Journey With God – Page 4 – belovedbackground.com

a secure channel

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.

December 21, 2024

Enjoy being a light

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

December 20, 2024

spiritually disengaged

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,

December 19, 2024

Unpack Day

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

December 18, 2024

even when I can’t see it

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

December 17, 2024

Long Journey Home

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

December 16, 2024

ready for the road

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

December 14, 2024

determined to surrender all

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

December 13, 2024

open sky with bright sunshine

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

December 12, 2024

perfect provision

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,

December 11, 2024

meaningful friendships

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

December 10, 2024

Immanuel

““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,

December 9, 2024

Feng Shui

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

December 8, 2024

the joy you bring

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

December 7, 2024

how much I need Him

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

December 6, 2024

caring for my body

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

December 5, 2024

lovely afternoon with a grandma

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

December 4, 2024

Serving her

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

December 3, 2024

fun and joy

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

December 2, 2024

all come from You

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

December 1, 2024

small moments

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

November 30, 2024

hospitality

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

November 29, 2024

Thanksgiving Dinner

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,

November 28, 2024

Guard your thoughts

When I think, You come. When I move, You come. You whisper, every moment is holy. “Guard your thoughts, My child, For each one shapes the path of your heart.” I see it now—The highs and lows dissolve, Reflections of what I once believed was true. When I feared I

November 27, 2024

lasting peace

Today has been a calm and good day. I worked until 3 PM, then went to the store to pick up a few things. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I chose a birthday gift for my husband. I feel so happy about it. I’m learning to let go

November 26, 2024

trivial profundity

I need to prepare Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, but I realized I don’t have a roasting pan. While I was at Walmart, I noticed they were selling one for just under $10, and I thought it was perfect. I grabbed it, but then I remembered to pray and ask the

November 25, 2024

your goodness is running after me

Today I woke up and listened to an online church sermon. The pastors mentioned the 22 questions, I thought everything shared in the sermon was so good that I wanted to keep it in my journal. 22 questions These are 22 questions the members of John Wesley’s Holy Club asked

November 24, 2024

I can do all things through Christ

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) has been on my mind a lot lately. I’ve been making so many new decisions, minute by minute, decisions I never thought I could make. But now, they feel possible because I draw my strength from God. One

November 23, 2024

my life my dojo

Everyday life feels like a vivid dojo, constantly teaching me lessons. My greatest enemy isn’t external—it’s my own unpurified thoughts. The Holy Spirit guides me daily, revealing things about myself I hadn’t yet seen. Today felt like an exam, with life throwing multiple chaotic events at me all at once:

November 22, 2024

purify my thoughts

I have been sensing a new teaching from the Holy Spirit recently, and this morning’s devotional has made this lesson even clearer to me. PERSONAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS: 1. How can I purify my heart and thoughts to better reflect God’s love for me? I know there are old habits I

November 21, 2024

won’t give in

I lost my Fitbit charger during my trip, so I’ve had to charge my phone by the bed to use it as an alarm. This morning, as soon as I woke up, I instinctively reached for my phone and ended up buying some random things online that I absolutely don’t

November 20, 2024

follow through with your teaching

After a 15-hour journey, we finally arrived home around 11 p.m. last night. This morning, we woke up to snow and sunshine, and it felt so good to be home and close the chapter on the long and emotional funeral trip. Meeting the extended family on the island stirred a

November 19, 2024

Wild Dreams

This morning, before waking up, I leaped between several vivid and surreal dreams. Each felt like an adventure, carrying me into unexpected places and emotions. 1. Returning to My Hometown I went back to the town where I grew up. I was supposed to visit my family’s house, but when

November 18, 2024

Burial day

Today was the burial day. We had a full service at the local church where she grew up. I was amazed at how many people came to the funeral. For some reason, I was given the first-row middle seat. As I sat there, listening to people share stories about her,

November 17, 2024

grow old alone

Body Signals I’ve noticed that my period has been getting delayed longer and longer over the past six months. While I don’t feel any other symptoms, I’m starting to get concerned. I hope that when I return to China in January, I’ll be able to see a good traditional doctor

November 16, 2024

bad dreams

Since leaving Chicago, I’ve had bad dreams every night for the past three nights. They’ve all been dark, scenes of either killing or being killed. I’m not sure what’s triggering them, but I know they don’t come from my heart. I pray to Jesus to purify and heal the darkness

November 15, 2024

a unique memory

Today was much easier than the past two days, just a four-hour drive, and we successfully completed our Nexus interviews, which went much more smoothly than I expected. Afterward, we crossed the border and settled into an Airbnb for the night. I’m so thankful to God for arranging such a

November 14, 2024

motivated by You alone

I rarely follow bloggers or get excited about YouTubers, but there’s one creator I truly admire: Liziqi. Her spirit feels so pure, and her videos are incredibly soothing to watch. She stopped uploading nearly three years ago due to legal issues, but today she returned with an amazing episode that

November 13, 2024

faithful Lord

After nine hours of driving, we finally arrived in Buffalo, New York. It was a long day on the road, and I felt really tired. But I’m grateful we had time to talk through so many things, especially about our faithful Lord. Tomorrow is another long day of driving, so

November 12, 2024

Nothing else truly matters

Today was another day spent with family. It’s funny, when I was in my twenties, all I wanted was to break away, explore the world, and be on my own. Now, all I want is to be close to the people I love. After two and a half years of

November 11, 2024

in Your hands

Today, I had more time to truly connect with family members and enjoy long, heartfelt conversations. Growing up in China, I never experienced the warmth of a Christian family environment, so I feel incredibly blessed that my husband not only introduced me to Jesus but also welcomed me into a

November 10, 2024

new life comes as well

After a long day of travel, we finally arrived in Chicago. Many family members gathered here, and it’s always heartwarming to spend time together. This year, my sister-in-law had a baby girl, and it’s our first time meeting her. She’s so pure, genuine, and adorable. Though we’re here to honor

November 9, 2024

grieve deeply

Tonight, my husband and I drove to Canada, each taking a car, and dropped one off at the airport. This way, when we fly back from PEI, we’ll have a vehicle ready to take us home to the U.S. Tomorrow morning at 8 am, we’ll begin our journey. We’ll be

November 8, 2024

What is my lesson?

Recurring pain cycle There’s a recurring pain cycle between me and my husband: he often feels stuck in work situations that make him unhappy, yet he tends to be slow to take action or make improvements. We even got into lawsuit because of this. At the same time, he frequently

November 7, 2024

not a lack of anything on Him

The news is out today: Trump has been elected president again. I tend to avoid the news during election season because the negativity and division are difficult to watch. Politics often feels like the opposite of God’s heart, which longs for unity, not division. I’m not sure if I feel

November 6, 2024

boundaries

Understanding the Power of true Loving Boundaries My husband and I recently attended the final bonus session of our marriage retreat. The topic was “boundaries,” and I’m so grateful I chose to participate, especially in this session. My biggest takeaway was realizing that when loved ones are struggling in a

November 5, 2024

secret weapons

I’ve been seeing messages about prayer and praise as our “secret weapons” for a while. Today’s devotional added worship to my secret weapon list, and it felt like a deep confirmation for me. I shared with my husband that I feel God has been “weaponizing” me lately. He replied, “Good,

November 4, 2024

house chores done

Today was incredibly productive! I power washed all of our vehicles, and my husband cleaned the chimney of our wood stove. It feels great to have checked off some house chores! I know Sunday is meant to be my Sabbath, but life feels so busy that it’s hard to take

November 3, 2024