Happy Chinese New Year! This is the year of the dog. So, if you were born in the year of 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, this is your year! To learn more about Chinese Zodiac, check out this website.
My family started the celebration on Saturday, 1/28, New Year's Eve. We went over to my aunt's "MahJong/Party" apartment for dinner and of course, MahJong. On Sunday, lunch was at a Seafood Restaurant and dinner back to my aunt's place for leftovers and more MahJong. This time I played. I lost about $10 because I had no clue what I was doing. Finally, one of my cousins, decided he wouldn't take my money because I really didn't know how to play. That was very sweet of him. On Monday, the family spent the day at a Spa Resort. I ended up going to a museum with one of my girl cousins instead. At night, we had reserved a private room at a restaurant that had Karaoke. The food was endless, people were singing to their hearts content, and there was a table for Blackjack. It was a fun 3-day event.
This is just a simplified version of the 3-day event. We had so much fun with one another. We were loud and obnoxious that we thought someone would call the police on us. We had tons of food. And the best part of it was that we were all together as a family!
I was thinking that I would upload pictures of the celebration, but I didn't take any! I brought my camera to all of the events, but was so caught up with other things that I forgot to take pictures!
Well, I'm officially back in the States now. It feels so weird to be back after such a long trip. I feel a little disconnected. I had such a great time in Taiwan and the fact that I didn't have to worry about life for awhile was so nice. Now, that I'm back, it's going to take a few days to re-orient myself and start up what was put on pause for the last six weeks. We shall see what kind of "Unplanned Adventure" this will take me! Please pray for me. I would greatly appreciate it! =)
For now, I'm going to try to recover from jetlag and disorientation. =)
Monday, January 30, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
MahJong
To be quite honest, I'm not really sure what MahJong is all about, except that everyone in my family (except my parents and I) are addicts! I mean, my aunt bought a place across the street from where she lives just to host MahJong parties. She charges a flat fee to play and she provides the food & place.
For those who are wondering what MahJong is, I've found this website. Honestly, I'm not even quite sure what it's all about. Everytime I try to play and think I finally have it down, there will be new rules. And if I try to play with my aunt, they will get so frustrated because I'm REALLY SLOW. I get a headache just by watching them. They are super duper fast!
So, maybe I should buy this game and it could be the next game that we are addicted to? =) It will be a new trend.
Just a side note....MahJong is so popular in China that everywhere, and I mean everywhere, you go, there are room after room of people playing MahJong. Vendors play MahJong behind their stands, store owners play MahJong at the front of the store, families play MahJong in their living room. It's crazy!
So, hopefully this helped! I wonder if they will be addicted to Nertz or Settlers? =)
For those who are wondering what MahJong is, I've found this website. Honestly, I'm not even quite sure what it's all about. Everytime I try to play and think I finally have it down, there will be new rules. And if I try to play with my aunt, they will get so frustrated because I'm REALLY SLOW. I get a headache just by watching them. They are super duper fast!
So, maybe I should buy this game and it could be the next game that we are addicted to? =) It will be a new trend.
Just a side note....MahJong is so popular in China that everywhere, and I mean everywhere, you go, there are room after room of people playing MahJong. Vendors play MahJong behind their stands, store owners play MahJong at the front of the store, families play MahJong in their living room. It's crazy!
So, hopefully this helped! I wonder if they will be addicted to Nertz or Settlers? =)
Monday, January 23, 2006
Gas Stations & Chinese New Year
Okay, so I've been back to Taiwan three times this year. And of course, now I talk about its specialties. Seriously, this trip has made me more aware of the culture than the trips before. So, here's a tidbit about the gas stations in Taiwan. It's all full service. You pull up, they pump your gas, pay and you're off. But the cool part of it all is comes with perks.
1. Every time you fill up, you get a complimentary car wash.
2. You can get free stuff when you have enough reward points. For instance, my parents will never have to buy laundry detergent, dish soap, tissues, bottle waters, etc... I mean, they're small every day essentials, but it helps to know that you don't have to pay for them. Everytime they run out of things, they just go the the gash station to redeem them.
3. On certain days, when you pay cash, you can $3.00 off.
Ummm...We don't get that kind of service in the States. We have to pay extra for all that. So, gas is a little bit more than the States, but everything that comes with it, it's kind of worth it. Well, kind of. I mean, even if its higher in price, the service is great! You can beat that, can you?
The funny part of the car wash is that it's complimentary throughout the year, but during Chinese New Year, you actually have to pay for it. It cost $0.90 for normal wash and $2.00 for the full on wash. Wouldn't it be better the other way around? Complimentary car wash during the New Year and paid car wash throughout the rest of the year?
Speaking of Chinese New Year. It's a big deal. All the grocery stores stays open 24 hours and everything is hiked up in price. On weekends, the grocery stores are packed with people buying things left and right. It's crazy!
I'm excited to see what this big ordeal is all about. Our weekend consist of eating, eating, eating and eating. Seriously, that's the plan. Since it's going to be at my aunt's house, there will also be full on Mah Jong along with the eating. So, at least there will be a little bit of calories burned. =)
Okay, that's it for now. Tonight my mom, my grandma's caretaker and I will be going to the night market. I'm so excited. I love night markets! I'll blog about that later!
1. Every time you fill up, you get a complimentary car wash.
2. You can get free stuff when you have enough reward points. For instance, my parents will never have to buy laundry detergent, dish soap, tissues, bottle waters, etc... I mean, they're small every day essentials, but it helps to know that you don't have to pay for them. Everytime they run out of things, they just go the the gash station to redeem them.
3. On certain days, when you pay cash, you can $3.00 off.
Ummm...We don't get that kind of service in the States. We have to pay extra for all that. So, gas is a little bit more than the States, but everything that comes with it, it's kind of worth it. Well, kind of. I mean, even if its higher in price, the service is great! You can beat that, can you?
The funny part of the car wash is that it's complimentary throughout the year, but during Chinese New Year, you actually have to pay for it. It cost $0.90 for normal wash and $2.00 for the full on wash. Wouldn't it be better the other way around? Complimentary car wash during the New Year and paid car wash throughout the rest of the year?
Speaking of Chinese New Year. It's a big deal. All the grocery stores stays open 24 hours and everything is hiked up in price. On weekends, the grocery stores are packed with people buying things left and right. It's crazy!
I'm excited to see what this big ordeal is all about. Our weekend consist of eating, eating, eating and eating. Seriously, that's the plan. Since it's going to be at my aunt's house, there will also be full on Mah Jong along with the eating. So, at least there will be a little bit of calories burned. =)
Okay, that's it for now. Tonight my mom, my grandma's caretaker and I will be going to the night market. I'm so excited. I love night markets! I'll blog about that later!
A Few Pictures from Taiwan
WuLing Park
1. Mom and I at WuLing Park. It was cold! Brrrrrrrrrr!
2. View of mountains from road. Pretty, huh?
3. View from trail of mountains.
4. Left of trail: those are bushes and bushes of fresh tea leaves! Yum!
Bed and Breakfast between WuLing Park and Puli, where my brother lives.
1. View from our balcony. We were the only customer that night. We had the whole place to ourselves!
2. They had garden with lots of flowers and other vegetations. It took about 1 hour to walk the trail. It was beautiful.
3. Me posing like an Asian dork. I seriously don't understand why people do that. It looks so stupid and completely ruins the picture! (No remarks on the USC clothing please. Although they lost at the Rose Bowl, they still beat out the Irish!)
Puli. One of my favorite places in Taiwan.
1. Picture of May. My brother's dog. I actually like her. She likes me.
2. My brother and his girlfriend with May.
3. Puli from the mountain top. Isn't it pretty? I love it!
4. Family (minus 1) picture. Yup. That's them.
1. Mom and I at WuLing Park. It was cold! Brrrrrrrrrr!
2. View of mountains from road. Pretty, huh?
3. View from trail of mountains.
4. Left of trail: those are bushes and bushes of fresh tea leaves! Yum!
Bed and Breakfast between WuLing Park and Puli, where my brother lives.
1. View from our balcony. We were the only customer that night. We had the whole place to ourselves!
2. They had garden with lots of flowers and other vegetations. It took about 1 hour to walk the trail. It was beautiful.
3. Me posing like an Asian dork. I seriously don't understand why people do that. It looks so stupid and completely ruins the picture! (No remarks on the USC clothing please. Although they lost at the Rose Bowl, they still beat out the Irish!)
Puli. One of my favorite places in Taiwan.
1. Picture of May. My brother's dog. I actually like her. She likes me.
2. My brother and his girlfriend with May.
3. Puli from the mountain top. Isn't it pretty? I love it!
4. Family (minus 1) picture. Yup. That's them.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
A Few Pictures from China & Hong Kong
I love this picture! These girls were staring at me like I was from outer space or something. Seriously. They just kept staring and whispering & laughing to one another. So, finally, I took the camera out and viola! They posed! They were so excited and when they saw it on the screen of the digital camera, I instantly became their best friend.
Out of all the taxis and buses, this was my favorite type of transportation. It's not comfortable at all. It's loud and it's small and due to my long legs, it's gets pretty cramped. But it's fun! My poor parents. It only cost around $0.50! It's about the same price for a nice taxis, but hey, it's all about the experience! Want to take a wild guess what this thing is called? 
View from the back window of my favorite transportation. I'm thinking of getting one of these for myself. Do you think it'll become a trend in the States?
Market in China. Lovely isn't it? This is actually a pretty clean spot. Despite the fact that there are trash everywhere, the vegetables are to die for! I ate to my heart's content! It was so delicious!
Lady+ Sugar Canes= Sugar Cane Lady. Yup! That's all she sold. Pure sugar. We bought two long sticks for about the same amount to take my favorite transportation. We ended up giving her a tip for shaving and cutting it up for us.
People washing clothes at a nearby stream. Ducks going into stream for their morning bath. 
Hong Kong at night. The picture doesn't do justice. It was a little foggy that night. But in person, it's spectacular!
Am I a photographer or what? Well, this was my attempt to take a picture of the tall buildings at night on top of a moving double decker bus.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Do you ever wonder why....
Asians are such bad drivers (at least those from Taiwan)? Simply put... They can't drive! There are way too many cars, motorcycles, buses on the road, so you have to fight your way. This means:
1. Red light is basically like a stop sign.
2. If there are no oncoming traffic, you can use their lane.
3. Pedestrians DON'T have the right of way. The bigger the car, the better off you'll be. Trust me. A few times I thought I was going get run over...by a bike! The kind that you have to pedal!
4. Lanes = NO lanes or What lanes? There are lanes?
5. People on motorcycles are crazy! And when there are a ton of them together, it's even crazier! They look like swarm of ants.
6. There are places with cameras and radars that will actually catch you when you speed, but other than that, you basically do whatever you want.
One thing that I've realized that they actually know how to do is PARALLEL PARK IN TINY SPOTS! It's a must if you have a car. There are actually way too many cars and not enough parking. So when you find one, it's usually inbetween cars and bikes. Sometimes you don't even find one and you just park illegally. Sundays are the best days to park illegally because the cops are off duty.
Anyway, I think those are a few reasons why Asians can't drive when they get to a place that's actually has rules, laws and wide roads. With all these, they are at a loss and don't know what to do so they like to drive like a maniac, inbetween lanes, cut people off, etc. to make it feel like home.
I've also heard once on the radio that Asians can't drive because we have smaller eyes! Ummm...I've never really found that a problem.
Hope you enjoyed this little observation I've made. Now, you know why Asians have such a bad reputation! I hope I'm not one of them!
1. Red light is basically like a stop sign.
2. If there are no oncoming traffic, you can use their lane.
3. Pedestrians DON'T have the right of way. The bigger the car, the better off you'll be. Trust me. A few times I thought I was going get run over...by a bike! The kind that you have to pedal!
4. Lanes = NO lanes or What lanes? There are lanes?
5. People on motorcycles are crazy! And when there are a ton of them together, it's even crazier! They look like swarm of ants.
6. There are places with cameras and radars that will actually catch you when you speed, but other than that, you basically do whatever you want.
One thing that I've realized that they actually know how to do is PARALLEL PARK IN TINY SPOTS! It's a must if you have a car. There are actually way too many cars and not enough parking. So when you find one, it's usually inbetween cars and bikes. Sometimes you don't even find one and you just park illegally. Sundays are the best days to park illegally because the cops are off duty.
Anyway, I think those are a few reasons why Asians can't drive when they get to a place that's actually has rules, laws and wide roads. With all these, they are at a loss and don't know what to do so they like to drive like a maniac, inbetween lanes, cut people off, etc. to make it feel like home.
I've also heard once on the radio that Asians can't drive because we have smaller eyes! Ummm...I've never really found that a problem.
Hope you enjoyed this little observation I've made. Now, you know why Asians have such a bad reputation! I hope I'm not one of them!
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
I'm Baaaaaaaack!
So, it's Thursday afternoon and I'm finally updating my blog. I actually tried to update my blog yesterday night with pictures and all, but the computer took forever! So for now, this is going to be picturless. =(
Although my trip to China and Hong Kong was very short, it was such an experience! We left last Wednesday (01/11) and returned Tuesday (01/17) around 2AM. During the short period of time, I've experienced:
1. Taking a shower by boiling water and then mixing the right amount of cold water.
2. Going to the bathroom squatting style 98% of the time. The other 2% was considered luxury at 2 star hotels. =)
3. Getting over the fact that no matter what, I'm tall and that people are going to stare at me!
4. Eating at the street market and trying not to be disgusted by the amount of trash underneath our table and around us with flies swarming around! Hey, what can I say? We ate about 3 plates of potstickers and shared a large bowl of noodles for under $1.00! Good thing we didn't get sick!
5. Getting use to the fact that there are no garbage cans and you CAN'T be fined for littering! So, I littered. It was the norm. If you didn't, people look at you strangely at why you're still holding your trash.
6. Watching Ace Ventura on the bus and the only one laughing because it was all in English with tiny, tiny Chinese subtitles.
7. Amazed at the amount of fresh vegetables and fruits they have. All for barely nothing! We ate a lot of them!
8. Having a grand dinner that solely had all the specialty from my dad side of the family. Each province had their own types of food with different tastes. So, we had stuffed tofu, stuffed bitter melon, pork linings with salty cabbage, and other good stuff. I know it may sound disgusting to you, but it was so good! But I have to say, no one make stuffed tofu like my grandma! She's the best!
9. Riding in 2 buses, a train, 2 double decker buses, a trolley, a boat, and airplane all in 8 hours!
10. Having good Dim Sum in Hong Kong. Yum!
11. Seeing Hong Kong at night. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
12. Being picked up my an guy from India while trying to go through customs. He waited for me on the other side wanting to know if I would like to travel with him in Hong Kong. I told him I was with my parents and he walked away. Yeah, creepy. He wasn't even cute!
Okay, those are some of my highlights from the trip. I will try to put some pictures up when the computer is running faster!
I would love to know what you are up to! So, please write me!
Love ya!
Although my trip to China and Hong Kong was very short, it was such an experience! We left last Wednesday (01/11) and returned Tuesday (01/17) around 2AM. During the short period of time, I've experienced:
1. Taking a shower by boiling water and then mixing the right amount of cold water.
2. Going to the bathroom squatting style 98% of the time. The other 2% was considered luxury at 2 star hotels. =)
3. Getting over the fact that no matter what, I'm tall and that people are going to stare at me!
4. Eating at the street market and trying not to be disgusted by the amount of trash underneath our table and around us with flies swarming around! Hey, what can I say? We ate about 3 plates of potstickers and shared a large bowl of noodles for under $1.00! Good thing we didn't get sick!
5. Getting use to the fact that there are no garbage cans and you CAN'T be fined for littering! So, I littered. It was the norm. If you didn't, people look at you strangely at why you're still holding your trash.
6. Watching Ace Ventura on the bus and the only one laughing because it was all in English with tiny, tiny Chinese subtitles.
7. Amazed at the amount of fresh vegetables and fruits they have. All for barely nothing! We ate a lot of them!
8. Having a grand dinner that solely had all the specialty from my dad side of the family. Each province had their own types of food with different tastes. So, we had stuffed tofu, stuffed bitter melon, pork linings with salty cabbage, and other good stuff. I know it may sound disgusting to you, but it was so good! But I have to say, no one make stuffed tofu like my grandma! She's the best!
9. Riding in 2 buses, a train, 2 double decker buses, a trolley, a boat, and airplane all in 8 hours!
10. Having good Dim Sum in Hong Kong. Yum!
11. Seeing Hong Kong at night. Loved it, loved it, loved it!
12. Being picked up my an guy from India while trying to go through customs. He waited for me on the other side wanting to know if I would like to travel with him in Hong Kong. I told him I was with my parents and he walked away. Yeah, creepy. He wasn't even cute!
Okay, those are some of my highlights from the trip. I will try to put some pictures up when the computer is running faster!
I would love to know what you are up to! So, please write me!
Love ya!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Two in One!
Wow. Two posts in one day! I've never accomplished that before. Since I will be leaving the country for a few days, I wanted to let the readers know that I will not have Internet access where I'm going. So, I will not be blogging for the next 6-7 days. I know, really sad. I will resume blogging hopefully by next Tuesday.
I'm also going to try to upload pictures of my trip. We'll see how that goes since everything on this computer is in Chinese, I'm always guessing what the pop up window says and hoping that I'm not deleting any important files! We shall see!
Yesterday night, my mom took a friend and I to a steak dinner. It was quite good. It was only $6.00/per person. It also came with a salad bar, soup bar, dessert bar and of course other Chinese food. It was great! Six bucks for steak! You can also get Steak and Crab or Salmon for about $10. It's great.
Today, my mom bought a Tuna sandwich and corn chowder for $1.86! I mean, that's a whole meal! You can't hardly buy anything good for that price in California! I'm just in amazement. I knew things were cheap, but today, for some odd reason, it really caught my attention how cheaps things are here. I couldn't stop laughing when I asked my mom if it was for real and she said it was. I just laughed and laughed.
One last example. You know how we have $0.99 and Dollar Tree stores? Okay, you think that's cheap. Well, they have a store that sells stuff for $0.03! They have some really nice stuff! I'm chuckling to myself right now writing this. It's dirt cheap. Well, I think dirt actually cost more that that. =)
Oh yeah, you can buy a place for about $15,000-$20,000. Yeah, that's a down payment for a house in the States. Of course, you have to realize it's Taiwan, but with everything costing so little, you just have to wonder about things!
Anyway, I'll leave you now to ponder about this. If you recently did your 2006 budget and are all depressed (I am. Especially since I don't have a job), just think about living in Taiwan and how well off you would be with what you have! That should make you happy! =)
Signing off. Will return Tuesday. Pray for us on our trip!
Thanks!
I'm also going to try to upload pictures of my trip. We'll see how that goes since everything on this computer is in Chinese, I'm always guessing what the pop up window says and hoping that I'm not deleting any important files! We shall see!
Yesterday night, my mom took a friend and I to a steak dinner. It was quite good. It was only $6.00/per person. It also came with a salad bar, soup bar, dessert bar and of course other Chinese food. It was great! Six bucks for steak! You can also get Steak and Crab or Salmon for about $10. It's great.
Today, my mom bought a Tuna sandwich and corn chowder for $1.86! I mean, that's a whole meal! You can't hardly buy anything good for that price in California! I'm just in amazement. I knew things were cheap, but today, for some odd reason, it really caught my attention how cheaps things are here. I couldn't stop laughing when I asked my mom if it was for real and she said it was. I just laughed and laughed.
One last example. You know how we have $0.99 and Dollar Tree stores? Okay, you think that's cheap. Well, they have a store that sells stuff for $0.03! They have some really nice stuff! I'm chuckling to myself right now writing this. It's dirt cheap. Well, I think dirt actually cost more that that. =)
Oh yeah, you can buy a place for about $15,000-$20,000. Yeah, that's a down payment for a house in the States. Of course, you have to realize it's Taiwan, but with everything costing so little, you just have to wonder about things!
Anyway, I'll leave you now to ponder about this. If you recently did your 2006 budget and are all depressed (I am. Especially since I don't have a job), just think about living in Taiwan and how well off you would be with what you have! That should make you happy! =)
Signing off. Will return Tuesday. Pray for us on our trip!
Thanks!
Ten Things God Never Says
1. Oops!
2. What have I done?
3. How did I let that happen?
4. I made a mistake.
5. It was an accident.
6. I don't know what to do.
7. I'm afraid of what will happen now.
8. I can do better than this.
9. What do you think I should do?
10. Why didn't I think of that?
The reason it is important to know these things that God never says is beause it means He never says them about you either. Everything god created is good. He says so Himself. That includes you and me.
From the book, Prayer that Changes Everything.
2. What have I done?
3. How did I let that happen?
4. I made a mistake.
5. It was an accident.
6. I don't know what to do.
7. I'm afraid of what will happen now.
8. I can do better than this.
9. What do you think I should do?
10. Why didn't I think of that?
The reason it is important to know these things that God never says is beause it means He never says them about you either. Everything god created is good. He says so Himself. That includes you and me.
From the book, Prayer that Changes Everything.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
I Have Decided...
To stay in Taiwan a little bit longer than intended. I've changed my flight for the second time now. Hopefully that will be it. I've decided to stay through Chinese New Year (01/28). I haven't been able to be part of this festivity for about 21 years now, so it's time.
You might be wondering, "What does this mean?" Well, it means that I will have to leave the country to get my passport re-stamped since my 30 days will be expiring in a few days. My mom and I leave for China (whew, finally get to put that costly visa to use!) Thursday morning. We will not see the Great Wall or all the famous places, but will be visiting my grandpa's old home, where his brother and family still lives. Then we will be visiting a drug rehab center that has been asking my parents to visit for awhile now. Then the following Monday, we will be arriving in Hong Kong early in the morning and spending the day there and flying back to Taiwan late at night. All this so that I can stay a few extra weeks! It's going to be a whirlwind of a trip, but fun!
I'm really grateful for this time. I don't have anything to rush back to and I'm not in a hurry. I once heard a counselor say that it's best to take all your vacation at once because it takes awhile to actually get to the place where you feel rest. I now understand what that means. It's totally true!
Anyway, here's a short update on me. I'll try to log on tonight to have a longer update!
Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate you!
You might be wondering, "What does this mean?" Well, it means that I will have to leave the country to get my passport re-stamped since my 30 days will be expiring in a few days. My mom and I leave for China (whew, finally get to put that costly visa to use!) Thursday morning. We will not see the Great Wall or all the famous places, but will be visiting my grandpa's old home, where his brother and family still lives. Then we will be visiting a drug rehab center that has been asking my parents to visit for awhile now. Then the following Monday, we will be arriving in Hong Kong early in the morning and spending the day there and flying back to Taiwan late at night. All this so that I can stay a few extra weeks! It's going to be a whirlwind of a trip, but fun!
I'm really grateful for this time. I don't have anything to rush back to and I'm not in a hurry. I once heard a counselor say that it's best to take all your vacation at once because it takes awhile to actually get to the place where you feel rest. I now understand what that means. It's totally true!
Anyway, here's a short update on me. I'll try to log on tonight to have a longer update!
Thank you for reading my blog. I appreciate you!
Thursday, January 05, 2006
What I've been learning.
I've been learning a lot lately about life. I've been having a lot of doubts, anxieties and uncertainties with the future. I've also been reading this great book called The Prayer that Changes Everything by Stormie Omartian. I'm going through it for the second time. It's a great devotional! Anyway, I want to share a short section of the chapter with you. Just to give you a little background, she's been explaining a period of her life where she went through two months of the most empty, paralyzing, depressing time. And one night...
I became so desparate to break through this painful malaise that I reached out to God yet again from the depth of my being and cried, "Lord, what is the matter with me? What is this about? am I doing something worng? Tell me what I should be doing differently. I can't seem to make myself do anything at all. Am I just burned out? Have I worked too hard for too long? I thought You had instructed me to do the things I'm doing, yet I feel incapable of working on any of them right now. Did I misunderstand Your leading? If so, what am I supposed to do? Please speak to me, Lord. Help me to understand. Take away this heaviness so I can breathe freely and think clearly again."
FinallyI felt a distinct impression upon my heart that I knew was the Lord. It was like the sun breaking through clouds after a tornado. Everything was calm and peaceful in direct contrast to the intensity of the moments before.
He said, "Simply worship Me."
I understood this was not to be a prelude to anything else, but an end entirely in itself. It was not to be for just that moment or until the next morning. I was to worship Him until He told me otherwise.
It's not as if I didn't know how to praise God in the midst of difficult situations or had never done that. I had learned this powerful principle many years before and had made praise and worship of God a priority in my life. I knew what to do. I knew how to do it. I knew why I was doing it. But this time, I was to do it as the ultimate end in itself. As if nothing else would ever follow.
God, are You preparing me for eternity?" I asked.
"That is always true," He spoke to my spirit again. "But this is not your time to die. I am preparing your heart to do the work I have for you to do, and I need your full attention. Don't come to Me with your lists right now, even though the things you need are imporant to Me and I desire that you look to Me for all your needs. There will be a time for that kind of prayer again soon, but right now you must trust that I know what you need. In this season, I want you to simply worship Me. Exalt My name and praise Me for all that I am. Let Me fill your heart with My thoughts and not your own."
God wanted to have such free riegn in my heart that I would allow Him to break it, pummel it, grind it into sand, and then make something new. That's because He wanted to do something new. Ultimately not just for me and my benefit, but for others as well.
And I was willing.
Boy, was I willing! When God has a hold of you, it's best to not resist. It's better to go with the program and see it through. Life will never be the same if you do. It will be always missing something great if you don't.
He desires so much more from us because He has so much more for us. And when we let Him, He will revela more of Himself to us. As much as we are able to contain.
I became so desparate to break through this painful malaise that I reached out to God yet again from the depth of my being and cried, "Lord, what is the matter with me? What is this about? am I doing something worng? Tell me what I should be doing differently. I can't seem to make myself do anything at all. Am I just burned out? Have I worked too hard for too long? I thought You had instructed me to do the things I'm doing, yet I feel incapable of working on any of them right now. Did I misunderstand Your leading? If so, what am I supposed to do? Please speak to me, Lord. Help me to understand. Take away this heaviness so I can breathe freely and think clearly again."
FinallyI felt a distinct impression upon my heart that I knew was the Lord. It was like the sun breaking through clouds after a tornado. Everything was calm and peaceful in direct contrast to the intensity of the moments before.
He said, "Simply worship Me."
I understood this was not to be a prelude to anything else, but an end entirely in itself. It was not to be for just that moment or until the next morning. I was to worship Him until He told me otherwise.
It's not as if I didn't know how to praise God in the midst of difficult situations or had never done that. I had learned this powerful principle many years before and had made praise and worship of God a priority in my life. I knew what to do. I knew how to do it. I knew why I was doing it. But this time, I was to do it as the ultimate end in itself. As if nothing else would ever follow.
God, are You preparing me for eternity?" I asked.
"That is always true," He spoke to my spirit again. "But this is not your time to die. I am preparing your heart to do the work I have for you to do, and I need your full attention. Don't come to Me with your lists right now, even though the things you need are imporant to Me and I desire that you look to Me for all your needs. There will be a time for that kind of prayer again soon, but right now you must trust that I know what you need. In this season, I want you to simply worship Me. Exalt My name and praise Me for all that I am. Let Me fill your heart with My thoughts and not your own."
God wanted to have such free riegn in my heart that I would allow Him to break it, pummel it, grind it into sand, and then make something new. That's because He wanted to do something new. Ultimately not just for me and my benefit, but for others as well.
And I was willing.
Boy, was I willing! When God has a hold of you, it's best to not resist. It's better to go with the program and see it through. Life will never be the same if you do. It will be always missing something great if you don't.
He desires so much more from us because He has so much more for us. And when we let Him, He will revela more of Himself to us. As much as we are able to contain.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Update on Me....
We did not go to China and see the Great Wall. My parents booked this tour for us to go for about a week, but then at the last minute they heard it was a scam and made the decision of not to go. I'm sad that I didn't get the chance to see the Great Wall, but that's okay. I am a little frustrated because I spent a whole lot of money on getting my Visa! Oh well.
This past week, we took a trip down to visit my brother and his girlfriend in Puli. Puli is located in the middle of Taiwan. On our way down, we made a few stops to visit different sites. On of them was Wuling Farm. It's not what you picture a farm to be. It's more like a State Park with trees bearing different fruits and land for other vegetations right in the middle of the mountains! There are trails to hike and waterfalls to see. We spent the first night there. It was amazing. Our hotel, which they call it "hostel" was so nice! We had a balcony viewing the mountains around us. It was so gorgeous.
The second stop was in a little town in the mountains. And yes, there are mountains in Taiwan. It was a cold and rainy, so it made everything look dirty! But we had a great hotel room. It was nestled on 4 acres of land. They put all sort of plants and vegetations to make it a beautiful garden. They put in a trail for people to take. So, once the rain stopped and the sun came out, we had a great time walking the trail and viewing the mountains. I loved it! God really knew what He was doing!
On our third day we headed down to Puli. Ahhhhhhh....I really love this city. It's not too big and not too over crowded like in Taipei. It was perfect. I had a lot of fun hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend. My parents left Sunday afternoon, but I stayed behind and left on Tuesday to come back to the over stuffed, big, dirty Taipei. Actually, my parents live in a city outside of Taipei called Tucheng. The first part of the name "Tu" actually means "ugly" to a degree. I would have to agree.
While in Puli, my brother's girlfriend, which I don't know her English name, took me all over town. We got massages after massages, our hair washed, ate lots of Chinese junk food, shopped, ate, watched tv, ate, went on a couple of hikes, ate, became friends with their dog (yes, I'm actually quite fond of her and I'm actually missing her a lot), learned to ride a motorbike (I have bruises and pictures to prove it), ate, shopped, talked, ate. Yup, that's pretty much how we spent our days. It was great!
Now I'm back in Tucheng. Not sure what my next adventure will be. But know that I miss you all and love you so much! I appreciate you taking your time to read about me!
This past week, we took a trip down to visit my brother and his girlfriend in Puli. Puli is located in the middle of Taiwan. On our way down, we made a few stops to visit different sites. On of them was Wuling Farm. It's not what you picture a farm to be. It's more like a State Park with trees bearing different fruits and land for other vegetations right in the middle of the mountains! There are trails to hike and waterfalls to see. We spent the first night there. It was amazing. Our hotel, which they call it "hostel" was so nice! We had a balcony viewing the mountains around us. It was so gorgeous.
The second stop was in a little town in the mountains. And yes, there are mountains in Taiwan. It was a cold and rainy, so it made everything look dirty! But we had a great hotel room. It was nestled on 4 acres of land. They put all sort of plants and vegetations to make it a beautiful garden. They put in a trail for people to take. So, once the rain stopped and the sun came out, we had a great time walking the trail and viewing the mountains. I loved it! God really knew what He was doing!
On our third day we headed down to Puli. Ahhhhhhh....I really love this city. It's not too big and not too over crowded like in Taipei. It was perfect. I had a lot of fun hanging out with my brother and his girlfriend. My parents left Sunday afternoon, but I stayed behind and left on Tuesday to come back to the over stuffed, big, dirty Taipei. Actually, my parents live in a city outside of Taipei called Tucheng. The first part of the name "Tu" actually means "ugly" to a degree. I would have to agree.
While in Puli, my brother's girlfriend, which I don't know her English name, took me all over town. We got massages after massages, our hair washed, ate lots of Chinese junk food, shopped, ate, watched tv, ate, went on a couple of hikes, ate, became friends with their dog (yes, I'm actually quite fond of her and I'm actually missing her a lot), learned to ride a motorbike (I have bruises and pictures to prove it), ate, shopped, talked, ate. Yup, that's pretty much how we spent our days. It was great!
Now I'm back in Tucheng. Not sure what my next adventure will be. But know that I miss you all and love you so much! I appreciate you taking your time to read about me!
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