no.153 130930 Thank you for helpful friends

Remember the arugula I got the other day? I had it for breakfast!

Using my cell phone for almost everything, I don't get to log on to my accounts on my computer. I needed to get someone's email so I had to log on to my email account from my computer. One folder caught my attention and I started to go through the emails from the folder. I checked these old emails one by one. Some were about internship and job opportunities, and some had links to sermons by Francis Chan and other pastors. And I realized that I have a lot of friends who care about me - now and even then. People who are trying to help me find an internship position or a job, and even directing me to ways I can grow spiritually. Even yesterday, I had multiple friends who offered me physical help and also spiritual help by praying for me with the current situation I am in. I'm blessed to have these helpful friends around me. I'm thankful for them, and I do hope that I can do the same for them as well. Thanks friends!

no.152 130929 Thank you for a lovely lunch date

A cute illustration by Renata Liwska, from "The Quiet Book"

It's been a little while that I wanted to go for a lunch date with a friend of mine. Finally, today was the day for it. Before the basketball game (by the way, it was my second game and I have a lot to say about this), we went to grab lunch near church. We talked about a lot of things - starting from the ministry that we serve in, our family, life, spiritual life, future husband and even Kpop...haha.

 

I'm thankful for a good company and fellowship with her. Both of us are always busy on Sundays and we never really get a chance to talk to eachother, not much more than a simple greeting. I'm looking forward to our next date!

no.151 130928 Thank you for a fun bike ride

Taking a break after a long bike ride.

To take an advantage of this beautiful afternoon, I decided to go for a bike ride. I had a blast! Loved the breeze, loved the ride, loved the music, loved the scenery, loved the feeling, loved the new adventure (it was my first time completing the trail), loved the smell, loved pretty much everything except one thing. Oh man... there were so many crickets! I didn't mind their noise but they kept jumping around. I'm actually not sure if they were crickets or not. Some were small but some were big and juicy looking.... so grossed out by them. I was scared to run over them, but mostly afraid that they might jump and cling to my shoes or something. Eww! But thankfully that didn't happen. Phew!

It reminded me of my time in New York a couple of years ago. I probably said it many times but biking around the Central Park was one of my favourite memories of New York. I rented a bike near the Columbus Circle and rode it for more than two hours in the Central Park. It was so much fun! As I rode my bike today, it brought back all the memories. Good times. I got really tired at the end of the trail, but I still had to come back to the starting point. It took me about half an hour to get there... which was only about a quarter of what I did in New York. Yet, my legs were extremely tired. I kept wondering how I rode the bike for so long back then. Now that I think about it, I was way more fit than now. Before I went to New York, for about 6 months, I was working out almost every day for an hour. No wonder it makes sense to be able bike for more than a couple of hours! Plus, I was younger... Yes, I couldn't feel my legs the next day, and my feet and my butt were hurting really bad.

My legs are starting to feel sore. I know I'll have a hard time walking tomorrow. I'm slightly worried about basketball... but I should be fine! Anyways, I'm going to try to take my bike out as often as I can until it gets really cold!

no.150 130927 Thank you for a delicious prosciutto pizza

Prosciutto Pizza! Yummm!

My original idea was to make chicken pizza but it ended up as chicken and veggie pizza with prosciutto on top, which was still good.

I stopped by the deli shop to get some roasted turkey for my sandwich, and there was prosciutto right in front of me. I've been going to that same supermarket at least once a month and I actually never noticed it until today. I love prosciutto on my pizza! Since I was thinking about making pizza for tonight, I was thinking why not change it up a bit? I also bought a box of arugula for my pizza, which I completely forgot about. By the time it came out of the oven, I was super hungry I just rushed to get a bite of the pizza.

no.149 130926 Thank you for the band

I love you more than chocolate! Mmhmm!

Watching a Japanese movie "Swing Girls" made me want to take out my flute again. Earlier this year, I had an urge to join a band because of a simple reason that I wanted to make some music.

Although I love jazz, I actually never joined a jazz band mostly because I played the flute. I never really had an opportunity to join something other than a concert band when I was in high school and an orchestra in my first year of university. It was still fun, but I'm pretty sure I probably would have had more fun in a jazz band. I sometimes wish I have chosen another instrument, like alto sax. It's more versatile that way.

I got a chance to join one this year, as my church was trying to form an orchestra to perform on Christmas. I was so excited to finally play my flute, and perform with fellow musicians. Unfortunately, it got cancelled. I'm such a nerd, I was actually disappointed! So a few my friends and I decided to start our own band. It consists of piano, acoustic guitar and drums... or that's what we want it to be, because we haven't found a drummer yet. A couple of weeks ago, we were able to start our first practice after months of discussing (mostly because our schedule was off). Surprisingly, it sounded okay considering the fact it was our very first practice. We're planning to meet up for our second practice sometime in October. I'm looking forward to it.

Speaking of flute in jazz, I want to introduce a song for you. It's a quartet - flute, piano, double bass and drums. It's a soothing song. Here is Irlandaise by Claude Bolling. Enjoy!

no.148 130925 Thank you for the motivation to cook

Cream of mushroom soup that I made last week.

I've been so lazy with cooking at home lately. Actually, now that I sit down and think about it, it's only been a week. The cream of mushroom soup in the picture was taken about a week ago. I made it because my dad was craving it. I'm not a big fan of cream soups. In fact, I don't like any cream or milk based dishes. When I do make this soup, I would only taste it to see if it tastes good and never touch it again. But my dad seems to love it, so I would make the soup once in a while.

To be honest, I think that's what makes it difficult for me to cook. My dad doesn't like the things I like, and vice versa. Only after seeing my dad eat ramen (instant noodles) twice this week, I realized that there really wasn't much to eat at home. I felt bad for my dad, so I forced myself to make some banchans (side dishes). I ended up making two soups as well - Beef based Moo-gook (radish soup) and my all time favourite Dwen-jang-jji-gae.

I should really be cooking more, especially for my dad while my mom is away. I'm thankful that I was motivated to finally cook!

no.147 130924 Thank you for the reminder to be more careful with instructions

Note to self: read instructions carefully!

One of the things I'm not good at is reading and following instructions. Don't get me wrong, when I have to (for instance, at work), I always am extra careful with instructions because I don't want to make a mistake. However, for things I do it at home for myself I hardly ever follow instructions. I guess I like to improvise. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, because there were times when things turned out for better when I didn't follow the instruction (mostly with baking). But then again, there were also times when I said to myself that I should've followed the instruction (also mostly with baking). I think it all depends.

I got a sample of a hair product when I purchased an item from Sephora last week. I read the instructions "carefully" and I understood how to use it, but no where I could find out about the amount I should use. I still couldn't figure it out after reading it twice.

Not knowing how much to use at once, I took small amount just to be safe, and applied to my hair. It felt too little on my long hair, so I repeated this step about five or six times. I kept complaining how such important information was missing on the instruction. When I was done, I looked at myself in the mirror and my hair looked puffy. I read the instruction for the third time, this time much slower, and discover that the first thing it says was "apply a dime size..." How could I miss the first sentence? The total amount I used was about the size of a toonie... oopsies. I might have to wash my hair again... but we'll see what happens when my hair dries.

no.146 130923 Thank you for giving me the heart to look after the people around me

Hello!

Recently, God has given me the heart to let go of my selfishness and to care for the people around me. I am compelled to look after my friends and family. That's probably one of the reasons why I started writing love letters. In addition, I think my love language to express love for others is through gifts. I just love giving. It doesn't necessarily have to be something store-bought. And it's definitely not something grandiose. My gifts are small things - to some people, it might seem nothing. I make cards, write letters and bake cookies. If the situation permits, I like to make it a surprise. I send the card in the mail or I secretly place a small gift in someone's jacket. It's nice to directly receive a present, but I like the curiosity and the unexpected surprise aspect when you find a card in the mail or a small box in your pocket. Either way, it brings joy to me. I hope that the people who receive these little presents from me can find the same joy that I want them to feel. I feel like I haven't done much to express my love for others lately, so God is giving me the heart to do that, which I'm really thankful for.

I want to challenge myself to step up, and try to look after people who are not my friends. I think I am doing a pretty good job with my friends and family (I really hope!), but I want to go beyond my comfort zone and share love with strangers. It's not something that will happen overnight. Certainly, it will need time and continuous prayer. I know it is God who is giving me this heart, and He is molding me to be more like Jesus.

no.145 130922 Thank you for the first day of fall

Smell of clementines = Smell of Christmas

September 22nd, 2013. Today marks the first day of fall! It really felt like fall with the big change in the temperature. Even in the sun, I felt cold!

Yesterday, I bought some clementines because they looked really fresh and delicious. And they were indeed! I haven't washed my hands yet so my hand smells like tangy clementine! You know what it reminds me of? Christmas! To me, the smell of clementines equals the smell of Christmas. No, it's not my family's tradition to have clementines during Christmas time. It's probably because I eat a lot of them in the winter, and that's why my brain associates the two together. Did you know that smell is the senses that trigger memory the greatest out of the five? It has the power to unlock forgotten memories. The clementines didn't bring back any forgotten memories I don't think, but it always reminds me of Christmas.
Anyways, I apologize for a random photo and a much more random story. Today's only the first day of fall... no need to think about Christmas yet!

Another thing... I'm thankful for the numerous compliments and encouragements that I received from my friends today! These words of praise and encouragement are truly the best motivation for me! Thanks guys!

no.144 130921 Thank you for the spare time

Dear...

As I have shared earlier this month, I decided to write love letters for my loved ones this fall. So far, I wrote two. I put the first one in the mail - I still haven't heard from him yet, so I suppose he didn't receive it yet. The second one I wrote, I gave it to my friend in person when I saw her a couple of days ago. I want to write my third one today. I have some spare time at the moment, so why not eh?

How do I choose for whom to write it to? It all depends. It's not like I prepared a list of people to write to, because then I'm going to feel pressured to complete the list. It would be nice if I can send a love letter to as many people as possible, but I prefer writing one whenever that person comes to my mind.

It's been raining all morning, and it's still going. I'm a super moody person, and I enjoy being sentimental on a day like this. If you're at home and wondering what to do on a gloomy and rainy afternoon, may I suggest a wonderful way to spend your spare time? Pick your favourite smoky jazz song, make yourself a cup of warm drink of your choice and grab a pen and paper. Think of one special person that pops into your mind right now... and write a love letter for that person.

Having a hard time finding a song? Let me share one from my playlist. Originally, I wanted to share a cover by a Canadian musician Jeff Healey, but I couldn't find a good video on youtube (I'm still linking it anyway in case you're interested). Instead, I have Ella and Louis' version of Autumn in New York. Whenever I listen to this song, I romanticize my autumn in the Big Apple. I've never been to Manhattan in the fall so I love to dream about what it will feel like to spend a beautiful autumn day there. I can imagine myself strolling down or riding the bike in the Central Park, loving the fresh fall breeze! I will sit on one of the benches facing the Lake and record in my journal how much I'm enjoying my day. The view will be wonderful with trees dressed in the fall colours. Afterwards, I can quickly grab a bite at Luke's Lobster and of course, I must treat myself with a couple of sweet little macarons on Madison Ave. Then, I will stop by my favourite bookstore on my way to the Met, and spend the rest of my day at the museum until it closes... What a romantic plan I have! If only I could be in New York this fall. Perhaps next year, God will send me to New York?

no.143 130920 Thank you for protecting Mexico

 

Pray for Mexico

When I open the internet browser, my home is set to New York Times. 8 out of 10 times, the headlines are about business and the stock market, which don't really capture my attention. But today was different. I see a headline "Deadly Mexico storms... death toll at 97..." Suddenly the faces of people I met in Mexico pop up in my mind. One of the very first things that came to my mind was the family our short term mission team met in Cerro del Cuatro and their house that our team built. I started to worry if the house was okay. I worried about the possible landslide because the house is on a hill. As I was waiting for the article to load, I really hoped that the twin storms Manuel and Ingrid didn't affect Guadalajara and other areas that our team ministered to.

After a quick research, I learned that the Pacific and Gulf Coasts had the worst disaster. Guadalajara is about four hours away from the Pacific Ocean, but it seems like it wasn't much affected by the storm. However, Manzanillo was one of the areas that the storm swept through. I haven't gotten a chance to read much about the storm, but it seems like Manzanillo too, survived through the storm.

Although the area I visited weren't greatly affected by the storm, I pray that God will watch over them, and other areas of Mexico. I pray for the safety and protection of the people who are in fear because of this natural disaster. I am mourning with you Mexico, and I am praying for you.

no.142 130919 Thank you for the interesting passerby

Francis the little fox. I love children's book, especially the cute little illustrations.

I enjoy meeting new people. Although I'm not the most outgoing person, I like to engage in a conversation with strangers. Well, they're not totally random strangers who you meet on the street or on the subway, but in a setting where it allows you to easily start off a conversation with someone. For example, I do this a lot when I volunteer at the Japanese cultural centre. I volunteer as a gallery assistant and one of my duties is to greet the visitors. Some volunteers just welcome them with a hello and usually that is the end of their conversation. But others, including myself, like to question them and get to know them a bit more. Yes, you might never see them again but that really shouldn't stop you from interacting with them.

I got to speak to a few people when I volunteered today, and got to meet an interesting person. He's a third gen Japanese in Brazil. I thought that was very special because I've never met anyone with that kind of background. As there weren't that many visitors at the gallery, we were able to chat for a bit. Talking to him made me realize that I should study Korean history. Both him and I agreed that we should know our culture and history better. When I asked him if he knew Japanese, he said he doesn't know any. I'm a 1.5 gen, so I can read, write and speak Korean fluently. I have some 2nd gen friends around me and I'd say half of them can speak Korean pretty fluently, but the other half are pretty bad at speaking (I won't say names), but they do understand.

I thought about my children in the future. I definitely want to keep and teach Korean culture and heritage to my children. I'm guessing it would be a less of a challenge for a 1.5 gen to raise the children to know the Korean language and the culture than a 2nd gen. I wonder what my children would do and how they would feel about teaching their kids about Korean heritage. I wonder if they will even appreciate it. I mean, I'm pretty sure that as generations pass, it will be more difficult to preserve the heritage. I can't expect them to love Korea as much as I do (although I'm not that patriotic myself), but I want my children, and their children to know that they are Korean and that they would be proud to call themselves Korean.

I'm thankful to meet this passerby. It made me think about a lot of things that I never really thought about before.

no.141 130918 Thank you for Chu-seok

A Beautiful fall day on this Chuseok!

When I update my blog, I usually pick one thing I'm thankful for. Today, I'm gonna make an exception. So many things happened and I just can't make up my mind on one thing.

I'm thankful for my preschool department pastor.
My pastor and I met up for lunch for fellowship, and I really enjoyed my time with her. I got to share some of my stories from Mexico, and even the things I felt and experienced after coming back and adjusting to "reality." We also got to share a little bit about the ministry as well, for its growth and improvement.

I'm thankful for my grandparents.
I got to talk to both of my grandparents on the phone! It's "Chu-Seok" in Korea, which is similar to Thanksgiving in North America. I thought about calling them before they do, but I was a little late for that. I got to talk to both my mom's side and dad's side grandparents. As I was talking to them, I was able to remember some of the things I used to do with my family when I was young. I also realized that we don't do a lot of those things from my childhood anymore. For instance, making "Song-pyun" - traditional bite-size rice cake filled with beans or honey and sesame. It's a tradition to make Songpyun on Chuseok. Usually, all the women of the family would gather around on the floor and make them. You prepare the dough first, and then prepare the fillings - I think we had a choice of beans or honey and sesame. The process of making Songpyun is similar to making dumplings. You kind of roll out a little bit of the dough on your hand, and put a spoonful of the filling of your choice. Then, you bring the edges together and close it so that the filling doesn't spill out. You need to gently squeeze it to get the shape. And here comes my favourite part - I was in charge of picking up the pine needles to steam with the Songpyun. The pine needles work as a kind of herb to add the fresh pine or menthol scent when they are steamed together. Anyways, that was one of my favourite memories of Chuseok. We not only make Songpyun anymore (even my grandparents in Korea don't make them anymore, because it takes a lot of time), nor do we even recall the memories. I realized that I had completely forgot about the fact that we had this tradition until my grandma brought up Songpyun. It was a sad moment of truth.

I'm thankful for my friend in New York.
I had a long skype date with one of my best friends from highschool. We both had a great time updating each other with our lives (Miss you Jenja! I'll keep you in my prayers). I realized that it's been almost two years since I logged on to skype. There was a time when I was on skype every single day... chatting and video chatting with friends from all over the world. Good times...! Those were the days when I didn't have a smart phone. Well, I had my blackberry and I thought that was a smart phone. Now that I'm a galaxy user, I know the blackberry wasn't a smart phone. I only was able to communicate via email and "BBM." Although I had facebook and twitter, I definitely didn't use them as much as I am now with my galaxy.

Oh, last but not least, I got a message from a friend that I haven't spoken to for years! It was strange and so random but it was nice to hear from her.

Anyways, I'm thankful for today. As you can see, so many good things happened that I couldn't really pick one thing to be thankful for. Therefore, I decided to be thankful for Chuseok and all the wonderful people God has blessed me with. Chuseok is equivalent to Thanksgiving here... so it makes sense to give thanks to God the provider for everything He's granted me with. Right?

Happy Chuseok everyone!

no.140 130917 Thank you for the fall breeze

Guadalajara Centro. Looking through my photos from Mexico.

Yes, I wanted to write another post on love, but I decided to take a break today.

Instead of working out at the gym, I felt like getting some fresh air outside. The weather looked so nice so I had to go and feel the fall breeze.

Oh man, I didn't know what to wear! I used to wear shorts with elastic waist in the summer when I went for a walk. Like I mentioned before, I don't have proper gym clothing. Well, I don't think I need to have all the proper gear to work out because I just exercise lightly. A comfortable T-shirt and an elastic waist shorts are perfect for me when I go for a walk or when I exercise. But now that it's 10 degrees outside, my outfit can be little bit of a problem.

After digging through my closet to look for something I can wear, I finally found something. My leggings! I threw on my hoodie, my leggings and my new pair of training shoes (it's my third time wearing them - once for basketball, and yesterday at the gym). I looked like a real athletic runner! But no, I did not run. I walked back and forth my usual route around the neighbourhood until the stars started to appear one by one.

Walking makes me happy! If you see a girl smiling and singing as she walks in her leggings... please don't think she's crazy. She's one happy girl enjoying her walk. Anyways, it made me think of Mexico again, because I've walked down the same street, listening to the same music when I was preparing for my short term mission trip to Mexico. I miss you Mexico. Can't wait for God to send me there again.

no.139 130916 Thank you for Your unconditional love

One of my favourite desserts - waffles and ice cream!

I'm continuing my thoughts on love.

Yesterday, I wrote about ways to express love for someone. I want to talk about the depth of love today. The depth of my love for God, family and friends vary. I want to love God first before I love my family, my future husband or my friends, but it definitely is a challenge. Sometimes, how much I love someone changes, usually depending on a condition. It can be the length of how long you knew that person, or how well you know him/her, or how "good" of a friend he/she is to you, and so on.

I know it's terrible, but a lot of times, I feel that I love someone based on a condition. Not that I don't love them when they don't do something nice, but I tend to love someone more when they perform an act of service or spend quality time with me. Well, it's no surprise because these two are the best ways I receive love from others.

I agree with what my pastor said about love. He was the leader for our short term mission trip to Mexico. While we were there, he shared this message several times to the children and also to the grandparents whom we met. He compared God's love and mother's love - mother's love is the closest love to God's love. It's a sacrificial love and unconditional love. Think about what your mom did for you. I know my mom made numerous sacrifices for me. I also know that she loves me unconditionally. I won't comprehend mother's love until I become a mom. If mother's love is this great, how much greater is God's love for us? God's love is unconditional and infinite.

I'm thankful for God's unconditional love for me. God's love is perfect, and through His love, I am able to love my family, friends, and my husband in the future.

no.138 130915 Thank you for the reminder to pray for people I love

But the greatest of these is LOVE.

As I have mentioned yesterday, I am learning a lot about love. I talked about four loves - God's unconditional love, romantic love between a husband and a wife, family love, and friendship love.

Before I begin, I want to think about the people I love. I love God, I love my family, I love my friends, and I don't want to sound selfish but I love myself as well. There are similarities and differences in the method in which I express my love towards God, family and friends. As I was thinking about ways to love someone, I came across the five love languages. If you want to learn more about it, click here for the Five Love Languages website. There is a little test you can do to find your love language if you like. The five love languages are:

1. Quality Time
2. Acts of Service
3. Words of Affirmation
4. Physical Touch
5. Gifts

All of these are great, but I want to recommend another way of loving someone. That is prayer. I believe that the best thing you can do for someone you love is to pray for him/her. Let me put it this way. How can you say you truly love someone when you're not even praying for him/her? I keep saying that I have fallen in love with Mexico. What do I mean by that and how am I expressing this love for Mexico?

This is something I realized a few years ago, but I failed to diligently put into a practice. So I'm pushing myself to keep it up again. Because I have so many people on my list, and so many things as well, I decided to try something a little different this time. Instead of praying for everything and for everyone every single time I pray, I am categorizing by day. For instance, on Monday I pray for my family, on Tuesday I pray for my friends, on Wednesday I pray for my church, and so on. I have already started doing it this week and it's been going well so far. I'm thankful that God is reminding me to pray for the people I love. As I am in the process of comprehending God's love, I want God's unconditional love to be the focus of my love for my family, my future husband, my friends, and even for strangers. Loving strangers is another story... so I will leave it there for now.

Anyways, when I was spending my quiet time with God this morning, God gave me an idea about a new project. I need to brainstorm more about it but I am really excited for what God will soon reveal to me.

no.137 1309014 Thank you for a fun baby shower

Thanks girls for helping me organize it!

Lately, God has been revealing a lot about love to me. I'm not talking about romantic love, but about agape love, and how I should display this love to others.

You've probably heard of four loves - agape (God's love = the unconditional love), eros (romantic), phileo (friendship) and storge (family). I want to talk about agape love and how we need to have and understand the meaning of it before we truly love your spouse, friends and family. I don't have much time today, so I will save this topic for another time.

When I had my quiet time with God this morning, He gave me another message about love. Before I did anything, I prayed that I would consciously think about God's love for me and that I would be able to share the love to others today.

I threw a baby shower for a friend of mine today. I'm thankful for a great turnout. I'm also happy because everyone told me that they enjoyed it and that I did a good job organizing it! I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do this for my friend, and indeed, it was a way of expressing my phileo for her! Mission accomplished.

no.136 130913 Thank you for friends' thoughftulness

Dinner with a friend last night!

This week, two of my friends offered to help with something that I was struggling with. I'm thankful for my friends and their thoughtfulness. It made me realize how much God blessed me with relationships in my life. I hope and pray that I could also be a thoughtful friend to others and not be reluctant to offer help when they are in need.

Thank you for thinking of me!

no.135 130912 Thank you for the banchan from Korea

Flowers on the street

My mom sent some goodies from Korea! My uncle came to visit for a week so my mom sent a whole bunch of things for me and my dad. Mostly they are banchan (side dish) ingredients such as dried fish. There was one thing I was looking forward to the most and it was... green tea latte powder!

I love anything with green tea. Green tea latte, ice cream, waffle, chocolate, mochi, cake, cookies, you name it! I've tried several green tea latte powders but the one my mom sends is by far the best.

Thanks mom for sending all the goodies for us!

no.134 130911 Thank you for the memory of one rainy day

Spices. Flavourful. Aroma.

Everyone has a story that they like to ponder on, on a rainy day. I do too. I can recall a lot of memories in association with the rain. I've already shared one story a while ago about that one rainy night in Korea, when a stranger offered me his umbrella. When I was in grade 4 or 5, I had a sudden urge to go out in the rain. So, I just went out in the pouring rain to got soaked... and I loved it! Hmm.. what else... I'm sure there's a lot more if I think harder. But these are the ones that I have to think hard to get it out of my life story book. On the other hand, there is one memory that automatically pops up in my head whenever I see the raindrops falling. I don't want to share the story yet, because it is my personal memory to cherish.

There is also one song that I play on repeat on a rainy day like this. It's not necessarily relevant to that one particular memory I have, but it just became my "go-to" song when I hear the rain. I love listening to this song with the sound of the raindrops in the background, so I have my window wide open. In fact, that's what I'm doing right now. I don't remember since when I've been doing this. It's a Korean song called "비오는 거리 (Rainy Street)" by a singer named 서영은 (Seo Young Eun). Well, this isn't the only song I like to listen on a rainy day, but this is indeed the first song I would play.

My memory of that one rainy day may be happy, or sad, or even bittersweet depending on which perspective you want to view it from. Actually, that day itself was far from sad. Anyways, I'm thankful for that day. I am thankful that I have something to ponder on when it rains. It must've been a special day for me, because that's the first thing I think of whenever it rains. It's something that I can cherish. Not that I want to go back to that day, but I'm glad I have something to treasure. Do you think a more special thing will happen on a future rainy day to replace this memory I have? Who knows? Perhaps. I'm just going to enjoy this moment for now.

no.133 130910 Thank you for letting me enjoy planning things

"It's a Girl!" Baby shower planning...

It must be Indian summer. It was super hot and humid today, the temperature reaching up to 34 degrees. It's 8PM and according to my phone, it's 32 degrees at the moment. Yikes!

I'm throwing a baby shower for a friend of mine this weekend. And as usual, I like to put a special touch so I'm making her something cute. I won't say what it is, just in case she is reading my blog...haha! But you'll see what it is on Saturday because I'll be posting about it! I'm almost done preparing everything for the shower. Originally, I wanted to host it at my condo but it didn't work out. Either way, I'm so happy to host this for my friend! I'm such a planner, I'm enjoying every moment of it! I'm thankful that I enjoy planning! Sometimes things don't always go as I plan, but I'm okay with it because I know God's plan for me is greater and far better than my own. So what I like to do is, I would plan something and ask God if this is the way He wants it, and also ask for His timing.

Oh, by the way, if you're waiting for my "In My Kitchen" posts, I'm really sorry but I'm still trying to figure out a way to use that tab. Because it seems like blogspot doesn't allow to create separate posts for each tab. I'm not a tech savvy so... it's taking a longer than I thought. I thought about just posting up as one of my entries for "My Thanksgiving Journal" but then it will be weird and mess up my system. I apologize if you're waiting!

no.132 130909 Thank you for Your greatness

A collage from my journal back in 2007!

I thought I already shared this song on my blog, but I can't find it anywhere! Maybe I'm confusing myself with another song. Another thing I'm uncertain about is whether I shared this about me already or not. Oh well, I'm just gonna share it again if I already did.

When I find a song I like, I listen to it on repeat until I get sick of it. The song that's been on repeat is "Forever Reign" by Hillsong. We sing this song at my church from time to time, and although I love the lyrics, I never really liked the song because of the melody. However, I saw myself singing the song the other day! It's probably because of the lyrics. Usually if I like a song, there is one particular part that stands out to me the most. I tried to pick out my favourite part of this song, but I couldn't because the entire song is so good. I love the fact that the song covers many of God's characters, and by singing this song, I get to ponder on each character as I praise God.

I thank God for His greatness. Thank You for being who You are, and for each of Your attributes in this song. I think something definitely has changed in me since I got back from Mexico. I feel different when I worship God. Of course, there were times I was more passionate when I praised God, but there were also times when I would just follow the lyrics on the screen when we sing at church. However, I feel like I mean every word of the song, especially when we sing a song like "Forever Reign." I want every word to be true as I sing, because it IS true!

Forever Reign - Hillsong

 

You are good, You are good
When there's nothing good in me
You are love, You are love
On display for all to see
You are light, You are light
When the darkness closes in
You are hope, You are hope
You have covered all my sin

 

You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling

You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting

 

You are more, You are more
Than my words will ever say
You are Lord, You are Lord
All creation will proclaim
You are here, You are here
In Your presence I'm made whole

You are God, You are God
Of all else I'm letting go

 

Oh, I'm running to Your arms,
I'm running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign

 

My heart will sing
no other Name
Jesus, Jesus

no.131 130908 Thank you for my first basketball game

I hope our team was a "pleasing aroma of Christ" in Mexico.

 

I survived my first basketball game. It wasn't just any leisure activity, it was co-ed, and let me tell you, it was VERY competitive. When I was on the court to play for the very first time, I was thinking "what in the world am I doing here?" I was the only girl when I first made a substitution with a team member, and I had to block a guy in the opposite team. I thought I would be playing with at least one more girl from the other team, but that wasn't always the case.

The more I played, I started to understand the game and learned what to do, through friends' advices. I'm hoping to get better the next game we play! Although I was scared at first, I did have fun towards the end of the game. I bumped into other players a few times, and I think someone knee-kicked my thigh... it's still kind of sore, but I should be fine. So, I'm thankful for my first basketball game! Yes, I have played basketball before in elementary school, but I wouldn't call it a game.

Anyways, I also shared my testimony at church. As I promised, I will share it on my blog as well.

***

no.130 130907 Thank you for a new pair of running shoes

My new gym shoes. I mean, "training shoes"

Me ≠ Sports.
I am far from being athletic. So I don't own any gym stuff. No gym shoes, shorts or special shirts. I do exercise, but I just wear "comfortable" outfit like a baggy T-shirt and elastic waist shorts. I did have some sort of shoes for sports (since they were from Nike) but I don't know what they were for because they were not mine. I just found a pair at home and they fit me, so I started wearing it when I went to the gym. They were really old so I brought them to Mexico for construction, and I threw them out after because the bottom was falling apart.

Those were the pair I wore for softball as well. There were a couple of games remaining when I returned from Mexico. I didn't bother purchasing a new pair and wore one of my converse. This time, I signed up for basketball league at my church. Well, technically it was my friend who signed me up when I was hesitating. I can't play basketball with converse! I had to get a new pair of some sort of gym shoes.

I went to Nike factory outlet, hoping to find something for a good price. Unfortunately, there was no sale, and I didn't have much options. I checked out the clearance section and I only found a few of my size. I found one that was comfortable and the design wasn't too bad either. I checked out the kids and tried one of the boys shoes. They were okay but not as comfortable as the first pair I tried. I ended up getting the regular womens shoes. I thought about getting gym shorts as well, but the shoes were such a big investment for me, I decided to wait until the shorts go on sale.

Basketball is starting tomorrow! I'm kind of excited but I'm also not because I don't know the rules, to be honest, it's not my favourite sport to play or watch. However, I joined to be more active and get some exercise done....! Plus, I love trying something new. I never played basketball in a league, so who knows? I might enjoy it.

no.129 130906 Thank you for the "Love Letters"

This was what I was doing the other day while listening to Diana Krall! Inspired by an illustration I saw.

 

This past week, I've been listening to Diana Krall every night. Once night, I heard Diana Krall's voice on jazz fm, and that probably triggered me to look for more of her songs. Another reason is the change in the temperature. I think this autumn weather is definitely affecting me. Oh well. I love jazz, and it goes so well with the season. I have a feeling that I'm going to say the same thing in winter, but it's true! Jazz goes so well, four seasons long!

What I do is just playing the whole album on Youtube. I haven't listened to all of her albums - the reason for this might be because I'm listening to the same album over and over again. The album I like is called "The Look of Love" from 2001. I can't pick a favourite song from this album, but there was a song that caught my attention, and it is "Love Letters." I especially love the part that goes "I memorize every line, I kiss the name that you sign, and darling, then I read again, right from the start." It reminded me of the time when I received a love letter from someone special. I remember doing the exact same thing as what Diana sings. Although it happened a long time ago, it brought joy in my heart just reminiscing the moment when I received a love letter.

Will I receive a love letter this fall? Hmm, we'll see! But, I'm planning to send one to someone! Anyways, here is "Love Letters" by Diana Krall. Enjoy!

 

The sky may be starless
The night may be moonless
But deep in my heart, there's a glow

For deep in my heart, I know that you love me
You love me, because you told me so

Love letters straight from your heart
Keep us so near while we're apart
I'm not alone in the night
When I can have all the love you write

I memorize every line
I kiss the name that you sign
And darling, then I read again
Right from the start
Love letters straight from your heart

I memorize every line
I kiss the name that you sign
And darling, then I read again
Right from the start
Love letters straight from your heart

no.128 130905 Thank you for helping me realize something that I should've a while ago

My obsession for elephants! A cute elephant mobile

As I was preparing for my testimony on my short term mission trip to Mexico, I realized something that I haven't while I was there. The verse that came to my mind comes from 2 Corinthians 4:18, which goes like this: "so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Sometimes I am too blinded by the world that I forget to seek for what's eternal. I'm thankful that I was able to realize this important fact as I was perparing my testimony. I pray that I can set my mind and my heart on things above, instead of going after what's only temporary.

I will share my testimony on my blog this Sunday!

no.127 130904 Thank you for making me smile

I think I was in grade 2? On a field trip. I'm the girl in the middle.

After my walk today, I felt like going on the swing for a bit. There were a couple of young boys playing and a little boy, who was playing with the sand. Whenever I go to that playground, it reminds me of Mexico. Before going to Mexico, I went to the playground at the end of my walk almost every day, to just relax and feel the breeze while swinging. There, I prayed, I wondered about Mexico, and I listened to "Vamos a Cantar" and sang along in preparation to lead worship.

While I was enjoying the breeze, the next song on my playlist totally captured my heart. It just went so well with everything that was about the moment. The song is called "Into the Memory" by Eddie Higgins. Watching the kids run around the playground while listening to this song, it threw me back to my childhood. After school, group of friends and I used to hang out by the playground in the neighbourhood. We didn't do much - probably just playing tag or run around like the kids I saw today. It was only a simple thing, but it was fun and we laughed out loud.

I can't go back to the past but I'm thankful that I have these warm memories I can cherish. I had fun on the swing today. For some reason, I was grumpy today. However, I saw myself smiling from ear to ear as I was walking home from the playground. I was surprised on how a small thing like this had changed the way I was feeling. And I thought, "You always know how to make me smile!" God really knows all about me. Thank You Lord!

no.126 130903 Thank you for my preschool department pastor

Looking through my missions journal. I have to share my testimony this Sunday.

I love it when my friends and family encourage me. It has extra effect when they do it by sharing their testimony or through verses in the Bible.

Well, I got one today from my pastor of the preschool department, where I serve as a teacher. Since I was sick last Sunday, I had to let her know of my absence so her and other teachers can take care of my class. Anyways, I got an unexpected email from her that she was worried about me. In the email, she also shared a verse from Psalm 103.

Praise the Lord, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the Lord, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits -

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:1-5)

I'm thankful for my thoughtful pastor, her words of encouragement, and also for the Bible verse she shared with me. I remember being thankful even the times I was sick. For example, when I got sick in Mexico, I was thankful that I got sick after the completion of the ministry. Another time was this past Good Friday. I got food poisoned so I was sick in bed for a few days (thankfully, I got better for my confirmation on Easter Sunday!). Yet, I was thankful because it reminded me of how much pain and suffering Jesus went through to bear the cross for me. Compared to what He went through, what I was going through was nothing. Well, this time, I was more worried than thankful. I was worried that my family will keep associating my sickness to Mexico, which will hinder me from going on future mission trips. But still, I thanked God for my family who took care of me. Yes, I still complained while I was sick - asking questions like why me and why now. However, we shouldn't forget to praise God for his greatness even the times we are sick. Even in these times of sufferings - whether they are physical or spiritual, know that God has purpose in each mountain you are facing. In fact, it's through these hardships where we really grow in God and become more like Jesus as God shapes our character. So we should really be thankful!