Blessing and Struggling
The most unusual thing about me is that I have lived and worked in South Korea since 1998. I left Canada a few short days after getting married, much to my mother's dismay. God bless you, Mom! I recently celebrated a 20 year anniversary here that has been filled with blessing and struggling.
Where did the website name come from? Well, I had a dream. It was a crazy dream I had on a hospital bed. My third son had been taken away from me. I had seen all kinds of bright lights as the doctors poked and prodded. "Just go to sleep!" I told myself. And I did. It was beautiful. I was swimming in a river. It was calm and quiet. I could smell something. I looked up and I saw the lights. The lights gave way to scenes. I saw all kinds of scenes. There was Adam and Eve. I saw them leave the garden. There was Moses. I saw him growing up. I saw him running for his life. I saw him and the burning bush. I saw him calling his people. I saw more and more. Each and every scene from the Bible was there. I watched and took it all in. And Jesus was there.
He was there in the river. I don't remember his face. I just know it was him. He swam a little. Did a bit of a back stroke. That's when I noticed the colors. There were these gorgeous flowers beside the river. Lilies. They were lilies and they were of every color you could imagine. Lilies from heaven.
I smiled to myself and returned back. Back to the hospital bed where I didn't get to see my son for three days.
That was eight years ago. It was a baptism of sorts. It was my initiation into the world in ministry. And I didn't recognize any of it until years later. There is a breaking point for most people and then the light breaks in. For me, we had left a church in Taejeon. I was quite happy to have this Nazarene Church in Cheonan. I loved the way the senior pastor talked. He was young, reckless, and very bright.
I volunteered. Someone had said something about writing a newsletter to build community. I liked it. "I'll do it!" I said. I was the editor for Korea Nazarene University International English Church for five years. It brought about this blog and I added things to my resume. I am an English teacher. I am a wife and a mother. I added writer, minister, and poet to the list. This also involves being a reader and a dreamer.
Currently, I teach at Korea University's Sejong campus. This has been a great place to work as well as a conducive environment to my own creativity lesson planning. I enjoy the students, colleagues, and other relationships I have built there over the years.
As mentioned, I am a wife and a mother. I love both roles, and I struggle to find the balance between teaching and taking care of my family. What working mother doesn't?
I have been able to write. Writer's block or whatever was holding me back has disappeared! I love the time I am spending finishing different writing projects that have accumulated over the years. Textbooks, lesson plans, unfinished poetry, and other small things are coming to completion!
This site started off as as way to share things. I was doing good things even though I was struggling. Depression is something everyone relates to. The way out is a little different for everyone. This site is about hope.
Hope in the form of books. Hope in the form of Christian teaching. Hope in the form of thoughts. Hope in the form of good food. Hope in the form of family. If we celebrate this things together, hope builds. So, what give you hope? I love to think anything is possible if you are willing to put the time and energy into it. Everything is possible with God!
I have been a member of Hope Writers since the beginning. Are you spreading HOPE too?
Do you want more? Here is my PDF entitled 10 Ways to Overcome the Blues.
Are you interested in a coaching call? I would love to meet with you! Click on the link below to get started!
