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How Do I Discern God’s Will for My Life?

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How Do I Discern God’s Will for My Life?

Published by andrewleewrites on August 3, 2021

If I had a nickel for every time that I thought this, I would be rich. There have been many situations where I wonder what the balance between my desires and God’s desires should be. “If only I knew God’s will for me, everything would be so much easier,” I’m tempted to think. However, the more I work through this idea, the more I realize that “trying to discern God’s will” is maybe not the right way to approach the problem. The Problem with “God’s Will” I think we all run into tricky business when we suppose to know the…

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God, Coffee, and Caffeine

God, Coffee, and Caffeine

Published by andrewleewrites on July 14, 2021

Is This God or Is This Coffee? This article has a silly premise but a serious application. It starts with a question to all you coffee lovers: has anyone ever had seriously good morning after a cup of coffee and secretly wondered to yourself: “Is this the Holy Spirit or is this the coffee?!” That surge of generosity you feel… is it supernatural energy from God or maybe just the double espresso from Starbucks kicking in? Surely I’m not alone in feeling like some of my best energy in the day comes immediately after I’ve had my morning coffee. People…

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Why Do Asian Parents Always Like to Give Food?

Why Do Asian Parents Always Like to Give Food?

Published by andrewleewrites on June 26, 2021

Whether you are like me, a second generation Asian American with immigrant parents, part of an Asian household, dating someone with Asian parents, or even just friends with someone with Asian parents, it is inevitable that you will come across the undisputed fact: for many Asians, food is the primary love language. The practice of gifting food, bringing food as a guest, and cooking food is super important to many Asian cultures. Asian parents love to ask about whether you’ve eaten, overfeed you at meals (with sliced fruit before or after meals), and give you food to take home as…

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What is Juneteenth Day?

Published by andrewleewrites on June 19, 2021

As of this past Thursday (June 17th, 2021) when President Biden signed it into law, Juneteenth Day is our newest federal holiday. Woah, really? If you’re on the back foot of current events like I am, this can come across as quite a surprise. Just to provide some context, here’s the current list of US federal holidays and when they were established: New Year’s Day (January 1st)—established 1870 Inauguration Day (January 20th)—established 1957 Martin Luther King Jr. Day (third Monday of January)—established 1983 President’s Day (third Monday in February)—established 1879 Memorial Day (last Monday in May)—established 1888 Juneteenth National Independence…

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3 Things the Church Never Taught You About Sex

3 Things the Church Never Taught You About Sex

Published by andrewleewrites on June 10, 2021

The church doesn’t talk about sex enough. And by talk about sex, I mean really talk about sex—not just warn young people against premarital sex, quote randoms bits of Scripture from 1 Corinthians, or talk about “God’s design” for procreation and marriage. I mean, get into the nitty gritty of what Christian sex lives actually look like, what newly married couples can expect attempting intercourse for the first time, and how sexual desire should fit into the lives of married people post wedding-day. It seems like in an effort to denounce fornication and adultery, the church has spent so much…

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Receiving Love and Chinese Polite Refusal

Receiving Love and Chinese Polite Refusal

Published by andrewleewrites on April 18, 2021

Sometimes, it takes a lot of work to receive. It takes effort to receive love. There is energy required to extend your hands when receiving a gift.

The most poignant examples all come to mind from recent life experiences:

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Surviving the Pandemic as a Church

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Surviving the Pandemic as a Church

Published by andrewleewrites on January 4, 2021

2020 may be over, but the pandemic is not over yet. With stay at home guidelines, isolation, and low-grade anxiety surrounding almost every decision of daily life… I’m reminded that many people are still far from feeling “okay.”

A church community can oftentimes be a place of support, mutual encouragement, and hope. One thing I’ve been struggling a lot with this past season is figuring out both my place and my “role” within the community. Especially as someone who is working part-time for the church, it can be doubly confusing. Where do my work responsibilities start and end? How do I take care of myself as I take care of others? Is it my job to take care of others first, before myself?

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The Protagonist Syndrome

The Protagonist Syndrome

Published by andrewleewrites on December 17, 2020

We are ego-centric creatures. And maybe it’s not our fault—we constantly perceive the world through our own emotions, thoughts, and feelings. No wonder it’s hard to be truly empathetic to another human being. No wonder it’s such a breakthrough when you do connect to someone else’s experiences.

Going off my last post about reading Scripture for the simple enjoyment of it, I also wanted to share some thoughts around the ways we do read Scripture. Who are the characters that we focus on? Resonate with? Strive to learn from or identity with?

Maybe it’s not always the person we should be focusing on.

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Christ-Focused Vulnerability

Christ-Focused Vulnerability

Published by andrewleewrites on November 27, 2020

Vulnerability can be described as a “willingness to allow one’s weakness to be seen or known; willingness to risk being hurt or attacked.” In a mental image, I’ve heard it described as “giving somebody a knife, turning around, and trusting them not to stab you in the back with it.”

As I was thinking through 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, I made the connection that there is a difference between our traditional understanding of vulnerability, with what I think this short passage is evoking of a Christ-focused vulnerability

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God’s Presence in Romantic Love

God’s Presence in Romantic Love

Published by andrewleewrites on September 11, 2020

I have to say, I’m a little new to this whole “romantic love” thing. My girlfriend and I have been dating for about a year and a half now. She and I can both attest to it—the relationship is not 100% joy and sweeping each other off our feet all the time. The relationship is not constantly filled with exciting conversations, burning attraction, and romantic starlit evenings together. The relationship is not even always positive or easy. But we still have those moments—or at least, I do—where I understand the meaning of deep connection that people seek when they say they are looking for “love.” When people yearn for being known by someone and not just employed for physical or sexual desire. I’ve experienced those simple stretches of a couple seconds where we just gaze at each other in silence and feel totally comfortable and content.

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