Stuff That Matters in Life

Katy’s Weblog

Dr. Laura’s answer to a caller who was heart-broken over break up with a guy:

Why are you dating at all? You are a hypersensitive 17-year-old teenager who should be getting involved in sports, drama, and things like that. Take some time to mature, learn about yourself, grow to be a woman who knows what she wants. If you date, you will end up hurting yourself. Don’t hurt yourself.

When I was 17, I did not heed advice like that.

Read more of “Don’t hurt yourself”

If you’ve never heard of Owly, I bet most of you probably haven’t, you’ve got to read it and experience a little “warm fuzzies” in your heart.

Owly by Andy Runton is a graphic novel for all ages. When you think graphic novel, you might think of manga or comic books. But Owly is different. It’s about the life of an owl named … you guessed it – Owly! His friend is a worm named…. you guessed right again – Wormy! I love it!

There are no words, but the expressions and symbols all are you need to construct the entire story. It’s a great way to learn to read expressions and understand emotions without words. I especially recommend men to read this book to enhance their understanding of nonverbal emotions.

You learn lessons about sharing, sacrifice and friendship from Owly.

Owly is just the type of book I would write, especially those creative names given to the characters. 🙂

In fact, I am really inspired to begin my book now.

Mr. Hippo

Filed under Generalby Joyful

chinatown-small.jpg

I’d like to introduce you to my buddy. (Click on the picture and see his full size.)

He is my reading buddy because he is sturdy but soft for me to lean on when I read.

He is my comfort buddy because I feel better when I wrap my arms around his big squishy body.

And he is my happy buddy because I break into a smile whenever I look at his cute self.

Everyone needs a Mr. Hippo.

Victory

Filed under Generalby Joyful

In an opinion by Justice Kennedy, the Court upheld the ban on partial-birth abortion.

This has been a long battle to ban partial-birth abortion.

If you read about the partial-birth abortion procedure, it would make you sick.

And it would make you sick to know that this procedure has been practiced legally for so long.

And it would make you sick to think how depraved our country is to have allowed it to go on until now.

…And it would make you rejoice that there are great organizations such as ACLJ that engages in the legal arena to stop such atrocities and defend moral values.

In the book of Numbers, chapter 11, the Israelites were complaining that they didn’t have meat to eat. The Lord told Moses that he will indeed give the people meat to eat, not for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month. Moses was incredulous. Where in the world can he get enough meat for six hundred thousand men plus women and children for a whole month?

The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

Don’t you love that? Is the Lord’s arm too short?

Whenever you doubt God’s power to help, imagine God with little short arms…  🙂

Of course I love my church.

I’ve been there for 17 years.

I’ve stayed with it through thick and thin.

It’s like my family.

But I suddenly realize today that I don’t love my church as described in ICorinthians 13.

If the truth be known: I am impatient whenever there is Chinese translation. I am critical of the “chinese style” of doing things. I don’t like the lingering smells of strange, smelly “exotic” chinese food.

Yes, I am Chinese! Yet I feel so un-chinese at our church.

I Corinthians 13:1-3 (the Katy translation) – If I teach Sunday School with great wisdom, organize a successful Vacation Bible School, pray for the church fervently, but I do not have patience for the differences, all my work counts for nothing. Without love, I am not helping, but in fact hurting the church.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. Luke 6:32-44

If the church is more homogeneous, I would be so much more comfortable, we would have mutual understanding, then wouldn’t things run smoother?

But where is the power of God in that?

People will agree that the most important things in life are not possessions. On top of the list of what we value are family and health, isn’t that right?

When I think of the problems we are facing, I encourage myself by remembering that I have a wonderful family, and I still have my health.

If that is the case, wouldn’t it make sense to actually take more time to enjoy my family? And shouldn’t I do more things that a healthy body can do?

Play games with the family, have more conversation, give each other back rubs, tell stories, take walks…

Play tennis, go jogging, jump rope, climb a tree (if we had a big tree), ride a bike…

That way, I will be enjoying and making use of my most valuable assets instead of letting them go to waste.

si·ne qua non – something absolutely indispensable or essential

Jesus is si·ne qua non to Christianity. If you take out Jesus, Christianity would not exist. Christianity is based on a person, not on teachings.

I like that. It brings us back to the basics. My salvation is not based on following Jesus’ teachings, but in following Jesus a person.

Egg hunt, dye eggs, baskets of prizes and candy…I did Easter activities with the kids at church today.

While I’ve had less desire to work directly with the children as I’ve gotten older, I really enjoyed them today.

Highlights:

“Everyone come give me a hug and line up to go outside!” I called. The mob…

Read more of “Kids are great!”