May 18, 2024

Our Waukesha Warriors did great at the Wisconsin Pathfinder Fair last week at Camp Wakonda, and I am very proud of them for their performance and achievement. My kids really enjoyed it as well. I was blessed by the beautiful nature, we got to see the northern lights, the main speaker talked about archaeology which I really enjoyed listening to. We had great company and good food during meal times. 

But sleeping in the tent at night at this time of the year was a bit cold for me. I kind of like camping, but I wouldn’t say it’s my number one favorite thing to do. I have a hard time sleeping on hard grounds (no matter how much cushion I have under me), and it was really cold. I think I had over 3 layers on me, even inside the sleeping bag. Maybe it was just me and Hyemi being adults, because my kids told me they were fine sleeping. In the morning when we got up, the first thing Hyemi said was, “The Israelites did this for 40 years!”

For someone like me that finds it difficult to camp for just a weekend, it’s hard to imagine how the Israelites have been camping for 40 years. In the end, with the leadership of Moses and Joshua, they entered the promised land. “So Johua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had said to Moses; and Joshua gave it as an inheritance according to their divisions by their tribes. Then the land rested from war.” Joshua 11:23. This is a reminder that this world that we are living in is a temporary home. We are just camping on this sinful earth. It teaches us that we have an eternal home that Jesus is preparing for us. Jesus says, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” John 14:2. So let’s not get too used to our life here but look forward to the second coming of Jesus.

#pastorsblog #waukeshachurch

May 11, 2024

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26

Twice a year, our daughters’ school hosts a concert and this week they had the spring concert. I know the class practiced for this wonderful event and the rest of the other campuses prepared well for this wonderful event.

The auditorium was full and Hye Mi and I sat up as front as we could. There were about three rows of students in front of us. Once the concert started, we paid attention to the performance. The students were all good and I can see how well they prepared. But the best performance was yet to come. 

Halfway through the concert, it was finally our daughters’ class’s turn to perform. I got my phone ready to start recording. The students lined up, started playing their ukelele, and sang the song “Kanaka Waiwai.” It was the best performance of the night. My girls sang the loudest, and they were the most beautiful-looking students in the entire school.

You can see that I am being very subjective. Did our kids’ class perform the best? Objectively not. Were my girls’ voices the most beautiful and best looking? Objectively not. They are my kids, and to me, that’s all I cared about all night. Every little movement they made caught my attention and to me, they were the best. Because they are MY kids.

I would like to think that that’s how God thinks of us. We are created in His image, and we are His loving children. I am thankful for a Father who watches over us and cares for us no matter what.

#pastorsblog #waukeshachurch

May 4, 2024

“As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings.” Deuteronomy 32:11

I try to go for a run at least 3 times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. While I try to run on different routes, I frequently run the Glacial Drumlin Trail, which isn’t too far from where I live. The biggest perk to running outside is enjoying nature and the different weather I encounter each day. No days are the same, and it’s a time to engage God and pray to Him during that time. Another perk is encountering live creatures. I get to see birds, chipmunks, deer, and turkeys, among many others.

When I encounter these animals on the run, I try to slow down and do my best to keep my distance. Almost all the time, these lovely creatures will run away from me (whew!). This morning, about one mile into the run, I saw a pair of ducks just right next to the paved trail on the grassy area. Obviously, it was a male and a female, and right beside them was a water puddle. I was getting closer to these ducks, and I thought surely these ducks will run away. But they stayed still and they didn’t even budge an inch. I passed them and they didn’t move at all! I thought that was odd. I didn’t see any chicks around them, so I assumed they must be protecting their eggs. If my assumptions are true, then this pair of ducks were protecting their eggs at all costs, even when this human being was passing by them.

That is what our Father in Heaven is like. He will do everything to protect us, nurture us, and grow us to be safe. Despite the challenges we have in our life, I pray that we will stay faithful to Him and trust Him because we know that He is our Father who loves us so much.

#pastorsblog #waukeshachurch