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| Encouragements!
This week, i had the opportunity to listen to the difficulties
of a teenage boy. For 17 years he had been dealing with terrible skin
issues and physical ailments. The whole family is frustrated, anxious,
and angry. Visiting doctor after doctor, answering the same
questions over and over, and to be poked/prodded and given medication
like a little white mice. Allergic to 40 different foods, his
family is controlling his diet. Weak and tired all time and
feeling oppressed. I could certainly understand part of his
pain. But i did not come up with much words of encouragments for
him.
On the other hand, I have recieved encouragements from 3 different
people as I shared with them my struggles of the week and asked for
their prayers support..... the 3 of them seemed to point to this same
thought from this bible verse, Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12, they
told me not to give up and hold on tight to God's word and
promises. For in due time, what I've been going through will
shine forth with great meaning and purpose!
His comfort for me will teach me how to comfort and encourage
others. I pray that this young boy will be freed from his
sufferings and be able to live through life with joy and hope!
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|  Needing Friends 
I enjoyed the last bible study on "Needing Friends". It
asked us to examine our patterns of friendship, and come up with
favorite stories or memories about you and your friends. It
brought me back to many memories starting from kindergarten. I
guess even with my awful memory, times with friends remain imbedded,
whether good or bad.
Need... how much do you need friends? do you only contact them, when you need them only?
I remember asking one friend why I'm always the one that calls her... her reply? " because you need me! Duh!"
Wow, such a simple and direct answer, felt like a slap in the head,
only good friends will say that, you think? My reply, "O, ah,
ehh, em, ....ok, understood" Subconscioiusly my heart said,
"fine, that means you don't really need me, then there's really no
point in this friendship anyways?" But the angel side tells me to
keep calm and think, "ok, don't make any implications from that phrase,
and she is right, I simply need friends."
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
Two are better than
one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls
down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no
one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one
keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend
themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
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| Miracle Worker  
This story about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan is absolutely amazing! It goes quite well with our BSF lesson
this week! I was thoroughly frustrated throughout 3/4 of the
movie by Helen's stubborness and rebellious behavior. The
fighting, kicking, slapping, ill-mannered, get what you want
child. If I were Ms Sullivan, I would probably have given up
after the first trial of teaching Helen anything. How could one
possibly think of reaching into someones heart, with no means of known
communication, not even touch, because she refused to even be
touched. This frustration is perhaps the state that i'm in now,
feeling the hearts of many are hard as rocks. But Ms
Sullivan had a humble and persistent determination, and
held on to what she knew was best, even if it meant arguing with people
of authority! She boldly claimed to the truth, and did the
right things.
Dismay after dismay, i was surprised by the sudden
change in the movie. Tears just flowed through my eyes without
any thought in the process! Wow! What joy it was to see the
fruits of labor. Like the budding of the flower or cracking of an
eggshell. Helen's heart softened, her eyes were opened within,
she finally understood and learned what love was!!!
This miracle illustrates true faith, which penetrates to the living person of God and His character of mercy and grace behind His seeming silence or adverse circumstances...once
one is sure of His will, one clings in faith until one receives what He
has longed to give from the beginning, but He has withheld until we
develop the complete cooperation of faith that refuses to faint!
How persistent are you? Have you ever persisted over something you know God wanted to do for you?
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| 8-hour shift in the ER
Yesterday i was already exhausted and getting tired of spending time with people who are sick (including myself i guess  )
and began wondering if i could really handle working in a clinic seeing
patients every single day... not long after the thought, my
grandmother calls again and says she's not feeling well. So took
her to the doctor, who referred her to the ER for chest
X-rays. When we arrived it was packed with people, every 5
minutes my grandmother asked why it is taking so long, one man with
dialysis was in serious pain, yelling and screaming, a pregnant lady
was
holding her stomach in pain, people coughing, room was stuffy.
So i told myself, it could be worse, what if i was in a concentration
camp.. "sooo keep on the sunny side...la la la" etc.
long story short, i held up till 11:30pm and my body started
screaming, ,"GO HOME! GO HOME!" Thank God mom came and traded
shifts. in the 8hours, there were some positive things, i
finished one ball of yarn of my knitting project, and talked to grandma
about Jesus. Although i have the feeling that after all these
years, the seed is still falling on rocks. I continued with BSF
and ended on verse 13:14-15 of Matthew, "You will be ever hearing
but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with
their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see
with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts,
and turn, and i would heal them."
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| I woke up planning just to stay in bed all day. but ended
up walking into day 1 of 2008 with several surprises: hiked the cerrito
hills with parents, dimsummed w/ AHS folks, learned to knit, crashed in
on a new years gathering with wonderful performances. Here's one
of the songs they sang:
Keep On the Sunny Side of Life  June Carter Cash
Well there's a dark and a troubled side of life.
There's a bright and a sunny side too.
But if you meet with the darkness and strife,
The sunny side we also may view.
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we keep on the sunny side of life.
Oh, the storm and its fury broke today,
Crushing hopes that we cherish so dear.
Clouds and storms will in time pass away.
The sun again will shine bright and clear.
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.
Let us greet with a song of hope each day.
Though the moments be cloudy or fair.
Let us trust in our Saviour always,
To keep us, every one, in His care.
Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side,
Keep on the sunny side of life.
It will help us every day, it will brighten all the way,
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life.
If we'll keep on the sunny side of life. | | |
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