What An Amazing Day!

God carried me throughout this day... It was a spirit-led day!

I spoke in the morning at Glory English Ministry and met so many new people. One gal was so ready to receive Jesus. Another group was from Indonesia and the gals were all strong believers. We prayed together after the service.

I then had to rush home and give Mom a shower and ready for church. She was actually feeling tired from all the excitement yesterday!

I rode my scooter to church and shared about Moses. 

Candice called and said that they were still out to dinner, so asked if we could start at 7:30. So, I rode over to the old house and started cleaning. I got a lot done in 30 short minutes!

We wrote a film analysis and I was home before 10pm.

As I sit here, blogging, there were many moments when I felt exhausted or hungry... I prayed and the Lord strengthened and sustained me. It was such a fruitful day! I love living life with God at the helm!

Daily Lovely Insight:

A canker sore... these past three days have been extremely busy. It just is such a bother to get a canker sore. I strongly dislike canker sores. They take forever to go away and they hurt... I am putting this watermelon frost on it but it isn't healed, yet... A canker sore reminds to rest and trust God more... He will carry me through! So, today, with all the talking I had to do, I didn't let the canker sore bother me... 

Seek Him First!

Mom's 90TH!

What a successful party... I'm exhausted!

This morning I was just pondering... when can I just sleep until noon? Or get up when I want to? So, it was another early morning... 

Mom had a shower and I finished gathering all the CDs and items together.

While Mom watched Little House, I went for a run! It was nice and warm, but a bit windy!

I took a quick shower and we loaded up the car and Mom and Isaiah went for the massage.

I came back home for a few more items and Alan dropped me off at the restaurant, so I can decorate!

People were fairly on time and we started promptly at 5pm!

The games were great... and the food was delicious. They even had milk shakes so people ordered those! The total was 250US$. Plus the party favors and prizes were about 350US$! Everyone had so much fun! Another miracle was that Annie's cards arrived! On a Saturday!

Daily Lovely Insight:

I've started the book of Exodus. Moses' parents were Amram, exalted nation and Jochebed, God's glory. Here, these individuals lived in a nation that didn't exalt the Creator God nor were the Israelites an exalted nation. Yet, these individuals seemed to be named to speak of a better future! Their parents looked beyond the present situation. And so, that faith was in Moses' parents as they made the 'ark' and set it in the Nile where it was found by the princess and her maidens. That's a suitable definition of faith -- to look beyond ones present situation! I need faith!

Seek Him First!

 

So Much To Do... And So Cold!

It was supposedly our date... but we had a long list of things to get done.

We had time to read and pray together and we were off to Costco.

When we were getting close, we knew we were in trouble. The traffic was extremely congested. We went to park at the supermarket next to Costco! The line to go in was as long as the line into the parking lot! Alan and I separated... speed shopping! He went upstairs with the cart and I started downstairs to get the cake. We met up and were trying to get all the items for the party tomorrow. 

We left at 11:45! And I even ran up to the supermarket to grab a few things while Alan loaded up the car. I wanted free parking... ha, ha, ha... 

We dropped off the cake and bought bubble milk tea and went over to our old house.

Yes, the tenants had moved and left us with so many great things. We sent them a message to make sure they didn't forget these things... We will go back on Monday to do some cleaning and please pray for the people the Lord would bring to rent this beautiful place. We sat there and had lunch, feeling so grateful. We moved a few pieces of furniture, pulled everything out of the shelves, and checked if there was a need for any big maintenance. Nothing major! We'd like to switch the dining room tables -- ours for the one there... but we will see if that's possible. We might have to call movers as Alan can't do any "moving"! God will work!

We came home and I was going to go for a run, but with putting everything away, I was feeling so exhausted. I decided to take a short nap and Mom was back! So, this evening after she went to bed, I went for a walk. The kids were serving at Angel's Camp and Alan had dinner with his old students from years ago! It was cold, but so refreshing. At first, I was attempting to walk all the way back to Costco as I didn't get the disinfectant. I had it in the cart but the cashier told Alan that he had to go up to the pharmacy to check out the item. Darn it! I wasn't there, so Alan didn't want to make a fuss! The disinfectant is for mom! I need it to clean her room and bathroom!

Daily Lovely Insight:

I have several friends who are all celebrating their birthday this week... and I think it would be wonderful if the Lord gives them a special gift -- a verse or a passage as their birthday gift for this year. Each year, I ask God to lead me to a verse or passage of focus... and each year, I'm so encouraged by that verse... It lifts me when I feel burdened or down or doubting what the Lord is doing. Last year, the passage was: Psalm 115: 14-15. And I saw how in the midst of the pandemic, the Lord blessed and watched over my children and Alan and I. This year, I'm learning to hope in God... I'm learning what it means for Him to be my portion. His lovingkindness indeed is new every morning... and like my favorite hymn, How Great Thou Art, great is His faithfulness. I'm praying that these sisters will have a special gift from God and that they, too, would start a tradition of receiving special encouragement that carries them throughout the whole year with the magnificence of God's word!

Seek Him First!

Tutoring... Morning and Evening... And Cold, Cold, Cold...

The temperature dropped... bone chilly here... Even as I write, I'm drinking coffee with ginger tea... warms you up nicely!

This morning after finishing up with the laundry, I started tutoring... That went until 11:40 and then I had a quick lunch. I was meeting up with a friend, but she was late. So I had time to run an errand -- paid our credit card bill, which was a big one because of the lap top and Isaiah's iPhone 12. He gave me money... so that covered everything!

It was a good time to catch up with a dear friend. But I had to rush back for Mom... Got her dinner ready and after she was settled, I went off to tutor. Alan was home!

I don't like tutoring for exams... but this kid requested me. I asked him to do a cram school, but he said he rather do sessions with me. I don't feel as if I'm as 'efficient' as a cram school... but I promised this kid that I'd help him!

Daily Lovely Insight:

Unexpected blessings... that's the way I want to describe the 'surprises' that the LORD brings my way each day. Sometimes, we might not see them as blessings, but when our lives are surrendered to God, we begin to give thanks and see things through His eyes. Like Joseph, being sold into Egypt, God was working to save His people! Years before He already planned things. And I need to see the 'surprises' in my life in light of who God is!

So, for example, Isaiah received his 'papers' for military service. On 2/26, he will go and the government will have a public joint 'lot picking' day. Each young man will draw where he will be assigned for his military service. We are praying. Should he defer starting grad school and finish his military service first in light of Covid-19 situation? UK starts in September. Australia starts in February of 2022. I trust the LORD already knows about where he will be serving and the situation with Covid. I know that He has many 'unexpected blessings' in store for us in this season of our lives. He is trustworthy and faithful, perfect and merciful!

Seek Him First!

Finally... Went for A Long Run/Walk!

I had set aside time today for a four hour run... I didn't know if I would have time... God worked it out.

In the morning, after Mom left, I started with a load of laundry. Then Abby wanted to talk before she took off to work. Alan had discipleship this morning and then went to play tennis. When he came back, I wanted to make sure he can be home at 5pm for Mom, if I don't make it back.

After getting a confirmation from him, I took off... I actually didn't run for 4 hours... I was 10 minutes short! I wanted to hit 33kilometers, but I didn't. Next month... I hope to go for 5 hours!

Mom enjoyed her dinner and I had soup... and then got Mom in the shower as she needed it!

I took off for tutoring. It was a long session but very productive!

Daily Lovely Insight:

The question for today is: how to make the jump from talking about surrendering to God and actually doing it? You can write down things you have to get done... You can make a plan about all the things that you need to do... You can put reminders on your cell phone or have a desk top calendar... But how do you put actions to those plans? It's often so easy to be distracted... the Bible has a helpful advice in Colossians 3: 23.

Seek Him First!

Feeling A Bit Exhausted!

I'm so thankful that I only had one hour of tutoring this afternoon... No morning and evening Bible studies. I had plenty to do as I reserved the restaurant and went over the order for the people who will be joining the party on Saturday. 

Then I went in search of gift certificates. McDonald's -- no gift certificates. 7/11 -- no gift certificates.  PX Mart -- sold out of gift certificates. Carrefour -- YEAH! I also bought a few bottles of wine. And on Friday, I have a few more items to purchase from Costco! I am expanding my games to include a 'price is right' element!

I did go for a run and it was much warmer than I had expected. So when I finished the run, the watch said that I needed 3.5 days for recovery! That was a first!

Isaiah had his paid internship and Abby worked at Lifting Hands Network. She needs the money as she wants to scooter around the island! I think it's not exactly comfortable... and I don't advice it due to the Covid alert here in Taiwan!

Daily Lovely Insight:

Someone sent me a devotional about Moses, which I thought was very interesting, since I am working on my talk for Sunday! "Moses had to go from the 'i am' to surrender to the 'I AM'!" God refined Moses and through the process, he walked with God, not a 'dial-on-the-fly' kind of relationship, not a random, hit and miss relationship, but a rock solid relationship with God. 

Seek Him First!

Got So Much Done!

I spent the morning cooking... I made a special rice plus orange chicken as everyone loved it so much. I then baked a 'pie/cake' with bananas... so delicious.

When that was finished, I worked on finishing the ppt before going for a run! Just an hour... 

I had tutoring, plus my Improv class. I will speak up for Jesus next week... the class was talking about 'religion' and I should have shared my testimony. Please pray as there are no believers in my class.

I got home and started tidying up... That's what I don't like -- coming home to a messy house. I left the house at 4:30, so there were things to clean up for Mom and the kitchen and putting away all the food and wiping down all the counters. Everyone was watching TV! They are all on vacation mode... I don't know if I have that mode!

I also made the game for Mom's birthday party and will go shopping for the raffle gifts tomorrow! On Friday, I have to buy a cake from Costco and drop that off at Mom's Elderly Center! I wanted them to celebrate there as Mom considers many of them as her 'best friends'! 

I also need to book the restaurant. There will be about 17 of us! I will ask the restaurant if we could bring our own dessert plus some drinks... 

Daily Lovely Insight:

I've finished my prep for Moses and this verse is one reason why Moses is my favorite OT person:

Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 

I don't want to live until I'm 120. But I pray that my vigor will be unabated and that my mind will be clear like Moses when God takes me home!

Seek Him First!

A Rather Busy Sunday!

Weekends just go by so quickly... Glad Alan and the kids are on their vacation... 

Isaiah had his tennis tournament. Alan went and played tennis. Abby went for a workout. Mom got up and went back to bed... What a praise! That gave me time to rest... even for a little!

I translated for our speaker tonight and we didn't eat at church. We ordered the food, but people brought it home to eat as we are on high alert with Covid restrictions. For the next few weeks, the CDC is trying to contain the spread of the virus. We can still meet at church, but masks are required. 

It was also a busy day as we had to pick up and gather things for donation. We are packing four boxes tomorrow!

Daily Lovely Insight:

I heard a very interesting podcast... I won't comment on it... but Paul, our speaker tonight, spoke on being ready... using Luke 12: 35-40. Dressed = being a servant to others. Lamp burning = being filled with the Holy Spirit which means dwelling in the word of Christ! I like that... Sometimes people don't know how to apply 'being filled with the Holy Spirit'. They think of the healing, prophetic, gifts. But I like the idea of being oiled or anointed as the same as being filled with the Holy Spirit. The message tonight related to the podcast I listened to... 

Seek Him First!

Very Busy and Warm Day!

While Mom was still asleep, I went out to run a few errands. Alan and Isaiah had already taken off for the tennis tournament that Isaiah is playing in. 

I came home and Mom was up. So, she had a shower and then ate and watched Little House. 

I made her go for a walk. 

In the afternoon, Abby and Mom had their massage, which Mom always enjoys. I went for a run! Just a quick one hour!

Then Mom walked around the block. She has gained weight!

What was I busy with? Trying to get three ppt ready... and prepare for the translation of the message tomorrow!

This evening after Mom went to bed, I rode the scooter out to drop off test papers!

Daily Lovely Insight:

I finished another notebook... I read the entries from August and that was when I got shingles... and wanted to sleep all day... How thankful that the LORD healed me! 

It's good to write daily... I don't write anything profound, but it's wonderful to reflect on the goodness of God. So, I have an entire drawer filled with finished notebooks... 

If anyone says they don't hear from God, I think they should read the Bible. God has written to us... and the Word of God is filled with such beautiful reminders of His constant love and abiding goodness, just like the verse from yesterday's post!

Seek Him First!

Marmalade & Cantonese Restaurant...

I saw a new orange chicken recipe and wanted to try it. But the key ingredient is marmalade. You can't imagine how difficult it was trying to find it. I had sent Alan there, but he looked in the wrong place. So, this morning after our devotional and prayer time, we went to Carrefour again. And sure enough, they had orange marmalade for 2.50US$/jar. We bought six jars. They also had cherry jam and raspberry jam. We bought three of each. We dropped off everything and headed out to a new Cantonese restaurant. 

It was fabulous. We will definitely bring the kids next time!

There was a park nearby, so we sat there and talked after our delicious lunch.

When we got home, I started making the orange chicken. It turned out so nicely. The kids and Alan had it for dinner.

Alan was home for Mom while I went for a run! The weather was beautiful, but again, my legs were cooperating. When I got home, Alan went and played tennis with Isaiah. Abby went and worked out at the gym.

We had family time this evening.

Daily Lovely Insight:

Suz shared a beautiful verse in our Zoom chat -- Zephaniah 3: 16-17!

Seek Him First!

Out to Danhsui & Back...

It turned out to be a lot busier than I had planned... 

I called this morning to find out if any plumber had time to go to the Danhsui apartment to fix a faucet and the pipes. I called three places and the third guy said he had time at 11am. I was out the door by 9:30 as the ride out there is quite long.

I got there fairly quickly... 

I helped my tenant tidy up her place and the guy came. While he fixed the faucet and the pipe, we were talking. He has been having problems with his nose and might have to undergo an operation. He told me that he has spent so much money in the past few years but nothing has helped. I prayed for him. 2400NT$ to get it fixed. I left at 12:30 and got home by 2:45! I went to buy fruit! 

I was exhausted. The weather was great, but I laid down and took a nap! 

I was up just 15 minutes later,  getting Mom's food ready as tutoring started at 3:50. The phone rang right at 5pm. They are bringing Mom home earlier and earlier... I have to talk to them... Mom had dinner and Alan was home at 5:20. I rushed off as I was supposed to tutor at 5:30! I got there by 5:45! And we went until 7:15! Then I ran more errands... 

There were still things I didn't get done! But at least the faucet and pipe are fixed!

This evening, after tutoring and errands, I finally had time to sit down and eat. I wanted to go for a run, but again, I was just feeling so exhausted.

Daily Lovely Insight:

Choices... God gave us free will... 

I was talking with Abby as she is short on spending money. At the beginning of this past semester, I tried to help her by suggesting a few jobs, but she chose to use her time to do stats recording for these basketball games, which paid only 200$/game. To ride to these places took at least 30 minutes or more. So that was gas money plus wear and tear on her scooter. Now, she is asking me to give her some job options and it's unfortunate, but I don't have any. 

And then today, meeting the plumber. I hope he will make a wise choice and see Jesus as his healer and Savior. 

I think living life with Jesus on the throne of our heart will be the only way to make wise choices. If we put feelings on the throne of our heart, we will lack endurance and determination, not to mention a life of selfishness and wastefulness!

Seek Him First!

 

Getting Used to It...

What am I getting used to? My new MAC... 

I kept this day 'free' to work on three different messages.

Alan and I also went to our old house to look as our tenants are moving out, maybe by the middle of February. We told them to take their time! They are leaving us a great dining room table. We love that one, so we will most likely switch the one we have here for that one! That would be so great. We also have many dining room chairs there. So, we will probably bring over some chairs and do a switch. We might have to ask the movers to do that as Alan can't move things just yet because of his back.

We then went over to Shihlin as Alan needed name tags, notebooks and pens for his special high school class tomorrow. Abby will be his TA. He did such a great job this past summer that they've asked him to do it again, but this time for a 6-hour block.

We came home and I started to work on my talks. And Suz sent an email and asked about hooking up via Zoom as I will be using that to do a talk on 2/6. How fun to video chat with her!

When that was finished, I got Mom's dinner ready and went out for a run. The weather was splendid, but my legs were not. I did not feel like I wanted to keep running. I was so glad to be home.

I had a free evening... relatively free. I didn't have to tutor and even though my Improv teacher had a show tonight, I decided not to go. It was going to be down in the southern part of town. It was nice just to be home... 

Daily Lovely Insight:

Be patient in tribulation... I just found out not only the M1 chip makes things faster, but Isaiah's new phone had a lightning recharging cord... The sole purpose - SPEED! Then Taiwan is pushing for 5G. The sole purpose - SPEED! So, I've concluded that the world is completely contrary to the word of God. The Bible wants us to be still. The world tells us to RUSH. The Bible tells us to look out for others. The world tells us to look out for yourself. The Bible tells us to worship the Creator. The world tells us to worship the created beings. I can go on and on... To be patient, I have to fight against the values of the world. I think that's one thing I want to work on this year! To be patient in all circumstances... 

Seek Him First!

Busy Tuesday!

This morning we had the study at our house as Ariel's house had no electricity... this whole day! There were seven of us and everyone was excited to share on the Discouraging Tongue! The fruitfulness of the discussion and the food were just amazing! We had guava, dragon fruit, tangerines, bananas and strawberries... 

The gals left at 2:15 and I went down with them as I had tutoring at 2:30. I don't usually ride fast and it takes about 30 minutes. But by the goodness of God, I got there by 2:33!

The boy was very alert and I saw his grandma, who used to be my boss at MCU. She kept complimenting me, telling me how much her grandson is enjoying his English lesson with me! She then insisted on giving me these huge tangerines... Wow... 

I came home and cleaned up the Bible study dishes and made dinner for Mom. And yes just as I finished, the phone rang... Mom was home! She had to have a shower before dinner... as I had to dash off to tutor!

I do love tutoring... even when I'm feeling tired.

I had to have a second cup of coffee before taking off... and I also HAD to do another load of laundry! Just when I was hoping to rest a bit... 

Daily Lovely Insight:

Amazing as today's study referred to Numbers 13, the spies who discouraged others and missed their destiny, which was also part of this past Sunday's sermon. They discouraged the Israelites by exaggerating the situation. Yes, the walls and city were fortified. Yes, the people were fierce. But they said that the land devoured them and that they were like grasshoppers when compared to those in the Promised Land. They forgot about their awesome God. 

We talked about personal dreams we might have but which got lost in the discouragement of others. One sister mentioned that she thinks God has given her a testimony and she wants to share it with others. Another sister talked about her desire to go back to school and perhaps become a counselor. It was a wonderful time as God used it to challenge us towards using the gifts He has placed in our heart.

Seek Him First!

Setting Margins in My Schedule

I'm glad I set margins in my weekly schedule... I block Monday mornings off... The weekends are usually so busy that I just need that block of time to 'catch up'.

So, I took this morning to get a lot done... A load of laundry, making dinner, cleaning the car, reorganizing Mom's drawers, setting up these small display cabinets, and trying to link my Garmin watch with my cell phone!

At 12:15, I went out for a run and since the weather was nice (windy, but nice), I ran 15+ km!

After a quick shower, Elaine came over. We didn't have time to pray as Mom was home early! I couldn't believe it. And I looked at my cell phone --  I got a message that my student needs tutoring... Abby was home, so after getting my mom showered and settled for her dinner, I took off!

Tutoring went a little longer than I expected, so I was late to my Improv class... 

When I got home, Alan had the Mac ready... But I'm not ready... So, even now, I'm using my old lap top to blog... with the Mac Air next to me, calling my name!

Daily Lovely Insight:

Quitting... That's what I've been thinking about... Some people quit because they found something better to do... And even that can be a bad thing... This book mentioned Henry Ford... He was half way through his first car when he already discovered new and better ideas. He wanted to quit and start with making a new one, which would incorporate the ideas that he had gained. But he was just half way through. Instead of 'quitting', he pushed through in making the one he had started and it turned out that by finishing it, he discovered more than if he had quit. I think in this instant society, 'quitting' has become the 'norm'. People move on to 'better' things and leave much unfinished. God is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2) and I think that's one thing we should emulate. Be a finisher... not just a starter. Follow through with things, even when something 'better' comes along.

Seek Him First!

More Purchases!

This morning, while Mom was still sleeping, Alan, Isaiah and I went to the Shijr Costco to get the red iPhone 12, 256memory... Isaiah has been saving the money! He got it... and it's quite amazing. In five minutes all the data from his old phone, even our WiFi password, was automatically transferred to the new phone! No need to plug into anything... 

And we then went to RT Mart and got the detergent that was on sale... YIPPY!

We left for church at 2:30 and Mom had grapes and pineapple cakes and other snacks... 

Dinner was congee and at home, I had tofu and pumpkin cooking in a rice cooker... YUMMY!

Isaiah had to tutor and tomorrow he starts his paid internship, which we ask that you'd pray so that even when second semester starts, he will have a great job for the days he has no class!

Daily Lovely Insight:

Oh How He Loves You and Me... Pass It On... do you know who wrote those two contemporary Christian songs? Look these songs up... Read the lyrics... We sang Pass It On and since I'm preparing for a special Coffee Break message, the words were a wonderful reminder... 

Seek Him First!

 

From Sunny to Chilly!

Mom was up every hour, going to the bathroom last night... She was playing with the light switches and flushing the toilet... But the good thing was -- she stayed in bed until 10am! I got up for my time with God and went back to sleep! Then when I heard the bathroom flushing at around 10, I got up. Mom had her shower and her meal and watched Little House. Alan and Isaiah came home and I went for a run! The weather was quite warm, but windy.

I came home and took a quick shower.

Mom finished her second episode and we were out the door. Without the help of the kids, I had to find parking and walk Mom over to the massage place! I was able to park in a very tight space! When we got out of the car, it had turned CHILLY!

Mom had her massage from 2:30-4:30 and I ran errands. I got my glasses adjusted, bought fruit, looked for a couple of kitchen gadgets and then had a scalp treatment! I bought bubble milk tea at Coco for everyone and picked Mom up!

I again made her walk back to the car... slowly!

We came home and she had dinner and was in bed by 7pm!

Isaiah came back and he had permed his hair. It looks so great. Perfect for the start of his winter vacation job!

We were going to go to Costco to buy his new cell phone, but we didn't know if they'd have it in stock at the store! So, we didn't go... I'll take Mom to RT Mart tomorrow as she loves going out!

This evening was our weekly family time!

Daily Lovely Insight: 

I was reading the account of Abram and how he built three altars... An altar marks the spot where God speaks or leads in a certain way. It's a reminder of His promises. Do you have any 'altar' to remind you to God's faithfulness and goodness? I think if you are married, each time you look in the eyes of your spouse, you should be reminded... 

Seek Him First!

A Big Spending Day!

Alan and I had such a beautiful day together... If we didn't have to be home at 5pm for my mom, we would have been out cruising until midnight... The kids told us that they were going out with their friends tonight and asked for 'permission' to go past the usual 11pm curfew! Yes, they are going 'partying and drinking'... 

Alan and I had our devotional and sharing and prayer time... Then we headed out. 

First stop, COSTCO! Crazy, right? But we were out of milk and we thought, "How bad can it be at 10:15?" OK... BAD! I don't usually go up to the second floor (yes, the Costco here has a second floor), but since Isaiah was looking to buy a new cell phone (he's been saving up for the past six months), I decided to look at the 3C items. Costco has iPhone 12 with the memory capacity that Isaiah wanted. While there, I went to look at the Mac Air/Mac Pro. Alan walked right up to me as he just got a parking space. There on the side was a note "display model for sale -- 22,000NT$"! I asked the sales clerk if we could see it. The 'display model' was downstairs at the pick up counter. So, she radioed the person there. When we finished our groceries shopping, Alan went over and came back to tell me, "It's a completely new one." With his limited Chinese, he didn't know what to say to the clerk, so he sent me over! It turned out that the 'display model' was just an older model -- completely brand new. It doesn't have the M1 memory card. (I don't even know what that means! I use a computer like a hyped up typewriter!)  Long story short, we bought it! Alan will have time to set it up as Chinese New Year "vacation" has started for him. YIPPY! This old lap top that I got from church has three problems now -- it has to be plugged in to be used, it sometimes disconnect from the WiFi for no apparent reason and says, no WiFi available, and it requires that I log into our Outlook Account every time I want to download our email! I've been praying and waiting. I didn't want to spend more than 777US$... This Mac Air is about 730US$!

We wanted to drop off the groceries before heading to our next place. On the way home, the Brooks Headquarters had two huge signs outside! They were having a SALE! I asked Alan to stop and I ran in! I couldn't believe it! The huge selection and the low prices - I bought six pairs! Alan got one pair! Total: 5830NT$! Now, if you know running shoes, one pair can run up to 200US$! In fact, one of the pairs I bought was 4, 480NT$! I paid 820NT$!

After dropping everything off, we went to Sanxia. Abby got a coupon for 5,000NT$. We wanted to see what kind of stuff this sporting goods store had. Around the area, we found a delicious place for a late lunch! Then we walked to the store (pretty expensive, so Abby will have to come herself) and checked with the owner about the coupon. It is valid and Abby has 5,000NT$ for her or her teammates to spend!

We drove back home and I had dinner cooking in the crock pot. A message from the company I work for said that they needed my editing help. So, I was on the computer finishing off a press release and Mom was home.

Alan went to look for a computer 'plug' while I got Mom her dinner. When she went off to bed, I went for a run.

The student I've been helping sent a message and said that she has sent off her dissertation! YIPPY!

This evening, Alan and I watched a short movie, "A Matter of Faith"! 

Daily Lovely Insight:

I'm so looking forward to getting my hair cut short... I made a promise to Alan... and he has actually told me that I can get my hair cut short anytime this year... So... Instead of waiting for my birthday, I might do it just before our 34th anniversary! So, what's my daily insight?

Ecc. 5:5 is wise... better not to make a vow than to vow and not pay... Or be slow about making a promise. If you promise, you should follow through! 

I didn't know when I said it that we'd be in Taiwan during the summer months! That's exactly what happened. Summer of 2020! And this winter has been pretty chilly. After a run, it's quite time consuming to wash and blow dry my hair! 

It is going to be so nice when I can have short hair again!

Seek Him First!

Rush, Rush, Rush...

The day was a mad rush... 

I worked on the ppt for the talk on 1/31 and then went for a quick run.

Abby was still home, trying to finish up her report... And I showered and was out the door as I was meeting a friend. We had so much to talk about that I finally had to go at 3:30. I looked at my phone and the company needed me to edit a document. I rushed home and go on the computer. But at 4pm, I had to tutor! So, I sent a message and said that I'd get it done by 5:30.

While tutoring, Isaiah came home. He went down to pick Mom up as I went long with the student. I fixed Mom's meal and sat down to edit. I finished exactly at 5:30!

Mom needed a shower. When she went to bed, I rushed off to tutor. I arrived just 2 minutes late. The two hours went by so fast. We got a lot done.

I scootered home and did a load of laundry. 

Daily Lovely Insight:

Today as I was running, my mind was filled with ideas. I decided that my topic for 2/21 will be on Moses, my favorite character from the Old Testament. And on 3/21, I will speak on Paul, my favorite character from the New Testament. So, I won't be sharing about my favorite book of the Bible, Isaiah! It's too much to try to cover in just 30 minutes. The talk on Moses is almost finished. The ideas just flowed while I was running. Don't let your past failures define you. That's one thing I like about Moses. Another thing is that he was adopted! Furthermore, he walked with God on this side of the "Jordan river" and saw the back of God (Exodus 33)... and then he walked up Mount Nebo and never came down for he was in the presence of God (Deut. 34). I also got lots of ideas about Paul. Maybe I'll highlight the prayers that he wrote in his epistles! I guess that's one reason I do enjoy running... It's refreshing and I get quite a lot of ideas!

Seek Him First!

 

Good News & No Run Today...

Even though the weather was absolutely splendid for running, I had set this day aside to do message prep. So, with the nice warm sun and light breezes outside, I sat in front of the computer... Good news... I got a lot done.

Another good news... Isaiah already heard back from University of Bath, UK that he got accepted. That was fast! The tuition for the master's degree is about 22,000 pounds, room and board will be about another 10,000 pounds, so we're looking at 32,000 pounds. This is not his first choice, but they sure responded quickly. We will write to ask how much scholarship they are willing to offer as we wait for his two first choices: University of Edinburgh and Warwick University. These two are also in the UK. 

We are almost finished with Finals' Week... The kids are busy with preparations for their last few projects, papers or exams. I started tutoring one of my students today and we are working on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet!

Daily Lovely Insight:

Romans 12:12 -- Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer... 

That's the text for my message on 1/31! 

I hope the verse encourages you as well!

Seek Him First!

Another CHILLY Day!

The sun came out, but the temperature went down!

We were out of printing paper so I had to make a run to Carrefour. While there, I checked on their Manager's Special and picked up gifts for two of my Bible study gals. They are celebrating their 60th birthday. 

I had to tutor from 2:30 to 3:30 and the ride was so cold... I did go for a quick run beforehand... 

And yes, tonight, I had my Bible study. We started the evening at a hot pot restaurant and then finished with our study at the conference room of the complex where one of the gals live. It was really close by, which made it so convenient!

Daily Lovely Insight:

What is your part in this season of your life? That was one of the questions in our study tonight! 

Who is influencing you in this season? What kind of influence does this person exert? The study listed many kinds... and those who had positive influencers stayed close to God... and on the other other hand, those who didn't turned away from God.

We had a fabulous study... 

I leave those questions for you to ponder!

Seek Him First!

Tutoring & New Improv Class

What a day!

Packed boxes were picked up.

Whirlpool repairman contacted and came over. He fixed the radiator heater that I got from the recycling trash for 18US$! What a steal!

I went for a run even though it was very cold out!

I tutored for over three hours and I'm happy to say -- WE FINISHED!

A dear sister finally passed her road test! She got her license!

I had to edit for the company!

Tonight was my first improv class. Twenty-two people signed up for the class! We had a lot of fun! The point of the class is NOT TO BE AFRAID TO MAKE MISTAKES!

It was a very busy day!

Daily Lovely Insight:

I read that Dr. William Evans memorized the entire Bible in the King James Version and went on to memorize the New Testament in a different version as well! His students would test him by quoting the book, chapter and verse and he can recite it verbatim! That to me is absolutely astounding... What a love for God's word was in this man's heart! Definitely something I'd like to emulate!

Seek Him First!

 

New Friends!

For church, our guest speaker, Teni, was from Youth With A Mission, an old friend of ours. He brought his co-workers and his family... We had such a wonderful service!

There were also a few more newcomers!

The dinner was delicious... and a sister baked a funnel cake that was gobbled up. I brought a pound cake and I didn't even get a slice of it... nor the funnel cake!

Daily Lovely Insight:

Teni spoke from Matthew 6:33. He focused on the Kingdom of God, encouraging us to be like yeast, from Matthew 13:33. 

We are to affect the dough and it's not the other way around. Yeast can't work just staying in the packet with other yeast. And just a little bit of yeast can affect a very large lump of dough. Yeast also works silently. You can't hear the yeast, but it is working. Finally, he reminded us that yeast works with heat and under the pressure of being kneaded! It's true... we can't let the world affect us. We are to affect the world!

Seek Him First!