He rescued me

I never wanted to follow Jesus
I never wanted to follow Jesus
I never wanted to follow Jesus
He rescued me
He rescued me

No turning back, no turning back...

(from Red Mountain Music album "Depth of Mercy")

Sovereign Grace in Canada

A while ago I found this church, Crossway Community Church on Bob Kauflin's blog. To my surprise and delight, this church is located in Surrey, British Columbia, where my parents have made their home. I decided to check out this church while on vacation at home this summer.

And so I did. Crossway is affiliated with Sovereign Grace Ministries. After reading their statement of faith and values I was already encouraged and excited before I ever visited the church. Now that I've been to their Sunday services for the past month, I am even more encouraged and excited that such a gospel-centered local church exists in Vancouver! You must understand, the general atmosphere in Canada is so liberal. Sure you can find individuals who are passionate for the gospel and who are orthodox in their doctrinal beliefs. But for the church body as a whole, it's hard to find a local church that is truly gospel-centered, orthodox in their beliefs and values. Besides, life is so comfortable here, it's easy to slip into complacency and apathy. From what I've witnessed in their Sunday morning services (I haven't made it to their care groups) these brothers and sisters exhibit genuine passion for the Lord. They seem genuine in their passion for the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the leadership of the church has been faithful in delievering gospel-centered, expository messages to nurture the body. It was refreshing to worship God with this vibrant bunch, who are more (way more) charismatic or expressive than my fellow Baptists in their praises to God.

I was so thrilled to find this line in their statement of faith, "Women play a vital role in the life of the church but in keeping with God's created design, they are not permitted “to teach or to have authority over a man” (1 Tim. 2:11). Leadership in the church is male. In the context of the local church, God's people receive pastoral care and leadership and the opportunity to employ their God-given gifts in his service in relation to one another and to the world." I mean, all other items in this statement are encouraging to read. But to find a church that is faithful to the teachings of the Scriptures in the midst of a culture that is so worldly and corrupt, it's like finding a stream of living water in a dry and parched land.

I've been reminded, after partaking in this charismatic church, that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are united in partnership in and for the gospel of Christ, to the glory and praise of God!

Grandma's stories

My grandma is an excellent story-teller. She used to tell all sorts of stories, some fictional, some from her own life, every afternoon after school when I was growing up. She doesn't tell as many stories now, and she doesn't tell bed-time stories to me anymore. But she still tells stories from her past. Chinese people from my grandparents' generation had it rough when they were young. Many of them went through at least two wars, one against the Japanese and then the Chinese Civil War. While my grandpa fought in the army, my grandma retreated (or fled is more like it) with the Kuomintang Party to Taiwan in the late 1940's, being pregnant and having to carry a one-year-old son, an elderly mother and some relatives along with whatever possession they could take. It's impossible for me to retell what my grandma has told me over the years. The experiences she went through are more dramatic and unbelievable than Hollywood war-time movies. They witnessed history-making of such significance as the shift from Qing Dynasty to the Republican to the Communists. They were part of that history-making. They are the real people who had to suffer and endure real hardship, hardship that people my generation cannot even begin to imagine. What's sad about people like me is that we have such wimpy tolerance for trial and suffering. We take the comfort we have for granted, having forgotten that real people like my grandparents fought and suffered and bled for this comfort.

God has blessed me with such wonderful grandparents and being able to live with them (or near them) for most of my life. I get to witness and experience history second-hand through them. If you have elderly people in your lives, ask them their stories. There is great wealth of history. There is much to glean from their extraordinary experiences. And what better way to spend the afternoon with grandma?

Compliment of the day...or not?

Today at a sports clothing store the sales person asked me THE question that can be taken either incredibly well or very badly, "Are you taxable?"

Let me explain first. In British Columbia we pay two taxes, one provincial and the other federal. And for children under 16 they pay only the federal tax for clothing, etc. At the store today I was tempted to say to the well-meaning gentleman, "Thank you. But I've been taxable for 10 years."

Now you understand my dilemma. In fact, I'm in similar situations rather frequently. At the seminary I'm often mistaken for a Boyce College student. At the church I've been asked "What grade are you in?" several times. I never mean to play cute or even hide my age. I understand that we Asians tend to look younger than we actually are. But I don't really know how to take it when I'm mistaken for a high school student. Is it the way I dress? I have been trying to build a more mature wardrobe. It just doesn't make sense for me to dress up all nice and formal for going to classes and Friday night Bible study. Actually if it's the way I look, I don't really care and I can't really do anything about it. I've come to accept that my babyfat may be with me till the day I die. And more than anything else, "Comfort is everything" has been my motto in choosing clothes. On the other hand, if it's the way I act and talk, then we have a serious problem.

Whenever awkward questions like "What grade are you in?" come up, they always give me a reality check. Am I acting flippantly? Do I use "like" too much in my speech? Am I being too timid? What kind of image do I convey through my action? I still have a long way to go apparently. Hey, if you have any pointers for how a mid-twenties female should act, your input would be greatly appreciated.