By Tina Teng-Henson
I’m back to my
One finger typing
Fragmented thought catching
Reflection writing
For you
(more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged motherhood, prayer, raising a family on May 1, 2018| Leave a Comment »
By Tina Teng-Henson
I’m back to my
One finger typing
Fragmented thought catching
Reflection writing
For you
(more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged being in the present, contentment, motherhood, raising a family on April 17, 2018| Leave a Comment »
I’m living my life
as it is
in this moment
as best I can
So help me God
but I can’t help
constantly imagining
(parallel processing?)
Other lives
Slightly better lives
Alternate future lives
‘If we had only’ lives
That could’ve been (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged busyness, raising a family, rest on February 7, 2018| Leave a Comment »
By Maria Liu Wong
January was a pretty tough month. It began with a fairly calm, retrospective New Year’s Day with my family. After a festive brunch, we took out last year’s personal and family goals written on strips of paper and kept in a glass jar on the dining room cupboard, a reminder of new beginnings and possibilities. We took turns reading our 2017 goals and considering what was ahead for 2018. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged raising a family, vocational discernment, women in ministry on January 23, 2018| Leave a Comment »
By Tina Teng-Henson
For years, my wise younger sister would hear my husband and I plan our trips back East to see beloved family and friends, raise her eyebrows at the ambitious itineraries we’d set, and listen empathetically when a few weeks later, we’d be back to the relational rigor of our lives, no more refreshed than before. Over time, she would ever so gently extol the benefits and attributes of what she would call “a real vacation,” which involved a getaway to some new place, with fresh tastes and unique experiences to be enjoyed, interspersed with downtime and rest — to actually return home refreshed and restored. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged grandparents, parenthood, raising a family on July 26, 2017| Leave a Comment »
By Maria Liu Wong
My son Joshua turned 13 last Saturday. And now, Tony and I are the parents of a New York City teenager. For his birthday, we gave Joshua a NIV Life Application Study Bible, and inscribed Joshua 1:7-9 and 1 Timothy 4:12 in the dedication. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged career vs. family, parenthood, raising a family on July 11, 2017| 2 Comments »
Tina’s children, Beatrice and Peter, with her maternal grandparents
By Tina Teng-Henson
As I reflected on what the Lord might want me to write about, one word kept coming to mind — this Hebrew word ‘toledot’ — which means “generations.”
I recall learning about this word in a class I took on the Pentateuch years ago with Dr. Gordon Hugenberger (who recently retired as senior minister of historic Park Street Church in Boston). (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged parenting, raising a family on April 14, 2015| Leave a Comment »
By Joy Wong
In the last few months, our family has been going through a lot of transition, including buying our first home and moving while expecting our next baby, due in July. On top of all this, I’m still finishing up my spiritual direction certification, continuing – albeit, very slowly – in the ordination process, and staying home to care for my daughter who is now close to the age of 2. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged busyness, motherhood, raising a family, seasons of life, self-image on January 20, 2015| Leave a Comment »
By Tina Teng-Henson
Dear Reader,
I realize, I don’t really know you. I read your little bios at the bottom of your blog posts, and I remember bits and pieces of things you’ve shared over the years… but who are you really? And who the heck am I? 🙂 Our words take us a long way on this journey to know and be known – yet at their best, they are still an approximation.
It’s mid-January, 2015. I don’t have any formal ministry responsibilities lined up ahead of me. I have one class this quarter then one class next quarter — then I’m done with my MDiv. I am, Lord willing, going to give birth to our second baby this summer, but that’s about it. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged motherhood, parenting, raising a family, self-worth on May 13, 2014| 4 Comments »
By Joy Wong
Despite the fact that I’ve been getting my ducks lined up to start the ordination process and I’m enrolled in a spiritual direction certification program, the day-to-day reality of my life right now is that of a stay-at-home mom. I’ve certainly had my ups and downs, good days and bad days, but on the whole, it’s been a great joy.
One of my greatest struggles, however, is watching those around me accomplish much and do impressive things with their passions and vocations. I find myself thinking, I have gifts and can do good work too! but the reality is that no, I really can’t do very much right now as a mom of a 1-year-old. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged letting go of control, ordination, raising a family on November 20, 2012| 10 Comments »
By Joy Wong
In the beginning of September, I felt like I was finally on my way. After years of undecidedness after completing an MDiv, I finally knew, deep down, that I wanted to be in pastoral ministry. Then, after months of investigating and deliberating over various ordination tracks, I landed on the PCUSA track. (more…)