WitnessLA.org

Next Month: TheCRY Hollywood (3/15)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:19:00 -0800

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Do you want to be a part of a movement to turn Hollywood and the entertainment industry back to Jesus?

Please join WitnessLA.org and our friends and partners for TheCRY Hollywood - a day of prayer, fasting and worship for our city and for Hollywood on March 15th at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City. It will run all day from 2pm-midnight, and will bring churches and ministries together from around the city with a heart for this monumental cause.

It’s not a conference. It’s not a concert. It’s a cry. More information is available on TheCRY Hollywood’s official website or in the videos below:

Giving

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:19:00 -0800

It’s always easier to give when you have a lot but it’s so much more difficult to be generous when you have little. Our friend shares how she allowed her financial circumstances dictate her giving and caused her to have a “shortfall” in her relationship with God.

I remembered letting the offering bowl pass by without putting anything into it. It was the first time in years I had done so. I had recently lost my job and was living off of unemployment so it didn’t make sense for me to tithe when I barely had enough to cover my living expenses. I felt justified because it didn’t financially make sense to do so. Why give when it will cause you to not have enough to pay your bills. Isn’t paying your bills godly since it’s showing love to those who owe you money? I reasoned that if God had wanted me to give He would have given me the resources to do. Although all these reasons made sense me, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy by what I had done.

I remembered not being able to sleep that night because something just didn’t feel right about not giving that morning. I thought it could be guilt or feeling shameful about my monthly budget, but as I ran my expenses over and over in my head, I concluded that every cost was justified. Everything was meant to be there but what didn’t make sense to me was the monthly allowance I was given. A small part of me began questioning whether God’s monthly stipend to me made sense. Maybe God error in this area and made it so that I couldn’t be generous—-heck maybe he just wanted me have rest in giving since I’ve done so often in the past. My thoughts wandered even more as I began wishfully thinking I could do so much more to serve God if He had only given more resources.

The story of the widow’s offering in Luke 21:1-4 ran through my head that night. Jesus was especially touched by her offering because although it was very little in comparison with the offering from others, it was all that she had. She was very poor but gave all she had because she believed in Jesus. I felt God was challenging me with her story by putting it into my thoughts. I wrestling with God and asked “but who will take care of her, Lord? She’s all alone with no money. How will she pay rent, or eat, or take care of herself?” The widow is noted in the bible for her good deed but there was NOTHING in the bible about what happened to her afterwards. Another bible story immediately came to mind to answer that question. However I wasn’t sure if it was spirit inspired since it’s one of those generic stories that have been told countless times in church. It’s the classic bible story all Christians share whenever someone is stressed out about resources and although it had been overplayed in my church and my walk, I couldn’t help but feel convicted by it. It’s the story where Jesus tells his followers to not worry about following Him because God will take care of them (Matthew 6:25-34). I had heard that story a million times but for some reason that night, I felt convicted in a way I had never felt before. The uneasiness I felt from not tithing this morning began to make sense: I didn’t give not so much because I didn’t have the resources to do it, but because I didn’t trust in God.

I didn’t know I felt this way about God but when tested it was exposed. I knew I had to deal with this area of struggle and the only way to resolve it was to choose firmly to tithe or not tithe. I decided I would do whatever it takes to honor God, even if it didn’t make sense to me to financially to do so. My relationship with God was more important than my bills. If God is really who he says he is and if he really promised to take care of me then everything will work out. I went online and tithed that night. I didn’t feel great doing it but the heaviness I felt from denying God was lifted. At the very least I was able to go to bed afterwards. I wasn’t sure what would happen but I figured I would deal with the anxiety and stress from the financial shortfall I created in my monthly budget at another time.

Over the next few weeks miracles upon miracles began to occur. Although I didn’t have enough money to pay for school and monthly living expense, all these things somehow were paid for every month. I had tried looking for a job to pay for school but was unsuccessful, God made it so that my old company contacted me out of the blue for a contract gig that paid just enough to cover tuition costs. I had a shortfall every month but somehow it’s covered. I don’t have an explanation for it except for “praise Jesus!” There have been times where friends and family have given me money despite not knowing anything about my financial situation. I never asked for the money nor did I give any indications that I needed it however the fact that such generosity was shown to me was clearly an act of God. Jesus had sustained me in poverty.

God showed me that the “shortfall” I had was not in my monthly budget, but how my heart was towards Him every month. I cheated Him of trust and denied him the priestly, holy, and royal worship that was due to him. I gave every month but my heart wasn’t in it. When I allowed God to deal with those areas of unbelief and mistrust in my life, I was able to worship God free of constraints and experience his love and blessings beyond what I can imagine or explain. I look back at the story of the widow who gave everything she had to God and can now fill in the ending that was left out: I know with absolutely certainty that God took care of her.

Why I Love Jesus

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 11:21:00 -0800

Jefferson Bethke shares in spoken word poetry the difference between religion and a relationship in Christ, and why he loves the latter.

Open Thread: Prayer & Encouragement for Jeremy Lin

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:56:38 -0800

Jeremy Lin’s explosive performances over the last few weeks have made him one of the most talked about people in the media. Here at WitnessLA, we want to focus the conversation on how our community can encourage Jeremy, pray for him and his family, and share his testimony with people who do not know Christ. Please write in the comment box a message you would like to send to Jeremy. We will post this link to his twitter account to let him know that our community supports him and is praying for him.

Jeremy has said “if you look back at my story, it doesn’t matter where you look, but God’s fingerprints are all over the place.” Please take some time to reflect upon your own testimony to see where God’s fingerprints have been in your life, and share your story with those around you who don’t know God.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16, NASB95)

God bless you readers!

- The Editors of WitnessLA.org

Faith in Action

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:05:00 -0800

Pastor Jaeson Ma prays with Jeremy Lin before a New York Knicks’ game. In all that you do, seek first the kingdom of God and give him glory.

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” (Psalm 62:5-8, KJV)

Love Card

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:14:00 -0800

In the spirit of Valentine’s, at WitnessLA.org we’re featuring the stories and testimonies on what God has shown Christians about singleness, relationships, and love. Today, our friend Touyee shares about the best and most memorable Valentine’s Day card he’s ever received.

The worse part of Valentine’s Day growing up was waiting till the end of class to open up all the cards that were given out from your fellow classmates. Likewise the best part of Valentine’s Day was opening all the cards that you got. There was the classic train that read “I choo-choo choose you!” The bumble bee that read “Let’s Bee Together!” There was the classic card that simply read “I love you.”

As we’ve grown up, for those in a season of singleness, these Valentine’s card phrases can bring back memories of brokenness, heartbreak, and despair.

So we’ve long forgotten about those cards, tucked them away in the back of our mind and just hoping to get through this day without too much pain, tears, and grief.

In my season of singleness, I want to reflect on the greatest Valentine’s Day card of all time, the Bible. This card expresses the greatest love of all: God’s love for us.

For the majority of January I was depressed. The depression where I had lost all joy in the things that uses to bring happiness. The depression where I couldn’t get out of bed. I was hiding it the best I could from family and friends. I couldn’t take being single anymore; I wanted to be in a relationship.

I believed that I was waiting patiently for God’s will in my season of singleness, but turns out I was waiting patiently while my arms were crossed and tapping my foot at Him. The turning point came when my best friend from college called and informed me that he was now in a committed relationship. He was now in love. I expressed to him how incredibly happy I was to hear that, but in my heart I was jealous, angry, and frustrated. That’s when I realized that I was no longer secure in my relationship with God. Being in a relationship had become idolatry to me.

I had forgotten my first love in Christ. Those feelings I felt right after my conversion, the joy, excitement, the feeling that nothing was impossible and that so much could be achieved were forgotten in only a few months. I didn’t love Jesus like I once did, but I was still going to church, still serving Him, still being a witness for Him. However, that simply isn’t good enough for Him.

Matthew 22:37-38: And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.”

Those in a season of singleness dread receiving Valentine’s Day cards. What if Jesus Christ gave you a Valentine’s Day card? Would you be excited to read it? Well, Jesus has given you a Valentine’s Day card. The Bible is God’s card for each one of us. The greatest card we could ever receive. Filled with His love for us.

Let God’s words bring you closer to His love. Let his love break you from your brokenness, heartbreak, and despair. His love transcends. His love transforms. His love touches.

God’s card for me reads: Romans 8:38-39: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor demons, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re single, in a relationship, or married, open up the Bible and read God’s love card for you.

Staying on Course

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:24:00 -0800

In the spirit of Valentine’s, at WitnessLA.org we’re featuring the stories and testimonies on what God has shown Christians about singleness, relationships, and love all the days leading up to Feb. 14th. Today, our Voice M shares how God helped her find love and maintain purity in her relationship.

About two years ago I had shared my struggles with purity. I was walking strongly with the Lord when I was tempted and almost succumbed to feelings of lust. Looking back I am so glad God intervened and saved me from that situation for a number of reasons. God saved me from another bad romance, He prevented me from sinning against Him and causing a division between us, and He used that situation to help prepare me to have the godly relationship I would have with my future husband.

I met my fiancée a couple weeks after overcoming my temptation. Through a series of miscommunication I ended up at a small group he hosted instead of being at the Freedom and Fashion’s meeting across town. There our romance began. I knew this relationship was different because God had allowed it to happen in the small group. In the past I would meet guys on my own and have a relationship outside my circle of friends. This time, God wanted me to have accountability and support by allowing our relationship to develop the way it did.

We had our struggles and many moments of temptations but because we always came to God for help, He made it possible for us to maintain purity for over two and half years. This is an impressive track record for someone like me, given my history. It also taught me something so amazing about God. Although He is pure, righteous, and holy, He is also extremely compassionate, quick to forgive, and always there to help in times of struggle. I have come to Him after many struggles with physical boundaries, and each time He miraculously makes it so that I can have the godly, loving, and healthy relationship I were meant to have. Never once did He ignore my prayers and judged me for my mistakes.

I have learned that apart from God I’m not able to make the progress I’ve made. Often times in the past I would try to undo or make up for my mistakes. This mindset only resulted in more mistakes and feelings of shame and guilt. It wasn’t until I began to embrace God’s grace and allowed Him to be the Lord over my life that I began to grow and transform into a better person. As our friend Nancy has shared in her post last week, part of trusting God means testing God’s faithfulness. When we fall into temptation we should cry out to God and allow Him the opportunity to prove that He’ll be faithful to rescue us. Although I hate that I have purity challenges, I am relieved to know that when I give them over to God, He is able to redeem those areas my life. God uses my struggles to remind me that Jesus has overcome sin, including mine, so I need to let go of my failures and continue to try to the live the I was designed to live because God will always be there help me.

Free Falling

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:41:00 -0800

In the spirit of Valentine’s, at WitnessLA.org we’re featuring the stories and testimonies on what God has shown Christians about singleness, relationships, and love all the days leading up to Feb. 14th. Today, our Voice Kytia shares how the relationship between God and man is the greatest love story she’s come to know.

When most people think of Valentine’s Day, they think of holding hands with their somebody or avoiding the public due to the fact they don’t have a somebody. However, the greatest love story I’ve ever known is the relationship between God and man. A great thing happened to me when I was single, living in Hawaii, and “oh-so-not” looking for romance. I experienced the love of God and of friendship which both fill a void that causes many hearts to ache. The following is a myspace blog post I wrote over three years ago about that very thing, and it is as relevant now as it was on July 7th, 2008. To give you some backstory, I’ll let you in on a little tradition that happens in Hawaii for people of all ages. At Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu, there is a VERY massive rock that beach goers take turns climbing and leaping from all day and this was my chance to do the same. It didn’t go quite as planned, but it is a very memorable moment in my walk with God nonetheless.

“I sat on top of the rocks at Waimea Bay for about an hour today. Not by choice, but I had to prove something to myself. Possibly to those around me. I’m not one to say I have a fear of heights, but when you’re on top of a rock the size of a three story building with smaller rocks below you and water so clear that dimensions are skewed, it’s not the most pleasant experience. From below, it doesn’t seem that tall. That intimidating. Once the journey begins it’s a different story altogether. Even climbing up the rocks to get to the top is frustrating. Fear of slipping down to the bottom and endangering your well being is almost ridiculous considering you’re not really getting anything in return. From jumping off a rock the size of a building.

When I went to meet my friends at the top of the rock, I was taking my time and there was a gentleman with an accent behind me. I apologized for being so slow and he said, “Don’t rush, no matter who’s behind you.” I tend to try and get out of the way in many situations whether it’s best for me or not. I never want to be a nuisance or feel like I’m causing someone else to miss out on my behalf. His words calmed me. Like it was important enough for me to be comfortable and get there in my own timing. What a novel idea.

Once I got to the top, I saw my friends…and then I saw the drop. Fear crept in—as it did for many their first time so I’m told—and this leap didn’t seem so fun anymore. My friends encouraged me and even said they would hold my hand if we jumped together. The stubborn side of me said no numerous times. I felt like going back down the mountain of rocks but my friend Salem informed me that it was even harder going back down. Hmmm…I am in a pickle. That didn’t bother me as much as how many people were counting on me to make it. I feel like I always have to be the strong one in situations like these. Even when it’s not expected, I make it my business to be taken care of so they don’t have to do it for me. So letting anyone down is letting myself fail.

After time, my friends went away and did their own thing. I would see them glance back with hope in their eyes and possible thoughts of, “Okay, any minute now she’s gonna jump.” My friend Chris even told me that he stayed in the same spot for about 30 minutes just waiting. I sat there for a while looking at the water. Harmless, but seemingly impossible to get to.

A group of guys were sitting next to me at the top, so I struck up conversation and asked if they were scared too. A few were, so we tried to make plans of going together or if they go, then I would go. None of it worked. They even started talking about how I should just set up a stand and start selling things because I would never make it down. Making jokes about how I would be there for two weeks and they would start bringing me food everyday to sustain me. How they would come visit Hawaii next summer and I’d still be in the same spot. I thought that was pretty hilarious.

It took my mind off of the fear that stood in the way, but then I kept thinking of how ridiculous I looked up there, burning in the sun while I waited for some courage. A few times, while no one was looking I attempted to jump, but my body wouldn’t let me. I contemplated going to other spots that were lower thinking it would make a difference, but in essence I just sat there tanning on the rocks. One by one, even the group of guys started jumping off and then telling me it was my turn. I didn’t budge. I wanted to slip down the rocks and disappear without anyone watching. A personal accomplishment to share with myself. Knowing I did it was all I really needed.

Just when I was ready to walk to the lower side, I heard Salem shouting for me in the water. She came to see if I was ready and sadly I wasn’t. She offered to come up with me and jump at the same time, so I said yes. I didn’t think it would help, but I was willing to try. I tried different approaches like counting to three, jumping with her, or jumping after her. I felt so bad because it was the stupidest thing and she was wasting her time trying to talk me into “overcoming the greatest obstacle of my life.” I thought that was cute in a way that it had become this huge thing with so many people waiting for me and cheering me on. It was so big and so small at the same time.

Two other friends—Noa and Jay—came up soon after and I was thinking, “Are you kidding me? This is just getting worse.” Without hesitation, they landed in the glistening ocean while I looked on. Then the guys I met at the top of the rock were all in the water below yelling for me to leap. Even that didn’t seem to do the trick. To be honest, I just felt like a spectacle. After a few MORE minutes of me standing and waiting, Jay shouted up ”Just do it! Jesus is with you!” Immediately after, something clicked. I responded, “In that case, okay.”

I didn’t jump just yet, but I got closer and closer to the edge. Then I started inching my way down the rock until I was pretty much stuck. I trapped myself and there was no where to go but down. I was happy to be there though because it meant that I was going to HAVE to do it! Just when Noa was telling me when I should go because of the level of the waves and the difference it would make juxtaposed to the distance of whatever, I went for it. As I was going down, I heard Salem scream “Yay!”. Once I came above water again, all of my friends—old and new—were cheering me on as if I had done something really grand. I was so happy. I honestly think I only dropped about five feet, but it wasn’t about the jump. It was knowing that God loves me enough to place me with the most amazing people who care enough about me to let me be weak. He was with me the whole time.

Climbing up the rocks, he whispered “Don’t rush, no matter who’s behind you.” Through my fear, he offered to hold my hand. Once at the top, he showed me that everyone has a weakness and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. As soon as I was getting prepared in my heart to do it, he was in the water encouraging my decision. When my faith faltered, He told me He had been with me the whole time. Once I landed, he applauded along with his angels. God I love Jesus! I still get choked up thinking about it. Little did my friends really know—well they do now—what they did for me today.”

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

-Isaiah 41:10

You Shall Not Be Broken

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:51:00 -0800

In the spirit of Valentine’s, at WitnessLA.org we’re featuring the stories and testimonies on what God has shown Christians about singleness, relationships, and love all the days leading up to Feb. 14th. Today, our Editor Dan shares how God is faithful in keeping His promise to make marriage a blessed union.

Marriage isn’t easy. It’s no wonder that when we look around at our peers in our late 20’s and even mid 30’s, it’s rare to find people who are actually married. I wasn’t a young buck by the time I tied the knot - one month from my 30th birthday, and yet, when people find out that I’m married, it’s shocking and almost scandalous to most people that I would do the deed “at such a young age.” Some people are in such disbelief when they’re around Rachel and I that they keep referring to me as her boyfriend, even after being corrected many times.

Now that could just be my youthful charm and good looks (*wink*), but more likely it’s a symptom of how we view marriage nowadays and the fact that to most people, marriage just isn’t worth the work.

[click “Read More” below to continue]

Why tie yourself down? Why burden yourself with another person when life is about your goals, your dreams, your wants, you, you, you? This Facebook age is the age of vanity, the age of egotism, the age of self-worship.

But what I want to share - to go against the grain - is to say that marriage is easier than you think, especially if God is involved. Ever since I’ve been dating Rachel, we’ve been blessed with the Lord’s favor. Time after time, He would intervene to keep us together, to keep us from being broken. (You can read an example from a previous post I wrote here). That’s why we have Eccl. 4:12 inscribed on her engagement ring (story of our proposal here) and we featured the same verse on our wedding day (story of wedding day miracles here) - a threefold cord is not easily broken. Jesus Christ is the one that ties us together and keeps us together.

And He’s always on the job. A few months ago, Rachel and I had a huge argument - the kind that I guess all married couples have - but this one was really a bruiser. We were on our way to an event that night, and I remember I was so angry and so frustrated that I couldn’t even be in the same room as her. My top was about to blow. So instead of putting on a smiling face, I stormed off like a child and left her there to go into the event by herself.

Fuming, I walked all the way up and down the streets of the Noho Arts District. Back and forth. If this were a cartoon I would’ve had one of those black storm clouds above my head, I was that angry. Nothing could calm me down. I felt I was right, she was wrong and she had gone off on me for no reason. After reaching both ends of Noho’s main drag, I realized I might miss the entire event if I didn’t get it together.

Still fuming, still offended, with no answers and no solutions, I did the only thing I can ever do when these kind of things happen - throw my arms up, let it go and bring it to God. I prayed that He would be faithful to keep us together as He always does, that He would resolve and fix the unfixable in us, that He would bridge the gap and reconcile the strongest forces of nature - man and woman - together for His glory.

After praying, I sucked up my pride, walked back to the restaurant and opened the door. I remember Rachel seemed completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened. As if my adult hissyfit hadn’t made it clear to her that something had gone very wrong. But I let it go and started to talk to our other friends that had come.

As the night started to wrap up, we were walking back to our car and I asked why she had been so calm. How could she not have been furious like I was?

Rachel smiled. “You won’t believe this,” she said, “but while you were out walking around, I got an email out of the blue from Nonie, my Spiritual Mentor in Hong Kong.”

“So?” I said.

“Haha,” she continued. “Nonie wrote I think you need to see this, God told me to send it to you. I checked the attachment and it was an article called ‘10 Ways for Dealing with Confrontation.’ I mean what are the chances of that? I guess God is trying to tell me something.”

We both had to laugh. God has a great sense of humor sometimes. He intervened in perfect timing, in just the exact moment we needed it again, and showed us how much He loves not just us - but how much He loves our marriage.

In marriage, you are never alone. Jesus is in the middle, the mediator, counselor, therapist, advocate, peace maker. Just believe, and I promise you shall not be broken.

Unexpected Illness

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:10:00 -0800

Our friend’s father was diagnosed with cancer during a work trip from Los Angeles to Seoul, South Korea. The unexpected news forced the family to cling onto God tighter than they did before as fear and uncertainty about surgery, chemotherapy, logistics, and finance draped over them. Our friend is in a small group in Los Angeles who has been praying for his situation and by the amazing grace of God, the WitnessLA family was given an update on how God has answered their prayers during this difficult time.

Prayer for responsiveness to surgery and chemo, and for the best possible medical care.
Prayer update: There were concerns that the surgery and chemotherapy would not be effective in battling the cancer given its late discovery. However, my dad’s surgery went extremely well in removing the cancer tumors. His recovery has been great and his chemo sessions are moving along without a hitch. He just received another full diagnosis and the chemo drugs that he’s been receiving seem to be really effective. He hasn’t had bad side effects from is, aside from the usual throwing up and not being able to eat for few days. Although he has lost a lot of weight, 25lbs to date, from this treatment, it’s been a blessing since he was a little heavy. It’s hard for him for maybe one or two days after the treatment but he’s otherwise been his normal self. So all in all, everything is going fantastic.

Prayer for logistics to be worked out, such as housing and transportation for the family.
Prayer update: We didn’t know any doctors in South Korea and were concern we wouldn’t have access to the best medical care for my dad. However, we soon discovered that his current doctor is the country’s leading specialist in this type of cancer. This doctor is heavily sought after and the wait to see him can take as long as 2 years. By the God’s amazing providence, this doctor just happened to have a free time slot when my dad went in the hospital for a routine checkup. The doctor was able to diagnose the cancer, perform the surgery, and has taken it upon him to see to it that my dad complete all cancer treatments (any further surgery or chemo) through him.

When my dad found out he had cancer, the first person he called was our home pastor for prayer. This turned out to be another blessing because God used him in helping us secure housing and transportation for my parents hear the hospital he needed to be. We didn’t know anyone in that area so the pastor put us into touch with an elderly couple who lived near where my dad’s hospital is and asked them if my parents could use one of their rooms for a week or two while we figure out the housing situation. Instead, they decided to hand over the keys to their apartment to my parents for as long as we needed the place, free of charge. The couple has been staying at another apartment they own that is close by to the hospital. They have been visiting frequently to pray for my parents and buy them grocery and such :)

The location is perfect. It’s only a 30 min subway ride to the hospital and it’s away from the city, near a forest where things are really quiet and peaceful. My dad says he feels like he’s on vacation :) It’s amazing.

Prayer for finances in treating this costly illness.
Prayer update: We worry about finances a lot. We seriously had no idea how we were going to pay for everything. You can imagine how surgery + 6 months of chemo + living expenses + travel expenses would cost. My parents didn’t have anything in savings since they pretty much lost everything and was in debt from their previous business and I definitely did not have enough to be able to pay for everything. But God did his thing. My dad’s current boss is known to be a very stingy man and has been especially more stingy recently because of the down economy. But when he found out my dad was diagnosed with cancer, he paid everything upfront to cover all costs, no questions asked, and told us we could pay back in small increments. On top of that he’s been paying out of his own pocket to cover all of my dad’s travel costs. He’s also allowed my dad to work part time in Korea while receiving his full pay. oh, and it turns out that any Korea-born Korean (lol) can receive government health care benefits after living in the country for 3 months. 3 months was up last month so rest of the treatment cost will be only a fraction of what we’d have to pay if my dad was receiving treatment in the US (it’s about 50 times cheaper).

Prayer for stronger faith and trust in the Lord.
Prayer update: My parents can’t stop talking about God. My dad prays all the time now. I’ve walked in on him praying to god on his knees and tearing, which I’ve never seen him do before (both praying on his knees and tearing). He always tells me to pray and trust god for everything because none of this would have been remotely possible if it wasn’t for god’s provisions. His worldly views on a lot of things have disappeared and replaced by godly ones. I know that this is just the start and god is going to continue working in my parents. How cool is that?!

I just want to encourage everyone to trust in God for everything in every situation. God arranged everything and provided in ways we didn’t even know we needed provision for. I know that even with everything that has happened I’ll continue to fail in trusting in god. But thank god he’s infinitely more faithful and patient than I am :) Please continue to pray for us and for my dad’s health. He’s on schedule to finish his chemo sometime in January but he’s been saying it’s been getting a little more difficult lately. Please pray for strength and faith!

Update: Since sharing this update a couple months ago, our friend’s dad has not been responding positively to the chemo he has been receiving. Please pray for this family to continue to find peace, joy, and trust in God. Please pray for miraculous healing and that God will continue to be glorified through this difficult situation.

Announcing WitnessTO.com!

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:10:45 -0800

Have friends in Toronto? Announcing WitnessTO!

The Witness 2.0 family of blogs is so proud to announce the launch of WitnessTO.com on January 30, 2012.

Every day during the week of Jan 30 – Feb 5, WitnessTO will be posting a testimony from their editors, so be sure to tune in to their blog! More info on the official Facebook Event here.

If you know people in Toronto who need encouragement or have friends who are interested in getting involved in sharing their testimony or editing for the blog, pass the word on! It’s as easy as clicking “Like” or sharing the link on Facebook!

WitnessTO will be the 4^th addition to the Witness family, the first three being WitnessLA, WitnessHK and WitnessSF.

If you have any thoughts, comments or encouraging words, feel free to leave them here, or get to the WitnessTO site and leave them there!

Much love and many blessings,

The Witness 2.0 Family

20 Years Later: Reconciliation and Healing from the LA Riots

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:31:00 -0800

For many of us, the images of the 1992 LA Riots is something we will never forget. Its aftermath left our city wounded, scarred and divided, often on racial grounds. But 20 years later, God is reconciling what was broken.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the LA Riots, a multi-ethnic coalition of faith leaders is joining forces to bring long-needed healing and forgiveness to our communities.

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The campaign is called SAIGU, named after the Korean name for 4-29, the date the riots spread across Los Angeles and affected so many lives.

From their official website:

A New Beginning

The SAIGU L.A. Riots Committee’s vision is to revisit a tragic chapter in our city’s history for the purpose of celebrating unity on the 20th anniversary of the riots. The L.A. Riots were a catastrophic event that impacted millions of lives, exposing the racial, economic and political disparities of the time.

Some of the results of the L.A. Riots include:

3,600 fires
1,100 building destroyed
2,000 businesses destroyed
2,000 critically injured
53 deaths
$1 billion in property damage

While the damages of the L.A. Riots are still not forgotten by our communities, we believe that commemorating this moment in history can serve as a catalyst to educate, mobilize, and bring Los Angeles and America together during these difficult times. The LA Riots SAIGU Planning Committee consists of elected officials, multi ethnic, interfaith leaders and community organizers. In that spirit, more than 6,500 people will gather at the Glory Church of Jesus Christ. (formerly the Olympic Grand Auditorium) to reignite our efforts to build trust and reconciliation through candid dialogue.

Over the next 5 months, SAIGU will organize the following activities:

· Citywide film screening

· Community service projects

· An economic development bus tour

· A multicultural food festival

· A town hall meeting on race and relations

· A candlelight vigil

· Unity Service

For more information on how you can attend these events, have your voice heard or volunteer for the cause of restoration and reconciliation in our city, please visit SAIGU’s official website.

You Will Not Have Enough Room For It

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:24:39 -0800

Our friend, Micheal, recently learned the joy of giving with a generous heart and witnessed God’s riches that poured in because of his obedience. Micheal’s message is one that many of us, in this economy, can relate to: If you don’t have much material wealth in this world and are struggling to stay afloat, give generously. You will be amazed by God’s ability and willingness to multiply our limited resources into something magnificent!

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” - Malachi 3:10

This is a testimony to this verse. These past 2 months God has been teaching me about money. I remember being in a car with my small group leader and he was rebuking me saying, “It’s not that God doesn’t want to give you money, it’s just that you’re not ready for it yet. If you get money, God knows you will spend it on things you probably shouldn’t.”

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That night we went to a workshop on money. There, I learned about generosity. We should give in 3 ways: One, tithe. Two, give until you ‘see the whites of their eyes’, which means give so generously until you can see their eyes open wide in surprise. Three, royalty giving. In the same way there was this queen in the Old Testament who brought gifts to King Solomon, we should bring gifts to those we visit, even if they are rich. It’s not so much the gift, but more about knowing that you thought about them and went out and took the time to bring them something. We are royalty. We are sons of the King, princes and princesses. Giving should be a part of who we are.

That night, I went home and immediately tithed for all my projects. I later also attended a GBS prayer meeting, where they prayed for those who needed financial help. A week later, I received 8 projects within about 3 days. (I’m a motion graphics freelancer and normally I only get like 2 projects in one month). A week later, I tithed again, donated some money to the organization “Food for the Poor,” and also gave my roommate, who found out that the new job he got was for a scam artist and ran away with his money, $100. That same day, I received a call and got asked to do a video for KOLLABORATION. Simultaneously, my church amazingly also started a 2 week series on money and giving. At our small groups, our leader challenged us to give to whoever asked of us this month. That week, I received mail from 2 organizations, Food for the Poor and Holtz International, asking for donations. I gave to them and tithed again. A couple days later, I received 3 more projects: One for the KPOP MASTERS concert at MGM in Vegas, and another to make background graphics for the new KIA cars when they are showcased at the national auto shows around the US. These are some of the biggest projects I’ve ever received.

This is NOT a prosperity gospel testimony. It is not about seeking after money. What it is about is the following: If you seek after God, He will take care of you. If you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your hearts. (Psalm 37:4). I’ve received a lot of projects. But these projects don’t give me the same kind of joy as when I’m praying or when I’m in the presence of God. That is TRUE JOY and no amount of amazing projects, fame, or money can compare! Aren’t you thankful that there is someone out there who doesn’t care about how much money you make, or what you look like, or how many relationships you’ve been in, but cares for what matters most: our character? He cares for our soul. It is not that He doesn’t want to fix your financial life, but rather that He wants to first fix your heart. My pastor from my home church in Illinois would always say: God is always looking for ANY excuse to bless you! It’s not that He doesn’t have enough blessings for us, it’s that we don’t have enough room in our hearts to receive the blessings. Father, increase the bowls of our hearts so that we may take more of you in!

Lastly, for those who are in need of financial help, I wrote this for myself. Maybe it can help you. Open up your bank account and look at how much money you have. This number could be $50 or it could be $50 million. But let me tell you some truth. That number you are staring at is NOT a measure of how much God loves you and it is NOT a measure of how much God will take care of you. You already KNOW how much God loves you. You know how much God will provide for you and how many resources He has. That number, whether it be $50 or $50 million, is problematic. It’s far too small compared to how much God loves you and how much you ALREADY have in Jesus.

Seek the Lord first and He will give you what you need. And for those who are rich, which I argue is anyone living in America, let’s learn to be generous. God doesn’t give you more money to increase your standard of living, but to increase your standard of giving. And how could we not give!? The more we give, the more God has promised to give back to us!

A Hole Is Where the Heart Is

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:52:00 -0800

Our friend, Kytia, parallels everyday circumstances, such as repairing a leak in the ceiling, to lessons that God teaches us, like healing our greatest pains from the inside out. Kytia’s testimony reminds us that God can use times of great sadness, confusion and struggle to break open our hearts and bring healing.

Recently, my husband and I had our first encounter with serious repairs to our apartment. Ever since the first time it rained while we were living on our own, we’ve been dealing with leaks here and there in our office. There was even an incident when I noticed a leak above my computer desk right before we were about to leave for a meeting. If we had left just a few minutes sooner, my keyboard might have been soaked by the time we returned home and that would have been a whole other problem.

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Even though the leak was apparent in three different spots, it was all caused by the same source. Patch work time and again just didn’t fix the problem, and our ceiling was only getting worse. This most recent leak was also the most damaging as water started seeping through the walls. We practically demanded management come and see for themselves what the problem was and repair it for good. Instead, we got a knock on the door by the same maintenance men who had been “fixing” this leak for the past year or so. Great.

To my surprise, they took the time to truly investigate the roof and noticed a huge pool of water collecting where it was supposed to be draining. I’ll never forget the look on their faces when they saw how horrendous the problem truly was. Within a week- and several repair visits by different people- they were finally able to open the ceiling, remove the damaged drywall, patch things up, and apply a fresh coat of “this is kind of a white color” paint. Let’s pray this holds.

This incident made me think of a few parallels in the spiritual context that deal with similar issues. I am truly guilty of trying to band-aid a situation because the problem area is too messy to handle. A few years ago my family was experiencing a lot of tragedies all at once, and this drove me to be outside of my home as much as possible. I identified with my work and friends more than anything else. My life was very full- to the point where I barely saw my family members and I was okay with that. The less I talked to them, the less I had to come face to face with the issues at hand and that was my way of keeping the peace and being a grown up. However, avoidance and living at peace with everyone are two very different things.

“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12: 18)

If you know anything about trying to run from something that’s a part of you, you can agree it doesn’t work. The speed at which you run doesn’t make this thing budge any more than if you had just stood still. I can see this now, but when I was going through it, I didn’t understand why I was never satisfied with anything. I never had enough money, enough friends, enough work to do and it sucked. Sometimes, the best days for me were when I was busy from sunrise to late at night and I could just crawl into my bed, eat beef flavored ramen,and watch America’s Next Top Model in peace and quiet because everyone was already asleep.

I had a feeling of despair and displacement that I had caused, but I thought it was normal to be this way as a twenty something year-old working adult longing for companionship. For someone with many friends, I had the most shallow relationships you could ever believe. At this point I was so fed up with avoiding everything and hiding my personal life that I just broke down crying at work and ran outside to compose myself. Oh my God, there are so many cracks in me!

“In my distress I called upon the LORD, Yes, I cried to my God; And from His temple He heard my voice, And my cry for help came into His ears.” (2 Samuel 22:7)

I really had no idea how to recover from this: two of my worlds just collided and there was no Men In Black neutralizer to flash in front of their faces and make them forget. Unexpectedly, my life went on as usual and I survived, so I decided to step a little deeper into this unknown territory and bring it to my other areas of life. Soon after, a friend I barely knew asked me how I was doing. I inquired, “Do you really want to know?” And he replied, “Yes.” That was how the transition happened with a lot of my closest friends now. After realizing that my terrible situation was quite ordinary, I no longer felt a burden to hide. The more I talked to people and really listened, I discovered-sadly-that there is almost no one who hasn’t been dramatically affected by death, abuse, suicide, prison, poverty, etc. This is the world we live in, but there is rest for His children if we give the problems to our Father.

Cast your burden upon the LORD, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. (Psalm 55:22)

By taking these outside experiences into my home, I felt relatable to my family again. I could let them be a part of my life and allow myself to be a part of theirs. I could be honest with my mom that I was struggling. One time she found me counting change in my room trying to gather enough coins to pay my car note. I was too embarrassed to ask her for help and I knew the household was going through financial issues as well. Without so much as a lecture, she and my step-dad worked things around so they could lend me what I needed and this defeated the pride that was suffocating me. I also found compassion for my siblings. Instead of trying to steer our conversations into how they should change, I was able to lay my judgements down and have a decent conversation with them. During this time, my husband found me, which ironically helped me to finally talk to my Dad after a seven-year silence.

The Lord healed me in all of these areas by allowing one simple breakthrough in the source of my pain. There was a hole in our ceiling just as there was a hole where my heart was. If the repairmen never opened up our ceiling, they wouldn’t have found the problem in order to fix it. In the same way, if the Lord never exposed my facade, I wouldn’t have discovered how to begin my healing. I thank God Himself for His peace and I thank Him also for family and friends who understand and are willing to listen when my heart aches.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Supernatural Street Evangelist

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:42:54 -0800

On several occasions, WitnessLA has had the privilege to be able to post some of Tony Lee’s miraculous street evangelism experiences. This time, the testimony comes not from others, but from him. Many thanks to our friends at Korean American Christian Media (KAC) for recording and sharing this inspiring story.

Tony Lee was a rebellious kid until a life-changing encounter with the Holy Spirit made him realize that God was real and that God loved him. Since then, Tony has been passionately sharing the love of God with others, often going to the streets, restaurants, and malls to pray for people. Testimonies of healing and salvation have resulted from his street evangelism. Hear his fascinating testimony!

KAC website: http://www.kacmedia.org/

The "Perfect" Workplace

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:04:00 -0800

Sometimes it is hard to wake up early everyday when all that’s waiting for you in the office is unhappiness and stress. This testimony is a continuation of our friend’s search for her purpose in her workplace, and how her supposedly “dream job” was not so perfect after all.

I wondered why God put me here in this workplace. Although I thought this place was better than where I was previously, I soon realized that I was fooled by what I didn’t know. Isn’t it funny how “human” we are? If you want to read about how God was present throughout my journey to this point, you can read about it here: http://witnessla.org/post/9632040694/the-abundant-harvest-from-our-helper.

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When God opened this door of opportunity, I was so excited! I felt like I was finally released from four years of unhappiness at the workplace. I started working for this company with a clean slate and an ambition that I forgot I had. It *seemed* like a dream come true – *au contraire!* As I started working for this company, I soon realized that my supposed “dream” involved a lot of things I was trying to avoid. I took a step back and asked God to show me why I was here – it must’ve been a few weeks before He revealed it to me.

His answer came in the form of a person. Don’t you just love it when you meet someone who you just click with right away? You understand them, they understand you, you finish each other’s sentences, etc. That was how it was like with my supervisor. (Regarding my last four supervisors, let me tell you that getting along was not the norm. Was it me? Maybe, but read on.) The one thing that I noticed, though, was his pessimism. Who
better to work under him than someone optimistic right? Ha!

I am so thankful that God blessed me with someone who just made sense as my boss. What was even more surprising was that he brought up the topic of faith in the first week of the job when I have not mentioned anything about my beliefs. Was it Jesus he saw in me? Maybe. Throughout his work experience, he somehow managed to be in charge of a mob of people who dislike him. “Weird”, I thought, because he is seriously the most hard-working, realistic and honest person, in my opinion.

So here it was, ladies and gentlemen. My mission is…

…to be a light for my boss in times of distress, faithlessness, hardship and discouragement.

Can I just tell you how rough of a journey it has been? I’m sure you’d be able to relate in some fashion or another. Now I know this *seemingly* dream that came true has a purpose for me in God’s bigger plan.

Rockstars For Jesus

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:06:19 -0800

Music as a whole is a form of expression and it can be used to glorify God, no matter what genre it is. Check out this video of Micah Kinard, the singer of Oh Sleeper, on how he merges his style of heavy metal rock music and his passion for Christ, courtesy of our friends at Enoch Magazine.

Open Thread: Christmas Prayer Requests

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:21:05 -0800

For many, Christmas is a joyful time with family. For others, Christmas can be a struggle, the loneliest time of year, or a reminder of what they’ve lost.

Christmas is a story of hope, healing and reconciliation, from God to the world, and now we can do our part.

This Christmas we want our readers to give each other the gift of prayer. Here’s how. Pray for the commenter above you and post your prayer request below. The next commenter will then pray for you. Let’s start a viral prayer chain!

Our Editors will also be praying for each of the prayer requests personally, with expectancy for reconciliation, healing, breakthrough or blessing for each of you in this season. God knows your needs and He will provide, just believe! No request is too big for Him and no request is too small.

God bless you readers and Merry Christmas!

- The Editors of WitnessLA.org

A Gift From Someone I Barely Knew

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:07:00 -0800

Our friend Andy shares an amazing story about God’s incredible provision - when he took a chance and followed the dream God had put on his heart, all of the finances for the project were miraculously covered by someone he had just met.

Truth Set Free

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:55:00 -0800

Ever been caught by the lying game? Our friend Touyee shares his struggles with telling the truth and how he was brought from the pit of lies to victory.

Let me preface my story with information that is vital to my journey of being saved. I’ve only attended one college, I’ve never held a job, I was hired to turn a book into a screenplay, and I’ve spent a weekend in San Diego for a conference. These may seem like random facts about me, but they are at the very foundation my story is set upon. For all of these are lies.

I didn’t have a Christian upbringing, but I was exposed to Christian faith at various points in my childhood and adolescence. I admitted God’s existence, but only desired to pray to Him when I wanted something or when trouble happened. My thinking was that I demanded that everything go my way. When my prayers went unanswered for the things that I wanted, I naturally blamed God. My thinking made me believe that I didn’t need God to guide me. That if I found enough pleasure, possessions, power, or prestige, then I would be happy. Through this thinking, I neglected, ignored, and eventually rejected God.

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Two years later, I arrived in Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting. In Los Angeles, I met Chyna. We quickly developed a relationship and I couldn’t have been happier. I had so much apart from God, but even though I looked very much alive, I was spiritually dead.

Revelation 3:1: I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead.

Being away from God, I had allowed the power of sin to control my life, specially the sin of lying. I was living with a careless attitude towards lying. I had allowed lying to exert such a powerful pull on me that my heart was controlled by lying. I was lying of my own free will. Lying will always leave death and destruction in its path.

During the early stage of our relationship, she revealed to me about her difficult childhood. This beautiful woman had just opened up her heart to me and I promised to love her and to never hurt her. A broken promise is a lie. She also revealed that she was a born-again Christian. At this point in our relationship, I was so happy being with her that attending church was a small price to pay. I had no intention of coming back to God. At my first service with her, as I was looking at the cross in the church, I felt this huge feeling of satisfaction because inside my mind I was yelling at Him,

“Look what I have without You! I’m happy without You! I don’t need You!”

Proverbs 12:22: The Lord detests lying lips.

I’m babysitting my cousin. I played soccer in college. I do soccer clinics as a coach.

Proverbs 15:4: A deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

I’ve only tried marijuana a few times. I’ve only been to one college. I got hired to write a script.

Proverbs 12:19: But lies are soon exposed.

I’m doing rewriting jobs. I’m going to San Diego for a conference.

Lying had become a habitual part of my life that from the beginning of our relationship and throughout, I was lying to her. I was following my sinful nature which meant I was ignoring God’s will and the destructive nature of my lies. Eventually she discovered my lies, but was able to forgive me, both of us believing that I would change for our relationship. The power of lying had trapped me in an impossible lifestyle. I was absolutely hopeless and helpless, could no longer do anything to enhance my existence or change my condition. Without Christ, I was hopeless and helpless to remedy my habitual lying.

Despite all this, I believed that I could change without Christ. Needless to say, I didn’t change and couldn’t change. My lying continued for several more months with her discovering more of my lies until she couldn’t take the pain and hurt anymore. I had fallen so far down that pit of lies that I had dug for myself. I wasn’t looking for help out because all I wanted to do was keep on digging. I had an inability to save myself. As much as she loved me, this beautiful and caring woman was begging me to change. My lies had caused me to break my promise to never hurt her. Her love for me should have been enough to change me, but my lying had caused me to be so far removed from God that nothing in this world could change me.

When our relationship ended, I finally came to realize how far I had fallen. Because lying had become such a power in my life, only the good news of the crucified and risen Savior could help me overcome the power of lying and set me free. However, I doubted that God, who knows everything about me and all the lies I’ve told, could possibly forgive me. I had left Him and now I wanted to come back to Him not only for His forgiveness, but also for deliverance to transform my life from that of an alien liar to that of a child of God. There was no way God would forgive me, left alone help me escape the power of lying. The power of the Gospel dramatically changed that.

Forgiveness and deliverance is found in Jesus Christ. Through the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross, my lies were washed away. I couldn’t lie beyond what Jesus paid on the cross. When I returned to God, no explanations were necessary. That I was a liar was already an established fact. What mattered was not that I had lied, but that I had come home. Like the parable of the prodigal son, God is the loving father who gladly receives back a child who deserves nothing but scorn and rejection. I found it so difficult to accept the reality of God’s grace because I finally came to the awareness of how much of a liar I really was. I asked myself the question,

“Did I do anything to motivate God to send his Son to die on the cross for me?”

The answer was a resounding no, because of my lies I deserved the wrath of God. Through Jesus Christ, I found what I most needed, but couldn’t get for myself.

Romans 12:2: Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The transformation of my life came by the renewing of my mind. Through the word of God, I learned that grace was received by faith in Christ, which meant trusting Christ with my life. I was finally ready to put the full weight of my life in Jesus. Confessing that Jesus Christ was Lord and Savior of my life was the easy part, the most challenging issue for a habitual liar like me was the call for repentance.

The first several days after accepting Jesus Christ, I found myself being very deliberate with my interactions with individuals. I was slowing everything down in my mind, double-checking and triple-checking that my responses were true before I spoke. There were some days where I felt I wasn’t strong enough so I would stay inside my apartment and avoid people at all cost. It’s on these days that God truly showed that He was working in my life. On these days, for whatever particular reason I would have to leave my apartment to run errands, which meant social interaction with people. I’ve always been the type of person who avoided conversations with random strangers in public, but from sitting at Starbucks, waiting in line at Best Buy, to my evening running session, random strangers were starting conversations with me. I was proving to myself through the way I spoke the truth to these people that I had repented and turned to God. This was God’s subtle way of making sure each day I was renewing my dedication to the Lord. As the days turned to weeks and then months, I was proving to myself that the power of lying had lost its hold on me. I was speaking the truth because I believed in God’s grace for my life which was leading me to be a truthful servant of the Lord. Some power greater than anything I had ever known had shaken the foundation of my life.

Jesus continues to give me strength to overcome temptation. I need Christ’s help because temptation is wide-spread and the enemy is always looking to make me feel that I will not remain truthful. God is truthful and has provided me everything I need to remain truthful. God sent Jesus to be my advocate and mediator, given me the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen me, and fellowship with believers to keep accountability and encouragement. In spite of my weaknesses, God is able to work through me, only when I yield to His will. Through God, my life has been transformed from something truly ugly into something beautiful.

I took lying lightly and it soon controlled my life. For those who are out there controlled by lying, take heart. God is greater than any problem you have. Trust in God and follow His will in your life, then you will find great blessings. Through God’s grace, you can be free from guilt, for all your lies have been washed away. By God’s grace, we should make peace with those our lies have wronged. I can’t give Chyna back the time she lost while being with a liar like me, I can’t undo the pain and hurt my lies caused her, all I can do is sincerely apologize for lying and pray that our Heavenly Father in his infinite love will restore and lift up this precious daughter of His.

For those who have fallen so far down that pit of lies you’ve dug for yourself, there’s hope. At this lowest place you’ve ever been, you still matter. That’s where Jesus finds liars- where you’re absolutely lost and Christ says,

“I love you, you down in that pit, I’m here to save you.”

Jesus wants to come into your life and restore you with a new tongue that speaks the truth. God exposes the truth, but it is so much better to confess. Here is the truth about me: I was a liar of the lowest kind, my heart was controlled by lying, but the ultimate truth about me is that I have been saved by the grace of God.

I pray my testimony has encouraged you. For those who are struggling with lying, if you’d like to talk more with me about my journey or have any questions, you can email me at tvang3@yahoo.com or find me at RealityLA 1309 Wilton Pl. Hollywood,CA 90028. Services are held Sundays at 9:00, 12:00, and 5:00. We’d love to have you!