The Christmas story is full of angels. But, have you ever wondered what an angel looks like? Well, a few weeks ago, my wife Lili and I met one. Here is the story.
An Hour with An Angel
Day by Day: Wisdom from Ecuador’s Journey
In July, my wife Lili and I took a 13-day trip to Ecuador with Gate 1 Travel. We went there for the adventure, and we were not disappointed. From the Galapagos Islands to the Andes Mountains to the Amazon forest: we were awed every single day. But more than exciting adventures, the trip gave us valuable life lessons. One of them came early in our trip. Group …
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Reflections on Grief and Faith After Texas Floods
Getting rain in the notoriously hot Texas summer is a blessing, and in the past three weeks we’ve had more than our normal share of it. I loved it. But my heart also goes to everyone who lost their loved ones in last week’s flash flood in Central Texas, not least the families who lost …
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May: A Whirlwind of Celebrations and Possibilities
The month of May (in the US) is a month of whirlwind, wrote author and speaker Laura Kelly Fanucci. It is a month of “sacraments and celebrations, graduations and confirmations, gardens to plant and yards to tend and summer to plan” [1]. Her words certainly resonated with me as I was fortunate enough to personally …
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Of Sparrows, Worries, and Prayers
There is a line in the book “A Pilgrimage to Eternity” by Timothy Egan that caught my attention last month. Quoting Ian Goldin, an Oxford professor, he wrote, “There’s never been a better time to be alive, yet we feel so glum. So many people feel anxious. So many people feel this is one of …
The Virgin and The Angels: Two Days At Zion National Park
As I boarded the Zion Canyon shuttle bus on that cold Wednesday morning in late November, my mind was racing back and forth: Should I hike the mild Kayenta Trail or the famous-but-strenuous Angels Landing? My grown-up kids Dea and Martin, their spouses Vincent and Claire, and my youngest son, Austin, were going to take …
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Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies – and for the Graceful Hearts
America and Indonesia are two countries of beautiful vistas, but eventually it is the people who shape our perception of them. Here is a tribute to the kindness that my family received in the past two weeks from friends and families in both countries.
The Storms in Our Lives
As we travel through life, inevitably we pass through storms, big and small. We may not comprehend why, but just as the two powerful storms that I encountered many years ago paved the way for memorable vacations, the storms in our lives, too, will somehow bring a more beautiful future - if not for us, …
The Good Infection: How People Help Us Become Little Christ (In A Way Robots Never Could)
A recent awful car-buying experience and the rise of robots made me think whether I’ll be better off buying cars from robots in the future. After all, the world is moving towards online and contactless buying. To check my idea, I “talked” to the thoughtful English scholar and writer C. S. Lewis and tapped his …
A Wild Spring to Remember
"I can't believe it's June already," a few people told me, and I echoed their sentiment. June marks the end of spring in the North Texas area where I live, and gone are the delightful, cool mornings in the 50s (10°C). The days now start in the 70s (21°C), and they easily heat up to …
REFLECTIONS ON LIFE, WORK, AND FAITH IN THE 21ST-CENTURY AMERICA 