Posted in Uncategorized on October 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »
By Emi Iwanaga
“In the day when I cried out,
You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.”
Psalms 138:3 NKJV
CROSSROADS ON THE PATH OF LIFE
Choosing Resilience
When Catastrophe hits, crossroads
Choices — resistance or resilience
Accept defeat, Lunge forward to persevere
Dwell in negative, Live in faith
Dig in your heels and veer, Lift up your eyes and soar
Posted in Uncategorized on October 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »
By Tina Teng-Henson
Loving Our Neighbors
After too many years of wondering if my husband John’s love for his parents might compel us to move to Louisville, Kentucky – which still might happen someday – there’s time to love the people we get to live next door to.
Three families all in a row have children who were born on July 14th! (Who knew Halloween was such a popular time for conception? ;D)
(more…)Posted in Uncategorized on October 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »
By Tina Teng-Henson
I love Ecclesiastes 3. We had it read at our wedding, 13 years ago. I still resonate deeply with its wise words. I find myself returning to it again and again these days, eager to let it form and shape me.
In the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition, it says that God has made everything “suitable” for its time. The NIV says he has made everything “beautiful” in its time. I prefer the diction of the NRSVUE. Because not everything is beautiful. But so many things I realize, are, indeed, suitable. “This works. That’ll do. We’re getting life done, and it’s good enough. Check.” I love beauty, but sometimes there’s not time for tweaking every last detail. Suitable works for me.
(more…)Posted in Uncategorized on October 17, 2023| Leave a Comment »
By Jerrica KF Ching
When I first learned that resilience was the topic of reflection, I immediately thought of what it means to be resilient in turbulent times of grief, loss, and trauma. As a practicing mental health counselor, learning resiliency is a theme that impacts children, adolescents, and adults alike.
Sometimes when I speak with clients about learning resiliency, they mistaken this to mean “getting over” a hardship, when it is a much more complex aspect to learn and is not so black and white. Clients describe being told by others that “things will get better” and some are under the impression that this means they will become happy, or it means that the distressing thought will go away.
(more…)Posted in Uncategorized on October 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »
By Melanie Mar Chow
Now that summer and vacations are almost a memory, I thought to share about a simple but important role of vacationing: to help us recover when we face life’s challenges.
Traveling is often fraught with surprises. As drivers make sudden U-turns in front of us, it begs prayers in utter panic in the fear of meeting head-on. Being spared from an accident is quickly acknowledged and composure restored, directing our thanksgiving for God’s protection.
(more…)Posted in Uncategorized on October 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »
By April Yamasaki
A few years ago, my husband and I received a calendar with inspirational sayings. I saved this one: “Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory.”
I thought of that saying when I received resilience as my topic for today. For although the quote doesn’t use the word, it’s really all about resilience. The quote starts with the ability to bear the hard thing —which lines up with dictionary definitions of endurance as “the ability to withstand hardship.” But the quote also goes beyond endurance to resilience — not only bearing the hard thing. but recovering from it and transforming it into something more, turning it “into glory.”
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