Sausalito Lobster + Mail

 

And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky."  So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good.   -Genesis 1:20-21

I've just returned from a special dinner where I dined on scrumptious lobster with ladies from my former BSF group. Several things spring to mind when I reflect on what I'm grateful for today. 

I'm eternally grateful for the ministry of BSF which has enabled me over the years to study God's word in a meaningful way and form lasting friendships. I also appreciate that I can still eat lobster -so far, no allergy issues with this fish! Incidentally, I must give mention to the standout restaurant where we dined -Sausalito Lobster in Insadong. The owner, Mr. Gu, has been delighting customers at this venue since 2001, and I will definitely be back. The above photo is just a sample of the exquisite array of foods he served us.

Prior to dinner, I experienced a banner mail day. As I've written before, there is something so wonderful about tangible things -to hold something in my hands that was once held by a loved one moves me every time. Not only did I get a lovely card from my sister filled with photos of my darling new niece, I also received a heart-melting care package from a V.I.P. Wow. (Thank you, J + J!! xoxo)

ps:  for the curious, the red tree which I mentioned yesterday continues to display its brilliant ruby leaves!

BSF Shout-Out, Pt. 2

Amid all the uncertainty of life, I'm grateful for a particular constant -BSF. Whether in NYC, SoCal, or Seoul, I've had access to this incredible ministry which has been a source of tremendous strength and encouragement. Living away from my own sisters is terribly difficult, but through BSF I've been blessed with dear friends who also act as my surrogate sisters.  

Today was Sharing Day, our last class in this series on the gospel of John. Given the intensity of this particular study, it was challenging to choose only one or two standout learnings; that said, the lesson on Jesus and the Samaritan woman was especially moving. This poignant story of Jesus meeting a scorned woman on her turf really resonates with me as it's a vivid reminder of how He meets us where we're at; and we don't need to clean up before He arrives.

Gratitude

Happy Thanksgiving.

Hope this post finds you well and surrounded by loved ones (or at least by foods you love). Unsurprisingly, this Thanksgiving has been unlike any other I've had (actually, one year I was in Istanbul on Thanksgiving Day, but that was nearly 20 years ago, and I can't recall anything specific about it). It's tempting to expound on how I'm missing loved ones and wishing I could devour my mom's pumpkin bread and grandmother's lasagna while laughing with my sisters and cousins. And while that's true, I can't really go there with this post because all day I've felt incredibly blessed and overwhelmed with gratitude.

Today may be my first Thanksgiving in Seoul (complete with ramen for breakfast, rice for lunch, and tofu for dinner), but it's also the first time that I attended BSF on Thanksgiving Day. How wonderful to stand with other women this morning and sing "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," "How Great Thou Art," and "It Is Well with My Soul." These hymns particularly move me, and it was an exceptional joy to sing them today.

So much to be thankful for, I hardly know where to begin. New mercies every day; immeasurable grace; a victorious Savior whose Love is abounding; the remnant; dear family and friends; good health (and a right arm that now stays in its socket); interesting, meaningful, challenging employment; new adventures and character-building opportunities in Seoul; deepening Faith...the list is endless.

I'm thankful for you, too. Thanks for reading.

xo

A Sunday Outing

Today I visited Young Nak Church. It's actually the same church that hosts the BSF class I attend. Anyway, it was awesome to walk in and hear people singing in English, and even better that they were singing one of my favorite Chris Tomlin songs ("How Great Is Our God"). That got me a little choked up. 

I enjoyed meeting fellow believers, some of whom traveled far longer than I did to be there. One girl I met is originally from Irvine, CA, and her commute to the church is nearly two hours. So, I felt ridiculous for thinking on the way there that it's an hour commute each way for me. I met the pastor, and he introduced me to his wife. He knew who Tim Keller was, and he's eager to put me in contact with a woman who also attended Redeemer Pres when she lived in NYC. Overall, a very uplifting experience.


After church, I roamed through the neighborhood. It's a bustling shopping area, and even though I'm currently on limited funds, I broke down and made two inevitable purchases. The first involves food (no surprise there):

The second purchase:  a winter coat which had been drastically marked down. I vacillated forever trying to decide between the black coat I ultimately bought and the off-white one I really wanted. It looked so chic and clean -and I knew it wouldn't stay that way for long, given the amount of wear it would get (one point for pragmatism). 

Once again I found myself at odds with saleswomen. These two seemed annoyed that I was taking too much time to decide. They also assured me that I was definitely the larger size (even though the smaller size actually seemed to fit better). I acquiesced out of exasperation. And then later, I surmised it probably was the right decision since I'd likely be wearing bulkier clothes come winter than what I had on today.


Now, the real question:  which will I use first -the coat or pasta + sauce? Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets.

BSF Shout-Out

In the three weeks I've been here, I can honestly say I haven't had a better start to a day than the one I experienced this morning. (Good thing, too, as the rest of the day was unusually taxing.) I woke up on the early side for a Korean-based ESL teacher and was out the door by 9am. There was a crispness in the air, and it felt good as I walked to Jamsil station. My goal was to arrive at the church on time, and I almost managed to do so even after an unanticipated subway train switch.

Upon exiting my destination station (Euljiro 3ga), I became disoriented. I knew I needed to exit through gate 12 but had no idea where to go from there. Some construction workers noticed my puzzled look and asked where I was headed. They gave me directions and then said they loved me, which amused me but also made me wonder if they were sending me down a rabbit trail. Fortunately, their directions were accurate, and within a couple minutes I caught sight of the church's steeple. My heart began pounding. Looking back, I'm not sure if I was out of breath, nervous or worried about being disappointed. In any case, my anxiety was completely unnecessary, and I realized as much from the minute I walked through the doors. Several women greeted me warmly, putting me at ease. I became overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of joy, peace, and hope, and actually got a little choked up. God is so good. He is such a personal God, meeting us right where we're at. After feeling disconnected the last few weeks, I needed to feel His presence, and He blessed me more than I could imagine. For the other BSFers out there:  the discussion group was lively, and the lecture was insightful, interesting, and very applicable. I look forward to returning next week.

And for those who are still trying to figure out what BSF stands for, let me point you here: http://bsfinternational.org. There may be a class near you... it's worth checking out.