Rescued by Jesus. Rebuilt by the Spirit. Responding to God's grace.
For some, Mother’s Day is a day of celebration; for others, a day of lament or hopeful anticipation. God, as we celebrate mothers today, We thank You for your deep love for us. You are the Giver of life. Our divine parent. You model unconditional love and sacrifice. You nurture your children and discipline us […]
A prayer and reflection in light of what God has done for us through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. God, Our Father, who created the earth and everything in it, who made us in Your own image and entrusted Your creation to our care, we come before you this Resurrection Sunday. We celebrate You […]
Communion isn’t just between you and God. It’s communion with the worldwide body of Christ. So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread […]
You ever hesitate—or fail—to pray because you just didn’t believe that God would answer your prayer? I do. More often than I should. He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it […]
Are our failures part of God’s plan, or does God redeem our failures? << Previous episode October, 2016. I agreed to step down from my pastoral role after God spoke to me through a roundabout: “See the direction everyone else is going.” “Yield.” “Navigate your way through without crashing.” “Know when to exit.” After two […]
<< Previous episode What’s the point of arguing? I guess it depends. When two people have a disagreement but both are willing to hear and consider the other person’s perspective, an argument (or should I say, “heated discussion”) can be constructive. But when one or both of the parties involved are unwilling to hear the […]
Ever hesitate to follow God because you worry about the future? << Previous episode “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matt. 6:25 NIV) February, 2015. […]
After all the trouble it took to get us to Ofunato, was God really calling us to leave? << Previous episode Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. […]
“I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV) The last thing I ever wanted was for my new bride to watch me go […]
<< Previous episode Sometimes, we need to pause and remember why we do what we do. One of my least favorite tasks in ministry is event planning. Don’t get me wrong– I love the actual events. It’s planning them that stresses me out. Though it’s fun to think through what the event might look like […]
<< Previous episode Moving forward often requires us to let go of what we know. December 17, 2012. It had been 14 months since I resigned from my role in order to go to Japan; 5 months since my last scouting trip. We had to raise 80% of our two-year budget before we could leave […]
<< Previous episode I was about to give up the race when a parked car cheered me on. I returned from the summer missions trip– my fourth trip to Japan– with the confidence that we would raise the funds needed to embark on our two-year assignment. We needed 80% of our two-year budget pledged before […]
But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. (1 Cor. 14:3 NIV) << Previous episode As part of the process of applying to be missionaries with our denomination, our entire family would have to spend two weeks in Chicago in order for Soo and me to attend mandatory missionary […]
<< Previous episode A little bit of encouragement goes a long way. Soo, the boys, and I traveled north from Tokyo and headed towards Iwate on Thanksgiving weekend of 2011. It would be our very first visit to Ofunato as a family: Soo had been curious to finally see the city we were being called […]
<< Previous episode Fear kept me from trusting God. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do […]
<< Previous Episode Learning to trust God as He leads us into the unfamiliar. My friend Jack, who was on that first mission trip to Japan with me, suggested that we return to Japan together and visit Ofunato, since God went through the trouble of showing me a map of that city in my dream. […]
<< Previous Episode Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” (Luke 10:61 NIV) In the last episode, I had just received confirmation of my family’s calling to Japan– the sign being that of a family of ducks crossing the street. Though I […]
I haven’t posted anything new in nearly a month now. My apologies to my dear readers who have been awaiting the next episode in the story of my Ransomed Life. Three things have kept me from posting: 1) I’ve just been busier than usual lately; 2) it has been difficult for me to write the […]
<< Previous episode If God could speak through a donkey, could He speak to me through some ducks? Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me” (Gideon 6:17 NIV) June, 2011. It had been three months since my missions trip […]
<< Previous Episode One of the original objectives for our 10-day missions trip had always been to encourage missionaries and Japanese Christians by meeting with them and praying for them. The triple disaster of March 11th didn’t change this, other than to cause us to allocate more of our time in Kyoto than originally planned, […]
<< Previous Episode Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” (Acts […]
When you commit to following God, you never know where He might take you. << Previous Episode I had just experienced a pivotal moment during my week-long retreat in the mountains: forced to confront my identity issues, I was able to work through them, find relief from the things that weighed me down, and quiet […]
Hey y’all, I’m taking a break from posting new episodes of my story today, in light of the recent tragedy in San Bernardino. I used to live in Loma Linda, which borders San Bernardino. The shootings took place just a few miles from my parents’ house. The Inland Regional Center is near the Sizzler where […]
<< Previous Episode If this relationship truly was from God, He’d have to help us overcome major hurdles. How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? (Psalm 13:2a NIV) I didn’t call Soo the next day, as I normally would have done. We had been talking […]
