For the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed.

The Christmas Cantata, Night of the Father's Love, was lifted up to the Lord on last Sunday at our church, Floris UMC.

I am deeply grateful for God's presence, and His faithfulness that He answers our prayers always. I heard and purchased the music in may when I was still in Richmond Hill, GA. I prayed to God that "Lord, please let me lift this music up to you". However, I could not imagine how to do it in the circumstance that there was no string orchestra available. And the music was a harder for the choir. While I was applying for my new job, I still prayed if God opened the position for me also to praise Him with the cantata. However, I did not insist to Him that it should be this particular one. I laid everything down to the Lord. After I started working at Floris, and sharing my thought about this Christmas music, it started becoming my dream come true. Even though there were many huddles and barriers to overcome, God has led me keep on praying and moving forward. When I kneel at the dawn service every morning, I have confessed that I am nothing without Him. I seek His mercy and grace as well as I lifted up each name of the choir members and orchestra members. Even I lifted up needing parts of instruments players. By grace of God, He indeed filled the needing parts and brought people to help me. It is just amazing to see how God has led. I lifted my hands to the Lord, said "Lord, please cover me, and be a conductor of this worship Lord. "

I don't have any ability to do this mighty things. I am just a tool that God has been using. I am afraid of being a proud person. I am afraid that I start thinking that I could do this again by myself. Nope. there is no way that I can do it without Him. People don't understand how much I feel uncomfortable to hear " it was wonderful" " You did a great job". And I have to tell also to the choirs and orchestra. I wish I could tell them just "for the Glory of the Lord was revealed, Praise the Lord!"

God is a faithful Father who hears our prayers and answers us with His unfailing love when we seek Him, and His Glory.

I pray people who came to the services could see God's glory and splendor, and His unfailing love toward us.

I pray that the songs remain in people's hearts as their praises and worship to the Lord throughout their lives.

I pray that God continue anointing me to be used as His comfortable and useful tool to show His splendor and glory.

Lord, I lift up my grateful heart to You! I love You Lord, and Your unfailing love and mercy toward us! Lord, please be with us!

Mystery

As a musician, December is the busiest month of a year. Not only as a musician, but also as a mom, as a wife of a singer, December is the busiest month of a year. I think everyone feels like I do. So it is very hard to make a decision to have a moment to stop, listen, and focused. Thankfully, God has reminded me through our worship services at Floris that I do need to have that moment especially in this season. If I think about Christmas deeply, it is not all about getting gifts, sending cards, having parties, singing at concerts and so on. It is all about Jesus who came down as a fragile baby, given up all the glories of Heaven and earth, to save us.

I truly could understand how happy we are during the season but questioned that "are we really happy because of His salvation?" Jesus came as Emmanuel, God is with us, as a form of a human baby who was totally in poor and fragile environment. It is a mystery. What on earth, the prince of Peace decided to get birth in a smelly barn at a manger. No one was paying attention to the baby unless they saw the star, or angels like shepherds or Magi.

It is just a mystery. Not only Jesus was amazing, but also God, the Father who let His only son to be born to be killed for sinners like me and you. I sometimes really was wondering why He loves us so much. That is also a mystery to me.

However, I am grateful for this mystery because I am saved due to that mystery!

If there is non God's grace and mercy, there must have not been the mystery. We can't explain how and why about this love and grace.

We are going to lifting up "Night of the Father's Love" a Christmas Cantata on this Sunday at Floris during worship hours: 8, 9:15, and 11:00. I have been praying that God sends those people who haven't met that baby Jesus, the Mystery of God's mercy and Grace, to our church. I pray that our worship services will be accepted as fragrant offering to God, and used as God's instrument that people can feel His presence and get reconciled as it is written "Glory to God, and Peace on earth!"

I truly know that it can be happen through Him only. That is why I kneel again for God's mercy and grace. Only the mystery can happen by the Lord.

Peppermint Mocha

I love to drink hot drinks: coffee, tea, apple cider, hot coco, and so on. I love smell of coffee at coffee shops. Somehow it gives me some fuggy feeling and warmth memory of Christmas.
When I was a full time doctoral student, I had to drink several cups of coffee to be awake without much sleep. I can confess that I spent a large amount of money in coffee. I enjoyed the smell when I entered the coffee shop, most of all, I enjoyed fellowship at that time with my dear friends. Especially, during cold winter near the end of the semester, my friends and I went there to get some hot coco after long hours of study at the library, hearing background of sweet carols.

After I moved down to Richmond Hill, there was no Starbucks. However, it happened a couple of months later in a Kroger which is located across from my church. So, like a habit, I used to stop by to get a cup of coffee, especially with my dear friends after lunch. Gracefully, my friend treated me often for the coffee.

Since I have moved to VA, I haven't gone to any place to get a cup of coffee. Honestly, I did not have time to drive by, and can't afford it such for a cup of coffee, and most of all I haven't found a friend to go with me yet.
So, today, I drove myself to a nearest Starbucks from my work to get my seasonal favorite to pamper myself. I was so excited but missing those friends. Guess what! They haven't got the peppermint mocha yet! The sign said it should be but they said it maybe will be here on next Monday.

I know that it is nothing to do with Christmas with coffee, or the peppermint mocha. And I know I can't be pampered with a cup of coffee. But I have felt somehow missing and lonely for friends and fellowship. I have tried to figure out why I have felt this way with just a cup of coffee. I am grateful for so many things, and I do not have much problems but I could tell that I haven't had a friend since I have moved. I don't have even one single person to ask to go out for a coffee. They are busy, yes super busy and I am too. However, I wish I have a friend to share my peppermint mocha.