Pastor Jessica Chen

A few years back my family and I went white water rafting together as part of our family vacation. We figured it would be a great opportunity for team building and family bonding – and it certainly was! Thankfully we had a guide to navigate and direct us on the boat. When the waters seemed calm, some of us took turns sitting at the front tip of the boat at the guide’s instruction. To be honest, I didn’t want to go, but after much encouragement, I decided to go for it. As I sat and held onto a rope between my legs, I thought to myself, I’m definitely secure for whatever happens next. 

Love is a very common word we use in the English language today. It’s the topic of many songs and it’s the highest aim that the world longs for. We love chocolate, we love fries, we love hiking, we love our dogs, we love our family, we love the colour blue, we love… but what does love really mean and how does God want us to understand this important word in our lives?

Anyone who has ever been a part of a family business knows that you can never just see things the way customers or clients do – you see so much more. Your eyes become attuned to what’s missing, what’s working, what’s not working, what could be better, what needs cleaning, what needs organization, what needs revamping…

“It’ll all work out”, people often say, or “it’s all for the best”, or “everything happens for a reason”. While all these sayings may be true or have some truth in them, I’m sure we have asked ourselves one time or another, how can I know that for sure? The reality is, we can’t, but we know the One who knows all things, and we know we can trust in Him.

As with our walk with God, King Solomon encourages us in Proverbs 3:5 to trust in the Lord, not with all our mind, but with all our heart, which requires faith. Pastor Dave explained the word faith for us in the sermon this past weekend entitled, “A Hope to Have Enough”; faith is following God’s instruction without an explanation. The reason why we can do this with confidence, though not always easy, is because we know who God is – a loving Father.

When Jesus said, He is the vine and we are the branches, and that we ought to remain in Him in order to be alive and fruitful, He was talking about our spiritual health. For a branch to remain connected to the vine, daily tending, protection and care are vital. For us to remain connected to Jesus, our source of life, love, joy, peace, and power, we come to Him daily in prayer, praise, worship, and devotion.

How do we live our best life? We do this by first recognizing who holds all things and is the source of everything we need. When we put our trust in Him, seeing Him as our source, our best friend, and our ultimate destination, there is a peace and joy that comes that goes beyond our circumstances.

So, Praise the Lord, my soul! All my being, praise his holy name! Praise the Lord, my soul, and do not forget how kind he is. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.He keeps me from the grave and blesses me with love and mercy. He fills my life with good things, so that I stay young and strong like an eagle.

We were reminded this past weekend through Pastor Dave’s sermon entitled, “I Can Only Imagine”, of Jesus’ mission statement above in the book of Luke. Incredible! Amazing! How true! And yet, we might also wonder within — if that’s true, then what about now? What about me? Does God see my pain? Can He set me free? Can He heal what’s broken?

“God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.” (Ephesians 1:22)One Spring evening, I was jogging home alone along my street when all of a sudden, an owl grabbed my hair bun and disappeared. To my shock and dismay, I screamed and looked behind me to find the owl in a nearby tree. This was not the first time I had come against a bird flying near my head, and so as with other bird encounters, I decided to run for it… worst mistake…