A Very Productive Date!

It was a hot hot hot day...

Alan and I decided to take the day and just be together...

But first, we went and filed our taxes. After waiting for about 15 minutes, we were escorted to a window... and it was the same gal from last year, Ivy Huang. She finished our taxes in 25 minutes and we are getting a refund! Not much... but we are grateful... We will get about 350US$ and this year, refund will be wired transferred into Alan's account by July 1st! Last year was August 1st!

We then went and rode around... Found a tea shop and a nice dumpling place and had lunch... We then rode around the area for fun...

We were home by around 4pm and by 5:10, Mom was back. Alan went to pick up our car. The battery was dead again... The part still has not arrived!

I went for an evening run and it was still hot.

Isaiah and Abby both had practice as the tournament starts tomorrow... basketball! So, Family Night will have to wait until Sunday... Isaiah has to tutor on Saturday and Abby might be at school watching more games... We might be able to have it on Saturday... we shall see...

Daily Lovely Insight:
I have to share the hymn from today --

Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire, by James Montgomery (1771-1854).

Prayer is the burden of  a sigh, the falling of a tear, the upward glancing of an eye, when none but God is near.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech that infant lips can try; prayer the sublimest strains that reach the Majesty on high.

Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice, returning from his ways, while angels in their songs rejoice and cry, "Behold, he prays!"

Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, the Christian's native air, his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer.

O Thou, by whom we come to God, the Life, the Truth, the Way; the path of prayer Thyself hast trod; Lord, teach us how to pray!

The author of this hymn conducted his family prayer meeting in his home, closed the meeting, walked quietly to his room and the next day was found unconsciously, and passed away later in the day.

The words just struck me... the beauty and simplicity of prayer... And of course, my Wednesday study at Soochow is on prayer. The book that Alan and I are reading is about Prayer and Intercession by Andrew Murray. And in this season in my life and the lock down and quarantine experienced by those around the world due to covid-19, I think prayer is what we should all be doing... More time on our knees before our Maker! Yes, we can pray without ceasing as we wash the dishes or serve others. But I think it is time that we set aside time to draw near to God in prayer, away from the chaos of the world. So... today, as Alan and I rode around, he kept telling me to look at the google map to let him know where to go... But I just wanted to ride around and listen to what God was saying about this area... I will have to go back... and maybe do a prayer walk... We passed a huge crematorium. We rode by some very old and dilapidated homes and some luxurious newly built complexes. We saw homeless people, pushing recycling down the road. Anyhow, it was just very interesting... Lord, teach us how to pray!

P.S. I must share -- Last year after the cruise, my sister got hit with a strange form of dizziness... We have continued to pray for healing... but there were only minutes of reprieve. She was still suffering quite a bit... Just two days ago, she shared... THE LORD HAS HEALED HER! She feels it... The dizziness is gone... the queasiness is also gone... Praise the LORD. Sometimes miracles take time... But God wants us to press on in prayer. Now we are praying for her hip and knee... We are also praying for my mother in law's back...

Seek Him First!