A New Year

Happy new year, everyone! :) Wishing everyone a blessed and joyful year ahead!

Just wanted to share about three prayer encouragements that left a deep impression on me at CYSC:

Daily Tests of Faith
During one prayer encouragement, a counselor conducted a brief survey that turned into a brilliant analogy for our walk with God - which class do you prefer? A class with only reading assignments? Or a class with a test every day? Research shows that with only reading assignments, you learn a lot in five minutes, but a week later, you learn very little. If you took a test every day, after one week, you learn a lot. The conclusion was - the more tests you have, the more you learn.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Pet 1:6-7)

As the best teacher we will ever have, He employs this method that is best for our learning, for our good, and for His glory, for knowledge is not enough - we want a faith that is acceptable to God that can take hold of salvation. And so, God tests us all the time, in every single moment of our lives. When we are late for school, do we choose to pray even for five minutes before we leave? Do we choose to listen to the radio or pray in our heart along our commute? When someone is annoying us, do we choose to be angry or patient?

Just like in school, there are times we pass and times we fail. God looks at the final outcome. What He desires know is that when we fail, we go back, find out what went wrong. When a similar test comes again, He hopes that we can pass. God doesn't emphasize the result but cares about the progress. Our spiritual progress is not based on one test alone because through both failing and passing, we accumulate the knowledge of God, the experience of God, and trust in God. God does not count the number of times we failed but rather how close are we to the likeness of Him.

In school, we might drop a class, fazed by the difficulty that lies before us. Yet, in this spiritual walk, we must not drop the "class" so easily. May we always remember that God has sacrificed so much for us to be a part of this class, by His own blood and sweat and it is through failure that we have hope of improvement.

So when we fail, what should we do? Ask for help. In school, we might not feel worthy or motivated to go to our professors after failing an exam or a paper, especially when there are hundreds of other students the professor has to manage [especially at a UC school :P] and he/she could really care less. But God is different - He knows our pain and is waiting eagerly for us to go to His office hours. And what's even better? God's office hours are 24/7. We also have TAs (pastors) who might not know us that well, but they are aware of the common issues students like us face and are equipped to help us through it. We also have tutors (counselors, spiritual mentors) and classmates (our peers) to share these problems and overcome them together.

The Hard Questions
As a recap of our morning sharings, a counselor used Malachi to encourage us on the last day. In Malachi, the Israelites asked God several questions out of apathy, ignorance, and pride, out of severe spiritual blindness, desensitization and numbness. They were oblivious to how far they strayed, and we very well be the same - clueless to how we have been failing to honor God:

1. In what way have I despised Your name? In what way have I defiled You?
2. In what way have I wearied You?
3. In what way shall I return?
4. In what have I robbed You?

 For us, we can use these questions out of humility to ask God to reveal the answers for He knows us better than we could ever know ourselves and we can receive His answers with gladness of heart. While such chastening is painful, God will provide the strength to change and reject sin.

In a society that glorifies busyness, we are able to understand the indispensable value of quiet time for God. If our eyes are fixed on our computer screens all day, we won't be able to see God even when He is standing right in front of us. If our ears are flooded with secular music, we won't be able to hear His whisper. If our hands are glued to our phones all day, we won't be able to touch Jesus.

Constant Thoughts
A friend of mine shared about what he learned from a dream during his prayer encouragement. In that dream, a phrase was very clear: do not forget the teachings of God. He also shared the following two verses:

My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands. (Proverbs 3:1)
My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times. (Psalm 119:20) 

After thinking about the dream the morning after, he realized that he couldn't even remember what he read for Bible reading the day before. Even though, he took notes in Google Docs, barely anything was kept in his mind. Similarly, at CYSC, we had the homework assignment to write about a reflection on all the classes every night and all of us had to flip to our notes in order to write these reflections on what we heard in the past 24 hours.

This prayer encouragement highlighted the need to be proactive in remembering the teachings. We can't expect God to automatically write His words on our heart without us lifting a finger, just because we took notes. It made me realize that just taking notes is not enough - I know that very well because the notebooks I have accumulated after over a decade of church seminars are collecting lots of dust at this very moment. Very rarely have I taken one of these notebooks to reread the spiritual food that God has given.

If we think about when we long and crave for something (for me, it would be KBBQ and dessert at Blackball), do we have that same longing for God's word? If the words of God are something we long for so much, we will tend to forget less. At the same time, God does not expect us to remember every single thing we have ever heard - it's not this result God is after. Rather, it is when we have the right attitude and a heart that yearns for the word through this process of learning that God will see and know that we put in our best effort to remember what He has taught us.

May all the glory and praise be unto His holy name. :)

Humility and Boldness

Just wanted to share something that's been on my mind recently :)

We've often read verses about humility: (i.e.)
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you," (1 Pet 5)

But then, at the same time we also read verses about boldness: (i.e.)
"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Heb 4:15)

But how do those fit together? How can we be both bold and humble at the same time? Aren't they kind of like opposites to one another? 

Often times we think, I must be humble before God, so sometimes we try to make ourselves more meek and lowly, just like the tax collector who repented before God, unwilling to even lift up his head toward Heaven.  But at the same time we remember we have to be bold, just as the author of Hebrews exhorts us to be.

Not sure if this is relevant, but I just wanted to share with everyone some of my thoughts through some bible study passages and meditating on it in prayers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him. And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Mt 8:1-3)

Here we see a leper who comes before Jesus, asking to be healed, which seems like a common scenario for Jesus since we read about how lepers came before Jesus all the time.  But lepers typically try to stay away from groups of people.  In the old testament, a leper must shout "unclean, unclean" (Lev 13:45), to prevent them from infecting others with their illness since it's contagious.

Having said this, the leper should have had two concerns.  Firstly, he would be concerned about the multitudes around Jesus, because perhaps it'd feel safer in an isolated environment where he can't spread it.  And second, about how others would look at him for having ignored the rule to be outside of the camp.  But the leper doesn't just ignore these concerns out of sheer selfishness or ignorance, but rather he approaches the Lord with both boldness and humility.  Boldness, because he was unafraid of the other circumstances around him, and he was full of faith to trust that Jesus would be able to heal him; he didn't doubt Him for a second.  And humility, because he completely submitted himself to the will of God, allowing for whatever God had in store for him to be done.

In the same way, this is also how we must be both bold and humble.  As the verse in Hebrews says, we must be bold to approach His throne of grace.  Sometimes we feel like we're so distant from God because we've drawn so afar off -- perhaps we haven't spent time with God in the last few days, weeks, months, or even a year, perhaps we can't overcome sinful lusts or media and temptations, or perhaps we've made mistakes that we feel like God would just cast us off.  In these situations, we shouldn't try to be "humble/shy" to distance ourselves from God, but rather to boldly come before Him eagerly.  

However, when we do come before Him, we must become like this leper and the tax collector, to submit ourselves under the hand of the mighty God, knowing that we are powerless, but at the same time having the faith that He can make us clean.

Therefore, let us not be neither humble or bold in our own eyes, but according to what Jesus has shown that we should be, and draw ever closer to Him each day we live.

Emmanuel

God Knows the Way

Hi Team Chill!

Just wanted to share a quick encouragement especially since exams are coming up soon! This is a choir piece we sang at Elizabeth not too long ago that brings me a lot of comfort (hehe sometimes I listen to it on repeat). Like Psalm 46:10, it tells us to be still because we know who our God is. With a God who knows everything, who can do everything, who cares for us deeply and has a plan for us, we have nothing to fear. While what He gave us isn't the promise of never encountering any tribulations or difficulties in our lives, He did promise us a steadfast peace in Him to get through them. May God help us to be still in the times when it's hard to as we come to trust in Him more and more. 

God Knows the Way

Be still my soul, be still my soul;

Cease from the labor and the toil.

Refreshing springs of peace await

The troubled minds and hearts that ache.

Be still my soul; God knows your way

And He will guide, for His name's sake.

Plunge in the rivers of His grace;

Rest in the arms of His embrace

Be still my soul, be still my soul,

Though battles 'round you rage and roar.

One thing you need and nothing more

To hear the whisper of your Lord.

Be still my soul; I know your way

And I will guide for My name's sake.

Plunge in the rivers of My grace;

Rest in the arms of My embrace

Be still my soul (be still); God knows your way (He knows your way)

And He will guide (and He will guide), for His name's sake.

Plunge in the rivers (in the rivers) of His grace;

Rest in the arms (in the arms) of His embrace, X2

Rest in the arms (in the arms) of His embrace,

Rest in the arms of His embrace, (Be still, be still)

Be still my soul. 

God bless,

Abigail

A Heart Loyal to the Lord

Hi Team Chill :)

Just some reflections from my morning Bible reading:

"And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”
(Exodus 32:7-10)

Out of His great love, God called the Israelites His people, He bore them on eagle's wings and brought them to Himself (Ex 19:4), He did so much for them- He rescued them from Egypt with a mighty hand and took care of every single problem they encountered on their journey (letting them safely cross the Red Sea, providing them sufficient food and water in the most miraculous ways). God does just as much for us today- calling us His own people not for any reason that we makes us deserving of it and taking care of the problems we encounter on our journey too. What God asks in return is very simple- our loyalty and that we love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength (Deut 6:5). This made me think of some lyrics from a choir piece called "My God, You Are So Wonderful":
"Who am I, Lord, to love You so, as mighty as You are? Yet You have turned to ask of me the love of my poor heart."
We are so insignificant yet it is because God loves us that our loyalty and our hearts matter to Him, and it is because He loves us that it hurts Him when our hearts begin to turn elsewhere. So even though it may require us to give up time spent on other things or to deny our own desires, let us show God our love and loyalty by putting Him first, by saving the best parts of our day (not the leftovers) to spend quality time with Him, by observing the Sabbath day with a quiet and joyful heart of worship, and by striving to obey His commandments in our everyday lives; to love God because He first loved us.

Hope you all had a lovely week and that you have a delightful and restful Sabbath tonight and tomorrow!

God bless,
Abigail

Skies & Sunsets

I love to take pictures of the sky (a pretty well-known fact about myself). Yesterday, I saw a breathtaking sunset on the way home from church and this is the thought that came into mind:

When all we can see is the never-ending busyness of our schedules and unfinished projects, our faithful God gives us good reason to look up -

To set our eyes on what is bigger than the lists, decisions, and deadlines,
To gaze on the daily but never-duplicated beauty He paints across the sky, as a tiny glimpse into His extravagance,
To witness the moment each day when our Father reminds us:
From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. (Psalm 113:3)

The hope we have is: yes, the everyday mundaneness and to-do list can be never-ending but so is the grace of God, making it always possible for us to press on with grateful praise for everyday faithfulness.

It's going to be a grueling week ahead and I'm struggling in preparation for my very challenging midterm on Tuesday, so may God give me the strength to do my best and trust in God through the rough patches of the week and for the peace to let go of what I cannot control and let God.

Today, I have been listening to this hymn recording on repeat. "His Promise to Me" is one of my absolute favorite hymns and reminds me that God will be enough, no matter what we may face in the days ahead. This recording was sung by my project team at this year's MMP and as I listened to it, a flood of memories came rushing back and the nostalgia is definitely back.

The one thing that popped into my mind was how one of the team leads would always remind us at the start of every project session - "We must not forget why we are doing this. I know it can get tiring to sing the whole day, but we know that we have this mission so that when people listen to these recordings they can be touched and strengthened by the amazing love of God that shines through every word we sing." I myself feel so blessed to have these recordings to listen to when I'm feeling weak and in need of comfort and hope. I am so grateful that we have music as a tool to rejoice in the presence of our Lord, to experience heaven on earth as well as within our hearts, and to transform ourselves from a people of constant complaint to a people of powerful praise.

Here's to a new week! Let's do this - God's got our back. :)

I Will Be With You

Hi Team Chill!

"I Will Be With You" (based on Haggai 1:13) was the title of a sermon from ESSC in Chicago that moved me to tears. In the midst of stressful assignments and much time away from home in Houston, this phrase comforted me beyond any other words I could have asked to hear—surely it is our greatest strength and peace to know that God is dwelling beside us, loving us, and guiding us no matter where we go or what we do. I have seen in so many ways how God has been with me these past 6.5 weeks while in college, and my life has really been like a counselor's sharing from NYTS: even on the days I did not think much about God, He reached out to me.

Below are simply just some of the blessings I have experienced from Him this past month and a half since moving to Chicago :)

Single in A Double
I did not know that having no roommate in a room with two beds, two desks, and two closets all in almost double the space of a single would be such a great blessing. The probability of all this happening was so unlikely, and I am reminded of God's love to me each time I enter my room and am able to pray, to store my things wherever I want, and to have quiet time. While some might feel that this living situation could be quite lonely, I have learned that time alone is time to truly experience God and to feel His presence; it's almost all as if God is my own roommate, keeping me company through all the times I feel lonely.

A Beautiful Campus
The view every time I walk out of my dorm, bike by the music building, or run by the lake always astounds me—the skyline of Chicago, the rays cast by the sun, and the shimmering blue water of the lake are unbelievably beautiful. I have realized that God has put me here in this gorgeous place to continually remind me of His goodness and greatness; all I must do is look out the window.

Good Friends
Without a doubt, God knows what I need. I have shared with all of you my fear of loneliness, but from the very first day since arriving here, He has given me such good friends who ask me to eat with them or to hang out in my room every day. Although my friends here are not in church, I can feel God's love to me through them all the time; such good friends as these can only be given by God, for "every good gift...is from above" (Jas 1:17).

Always the Right Timing
God has shown over and over how He is control of my time. For example, today I planned to remotely join Houston RE prayer at 9:30 PM, and while before I wasn't sure if I could finish my math homework today, I finished right at 9:29. This also happened last week with a Chicago youth prayer, when I finished my homework 9:59 when prayer was at 10 PM. There was also a time when I planned to return something to Amazon, and I could not find a UPS dropoff station. It just so happened that right at the moment I crossed the street to continue looking for a station, I saw a UPS truck driving by and rolling to a stop about 100 feet away, and because there was much traffic at the time, the driver was not driving especially quickly. I was able to simply give my box to the driver because UPS trucks often have their right hand-side doors wide open—it was all so easy, and all I could think was "Thank God, thank God." Lastly, in the beginning of the quarter registering for classes was stressful—I was trying to enter the only section of math that worked with my schedule, but it was already full. However, on the very last day registering for classes was allowed, I went up to the office for math and they gave me a 4-number code that resolved it all: I was able to register for that class in under 5 seconds so easily. The perfection found in all this timing testifies of God's guidance and presence, always at the right time.

Church and Family Away from Home
Before coming to Chicago, one of my biggest stresses was how I would get to and from church. However, when my first weekend in Chicago came around, transportation worked out so smoothly that there was no denying God's providence through it all. Every week since the first weekend a brother has picked me up from my dorm on Friday, a family has let me stay at their house Friday night and taken me to church the next day, and another sister takes me back to my dorm on Saturday. The family I stay with weekly on Friday nights is like my family away from home. They give me such good food, make my bed so warm and comfy, and show me overall so much love by letting me stay at their house. The first time I entered their home I was almost crying—their house reminds me so much of my home in Houston that I couldn't help but think God has provided all this for me to reassure me in my homesickness. Through all of this I have learned that as long as we have the desire to seek God, He will provide us with the rest, and we will always, always be made strong in our weaknesses through His sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9).

I hope that sharing the blessings I have received compels all of you to reflect upon how God has been with you also, because He has promised us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). For as long as God is with us, what else do we need?

God bless,
Sophia

Psalm of Devotion

Hi Everyone!

Praise and thank God for the encouraging posts! It really brightens my day and strengthens my faith to read these. Hope everyone is doing well and is pressing onward in their post-NYTS goals!

Yesterday was an opportunity to learn how to choose joy. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my 12 hour days of work and class back to back and by the end of it, I usually don't feel so well physically (It makes me appreciate what nurses do and anyone who has to work 12 hour shifts). But surely, by God's grace, we can get through the most brutal and exhausting of days.

Psalm 139 has been on my mind lately and I happened to come across this song inspired by this passage. May these words be our source of comfort, reminding us that even when our strength runs out, God's strength goes on.

Lord, You have searched me,
Father, You know me. 
Your Spirit knows when I rest or rise,
My every care is known, 
I never walk alone,
I cannot wander from Your eyes. 

Where can I hide from Your Spirit?
I am surrounded by Your boundless grace.
Where can I go?
If I ride the wings of dawn, 
You are my Morning Song.
I rest secure in Your embrace. 

You are my Maker, You are Creator.
You spoke the Word and there was life!
You are my Maker, my Keeper and Sustainer.
I am Your design, formed by Your love divine.
Lord, I am Yours, and You are mine. 

Lord, You created me in my mother's womb, 
You knit me with infinite care.
In such amazing ways, You crafted me for praise.
You gave me love and life to share. 
Come now, and search me Lord, I surrender all.
Come and speak to me Your perfect Word and love.
Look deep within my heart, and let the healing start,
Raise me to higher things above!

You are my Maker, You are Creator.
You spoke the Word and there was life!
You are my Maker, my Keeper and Sustainer.
I am Your design, formed by Your love divine.
Lord, I am Yours, and You are mine.