Pregnancy Week 33: Baby Shower + Our first trip to Babies R' Us

Hey Guys,

Week 33, Day 2

Topher Update:

Topher is approximately 17 inches which is about the size of a pineapple and weighs about 4.25lbs. He's still moving around a lot. He also hiccups about 2-3 times a day. I have to say that it feels a little annoying but I'll endure it for our baby.

Weekend Recap:

I hope you guys all had a great weekend! Mine was definitely awesome!

My sisters threw me a Baby Shower this past weekend and I had a blast. I wouldn't have had so much fun if it wasn't for all my dear friends and family. Thank you guys again for coming out and making it so memorable. Also, thank you babe for capturing all the great moments. I love you guys!!

I think the best part was seeing everyone's facial expression when they were smelling the chocolates inside the diapers. It was one of the games we played. It was pretty hilarious. Anything brown inside a diaper doesn't look pretty or tasty even if it's chocolates.

Our trip to Babies R' Us:

Chris and I finally went to Babies R' Us this past Sunday to buy a few things for Topher. It felt surreal to be inside the store. Who knew this day would come so soon. We realized how clueless we were about what Topher really needed. Why do babies need so many things? Thank God we have people around us to give us some stuff because we would easily spend a fortune.
Chris was so excited to go through all the aisles. I was a bit tired but he was so excited that I couldn't resist not going.

The funiest moment was when Chris freaked when he saw how expensive the Baby Bjorn was. He said, "It cost $200 to carry my son", but of course it's all worth it. He was also super excited to build Topher's Pack and Play. He stayed up until 1 AM building all his stuff. He's such a great dad!

Tips for first time shoppers at Babies R' Us:
1) We asked for a registry list at the guest service and went down the list to see what we needed to buy. Cross out everything you have, don't need, and stick with the most important things.
2) Ask the workers at the store for help when in doubt then do your own research.
3) Not all babies like the same baby bottle so only buy a couple to test it out. See if your baby likes it first and then you can buy more after. We personally bought the Tommie Tippee because it's currenlty one of the best selling and it was recommended by our friend.
4) Use coupon's.
5) Baby Carrier: Our friend recommened to get the one with full back support. It's more expensive but well worth the investment. It puts a strain on our back especially for us women. We got the Baby Bjorn brand. We found it for about 30% less on Amazon.com and it was directly from the company.
6) Try not to resist hand me downs especially things for newborns. They grow out of it so fast and they would never know or even care that it's not brand new.


Mom's if I forgot anything please leave comments below.



Chris making Topher's Pack and Play

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

Love,
Sandy

What a beautiful MESS

On the weekend of Labor Day I got baptized for the first time. I wanted to share the experience with you guys. There are a lot of things I want to share so I decided to break it up into different blog posts.

The process:
The emotions of being baptized didn’t dawn on me until I was in the water and Pastor John was asking me if I commit to being baptized through the name of Jesus Christ. I had about a month to prepare for my baptism but it didn’t really hit me until then. I almost broke out in tears when he asked me that question because it was a very sacred moment. I made a vow in front of people I loved.

I’ve always thought about being baptized but I didn’t know the clear reason why we had to be baptized.  I once asked someone if I had to be baptized to go to heaven and I remember them saying that wasn’t the case. So, I really didn’t know what the importance of it was. Also, there might have been a part of me that wanted to avoid making that kind of commitment so I may have used it as an excuse.
Then, Pastor John explained what baptism was and it cleared up a lot of the questions I had. Now, It didn’t matter why I had to do it. I just wanted to receive it.

Among the few things Pastor John Park talked about the main thing that stood out to me was that once we’re baptized we’re identified with God. Growing up I had difficulties with my self-image and although I’ve found myself in Christ I wanted to made a declaration by accepting his grace through the baptism. Also, our Pastor talked about a renewal. To be baptized meant to be renewed by God.  He also explained that God has freely given us grace and being baptized is us accepting his grace. It’s not just us making a commitment but us accepting the commitment God has already made to us. I wanted to accept God’s love and commitment through my action. The whole experience was even more amazing because I was able to do it with Chris and Topher.

We got baptized in Newport Beach because that’s where we had our retreat called Renovare which means Renewal in Greek. It was 3 nights and 4 days.  Our beach house was literally on the beach which was incredibly relaxing. Also, I felt God’s love through our NUMA family the entire weekend.  We had a lot of time to “X” which means to connect with one another with Christ in the center.  So, every night we got a chance to hear someones story. It gave us a chance to learn from one another , get to know each other better , and hear about all the wonderful things God did and was doing in our lives. It was awesome!

The baptism:
On the day of the baptism we had Sunday worship at our Beach House. My friend Susie, Alex, and my sister came to share this sacred moment with me which meant a lot. I also asked Chris to help baptize me and Topher which was incredibly special.  

The whole ceremony was a celebration. Every one was cheering and congratulating one another. It wasn’t like any other baptism ceremony I’ve seen. It was beautiful. I’m getting teary just thinking about that moment again. I was a little scared walking into the ocean because I'm scared of waves but I felt secured because God, Chris, Pastor John, and Pastor Jenny was with me.  I thought the water would be extremely cold but surprisingly it wasn't. As we saw the wave coming P. John asked me if I would like to make this vow to God and I said YES! Then, they helped me into the water and Chris shoved my head into the water. He said he wanted to make sure I didn't cheat myself from fully being baptized and renewed. He knows me too well. I might have jumped right up due to my fear of the ocean. It was awesome! I have been RENEWED!
There were a few people getting baptized that day who were none believers. It’s amazing the transformation God can do in our lives. We were all a little worried that day because the waves were huge, it was really cold, and there were no sunlight. Although the circumstance wasn’t the best it turned out perfect. Our pastor described it perfectly . It was a beautiful mess. His wife Jeni shared that she received a word from God that morning telling her that that’s how we should come. We don’t need to be right with ourselves to be cleansed from God.  Everything doesn’t have to be perfect but even in the midst of the ugly storm he’ll make it beautiful. We just come as we are. It’s so amazing that it’s hard to grasp but that’s how awesome and amazing He is.

On a side note: A funny thing that happended that day was how P. Jenny got baptized several times along with us because the wave swallowed her up. She's very petite so she kept getting swept away. I felt so thankful for her sacrafice and can't deny that it was incredibly funny. We all couldn't stop laughing. That made it even more memorable. We're going to miss you P. Jenny!



This is a tribute for P. Jenny. This is her getting swept away for the 5th time =)





We love you P. Jenny for your sacrafices =)



What a beautiful MESS <3

Please leave me wonderful comments. I love reading them!
Hope you guys have a great day!

 Love,
Sandy

Pregnancy Week 29: X-ing with Topher, Chris, and Family

Hey Guys,

Update on Pregnancy:
I'm currently on week 29. I have 77 more days until my due date. Isn't that crazy! Less then 3 months. I haven't weighed myself lately but I know I gained a few pounds because Topher is getting big. My tummy is starting to feel a little sloughy and heavy so I need to get a waist band.
I want to share a funny story that happened last week. So, Chris and I was at our pool during the day getting a nice tan and I decided to do my pedicure. The worst idea ever. I'm so glad nobody else was there. I was sitting in the most awkward position and it was a challenge finishing all my 10 toes. I serisouly wanted to give up in the middle. I litterally had to take breaks in between. Pregnancy 101: Do not attempt to paint your toe nails when you can't reach your toes..duh!!

Topher Update:
Weighs approximately 2.5 lbs and about 15.25 inches. About the size of a butternut squash.

Our Babymoon Part 2:
Chris and I were on our 2nd Babymoon last week. This time we stayed local. It was really nice spending some time connecting with eachother. First, we went to Newport Beach with our church family over the Labor Day weekend to X (connect) with eachother and God. We rented a beach house which was literally on the beach. It was Aww-mazing. I also got baptized that weekend which was truly a remarkable moment. I'll share more about that on my next entry.

Then, Chris and I were on a vacation since Labor Day. One of the best things we did was finding a Breakfast and Brunch restaurant called The Crema Cafe in Seal Beach. The food is so awesome we went three days in a row. We ordered something new everytime and it surprised us how amazingly delicious every meal was. They received 4 1/2 stars out of 332 reviews. I highly recommend this place to everyone.

We also layed out at Seal Beach which was really nice. I spent some time reading my book and the bible. I had a great time connecting with God. We also met up with the Park Family and ate yummy Korean BBQ. We also went to visit the Nutrilite Farm in Lakeview with our other family. It was nice to have great friends and family around.

Here are some pictures from our babymoon:



Hope you guys are enjoying your Monday!

Please don't forget to subscribe~

Love,
Sandy Choi

The end of our Summer of Love- What's the point of being intentional?

Hey Guys,

I hope you guys all had a great weekend!

Chris and I had a great time this past weekend with friends and mentors. We had a special leadership conference that was truly inspiring. It always feels great to expand our knowledge.

This week was the last week of Summer of Love for our Covenant Group. You can read my posts about the different topics we've been discussing and experiences during the past weeks here: post 1, post 2,  post 3

It was also the last day for Chris and I at the Young Adult Covenant Group yesterday. We'll be transitioning to the Family CG in September. It almost feels like we're graduating into the next chapter of our lives.

Since it was officially the last day for "Summer of Love" we all shared what our experiences were like this past summer; especially learning about love. Generally, most people said they really felt true love through the actions of people around them and through NUMA family which was awesome.

Chris and I also felt a great measure of love through our brothers and sisters at NUMA as well. We were newcomers and looking for a community to be a part of and we really felt like everyone embraced us into their family which was in turn God's family. It really reflected the love God has for us.

I've also seen a change in Chris over this past summer. He shared that he learned how to intentionally be interested in other people lives. He's become a much better listener and a friend. He also shared how he was able to be himself wherever he was. He didn't have to separate himself by the work Chris, church Chris, husband Chris, etc. He was just Chris. His focus was on the other person and not on himself. This helped him to build more meaningful relationships. That lead him to ask more questions and listen instead of talking all the time (not that he does that). It's interesting how much we grow when we become more selfless. This is definitely something I've been learning as well. I've been more intentional in getting to know people on a deeper level. Thank you NUMA family for showing us through your example.

I'm praying that this wouldn't be just for the summer but a lifelong thing. Genuinely listening and caring for the people around us and through this showing love responsibly.

Love God relentlessly and love people responsibly- Joana Cho-

P.S.
Please share and subscribe if you enjoyed reading today's entry.
I love reading comments so please leave them for me.

Love,
Sandy Choi

Summer of Love- I've been in love with the idea of LOVE

Hey Guys,

Have you guys ever been in love with the "idea" of being in love? I sure have.

Our pastor John Park was sharing a few weeks ago that he's also been in love with the idea of being in love before he met his wife. He said he dreamed about marriage ever since he was 4 (or something like that). So, everytime he met someone he would think "she could be the one!" then fell head first. I can totally relate to that because there was point in my life when I was in love with the "idea" of being in love as well.

I was pretty independent all throughout high school and college. I didn't mind being single and actually enjoyed not being committed to someone. It wasn't until after college when I started really thining about love and marriage. I had a list of things I wanted in a husband and prayed priodically for him. Then everytime I met someone I would think, "can he be the one?" and I would fall head first instead of God really showing me who my better half was.

I think there was a part of me that subcontiously knew when someone wasn't the right person for me. I use to pray to God to show me confirmations if the person I was interested or dating wasn't the right person for me. But when I met Chris, I prayed for God to show me confirmations if he was the right person for me. My prayer itself was different. Although deep inside I knew it wasn't right a part of me wanted it to be so I prayed for God to show me comfirmations so that I may be able to move on. I'm not sure if all this is making sense.

One thing I realized is that I really wanted to get married because of the "idea" of marriage and love. The stability, companionship, acceptance, friendship, being loved, and etc. I didn't want it for the sake of just love. Does that make sense? I was seeking love for merely my selfish wants and needs. In 1 Corinthians 13:5 it says "It is not rude, it is not self seeking." It meanig love. That's what I've been relearning these past few weeks.

When I met Chris, I was at a point in my life when I was completely fulfilled with just God's love alone. I didn't need a man to fufill my voids anymore. So, I didn't need to be in a relationship or want to be married because of my own needs. It wasn't self seeking. I fell in love with Chris for Chris and not for the idea of being in love.

I was reminded to seek after God's love first before I looked for it in others because people can always dissapoint me but God's love is neverchanging.

What's been going on in my life: Church + Summer of Love

Chris and I were attending New Song Church in Irvine for about 2 years prior to NUMA church. We really loved Pastor Dave Gibbons sermon's but we both felt we were lacking a community. So, we wanted to look for smaller church we can build a strong relationship with.  At the time our friends Jeff and Anne was attending NUMA church and told us great things about it. So, we decided to check it out a few times. After getting to know a lot of the members of the church we knew this was a community we wanted to grow in. Everyone made us feel welcome and I loved how we were all growing together. I'm looking foward to our journey at NUMA.

We've been going through a series called Summer of Love at our covenant group and it couldn't have came at a better time. I've been struggling to love certain people in my life. Although Chris and I missed this weeks CG I got a chance to read through the material and I really wanted to share it with you guys because it's great stuff.

Week 1: Love is Patient
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

What a beautiful image of love. If only my love looked like this too.

I think my love looks more like this:
"Love is sometimes patient, sometimes kind (depending on who it is). It does not envy, it does not boast (unless they do it first), and it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered (unless they push my buttons), it keeps no record of wrongs (except if they do this, this, or that). Love does not delight in evil (but they got what they deserved) but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts (unless I catch them lying), always hopes, always perserveres (until I'm fed up).

I notice that I pick and chose to love people a certain way depending on the situation but God loved us all equally no matter what we did. That blows me away.

We're going to pick apart 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to discuss what it's saying to us and how we can live out love. If you're having a hard to being patient with people in your life or on a daily basis like me I would like to encourage you to start digesting these words and find a way to have a patient love with me. It's a learning process but it's doable. We can start by spending more time with a patient person which is God.
I want to know more about a love like that and be a person that can show that kind of love to others and I hope you guys do too.

This week is 1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is Patient.

Somethings to think about + my thoughts (don't judge =P)
1) Are you a patient person? Sometimes. What would others say about you?
2) How can you be more patient? I need to spend more time with people with patience. First would be to spend quality time with God.
3) In what circumstances do you need patience? When people treat me wrong, when people nag, when I meet people with no desires or aspirations, etc.
4) To whom do you need patience with? People at my work, my family...


How about you guys?

What I Expect from my Husband

I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about relationships and marriages. One of the most common questions was, “How do you and Chris maintain a strong marriage?” We’re not quite the veteran in this area because we’ve only been married for a year and 8 months but I can say that our marriage has been great thus far and we’re making a decision each day to keep it that way.  I don’t think there’s a formula to having a great marriage but if I was to share a few things we did that helped our marriage, it would be that we knew exactly what the other person’s  expectations were in the marriage and we made a decision to provide that each day. 

In the beginning of our relationship, Chris asked me what I expected from him as my boyfriend/ husband. There were two important things that I expected from him as my husband which was being consistent in his love and action and showing unfailing love.  I also asked Chris what his was and for him it was for me to show him respect and appreciation in any given situation. I didn’t realize how important knowing one another’s expectations were until just recently.


It was incredibly important that he was consistent in his love and action because I’ve seen too many cases where the husband or wife stopped doing all the amazing things the other person fell in love while they were dating. This goes for relationships as well. I’ve been in relationships where the guy wanted to do everything for me then one day it all changed. I married Chris for who he was. If he changed all of a sudden and stopped doing all the things I loved about him, I would feel cheated.


One thing I’m truly thankful for is that Chris has kept his promise. He has been consistent and showed me a type of love I didn't know could exist besides from God. I make a choice each day to keep my promise to him as well. A few ways I show that I respect him is through encouraging words, truly believing in him, and showing him that his words genuinely mean a lot to me. One way I show appreciation is by saying “thank you” even when he does the smallest things such as opening the door for me. I’ve learned that men will want to do more for their women if we sincerely encourage them and say thank you often.  We sometime forget to be appreciative of even the smallest things they do. 


Sometime last year I started realizing myself not appreciating Chris as much as I use too. I was getting too comfortable and expecting more out of him. Once I realized myself doing that I felt incredibly bad and had to apologize to Chris. Then I asked God to help me to see Chris the way He see's him once again. Once I confessed my inner feelings to Chris and asked God for forgiveness I started to feel even more appreciative towards Chris. We're not perfect and relationships will never be "perfect" but as long as we are willing to put ourselves aside and throw away our pride for our other half we can work through any difficulties. We've had our shares of disagreements but as we started to learn how to understand one another we improved ourselves as an individual and as a couple. I believe that helped our love to grow even deeper.

Do you know what your better half expects from you as a husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend?

P.S Please let me know if you would like to read more entires similar to today's topic in the future.


Love, 
Sandy

The Two Strangers

This past weekend Chris and I went to 3^rd street Promenade to eat the best Salty Caramel Gelato at Bellagio.  We drove 40 minutes just to have this Gelato and when we arrived we found out that they ran out of it. Chris was on a hunt to eat everything he wanted before he started his round 2 of P90X on Monday (Click here to visit his blog. You can see his round 1 results from doing P90X and more.)  We were both pretty bummed but we had a great time walking around and getting some fresh air.  That day turned out even better after we witnessed a very heart touching moment.  We were driving towards the freeway to go home then suddenly the engine of the truck on our right wouldn’t start.  She looked young and she was all alone.  She was talking to someone on the phone and I’m guessing she was calling someone to ask what she should do.  I can tell she was about to breakdown and cry.  Then, she got out of her car and started pushing her huge truck.  There were a lot of cars behind her and a few people were honking.  It didn't look pretty.  Chris decided to park our car to help her.  So we drove across the street to the gas station to park our car and as Chris got ready to run across the street her car started moving with her in the driver seat.   I thought her car might have started but as her car turned on the street I saw two young men pushing her car from the back.  Chris said they both jumped out of their car immediately and started helping her.  I don’t know why but seeing that brought tears of joy in my eyes.  I’m sure you guys know by now but I tend to cry easily for any occasion.  I don't know why I was crying but It showed a lot of love and hope.  It proved that there are many great people around us.  Sometimes it takes a difficult situation to see them.

This is obviously not the actual picture but I thought it was too cute <3

Did you witness true love recently? Please share I would love to hear about it.
Love,
Sandy

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! =)

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.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