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By day the Lord directs His love,
at night His song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
a prayer to the God of my life.
(Psalm 42:8)
He will never leave me. I am surrounded by His love.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Cantos Ceremoniales
Soledad Quiero andar contigo y saber,
Saber por qué, y andar adentro
del corazón diseminado,
preguntar al polvo perdido,
al jazmín huraño y disperso.
Por qué? Por qué esta tierra miserable?
Por qué esta luz desamparada?
Por qué esta sombra sin estrellas?
Por qué Paita para la muerta?
---Pablo Neruda
Saber por qué, y andar adentro
del corazón diseminado,
preguntar al polvo perdido,
al jazmín huraño y disperso.
Por qué? Por qué esta tierra miserable?
Por qué esta luz desamparada?
Por qué esta sombra sin estrellas?
Por qué Paita para la muerta?
---Pablo Neruda
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
On life and contentment
"I am not well, mom."
"It's okay. Hang in there. Your dad is flying over for a visit next week."
And he came - with 1 luggage, a carry-on and a ready smile. I received him with open arms.
He stayed with me for a week. Every morning he would wake me up and our conversations would flow from the morning to early afternoon. For the first time in my life, I opened up to him...my worries, my fears, my feelings, my future. He would listen and comfort me with his stories during the cultural revolution, his days as a young man in China and El Salvador.
"I was mocked and ridiculed by the Communists in China. I was imprisoned for standing up to my beliefs. But guess what? It made me a stronger person. Don't be discouraged. You are stronger than this. You just don't realize it until you face it."
All my life, I looked up to my dad as an authoritative figure. He was someone I deeply respected him and loved. But this time, it was different. He became my friend and confidante. He did not judge me by my mistakes and weaknesses. He offered his advice and support.
One of the biggest lessons that I need to learn is to be content with myself.
"You have to realize that life is pretty simple. If you have a place to stay and enough to eat, you should be really happy. You should also take care of yourself. You have to be happy before you make other people happy."
I also did things that I have never done before with my dad. We went jogging in the mornings. We went hiking in North Vancouver. We cooked together. I introduced him to my friends in church. We laughed at each others jokes. We talked about history, religion and philosophy.
He left yesterday for El Salvador. I miss him already. But I am so thankful that he came to visit. This time, I listened to him with an open heart. He advised me to be more courageous, thankful and confident. But there is three pieces of advice that has been stuck in my mind for days:
"Courage and faith is the most important part of a person's character. We were born to make a mark in this world. Do not fear, for fear itself will hinder you from achieving your full potential. Be courageous, make your own decisions and live life to the fullest."
"Don't mind what others think of you. Be yourself."
"Be happy. As parents, our greatest satisfaction is to see our children happy."
"It's okay. Hang in there. Your dad is flying over for a visit next week."
And he came - with 1 luggage, a carry-on and a ready smile. I received him with open arms.
He stayed with me for a week. Every morning he would wake me up and our conversations would flow from the morning to early afternoon. For the first time in my life, I opened up to him...my worries, my fears, my feelings, my future. He would listen and comfort me with his stories during the cultural revolution, his days as a young man in China and El Salvador.
"I was mocked and ridiculed by the Communists in China. I was imprisoned for standing up to my beliefs. But guess what? It made me a stronger person. Don't be discouraged. You are stronger than this. You just don't realize it until you face it."
All my life, I looked up to my dad as an authoritative figure. He was someone I deeply respected him and loved. But this time, it was different. He became my friend and confidante. He did not judge me by my mistakes and weaknesses. He offered his advice and support.
One of the biggest lessons that I need to learn is to be content with myself.
"You have to realize that life is pretty simple. If you have a place to stay and enough to eat, you should be really happy. You should also take care of yourself. You have to be happy before you make other people happy."
I also did things that I have never done before with my dad. We went jogging in the mornings. We went hiking in North Vancouver. We cooked together. I introduced him to my friends in church. We laughed at each others jokes. We talked about history, religion and philosophy.
He left yesterday for El Salvador. I miss him already. But I am so thankful that he came to visit. This time, I listened to him with an open heart. He advised me to be more courageous, thankful and confident. But there is three pieces of advice that has been stuck in my mind for days:
"Courage and faith is the most important part of a person's character. We were born to make a mark in this world. Do not fear, for fear itself will hinder you from achieving your full potential. Be courageous, make your own decisions and live life to the fullest."
"Don't mind what others think of you. Be yourself."
"Be happy. As parents, our greatest satisfaction is to see our children happy."
Friday, May 18, 2012
12 reasons why the Lord will use me greatly.
-He created me
-He loves me
-He chose me
-I have a heart for God.
-I'm fluent in English, Spanish and Cantonese
-Talented writer
-Good presentation skills
-Beautiful singing voice
-Musically talented: violin, guitar, harp
-Spiritually gifted
-Leadership skills
-I'm a loving, caring person
-He loves me
-He chose me
-I have a heart for God.
-I'm fluent in English, Spanish and Cantonese
-Talented writer
-Good presentation skills
-Beautiful singing voice
-Musically talented: violin, guitar, harp
-Spiritually gifted
-Leadership skills
-I'm a loving, caring person
Sunday, May 13, 2012
By the Fraser River
"Qué bonito lo que Dios creó."
The simplicity and the purity of her statement caught me by surprise.
We walked by the grove near the Fraser River, the twilight cooling off the heat of the day. The sisters were walking back in meditative silence - our footsteps echoing our private thoughts and conversations with God.
I looked up. The wind rustled through the trees. It was almost as if they were singing hymns of praise and whispering secrets of old.
"Look at the beauty of creation. Look how God expresses His love through all the beautiful things around us. I am so thankful."
The tranquility and joy in her face made me smiled. I collected my thoughts in silence.
"I'm glad He created you," I said.
As we paced towards the road, I looked back at my sisters. I looked at each precious soul that God created and carefully placed in our paths of life. I was reminded that we are unique love miracles -our storylines interconnected in perfection with God's plan. And together we walk forward in this beautiful journey we call life.
The simplicity and the purity of her statement caught me by surprise.
We walked by the grove near the Fraser River, the twilight cooling off the heat of the day. The sisters were walking back in meditative silence - our footsteps echoing our private thoughts and conversations with God.
I looked up. The wind rustled through the trees. It was almost as if they were singing hymns of praise and whispering secrets of old.
The tranquility and joy in her face made me smiled. I collected my thoughts in silence.
"I'm glad He created you," I said.
As we paced towards the road, I looked back at my sisters. I looked at each precious soul that God created and carefully placed in our paths of life. I was reminded that we are unique love miracles -our storylines interconnected in perfection with God's plan. And together we walk forward in this beautiful journey we call life.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
This morning
It was raining pink petals.
I looked up. The sun was shining in its full splendour. The sweet smell of Spring inundated the air.
I smiled.
I wonder how long have You waited for this moment? For me to come back to You and offer my love once more? How long have You yearned for me to surrender everything to fall back into Your embrace?
Draw me away, Lord.
I looked up. The sun was shining in its full splendour. The sweet smell of Spring inundated the air.
I smiled.
I wonder how long have You waited for this moment? For me to come back to You and offer my love once more? How long have You yearned for me to surrender everything to fall back into Your embrace?
Draw me away, Lord.
Monday, May 7, 2012
The beauty of life
Today, I went for a stroll in English bay with a friend I met last year in UBC.
The scenic landscape, the soothing waves and the sunshine reminded me how awesome is to be in Vancouver.
I know these past 5 months has been particularly...depressing for me. I know that I should be more grateful for what I have. I tend to magnify my problems when they are in fact very minor compared to the blessings God has given me. But the Lord has been constantly reminding me through Bible verses, messages and people that they are greater things in life that success and achievements.
And I also realized that I'm not alone in this journey. Many people face confusion, loneliness and stress in their lives. It's perfectly normal to feel this way. But the difference depends in how you cope with it.
I guess the reason why I lost my emotional balance was because I stopped doing the things I love -playing music, writing, spirituality. I focused too much on my problems and trying to change rather than finding a coping strategy.
In a way, I've become more humble and connected with...humanity. This may sound kind of odd, but I tend to close myself into my small world and dreams. In the past few months, I learned that there is always space for growth, that beauty comes from the small things in life and that love overcomes all obstacles.
Smile, life is beautiful.
Song of the moment:
The scenic landscape, the soothing waves and the sunshine reminded me how awesome is to be in Vancouver.
I know these past 5 months has been particularly...depressing for me. I know that I should be more grateful for what I have. I tend to magnify my problems when they are in fact very minor compared to the blessings God has given me. But the Lord has been constantly reminding me through Bible verses, messages and people that they are greater things in life that success and achievements.
And I also realized that I'm not alone in this journey. Many people face confusion, loneliness and stress in their lives. It's perfectly normal to feel this way. But the difference depends in how you cope with it.
I guess the reason why I lost my emotional balance was because I stopped doing the things I love -playing music, writing, spirituality. I focused too much on my problems and trying to change rather than finding a coping strategy.
In a way, I've become more humble and connected with...humanity. This may sound kind of odd, but I tend to close myself into my small world and dreams. In the past few months, I learned that there is always space for growth, that beauty comes from the small things in life and that love overcomes all obstacles.
Smile, life is beautiful.
Song of the moment:
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Jerusha Rai
I just found out that a sister from Nepal has an amazing voice. She is so talented!
And yes, I'm shamelessly promoting her music in my blog.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Strengthen me with raisins
Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
(Song of Solomon 2:5)
"When life gives you lemons, or when you've lost direction in life, think of your happiest moments in life. Think of the people you've encountered and touched your heart. Think of the impact you've made in other people's life. Think of what God has given you.
What do you want in life, Karen? What makes you happy?"
[These images come to my head...]
