ignite 'n inspire

I met my younger self for tea this morning. I wore a black body suit and my favourite pair of blue flare jeans, with pink lip tint and my classic brown purse. She came in a black leggings, a coloured cami and blue jean jacket. With little red acne spots on her forehead and wavy dark brown hair, she apologized for being late because she just came from a youth fellowship church meeting. I laughed quietly at her anxious energy and admired her love for those around her. I asked how the meeting went and she gave me a thorough rundown- who attended, what she was excited about, elaborate plans on ways to make the fellowship program more engaging and build more connections between her church community. I soaked in all her youthful energy as I come to terms with my current reality. I'm a little burnout and tired from ministry and its endless list of obligations and responsibilities. Could I ask for a little bit of her zest and passion? Would she be generous enough to give some to me? She or...

After another season of long Saturday trainings, rushed work sessions and early morning debriefs, we once again have arrived at a very familiar finish line. The ride has been extra long this time— a seven-month journey with my mentor coaches and captains, and a whirlwind three months with Team Kaleo. In this marathon-yet-sprint-like journey, I believe the image of a mosaic comes to mind when I am asked to describe my journey this year as a first-time mentor coach and four-time coach. Why mosaic? 1) Mosaic art is created when smaller glass shards are carefully placed together to create one art piece.            Starting off with the mentor coach team-no one can deny that I got to work with the most experienced team amongst all the mentor coaching teams in this conference. I believe that our collective youth ministry experience is equivalent to the age of a very old senior! This team had a strong grasp of each other's giftings, strengths and weaknesses. Withi...

          During every ceremony, couples will often exchange and say something along the lines of... "I take you...to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part." But what does it mean to put these vows into action, especially when familial pressure is suffocating, personal loss is unbearable and unexpected obstacles arise? A-list actors Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun have teamed up to create the tragically beautiful "Queen of Tears" world, a masterpiece that has left audience with tears welling in their eyes week after week. It's been a long time since I have written a kdrama review, but I felt a need to capture my thoughts as many (myself included) eagerly await for what I believe will be a record-breaking drama finale.  Why do I think "Queen of Tears" is "the drama:" (1) Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun are simply acting geniuses : As the fam...

As I tapped through countless photo and video recaps of TC this morning, I decided to re-read my post-conference reflection from 2019. I found it surprising how God provided me with such fresh and new revelations this year. Though I have been absolutely exhausted this weekend, the Spirit continues to tug at my heart, giving me flashback to important moments last week and reminding me that ministry is not easy, but is worth it because it is life changing. This year, God reminded me: ...about the body of Christ and how it is one body made up of many parts. Leading this year was no doubt a smooth process because I had a God-sent team who brought diverse strengths and gifts to the table. While one had deep understanding of the Bible, others came with lots of youth ministry leading experience. While some of us are chatty and extroverts, we also had some great listeners. While some loved discussing about science/facts & faith, others had a more emotional story to share. During the confer...

     In a Lifeway Research study, it states that "two-thirds of those who attended church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they also dropped out for at least a year as a young adult." As a former youth mentor, I often avoid reading these studies as these articles leave me with a long mental panorama of childhood friends and youths I have personally journeyed with who have decided to leave the church. Over the years, I cannot help but affirm these statistics...these research studies do align with the ministry attendance records as many choose to dedicate their lives to building a promising career, solid friend-network, and establish their own definition of freedom.       As a church servant and their former youth mentor, I am often conflicted when Christmas and reading weeks come along. I ask myself, "should I really  message these youths/friends?" "do they care about these church friendships that they have built during their ju...

This weekend getaway to Ottawa holds a special spot in my heart as I watch another one of my close  childhood friends say "yes" and enter into a new chapter of her life. I think it is often during these life moments when I am extra thankful for these long, meaningful friendships. As I write my "congratulations" card and watch her say her vows, a myriad of flashbacks come to mind as I think back to our younger days. In my memory bank of D, I remember standing beside each other in children's choir nervous as the choir director told us to "audition" for a potential Christmas solo. I remember sitting beside her in orchestra as we counted the 30 bars of rest before we had to play again. I remember leading worship with her in the middle of a campsite, resting the piano on a picnic table. I remember hanging out in her car after a long dinner and conversation, and she introduced to me to her wedding pinterest board. For the first time, I learned that teenage g...