Tonight was actually pretty awesome. My family went to Victoria's and Angela's (hopefully you still remember them) church and heard someone say their testimony and adventures but this someone isn't just somebody, this is the Miss Hong Kong Pageant Winner of 1975, Mary Pandora Cheung.(but get this, she is the sister in law for Bruce Lee. I didn't believe this when i heard of it either.) So when I entered their church, it was so different from our church since there were soft chairs instead of pews and the sanctuary was pretty small compared to ours. It was a really big slap in the face for me.
When her testimony started, it was really straightforward about how she came to God and how she accepted God. The most touching part of that was the part when she talked about how her son went to school, said goodbye to his father and came back at 6 pm to start dinner but as he called his father, he didn't respond because he already passed away while he was asleep from watching tennis and he had to call his mom back from Beijing since this happened. Another thing about her is that she hated her parents when they were young because she was an orphan and she abhorred both mother's day and father's day. She soon found out where her mom was but in Taiwan and by that time, she forgave her for leaving her as a child which was also quite touching as well. Who knew a successful woman like her could have such a somber past? I seriously didn't.
-Billy
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Two truths and a lie
Two truths and a lie about university:
It took some getting used to...knowing what to say when people asked me about my faith and when they had questions. I think that kept me going because in a way, I felt as though I NEEDED to know the basics and facts of the Bible in order to answer people validly. Situation wise, I'm still trying to find a good balance between doing what I know is right and not being a hermit. Just a vague summary because I don't wanna ramble like I tend to do: ohh my goodness, all of this really gave me some spiritual awakening. I'm used to being in a Christian-y environment with the majority of people that I know as Christians. University? Not so much so. At all. One of the things I struggled with most was being a Christian and trying to gently outreach, but not being one of "those Christians that shove religion down your throat" as many people have said to me. I feel like this year was a stepping stone for me. When given the opportunity, I usually took it and tried to mention my faith to people. It was small, and in the end, I felt like it didn't do much, but I do feel like it prepared me for doing more. This is just a beginning.
On another note, I was walking along the Rideau Canal the other day during sunset. It was so lovely. At one point where I reached a wider stretch where you could see the sun setting along the skyline, I just stopped and paused to look at the beauty. I looked around, and there were trees abloom and ducks and groundhogs and stuff. It was so peaceful and wonderful just to notice God's creation. I'm not quite sure what I was feeling- it was kind of like, I took notice of the little intricate things of His creation, and it made me remember that I'm a part of His plan and that I'm not just going on aimlessly. The past two weeks have been insane. I've been trying to decide whether or not to stay in Ottawa for the summer because of jobs that I potentially got. I had almost no time to decide before moving out of rez. I had to find someone to move me out and where to move. In the end, I kept praying for guidance and a clear sign- that I've been trying to take all this into my hands, but I couldn't do anything else so I wanted to give my worries to God. It's just been really eye-opening to me. I felt like for a while now, it's been one-sided. With me just asking and expecting to receive, but at the same time, I still wanted control of my life. I'm not proud that it takes desperate situations for me to come to a realization, but better late and occassionally than never, I suppose. That's kind of the feeling and cycle that I got throughout the year. Wanting control; letting go; asking and expecting an answer...stuff like that.
This year has just been so amazing in all I've experienced and despite my struggles, I think that as a whole, I became closer to God. My experiences weren't as mundane and sure, I got into some trouble, but the harder I fell, the closer I wanted to get to God again. I'm thankful and I love God for walking with me through this year.
- It is almost impossible to keep your scholarship
- You will face more challenges about your faith now than in high school
- You can't run away from math
It took some getting used to...knowing what to say when people asked me about my faith and when they had questions. I think that kept me going because in a way, I felt as though I NEEDED to know the basics and facts of the Bible in order to answer people validly. Situation wise, I'm still trying to find a good balance between doing what I know is right and not being a hermit. Just a vague summary because I don't wanna ramble like I tend to do: ohh my goodness, all of this really gave me some spiritual awakening. I'm used to being in a Christian-y environment with the majority of people that I know as Christians. University? Not so much so. At all. One of the things I struggled with most was being a Christian and trying to gently outreach, but not being one of "those Christians that shove religion down your throat" as many people have said to me. I feel like this year was a stepping stone for me. When given the opportunity, I usually took it and tried to mention my faith to people. It was small, and in the end, I felt like it didn't do much, but I do feel like it prepared me for doing more. This is just a beginning.
On another note, I was walking along the Rideau Canal the other day during sunset. It was so lovely. At one point where I reached a wider stretch where you could see the sun setting along the skyline, I just stopped and paused to look at the beauty. I looked around, and there were trees abloom and ducks and groundhogs and stuff. It was so peaceful and wonderful just to notice God's creation. I'm not quite sure what I was feeling- it was kind of like, I took notice of the little intricate things of His creation, and it made me remember that I'm a part of His plan and that I'm not just going on aimlessly. The past two weeks have been insane. I've been trying to decide whether or not to stay in Ottawa for the summer because of jobs that I potentially got. I had almost no time to decide before moving out of rez. I had to find someone to move me out and where to move. In the end, I kept praying for guidance and a clear sign- that I've been trying to take all this into my hands, but I couldn't do anything else so I wanted to give my worries to God. It's just been really eye-opening to me. I felt like for a while now, it's been one-sided. With me just asking and expecting to receive, but at the same time, I still wanted control of my life. I'm not proud that it takes desperate situations for me to come to a realization, but better late and occassionally than never, I suppose. That's kind of the feeling and cycle that I got throughout the year. Wanting control; letting go; asking and expecting an answer...stuff like that.
This year has just been so amazing in all I've experienced and despite my struggles, I think that as a whole, I became closer to God. My experiences weren't as mundane and sure, I got into some trouble, but the harder I fell, the closer I wanted to get to God again. I'm thankful and I love God for walking with me through this year.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Amazed
Lalala, so I thought I should blog since I don't want to study for exams. :)
Today, I woke up at 6:45 to do some last minute studying for my 9am exam. I was making breakfast and texting my friends to wake them up so that they can do some last minute cramming too. So while doing this, I looked around, looked outside.. just to absorb the day. There was a bird chirping and it got a tad bit annoying. But then I realized, Wow. I'm not exactly sure what I felt, but it was just an amazing feeling. I was studying for biology, and everytime I learn something new, I just really appreciate God's creativity more and more. We take everything that we see and know for granted, when all of creation is truly screaming "YO, GOD IS AMAZING."
As I was walking to the exam, this song was playing over and over in my head: Amazed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQAPMRpNoe8
After my exam, I also got a chance to talk to a friend about how God's been faithful every step of the way during this first year of university. I think during these past 8 months, I've truly experienced all the ups and downs that a person can experience...The craziness, the anxiousness, the fatigue, the joy, the pain, the loneliness, the thrill, the temptations...but most of all, God's grace. Honestly, I'm not sure how I would have coped without God's presence in His Spirit and through the brothers and sisters that I've met here. Would I have grown in the same way if I'd stayed at home? Or maybe it's just the fact that I need to make a conscious decision daily to live Christ out and be a witness, instead of assuming that everyone else already knows me as Christian.
Anyway, I'll let my words be few. :)
--Amy
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