The closer I grow to God, the more the pressure of “have to,” “must,” “supposed to,” and “need to” loses its grip on me. I can see now that much of my past struggles and hardships were self-inflicted, born out of these enslaving thoughts. The truth is, nothing I do can alter what God intends to do. And there’s nothing I desire that God would outright forbid, even ending my own life. Though He may not agree with my choices, He allows them. That is true love—endless patience. Another truth is that what I do doesn’t really matter that

A rainy day, a peaceful valley, steaming mountains, and trees dressed in fall colors—the landscape feels like an oil painting with a touch of melancholy. I used to be a happy, sun-loving person who adored the endless sunny days in Phoenix. But now, I’ve slowly fallen in love with the gloomy, rainy days of the Pacific Northwest. I can’t help but praise the Lord, the ultimate artist, for creating such diverse and breathtaking beauty. I used to hate setbacks and difficulties in life. But now, the peace God has placed in my heart has transformed how I see the

This morning’s devotional revealed a powerful insight: Every time I open my mouth to speak to you, I’m revealing how I’ve been doing in three other “conversations”: what I’m saying to myself (self-talk), how well I’m refuting the lies of the Enemy, and how closely—if at all—I’m walking with God. Everything we do or say in this world creates a butterfly effect—we may never fully understand the ripple of its impact. One thing I know for sure is that, as children of God, we are powerful. It’s easy to fall for the devil’s lie that we are weak and

Fall has fully arrived, and on my way home, I’ve been mesmerized by the beauty all around me. The 40-minute commute has become one of the highlights of my day. In the distance, snow-capped mountains rise majestically, one of them draped in a delicate lenticular cloud like a hat. Closer to the road, fiery autumn leaves burst into color—each one vibrant and alive in the crisp air. Up close, the fall colors are so detailed and rich, while in the distance, the trees on the mountains are painted in shades of gold and amber. By the river, people are

captivity versus freedom I’ve been reflecting on Moses’ story ever since I watched Testament: The Story of Moses. I learn deeply through visualization, and the story struck me as a timeless reflection of the human condition—captivity versus freedom, no matter the era or social setting. One thing Jesus has opened my heart to understand is that I was once a slave, but now I am free. The greatest shift within me has been moving from making decisions out of fear to resisting the surrender to the dark. Now, when I feel afraid, I don’t let fear control me. Instead,

As I learn more about King David’s story, part of me is oddly relieved that he sinned like everyone else. It’s a powerful reminder that even David, a man after God’s own heart, fell into sin the moment he took his eyes off God. This shows me clearly that we can never win the battles of life on our own—it has to be God. For the rest of my life, if I ever start thinking I’m good enough to handle things myself, I’ll recognize that as the enemy’s temptation. Just last night, my husband and I were talking about

Life becomes so much simpler when God is the  top priority. For a few days, I had a vision of a battlefield. When I was fighting alone, I stood in darkness, choosing my battles, but the enemies seemed far too powerful—like a battle doomed to fail. Yet, when I stood in the light, the battlefield became one of victory, even over the dark side. It’s hard to fully grasp with my mind, but the vision was beautiful. It’s like how God knows the future, yet He gives us free will. We are chosen, but we also have the choice

Today flew by so fast. Life seems to be getting easier as I follow God more closely. There are still a lot of fears and annoying thoughts, but there are also more natural moments of surrender. It’s always so good to know that in this life, I don’t have to do the heavy lifting, and I’m not built for that—God is. He is always easy to reach. I want to maintain the habit of praying when my energy is low and praising when I’m full of energy. I want to keep these two secret weapons God has given me

As I reflect on the conversation I had with my husband last night, my heart aches. I’ve been praying to God, asking for a pure heart that seeks Him, rather than allowing my mind to dwell on how this situation might affect my happiness. This morning, I felt a mix of sadness and peace, and the Holy Spirit filled my heart with words and love to compose this message to him: I laughed when Aunt Pat told that crazy story of you as a boy, fearlessly hanging out the window. I giggled when Mom and Dad said you were

Stuck Today was a restful day. After doing a few house chores, I went to bed early with my husband. We did a couple’s meditation together—one of my favorite ways to connect, where we can be fully open and share what’s really going on inside us. He’s been struggling with the same issue for a long time, and tonight, the conversation came back to the same topic. I felt uneasy, noticing how familiar it all seemed. It feels like he’s stuck, and part of me believes it’s because he hasn’t taken action to change it. But that’s also part

Last night, I came home tired from a hike with friends. I sat on the couch, not in the mood for TV shows but craving some peace with Jesus. I opened YouTube, looking for a soothing Christian song, and Justin Bieber – Holy Jesus was the first to appear. I’ve never been a fan of Justin Bieber, always thought of him as a typical playboy rock star. But praise God! He’s been transformed by the Lord. I was completely surprised to learn that in recent years, he has written many Christian songs, leads worship in church, and even hosts

Morning Devo Today’s devotional is about the story of Esther and her courageous decision to fight for her people. As queen, she could have remained comfortable and distant from their suffering, but instead, she chose to share in their pain. Rather than offering help from her royal position, she walked alongside them through every step of their distress. The line that immediately comes to mind is, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours.” I never truly understood the depth of that concept until recently, and I realize it’s because God has been preparing my heart to feel more deeply.

Work Slave In the early stages of my career, I often worked late into the night, thinking it was normal. But after beginning my walk with Jesus, I realized this is completely against my Father’s will. I no longer serve that master. Last night, it happened again—not from my regular work, but from the company I started with a few others earlier this year. They are all wonderful, creative young people, and I love working with them. We were trying to land a big client, so we had to do some last-minute website updates. I ended up staying way

I spent the first half of my day with my cat, taking her to the vet to get all her updated shots. She used to be a very calm and sweet cat, but after living with us for three years and getting a bit spoiled, she’s become a little whiny. It’s interesting how, when life gets too comfortable, gratitude and appreciation can fade — this seems to apply to both animals and humans. I constantly find myself in an inner battle — either I pour all of myself into something and try to do it perfectly, or I don’t

Usually, there are 5-20 people who join my small group online. The purpose is to create a space for sharing and mutual support, where we can help one another grow. Most of the time, people do share, but it’s often the same few voices. This morning, we started with six participants, and none of them wanted to share, so I ended up calling it off almost immediately. Oh Lord, I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed. It would be a complete lie. I felt the same frustration as on the first day I started this group, knowing how valuable and

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

Our Airbnb weekend ended today, and after my friend dropped me off at home, we gave them a tour of our house. Their compliments made me feel deeply grateful for what we have. However, along with that gratitude, a darker side of myself resurfaced. Memories from my childhood came flooding back—after my dad passed away, my family went through a long period of financial crisis. The fear I accumulated during that time still lingers. My mom, dealing with her own grief, projected her fears onto me, which shaped my heart to prioritize material success above all else. Whenever I

Another day spent with friends at the Airbnb. We watched movies, went to the lake, rented boats, and cooked dinner together. It was a wonderful time! Two of my friends aren’t believers, but we had the opportunity to talk about faith and share spiritual experiences tonight. I caught myself still wanting to convince them or prove how good Your way is—partly because I felt like I had to show that my way is better. But I recognized those thoughts for what they are, and I pulled them out because I know they aren’t pure. Oh Lord, You know me

Today, we attended a friend’s wedding and afterward headed to a cabin in the woods. We made burgers for dinner, then sat in the hot tub for hours, chatting and unwinding. One of our friends brought a guitar and sang country songs beneath the stars. That was a perfect night! Though it’s been a long day, I loved every bit of it. It’s a day that will stay vividly in my memory.

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, attend to your own business, and work with your hands, just as we instructed you.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11 NASB2020) The first part of this verse has been growing in my heart like a small sapling. It’s rooted in peace, and though young, it knows what it wants—to become a tall, sturdy tree. There’s no struggle in its identity, only a calm certainty that it will grow strong and firm. Tonight, after dinner, I spent three hours doing something I’d never done before: moving and chopping firewood with my computer hands.

Last night, during our conversation with the neighbor, I was deeply inspired by how she tithes. Tithing is something new to me, but it’s been on my mind for a while. Before becoming a Christian, I never really considered anything related to tithing. Growing up, money held a high value in my life, and feeling financially tight only made me treasure it more. There’s still a part of me that feels unready to fully embrace this practice, but I’ve realized that part of me may never feel ready. It’s the act of doing it that brings readiness. So today,

Today, we invited our neighbor over for dinner. She’s an elderly woman, but her faith in Christ is incredibly strong. From the moment we met her, my husband and I felt a deep sense of joy and gratitude to have her in our lives, and we wanted to find ways to serve and help her. To my surprise, my husband took the lead for the first time, preparing most of the meal and even cleaning up afterward, which brought me so much joy. Throughout the evening, we got to know her better. She shared with us how she’s faithfully

As I continue watching The Chosen Season 4, I see Jesus expressing that He has done everything He can to teach and model, yet His followers still don’t fully understand. They remain more focused on earthly things than on heavenly ones. I’ve been on this journey of faith for a while, and I often find myself disappointed in my own shortcomings. I sense His disappointment too. Somehow, the pull of the flesh and the distractions of this world make it hard for us to grasp the higher wisdom. Our minds are so limited, and like the Pharisees trapped in