以愛為旗

God is so good. He is so awesome. Follow Jesus & do His will & He will give you the desires of your heart. I have many desires but one of the most important ones is a perfect partner that God chooses for me. Every night for the past four months I would ask God, "I pray for my future wife Lord. I pray that she will fall more in love with you tomorrow than she did today." If I only knew this little secret many years ago I might of met Claire earlier. Wow, what can I say about her? She is so on fire for God that I think I might have troubles keeping up with her on this journey of ours to serve God's will.

I'll start from the day that I saw her in San Francisco back in April 1, 2002. I was there to visit my parents. They are missionaries at a church in SF. They took me to church on Sunday and then the service started. I was sitting on the right side of the church & then all of a sudden a super cute girl walks in late & sat down on the left side of the church. I thought to myself, "Nice work God!" and that was it. I didn't introduce myself after service because on a closer look Claire looked like she was about 18 years old. So I left it at that. I wasn't about to give the wrong impression on a young woman. The next week I went to church with my parents again but this time the pastor there wanted me to do a testimony of what I used to be like & what I am like now. I had no idea that Claire was there listening. After service she & her friend came up to me & started asking me questions. Her friend did almost all the talking and she barely said a word. I thought that she was really shy so I tried to say a few things to her. We didn't say much to each other but she did ask me to send her a copy of my testimony. I wrote down her e-mail address on my Palm Pilot & I said that I would e-mail her. Days went by & then I finally remembered to send the testimony to her. She replied the next day & what she sent me was very encouraging. I replied back & I guess that's when we started to keep in touch. We would always talk about what was going on with her walk with Jesus. It was so uplifting for me to see her become closer to God.

Around May things changed between us. Now we began to converse with each other through MSN Messenger. For those who aren't familiar with this, it is an online real time text-messaging program where a person can type what they want on their computer, hit send & the person on the other computer can instantly read what you just sent. We had great fun conversing about what we thought God was doing in our lives & how we were growing with Him in or lives as well. I always tried to keep things strictly on topic, which obviously cantered around Jesus. Then one day we got off topic when she told me that she was assembling a table with her friend that they bought from Ikea. She sounded like she was doing all the work. I was impressed until she told me that her friend did most of the work. But then I was more impressed with her because she knew how to delegate jobs without her doing any of it. This interested me. I started asking her general questions about herself & how she viewed things. I was getting more impressed with her. She started opening up to me about herself & I started to become partially interested in her.

During all this time I prayed for God's guidance in what to do. I asked Him to keep watch over what we would talk about & that we would glorify Him in all that we do.
Fast forward to July. Now I was definitely very interested in her although I dared not to let her know that I had strong feelings for her. I knew that she liked me but I kept my distance. I stayed away because of a list I made in January 2002. In this list I described to God what I was looking for in a woman. This list was about eight pages long on a Palm Pilot. It described her personality & characteristics & more. At the end of my list I put," & more...I don't want to limit God on how He wants to bless me." Everything on this list came true either by me noticing it in her or by her literally telling me what I had on the list.

Funny thing is that I never once looked at the list I made while I was courting her. Many of my friends knew that I was conversing with her & they all wanted me to tell her that I had very strong feelings for her. But, I knew that I had to stick it out no matter how much I wanted to tell her. The only thing that didn't come to pass on this list was "She will tell me" I wrote this down on the Palm. Then on Thursday morning at about 3am we were talking on the phone & I sensed that she wanted to say something. So I asked her if she had anything that she wanted to say to me & she did. She told me a story about a friend of hers. This person was her spiritual friend & adviser that she respected very much. She went on but I didn't hear what she said for I was praying to God & asking Him to make her say it. To say that she is the one for me. Then...She said it. A great sigh of relief could be heard in heaven for I am sure that the angels were all busting at the seams to hear if she would actually say it and she did! I was just beaming! I was so happy I heard those words come out of her mouth. God has answered my prayers! I was so full of happiness & joy & peace. Peace... I never felt such peace before about a girl in my entire life. I knew that she would make me happy, I knew that she would be there for me, I knew that she was the one God has given me to share my life with. I knew that I could love her.

Some say we are crazy. To the world we are. To God we aren't. He does not want us to conform to the patterns of this world. We are His children. He wants the best for His own. Dreams...or rather...prayers do come true. Believe and it will happen through the power of Jesus.

Claire & I have dedicated our lives to serving His will. We know that we have been chosen to do something great for the Kingdom of Heaven. Wouldn't you like to be chosen? You can you know...Just believe.

Read About How Claire met David

In past few months, I went to a realtor bus tour almost every week. The most expensive house I saw was listed for 2.2 million dollar. Couple weeks ago, one of David's friend was wanting to see this loft house. But his friend didn't make it to their appointment. So I asked David to bring me to see this loft. This little loft is only one bed room. It's little bit under 1000 sqft. While I was walking in the house, my heart was jump so fast. This feeling come from no where. I asked God "why?" "what is it?" "I am not planning to buy a house, I asked myself." But as I walking in this little loft house. My heart just can't be quiet with me. I have 4-5 times experience like this in the past. My heart is jumping so fast and feel something is gonna come out from my heart and mouth. When that happened in the past, every time is when Holy Spirit gave me a word to share. But this time is different, I am walking in the place I don't even thinking about to buy, simply, just because we can't afford it.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This verse came to me few weeks before I visited this loft house. We talk about this verse in couple's group meeting. Many of my north america friends, think that you must leave your family and live independently. Start your own family. But for a lot of Chinese think that to live with your parents it's way of piety. This verse means that you can making your own decision and you are indeoendent on your mind. I asked myself, do I really independent? Is David's parents still effect our decisions? Are we finance independent? Although, They said to David when there is a decision need to make. And what I want to do is different than their suggestion, he should listen to me. In fact, no matter what, they still effect our decision a lot. Just because they are my parents. That verse bag me for a few weeks.

After I visit the loft, I wanted to put a offer on the loft. But few days before I saw the house. Someone already put an offer on the loft house. And the offer was accepted. Then I start to asked God, why I thought You are talking to me with that house. I take a step of faith. But the house now is gone? Few days after that, people start to gave us free furniture, our garage now is filled with furniture. Even few years ago we gave a way a nice queen size bed. Now people wanted to give us back the bed. Now We have 3 sets of sofa, queen size bed and drawers.

I didn't understand why. but there is a song from Newsboys In the chorus of this song says, "You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name I will bless Your name." Many of my sisters and brothers from house church said to me. "God has prepare something better for you." At that time, I think the money I have, I know I don't have much to choose. But I believe God has prepare something for me. I don't know how long I have to wait. And the house value is growing crazy in this market. But I know God has prepare something better for me.

I remember Erica pray for me. And she say to me, That house God is given me has lots big windows. Very bright house. No old carpet. Nice yard for gardening (because I love gardening) Lots lights for my garden to grow beautiful flowers. big basement so I can rented it out to student to help my mortgage.

2 weeks after that, I start to looking for a place for myself. I remember I choose around 10 house to look. 4 are on east side of the town, 5 are on west side of the town. 1 in the center Abbotsford. When we tried to make appointment all the house in west side of Abby were gone. And one house on west side is gone too. So, we only have around 5 house to see. But we knew God shot the door on the west Abby. David never really like west side of Abbotsford.

On the 4th house we visit, when we walk into the house. David say to me. he feel like he is at home. We put a offer on that house next day. That house was on the market over 2 months, This is strange, a normal house, if price right in this market. should be gone in 2 weeks. ( This is how hot the market is in Abbotsford now) And this beautiful house was already on the market for 82 days. How can this be possible?

We put a offer, and the offer was accepted. Later on we found out that the people who used to own the house was a pastor and they are support missionary work in Asia too.

And we also found out our current neighbor (the one beside my parents-in-law's house) they are moving away too. And their new house is two house beside the house we are moving in ^_^ . That was funny. They are still my neighbor in the new neighborhood. Also, we are going to move in at same week.

I love the new house that I am moving in. And God gave me something better than I can ever dream of. (Just like He always does for me) I am touched by Your love, and You amazed me again with Your handy work. The prayer Erica said to me 100% come true. The verse about "leavig your parents and become one flesh" I still don' t understand what is God mean. North America way of thinking or Chinese ways of thinking? I desire to know , God what is your thought for that verse.



Click here to see my Future House

經　　節：

願耶和華叫你們和你們的子孫日見加增。(詩篇一百十五篇14節)

你站在門檻上， 　　　　　不知前面如何？ 　　　　你站在沒有地圖， 　　　　　沒有指標的門前， 　　　　所幸有神同在。 　　　　　祂是救主、保護者，更是朋友， 　　　　絕不撇棄你、離開你， 　　　　　必眷顧你直到末了。 　　　　你站在那裡問： 　　　　　「這些日子將會如何？」 　　　　祂回答：「全都是福！」 　　　　　是的，多而又多的福。 　　　　至於是何樣的福， 　　　　　則不得而知。 　　　　但是可確知， 　　　　　祂給的是福上加福。 　　我們不用一下子擁有跑完全程的力量，只要一步一步的走！