The Process of Fulfilling God's Dream

We've had this audio recording of my Mom for several months now. Finally ready to share it with you all. Our friend, Ryan Bulan, recorded my Mom teaching Bible study on April 21, 2011.

I've listened to it dozens of times over the past few months. We're so grateful that he recorded her. He also made a montage to this recording that we'll post here soon (soon is relative though).
It's a short snippet of all her teaching, but I'm sure you'll be inspired and blessed!

Part 1


Part 2


Expect a miracle, friends!

-Liana

June 21

Dear Mom,

Happy One Year Anniversary of living in our apartment!
Thank you for expecting a miracle that we'd have a place to live by June 21st, the day Sami graduated from kindergarten. I remember you kept emphasizing,

"We will have a place to live by June 21st because that's the day Sami will be out of school--that's the day I said we'd have a place. So, God will provide. Tell everyone to pray for us."

Haha. God sure did provide!

"We're going to get a place with two bathrooms." You stressed to me during the days and weeks prior. "Two bathrooms. We cannot share one bathroom--it's too crowded."

The day we moved...It was hot--remember that? Even the morning was albeit too warm (unlike today where the weather is deliciously cool and breezy, it felt like perfect tennis weather I must say). It was especially too hot to be moving furniture! But we were always a family for extremes right? Extreme changes in extreme weather.

Besides living here for a year now, it's been 7 months too. Sometimes I just lean back and take a deep breath--you were so right about 2011 being our year for change. We just didn't realize how much. I am so glad you expected a miracle, I have no idea where we'd be right now if you didn't fight for us on your knees--contending for a place for us to live and reminding us to do the same.

Simply put...thanks. Thank you for caring, for praying, for encouraging.

Your life was not in vain.

Love you. I'll see you on the other side.

From my heart to yours,
Liana

7 months

A few weeks ago, I had a dream. It was you! You were comforting me and said that everything was going to be ok. It happened so fast I it was just like a flash. Nothing more to say. Missing You.

Happy Anniversary!

June 14 (Flag Day) - Marriage Anniversary

June 16 - Wedding Anniversary


...Post to be edited at a later date....

Doing what she did best.

She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her: 
 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

~ Proverbs 31: 26-27

Long Way Home - Steven Curtis Chapman

I find this song very hopeful. I just started reorganizing our apartment because it's been in a state of tolerable chaos for the past few months...Not dirty, mind you, it's in good living condition but much messier than I would like and I know my Mom would approve of. So, I flip on the radio--it's time to turn on the organizing music only to find what song? That song. Blessings by Laura Story.

I had to laugh, that song would play during one of the moments I am reminded of Mom most--when I'm organizing.

She always wanted our house to be ready to receive guests and for them to feel valued, accepted, and loved even by what the state of our home was in.

She said the best was when you were able to enter a clean bathroom at someone's house 'cause that's usually known as the breeding ground for germs (those are my words, not hers--I'm paraphrasing but you get the idea).

But anyway, this song, Long Way Home started playing after Blessings. First, you get to hear about all the Blessings through the pain and how this really isn't our home...then you get to be reminded yet again, that we're a long way from home so we shouldn't fear. This earth, where we are now is not home, so we await in eager expectation for the day Jesus Christ comes back for us--His Beloved. And you can be His beloved too, if you believe.

But yes, this song is lovely. Our life is a grand adventure--yes, there is pain. There is blessings in the pain...however, life is still full of so much hope! We can be so certain of His promises!

Let's have faith! Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see!

Expect a Miracle, my dear friends!

Love you all.

-Liana S.

Sixth Month Mark.

I took a glance at the calendar and walked on by. Then I walked back. Six months? Six months! Already?

It feels like a lifetime ago...yet as if it as all too soon for six months to have passed by without Mom. Every month I've marked the 21st as a date to remember. This month though...it's a bit different. I can remember May 2011, a trying and tumultuous month--different from this May although still a month for growth. Not just that, but the 19th, 20th, and 21st this month is on Saturday, Sunday, then Monday...just like six months ago. It's just amazing to see how different your life is now compared to six months prior. You know?

It was just the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We just sang together in the downstairs cafeteria side room of Mercy General Hospital for our "small" party of 30. It was raining outside. (See Giving Thanks)

It was just the Sunday we left for San Francisco to visit my Grandma, promising my Mom to be back soon. Hating to leave yet believing that we could leave, maybe getting a little bit too comfortable. It was autumn. The red, orange, and yellow leaves were lovely.

It was just that night we rushed home after only four or maybe five hours in the city. We were just in that room and everyone around us was weeping yet we still were expecting a miracle--a different kind of miracle than the one we received. (See Urgent & Most Recent Update on Agnes - 11:30pm)

It was just early Monday morning when we left with no sleep and puffy red eyes with grief and peace and quiet joy. (See She is NOW peacefully resting,,.)

It was just a few months ago! Surely not six, surely not so long ago!

Stunned--amazed just how things change! It seems to be a resounding theme in my life, "Wow, How things change!".

God takes you from where you were, to where you are, to where you're going to be...You cannot imagine how it'd all turn out, how things will move along...you think He's not there yet you can look back and see His fingerprints on the moments you thought you were at your worst. Like when you feel like he abandoned you or you simply couldn't see Him though trusting He is there. Like a child in a darkened room knowing he or she is safe because someone he or she loves most is sitting in there waiting for him or her to fall asleep. He is here in the dark occurences. He is here in the joyous occasions! He is here for every moment in between.

God, I am just to grateful, so thankful, for my Mom her love for you. The love for you which you instilled in her heart to make each person feel valued, accepted, and loved. That they felt so important in her presence and I am so privileged to have her as my Mom. Thank you for giving her to me as a Mom, although this is one of those nights where I begin to miss her most...I know that she rejoices in being with you--for you love her more than I ever could.Thank you for allowing to be my mentor, one of my most treasured best friends--my Mom.

-Liana S.

Mothers Day 2012

"Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life...Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: 'There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” ~ Proverbs 31: 10-12, 28-29

To the beautiful mothers out there...thank you. And to their children - love and appreciate your mother. You only get one. ♥

Expect A Miracle!

Excerpt from Agnes' Journal - April 30, 2011

Joshua 3:7/4:14
God makes leaders and when He does, He is with them.

Joshua 4:24
He performs miracles NOT to prove how great I am but to show how powerful He is. Also to show His mercy and lovingkindness towards one so I don't forget who He is.

From tthe facebook of Dennis S.

http://gerson.org/gerpress/

Saw a documentary of this Gerson Institute, which focuses on the Hollistic treatment that Dr. Max Gerson offered over 50 years ago.

So there is Hope.

The epiloque on the movie was very powerful & significant, for it spoke deeply to me.

I hope it speaks to you too, for your Life does matter.

"For each of us eventually, whether we are ready or not, someday we will come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions and plans. Your "to do" list will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from or on what side of the tracks you lived at the end. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.

So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought but what you built. It’s not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.

A Life lived significantly is not one of circumstance as much as it was of unfailing dedication of choice.

A Life that Touched & Cured a dying & suffering humanity then & now."