A Hole Is Where the Heart Is

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.

[Click “Read More” Below to Continue]

Read More

Christian Hosoi - the Skateboarding Miracle

One of the most famous Skateboarding legends of all time, Christian Hosoi lived the high-life - a rollercoaster of fame, partying and drugs until he was sent to jail for ten years for trafficking in meth.  While in prison, Christian found Christ and his life changed forever - he is now a pastor at a church in Orange County.  “Jesus set me free,” he says in this interview with our friends from Enoch Magazine.

Read More

His Ways Are Higher

Our sister Liz writes about her path from Los Angeles to Seoul and ultimately, to the heart of her Father.

Last week, I started a new job, moved into a new apartment, and essentially signed a commitment to living in Korea, my mother country (but still foreign!) for at least two years. None of this was part of the plan when I moved to Seoul from L.A.  three months ago - I was going to be here a year, tops, teach some English, freelance for some publications and head back home.

But when I first arrived, I wasn’t even sure if I’d be allowed to even stay in Korea, let alone commit to living here long-term. It turned out that I was registered at birth as a Korean citizen - even though I was born and raised in America - and as a result, the government refused to issue me a foreigner’s visa, but also denied me the right to activate my Korean citizenship. In essence, I was neither Korean nor American and was basically an alien waiting to get kicked out of the country.

[click “Read More” below to continue]

Read More

My $150 Investment

Our brother SMC recently discovered how deep a relationship with God can be.  It is more than just going to church regularly and being a “good citizen”. Read about how God has revealed Himself to him, and how his personal relationship with Christ has flourished. 

A few weeks ago, our pastor asked for an offering to help out with buying sound equipment for our praise and worship team. I felt led to contribute a certain amount even before I attended the prayer meeting. It was an amount that hurt my wallet, as I often have more money going out than in to pay for debts and living costs. The next day, I made the biggest sale in our company. The profits doubled what I gave in 20 minutes. This incident reminded me of my first meaningful offering, when I learned that our God is a God of miracles and He is always faithful to us.

 [Click “Read More” below to continue]

Read More

Food For Thought (Dan): Bible in a Year

So after almost two years, I’ve finally finished my Bible-in-a-year reading plan.  I guess that technically makes it a Bible-in-two-years plan, but I digress.  In any case, I can now say I’ve actually read The Word from cover to cover (even the Book of Numbers, which I’ve earmarked for future bouts with insomnia).

As I’ve reached the end of this journey, I took a moment to reflect.  I can’t say that I now know every verse by heart, or even the most famous ones - I’ll still hear verses quoted in church and have no idea where they come from or the slightest idea what they mean.  I can’t say that I don’t swear anymore (I try not to!), that I sold all my belongings and gave the money to the poor, that I have love and patience for everyone all the time (see e.g., LA drivers), or that when I open my mouth only pink daisies and odes of angels come out.

And yet, in those two years, a lot has happened that I just can’t explain or claim credit for.  In those two years, I’ve: paid off all my debt, gotten my dream job when I least expected it, kicked depression to the curb for good, forgiven the unforgivable, bared my soul and my life story in front of thousands of strangers who still recognize me on the street by name, somehow saved someone’s life from jumping off a bridge, started three blogs with people I met by chance and who are now like family, traveled to the ends of the Earth with Asian celebrities and pop stars for Christ, followed a Godly conviction on my heart to go to Asia on a whim and unknowingly met the girl of my dreams there who I am marrying in three weeks.  Coincidence?  I doubt it.

Two bible verses (that I can remember) I think summarize what this whirlwind journey has been like:

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
   out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
   and gave me a firm place to stand.” - Psalm 40:2 (NIV)

“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” - Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

My challenge to all of you, friends, is this.  What can God do with you and through your life in just three chapters a day?  If you are ready for your own God adventure to begin, just turn that first page.  And don’t say I didn’t warn you!

He Knows Best

He Knows Best- this is a story about how God revealed the true meaning of His Mission on a mission trip to a place where no one speaks of Him.

Have you ever heard of that saying, 

“If you want to make God laugh, you tell him your plans”?

Well, this summer I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Asia to share God’s love with some amazing people. For security reasons, I cannot disclose the name of the country, but basically, our ministry worked in a restaurant with a bunch of people who were either new believers or had absolutely no idea who Christ was. This restaurant partnered up with a non-profit organization and their entire ministry is about reaching out to all their workers. I know what you’re thinking, how is that intentional right? I was thinking the exact same thing and the exact words going through mind was: What did I sign up for?

It was definitely tense the first few weeks being there. I had no idea how I was going to execute sharing the gospel, especially because evangelizing was illegal and communication was a problem because I hardly spoke the language. There I was, working in a restaurant with strangers and I had absolutely no idea what to expect, but God knew exactly why He brought me there and what He wanted to reveal to me.

Click “Read More” for the full story

Read More

To Cook, To Eat, To Live

Do you eat to live or live to eat? What if you stop eating altogether? Our courageous sister, C Chou found her answer in the midst of her battle with eating disorder.

Eating is special to me because I starved myself in high school.

At 15, I packed my bags and struck out to Aurora, IL where I attended a state-funded boarding school called the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA). At a very raw and difficult time in my family life, I flipped them all a very polite bird and peaced out. I was running away from problems, and they followed me. It was leaping out of the frying pan into the fire. And you can’t stop drop and roll for three years.

Without exaggeration I could write volumes about my adventures there.

I was a terror to the administration; it was a totalitarian school regime with anarchy always brewing: we were the bold sip of guerilla warfare. It was a noble affair to keep things awake. The academics were rigorous but rich; the social life was a very strange hierarchy of nerds and ubernerds and seminerds, milling amongst ourselves. To this day, my closest and dearest friends boast war wounds from those years. We wear our scars proudly.

Click “Read More” for the full story

Read More

Answering God’s Call for Purity

Our friend, X, bravely shares how she is among the 20% of Christian women who struggle with pornography, and how her faith has helped her to deal with this addiction.

Although I’ve sung this song since I was a child, it has never before moved me like it did recently. Listen please, if you will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSqMiCu-CcU

We, as Christians, think that we need to be a certain way to be in line with the life that Christ led, but it doesn’t change the fact that we are also human, having the same temptations as any other person. One challenge I find amongst believers and non-believers alike has to do with transparency, being completely open with one another about the types of sin we struggle with. We leave these sins in the dark where no light can shine through thinking that we can handle it on our own.  Sometimes, we think that if no one knows about our darkest sins, we won’t need to repent of it. 

Read More

The Problem With Sin

Our own WitnessLA’s reader goes in depth on a problem we all face on a daily basis: sin and how to live victoriously despite life’s challenges. Our reader shares the importance of relying on God to be our guide in everyday activities, and to ask God today for the grace and wisdom to make the right choices tomorrow.

Why is sin such a bad thing?  Ask ten people and you’ll get ten different answers.  What does it even mean to sin?  Religious people may define sin as rebellion against God’s Commandments.  Others may say sin is anything you do that hurts yourself or others.  A child might simply know sin as “doing bad stuff.”

[Click “Read More” Below to Continue]

Read More

My Awakening

Our friend boldly shares how God rescued her from the brokenness, abuse and destruction stemming from her childhood. Let her story remind us that even in the midst of darkness, God is knocking at the door of our hearts just waiting for us to open the door and experience life through Him. Will you let our Father in today?

Looking back, I’ve come a long way.  I was baptized as a baby, received confirmation at 15, and went to church almost every Sunday of my life.  But I stopped believing in Christ 11 years ago.  Guess it was when my dad started to yell and hit me every time my report cards and progress reports came home, and because of my occasional disobedience.  It hadn’t always been that way.  I used to do be his golden child until he turned to alcohol.

[Click “Read More” below to continue]

Read More