Susan_writing

人生小品 人生小品





By Susan Ying

Cheer Up, Mom and Dad!



By Susan Ying











































Curtis was officially inducted as a church member


Couple Sundays ago marked a milestone in my younger son, Curtis’, life! He was official
inducted as a church member; he’d proclaimed before God and the people that he will be a
Christ follower from these days onward! My heart is overwhelmingly bursting with joy! Oh,
how faithful and merciful my daddy God has been to me, especially when my seatbelt
wasn’t even completely fastened during those bumpy rides of parenthood! From these days
on, I shall proclaim to the world that there is no need to fall into the lies from Satan when I
used to be bound by shame and self-doubt, because I am indeed a mother with two blessed
children!


In retrospect, there has never been a moment that God would ever let go of my hands
throughout those lonesome and painful journey. It is not at all about me. Rather, all the
glory and honor belong to Him because He is the one orchestrating and allowing tragedies
to fall upon the lives of His children in order to bring beauty out from ashes!

He is the one orchestrating and allowing tragedies to fall upon the lives of His children in
order to bring beauty out from ashes!


At age seven, Curtis was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. Strong medications must be
taken in order to suppress his uncontrollable verbal tics and body twitching. The side effects
from the medications range from being a zombie to increased appetite. It was rather
heartbreaking to learn that Curtis was not able to stay alert especially when he was
supposed to be playing and socializing with classmates during school recess. Parent helpers
would often report to me that Curtis spent most of the times sleeping on the picnic bench.
On top of all the physical discomfort, classmates would cruelly mimic his verbal tics and
even called him names. Numerous meetings were conducted with the school principal,
teachers, and Special Education staff in order to help Curtis succeed academically. Daily
medications were taken in order to help him stay focused and motivated in learning. It was
not until he reached the age of 16 that he was diagnosed with a full episode of Bipolar
Disorder. He could either have lots of energy and stay up the whole night listening to loud
rap music; or, he could be staying in his bed past noon with absolutely no desire of
grooming or motivation to engage in any daily activities.



One early morning around 2AM, Curtis had decided to take a morning stroll around the
neighborhood; thankfully, he got escorted inside the dispatcher’s car when Curtis was
talking incessantly for hours. Dispatcher and medical personnel arrived early in the morning
and reported that Curtis had been skipping on his medications. His extreme psychosis didn’t
leave many options other than to admit him to the Children Psychiatric Unit in the John
Muir Hospital at Walnut Creek, for safety reasons.

My older son, Austin, did not have to go through such drama. However, he did struggled
with low self-esteem and depression during his high school years. It was not until the last
two years of high school that his life took a dramatic positive direction. He was
tremendously blessed to have a Christian-guided counselor at that time. She’d consistently
inspire Austin with Biblical teachings and advice. The Christian fellowship at school (called
“Water Walker”) left a remarkable life-changing experience on him. Austin continued to
thrive and developed an intimate bonding with God. He became an avid writer and
frequently shared God’s inspirational words to his Facebook friends. Under the mentorship
and guidance from his church youth pastor, Austin developed a passion of serving the
youth as a “big brother”. After graduating from college with a major in Religious Studies, he
is now studying at the Western Seminary School while also serving at the church.


Back in 1997, we participated a Christian Family camp held at Mission Spring, Santa Cruz.
The messages preached by the pastors, especially on the topic of parenting, were uplifting
but also challenging. I clearly remembered that one of the pastors concluded his message
with a closing prayer. He challenged all the parents to consider dedicating their children to
the loving hands of God. Wow! What a divine moment! It was that unique challenge that
made me realize about God’s ultimate plan! He entrusted parents to raise up godly children
(His inheritance) in order to bring glory to His kingdom, rather than deceiving ourselves that
children are our utmost possessions! Without any hesitation, I raised my hand up high. God
honors those who honor Him!


Without any hesitation, I raised my hand up high. God honors those who honor Him!


When I was asked to write an article about the journey of my parenthood, I felt rather
humbled and unworthy. However, if there is just one parent who finds this article uplifting,
then it is all worthwhile! I would like to encourage all the parents out there who might be
struggling with their children to please take heart and remember to pray daily for them.
Never underestimate the power of becoming praying parents! It is especially critical as we
are standing between the threshold of spiritual warfare and Godly protection for our
children!


I would like to encourage all the parents out there who might be struggling with their
children to please take heart and remember to pray daily for them.

The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children, by Stormie Omartian

One of the books that I highly recommend is The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children,
by Stormie Omartian. Each day, Stormie would guide us to focus on a specific topic and
prayer content for our children. I hope you will enjoy that undivided sweet moment of
praying to our loving Father! Continue to press on, live out to His teachings, and be good
role models before your children. Believe me, every little deed you invest on people or tasks,
your children are constantly watching as your loyal audience (whether you like it or not).
Please do not regard me as any sort of parenting expert; I am far from God’s standards! May
we continue to uphold this prestigious title as good and faithful steward in parenting!
Blessings to you all!

My Unforgettable Trip to Jerusalem




by Susan Ying


Shalom! My life is never the same after joining Pastor Belinda’s tour to the trip of Jerusalem
in mid-November, 2016!
















































As a born-again Christian for several decades, I thought being a Christian can be quite
fulfilling as long as I continue to cultivate my spiritual walks with Christ by engaging my
daily Bible reading, prayer, weekly Sunday service, serve Him wholeheartedly, and even
participate in some of the short-term mission trips, etc. I believe many of us Christians
(including myself) have that tendency of complying with that code of conduct about how
we should perform in the Christian community as well as our personal spiritual growth.


How foolish of me that I often place God in my little box, and expect Him to manifest His
wondrous work in a predictable manner! How little faith I have when it comes down to
inevitable trials in life complaining that he fails or even vanish to intervene in the midst of
my misery! On the contrary, how patiently He has waited all these years for me to finally

unfold those hidden treasures that He longs for His princess to marvel at! Yes, I encountered
Him in a much deeper level during and after my trip to Jerusalem. Please allow me to
highlight and share with you some glimpses of this amazing journey. It will not be possible
for me to cover the entire trip in detail. After all, I would assume that you would want to
have that genuine personal encounter with Jesus, and not settle with being a spectator by
getting second-hand information. I pray that your heart will be captivated by His sacred
plans in your lives and that you will be inspired by considering to invest your time and
money on your once in a life time journey to Jerusalem soon!







































Jesus performs His miracle on calming the raging waters and winds at the Sea of Galilee

Just imagine at this very moment, you are trapped in a time machine swirling back into the
era of Jesus’ time. You eyes witness vicariously about how Jesus performs His miracle on
calming the raging waters and winds at the Sea of Galilee. How about that beautiful
sycamore fig tree erecting firmly before your eyes? This short-statue tax-collector named
Zacchaeus climbed effortlessly to that tree due to its low and wide trunk, which enabled him
to straddle safely on the tree. On that very day, Zacchaeus’ life was transformed and
restored because of his unwavering sense of determination to meet Jesus. That little town
named Capernaum added color to the scene when Jesus was preaching to the crowd and
suddenly you cannot help but lift your head up to watch that opened ceiling which was
abruptly torn from the top of the roof. Four faithful friends were desperately (they had no
time to consult with the master of the house) lowering the body of their paralyzed friend.
They were determined to see instant mobility of his legs, to be restored by Jesus’ command.
The Sermon of the Mount marked the turning point of Jesus’ disciples as they’d decided to
follow Jesus when confronted with numerous persecutions in the days ahead. Those eight

prominent beatitudes would be their steadfast foundation to press on to overcome
obstacles at all odds.















































Zacchaeus climbed effortlessly to that tree due to its low and wide trunk

There are simply too many touching moments that I don’t believe by describing this
awesome event in writing would strike your resonating response to me! I feel like this is only
an initial milestone in my Christian journey. However, l’ve discovered that my daily devotion
and prayer life have been more substantial and exciting. There seems to be new insights
offered from His Words and I truly feel that incredible sense of peace within my heart!


To end the above described trip with all my readers, I would like to invite you to take that
leap of faith by considering Jerusalem as your top priority travel list in the year of 2017! If
the Lord permits, I hope to meet you on the trip and have a dialogue throughout this
journey together. How does that sound to you? Shalom, may that peace be with you always
and forevermore!



Emmanuel




by Susan Ying









































Christmas is the season of bringing true meaning knowing the fact that how much God
loves us!


As I pounder upon the true meaning of “Emmanuel”, I couldn’t help but very much inclined
to dig into the genealogy of Jesus as well as the birth of Jesus recorded in the book of
Matthew on 1:1–23.


Instead of studying each name and background from each person listed in the genealogy,
what really struck me were several of these people’s names really caught my attention. I
couldn’t help but wonder why their names were included and recorded? What insightful
lesson God would want me to learn from it?


What insightful lesson God would want me to learn from Jesus’ genealogy?


First of all, God’s great plan to mankind is to have His beloved son, Jesus, to accomplish His
great plan of salvation to sinful people like you and I. First, Jesus must become fully human
by initially impregnated as a fetus in Mary’s womb. She then later will give birth to baby
Jesus and raise Him up to a grown man. Therefore, Jesus must come from a line of human

genealogy through God’s sovereign plan. What puzzles me is that Jesus chose to be among
the three cycles of the fourteen generations — fourteen generations in all from Abraham to
David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ
(Matthew 1:17)


Abraham was once called “the father of faith”, but we all know too well that he took greater
interest to the safety of his own life much more than his wife by lying to Pharaoh (Gen.
12:10–20). How about when God had already promised to Abraham that He will bless Sarah
to give birth to a son and that she will be called the mother of nations (Genesis 17:16).
However, Ismael was born before Isaac and many tragedies took place thereafter. David
was once called the man after God’s own heart. He had committed adultery and murdered
Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 11:1–27). Now came Jacob who was a person
determined to get what he wanted no matter what obstacles were set before him. How
about Judah? This is the original tribe that Jesus came upon its genealogy. Judah engaged
in a rather absurd relationship with his daughter-in-law and she gave birth to Perez and
Zerah. What about Rahab who was a gentile and a prostitute, and Ruth who was also a
gentile and not even considered the chosen Israelite? Manasseh was rated the most wicked
king that he led the Israelites astray from the Lord (2 Kings 21:9)!


Abraham, David, Jacob, Judah, Rahab, Ruth, and Manasseh all portrait the true natures of
who we are. I am simply in awe that Jesus chose to be among sinners. He loves us and He is
dying and longing to save us from sins so that through His blood, we can be set free from
sins and enjoy that abundant life He intended for all of us to enjoy!


I am simply in awe that Jesus chose to be among sinners.


Because of Joseph’s and Mary’s obedience to God’s sovereign plan, Christmas brings real
meaning! The name “Jesus” means that He will save His people from their sins (Matthew
1:21). In addition, virgin Mary will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel —
which means “God with us”. (Matthew 1:23).



Let’s take a moment to set aside the craziness of this time of the year! Christmas is the
season of bringing true meaning knowing the fact that how much God loves us! No matter
what lies ahead in life, all things will matter when God is with us!

The Privilege of Suffering













































What is your first inclination when one day you were at the supermarket, you are holding
this bottle of oyster sauce and the back label indicates with one of the many ingredients —
M.S.G. (Monosodium Glutamate). Would you still decide owning it?



Up to now, M.S.G. has no clear scientific evidence to support that it may be detrimental to
one’s health. Even though findings to this ingredient may contribute to possible headache,
dry mouth, and heart palpitation, etc. Well, I’ll let you be your own judge at this point.
About three years ago, seven of us mothers had decided to come up with a name that could
simply identify of who we are. Therefore, we’ve come up with the acronym of M.S.G. (Mom
Support Group). Yes, we are the mothers who are desperately in need of each other’s
support, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, an empathetic connection, and with total
acceptance without judgements!


“we are the mothers who are desperately in need of each other’s support, a shoulder to cry
on, a listening ear, an empathetic connection, and with total acceptance without
judgements!”


Many of our children have been suffering from years of ongoing mental illnesses ranging
from Schizophrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Behavior, Manic and Depressive Bipolar Disorder. In

fact, even one of the young adult child had just recently got released from a three-year-
incarceration due to just a minor criminal conviction because of the mental instability at that
time!
Have you ever experience during the middle of the night; your child had abruptly decided to
simply taking a walk outside the street? The mother has to sit on the curb under the street
night awaiting for her child to return home to safety? How about when your child is
suffering from an emotional imbalance to an extent that he must be transported to the
psychiatric hospital under safety supervision? While the parents were driving down on the
road heading to the hospital, they were witnessing a crowd of juniors/seniors from a high
school in a distance. The guys were dressed in handsome tuxedos while the girls were in
their stunning and gorgeous gowns. Laughers and excitement filled the air. Indeed, what lies
ahead is that imminent forever bright future! After all, isn’t that “only the sky is the limit” ?
Yet, the parents must endure that painful and traumatic reality that their child will not be
graduating from high school. What the future lies ahead of them seem like a bubble
bursting right in front of their faces!
How about if one daughter approaches to the mother stating that she is very anxious and
confused about her sexual orientation? She declares that she would prefers to be a lesbian
in order to free her identity crisis…



Raising children with mental disorders are an extreme lonely journey especially when some
of us are single mothers. In hindsight, God’s grace is always sufficient to us. He transforms
our lives to be more empathetic and able to reaching out to parents who may experience
those similar situations. One daily devotion for March 8, 2016, Pastor Ray Stedman shared his
message on “The Privilege of Suffering” (Philippians 1:28–30). My heart was deeply touched
when he wrote:


someone has well said when we appear before the Lord he doesn’t look us over for medals,
but for scars.


The book of John chapter 9 depicted with such a heartwarming story about how Jesus
healed the man who was blind from birth. His disciples were inquiring the source of the
man’s blindness — was that the sin caused by this man or from the parents? Then Jesus
answered,


neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.


Mental illness is a stigma that most people find it challenging to even initiate a conversation
among one another. They feel rather awkward and helpless among parents who are
struggling with children diagnosed with some forms of mental disorders. It is my utmost
prayer and desire that brothers and sisters at church, let’s embrace one another despise of
our differences and backgrounds! Let’s be very sensitive when it comes to sending warm
greetings around the Christmas season. Let all the accomplishments fulfilled by your family
members be given to all the credits and praises to our Father instead. Try our best to enrich
our conversation on how wonderful God’s work in the midst of our difficult circumstance or

even share about what we learn from our Sunday sermon and Sunday school rather than
inquiring what colleges or jobs of our children possess?


Indeed, M.S.G. may not seem like a welcoming connotation. However, we believe that we
are the princesses in His eyes and we will continue to stand firm and fight a good fight for
Him! Amen!