Faith Noodles

Photo and words by my aunt :) "Where you go, I will follow," said the flower to the shoe.

Did you notice the lady behind you at church? Her husband just left her for another woman, her children don't contact her any longer, she's just been diagnosed with leukemia and she's at church for the first time because a flyer in her postbox caught her eye. No, you didn't, because you were too afraid to step out of your 'safe zone', and all you wanted to do was to remain there. Did you notice the sullen eyes of the young man sitting on the park bench? He just graduated two years ago, is still looking for a job, his parents have only condescending words to say to him and his girlfriend of 4 years just left him because she couldn't stand his defeated attitude towards life anymore. No, you didn't, because you were too afraid of the discomfort you would feel if he ends up rolling his eyes at you if you dared to genuinely ask him, "how's it going?" Did you notice that woman with the crinkled brow that sat next to you on the bus? She's...

I just got fined $280 for  parking at a tow away zone. Given the circumstances, I felt it was really unfair and I am doing what I can to contest that. I am reminded of something challenging I read recently. And now I am being challenged to live it out. Even though this is such a huge fine, "This is (still) the day that the Lord has made; let us (still) rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24 (I added the words in the bracket) C. S. Lewis once said: “The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one’s real life—the life God is sending one day by day; what one calls one’s ‘real life’ is a phantom of one’s own imagination. This at least is what I see at moments of insight: but it’s hard to remember it all the time.” All these unpleasant things in my day are "sovereign deliveries", part of God...

Today, I ran my first half marathon. I have been training (painstakingly) for it for 3 month, and to be able to run it after training so hard for it felt amazing (especially when I overtook big guys haha). Timing was ok only la, but I was able to run all the way if you don't count in my stops at the "hydration stations". There were 7 stations through out the run, I must have stopped at 5, and each time I would drink 1 cup of water and 1 cup of powerade. What I really loved was that people would get up at 7am just to cheer us 10,000 half marathoners on - we had people clapping and cheering for us as we ran, and even dogs wagging their tails as we passed them. Tried to pray as I ran, mind kept getting distracted - but when I could focus, it was just so fun and special talking to God as I enjoyed the crisp cool morning air and breathtaking views of the sea and city. It felt AH-MA-ZING to cross the finish line. Very sore as well, no doubt. Need to eat lots of protein t...

Pray, don't find fault with the man that limps  Or stumbles along the road.  Unless you have worn the shoes he wears  Or struggled beneath his load.  There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt  Though hidden away from view.  Or the burden he bears placed on your back  Might cause you to stumble too.  Don't sneer at the man who's down today  Unless you have felt the blow  That caused his fall or felt the shame  That only the fallen know.  You may be strong but still the blow  That was his if dealt to you  In the selfsame way, at the selfsame time  Might cause you to stagger too.  Don't be too harsh with the man that sins  Or pelt him with word or stone  Unless you are sure - yea, doubly sure -  That you have no sins of your own.  For you know, perhaps,  If the tempter's voice should whisper as soft to you  As it did to him when he went astray  It might cause you to falter to...

Monday mornings are never dreadful when you spend it with God. Just some reflections from my quiet time this morning that really encouraged me. Proverbs 22:4  The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life .   In the original Hebrew, this verse is missing the conjunction "and" between the words "humility" and "fear of the Lord". And so, scholars argue that this verse can be read as "the reward of humility [either 'and' or 'which is'] the fear of the God, which is itself the source of every virtue and blessing". I think that, somehow, they go hand in hand, but humility is necessary in order for us to come to and continue to fear God. Humility is the feeling of dependence on God, the surrender of our wills to Him and conviction of our sins. When this leads us to fear the Lord and continues to accompany it, it will bring life - where our insides will be renewed, revived, and flourish with spirit...

From "The Valley of Vision" This is such a beautiful puritan prayer.. My Savior, help me. I am slow to learn, so prone to forget, so weak to climb; I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights; I am pained by my graceless heart, my prayerless days, my poverty of love, my sloth in the heavenly race, my sullied conscience, my wasted hours, my unspent opportunities. I am blind while light shines around me: take the scales from my eyes, grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief. Make it my chiefest joy to study thee, mediate on thee, gaze on thee, sit like Mary at thy feet, lean like John on thy breast appeal like Peter to thy love, count like Paul all things dung. Give me increase and progress in grace so that there may be more decisions in my character, more vigor in my purposes, more elevation in my life, more fervor in my devotion, more constancy in my zeal. As I have a position in the world, keep me from making the world my position; ...