I’ve been reflecting a lot on The Screwtape Letters since I started reading it. It’s such a fascinating book that I’m savoring it by taking my time and reading it slowly. It amazes me how close our spiritual enemy is to us, they know us better than we know ourselves. I’ve also been reflecting on the fact that when we pray and praise, those are the moments the enemy cannot hear us. This realization connects so many dots in my mind. When our thoughts are unguarded, the devil creeps in, stirring emotions and planting deceptive ideas. Once that cycle

I ordered a personalized nameplate for one of my favorite clients, an older gentleman I deeply respect. He has always kept our relationship simple and professional, which reflects his personality. While I enjoy being warm and personal, this gift felt like a very “Zoey” way to appreciate him, and he loved it. Today, I had a one-on-one session with a woman I’ve known for several years. We’ve been in the same small group for a long time. During our conversation, she broke down in tears and shared that she hadn’t felt this way in a long time, it was

Today, I got completely caught up in daily chores, partly because of my organizing OCD. I’ve been trying to sort through everything I brought back from Phoenix. At first, organizing felt exciting, but that feeling quickly faded, replaced by a sense of exhaustion and heaviness. In the midst of it, my mind started playing tricks on me, drawing my attention to even more imperfections around the house. This urge to fix everything at once had me spiraling into multitasking mode. I know this pattern all too well, it never leads anywhere good. Instead, it leaves me frustrated and completely

Unpacked all the boxes we brought back from Phoenix today. It feels so good to finally feel settled in. I moved the twin bed into my office, another instance of God’s perfect timing. My father-in-law and brother-in-law will be visiting for Christmas, and we desperately needed that bed to set up the guest room. The busy holiday season has disrupted my usual steady routine. I’ve noticed my mind wandering throughout the day, unable to stay focused. In just two weeks, I’ll be traveling to China again. Life has been moving at such a fast pace lately that I’ve lost

Open Old Gifts After getting home yesterday, I slept for 14 hours straight and woke up feeling refreshed. Looking back on all the challenges we faced and how fearlessly we pushed forward, I feel so proud of us. The trip was scary at times, and we both lost our tempers a few times, but I see it as God teaching us how to work together under extreme conditions. It was incredibly hard, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other way of building and experiencing life together. I feel like Riley and I have grown so much stronger as

12/15-12/16 Two Days on the Road We started driving back to Washington this morning, planning to stop at Twin Falls for the night. However, we both felt strong enough to push forward, so we began taking turns driving and sleeping. This trip has been particularly challenging for me because I’m not used to driving a stick shift. To make things even harder, I’ve had to drive it while towing a U-Haul trailer. There were moments when I almost lost my composure multiple times. In Utah, a huge deer jumped right in front of my car while I was driving

We cleaned the truck, changed all the filters and oil, and installed a trailer plug. We also rented a box trailer from U-Haul and loaded everything we had stored with friends. Everything is ready for the road, and I’m so happy with the progress we made today. During lunch, we picked up food and set up a table in the yard to eat under the perfect sunshine and beautiful weather. It was such a wonderful time spent with friends, we loved every moment of it. Lord, I pray for safe travels on our upcoming long journey back to Washington.

While talking with our friend in Phoenix, he shared about his son, a brilliant tax attorney in New York, making impressive money. While he’s proud of his son’s achievements, what stood out was the sadness in his voice. He spoke about their strained relationship and how much his daughter-in-law dislikes him. It struck me deeply, especially later tonight when I stumbled upon the Peterson Academy, a place where, for $500/per year, you can learn from the best of the best anytime anywhere on your phone. All of this, the stories, the facts, reminded me once again of what truly

Patricia kindly drove us to the bus station, where we caught a bus to Sea-Tac Airport. By 9 pm, we landed in Phoenix after a long day of travel. Despite the exhaustion, we were filled with joy to reunite with our friend. He’s so generous to host us and care for us while we’re here. I’m looking forward to quality time together, catching up, and getting some of our chores done. It feels wonderful to return to the city I once called home, especially after traveling across the entire country. Coming from Washington, I’m cherishing the vast, open sky

Spent three hours at Patrick’s today, meeting with her friend Gale. Had such good conversations with both of them, it was time well spent. And I found out she loves to swim and we might be teaming up to swim in the future which is very exciting for me.  Tomorrow, we’re heading to Phoenix to pick up our stored belongings. I honestly didn’t think this trip would be possible before I leave for China at the end of the month. It’s about a 24-hour drive one way, and the thought of spending 48 hours on the road has been

Had coffee with Anna in the afternoon, she is one of the bravest young women I know. Despite all the uncertainty and hardship she’s facing, she carries herself with such grace, never letting on how much she’s truly bearing. She speaks as if it’s no big deal, but I know the weight she carries. Lord, You see my heart. I want to lift Anna up to You, but I don’t even know where to begin. Please give her the strength and peace she needs as she navigates her pregnancy and Louis’s situation in Haiti. You are the ultimate Waymaker,

““Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”” – Matthew 1:23 NLT The holiday season is often centered around family, but our earthly family isn’t always what draws us closer to God, sometimes, it’s quite the opposite. Some people are born into abusive families, growing up to hate the world, while even those in good families often find reasons to complain. Surprisingly, I don’t think this is entirely a bad thing. “If you love your father or mother more than you

Since leaving China, I’ve developed a strong appetite for traditional Chinese culture. My graduate school thesis was about Taoism, and later I fell in love with the I Ching. For some time now, I’ve been exploring Bazi as a hobby. This week, a teacher I admire asked if I would be interested in learning Feng Shui from him, and I immediately said yes. The course will last for three months, and I had my first class today, it was such an enjoyable experience. I used to see these skills as tools to improve my life, or even a shortcut

Hosted a small group this morning and shared about how walking with God has transformed my focus, from striving to change the world around me to seeking inner transformation through Him. Instead of trying to change others through my communication, I now turn to God in prayer, allowing Him to change me. In the beginning, this journey felt empty and vague, but I’m so thankful I persevered through those challenging phases. The sweet fruit it has borne in my life is undeniable. Walking with God isn’t just about the mind, it’s about aligning the body, mind, and soul with

I read something truly worth pondering in today’s devotional: How do we grasp the depth and significance of love? We can know the depth of someone’s love by what it costs them. How much does their love expressed cost them? We can know the depth of someone’s love by how little the recipients deserves it. Has the person who receives love done something to deserve it? We can know the depth of someone’s love by the greatness of the undeserved benefit for the recipient. What is the magnitude of the gift received? how much I need Him I have

I got up early and exercised for an hour, my body really needed this. For some reason, it’s so much harder to stay motivated to work out in the winter. But today, I got a good sweat, and it feels amazing. As I get older, I’m becoming more aware of how time is consuming my body. I know I’ll never get younger, and my body is steadily aging. Yet, I’m so grateful to be free from major health problems, and I want to cherish what I have by taking better care of myself. Lord, please help me stay diligent

Dream I dreamt of my primary school friends, Liping and Ziqin. We were at an outdoor camp, enjoying ourselves in the wilderness. Suddenly, the mountains around us began to erupt, and rivers of lava cascaded down. The fiery flow quickly reached us, and tragically, everyone I knew perished, everyone except me. Making 200 cookies I went to Patricia’s place today to help her make cookies. Together, we baked nearly 200 cookies! She was so thoughtful and made me lunch, and I spent part of the afternoon helping her with some computer tasks. Since I left home at 15, I’ve

The holiday rhythm is starting to settle in, tight but exciting! After some intense recent travels and with an upcoming trip to PHX, we’ve decided to spend a simple, restful Christmas at home. I’m really looking forward to it. This morning, I got up early to host my small group online. It’s so encouraging to see people building deeper relationships, and I felt honored to share things that could help others find God. One of the ladies from church also reminded me to utilize the prayer group service, so I did. I submitted a prayer for Riley as he

The first day back to work after Thanksgiving. Everything feels slow, but it gave me the chance to create a better budget sheet for 2005, a much-needed upgrade from the old one Riley and I have been using. Managing finances is such a big part of adult life. I used to hate it, but now, learning to stay on top of it actually makes both of us feel so much better. It’s not easy, but it’s always worth it, like many things that are truly beneficial in the long run. They take effort, but they always bear good fruit.

I slept in very late today, catching up on the sleep I missed yesterday. Waking up refreshed felt wonderful. We finally received our Nexus passes and were excited to put them to use. So, we drove to Canada, and the journey was breathtaking. The visibility was amazing, we could see majestic, snow-capped peaks in the distance, green farmland stretching across the U.S., and the stunning Mt. Baker. I am so grateful that the Lord led us to settle in such a beautiful place. My Heavenly Father is truly the almighty Creator, providing for us with such care and intention.

Today was such a joyful day! I celebrated Riley’s birthday in the morning, since friends were coming over for Friendsgiving in the afternoon. Seeing how much he liked the gift I picked out made me so happy. At first, part of me almost gave in to laziness, thinking that after being together for so many years, maybe I could just ask him what he wanted instead of choosing something myself. But I’m so glad I took the time to pick a gift that felt meaningful to me. It reminded me that it’s not about the gift itself but the

Today has been such a lazy holiday! We slept in, cleaned the kitchen, and played some video games. Just a simple, relaxing day, and I love it. I really enjoy the smaller gatherings during the holidays. They give more time for deeper conversations with people. I’m so grateful for those who handle the heavy lifting with big gatherings, it’s no small task! So much planning, coordination, and preparation goes into it. I want to embrace hospitality in a way that I can sustain over time. Tomorrow, we’re hosting a Korean BBQ Friendsgiving, and I’m really looking forward to it.

I invited my neighbor over for Thanksgiving. Patricia arrived around 1 pm to teach me how to cook the turkey. I made stuffing and green bean casserole, while she baked a pie and prepared snacks. Later, we watched one of her favorite movies together. It was a very simple holiday, nothing fancy at all, but it became one of my favorites. I think the true spirit of Thanksgiving and the Christ-centered fellowship really touched me. Patricia is such an old-school lady, partly because of her age, but also because she’s such a genuine person. I feel very grounded when