It's Hard for Me to Say I'm Sorry

I’m sure we don’t all struggle with this but do you sometimes find it hard to say “I’m sorry”? It’s amazing what sincerely apologizing to one another can do for our relationships.  Sometimes that’s all we want to hear. We hold grudges and hatred towards people that can be reconciled by admitting our wrongs.

I started thinking about this when I watched the movie “Bounty Hunter”.  I’m sure you guys already know but I love watching movies.  This movie wasn’t the best but it had its moments.  In the movie, Jennifer Aniston and Gerald Butler are ex-husband and wife.  They obviously don’t like each other but throughout the movie you immediately sense that they weren’t completely over each other as well.  My favorite scene is when they were having dinner and they started reminiscing about old times.  Then Gerald Butler apologizes to Jennifer Aniston and tells her that he was genuinely sorry for everything.  This catches Jennifer off guard and you can see a sign of disbelief on her face.  All the hatred and resentment just for that moment was gone.  She then tells him how she felt and some of the things she was sorry for as well.  It was a beautiful moment (the only great scene).  It’s sad how we perceive apologizing as being weak when it’s the direct opposite.  I struggled with this throughout my relationships with my friends, family, and Chris until I was shown that it wasn’t.

As I started thinking about this I thought about my parents.  My parents have walked a great journey for our family and for their marriage.  We had our ups and downs but through it all we survived.  One of the things I’m thankful for is my parents will to make it work.  Growing up I knew that my parents weren’t in love and there were times when they thought about splitting up as well but I know a big part of the reason why they stayed together was because of us.   Also, back then divorce wasn’t as common.  My parents has recently went through a lot of healing and after almost 40 years of marriage I feel like they have somewhat found peace within each other.  My dad tells my mom that she’s beautiful and he tells her things I’ve never heard my dad say.  It’s truly a miracle what has happened to my parents.  My dad hasn’t told my mom that he was sorry yet but he did start by writing a letter to my mom which mended a lot of the pains from the past. Did I believe that this would happen 10 years ago?  I had my doubts but few years ago I decided to have faith in God because anything is possible in the presence of God. There still needs to be more healing but it's amazing to see all the changes they went through so far.  The day my dad genuinely say's "i'm sorry" to my mom will be another great day when their relationship will reach another level.  I’m so excited to see what else God has in store for all of us.

I write this in the hopes to share that there is still hope and it’s never too late to tell the person we’ve hurt that we’re sorry even after 40 years. If we sincerely apologize and they’re not ready to accept it, we have to accept that as well and let God do the rest.  The most important thing is that it’s not worth losing someone we love because of less important things.

Relieving my Shame Through Love

Have you guys ever had a secret that you never wanted to tell anyone because it was so shameful? I think most of us dealt with a secret we were or are afraid to share because of what other people might think.

A few weeks ago our Youth Pastor Abe Park shared a story in the bible about a woman who bore a shame that was unaccepted by others and it was so bad that she had to scream out “Unclean! Unclean! ” everywhere she went.  She was considered unclean because she bled continuously for many years.  Back then women were considered ceremonially unclean for seven days during their menstrual cycle but this lady bled continuously so people considered her unclean all the time.  This brought a lot of embarrassment to her and her family.  They tried everything but nothing worked.  Although it was a very dark time for her, she didn’t lose faith.

This woman knew who Jesus was and she had great faith in all that He did.  So, one day she heard that He was going to be in town so went to see him to seek for help.  She saw Jesus walking through the crowds and there were so many people she was barely able to see Him.  As Jesus walked by, she reached out to touch a piece of His cloak hoping that a touch of His glory would heal her in anyway.  Then as soon as she did, she instantly stopped bleeding.  You can listen to the sermon on this link. The sermon is called Faith & Healing.

Then our Pastor shared a personal testimony of something he struggled with for many years.  He had a problem with wetting his bed for a very long time.  His parents were so ashamed of his issue that they didn’t want anyone to know.  He said they tried giving him Chinese medicine, prayed for him, and even restricted him from drinking water after 6pm but nothing worked.  He was so frustrated and embarrassed. Then one day he went to Korea to visit his grandma who is a strong women with great faith and love.  Once again he woke up in the middle of the night because of his accident and he was so scared that his grandma would find out.  So he tried to cover it up but his grandma walked in and found out before he could.  He thought she would get tremendously upset but instead she opened her arms widely and gave him the biggest hug.  She loved on him instead of scolding him.   He said after that night he was cured. It was love that cured him. 

A similar incident happened about a month ago when I told Chris a secret I’ve been holding inside.   I didn’t know how to bring it up because I wasn’t sure how he was going to react. I didn’t want him to get upset or push me away.  Although I was scared to tell him I knew I had too because it was going to get in the way of our marriage. So, I told him and when I did instead of being disappointed he gave me a big smile and told me it was okay.  He was very understanding and helped me to understand why I was thinking such things.  It was his love that over powered the secret that could have hurt our relationship.

Sometimes we just need to listen and let them know that it’s going to be okay.  We can help pray for them and most importantly just love them.

Thanksgiving with the Choi Family

Hey Everyone!

I hope you guys all had a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Mine was filled with great food, music, and company.

Last Tuesday I decided to write down 50 things I was thankful for this year to follow what I wrote last week (click here to read) .  The first 20 were easy to list but I had to really think about the last 30.  It was a great experience because it made me appreciate things that I usually take for granted.  For example, as I was writing my list I was reminded of how lucky I was to be able to speak, hear, touch, see, run, walk, and many more.  Those things seem so simple and that's why it's easily ignored.  It was a great time to truly reflect and appreciate even the little things that God has given me which all sums up to great things.

Next, I called a few of my friends I haven't talked to in a while and chatted for a few hours.  It was nice catching up and talking about old times.  Also, I wrote a thank you note to everyone in my family to show love and appreciation.  They thought it was a bit silly at first but I saw the smiles on their faces after they read the notes.  It's amazing how a simple thank you note can bring giggles and smiles to someone's face which is irreplaceable. 

Here are some pictures of few of my family members from Thanksgiving Day:

My wonderful Husband!

My beautiful sister #2

(My 3rd sister went to her in-laws this year and my oldest was busy cooking)

My handsome brother in law #2

My cute mom and dad

This is me from the night before at my friends b-day party. I forgot to take a picture of myself on Thanksgiving Day =)

I hope you guys had a great vacation. Now, it's time to get ready for Christmas!!
Christmas is my favorite time of the year!

Let's Give Thanks on Thanksgiving Day

Hi Friends,

I received this email from Chris today by Little Things Matter and I wanted to share it with you guys.  A few day's ago I was reminded of what Thanksgiving Day was all about.  This whole time I kept thinking about all the yummy food I was going to eat and not having to go to work that I forgot what the true meaning of this day was. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to observe Thanksgiving Day with everyone.  This post humbly reminded me of what I should truly be celebrating on Thanksgiving Day and and I hope it does the same for you guys as well. Who's up for the challenge?

Thanksgiving Day Long Ago
For 66 days a sailing vessel called the Mayflower carried 102 pilgrims across the stormy Atlantic Ocean and landed at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on December 11, 1620. During that first cold winter, 46 pilgrims died. In the spring of 1621, the Wampanoag Indians taught the pilgrims how to cultivate the land—growing corn, beans, and pumpkins which helped them survive. At harvest time the colonists were so grateful for their bountiful crops that Governor William Bradford organized the first Thanksgiving feast, inviting their neighbors—Wampanoag Indians. With joy and thanksgiving, they expressed their gratitude and appreciation to God for their bountiful harvest.
Many years later, in 1789, President George Washington wrote a proclamation, recommending to the “people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God . . . Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November . . . that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country . . .”
Thanksgiving Day Today
So it has been that for over two centuries. Thanksgiving Day has become a joyous festival celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm. People have gathered together to thank God for His past blessings and to enjoy the warm fellowship of family and friends.
However, over the last 50 years Thanksgiving Day has lost its original significance. For many people, it has simply become a time when families come together to eat turkey and watch football.
As we prepare to celebrate this Thanksgiving with our family and friends, I encourage you, regardless of where you live in the world, to stop and reflect on the things for which you are grateful.
In our busy and demanding lives, it’s easy to focus on our challenges and overlook the things we are truly blessed to enjoy. It’s easy to lament what we don’t have, rather than appreciate what we do have. We would all benefit from the words of Epictetus, a stoic Greek philosopher, who said, “He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.”
When we focus on all the positive things in our lives, we will find more joy, satisfaction, and happiness. Our lives will take on greater meaning and our hearts will be filled with love and gratitude.
My Challenge to You
1.  Make a list of all the things for which you are thankful. Stretch yourself to make a list of 50 people, things, or events. This can include the names of family, friends, co-workers and others whose relationships you value. Include your religious affiliations, your pastor or priest. Include our country and the servicemen who are protecting our land and our rights. It can also include your physical being, material possessions, and conveniences we so often take for granted. Parents, let me encourage you to have your children participate in this exercise.
2.  After making this list take some quiet time and reflect on everything you have listed. In the words of Thornton Wilder, “We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”
3.  Express your gratitude to the people you’ve listed. It could be a hand-written note, a personalized email, a text message, or a phone call. Whatever method you choose to use, make it personal and heartfelt. Let these people know how you feel about them and how special they are to you.
If the weight of your challenges makes it difficult to give thanks, reflect back how the pilgrims must have felt. “The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than those who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” H. U. Westermayer.
Don’t take anything you have for granted.
Instead express your gratitude for all your many blessings—great and small.

BY: Little Things Matter

Did you guys make your list?  If you guys did, please share your experience with me. I would love to hear all about it. You can read about my experience (here).

Love,
Sandy

My Conneciton to Tony Robbins "Breakthrough" TV Show Ep.1

“The worst thing you can do for the people you love is doing things that they can do for themselves”

I watched the first episode of Breakthrough by Tony Robbins today and learned a lot about how to be a stronger person not only for myself but for people I love as well. Breakthrough is a TV show about Tony Robbins helping people make positive turns in their life by series of breakthrough events.  He shows them that their life can change and there is hope.

The first episode is about a married couple name Frank and Karen Alioto whose lives changed dramatically on the day of their wedding when Frank fell into the pool and became paralyzed.  Since that day they both lived with grief, guilt, and sorrow because they thought they could never have the life they planned for themselves.  Karen felt extremely overwhelmed with everything in her life and because she loved Frank so much it broke her heart to see him so vulnerable everyday.  It was extremely hard for Frank to see Karen go through so much pain and he felt guilty for not being able to provide the life he promised her. This is when Tony comes into their life to show them that their story hasn’t ended yet.

Tony gives both of them a series of challenges to overcome and through those challenges you start to see hope in their eyes again. One of my favorite part is when Tony talks to Franks family and friends about allowing Frank to struggle.  He mentions the worst thing we can do for the people we love is doing things that they can do for themselves and by doing so we end up being handicapped.  Frank might struggle at first but he’ll figure it out and it would no longer be a struggle for him.  That was a great life lesson to learn.  This was a great reminder that tough love is a form of love that's needed in certain moments of our lives.  This is definitely something I need to practice as well.  I want to make sure I don't handicap the people I love from becoming greater than they think they can be. 

You can watch EP.1-1 below. I encourage you to watch the rest!
Have a blessed week everyone!
 

My Connection to LOVE by Jaeson Ma (feat. Bruno Mars)

The lyrics to this song always humbles me and makes me think.  I even cried a few times listening to this song by myself in my car.  I’m sure you guys all have done before. =)

 I think I listened to it at least 5 times a day for 2 weeks straight.  There are so many parts on this song that spoke out to me.  It really speaks the truth and because it does it’s very humbling and challenging at the same time. 

Whenever I listen to this song it makes me think about the kind of love that my life is reflecting.  Would I be able to die for my enemies?  Does my love keep no record of wrongs?  The truth is I’ve been struggling with showing love to two specific people in my life the past year.  I see them every day because I work with them and every day I tell myself it’s a new day and I’m going to show love to them.  Then I get into the office and they do something to annoy me.  So, all the promises and prayers goes straight out the door.  Their personality is completely different from mine so their work ethic frustrates me sometimes.  I’ve been asking God to give me strength to show love to them but it’s been a real challenge.  Although it’s not easy I will not give up because I know God is working in me.  I also know that the only way anything will change is if I decide to change.  So, I decided to start praying for them and their family.  It’s a commitment but I feel like God is telling me to start there.

The other part that brings tears of joy to my eyes is the way it describes what perfect love is.  It’s so refreshing and humbling.  It also gives me a lot of hope.  Sometimes I think I got it right and I let my ego get the best of me.  Then, I think about how God portrayed his love for us it humbles me.   It truly is unthinkable to think about what Jesus Christ did for us.  That is truly perfect love.

I think if we try to do what the chorus say's, it'll help us along this journey.  It’s not easy with all the temptation around us but there’s no temptation big enough that love can’t fight.  This will be a continuous mission and journey for me but I’m looking forward to learning and growing every step of the way.  I’ll let you guys know how it turns out with my coworkers in a few months.  Please keep me in your prayers.

I also follow Jaeson Ma's blog which has great inspiring stories. You may want to check it out http://www.jaesonma.com/.

Thanks for reading everyone and please share some trials and triumphs you've had as well.  What was your connection to this song?

A Deeper Look into My Heart

Hey Guys,

I wanted to take this time to share about my inner passion to fight against human trafficking.  I first heard about human trafficking 3 or 4 years ago in church through a spokesperson from Oasis.   At the time, I didn’t know something like this was possible and it was all incredibly new to me.  Back then when I thought about slavery I thought about the stories we read in our history books.  I never thought it could be happening now.  I learned about different forms of slavery and they are all equally horrible but the one that broke my heart the most was sex trafficking.  Maybe it's because I'm a woman but the thought of young children and women being sold as prostitutes really bothered my soul.  It was horrible enough to know that people from third world countries were being trafficked but it really boggled my mind when I found out that people in California were being kidnapped and tricked into slavery as well.  Although my heart cried out for these people I didn't decide to get involved until I watched the movie "Taken".  This movie is about a father who goes to the ends of the earth to get his daughter back who was trafficked into prostitution.  I cried uncontrollably after watching this movie because I knew this was happening in real life. I prayed and asked God how something like this could be happening in our world.  Then in return I asked myself or God asked me what I was going to do to make it better.  That's when I decided that I needed to do something to help any way I can.  Through a friend I was able to get a hold of the founder of CAS (California Against Slavery) and I started to get involved with what they were doing to end slavery in California.

This crime seems impossible to end when you look at the growing population of people being trafficked each year.  Even so I truly have faith that this horrible crime would come to an end.   I'm not sure when that'll be but I have faith that it will because I saw it happen in my dream.   A few months ago I had a dream that I was sold as a sex slave because my family was tricked into thinking that they were sending me to a really great school.   The emotions I felt when I found out what happened were so real.  I felt lost, scared, betrayed, and my whole world was spinning.  I asked people to help me but they were so scared of the scary man (the guy in charge) that they ignored me.  Not even the police was able to do anything.  The people who worked for him told me I had to sleep with the scary man and the thought of that made me sick.  I remember praying in my dream and asking God why this happened to me.   I was mad at God but I also knew He was the only one who could save me.   So, I prayed earnestly for a miracle.  Then the next day and I had to go see the scary man.   I remember feeling terrified standing outside his room.  Then, something happened.  The scary man came out and told me I was free to go.  It was words of disbelief, happiness, and hope.   It was a miracle. Then he told me again, “You’re free to go.”  So, I walked out of there as a free woman.  I remember seeing the brightest light when the doors opened.  After that dream I had ultimate faith that this horrible crime would come to an end.  It was my confirmation and I can’t wait for that day.

If you want to know more information or find out how you can help support CAS please visit our website:

www.californiaagainstslavery.org

My connection to "Mine" by Taylor Swift

Some of you may not be a Taylor Swift fan but I like her so don't hate please. I recently watched a interview of her's and she talked about her new song "Mine". She said this song was about the real prospect of falling in love but always looking in your rearview mirror seeing all the times love has failed. If you listen to the song you can see that she questions love because of past experiences but she takes a chance and in return finds true lasting love. She said she personally tends to run from love because she see's people saying goodbye in her life all the time. Even though she has these thoughts she also has blind faith and hope that when she meets the right person love will be worth fighting for and that they'll work through the problems along the way. Her song and music video protrays that very well.

I remember when I had my guard up when it came to love. There was a part of me that anticipated for the other person to change for the worse because that's what always happened. When Chris and I first started dating, I had a hard time trusting that he was all that he said he was because of this reason. I prayed and asked for several confirmations (click here to read more) before I started trusting him. Although I was afraid of risking myself to fall in love I never lost hope and faith that true love could last.

There's a scene in the music video where Taylor Swift and her husband in the video get's into a fight for the first time. It brought me back to the time when Chris and I fought for the first time. The song say's she was expecting him to say goodbye because that's what she was use to seeing and that's how I felt when we fought for the first time too. There was a part of me that thought he might leave. There was another part of me that thought his love for me was going to change because that's what I was use to seeing but instead he told me that he would never leave me which is what the song said as well. That part brought me to tears.

I wanted to share this with you guys because I thought there would be someone who felt the same way as I did whether you were hurt by your boyfriends, girlfriends, family, or by a trusted friend.  What ever the cause was I hope my testimony or this song relieves you of any doubt in your heart.

If you do or did feel the way that I did, I want to encourage you to have blind faith and hope that love is worth fighting for. It's the strongest instrument we have and the enemy will try everything to take that away from us. It can clear any darkness. So, have blind faith and hope in love.

P.S I also want to encourage you guys to watch this music video. It's great! =)

it was more than just a DATE NIGHT

I hope you guys all had a great weekend and having a great week so far. Chris and I just came back from our second honeymoon yesterday. It was incredibly relaxing and a great dream building time. Chris and I like to talk and plan out all things we want to do in the future with our family and how we're going to achieve it. It's inspiring and through it we get to know each other better as well. It's also a great motivation.

We went to Las Vegas for two nights and three days and this was so far the best Vegas trip. We didn't do anything too crazy but it was perfect. The second night we decided to stay in our hotel and drink some wine watching a movie. Yes, I know that's what old people do but it was so much fun. We were surfing through the movies and came across "Date Night". I remembered my sister telling me that it was a great movie so we decided to watch it.

I would like to highly recommend this movie to every one except for kids because there's cursing. I don't want to hype it up but it's definitely worth watching. In the story, the Foster's, being married for a while and having two kids, almost forgot what being in love was and I love how they re-learn how in love they still are with each other. If you don't want me to spoil it you probably shouldn't read on but if you don't mind then you may. The Fosters start to question whether they're marriage is okay or not after they learned that their friends were going through a divorce. The reasons their friends gave were confusing to the Fosters and they started to question their own feelings. This made me think a lot about my own actions. It's a great story line and not to mention that Chris and I were rolling on the floor laughing because some of the scenes were hillarious. One of our favorite scene is the kill shot. It's become an inside joke for us. We had a geat laugh and I learned something valuable through this movie as well. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did.

My First Year of Marriage

Hello All,

Chris and I just celebrated our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. Whoo Hoo!! Honestly, it felt like any other day because it's so short compared to all the years to come but it was great spending quality time with my hubby. A few weeks ago someone asked us if marriage was hard. I'm assuming they asked us because most people say that the first few years are the hardest. I can't speak for Chris but for me it wasn't hard for me.  I believe it wasn't because we had God as our foundation and we made a choice to make everyday a great day. We chose to love each other every day. We learned to do this after we learned from our mistakes.

After we got married the first few months were really hectic. We used that excuse to miss church. At first it was just one week then it turned out to be a month or so.  As I started missing church my heart started parting from God. Then, my heart started to grow cold. God was no longer in every aspect of my life. I had put Him away in my pocket. Everything seemed normal but something in my heart wasn't right. I started talking to Chris differently and I wasn't giving him the same respect as I did before.

Then on New Year's Day, Chris and I got into a horrible fight after having a few drinks. We said some things to each other that were very hurtful. That was our first real fight and it wasn't pretty. We would have never acted that way but I don't know what came over us. After that night, we both knew we had to change or things weren't going to be so great. We knew we had to focus back on God because we lost ourselves. We both repented before God and cried out to Him. It definitely felt like the enemy was trying to break us up. We promised eachother that that would never happen again and we decided to quit hard liquor. That's also when we decided to choose our marriage over ourselves.

There's goods and bads to marriage but that's life. Nothing in life can always be great but it's a decision we have to make. I decided that we were going to have the best time of our life until we go to heaven. There are days when I forget but I try to remind myself to look at Chris the way God looks at him. Then I remember to treat him with love and respect.

Chris and I asked each other what advice we would give to newly weds and here's what we said:

Sandy said:
1) Always have God at the core of your relationship
2) Tell your wife she's beautiful every day. Yes, EVERYDAY! We tend to forget.
3) Submit to your husband (if you don't know what this means, ask me separately)

Chris Said:

1) Don't get lazy in your relationship especially guys. Treat her the same way as you did when you first met her.

2) Accept compliments when they give it to you because that's a gift as well. Just say thank you, you're great too!
3) Guys, don't hold back your "I'm sorry's."

There were a few more but I don't remember them.

That's all for today.

I hope you guys have a great rest of the week!

Loving Ourselves Selflessly

I've been learning a lot more on loving others since i've started my blog. It's always easy to love those that love us but not those who hurt us. It's been a challenge but it's great that I'm improving. As I've been learning how to love others I came to realize that it's just as important to love ourselves. If we don't know how to love ourselves, it's almost impossible to love others because our love will have limits if we can't find completeness in our heart. So, I wanted to share how I overcame some of the struggles of accepting myself. I made this video a while back but I thought it was appropriate for this chapter. You can watch the video , just read my blog, or both.

There was a time in my life when I couldn't forgive myself for some of the sins I commited in my life, so I struggled with loving and accepting myself.This led me to think I wasn't pretty enough and that I was a failure. I truly believe the ememy uses beauty against women over and over again. The thoughts of, "I wish I was skinny as her, I wish I was successful as her, I wish I was her", comes from a small voice the enemy implants in our mind. We fight for the acceptance of how beautiful others view us. A lot of beautiful women I meet don't think that their pretty enough. I feel it's a lie that the enemy feeds us in order to have a control of our identity. Once they have a control of our identity, it puts us in a vulnerable state. When I started focusing on all the things I didn't like about myself I neglected the beauty God created in me. When I started seeking God and laid out my sins and dispair onto Him I was able to feel how He felt about me. He didn't love me because I reached my goals, I was pretty, I got a promotion, or because I got straight A's. He loves me because I'm His daughter. When I felt this kind of love the acceptance of myself was beyond what this world could provide. It wasn't boastful but selfless. It was a journey but through prayer and God, I was able to come out of that dark tunnel. Even now the enemy tries to use my past struggles to put me in the dark again but when ever those thoughts run through my head I declare out loud " I am God's daughter and that is all that matters!" Yes, that is all that matters.

Ch. 4 Where Chris and I REALLY met

After a few weeks into us dating, Chris came to have lunch with me during the week because I was sick from a cold and decided to leave work early. As we were eating he asked me, “Do you know where we first met?” And I instantly answered, “Of course! We met at the car wash.”  Then he told me that that wasn’t the first time we met.  I was completely confused and I had no idea what he was talking about. He then asked me, “Do you remember about two months ago when you and your friend was at Le Prive (a Korean Club in LA)? We met that night!” I started thinking back and remembered that I was at the club for a friend’s birthday party a few months ago but I didn’t remember Chris from that night. He recapped the conversation we had at the club and it completely blew my mind. I remembered having a very unique conversation with a guy and that guy was Chris. When I met him at the club, I asked him if he liked his current job and usually most people give a very general answer but he said, “NO, I HATE MY JOB!”  That left a lasting impression. Then we started back tracking how he came to our church and all the events that lead us to each other. I believe that nothing is an accidnet. It was another “chills down my spine” moment. That is how we “technically” met at the club.

We dated for about 9 months before we got engaged, then got married 7 months later. Now, I’m writing a new chapter in my life with my forever best friend.

We’re probably all in a different time in our life. I also know that everyone's story and situation is different but at the same time we don't have to accept the status quo. Some of us may be single, in a relationship/engaged, divorced, or married. Where ever you may be I want to encourage you to start with you and God. Then, you can start praying for your true love. If you’re single, I hope to give inspiration that true love exist. Also, don't let past mistakes and failures tell you otherwise. If you’re in a relationship, I want to encourage you to pray for God’s blessing and also to show you guys clear confirmations whether that person is right for you or not. It’s always great to ask for specific confirmations.  If you are divorced, I would like to encourage you to allow God to work with your heart. Lastly, if you’re married, I encourage you to pray that God will always be the center of your marriage.

Until next time…

Ch.3 How did I know Chris was the one?

We were praying for confirmations because we wanted to make sure we were the right person for each other and the only person who knew that was God. Although I can’t share all the signs God showed us, I want to share a couple that was very impactful. I also want to talk about how I started praying for my future husband because I didn’t always know to do that.

One of my mentors I really love and respect told me that finding the right person was the most important thing in life. She always said it was more important than figuring out my career path. I always knew it was important but I didn't start taking it seriously until she told me that. She mentioned that it wasn’t just important because we’ll spend the rest of our life with them but also because they become a part of us. Her story is that she prayed for her future husband since she was in high school. To make a long story short, she asked God to show her a bright light around her future husband when she met him and that’s what God did. Also, I read in a book called Passion & Purity by Elisabetha Elliot (I recommend this book for men and female) that told me to write down exactly what I wanted in a man/woman and pray for it. So, that’s exactly what I did. I honestly didn’t pray about it every day but I had faith that God would send me the right person.

Since then, everyone I met prior to Chris fell short of one or more things. I always tried to look past it because I thought I was being too picky. I would tell myself, “He may not have this and that but at least he has this.” I was compromising but God had better plans for me. When I met Chris and got to know him, I realized that he had all the traits I wrote down and prayed for. Chris isn’t perfect but he was for me. God even provided the smallest things.  For instance, I asked for a man who can sing and play piano (specifically) because I wanted to praise together and Chris can do both.

Another confirmation was when Chris and I were talking outside my house inside his car.  We were talking about our relationship and if we were ready to take the next step. I think he was ready but I wasn’t quite ready yet. As we were having this conversation he suddenly became really quiet and started looking up into the sky through the sunroof. I didn’t want to bother him because it seemed like he had a lot on his mind.  After a few minutes I said something to him (I forgot what I said) that was completely random and out of the norm for me. Then he looked at me as if he saw a ghost. So I asked him what was wrong.  He responded, “How did you know to say that?”  The only answer I was able to think of was that it just popped up inside my head.  Then, what he told me next was what really surprised me.  He said he was praying quietly while he was looking up into the sky and he prayed, “God if Sandy really is the women I’m supposed to marry, please have her say this (the thing I said) to me right now.”  Then moments later, I said the exact same thing to him.  I know it’s pretty crazy! We took that as a definite confirmation from God and we decided to talk to our pastor, friends, and family to receive their blessings as well.

That’s how we started dating officially.

Ch.2 My first date with Chris

Then, Chris asked me out on a date but I made excuses not to go although I really wanted too.Weeks passed by and I thought my feelings would eventually go away but it didn’t. I couldn't stand it any longer and wanted to find out what my true feelings were for him. So, I text messaged him to see if he wanted to meet up for coffee. He said yes and agreed to meet up with me that night.

You won’t believe what I put him through that night.

I cancelled on him three times in one day before we actually met up. Then, I gave him the wrong direction and got him lost for about 30 minutes. Most guys might have given up but he was very patient and understanding the whole time.

He finally made it to the coffee shop after running around the whole town. This was the first time we met outside of church just the two of us so it was a bit awkward at first but I instantly felt comfortable once we started talking. He asked me a lot of questions about me so I started sharing a little bit about myself.  Soon that “little” turned into talking about my family, my deep feelings, and many other things.Stuff I usually would only share with my close friends. It was really odd because I rarely opened up to people about my family but our conversation felt so natural. To say the least, it was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had with anyone. Time flew so fast we didn’t realize that we’ve been talking for four hours. It was a great night.

I felt more confused about my feelings after that night but one thing I was sure of was that there was something special about him. I started praying more earnestly to God about our relationship. I asked God to reveal to me whether Chris was the right person for me or not.

As we spent more time together our feelings for each other got stronger. Although we were both sure of our feelings we didn't want to take our relationship to the next step until we were sure it was part of God's will for both of us. I was at the point where I was willing to give up my relationship with Chris if God told me too. That was the first time; I gave God full control. Other times I held onto what I had with both hands as I asked Him what I should do. That wasn't truly trusting God.

We both started praying to God to show us confirmations and signs. We were both surprised when God started showing us instantly.

This is an actual picture we took on the day we met up for coffee 2 years ago <3



Ch.1 How Chris and I met

Hi Guys,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was filled with a lot of blessings. I had a lot of stuff on my mind but it was all healthy.


I pondered for a while where I should begin to tell my story. Should I start when I was in high school, middle school, kindergarten, or now? Then I decided, "sharing how I met my husband would be a great start."


When someone asks me how I met my husband, Chris, I always start my story by saying, "we technically met at a club, but we officially met in church." I know you're probably thinking "a club and then church?"


I'll explain.


I officially met Chris at my church around April 2008. He was the new guy at church. He has great people skills so he got to know everyone fairly quickly. I actually thought he was a returning member of the church beacuse he got to know everyone so fast.


During that time I was preparing to go to Thailand for a short term mission's trip. Chris wasn't planning on going in the beginning but decided to join us shortly after. We had a carwash to raise funds for the mission's trip at our church. And from what I remember, this also happened to be the place where we first spoke. He did a great job of grabbing my attention because he went out of his way to show interest in me (It was probably all part of his plan.) He seemed like a nice guy but I wasn't interested in him or any guy at the time. A short time prior, I was so emotionally burnt out by failed relationships and love. I also made a promise with God that I would focus and trust on only Him.


Chris and I had small conversations at church but we didn't really get to know each other until we hung out with a few of our friends at a Karaoke (This is what us Koreans love to do.) One of our friends, Chris, and I got there a little earlier than the others so we had some time to talk and get to know one another. I started asking Chris some questions about himself and how he got to know our church. He started sharing his life story and that's when my perspective of him changed completely. His struggles and triumph's really attracted me. One of my biggest turn on's is someone with great leadership, a vision, and passion and he had all three! Most importantly he was a man of God. This was when I started developing feelings for him. I tried to suppress my feelings because I thought it was a distraction from God. You see, I made some wrong decisions in the past based on just my emotions and my heart was broken a little too many times. I jumped into relationship's for the wrong reasons. I didn't want to repeat the same episode in my life so I made sure that the next relationship I decide to be in was completely reliant on God. As time went by, I kept pushing my feelings aside and prayed that God will show me through signs if this relationship was really meant to be. I also prayed that he would show me when the right person came along. Then, shortly after Chris asked me out on a date...

Why True Love?

Greetings to all my soon to be great friends!!


I'm extremely excited but nervous about writing my first entry. I'm excited because there's so much I want to share but nervous because this is my first blog and first entry (besides xanga, which doesn't count).


Some people may ask, so why about true love? First, I believe love is one of the most beautiful form of gift in life. We all want to receive it and it always feels great to give it. But the main reason I started my blog is because there were times when I questioned if true love in the world really existed. I think a lot of it has to do with how media portrays love as well as my personal experience of failed relationships in the past.


We may see and/ or experience a lot of broken hearts, lies, divorces, and cheating in our lifetime. Although this is true, there are many people in my life that proved me otherwise through their quiet living example of their love not just towards each other and their family but through their overflowing love for God.


I want to share with you the real life love stories from people I've encountered and my personal experiences. I hope these stories provide the same hope and faith to you who may be questioning the same things about love, marriage, and relationships as I did.


I strongly believe love exists because it's a gift from God. Showing love is sometimes hard but it's an act of giving that's truly beautiful.


I'm hoping that the stories you read here will help warm your hearts.