reflection

As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said, “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here! See the place where they laid him.”

…Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb… because they were afraid. (Mark 16:5-8)

~~~

“Woman,” He said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking He was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have put Him and I will get Him.”

J*sus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward Him and cried out…”Rabboni!”  (John 20:15-16)

~~~

…Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet who have believed. (John 20:29)

~~~

Here I am humbled by Your Majesty,
Covered by Your grace, oh Friend.
Here I am, knowing I’m a sinful man,
Covered by the blood of the Lamb.
Now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine,
Since You laid down Your life,
The greatest sacrifice.

Majesty, Majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
Empty-handed, but alive in Your hands.

Here I am humbled by the love that You give,
Forgiven so that I can forgive.
So here I stand,
Knowing that I am Your desire,
Sanctified by glory and fire.
And now I’ve found the greatest love of all is mine,
Since You laid down Your life,
The greatest sacrife.

Majesty, Majesty.
Your grace has found me just as I am,
Empty-handed, but alive in your hands.
Singing Majesty, Majesty.

Forever I am changed by Your love,
In the presence of Your Majesty.
Majesty.

~~~

Wishing you all many blessings today. Happy Easter!

This is my first Thanksgiving…

…alone. And by alone, I do mean alone. Bo had to fly back to the States for visa issues and work, so I’m here in China, alone, on Thanksgiving.

…to work. Can you believe that?!? My school had the nerve to make me work on Thanksgiving day! Who cares that the holiday is ONLY celebrated in my country? I still have rights, don’t I? Okay, maybe not.

…to eat duck instead of turkey. I spent a lovely evening with my fellow teachers, eating Beijing Duck. It definitely didn’t stack up to a good ole turkey dinner, but it was the best we could come up with. It had a beak, so close enough for China.

All in all, it was just another day. Nothing special. But I think maybe this year I am more thankful than ever before. Thankful for the opportunity to live in this crazy country for awhile. Thankful for a husband who is worth it. Thankful that I am an American and can always move back. Thankful for our wonderful families who do everything they can to help and support us, even from 8000 miles away. Thankful for a job that almost didn’t happen and a place to live. Thankful for like-minded friends/neighbors who have done so much for us already and who will help me get through the next 2+ week alone. Thankful, thankful, thankful. To Him, of course. 

By the way…HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANNA!!! I am thankful for you, too! Sorry I’m a day late, but I sent good thoughts your way yesterday!

Last Sunday, Bo and I  climbed the largest coastal mountain in China, Laoshan Mountain, which is located only about 45 minutes from downtown Qingdao. The scenery was extraordinary because as you are climbing, your mind is blown by the beauty of the mountain on one side of you  and the Yellow Sea on the other. Pictures can’t do it justice, of course, but I tried…

The mountain is known as the birthplace of Taoism and there are several ancient temples at the foot of Mt. Lao, so we decided to take a tour of the Taiqing Palace Temple, the largest one. There are still practicing monks living there (and making a killing on tourism, I might add $$$).

This is the entrance to the temple. As we walked in, I noticed that all of the Chinese people would reverently rub the stone carvings along the sides of the walkway. This is probably considered good luck, because everything here seems to have something to do with luck…

And here is a gorgeous view of the mountain behind the temple…

As we wandered around, I noticed a woman who appeared to be praying and holding burning incense in front of her. When I asked a friend about this, he said that the Taoists will stand before a god (idol) and send good thoughts up to the heavens. Then they will stick the incense into a special censor (incense holder), where it will continue to burn. The idea is that the smoke carries the good thoughts to the heavens. As I was listening to this, I was thankful that my every whisper is even as unto His ear.

And more lucky stuff… this is what we would call a wishing well, a pool of water filled with coins. But here, you do not simply throw your coin in, instead you try to make your coin float. If your coin floats, you are lucky! I thought that this must be impossible, but then I noticed a few coins actually floating on the surface of the water. I hope you can see it.

The last thing I’ll show you from inside the temple is this huge, ancient cypress tree. Of course it was impossible to photograph, due to its size, but I still wanted you to see at least a part of it. This tree is believed to date back to the Han Dynasty, which means that it is over 2000 years old. When I heard this, I immediately thought about the fact that this tree was probably a tiny baby when His Son walked the earth. I have to say, I smiled many times that day as He constantly reminded me of Himself… even in a Taoist temple.

Okay, and now for a few final photos, more random in nature. First, this fruit stand outside of the temple. I have never seen anything like this. Does anyone know what those crazy looking yellow things are?

And finally, in true China fashion (meaning strange sightings), we were totally shocked when we passed a souvenir stand selling hats and saw this… (this is for you Bri-Bri)…

I promise this is real. You can even see the tag on the hat. An Alabama toboggan for sale at a Taoist temple in China. ROLL TIDE!!!

This weekend was the first holiday that I’ve spent away from Rebecca in seven years. For the last three days, China has been celebrating the Mid-Autumn festival, which is also known as the Moon Festival. This is one of the two most important holidays for East Asia. It falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month of the Chinese calendar, which usually is around mid- to late-September. This year it happened to fall on September 15, which marks the seven year anniversary of the first date of Rebecca and I. Seven years ago to the day, I drove from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi on a Saturday night to meet her for our first date, and what a date it was!

Last night as I was taking a little stroll down the coast, I was thinking: little did Rebecca and I know on the night of our first date, as we sipped coffee at Cups and talked about music and movies, that seven years from then to the day, I would be in China desperately waiting for my wife to join me. But that’s the way life is. You have your own plans and your own intentions, all to be thwarted by what lies waiting for you around the corner. For Rebecca and me, life couldn’t be any more unpredictable than it has been. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. There are those who prefer predictability and those who prefer spontaneity. Rebecca and I without a doubt have always fallen under the latter category. So, though we have had to pay a three-month price for our willingness to step into the unknown, our excitement for what lies ahead and our confidence that this is the right move overshadows any temporary hardships we’ve had to endure. But that doesn’t mean that this hasn’t been difficult for us. We’ve cried together and we’ve poured our hearts out to each other, but our waiting is finally coming to an end. Tomorrow, I pick up the last document that she’ll need for her visa. I’ll then express mail everything to her and she’ll quickly have the visa stamped onto her passport.

I cannot wait until I meet Rebecca in the airport and we get to begin the next seven years together. Who knows where we’ll be then. I can’t even begin to imagine. Today, as over a billion Asians are celebrating with their families and friends and admiring the bright mid-autumn harvest moon as they entertain stories of folklore, my reasons for celebration are closer to those of the Chinese farmer’s. On this day, he celebrates the end of the summer and the coming of a brand new harvest. My sentiments exactly. And my new harvest begins when I meet Rebecca in the airport. (Hey, the Chinese can be poetic. Why can’t I?)

Right now, from the window of our 20th floor condo, I’m watching the sailing teams gear up for an Olympic race. I feel blessed to be here during such a wonderful time for China. The spirit here is one of pride and excitement. Two nights ago, I went to a friend’s home to have a party for the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The girls cooked us gan chao niu he (sautéed rice noodles), song hua dan (preserved duck egg), jirou (chicken), Beijing kao ya (roast Peking duck), chao jidan xihongshi (fried eggs and tomatoes), pig nose, and a couple of other things – all washed down with Tsingtao pijiu (Tsingtao beer). It was all quite good. We ate while we waited for the show to begin.

From the first moments of the broadcast, my friends were mesmerized. Everyone was so proud & moved watching the ceremony. To them it meant everything, because they know that this marks the beginning of a new era for China. It was a very special moment for all of us. If you watched the opening ceremony, you know that it was amazing & moving. But to me, it was even more so, because of the company I was with. At times, some of my friends were nearly in tears. 

We Americans might not fully understand their emotion because the Olympics have been to America a few times. We’ve been center stage. But to them, they’re the center of the world for the first time & everyone is watching. Because it was their first time for the Olympics, 5000 years of Chinese history was summarized in brief illustrations, to show the world where they have been and where they want to go. 

It would be as if the US told the story of our founding fathers, the American Revolution, the Boston Tea Party, the Civil War, the first World War, the second World War and its reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement, and everything that has brought us to where we are now. Sure, we would be moved. We would feel great pride in knowing that the world is watching our story – our history – and they’re gaining a better understanding of who we are. But the feeling and emotion is even stronger for China. For the first time, the world is able to understand and appreciate them and their heritage. 

On August 8, 2008, China was finally formally introduced to the world. And I was proud to have the best seat in the house – in China with Chinese friends. 

(originally posted on August 9, 2008)