Voice Lessons ...

I had my final session with a speech therapist this week. My voice was getting quite hoarse after preaching for the past couple of years, but after three sessions with the therapist, it’s gotten much better. Did you know we all have a “sweet spot” in speaking? I didn’t know that before. Kind of like golf or baseball, when you hit the ball at the right spot on the bat (or club), the ball will go further without having to force it to move. It’s about being aligned at the right place at the right time, doing exactly what it was made to do. I found out that’s the same with our voices. When we use our voices and throats the way that it was made to be used, everything will flow and flourish, instead of being strained. After each session, she gave me a bunch of “interesting” exercises for the throat that have actually been working! Now I just need to find a singing teacher to help me protect my throat for praise =)

Thanks to those who have been praying for my voice. No major damage has been done [thank you God!]. But please still keep me in prayer concerning that area especially as retreats, praise sessions, and conferences are coming up. May this precious instrument of our voices be protected and used throughout our whole lives to proclaim His goodness ...

ps. Iraq is the country to pray for in Operation World for the next couple of days! =) If you don't have a copy of it, you can click the link on the right and pray for this nation that desparately needs healing in that land! "Prince of Peace, reign supreme in that land!"

Happy Happy =)

Are these super cute kids happy or what!!?? I just got word from a good friend of mine in Vancouver [David Oh] that he and his beautiful family will be heading off to Alaska (!) to serve an English Ministry for a church out there. David is one of the nicest, most humble guys I know. And Hee Jhung [his wife] is one of the sweetest ladies I know. Both of them took very good care of me while in Vancouver (i.e. feeding me!). Very precious people in my life. David, Walter & Toni [our EM retreat guest speakers] and I all served at the same church in Vancouver during our Regent College/seminary days.

If you could lift up a prayer for him and his family as you read this that would be great. As you can imagine, it's going to be a major change for their family and quite a move as well. The weather [cold!cold!cold!] and life there will be quite a challenge.

And there's going to be several spiritual inventory prayer sessions for people to experience "freedom" from past struggles this week and next week. Please pray for wisdom, strength, anointing and empowerment on my part ... and for breakthroughs and freedom for those who will be prayed for. A LOT of spiritual activity going on these days all around us. Let's stay in prayer and surrounded by our Wall of Fire. It's definately a sign we're in the midst of God's activity for our ministry.

50 Days of Purity - A Life of Holy Awareness

Today's message came from Genesis 28:10-22. This passage comes right after Jacob's deception of his father and brother for birthrights and blessings. His brother is so angry that he wants him dead. Now fleeing for his life, Jacob stops at night to sleep under the stars with a rock for pillow. Then he has a dream with God speaking to him in it. He awakes and his life begins to change. The verse that we focused on was verse 16, "When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, 'Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.'" Meaning it is possible for us to be in the presence of God, yet unaware of it. Another way of saying it could be that God is closer than we think. That is a truth that must be realized in our regular daily lives. In our common situations of life and in our crisis moments, we are under His watchful eyes - always.

What turns a common place into a holy place is the awareness of God's presence. And what can turn a common person into a holy person is an awareness that we are in His presence. And when we become aware of His activity around us, it will become a spiritual breakthrough for our walk with Him. No longer will we be alone, because we know He is here.

God, I pray that our congregation will become more attuned and aware of your presence and activity in their lives. Open our eyes that we might see YOU all around us. Open our eyes so that we might see your works active amongst us. And continue to protect us from the enemy, especially during these 50 days of consecration to You. May we be holy and wholly Yours.

Burning for Christ ...

As I think upon and pray for the members of our congregation who are contemplating a life of missions in unreached lands, I can't help but pray for a pure and holy flame to burn brightly in their hearts all the days of their lives. May their hunger for You never fade. May their hearts break each and every day for those lost without Christ. God, give them your tears, your prayers, and your heart for these peoples. And above all else, may their love for Christ and His Kingdom be the reason they go.

May they love You more than comfort. May they love You more than money or homes or cars. May they love you more than good food that is no longer there for them. May they love You more than phone calls and email letters from friends. May they love you more than holidays. May they love you more than life itself.

May they always be honored to be a candle than shines the light of Christ to those who are blind without Christ. "But in order to burn, a candle must die" ... may they love You enough to be that candle. May they always love you more than life itself.

With New Levels ...

With new levels ... come new devils ...

There has been such an increase in spiritual warfare for myself and for those around me since we began this 50 Days of Purity fast. But instead of getting discouraged by the struggles we face during these days, may we see it as a sign that we are entering areas that the enemy does not want us to be in. I know it is also because the enemy does not want a congregation wholly (and holy) set apart to God. Plus we are fasting for an expansion of God's Kingdom in Southeast Asia ... for Season of Love ... and for future generations to know Him.

Some have said it seems that darkness is growing in our generation. But even in darkness, stars shine ... and when it is darkest, the stars shine brighter. I pray that the "stars" in our congregation would be kept from the enemy during this time of consecration to God, and as a result their hearts would burn even more for Christ. No matter the struggles we face God, may Christ be our everything for our church.

Let us shine all for Christ and keep running this race, even when that run becomes a crawl ... because Jesus, you are worth it. You are my Prize.

A Sort of Homecoming ...

"Homecoming" ... our EM retreat is coming up July 11-14. Please be in prayer for that. The focus will be growing together as a we learn to care for each other. There will also be care group leadership training as well.

A couple of my Regent alumni friends will be the guest speakers: Walter and Toni Kim.

Pray that God would use them powerfully during our retreat and that they would have a restful time here as they take a family holiday as well.

And right after that we'll be having our JAMA Sr. Conference from July 22-24. A team from JAMA USA will be coming to lead this event.



Please pray God will use these events and the churches in Australia to bring about a nation-wide revival one day soon ...

Koorong

Yesterday was the first day of a week long Koorong Bookstore sale! Hermann and I stopped by and got some amazing deals on good books for as low as $0.95!!!!! Koorong is amazing ... I don't know how they do it ... but I do know WHY they do it ... to keep me coming back!

Allergy

Was it the cheese? Or the mushrooms? I had a weird allergic reaction a couple of weeks ago to something I ate and so on Tuesday I went in for some tests ... the results should be back in about a month or so. But I tell you, having Medicare is awesome now ... just give them the card and not worry about any bills ... that's how health care should be! =)

Golf Outing June 2005

The course ...

On our day off, some of the guys and I went out golfing ... I'm a big-time beginner (meaning I stink!) ... but the scenery was amazing. =) Both the sky and the ocean seemed so much bigger and closer that day.

Eddie Bang, Hermann "I'm Korean, not Vietnamese" Kim, and John Rhee at the Coast Golf Club ... it was a beautiful day for golf!  

My swing in front of an amazing view of the ocean!  

The dinner ... Hermann wanted some "native" cooking ...

U2 iPod!

This is the surprise graduation gift our care group leaders got me last Sunday =) And what a nice surprise it was ... something I totally wanted but didn't think I would ever be able to get .... thanks to those who gave this very generous gift!

50 Days of Purity

Our current series of 50 Days of Purity ... today's message was on "A Life of Pure Surrender", looking at Abraham's sacrifice of his son Isaac. When God asks of us to surrender something ... it's because He wants to make room in our hearts for something better ... for Himself.

I am amazed when I look at Abraham's complete trust in willing to do anything God asked of Him. It showed how much Abraham understood that God knows what He's doing in our lives ... and to trust and obey ... no matter what.

I'm reminded of the hymn ... "trust and obey, for there's no other way ... to be happy in Jesus than to trust and obey."

....

And this was last weeks message on the Tower of Babel ... "where is God in your plans?" was the key question of the day ... we so often plan our lives without even thinking about what God wants us to do ...



....

And the first in our series of "50 Days of Purity" was "A Life Set Apart for God" ... and that's what each one of us are ... we have been chosen and set apart for Him. We are His ... forever.




Posted by Hello

Work Station ... Play Station

This is Hyun's desk at her lab =) ... she recently got another one of her articles published in a major science magazine! I'm very proud of her ... I think she's one of the best researchers in her whole lab!




And this is my regluar place of work, prep and worship ... I think I need some more bookshelf space though =P

Sydney Opera House

Another very nice shot of the Opera House [photo by Eddie Bang]

What a beautiful city we live in ... this is a very nice shot of the Opera House that Eddie Bang took ... on one of his "tourist" days ...  

A Picture Is Worth ...

I'm only recently getting the hang of this blog thing as well as adding pictures. What a difference pictures can make.

This is one of Hyun's favorite pictures ... us at Koala Park in 2003 (when Eddie Bang and her brother Nal were here visiting).




And then our 1 year anniversary dinner at Darling Harbour =) October of 2002

Mission Teams

Wow, it's been over a year since I last blogged ...

Just found out how to post pictures more effectively ... so ...

Here's the 2003 Thailand Team at Krabi


Here's a picture of our 2004 Thailand/Laos Mission Team


The team at the high school we were teaching at in Chiangrai


The 2004 team at a lake ...


Just the guys during our debrief ...