Posted in reflections, tagged fear, loneliness, marriage, missions, singleness on May 21, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography
By Ann Chen
“For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is his name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. Isaiah 54:5
Growing up, I’ve heard God described in many ways. Father, Provider, Healer, Shepherd, Redeemer, Husband. I’ve seen God demonstrate himself in so many ways as the first few, but husband? It’s such a hard concept to grasp. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged aging, family, flourishing, grandparents, legacy, role models on May 14, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
By Tina Teng-Henson
When my husband John and I really grow up, I hope we’re like our maternal grandparents.
On his side, MeMe and PawPaw shared 65 years of life and marriage together– raising four children in Louisville, Kentucky – who all went on to meaningfully serve Christ and kin in academia, business, and missions. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged calling, preaching, vocation on May 7, 2013 | 4 Comments »
Photo by bark
I was only a sophomore in high school, and preaching was one of the activities we had to do during a twelve-week discipleship class at church. I took the assignment quite seriously. Sure, the sermon wasn’t even mine since the requirement was to take one of my youth pastor’s sermons and preach from it, but I was the one up on the “pulpit”–a holy place where only the ordained ministers and laity could go up. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged community, questioning God, trials on April 30, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Photo by elbfoto
By Wendy Choy-Chan
Sadly, it was also a fever day for her, as we had failed to rid her of the nasty fever that had started two days ago. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged ancestry, culture gap, family, grandparents, parental approval, parents, patriarchy on April 23, 2013 | 6 Comments »
Photo by dok1
By Diana Gee
I did not know my maternal grandmother well. Come to think of it, I did not know any of my grandparents well. Both my grandfathers died when I was young, and language barriers kept me from conversing with my paternal grandmother, even though she was present throughout most of my life.
My mother’s mother, Poh Poh as I would call her, came into my life in the early 90s. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged conflict, culture, ethnicity, personality, saving face on April 16, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Photo by SodanieChea
By Tina Teng-Henson
I wonder if there’s a season in ethnic identity development where you feel like “your” ethnicity has the corner on all the tough stuff: Asian Americans have toxic shame…why can’t we communicate more directly?…Chinese immigrants are frugal to a fault (“cheap!”)…notoriously conflict-avoidant…always saving face.
Recently, I mediated a conflict between an Asian friend and a Latina friend – both dear to me, both unique and beautiful in their own right. Somehow, they’d become the best of friends in the fall – but then by December, something had shifted, and their friendship ended as unexpectedly as it began. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged growth, journey, meaning-making, memories, remembrance on April 9, 2013 | 4 Comments »
Photo by kennymatic
By Elizabeth Chang
Napkin dispenser.
Muffin.
Sea glass.
Porch swing.
Turkey, Muenster cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo on a roll.
Trampoline. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged comparison, competition, contentment, envy, materialism on April 2, 2013 | 2 Comments »
Photo by Www.CourtneyCarmody.com/
By Lia Huynh
I’ve been trying to keep to my exercise routine and while I’m on the treadmill, I’ve been watching a lot of reality shows lately like “‘Keeping up with the Kardashians.” Time flies when you’re with the Kardashian sisters. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged calling, chaos, journey, labyrinth, Lent, self-reflection, spiritual exercises on March 12, 2013 | 6 Comments »
Photo by StandUPP
The idea of a labyrinth was a rather foreign concept to me. I had briefly been introduced to it when I was in my first year in seminary, but it never occurred to me that it could be used as a powerful spiritual practice and tool for self-reflection. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged fear, missions, safety, security on March 5, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Photo by Evil Erin
By Ann Chen
For most of my life, the thought of going overseas as a missionary was practically non-existent. While I admired those that were “doing God’s work” in foreign lands, it just seemed a little too much out of my comfort zone.
I was a person that liked to play it safe. (more…)
