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Archive for the ‘reflections’ Category

Navigating Life’s Paths

Posted in reflections, tagged , on October 13, 2015| 1 Comment »

Photo by Seth Lemmons

Photo by Seth Lemmons

By Melanie Mar Chow

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
–Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

As a long-time advocate for disciple-making, mentoring and following Jesus, I have been thinking a lot recently about how we grow and find God’s guidance to navigate the challenges of life.  The writer of I John spends a lot of ink and paper to remind us the importance of what it means to be God’s children.  The bottom line is that as God’s children, our paths should direct us to God’s ways of life — but do they? (more…)

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Repurposing the Broken

Posted in reflections, tagged , , , on October 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Photo by col_adamson

Photo by col_adamson

By Diana Gee

If there was something that my dad truly loved aside from his family and fishing, it would be his late 70’s Dodge Ram van. Not of the generation that takes on debt, my father saved a pretty penny to purchase a van that was more steel-box than ram. We spent a lot of time in that van, especially going to lakes where fish lie waiting. But none spent more time on that van than my father. He spent countless hours studying the manual, tinkering with the mechanics and maintaining its life. (more…)

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Dealing with the “What-ifs?”

Posted in reflections, tagged , on September 29, 2015| 1 Comment »

Photo by Christopher Adams

Photo by Christopher Adams

By Ann Chen

Anxiety. I deal with it far more than I like to admit.

My body doesn’t let me get away with it though. When it happens, my body tends to act out in various ways – strange pains, disturbed sleep, and a general sense of unwellness. (more…)

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Menopause: The Season of Women’s Second Birth

Posted in reflections, tagged , , on September 22, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Marcy Tomsen

Photo by Marcy Tomsen

By Young Lee Hertig

Increasingly I see Asian North American women reaching middle age with somatic symptoms such as hot flashes, headaches, sleep interruptions, and other symptoms.  Not long after a stressful move across the country from Los Angeles to Dayton, OH without any warning, menopause hit me one day. (more…)

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Seeking God’s Gift of Humility in Failure

Posted in reflections, tagged , on September 15, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Photo by kaybee07

Photo by kaybee07

By Melanie Mar Chow

You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

– Acts 20:18-20 NRSV

(more…)

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The Insatiable Desire for More

Posted in reflections, tagged , on September 8, 2015| 2 Comments »

Photo by Alessio Maffeis

Photo by Alessio Maffeis

By Chloe Sun

In one of the scenes of the movie “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” one person tells another person that everyone has a target number in his/her mind and asks that person what number is in his mind. The other person simply replied “more.” This one word captures a basic human desire. We want more. (more…)

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Solidarity and Mutuality for the Gospel

Posted in reflections, tagged , , on September 1, 2015| 1 Comment »

Photo by Joshua Wong

Photo by Joshua Wong

By Maria Liu Wong

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6:8 (NIV)

I just returned from a nine-day journey to Latin American cities with my 11-year old son Joshua, my colleague Mark, and his 12-year old son Daniel. (more…)

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A Prayer for my Daughter

Posted in reflections, tagged on August 25, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Photo by Capture Queen

Photo by Capture Queen

By Wendy Choy-Chan

She has just walked out the door, a little nervous, holding onto the key that will lead her to her next milestone in life.  It is her driving test, finally, after a year of practicing and anticipation.  How many of these similar milestones and life stages has she gone through?  Each time with fear and trembling, but also each time learning to trust God and to have confidence in herself. I pray that God will be faithful and reward her for her efforts and give her courage, protection, wisdom and a smooth drive. Pray that this will be like the other steps that she has taken before. Yes, just like that very first step she took all by herself when she was one. I still remember clearly. (more…)

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The Gift Economy

Posted in reflections, tagged , , on August 18, 2015| 2 Comments »

Photo by A♥

Photo by A♥

By Tina Teng-Henson

In late July, I came across a thoughtful op-ed by David Brooks in the New York Times in which he describes “the gift economy.” The gift economy is characterized by interdependence, sympathy, generosity, and gratitude. His conviction is that this nurtures better lives more sweetly enjoyed than the ones you’d otherwise find in the capitalist meritocracies we find ourselves in. (more…)

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Haircuts, Tattoos, Baptisms and Communion

Posted in reflections, tagged , on August 11, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Photo by lina smith

Photo by lina smith

By Liz Chang

Once, during my sophomore year of high school, I went to the salon and asked the stylist to trim about three inches off. I left crying because they cut six inches off instead.

Fast forward to present.

Recently, I decided to go to the salon to get my haircut. I was planning to get another trim, layer it like I usually do, and be content with the way I’ve gotten haircuts for the past several years. I left smiling because they convinced me to get an “inverse bob” cut by chopping seven inches off instead. I felt refreshed and strengthened to embrace the major life changes I have been encountering over the past two months. (more…)

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