When my parents were married, they moved from Taiwan to America for my dad’s graduate school. They lived a very humble life and struggled to survive in America. At the time, they went to church and both my parents were baptized. My dad finished his PhD program, found a very good job, and they moved to Southern California. When my parents moved, they no longer went to church anymore. My brother and I were both born in Southern California and neither of us attended church as children.
I lived a normal sheltered American life – I had good friends, I excelled in school, I enjoyed life. However, when I went to middle school, I rebelled against my parents. I became involved in very worldly pursuits – I loved popularity, shopping, and attention from boys! I was disobedient to my parents and did not show them respect. Although many would say this is normal behavior for teenagers, these worldly pursuits are a result of a heart of pride and hatred against God. I treated myself as god instead, serving only my own desires. I did not know it, but I was on the path to destruction because of my disobedience to God’s standards.
The summer before I entered into High School, my Christian cousins invited me to a church retreat. This retreat was my first real exposure to Christians. I did not understand why everybody was singing, why they would want to listen to preaching, why they were so nice! I made some friends at the retreat, and then I started to go to church sometimes on Sunday to see my friends. After a year of going to church and reading the Bible, I began to realize that people at church are nice people because they have experienced the greatest kindness of all – God’s kindness.
When I was in high school, I recognized that I was a sinner. I saw the pride in my heart and understood that I rightfully deserved punishment for my sin. The Bible says in Proverbs 17:5 that “everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished.” However, even though I was a sinner, God showed compassion for me. He knew that I could not save myself, so God sent His Son to be punished on the cross for my sin.
All of my earthly pursuits were all vanity because I did not know my Creator. I finally recognized that I deserved punishment in hell, but that by faith in Christ I could be considered righteous before God. 2 Corinthians 5:21, speaking of Jesus, says that God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” I repented of my sins and gave my life to God when I was 16 years old. Out of obedience to God’s Word, I was baptized when I was 17 and have been active in the church ever since.
I went to UCLA for college, and since graduation, I have been working at a health insurance company.
After I went to college, my mom started to go to church again, and she came back to the faith. I’m now married to a wonderful Christian man, and we love serving together at church and in ministry.
I lived a normal sheltered American life – I had good friends, I excelled in school, I enjoyed life. However, when I went to middle school, I rebelled against my parents. I became involved in very worldly pursuits – I loved popularity, shopping, and attention from boys! I was disobedient to my parents and did not show them respect. Although many would say this is normal behavior for teenagers, these worldly pursuits are a result of a heart of pride and hatred against God. I treated myself as god instead, serving only my own desires. I did not know it, but I was on the path to destruction because of my disobedience to God’s standards.
The summer before I entered into High School, my Christian cousins invited me to a church retreat. This retreat was my first real exposure to Christians. I did not understand why everybody was singing, why they would want to listen to preaching, why they were so nice! I made some friends at the retreat, and then I started to go to church sometimes on Sunday to see my friends. After a year of going to church and reading the Bible, I began to realize that people at church are nice people because they have experienced the greatest kindness of all – God’s kindness.
When I was in high school, I recognized that I was a sinner. I saw the pride in my heart and understood that I rightfully deserved punishment for my sin. The Bible says in Proverbs 17:5 that “everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; assuredly, he will not be unpunished.” However, even though I was a sinner, God showed compassion for me. He knew that I could not save myself, so God sent His Son to be punished on the cross for my sin.
All of my earthly pursuits were all vanity because I did not know my Creator. I finally recognized that I deserved punishment in hell, but that by faith in Christ I could be considered righteous before God. 2 Corinthians 5:21, speaking of Jesus, says that God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” I repented of my sins and gave my life to God when I was 16 years old. Out of obedience to God’s Word, I was baptized when I was 17 and have been active in the church ever since.
I went to UCLA for college, and since graduation, I have been working at a health insurance company.
After I went to college, my mom started to go to church again, and she came back to the faith. I’m now married to a wonderful Christian man, and we love serving together at church and in ministry.