their special characters, and no other present or person can replace this particular one. How have I showed my loved ones my appreciation of their presence in my life? Have I fully expressed my love to them? When our friendships on earth end, will I cry cries of regret or sing with joy?

As I wondered on, all the blessings the Lord has brought into my life rushed into my mind. He reminded me of the verse He gave me last year, “See, I have engraved you in the palms of my hands, and your walls are ever before me.” Just knowing that He is in total control and He sees my every move brought comfort to my heart.

Today, if you find yourself wondering on and on as I did, rest assure that you are engraved in the palms of His hands and your walls are ever before Him. There is not an inch in your life that happens without His knowledge. If you accepted Christ as your personal Savior, you are permanently engraved in His hands and all your ways are before Him. Some experiences are harder to bear than others, but He is still in control. He knows. And, He promises to supply ample ways for you to overcome your challenges.

God bless you!

Nothing’s Free, My Son

2009-02-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ~John 3:16, NKJV

Christmas was coming close and my children wondered what presents they would receive, if any. We didn’t have any money and my son said, “Mom, why don’t you go back to Salvation Army and get us toys there? It’s free.”

“Nothing’s free, my son. Somebody pays for those toys. Nothing is ever free. Someone always pays. No matter how you get them, someone paid the price,” I snapped at him, remembering those people who rang the bells at Walmart, Kmart and Target and those who bought the toys.

A little taken back, “I know, but at least you don’t have to pay for them,” he inserted.

There’s a principle in what I’ve said to my son. The price has to be paid for by someone. Nothing ever comes without a price. We may never personally pay for it, but someone did and we were blessed enough to receive without an obligation to repay. That’s our free gift. The greatest free gift that was ever given to us was Salvation bought by Jesus Christ. It was a great price to pay, but He paid it for us, out of love.

I remembered one Sunday, I was prepared to teach my Bible lesson, but only two ladies showed up and our husbands didn’t want to stay. My children were antsy and didn’t want to stay long enough for me to teach my lesson. So, we cancelled the session. I was so upset and hurt. And, I remembered asking God in tears, “Father, I don’t understand. How could everyone chose earthly activities over spending time with You?” I felt the burden to love them was so heavy and the pain was too hard to bear. But, He gently reminded me that He understood. It was the pain He felt on the cross when all the sins of the world were put on Him. And yet, He chose to bear them out of love. I, too, if truly love God, should do the same out of choice.

Tomorrow, February 14, is Valentine’s Day, a day to celebrate love that was paid for by someone with a great price and given to us free. Let us celebrate with gratitude. Let us never take our loved ones for granted. Most importantly, we live because He lives, so let us celebrate the love He gave to us, FREE.

The Glory of Christ in Us

2009-02-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one.”
~John 17:22

We went fishing this past weekend. As most of the times, we caught no fish. My daughter was not satisfied so my husband took her to the other end of the river to fish. Still there was no fish. We stayed for awhile and a man showed up with his fishing pole and started to fish. He caught one fish after another and my children were so surprised that he caught so many fish. Everyone gathered around his bucket of fish with excitement. He gave some of his bait to my husband and my son and they each caught one fish. Within 30 minutes of this man’s presence, he caught 5 fishes and met his limit. So, he offered his fishing pole to each one of us and no one would take it. He insisted that I fish. I was a little embarrassed so I declined, but he kept on handing me the fishing pole and said, “I will cast it because I know how to put it right into the fish’s mouth.” So, he cast it and gave me the fishing pole to hold on.

He stayed until it was nearly dark and his wife called. I still have not caught anything so I handed the fishing pole to my son. One by one we each took turns, but no fish. So, we handed him his fishing pole. He turned to me and said, “Would you like my fish. I just like to fish, I don’t eat them?”

“But, I thought you said trouts taste good?” I responded.

“I do like them, but my wife can’t stand them,” he smiled down at me.

“Oh, she’s one of those who don’t eat fish?” I inquired.

“She eats those from Captain D’s,” he said with his hands in his pockets and big grin on his face.

“Well, then, I would be glad to take them. I love fish and this would make my children very happy. Thank you,” I exclaimed.

“No problem,” he responded.

I instructed my son to transfer the fish from his bucket to our little foam cooler. Then, he offered one to the other man fishing beside us. The man gladly took the fish and put it in his cooler. As, my son handed him his empty bucket, he offered some baits to the other man and some to me? We took the bait from his hands and thanked him. I made a remark to the fact that he fished but didn’t keep his fish, he said, “Oh, I’m having a great time.”

As I reflected back, he enjoyed teaching my children how to cast their fishing lines and hold it until the fish bite. It made me wondered if he had any grand children of his own. Nevertheless, he made me calm because of the way he conducted himself, he wasn’t talking too much or shushing my children, but rather calmly taught them how to fish. And, before he left, he gave them enough baits to fish for the remaining of their time.

This reminded me of the time when Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross and prayed to His Heavenly Father. He reminded the Father that He has given us His glory that was given to Him so that He and us can be one as He is one with the Father.

The word glory came from the Greek word kabod (pronounced, kay-bold). And it means glory or honor which associates with dignity, wealth, or high position. When Jesus left, He didn’t leave us without any part of Him, but He clearly stated that He gave us His glory so that we can be one with Him. Part of honoring His glory is to use the it to display His splendor, His compassion, and His love for the world. He taught us how to do His work by showing us, then he cast the first throw and handed us the pole to just hold on and wait, then He gave us the bait (equipped us) to fish some more, and instructed us to continue having fun. We weren’t instructed with hush words, but gentle and kind. Then, he showed us where to get more of the baits-read His Word.

Meditating on this message that He instructed me to share, I feel His peace. He is consistent in His care of us. We have His glory within us and our job is to display it for the world to see. With the glory of Christ in us, we have nothing to fear. With the glory of Christ in us, we can do things we thought we couldn’t do. With the glory of Christ in us, nothing is impossible, not even an unwilling heart.

Father, I know You love me. I understand the glory of Christ is placed within me. Manifest Your glory in me so that I may display Your splendor for the world to see. I pray You will remind me everyday that Your glory is in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.

My Scribble of His Plan

2009-01-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Meet Lizzy. She’s charming, creative, kind, and simple. She loves to use her talent to tell stories. She loves Dora and Diego, erasers, and rocks. This is her rock. This is her art. She was trying to trace her rock onto my paper. The first attempt is the half circle around the right side of the rock. Then, she decided that it was much harder than it looks, so she tried the second time, the oval that ended with lots of spaces on top of the rock. And, finally the third attempt is the huge circle around the rock. She knew that it didn’t quite fit the rock, so she scribbled all over the paper, picked up her rock, turned around and show me her picture, told me it was Dora. Sorry, Dora, she really tried her best. I gave her a smile and told her how proud I was of her.

Then, the Lord opened my eyes to my situation. How much I wanted to look like Him. I tried to imitate His actions and character, and copy His image, but all I did was made whole bunch of scribbles with my life. Nevertheless, He says that His plan for me is the rock, smooth to the touch and pretty to the eyes.

He doesn’t care that my imitation was scribbles, He knows that I try and that I don’t have the eye and hand coordination to create the picture of the rock yet. He also knows that one day I will be able to draw the picture of the rock in its true form. It is a matter of time. I have to take time to develop and grow, to gain my muscles and strength in order to obey the orders of my brain to draw the picture of the rock. His plan for me is the finish product.

Jeremiah 29:11 says that His plan for us is to prosper us and not to harm us. His plan for us is to give us hope and a future. Although our picture at the time may look like Lizzy’s picture of the rock and Dora, we know that we’ve not fully grown and coordinated. We know that no matter what our pictures look like, He will always be proud of us and our efforts. His encouragement is for us to keep trying and looking up for His smiles.

When, my six year old daughter was Lizzy’s age, she drew the same pictures. She didn’t quite make sense on any of her pictures, but then she went to school and learned to draw pictures and make conversation bubbles for her pictures. Now that she’s six, soon to be seven, she can draw a story and tell you about it. If you look at her pictures, you can almost tell the story yourself. You know whether she’s drawing a woman or a man. One day, her stories will be complete sentences and clear pictures.

So, if your life doesn’t quite make sense today. Remember the finish product. Put it down, and keep trying and keep looking up for His smiles. It won’t be long before you can draw the true form of your Rock.

Father, I know Your plan for us is good. You destined us for success. Help us to realize Your will for our lives. I praise You in Jesus Name, Amen.

Not by Worth

2008-12-23T14:23:00.000-08:00

You might wonder what’s happening to me or why I didn’t blog for the last three months. You might be too busy to even come to this website. Perhaps, you didn't even know this website existed before today. But, the reason for the big gap in this blog is that I fell in the hole of "Am I worth it?". This hole was pretty deep. I felt utterly disabled to write anything worthwhile. I felt as though I am not worth it to pass on His message of Love, even though His Love is of grace and mercy. I couldn’t bring myself to put anything down, let alone bringing ideas out on the open to share with all of you.

I spent time with Him alone, asking Him to validate His choice. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just me wanting all the prestige and honor of being His messenger. I made every excuse I could, then I said, “I know You can make the impossible possible, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for this ministry.” I was sure no one would listen to me or want to read what I wrote.

Then He took me to John 6:29, “Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” You see, I was not looking at His glory, I was looking at my inability. I was not focus on the task He designed for me, I was looking at my failures. I was not approaching His throne with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I was coming to Him with utter disappointments. He simply told me to believe in the Power of Christ. My job is not to ponder on what I can or cannot do, but to believe in Jesus, and let the Holy Spirit guide me.

This Christmas, I experience a new peace that passes all understanding. Yes, I am not worth it. I will never be worth it. Yes, I don’t have it. Yes, no one will listen to me on my own. But, yes He is able and willing. And, yes people will listen when I allow Him to use my mouth and my hands to carry His good News. Yes, all that is required of me is to believe. It is not by worth that He has called me to serve Him, it is by His grace and His choice. I am privileged to be a part of His kingdom work.

Dear God, thank You for loving me passionately to send Your SON to earth. Let all your daughters experience the power of believing in the ONE You sent. Let this Christmas be a reminder of the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ.

The Imperishable Seed

2008-09-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).

I noticed something peculiar about the seeds as I grinded the chili peppers. No matter how fine I grinded it, the seeds remained unbreakable. I’m sure if I put them in the ground they will grow. How unique, I thought.

This must be what apostle Peter talked about us being made from the imperishable seed, the Word of God. The Word is the seed, thus when we put the seed in us, it is indestructible. It lives in us and instructs us how to live like Christ.

Though there may be many trials and temptations that we may face, the Word of God remains changeless, just like the chili pepper seeds. This indestructible power within us is what will reproduce itself when planted in good grounds. The blender may mix us all around, tearing our physical being apart, but the seed in us lives on.

This is powerful, because this means that when God pronounces a promise for His children through His living Word, the promise germinates and grows. And whoever claims the promise-learn the word of God, memorize it until you can speak it in your regular conversations-will produce fruit.

The Lord is good. I am so glad to learn this simple and yet powerful lesson. I am emptying myself of my self-doubt and unbelief and fill myself with more of His words, the living seeds. God bless you.

Lord Jesus, I am in awe of Your mighty power. You are so good to me. Help me to believe in the power of Your living Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Come Let Us Sing Joy to the Lord

2008-09-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Psalm 95:1-7)

Last week, we witnessed one of the deadliest storms. Although, the citizens of Houston and Galveston were directly affected by this hurricane, it devastated people all over the USA: In just a matter of hours gas stations all over Columbia, South Carolina jumped record high. People along the coast are still unable to return home. Last night I was reading an article about Hurricane Ike and how authorities may have to order a mandatory evacuation for Galveston residence. Heart-wrenching decisions, yet it must take place for the safety of the people.

Hurricane Ike may have been strong and it killed 48 people, devastated many homes and cities, islands and businesses. But, when I closed my eyes, I saw God carrying the hurricane in His hand, carefully placing them in certain places. In doing so, many people were spared. They may have lost their earthly belongings, and we may have to pay higher gas prices, but God spared all who heeded the warnings.

This brings the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (I’m not claiming that Galveston or Houston sinned against God or did evil deeds-that’s not my point here) to my mind. When God was going to destroy them, He came to tell Abraham and he pleaded with God and Lot and his daughters were spared. When Hurricane Ike was far off the coast, God revealed it to meteorologist who warned people way ahead of time and those who took heed of the warnings left and their lives were spared. Not only that, but many prayed for mercy, and He quickly turned a category 3 hurricane to a category 2. God is indeed sovereign and merciful.

Though we may not see it as God’s love and mercy because of all the damages, much worst could have happened. It could have claimed more lives and Ike could have remained strong throughout all of the states that it touched, but it didn’t. God was merciful and He quieted the storm.

As a woman who desires to fear the Lord, I marvel at His authority and mercy. As we dig through our purses and cabinets to relieve some of the pains the victims experiences, I pray we will remember to praise our God who is the author of people, mountain, sea, and land. He is mighty, merciful and loving. He is our salvation. He is still in control. Let us lift our praises to Him. And, in due time, I believe He will restore the victims’ fortunes. God bless us all through this difficult time.

God, I praise You. You are worthy of glory, honor and praise. Though we may have the wrong focus and lose sight of You, You are faithful to save us. I pray for all the victims along the cost who were directly affected by Hurricane Ike. I pray You will bring joy, peace and happiness their way and You will restore their fortunes, for You are a compassionate God. I thank You for Your mercy and love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Fear?

2008-09-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Lately, there have been many fears stirring up through the media. The increase of gas prices, the increase of grocery prices, the sky rocketing interest rates of credit cards (they creep up on you like roaches-you don’t know where they rest during the day, but they sure know how to find you at night), and the foreclosures. And, America is destined to make political history this year. I never watched politic conventions before, but because of this year’s history making politics, I’ve been following the presidential candidates. It mesmerized and gravitated me toward fear: fear of financial burdens; fear of who is going to sit at the White house chair; fear of uncertainties, and fear of losing my house and my loved ones. Fear.

Fear drove me to worry and confusion. I know I shouldn’t worry. And, I know God is in control so I shouldn’t be confused because God is the God of clarity. The God of vision. The God of surety. The God of supreme authority. The God of all good things. If all good things come from the Lord, then where do all bad things come from? I sat and contemplate my situation. I dreamed about my situation. And I lost focus.

I began to wonder what others are thinking. Surely, other people don’t have the problems that I have. Or do they? The media pictures are full of black holes-everything is uncertain: not even the direction of Ike. How hard would Ike hit if it hits our southern borders? All the oil companies shut down. Gas prices jumped overnight. Earlier, when my husband called to tell me to go and fill up the cars with gas, I was at the pump and there were lines of cars. There was one lady waiting behind me, then she decided I took too long so she thought there was an open pump and drove over, but then she los the spot there. She swerved back to wait for me, only this time she was in front of me. As I was pulling my car forward, there was a van behind me and she started to yell at the driver that she was there first. You move you lose, I thought, wait a minute, that’s not very nice. We’ve heard a lot about road rage, but now we have gas pump rage. Fear.

So, I guess I was not the only one afraid of uncertainties-and I didn’t even know I was afraid. I was not sure of this feeling of not wanting to do anything-until I read Tracy’s blog. Tracy was talking about worry. It finally dawned on me that I was simply afraid of the wrong things and persons.

God instructed us not to be afraid of anything that can kill the body but cannot do anything afterwards. Rather, we should fear the Lord our God. He promised us He would take care of us if we fear (honor, respect, and reverence) Him. Isaiah 33:6 says, “He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure.” In Him, I have salvation. In Him, I have knowledge. In Him I have wisdom. And if He is for me, who or what can be against me? The condition or the price I pay is reverence, fear God. All I have to do is acknowledge that He is the Sovereign Lord. That’s my key to this treasure.

So, how can I show Him respect if I keep in constant fear of the earthly uncertainties? Things and people who could only kill my body and not my soul. Isaiah 54:14 says, “In righteousness you will be established: Tyranny will be far from you; you will have nothing to fear. Terror will be far removed; it will not come near you.” I am made righteous by the blood of Christ. I am whole. I am complete in Him. I have nothing to fear.

God is still God no matter the circumstances of this world. God can change the circumstances. But, the circumstances cannot change God. Fear not, for God is with us.

Lord, God, thank You for Your grace and mercy over me. I am fearful of things and fail to acknowledge Your authority and presence. Forgive me. Instruct me in Your truth, whether I turn to the left or the right, let me hear Your voice saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Thank You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Things Mothers Do

2008-08-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wonder what other mothers do on a daily basis? What do they do all day long? All night long?

Let me share with you a few happenings of mine and I hope to hear yours:

For weeks now, my son has been asking to go to his cousin's house to play. I didn't want him to go and impose on his aunt and uncle's busy schedules, so the answer was always no-until yesterday, that is. I finally caved in and let him go because my two oldest were going to have their youth family night and since we didn't want to drive home after our afternoon service, we decided to stay at church until their meeting. So, my husband and I agreed that he could go home with his uncle and we'll pick him up later. What I discovered when we picked him up was he got burned from his grandmother's hot chicken soup liquid. Doctor said it is between first and second degree and patched his burn with bandaid. So, instead of picking weeds out of my garden, I spent my morning taking him to the doctor.

Oh yes, instead of taking two children to the doctor, I ended up with a third-my nephew. His mother was in training for her first day on the job, so she asked me to watch him for the morning. Well, I should have asked his mother to leave his carseat with me. I ended up using my daughter's for him, and well, it was kind of small, but I didn't have time to adjust his straps because I was running late for the appointment. The poor child had to travel to the doctor's office in a tight strap carseat. Then, the doctor took longer than usual and we were a little late getting back in time for his mother to pick him up. So, we rushed and he had to travel back with a tight strap carseat. She picked him up and I have not fed him yet. What a babysitter! I don't let children leave my house without being fed under normal circumstances. But this morning was a little hectic.

More about last night. Yesterday at the grocery store, my daughter gently tugged my shirt reminding me that she needed a snack for school. I told her to trust her mother's motherly instincts. Needless to say, her instincts failed and she forgot her daughter's snack. As I sent her to bed, she said, "but mom, what about my snack?" Ooops! I promised her that I would do something about it and when she wakes up in the morning she would have snack for school. Well, when she went to bed, I sat there looking from cupboard to cupboard for ideas to make fast and easy snacks, avoiding the baking cookies.

I went through this particular cupboard with a box of cereal, a box of ice cream cones, and a container with tiny little marshmellows. Guess what I did? That's right. This adventurous mother decided she would make crispy cornflakes in the cone. The problem was she put too much butter and not enough marshmellow so she sat there and stared at the cone filled with marshed crispy cornflakes wondering when it would cool down enough to test it's edibility. She feels kind of bad and afraid that it would not be good and her child would be upset in the morning, so she proceeded to make cookies-soft sugar cookies. Yes, she stayed up and mixed all the ingredients together and chilled the dough over night. She woke up early this morning to bake her child's snack so she wouldn't be the only child without a snack during snack time. What kind of mother would leave her child snackless? Definitely, not this one.

What does a mother with a princess who decides to eat applesauce with her finger do? Her face covered with applesauce. She walked in, looked herself in the mirror and left. As she was walking by, I noticed her smacking her lips together, I looked at her and scooped her in with my right hand, and wow! Applesauce.

My eight year-old is begging for a cellphone and a mp3 player. He thinks I'm growing money out of my ears. He's humming at me.

Well, I can go on and on, but I think you get the gist of what I deal with daily. I used to pray for a large family...I had no idea God has a sense of humor and would provide me with more children than I planned. LOL. Pride and Joy, they are. Please, share a few of your happenings with me. I love to hear what you do everyday.

Lifehouse Everything Drama

2008-08-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

My daughter just show me this. If you haven't seen it, it is worth watching. This is how we are distracted daily and taken away from our Father. Enjoy!

I Can Get Used to This

2008-08-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

I walked into the high school office, went past station 1, 2, & 3 and no one said a thing to me. Then, I went to station 4 and the gentleman asked me if I was a parent? I said, “yes”. Then, he directed me to station 9 which was a much shorter line (God's grace was on me). The lady then directed me to pick up my daughter’s ID. I walked around the loop as there was no short cut to him. When I arrived, I announced my presence and asked him for my daughter’s picture ID. He looked up at me and said, “Okay, look for your ID?”

“I don’t see it” I said as I put the papers in my hand down on his desk.

“Oh, okay, are you a freshman?” he ask.

“Yes, she’s a freshman. She had her picture taken last year during the tour,” I answered.

“Okay, let me look quick,” he said looking at the role of id’s, “Oh, here it is,” he said as he handed me the lanyard and a blank ID with my daughter’s name on it. “You’re have to get in that line (pointing behind him) and take your pictures.”

I took the lanyard from him and wondered to myself, feeling kind of good because I’m mistaken for my daughter. To be almost 40 and be mistaken for my daughter of 14, feels pretty good. Don’t you think? Then, there I was after I’ve received my daughter’s books in my arms standing behind these two girls (I think they were sophomores), carying on their conversation as though I was one of the students. Boy! That just made my day.

As I was driving my daughter back to school this morning, I told her of the incident and she said, “That’s just sad.”

“What do you mean, sad? I felt good, because that meant that I looked young. When you’re almost 40 and mistaken for 14, that’s a good feeling,” I said while combing my hair back with one hand.

“Yeah, I know,” she chuckled, “it’s funny, when you’re young you want to be old and when you’re old you want to be young.”

What a true statement she made. We’ve never been satisfied with our ages. We always see the grass greener on the other side (well, that is until we get there). But, I don’t mind being mistaken for a high school student one bit. Whatever I was wearing must have covered my muffin top. No one seems to notice it. I don’t have a Biblical application. If you have one, post your application on the comment below. I am interested to hear how y’all apply this to a Biblical truth. I was just so touched by it that I had to share with you. Maybe, I should start working out, I will look even younger and next time, become my daughter’s sister. Who knows! I can get used to being young.

You have yourself a great day. Now, that I completed my children’s school registrations, I am going to get back to being almost 40 because I have to face reality.

Contractions without Birth

2008-07-28T09:31:00.001-07:00

When we give birth, we may have contractions anywhere between 30 minutes to 30 hours. But, sooner or later, we give birth to these beautiful creatures and suddenly, our pains disappeared. We are left with this beautiful jewel that beholds our attentions for the rest of our lives. We are forever changed through this excruciating experience. The reward is the child, or children.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always have too much month at the end my money. I feel like I’m in constant financial contractions with no birth in sight. And, yet the contractions continue to push stronger than ever. Sometimes, I try to remind myself that when the contractions are over, I’m going to receive this beautiful jewel. Sometimes, regardless of my positive declarations, I feel like the contractions will end up with a financial stillbirth. It is then that I feel alone and depressed. I could sleep for hours and the contractions continue to throb painfully through it all.

It is then that I cry out to my God for relief. And I am reminded that He is with me. He cares for me. He loves me. I will not be destroyed. I will not lose. I will not be disappointed as long as my hope is in Him. The contractions are there to keep my heart beating for Him. He is my God and Savior. He has promised me that when I pass through the waters, He will be with me. When I pass through the rivers they will not sweep over me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned (Isaiah 43:2).

Father, Your promises are true. You are faithful to all You have made. I give You glory and honor and praise. I place my hope in You. I know You hear my painful cries. I know You have not forgotten me. You are with me. You are I AM. I love You. Let these financial contractions be glorifying to You. Bless all my sisters in this world who are experiencing some kind of contractions today. Remind them that they are not alone, just as You have reminded me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

She Speaks or Not

2008-07-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so everything from registration to my roommate went well. We spent the first couple of hours getting to know one another and I got comfortable with her. She was comfortable with me. We went to dinner together and listened to the opening remarks from Lysa Teukeurst. I mean, everything was cool. That is until the speech evaluation group meeting. Of course it would help if I was on time. I walked in as they were getting ready to start. Our leader looked up as I approached the circle and she was just saying, don’t be late (in general-I don’t think she was speaking to me specifically).

Then, it was time to start the speeches. One by one they all went and spoke their prepared messages. I was so taken by them that I’ve forgotten mine. My mind fluttered around wondering how to begin my speech. I finally mustered enough courage to stand up and speak, second to the last. Needless to say, I didn’t meet my expectations. Many of the constructive comments I received, I knew. I was so nervous I kept on looking at my notes. One of the comment said, I should not read my notes so much, I already knew them. It was like God speaking to me.

Even though I didn’t strike lightening with my first speech, it was not my concern because that was not the main speech. So, I concentrated on working with my five minute speech. I dashed to my room and started to work on it. I couldn’t concentrate. I practiced. And I practiced. I couldn’t even get pass the first couple of words before I made a mistake. It frustrated me so much I decided to stop practicing and start praying.

Needless to say, God gave me a new speech for Saturday. I think I did well. It didn’t matter as much as I thought it would because His message to me was not how good I in speaking my message, but how willing I was to obey Him. God really spoke to me through this conference. From many weeks before the conference to the end of the conference, God was in the midst of it all. I felt the Holy Spirit’s presence all around me and through all those present. I am glad I obeyed and went to this conference. It changed my perspective on life.

2008-06-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry, my faithful readers. You will have to wait until I return in July! The adventure will continue. God bless you all!

She Speaks, continued

2008-06-25T04:59:00.000-07:00

“Mom, what’s wrong?” my children asked.

“Can you get my shoes? They’re by the door,” I pointed toward the front door. My son got the shoes, I closed the door. I grabbed my shoes and my bags and squeezed myself through the crowded garage. I dropped one of my bags so I can open the garage door. Then, picked up my bag again, open the refrigerator in the garage, took a bottle of water and rushed to the car. “Where is my key? Aaawg, you crazy lady.” I ran back inside, pounded on the door again.

“What you forget now?” My daughter asked.

“I forgot my key,” I said as I paced back and forth from the door to the bedroom. Then I stuck my hand into my pocket and there it was. Finally, I left. I put everything in the car. I started the car, and you bet-I couldn’t find my insurance card. I searched all the bags I had with me, no insurance card. I took a deep breath, prayed and just sat there for ten minutes. I turned to look at the clock, and it was 12:10. So, I shifted the gear to reverse and drive. I was finally leaving, still thinking I was crazy. I didn’t know a soul.

On the Road

I prayed. I turned on the cd’s that I brought with me, but too restless to listen. I turned on the radio, but too many statics. So, I turned it off, continuing with prayers and practicing my speech to be presented in less than seven hours. As, I enter North Carolina, it started to rain-hard. “Okay, Lord, I know that you are good. I’m just going to trust that this is just a test and you are going to get me there safely. You know how much I do not like to drive in the rain,” I prayed and continued with positive mantras. And soon, the rain stopped. I was very confident by now. I was not even afraid to speak. So I thought.

At the Hotel

I arrived at the hotel in less time than the Google map estimated. Is this the hotel. Am I lost? I looked up at the post, and there it was, the She Speaks signs. “Lord, you are so good,” I cried out, feeling confident and joyous. I saw a few women carrying their bags and luggage into the hotel. Yes, I’ve found the hotel. Thank you, Lord. I am going to rock this weekend. I got out of the car carrying the three bags I had with me, I looked to the left, then to the right, okay I think I’m safe now. I walked to the doors where the posters were posted, and by this time I’ve forgotten about the speech because my focus was on registration process. That was until, I saw this lady standing in between the posts. Oh, my goodness, what are you doing here? This is for real. There are real people here. You think you’re going to pull this whole thing off? You’re—open the door you.

I opened the door and walked in. Signs were everywhere, so I walked up to the registration desk, I lined up at the line with the letter of my last name, but the girl on the other line next to it called me, so I walked over, announced my name and she couldn’t find my envelope. I was afraid this would happen. Lord, surely your goodness and joy follows me wherever I go. Help me now. I looked down on her sheet with the lists of names, I found my name and pointed it out to her. She picked up a pen and crossed it out. She was nervous. I was nervous. She turned around and asked another girl, then she looked over to the right and there it was my envelope laying on top of a thick binder. “There it is, what it it doing over here?” she asked. No one answered. They just give her the look. And, she handed me the envelope with the schedule book.

Eager to unload my bags, I took them from her and began to search for my room key. Well, there’s no key. How do they expect me to find my room without the key? And when do they give out the key. Feeling kinda stupid, I picked up my things and found a chair to sit down. I went through the envelope one more time and searched through the book to find direction on how to obtain my key to the hotel room. Nothing. I looked over to the next chair, and this lady with the She Speaks t-shirt was sitting smiling at me, “excuse me, where do I get my key for my room?”

She pointed to the long winded hallway, “You’ll have to go register over there.” I thanked her and gathered all my stuff and walked over. I registered and they told me my roommate has already arrived. They gave me my key and the directions to the hotel things and the elevators.

Finally, I arrived at the room. The housekeepers were just finishing up and rushed out of there because I told them that was my room. But, they told me my roommate is already here? How is it that they're still cleaning my room? I inserted my key in-no green light. That’s weird. I looked at my key enveloped, looked up at the door. Ooops! That’s the wrong room. Move over. So I moved over and opened the door. There was my roommate sitting at the sofa trying to rest.

“You must be (well, let’s call her ) Sandy,” I announced. “I’m Shoua.”

“Nice to meet you, Shoua,” she said as she reached out to shake my hand. I dropped my bags, walked around the room, inspecting everything.

“Wow! The room is so much bigger than I expected it. And, look, there’s kitchen sink. How nice!” I exclaimed. She was probably thinking I was shallow which I was, but too polite to show me. She just smiled. I poked my head into the bedroom, “Oh-?”

“There’s just one bed. Well, this is a fold out bed. So, I will sleep here,” she said with both of her palms on the sofa.

“Oh,-I can sleep on the sofa, there’s no problem. I’m a sofa girl.”

“So am I. I really don’t care either. I’ll just take the sofa. I brought my own pillows,” she insisted. She was very genuine and real nice. I sat and we talked and found out we had so many things in common, including our families. The Lord had answered my prayers and sent me the perfect roommate. She indicated that she was not much of a mingler, neither was I. But, this was her second year so she kind of knew her way around the conference pool. She stuck with me, so I wouldn’t feel out of place. I couldn’t have asked for a better roommate. She was perfect.

~to be continued~

She Speaks

2008-06-24T13:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! That’s it. Wow!

Before the Conference

My heart was restless. My thoughts were cloudy. And my confidence was shaky. All the while, I couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong with me. Surely this is weird to be so clumsy. I was late to every appointment and forgot to pick up at least one item that I went to buy at the store. No, I’m not nervous about the conference. I’m just going to go and give two speeches for evaluations. It’s no big deal. It’s not like I’ve never spoken before. So, I thought.

Then, the letter came with confirmations of my reservations and the name of my roommate. Great! You mean, I don’t get my own room? I have to share room with someone else. I hope I don’t have to share the bed too. That’ll just be too weird. Oh, God, what if the sink is in an open room and I have to brush my teeth in front of her? That will just gross her out. I am going to become a total gross out freak. What if she is prejudice against Asians and she doesn’t converse with me? Okay, girl you are freaking me out. Stop it. Stop it. Just stop it. “Lord God, please help me. I pray that the hotel will have a closed up bathroom, that there will be two beds and not one.” Oh, maybe I should pray for my roommate to like me, too. “Lord, I pray that she will like me. Oh, please protect her while she travels to the conference, wherever she’s coming from.”

I hope she’s not my next door neighbor that I just happened not to know her name. Then, if she doesn’t like me, I won’t have to face her again.

The Day of the Conference

The Enterprise driver picked me up and we went to pick up two other persons. The first person was a man, so I didn’t talk much. The next person was a woman. She had pink on. Her luggages were pink, her purse was pink and her shoes (ooops! I don’t remember). Maybe, she’s going to She Speaks, too. I turned around to ask, “so where are you heading?”

“Charleston, to see my daughter,” she said.

Shoot! Too bad. I thought you were going to the She Speaks conference. You look nice enough to maybe even carpool. Then, maybe we can share the cost instead of going in individual cars. Who knows we could’ve been good friends, but too bad. I found out she was a grandma already. So, I turned around and told her she doesn’t look old enough to be a grandma.

On my way back from the rental car, I was about half a mile home and this terrifying thought came over my head; What if you came home and your house burned down and it swept your family members. And, you have no more children and no husband? What will you do? Then, I will have a stronger story to tell, I thought with tears in my eyes. Okay, now you are a total wreck. You’re letting your imagination run wild. “You stop it. My children and husband are under the Lord’s care. He will not let it happen because you can’t handle it. He is a good God.

Finally, I arrived home and my two little girls were dramatic about my leaving and so it became annoying to watch them hung on to me like I was going to drive off the cliff and never returned. You better take some pictures just in case the house does burn down and this is the last time you see them. So, I lined them all up on my couch and took their pictures. My son was upset and didn’t want his pictures taken, so he closed his eyes. I looked at the time and it was a little before 12:00pm. Ooops! I better go. “Okay, kids, hugs and kisses! I got to go.” I opened the door to the garage and realized I have no shoes and no key. I pounded on the door and started to speak Hmong real loud to get my children to open the door.

Sorry, but you’ll just have to wait. I have to take my daughter to help distribute fliers for the VBS. But if you return tomorrow, I’ll continue.

Busy Summer

2008-06-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your support and encouragements. I know I've not written anything for the last several weeks. I've been busy with personal engagements, but I want you to know everything is well. The Lord has been good.

If you are reading this, perhaps God is directing you here to pray for me and my family. We are all well. Everyone is doing fine and healthy. However, I can use your help in praying for focus.

I promise you are not forgotten. I will come back and continue with our talk on Our Jealous God. For right now, I'm going on a tangent.

This weekend was a mix blessing. My husband has had gout for the last two weeks. So, he couldn't cut the grass. I decided that I was going to cut the grass so it won't look so scary. You know when your neighbors start to dump their coffee cups, napkins, and papers on your yard, you know it is time to cut the grass and trim the trees. So, I proceeded to cut the grass, but I couldn't get the motor running on the lawnmower nor the trimmer. Poor me, right. No poor my husband. He had to walk like a crab outside to get the lawnmower started. I finished cutting the grass and proceeded to trim the weeds, but couldn't get that started either.

After several times of trying to get it started, I prayed, "Lord, help me. I am trying to be a good and supportive wife. But, I can't if you don't help me right now, because I can't get this started. Please, don't make me go get him again. I was sweaty and thirsty and my children were urging me, "mom, that thing doesn't work anymore. Why don't you just go get dad."

"Leave me alone," I said as I turned and proceeded to pull the string one more time. My daughter came out and asked me if she could help me. "Go, get your dad!" I let out a desperate cry. Yes, the poor man came out and got it started the first try. He gave me a strange look that communicates, "It's so easy." I threw my hands up in the air and gave him the look, "yeah, I probably exhausted it enough it was going to cave in anyway." So, now the grass are cut and the weeds are trimmed.

I came inside to prepare dinner. As we were eating lunch, my children asked me what we would do after lunch. "We're going to trim the trees and bushes. Are you going to help me, Honey?" He nodded "yes".

Well, we got our old fashion tools and went outside to cut the trees. He didn't go far and had to go back inside. It was too much for him. So, I went to the front and started to trim the trees in the front yard. I just had lunch so I was not cranky or angry. But, as I was trimming, my neighbor came outside, "excuse me, I just cannot let you do that."

"What?" This is my yard, why are you prohibiting me to cut my own trees?

"I cannot let you cut those with that thing. I can't watch you. I got something better. Just wait a minute, I'll get it." A couple of minutes later, he came out with this long branch trimmer (that's my name for it. I don't know it's name), showed me how it worked. He went back home to eat his dinner and came back out about five minutes later with another tool. Thank goodness for good neighbors, my trees and bushes are nicely trimmed. God showed Himself as He promised in Psalm 34:15. His eyes were on me. He heard my cry for help and He sent my neighbor to lend me his tools . Praise Him and thank Him for His faithfulness.

God bless you all and I will write when I return from She Speaks!

Our Jealous God Part II

2008-05-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

“And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die’” (Genesis 2:16-17).

Lord, help us to understand Your truth and Your faithfulness to mankind. Deepen our knowledge and wisdom of Your character and Your purpose for our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I’ve been praying since I wrote the last lesson entitled: Our Jealous God. I wanted to understand more of how and why God became so angry with His chosen race. What stirred up His anger? He is after all the God of love and power. In the next several blogs, we are going to uncover the progression of man’s evil deeds.

Let us start with Adam and Eve. In chapter two of Genesis, we are told that God created Adam and gave him specific instructions to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now, first of all He didn’t say that they could not eat from the tree of life. He said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…” I highlighted the word “any” because I wanted you to see that that word includes the tree of life. They could’ve eaten from the tree of life and live forever, but instead, the enemy chose to tempt them with the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Why?

It was not an order of the Lord to not do. Had they chosen to eat from the tree of life, they would have lived forever and Satan couldn’t do a thing about it. So, he used the only thing he could to tempt Eve: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which God specifically ordered to not eat. Notice who changed the wording of God’s command. All Satan did was added the word “not”. God said, “you are free to eat from any tree in the garden…” Satan (on ch. 3, v. 1) said, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’”. So, if you compare the two sentences, the only difference is the word “not”. And Satan was the one to add that word to it. Satan left everything else intact. How skillful of him. He caused her to doubt first, then to deny the truth.

The second thing I picked up on is how Eve responded: “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” Notice she didn’t specify which tree. God planted two trees in the middle of the garden. God ordered them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of all the trees in the garden, the enemy chose to use the only forbidden tree to tempt Eve. She responded wavering with great desire to taste the fruit and gain knowledge and wisdom.

God gave them the whole kingdom of Eden. They were free to roam around the whole garden and eat whatever they pleased as long as they stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. One command. Satan, in his subtlety, tempted them with the only thing God forbid them from doing. Satan caused them to doubt God’s goodness. Then he caused them to deny God’s truth, and finally to rebel against God. And, he has used the same method to this day; we continue to fail today. We bow down to the same temptation. It’s no wonder the author of Proverbs 31:30 said “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised”. To honor God is to show Him respect and obedience.

Be Encouraged!

2008-05-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

Just being away from writing and blog hopping for so long and facing some mild issues in my life has really brought me down and mellow today. Writing today has been very challenging to me. Like one lady said to me, I know the Bible and what it says, I know the principles of positive thinking, but for some reason I’ve just felt very sleepy and mellow. Today, I jumped from a couple of blogs to Godtube.com. The messages are the same, Be Encouraged.

I listened to Kathy Troccoli sang. Ummmmh! What a song. It spoke to my heart. It blesses my heart to know that God is looking down on me. He knows my broken heart and crushed spirit. He’s very closed by and He’s working on bringing me happiness and joy and peace. I’ll let you listen to Kathy’s song and meditate on the scripture above. I will be back to post more. Now I have to go and debug myself. I think it's because I've not opened my window curtain nor drink my tea today. I'm not sure. God sure is good. Enjoy the song.

Abigail's Speech

2008-04-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Reading: 1 Samuel 25:23-31

I’ve been following Rachel Olsen’s Bible study lessons on women of the Bible. I’m always in awe of the roles God called women to play, especially Abigail’s. Go here to read Rachel’s comments:

Since Rachel has done a wonderful job of presenting the overview of the life of Abigail, I want to focus on her speech. I’m intrigued with her speech. So, let’s take it verse by verse.

As soon as Abigail saw David, she wasted no time; she, humbly and quickly, got down with her face to the ground. She fell at his feet and began her speech: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be!” (vv. 23-24 NKJV). She was saying, let me take the blame. Now, if you read the verse before, you notice that David was murmuring to his fellow soldiers about how angry he was that Nabal had shown disrespect to him. So, I’m sure Abigail, in her wisdom, noticed the tension David was in-the anger on his face. She humbly dismounted and fell face down to the ground. Immediately pleaded for mercy, putting her life on the line.

So, first she said, let me take the blame alone. Next, she said, allow me-your servant-to speak to you. Hear what I have to say. She didn’t pause, she didn’t stop, immediately went on her next task which was to address Nabal’s foolishness (v.25). She said, “may my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.” So humble and bold. What she was saying was Nabal was foolish. He was living up to his name. Had Abigail seen the men David sent, they would not have returned to him emptied.

Then, she wasted no time to tell David of his benefits (v.26). God has kept David from bloodshed; anyone who would have fought him would become foolish like Nabal. She addressed two parts on this verse: 1) she said God has kept David from bloodshed. How? Well, she came to him before he reached her home. I’m sure it took time for her to bake all those breads and prepared all those gifts. David, on the other hand, had wasted no time to organize his soldiers for the battle. So, does it take more time to bake or to organize the troop? She packed “200 loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, 100 cakes of raisins, and 200 hundred cakes of pressed figs” (v.18). Just to count the things she brought, took time, and to bake it? Well, I’ll let you do the math. She knew David was smart enough to figure out that it was God who brought her to him before he reached her home. 2) She said, since God saved David from bloodshed, not having to avenge his own life, let anyone who was to fight with him become foolish like Nabal. What she was really saying was that Nabal was foolish, but David was wise because God favored him.

Verse 27, Abigail offered David her gifts and asked him to distribute among his followers. She was, in her own wise ways, telling David she brought enough for his whole army.

Verse 28, she once again asked for his mercy not because she deserved it but because God favored David to fight His battle. From verse 28 to 29, she prophetically spoke of God’s provision and protection of him and establishing his future reign as king of Israel. She said that he would be securely bound in “bundle of the living by the Lord”. “Bundle”-when I think of bundles I think of many things in one package or deal. Like Time Warner’s cable bundle: you get t.v., internet, and phone for one low monthly price-David would be blessed with many good things as he abided with God: he ended up as king of Israel, Abigail as his wife, and a promise to have his descendents never to descend from the thrown of Israel.

And, anyone who wished to destroy him would be hurled away. He was guaranteed to be safe because he was fighting the Lord’s battle. In verses 30 & 31, she said when God has blessed him with all good things he will have peace knowing that he didn’t kill Nabal, as he reigned over Israel: “my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself…”

Finally, she asked him: “And when the Lord has brought my master success, remember your servant” (v.31b). She gave him one of the most profound and bold speeches of all time. Then, she boldly and humbly asked him to remember her when he became successful.

She’s the only woman recorded for making the longest female speech in the Old Testament. Her speech changed David’s heart of pursuit for Nabal. She overcame his anger with benefits of peace and God’s provision and protection of him and his life as her master and king of Israel. Throughout her speech, she consistently addressed him as her master and herself as his servant. She elegantly crafted her speech to create a sense of intelligence and honor for David in such a way that has turned his heat of anger into peace and calmness. He accepted her gifts and her speech and promised to fulfill her request.

As a woman who desires to show God a fearful heart, I’m in awe of Abigail’s wisdom. She had a discerning heart. God blessed her: He took Nabal away from her and replaced him with David as her husband. She went from living in an abused relationship to living in an honorable one. She became one of the most blessed queens in Biblical time. Her life presented an example of God’s blessing for women who persevere through difficult relationships. I’ve been encouraged by her strength and blessings. I hope you have, too.

For more discussions of Abigail, please visit Rachel’s blog.

Where you Lead Me I will Follow by Mercy Me

2008-04-17T14:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, I can't help myself. This song speaks to me. I have to share it with you.

Intriguing video

2008-04-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Well, ladies, I've been catching up with life, but I thought while you wait for my post, I thought you might want to see this video. There are numerous opportunities for us to witness for Christ. Check this video out.

Our Jealous God

2008-03-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

“I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm in anger and fury and great wrath” –Jeremiah 21:5.

When I do my devotions in the mornings, I usually look for a special positive verse that would encourage me throughout the day. However, this morning I was reading through Jeremiah 21, and well, it is one of those “doom and gloom” chapters of the Old Testaments where it is hard to draw in for an encouragement, at least for me. But, the Lord has pressed upon my heart to trust Him and write down verse 5. After, I’ve done a couple of cross referencing, I became interested because I was as confused as can be. So, I called my husband over and asked him why I’ve always believed that God would never harm His children and yet this verse strongly stated that He would fight against the nation of Israel with His outstretched hand.

“Well, He disciplined them because He loved them?” he said without hesitation, and left the room.

Well, that was easy for him to say. He’s a minister. He studied the Bible. And, isn’t that what ministers usually say anyway. You know, stay positive. Support God and you can’t go wrong. I shook my head and read on more verses. I found myself praying this prayer: "Lord, thank You so much for taking such great interest in me, that You would go to such great lengths to save me from destructions. In Jesus’ name, Amen. "

I was stunned. That was my message. God loves me so much, He would do whatever it takes to bring me back to Him. Even if He has to cause me to feel pain and loss in order to bring me back to Him. After all, the Bible does say God is a jealous God.

This reminded me of a time when I wondered whether my husband loved me. He certainly didn’t show any envy or affection. And, when I asked him why he was so confident I wasn’t going to do him no harm that he would not show any sign of jealousy like other men. His response was I was in the hand of God. If I didn’t fear God and I do wrong I would be the one having to deal with God. Although I agreed with him, I still wondered if he loved me at all because there was no sign of jealousy in our relationship, at least on his side.

Unlike my husband, God doesn’t want us to wonder if He loves us at all. That’s why the Bible clearly states that Our God is a jealous God. He wants our affections and devotions. He wants our total attention, total reverence to Him, and total love for Him. Therefore, He urges us to stay focused on the cross so we won’t go astray. I am so glad God has made me realize just how much He loves me by showing me Jeremiah 21:5. He went as far as sacrificing His own Son for me (and you) so that I can live to share with y’all this little message today. Isn’t that awesome?

Father God, You are always awesome, always mighty, always loving, always merciful and compassionate. Thank You for loving us and sharing Your heart with us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Grief I’ve Caused

2008-03-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

“Let my eyes overflow with tears night and day without ceasing; for my virgin daughter—my people—has suffered a grievous wound, a crushing blow” (Jeremiah 14:17).

My son’s teacher emailed me his progress report, I was struck dumb. I didn’t know how I should react to this. He’s normally an “A” student and not having any trouble doing his homework or his tests. So, to receive this kind of report was troubling for me. I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to do, so I prayed. I knew that anger was not going to resolve it. Neither would punishment. So, I was thinking about rewarding him, should he choose to make up some of his missed assignments; And, if he so choose to not make them up, I would punishment him by taking away his video games.

So, I was anxious for him to come home because I was cooking up a reward, I knew he would love-I would let him spend the night with his friend and buy him a new game. When he came home, I asked him about his grades, he was upset but said that he had already written the essay and was waiting for me to let him on the computer so he could type it. It was music to my ears. I asked to see the essay. After several minutes of demanding on my part and fumbling on his, he finally handed over the handwritten essay.

I turned on the computer and let him type it. Then, he asked me to proofread it. I did and had problem with a few areas of the essay. To me, it was a contradicting essay. Now, before you start throwing stones at me, let me tell you why: this son of mine is very smart. An “A” average student writing a supposed to be persuasive essay. His sentences made perfect sense, remember he’s the one correcting my grammar here. But, his essay was not persuasive enough for me.

However, he was determined to keep the essay as it was and not willing to change according to the few suggestions I’ve made. Therefore, I’ve resorted to tell him I was going to reward him if he completed the essay and turned it in. And he said, “With what, a day off doing dishes?”

I was mad. Had my son think so little of me that he would say such demeaning thing to me? Tears streaming down my cheeks, I turned my head up to heaven, and said, “Lord, don’t let these tears fall on my son.”

As I thought more and more of this account, the Lord revealed a troubling truth to me: over the history of my life, the Lord has stated how much I was worth to Him and how He longs to reward me with unimaginable rewards. And, had I asked Him, “With what?” What a heart-wrenching statement! How degrading of His authority and provision over me!

His love for us is deep and wide: when he made us, He said that we were fearfully and wonderfully made. He gave careful thought to the form of our image and frame; to create our skinning, just right, or big butt, big eyes with long lashes or skimpy eyes with no lashes, skinny legs, etc. To Him, we are His creative arts. Thus, each time we cried out to Him how unfair that we are made to be the way we are with no talent or too many talents we don’t know what to do with them, we cause Him to grief. God wants us to appreciate our long or short noses. He wants us to understand we are His creative arts and for special reasons.

He’s waiting for us to accept ourselves where we are and allow Him to finish us, His pieces of arts, so that we can be these wonderful individuals that we were meant to be and able to receive His rewards. His rewards are bigger than our eyes can see, louder than our ears can bear, and deeper than our minds can conceive. How long then will we cause Him to cry by feeling ashamed of our frames, denying our existence, and defeating His purpose through us by degrading His art? To fear Him is to show our appreciations for His art.

Lord, thank You for this wonderful body of mine. Thank You for this gift of spirit and talent You placed in this body. Forgive me for all of my past behaviors toward Your master plan in the creation of me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Speed Bumps

2008-03-11T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was driving my children to school and noticed how high the speed bumps were-as I drove onto the drop-off area. They were high enough to let you know how hard of a bump you get when you go over 5 miles per hour. This reminded me of the time when I was pregnant and near due date, I had to drop them off at school because they missed the bus-boy, did I ever feel that one! I held on to my belly-fearing for the life of this little one. As I drove back, I thought about how I didn’t like the speed bumps, and would do whatever it took to keep myself from driving there again. Then God gave me an insightful thought: sometimes I don’t like the speed bumps in my life either, but they all happened to bring a positive benefit for me and for those who watched me go through them.

I hate to admit that the speed bumps were there for the children’s safety more than anything. If my child was walking along that road and a car was driving by 35-40 miles per hour, who knows what could have happened. Also, it keeps the cars from bumping into one another. The speed bumps were there for our own good. But, I still didn’t want to drive over them, knowing that I dread every bump. Yes, I did say every bump. I couldn’t wait to get out of that section of the road.

Just as speed bumps are there to slow us down so we would not bump into the people ahead or hit children who walked alongside, our speed bumps in life are there for a reason. Sadly, unlike speed bumps on school grounds, our life speed bumps rarely share common grounds or benefits. However the benefit of them always mean positive. Whew!

A man in the Bible was going through one of his speed bumps. The disciples noticed his speed bump was that he was blind from birth. They questioned Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2)

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3).

Like us, the disciples immediately find someone to place the cause for the man’s speed bump-blindness. I suppose they want to understand why it was such a high one and who is to be blamed. But, Jesus clearly stated that he blind so that God’s work may be displayed in his life.

What speed bump(s) are you going through right now? How high? Do you think that God is using you to display His work? Or do you think you’ve done something wrong and God is punishing you for your sin?

Worry? (from: All Things Are Possible Through Prayer by Charles L. Allen)

2008-03-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Worry? Why worry? What can worry do?
It never keeps a trouble from overtaking you.
It gives you indigestion and sleepless hours at night
And fills with gloom the days, however fair and bright.

It puts a frown upon the face, and sharpness to the tone
We’re unfit to live with others and unfit to live alone.
Worry? Why worry? What can worry do?
It never keeps a trouble from overtaking you.

Pray? Why pray? What can praying do?
Praying really changes things, arranges life anew.
It’s good for your digestion, gives peaceful sleep at night
And fills the grayest, gloomiest day—with rays of glowing light.

It puts a smile upon your face, the love not in your tone
Makes you fit to live with others, and fit to live alone.
Pray? Why pray? What can praying do?
It brings God down from heaven, to live and work with you.

Honoring God through True Ministry

2008-02-29T16:50:00.000-08:00

“All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them” (Acts 9:39b)

As a teen, I’ve always wanted to be a missionary. But, when my mother disapproved of my going to a Christian college and going to the mission field, my dreamed quickly became dashed. I was disappointed. Nothing meant serving God except to become a missionary. I wanted to remain single so I can go to the Ivory Coast as a missionary. In fact, I took French all four years in high school and two years in college, but when my mother took the “drastic measures” to stop me, I quickly resent all services as possible avenues to glorify God.

Yes, I know that is quite sad.

But as I grew older, I’ve come to realize that true ministry doesn’t have to come in big ways. It doesn’t even have to be recognized by any human beings. True ministry comes from the heart. True ministry can be as simple as:

Collecting can goods for charities.
Driving someone to the store, doctor, or to visit a relative.
Raising a family.
Cooking meals for families in crisis
Visiting someone in the hospital
Babysitting

These are just some samples. There are dozens upon dozens of ministry around your own neighborhood. I know of a couple who would loan their cars to members of the church who may have car difficulties. They also loan mattresses-the people may use them as long as needed, but when they don’t need it, this couple would take them back, put them in their attic until someone else needs it.

Another couple takes under-privileged children out for entertainments. Sometimes, they take them to their house and order pizza. Sometimes, they take them to YMCA, or the movies. But, they’re always taking someone’s child some place.

Another lady in our church hosts baby showers at her house for women from work and church alike.

The above may not be possible for you to do right now, but what about a smile? I remember one day I went to the grocery store. I was feeling pretty crummy, but the cashier made me so happy by just smiling and carrying on with a cheerful look. I wanted to ask her why she was so happy, but I thought I knew the answer so I didn’t ask. Then, later I found out that her son had been at the hospital. She was working two jobs and going to nursing school just to keep her son well-cared for. Yet, she remained cheerful and passed on that smile you cannot resist to reciprocate.

Having seen all of these different ministries, I’ve come to realize that there’s only one size for ministry-love. If I have love for God, I’ll want to do anything that pleases God. It wouldn’t matter whether anyone recognizes it. But, if I do it from the heart, people will recognize it. Who knows, maybe people will even miss me when I die-just like those widows missed Dorcas. Perhaps, I’ll hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Oooops!

2008-02-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

My Dear Fellow Bloggers,

I apologize for all the trouble this site is causing. I diligently and individually linked your links to the post: A Woman of Noble Character: The Key. But, as I've tested over the week, I've found that some of them got overlapped. I do not know how this happened. As I tried to visit your sites through those links, they took me to strange sites I'm not familiar with-not bad sites, actually very informative and Christians. I do not know how this happened. I've tried to fix it but continues to become a problem. Therefore, I am going to take some time later to list them on the blogroll instead. It will take time and will not happen all at once.

I do want you all to know that I've missed reading your blogs especially those of you who are running series. So, this is serious to me.

Please, do pray for my computer and websites. There has been many challenges. I have a feeling I'm not really fighting with the computer or the www. This is a spiritual warfare. Eventhough I know that no weapon forged against me will prevail, it is mind boggling and time consuming-and I'm sure he's enjoying this as well. God is good. I am an overcomer through His love and strength.

God bless you all!

A Woman of Noble Character's Privileges

2008-02-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

“…as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride so will your God rejoice over you” (Isaiah 62:5b).

As I was reading some of the answers to the questions concerning the She Speaks Conference, written by Proverbs 31 Speakers & Authors, I found myself filled with tears, because God was speaking to me through their written words. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of love from my Father. He was saying, “I will love you until you return home to me.” It doesn’t matter what my circumstances are, He has already made up His mind that He loves me, just for me. After all, He did choose to make me the way I am.

He was saying to me that He rejoices over me just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. He loves me for me. He enjoys being in my presence. He enjoys protecting and providing for me. That is so reassuring. And, He does prove His love to me all the time: All of the wonderful comments you, my readers, left on my blog are so encouraging to me. All of the extra food my family received since December 2007 are overwhelming us with the pride of His love. And, since then, we’ve received a brand new washer and a brand new stove. We received all of these gifts, not because we deserve it, but because He was simply demonstrating His joy and love to and over us. Let His name be glorified.

Growing up, we never had very much. My father was an opium addict, very laid back, not very much help to my mother. He passed away two weeks before I was born. I never knew him. I have never experienced what a father’s love or hate was like. My mother did remarry, but even then my step-sister never allowed me to call my step-father, “father.” And, I never knew him, because he was serving in the Vietnam War so he was rarely home. If he was, I couldn’t remember. He, too, died. My mother was left to raise us on her own. We were always provided for, but never have plenty. Always just barely getting by. And, people looked down on us.

As a result, I hated taking hand outs. I felt so ashamed every time someone gave me something. I hated asking for help. I would rather persevere my circumstances: being in rags and nutritionally deficient before I asked for help. So, when my dear friend found out how I felt, she told me (lovingly) that I was robbing people’s joy of giving to me; that I was taking away their chances of serving and obeying God. Of course, my insecurities made me feel worse knowing it. Still, I remained shameful of my circumstances. I just couldn’t let go. I prayed to God to release me of this being financially insufficient all the time. But, each time I said a prayer like that, He handed me a gift through someone else. And, I just couldn’t understand because I never viewed my circumstances as privileges of suffering along with Christ. Instead, I felt unloved, unappreciated, and worthless.

I failed to understand that our lives are much like characters in a play: Each character has its own function and purpose. No matter how small the part is, it is needed to make the purpose of the other characters come alive. As God assigns a role to us, we have a choice of serving with a joyful heart or view it as a burden to bear. When we view it as a privilege of service, we tend to handle it with peace and joy, and God rejoices over us. Whereas, when we view it as a burden, we hold grudges and play pity party, and lose the joy of seeing our Father’s love for us-not that He doesn’t love us, but that we are blinded by our perspective of things.

Our circumstances are privileges to allow Him to demonstrate His Love, Mercy and Sovereignty. Our circumstances are temporary. They will not last. As we learn to accept them as privileges of service to bring His Name glory and honor, He rejoices over us. Thus, a woman of noble character learns to enjoy life no matter what her circumstances are, because she knows God rejoices over her.

My dear friends, God chooses to rejoice over you. Will you choose to see your circumstances as privileges to serve Him and allow His Name to be glorify? May God bless you and rejoice over you.

Shoua

The Woman of Noble Character: The Key

2008-02-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

Yeah! Finally, Valentine’s Day is here. It’s really, really, really here. No, I didn’t get a dozen of red roses this morning. I didn’t even get a good-bye kiss from him this morning. He rushed out of the door like he always does. He didn’t even say Happy Valentine’s Day to me. Today, happen to be trash day, so he took out the trash and didn’t have time to eat breakfast. He left.

But, I am still happy! Yep! It’s Valentine’s Day! And, I actually stuck to my Valentine’s Day dedications: it is important to me because I am a new person. I’ve found the key to happiness. In the past, if you asked me what I would do for Valentine’s Day or any holiday for that matter, I would say “nothing, I have no money.” Well, today, I don’t need money to make me happy. It’s not that I don’t need money; it’s just that I don’t need money to make Valentine’s Day a happy day for me.

God has given me a new beginning since 2007. Granted I have my ups and downs, but I am generally happier today than I was a couple of years ago. Then, it was all about me: what I wanted, needed, and had to have. It was about my bills. It was about the children taking too much of my time. It was about a husband who couldn’t meet my expectations. It was about not having enough work. It was about ___________. It was about everything that revolved around me and my happiness. Everything came back to m-e.

Then, Christmas 2006, I was involved in network marketing and a video/book was passed down to me. I paid $5 to watch it online. Then it was too “awesome” so I bought four of them, one for each of my downline supervisors and one for me. But, as I re-watched the video and passed it around to others, a thought was provoked deep within me-I am not the source of my happiness. God is the source. I am not the designer of my future. God is designer of my life. While their god/source can be the universe, genie, Buddha or whatever they believe to be their god, mine is God the Almighty. The key to all is God.

So, I began to search for truth to back me up against the subtle lies of this video. And, the more I searched, the more He showed Himself. He led me through the book of Hebrews.
These were the words that jumped out at me.

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it…Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are ---yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:1, 14-16).

These words were so firm, so strong, yet so sweet and loving. God’s promise for us to enter His rest still stands. He’s still offering it to me. All I got to do was take it. Take His promise; accept the fact that He loves me because He chose to. The key to our happiness is to accept His free gift of love. Therefore, I should not be afraid to go to Him and place my requests at His feet, allowing Him to grant them. Oh, how sweet it is to follow Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for my sin. Jesus paid it in full. All of my past and present hurts and pain, shame and grief, He paid it all. And, He’s extending the invitation to enter into His rest. Aaaaah, rest. True rest. What better way to develop a noble character than to enter His true rest. The Key is God.

Because Christ is our high priest, I needed to hold on to the faith I profess for years. It was never about me. It was about God: His purpose and His will for my life. Since He is greater than Moses in the order of Melchizedek. Well, I’m not a Bible Scholar, but according to the Bible, Melchizedek happens to be the outstanding high priest of all time, appointed by God. Christ surpasses all of the high priests. He was perfect, yet He bore my sins so I can enter His rest: The Key to peace. He said, “Hey, I know what is like to face your situation, I experienced it.” Christ understands my pain, my shame, and my grief.

And, He calls for me, and you, to come to Him with confidence. After all, He is the Son of the Great I am: I AM whatever you need. I am the Key. The door is open. The invitation is being extended. All you and I got to do is approach His throne of grace with confidence-believe, have faith in Him to provide us with whatever we ask for. Most importantly, believe that He will provide-He will answer our prayers. Isn’t that awesome? Finally, I understood what people mean when they say, “God is good.” God is good, indeed.

So, I pondered on. I continued to search more. I bought more books, read more passages. I took out all of my husband’s Study Bibles. I read them. I bought one for myself. The more I read, the more I wanted to know. There has never been such a hunger for the truth-all because of one such video that promises to be the key to whatever you want. It caused me to say, “I don’t think so, but I know One who can deliver all that and more.” And, I have to say, thanks be to God for rescuing me from that video and numerous other lies that the enemy tries to press upon me. God is the only Key that matters. And, so He is my Valentine. Happy LOVE day, my Lord.

Now, I also want to extend my Valentine dedications to my blogging friends.

These are ones I visit often and ones in awhile I see their comments on my blog (they are busy ladies):

Renee Swope
MaryBeth Whalen
Lysa Terkeurst
Rachel Olsen

These are ones I visit and they have visit me with great encouragements (not in any particular order):

Dawn Ward
shonda
amy l brooke
tina vega
crownlaiddown
van
Rachel –in Europe
Lauren at faith fuel
Mandymom.com
momlaughs
Cellyb
MissSandy
Dionna
Susan
Lelia Chealey
Mrsjoeb
http://diggingforpearls.blogspot.com/
http://mommymonk.blogspot.com/
Mac @ http://www.impactrevolutions.com/ (this young man is the first visitor. Great guy. His mom must be happy to have such an awesome young man).

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you, for your thoughtfulness and encouragements while visiting my site. God bless you.

Valentine Dedications: Hubby

2008-02-13T11:52:00.001-08:00

This is my hubby. He likes to indulge the children. They sure do a lot together. My children used to tell me to go work so daddy can come to stay with them. Daddy is more fun. Daddy takes them places. Mommy just stays home.

He loves football-to watch, of course. In fact, that used to be the problem between us. I hated football seasons: I couldn't get him to do anything.

He also likes to fish-both man and fish. He's collected enough Bibles and leadership books to have a library (I wish I had a camera to take pictures of his bookshelves).

He pastored a church for two years before we were married. He decided he needed a sidekick for this job. He brought me to a cozy one bedroom apartment. He gave my piano away-that was a red flag. Of course, he won, but I held on to the grudge. He gave me the check book-no complain there. Actually, I wish he would have kept that.

I don't think we're romantic as a couple. All his relatives think we are a romantic couple. I think they're all out of wack. He doesn't buy me flowers, presents or gifts of any kind. He doesn't take me out to eat unless I pay for it (remember I keep the checkbook). We don't have anything in common except our love for Jesus: He likes to collect books, I like to read them. He likes to fish, I actually catch them (fish, not man). He likes to watch tv, I like to keep busy. He likes to go out, I like to stay home. He likes football, I like gardening. He plays soccor, soccor plays me. He likes nice pressed clothes, I like to dress in t-shirts and jeans. His socks actually match the outfits he wears. my socks are always white no matter what I wear.

But, we've been married for 14 years. Yep! He's a patient man. That's why he is my Valentine. God has been very good to us. There were times when I thought it would be the last time I put up with him. Then, there were times when he packed up to leave, but decided to stay. We're not a perfect couple or family. We have a lot of flaws. But, under God's grace and mercy, we are one. We stand together with the Lord as our strength.

******"None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8).******

Yes, we don't understand how we last. We couldn't be any more different and yet God kept us together for His glory, His purpose in which He designed for us, yet to be revealed. I am thankful for my husband. His patience has taught me a great deal about God's love. He is my Valentine through and through. God bless you, Honey.

Valentine Dedications: Oldest-my right hand

2008-02-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

This is my oldest. I am so glad God gave me a girl first. She's very handy. She's the most expensive child I have: She helps more, but uses more, spends more, and shares more than anyone in this house. She also works more too.

Just like a normal 13 year-old, she wants a lot of what her friends have. She likes to shop only as long as she has the money to buy. When we go shopping, she's usually the one to shoot me out of the store-she's very focus especially if I let her know just how much money we have on hand. However, she does not keep her money on her long-figures.

She helps me to stay focus on my task. She's a momma's girl. I pray the Lord will send her a good Christian girl friend soon. Although I enjoy hanging around her, I want her to experience that good girl friends ways of doing things.

When she was little, she threw all her dolls behind her. She didn't play with dolls or girl toys for that matter. It's funny, but now she likes girl stuff.

I used to sing when I was young, so my mother wanted her to take after me, only to go much further. She prayed that God would give her musical talents. Now, she takes after her dad and her aunts. They sing! They have talents. Most of her cousins sing and play some kind of musical instruments. She plays the trumpet and sings in the choir. I think my mom's going to get her wish-if she doesn't change her mind first. I just had a conference with her counselor and she's going to major in band for her freshman year. She just told me that she was placed in the Sympo-something. Hey, I can't spell. I'v never been to kindergarten-hahaha. Can't blame me. Anyhow, she's got the music stuff.

Yes, she loves electronic gadgets. This was Christmas 2005 (?). She has more electronic gadgets than I've had all my life, except a computer. She asked for this little thing here for over a year. I finally bought it for her, then she played with-oh I think twice. Right now she has no clue where it is-I told you she is expensive.

But, I don't know what I would do without her. She's everywhere with me. She even goes to the writers group meeting with me. She read her poem for the first time. I was biting my lips: honestly, I was afraid that it would sound bad and she would get discouraged, but you know? It turned out that I just did not know how to read poems. She did a good job. In fact, one of the lady thinks she should enter it in some kid publications. She's an awesome kid. That's why she's my Valentine.

Valentine Dedications: Gaosoua & Elishua

2008-02-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

I am sorry for taking a couple of days off. Weekends are just filled for me and I just couldn't get back on my keyboard. But, I will have to keep it short today as well-I have loads of laundry to do and a few errons to run, and my quilt order is pressing deadline. But, my children are important to me and I cannot forget them. So, I hope Gaosoua and Elishua are not feeling bad for being on the same day.

That's funny, because they happen to be rivals. They seem to be at each other's throat all the time. One of them always start something. If one or both of them are not home, my home is quiet and peaceful. But, when both of them are home, it's "Mom!..." in constant shingles. I've learned to be calm and teach them what they should know. We're getting somewhere.

Here's Gaosoua. At nine years old, she's pretty smart: needs a little help here and there, but all around smart. She's very determined to make sure her voice is heard. Her name means "beautiful voice." She definitely has a voice-loudest in the family. She loves to sing and keep her brother (Jamin) and sisters (Tabitha and Elizabeth) occupied.

She's my bookkeeper. She acts as though she doesn't pay attention, but when one of the family members is not present, she's the first to notice. Because of her, Tabitha is alive today-we've forgotten that Tabitha was in the car on one hot July Sunday afternoon-she kept on asking where the baby was and she didn't give up when I told her to go away so I could cook. She finally got our attention and we realized that Tabitha was still in the car. Without Gaosoua's love for her sister, we would have lost Tabitha, gone to jail and leave the four of them parentless.

I always teased her that she's a Mexican girl, got switched at birth, because she's very pretty and has a high nose bridge. But, she knows that she's mine-forever will be. She's very loving and kind. She likes to dance and do gymnastics; she's got the body.

When she was a year and a half, I sent her on a long trip to see my mother for her birthday. Ever since then, she's been very attached to me, constantly on the look-out for me, making sure I don't leave her. But, then again, she is the family bookkeeper. When everyone is around, she competes for the attention, but when she's alone with me, she's very quiet.

This is Elishua, means, "God is sovereign." He is a born leader. He loves to take charge of things and situations. Little kids love him. Even infants like him. Here, he managed to quiet Elizabeth down. They slept here on the couch while their big sister stole a picture. He was pretty proud about it.

He smiles all the time. In fact, when he was in first grade, or was it kindergarten, one of the parents called me and asked if I would allow him to go over and play with her son because he made her son happy with his smiles. They still send him Christmas presents after 5 years of being apart. And, he loves to make his big sister laugh, especially when she's mad. He is a silly kid.

See if you can spot him here. When he was small, he was so cute. I wished to keep him that way, but I was not thinking of the consequences I would make him pay. Now, he's so small, I can't even spot my own son in the crowd. That's why there's a saying, "be careful, what you wish for."

Although, he's small physically, mentally he's very smart. He corrects me with my English. He opens locks that I can't open. He's electronically advanced; He fixed my VCR/DVD player. He's very good with his hands. He likes to draw. He's already selling his artwork at school. I wish I have his permission to put his video clip up for you to see. That would definitely put a smile on your face, but since I don't have his permission and he's pretty particular about it, you'll just have to believe me.

For the unspeakable qualities as well as the ones mentioned above, they are definitely my Valentine. And, I love them. Happy Valentine's Day, Elishua & Gaosoua!

Valentine's Day Dedication: Jamin

2008-02-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

This is Jamin, my prince. When he was born, he actually had hair and so tiny, but cute, so I called him "handsome". Along the way, he gained "Handsome Prince." He's very clean. If he gets one wet spot, he'll change to a new outfit. When I do his laundry, I usually do it in two or three loads because he throws everything together; dirty and clean clothes. Yes, I'm trying to teach him to put clothes, that he has taken out but decided not to wear, back in their rightful places. He has not gotten it right yet, but he's working on it.

The other day, he was washing dishes, part of his chores. He got a little wet, looked down on his shirt and looked at me, then he said with a smile, "I got a little wet, what shall I do?" I knew he was feeling uncomfortable, but instead of telling him he could change, I told him it would dry later on. He looked at me like I was a mad woman and said, "uh". Then walked away.

When I asked him what this means. He said, "X-out of this house." I'm not sure about this boy, but he sure knows a lot of moves I don't have a clue about.

One of the moves he made was when he was in 4-year kindergarten. Towards the middle of the school year, I noticed that he was saying the "f" word a lot. I asked him who taught him that, he said, "myself." I kept on telling him and asking him to stop using the word, but he couldn't. I washed his mouth with detergent soap (of course, I used a clean sponge). Then, when visitation day came, his teacher came over to our house and I shared with her. She said he may have picked it up from his classmate who exploded in the middle of lunch-time. Thank goodness, it was just a phase.

This is a shirt he will not let me get rid of. He can barely put it on his head, it is so small, it will probably fit his little sister. But he sure loves it a lot.

Jamin has a special talent: he loves to tell stories and act them out. He's very active and can hardly sit still. He's always doing something. Last October, his cousins came over to spend a week with us and we had devotion and prayer for one of the night, but there were eight kids, so he was getting restless. He got up and started to do his Power Ranger moves. I thought he was not listening, but each time I asked questions related to the passages we read, he gave the answers correctly. We were all amazed how well he was listening while those who were sitting still couldn't answer the questions.

Jamin is special to us: he was our last child (as we planned anyway). So, we wanted him to bare an unusual name out of the Bible. Every name that we've planned to name him had been given to my husband's relatives. So, we chose Jamin. It was short, cute and meaningful. Jamin is the son of Simeon and through him the Jaminite clan was formed. Jamin, a different one was one of the first Israelite to return to Jerusalem after their captivity by Babylon. And, I had just recently learned from one of the Bible Students at Columbia International University that his name means, "right hand man". Isn't that something? He is an awesome kid.

Several months ago, he saw me copying some Bible verses down and he said, "mom, you're not supposed to copy books."

I was taken by his seriousness, so I asked, "Why not?"

"Because, God wouldn't like that," he said.

"Actually, God loves it when we spend time reading and writing His words down, because that shows that we listen to Him."

"Uh. Can I do that, too?" he asked.

"Yes, what story would you like to read first?"

"Daniel and the lion," he replied.

And for the next several weeks we spend time going from one story to another. But, it was music to my ears to know that he loves to read the Bible.

Well, here are my prince and princess. Sleepy heads-long trip. Just like all siblings, they fight and play together, and when they are tired, they learn to lean on one another for support. If only we can be as forgiving as they are: Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it" (Mark 10:15). Children don't hold grudges the way we do. They don't remind us everyday of the things we do wrong. Instead, they show us love, bring us flowers, give us hugs, and thank us for loving them back. That's why we should imitate our children's actions and behaviors when it comes to learning and accepting the Word of God.

Jamin has demonstrated countless times of love and forgiveness for me. He's joyful and kind, thoughful and compassionate. That's why he's my Valentine.

Valentine's Day Dedication: Tabitha

2008-02-07T13:32:00.001-08:00

Tabitha is 6 years old. She's smart and pretty. She likes to be called Princess.

We talked about being God's children; therefore, we are princes and princesses and Tabitha took that to heart. So, she's my princess as well as God's true princess.

Her prayer request each night is always, "to have a good dream."

She likes the attention we give her. She loves to play house and tell fairy tail stories. In fact, she has her own jungle princess story with lots of animals, including cats and dogs. She also enjoys reading her Bible. She's working on Daniel and the lion. And, she always brings me flowers. In fact, she brought me a dandelion today.

Tabitha is found in the Bible. Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) means gazelle which means graceful. She was "always doing good and helping the poor." But, she got sick and died. She was terribly missed by the ones she helped. Acts 9:39b: "All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them."

Can you imagine that? She was remembered for the little deeds that she did. And, so I wanted my little girl to be a caring and compassionate person. And, that's why I named her Tabitha. I had to remind my husband of the goods about Tabitha to convince him that Tabitha is a good name and person. I did go in the Bible and pulled out the story to give him. He relunctantly agreed. And, now I have my princess Tabitha.

I wish that was all true. But, there's anoher tail to the story. You see, while I was growing up, I loved watching "Bewitched." The little girl is half witch and half mortal, because the mother, Samantha, is a witch while her father is mortal. I can still remember her twinkling her nose to play tricks on her parents. So, as a little girl, I told myself that someday when I'm old enough to change my name, I would change it to Samantha and when I have a little girl, I would name her Tabitha. Another goal accomplished. However, had she not been found in the Bible, I may have a hard time convincing my husband.

Here's a picture of her trying to get in front of the camera. Yes, she likes swords and guns (I don't buy them-not willingly anyway). Thank goodness, just about every sword and gun are gone.

She's a very carefree person. She likes to dress as anything goes. She used to wear different socks all the time and trying to change that was a challenging task. I got all worked up about it, but her Sunday School teacher said that I should relax, let her create her own fashion and style. She'll stop when she realize other's don't dress like her. She's doing so much better now, thank God.

Oh, I cannot forget this: She's a true chocolate girl. She can never get tired of chocolate. She'll eat chocolate until she drops. She likes everything chocolate-cocoa, cookies, candies, etc. That's why she's my Valentine.

2008-02-06T12:34:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day Dedications: Elizabeth

Here's my baby. Isn't she a bald doll? I'll just let a few of these pictures tell you the story why she's my Valentine. These pictures are all before she turned one.

Yeah, finally going out.

Look what I can do.
Stop telling me sad stories.
I can finally sit with my blanket's support.

This is so good, I can eat it side ways, hah.

Okay my blog friends, I do not know how to move pictures or do anything much with them. But, this is my baby at her best and worst.

Valentine Dedications: My Mother

2008-02-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

I have 10 days, including today, until Valentine’s Day. And, each day leading to Valentine's Day, I want to dedicate a blog day to each one of my family members because they are the love of my life.

Disclaimer: I do not have a father. I mean my father died two weeks before I was born and never knew him. So, I will not be sending him a Valentine dedication. And, my mother does not read English or use the computer so she will never be able to read this, but I’m writing it because I want you to know how wonderful she is.

My Mother

She’s serious, sarcastic, practical, slim, loud, energetic, and prideful. She’s 82 years old, looks more like she’s in her late 60’s (I hope I have more of her genes). She’s pessimistic as far as social status, but very positive as far as life goes: She doesn’t believe in talking about death (I call this denial), hence, she does not have a will (I don’t have one either, but for a very different reason: procrastination). But, hey, she’s as healthy as a goat. She’s very active. She watches my nieces and nephews, all six of them, now five. She drives my sister-in-law to and from work everyday. She picks the children up from schools. She cooks and cleans the house like a maid. She hates to leave unclean dishes in the sink. And she grows her own garden.

She’s an early riser. She showers in the morning. She drinks coffee and tea and eat rice soup for breakfast.

She’s very independent-had to be since she was a child: Her father was brutally murdered for political reasons. Her mother was a hard worker; very active; but slow in her speech ability; unable to stand up for her children’s safety and wellbeing. She married my dad in her early twenties. He died early in their marriage. She was left with five children to care for. Shortly after my father’s death, she was forced into another marriage as a second wife-polygamy was legal in Laos-leaving her children behind to her in-laws (it was the cultural practice). She gave birth to another son, who died of malnutrition. Then, she lost her oldest son to illness. She lost her second husband in the Vietnam War. She fought her way back for custody of her children. Then, she was physically separated from my two brothers and sister-for the second time because our village was invaded: She was left to surrender her life to the Vietnam soldiers because I was too young to travel.

In 1980, she came to the United States with her two girls, leaving her sons behind in Laos. In the mid 80’s, she managed to sponsor her older son, after two years of battle with Immigration Services. A couple years after that, she sponsored her second son. Finally, the whole family was together again. But, a few months after he arrived, she lost him in a fatal car accident. She was devastated. But, she managed to hold herself up again for more of life’s surprises. She was indeed a very strong woman-still is.

She believes that life has too much to offer for one to contemplate death-after all that she’s been through. She makes herself stay strong and independent in fear of having to stay at a nursing home or being a burden to her children.

And, in all my life with her, I’ve never seen her put herself before her children: I remember staying in a Thai refugee camp: she had no money so she would take me around to Thai authorities begging for money to quench my cravings for candies and little things that required money. But, if she needed anything, she did not ask, beg or do anything that would cause her discomfort. She rarely cried in front of me, even when we were separated from my brothers and sister. She always stayed strong. She built her life around integrity. She was always giving and sharing, even in her lack. She was very frugal-still is. She was a great hostess for all her guests, including strangers. And, she remained single after the death of her second husband (there were many men who proposed to her) out of love for her children.

So for all of the above and more, she deserves to be my Valentine. Happy Valentine’s Day, Mom.

She Speaks Conference

2008-01-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

She Speaks!

I am thrilled to announce that She Speaks Conference is June 20-22, 2008 and is officially open for registration right now.

Lysa Terkeurst, founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries and leader of this awesome conference is offering a scholarship for this year's conference. To find out more, please click here.

It has been my dream to go to She Speaks Conference because I love to share with women about God's great love and awesome power. I've always wanted to be a speaker since high school, but didn't know what to speak about. And now, He has given me the reason to speak about Him, the great I AM. But, like some women, I have one stipulation: I lack the friendship abilities, confidence, and faith in myself (okay, so that's three). I really want to find out what it takes to speak for Him. I believe God will reveal the answer to me at the 2008 She Speaks Conference .

Let me tell you why I'm so hype about this conference. It is not just another seminar. It is an inspiring-by God-friendship building and opportunity knocking event. It is for writers, writer-want-to-be's, speakers, speaker-want-to-be's, and women in leadership roles as well as those who believe they are called to minister to women. Who knows, you might get an offer to write a book (shhhhhh-there will be publishers there-looking for writers and fresh thinkers). Oh, yeah, don't forget to bring your queries and manuscripts. Well, instead of me yapping it away, just click here. Go ahead...Seatings are limited. Don't believe me? Well, last year's conference sold out before deadline and you guess it, I didn't get to go. So, don't wait. Find out right here.

Good luck to all of you!

My visit with Grandma

2008-01-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

One relative of my husband, I call her grandma. She had stroke three months ago. We have not visit her so while we were there near her town, my husband brought her up suddenly. We decided to pay her a visit. I knew that her stroke was severe, but how severe I was not aware. I was not even thinking straight. I was not planning to lecture her. I just wanted to visit her. She has a very special gift of healing and massaging people-curing infertile and pregnant women (who may be on the verge of losing their babies due to miscarriage). She massaged me when I was pregnant with my last baby girl. My baby was in the wrong position and caused much uncomfortable pain. She turned my baby back to the rightful position. I was very grateful, so I brought little Elizabeth with me so she can see the product she saved.

While we were visiting and chatting, I asked her how she was feeling and she said she felt like her life was not worth living but she couldn’t die. She was upset about her son’s divorce. She said, “I’m sad that I don’t have a good looking son to take away her breath, so that she would not look at another man and treat him worthlessly.”

“Grandma, that’s wrong thinking. His looks and his features are out of your reach. You may have given him birth, but that’s all you did. God was very satisfied when he made your son. He said, ‘it is good.’ He created you just the way He likes because He enjoys you. You are who you are and he is who he is because God likes it that way. Don’t criticize God by saying that your son is not good looking. God made your son that way because he brought God satisfaction as His masterpiece. Be happy.”

She smiled, “I supposed you’re right.”

I couldn’t help, but noticed how she kept on holding onto a hand-knit hat with her right hand as though she was trying to hide her right hand. Every once in a while she’d move her right hand with her left over her lap then it would move back by itself. I watched her as we conversed, and I finally asked her, “Grandma, why are you holding on to the hat, is your hand cold?”

Grandpa had just walked by me as I asked the question. “Her whole right side was paralyzed. Recently, she’s regained some mobility with her right arm, but she doesn’t have total control of it yet. Sometimes, she would grab onto something with her right hand,” he demonstrated by holding on to the chair in front of me, “but then she wouldn’t be able to let it go, so she’s trying to control it by holding on to the hat and not let it hold onto anything else,” he said.

“I am so mad at my right hand. Sometimes, I yelled at it because it won’t cooperate with me. Sometimes, I slap it and tell it that it’s not good because it doesn’t listen to me. But, then I looked at it, and my heart cries out with love for it,” grandma said.

“Grandma, do you really want to be healed?” I asked. “Do you pray for healing?”

“You know, my daughter told me to have faith in God and pray, but I told her that prayer doesn’t seem to make a difference these days. God doesn’t answer prayers anymore,” said grandma.

“Grandma, if you really want to be healed you have to believe. There’s a big difference between believing that God can heal and believing that God will heal. God loves you and He would love to heal you but you must first believe that He can and He will heal you. Don’t be disappointed. You know, I heard that there was a woman who was predicted by doctors to only have a few weeks to live, but she was determined to live so she walked around her house declaring God’s healing power and memorizing Bible verses, and now it’s been more than 20 years and she’s still alive and well. Do you read your Bible?”

“A little, it took me so long to read a few paragraphs,” she chuckled. “Where do you find those healing verses?” she asked curiously.

“I’m going to go home and do some research and send you some verses to listen to and read. You must memorized them and claim them to be your promises.”

Her eyes were staring at me with great sparkles of hope. She shared that her brother, who is a great gospel singer, was disappointed that she didn’t show much faith. She didn’t understand it. She felt that God doesn’t care about her anymore.

“Grandma, God loves you. He wants what’s best for you. How do you think you healed so many people with herbs and your massages? You saved so many women from having miscarriages. You practically gave lives to many people who had no chance without your help. Do you think that that came from you or was it God’s gift?”

“It was God’s gift,” she said as she smiled at me.

“You must change your thinking. You must hold on to your faith. You must view yourself as an important being. God said that we are His masterpieces. He has a very important mission for each one of us. He loves us and He enjoys our presence and praises. Grandma, you are His masterpiece. There’s only one you. You are a child of God, a citizen of Heaven. You are not of this earth. You were chosen by God out of millions of human beings. John 6:44 said that no one can come to Jesus Christ without God drawing him or her. You accepted Christ as your personal Savior?”

“We accepted Christ before we were married,” grandpa interjected.

“Oh, I think I was only about your daughter’s age,” said grandma, eyeing for my 13 year old daughter who went outside with Elizabeth.

“That means that God loved you enough to draw you to Jesus. And you made a decision to accept His invitation. You are His child. He loves you much more than you love your son. He wants to heal you, but only if you really want to be healed. You must believe in His greatness for your life. Instead of yelling at your hand, caress it and tell it that God is working and healing it. Tell it that you love it.”

“Pastor’s wife, I have heard many teachings, but it has never pierced me like it did today. I thank you for sharing His love with me. May God bless you for sharing His words of truth with me,” she said as she laid down on her bed. “Today, I finally understand His massage.”

“Praise the Lord! His goodness never fails. I’m believing that He wants to heal you.”

As we were getting ready to leave, I asked my husband to come and pray for her. She confessed to my husband that she didn’t believe that her prayers would make any difference so she didn’t pray and she didn’t read the Bible as she should. When she’s well, she will be God’s witness for His glory. And grandpa asked my husband to record some sermons for him to listen. Then we prayed and said our good-byes.

I felt happy that she understood me. Instead of being upset for lecturing her, she thanked me for sharing God’s love with her. Her eyes were filled with hope. My heart was satisfied that I was not rejected for being preachy-although I went unprepared to lecture, the opportunity was there and I took it. There was hope for both of us: Hope that she will be healed and hope that there’s a place for me to serve God. God is, indeed, good.

Stay for A While

2008-01-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dear All,

Thank you for stopping by. I posted many devotionals and encouragements, please take the time and read those that are of interest to you.

Please, remember to pray for our church. There has been two death's from the families of the members in our church. A little child was stillborn. And a young man with great expectations of a bright future-lost his life to cancer.

Another family-the whole family is sick with the flu.

Reasons names are not revealed, has no permission from them to post. My heart cries out with love for them. I know God knows. So, if you would pray for them, I very much appreciate your kindness.

Yesterday afternoon, I met with a woman who had stroke; her right side was paralyzed. Her right arm was able to move, but she could not control it. Once it holds on to something, she could not take it off. She was so frustrated. Her hands and feet were so cold. Anyway, the Lord spoke through me to her with much love and affirmation. She confessed to my husband that she has sinned against God by not having faith in her healing. She told me she has never understood God's love for her as she did yesterday durig our conversation. She thanked me and blessed me. That, in itself, was a blessing-to know that God's loving message was clearly conveyed and understood. Praise the Lord.

I will come back and post later on in the week, but right now, I must go and put out the fire of life.

God bless you all, and remember to pray for these three families at our church.

Rise Up, Darling

2008-01-16T11:32:00.000-08:00

“My lover spoke and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! the winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of the doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me” (Song of Solomon 2:10-13, NIV)

I’ve never acknowledged Song of Solomon as love relationship between Christ and our human soul. I’ve dismissed it as love conversations between human lovers and never took it personally. However, God revealed a beautiful message that gave me a new meaning from the above passage:

A woman of noble character recognizes her worth. God calls her His “darling,” His “beautiful one”. Wow! He says, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one...” What a wonderful value He has placed her. As a woman of noble character, she recognizes her worth as dearly loved, cherished, one who is highly valued.

A woman of noble character recognizes that she is His masterpiece, His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). And He created her for His enjoyment, for His purpose. She is His beautiful one. That means He loves her. He loves her. And now, He’s calling her to rise up. He wants her to get up from whatever problem she may be drowned in. His command is firm and loving. He’s calling her to rise up, get up. She recognizes that she’s not glued to the ground, to her problems, or her situations. Get up. Arise! No matter how she looks at herself, she is His darling, His beautiful one and He calls her to rise up.

A woman of noble character recognizes His instructions. His second command was to “come with me.” “Come with me,” He says. He doesn’t just want her to get up and stand there. He wants her to come with Him. He wants her to take action; follow Him. He has many things to show her. And, she longs to see God’s vision for her life. She wants to see what God wants to show her. If you are that woman, follow Him. He’s saying “come with me”.

A woman of noble character recognizes the end of her winter season. She knows that her rains are over and gone. “See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.” Whatever her problem is, it’s gone. It is done with. Her season of troubles is gone. There’s no more. Therefore, rise and come with Him.

This message reminds me of a time when my children played tags, my oldest son grabbed a hold of my baby girl’s shirt tail. He wouldn’t let her go. She pulled a couple of times, but couldn’t break free. So, she stood there and wailed. After a few minutes, I commanded him to let her go. He let go, but she stood there and cried as if he was still holding on to her shirt. I called out to her to come, but she stood there and cried pitifully. I kept on calling, and it finally dawned on her that she was free. Sometimes, we are like my baby girl. We stand there and cry. If that’s you today, God is telling you that your “winter is past; the rains are over and gone.” Rise up and follow Him.

A woman of noble character recognizes her spring season. “Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.” Wow! God reminds her that after the winter, spring does come. And He calls out to her and reminds her that it is time to get up and see the flowers bloom and smell the fresh fragrances. She recognizes that there’s sunshine after the rain. She understands that in the spring, flowers bloom, trees bud, grass turns green. She understands that every circumstance brings with it many benefits. After every crisis; she’s wiser, she gains knowledge, finds directions. She receives the answer to her prayers. A woman of noble character recognizes her spring season and rises up to follow God. She hears His voice calling out, “Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” And, she follows.

Father God, You’re awesome. Thank You for reminding me that I am your darling and beautiful one, that You love me. Help me to recognize Your calling voice to come with You; to recognize that my problems are behind me. Help me to see and enjoy the benefits of springtime. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Woman of Noble Character: A Genuine Hug

2008-01-14T08:25:00.001-08:00

I’ve had a rough start for the first couple of weeks this year. I fell into the “Am I sure of my calling?” I kept on praying for His presence to shine in unexpected places. I have received numerous blessings beyond my imaginations, but one that made a mark on my life was a hug from a little girl whom I didn’t expect would do so. This girl waits for the bus with my children everyday. Most days, we would get there, then, she and her twin sister would show up shortly after. She would always say “hi” from a distance. But, on this dark and cloudy morning, I saw a little thin figure approaching me. She didn’t stop where her sister had stop, she looked at me straight in the eye as she approached, gave me a hug, turned around walked back to her normal spot, and turned around to look at my reaction. I looked at her in dismayed and said, “Thank you. If I knew you came to give me a hug, I would hug you tighter.” She just smiled and went on as though nothing had happened.

I looked up into Heaven thanked my Lord for the hug so much needed to affirm me of His love. How a girl I didn’t even know her name and she didn’t know mine, came and gave me a hug (without her intention). I knew at that instant that it was a hug from my Father, letting me know that I’m okay and acceptable to Him. “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11). He was letting me know that no matter what the circumstances were, He was already there and He saw everything. He was doing everything for my good. He was surrounding me with His peace and the hug was to let me know He knew what I needed at that moment.

Then, I said to God, “Lord thank you for that hug. I needed that hug. I wish I had hugged her back.” And, the next day, she came back and gave me a second chance to hug her back. It was such a blessing to know that God wills, even a child, who He pleases to show me His love. When He did so, all I could do was stand in awe of His mercy and grace being shunned upon me.

My dear sisters in Christ, whatever your circumstances today, look to the Lord and He will give you whatever you need for the moment, whether it would be a hug, a special phone call, or a meal to just get through the day. Don’t give up. “The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one” (Psalm 28:8). He loves you and all He wants to do is comfort you. God bless you and may your day be filled with love and peace in ways you can’t even imagine.

A woman of noble character: Quillow recipe

2008-01-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

To those who cherish our used clothes and baby receiving blankets, I challenge you to a peaceful project that will be cherished longer. Van, this is especially dedicated to you, sister. I want you to know, writing directions are much more challenging than preparing a sermon. Just kidding. I just hope you can understand the instructions.

Materials need:

1 45”x 72” fabric (for backing)
54 8 ½” squares of your cherished clothing or you can also buy new fabrics (45” x 72”)
Scissor
Batting (twin or full size)
1 18” x 18” square block for backing
1 18” x 18” square block, (design or leave blank, your choice. But, this is your pillow when you fold it up, so you want some kind of special design on it.).
1 Quilting pin (or you can machine quilt, you can also quilt it after you flip it, by hand, but it looks much prettier by using a quilting pin.

Pillow (18” x 18” square)
Cut 18” square of the batting and lay it down
Put bottom block right side up on top of the batting
Put the designing block, with the right side down next. The two fabric pieces need to be right sides together with wrong sides outside.
Sew them together leaving a 10” opening, so you can turn it out.
Turn it out and you should have a nice pillow, seal the opening seams together.
Then quilt it as you desire. And, put it aside.

Quilt
If you use the squares, sew the squares together with 6 squares across and 9 squares up & down
Then, make sure your 45 x 72 is evenly trimmed
On the right side of the back piece (45x72), sew the pillow piece with the right side (designed side) facing the big piece on the middle bottom. You may want to sew it twice since this is where you would soak your feet in.
Cut a 45 x 72 square inch batting
With the batting at the bottom and the two pieces right side together, sew all three together (you may want to pin them together or hand-sew it roughly together first, before you sew them with the sewing machine), and leave about 10-12” opening for you to turn, the bigger the opening, the easier to turn, but takes longer to seal.
When you’re done, turn it. Seal the opening with threaded needle.
Then lay it out on the quilting pin (make sure your quilt is nice and tight on the quilting pin) and quilt it. I quilt mine in diamonds, you can mark/stencil yours in any design you like.

And, there you have it. A nice quillow full of memories. Enjoy! Any questions, consult Googles: “quillow”. Others may have better directions and they also have directions on how to fold the quilt into a pillow.

A woman of noble character: “I wrote you this letter so you know that I love you.”

2008-01-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

Children never cease to amaze me with their words and phrases. Last week, my little five year-old came to show me one of her letter. It had a picture of a house (our address number on the door) and three stick figures and a balloon coming out of the little figure in the middle saying, “I love you”. She pointed to the words and said, “Mommy, I wrote you a letter. This is daddy and this is you I wrote you a letter so you know that I love you.” Awesome!

By launching this ministry, it has taken so much of my time and I have not spent much time with my children. Most of the time, my oldest sits in the living room watching them while I am in my room with closed door trying to learn and teach at the same time. Every time I came out of my bedroom/office, my children always have a story to tell me. I’ve enjoyed their encouragements. They have drawn pictures, wrote letters, and kiss me good nights. However, even with all of those encouragements from them, some times I felt overwhelmed with the heavy load. In those times I sat down, closed my eyes, and meditate through His words of wisdom: He wrote them so I know that He loves me.

I know He inspired the authors of the Bible to write these scriptures. The Bible says that every word of God is true and will not return to Him void. He has instructed them: “…write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it” (Habakkuk 2:2).

Whether you’re overloading your days with your to-do-list, or overworked on your job. God has written you a letter (the Bible) so you know that He loves you. Won’t you take the time to sit with Him today? Drink your coffee, hot chocolate or tea, and meditate on His Word. Let it comfort you and bring you joy. Because, I promise you that if you read it, you will know that He loves you from the moment you were conceived.

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“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17-18, NIV).
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You cannot know Him if you don’t spend time with Him. You can only experience intimate relationships when you have spent considerable time with those who you desire the relationships. How can you respond to Him and be sure that it really is from Him if you don’t learn to recognize His voice. If I hadn’t taken the few seconds to look at that beautiful letter my daughter wrote and listen to her reasons, I would never have known that she wrote it, so I knew that she loved me. Take the time to read His letter and know that He loves you. God bless you.

A woman of noble character: Dodging bullets

2008-01-04T13:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome to MrsProverbs31. Glad you stop by. Hope you had a great week. Mine was awesome despite the few bullets (not literally) I was dodging. God was gracious to save me out of that misery.

What I like to do today is just to relax. Be me. Talk about the silly things of life while maintaining my noble character.

Okay, so you’re here and you’re wondering why I call myself MrsProverbs31. So, let’s get this straight. I am not Mrs. Proverbs31 by any chance. I may have the desire of being Mrs. Proverbs 31. Yep, that’s it. Mrs. Proverbs 31 is a dream character for (should I say) some Christian women. Am I so bold as to name this site Mrs. Proverbs31? Let’s see…several months ago this was my conversation with God:

“Mrs. Proverbs 31? Are you sure, God?”

“Trust me.”

“I want to, but I’m scared. I’m not sure how people would react to this bold name.”

“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified of them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land-against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you…’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:17-19)

I wish I can say that I have the humbleness of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. But, I would be a big liar. And, I’m not a very good one.

“Why me? Don’t you have enough women in ministries? Besides I have six children. Remember?”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).

“Really? That’s a B-I-G word, ‘prophet’ I mean. Oh, Lord, you know I’ve always wanted to be famous, to become a missionary, to have lots and lots of money, but a prophet?”

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands…the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth…the Lord will grant you abundant prosperity-in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground-…” (Deuteronomy 28:1,11).

“I don’t understand, Lord, come again?”

“I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16)

“Please, Lord, I don’t want to be a guinea pig like Pharaoh. I want to be a good person.”

“I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there’s no other” (Isaiah 45:5-6).

“HHHHHH” I sighed.

I’m moving. I’m moving. Did I say I’m moving? Yeah, I think I did. I know I did. I know I did. Am I obedient? I don’t know. I wonder so much about that. I’ve been praying this prayer: “Lord, give me an undivided heart so that I may fear your name” (Psalm 86:11). I know He wants me to talk about Him. But, I’m no virgin or prophet or great king, queen, not even a great mother. I’m just an average mother living a below average life with a wonderful husband who seems to think I’m smarter than he is and six wonderful kids who forgives me time after time.

I can hardly encourage people. Oh, don’t go there. That was the very reason why I was dodging bullets this week. I attempted to encourage some of my colleagues. It came out offensive. And, well, I’ve been dodging the bullets since. It’s a matter of fact I spent the majority of this morning crying my eye balls out, because I was singled out of over a hundred people (no, not a hundred people shooting the bullets (not literally), but just 4 or 5 people). I was told to stop preaching. They heard enough from their husbands. They just want to sit there and let loose about how terrible their situations are. I’m not kidding. Seriously there were lots of positive things about this group. They meant well, we just didn’t see eye to eye. They wanted to talk about misery. I wanted to talk about Jesus and happiness.

So what’s next? I don’t know. All I know is God promised me He will tell me what to say, what to do and how to do it.

Friends, if you are facing some difficult situations today. God has heard your cry for help. He knows. He’s working behind the scene to get it all perfectly fit for you. You may be very ready and wonder why God is still not acting, but let me tell you why, the people who is part of your dream puzzle is not ready. Be patient. His presence is already there. God bless you.

Oh, I forgot, here’s a message:

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry…The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken” (Psalm 34:15, 17-20).

Have a great weekend.

A woman of noble character: 2008 Goals

2008-01-02T12:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year sisters. May all your dreams come true in 2008 and may you be filled with God’s glory, blessings, and mercy.

As always, I’m a little behind and beside myself. Always aiming for more than I am capable of accomplishing, so here I am a day behind the New Year. But, it is fairly new. It is only the second day. Right?

Here are my goals for 2008. Now, the list is not complete, but it will give you an idea of what I’m going to do for 2008 so that you will keep me accountable, especially for the first ten.

Goals:

Develop a more intimate relationship with Christ.
Get up earlier for devotions and prayer
Listen to CDs-sermons and encouragements
Get involved in more church activities
Write in devotional journal – promise verses of God

Have daily prayer and devotions with children.
Prepare a verse each day to share with the children before evening prayer time
Pray for them before sending them to school.

Tuck my children in bed every night
Make sure each child gets a hug before bedtime.
Check their bed and sheets before they go to bed.

Complete autoresponder form (this week)

Write one article a week
Be on the look out for words and phrases to help with writing
Start writing on Monday mornings
Revise throughout the week and look for possible publishers

Send one article for publication – one a week-Friday

Start bi-monthly newsletter in February
Begin writing on Tuesdays
Invite women who have stories to tell to submit articles for newsletters

Increase blog to twice a week
Monday
Friday

Write in journal every day – focus on accomplishments and insights from God.

Complete copywriting course by May 2008.
Complete invitation for lunch by January 7, 2008
Complete research and outline by February 20, 2008
Read one letter a day-analyze it’s purpose-follow tips given by Michael Masterson

Complete Emma’s quilt tops by end of January 2008

Complete mom’s quilt by end of February 2008

Attend She Speaks Conference
Sell quillows to raise money
Work for N. Txiaj Toog

Visit my mom – Early August or maybe September

Write more “thank you” & Encouragement notes
Look for opportunities to encourage people
Prepare some thank you post cards (Personalized) to send to people
Prepare an update family newsletter to send out to friends and family bi-yearly

Well, there you have it in a general sense of what I have in mind for 2008. I am flexible to change just as this site is also in process of review and possible change. But, I will still be here, blogging away.

My heart’s desire is to develop a heart that fears God by becoming a better wife, mom, friend, and teacher; practicing patience, kindness, goodness, joy, peace, love, self-control, and gentleness. I believe that if I can accomplish this task, then I am one step closer to developing a noble character.

Becoming a woman of noble character is every woman’s dream. However, most of us feel inadequate. But God says, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes” (Isaiah 54:2).

God bless you all.

Shoua

A woman of noble character: my nugget

2007-12-28T16:58:00.000-08:00

Our children were getting restless because they were bored. So, I thought we would do something we’ve not done in the past: we retrieved a pizza dough recipe and decided to make pizza just for the fun of it. While adding the brown sugar to the rest of the ingredients, my 13-year daughter asked, “That’s it? Are you sure? Can I see the recipe? (She thought she could follow recipes better than I).”

So, I handed her the recipe; she glanced at it, then I took it again, and continued to read the ingredients for her to add on, “1/2 tsp of salt,” I said.

“Why do we need salt?” asked my 9 year-old daughter.

“Well, because salt will help the dough stay soft and taste good,” I answered not really knowing if it was true.

The ingredients in this pizza dough got me thinking about Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over,…” For several months now, I’ve been pondering on this verse; trying to understand the true meaning of it. Actually, just trying to understand what it means “good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.” But, while I was watching and measuring with my daughter, God showed me this awesome nugget truth about the above phrase. Duh! (Of course, God didn’t say Duh!) When we measured the ingredients, we made sure it was precise (at least my daughter did) to the recipe. To make certain that the dough turned out as the recipe called for, we put in the exact amounts of ingredients. Likewise, when God measures our rewards, He makes sure the amounts are just right.

Hmmm! What about pressed down? When my daughter measured the brown sugar, she pressed the sugar to make sure she has pressed hard enough, to ensure that that was all the spoon could contain. I was imagining how God measured our rewards, our gifts, He presses hard enough to get as much in as possible. He wanted to make sure we are full of His goodness and blessings.

Shaken together. I was watching Ratatouille with my children during this Christmas break, and Remy (the mouse cook, also the main character in the movie) was tasting the things in the old lady’s house kitchen: he took a bite of the cheese and savor it; then he took a bite of a strawberry and savor it; then he took a bite of each together and savor it. While he was savoring, they showed fire crackers and running swirls to express how good it was putting the ingredients together. Mmmm, mmm! Anyhow, Remy’s point was that things taste different, (in his case in point, better) if you put them together. As I was watching that I thought “When God adds in all of my rewards and gifts, He carefully shakes them together to create one powerful product. And, when all is done, He will present to us His “just right” reward-one powerful, wonderful blessing that we can do nothing but savor it. Wow!

Running Over. God doesn’t just mix it good, but He gives until it is running over. Malachi 3:10 says, “…see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” When my Father gives His rewards to me, He does not withhold any portion of it for Himself. He gives me more than I can imagine. He opens the “floodgates of heaven”. It is much more powerful than the landslide or the earthly flood. Notice, it says “floodgates” (plural). He would not just give one. He multiplies our giving.

This new revelation was so deep and so wonderful, I felt exuberant. God has been so good. And, He’s teaching me His goodness and joy. He’s helping me to understand His word’s deeper and gave me the ability to apply it to my life and share it with you today. He’s helping me to develop my noble character His way. Praise the Lord.

A Woman of Noble Character stands firm in her faith

2007-12-21T13:03:00.001-08:00

“… ‘Do not be afraid, Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14: 13-14).

I’ve been observing my children every Christmas. I have nearly four days left and still have not bought any presents. Here’s why: partly because of financial reasons and partly because they cannot wait until Christmas day to open their presents. In fact last week their aunt brought them some presents to put under the tree. They couldn’t wait, every time I came out of my office/bedroom; they told me a present is accidentally opened. It’s always the littlest one who did it. Sure, blame it on the defenseless. Anyhow, three of them discovered they’re getting picture frames. The other? A pair of shoe. Oh, my.

Then I felt so bad that I haven’t bought them anything, so I went to Dollar Tree to buy their stocking stuffs. Immediately after I filled their stockings and left the room, they all went and peeked in. At dinner time, they all tattled on each other. They all told me what they got. Their father didn’t utter out a word. He shook his head in disapproval and ate quietly. Me? Well, I threw my hands up in the air (not literally), “that’s it, no presents this year.” Then, they all turned to each other with blame.

“Good job, Elishua,” said Abia

“What you talking about?” reputed Elishua

“Jamin did it, too,” said Gaosoua.

“How do you know, you …(I’m working on teaching him pure language)” said Jamin.

“Okay, children, stop!!!” I shouted (I know it’s bad to shout, especially for a woman in the process of developing her noble character, but it couldn’t be helped). And, all is quiet.

What is it that makes us so anxious about life that we cannot wait, even for the good things in life to happen? As we were arguing during dinner, I was thinking about Adam and Eve when they sinned and God asked them why they disobeyed Him, they blatantly blamed it on one another. I’ve had conversations with women who blamed Eve: “If only Eve didn’t sin, we wouldn’t have to go through such hardships.” Sure, Eve may have started it, but what about me? What could I do to develop that noble character that every woman desire but fall short?

In Exodus 14:13-14, Moses told the Israelites that all they had to do was stand still and they would be delivered from the Egyptians. He said, “Stand firm…” Just believe. Isaiah 7:9b said, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” Wow! Such a strong statement, yet so true.

I’ve come to realize that no matter how close my Egyptians (whether it be financial, mental, or physical challenges) are, God is able and willing. All He requires of me is that I stand firm in my faith. Trust Him. Trust in Him. Believe that He is able and willing to deliver me from all of my troubles for today. And tomorrow when I wake up, He is already there ready to assist me. So if I desire to develop that noble character of mine, I need to stand still, even with the challenges approaching and surrounding me.

Lord, thank you for your faithfulness toward my anxieties. Help me to be still enough to see, and to hear, to feel Your presence in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

God came through once again

2007-12-19T12:31:00.000-08:00

Dear Sisters,

When we least expect it God is faithful and delivers us from our most stressful moments and causes. Yesterday, I have received the most incredible gift of all, a new washer. My washer broke two weeks ago and I've been asking God for it. Now, God has delivered. Not just a replacement, but a brand new washer. Isn't that incredible? Thank you for those of you who prayed for my situation. Thank you to the one who gave. God bless you all. It can only get better.

Please, be encouraged, for God sees your needs as well.

Christ alone brings peace,

Shoua

A woman of noble character is being refined?

2007-12-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
Job 23:10

I’ve worked very hard on trying to enjoy Christmas even on this interesting journey that God has put our family on, but I think last evening really showed the true nature of me. My son, Jamin and daughter, Tabitha (a second grader and kindergartener, respectively) have asked me to buy them each a book for their class Christmas exchange program. I’ve put it off for two weeks, and finally, yesterday, afternoon, my son came home from school; and as soon as he entered the front door, he said “mom, this is the last day I have to bring that book.”

“Really?” I asked. I really wished that he would’ve forgotten about it instead. Financially, it is not possible. You see, for the last several years, I’ve lost two accounts for my quilting work ( I don’t call it business because it’s not really a business, just a little work to supplement the income) and the one account that I’ve have is cutting back because she’s getting ready to retire and her biggest wholesaler is quitting. So, we are really pinching our pennies. Yes, even a dollar for a book is hard to come by. I am counting my blessings for we’re not homeless.

Anyway, I had to go to the UPS Store to send my finish quilt tops off to the shop, so I decided that I will take two dollars off of the gas envelope so my children will not have to show up without a present for exchange, but my attitude was very “sour”. I was not a happy camper. When we arrived at the UPS Store, the lady charged me more than I’ve expected it. I said, “I thought that it was cheaper to ship to a business? It normally only cost me $8+, not $9+.”

“Well, this is the cheapest price we’ve got. It might have gone up just a tat,” she said firmly.

Well, what choice do I have but to ship the package? I wanted the money to come back on time for Christmas. As you know, (if you’ve been following all of my bloggings on other people’s blogs), I’ve not bought any presents. So, I barely smiled back at the clerk when I left the store. Then, just as we were getting in the car, my children were all wondering if I was really going to take them to store.

“Mom, I thought you was going to take me to Dollar Tree?” Jamin asked.

“Mommy, and me, too. Are you going to buy a book for me, too?” Tabitha asked.

“Mommy, can I get a Christmas card for my teacher, please? I want to give her a present and I want a card to go with it. Can I please, Momma?” said Gaosoua.

“Hey, children, settle down. If I said, I’m going to take you then I’m going to take you, okay?” I said. Ohhhh, I felt awful. Where was my noble character? “Help me, God. I’m trying to stay humbled and kind. I am not going to take that bait. I am going to remain calm and cherry,” I said under my breath.

“Sorry! Just asking?” said Gaosoua. Just then, my oldest daughter, Abia, has arrived home and had called to check in, wondering where we were. I told her we were at Dollar Tree and to keep the doors locked. I parked the car in the parking lot, and everyone was trying so hard to keep mommy at peace. They were all trying to get little Elizabeth off of her car seat. I brushed Gaosoua off the car, and picked up Elizabeth. I carried her off into the store with the rest of them trailing behind.

As we approached the door, they all rushed before me, and Tabitha said, “Mommy, here’s the paper wrappers,” point at the gift wraps beside the entrance.

“We’re not buying any wrappers. We have plenty of them at home,” I said.

Then, we stopped at the card stand, and Gaosoua panicked, “mom, there’s no Christmas cards for teachers. All of these cards are for someone in the family (not her exact words).”

“Go on the other side,” I said with a moaning sigh still carrying Elizabeth on my hip and leading the way. We finally picked up two cards, one for my mom and the other for her teacher. Then, we walked to the books. They each picked a book to their liking (I tried to influence them to buy a “better” book, but of course they were determined to buy their choice of books). Finally, we’re at the check-out line, and I realized that we have no scotch tapes. “So, I’m going to have to spend more than $3. Oh, well,” I thought.

We paid for the merchandizes and left for the car. Elizabeth was just as happy as can be. And, she had nothing in her hands. She didn’t even get to walk around the store. Everyone was happy, except mommy. What was wrong with the picture? Well, basically, I only had $20, and I’ve spent $14. Now, I’m down to $6 and still need toilet tissues, napkins, and wash our clothes at the laundry mat because our washer is broken. So, I was as sour as can be, but deep down I knew that God has blessed us beyond comprehension. So, I got in the car, turned on the engine, and turned on the Christian music station.

I was determined to my noble character, so I came home with Abia waiting at the door without opening the door, of course that was her order-whenever mommy is out of the house, no one is to open the door, whatsoever, unless of course there’s a fire. The only wrong thing was she was standing at the door, so if I was a crook, I open the door, and there’s my target. Anyhow, I smiled, walked to my room, dropped my handbag on my bed and walked right out to prepare supper.

I knew in my heart that I’ve lost my “noble character” yesterday. I was so upset because I had little less than what I needed. If God was to test me yesterday, I didn’t come forth as gold. Thankfully, our Father is full of grace and mercy. He said, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver, I have tested you in this furnace of affliction.”

I know this Christmas will continue to present its challenges, but I also know that God is faithful and just and will not let me face these circumstances beyond what I cannot bear. So, the next time you feel a little less noble; remember God is still refining you as He still is refining me. In building this noble character, I’ve learned to rely on God alone because to be called a “woman of noble character,” “a woman after God’s own heart,” “a virtuous wife,” etc. only God can know and refine us well enough to come forth as gold.

Lord, I am so glad You are lord over my life. Forgive me for being so sour yesterday. Thank you for the peace of today. Help me to reflect on Your love for us this Christmas. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Stalling for Time

2007-12-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

Dear Faithful Friends,

As the Holidays approach, let's not forget what this season is really about.

I will be back to write soon. I must go run my errands now before the UPS store closes.

In the meantime, be thinking of reasons why you would stall for times during this season.

Always,

Shoua

A woman of noble character captures her enemies

2007-11-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

“Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” (Song of Songs 2:15)

A woman of noble character captures her enemies. She recognizes that in the midst of her relationship with Jesus, she has enemies who try to ruin her believe, her faith, her courage, and her strength (all of these are in the process of continual growth). She takes actions to put her enemies in captivity. A woman of noble character recognizes that this is her charge from God. It is an order. A challenge, in which, God calls her to be obedient through her actions. God says, “Catch ...” In other words, take action.

A woman of noble character recognizes that she benefits from the actions she takes. “Catch for us…” God didn’t say “catch for me,” He said “catch for us.” He wants her to recognize that she will benefit from her actions to contain the enemies. This reminds me of our children’s sports participation. Every time our children participate in a sport, we cheer for them, we can very well play for them, but it gets us excited just from watching them play, because they make us proud when they play well. We stand on the sideline and cheer, calling out their names, telling them to take actions that we see that can lead them to victory. Our benefit of their victory is pride of conveying the strategies for them to bring on that victory. Their benefit is the pride in recognizing the strategies that we or their coaches give to them and put them into actions to bring on the victory. Thus, we all benefit from the same victory, but from different perspectives. A woman of noble character recognizes that the benefit of victory is hers as well as God’s.

A woman of noble character recognizes her enemies in disguise, little foxes. Little foxes, Biblical terms, represent mischievous annoyances or behaviors. Thus, God is calling, charging her to take actions to keep these behaviors from disturbing her peace, spiritual growth, graces, comforts, faith, etc. In order for her relationship with God to grow progressively in the right direction, a woman of noble character must catch her little behaviors that hinder her spiritual growth. Notice, the verse says “little foxes”. Small things, small actions, or small behaviors that seem harmless can lead to dangerous and disastrous outcome.

Let me share with you my personal experience. In my early years of ministry with my husband, I became interested in horoscopes. I didn’t actually believe in them, but I liked reading them because it was fun. Sometimes, it seemed obvious that it was totally out of reach, but sometimes it was so real that it produced “wows” for me. I didn’t go out and buy them, but I read them in magazines while waiting at the doctor’s offices or in line at grocery stores, even in Penny Savers paper. While reading them, I knew that God ultimately holds the power over all things. I also knew it was sinful to believe in horoscopes and palm reading. But, I thought it would do no wrong to read just to pass the time. And, it wasn’t that I read it everyday. It was only once in awhile.

However, little by little I was taken by it. I was consumed with its skeptical view of my God’s love. I was placing my hopes in it. I read it and waited for the outcome. When it didn’t come true, I would be disappointed.

Fortunately, God loved me enough to call me back: every night when I fell into a partial sleep, a black spirit would fly in from the window (I could hear the cold swashing sound) to consumed my body, it started from my feet: my feet felt numb and it quickly passed up my body. I was totally immobile until I called on the name of Jesus, then it disappeared and I was free again. This continued more and more often until it happened even when I took naps in the day time. I was afraid and confused.

But, what finally turned me around was the fact that the enemy used my husband’s hands to choke me one night. As we were sleeping, I felt his hands clutched around my throat, choking me. As I struggled to break free and called on the name of Jesus Christ to help me, I felt his body turned completely to the other side and released my neck. I elbowed him and yelled at him for choking me, “Why were you choking me?”

“What are you talking about?” he said as he turned his head toward me. “I didn’t choke you. You must have been dreaming.”

“I was not dreaming. I felt you choked me and you just turned around right now,” I said as I struggled to catch my breath.

“I didn’t choke you. You must be crazy,” he said.

I was so puzzled by the whole deal. I couldn’t find a reason why my husband was trying to choke me. I knew we were having problems, but it was not enough to take my life. I was restless. I prayed to God to help me. He revealed to me that I was placing my hopes and faith in the wrong places. While it started as an innocent time passing action, it took my attention from God’s love to the hope that the little readings of the horoscope would come true for me, instead of believing in God’s provision for me. I kneeled down to pray and cast out the spirit of darkness in the name of Jesus. I repented and God set me free.

A woman of noble character does not practice sinful acts or believes. She does not allow the little foxes, whatever hindrances, to interfere with her spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ which is in constant growth (this is the most dangerous time). Isaiah 7:9b warns that, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.” A woman of noble character captures her enemies, preventing them from disturbing her faith in Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank for your constant love and encouragements for your children, teaching us to take the necessary actions to prevent our enemies from destroying our spiritual growth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Woman of Noble Character Recognizes Her Beauty Through God’s Eyes

2007-11-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

“You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you (NASB)…You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes with one jewel of your necklace (NIV)” – Song of Songs 4:7, 9

Previously, I’ve mentioned that God calls us “darling…my beautiful one.” That God valued us. He cares about us. He loves us. Thus, a woman of noble character recognizes her worth: she knows that she is worthy, she is valuable and she is His masterpiece. Today, I want to go into dept on God’s view of her beauty. He says, “You are altogether beautiful, my darling, and there is no blemish in you.” Not only are you beautiful, but “… there is no blemish in you.” A woman of noble character recognizes that God’s view of her beauty is much more important and worthy.

A woman of noble character understands that in God’s eyes, she is perfect. He created her in His own image. He is the potter and she is the clay. He chose to put a certain formula into the creation of her. And, when He finished, He said it is good. She’s good. He loves her just the way she is. He sees no blemish. He’s very pleased with her. He put that mole there for His enjoyment. The freckles on her face are there for His enjoyment. Whatever she doesn’t like about herself, He put it there for His enjoyment. And, if she is displeased with any part of her, He is sad because in His eyes, “there is no blemish in you.” He sees her as altogether beautiful. A woman of noble character recognizes that she is altogether beautiful without any blemish.

A woman of noble character recognizes that her glance steals the heart of God. “You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes.” A woman of noble character recognizes that when she looks up to God, He is pleased. In the New American Standard Bible, it says “you made my heart beat faster”. She gave Him a glance and His heart skips, beats, or is stolen.

This reminds me of the time when we were teaching little Elizabeth how to kiss. We would point to our cheek and repeat the word “kiss”. And when she finally recognized our instruction and followed, we were all so happy. We laughed, we clapped our hands, and tried to make her repeat the process. Just as we were happy to see Elizabeth’s kiss, so God’s heart leaps for joy when we glance at Him because He sees no blemish in us, but beauty. He enjoys our beauty-His creation. He enjoys, even our glances.

A woman of noble character glorifies His name forever with the satisfaction of her own being. She’s happy with the way she looks, the way she talks, and the talents she has. Her only desire is to gaze upon God’s love and beauty and to make His heart jump for joy because He has captured her glance and still sees no blemish.

Father God, thank You so much for the love You’ve faithfully demonstrated to us. Thank You for seeing us more than we see ourselves. Help me to see myself as precious, beautiful and without blemish; to enjoy the true beauty You’ve created in me. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

A woman of noble character recognizes her worth in seasons of life

2007-11-09T11:14:00.000-08:00

“My lover spoke and said to me, ‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! the winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of the doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” –Song of Solomon 2:10-13

I’ve never really acknowledge Song of Solomon as love relationship between Christ and our human soul. I’ve always dismissed it as love conversations between human lovers and never took it seriously. So, as this is my devotion today, God revealed a beautiful message that gave me a new meaning from the above passage:

1) A woman of noble character recognizes her worth. God calls her His “darling,” His “beautiful one”. Wow! He says, “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, ..” What a wonderful value He has placed her. As a woman of noble character, she recognizes her worth as dearly loved, cherished (Dictionary.com), one who is highly valued by God.

A woman of noble character recognizes that she is His masterpiece, His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). And He created her for His enjoyment, for His purpose. She is His beautiful one. That means He loves her. He loves her. And now, He’s calling her to rise up. He wants her to get up from whatever problem she may be drowning herself in. His command is firm and loving. He’s calling her to rise up, get up. A woman of noble character recognizes that she’s not glued to the ground, to her problems, or her situations. Get up. Arise! No matter how she looks at herself, she is His darling, His beautiful one and He calls her to rise up.

2) A woman of noble character recognizes His instructions. His second command was to “come with me.” “Come with me,” He says. He doesn’t just want her to get up and stand there. He wants her to come with Him. He wants her to take action; follow Him. He has many things to show her. A woman of noble character longs to see God’s vision for her life. She wants to see what God wants to show her. If you are that woman, follow Him. He’s saying “come with me”.

3) A woman of noble character recognizes the end of her winter season. She knows that her rains are over and gone. “See! the winter is past; the rains are over and gone.” Whatever her problem is, it’s gone. It is done with. Her season of troubles is gone. There’s no more. Therefore, rise and come with Him.

This message reminds me of a time when my children played tags, my oldest son grabbed a hold of my baby girl’s shirt tail. He wouldn’t let her go. She pulled a couple of times, but couldn’t break free. So, she stood there and wailed. After a few minutes, I commanded him to let her go, he let go, but she stood there and cried as if he was still holding on to her shirt. I called out to her to come, but she stood there and cried pitifully. I kept on calling, and it finally dawned on her that she was free. Sometimes, we are like my baby girl. We stand there and cry. If that’s you today, God is telling you that your “winter is past; the rains are over and gone.” Rise up and follow Him.

4) A woman of noble character recognizes her spring season. “Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.” Wow! God reminds her that after the winter, spring does come. And He calls out to her and reminds her that it is time to get up and see the flowers bloom and smell the fresh fragrances. She recognizes that there’s sunshine after the rain. She understands that in the spring, flowers bloom, trees buds, grass turn green. She understands that every circumstance brings with it many benefits: After every crisis; she’s wiser, she gains knowledge, finds directions. She gets the answer to her prayers. A woman of noble character recognizes her spring season and rises up to follow God. She hears His voice calling out, “Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.” And, she follows.

Father God, You're awesome. Thank You for reminding me that I am your darling and beautiful one, that I hold value in Your eyes and You love me. Help me to recognize Your calling voice to come with You; to recognize that my problems are behind me. Help me to see and enjoy the benefits of springtime; the answers to my prayers. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

A Woman of Noble Character abides in Jesus, part II

2007-11-05T12:47:00.000-08:00

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you,” (John 15:7, NASB).

Last week, I wrote that a woman of noble character abides in Jesus. Today, I want to take you to the second part of the verse; “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…” Now, not only will you abide in Jesus, but if His words abide in you, you can have anything you ask in Jesus’ name and it will be yours. There are three ways His words can remain in you:

1. Read the Bible daily and let it be your guide. Before you take on the challenges of the day, take out your Bible and spend 5 to 10 minutes a day, reading the Bible.

I used to think, “with my schedule, I’ll just read when I have time.” But, before I knew it, time flew by without notice. Day after day, I still didn’t read the Bible. The point is you don’t ever have time. Everyone has only 24 hours in a day. You just have to prioritize and make time for God. When you pray, you’re talking to God, but when you’re reading the Bible, God is talking to you. And, without reading, you may be missing your message from God for the day. So, a woman of noble character spends time reading the Bible, or allowing God’s words to abide in her. You’ll be surprise what message God will give you to live on that day.

I remember a time when I was reading through the Old Testament and I was so bored, but I felt led to read through the whole Bible slowly so that I would understand the Word. I was at the part where they were being told to follow all the different sacrifices to God and I couldn’t find any application to me whatsoever, so I prayed, “God, I’m sure you brought me here for a reason. But, I don’t see any applications here for me and I’m getting really bored. Please, show me Your message.” And, as I was reading through Numbers 33, God spoke to me through verses 55-56. God showed me that I had a lot of bitterness to get rid of. In order to receive a new life, a new beginning, I must get rid of all my bitterness and unforgiveness. God showed me what my next step was, even in the most unexpected places.

2. Memorize the verses that jump out at you while you were reading. I’m sure there were times when you’re reading a chapter or two and certain verses stood out that really touched you in a special way no one else would have the same effect. That is your message from God.

There was a group of Christian women who gathered together monthly, and during those times, they would play games, eat and pray together. Well, as they were playing a game, the leader brought out a board with John 3:16 written on it. However, there were some words that were missing. The rest of the ladies were to complete the verse by filling in the missing words. Much to the surprise of the leader, the women didn’t know the verse. They all knew what it says, but they couldn’t remember well enough to complete the verse and she had to give them the answers.

My point is, memorize the verses well enough to fill in the blank. Know what the verse says and means. When you know the Bible, you know God’s character; you understand His heart; you know how and what to ask for in prayer which will always be a yes, because you would never ask anything that is not aligned with His will for your life. After all, you are a woman of noble character who God dwells within.

Allowing His words to abide in you is also a map for you to live a live pleasing to Him. Psalm 119:105, “Your word is lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” His word will guide you and teach you in the direction which you should go. His word will give you the advice you need to make the right decision. His word will give you discernment on a critical issue in your life. His word will give you wisdom and understanding on raising your children or honoring your husband. His word is your map, your direction, your guide to live a holy life while you’re on earth. And, I cannot imagine any woman of noble character who does not want to follow His lead; or, anyone who could truly be a woman of noble character without His words abiding in her.

3. Put His words into actions. Act out His words. Live it out. John 15:16 (NASB) says, “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” We are to bear fruit of whatever we learn. What’s knowledge without actions? If we learn what His words say and we know it, but we never put it into actions, then we are not truly His friends; we have not truly allowed His words to abide in us. John 15:14 says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” His command is that we live our lives to bring Him glory by putting His words into actions so that the world may see our good deeds.

As women (wives) of noble character, we need to abide in Jesus and allow His words to abide in us. In order for His words to abide in us, we must read the Bible daily, memorize the verses that stood out to give us directions, and live out what you learn from His words. And, you will truly experience the blessings of the woman of noble character.

Come on over to www.mrsproverbs31.com

2007-11-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I've not been blogging since August. I took some time off to build a better blog site to serve you. I pray that you will visit my new website at www.mrsproverbs31.com. Once in a while I will post the same blog on here as well as Mrs. Proverbs31. However, my energy will be spent at MrsProverbs31. So, come on over and let's learn together.

See you there,

Mrs. Proverbs31

A Woman of Noble Character abides in Jesus, part I

2007-11-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you,” (John 15:7, NASB).

A woman of noble character abides in Jesus out of willing obedience. In order for us to truly understand what it means to abide in Jesus, we need to understand what abide means. Abide, in www.dictionary.com, means to “remain, to continue, or stay;” or “to continue in a particular condition, attitude, relationship, etc. lasting.” Thus to abide in Jesus is to remain, continue or stay in Jesus.

When you stay with someone, let’s say your husband, you talk to him, you stay in a visible distance. You can hear his voice and he can hear you. You know his whereabouts. You know his character. You know what he likes to eat and how he eats. You know what kind of clothes he wears. You can smell his fragrance. And, you know his attitudes toward certain topics or subjects. In the same way, when you remain or stay in Jesus, you know Him. You understand His desires for you life. You practice His rules and commands. You know what He likes and what He doesn’t like. You know that He is present in your life. And, you abide in Him passionately.

A woman of noble character desires to have this intimate relationship with Jesus because Jesus is the good shepherd and He knows us. If we are His sheep, we also know Him (John 10:14). And, if we know Him, we will recognize His voice when He calls us and we will follow Him (John 10:27). To know Jesus is wisdom above all else. Ephesians 3:19 says that “…to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” When you know Jesus, when you abide in Jesus, then, you are filled with the fullness of God. And, that’s being a woman of noble character.

The business side of Mrs. Proverbs 31

2007-08-17T13:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I've posted an article by Rob Parnell. If you are interested in his tips, go to www.writersecret.com.

This week, I want to give you an opportunity to evaluate a possible business on the side. If you enjoy reading books and writing, you need to see this. The website is: www.bookwise.com/shoualo.

I want you to know, I am working to give you more information than just give you Spiritual encouragements. However, your Spiritual Relationship is more important than anything else. I have so much I want to share with you. But, now I must go and prepare supper for my family, one of my important duties.

Come again.

Revealed - the ROAD MAP by Rob Parnell

2007-08-08T12:40:00.000-07:00

There's no secret to success. As the saying goes, success leaves clues. There is a map.
Ask anyone who believes they're successful and they will happily tell you about it - the right moves they made, the deals they struck, whatever. They may have worked hard, they may have been lucky, they may have found a secret of their own.
It's individual.

What's clear is that there are as many ways to become successful as there are people. This is good news. It means that YOUR way may not yet have come to pass. It just needs YOU to do it.
Success in writing is often nebulous. Our friends and families might only regard us as successful if we get on the news or get a mention in Who's Who, but this is wrong.
A successful person is happy, is not hampered by what they can and can't do, and is to some extent in control of their destiny.

How does this apply to writers? Well, a successful writer is a person who makes a living from it, enjoys what they're producing and has some idea where they're going - and feels capable of getting there.

You don't need to be rich and famous to be successful as a writer. You can be a good writer - and successful because you don't have to do anything else to keep yourself afloat.
There are thousands, hundreds of thousands of writers that do this.
To constantly compare yourself to JK Rowling and Dan Brown and feel like you're a failure is ridiculous - and yet writers do it all the time!

Does a bricklayer worry because he hasn't been asked to create another Hadrian's wall?
Does your average engineer worry because they haven't built a bridge as good as one of Brunel's?

Does a doctor feel a failure because he's not Sir Hans Christian Barnard?
Perhaps.

To become a successful writer you need to travel the ROAD. And, in this case, ROAD means:

Read, Observe, Acquire (skills) and Do.

R.O.A.D. Geddit?

Writing is about talent sometimes but most times it's about learning the craft. Reading books and observing people and events will get you a long way into the mindset of a writer. Then, acquiring the skills necessary to put your thoughts on paper is the lifelong task. Knowing grammar, correct punctuation, stylistic elements and developing simple communication skills may be something you learnt at school. But if you want to write for a living, you need to continue that education.

Especially if you want to dedicate your writing to particular areas - be it fiction, non-fiction, article writing or whatever. You need to study those areas to familiarise yourself with the territory and know how to compete.

And what about the map I mentioned?

MAP is an acronym which stands for: Motivation, Application and Persistence.

This map will get you wherever you want to go, whatever your goal.

During the motivation phase you need to come up with lots of reasons why you want to succeed at a particular task. Motivation is not a mood. You can't wait around for it to strike. You can't buy it at the 7-11. It's a force within that is waiting to be unleashed. You have to know what you truly want. You need to think about it and latch on to that special something that makes you excited, gives you pep to continue, get you up in the morning with a fire in your heart.
Too many of us ignore the spark - the thing that will make us special - in favor of the mundane, the workaday, the 9 to 5. Find your spark, your spirit enclosed, and free it.

Application is what you do - your efforts, your sweat, your dedication. Here's a clue. Every day, make a list of five things you need to do to achieve your goals. Then pick the one that will give you the most pleasure, the one that will fill your wings and help you soar. That's application.

Persistence? It speaks for itself. Once you know you're good at what you do - and that means learning the skills and requirements of your chosen field - you have to keep going. Many writers stop or get disheartened too early, before they really know whether they can be successful. Mistake. You have to believe in what you do. If you don't, you need to return to the motivation stage and work out what it is that you want. You can't follow the MAP otherwise. Persistence only works if you believe what you're doing is right.

Rejection and lack of interest will kill you if you don't believe in yourself and your work. The good news is that if you do believe in what you do and persist, that puts you in the top 1% of creative talent. Your work and enthusiasm will carry you forward and onward.
So remember. You may not have the secret. But you do have the ROAD MAP!

Keep writing!

Rob@easywaytowrite.comCreating Better Writershttp://easywaytowrite.com
============================================QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Writers will happen in the best of families."
Rita Mae Brown

You're Not the One

2007-07-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

One of the stories that really touched my heart is the story of David, Israel’s king. David had a thought as he was basking in God’s love. He wanted to build a house for God (the ark). So, God revealed His plan for David. 2 Samuel 7:1-17 tells us that as David revealed his plan to Nathan and Nathan blessed David’s decision, God came to Nathan saying “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever (vs.12-13).” In other words, God is telling Nathan to tell David he’s not the one to build the house for God.

God is telling David that He has taken good care of him so far and will continue to care for him until he dies. God raised David to be Israel’s king, to unify the nation of His people, but David will not be the one to build His house. He has already had someone else in line to do that job. And for David to build the God’s house would not be His Will.

We each have a specific task which God sent us to complete. However, some of us may not see it as a blessing or that we’ve done enough, so we may want to do more for Him. As you rest in your comfortable home and life, are you thinking as David had? Do you want to do more for God than He has intended for you to do? Are you planning to do something not aligned with God’s will for your life?

I urge you to pray for God to reveal His will for your life today. As He has said in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, …” Cling onto His Word and pray for Him to reveal that plan so that you can get on with it.

Father, You are awesome and majestic. We praise you and give you thanks for the many wonderful blessings you have poured upon us. Teach us to align our plans with Your Will for our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.

What's on your mind?

2007-07-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

I have a little 15 months old girl. And, I am amazed at her awareness of my whereabouts. It doesn't matter where I'm at, she will always find me when she needs me. Today, she came knocking on my bedroom door, calling me. As soon as I opened the door, she giggled and raised up her hands as if she was saying, "pick me up, mommy." I picked her up and she curled up with both of her arms around my neck. "Aaah, you poo poo hah?" I said as I rubbed her back gently. With her on my left side, I grabbed her towel and she gave me a big smile.

Elizabeth is an active child, so she only comes to me when she's hungry, sick, tired, or as in the case above has a dirty diaper. But, as a mother, I know that she comes to me because she knows I know her: I understand her feelings. I can identify the need by the way she cries. And, it got me thinking about how God knows us:

Revelation 2:2 "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance".

Revelation 2:9 "I know your affliction and your poverty-..."

Revelation 3:8 "I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name."

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,..."

God knows us. He knows what's in our mind before we say anything. Luke 5:22, "Jesus knew what they were thinking..." He knows. He understands us. And, no matter how many passages I provide you with, the fact remains: God knows.

So, I hope as Elizabeth knows when to come to me and for what reason, that you also know God and when you need God that you know how to find Him.

Father, bless all of us women, men and children alike. We are grateful that we can come to you in our greatest desperation and you will comfort us. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Pull Your Weeds

2007-07-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

It's been nearly two months since I blog. I know. I know. Every time I dedicate myself to do better, I ended up doing worse. It's like the Apostle Paul said, I do the things I know I shouldn't do and don't do the things I know I should. It is human nature, but still is no excuse.

Anyway, I've been dreaming away with the "urgencies" and not the "importance", so as I was responding to life's urgencies, I've neglected not only you readers, but I've neglected my garden as well. It had been a week since I stepped outside to look at my garden for two reasons: 1) I was plainly busy, 2) it was raining. I simply couldn't go pull weeds in the rain. When it finally stopped raining, I went out and no longer could I see my veggies. My garden was covered with grass weeds. And, my plants shrank. I couldn't believe my eyes. Has it been that long? I had no idea. I had to register it into my mental box and get out there as soon as possible.

After a few days, I went back outside to pull all the weeds out. I thought to myself, "how in the world am I going to pull all these mess out?" I felt like running my lawn mover over it, but a voice inside said, "pull one at a time, before you know it, you will be finished." So, I began pulling the grass and weeds one handful at a time. And as I was pulling the weeds out, I was bitten by mosquitos and ants. I get bad infections with ant bites and quite itchy with mosquito bites. But, two hours went by and I finished one half of the garden. I was impressed with myself.

I started to wonder about my life's mess. financial debts, depression, children's behavior, house cleaning, etc. I felt out of touch with reality. Sometimes, I would sit there in front of my computer reading my emails, but understood nothing. A few hours later came back to read the same emails over again because I didn't delete them (weed it out). That process ate so much of my time. As much as I wanted to get rid of the mess in my life, I had no clue until I was pulling the weeds out of my garden. So, could I pull my life's weeds one handful at a time? Could I get it finished as quickly as I did my garden? My life was a mess. It still is, but I have peace now: One weed at a time, one day at a time.

Our Spiritual life have weeds, too. If we don't tend our Spiritual life, it will get weedy and choke our energy, time and relationship with God. You know the: "I'll read the Bible when the kids go to bed" or "I'll pray when I'm able to concentrate on the words I want to say to God" or "I can only talk to God when I'm totally in tuned with myself." And, before you know it, you have lost your love for God. You're spiritually thirsty and hungry. Nothing is able to satisfy you. Nothing in life is going the directions you intended. Then, you wonder why God is not attending to your needs. Where is God when you need Him most? Right outside your door, ready to come in just as soon as you open it. Revelation 3:20 says; "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." Are you ready to enjoy great meals with God again? Make room for God's Word to grow in your life today. Pull out all those weeds. Get rid of the unnecessary things in your life. And plant God's Word into your life today. When you plant more fruits and vegetables (God's Word), they will choke the weeds to death and your life will be nothing less than fruitful.

Oh, what about the bites? Yes, when you pull out the weeds, there will definitely be painful bites. As I was bitten by the mosquitos and ants, I just kept on focusing on the maturity of the fruits and vegetables in my garden. I couldn't let the weeds or the bites get in the way of my vegetables' growth. So, when you pull the weeds of your life out, know that God has great things in store for you. Jeremiah 29: 11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you, ... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The bites are temporary. God's plan for you is the one to last forever. Listen, hear God, and obey. Spend time to get to know God. It is who you know that will prosper you. Sure, the ants and mosquitos will bite and weeds will come back, that's why the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:15-16 "Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." The more reasons to spend time with God. Plant God's Word in your life today. Start small. Memorize a verse for the entire week. And, when you don't know what to say to God in prayer, why don't you just repeat the verse back to God with your heart's participation (claim God's words to be your prayer). And, God will answer you.

May God bless you with His grace and mercy, today.

Shoua

What to say to God in the midst of trouble

2007-05-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is not fair, but it can be worse. When we think that it is the end of one problem, another one occurs. When we finally pay off one debt, a surprise bill arrives in the mail. When we are healed with one ailment, another health issue appears. So, when does it stop? Let me illustrate it with a couple of experiences of mine before I answer that question.

November of 2004 has got to be one of the worst month of the history of my life. I was driving on the same road, on different days, of course, but in the same month. I was convince that November and St. Andrews Road was cursed with destruction. Anyway, one of the thing was, my husband and I had just picked up some of the furnitures from his aunt who was moving away. So, we drove home with my husband ahead of us in his uncle's Toyota truck while I was driving my Toyota Previa (in case you don't know much about cars like me, that's a van) with my daughter (at the time she was only two years old) sleeping in her carseat. We were fine until we were about two miles away from our home. My husband had passed the light and I had just passed it about 20 ft. when I heard this sqeaking noise-more like ewwwwbonk.

Yep, you guessed it. I was reared ended. My bumper was dented and my china cabinet was broken (without my knowledge), but the lady begged and begged. "What the heck were you in such a hurry for!", I yelled. She acknowledge my anger with "I'm so sorry. I just came from the Kroger pharmacy. I have this terrible allegy. I didn't feel good. I tried to stop, my car just slipped." And, she continued to beg me not to call the police because her insurance would kick her out if they knew that she was involved in another accident. "Please, please, please? I'm begging you. Please." At the time she seemed serious about paying for the damage (no, she didn't pay). So, my husband took down her information, and I was to take my car to the garage she specified and she would than pay for the damage.

Now, before that issue was resolved (It never was, I just decided to forgive her and myself for believing her and went on with my life), I sent my kids to school and came back home on the same road. I remember I was following the bus and a compact car with a sticker saying, "children study better hungry". I also remembered following several cars. I mean the road was busy. I remembered looking at my speedometer and saying to myself, "oops! I'm driving too fast." I was driving 45 mph. So, I slowwwed down. Suddenly, from the time I was aware of my speed to the time the police stopped me, it was just two miles, no more. All the cars in front and behind me disappeared into thin air, except the cop. Aaaaaagh.

Let me tell you, I've never been so afraid. But, waittt! As it wasn't bad enough, my daughter-yes the same two year old daughter-got out of her carseat, came in between the two front seat, stuck her head right beside me and said, "hi", waving her hand at the police. I closed my eyes, tilt my head back (ouch, my neck was stiffed from stress), and said, "Tabitha!". The officer looked at me with sincere acknowledgement and said, "it's alright, I saw her before she got out of her seat." Whew. I was ticketed for violating school speed zone, only.

I was so afraid. I had never been stopped by an officer before. Never, not while I was driving. I was miss perfect. And, oh, I was talking to God before I was caught, too. So, I relunctantly took the ticket from the officer, put my daughter back in her carseat, buckled myself, and shifted the gear onto "D", and continued my conversation with God. "God, how could you allow this to happen to me. I was talking to you. To You. How could you! When will this stop?" Shaking my stiffed neck, "So, is this what you want me to write about? Will this experience help someone someday?" His voice was soft and affirmative, "My grace is sufficient for you."

Just thinking about it right now, stresses me out. But, knowing that God is in control. That He sees all the things that are happening in our lives. That He understands. And, He knows whether or not is our fault. And since, Christ is superior to all things above and below, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me", (Philippians 4:13), including the officer who had the audacity to hand me the ticket and wished me to have a good day. I can handle it.

God also gave me Hebrews 12:11 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." God loves us and wants the best for us. The wait may seem long and the troubles may seem like they will never end, but it will. We are commanded to wait patiently and understand that God is God and He has everything under control, including our enemies. This should be music to our ears.

Many years ago, a friend told me that when the evil spirits wrestles with him, he said, "go right ahead, I may die physically by your hand, but I will live in Christ. The sooner I die, the sooner I will be with Christ. Though, you may have my body, Christ has my life." That rings so true.

Proverbs 24:10 says, "If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your faith!" Ouch.

Remember Our God is not just any god, He says that He will supply all of our needs. Also, Psalm 16:7 says, "When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him." Wow! What a wonderful promise. That means that when we are obedient to His Word, He will cause our enemies to do things for our benefit. Our enemies will live in peace with us. Aaaaah! How sweet it is that I am a child of God. Remain in the Lord today and experience His grace and mercy, sufficient for all of your needs. Whatever problem(s), you may have right now, don't give up. Trust and expect God to answer you. Someone once said that if you pray for rain, bring an umbrella with you as you're heading out.

Until next time, have a blessed day.

Half-full

2007-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Good afternoon. I hope that all is well with all of you. I've already broken my promise to blog every week. It has been two weeks since I blogged. And this was only the beginning. I have no reason and no excuse. All I have is the truth: I was struck with depression and numbness. Actually, I began to blog before Mother's day. I had a beautiful peace to dedicate to my mother. I was almost finished when my computer went dead on me and it took all I had put into the blog. I was frustrated, so I stopped. Besides, my family had to eat.

Although, I had not had a chance to sit and put my thought together, one family occasion kept on nagging me. So, let's get on with it. Instead of continuing to justify why I chose Mrs. Proverbs 31, I want to turn your attention to something very familiar. Something that we hear all the time, but never really truly reflect or dwell on it too long or enough to recognize how it plays in our lives.

As I was driving down the highway with my children, my oldest questioned me about herself and how she should handle one of the comment she received from her school mates. I was in a pretty good mood, so I returned her question with a question. I said, "it all depends how you look at it. Is the glass half-full or half-empty?" And, before she could answer me, my son said, "you should always look at it as half-full, that way, you know that you will get more." I was totally awed by his explanation. Until that day, I've never gain the true meaning of that analogy. I congratulated my son for his insight, and my daughter gave him a nasty look. The sibbling war had begun.

The point I want to make here is that we are all love by the Lord. Each time we are given a special opportunity, we are to look at it as half-full so we make an effort to be sure we will receive the rest to fill it up. The Bible says that if we are not faithful to small things, how could he trust us with the bigger things? So, today, if you received something other than what you've expected. Less than you've imagined. Thank Him and believe that there's more where that came from. God loves you and continues to plan your future for you. Trust Him. Act on what you have right now and He will bring more to fill your glass.

I want to challenge you to live your life as though the glass is half-full. Keep it open to receive more. God is not finished with you yet.

See you soon.

Why MrsProverbs31

2007-04-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

When I chose this name for my blog, I know that many may think, "why MrsProverbs31?"
MrsProverbs31 is an inspiring character whom I hope to be one day. By far, I am not Mrsproverbs31. MrsProverbs31 is our space. Our community. A place for us to share our knowledge, strength, and wisdom. If you are anything like me, you will desire the character of the woman found in Proverbs 31:10-31.

The characters and strength of this woman: She is worthy (v.10, 25, 28, 29), well respected by her husband and children (v.11, 28), makes good choices (v. 12, 13, 18), a hard worker (v. 15, 17, 19, 21-22), compassionate (v.20), a business woman (v. 13, 18,), and wise (v. 25). Because of her strong character and faith, her husband gains respect from his neighbors and communities.

Due to my experiences in seeing so many women give up in living for Jesus because they just can't see themselves in the role of Proverbs 31's woman, I create this community hoping to inspire you to live by the characters of this woman. In a lot of ways, many of us are wearing many hats. We may not be as successful as this character, but we are in our own ways, Mrs. Proverbs 31. Most of us are mothers, wives, business professionals, and are highly respected, but we never view ourselves as Mrs. Proverbs 31. I think it is due to our own vision of her being the perfect woman. The Bible says, "noble" not "perfect."

But, the Bible also states that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 6:23). Because Mrs Proverbs 31 is a woman. She, too, fall short. She's noble as many of us are noble. But, only God alone is perfect and sinless. Agree? I sure hope so. We fear judgements and criticisms. We fear failures. We fear . . .and we fear. . . and we fear. . . No matter what we feel inside today, I challenge you to live your God given call.

MrsProverbs31 should be every woman's goal in living to our fullest potential. She should inspire us to live by faith and in peace. If it wasn't possible, God would not have breathed the words into the author's heart to put into paper. Therefore, live for God, by God and in God alone. But, shine to the world in your living for Jesus.

More to come.

Meet MrsProverbs31

2007-04-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I have been studying a lot these days. Most of the studies that I do have to do with marketing and self-development materials. How I got here is this: About 9 months ago I started with Herbalife as an independent distributor because I was desperate to make a financial change in my life and my daughter Elizabeth was newly born, so I didn't want to leave home. Thus, my life with Herbalife began. No, I'm not going to sell you on Herbalife, but if you are interested, my website is still up. Check it out at www.shape-team.com. Though, I may take it down so that I can focus on MrsProverbs31.

Anyway, as I was working on recruiting new downlines, I realize how sad and upset people are. It began to burden me with thought of creating a home for people to come to and relax, get to know themselves better. Now, before I get you all confused in all, I had no knowledge of self-help products. Thanks to Herbalife and my upline team, I learned that I couldn't be successful unless I do some self-improvement studies. WOW! My initial thought was they promised to provide me with a proven step-by-step system. What in the world are they trying to take my money for now? Remember, money was an issue for me. Anyhow, as I started to recruit and more people say no to me, it began to weigh down on me heavily. I was angry at my mentor for lying to me that this was a simple business. All I needed was a willing spirit/attitude (That was my thought, not the true nature of my mentor).

Am I jumping all over the place? I hope not.

Back to the anger. I began to search what successful people have that I don't? What can I do to produce that happy jolly personality so that when people say no to me, it wouldn't hurt? The first book I turned to was: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I couldn't put it down (some parts are simply boring-the part about Carnegie and his steel plant got me lost). I grabbed onto anything I can get it cheap; marketing tools and whatever help I can get. I was desperate to succeed. Dispite all the grabbing and promoting, I realize I lack something: persistence and perseverance. Most of all, I hate calling people (I generally hate it when telemarketers call me, too). I dragged the "dials", the calls. The more people hung up on me, the more I desire to quit Herbalife, although they have fantastic products. I believe I can be successful because they have superb supporting systems and training, but boy, the calls? I was just not crazy about.

Anyhow, as I experienced more and more hung ups, I realize that a lot of people are still in the dark about life, about themselves. They may be clueless as to how to change their lives. They don't want to be sold, they want help. Although, Herbalife may be the ticket to many people's freedom, I lost my belief that it could be mine. I want to do something that would give people gratifications. And, because so many of the things that I learned are so good, I want to pass them down to people who desire a change in life. Thus, MrsProverbs31 is born. I have to admit that I got the name from reading The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer. So, thanks Joyce.

I chose MrsProverbs31 because she's a very knowledgeable individual. She's multi-tasked. A very hard worker, indeed. Many of us over-worked. You think about it, you as a women hold many positions: You are a mother (if you are), a wife (if you are), you volunteer at your children's school, you may play the piano at church, or lead the church choir, you have your day work to earn money, you transport your children to and from places, etc., etc. But, when you get stuck or want more in life, where's the one place you can turn to? Hopefully, it would be MrsProverbs31

So, my goal with MrsProverbs31 is to provide self-help resources to all women. We as women are so multi-tasked and not very much appreciated. Since I'm still at the learning phase, I would hope that many of you who are experienced in certain areas would be willing to share your expertise in your area. In return, you get your free advertisement through me and you provide chance for those who are desperate to change but have no way out-this is the greatest reward of all.

More to come later.

MrsProverbs31

P.S. please let me know what you think. This is a beginner's idea. Please, be gentle, but frank and honest. How else do you think I will learn?