Fw: [Parenting ABC] Heart To Heart with Our Children
0 views
Skip to first unread message
M Chen
May 11, 2012, 11:34:52 PM5/11/12
to faith in grace
helpful tips
-----Original Message-----
From: Winnis Chiang
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 6:37 PM
To: mark chen
Subject: [Parenting ABC] Heart To Heart with Our Children
TIPS FROM PARENTING ABC
Winnis Chiang, M.A., LMFT
Volume VIII, Issue 6, May 2012
THIS ISSUE: Heart To Heart with Our Children
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Dear mark,
Mother and child have special bond by the design of God.
Unfortunately, life circumstances and other things could distract
us from the most wonderful heart to heart connection with our
children. On this verge of mother's day, I want to share some
experiences I had in common with our son, and urge you that it is
never too late to create loving connections.
The following is from my Chinese article that was published in the
March, 2011 edition of《EFC Journal》called "Receive, Enjoy and
Feel
Him."
"Mom, let me read something to you, okay?"
Although feeling feebly, I nodded. My son placed two pillows under
my head before flipping through my bedside books and newspapers.
Finally he picked up the only book written in Chinese and English -
my devotional. Leafing through, he cleared his throat and began to
read.
Mother and Son Worshipping Together
That was summer of 2003, two days after I had a major surgery. I
was lying in my hospital bed, dealing with pains on my wounds,
feeling weak and worrying about my recovery. I watched my dear son
with half-opened eyes.
As he read one article after another, my heart gradually became
calm and still. His strong baritone voice carrying comforting words
of God filled my heart with warmth and sweetness. I thought, "My
son has really grown up. He just finished the second year of
college. It is really special that he came home to help Dad and me
to move into our down-sized apartment. And now, he is taking turns
with Dad to take care of me in the hospital. With a child like
this, what else could I want?"
Suddenly, he grinned: "Hey Mom, here is another article quoting
Psalm 46 verse 10."
He began to read, and I got very excited, "Do you know we could
sing this verse?"
As he was still nodding, I cannot wait to start singing, "Be still
and know that I am God."
Spontaneously he accompanied me at the second and third stanza. "Be
still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God."
We sang the song over and over again in English. As we worshipped
God in the hospital ward, we received the truth of God, enjoyed His
presence, and experienced His great love.
For the next few weeks, I rested at home. During the fifth week of
my recovery, my son and I joined more than one hundred people to
practice singing Handel's "Messiah" in the CCCMIW (i.e. Chinese
Christian Church Music Institute for Worship) choir conducted by
Dr. Richard Lin. We practiced from early morning to evening. I felt
so tired the first day that I had to go home early with my neighbor
when my son stayed after dinner for more practice.
As one of only two or three American-born Chinese in the choir, my
son had no problem reading music, but found the Chinese text very
difficult. He wanted to give up several times. Dad and us prayed to
God together. Finally, my husband read the characters one by one
and let our son wrote down the phonetic symbols. This way, he could
still practice his Mandarin during lunch breaks, learning from this
Cantonese speaking mother. Thank God that after a week of practice,
his Mandarin and my health both improved greatly. Finally we sang
with the choir in St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco. Hallelujah.
Praise the Lord!
Learning in the Choir
I have always liked to sing, but after being criticized several
times, I was afraid to sing in front of people. After the Lord
found me in 1989, not only could I freely sing among our
congregation and small groups, a year later I joined our church's
choir. By the grace of God, someone told me that everyone was
welcome to sing the Hellelujah chorus in our Christmas service. I
was reassured that "the only qualification is a willing heart to
learn." I went from participating in one event to singing week
after week in the choir for a few years with great joy and
satisfaction. Unfortunately, I had to leave the adult choir
ministry due to schedule conflict after I started teaching
children's Sunday School.
Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to join the Thursday practice
of CCCMIW choir in September 2001 with brothers and sisters from
all over the Bay Area. Dr. Richard Lin is a servant of the Lord by
example and exhortation. "We are offering worship not performance.
Song leading is not preaching. And our purpose of praise and
worship is to lead people to the throne of God." In the next few
years I also participated in his summer camps to improve my singing
and learn how to lead singspiration and select hymns and praise
songs that match the sermons. I always remember worship as a heart
issue, even when we are singing and moving with children. Worship
is to magnify the Lord. The hearts of song leaders need to be moved
first before they can bring others to receive, enjoy, and feel the
presence of our Lord.
I only sing, but my son also plays the cello, guitar, drums and
piano. As a teenager, he started to lead youth worship while I was
leading children's worship. When my husband started his pastoral
ministry in a small church, I began to lead singspiration in
Mandarin. A few years later, when our congregation was able to
worship in the morning at the same time with our hosting church, I
took the American-born Chinese middle and high school students to
participate in the English church's worship. For about a year and a
half, we praised God together with believers of other ethnicities.
Nobody guessed I was a grandmother because I hanged out so much
with young people.
A Life of Worshipping God
So many years have passed. Yet the joy of singing in the hospital
with my son is still in my heart. More than two thousand years ago,
the Lord Jesus said to the Samaritan woman by the well, "Believe
me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem ... Yet a time is coming
and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father
in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks" (John 4:21-23).
Singing the entire "Messiah" in Mandarin with my son is
unforgettable.
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" May I be a
worshipper of God all my life. May all the glory and praise forever
and ever unto Him!
I share this from my heart with gratitude. It's never too late to
start creating those special moments with people you love.
Do you have a special experience with your child or want me to pray
for you? If you write me by midnight (PST) Thursday, June 14th,
your name will be entered into a drawing to win a zero-cost
30-minute phone coaching session on couples or parent-child
relationship.
The chinese article above could be found at
http://winnischiang.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
Happy Mother's Day!
Winnis
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Reprinting this Article and Contacting Winnis
You can use the articles from [Parenting ABC] as long as you
include a complete attribution and, whenever possible, a live link
to our website. Please notify Winnis where and when the material
will appear. The attribution should include this information:
Winnis Chiang, LMFT and founder of ParentingABC.com, specializes in
helping Mandarin and Cantonese speaking high-tech Christian parents
to get along with, enjoy, equip and influence their American born
Chinese children.
Privacy Notice and Subscription Information
[Parenting ABC] is a monthly e-letter for couples and parents of
ABC with reflections, strategies and tips on improving
relationships.
You are receiving this e-letter because you have subscribed to it.
If you have changed your mind, go to the bottom of this e-mail to
unsubscribe.
If you receive this e-letter through a friend, sign up for your own
complimentary copy at http://ParentingABC.com
PRIVACY POLICY: This is an OPT-IN e-letter. I will not rent, trade,
sell or share your name and e-mail address with anyone. You may
OPT-OUT any time.
Winnis Chiang, M.A.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Founder and Director of Parenting ABC
925-806-8600
P.O.Box 1036, Los Altos, CA 94023, USA
To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?rOwMjBystCzMnEyMrMzMtEa0jCzMrCwcrJw=
-----Original Message-----
From: Winnis Chiang
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2012 6:37 PM
To: mark chen
Subject: [Parenting ABC] Heart To Heart with Our Children
TIPS FROM PARENTING ABC
Winnis Chiang, M.A., LMFT
Volume VIII, Issue 6, May 2012
THIS ISSUE: Heart To Heart with Our Children
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Dear mark,
Mother and child have special bond by the design of God.
Unfortunately, life circumstances and other things could distract
us from the most wonderful heart to heart connection with our
children. On this verge of mother's day, I want to share some
experiences I had in common with our son, and urge you that it is
never too late to create loving connections.
The following is from my Chinese article that was published in the
March, 2011 edition of《EFC Journal》called "Receive, Enjoy and
Feel
Him."
"Mom, let me read something to you, okay?"
Although feeling feebly, I nodded. My son placed two pillows under
my head before flipping through my bedside books and newspapers.
Finally he picked up the only book written in Chinese and English -
my devotional. Leafing through, he cleared his throat and began to
read.
Mother and Son Worshipping Together
That was summer of 2003, two days after I had a major surgery. I
was lying in my hospital bed, dealing with pains on my wounds,
feeling weak and worrying about my recovery. I watched my dear son
with half-opened eyes.
As he read one article after another, my heart gradually became
calm and still. His strong baritone voice carrying comforting words
of God filled my heart with warmth and sweetness. I thought, "My
son has really grown up. He just finished the second year of
college. It is really special that he came home to help Dad and me
to move into our down-sized apartment. And now, he is taking turns
with Dad to take care of me in the hospital. With a child like
this, what else could I want?"
Suddenly, he grinned: "Hey Mom, here is another article quoting
Psalm 46 verse 10."
He began to read, and I got very excited, "Do you know we could
sing this verse?"
As he was still nodding, I cannot wait to start singing, "Be still
and know that I am God."
Spontaneously he accompanied me at the second and third stanza. "Be
still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God."
We sang the song over and over again in English. As we worshipped
God in the hospital ward, we received the truth of God, enjoyed His
presence, and experienced His great love.
For the next few weeks, I rested at home. During the fifth week of
my recovery, my son and I joined more than one hundred people to
practice singing Handel's "Messiah" in the CCCMIW (i.e. Chinese
Christian Church Music Institute for Worship) choir conducted by
Dr. Richard Lin. We practiced from early morning to evening. I felt
so tired the first day that I had to go home early with my neighbor
when my son stayed after dinner for more practice.
As one of only two or three American-born Chinese in the choir, my
son had no problem reading music, but found the Chinese text very
difficult. He wanted to give up several times. Dad and us prayed to
God together. Finally, my husband read the characters one by one
and let our son wrote down the phonetic symbols. This way, he could
still practice his Mandarin during lunch breaks, learning from this
Cantonese speaking mother. Thank God that after a week of practice,
his Mandarin and my health both improved greatly. Finally we sang
with the choir in St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco. Hallelujah.
Praise the Lord!
Learning in the Choir
I have always liked to sing, but after being criticized several
times, I was afraid to sing in front of people. After the Lord
found me in 1989, not only could I freely sing among our
congregation and small groups, a year later I joined our church's
choir. By the grace of God, someone told me that everyone was
welcome to sing the Hellelujah chorus in our Christmas service. I
was reassured that "the only qualification is a willing heart to
learn." I went from participating in one event to singing week
after week in the choir for a few years with great joy and
satisfaction. Unfortunately, I had to leave the adult choir
ministry due to schedule conflict after I started teaching
children's Sunday School.
Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to join the Thursday practice
of CCCMIW choir in September 2001 with brothers and sisters from
all over the Bay Area. Dr. Richard Lin is a servant of the Lord by
example and exhortation. "We are offering worship not performance.
Song leading is not preaching. And our purpose of praise and
worship is to lead people to the throne of God." In the next few
years I also participated in his summer camps to improve my singing
and learn how to lead singspiration and select hymns and praise
songs that match the sermons. I always remember worship as a heart
issue, even when we are singing and moving with children. Worship
is to magnify the Lord. The hearts of song leaders need to be moved
first before they can bring others to receive, enjoy, and feel the
presence of our Lord.
I only sing, but my son also plays the cello, guitar, drums and
piano. As a teenager, he started to lead youth worship while I was
leading children's worship. When my husband started his pastoral
ministry in a small church, I began to lead singspiration in
Mandarin. A few years later, when our congregation was able to
worship in the morning at the same time with our hosting church, I
took the American-born Chinese middle and high school students to
participate in the English church's worship. For about a year and a
half, we praised God together with believers of other ethnicities.
Nobody guessed I was a grandmother because I hanged out so much
with young people.
A Life of Worshipping God
So many years have passed. Yet the joy of singing in the hospital
with my son is still in my heart. More than two thousand years ago,
the Lord Jesus said to the Samaritan woman by the well, "Believe
me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father
neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem ... Yet a time is coming
and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father
in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father
seeks" (John 4:21-23).
Singing the entire "Messiah" in Mandarin with my son is
unforgettable.
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" May I be a
worshipper of God all my life. May all the glory and praise forever
and ever unto Him!
I share this from my heart with gratitude. It's never too late to
start creating those special moments with people you love.
Do you have a special experience with your child or want me to pray
for you? If you write me by midnight (PST) Thursday, June 14th,
your name will be entered into a drawing to win a zero-cost
30-minute phone coaching session on couples or parent-child
relationship.
The chinese article above could be found at
http://winnischiang.blogspot.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
Happy Mother's Day!
Winnis
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Reprinting this Article and Contacting Winnis
You can use the articles from [Parenting ABC] as long as you
include a complete attribution and, whenever possible, a live link
to our website. Please notify Winnis where and when the material
will appear. The attribution should include this information:
Winnis Chiang, LMFT and founder of ParentingABC.com, specializes in
helping Mandarin and Cantonese speaking high-tech Christian parents
to get along with, enjoy, equip and influence their American born
Chinese children.
Privacy Notice and Subscription Information
[Parenting ABC] is a monthly e-letter for couples and parents of
ABC with reflections, strategies and tips on improving
relationships.
You are receiving this e-letter because you have subscribed to it.
If you have changed your mind, go to the bottom of this e-mail to
unsubscribe.
If you receive this e-letter through a friend, sign up for your own
complimentary copy at http://ParentingABC.com
PRIVACY POLICY: This is an OPT-IN e-letter. I will not rent, trade,
sell or share your name and e-mail address with anyone. You may
OPT-OUT any time.
Winnis Chiang, M.A.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Founder and Director of Parenting ABC
925-806-8600
P.O.Box 1036, Los Altos, CA 94023, USA
To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit:
http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?rOwMjBystCzMnEyMrMzMtEa0jCzMrCwcrJw=
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages