Whether you have a valentine or not, I pray that your life will be filled with love, this unreserved love from our great heavenly Father.
There are so many love that we can find on this earth. I thank God for showing His love through so many people in my life: my family, relatives, friends, even people who don't know me. Whatever love that we have, whether it is parental love, friendship love, or romantic love, I thank God that there is love in our lives because He first loved us with His unreserved love.
Unreserved Love (English version of 愛是不保留)
I've always been told love won't survive, Promises will turn into lies, The world just thinks love comes and passes through, It never lasts pure and true.
But I still believe love can last, It's your unfailing love that gives me rest, You were there when I needed you most, I'll never walk all alone.
On the cross you died and took away my curse/sin, Love so wondrous no one ever could deserve, Your bleeding hands proved your love unreserved, You're my greatest joy and treasure on the earth.
Make my life a fragrant offering I pray, Help me Lord to serve you truly every day, Through tears and joy I'll give you all my praise, Let the whole world know your love and grace.
I'm doing my valentine's day tradition again - eva's homemade peanut butter cup for my beloved people in Binghamton!
God loves you everyone! Let today be the day to enjoy His great, unfailing, unreserved love for you today.
O Praise God for everything He is doing in Hong Kong and everything that He has showed me during the break! Cannot stop giving praises to Him because He is so faithful!!
During the first half of the trip I was in mainland China, visiting my mom's family in ShunDe. It's so good seeing all my relatives again, spending time with them was priceless, I really thank God for this opportunity. Little cousins have grown into youth adults, older cousins have all gotten married and have gotten babies that I can play with, I'm just so thankful that they tried to find time showing me around all the time, there is nothing more I can ask for because they are so good to me!
My trip to mainland China really showed me a lot about the Chinese culture and how I need to learn to see things from their perspectives rathar than seeing from my own point of view. At first I really had a hard time understanding why people are acting in a certain way, God has really humbled me to learn, and to understand their culture, to listen and observe and not to be arrogant for my own culture or own self. Through talking to many aunts and cousins, I realized that there are many brokenness in thier lives: they constantly talking about money because they need to work so hard to have thier living secure. I guess it's the same for people everywhere but somehow I just think people in China are in a much more serious condition because of their family values and the lack of government assistance. This condition has affected many things like ethics and psychological stage of people.
Those are just some things that I have been thinking about, I don't know where God is going to put me in the future and what He has in stored for me, but all I know is that my God has the heart of compassion for the poor and brokenness, and He is going to use His children to shine in this world for His glory!
Pictures with cousins and relatives in China:
My beautiful aunts and cousins!!
Hong Kong:
Spending time with my mom is my biggest desire for this trip. Though there are times of disagreements and misunderstanding, God has really blessed our relationship this winter. He showed me everyday while I was in Hong Kong that how much my mom loves me. Often times I don't see it because her way of showing love is so different than the way that I expect her to love. God is constantly teaching me a lesson to love people around me; to be sensitive to their needs and love them in action and truth.
I also had a chance to see many girls that I havn't seen for a long time: Alice, Tsin Wai, Vickey, Gobby, Toby, Sally, Kitty, Asta, Dai, Tusi, Michelle, Hilda, Anna, Jill and Micky. It's so good to see them again this winter and I am really thankful time that they spared to spend with me. It's so good to have all the great conversations and sharing with one another about our lives, I really thank God for putting those wonderful people in my life.
Another great blessing that I really need to thank God for is joining the small group in Alice's fellowship. It is very encouraging to see so many faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. Though Hong Kong is a small, busy city, there are many people who are so on fire for God and are boldly sharing the gospel. Many celebrities in Hong Kong have also accepted Christ and have shared about their powerful testimonies about what God has done in their lives; churches are growing fast because of the powerful work of the Spirit. God has opened my eyes to see all the great work that the Holy Spirit is doing in Hong Kong. It's amazing!!
In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light, my strength, my song This cornerstone, this solid ground Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace When fears are stilled, when strivings cease My Comforter, my All in All Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ Alone, who took on flesh Fullness of God in helpless babe This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Til on that cross as Jesus died The wrath of God was satisfied Forevery sin on Him was laid Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay Light of thw world by darkness slain Then bursting forth in glorious day Up from the grave he rose again And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its grip on me For I am His and He is mine Bought with the precious blood of Christ
In Christ alone I place my trust And find my glory in the power of the cross In every victory let it be said of me My source of strength My source of hope In Christ alone I place my trust And find my glory in the power of the cross In every victory let it be said of me My source of strength My source of hope In Christ alone
No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from His Hand 'til He returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
When I think about the Lord, How He saved me, How He raised me How He filled me, With the Holy Ghost How He healed me, to the utter most When I think about the Lord, How He picked me up and turned me around How He placed my feet on solid ground
It makes me wanna shout "Hallelujah, Thank you Jesus Lord You’re worthy Of all the Glory, and all the Honor And all the praise"
wow it's already been two years since I accepted Christ in the BASIC retreat. God is soooo good, He is continuing to teach me and reveal His love for me daily.
Everytime when I think about the Lord I am just so thankful that Jesus loves me so much. It is hard to understand this amazing love that He has for me but He is ensuring me that I am a beloved daughter of God. I really thank God that His love for me is soo much higher than any love that I can find in this world, even higher than the love that I have for myself.
The BASIC retreat was awesome: it was an intensed weekend with healing and comfort. Once again I am being reminded that I am a precious daughter of God. Often times I have high expectations for myself and beat myself up when I see myself not being a person that I want to be. Thank God that He never sees me the way I see myself. I thank God that He never leave me or forsake me. His love is soo amazing, just like what Paul says, his love compels us. wow, how great is our God!!
