Aarksara Foo – Kallos

YEN: From Living In Vice To Working For Christ

Aarksara Foo — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 05:27:00 +0000

When I first met Yen, the founder of BlessedBe, a Christian home decor and gifts company, I saw a woman who has joyfully entrusted her whole life, business, and family into the hands of the Lord. Yet, her journey with God was not a bed of roses. Hearing her life story, I was inspired by the ways in which she hasd wrestled with God and the life lessons that have led her to being in an intimate relationship with the Lord today.

LEADING A LIFE APART FROM CHRIST

In Yen’s growing-up years, she would have never imagined that she would become a follower of Christ, or someone who would set up a business dedicated to Him.

Yen was born in communist Vietnam, with little to no exposure to Christianity. Yet, she always had a gut feeling of a higher being, someone she would call out to in her times of loneliness or trouble, such as when her sister was hitting her and she longed for someone to protect her. However, years down the road, she forgot about this connection she had with the higher being. At the age of 19, her parents gathered what little money they had to send Yen to the United States to further her studies.

No longer bound to family, Yen was free to explore the ways of the world in her teens. She shares, “I was young and deemed myself as successful. I had a good education, I was earning good money, I dated around, and had fun.” She recounts hopping into her friend’s sports car at 11 pm after her part-time shift at a restaurant and partying until the wee hours of the night. She didn’t just party hard, but worked hard too. After one year of working in the States, she earned enough to buy her first car, and after three years, bought her own house. The chase for material success seemed fun and filled her with adrenalin. However, this novelty soon wore off and as day after day ended with partying, she found herself feeling empty with a gaping hole in her heart.

MY DAYS FELT VERY EMPTY. IT’S LIKE YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING, BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

REALISING HER BROKENNESS

All the partying and overworking not only took a toll on her emotional health, but also her physical health. She soon developed a severe stomach ulcer that landed her in hospital. Coupled with a break-up with her then-boyfriend, it felt as if her world was crashing down. “After a while, it didn’t feel like success. I was very empty on the inside. My days felt very empty. It’s like you’re looking for something, but you don’t know what you’re looking for. You just want to fulfil that lack of something.”

All the things that had brought her happiness and ecstasy felt so short-lived and fleeting. Her heart was aching for something permanent, something that had constancy. And this was when the Lord showed up through the Christian friends placed in Yen’s life.

One of these friends had been trying to invite her to church on several occasions, but Yen had been too preoccupied with her own life to care more about what they had to offer. But then she came to think that she would give visiting the church a shot.

It was a normal church meeting, but that night, God used a simple service to turn Yen’s life around. The speaker preached a timely message which spoke deeply to Yen. Making reference to the veil of the temple being torn in two upon the death of Jesus on the cross (Matt 27:51), the speaker took a knife and slashed it across a curtain. “Somehow, when she used the knife to cut through the curtain, it opened my heart. I wasn’t sure what the Lord did. But when the preacher did that, it opened up my heart and my eyes to see the love of God.”

GOD’S TIMING IS REALLY PERFECT. HE WILL MAKE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME.

At that moment, she was reminded of her childhood connection with the higher being, and everything seemed to make sense. Her longing for something everlasting was satisfied in Christ.

ENTRUSTING HER LIFE WITH GOD

Even though Yen gave her life to the Lord, life was not all rosy. After she got married, Yen and her Malaysian husband were not sure which country to settle in, but she felt God leading her to move to Singapore. After wrestling with the Lord, Yen ultimately chose to obey Him and settle in Singapore despite her longing to be back in her hometown in Vietnam. Upon the birth of her first child, she quit her job to take care of the child. Initially, the loss of a stable source of income threw her young family into rocky waters. However, the Lord impressed upon her heart that He would make everything beautiful in His time (Ecc 3:11). This promise would comfort her yet again when she lost her second child, who was stillborn, just nine days before she was due. She knew that the Lord was in preparation of something beautiful for her, so she readied her heart and waited for a sign from God.

MOUNTING UP WITH WINGS LIKE EAGLES

In 2020, before a visit back to Vietnam, Yen had a brief interaction with a Christian bookstore owner in Singapore who had foundout she was Vietnamese and asked if she knew of any suppliers for handicrafts to sell in his store. Yen decided to help him source for suppliers in Vietnam out of goodwill. Then one night, as she was at the dining table with her mother in Vietnam, the Lord spoke to her and told her to start a handicraft business for Him.

“I really didn’t plan for BlessedBe. I never expected myself to start a business. I was an insurance broker. I knew nothing aboutbusiness. But I had courage, because the years of waiting taught me that when the season is right, the Lord will multiply our capacity. He will grant me favour for His will.” Because Yen had been waiting patiently for the Lord for so many years, her heart was tender and obedient to His will, and she gave Him her “yes” despite the uncertainties that lay ahead of her.

“God’s timing is really perfect. He will make everything beautiful in His time. And when we wait upon Him, we will mount up with wings (Isa 40:31).”

It was precisely His perfect timing that led Yen to found BlessedBe Home Decor and Gifts Galore. BlessedBe’s products are thoughtfully designed and prayerfully crafted by a team of God-loving Vietnamese Christians. It serves as a platform to spread the gospel and love to both the crafters and the buyers. Yen’s life is a testament to the Lord’s faithfulness. Her life story teaches us what it means to obey Him and live for Him.

Finding The One

Aarksara Foo — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 05:13:00 +0000

In my early 20s, I would pray every single day for God to show me whom He wanted me to marry. I patiently waited, but there was neither a sign from God nor any suitable partners.. When guys did show their interest in me, I asked God: Could he be ‘the one’? Silence. Should I let the guy who was standing right in front of me go? I heard no reply from God. It was really hard.

A DECISION

Then in 2015, when I was 22, I made a decision that I would marry whomever God chose for me —regardless what he looked like or what he did in life. I told God that my desire was for Him to decide on my life partner for me. In essence, I was promising Him that I would marry the man He gave me. I entrusted my heart to Him as my matchmaker.

A POSSIBILITY

That same year, Clovis — one of my friends in my prayer group — broke up with his then-girlfriend. I heard a still but clear small voice say, “Just be there for him.” So, I was there for him whenever he wanted to talk. I was his listening ear, and my heart would ache whenever I knew he was sad. Gradually, I started developing feelings for Clovis.

Yet, I wondered if these feelings were just my own desires.

Soon, it was time for me to depart on a six-month overseas exchange programme. I asked God for a sign: if Clovis were to send me off at the airport, then I would hold on to my feelings for him. I thought there was a high chance that he would not come, as only my family and my closest girl friends had told me that they would be there. However, on the day of my departure, I saw him walking toward me at the airport and was stunned with happiness. I kept asking myself: Is this God’s confirmation or a mere coincidence?

I ENTRUSTED MY HEART TO HIM AS MY MATCHMAKER.

After I returned from the programme, Clovis and I met up, and I was glad that our close friendship remained. However, in the following few months, he started to distance himself. My frustrations began to mount: What was I to him? Was I just his friend? What was God trying to teach me?

A TOTAL SURRENDER

In early 2017, the year I turned 24, during my devotion time, I experienced a meltdown about the situation with Clovis. After much wrestling with my own desires for the relationship, I surrendered my heart to God. I begged Him to remove my feelings for Clovis, as I did not want to seek anyone for myself any longer. I wanted to be abandoned to God’s call and will. In that moment, God filled me with such a great relief that I knew that my burdens had been lifted.

But just when I thought that this marked the end of the drama with Clovis, I had two consecutive dreams that very night. In the first dream, I saw my wedding ceremony. I could clearly see that Clovis was the bridegroom and the pastor conducting the ceremony told him to kiss me after our vows. In the second dream, Clovis joined my family to take a family portrait. I woke up the next morning with such peace and assurance. The dreams were utterly unexpected — I understood them as God finally confirming and assuring me that Clovis would be my future husband.

I prayed for God to reveal His plan directly to Clovis, and also to our parents, as I wanted them to have the same peace. Eventually, my father and Clovis’ mother sensed that God has revealed to them His plans for us to be together. However, Clovis did not take any initiative to pursue me for a whole year. Pent-up emotions and doubts crept back: Why did God show me Clovis in my dream? Would it be wrong for me to date someone else?

OVER TO HIM

In July 2018, Clovis and I, along with some friends, went for the One Thing Gathering, a worship conference. I remember that the opening message was on Psalm 139, reminding us that God knows our hearts and He knows our thoughts before we utter or even think them. It was there that Clovis decided he wanted to surrender his own desires completely to God.

It was a few weeks later that God spoke to Clovis through a dream. In Clovis’ dream, both of us were in his car, preparing to worship God in an open-air carpark. In the dream, Clovis was feeling frustrated, as he couldn’t figure out the chords for a particular song. So, I logged in to his personal email to retrieve the chords for him.

GOD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU AND HIS TIMING IS PERFECT.

The dream showed Clovis that I was someone significant; we were more than friends. We were together not just to have fun, but to be in the same ministry to lead people into God’s presence through worship. It was clear to him that I would be his wife and his helpmate.

A STEP OF FAITH TO A LIFELONG ADVENTURE

Clovis shared his dream with me. I could hardly believe that after three long years of waiting, the time had finally come for us to be together. This was actually real; God was indeed our matchmaker. Since God had spoken so clearly to us, we decided to take another step of faith. With our pastors’ guidance, we got married in October 2018, after only three weeks of wedding preparation. God accelerated our progress as a couple. Clovis was my boyfriend for a month, and my fiancé for a week, before becoming my husband for life. We took that step of faith to embark on a lifelong adventure with each other and with God — and we have no regrets. I hope that our story encourages you if you have been struggling with waiting. But remember, God works in different ways for different people. His ways and thoughts are higher than ours, and we should never try to put God in a box and presume to know exactly how He would move in each of our lives. God knows what is best for you and His timing is perfect. Seek Him, ask Him, wait on Him, and obey His Word completely. God has never failed. When you truly surrender, God will move!

How Do I Discern God’s Voice?

1. ALIGN YOUR DECISIONS TO GOD’S WORD
Learn how to read the different books of the Bible and do it daily, and you will get to know God better every day. This will help you make good decisions and raise red flags that you should not ignore. For example, when you feel interested in someone, whether you pursue the relationship or not would be influenced by the warning in 2 Corinthians 6:14 about unbelieving partners.

2. SEEK COUNSEL FROM YOUR SPIRITUAL LEADERS AND PARENTS
Whenever you have to make a big decision — such as whether to date or marry someone — ask for advice from the people who know you well and love you (Prov 11:14). You may be so consumed by your feelings that you are unable or unwilling to check if you are making a sound decision. Your spiritual leaders and parents should be able to guide you through your decision-making process and highlight the potentials and pitfalls.

3. ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE THE PEACE OF GOD
If you feel unease about any decision, commit to time in prayer and even fasting (which can be about giving up a distraction) to earnestly seek God, and wait for Him to communicate with you clearly. Remember that the peace of God doesn’t mean ignoring danger signs or pretending that everything is fine, but having Jesus Christ as your centre (Phil 4:6–7).

Navigating Through the Storms of Life

Aarksara Foo — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 15:03:00 +0000

Over the years, I have learned that just because we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour doesn’t mean that we are exempt from the fires and storms of this life. As John 16:33 shows us, Jesus has already given us a heads-up — in this world we will experience trouble, but take heart for He has overcome it all. What good news!

How do I keep breathing when everything around me seems chaotic and unresolvable? How can there be any good that comes out of horrible situations?

I have had these questions circulate in my mind when the gap between my expectations of how things should be and my current reality seemed far too wide for God to rescue me out of my disappointments.

But God has always rescued me. Failed relationships, broken promises, unpredictable circumstances in business, problems that arise within the ministry … when the gap between my expectations and my reality is large, Jesus has always come to fill that gap with His grace, love, and peace.

We all have experienced disappointment. I fell very ill in my final year of university. I had hopes and dreams to get a graduate job and start earning a stable income. But I became too unwell to even go for any job interviews. I started questioning why God would allow me to go through this. All the years of hard work to finally graduate came to a halt. I was deeply disappointed that my life felt like it had come to a dead end.

Little did I know, God was actually birthing something far greater than I could have ever imagined. I started writing songs and gaining more skills and knowledge in the area of vocals and songwriting. From there, doors to opportunities flung open and I was catapulted into God’s purposes for my life.

So how do we respond when the expectation and reality gap is far too big for us to comprehend? How do we make it through these storms of life? I have learned that the first thing to do is to run to Jesus. How? Pray. Talk to Him. Cry out to Him, plainly and simply, just as you are. He listens. Prayer is like a phone call to God; the line is always open. Tell Him how you’re feeling, and let out the confusion, the hurt, and the pain that seems unbearable.

Secondly, worship. Wherever you are, whatever worship looks like to you, worship! I found that switching on worship music in the background helped me. I felt like I was having a church service right in my bedroom. The presence of God calmed my spirit and helped me see the situation through His eyes instead of through the lens of bitterness.

The third step is to talk to people you trust. I talked to people I love and I know love me back. I spoke as honestly as I could about the struggles going on in my life, my mind, and my heart. Such clarity and revelation were brought forth when I was honest with my inner circle.

My friend, whatever you’re going through right now, whether it be good or bad, I encourage you to cling on to Jesus with everything you have. Allow Him to be your anchor as you weather the storms in your life. His plans are far better than we could ever imagine, pray or hope for. His heart for us is to be whole and healthy — physically, emotionally and spiritually.

PRAYER
Father God, please help me to walk through every season of life with You. Help me to trust that You know far better than I do. Lord, may You hold my hand every step of the way. Amen.

REFLECTION TIME
1. What storms are you currently walking through? How have you been responding to them?
2. Who can you call today to be completely honest with your feelings?

DELVE DEEPER
Read these passages to dive deeper into ‘Navigating Through the Storms of Life’:
o Romans 8:28
o Isaiah 55:8–9

SONGSPO:
‘Battle Belongs’ by Phil Wickham

Worshipping When No One’s Looking

Aarksara Foo — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 10:18:00 +0000

When we were about to bid farewell to 2019 and excitedly welcome 2020, little did we know that we’d be faced with Covid-19 restrictions, and that in a moment, all of our lives would change drastically. It has been daunting for the whole world to navigate through these unknown waters. I remember having a sense of peace; knowing that God had already promised in Isaiah 43:2 that “when you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (NLT).

Church services had to be moved online, and worship teams and church teams all around the globe had to figure out the best way to stay connected with their congregations during these unprecedented times. This season, it has been interesting to see worship leaders adjust to leading worship online, either through pre-recorded sets or live-streamed worship sets via Facebook or YouTube. Some have said that they have struggled with leading without anyone there; they feel like they don’t have anyone to lead without seeing the congregation in front of them. This has challenged me to see the core of being a worshipper of Jesus. What happens when there’s no one in the congregation? What happens when the lights are turned off? What happens when you don’t hear the applause of others? Will you still worship? Will you still praise and lift up the name of Jesus?

Sometimes when we are worshipping together in a live community, we ‘rely’ on others to help us get to that sweet place of worship between us and the Father. Has it been challenging or easy as you click on your church’s service link to worship along to a pre-recorded set list?

I love that Matthew 6:5–6 encourages all of us to go into that secret, quiet place — to worship and pray to God simply and authentically, just as we are, with no roleplaying. The sweetest place of worship where I have encountered Jesus is in my bedroom, singing unto Him with the doors closed, no microphones, no cameras, no makeup, my hair put up in a messy topknot and in my comfy pyjamas.

Even before Covid-19, I’ve always loved going into that secret place, sitting and soaking in His presence. Daily quiet time and worship with the Lord has always been a non-negotiable. I encourage worship leaders and vocalists to see that if we’re not cultivating that lifestyle of worship in that secret place, we’d be leading out of an empty place. If we’re not drawing from the well daily, where will we be pouring out from?

My dear sister, I want to encourage you to keep worshipping Jesus even when it may feel like no one is there worshipping with you. Yes, the lights might be turned off. Yes, there are no microphones and stages. Yes, there’s no one next to you worshipping alongside you. Yes, we miss in-person community. But Jesus is still here — worthy of all our praise and worship. Will you keep worshipping Him even when no one’s looking? Take heart, do not fear. Worshipping Jesus in every season will be the anchor for your soul.

PRAYER

Father God, please help me to worship You in every season. Help me to worship You simply and authentically in my private moments with You. I know You hear me, see me, and love me. Amen.

REFLECTION TIME!

1. What time of the day will you set aside to have your quiet time and worship time with the Lord?
2. Are there some friends you can connect with online during this time so you can encourage one another to keep worshipping?

DELVE DEEPER

Read these passages to dive deeper into this thought of ‘Worshipping When No One’s Looking’:
o Psalm 95:1–7
o Psalm 100

SONGSPO

‘No Fear’ – Tree