SUPERNATURAL NAVIGATOR

Dreams are so much a reflection of this present life – with all of its tonal values both dark and light and shadows of grey.

I was driving up a very steep and windy road located on a cliff. It was not long before I started to become anxious. The breaks had gone out. The car started rolling faster and faster. And, then at some point the car did something extremely unusual. It started to move backwards. I kept hitting the breaks to no avail. It dawned on me that I was facing eminent death. There was nothing I could do except call out to God.

At this point in the dream (I have to confess) – it got a little campy. I really can’t stand this song, (so I find this interesting at best) but in my dream the audio played "Jesus take the wheel." This is about as weird as the dream got.

Anyway, I called out to God and sure enough the car started to navigate those steep curves (backwards, no less) supernaturally. I had No Control. And, just like in life when we ask the Lord for help, we question Him. I had asked for His divine intervention and at the same time I was wondering how the car was navigating those curves while it was speeding backwards. Eventually, the car was safely guided to a sandy bank. I got out and was completely baffled by the whole experience.

I ended up at a church (I used to attend ages ago) and saw my pastor. He looked at me and said, “Oh good you’re here. Now you can help me with this.”

In my head I kept thinking, “But, pastor you don’t know what I’ve just been through.” And, yet the look on his face indicated that the Lord knew.

In the end, this is all that truly matters.


When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,

Nor shall the flame scorch you.

-Isaiah 42:3

A HEART OF FLESH

I will give you
a new heart

and put a
new spirit within you;

I will take the heart of stone
out of your flesh

and give you
a heart of flesh



-Ezekial 26:24

THE LOVE OF A FRIEND

"A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend, one human soul whom we can trust utterly, who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults."

-Charles Kingsley

Tommorow is my birthday. I consider myself highly fortunate because God has been kind enough to extend my life thus far. It is no small wonder that my life is insulated with a small number of true companions. I have much to be thankful for.

The cards, letters, and flower delivery that my dear friends have sent me have done my heart good. I have the sweetest contingent of friends - all highly gifted and multi-faceted.

One gift came from my spiritual sister Bonnie. She sent me a photograph of her son and my close friend Logan who died of lymphoma a few years ago. The warmth of his smile in the picture made me feel like he was actually here.

Birthdays are best celebrated when you know and sense God's love. I experience a great deal of this marvelous phenomena this through the kindness and kinship of my friends.

Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

A SUN-KISSED BREAKFAST TABLE

It is midnight in my little corner of the world and I have breakfast on the brain.
It is the one culinary indulgence that inspires me to sing and dance with no shame.
It is my confession feast; I readily tell all of my love and joy for a sun-kissed breakfast table.

After a long night of darkness, it is good to witness the shadows of the night disappear. Morning food is the celebration feast that honors this glorious light.

Here is my recipe for Raspberry Souffle Pancakes (inspired by Bette's Diner in Berkeley):

3 Egg Yolks (2 in the photo, but it is 3 egg yolks)
1/2 Cup Almond Milk
1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1.5 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1 teaspoon organic cane sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1-1/4 Cup Raspberries
Good quality organic maple syrup

Preheat your oven at 375 degrees. Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl, add the almond milk and continue to whip with a whisk. Take a rubber spatula and stir in flour to combine. Continue to stir in sugar, salt, and melted butter.

In a separate mixing bowl whip egg whites in a mixer on high speed until medium peaks form. Fold whipped whites into batter until combined. Gently fold in one cup of the raspberries.

Heat a 10 inch iron skillet and butter the bottom and sides. Pour batter into pan and then dot & top remaining berries on the wet pancake. Let it set for a couple of minutes on the stovetop (make sure it is not on high heat) and then transfer to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Check your pancake at the 13 minute mark.


Pancake should be baked all the way through, puffed and light brown. Shake the iron skillet to remove the pancake. It should slide right out. Dust pancake with powdered sugar and top with maple syrup. Breakfast is served!

God is in the midst of her,

she will not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

Psalm 46:5

NOT BEYOND THE SEA

The LORD your God will make you abound
in all the work of your hand,
in the fruit of your body,
in the increase of your livestock,
and in the produce of your land for good.

For the LORD will again rejoice over you
for good as He rejoiced over your fathers,
if you obey the voice
of the LORD your God,
to keep His commandments and His statutes
which are written in this Book of the Law,
and if you turn to the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.

For this commandment
which I command you today
is not too mysterious for you,
nor is it far off.

It is not in heaven,
that you should say,
“Who will ascend into heaven
for us and bring it to us,
that we may hear it and do it?”

“Nor is it beyond the sea,
that you should say,
“Who will go over the sea
for us and bring it to us,
that we may hear it and do it?”

But the word is very near you,
in your mouth and in your heart,
that you may do it.

-Deuteronomy 30:9-14

HE IS IN CONTROL

Singer-Songwriter Corrinne May, singing "Fly Away."
Beautiful!


A few days ago I had a dream that I had flown higher and faster than any other flying dream that I have ever had.

The dream started with me driving in my car up on a high mountaintop. I was reminded of Italy (even though I've never been there). There were several villages below and the landscape was beautiful. Once I reached the top I was able to see that road was not passable. Several trees had dropped and their were huge boulders scattered everywhere. I sat down on a rock, looked at the landscape, and wondered what I was going to do.

A hiker walked around the corner from the road I had travelled on. She sat down beside me and talked with me. I looked directly at her and asked her what she was doing there. She smiled and said, "You know me." A powerful sense of who this person was emerged; I recognized that she was an angel.

She seemed to disapear in a shroud of light at the same time that I was commissioned to fly.
The flight was pure vertical. I went up and up and up. It almost felt like being in a strong vacuum. I had no control over the direction or course. Yet, I knew I was completely safe. The flight was exhilirating and joyful.

As I have now come to understand this dream, I believe that the Lord was allowing me to see a glimpse into the spiritual realm. For the last several months, I have been wrestling with a trial that has at times perplexed me, saddened me, and discouraged me. The divine intervention into my dream is clear. My road has been seemingly impassable. And, yet The Lord God has called me to be an overcomer. To experience true triumph and soaring over all of my problems. He has been faithful to remind me that He has it all in control.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
-Jeremiah 29:11

LOVE EDIFIES

Now concerning things offered to idols:
We know that we all have knowledge.
Knowledge puffs up,
but love edifies.
And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know.
But if anyone loves God,this one is known by Him.

-1Corinthians 8:1-3

SETTING SAIL

As bed sores are to the bedridden patient,
so are dock wounds to the tethered sailor.

I have spent far too much time clinging to the pier of familiarity.

My timid heart has prevented me from getting in the beautiful wooden boat of courage I was always intended to sail.

The unseen terror of the unknown has deceived me into believing that I am anchored to this port. The dock itself is not without charm or merits of beauty, but I was never meant to stay here.

The irony in my present state is that no matter where I am on the shore, the tempestuous winds of life still manage to find me.

Thankfully though, I serve the Master Captain, the Lord of all creatures - timid and brave alike. He has not given up on me; He continues to put my trembling frame at ease. The evidence of His affection is what allows me to see the beauty of possibility and the vision of sails unfurled.

By virtue of His divine commission, I am granted resolute faithfulness, precise guidance for the course, constant companionship, and no greater love that will now allow me to set sail for a grand adventure.

I sought the LORD, and He heard me........And delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4

SWEET ADORATION

Zachary is in awe of one of our brand new baby chicks. It is a real joy to watch the interaction between him and the tiny bird.

The way he looks at this little one causes me to wonder how our Heavenly Father looks upon us.

I imagine that when we are in a frame that seeks to fully trust our Heavenly Father....to fully obey Him, He must smile upon us.

The true beauty and irony of this however, is that despite our inability to always have a trusting and obedient frame, He still loves us.

Knowing this should cause us to look upon Him with the sweetest kind of adoration.

Teach me, O LORD,the way of Your statutes,And I shall keep it to the end.

Give me understanding,

and I shall keep Your law;
Indeed, I shall observe it
with my whole heart.
Make me walk in the path
of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.

-Psalm 119:33-35

Passion- I Will be Here

This is Jeremy - a singer, musician and songrwriter out of the SF Bay Area. He is singing Steven Curtis Chapman's I Will Be Here.

Jeremy On Choosing His Name Passion...
"I chose the name Passion because of the passion I had for music and the passion and love I had for my Lord and Savior Jesus. Without Him, I am nothing, and I'm forever thankful for His love and His blessings."

When you hear the clarity and sweetness of Jeremy's voice, his message becomes evident. I hope you enjoy this.

"Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.
1 Chronicles 29.13

THE WAY HOME

One day, last spring during my photojournalism class, my instructor gave us an impromtu assignment. We had a little less than two hours to go out and take a “news-worthy” photograph. I remember the day and the immediate dismay that rose up within me when I got the news. I was grumpy and definitely not in the mood to go image hunting.

The first thing I did was to consider whether or not I should stay on campus. The parameters of the assignment were simple: There had to be at least one person in the photograph and the image had to tell a story. There were plenty of student bodies around to complete the task at hand. Technically, you could shoot someone taking a drink out of the closest water fountain. I didn't want to settle for the quick fix image. It is just not in my nature.

I got in my car and started to drive. For the next hour, I carefully scanned the roadways without the benefit of a final destination. I hit a few stores and eventually went to Whole Foods Market. I considered taking a shot of the pizza maker throwing a pizza by the brick oven. Interesting, but not compelling. I was driving aimlessly and time was running out. I wasted about an hour before I decided to pray. It's the one thing I should have done from the get-go.

Behind the wheel of my little Toyota I said out loud, “Lord, you know what it is that I need. You are the One who has given me this gift. I believe with all my heart that you have something in store for me by using this camera. I will use it to glorify You. Please provide for me the picture that I need……”

I had not even finished my prayer before the Lord answered me. I looked to my left and there was one of the strangest sights I had ever seen. It was a man dressed in rags with a huge burden of a pack on his back. He looked like he had walked out of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. In a state of disbelief I uttered, “Thank you, Lord” and then promptly parked my car ahead of him and jumped out.

I scared the man with my big fat camera, but I made up for it by befriending him. I took a few minutes to walk and talk with him. That seemed to put him at ease and he didn’t mind that I took his photograph. I think it had been a long time since someone actually wanted to speak to him. I got the feeling that most people naturally avoided him.

Bill has traversed all across the United States, mostly on foot. At one time, he held a job as a construction worker until he lost it. Then he set out for a very long walkabout. He eventually ended up in Sacramento where I was able to meet him that day.

I am continually amazed at the Lord's tender disposition towards His children.

When I ponder Bill’s predicament, it causes me to think of the concept of being “homeless.” Most of us don’t reside on the streets or have a traveling life like Bill’s. However, we can still go through this life as homeless souls, drifting without a place to rest.

If we choose life and commit ourselves to seeking the One who has the power to release us from our sins and sorrow, God is faithful to show us the way home.

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
Luke 15:4

EXPLOSIVE DUST CLOUDS

I have land mines in my room. I'm not sure who planted them there, but I suspect that nasty culprit named Neglect did it. Several of these allergy driven land mines exploded while I was cleaning up today. POOF! WHOOSH! These were the silent clouds of dust that blew up every time I dumped a pile. Neglect has held me prisoner far too long.

Tackling the land mines in my room is one small step to freedom. For my neatnik friends, the task of cleaning one's room may seem like a no-brainer. I wish that were the case for me. Unfortunately, I have tainted pack rat blood that is heavily embedded in my DNA. Sadly, my artistic bent only makes it worse. It's time to purge and twist my "bent" in a more positive direction.

Here is a photograph of Grace I took a few years ago. I found it buried underneath one of the land mines in my room. Grace is exemplifying the way that I feel.

Here's to the joy of purging!
Here's to the freedom of letting go!

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.
Psalm 5:11

JUST DON'T TAX THE STRAWBERRIES!

Yaaaaay!!!! It's strawberry time again.
There is a little strawberry farm not to far from home. I love this farm because the family that tends the fields are conscientious growers. They don't poison their beautiful berries with pesticides. The variety of strawberries that they grow only bears fruit once during the year. You always know when it's strawberry time at Saeng's because the berries are ripe around tax time. I can't really say that it makes doing taxes sweeter. The burden however, does go down a little easier.

Little glimmers of hope. Sweet tasty gifts from the Lord to the children whom He loves.

But the wisdom that is from above is pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

YOU WILL

I am a firm believer that the great Creator of this universe has a divine appointment book with designated sections for each one of us. Today, I found myself in four distinct and different situations where I know I was meant to be with certain people. God was very gracious in making these appointments, for it was exactly the medicine that I needed.

Negative doubts about my self-worth have been plaguing me for quite sometime. Consequently, it has paved the way for some weighty bouts of depression. Three times today the Lord met me through some very unusual sources – two were classmates, one was my Writing instructor. I am certain that each of these divine appointments were used specifically to showcase God’s love. I was able to walk away with a profound sense of His presence and leading.

Voice and pen.....Voice and pen......
These are the gifts I must put to use.

In my fourth appointment, I was able to encourage someone else, yet this person was not able to receive it. I understand that this too is all in God’s hands.

When the believer faces resistance, it does not negate God’s holiness or His amazing ability to overturn an unfavorable situation. He is still on the throne; this we can count on.

When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.
Acts 11:23

BE ON GUARD

Half of the dozen chickens we had died during the night. Our ill-fated neglect to shut the chicken coop door allowed the fox to take advantage of our chickens as a free meal. It takes little effort to walk the 200 ft. or so out to the coop. And, yet the whole family was shut up to our own frivolities - our own little private worlds.

Predators understand this mentality. When there is no guard on duty, the enemy seizes the opportunity to devour, maim, and kill. It is the one reason why many predacious animals hunt when the shafts of sunlight are dormant. A sleeping dinner is an easy target.

The most pathetic part about this whole thing is that I actually heard a chicken squawking while it was still dark in the early morning hours. I reasoned it away with some sort of stupid mumbo-jumbo in my head, completely dismissing it as a distress cry. I was, after all, enjoying my sleep. I needed the sleep and it felt good to be snug and cozy underneath my covers. Sometimes, you pay dearly for the minuscule amount of comfort that you receive in return.

My eldest daughter Gabrielle, who is a ranch hand, was the one who finally ran out of the house to stop the devouring of the chickens. She saw the fox and chased it off the property. As soon as I heard her running down the stairs, I jolted out of bed, threw on some sweats, and followed her lead.


The farm was covered with the aftermath of a massive pillow fight. This fight however, wasn’t done in play. The chickens lost. Those who were still alive were scattered and hiding. The birds were nowhere to be found, except for our one lone rooster. He is called the Count of Monte Cristo. The Count was desperately trying to call his flock back. He sat up on a rock and crowed for about an hour. They were either dead or too scared to make an appearance. The remnant resigned themselves to the fear and terror that the fox held over them.

When the sun rose to take over the darkness, the few that were left ventured out from their hiding places. Our last golden Buff Orpington had stayed near the coop. We found her staring blankly at the fence line. She was still and immovable.


My son Jeremiah was able to scoop her up because she was so traumatized. Jeremiah comforted her by softly stroking her feathers. He then put her back in the one of the nesting boxes inside the coop. Unfortunately, she did not make it through the day. Most likely she sustained some internal injuries and in addition, could not overcome the fear instilled by the predator.

For the believer this story illustrates the necessity to always Be On Guard. It's human nature to fall into a place of sustained relaxation. We are prone to resist most things that require strenuous work or effort. The paradox in all of this is that work is meant to be good for us, particularly work that requires us to be vigilant and on guard.

1 Peter 5:8 says,
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

BLUE FOR YOU

For I am persuaded,
that neither death,
nor life,
nor angels,
nor principalities,
nor powers,
nor things present,
nor things to come,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor any other creature,
shall be able
to separate us
from the love of God,
which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 3:38

Photography by Kiyomi