As Grace mentioned, this year we’ve been starting the morning by reading and listening to carols together. Recently we came to one of my favorites: “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.” Not only is the music beautiful, but the lyrics really spoke to me this time around, and I hope you will be encouraged as we reflect on them together.

“It came upon the midnight clear, / That glorious song of old, / From angels bending near the earth / to touch their harps of gold: / ‘Peace on the earth, good will to men, / From heaven’s all-gracious King.’ / The world in solemn stillness lay / To hear the angels sing.”

Few times in the Bible do we witness such a direct intrusion of the spiritual realm into our earthly realm than when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to a band of shepherds at night (Luke 2:8-20). As messengers of the Eternal King of Kings, they heralded the arrival of His son, bringing the promise of that most elusive of human pursuits: peace.

“Yet with the woes of sin and strife / The world has suffered long, / Beneath the angel strain have rolled / Two thousand years of wrong; / And man, at war with man, hears not / The love song which they bring: / O hush the noise, ye men of strife, / And hear the angels sing!”

The second verse of this carol brings us from Bethlehem two thousand years ago to our own time, when man is still “at war with man.” Two thousand years of scientific and societal progress notwithstanding, the human heart today is just as much in need of grace and redemption as at the moment when the light of Christ broke into the darkness of our world. May our hearts not miss the divine “love song” poured out to us at Christ’s birth.

“All ye, beneath life’s crushing load, / Whose forms are bending low, / Who toil along the climbing way / With painful steps and slow, / Look now! for glad and golden hours / Come swiftly on the wing: / O rest beside the weary road / And hear the angels sing.”

It is when we come to the end of ourselves – tired, weary, and even broken – that we recognize the beauty and wonder of the life and love that Jesus offers. Our Lord is the gentle and powerful Shepherd of our souls who bids us to”Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

“For lo! the days are hast’ning on, / By prophets seen of old, / When with the ever circling years / Comes round the age of gold; When peace shall over all the earth / Its ancient splendors fling, And the whole world give back the song / Which now the angels sing.”

As children of the Risen King, we look forward to the time when peace covers all the earth, and all creation magnifies the one true God, in all His splendor and glory. God, who is faithful, has promised that He is making all things new, and will one day restore ourselves and our world. What is broken will be made new, and sorrow will permanently be replaced with gladness and thanksgiving.

If you are walking through this Christmas season with joy and hope, I rejoice with you and praise God for His goodness and blessing. If in this season you are walking through a valley, carrying a heavy load, I pray that the words of this Christmas carol will lift your gaze to the One who, one night two thousand years ago, came to give us hope, who gives us that hope still, and who has promised to bring us safely to the “age of gold, when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling.”

I recently heard the song “Once Upon” by Sovereign Grace for the first time, and these lyrics stood out to me:

“Once upon a bed of straw / slept the Sovereign Son of God / Lord of the universe /breathing the dust of earth.”

What an amazing love this is; there is none other like it. No other love freely gives up so much for such a poor return: leaving the glories of Heaven for a dirty stable, trading the worship of angels for the scorn and enmity of the humans He created.

The more I reflect on God’s sacrificial love for you and me, the more I am humbled and convicted of the shallowness of my love for Him and others. And the more I am grateful that He loves me this much. My hope lies in the character, acts, and promises of God, the One who never changes and who has promised to walk with me every day. The One who emptied Himself for my sake, to reconcile me to Himself. I belong to Him and can rejoice in Him.

May we take in the joy and wonder of Christmas more and more as we reflect on the eternal truth and love displayed in the birth of the baby in the manger.

See you tomorrow!

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday; thank you so much to everyone who sent birthday wishes! This birthday felt especially meaningful, perhaps because our Lord Jesus was 33 years old when He went to the cross to pay for our sins. Lord, may You be glorified through me this year.

Internally, I still feel like I’m around 23 years old instead of 33. Yet at the same time, so much has happened in the past 10 years that I unquestionably also feel much “older,” although I suspect that “future me” may also find this comical.

Time is a strange thing, isn’t it? Especially when we consider the perspective of God, who created time in the first place. Peter famously said, “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8).

God has been with me every day of the past 33 years of my life; even if I had been born 330 or 3300 years ago, His sovereignty and goodness would remain unchanged. And my hope throughout life is that God is calling me home to be with Him and enjoy Him forever in the life to come. When I’m tempted to think of myself as the main character of “my story,” God’s Word reminds me that He is the main character of history, and He has invited me (and all of us) to play a part in His redemptive story.

I’d like to end by sharing that yesterday I felt God impress this verse on my heart as a key verse for this next year of my life:

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

2 Timothy 1:7

When we find ourselves facing fear, or any of its companions – worry, anxiety, discouragement, doubt – may we cling to the God who is the source of power, love, and self-control. For those of us who have placed our faith in Christ, He is transforming our hearts from the inside out so that day by day we resemble Him more, radiating His light and love to those around us, for His glory. May we fear Him above all else, trusting in His unchanging love, mercy and grace.

Hello Blogging Family, Ivan here! It’s been a while since my last post. This blog will be a bit different than usual, as I will recap our recent trip to Central Europe. Each year my school’s arts department travels internationally so that our students can experience each country’s art, history, and culture firsthand. This is probably one of my favorite parts of my job.

We flew from San Francisco to Frankfurt and then to Munich, before taking a bus to Salzburg, which is Mozart’s birthplace. We actually got to visit a museum which used to be the house where he was raised. It’s hard to describe how I felt standing in the room where Mozart was born. God blessed this one little baby with so much creativity that has blessed millions of people. Salzburg is also where much of The Sound of Music was filmed, so it was fun to retrace the film’s steps. We had dinner outdoors on a patio at Hohensalzburg Fortress, and the view of the city was simply stunning. This was followed by a chamber music concert, a delightful way to close the evening.

The following day we drove to Vienna, stopping at Melk Abbey on the way. Seeing the beauty of the cathedrals was definitely awe-inspiring. God is so amazing that even the most beautiful works of human art and ingenuity cannot compare to His perfect beauty and majesty; and yet He also draws near to us and loves us so personally. He is both transcendent and intimate–how amazing this is!

Next, Vienna: what to say! So much history, music, and art. The word that comes to mind is imperial, and this was reflected in the city’s architecture. The scale and grandeur of the buildings, statues, and courtyards were remarkable. We visited the Opera House, Historical Art Museum, and the Museum of Military History, and even got to attend the Vienna Philharmonic’s outdoor concert at Schönnbrun Palace.

From Vienna we drove to Budapest, stopping at Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, on the way. Our tour guide pointed out that we hit three capitals in one day! So different from life in the US. In Budapest we did a Danube river cruise and walked through Castle Hill. I also got to visit the Franz Liszt museum, which used to be an apartment where he lived. As a pianist, I’ve tended to fall on the Chopin side of the Chopin-Liszt debate, but being in Hungary definitely gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation for Liszt’s music. At dinner our last night in Budapest, we heard a local Hungarian band play, consisting of two violins, a clarinet, upright bass, and cimbalom. Grace told me that classical violinists play a lot of pieces influenced by Hungarian music, and I really enjoyed the unique way the lead violinist played.

For the final leg of our journey we made our way from Budapest to Prague, stopping along the way at Brno, the second largest city in Czechia. Fun fact: our wonderful tour guide informed us that Brno has the second largest catacombs in Europe, after Paris.

I had been forewarned that Prague was a beautiful city, like something out of a fairy tale. But instead of reality being overshadowed by expectations, I discovered that I’d underestimated this city. The winding, multicolored cobblestone streets; the sloping roofs of the medieval buildings; the stunning views from the hill and the bridges; all were spectacular. Our guide took our group to the Old Town Square at sunset, and the blend of the colors in the sky and the city lights turning on was magical.

We visited Prague Castle, which was–you guessed it–beautiful. The stained glass windows at St. Vitus Cathedral were incredible, and I also stepped inside the little house where Franz Kafka wrote “A Country Doctor”. We had the last dinner of the trip at Obecni Dum,a beautiful restaurant decorated in 1920’s style. The next morning we flew from Prague to Zurich (a short one-hour flight) and from there to San Francisco (11.5 hours). Like a dream, our trip was over.

I love to travel, and am so grateful that God allowed me and Grace to go on this trip. But even more than the amazing sights and activities we experienced, I’m most grateful to God that Grace was able to go with me.

There was a time when I wasn’t even sure if Grace would even be able to walk again, much less travel internationally. Looking back, I can see how God has granted us blessing after blessing, such as miraculously healing Grace of her seizures, which has allowed us to reach this point on our lives. Grace still battles ongoing symptoms such as fatigue, and it is only by God’s grace that we were able to go on this trip together. May we always remember to thank the Giver of all the good gifts we enjoy in this life, even as we look ahead to the endless joy of being with Him forever one day. To God be the glory!

Ivan: Hello Blogging Family, it’s been a while since my last post! I’m here to let you all know that Grace has, once again, had surgery. This procedure was to address a tendon injury in her right wrist. The injury has its roots back in December 2016, at the time of the original accident. When the car ran the red light and hit Grace as she was walking in a crosswalk, Grace was holding her violin case in her right hand. Despite the impact of the crash, Grace did not let go of her violin case but hung on to it; her muscles tightened around the handle of the case. We suspect this is what initially damaged the tendons around her right wrist.

It’s been seven and a half years since then, and Grace has had intermittent pain and weakness in her right hand. This is especially problematic since Grace’s left hand is compromised due to her strokes. Depending on how long you’ve been following this blog, you may remember that Grace has no sensation in her left hand, which is why she can’t play violin anymore. She can move her left hand, but has limited fine motor skills. So she really relies on her right hand as her “only hand.”

Furthermore, as a writer Grace prefers to work by hand rather than typing, although there is no escaping computers and phones these days. Handwriting is especially taxing on her damaged tendon. Household chores and other daily activities are also hindered.

So after various rounds of therapy and injections over the years, it was time to choose the surgical route. Praise God, Grace’s surgery went well! There were some concerns about undergoing general anesthesia, given Grace’s neurological history; but that aspect of the procedure also went smoothly. Now we are in the recovery stage, during which Grace will gradually test out her “new and improved” right hand’s strength and capabilities.

God is good. He has sustained Grace through so many medical hurdles before, and He will continue to strengthen her for the work He has for her. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support, including for all the kind messages we’ve received about Grace’s upcoming book release!

To conclude, let’s be encouraged by Paul’s reminder to the Christians at Philippi:

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” (Philippians 3:20-21)

Ivan: At Easter we celebrate the completion of Jesus’ work that began when He was born as a baby in Bethlehem. Christmas and Easter are bookends of Christ’s ministry on earth. For thirty-three years, Jesus – the infinite Creator of the universe – lived as a human in order to rescue us from eternal separation from God. The Timeless entered time; the glorious King became a suffering Servant.

What an incredible miracle.

Do we believe this? If the answer is “No,” or “I’m not sure,” I invite you to ask, “Why not?” For some, the idea of miracles itself is preposterous. Miracles can’t exist because the supernatural doesn’t exist. But are you sure?

Because whether we believe in a supernatural reality or not, we are placing faith in our belief. What happens if we live our lives believing there is no God, only to meet him on the other side? These are important questions to consider – perhaps the most important questions of all – and I invite you to search the Scriptures to see if what Jesus claims is true: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

For those of us who do believe Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is a historical fact with spiritual consequences, my question is, “Do we believe this enough?”

We often live as if the Cross was the end of the story, not the Empty Tomb. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sins; He suffered so that we wouldn’t have to. He paid our debt on the Cross.

If the story ended there, we would have a cancelled debt but no credit; no defeat, but no victory. It was when Jesus came back to life in a glorified, resurrected body three days after He died that he proved He is truly Lord over life and death. If we place our trust in Him, death no longer has mastery over us. We no longer in the kingdom of darkness but in God’s kingdom of light, truth, and love.

Do we live like we believe this every day? I often forget that the Spirit of God Who raised Christ from the dead lives in me (Romans 8:11). Instead, I try to live by my own power, my own strength, trusting in my own abilities and wisdom. This is foolish.

Not only has my debt been paid in full – a debt I could never have paid on my own – but I have been freely given “every spiritual blessing” because I belong to Christ (Ephesians 1:3). God is daily offering an unimaginable wealth of love, joy, and peace that comes from knowing Him and delighting in Him. Too often I choose to look somewhere else.

May this Easter renew our daily submission to the Lordship of Christ. May we gratefully accept His gifts of eternal life, of the Kingdom of God being made real on earth. May we reject the foolishness of relying on our limited and corrupted selves, or on other things that will never fully satisfy. Rather, may we trust in the sufficiency and abundance of Christ’s love more and more each day. This is the love that brought Him to the Cross; this is the power that raised Him from the dead and will renew us day by day until we cross the threshold of physical death and see Him face to face (2 Corinthians 4:16).

This is eternal life. Happy Easter, everyone!

Hello Blogging Family, May is almost upon us! I’m writing to give a short update about Grace. You may remember that back in January Grace passed her 45-hour review for her MFA in Creative Writing. Well, at this point she’s very close to finishing her thesis!

Grace’s thesis will be a book about her accident and our life in San Jose afterward. Her deadline is the end of May, so she probably won’t be posting on the blog between now and then. Thank you all so much for your support! Our prayer is that God will be glorified through this book and that His goodness will shine bright when things are dark in our lives.