My Best Birthday EVER!!

My birthday was last Sunday! It's been a few years since I spent my birthday here in the States. I know my family loves me and I love them (I am referring to my mom and sister), they always think of me and buy me things, so my birthday just doesn't seem like a really big deal to them...

So, this year, my sweet husband took me and the kids to the Cheesecake Factory and had a very nice dinner, and with me picking out my perfect gifts. Then, a few days later, my friends at our women's group celebrated me with a beautiful birthday party. They started out blessing me with amazing, kind, encouraging words to and over me. Then, they showered me with fun, beautiful gifts and balloons. I had my friends, Lisa made me Chocolate-covered strawberries and Ryane made me my chocolate birthday cake. They were delicious!!

I felt so loved, honored and blessed.

"You won't relent"

This is such a powerful song!
Pause my Playlist here and listen...
"you won't relent until you have it all, my heart is yours..."

"Place me like a seal over your heart, or like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, and its jealousy is as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench love; neither can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with everything he owned, his offer would be utterly despised." Song of Songs 8:6-7

Pancakes or Dinner rolls??????????

Well, every now and then, I like to make pancakes for breakfast, when I am in the mood. So, a few days ago, I was in the mood. I got the flour out, my favorite pancake recipe, and started making pancakes. I fried them on the griddle, but this time, I notice something very different. They don't look or taste the same as far as texture. They were a little more chewier, not in a bad way, just different.

As we were enjoying the pancakes, I notice my son sawing the pancakes with his knife, it was hysterical... I started picking one and eating it and realized they were more like dinner rolls than pancakes. Since my husband is a chef, he began to help me investigate the cause of the dinner rolls. I used the same recipe and everything the same as many of the times before. We could not figure it out.

Then, as I was putting things away and noticed the flour and started reading it. I had bought flour for bread instead of the all-purpose flour that I usually buy. Well, well, well... I have always afraid to make bread because it seems intimidating and all the kneading sounds like a lot of work. I guess after all, Father, is trying to tell me that I can make bread, even accidentally; and I can do things which I may not realize I can do.

So, next time, make sure you got the right kind of flour for your recipes. LOL...

Chinese New Year 2009

The Value of Purity

I was led to read a book on New Year's Eve and finished in 3 days, called "Purity - the second sex revolution" by Kris Valloton.

It is such a great book, I highly recommend it.

In such a day and age where anything goes, teens are encouraged to experiment. Grown-ups are saying, "we can't control them anyway, let them do it and be safe." They even tell us that abstinence education doesn't work because the kids don't listen anyway. It's ironic that we tell kids not to steal, not to murder, but when it comes to sex, we say that they just would not exercise any restrain on this one. Why bother? What a BIG FAT LIE!

The book "Purity" is encouarging because it gives the positive side of keeping purity and the "why"'s and not so much the "why-not"'s.

Purity (sex only within the premise of marriage)is truly something valuable that we should treasure and share with our children... what blessing this is for them. Purity is something so valuable that is worth fighting for!! I haven't heard that before.

God did not give the young teens sex drive to see how much fun to see them struggle, instead it's opportunity that they experience the struggle in order to have the prize. I love the analogy of a trophy. A trophy means NOTHING by itself, if someone were to give you a trophy without working for it, it would mean NOTHING to you. However, a Superbowl trophy is priceless to those that have worked so hard for it, though they own millions. The same thing goes to purity. It's worth it!! God is also a God of restoration and a God of second-chances. He indeed can restore purity.

I recently was at a friend's party and someone said that the pro-life movement is so backward and so wrong in denying a woman's right. I could not believe his words. He went on to explain that the meat that I was eating is a result of a murder, no different from an abortion. As a matter of fact, he said that even the Bible (which he does not believe in) says that all creations were made equal by God, killing a baby is like killing a cow???!! Can you believe my reaction at that very moment? I was in complete shock and disbelief in the lack and twist of information and knowledge this guy had, his girlfriend was in total agreement. What a pair... I told him that God made him special, above every living thing... he would not hear a word I had to say, and he stopped abruptly our conversation by saying that I would not win this argument and walked away.

I pray that God would open his eyes and so many's that do see that they are magnificant masterpieces of God. They did not come from apes. Every life has a God-ordained purpose, even those with disabilities. God does not make mistakes!!

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Wow, where has January gone? Well, February is going to be here in just 4 more days.

Yesterday was the first day of Chinese New Year, so Happy Chinese New Year to you, in case you realize it. For the last 2 Chinese new years, the kids and I spent it in Hong Kong and China, lots of fun. We miss it this year, the fireworks, all the festivities, ... . Yesterday, we went to the Musuem of Asian Arts to see the Lion Dance (a Chinese tradition), where a prop lion held up with 3-4 people inside and parade around with drums and cymbals playing in the background, lots of noise. It was fun because they actually allowed the children to participate, so Matthew got to participate inside the lion, played the cymbal and beat the drum. Mollie also joined her big brother to beat the drum in the end, after having realized how much she missed out by being shy. When she was handed the 2 drum sticks, I was a little nervous that she would miss the beat and mess up the parade of the lion. I guess no one can mess up beating the drum after all. The brother-sister team worked hard and beat that drum with all the might. They did such a good job. I was so proud. It was worth it going down there in a wet day.

Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year to ALL!!

Before midnight on every new year's eve, we can see info-mercials on workout equipment to help lose weight and commercials to invite to join a health club to get the "Dream-body". We can hear everyone's best intention to fulfill their new year's resolution that probably will fail by the second month of the year.

I find that when I have myself to be accountable to, I am less likely to fulfill that promise, but if I am accountable to someone else, I am more likely to hold myself to that promise.

Take library books as an example. If I accidentally draw in my own books, or rip a page, it's not a big deal. But if I have borrowed a library book, I try at all cost to protect it and not to lose it because I am obligated to return the book as it was allowed to be in my possession, in my trust.

I feel the same way about new year's resolution. If we make it for a selfish reason, for my own good, it may not work out very well. But if we make a committment to someone outside ourselves, we feel more obligated to see it fulfilled.

God asked what Solomon what he wanted and he answered, "God's wisdom and knowlege to rule as king whom the Lord made him to be". It's an act of humility, Solomon was made a king and knew that he couldn't do that on his own wisdom, he desperately needed God's wisdom. For that, God gave him not only wisdom and knowledge, but also riches and wealth and honor!!
God sees our hearts, when we sincerely want to know Him and receive the revelation in the knowledge of Him, His blessings pour onto us beyond material things.

I encourage you to draw deeper into the Lord this year, to know Him, not for your own benefit, but enter into genuine worship to know our Creator as He so yearns for a relationship with you. His word says, "Ask, you shall receive; seek, you shall find; knock, the door shall open to you." He is so ready to give as you ask. He is not about religion, but all about having a relationship with you.

I believe when we do, we can look back on January 1st, 2010, and see our Father's hand on our lives and His faithfulness in ways unimaginable.