Christmas Reflections

Maybe this is the first year we hosted for Christmas, and the planning made me think more about Christmas this time than years past.

If we strip away the Christmas tree, the music, the food, the gifts, even the Church services, and everything else, believers of Jesus Christ still have Christmas, because what is important is what is in the heart, not the momentary happiness any external thing brings. But what about those who do not know Him and do not have a personal relationship with Him?

When hubby and I picked up things at Wal-Mart shortly before Christmas, the cashier greeted us with a smile on her face and asked if we were ready for Christmas. As we kept on talking, she told us she did not intend to celebrate Christmas, as her husband was no longer living. In fact, she had not celebrated Christmas since he passed away six years ago. Slowly, her smile that greeted us was replaced by sadness, while Christmas music was still playing and shoppers were still cheerfully buying for Christmas.

A couple of days before Christmas, I made another trip to get ready. On the way home, I saw the many bumper stickers at the back of the pickup truck in front of me. One of the stickers stated "Pagan & Proud." As I browsed his collection of bumper stickers which made the clear statement that he was not a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, the radio in my car was playing the song "Mary, Did You Know?" As the singer sang about baby Jesus as God Incarnate and the reason He came as a baby, multitudes of people did not know the Good News, and many chose not to accept it.

The morning after Christmas, our door bell rang. It was a lady who came to share the doctrines she upheld as a Jehovah's Witness. She told me we should not celebrate Jesus' birth, but only His death. As we exchanged thoughts and beliefs, I noticed the younger lady who came along with her two very young daughters, aged 4 and 3. Adorable as they were, these girls were not being taught about Christmas and the meaning of Jesus' birth.

Another Christmas has gone by - what does Christmas mean to each of them?

Christmas Memories

Hubby and I hosted part of our family for Christmas for the first time. With my brother- and sister-in-law and our three nephews, we had a great time celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Here are some highlights -

We had our first Christmas tree!

Hanes was trying to stay warm by the lights as we decorated a few weeks ago. A very warm and calm scene.


Hubby was putting ornaments on the tree as Hanes "supervised." She likes bags a lot.


Our tree surrounded by Christmas gifts.


Everybody had a good time opening Christmas presents. The excitement on the children's faces was priceless. The word "awesome" kept flying in the air.

Our guests opening presents. Sorry about my hand and hubby's foot.


When our middle nephew, Alex, age 4, tore off the wrapping paper of a gift, he said "It's a box!" thinking he received a box for Christmas. We all laughed with him. :) With mommy's help, he quickly realized that there were shirts inside the box.


One of the presents our oldest nephew, David, age 7 (almost 8!), received was a card game called "Frog Juice." He had never seen the game before (neither had I) so when he read the title, he was somewhat frightened. Unfortunately, I was not quick enough to capture his expression which was a combination of uncertainty and fear. But after reading the subtitle, he realized it was a card game, not real "frog juice." This picture was taken during this moment of relief. He actually enjoyed the game.


On a side note, David was very surprised when he accidentally found out I spoke Chinese. I did not know he did not know!

From Grammy!
(Those were Hubby's hands, and if I remember correctly, David took the picture)

Throughout the day, our youngest nephew, Miguel, age 2, came running to me many times to give me hugs and later, kisses.

Seeing a baby picture on our fridge, Alex asked me the name of the baby. After I told him the name, he carefully repeated it with a somewhat serious look on his face. Two seconds later, however, he broke out his usual bright smile and asked me another question: "when are you going to have a baby in your house?" I get asked this question on a regular basis, but he officially became the youngest to do so :)

After I gave him a bath, Alex gave me a long hug and said "Merry Christmas" to me. It was a very unexpected, and very sweet moment.

David told all of us "Merry Christmas" before he went to bed.

We got to talk on the phone with other family members with whom we could not spend Christmas together due to distance.

Watch out for "flying" child!

As a bonus, weather was very nice.

My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came to the world as a baby to redeem us, giving us the precious gift of Himself and the way to spend eternity with Him. I am thankful to be able to celebrate His birth with loved ones.

Merry Christmas

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Luke 2: 8-18

Porcelain Cup

I recieved a beautiful Christmas present from a faculty member in my Department today. She gave me a porcelain cup hand crafted by her husband who had been making pottery for many years. I was very delighted in receiving this present and certainly appreciated the thoughtfulness and kindness.

Since our Department is in the process of moving this week, I took home my Christmas present instead of leaving it in my current office. During the ten-minute walk to my car, I was holding the cup with both hands to make sure I would not accidentally drop it or break it. When I got to the car, I wrapped it with my scarf so it could be protected during its ride home.

The gift made it home safely.

Nonetheless, I was wondering about something. If I was so careful about a gift - beautiful as it was, but something that would not last for eternity - how much care do I give to the Greatest Gift of all that is invaluable? Especially during this Christmas season, it is a great time to ponder upon the wonderful and humble birth of Jesus Christ. However, I am not sure how much I have been thinking about it this year.

I have been going Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, visiting the post office, writing my newsletter, decorating and doing all kinds of things to get ready for Christmas Day...... But while I have been making preparations to welcome the special season, I find myself going around the Center doing these things more than preparing myself.

I was reading Luke 2 in the Bible and was reminded once again that Mary had to put Jesus in a manger because there was no room for Joseph, Mary and the newborn King.

During this Christmas season, I pray that I remember Who is more important and learn to be like Mary who chose to sit at the feet of Jesus rather than keeping busy with things that could wait. I also pray that I would treasure Jesus more than I do a beautiful porcelain cup, and always have room for Him in my heart.

With All My Might

I lost my last two tennis matches, but that was not the end of this simple story.

During the first of these two matches, my partner and I fell behind 3-5 in the first set. It happened to be my turn to serve and we quickly fell to 0-40, down three set points! Yikes. I really did not want to lose the set so easily so I told myself to keep fighting, one point at a time, even though the chance of coming back from behind and saving the game was rather slim. But I served and we won the next point, and in a blur, we somehow won five points in a row and the game! It felt so great. We were now at 4-5 and would eventually play the tiebreak to decide the set.

On the second point of the tiebreak, I was at the baseline as my opponent placed a very short ball with a sharp angle that was out of my reach. I knew I would not be able to get to the ball in time, but I decided to run after it but ended up scraping my knee quite badly and bruising my pinky because of not-so-ideal movement (I did not get to the ball in time). It was the first time I had ever hurt myself playing tennis. In the end, we lost the tiebreak and went on to lose the second set 4-6. Close match.

The following match, my partner and I lost two tiebreaks so the match was even closer. I did not hurt myself, but I was fighting the entire time. We were behind in the first set, ahead in the second, even though we lost in the end.

Around the same time, I was doing a Bible study on the life of David entitled Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed with my Bible Study group at church (great study!). Right before I played the match in which I scraped my knee, we were studying how David danced with all his might as he brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. After a deadly mistake, David returned to God and did his best in following His lead.

As I was chasing down balls on the tennis court, trying to play the points the best I could, trying to come back, I was doing it with all my might as well. Although I lost the matches and had some trouble walking for a couple of days, I felt really great because I knew I had done my best in doing what I was supposed to be doing at the moment.

A fundamental rule in tennis is to fix one's eyes on the tennis ball during play and go after it. The Bible says that we are to love God with all our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength. When we fix our eyes on God, pursue Him and give Him our all, we might scrape our knees a little along the way, but it is well worth it.

Shoebox Blessings

In seven weeks, I witnessed firsthand how God worked in His amazing and mighty ways through Operation Christmas Child (see background here).

I thought I would pack a couple of shoeboxes this year; but I was also curious to see if a few others might want to be involved. However, since I was still relatively new to the town where we now lived, I was content with the idea of having a few people involved and perhaps packing a couple dozen shoeboxes.

It turned out my ladies' Bible study leader at church had wanted to involve the group in something and she had heard of OCC. So I had a group of ladies with whom to work! A few of them then got their Sunday School classes and the school where they worked involved. One of them also received donations in large quantities from her dentist, hairdresser and neighbors! My own neighbors also generously donated shoeboxes from their closets, and a local shoe store saved 30 boxes for the project!

While all this was unfolding, I learned that another lady from Bible study happened to be on the Missions Committee at church and she suggested linking OCC to the church-wide missions event which would happen to take place right before National Collection Week in November. We were able to set up a shoebox packing party, and the Missions Committee included OCC as one of the many exhibitors of the Ministry Fair (see pictures below). During the church-wide event, we had a booth that attracted a good number of visitors who expressed great interests in packing shoeboxes. I gave away all the brochures!

Despite the short time frame, over 100 shoeboxes were packed/collected and nearly $500 were donated through the ladies at Bible study. That was much bigger than the two shoeboxes I was going to pack. We even received help to drop off the shoeboxes at the collection point during National Collection Week.

While the results are great and well beyond my expectations, I am thankful to those, many of them children themselves, who participated in the project. Whatever they donated - empty shoeboxes, filler items, money, time - I see their beautiful hearts for others as many went out of their way to help. To think that many children around the world will be receiving Christmas presents and hearing the true meaning of Christmas as a result is, of course, even greater.

This project is not about me or what I wanted to do; I am simply thankful to God for allowing me to be a part of His awesome work.

This was the booth at the Ministry Fair at church. On display were some of the packed shoeboxes.

More boxes (but not all)!

Sitting Down and Being Still

I am home much less often now because of work, and Hanes, the wise cat in residence, thus has been having very limited human contact and options to decide when to play or cuddle the way she used to. Nonetheless, she has been teaching me yet another good lesson.

In the mornings when I am getting ready for work, I rarely sit down. One time, however, I sat on the couch to put on my socks. In those five seconds, Hanes jumped on my lap and began purring right away. I, while wanting to get going, could not move without interrupting her. So there I was, sitting on the couch for about five minutes with the cat, enjoying a few minutes of stillness.

This past Monday night, I was home for about an hour and a half between work and tennis. When I got home, Hanes was at the door to greet me. I acknowledged her at the door and literally one second later, I went straight to the kitchen to cook and do other housework I did not finish over the weekend when I was mostly wonderfully preoccupied with Operation Christmas Child (more on that later!). After doing a few things and changing clothes, I sat down to eat. With no lapse of time in between, Hanes was on my lap.

Then I realized it was the first time I sat down in an hour and actually be still for more than a second. With Hanes firmly planting herself on my lap as soon as I sat down, I had to stay where I was. I could not even reach my mail to read while eating, or do anything else at the same time.

Then I looked at Hanes. She was perfectly still and happy, purring away. While I was doing various things earlier, she never whined the way she would in the mornings when she tries to wake us up. She had simply been waiting, waiting for the moment for me to be still and be with her.

She waited for an hour.

I wonder if this is how God waits for me with such incredible patience like this every day. Sure, I have my quiet time in the mornings, but how often am I being still to listen to Him rather than just trying to get my Bible study lessons done? How still and focused am I during prayer time? I am thankful for my God who is ever patient, even more so than the little wise cat. She is on my lap right now, so I'd better go and be still for a while.

Premature Patience

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1: 2-4, NIV

James’s exhortation was part of the Scripture I read one morning six weeks ago. A big part of my problem in the past weeks before that day had been not letting go completely to let God lead in the road ahead, career-wise. Thankfully, I received my MA in August but I had been unsure about whether to pursue a career in academe (PhD and beyond) or in other fields. I had my ideas, my desires, my timing, and thus, unfortunately, my worries. After the lessons I learned through Hanes a while back, I slowly came to my senses and decided it would be much better to be still and wait for Him. Stiff-necked I had been.

When I read the verse that morning, I was still unsure about what I should be doing. But I could not forget verse 4 which said “perseverance (patience) must finish its work.” Later on, I read Psalm 27 about “waiting in hope.” This hopeful, positive kind of waiting had been lacking in me. Undoubtedly, I was waiting, but I was “waiting in worry.” So God reminded me that I needed an attitude adjustment.

Shortly afterwards, I received my fourth reject letter (actually, email), but I was not dejected. Quite remarkably, I was perfectly fine with it. I was thinking about the verse all morning. I looked up various versions of James 1: 4 and found the Message translation very encouraging and uplifting -

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

“So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely” - had I not been doing just the opposite? I had been trying to get out of waiting. How foolish.

When the time matured and the waiting was through, God moved so swiftly that it could only be Him. Two days after reading this verse, I went to a job interview at the university. A few days later, I was offered the position to coordinate a graduate program. This position incorporated both my previous experience in administration and as a graduate student. I have been working for almost a month now and I enjoy my job very much (this new endeavor has kept me busy the past few weeks, thus the lack of posts recently :).

I am still praying to discern whether pursuing a PhD is God’s plan for me in the future. Yet, I know I am where I am supposed to be right now. I have peace and I will remember that I should not get out of anything prematurely, for patience must finish its work.

Peace and Unity

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4: 6-7

It has been a week since the election. Afterwards, my friend Pat linked two blog posts regarding the results and I thought I would share them here, because in a time such as this, it is so easy to feel discouraged, uncertain, and divided. Beth Moore, well-known speaker and Bible teacher with the Living Proof Ministries, calls for prayers for our President-elect and his family, and for the unity of the Body of Christ. Great reminder indeed.

If you would like a more convicting message, read the post from Lysa TerKeust of the Proverbs 31 Ministries. It is time to leave our comfort zone and wholeheartedly follow Jesus and be His hands and feet like never before.

And we can choose to look up to Him who alone holds the future.

From Empty Shoeboxes to Christmas Blessings......

I stumbled upon Operation Christmas Child - the "shoebox project" - about five or six years ago. I remember packing toys, school supplies and basic hygiene items in the empty, ordinary shoeboxes that year. Knowing that the shoeboxes would go to children who might have never received a gift in their young lives, and who had never heard the Good News and the true meaning of Christmas, made this project very special to me. Since that year, I have been packing shoeboxes every November. Some years, I did it only with hubby; some years, I had friends who came alongside the project. This year, several Sunday School and Bible study classes, and the missions committee at my church are supporting the project, and my neighbors and a local shoe store have donated dozens of empty shoeboxes!

I would like to invite you to participate too. If you have empty shoeboxes that you no longer need, you can easily turn them into Christmas blessings to children around the world. All you have to do is to fill the shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and hygiene items. You could also include a picture of your family and a letter before dropping off the shoeboxes to the collection centers around the nation during National Collection Week, November 17-24. Through these shoebox gifts, children will not only receive presents, they will also get to hear the Gospel and learn about the love of Jesus Christ.

If you are interested in participating in Operation Christmas Child, you can find more information online and also by watching the video below. Packing shoeboxes is easy and a fun family project that young children can participate. You are also welcome to make a monetary donation online to help offset shipping costs if you prefer to do so. If you have shoeboxes or filler items you would like to donate, please let me know and I would of course be more than happy to pack the boxes!

Blessings!

Vote

I voted for the next President of the United States for the first time in my life on Friday. I remember four years ago, when I could not vote, I was anxious about the election. It was not a great feeling to be living in a nation that cherished liberty and sitting on the sideline at the same time. So when I applied for citizenship last year, I prayed that I would become a citizen before this year's election. God graciously answered my prayer and there I was on Friday, standing in line to particpate in this year's election.

I preferred not to wait, but since I could not make it to early voting until Friday, and after counsel with hubby, I waited in line. I then realized the wait time was perhaps the best time to pray for this election and the country, and so I did. A short thirty minutes later, I cast my vote.

I could not predict the results on Tuesday, but as I stepped out of the voting booth, I knew I had done my part as a citizen of this great nation. Voting is not a duty, or "one more thing to do," or even a right, but a privilege. Where I am from, we have never had the opportunity to vote for our head leaders, so the ability to vote cannot be taken for granted. If you have not voted, please do so on Tuesday. You have to go out of your way, and the line might be long, but your vote is going to decide the direction to which our nation is going.

90th Birthday

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior on November 18, 1990, at the Billy Graham Crusade in Hong Kong. I had been attending Christian schools since the first grade so I knew many Bible stories and how to pray to God. Hearing Reverend Graham share the Gospel, however, I came to understand the meaning of the Cross and the way to have a personal relationship with the God about whom I had been learning at school. I still remember very clearly that after I became a Christian, I felt such joy and peace in my heart that it transcended all understanding.

So I am indebted to Reverend Graham for sharing the Gospel with me, among many others, and I have been a beneficiary of his ministry over the years. He has been a blessing to so many people as he faithfully brings the Good news around the world. Now we have an opportunity to bless him - he will be celebrating his 90th birthday in two weeks! Send him a message to help make his special day even more memorable!

Rest

Because Hanes likes her wet food so much, she is very focused on waking us up in the morning, letting us know quite loudly and clearly that she would not give up until she gets her breakfast. So when she gets her breakfast, she is very focused on enjoying it; then she becomes much more relaxed afterwards.

However, she does not settle for her food only. Every day, Hanes would come to me while I am having my quiet time. She usually rests herself on my shoulder or my stomach; but lately, she likes to put her head on my arm. You know what it does? By resting that way, she puts her weight on me. And she is perfectly still and content.

I wonder how often I just keep asking God for something I want but forget to seek Him, let alone rest in Him. One time, after I finished my Bible study, I put the book down to think about the lesson. Then Hanes got near the book and settled there, not for five minutes, but for hours. She might not be doing the Bible study, but she certainly understands that contentment is more than the food she asks for every day, and she knows what it means to rest.

Surrendering the Secret

Before my relocation, I had been a volunteer with A Woman’s Place Ministries, a crisis pregnancy/women’s resource center in Tampa, FL. Although I had never been pregnant, God, by His plan, wanted me to be involved in the ministry.

Because of it, I got to know many women facing unplanned pregnancies. While I mainly met with women who decided to carry their babies, I had also met women who had gone through abortion in the past. Often times, guilt and shame so overcome these women, especially Christian women, that many of them keep their abortion secret and suffer the pain and heartache alone.

Earlier this year, Pat Layton, Founder and President of A Woman's Place, published Surrendering the Secret, a Bible study on post-abortion healing. Now, a giveaway is taking place for women to have a chance to receive the Bible study materials for their churches or their own groups and share this message of hope.

You might know someone who has gone through abortion. Through entering this giveaway, you can help unload her burden and heartache and help her walk towards God’s Truth and freedom.

Cat and Mice

While Hanes was hanging out in the living room earlier today, I thought she might be interested in playing. I lined up the mice in front of her, but alas, she was not in the mood to play. She did not even touch the mice. So I left her alone and went about my business upstairs. When I went down to get water in the kitchen later, I saw the following -

Bird's eye view

Side view

Hanes sleeps in this "Garfield pose" sometimes and I always find that funny. But doing so in front of the lined-up mice just cracked me up! She has been teaching me many serious things (see previous posts and more to come); she nonetheless has a lighted-hearted side!

At the Baseball Game

I went to my first-ever baseball game a few weeks ago. If a baseball game is a great American experience, I got the full taste of it there, but not for the baseball.

All was casual and jovial when we arrived at the field. Families were filing in, children were playing in the play area, laughing and giggling. While we were chatting with hubby’s co-workers, I was also attempting to take in this baseball experience. When it came time to start the game, the announcer asked us to stand for the anthem. We turned to the flag and a singer began singing. It was the first time I heard a live performance of the anthem since my naturalization four months ago.

After my interview and approval of my naturalization application, I stopped by my former workplace, which was nearby, to visit with my former co-workers. One of them told me that her mother was a naturalized citizen from England, and that her mother would cry every time she heard the anthem after becoming an American. As I listened, I wondered if the same would happen to me.

At the Oath Ceremony where I became an American citizen, a singer performed the anthem at the very beginning. Since it was before my oath, I was not particularly emotional about it. But as the ceremony went on, as I took the oath, as I heard the President speak, I remembered my former co-worker’s words. The Star-Spangled Banner would now be my anthem too.

I have been hearing the anthem on TV occasionally since the Ceremony. The baseball game took place during the Olympic Games, and of course, I had celebrated my first Fourth of July as American. However, at the baseball game, looking at the flag, putting my hand over my heart and listening to the anthem, it became a far more emotional experience that it quickly overrode the casualness of a sports game. My vision became blurry. I did not cry, but I felt what my former co-worker's mother felt.

On the Verge of Sunrise

It was dark when I got up at 5.30 on Saturday morning. I needed to water the yard before playing tennis. I am in a very transitional phase right now, praying hard for God’s direction; and waiting has not been an easy lesson. Sometimes, not knowing what is next feels like being in the dark, like the surroundings to which I awoke.

Hanes, my sister-in-law’s cat, was surprised to see me. She promptly got down the dining chair where she had been sleeping, and came to me, thinking her beloved breakfast would come early without having to wake us! However, since it was well before her normal breakfast time, I decided not to feed her and disrupt her routine.

As I was getting the sprinklers going, eating breakfast and having my quiet time, Hanes was trying to figure out when I was going to feed her. She would come by to remind me she was ready to eat, then she would sit across the living room to wait it out. She also tried to distract herself with the ping pong balls or whatever she saw on the floor. When she could not wait any longer, she would come to me again to remind me; she even went upstairs to try to wake hubby.

The whole time Hanes was doing all these, I did not for one second forget about her, nor did I not remember what she had been asking. I knew where the food was and I was going to put it in her dish soon, a time that would be better than now. For her good.

How I am like the little cat. I think I know what I am asking, I think I see the “signs,” I think I can keep praying to God and be patient. No, sadly. I am as anxious about what is next as Hanes is about her wet food. Like Hanes, I have no question who my Provider is; but like Hanes, I am not the best in waiting, and “not yet” is not my favorite answer. Through the little cat, however, God gave me a great reminder of waiting for Him. If I, a temporary keeper of the little feline, do not forget to meet her needs, how much more does God, my Creator who knows me better than I can ever know myself, know what is best for me? I need more faith, and this faith can only come from Him.

I fed Hanes early anyway. As she enjoyed the breakfast for which she had been eagerly waiting, I looked out the window. The dawn was breaking. The sun was about to rise.

From A to Z - Hubby Edition

Special thanks to hubby for sharing his responses in his own words. Enjoy!

Attached or single? Attached.

Best friend? The owner of this blog.

Cake or pie? Both (depending on the flavor).

Day of choice? Friday!

Essential item? 1911.

Flavor of ice cream? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (Blue Bell, of course)

Gummy bears or worms? Worms (more fun to eat)

Hometown? Alvin, TX

Indulgences? Books.

January or July? January.

Kids? Nope.

Last movie seen in a theater? Wall-e.

Middle name? Aristotelis.

Number of siblings? 3.

Oranges or apples? Oranges.

Phobia or fear? Neither.

Quote? $165.00 for 6 months.

Reason to smile? Flying!

Season? Fall.

Tag 5 more? Nah.

Unknown fact about me? The owner of this blog says I have red and grey in my beard.

Vegetarian or oppressor of animals? Meatatarian! (Note: I was a Meatatarian before Wendy’s made it cool)

Worst habit? Sweets.

X-rays or ultrasounds? X-rays.

Your favorite food? Lasagne.

Zodiac? I prefer the CH750.

From A to Z

I got tagged by one of my sisters-in-law (SIL) so here we go!

Attached or single? I have a wonderful hubby. I can’t believe it’s been 6.5 years already!

Best friend? It’s hard to pick one. I have been very blessed to have met several best friends at various points in life to share our journeys together

Cake or pie? No preference/neither

Day of choice? Thursday and Sunday

Essential item? Probably my glasses/contacts, and laptop

Flavor of ice cream? Blue Bell Cookies N Cream and Dutch Chocolate; and most gelato flavors

Gummy bears or worms? Both (my mom would get these for us as special treats when we were kids so I like both)

Hometown? Hong Kong

Indulgences? Hong Kong clips on youtube

January or July? January

Kids? No biological ones yet, but we have a sponsored daughter from Ecuador, and 5 wonderful nephews and nieces

Last movie seen in a theater? Wall-e with hubby and SIL

Middle name? I don’t have one – no, this phrase is not my middle name

Number of siblings? A sister and a brother, both younger; plus in-laws

Oranges or apples? Both

Phobia or fear? That I am not moving forward in life

Quote? "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4: 6-7

Reason to smile? I am going to heaven :)

Season? Autumn

Tag 5 more? Everyone who reads this blog!

Unknown fact about me? I can’t dance, I can’t whistle, I can't tell jokes, and I have two birthdays – the "regular" one and the Chinese one

Vegetarian or oppressor of animals? “Oppressor” sounds serious. Can I just say I eat both veggies and meat?

Worst habit? Probably “extreme multitasking” - starting/working on too many things at once

X-rays or ultrasounds? I have had both

Your favorite food? Probably rice and sushi; I like Nutella too - does it count?

Zodiac? I don’t know the answer, sorry

I hope to read your answers soon!

Beautiful City

Hong Kong – my birthplace, my hometown, my favorite city in the world.

Our most recent trip to Hong Kong was in December. It was hubby’s second trip there so he was quite familiar with the city already. In addition to visiting with family and friends, we also went out occasionally to enjoy the city. One night, we went by the famous Victoria Harbor (named in honor of Queen Victoria of Great Britain), looking over the Harbor and the beautiful skyline. Hubby shot the following 25-second video with our camera that night. We shared our photos after we came back but had not had the chance to share the video so I thought I would post it here.

At the end of each year, buildings along both sides of the Harbor decorate their exterior with bright lights as well as Christmas and New Year greetings, so the December skyline in Hong Kong carries a very colorful and festive tone in addition to the regular office/building lights. Last year was no exception. Hubby shot the video from west to east, capturing some of the city's most familiar landmarks. The beginning of the clip shows one of his favorite buildings, the 88-storey Two ifc, the International Finance Centre, also the tallest building in Hong Kong (the shorter One ifc is next to it). Following shortly after ifc in the video is the Bank of China Tower, another one of his favorites. Featuring striking white lines in the shape of triangles, the Tower is the work of I.M. Pei, the same Chinese-American architect who designed the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris. Towards the end of the video shows a much shorter and wider building with horizontal purple lights. It is the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, venue of the handover ceremony in 1997.

Enjoy!

Wedding Ring

Shortly after we pulled out of our drive way for dinner on Saturday night, hubby told me he had forgotten his wedding ring. He had been painting the garage all day (we are converting it to his workshop) so he had taken it off and left it in the kitchen but he forgot to put it back on after shower.

Wedding rings are always special, and our rings are special to us in our own ways. Not only did hubby design our wedding bands and my engagement ring, but with my mom's help, we had them made in my native Hong Kong. I love seeing his ring on his finger because it always reminds me of our wedding vows.

So the absence of his ring is normally very noticeable to me. But I did not notice the missing ring that night and I thought that since we had already left the house and were only going for a quick dinner, it would not bother me that he did not have his ring with him for a short while. But he insisted on getting it and turned the car around.

His gesture was very touching to me so I offered to get the ring for him as we headed back to our house. As I walked back to the car with the ring, hubby immediately extended his left hand, readying himself for me to put his ring on, the way he did at our wedding. I gladly put it on for him.

How sweet is this man.

Cat Hair on the Carpet

My sister-in-law's cat, Hanes, has been staying with us in the past months. She has been teaching me a lot of lessons, and I learned a new one this morning.

A long-haired cat, Hanes sheds frequently and her blobs of gray hair are highly visible on our beige carpet. This morning, as I sat in my usual spot in the living room for my devotional, I saw her hair in various spots in the living room. Together with her mice, ping-pong balls and other "toys" scattered all over the floor, there was no mistake as to where she had been in the house (generally she likes the living room and the staircase, loves to sleep on one of our dining table chairs, but dislikes the TV room - we don't know why but that room is free of cat hair). Where she hung out was no pertinent information, but the visual clues she left was so obvious that it was impossible to overlook.

This scene was by no means new and I usually just picked up the hair as I saw it. However, instead of cleaning up cat hair this morning, I had this thought: if I could tell where Hanes had been in the house by the hair she left behind, could the same be said about me? I don't shed like cats (don't worry), yet the Bible speaks of the fragrance believers have that comes from God. I wonder if I leave behind this fragrance where I have been, figuratively speaking through my words and actions, as naturally as Hanes sheds her hair, and as visibly as her gray hair is on the beige carpet for all to see?

Welcome!

I have always liked to write, but I never thought I would be a blogger (Sarah, I hear you). I guess blogging is simply the logical and perfect combination of good ol' writing and 21st-century technology-driven living.

So now that I have a blog, I would like to extend my welcome and I hope you will keep reading it and post comments!