:)

It's been a tiring two weeks of school. I don't think I was ever worked this hard at UCLA. Yeah, I feel like I have an 8-5 job, four days a week. It's been tough, but God has been so good. Times like this make my time with God just so incredibly sweet. Praise God!

Amidst the busyness of 9-4 classes Tues/Thurs, 9-1 fieldwork Mon/Wed, and continuous reading in whatever time I have left, God has made His grace so evident to me. I am so blessed to have what I have in life. I am here at Penn by God's grace alone--I can't imagine being able to get through each day without His strength. Oh, that's another thing... whatever strength I thought I had, all a myth and disillusion. God has been and is teaching me that it is by His strength that I haven't been physically exhausted yet. I have my family a phone call away because of God's grace as well. And yes, my relationship with Jesse is definitely because of His grace. Haha.

God has also blessed me with a church that I can attend and be a part of... I think I'm pretty set on this one, unless God totally changes my heart on it. The funny thing is (as with most things in my life where I think I know what I want), this church is so not what I thought I would get myself involved with in the East Coast. I just never considered it. It's called City Church and it's a church plant. Yep, I've gone from established, well-known church with a world-famous pastor to... well, a small developing church. Haha. It's a church plant from Redeemer Church in New York and I've been getting to know the people there. Because it is a new church, my presence there does not immediately mark me as someone totally new. Everyone is sorta new here. But what attracts me to this church is the solid foundation that the pastor preaches each week (although it's more like a Bible study right now), the opportunities that I can have to be mentored by older women and opportunities to serve in Sunday school (with the 1-5 year-olds... yay!). I didn't think that I would want to be a part of a church that is just starting and not really established yet. But God has shown me that this is where He wants me, at least for now.

Yes, God has been teaching me that I am utterly insufficient and that He is the One who provides for everything in my life. And praise God for being in control of all things!

A Whole New World

Haha, yeah I'm corny like that :-P Anyhow, I am in Philly, all settled in and enjoying my... massive load of hw already. >.< God has been faithful to me ever since I've gotten here. My parents and Jesse were with me until yesterday--it was really sad to see two of the most important parts of my life leave at the same time. It was a little hard emotionally as well. But while they were here, they definitely helped a lot! And the Lord has grown Jesse and I to become closer even though we were "chaperoned" all weekend long--it was humbling to see how much he desired to serve my parents and I. And God showed me how impatient I was with my parents and how it is so hard to love them when I'm being selfish.

After my parents and Jesse left, I was hit with an intense feeling of loneliness--but God was faithful to that too! I eventually got out of my pity-me mood and went to a church that was meeting in the evening time. I got to know people there and ended up getting along really well with a girl who is slightly older... it's just awesome and comforting to have sisters in Christ! Praise God!! I think this is a place where I want to fellowship with, but I haven't decided on a church yet because I need to see what this church believes in (even though the message seemed solid). And it's a small church, so that means I won't feel as overwhelmed as I would be with a big church, especially since I don't know anyone.

Okay, those are all the things I can think of now. I have to attend to my 1000-page course reader (1/4 textbooks that we have for the summer.

God provides :)

Wow, I am speechless. I don't know what to say except "Praise God!" I wrote a letter to Penn a few weeks back asking them to re-evaluate my financial aid package and I found out this morning that they offered me $9,000 more to the original $5,000 they awarded me. I expected them to add to my package, but not this much! Now my parents don't have to pay as much as they were going to! The Lord is indeed good and faithful... it makes me feel silly for not trusting Him a lot of the times. Yayyy!

Living with a purpose

"Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." -1Corinthians 9:26-27

I'm reading through 1Corinthians, and I must say I like the book a lot. Haha. :) (that would be an understatement). Life update: I decided to go to Penn over San Jose State, to honor my parents. If you want details, ask me :) So as I spend my last week at home, I have struggled with using my time wisely and purposefully. By God's grace, I'm in chapter 9 of 1Corinthians this week. Haha. Yes, He is sovereign. I am humbled when I read verse 26 because I feel like I waste so much of my time on silly things, like watching tv or going on the internet (and yet I'm updating my online blog :-P) when I could be talking to my parents and sharing the gospel with them. Also, it's been hard to wake up early (like I normally do at UCLA)... but again God knows what's He's doing. In a week I will have to wake up early for classes. >.< Seriously though, I am humbled by the purposefulness that Paul lives his life. I see "run" as living life and "box" as fighting sin... and he does that always with a purpose. Actually it's hard to live life and fight sin in ways that are honoring to the Lord without a purpose.

Then it occured to me that my roomate at Penn might not be Christian. I know I know, I should have realized that earlier. But living with Christians practically all four years at UCLA has a downside--I am so used to living with Christians that I don't think I had to deal with many issues of this world directly. Yes I have friends who are not believers, but it's different being friends and living with them. I realized that I need to sit down and think hard about what are things that I will hold dearly to (and not compromise on), such as my faith in God. But what can I compromise on? If I live with an unbeliever, there may be other issues that I can't think of right now. This is where verse 27 hit me. I need to maintain my testimony as a Christian before her--I know I'm not perfect and will never be, but I need to be as close to God as I possibly can to ensure that my testimony is solid because only God will satisfy and keep me and change her heart if she isn't a believer. And even if she is a believer, I still need to be close to God so that I don't discourage her from the faith.