i love being chinese August 28, 2008

我很開心我是一個中國人–我現在在聽中國歌還有我今天中午吃了一個紅豆種植.  好好吃! 我也很喜歡寫中文! 希望你們都可以看得懂. 今天是媽媽的生日! 生日快樂媽媽! 好高興下個禮拜就回家了! 哥哥今天買了一個房子! 這個也不很容易喔!  我現在在寫文章, 下次再寫多一點.

hehehe .  how many of you can read that?  i hope mommy can because today’s her birthday!  I wrote in chinese because I’m happy about being chinese right now.  I’m listening to chinese music as i work on my paper and just had my favorite red bean snack…it’s called dumpling..but it’s really not a dumpling.  it’s like a sticky-rice filled red bean-wrapped-up-in-bamboo yumminess   mmmm.

excited news — I WILL BE GOING HOME TO ATLANTA IN ONE WEEK!  I AM SUPER “STOKED” <–what they apparently say here in the West Coast.  LOL.  MY FAMILY IS GOING ON A CRUISE!  I LOVE MY FAMILY!

more exciting news:  BROTHER BOUGHT A NEW HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!  make sure to congratulate him   He’s been researching forever.  Brother has a job he loves, is going to get a new car, getting a new house and getting married — big things in store!  I’m so excited about seeing it   it’s in Smryna, GA and is 4 – bed room.  i cannot wait to get a place of my own one day!!  congrats brother!!

No more Georgia Girl…but a California Girl :) August 27, 2008

Today I officially surrendered my Georgia driver’s license so that I could get my California driver’s license..

it was hard to let go, but I thought in a silly way, it was quite symbolic!

I will say that EVERY DAY that passes… I really feel like God continues to confirm His purposes for me here in California… I have never felt so much joy and so much peace… in just 4 months I feel like God is teaching and showing me SO SO much!

Something you have to know about me is I love to learn.  I feel like I learn MORE than one thing a day hehe. 

and today.. i learned the importance of realizing that EVERYONE HAS A STORY.  I am going to start volunteering at Pasadena’s Homeless Shelter…and I think it is SO important to be around people that you are “ignorant” around… today when I spent some time with people that are homeless….wow, i was amazed at how humbled I was by their stories and how easy it is to prejudge a homeless person before you’ve realized where they’ve gone…

homelessness.. homosexuality…divorce..war…abortion…. all these issues of social justice have been such on my heart these past few months because of the classes i’m taking, the people i’m meeting, the things i’ve been reading/researching…

and God has been showing me more and more how much more is out there in the world than just the little world I live in.  It’s amazing when we take our eyes off of ourselves, how MUCH more there is to see .

so I just want to share that I think it is so important to be aware with what is going on in the world.  today.. i went to the park to spend some time with God and my prayer time was so much more enriched being in nature and appreciating God’s beauty…and I realized there was SO much more to pray for the more that I know  

I remember there is this Charlie Hall song “running with your heart” that says “i wanna feel what you feel, love what you love, go where you go..”  meaning to God…and I believe that.

I believe that when we get closer to someone, we understand them better.  we begin to feel what they feel, love what they love..go where they go..

and that’s how I feel about God   I truly love His ways.

so today.. I see God’s purposes for me more than ever for me here in Pasadena, California.  May He continue to surprise me with what he has in store for the future!!!  All I can do is by faithful to what He calls me to at that moment. 

p.s.  i sat in a tree today to read!  it was soo great!! haha, when’s the last time yall can say you climbed a tree and sat in it to read?   

the JOY of the LORD is our STRENGTH.

beauty in the broken August 26, 2008

I’m listening to one of my favorite Christian bands right now–Starfield.  One of their CD titles is “Beauty in the Broken” and as I was listening to their songs…here are two powerful lyrics that stuck out to me: 

“You look for a heart that’s open…for beauty in the broken…”

“here I am..at your feet…in my brokenness… complete”

[pause]  there’s something about being completely broken for the Lord….that is really beautiful.

For it is only when you are broken…that God’s presence is that much sweeter..and His voice that much clearer.  When we get rid of the idea that we think we are “all together”…and truly admit our state…we are all broken people in need of a Savior …

See, the thing I LOVE about God is that God’s way is not the world’s way…

“think of what you were when you were called.. not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  BUT GOD CHOSE the FOOLISH things of this world to SHAME THE WISE.. God chose the WEAK things of the world to SHAME THE STRONG.  He chose the LOWLY things of this world and the DESPISED things..and the things that are not to nullify the things that are…so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is our RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS, and REDEMPTION” ~ 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

It is in our weakness that we find strength in God

It is in our foolishness that we find wisdom in God

It is in being last that we are first in the Kingdom of God

….It is when we are broken….

that we find our completion in God.

 

Rain… August 23, 2008

Have yall ever watched a “Nooma” video?  If not, it’s these short 10-minute messages by Rob bell (graduate of Fuller Seminary) and they are truly moving.  This link above is one of the first Nooma videos I’ve ever watched called “Rain.”  It’s so powerful.

Got 10 minutes?  You should watch it.

“Rain” happens in all of our lives–storms come in our lives sometimes unexpectedly.  It’s in these moments where oftentimes we feel like God is the furthest away and question “God, why are you allowing this to happen?”  However… God allows these storms in our life to draw us closer to Him… it is only through the storms in our lives that we able to rely and depend on God..in maybe ways that we wouldn’t before…  God wants us to experience intimacy with him…. He loves us and uses everything….everything from the sunshine to the dark clouds in your life… for good. 

u n d o August 20, 2008

“i’ve been here before

now here I am again..

standing at the door, praying You’ll let me back in..

…Turn me around

Pick me up

Undo what i’ve become

Bring me back

to the place of forgiveness and grace

I need You.

I need Your help.

I can’t do this myself…

…You’re the only one

who can undo what I’ve become.”

we are made for so much more than this world offers. 

…it’s only in our moments where we’re brought FACE to FACE with our true struggles, our true weaknesses, our true insecurities…… 

                                  ..that we find that there is a God who’s heart is to restore us back to wholeness. 

Lord, free us from the things that keep us from more of You.  Undo us from what we’ve become.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-oZbBS_OhM

“I have come so that they may have LIFE and life to the FULL”  John 10:10

ok finally another update :) August 19, 2008

Hello Friends

Wow!  I have felt SO busy lately !!!  I have done a bad job of updating yall and I am so sorry!  But… life is good   so I’m going to do a Bullet Point Update:

1.  SOCIAL LIFE:

• so I mentioned i’ve been busy, but it’s a good busy!  God has been blessing me with sooo many new friendships!  I’ve noticed more and more lately how energized I am… and it’s because I’ve been SUPER social in a new place.. i guess extroverts get energy from others, huh?  Just to give some perspective..by the end of this week I would have eaten out socially with friends FIVE times this week!  that’s a lot… so i will be super poor at the end of this week..lol.
• just last night I had SUSHI in BEVERLY hills 90210 with Christina and man, we had an amazing time!  i love sushi!  Christina was so much fun to be around and I found out we both love being warm, drink hot water and love long and deep conversations   thanks Christina for the Blueberry Pie ! It was delicious  
• this thursday, Travis is taking me to have my first TACO in LA…apparently i’m missing out because the mexican food is amazing here in LA…lol… i am about to have a new favorite taco bell
• i’m getting super super excited about going home in 2 weeks!  I actually have EVERY SINGLE day already FILLED with friend time!!!!  isn’t that crazy?  I’m going to fly back on Wednesday 9/3, then hang out with Jesset on 9/4..then we’re driving down to florida (my family) for our cruise from 9/5 to 9/14 and then i am going to go to athens for Lisa’s wedding..and i’ll stay there to see Athens friends (Laura and DT Girls = Hayley, Josie, Natalie and hopefully Elise and Jenny! I am very very excited to see them!!)  then 9/15 – 9/16 will be Stephanie days, 9/17 i’ll see my cousins and Jaime, 9/18 i’ll see Roger & Jessie Lam and Tieni, Friday 9/19 I’ll see Andrew and Cortney!! Saturday 9/20 is Cort’s baby shower and Kristin’s wedding which I’ll go with Carolyn and then I fly back on the 21st!!! whew!!!!!!!!
• THEN when i get back to Pasadena, Fuller will have it’s new student orientation and our church is starting its first contemporary service!  crazy crazy craziness

SPIRITUAL LIFE / STUDENT LIFE

• God is so goood!  Seriously.  I’ve been working on these Ethics papers EVERY SINGLE day and it’s really interesting that I can be doing school work but it is seriously drawing me closer to God’s heart. 
• I’ve been reading David Gushee’s “Getting Marriage Right,” and it is such a good book on bringing marriage back from the loose ways that society sees it today..back to God’s original purposes of creation-based needs, covenant security, kingdom purposes and community! 
• something amazing i was reminded of was that God created EVE for ADAM…suggesting there are things that Adam needed in Eve that he didn’t necessarily get from God… I mean OF COURSE we can only be truly satisfied with God for all of our longings…but I used to feel so guilty about desiring to be married one day… and now I see how God put those longings in me because he wants to use someone else to complete his purposes for me!! i cannot wait for the day that i find a teammate who can serve God with me together  
• EXCITINGS NEWS:  I GOT MY FIRST A IN MY FIRST SEMINARY CLASS!! i was so blown away!  I didn’t think I got an A at all…so it’s just a great feeling when you’re starting out   These papers for my second class have been keeping me very busy… tomorrow i’ll start my term paper on gay marriage ( ifeel like i’ve been saying that forever)
• I’m also reading a new devotional “SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES” and wow..it’s truly awesome to see HOW MANY ways we can continue our pursuit and closeness of the Lord.  Right now I’m reading about true confession and self examanation   There is so much we need to constatly cleanse ourselves from so we can be emptied from the temptations of this world..and seek God with a pure heart!

RANDOM LIFE:

• OMG..so today I bought my first rotisserie chicken today for me to eat this week ( I COOK SO MUCH i thought i could use a break ) and … and as i was pulling apart all of the meet… i actually felt like it was such a morbid thing!!  it’s weird how people that are like butchers are in such a different mindset..but if you REALLY think about what you’re doing..it’s really disgusting!  so there i was .. pulling apart the chicken meat..and everything was fine until i got to the RIBS, the NECK…and UGH something FELL OUT in the middle of my pulling/twisiting!! i almost got grossed out to where i had to stop ! it was like this white stringlike looking thing!  is that part of the chicken?  does anyone know?  i feel so spoileed because my parents usually are the one bringing out all the meat from the chicken..i learned a lot today!

ok i’m going to go p90x now   pull ups/push ups here i come!!

b e j o y f u l a l w a y s,

my little baby… August 16, 2008

so if any of you know me at all.. you know how much i love my little dog…  AND not only do i love her..but i LOVE taking PICTURES of her .. she is my favorite model.. lol.

well i am so excited about this picture.  First of all, I love pictures that are in black and white.  SECOND I love different angles and i just LOVE this picture because it was completely taken by accident.. ..  meaning that the fact i was able to capture BOTH of her nose and mouth and my nose and my mouth was SOOO awesome to me!! isn’t that cute?! i could NEVER replicate this picture again..even if i tried! I LOVE THIS PIC!

so my nose, my dog’s nose, my teeth, my dog’s teeth…heheh.  Also, I love her little crooked teeth and you can see them perfectly in this pic too   now i think i have at least 5,000 pictures of her in her lifetime!  hehehehe. 

so I have posted the pics from hollywood bowl, six flags, and my small group on my picasa at http://picasaweb.google.com/DianaLee1/HollywoodBowlSmallGroup .. if yall want to check it out..

all right..got a busy day ahead of me.. but i will update more later!  I’m reading a BUNCH of books on MARRIAGE and have lots of thoughts to share  

sharing the joy,

DLEE

A heart after His… August 14, 2008

…  you know what’s a beautiful thing?  …that God CHOOSES to use people to accomplish His purposes.  God doesn’t NEED us … but He chooses to USE us! 

I love that because I absolutely love seeing a life transformed by the grip of God in their life.  It is ONLY by God’s spirit working in us that we even DESIRE to live for Him in all that we do…

Just this morning when I was taking Lee Lee on our usual morning walk… I use it as a time to sing praise songs to God..and felt so overwhelmed with His beauty and His love…and thought … surely everytime I seek Him…. when I give myself to Him… I can see that he is really molding and shaping my heart…

                            ….after His own.

Our heart is “deceitful above all else,”  and even though we are all a work in progress.. God CHANGES our hearts to be hearts of love, hearts that seek truth and justice…hearts that live for things GREATER than ourselves.

If you think about what is on your heart right now… you’ll find the things you’re MOST passionate about.  the things that you spend money on, spend time doing, spend energy….  what your heart beats for truly shapes us…. 

so when we choose to have our heart be enveloped by worldly pleasures..we we will see eventually the grip of selfishness, greed, stubborness, fear, pride…. all of these things are a never ending vicious cycle!

but… having our hearts gripped by Christ???….. I can only testify that by a MOMENT by MOMENT surrender to God.. do I really see true freedom, true peace, true contentment…

                                              ….and that is the beauty of Christ.  In the midst of darkness, He is light.

you know.. i really challenge yall.. to take just a few minutes.. to be captured by God.  all it takes is to just take a look at nature..and see the BEAUTY, MAJESTY and POWER of God….  let Him allow you to fall in love… so your heart slowly … starts to beat for Him

 

all credit of this picture by Miss Tiffany Kuo.  Thank you for your inspiration.

 

“Rid me of myself.. I belong to You… “

my sermon went well !!! :) August 13, 2008

I preached my first sermon this past Sunday at church and it went really well!  thanks for all of you who asked me about it, prayed for me, and supported me!  God has really blessed me with a great group of encouragement — I really love yall

After church on Sunday, I also went to the Hollywood Bowl for the first time!  We watched the musical, Les Miserables, and it was actually really good.  Les Miz was the first musical I saw in New York, but that was 7 years ago and it was way over my head (the storyline), but now as an adult, I feel like I really could understand the deep philosophical meaning of the story–it discusses major social issues of injustice, war, love, … it was good that i could apply things i learned in ethics class

then Monday, I went to Six Flags Magic Mtn with Eric Cho   Eric is someone I met at UGA and he was visiting family and friends in LA, so it was cute b/c we went to Six Flags over GA together before I left for CA and now we experienced Six Flags in CA   It was SO MUCH FUN!  we had such a good time and the rides were really fun.  Isn’t it sooo funny that people put so so so much trust in machinery?  On one ride, the really only thing that separated me from the ground thousands of feet below was a small strap!!!  and to think… people trust in rollar coasters, but don’t even trust in the Lord

so my thoughts lately have been on how i think to make the most of life and what God is teaching, it is so important to reflect, analyze, and really use the things that are presented in your life as growing tools.  There’s always something to learn from, there’s always someone to learn from!  I really believe that life is one big learning lesson  

I think the thing that keeps my faith the strongest is when I can see how God really is working everything for good.  I love how he works in people’s lives… the people he places in your life.  if you really think about it, it’s so crazy how we are all interconnected and how we influence the people around us!  everything is so filled with purpose people help us grow more like God… situations… all I believe that God uses for GOOD.

You know what else?  I love that God is always seeking out what’s best for us and how important our mindset should be for us to believe that– if we really are aligning our thoughts with God’s … we can view everything through a positive perspective!!! 

anyway, i am so so so sleepy!  i’ve been so busy and will continue to be busy, but wanted to give yall an update!  i have the sermon recorded and the message saved, so if yall are interested..just let me know!

Remember to think about the Goodness of the Lord today

p.s.  i am starting a book on spiritual disicplines that will really allow me to open up to the Lord in so so so many new and creative ways!  i will be sharing what i learn with yall !!

i love saturdays :) August 9, 2008

i call saturdays my “clean” saturdays because well.. i CLEAN everything.  throughout the week, it’s keep things tidy, but then saturdays is when the cleaning products come out   i do my laundry, washed all my bed sheets and cases, wiped my window, aired out the curtains, dusted the furniture, windexed the windows, wiped off the desk, took out the trash, vacuumed the floor, febreezed the air, wiped the bathroom counters, cleaned the shower/toiled, wiped the floor and then cleaned the kitchen and living room!!!!!!!

sounds like a lot, but i actually do this every week (the bedding is like once every few weeks) and MAN after you’re all done… you go into your room and it’s like..  Ah, such a great feeling!  i even washed lee lee’s bed today!  lol.

sundays are my church / grocery store days   i love routine!

anyway, now i’m going to prepare my sermon!  be praying that I will speak God’s truth and as Lisa would say..that i would BRING THE FIRE.  lol.  i will post my message on my blog tomorrow.

p.s.  after just 5 days of p90x, i totally can tell i’ve gotten stronger!  it’s amazing… i went from having to do assisted pull ups to being able to do some without any assistance!   that’s a big deal !  pulls ups are hard!!!! 

just like we work out our bodies, we need to work out our spiritual “bodies”  may we always be advancing in every way!!!!!

p.p.s  did yall watch the Olympics’ opening ceremony last night? I LOVE LOVE LOVE BEING CHINESE!! THANKS GOD   hehehe.