Bloom!

                   The Bible has many reminders that we should wait for the Lord. Some of these wonderful verses are Psalm 27:14 , Psalm 25:1-3 , and Isaiah 40:29-31 It seems the night will never end, The winds are blowing still, And I cannot say, cannot pretend To know what is God’s will- Why the heartbreak, why the tears? I do not see Your purpose here. But yet Your whisper comes to me: "Wait for the Lord and do not fear." In times of trouble and times of peace I know that You, O Lord, Can never change, Your love cannot cease, And my problems in this world, Though overwhelming they appear, Are nothing compared to Your might. And still within my heart I hear: "Morning shall come, though dark be the night." My soul, recall no more past grief, But trust in God, and keep Your heart full of hope and belief. And though you must someti...

God doesn't always do what I want. I will repeat that: He doesn't always do what I want Him to do. I knew that. But it wasn't necessarily as real to me as it has been these past few weeks. I had it all planned out. It was perfect...or so I thought. I was coming back to Taiwan for a year, to a city where the people and the area had become dear to my heart. I had found a caring and wonderful church body. Being friends with missionaries serving in the city and getting to know friends old and young alike was a big plus! I knew the kids who came to the community park and often saw my students, too. I loved my Taiwanese co-workers and was excited to be coming back to teach again with them. Ministry opportunities were everywhere! I had many good opportunities to witness and grow and learn. I began envisioning what God could do there and was super thrilled to be a part of it all. A few days before I flew out to Taiwan, everything came cra...

Dear sisters, At the writing of my last Tales from Taiwan , I had no idea what God had in store for me next.  I just knew that whatever it was, He would faithfully show me, as He always has. He placed the children of Taiwan on my heart.  So here I am for a year.  Because the work He wants to do through me here isn't finished.  Because I need to continue learning to die to self.  Because He gives me the privilege to be His hands and feet in a land filled with idols and temples and a very real evil. I sometimes wonder how I can keep greeting 75 kids on Monday, loving them and teaching them each day, and then saying goodbye on Friday.  And then starting the whole process over again come Monday. That's when I know it's not me.  It isn't me who is loving these precious souls.  If it was, I would have burned out a long time ago.  Instead, I am humbled to be the instrument through which the Almighty's love flows...

Well, hello Bloom! readers! I am writing from sunny California and I've realized that Bay Area weather turned extra misty and foggy today. It’s starting to look and feel like fall and it’s a season that’s filled with holidays, yummy food (hello, mints and pumpkin spice things) and changing colors. I am unbelievably excited! It’s been a long Friday. To start off this post, I’d like to share one new thing in my life lately. I started a new job at a new preschool after I graduated from community college last May. I work at a Christian preschool with three year old students and they are an adorable bunch. It is a joy to walk in every day and see my students' faces peering through the door to say their hellos. God is definitely showing me a lot of things about a child’s heart and how He does draw in little kids as well. Also, He is giving me the grace and the wisdom to navigate other situations in preschool that one cannot find in a textbook or formula. It is a blessing to be a...