God AMAZES

You guys, rejection sucks. I've been feeling rejected by one of my friends lately. No matter how many times we chat or I ask her to hang out, I always get shut down. Why doesn't she like me?! (Maybe I'm trying too hard.) 

Then someone reminded me about how this is only a tiny glimpse of how God feels about us. Or our parents and us.  

My parentals. They love me sooooo much.

Or me and my hubby. 

When he first asked me out, my exact thoughts were "ew, no." I know, how could I resist this face?

Sigh. I was thinking about this when we were talking in Hi Koi about how God AMAZES us. Who else would still welcome us with open arms even though we don't want to spend time with Him? Or love us even though we've sinned again and again even though we promised we wouldn't? Or what about those times when we fell asleep in service in His House on His day? 

What also AMAZES me is how He will always love us, no matter what. 

"Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting." - Psalm 106:1

From Stella

Hello Hi-Koi! 

Just in case some of you don’t know me- my name is Stella and I’m a counselor in Kristy’s small group (#glamour). If you attended Sunday School, yes, my dad is Uncle Hon. If you were in Acteens, yes, my sister is Christine. But I’m more than who I’m related to! I was once a high schooler. I wanted to get good grades and go to a good college. I volunteered at the hospital. I joined clubs like speech and debate.  I had a crush on a guy in my math class. I didn’t like a few of my teachers. The list goes on. So I want to tell you about probably my biggest transformation in high school and I hope it resonates with several, a few, or at least one of you. 

Here it is- I realized God had given me a voice. I’m not referring to singing well because I sing quite horribly and off-tuned. I realized that God had made me as I am and that includes my opinions, my thoughts. God knows all my thoughts, even future thoughts and thoughts I don’t say out loud, so I could be real with Him. There’s no such thing as saying the wrong thing to God. Before high school, I would rarely talk to anyone who was not my friend. I wasn’t trying to be unfriendly because sometimes I would want to talk to someone who seemed alone. But I was scared to say something stupid or the wrong thing, scared of rejection, scared of making a bad impression. And so I would stay quiet and sometimes I wished I had the courage to say something but I brushed it off. I can’t pin it on one day, one epiphany but God started to help me let go of the insecurities that would keep me from talking. Rather than holding onto the standards of my peers or of popular teenage culture, God started teaching me to hold onto the truth that I have immeasurable value in His eyes. 

So if there is something you are holding onto that stresses you, that keeps you from doing what you truly want to do, that kind of eats away at you- I encourage you strongly to ask God to help you realize that you are His child and to help you to hold onto Him more tightly than anything else in the world. 

Thank you for reading! If you ever want to talk to me or want me to pray for you, don’t be afraid to talk to me! See you at Hi-Koi!

Hikoi Feels, Nikkis Perspective.

Hai, hello, annyeong,  Hikoiers. I thought long and hard on what to post this week and in the end I came to the thought of telling you he story of how I came to be an sg leader and how I feel about it now. so I hope you can read till the end but I understand if you cant due to my horrible grammar and lack of creative writing, my apologies. well then lets get started...

Once upon a time, there was a girl ( that girl is me ... tehe) and she went by the name of Nikki. She was an average girl who lived with her family of five in a small house in the land of Temple City. She attended one of the most prestigious high schools of her time apart from Arcadia and San Marino. She also went to a very well know church called First Chinese Baptist Church in Los Angeles. She attended fellowship on Friday nights when she started her high school years and she loved it. The fellowship was called hikoi. she started going at first because she got to meet her friends who she couldn't she during the week  because they lived in different kingdoms. But after a while of going she started to enjoy it not only for the happiness it brought her through friends but also the peace and joy it brought her spiritually. she felt more content and learned more about herself as she continued her high school years while going to church every Friday night. Later one day everything changed. she was taken aside and asked an important question that would change her life forever. she was asked if she wanted to become an sg leader. she was given time to make her decision but in that time she had a difficult experience in making up her mind. she went to her mom for advise and her mom told her to uplift them to God, that he will be able to solve your problems for you and to just put your trust and faith in him. And so she did and prayed for days and then her answer came to be a simple yes.

wow wasn't that just the best story you have ever read ? jkjk but yeah that how I became an sg leader in a short story format. But to tell you the truth I did really have a difficult time deciding on wether or not it was a good idea to become an sg leader just because of fear and the thought of not being good enough. But now I feel as if I made the right decision. Becoming an sg leader has played a big part in my life even though it has been a short period of time, but in that short period of time it tested my faith and pushed me to rely on God more and im thankful for that. There are a lot of highs and lows in becoming an sg leader I think, but there are highs and lows in everything. a high is that I got to meet and build close friendships with people I would have never thought I would talk to, and I also get to help a little group of fantastic kiddies whom make me smile every Friday. a low point would probably be planning every week and being able to think of what to do that can fit the sg, but it is a challenge I am willing to take any day. :) well enough said I think, I don't really have anything else I can think of. Thank you for your time in reading this, and my apologies again for my terrible grammar mistakes. Have a good rest of you week. :)