Living a Life of Faith. Still.

February 23, 2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

I have been living in Korea for over five years now. In August, it will be six. Wow. That’s awhile. That’s longer than I spent in college. That was most of my twenties. Sometimes I feel incredibly at home here. It was like that since the beginning. There are moments of frustration, miscommunication, and helplessness, […]

The Coming – Advent Reflections, Part 3: Joy

December 21, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

Christmas is a time of joy. Everyone knows that. Whether because Santa is coming, gifts are being exchanged, or loved ones are uniting, Christmas is generally known for being a time of cheer. For a moment, amidst all those lovely Christmas festivities, I’d like to take a moment to examine the joy that was felt that […]

The Coming – Advent Reflections, Part 2: Hope

December 16, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

Hope is essential. It’s what carries us forward in dark times. It’s the ability to see beyond what is now, to what could be, to what will be. God was silent for 400 years before Jesus came, but some did not lose hope, including Simeon, a man who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke […]

The Coming – Advent Reflections, Part 1: Faith

December 13, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

At my church growing up, we celebrated Advent. I miss it sometimes. The countdown of the weeks until Christmas with the traditional Scripture readings. The prayers led by families holding hands. And the candles. I always associate Christmas and Advent with candles. My church now doesn’t observe Advent, but I decided to prepare myself for Christmas more intentionally this year by […]

Waiting is Only for a Season

September 28, 2016.Reading time 7 minutes.

There are many personal promises from God I’m still waiting on. Words I’m holding onto in faith. Things God told me He would do sometime in the future. Some of them are big things, things that are much bigger than me. But some of them are just about me. Those personal promises are usually the hardest for me to believe […]

Early Morning Prayer: When You are Willing to Pay a Cost

August 24, 2016.Reading time 4 minutes.

I am not a morning person. As in, I usually sleep through mornings. So you could say we’ve become unacquainted. But this week, I decided to go to early morning prayer. In Korea, early morning prayer is a staple of the church. Crowds of middle-aged women (and others) faithfully arise with the sun to seek God’s face and intercede […]

Why I’m Thankful for My Mistakes

August 10, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

I used to be deathly afraid of making mistakes. Not only as a straight-A student, not only as a classical pianist, but also as a person. I had this ideal of who I was supposed to be and found the idea of slipping outside of those imagined lines unbearable. It has taken a lot to learn to accept the hot […]

Resurrection and Travail

April 1, 2016.Reading time 6 minutes.

Last weekend, I started thinking about heaven. Not even because it was Easter weekend, but just because of life. There are certain moments when I feel a deep heaviness––it’s difficult to comprehend later, in the normal moments––but I would describe it as a truly horrible feeling, the sort of emotional breakdown that leads either to personal implosion or a deeper grasp of life’s […]