Dear Friends and Family of TJ,
It's not money, it's not possessions, it's not accomplishments, but how we love one another in Christ.
This is a lesson I am learning about more and more every day. For many of you who may not know us, we are close friends of TJ and Kwang (Cal) from Atlanta, Georgia. We were able to spend a wonderful weekend with the Kim family in St. Augustine over the Memorial Day holiday. The weather was stormy most of the weekend, so any bit of sunlight we saw, we took the kids and headed to the beach. We all had such a great time. We ate a lot...played a lot...laughed a lot...and hugged each other a lot. It was precious time spent with people we love so much.
TJ and I sat on the beach watching our husbands play with the kids, and for a few hours, I don't think we thought about chemo treatments, hospitals, or cancer. We just enjoyed being together.
Please continue to pray for TJ, Kwang, Matthew, and Hannah. Pray that the Lord will give them what they need for each day, and that they would continue to rely on His supernatural power. Pray that He would heal TJ and strengthen her today. Pray that Kwang may know that God's grace truly is sufficient. Pray that Matthew and Hannah may come to know deeply the Lord who calls them.
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields [b] with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
In Christ,
Susan Lee (Open Door Community Church, Alpharetta, Georgia)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Returned home for good!
Hi Everyone,
I returned home for good last Friday; it’s a place where TJ and the kids received me with nothing less than perfect, welcoming love. Oh God, I thank you for safely bringing us together and pray that we’ll be spending quality time for a very long time.
Seeing TJ at the airport was surreal. After spending months apart and knowing her recent health and treatment difficulties, I didn’t know how we were going to react: she should’ve been resting at home instead of coming out to the airport. As I walked out of the terminal and saw her from a distant, she was sitting at a chair with a big smile, but too tired to get up. With various emotions running through my mind, I just sat next to her with my arm around her without saying much. With her tired-looking eyes, she said, “Welcome Home!” I told her it’s great to be home…, as we both thanked God wholeheartedly.
Before leaving Brazil I had so many things to share with TJ. But, once I saw her, I just wanted to be with her and didn't care about anything else. I felt awkward talking about the recent treatment news, so it took a couple of days before we started sharing. We talked, cried, talked, cried – tears never seem to end. We were discussing our thoughts and feelings and asked God for His guidance. We also realized it will take time for us to understand (within God's time), because neither of us was prepared at all to handle such a life changing event. Finally, we have accepted TJ’s current health condition, trusting our Lord that He has great “Plans” for TJ and the rest of us. TJ already accepted this fact, as she has peace and comfort within her soul while I am slowly on the path to join her. Please pray for us to continually trust in our Lord’s infinite wisdom and sovereignty.
I went to pick up Matthew and Hannah at their school that afternoon. With them it quickly brought back the father-son and father- daughter loving parent/child relationships; an old saying of “blood is thicker than water” is so true. It felt as if nothing had changed, not missing a beat although we have been separated for a long time. Both Matthew and Hannah were expecting me to listen to their “issues” that they couldn’t say over the phone: a simple but important gesture of Hannah wanting me to lay next to her while she falls asleep; Matthew demonstrating new Karate techniques that earned him a “Green” belt; Hannah gossiping about her best friends and her not-so-best friends; Matthew wanting me to teach him how to play chess, etc…. Both of them kept asking, if I am going back again? For now, I reassured them I am planning to stay for a while.
We are in continued awe of your fervent prayers. We thank you for your on-going and encouraging emails, letters, cards, gifts, meals, on and on….Our words cannot express our gratitude to each and every one of you. We pray that God will continually bless you and your family as we re-dedicate our lives to glorify Him and Him alone.
In His name,
Kwang
I returned home for good last Friday; it’s a place where TJ and the kids received me with nothing less than perfect, welcoming love. Oh God, I thank you for safely bringing us together and pray that we’ll be spending quality time for a very long time.
Seeing TJ at the airport was surreal. After spending months apart and knowing her recent health and treatment difficulties, I didn’t know how we were going to react: she should’ve been resting at home instead of coming out to the airport. As I walked out of the terminal and saw her from a distant, she was sitting at a chair with a big smile, but too tired to get up. With various emotions running through my mind, I just sat next to her with my arm around her without saying much. With her tired-looking eyes, she said, “Welcome Home!” I told her it’s great to be home…, as we both thanked God wholeheartedly.
Before leaving Brazil I had so many things to share with TJ. But, once I saw her, I just wanted to be with her and didn't care about anything else. I felt awkward talking about the recent treatment news, so it took a couple of days before we started sharing. We talked, cried, talked, cried – tears never seem to end. We were discussing our thoughts and feelings and asked God for His guidance. We also realized it will take time for us to understand (within God's time), because neither of us was prepared at all to handle such a life changing event. Finally, we have accepted TJ’s current health condition, trusting our Lord that He has great “Plans” for TJ and the rest of us. TJ already accepted this fact, as she has peace and comfort within her soul while I am slowly on the path to join her. Please pray for us to continually trust in our Lord’s infinite wisdom and sovereignty.
I went to pick up Matthew and Hannah at their school that afternoon. With them it quickly brought back the father-son and father- daughter loving parent/child relationships; an old saying of “blood is thicker than water” is so true. It felt as if nothing had changed, not missing a beat although we have been separated for a long time. Both Matthew and Hannah were expecting me to listen to their “issues” that they couldn’t say over the phone: a simple but important gesture of Hannah wanting me to lay next to her while she falls asleep; Matthew demonstrating new Karate techniques that earned him a “Green” belt; Hannah gossiping about her best friends and her not-so-best friends; Matthew wanting me to teach him how to play chess, etc…. Both of them kept asking, if I am going back again? For now, I reassured them I am planning to stay for a while.
We are in continued awe of your fervent prayers. We thank you for your on-going and encouraging emails, letters, cards, gifts, meals, on and on….Our words cannot express our gratitude to each and every one of you. We pray that God will continually bless you and your family as we re-dedicate our lives to glorify Him and Him alone.
In His name,
Kwang
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