The Young Proverbs 31 Woman

If I can't say yes to waking up on time every morning
to go on my daily run,
to read the Word,
to pray,
to take a shower,
to make breakfast for myself,
and to get to work on time with energy for the day while I'm still single...

why should I expect God to think I'm ready for
waking up after a restless night of sleep taking care of a crying child,
reading the Word and praying while somehow managing to keep an eye on a baby,
keeping my body accountable with regular exercise despite utter fatigue,
cooking and cleaning breakfast for my entire family,
giving my baby a bath as well as a shower for myself,
and still getting to work on time with energy for the day?

For the first time in a long time, I revisited this famous passage. But for a passage describing a "wife of noble character," I was surprised to see how little the passage discussed marriage and how much the passage focused on the woman's faithfulness with her small, menial duties.

^"13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.'"


This woman is skilled, profitable, well-rounded, but I think most importantly, diligent. It's her responsibility and excellence in the basic - making quality products at work, handling her money and investments with prudence, preparing food for her family and maidservants, speaking wisely in conversations around her - that makes her a blessing to her husband and children. Nothing big or fancy. Just your very basic, everyday tasks. Skilled and mastered as a form of worship unto God. Which made me realize...

The Proverbs 31 woman isn't a model wife; she's a model woman.

And that's a journey that I can start as soon as now.

Unreasonable

Noah's faith to build the ark was unreasonable.

Joseph forgiving his brothers was unreasonable.

Ruth staying with Naomi was unreasonable.

David's faith in battling the Philistine was unreasonable.

Daniel's fast was unreasonable.

The woman at the temple offering her single coin was unreasonable.

The good Samaritan's benevolence was unreasonable.

The shepherd seeking the one sheep was unreasonable.

The woman with the alabaster jar was unreasonable.

Christ's sacrifice was unreasonable.

Unreasonable could be, at times, very beautiful.

Lesson in Faith: Pursue God, Not Merely a Godly Life

The Bible is not a self help book. And God is not a life coach.

Lord, as a Christian, I get driven by my desire to pursue holiness.

Unfortunately, sometimes more than I want to pursue You.

But as the title that I bear implies, let me be more of a "Christ-ian."

A pursuer of Christ.

A lover of Christ.

A studier of Christ.

Forbid me from turning wayward like a Pharisee, who is only concerned with what men count as righteousness.

Instead, let me love you, honor you, and enjoy you like Mary did. Prevent me from a life of obliviousness, half-hearted works, and skewed worship like Martha.

I approach Your Word as a book about You.

It is not a book about me.

The Rich and the Famous

It's been 8 days at work. People here are rich, powerful, and beautiful.

Half of the people in my office make 6-figure salaries.

The men drive nice luxury cars.

The women have their looks (or the money to get themselves there).

But they do not realize that they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. (Revelations 3:17)

There was one manager who came in wasted from last night's party. But from watching his somber, limp, and tired walk into his office this morning, my eyes were opened to the deeper waste in his heart.

God, please direct and guide my heart for your people here at work. May I have a heart that breaks for those who are so rich but are so poor, those who are so well-clothed but are so naked, and those who are so content but so wretched.

What You Do vs. Why You Do

It's important to know what to do, but it's even more important to know why you do it.

Born and raised in the Church, I've been spoon-fed instructions on how Christians are to live: tithing ten percent, dating only within the Church, abstaining from illicit materials, waiting for sex until marriage... But the satisfaction in doing each of these things only well up in my heart when the motive is joy and not obligation.

I've been experiencing more happiness as adulthood settles in and I become more responsible for decisions that I make in my life. With my own income, I know what a blessing it is to be able give to God's Church; with freedom in my relationships, I'm learning what joy God is planning for me in my future marriage; with my overall independence, I'm appreciating the many opportunities I have to serve God in whatever I do (1 Cor. 10:31).

Living a life of faith really feels so free. (Rom. 8:2)

I've never felt so free in my life.

Whoa, whoa, whoa..

Did God just pull a fast one on me?

Literally just 3 days ago, I wrote about wanting to run away to seminary -- "my Ninevah."

But just 3 days later, He's given me a job?

God, what is this craziness you're working in my life?

Escaping My Escape: Decision to Forego Seminary

It's so simple, I don't know why I didn't see it before: God calls some people into seminary, and He doesn't call others.

All throughout last year, I prayed about my desire to go into seminary or full-time missions. Ever since my first trip to Mexico missions back in middle school, I believed that ministry was where I belonged. I had a passion for God's people, loved planning church activities, loved studying theology, and was one of the few girls my age who didn't mind supporting a pastor for the rest of my life. (lol) People I looked up to -- parents, mentors, etc. -- encouraged me that I'd be a good fit. It looked like I was headed on the road to seminary. But something still felt wrong.

Pastors tell some crazy "how-God-called-me-to-seminary" stories. In these stories, it's usually God doing the convincing. But for me, it felt like the other way around. Pastors share how they were running away from their calling, but for me, I felt like I was chasing after what wasn't mine. I was running after God and asking Him, "Please, can I have the permission to pursue full-time ministry, pretty please?"

But recently, it finally came: my answer why not to go to seminary. After years of wondering -- should I, could I, -- I've finally decided that I should not and could not. I have another "calling" to tend to.

How I Decided Not Go to Seminary

1. Evaluation of my fears - Every reason I wanted to go to seminary all bottled down to one thing: fear. Fear of the outcomes. Fear of becoming a corporate woman. Fear of working too hard and not having time to serve in church. Fear of not having enough time for family. Fear of delayed marriage. Fear of not being a good enough witness in a vastly secular industry. Fear of my own stumbling in faith. Fear of persecution. Fear of defaming God's glory. Fear of man, really. My desire to go into seminary so that I can stay and work in the Church all year long, where I won't have to face persecution, where I can live comfortably in the community of believers and where I knew I would have time for a loving Christian family. Seminary was my Ninevah.

2. Re-evaluation of my skills, past experiences, and interests - It was less clear whether or not I should go into seminary when I didn't have a calling yet. But now that I'm out of school, I can see how God was gracious in building me up as a faithful worker not only within the Church, but also in school, in extracurricular activities, and in leadership outside of the Church. I got involved in really random but really helpful networks during school, gained diverse and skilled work experiences, and even got access to some high-profile work. Now that I'm looking for a job in media or marketing, I've built up my credibility as an excellent employee, kinda like how Daniel became a desirable advisor to Nebuchadnezzar. The things I did to buff up my resume like leadership in clubs and activities, God used these things to buy me a ticket into a circle of trust of exclusive people. My unique skill set allows me to reach out to a people that most people can't normally reach: the rich, the famous, the busy, the prideful, the successful.

3. An example of fruitful ministry outside of Church - My passion for missions was reignited not by a pastor, not by a missionary, but by a brother who works for sales in an import/export company in Cerritos. I can't imagine how awkward it must have been to be the first person to suggest a company lunch to mingle, or to invite grown men over his house for a sleepover, or to plan weekly cooking nights within a company of employees who really could care less. But this brother did. His initiative opened up crazy opportunities to witness to non-believers that I haven't even seen on the mission field. When people say, "You don't have to go overseas to evangelize; look in your very backyard," I don't think we should undermine the gravity of this statement. There is an overlooked need for Jesus in hearts of citizens of first-world countries.

4. Re-evaluation of my understanding of a "calling" - I knew "calling" didn't equate to "career," but in my prayers I kept using that word as a reference to the job I will one day get. That's when I realized I needed to change the way I prayed about my calling. Not to pray for a job, but to pray for a calling. (please don't judge the book by its dull title like I did) Knowing God's Will, by M. Blaine Smith, was an amazing and literally life-changing book on understanding of what a calling really is. It addressed the common problem that young Christians have in waiting for 100% affirmation of what job to pursue. We want all the information, the guarantee, the promise from God that this is the job that He planned for us. But as Psalms 119:105 says, "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path." Not a floodlight onto the field. It's okay if God doesn't tell us our career right away. God will only reveal each step as we go and trust Him with the next. As soon as I trumped the misconception of "calling" as some cosmic plan for my destiny, I began to take little decisions I had to make and little opportunities I had everyday more seriously. Suddenly, that entry-level job as a marketing assistant didn't seem so bleak. I needed to be humbled to the point where I understood the opportunities God could use me in my "calling" as a paper-pusher. God challenged me to take little steps at a time and trust Him with the rest of the way.

5. Quotes that revealed my passion - When I heard these words of wisdom, it stuck with me. "The modern Church is becoming like a modern monastery, closing up its disciples within the confines of the church." "Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Matthew 5:15) Pulling on different strings in my heart, God has stirred up this strange passion to be a missionary as an employee of integrity and faithful young adult of this generation.

The beauty in all this is that nothing about me has changed. My passion for missions, my love for the Word, my desire to serve stayed the same. All that's changed is the condition of my heart. Seminary was where I thought I could find joy, but God made me take a good look at myself and showed me a path where greater joy will abound. I'm excited to serve and glorify God in my work! Now, all I need to do is find that job... haha.

How I Know Materialism Still Affects Me

Humans are naturally quantifying creatures.

It doesn't take much for us to notice that 5 apples is greater than 1 apple, that $10 is worth more than $5, and that 20 pieces of candy is more numerous than 10. All it takes is common sense.

But how does "common sense" warp our view of heavenly wealth?

_________________________

So far, I think I've done a pretty good job of training myself to be jealous after the Lord and not be swayed by the latest trends, hottest gadgets, or most popular celebrities. Envying that kind of wealth is not my problem area.

But when I see a sister in Church who loves and delights in the Lord... and who has a perfect family, an awesome boyfriend, the most loving group of friends, a set career, and/or a promising future... having God alone no longer seem to be enough for me. I begin wanting just a several more tiny things on top of Him: a certain amount of stability in my salary, just one or two good friends who really care for me, a loving family in the future. Just some basic things, God, I pray. This sneaky voice called "common sense" begins to whisper in my ear, "If this one sister can have God and all these other things too, why can't you?"

_________________________

Just as common sense tells us that 5 apples is greater than 1, common sense makes us desire wealth both in heaven and on earth. But the Scripture describes the kingdom of heaven as a treasure so valuable and desirable that the man sold all he had to obtain it. It was all he could ever want.

As I stand at this strange juncture between the end of my college years and the beginning of my young adult life, I know that this is one area in my heart that I need to be wary of. Whatever God's calling for my life may be --rich or poor, married or single, persecuted or loved -- I simply want His favor to be the joy of my heart!

"He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone."

Lost in Narnia

Never thought that I'd drop copies of "grown-up" books like The Reason for God, by Tim Keller, and Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, for a children's classic: The Chronicles of Narnia. Hehe. Guilty pleasure?

Even worse, I'm incredibly excited for The Voyager of the Dawn Treader - the third in the movie series - to release this Christmas! Haha, oh boy...

Tragically Honest

Haha, funny story, but I think that post from 3 months ago came around to bite me in the butt. (thanks Eric Choi... rawr.) But it did remind me the value of a prudent tongue.

"A slip of the foot you may soon recover,

but a slip of the tongue you may never get over." - b. franklin

Shout-out to good ol' Frankie-B for the words of wisdom. Reminds me of a quote I read from Elisabeth Eliott:

"Never pass up the opportunity to shut your mouth." - elisabeth eliott

Lol. Of course, I don't quite think she said it so eloquently...

Lightning Storms, Midnight Rickshaws, and Cold Showers

DAY 2: July 5, 2010
Location: First night in our Bangladesh Home
Time: 2:30 am

Boy, did our team stand out on that plane ride. On a flight of 150 Bangladeshi passengers, only 6 of them were females – 4 of whom belonged to our team. The ladies on our flight received many unsolicited stares from the Bangladeshi men and had to be cautious of our actions.

The missionary’s wife picked us up from the airport at 1am with her elder daughter. On our drive from the airport back to the missions home, our team caught a glimpse of the Bangladeshi nightlife. The dark sky flickered on and off from the monsoon storm lightning. And despite the late hour, men carrying rackety rickshaws awaited passengers in front of dimly lit stores along the dirt road. It was like seeing a new world for the first time. Incredible and breath-taking! Everything seemed so unfamiliar and so unreal compared to the Los Angeles streets I’m so used to.

After 2 days of layovers and sleeping in terminals, being able to crawl into a bed under a roof felt like a welcoming into paradise. We took full advantage of the weak air-conditioner that the missionary encouraged us to use. We also turned on a couple fans to ventilate the moisture out from the100-degree and 100-percent humidity air. But the cold shower – ooh, that was the best part – was unbelievably reviving. We’ve only been in this country for 4 hours now, but the picture of this culture is already starting to come together. It’s actually rather beautiful. Overall, our team’s feeling extremely blessed in our new home. Tomorrow will be our first day with our supervisors. Excited for what’s next to come!

Soli Deo Gloria,
Hana

Crushes? -- tehehe

I wonder: when we face a crush (and this includes guys too), is there an upright and Biblical way to handle our emotions?

In Hiding

It's not clear why Adam and Eve hid from God after eating the Garden's forbidden fruit. Did the couple fear confrontation? Did they fear punishment? Did they fear death? Or my personal guess, did the fruit of "knowledge of good and evil" reveal to them that their sin has forever separated them from God?

It's not clear why the two hid from each other either -- sewing clothes out of fig leaves and "making coverings for themselves." Why did they feel the need to hide from each other? What effect did sin and shame have on their relationship?

In either case, the Bible simply gives Adam's reply: "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

Fear. Nakedness. Hiding.

I don't think Adam really believed he could outrun or hide from the omniscient and omnipresent God. I think he hid because he just felt so, so ashamed. Maybe even to the point that he believed God could no longer accept him.

It's difficult to expose our shame, our sins, our failures, our flaws,and our inadequacies. Sometimes I can't even admit when I've gained 5 lbs, or received a bad score on a test, much less deeper issues like chronic sins of envy, lust, hatred, gluttony, and pride. But I've been witnessing that not only does God embrace us despite our impurities; He works through them to create ultimate good. How bizarre, strange, and yet so incredibly magnificent.

In my failures, I'm learning to embrace the flawed woman that God has built me to be. Not only so, but I soon want to boast of my weaknesses, so that it will be evident it is Christ who works in me.

"Noonchi"

My mom swears she has this thing called noonchi. It's actually kind of cute. At graduation, she said she analyzed the boys who were there, and using her expert noonchi, she said she picked out the most "marry-able" guy (I disagreed with her for obvious reasons... haha. I don't think I could ever see my guy friends that way.)

In Korean culture, there's a concept called noonchi. Loosely, it can be translated as being intuitive, mindful, and quick-witted; or more simply, it's having the ability to understand the things unsaid. The purpose of noonchi is to recognize people and things for what they really are without any direct communication of it.

When it comes to ministry, I really think God can use people with noonchi to reach out. There's a line in "Everything," by Hillsong, that captures the essence of having eyes for His people:

"Open our eyes,
to see the things
that make Your heart cry
to be the Church
that You would desire"

There are so many people to be loved, many hungry souls to be served. One of my ministry struggles has been noticing others' needs before mine, especially in times of my own stress and brokenness. When I'm burning out, I'll turn my noonchi radar off so that I could use my energy to focus on getting back on my own feet.

But I really want to follow Christ's example. Even after accomplishing miracles, after feeding the multitudes, after traveling on foot to different towns, after giving multiple sermons, after answering people's difficult questions, Christ still looked at them with "compassion," and He served them for "they were like sheep without a shepherd."

Philippians 2:3-8 becomes more and more real to me every time I revisit it:

³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Lord, let the interests of others be known to me! Open my eyes so that I can see the Church the way you do, and expand my heart so that I may serve people the way Christ did. Help me to understand people and their needs, to initiate intentional relationship, to see the conditions of people's hearts, and most importantly, embrace them in love.

(That's so interesting. I typed in "intuition" for an image search, and half the images were of eyes.)

Amazing. Grace.

I think too highly of myself.

Rights vs. Responsibilities

A friend of mine not too long ago said that I was spoiled.
I asked why, and he said, “You’ve suffered very little.”
My response: “I’ve had my fair share of troubles.”
“Yeah, but those were ‘Orange County troubles.’”

Hiss, burn, ouch. =(

Partly for missions prep and partly for personal enjoyment, I'm reading John Piper's Let the Nations Be Glad (thanks, Philip Chung). The first two chapters on "The Supremacy of God in Worship” and “The Supremacy of God in Prayer” naturally fit in with my preconceived beliefs like the pieces of a puzzle.

But then I hit the most difficult chapter yet: “The Supremacy of God in Suffering.”

Suffering. Martyrdom. Sacrifice. Eyuw. Theologically touchy subjects.

Piper calls all Christians to anticipate suffering. But I realized I’ve suffered very little both physically and spiritually having grown up in Orange County. It’s no wonder why I grew uncomfortable and even doubtful when reading over Jesus’ promise that I’m called to “share in His sufferings” – “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:20).

It was like Sarai when she laughed at God’s promise in disbelief: I chuckled, “Really, God?”

But in the days following, I began to notice little pangs of guilt each time I chose not to suffer: $3.82 at Yogurtland, $28.30 at Forever 21, $13 at AMC Theaters… In order to ease this schism, I began to look for suffering in a place like Los Angeles – the “City of Angels.” And the ridiculous solution I came up with was this: I started divvying out how much of each paycheck I’d spend on giving to others – 10% on tithe, 20% on giving to missions, 10% on ministry needs, 10% on my own needs, 10% to enjoy with friends, 10 % on savings, etc…For a while, this slightly eased my pain and worry of “not having suffered enough” (legalism to the max, right?). But after about a month of ridiculous paycheck splitting and budgeting, it all came down to my desire to know God’s heart. I asked, “How much of a right do I as a Christian have to enjoy the pleasures in life, and how much of a responsibility I have to suffer?” Even in the context of ministries, like when Sarang Church or eCollege spends a lavish budget on ministry events like Christmas banquets or leaders retreats, I wondered, should we feel guilty for the money we spend that could have gone to feed hungrier stomachs? God, is your Church in Orange County “suffering enough?”

The matters of balancing Christian hedonism and ascetism seemed irrelevant when I found the answer:

1. As Christians, we have no rights. – (yikes, is that too harsh) Especially when we’re raised with the mentality of “work hard, play hard,” or “you deserve it,” or “if you want it, you gotta work for it,” it’s so, so, so easy to develop the mentality that we’re worthy if we work for it. If we paid the price, then it’s ours to keep. The time and energy we spend on our friends, our money, our achievements, and our successes become our license to entitlement and we claim the right to handle money/resources in whatever way we want. But the truth is that the only “right” we deserve in the eyes of an infinitely righteous God is the right to die. (Romans 6:23) I forgot that God paid the ultimate price and thus is the ultimate owner of my everything. My works are infinitesimal compared to His glory. If anyone “worked for it” or “deserve it,” it’s God.

2. We have every responsibility to obey. – As people who belong to God, it is a duty (no doubt a joyful one) to adhere to His ordinances! However, there is no requirement of us to look for self-induced suffering. Instead, it is simply our responsibility to obey the two greatest commandments: love God and to love others. And from that love sprouts good deeds unto others as well as the will and strength to endure any suffering. I absolutely love the way Paul words it:

2 Corinthians 8:8-9 – “I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”

I think what both Piper and Paul are coming down to on the subject of suffering is that when your heart is in the right place, our actions naturally follow Christ’s example.

It’s true that I’ve suffered very little. But it’s my prayer that when the occasion for suffering arrives, I’ll be ready with a developed understanding that I made a decision to “take up the cross” and that in sharing in Christ's suffering, the glory will all the more be redounded to God.

I Learn From the Best

Mother Kim's "words of wisdom" on storing your treasures in heaven.





Me: Mom, I heard that man lost you $40 on Saturday. Were you mad?
Mother: No, I forgave him.. because the Bible says when you forgive others, God will see and reward you 30 times over.
Me: Aw, you're so kind.
Mother: So, God owes me $1200.


Haha, oh dear...

Are You Rational?

"Before you make any more decisions you need to answer that question.

A rational decision is based on testing and data and an understanding of the mechanics underneath the system you're working on. The more you know, the better you decide.

An irrational decision is based on gut instincts, conviction and faith.

No one is rational all the time. In fact, somewhere along the way we made 'irrational' into a bad word, but it shouldn't be." -Seth Godin

Naturally, I'm a more "gut-instincty" kinda person. Knowing this, I purposefully try to practice more logic. But no matter how right-brained or left-brained an individual, I think it's safe to say that everyone values reasoning and rationality to some degree. We value decisions that make sense, that save money, that save time, that are efficient, that prevent accidents, that are predictable, that promise safety, that ensure stability. In addition, we live in a culture that questions faith, ridicules mysticism, and discourages yielding control to others.

It comes down to that we value the feeling of being in control, knowing where the next step will take us, and making decisions that gratify our perceived needs.

But are we ever really in control? Do our rational decisions always lead to our satisfaction? Is it really true that "the more we know, the better we decide?"

With graduation in just 27 more days, people have asked me the question of, "What do you plan to do after graduating?" more often than I would like. Not that I'd prefer if they didn't ask the question at all. It's just each time the question is asked, it's a not-so-happy reminder for me that I really have no idea what I'm going to do, that I haven't reached a rational conclusion to my college career. =( So to relieve that anxiety, that void, and that uncertainty of what step I should take next, I found myself making up plans that traditionally have made sense to other people: travel for a bit, work to pay off loans, apply to grad schools...

But I wish I could answer the question of post-grad plans with the actual truth and the true desire of my heart: "I just want to pray some more." Or "I want to wait for God's direction when it comes." Or "It's my goal to trust God's sovereignty through my uncertainties."

Rationality is overrated when it comes into comparison with trusting God's good, pleasing, and perfect will. Ultimately, before I seek out a rational decisions, it'd be more "rational" (ha-ha) to seek out God's way first.

So, does it hurt to be a little more "irrational" -- less focused on mechanics, systems, and credibility? Maybe not. After all, prayer is an irrational act of faith, worship is the product of irrational and overflowing rejoicing, and God's sacrifice of His Son to die on the cross for an imperfect people is an irrational atonement.

So, as far as what I plan to do after graduating? I guess I plan to pray. Simply pray. And wait. And then obey. I don't have to know where I should step next, why I step there, or how that step will affect my future. Neither do I have to prove to others the worth of my decision. I don't even have to exactly understand how praying will help. But I'll pray simply because whether I understand His plan or not, I know that by praying I surrender both my rationality and irrationality to His will.

In the end, I guess my reflection on the question in the title has nothing to do with rationality or irrationality. I've been reminded to simply be more prayerful, with eyes fixed on God's standards and less on others' standards. In all that we do, in all that we seek, and in all that we plan, Soli deo Gloria - may glory be to God alone.

This post is my reflection on Seth Godin's entry.

Soli Deo Gloria

I once heard, "The reward for serving God is serving God."

When asked about "leaving the benefits of England" for missions in Africa, David Livingstone replied that he never made a sacrifice. Instead, he considered it a "privilege" of being "appointed to such an office." In view of my upcoming mission to Bangladesh, I pray that my team and I will also take on our calling as an utmost reward in itself.

And may the first words from our mouths when we arrive back at the airport not be stories about the fun we had, or the foods we tried, or even what we got out of the trip spiritually, but may our lips simply utter, "Soli Deo Gloria."

The Old Posts I Don't Like to Read

Is it just me, or do you sometimes get the urge to delete old posts? =(