Food for Thought

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13

When we’re in a crowd and my kids call out “Dad,” I don’t always hear it. They have to resort to say “Chris” and then I instantly recognize their voice in the midst of the crowd. It’s amazing how hearing your name called out immediately captivates your brain and you turn your attention to the person calling out to you.

I read this thought in a devotional. God’s name in Hebrew is “YHWH” but in English we say “Yahweh” because we add vowels. How you would pronounce “YHWH” without vowels is to make an exhalation or inhalation sound…try it. In essence, to say God’s proper name, you have taken a breath. 

To take a little creative liberty with this thought, in our first moment here on earth as we take our first breath, we cry out God’s name. During our day-to-day existence when we are: exhausted, frustrated, down and out, in pain and anguish and we take a deep breath in exasperation, we are calling His name out loud. When we pass away with our last breath we take, we say God’s name.  

Although these instances may be subconscious, unintentional and seemingly without God there, we are reminded that we can always call on His name and He will instantly recognize you calling His voice, just like when my kids say “Chris”. If we remember to include God in our day-to-day existence and make the conscious decision to call out His name, He will hear us. It’s as simple as breathing.

Mochi is a special treat Japanese people make for the New Year. As a church family, making mochi has been a tradition. David asked in his message this past Sunday, “What’s behind my traditions?” Why do we make mochi? Here are my thoughts. Making mochi is a way to embrace our Japanese roots as a church family. Food possesses a magical quality, transporting us to a cherished place from our childhood. Another reason we make mochi is to open our church to friends. We had multiple guests join us. Nothing seems to bring all kinds of people together more than food.

Yoh and her team prepared all morning for our mochi luncheon. I sat and ate with one USC college student that David has been discipling from AACF. He loved the atmosphere at our church and how we all worked together to make this event possible. Interestingly, he asked me if it’s ok if he brings some USC students to church in the future. I said, of course. He said he would recommend our church to fellow students. He expressed great interest in joining our young adult group whenever he stays on campus over the weekend. To my surprise, he asked if I would speak at AACF. His request surprised me because he didn’t know me and hadn’t attended our worship service. But because he knows David and witnessed our church’s work firsthand, he had complete faith in both our church and me, as the pastor. Our church family exemplified the love of God to this college student and I believe to everyone who showed up. So, I wanted to thank our church for making mochi. I think making mochi is a wonderful tradition not only to embrace our Japanese culture, but also to share God’s love with others.

Last April (2024), I returned to the states from 7 years of ministry in Rifu, Japan. I was partnering with a local Japanese church and it was a beautiful time of ministry. Upon returning, one particular deeper learning from the field has been a core to navigate this season of transition.

I grew up in California as a Japanese-American. My parents were the ones who immigrated and raised my sister and me with lots of Japanese culture in the house. We celebrated New Years and other holidays

the Japanese way. We learned the Japanese customs and manners; but my daily life was also mixed with the “western” culture through school, friends, and etc. Somewhere along the way, I went through a phase of identity crisis being mixed cultured. But at the same time, I was also taught my identity in Christ which gave me peace at that time. Praise God!

Then, I went through a second identity crisis during my time in Japan. It was unexpected because I thought I was done with this journey - especially as an adult! But being immersed in a Japanese culture brought out another layer. I was often confused. I was wondering if I was supposed to act and respond a certain way (either more western or more Japanese.) I was afraid of doing things the “wrong” way.

That is when God reminded me of this verse, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens but you are fellow citizen with the saints and members of the household of God…” (Ephesians 2:19 ESV). About the same time, the church I was serving was going through a series about what our life as a Christian would be like living kingdom minded with our citizenship in heaven. God was teaching me beyond just knowing my “identity in Christ” but actually, living out my “identity in Christ.” It wasn’t ultimately about being right or wrong in either culture (or scenario) but the importance of acting in our identity in Christ. With our identity in Christ, we are called to love Him and to love others. Simple … yet so easy to forget.

When I returned to the states, this deeper learning of my identity in Christ not only helped me transition back culturally but became the foundation to my discerning for the next season. God reminded me that in all season of my life, I am called to walk each step through my identity in Christ! It’s not always easy with many ways on this earth but praise God that we can walk our journey saying, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

The verse in 1 Thessalonians calls us to “Always be joyful.” But this seems like such an impossible task. We all know that life does not always go well. Sometimes, life can be very difficult. Every time I read this passage; I think about how I can always be joyful.

I’ve discussed this with others over the years, and one of the people I spoke to is my mom. She shared with me her thoughts on an experience she had back in 2021.

In January 2021, my mom eagerly welcomed the new year. She was going to turn 77 years old that year, and in Japanese culture, the 77th birthday is a special one. It is called “Kiju” (喜寿), and the first kanji character means “joy”. Thus, my mom was anticipating her year of joy, wondering what the year had in store for her.

However, that March, my mom had a heart attack. The heart attack itself was minor, but after she went through several tests, we found that her heart valves were seriously damaged. She was recommended to undergo heart valve replacement surgery. She had the surgery in June. Going through the heart attack, undergoing open heart surgery, then the recovery post-surgery – this was a very difficult time. This included a couple of trips to the ER; pain meds either did not work or were too strong and caused extreme nausea; frustration over the administrative processes for pre-operation steps; post-surgery complications, and a whole lot more.

Mom told me she questioned God why she had to go through all this when it was supposed to be her “year of joy.” She struggled to understand the purpose of all that was happening. However, as she was struggling with it all, she started noticing some things. A lot of people were caring for her during this ordeal. In the hospital, she had a huge team of doctors, nurses, and therapists who cared for her. Her daughter-in-law Sarah is a doctor, and she was able to help Mom by talking to the cardiology team and explain what the problem with her heart was, and what the surgery entailed. Dad learned how to prepare the broth she liked. My brother and I rearranged our schedules as needed to take Mom to her appointments, etc. My cousin Miki who lived in Hawaii at the time took a leave of absence from her work to come to L.A. and care for Mom for 6 weeks. Friends called to tell her they were praying for her, and many offered help. Mom said for the first time, she realized fully how much she was loved. She said she never really thought about it before this – she knew her family and friends cared for her, but she never understood the depth. She then realized that this was just a glimpse of how much God loves her.

Realizing how much God, her Lord and Savior, loves her gave her a deep sense of joy. She said because she was given this knowledge that year, 2021 was truly a “year of joy.”

I can’t say I have full understanding of how to always be joyful. I think it is a lifelong learning process. But I know that it is important to remember that our Father in Heaven loves us so much! May the knowledge of our Father’s deep love for you bring you joy today.

With the shock of the devastating LA fire fresh in our mind, the youth winter camp, Winter Vision, is to begin this weekend. I am reminded of another devastating natural disaster that occurred during Winter Vision 1994. I was a high school student, enjoying the worship, the games, and being with good friends amongst the Holiness Conference. If I remember correctly, LAHC was leading worship for us. We had two wonderful speakers, both encouraging us to join God’s mission to reach the world. On Monday morning, our speaker spoke about Acts 4:31, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” They shared that as we pray, God will fill us to go speak his word boldly to the world. Then they announced that earlier that morning, January 17th, there was a devastating earthquake in Northridge. We were all shocked and uncertain about the challenges our friends would face when they returned home. The speaker’s subsequent words remain etched in my memory. The Northridge earthquake struck at 4:31 this morning. Our main verse today was Acts 4:31. The speakers believed God wants us, filled with the Holy Spirit; to boldly proclaim His word as we go back to our homes and schools.

While I may not comprehend the shocking situation with the LA Fires, I firmly believe that God is overseeing and turning everything for good. I share this story to remind you that God is neither surprised nor scared, and continues to reign as king. God is working in our world to help us fulfill our call to speak God’s message of forgiveness, redemption, and healing to a broken city through words and deeds. May God’s Holy Spirit fill you so you can be a blessing wherever you are. Also, sometime this weekend, please say a prayer for our youth at Winter Vision, that God would meet each of them profoundly like he did us youth in 1994.

New year's resolution?

I’ve been asked this question very often within the last few weeks.

This past Sunday's service the question of the day related to New Year resolutions. If you had asked me 7 years ago I would give you an exact breakdown of my resolutions with a plan on how I would achieve these resolutions and goals. However, after some time I noticed that I began to not even respond to the question.

This past year or so I began to reply in confidence that, “In all reality, I can have a plan but in the end, it’s all in God’s hands.” I recall a sermon Pastor Michael preached last year regarding how our achievements have been through God’s will and not of our own; reminding us that everything we have is through His grace and will. Through the hardships, I learned that I can plan all I want but if it’s not in God’s plans for me it won’t happen.

Learning to hand it first to Him allows us to see more clearly. Once I learned to give everything over to God and allowed Him to take control I began to see the change in my life. God is always in control, He is always for us no matter what even if it feels silent or we feel alone.

So I share this with you: don't rush it, don’t force it, and don’t do it out of your own will. Once you begin to pray about it and/or fast there will be clarity from God as to what is to be done. Praying is powerful. Remember rejection is just God’s redirection to something greater.

As Executive Director of International Missions at JEMS, I often get the chance to visit churches in Japan. Some are Japanese speaking only churches. Others are international churches with bilingual services. There are others like the Brazil

Holiness church in Toyohashi. They do worship in English, Japanese and Portuguese. I see that LAHC will have a joint service with the Spanish speaking congregation in 2025.

I love whenever I am in a worship service with multiple languages. It only creates a deeper hunger in my soul, that ONE DAY, I will be with a multitude of believers,

worshiping God with other brothers and sisters from all over the world.

Rev. 7:9-10: (9) After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, (10) and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

These two verses capture an image of so many people gathered, that it is impossible to count. This multitude had people from every nation and all

languages represented. They all worshiped God in their own languages. Can you imagine how powerful that will be!

As I get older (I know that is relative), I start looking forward more to heaven. I think about being with God for all of eternity, with other brothers and sisters from around the world. When Christ returned in his glorified body to earth (after the resurrection), his disciples recognized him (eventually). I’m assuming that we will also have an appearance in heaven that resembles what we look like now. So, it will be an amazing worship service of being in the presence of God with all the various nationalities. Rev. 7:9-13 will be the greatest time of worship we will ever experience. What a blessed time that will be!

A country like Japan has only 1% as Gospel believing Christians. My hope and passion is to see more Japanese at this heavenly worship service. There are people you know and love who may not know Jesus yet. We want them to be there too. Let’s keep praying for the salvation of our friends and family, as well as the nation of Japan. This will be one worship time they won’t want to miss.

We all experience many joys in our lives like weddings, births, getting a job, buying a home or car, and we find it very easy to praise God during those times. The happiness that we feel fills our heart, and we have so much gratitude that we turn to God to thank and praise him. Do we have that same gratitude during those difficult times? As hard as it can be to find any type of happiness during those times that we feel that God has abandoned us, you can have that same type of gratitude and praise. In actuality, God has not abandoned us, he is right there beside us and closer than ever.

As many of you know, I lost my husband Gary of 34 years in October. He wasn’t in the best of health these past few years and was dealing with many issues. It was a blessing to know that he wasn’t experiencing fatigue, pain or daily discomfort any more. He was free from all of that now, but losing anyone in your family is very difficult. So, can I praise God now? As I look back on that day, I can honestly say I can. God was with me and my family during those five stressful and agonizing hours. He gave me the strength and clear headedness after finding Gary in the bedroom unresponsive. Even though I was home alone, I really wasn’t, God was there with me, and I felt his presence. God was also with all of my children. Holly and Jacky were scheduled to go on a trip to South Korea and Japan two days after Gary passed away. God’s timing was merciful! Robert wasn’t working that morning, so he and Tawni weren’t delayed in getting to the hospital. Kelly’s boyfriend was available to drive her, so she wasn’t alone. God made sure that they were taken care of and were able to arrive at the hospital safely. He provided support for them through their spouse, bosses or friends. I can see how God’s grace was shown because all of my children were at the hospital before Gary passed. We were able to say our good-byes and each of us had our closure. Praise God! Not only was God’s presence felt, my extended family was also with me. God made sure I felt that physical support because my brothers, along with their wives and my sister came to the hospital. I didn’t feel that it was necessary for them to come to the hospital, but I was glad that they did. God is so good; He knew what I needed!

But, God’s support did not stop with my biological family. I received so much love and support from my church family and friends. The prayers, texts, phone calls and visits that I received gave me the strength to get through each day. God made sure that I was taken care of by providing me with a multitude of people that surrounded me. I felt so blessed, even during this very difficult time.

So, can I praise and thank God for what I went through? Yes I can because I could see His loving hand in all that happened. I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season and look forward to what God has in store for me this upcoming year.

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Psalm 28:7

Some of you may have heard that I recently got a full-time job with the Lakers. After interning with the team last season, I was job searching for two months before God answered my prayers and brought me back to the Lakers, the basketball team I’ve been a fan of since I was a kid. The thing I keep telling people is that it is only by God’s goodness that I landed this job, and I mean it. The job application closed before I could submit my resume, I accidentally took a 4-hour nap the night before my final interview while I should’ve been preparing, and I was competing against candidates with years of marketing experience (compared to my none). Fortunately, the HR manager, who I developed a great relationship with as an intern, re-opened the application for me to get my resume in, I made it through the final interview despite staying up until 3am to cram my preparation, and I was chosen for the position despite my lack of experience. Each of these obstacles served as reminders of how faithful and good God was to me in this situation, and I couldn’t be more grateful to now be in the position I’m in.

More importantly, God used my two months of job searching to refine me and gain a greater perspective. While I now can see how fortunate I was to land a job pretty quickly, those two months were mentally, emotionally, and spiritually trying because I didn’t know how long unemployment would last. I wrestled with feelings of shame and hopelessness and found myself struggling with a grumbling heart. Through journaling and a TikTok video (embarrassingly living up to being Gen Z), God revealed to me two things: 1) While diligently pursuing jobs is a good thing, I had made it an ultimate thing and was deriving my self-worth from having a job. God was inviting me to recenter my identity in Him. 2) While this was a tough season of my life, my life is still full of so many blessings that I would be ignorant to choose a grumbling heart over a grateful heart. The TikTok video that convicted me said that “it’s easy to forget that others pray to have a sliver of our ‘worst day’”, and my circumstances were immediately put into perspective. What a privilege I had to only worry about applying for jobs instead of having to worry about where I would stay the night or where my next meal or shower would come from. These aren’t groundbreaking epiphanies, but in a season where it was easy to wallow in self-pity, God was using these lessons to restore my perspective and stay resilient. He provided the dream job, but He also used the difficulties of unemployment to mature me and help me emerge with a greater appreciation for life and fixation on Him. All glory to Him!

Matthew 6:26 - “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

As a child, I always looked forward to Christmas. There were always yummy cookies to eat, Christmas carols to sing, and A Charlie Brown Christmas movie to see. But for me, the best part of Christmas was getting presents. There is something magical about receiving presents. As a child, I felt special and loved. I was simply happy. Christmas was the highlight of the year.

Christmas is still the best time of year as we celebrate God’s greatest gift with friends and family. God sent His Son to bring joy to the world and peace on earth. The thought of God offering us Jesus just amazes me. Growing older has taught me that friendship is more valuable than material gifts. God sent Jesus so we can become God’s friend. Actually, more than friends, but a part of His family, with privileges and direct access to God himself. As we prepare for Christmas this month, I want to remind us to enjoy God’s gift to you, Immanuel, God with us.

December is a busy month. Take a moment to pause and enjoy God’s presence. Tell him how you are doing or seek his guidance. Nurture your relationship with God, as you would with close friends. As we sit in quiet for those few minutes, let His peace and joy permeate your heart so we can continue through each day with hope and strength. Christmas remains my favorite time of year. Remember to celebrate God’s gift to us, Jesus, amidst all of our Christmas festivities.

John 13:1-17 – Jesus washes his disciples’ feet and has them do the same for

each other.

“We're gonna do WHAT?! I don't want any part of THAT!!” This was what immediately went through my head as a 20-something during a Beam team bible fellowship meeting that was led by Brian L.. Based on the aforementioned scripture, Brian had prepared wash basins, towels and soap so that we could experience what Jesus' disciples did, by washing our fellow members' feet. While I appreciated the fellowship and support of my fellow Christian sisters and brothers, I was put-off by having to touch their feet, though I did not voice my objection.

Nonetheless, I robotically “went through the motions” of the task, hoping too quickly

get through it, wondering why Brian would have us do such an undesirable task.

(Fast forward some 30 years later): One of my nightly routines as a caregiver for my mom before helping her into bed, is to remove her day socks and wipe down her feet, before putting on her evening socks. As I was doing this on one occasion, the experience of having to wash my fellow Beam-team members feet from long ago, happened to enter my thoughts.

Instead of mom caring for me and wiping down my feet, I was in a situation of serving her in her senior years. As I was actually experiencing Jesus' command of servitude without expecting anything in return, I suddenly felt a great sense of humility and gratitude as I held back tears.

Since biblical teachings occurred during ancient Roman times, I can often get confused in how to apply them in our modern world. However, when I can actually

experience them in my own life, it allows me to “hear” the voice of God.

(A “belated” thank you to my brother, Brian L., for that wonderful exercise having me practice self-sacrifice and servitude.)

This past Sunday during the CoffeeHour@Home, rather than ask, “What are you thankful for,” Lillian asked the congregation, “Who or what one person are you thankful for?” I thought for a moment and the usual people came to mind; my parents, my husband and my daughters. But as I thought there is one person who stands out the most – my sister, Shirley.

I don’t remember too much when we were younger growing up. I know I was the tomboy and she was the girly, girl so we didn’t have too much in common. I’m sure we played together and also fought, typical sibling stuff. She said I was mean to her but I don’t remember, since it was so long ago. I do remember, our Mom dressed us up the same (yes, I did wear dresses back then).

Back then, four years seems like a huge age gap, but as you get older, that gap seems to get smaller and smaller. As we became adults, I felt us getting closer and our relationship started growing. We both got married the same year and we were in each other’s wedding. Despite being married and raising our own families, we continued to remain close.

As I look back at the last ten or so years, I can say my sister is my best friend and I can’t imagine not having her in my life. She has always been there for me and whenever I need anything she is there. One example is when we had to get our Corona house ready to sell I needed to paint the garage and with no hesitation, she drove out and helped me paint the garage. We were there all day, but we got it done.

Since moving to Monterey Park, she comes over every Monday and we have lunch together along with Dan. (Kirk just recently joined us). We eat and talk and have a good time. Sometimes she brings over food so I don’t have to cook along with her fabulous desserts (which Dan loves). Whenever I want to do something, the first person I think of is, Shirley. We’ve been to several Dodger games and a couple of lunch and dinners out. We even went on a weekend trip together to Las Vegas to see my favorite singer, Barry Manilow perform.

(my present from Sarah).

My life has been truly blessed having such a wonderful sister in my life. Through all my life’s joys, struggles and sorrows, she has always been there for me. I thank God for giving me such a loving sister who I love dearly and I hope I’ve been as good of a sister to her as she has been to me.

“Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.” - Amy Li

I don’t know if you heard but recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series. Freddie Freeman’s walk off grand slam will probably go down as the most iconic moment in this year’s World Series. Watching it on television, I jumped up and down, clapping, and excited to have been able to witness it. I can only imagine the celebration and ruckus that happened at Dodger Stadium after that home run. I have been fortunate enough to celebrate in other sporting events with other fans. My most memorable one was being at a restaurant with other Laker fans when Derek Fisher made a basket with 0.4 seconds to win a playoff game. I vividly remember celebrating and hugging other fans, who were otherwise absolute strangers! I had no idea who I was hugging but at that moment, we were Laker fans, united and celebrating an improbable Lakers victory.

In Luke 15, Jesus is sharing different parables to the tax collectors and sinners. Jesus had one major point in all of these parables. The point was how happy and rejoiceful someone is when they find the lost sheep, item, or person that went missing. The parables pointed to how joyful God is when one sinner repents. In repenting, the person recognizes Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and they will be welcomed into heaven.

Luke 15:10 states, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Most of us will never be part of a professional team, not providing a chance to have a moment like Freddie Freeman or Derek Fisher. However, we are on a much more important team, God’s team. One of our common goals is to assist in bringing others to Christ. When a non-believer repents and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord, we should all unite like the angels in heaven and celebrate as loud as we can, jumping up and down, hugging one another, because someone else has been saved by grace.

I have a friend in Orlando who is always cheerful. With a keen eye for finding the silver lining in every cloud, he sees the kindness of God and others. My friend, Tom, would go out of his way to appreciate the good things people do. His affirmation encouraged most everyone. When I was having a rough day, Tom’s presence made me feel better. You see, Tom has a strong faith in His Savior and Lord that Jesus will always take care of all of us. You haven’t met Tom before, but you may know someone like him.

We need more Toms in the world. Too many complaints and bickering pull us into fear and hopelessness. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:26, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Jesus reminds us we have a heavenly Father who will take care of every detail of our lives, providing our daily bread, protecting us from the evil one, and guiding us through the valley of the shadow of death. Let’s stop to thank God for his faithful kindness in our past, for his secure presence today, and by faith, thank God for his future grace to get us through every challenge that we face. Like Tom, we can face life without fear, because God will be with us.

Living a Life for the Lord

I spoke to Lillian this past Sunday afternoon, and she informed me that Rev. Dr. Kazuo Kobayashi had passed away. His heavenly home coming was on August 15, 2024.

For those of you who may not know Kobayashi-sensei, he was a long-time pastor, professor and leader in the Japan Holiness Conference. The majority of our Nichigo pastors come from the Japan Holiness Conference, so at onetime they all had Dr. Kobayashi as a professor.

He was born in Tsuru City, in the Yamanashi Prefecture. He became a believer in high school. In 1951, after graduation, he entered Tokyo Bible Gakuin to further his studies. In 1959, he entered Azusa Pacific University and received a B.A. degree. During his time at APU, he attended the LA Holiness Church and taught adult Sunday School. From there, he attended Trinity Theological Seminary in Chicago and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, earning a Master’s and a Doctoral degree. He also received an honorary Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree from APU later in life. He was the president of Tokyo Biblical Seminary for 35 years. It was during this time frame that I had the opportunity to know him.

My own personal recollection of him, was that he was a true scholar. I had the privilege once to visit his house. He took me to his study. It was a huge room with a glass elevator in the middle of the room. Once in the elevator, it would take you down to an area that housed a mass amount of theological works and other academic books. It was the most impressive collection of books I’d ever seen belonging to one person.

Another memory I have is when I was 20 years old. I was debating whether to go to Japan as a missionary. I still remember talking to Dr. Kobayashi at the beach on Oshima island. I asked him to help me find a church in Japan, where I could teach English as a missionary. He responded to my request by looking at me straight in the eyes (which is unusual for a Japanese person to do so), and he said, “Rick don’t come to Japan, we don’t need you. We have enough seminary graduates, so don’t come.” Talk about rejection. I didn’t know what to say.

Fast forward to the day that I was getting ordained at the LA Holiness Church in 1991. Dr. Kobayashi happen to be in LA for Conference business, so he came to my ceremony and he prayed for me. I asked him that day if he remembered what he said to me back when I was 20 years old. He replied. “Of course I remember. Your parents are Japanese. You are Japanese American. I wanted you to become a pastor in the US Holiness Conference, so you could be a bridge between the Nichigo and English pastors. That’s why I told you not to come to Japan.”

When he told me that, I was shocked. I honestly had some hurt feelings from his earlier rejection. But to now know the reason behind it, I was like, “I wish he would have just told me that at the same time!” After my first talk with Dr. Kobayashi on Oshima island, I didn’t know what to do once I got back to the US. But God eventually led me to seminary. In time, I did feel as though I became a bridge between the Sansei pastors and the Nichigo pastors. As a result, I always appreciated Dr. Kobayashi’s wisdom and vision.

His list of other academic and ecclesiastical achievements is long and impressive. But what really struck me about Dr. Kobayashi, was his love for the Bible and his passion for people to understand it better. Which might be why he wrote the books that he did and taught for as long as he could.

How has God gifted you? What kind of passion do you have in life? Are you using your spiritual gifts for God? Are you living out the passion God has given you? Kobayashi-sensei lived to be 91 years-old. We all don’t know how long we have on earth. But I hope we can be like Kobayashi-sensei and earnestly live it for the Lord.

Praising and thanking God for Rev. Dr. Kazuo Kobayashi.

Jesus Set Me Free

Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives you life has set you free from the law of sin and death. - Romans 8:2

Every morning on my way to work, I pass by a wall art mural off the 110 freeway that proclaims this message. It is a constant reminder for me that Jesus truly did set me free. I am set free from the bondage of sin and the path to eternal death. I am reminded that I am a daughter of God and He takes care of me.

At one point, after moving to Pasadena, I was woken up in the middle of the night with fits of worry and didn’t sleep well that night. I couldn’t go back to sleep because I was worried about my job, money, and the future. On my way to work, I saw that mural and it was as if a light had turned on. I realized I had nothing to worry about . . . God has my back, and always will. Like the birds of the sky and the flowers in the field, God will care for me as He cares for them.

Is there anything that has been weighing on your heart that you need to turn over to God and trust that He will set you free?

The Olympics are over now but there was one story that I saw that struck me. In the women’s marathon, 91 women competed, and 80 women finished the brutal and hot race. Kinzang Lhamo, from a small Southeastern Asian country called Bhutan, finished in 80th place, 1.5 hours after the gold medalist won the race. One NBC commentator said her tenacity and determination to finish reminded him of another Olympic marathon runner from Tanzania. In 1968, John Stephen Akhwari fell in the early part of the race, dislocating his knee and smashing his shoulder on the street. After receiving medical attention, John continued to race, even though he was visibly limping. An hour and five minutes after the winner won the gold medal, John finished. When reporters asked why he kept running, John Akhwari legendarily said, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race, they sent me 5,000 miles to finish the race.” 

This made me think, what race has God called us to finish? 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 tells us, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Did you catch what Paul said? What race are we to finish? It isn’t about making money, how many people like us, or how many trophies we collect. The race is to share the gospel with others, winning people to Christ.

You might be thinking as I was, “Wait a second, this is not the race I often run. I am still chasing after the toys of this world. Lord, please help me!”  

Jesus, knowing our needs, sent us His Holy Spirit to help us preach to others. Jesus promises in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” You are not running this race alone. God himself is empowering you to run this race. Our calling is to preach Jesus to others. Jesus did not come just to start the race in us, but to finish the race of sending us to share His saving grace in a dying world. The Paris Olympics may be over, but God’s Olympics continue. Let’s win the gold!

Mt. Hermon Reflections

At Mt Hermon this year, our morning speaker Greg Mah spoke on how “God is good…all the time. All the time…God is good”

He ended the week challenging us, that if God is good, then we are to go home from Mt Hermon and share how good He has been to us. We are to be a witness of God in our lives to others. That’s called our testimony. He mentioned three things that make us an effective witness.

1. We have a Savior. Jesus came here, died for us, rose after three days, and is alive today. You are worthy of his sacrifice.

2. You have the Holy Spirit. Don’t worry about that you’re not a Billy Graham or some great orator. When the time comes, He will give you the words. Moses was not eloquent. I Corinthians 2:4-5 says, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

3. You have a story. It might not be an exciting or gripping story of conversion. You’ve heard testimonies where someone was rescued from a life of crime or like the prodigal son was wallowing in an all-time low in their life and then God showed up. But your unspectacular story is worth telling. It will resonate with someone.

So, to apply this message, here’s my story, my testimony. I can say confidently that you all know me well. I was born into a strong Christian family and my childhood was filled with love and stability. God was good. I attended church every Sunday and I was a member of the choir here and attended church camps like Mt Hermon, Mid-Winter and Winter Vision. Those were very formative times where I developed some of my strongest relationships which to this day sustain me. Even during college, I still attended LAHC, but it was around this time that my dad retired and we had Wayne Ibarra as our pastor and for the first time I was attending a church where my father wasn’t the pastor. This was an important time because now my faith wasn’t my family’s faith anymore but became my own personal relationship with Him. God was good.

There was never an earth-shattering event that made me turn 180 degrees but more like the Holy Spirit moving me 5 degrees at a time. For example, in Chicago, the medical school environment was stressful and a grind and was not conducive to keeping the sabbath holy. But God provided me a new church in Lakeside Church,

a church very similar to LAHC with many ties to the Holiness conference. And as my faith was my own now, I made it a priority to worship and rest with this new church body on the Sabbath. God was good. As I became a doctor, husband, and father, I felt my faith mature from the Sunday or retreat Christian to an everyday Christian. I looked at my actions in a new perspective of how my daily actions impacted His kingdom and felt called to do these little pivots in my life. It was a slow-moving occurrence and he's still moving me all the time. I keep trying to listen to Him and readjust to the next "5 degrees" of who I am as I keep God in my forethought.

I know this was kind of a boring, ho-hum testimony but just to let you know that God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good. You have a story to tell, tell it to others, it’s worth telling, God will give you the words.

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. - 1 Corinthians 10:13

One of the scariest and worrisome issues for Christians is the idea of temptations, those activities, thoughts, and ideas that draw us away from God, actively becoming a distraction and barrier in our relationship with God. Love of money, sexual immorality, over-indulgence or even procrastinating can cause a blockage in our relationship with Christ.

Thankfully, there is a relief, as Christ Himself who was both fully God and fully man, understands our struggles and gives us a way past it. Temptations may distance us from God when we fall into it and sin. Yet when we realize we have sinned, we are called to repent which is turning away from the temptation and turning back to God. Just as Jesus sought God’s wisdom and council in prayer and Scripture, we too, should seek God’s guidance through prayer and His Word when we face temptations. I know that the blood of Christ covers all sins, and when we repent we are cleansed and can grow closer to Him.

When temptations strike me, I try to use a quick “breath prayer” as taught by Jan Johnson during one our church camps. A short, quick few words to focus my mind back on God has often given me enough clarity to endure the moment. When I feel further and further from God, a few short words such as “God, catch me” can begin to turn my day around.

What short “breath prayer” can you easily remember in times of temptations! What temptation does God want you to repent of? Do you have a Bible passage you can turn to when temptation strikes?

I took you from the ends of the earth,

  from its farthest corners I called you.

I said, “You are my servant”;

   have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear, for I am with you;

  do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:9-10

At times we can feel like we are so far from God, that He can’t reach us. Because of our sin or shame, we can feel unworthy and question how God could love us. I have felt unworthy of God’s love and have asked, “How can the God of the universe love someone like me, a sinner?”

I love this passage in Isaiah because it brings us comfort and His promises give us hope. He knows where we have been, what we have done, and yet, He still calls us His. While others may have rejected us, God did not. Even though I have tried to hide from God because of my fear of disappointing Him, God whispers to my ears, “Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” He promises to strengthen, help, and uphold us. What an awesome, loving God!

My heart does not fully understand such love; but I am, oh, so thankful! Knowing that God sees me for who I really am and still calls me His, fills my heart with an indescribable joy.

God is speaking Isaiah 41:9-10 to you. What part of this passage do you need to hear today? Take a moment to pray this to God.

Each Life Group usually celebrates together at the end of a session. It is a sense of accomplishment and reward so to speak, for attending and participating for a number of given weeks. We get to know each other and our needs and praises. Usually, celebration time is a precious time to spend delightfully together for company, food and fun.

A "kind of" celebration was held with able bodied working hands and feet in the back and side of my house. It was not a relaxing or festive celebration as any celebration should be.

My cohorts spent the morning digging in the dirt, pulling weeds, trimming hedges, raking leaves, cleaning up and ridding trash, and getting sweaty while still managing smiles, talk and laughter. Everyone worked together to accomplish a great deed.

No words can express my sincerest thankfulness, appreciation and gratitude for their willingness to serve humbly and joyfully. They have the fruits of the Spirit in sharing their love, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. I thank God for them.

(A side note: thank you for my entire church family who has given me much needed support and prayer these past several months. My private crying is more out of thankfulness and gratitude for you and less of my great loss, which is my way of grieving. Thank you, I cannot go on without you, my earthly support team!)

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy." - Philippians 1:3-4

In our church book club, we are reading "Great for God: Missionaries Who Changed the World." This book has been challenging, inspiring, intimidating, and encouraging.

I will share what I have gleaned from this book so far.

God is Great! God continues to do great things in our world beyond the pages of the Bible. We read of a man (Rowland Bingham) who lived to see 10,000 people make commitments to Christ and planted nearly 1,000 churches in Sudan. A woman (Amy Carmichael) who saw the wicked practices of child abuse in India, rescued, housed, and educated 130 of these children. Another man (Charles Fuller) used the latest technology of his time, the radio, to reach 20 million people weekly to breathe hope and encouragement.

How can we become great men and women of God? First, we need to believe in a great God who continues to do great things today. Secondly, we need to follow this great God. They died to the things of this world (living for themselves, materialism, and prestige) so they could follow and live to make God great. These men and women were ordinary people like us. What is holding you back from fully following God? Let’s not waste our lives because we are holding onto the temporary (hopes, fears, and doubts) when God offers us an eternity of joy and glory.

God is looking for people who want to live an amazing Christ-exalting life. Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” I pray we follow the Author of Life and live out His instructions. May God use us to bring hope, healing, and transformation to everyone we meet in our community and beyond. William Carey said, "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.”

Please join us for our book club. If anyone is interested in reading these biographies, just order the book from Amazon. We will see you online.  

Earlier this June, I had the honor of helping out with AACF’s Leadership Training Conference, our annual event where we train and commission next year’s student leaders. We had 70 students and 21 staff at Pepperdine, and it proved to be a deeply fulfilling time. 

Our theme this year was “Be Thou Our Vision,” drawn from 2 Kings 6:15-17. In this scene, the king of Aram was trying to capture and perhaps even kill the prophet Elisha in order to win his war against Israel. He sent out a whole army with horse and chariots to surround the city that Elisha was staying at. 

“Elisha’s servant got up early and went out. He saw an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. His servant said to Elisha, “Oh, no! Master, what will we do?” “Don’t be afraid,” Elisha said, “because there are more of us than there are of them.” Then Elisha prayed, “LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that the mountain was full of horses and fiery chariots surrounding Elisha.”

When I heard that this was to be our theme passage, I found myself pretty amazed. I think that many times, us Christians can be intimidated by how few of us there are. One of the common responses we have is to band together with others like us. And that’s all well and good, but I find that it is quite easy to allow that fear or defensive-ness to get in the way of our witness. One of the reasons why we chose this theme was to remind our students that AACF is at its core a mission’s agency—we seek to reach college students with the life-giving Gospel of Jesus—and we would consider each believing student a missionary. But a lot of the time, it’s easy for local AACFs to simply be communes for church kids, a form of remissional recycleship rather than missional discipleship. 

In one of the messages that we had, the speaker asked if anyone in the room had not grown up in church. Only one person raised their hand. It was this illustration that brought a lot of soul-searching in the students: What will it take to change that ratio so that we reach unchurched people can join and grow in our communities? Is spiritual maturity measured by theological know-how, or is it found more in the ability to make disciples? What we prayed for was that our students’ eyes would be opened, and yet they would find confidence knowing that the Lord is present with them. 

And indeed, if the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, perhaps in God’s eyes there really are more of us than there are of them. Perhaps there are many more people who are right at that cusp of knowing Christ and receiving him. Maybe there are other lonely souls out there who need the friendship of Jesus. And so, I ask: Who is your mission field?

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Psalm 77:11-12

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get into a spiritual funk. Things happen around me that start to irritate me, try my patience, and pull me down in an emotional rabbit hole. Just this past Sunday night, I felt very irritated. Irritated at myself for allowing certain things to happen to me. I also felt frustrated, disappointed, and angry at the whole situation. Don’t worry, I wasn’t having a fight with Kathy. Lol. Suffice to say, I went to bed with all those feelings.

So, what do you do if you feel that way going to bed? Well, I thought I should at least read the Bible. I landed on Psalm 77. It starts off, “I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.”

I sure was in distress. I sought the Lord. I was in bed, but I didn’t stretch out my hands or I might have hit Kathy. HOWEVER, these words did resonate with me. I understood the Psalmist’s feeling.

The Psalmist continues by saying, “To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

When I read this, I stopped thinking about MY circumstances and started to “remember” what God had done in the past. I was reminded of so many blessings

that had happened in my life. Truthfully, the more I remembered the past, in particular, what God had done in my life, it helped put things into perspective.

I didn’t feel quite as lame. I didn’t feel as irritated or angry. In fact, I got a really good night’s sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling much better. I woke up reminded that I am a child of God, and that God has done so many wonderful things in the past, to show His goodness and love to me.

Brothers and sisters, I don’t know what kind of a day, week, month or year you are having. But if it’s been a difficult one, where you can relate with the Psalmist in

Psalm 77, please join me in remembering the deeds of the Lord. Consider all that God has done in the past in your life. May the remembrance of God, bring forth comfort, peace and inner joy. Stay cool everyone!

“Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm

you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed. The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth. Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked. Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen. You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…” James 1:19 (NIV)

We celebrated Father’s Day last weekend. Fathers and mothers have the role of nurturing their children, loving and accepting them as they grow. Even after the child becomes an adult, a parent never stops being a parent, and everyone’s experience as parents is different. However, parents can have shared experiences with other parents, such as “interruptions.” In many ways, having children is an interruption to a parent’s life. Even those who do not have children understand what it means to experience “interruptions.” Author C.S. Lewis said, “We must stop regarding unpleasant or unexpected things as interruptions of real life. The truth is that interruptions are real life.” If we cannot avoid or control interruptions, we can only control how we respond when life throws us lemons.

Responding is different from reacting. While reactions are instinctive – often impulsive – emotional responses to a situation, “responses” are thoughtful and deliberate actions through the consideration of the situation and weighing the options. When working with children, it is hard to not react impulsively, especially when feeling overwhelmed. Sometimes our reactions serve us well, yet other times we look back with regret in how our reactive response impacted those around us and ourselves. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The major problem of life is learning how to handle the costly interruptions.” At some point, we begin to realize that we need to retrain our brains to respond appropriately when we are interrupted instead of reacting.

Step 1 of retraining our brains: We examine and acknowledge our feelings, such as exasperation, frustration and/or disappointment. As humans, our emotions are natural, justifiable and to be expected. The hang up begins when we react out of our emotions instead of taking inventory of our emotions and then move to step 2. Step 2: We craft a response once we understand our initial reaction and acknowledge the situation/ interruption. Breathe through the process. This is the step where we need to extend grace to ourselves. Finally, Step 3: Once we respond, be kind to ourselves by congratulating ourselves on how we handled the interruption, whether we got the desired result or not. Retraining our brains to respond instead of reacting is a process, after all, and the change will not be immediate.

Interruptions happen. However, such situations can become easier to bear when we acknowledge instead of denying them, when we take time to be kind to ourselves, and then when we turn to others as anchors in this tumultuous life. For most in our church family, our anchors include our relationships with God and our family members. Whenever we face interruptions that try to move us out of our spot, we can grasp onto our anchors, bend with the winds like palm trees, and know that we are not alone in this life. Just as trees adapt to the winds, we can change as we add to our knowledge and experience. Great things can happen when we give heed to the interruptions in life, including the life-altering difficult ones. We just need to be open to change, allowing others into our lives, and remembering to be kind to ourselves. Let’s treasure ourselves by acknowledging today our feelings and looking forward to how we accomplish our goals today. Tomorrow will have enough worries of its own (Matthew 6:25-34), so let’s just focus on today and overcome today’s interruptions

one-by-one with those we chose to surround ourselves with.

My son just started his third season of recreational baseball, and I started my second season volunteering as an assistant coach. The head coach assigned me as the batting coach. I prayed that I could be helpful since I am not very qualified. God has a sense of humor. Almost everyone is a beginner or still learning the game; so, I guess I can offer something even though I am no expert.

Did you know that forward momentum is unnecessary to hit the ball far? Power actually comes from spinning your body. The faster you spin, the farther you can hit the ball. It's not the strength of your arm that's critical in hitting the ball far, but your legs and hips are the engine for explosive power.  

Sometimes we think that the power to live life comes from how much influence we have, how many friends we have, how successful we are, or how much money we have. These are like the forward momentum or the arm swing, but the real engine for life comes from a humble dependence on our loving Savior and Master named Jesus. The problem is that we believe we need to be the engine of our life. 1 Peter 1:3 reveals that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.” Jesus has the power for everything we need for life. 

Therefore, instead of looking to our hands to make the game-winning home run, will we look to Jesus to be the hero in the game of life? Stop fretting because Jesus has you and your loved ones in His hands. Let us thank God, for His strong hands will save the day.

“Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come – all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (NKJV)

Attending worship service in person is so much different from online service. I am thankful my kid started to feel better as she is the one who looks forward to church on Sunday’s, whether it’s morning or afternoon service. This past Sunday I was fulfilled with the sermon Pastor Michael brought us. As a believer who grew up on the Spanish side I never really got to understand sermons until I began to attend LAH or maybe

I was old enough to start understanding. I felt God reminding He is the one to be praised for having me here today with all the accomplishments and fails I experienced. 

These past two years have been the most challenging for me. Even if I know about God and how God is in control I would try to do things out of my own will. Until I began to understand that I cannot live, work, eat, think without honoring God in what I do. Prior to this I experienced anger, doubt, hopelessness, shame because of certain circumstances I was facing. I was broken. But! God doesn’t give us anything we cannot handle. Plus pray nights have helped me feel less alone, less angry, less shame, I am thankful for Wednesday prayer nights. As much things I have going on I am always encouraged to log on and I encourage you as well! 

One remarkable thing I heard during our Remembrance service a couple weeks ago was Dr. Watase sharing that their Bible Study group met together for forty plus years, sharing meals and life together. I thought that was really amazing because that’s almost as long as I’ve been alive and I can’t imagine meeting together on a regular basis with the same people for that long. The churches Michael and I attended in our 20s and 30s had people mostly in our peer group or slightly older. We were a transient group, people coming and going all the time, a constant stream of hellos and goodbyes. It was not death that parted us but people moving for new jobs, schools, or simply for another church.

The pandemic brought us a little respite from our busy lives, but ever since, I feel like life has kicked into high gear. It is hard to get together with even our close friends because everyone is so busy with their kids’ activities. Some of our friends have stopped going to church since the pandemic because they got into the habit of not going and they are just too tired on Sunday morning. Maybe it’s just this stage of our lives or this is just what it’s like raising kids in these times. Even though we are more connected virtually, in reality, we are disconnected, a bit lonely and vulnerable to straying from God.

Recently the parents of our youth group started meeting together. We know we are not “cool” to our kids but we’d like to be there to support one another and also our youth. We had our first parents/youth gathering at the Nakasuji’s this past Sunday and I don’t know what the kids thought, but I had a lot of fun playing games with them that I hadn’t played since I was a youth. It was encouraging for me to know we parents have similar struggles, worries and dreams for our kids. I am hoping we can continue to meet together and be an encouragement to each other. 

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24~25

As many of you may know, or not, our son Tyler recently graduated from Montana Technological University with a degree in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (proud mama moment here). In writing this Food for Thought, I have been reflecting on how good our Heavenly Father has been to me. I thought that I was going to have a

difficult time dealing with Tyler being gone from our home living all the way in Butte, Montana, but when Greg and I

traveled to Butte to help Tyler move into his dorm, we came across the most warm and loving people on campus and in town. I didn’t cry when we left because we were leaving our son, I cried because I knew and trusted that he was going to be well cared for and accepted while away at college.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (NKJV) The year 2020 was a challenging year for all of us, but God saw us through it and continues to lead me. Tyler had to move back home in March to finish his 2nd semester remotely. Greg suffered a stroke in July 2020. Montana Tech announced in June that they would resume on campus education while making adjustments to classroom protocol. Greg and I decided that we didn’t want Tyler's education to be hindered by Greg’s health concerns, so we sent him back to school with a close friend of Greg’s to help him move back into the dorms since neither of us could travel. 

Life seemed uncertain and out of control at that time. 2020 marks a very significant time in my life because that was the year I actively began to seek the Lord in my crisis to help me. I was raised in LA Holiness my whole life and always considered myself a “Christian” and took that Christianity for granted. God has transformed my seeking into introducing, teaching, and revealing His Kingdom to me. Last time I shared in Food for Thought, I shared about my friend Tammy and I wanted to share that we have started ministering to people by praying for people together. We both have been taking and participating in classes that have challenged us to step out and share. I have been praying for people in the workplace as well. I still struggle with stepping out, but have been rewarded with the joy and thanksgiving from the recipients of prayer. I encourage you, especially, as we are going through the book of Acts, to witness to those you come across and share God’s love with them.

I want to thank God and my church family for their faithfulness for being there for us. Thank you for your consistent prayers over Greg and for helping us out. Each one of you is a blessing to us.

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” (Psalm 19:1 NLT).

I’ve been doing a lot of “remembering” lately, and it’s been good!  

While putting together the slideshow for Founder’s Day last month, I reviewed hundreds of photos of our church ministries and activities in my digital library during the past year. I recalled when it happened, who was there, what was said, why we laughed, why we cried, what we ate, of course, and most importantly, what God did. It filled me with a profound sense of gratitude and joy. 

Having photos stored electronically makes them accessible anytime. It’s how we view our photos these days. But do you remember putting photo prints in albums? When was the last time you opened an actual hard-covered photo album? 

While looking for photos for the Remembrance Luncheon this coming Sunday, I came across several volumes of photo albums at home that belonged to my grandparents. Each page was filled with black and white and color photos of all shapes and sizes and many pictures of early church life. Tiny notes written in ballpoint ink decorated the narrow photo margins. Surprisingly, I remembered some of the people in those photos. I was captivated. I got to know my grandparents more just by looking at their albums. The experience left me yearning to know more about the photos and the stories surrounding them and how God must have answered our church’s prayers in those yesteryears.

What would it have been like had we had actual photos of the stories of the Old Testament, and later of Jesus walking on the water, of Jesus healing the paralytic, and of Jesus feeding the five thousand? Even without actual photos, the stories of God’s character have been told through the ages and made accessible to us by God himself through His Word. The Bible tells us in Exodus, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,” (34:6) in the middle of Israel’s repeated disobedience to God. The New Testament reveals how God’s Son, Jesus, made the Father known to us (John 1:18). He paid an awful price of suffering and death so that we would not have to. Our relationship with God the Father could be restored. God’s love for us is revealed everywhere in the Bible (Luke 24:27; 45-46; John 5:39).  

The Bible is similar to God’s photo album of himself. It is God’s revelation to us. Immerse yourself in it, remember what he has done, and he will reveal himself to you.

Happy Mother's Day to all of our mothers! Thank you for your love and care for all of us. Where would we be without our mothers? Many of our moms were there to comfort us when we got hurt, nurtured us when we got sick, and provided a sense of belonging within our family.  

I am reminded of my mom's servant's heart. My mom was a stay-at-home housewife. My mom would cook a hot breakfast for me every morning, make a nice lunch 

to take to school, and always have dinner ready for us. She worked hard to keep the house clean, with only boys in the house, including my dad. When I misplaced some-thing, I would always ask my mom if she knew where it was, and she would always seem to know where it was. My mom would help my dad visit the elderly and the sick, often bringing a meal for them to eat. Every day, my mom continues to pray for me.

Moms are special. I see that what drives most of our moms is simply love. They love us and have sacrificed the world for us. Thank you to all the moms for the way you have served us. I pray that God will richly bless you and continue to fill your tank with His love, joy, and peace. Happy Mother's Day.

Recently, I have been contemplating the idea of the Church Family. This is something that I have taken for granted because I grew up in the church as the pastor’s daughter. It was very easy for me to feel loved and connected to the church. Everyone became part of my extended family. I didn’t have grandparents and most of my relatives live in Japan, so all of the adults became my aunts, uncles, and grandparents. This concept of the Church Family was always something that I cherished and appreciated because I felt nurtured, accepted and supported.

During our daughters’ Spring Break, my family and my father went to Japan to visit my late mother’s older sisters and their families. It was very important to me that we visit them since they were unable to attend my mother’s service. I wanted to grieve together, laugh as we remembered my mother, and continue the family ties between our kids and their second cousins. When we were saying our goodbyes, I thought to myself, “If we don’t make an effort to continue to stay connected, we could completely lose touch with each other.” And that would be the end of our family ties. That thought made me very sad and all the more determined to stay connected even though we are unable to see each other in person regularly. When we were able to spend time together as a family, it was so healing and gave me a stronger sense of belonging. I was able to see where I came from and it felt so familiar and comfortable.

Similarly, when I come to LAHC every Sunday, it feels like home. I feel anchored and I experience healing. It’s not just because I used to be the pastor’s daughter, but

because you all are my church family. I choose to be here. I hope that you all know that you are part of a special church family and can feel a sense of belonging. There are so many out there who need a strong community and to experience a sense of belonging. People who need to feel anchored and people who need healing. We are also a part of a greater church family and as we show love to one another, we will be a testimony to those around us that it is because of Christ that we are unified. As it says in Galatians 6:10, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” I hope that we can live this out even when, or especially when, it’s difficult and challenging. I hope that we can really enjoy and cherish the time we spend together and that we can pass it on to the next generation.

In my last article, I said I wanted to walk in my grandfather’s footsteps and be part of his legacy for Christ. My grandfather was Rev. George Yahiro. He was one of the founders of LA Holiness Church and the Holiness Conference that started back in 1921.

From what I understand from my Aunt Susan (Yahiro) Asklipiadis, when my grandpa ministered to people, he didn’t try forcing people into Christianity. Susan said he talked with lots of people. He talked to seekers, Christians, non-Christians, Buddhists. Apparently he was easy to approach and easy to talk to. That’s why people had no problem coming to him and to Christ.

I love talking and listening with lots of people. I hope I can be a witness with how I talk to others, pray with them and even by just loving and serving them. 

"We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"

 - Matthew 19:27

Here is the genuine and honest answer: I lost sight of God. Last January I made the decision to leave Hawaiian Airlines for Delta Air Lines. It was an exciting time. Bigger company, better benefits. The decision felt like a no brainer. However, sometimes the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Delta HNL positions were full so the only positions open were Delta OGG (Maui). My manager mentioned if any HNL spots opened up, Maui would have priority to transfer and it would go by seniority. I agreed to this position hoping for a transfer to happen soon.

It wasn't easy. Before I even started, my lead was fired for throwing something at another mechanic. I found myself getting settled shortly after, but quickly realized the intensity and anger some of my coworkers had with each other. Since the lead was gone, the manpower was short. That automatically caused all of us in Maui to split OT opportunities to cover flight schedules. Most Sundays, I wouldn't be able to go to church since I was scheduled to work or cover workdays. The hardest was being in Maui, while my wife and family were in HNL. It was a low point in my life. I would go back to a rental I split with a roommate and reflect how much longer I could do this. I was tired of being a peacekeeper at work, a slave to overtime, and being away from the people I loved the most. I used to walk around the airport terminal and pray because I felt it was the most cheerful place to be. Seeing everyone getting off the plane and excited for their vacation gave me happiness. I prayed to God always wondering, "Why am I here?" I always felt it was a desperate yet unspiritual thing to ask as my heart wanted to see the reward side of it.

Then the Maui fires hit. People were overcrowding the airports to leave. People slept outside the ticket counters because all flights were full. Airlines sent extra flights for rescue missions. A couple coworkers lived in Lahaina and lost everything. They lost their normalcy in life and possessions were gone. The stories of their neighbors were worse and really broke me emotionally. I understood right then and there, my circumstances were nothing to me anymore. There were people who needed help and I was willing to commit to whatever they needed. Every day, flights would come filled with canned goods, clothes, diapers, water, school supplies, etc. Anything to help. The cargo area at Maui airport was overfilled with pallets of relief packages. I'm talking overfilled... It took weeks before everything cleared out. We used our off time to prepare care packages to people across the island while Delta was gracious enough to provide lunch every day at work, so that we’d have one less thing to worry about.

Shortly after the storm had calmed, I received an email that a spot opened in HNL

and took it. Matthew 19:27, Peter says to Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" I felt like Peter in my time in Maui. I felt like I needed some type of reassurance. Jesus affirms that, “…you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields

for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:28-29). I hope this devotional finds you well. Your work will be rewarded. Each kind-hearted word, every considerate deed, every act of service, and especially your long years of labor. God sees it. He remembers it. And He is always faithful to reward it. 

I want to highlight one lesson I learned as we walked with Jesus on the road to Resurrection sermon series: Jesus abided with the Father through prayerful obedience. After the last supper, Jesus prayed at the Mount of Olives, pleading with the Father that He would have the power to obey the Father's will to die on the cross. Because Jesus poured out His heart unto the Father, God answered Jesus and helped him faithfully fulfill their plan to save us from our sins. Jesus also told the disciples how to overcome temptation by praying. In other words, we can not depend on ourselves to obey God. We must rely on God to help us.

Prayer is a sacred place where we can be honest with God about our struggles and doubts. As we pray, we must learn to be open to God's will and wrestle until we find His peace as Jesus did. Likewise, I have learned that prayer is not Google, where I command God whatever I want. Rather, prayer is a powerful tool God has given us

so we might abide/commune with Him and submit our lives to His.

Can you imagine a world where we all live in God's way? The amazing things we read in the Bible will continue to happen Today because God's will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. What has God asked you to do today— help your aging parent, talk to your friend about Jesus, or do the right thing—will you depend on God through prayer? Let us come with expectations that we can do everything God wants us to do through prayer. As Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” Matthew 19:26.  

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” - Ephesians 5:31

On this day, (April 7), 34 years ago, Dan and I were joined together as one. At our wedding, a very wise and God loving man shared these Words of Wisdom:

To Dan and Kathy,

I want to wish you both the best the world has to offer. It really makes my heart glad to see you unite your hearts in marriage today. Now as you, Dan and Kathy sail this sea of matrimony together, I wish to leave you these Words of Wisdom.

The sea of matrimony is not always calm and serene. There will be storms of adversity, winds of uncertainty. A tempest may arise at any time, as you, Kathy have already experienced. Kathy, today you are on another journey with a new executive, sailing the same sea again. I sincerely wish you both smooth sailing and a safe journey. But, should a storm arise during your journey through life, don’t try to fight the storm by yourselves. The wheel will be hard to manage, the ship will veer off course. Give God the helm; let Him be your pilot. With love, patience and understanding, I know He will safely bring you into port.

So, Dan and Kathy, I wish you both God’s speed and good sailing. May He be the wind unto your wings, raising you both to greater heights of happiness, peace and love. May God Bless You Always. With all my love, Dad.

Starting out on this journey was new and exciting and we couldn’t wait to experience what life had in store for us. Raising three daughters, we were looking forward to be empty nesters and being able to spend more time with each other and do some traveling. Then in February, 2011 we were given some devastating news; Dan was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and given 2 – 3 years. I was in total shock and was thinking, that we didn’t have much time and what were we going to do.

In September, 2012, we planned a vacation to Hawaii. Little did we know that would be our last trip together. While in Hawaii, Dan was able to walk short distances but was also using a scooter to get around. He had some use of his arms. Since 2013, he’s been in a motorized wheelchair and is currently still using it.

For a while I was mad at God and asking him what I had done to deserve this. I didn’t feel God’s presence

nor thought he was listening to me so I turned away and decided to live life on my own. What a disaster! I felt overwhelmed and I was not happy. It was like I fell in a hole and no matter how hard I tried to get out I would fall further and further down and the sides were closing in around me. The pressure was getting to me and depression was starting to set in.

While going through my nightstand, I remembered the note my dad had shared at our wedding. As I read the note I realized God was near and was listening to me. Back in 2011, I was told Dan had 2 – 3 years and it’s 2024 and we are celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary today. This journey is a difficult one but I will continue to seek God and let Him be my guide.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Testimony

“For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

- Psalm 107:9 (ESV)

Recently, the outreach team at USC AACF asked me to teach them how to develop and share their testimonies. They have been hard at work trying to equip their peers in evangelism and give them every resource to share the Gospel, and I happily obliged. A good testimony is an incredible tool because it is truth in narrative form—a form that humans readily absorb. It is able to sway the hearts of unbelievers to consider a world beyond their comprehension, to illuminate to believers just how deep and long and wide and high the love of Christ is, and to aid the disciple to grasp that God has been at work long before they knew him.

When I talk with students who grew up in the church—the majority of USC AACF—I find that many of them fear that their testimony is boring. “I grew up in church, heard the Gospel, believed in it, and got saved.” To be honest, that fear isn't completely unfounded. If the key idea behind a testimony is conversion, then yes, those of us who were born and raised in the church have little to go on. But the Gospel is not merely about conversion; it is about transformation, that the Spirit set us free from the law of sin and death, so that we might do the good works that God prepared for us in ages past. So, a well-done testimony is properly centered on transformation.

How do we talk about transformation? My former discipler, Danny Furuyama (Michael's twin brother), was very gifted in helping people process and shape their testimonies, and he would always counsel people to consider what their driving force was. A driving force is a particular human desire of ours that we typically acquire early on in our lives, for example, the desire for love, acceptance, or security. In and of themselves, these things are neither bad nor good; in fact, these are core human needs. 

What happens because of sin is that we believe different lies from the enemy about our driving force. Either we try to acquire the object of our driving force at all costs by our own means (self-righteousness), or we make that driving force our God, the centerpoint of our lives (idolatry). If we can see how our brokenness is a reflection of how we push aside God to pursue our driving force, then our transformation comes when we find that the Triune God is the only one who can perfectly satisfy our driving force.

If I can give an example from my own life, growing up I felt that love was something I could only get if I proved myself to be exceptional. I sought to shape myself as a model student, a dutiful son, an ideal Sunday schooler. I prided myself on being better and smarter than other people, and if there were things that I couldn't be better than others, I wouldn't even try. I was afraid of failure, afraid of conflict, and especially afraid of vulnerability—I was great at hiding my pride and sins that I struggled with. But when the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sins, when God provided friends who didn't live a double life and could share their struggles with me, when Jesus called me to take risks of faith and confront my fears, my life changed. All my life, I thought that I could only be loved if I was exceptional, but the truth of the Gospel is that I am exceptional because I am loved by my Savior.

What is the driving force in your life, and how has the Lord transformed that driving force for you?

This past February 27th was the 20 anniversary of my dad, Sam's, heavenly home coming. I can’t believe that it’s been that long. It seems like yesterday that he was at home making his famous apple turnovers and creating a mess for my mom, which she just loved cleaning up, not really. He would bring them to church in little, brown paper bags to give to his church friends.

I enjoy sharing stories about my dad with people who may not have known him, like my daughter Kelly. She was only 17 months old when he passed, so she never knew him. I love sharing how my dad would make the family delicious Saturday breakfasts like biscuits, breakfast cake, Spanish omelets and other things that I can’t recall. I remember looking forward to Saturdays to see what my dad would make for us. He would also tell the corniest jokes and thought he was so funny. We laughed more about how he thought how funny he was, than the joke itself. Also, he was such a talented builder and creator, he made desks and skateboards for me and my siblings.

I can go on and on.

It is amazing how easy it is to share about my earthly father to others who don’t know him. I want so much to let them know about what a wonderful person he was, that the stories flow so easily. As I thought about this, it is interesting that the same feeling and excitement I have to share about my heavenly father, God, is so difficult. I love both fathers and they are both so special in my life. I should feel the ease to share about my Lord and Savior to others who don’t know Him, just like sharing about my dad.

It helps to know that our job isn’t to make sure we save others, but we just need to plant the seed and share what God has done in our lives. The rest, we turn over to God.

I pray that sharing God to those who don’t know him, will flow easily from our lips. All we need to do is tell others our story about how God has transformed our lives, or how God has been there in times of need. Just like telling others about how my dad was there with me when I bought my first car. I was not alone, and we are never alone because God is always there with us and for us.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

- Acts 1:8

What Does God Want LA Holiness To Do?

God has called each of us, aka Christians, to make disciples as the Great Commission tells us (Matthew 28:19-20). A disciple is someone who simply hears and obeys Jesus. Jesus doesn’t just want to teach us principles to live by, he wants to talk with and be with us regularly.  

You might be asking; how do we hear Jesus? John 1:14 states, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  We need to spend time knowing Jesus through the Bible. When we read the Bible, we will often be challenged by the truth of our limitations, sinfulness, and brokenness and at the same time, see God’s compassion, power, and mercy to help us. 

Jesus also said in John 14:26, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” We need to discern the Holy Spirit’s voice, who will teach us what Jesus wants us to do in every situation. Let’s make time throughout the day to stop and listen to Jesus. 

As a disciple, we are to obey God’s command. The Greatest Commandment is to love God and to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:37-38). Disciples are to be like Jesus, who perfectly loved God and others. So, as a disciple of Jesus, we are called to love. Who is Jesus asking us to love?  

In April, David Lee will be teaching a class after worship service from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm on, “Making Disciples.” This will be a three-part class from April 7 - 21. 

Let's take ownership of our calling and see our church experience new growth.

Is Life Short?

“Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.” - Psalm 90:12 (TLB)

When our grandson, Nicholas turned 18, he wanted to celebrate his birthday with a beach party at Huntington Beach. We invited family and about 30-40 of his school mates. The afternoon turned to evening and the orange-colored sun was setting on the horizon. It was beautiful! I have seen many glorious sunsets in Hawaii but this sunset took a few minutes to completely disappear and reminded me of where my life is — in the sunset years.

I used to be proud of the fact that I had never taken any prescribed medication and never been in a hospital. But several years ago, I had undergone back and neck surgery. Also, I had a mini-stroke in my eye due to a vessel which had erupted. I can’t remember the names of half of the church congregation. I used to be a quarterback at the University of Hawaii. Now I can barely throw a football. In golf I was able to drive the ball 220 yards — now if I hit the ball, I’m happy. I’m not complaining. These are the facts of life and I thank God each day for the life I have. I also thank God for his infinite wisdom to provide me with Sue, my life-long partner.

I remember Rev. Akira Kuroda saying in a sermon, “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” When he spoke this, I was much younger and it was easy to forget how short life really is. Now that I am in my older years, all the signs and symptoms tell me life on the earth is getting shorter.

However, this truth applies to all of us, whether we are young, middle aged or old. Life is short; we must seize each day to live for the Lord for we do not know when He will call us home.

Take a moment and ask yourself, “What must I do today to make sure my life is well lived in the Lord’s eyes when I see Him face to face?”

Have you lost or misplaced anything lately? I did - my pilot logbook. (On my to-do list has been the scanning of its many pages, thus preserving at least an electronic copy, just in case).

Sometimes several weeks may pass before I sit down with it and actually enter the details and dates of my flight activity since the previous entry. So, by the time I wanted to update those details, several weeks had passed and I couldn't recall exactly where

I had put it. The physical search and mental search for this extremely valuable item in my life continued for several days, extending to several weeks. Multiple times, upside down went the apartment, my office at CBU, trunks and under the seats of our cars, other people's cars ... you get the picture. For a time, I lost sleep, suffered mind boggling frustration, disappointed in unanswered prayer I began to wonder if it somehow got mixed up inside something else that was actually discarded, thrown to the garbage. Feel my pain?

I found it. PRAISE GOD! It was exactly where I had put it, in a corner of our master bedroom. This item, why couldn't I find it? I looked EVERYWHERE! Our apartment isn't large and doesn't have a ton of closet space. My bicycle, which lives in our bedroom, often serves very well as a coat rack. Several layers of jackets hung on its handle bars, rendering hidden that little corner of our bedroom wherein my logbook sheepishly shrunk itself to a tiny little speck of something, unseen, laughing at me for weeks.

In what other ways do I put barriers between myself and my most valuable thing in

life - my relationship with Jesus? Out of laziness or convenience or even preference, do I place other things in closer view, do other things occupy front-and-center? How about you?

May it be that my heart (and yours) will sing like David's in Psalm 63:1-4; “O God, you are my God, earnestly I will seek you, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

It’s been a little over two weeks since our church hosted my father-in-law, Alexander Young’s Celebration of Life service, and several months since his passing. One would think that sadness, sorrow and grief would be the dominant emotion expressed; however, during the past weeks leading up to his service, a whirlwind of anxiety and apprehension consumed my household as we were trying to plan his service. I forgot how much time and energy is involved as it has been almost 30 years since my own father’s death.

As we have had several memorial services and receptions over the years, I have to say that I have been impressed of how well and efficient our church family responds and acts as we minister to our bereaved guests and friends. This time it was different being on the receiving end of this ministry as I had shared during one of our coffee hour fellowships. From the time I arrived early Saturday morning of the service to the time of cleaning up, I witnessed and felt the love of God and His amazing comfort through everyone that contributed and sacrificed their time using their gifts to support our family. You may not have noticed, but I saw each of you. I saw everyone in the kitchen, at the reception table, in the balcony, in the parking lot, in the conference room, in the hallways, and in the social hall as you all poured grace and love on us.

I saw the body of Christ in action, and I could only stand and give thanks and glory

to God.

Thank you all for your prayers and support as we continue to cope without Alex’s physical presence. We are encouraged and strengthened by your comfort initiated by God as the apostle Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

We take comfort knowing that Alex along with all of those who have gone on before

us who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are in the presence of God and our Lord Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we continue in our journey of faith to extend comfort where comfort is needed and to love others as Christ loved us.

I had the privilege of attending the Pastor’s Retreat at the end of January. I wanted to report some things that I shared at the retreat. I spoke on the topic of how to grow our conference. This is the million-dollar question that every pastor and leadership board is asking. The answer is that you and I cannot grow the church. We all want to grow the church, but we cannot. Paul wrote the following in 1 Corinthians 3:6-11, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” The hope for our church and our conference is found in God alone. We must do our part to plant and water, but God is the only one who can make our church grow. 

The Great Commission states that the purpose of our church is to make disciples. Disciples are simply followers of Jesus. We must each learn how to listen to and obey Jesus. As a disciple, God has called us to accomplish specific tasks. Intellectually, this understanding is known as a calling. Emotionally, this is known as a burden. A burden is the emotional side of calling. A burden is something we feel in our hearts that we must do. I invite you to consider what is the calling/burden God has given you. I want everybody in our church to understand your calling/burden. And as a church, help support and equip each other to fulfill their calling. 

Lastly, we are in a spiritual battle right now. John Piper taught in his book, "Don’t Waste Your Life,” that churches are spiritual hospitals. In peace times, when people are sick and injured, they go to the hospital and visit the doctors. But during a war, the doctors are not waiting for the safety of the hospitals. They run onto the battlefield and look for the sick and injured and administer their aid on the battlefield. Then, they bring their injured to a safe place to heal and recover. We cannot wait for people to come to us to fulfill the Great Commission. We must "Go and make disciples of all nations." We are to go to the hurting and sick and bring them to Jesus, who will heal them. These are some ways we can join Jesus in building the kingdom of God until every tribe, nation, and tongue worships Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  

A couple of weeks ago it was really windy here in Los Angeles and it triggered in me a thought about our faith in God. The wind caused the trees to really sway to and fro and was so strong that some trees were uprooted and toppled over. There were leaves and debris blowing about. The wind had moved some of our outdoor furniture and knocked over a couple of potted plants in our backyard. I remember when I lived in Chicago, (the “Windy City”), sometimes you couldn’t walk against the wind in a straight line but if you were walking with the wind, it would blow your walk into a near run.

So that made me think of how we put our belief in and dedicate our lives to God, an entity we can’t physically see with our eyes. Even though I can’t actually see the wind, I know the wind is real because I can see it moving objects all around me plus I can feel it’s force on my body when I am standing directly in its path. I see God daily, not because I see his actual face in front of me, but like the wind, I can see Him moving others around me. I’ve witnessed a young couple move their family from a nice life in Los Angeles and go live in Cameroon because God moved them. At Mt Hermon’s Victory Circle, I’ve witnessed how young people dealing with broken homes and other failed relationships found peace and love because of the guidance that God gave them during that week at camp. I’ve seen people dealing with medical illnesses and even death have hope and joy because God’s arms were wrapped around them. I’ve seen people worshiping in song with their arms outstretched and weeping with joy because the Holy Spirit was moving in them. Even in seemingly small day to day activities, I’ve seen God influencing people. This is how I can see God.

As a Christian one of our desires should be to feel God’s hand moving us in the direction that He wants us to go. In order for that to happen, we have to be in His direct path so we can feel His force at our backs guiding our lives.   

Our Victory in the End is Due to our Living Hope!

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” I Peter 1:3-5

I don’t know if you got a chance to watch the Lakers’ game on 1/27. This was the double overtime game against the Golden State Warriors. I happened to be in the Bay area, watching it at my friend’s house on tape delay. Since it had already been recorded (and the game had already finished), I decided to check the internet to see if the Lakers had won or lost. I mean why watch a game if the Lakers lost, right?

If you watched the game, you’ll remember that Steph Curry had a layup that sent the game into the very first OT. He also had a nice 3-pointer over Anthony Davis in the second OT for a lead. When Curry tied the game to make it go into the first OT, my Bay area friends went nuts! Then they held their breath as they started the first OT. They were so stressed watching every point that each team was trying to make.

When Curry hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds left in the 2nd OT, my friends let out cheers and screams. It looked very promising for the Warriors. But LeBron James got fouled and sank two free throws to give the Lakers a well fought victory, 145-144. What a game!

As I shared how stressed my friends were, do you know how I felt? I was very calm; you can say that I was even relaxed. I was literally enjoying the game. How could I feel this way? Why wasn’t I stressed when the Lakers missed a layup or a 3-pointer? Because I knew how the game was going to end. Since I had looked up the score already and knew the outcome of the game, I could watch in a relaxed and confident state. 

Brothers and sisters, I Peter 1:3-5 tells us as believers we have a living hope. The reason we can have this hope is because we know how the game of life will end. We know that in the end, life as we know it, will not end, but will be forever changed and we will be in the presence of Jesus. We can go through life confident, calm and relaxed, knowing that even though things look tough and become difficult, in the end, we know that we will be victorious.

We will receive an imperishable inheritance made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is what I would call true victory. Therefore, are we relaxed and confident when we look to the future? If we’re unsure about what will happen at the end, why not enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ? Thank him for the great love he has for us, and that he willingly went to the cross to deal with our sins, so we could have an eternal relationship with him. If we already know Jesus, this victorious news is something that we should share. Who will you tell?

The Lakers vs. the Warriors was a great game. It was even better because the Lakers won 145-144. I wasn’t stressed because I already knew what would happen at the end. As believers we know our ending as well. Praise be to God for giving us a living hope.

Recently, I was at Ventura beach doing my devotions and looking out into the harbor. I was looking at a line of palm trees swaying in the wind and was thinking how the winds and storms don’t break or snap the trees. I was wondering why so I decided to Google it. This is what I found:

“Palm tree roots not only feed and water the palm, they act like a reinforcement system for the tree, allowing it to bend but not break, when pressed by intense winds and storms. Most impressive of all, palm tree roots grow stronger as a result of having to work harder.”



Just like our Christian faith, it all starts in the roots; we need to be firmly rooted in God. As you can see in the diagram above, the roots of palms have different stages and goes deep. We too, go through different stages in life and as long as we cling onto God and our faith, our roots will keep growing deeper and deeper through our relationship with Him as well as our ongoing relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Going through this second bout of breast cancer, I truly am grateful for my faith, friends and family to fall back on (I call it my 3 F’s). Because I am surrounded by the love and care of my support system, I was and am COVERED in prayers thus growing my roots further in Him. 

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built

up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” - Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)

One of my biggest personal challenges is I tend to procrastinate and do things at the last minute. This is especially true for tasks I do not enjoy or want to do. It really doesn’t matter what the task might be, and in-fact, sometimes includes things I really want to do. When I was younger and still in school, tasks I procrastinated on regularly were homework and chores I had to do around the house. As I got older, those challenging tasks included difficult work and life decisions, unwanted work assignments, and even simple things like paying monthly bills.

Of course, there is typically some sort of penalty for procrastinating. For schoolwork, the penalties were last minute, late-night or all-night study sessions and lower test scores and grades that I might have potentially achieved had I done my homework right away instead of playing or watching television. Procrastinating on chores I should do around the house as well as unwanted work assignments typically results in the need to put forth an even bigger effort that often takes hours if not days and a lot of sweat to complete. And procrastinating on work/life decisions often results in missed opportunities, less than satisfactory results, and questions of self-doubt about what might have been.

So, why do we do procrastinate? We can all likely come up with a plethora of personal reasons that lead us to procrastinate doing one thing or another. I believe the reasons why I delay and put off completing unwanted tasks personally boil down to one or more of the following: laziness, apathy, fear, ignorance, self-doubt, and selfishness. These are human characteristics we all share and most of us, especially me, continuously wrestle with. The good news is that we are not alone in our challenges with procrastination. The Bible is filled with many writings of people who have delayed or put off doing what God has told them to do such as Jonah, who after being thrown into the ocean and swallowed by a whale, realized he needed to deliver God’s message to the people of Ninevah even though he didn’t want to.

For many of us, time and the wisdom gained through learning from some of the above-mentioned experiences help us overcome our personal challenges with pro-crastination. Most of us realize that putting things off doesn’t make them go away and delaying them often makes things worse so it’s better to do whatever is required of us without hesitation. As I write this, we’re entering the 3rd week of 2024, a new year with much to look forward to as well as many things we probably don’t want to do. Ecclesiastes 2:24-26a says: “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and happiness….” Colossians 3:17 further says, “And whatever your do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Therefore, my encouragement to everyone procrastinating, putting off doing an unwanted task is to listen to your inner-voice and do whatever is needed in the name of our Lord Jesus without delay. I know, “easier said than done”, however you will experience a great deal of satisfaction completing your task and be comforted knowing God will be pleased and bless your effort. My best wishes for a happy and productive 2024 for everyone!

My highlight of 2023 was going to Brazil to learn from our sister Conference. I didn't seriously think about Brazil, but God did. At Mt. Hermon, God allowed me to bump into a Brazilian family who invited me to attend their Holiness outreach event in Brazil. Surprisingly, our Conference Shepherd Council enthusiastically approved this vision trip, and I ended up in Brazil. I saw a wonderful picture of God's Church loving the community. The Brazilian believers came together from over 20 churches to meet the physical, medical, and social needs of this Japanese farming town called Assai. When God calls, nothing can stop him. Brazil taught me to be curious to see what God is doing and join him.

As we begin 2024, I am excited about what we will experience individually and as a church family. I look forward to seeing us study our Bibles and hearing a divine message from God, sharing our stories of God's faithfulness amid our challenges, and new people experiencing the love of Jesus for the first time and coming to faith. How would this happen?

Two things come to mind. First, our hope is in God and His mercy. As we study

1 Peter 2: 9-10, we realize that God chose us to give us His mercy. His mercy is not just to save us but also to bring us to glory (Romans 8:30). Our hope is in God's faithfulness to finish the good work that he started in each of us (Philippians 1:6). Secondly, we must take a step of faith to be curious and obey God's prompting to the Holy Spirit and through His Holy Word. Faith in Jesus empowers us to experience every spiritual blessing that God has chosen to give us daily (Romans 1:17, Ephesians 1:3). 

Let's take the lessons we learned in 2023 and apply them to 2024. Let's slow down to listen to our Savior and Lord so that we can do what He wants us to do in 2024. 

Tutoring, or the Art of Believing

For about ten years, I've worked as a math and science tutor for high schoolers. It's been a useful side hustle for me these past years of doing ministry, and I suppose the main way my biology degree has come in handy. Although I teach seasonal classes from time to time, like AP review classes in the spring or SAT/ACT classes in the summer, most of my work has been in one-on-one settings or in small groups. Some students might come in just for a semester, or even right before a test they're supposed to take (which as you might imagine is never ideal), but other students I've worked with for years.

If I had to describe what tutoring is to me, I would say that tutoring is really an exercise in faith. Often times a student comes in not believing they would ever be able to learn something—math is hard after all! Sometimes it's the parents who think that their child is bad at something, and that despair trickles down to the students. And I'm not so cynical to think that the teachers don't believe that a student can't learn what they're trying to teach, but of course it's easy to get lost in a classroom setting. So my first act of a tutor must be to believe. If no one else believes, then it falls on me to trust that this person can learn, and from there I shepherd them towards that aim.

Of course, from the perspective of individual sessions, some days are good and some days are bad. Some days are full of "aha" moments and breakthroughs in grasping some new idea or concept, and other days feel like we're no better than where we began in our comprehension. But taken together, as I look back over the year, I see tremendous growth. It feels bewildering that a student of mine who could hardly factor a quadratic equation when I first started meeting with her is now able to articulate the implications of derivatives in her AP Calc class. Another one of my students, a self-avowed "non-STEM" person, has been learning to ask the right questions about biological pathways that she sees. Sometimes it's not really even about the specific material—I'm proud of one of the guys I've been working with the past two years, who used to be ashamed of all his mistakes, now come to a point where he's more comfortable with saying "I don't know" and reflecting on work he's done before.

I'd like to think that discipleship is in some ways like tutoring. I think about Jesus' persistence with disciples who weren't always that clueful—"are you so dull?" he exclaims in Mark 7:18—and yet after three years, in the final hours of his life, he stands convinced that "whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12). Is it possible that I of faltering faith may do even greater works than Christ? I find it hard to believe—and yet it's in the faith of Christ.

As we enter into a new year, I hope that the Lord may strengthen your faith and remind you of the assurance of his salvation and sanctification for you!