Month: October 2025

In the last seventeen years, I have opened and closed my first and only business. These past few months have been bittersweet. Each phone call to a client, each email to a vendor, and every final signature feels like the closing of a cherished chapter.

I’ve received countless messages from clients and their office managers—notes of congratulations mingled with sadness. For many, it feels like saying goodbye to a family member. I’ve known some of them since they were medical students, full of excitement and idealism. I watched them grow through dermatology residency and later walked beside them as their consultant dermatopathologist. We’ve shared late-night consults, diagnostic puzzles, and the unspoken trust that comes with years of partnership.

And then one client said something that pierced through all the professional decorum:

“I’m in mourning.”

So am I.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)

I am mourning not just the closing of a business, but the passing of a season of calling—one defined by purpose, people, and the quiet satisfaction of service. Yet beneath the grief, there is gratitude. Gratitude for the relationships built, the lives touched, and the faithfulness of God through every phase.

There is also peace. Because every ending in Christ is not death—it’s transformation.

I am learning that mourning is not the opposite of faith. It’s a sacred acknowledgment that something precious has ended, and that God, in His wisdom, is making room for something new.

Jesus Himself said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). In the kingdom of God, mourning isn’t a failure of faith—it’s an expression of love.

And so, I’m letting go. Not in despair, but in trust. For the same God who blessed the beginning is already preparing what comes next.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

#faith #trustinggod #christianity #jesuschrist #bible #seekinggodswill #truth #sanctification #godisincontrol #godhearsourprayers #salvation #providenceofGod #Ecclesiastes3:1 #iminmourning

“It takes a thief to catch a thief.”

President Franklin D. Roosevelt

When Franklin Roosevelt appointed Joseph P. Kennedy to head the newly formed Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington erupted in outrage. Kennedy, after all, had made a fortune on Wall Street and was rumored to have done so by exploiting loopholes others had not yet discovered. Why would Roosevelt put a man like that in charge of regulating the very system that made him rich?

The President’s response was disarming: “It takes a thief to catch a thief.”

Roosevelt understood something profound about human nature. Sometimes, the one who knows corruption best is also the one who can recognize it most clearly — and reform it most effectively. What others saw as hypocrisy, Roosevelt saw as redemption.

Scripture tells a similar story again and again.

Moses killed a man before God called him to deliver Israel.

David committed adultery and murder before God called him a man after His own heart.

Paul persecuted Christians before God transformed him into the Church’s greatest missionary.

It’s a pattern that defies logic — and magnifies grace.

God delights in taking what the world casts aside and reshaping it for His glory. The very experiences that once brought shame can become the instruments of healing and testimony. The one who knows the darkness best often becomes the most passionate bearer of light.

As Paul wrote:

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;

God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 1:27 (ESV)

Roosevelt’s quote, meant for politics, echoes a timeless spiritual truth: God redeems the thief, the liar, the broken, and the lost — not merely to forgive them, but to use them.

Perhaps that’s why Jesus’ invitation still rings out with such tenderness:

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Luke 5:32 (NKJV)

If you’ve ever wondered whether your past disqualifies you, remember: in God’s hands, even the thief becomes the instrument of redemption.

Lord, You have never required perfection before calling Your servants — only repentance and willingness. Redeem my past and reshape it for Your purpose. Let every scar become a testimony of Your mercy and every failure a reminder of Your grace. Amen.

Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life. 

#faith #redemption #grace #trustinggod #jesuschrist #bible #sanctification #godisincontrol #salvation #providenceofGod #ittakesathief #1Corinthians1:27

I was recently watching a foreign film about a South Korean woman who accidentally found herself in North Korea. Though the language was technically the same, the locals immediately sensed something was off—her accent. Subtle differences in tone and rhythm gave her away.

Since I don’t speak Korean, the nuances were lost on me. But to native ears, the distinction was unmistakable. It’s like a Korean person trying to tell the difference between a southern drawl and someone from the Bronx—you may not understand every word, but the sound tells a story.

As I watched, a thought quietly stirred in my heart: Do others recognize my accent as belonging to heaven? Once again, the Bible reminds us. 

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:20 (NKJV)

If our citizenship is in heaven, then our speech should carry the tone of that homeland. Words seasoned with grace. Reactions tempered by patience. Truth spoken in love.

The more time we spend with Christ, the more our spiritual accent begins to change. Over time, the harsh consonants of pride soften into humility, and the melodies of self fade into the harmony of His will.

The world listens. It can tell where we’ve come from—and to whom we belong.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

#faith #trustinggod #christianity #jesuschrist #bible #seekinggodswill #truth #sanctification #godisincontrol #godhearsourprayers #salvation #providenceofGod #foreignaccent #Philippians3:20

Riots in the streets.
A presidential assassin.

These are not the headlines of 2025.
They are the headlines of 1901.

At the dawn of the 20th century, anarchy was not a metaphor—it was a movement. Governments trembled as radicals preached revolution through violence. The news was filled with bombings, assassinations, and manifestos that promised a better world—once the old one was burned to the ground.

Sound familiar?

The names and flags have changed, but the spirit remains the same. Today’s movements—whether political, ideological, or digital—often share the same heartbeat: chaos as a means to control. Disorder masquerading as progress. We redefine freedom until it collapses beneath the weight of self-worship.

But this isn’t new—it’s ancient.

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Judges 21:25 (ESV)

The ancient Israelites lived in an age of spiritual anarchy, rescued time and again by God’s mercy—only to drift back into rebellion. Philosopher George Santayana warned, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Yet memory alone cannot save us. When everyone becomes their own authority, truth dissolves into noise. When we enthrone the self, society decays from within. This is the anarchy of the soul.

But there is another way.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)

The antidote to anarchy isn’t more power, policy, or protest. It’s surrender. It’s repentance. It’s allowing God—not ideology, not emotion—to rule the heart.

Because when He reigns, there is peace—not the peace of silence, but the peace of order.

In the chaos, He remains sovereign.
In the silence, He still speaks.
And in the storm, He never lets go.

Love and trust in the Lord. Seek His will in your life.

#faith #trustinggod #christianity #jesuschrist #bible #seekinggodswill #truth #sanctification #godisincontrol #godhearsourprayers #salvation #providenceofGod #anarchy #Judges21:25 #Proverbs3:5-6

Just before my recent trip to South Korea, I told a few of my dermatology residents why the Korean people hold a special place in my heart. When I was a college freshman, God used a Korean classmate to lead me to Jesus Christ. I even shared a few of my reflections from this blog. One young resident’s response stopped me cold: “Doctor, I didn’t know you were a Christian!”

While I never shy away from my faith, I’m careful to share it in a professional setting. During my teaching sessions, I sometimes drop Biblical references—like describing a complex disease with a tongue-twisting name and comparing it to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the friends of Daniel who were thrown into the fiery furnace by King Nebuchadnezzar. But I would never ask about anyone’s faith, nor try to persuade; those conversations belong to the Spirit’s timing, not mine.

There’s an old adage that asks, “If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” The Apostle Peter reminds us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” (1 Peter 3:15). Perhaps this resident’s comment was the Holy Spirit’s gentle reminder that my life should raise that very question. Should I be more forthcoming?

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

I need to continually yield to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who gives me the words to speak and shapes my actions so that others may see Jesus Christ within me. Faith isn’t merely lifestyle evangelism—it’s the light that shines through a life continually being transformed and conformed into the image of Christ.

So if someone ever says to me again, “I didn’t know you were a Christian,” I pray it’s not because my light was hidden, but because it was shining quietly enough to be recognized only in the right moment.

That is the kind of life I long to live—not hidden faith, but humble witness.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

faith #trustinggod #christianity #jesuschrist #bible #seekinggodswill #truth #sanctification #godisincontrol #godhearsourprayers #salvation #providenceofGod #Matthew5:16 #Ididntknowyouwereachristian

Our family recently vacationed in South Korea. We spent many days in Seoul, a city known for its beauty and health spa culture. We all opted for a Korean facial and were quite impressed and satisfied with the results. Accompanying me was a young man. Intelligent and affable, he was a perfect host for my visit. I do not speak Korean, but fortunately, his English was excellent, so we asked about each other’s backgrounds. I was astonished to learn that he formally trained as a chef. He worked as a sushi chef and later in a Spanish restaurant, both in South Korea. Impressive. I asked him why he was now working in this health spa. His answer shocked me. 

“There was nothing more to learn.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Still in his early twenties he had acquired a modest resume as a chef but he was certainly not a master chef. I asked him how he arrived at that conclusion. His second answer was even more astounding “I soon realized that everything in cooking is basically the same thing, just different ingredients.”

I am not a chef, nor do I have formal training in cooking. Nonetheless, I perceived his answer as either naive or disdainful. However, I wondered, was he correct? Are there any endeavours or occupations in which we engage when there is nothing more to learn? Once again, the Bible provides the answer. 

Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit.

Psalms 119:96 (NLT)

In this life, we may arrogantly think there is nothing more to learn, there is nothing new under the Sun. God reminds us that in His creation, even perfection has its limits. Only His commands have no limit. 

Nothing more to learn? 

With God, we have barely begun. Every trial, every blessing, every verse we meditate on is another page in the textbook of grace.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

#faith #trustinggod #christianity #jesuschrist #bible #seekinggodswill #truth #sanctification #godisincontrol #godhearsourprayers #salvation #providenceofGod #nothingmoretolearn #Psalms119:96

Sunday morning at our local church, we were greeted by an unusual sight, pictured above. Dozens of coffee cups were displayed on a makeshift table. The Pastor explained. “We are completing our series of the Book of Acts, and as you know, one of the important messages of this book is for us to carry the good news of Jesus Christ. Whenever I preach, I always wonder if the young people in our congregation understand the message. Well, let me share this with you. Every Sunday morning, after the sermon, a middle school member of our congregation would come up to me and show a coffee cup that she had illustrated with the key message of each sermon and the accompanying Bible verse from the Book of Acts. I was so impressed that I wanted to recognize what she did and share it with all of you.” The entire congregation gasped in amazement and clapped! The Pastor beamed. “I think God was showing me that our young people absolutely get the message of the Bible. Praise God!”

It was a Coffee Cup Evangelism. It was a lovely and practical way to share the good news of Jesus Christ! It warmed my heart, more than the coffee, to witness this young lady brilliantly demonstrate that not only did she understand the message of each sermon, she was willing to share the Good News with others by giving these coffee cups, a familiar everyday object, to others, as an outreach. 

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.”
Acts 17:22-24 (ESV)

The Bible is replete with creative ways the great saints have shared the Gospel. In the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul used a familiar cultural landmark, an altar to an unknown god, to evangelize to the citizens of Athens. Paul used it as a springboard to introduce the message of Jesus Christ. Even in this hostile environment, the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to observe and utilize the city’s art and architecture to reach its citizens. 

Praise God for the faithfulness of this young woman in our local church and countless others who have utilized their God-given talents to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.