Posted in reflections, tagged Advent, fear on December 20, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by Sarah_Ackerman
By Liz Chang
When I was in high school, my youth group had a tradition of going to Six Flags Great Adventure in the summer. My favorite thing to do was play games and go home with five new stuffed animals. I enjoyed some of the rides, but I always avoided the tall roller-coasters. Rather, I was always willing to volunteer as bag-watcher when my friends wanted to go on the tall roller-coasters. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged holiness, politics, race on December 13, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by Ralph Daily
By Debbie Gin
I remember trying to grasp the fullness of God’s holiness when I was an MDiv student. I had grown up in the Holiness tradition, where personal piety and righteous living were highly valued. Being a pastor’s kid, no less, I wasn’t allowed to smoke, drink, do drugs, use “cuss” words (though, elementary-school-aged, I knew plenty — even wrote one on the wall of our apartment once because my sister made me SO MAD!). Those symbols of personal piety were the “normal” ones. As Nazarenes, however, we were also not allowed to dance or watch movies. (We, as a family, had to sneak into a showing of the original Star Wars, a year after it came on the scene, so that no one in our church would see us.) (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged Advent, tension, trouble, uncertainty on December 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by Caroline
By Sharon Lee Song
I have come to love the season of Advent, but perhaps not for the reasons that most might expect. Not for the twinkling of colorful lights, pine trees strewn with shiny baubles, and neatly wrapped gift boxes. The past few years at least, the season of Advent has not been one filled with joy. Instead, it has been sobering.
The tone that I have felt has been one that I think is closer to the reality of the time that Jesus came into the world. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged abundance, asking for help, generosity, giving and receiving on November 29, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by vtdainfo
By Dorcas Cheng-Tozun
The first time my husband and I lived overseas, we made one crucial mistake: we did not want to ask others for help.
When we were desperate, we would send out an email to a few close friends, like lighting a flare just as our ship was sinking. But we did not ask for any sustained form of support — emotional, spiritual, or otherwise. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged grace, illness, receiving on November 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by Moyan Brenn
By Vivian Mabuni
I got up earlier than normal one morning to fix lunch for my eleven year old, Michael. He looked at me and said, “Mom, you don’t need to make me lunches the next few days. I’m going to fast for you because I think it might help you during this round of chemo.”
“Really, are you sure, Buddy? I thought they were serving pizza this week.”
“Yeah, they are. But this is more important.”
Michael chose to fast for me during the week he would be helping out in the school lunch line. Helping in the lunch line was a privilege reserved only for sixth graders. Helpers enjoyed access to pizza. Not cafeteria pizza, but real pizza delivered by an actual pizza chain. Pizza rated near the top as one of Michael’s favorite foods. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged rest, self-care on November 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by Simon Matzinger
By Jerrica KF Ching
I believe that some of my fellow AAWOL sisters will agree that giving comes as second nature, while taking is quite a challenge. As Joy Wong pointed out in her most recent entry, the idea of taking brings upon shame, guilt, and doubt. What right do we have to take? Giving is meant to be selfless, so therefore how do we find the balance of channeling our gifts of leadership by giving and the need to compromise and rest by taking? (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged generosity, giving on November 8, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by steve p2008
By Melanie Mar Chow
One of the best books I’ve read about leadership is the 2013 bestseller and Oprah Winfrey book club recommendation, Give and Take by Adam Grant, a professor at the Wharton School of Business.
The book’s premise is that despite the perception that giving is costly, the counterintuitive reality is that being able to give in relationships to assist others will, in fact, benefit leadership. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged self-worth, shame on November 2, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by Joel Olives
By Joy Wong
In terms of “give-and-take” in relationships, this time in my life — as a full-time mom of two kids ages 3 and 1 — has definitely been a season of taking. Taking sounds easy, but for me, it’s not. I like to be the giver, the contributor, the leader — using my gifts and talents for the benefit of others. (Some may argue that I am, in fact, giving to my kids. This is true, but I am speaking in terms of my relationship with the church.) (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged finding one's voice, minority, parental approval, people-pleasing on October 25, 2016| 1 Comment »
Photo by Thomas Maluck
By Margaret Yu (originally written for International Womens’ Day, March 2014)
I don’t have many solid memories of myself as a child. However, the ones I do have are well-planted in my mind.
One memory I have is that of standing before my mirror. I was 7 years old and was preparing my look and outfit for a family photo. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged comfort zone, fear, pilgrimage on October 18, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Photo by Ramon Bacas
By Eun Joo Angela Ryo
I love to walk. I’m not a runner, but I’ve always considered walking to be a meaningful spiritual practice. However, when an opportunity to go on a Camino to Santiago de Compostelo by the Portuguese Way was offered to me, I hesitated. It would be with fifteen church ladies I didn’t know very well for two full weeks. We would start in Ponte de Lima, Portugal and walk about nine to thirteen miles a day for nine days to Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain. We would be walking a total of about a hundred miles in two weeks. (more…)
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