New Year, New Year

Our new year started with a day spent with the Jaos.  We visited a museum, ate at different stalls around BaLi and DanShui, took a ferry ride, walked around, talked and just enjoyed each other's company.  Even though the day was wet and drizzling, we had a great time.  My Ladies Bible Study started back with a great group of ladies and we're going to be doing another Beth Moore's study. This time, we're going to do the Book of James.  Last weekend we had the Manus over for one very quick evening. They were up here for the girls' basketball tournament.  Isaiah and Abby enjoyed going to watch the games.  They hope the Manus will have more tournaments up in Taipei!!!  Now, the kids are facing final exams and Alan is busy correcting his students' final exams. He will have to calculate and enter his students' scores before we take off to the States.  Yes, we will be making another trip to the States.  Last year we had gone to visit Jon and Judy in Shanghai. That was such a fantastic trip.  This year we have to spend some time with our family members in the States.  It's already the middle of January and I didn't want this month to fly by without writing at least ONCE. 

No pictures this time... But I promise I will have plenty of pictures to upload in February.  And speaking of February, I better take this chance to wish you all a Happy Chinese New Year. 

Seek Him First!

A-Team's Christmas 2012 Newsletter

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

and a branch shall grow out of his roots. 

And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,

the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,

the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. 

Isaiah 11: 1-3a

Isaiah turned 14 and is now an 8th grader.  Some of his highlights  from this year include going on his overnight wilderness camping trip, his school Athletic Meet in which his class won the relay, English Reading and Speech Contests, badminton competition (his class came in first), improving his drumming skills, growing taller than his mom, and his first outreach activity with his youth group.  The verse that he is trying to live out for this coming year is

Gal. 2:20 --

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  

The word he would use to summarize this past year is -- CHANGE!

 

Abigail turned 13 and is now a 7th grader.  Some of her highlights from this year are:  graduating from elementary school, going on her awesome graduation trip, winning the Watermelon Basketball Competition and being the MVP of the tournament, attending youth group, hanging out with cousins and friends this past summer, meeting a lot of Mom and Dad's old friends from Evergreen days, and celebrating her entry into being a teenager.  The verse that she loves to proclaim for this new year is I Corinthians 10:31 --

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God." 

The word she would use to summarize 2012 is -- FULFILLING!

 

Lovely officially retired on August 1st and is loving it.  Her days are filled with fun and interesting things.  Being retired has given her time to rest.  She thought it would also give her more time to run, but that has not yet happened.  By March 31st of 2013, she would also be officially "over" menopause. Yes, you read that correctly!  Her only side effects thus far have been fatigue and hot flashes.  She knows that God is carrying her through this season of her life with joy and grace. The verses that are being spoken over her for this coming year are

from Isaiah 12: 2-3,

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salation." 

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

The word that she would use to summarize this past year is -- FREEDOM. 

 

Alan continues to enjoy teaching at Soochow University.  Although there is pressure to conduct research or to join conferences, he has no complaints.  With Lovely being retired, he can step away from most of the homeschooling responsibilities and concentrate on his school work load.  He plays tennis and basketball on a regular basis and sometimes he runs.  His body feels certain aches and pains, but that has not stopped him from playing sports.  This past year has been special to him as there have been many opportunities to see friends who no longer live in Taiwan.  The verse that he is meditating upon for

this new year is  Isaiah 62:6-7 --

I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.  You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

The word that he would use to summarize this past year is -- HEALING!

 

Happy Chinese New Year!

 

Our family verse for 2013 --

  Luke 6:45

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good,

and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil;

for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

 

As we look towards 2013, we ask you to be praying for the following requests --

 

1.  For Isaiah to have a heart of obedience and relief from his continual struggle with allergies

2.  For Abigail's homework load and to have perseverance

3.  For us to honor God in our marriage relationship and parenting style

4.  Favor for Alan at his school

5.  Wisdom for Lovely in all that she does

6.  Service opportunities at HOP and during the Spring Break

7.  Our hearts to yearn for more of Him and less of self

 

Seek Him First!

A Walk Down 2012 Memory Lane

It's time again for our annual Christmas Newsletter. 

I decided to walk you through the year

with a pictorial of this past year.

Chinese New Year with the Brantinghams

Graduation Trip for Abigail

Wedding of our dear friend's daughter

Remodeling of our house!

Great friends in Taiwan for a visit!

Winners of the Watermelon Basketball Competition

 

Summer Fun at Soak City!

Hanging out with family and friends

 

Both my kids starting junior high school!!!!

 

Dinner parties and reunions at the Tu's!

More athletic competitions!

Happy Birthday!

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Christmas Dinners, Field Trips, Science Experiments and More

It's only the first half of December and lots have been happening... We rejoice!

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12.12.2012

People have been predicting that 12.21.2012 will be the end of the world. (Of course, this is due to the fact that the Mayan Calendar ends on that date!)  But that has not stopped people from around the world getting married today.  As for me, with God, I am at peace. He knows when the end of the world as we know it will be and I am at rest.  He is faithful and true.  Well, what is with the monkey PJ picture?  Well, this day happens to be my 51st birthday and I didn't want it to end without taking at least one picture with those numbers since it is so rare.  So, just before midnight, I woke my son up and asked him to take a picture at 11:11 on 12.12.2012.  I won't be around when it is 12.12. 2112... And as for 12.21.12, if I publish another post that day, then we know -- the end of the world did not happen.

Seek Him First!

A Turn of Events

We were on our way down to visit friends in Taichung when our car broke down in the middle of the freeway on a dark and stormy night.  I truly believe that the angels pushed the car over to the safety lane of the freeway while cars whizzed by at break-neck speed.  I truly believe that the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY watched over us and provided for us.  We all got home safely and even our car was tolled free of charge all the way to our mechanic here in Neihu.  It was just under the free 50 kms limit -- 48kms.  How do I know it was God?  When we were filling out the paperwork, the driver of our toll truck (see picture above) signed his name... and guess what's his name?  Mr. Peace Tseng!  Yes, peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God. And surely, God was, is and always will be with us and we are at peace even in the midst of trouble.

Seek Him First!

The Simple Joys of Life

 
 

Our celebrations are always kept simple.  We don't buy gifts, whether it be for birthdays, Christmas, or anniversaries!  We want our kids to enjoy the simplicity of being together as a family without looking at what they can GET.  And over the years, I have noticed -

 THEY ARE GRATEFUL! 

THEY HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE THE SIMPLE JOYS OF LIFE! 

 

They appreciate the World Missionary Fellowship "prayer warriors" from College Avenue Baptist Church in San Diego who ALWAYS mail them cards with their beautiful signatures and well wishes.  We do notice that the names are getting fewer and fewer.  We so appreciate them.  This year, their birthday cake was baked by one of the sisters in our church who is just learning to bake. She did a wonderful job with this carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.  The kids enjoyed every bite.  Yes, we also used "recycled" candles and again, my kids appreciated the fun of whatever number we had to place on top of their birthday cake.  Each of them had a homemade card from Dad.  Each of them received one gift from their youth fellowship group leader.  Again, they were so appreciative as the leader wrapped the gift and picked out a gift that was perfect for them.  Isaiah got a DVD and CD of a worship band. Abby got a wooden "JOY" note holder in a color that matched her room and decorated with a piano keyboard and music notes.  Just to see them carefully opening their gift and card I can tell they thought they were having the best birthday celebration.  Not a word of complaint why they didn't get more!  As you can tell from the pictures above, they were all smile. 

 

What a blessing to be raising kids who are appreciative of the simple joys of life.

 

Seek Him First!