2022年是豐收又特別的一年， 回顧過去這年，我看到神賜給我一家意外多的恩典。
首先，我的健康連續第三年穩定， 現在不用時常見醫生，不同的專科主要是半年一次。 藥物方面，劑量也比當初少很多了， 打點滴只需每年做一次。 我感覺很好，有時甚至忘記自己曾經身患重病。
第二，感恩這年間於靈命上，我感覺跟神的關係也是有拉近的。 當然多參與活動不代表靈命必定有進步，但我感覺是多受裨益。 疫情間一直持續的2：7門徒訓練， 讓我習慣每週做功課和背經文。雖然有時候沒心情做，但開始了便覺得有益處， 我特別喜歡跟據不同題目有系統地查看相關經文，背誦的經文也給我隨時的提醒。 從患病開始每早晨讀經、默想、禱告的習慣，同時寫靈修和禱告日誌， 這些已成為我每天的習慣。曾想過若果我用這些時間來做藝術，或許時間會更管用。但我認為可以獻上這些時間靈修是有福的， 會令我工作的時間更有果效、正面、有意義，因為神與我同工。除此之外，我決心每周用一天早上禁食祈禱，這樣可以多花時間和神相處， 更專注為某些事代禱。 這些都讓我感覺很好很舒服平靜。
奇妙地，神會讓我在有些日子裡於數處看到/思想到同一節經文， 引起我的注意，好像在對我說話， 告訴我祂與我每天並肩同行。另外感謝神讓我遇到愛主的弟兄姊妹建立我，讓我跟他們學習愛心和順服 。 每當我變得負面的時候，神總是透過不同的人、媒體、經文和篇章來鼓勵、堅固和安慰我。甚至有一次是有位畫家拿一幅是以神不斷提醒我的金句作靈感的原作，親身到畫展場地，直接送給我，於我是神賜我鐵一般的肯定。還有一次，一節金句適時地浮現在我的腦海， 加上一位姊妹精明的提醒，幫我辨識謊稱買畫的騙子，帶我離開差點被騙錢財的陷阱。
第三，我今年於藝術事工上有突破，我知道完全是神的恩典， 我能作的只是信靠順服。 想起數年前患病，從來沒想過有一天會有機會開個人畫展、出版自己的畫冊和月曆。 感恩透過中信一次滿足三個願望！我們於頭大半年開了很多次會討論、 無數次修改編輯文章、工作和發訊息至深夜、幫每幅原作拍高清照、買畫框 ,等。特別多謝中信關顧部的鄭師母， 是她當初發起這個項目，全程跟進、溝通、隨時幫手、接送、籌款、組織、統籌， 願意不求回報地全力服侍。 這項目需考信心的地方是決定印刷上千本「靠主而活： 藝術治療裡的心靈篇章」畫冊 和幾千本月曆， 途中我曾非常擔心賣不掉而賠錢。 除外，書本的製作、印刷和運送需時，我們擔心不能及時在畫展前運到， 會影響整體效果。 對於畫展我擔心自己缺乏精神體力，還有開幕典禮的內容 是否能見證神鼓勵人？ 總之我的信心常常動搖， 可是神的恩典更大， 祂憐憫我的小信，教導我不要用框框把自己限制著，要相信祂在我身上運行的大能大力。 最後各方面都很順利和成功， 特別感動我的是排山倒海而來的鼓勵，幫忙，讚賞和支持。
我特別感謝一直愛我、陪伴我和支持我的家人朋友， 還有很多值得感恩的地方！ 在這聖誕，我希望可以在神面前安靜，聽他的聲音和思想聖誕的意義。願神繼續帶領我一家，於2023年按祂的心意引導。願您們在這年終數算恩典和記念基督降生的日子， 得到超乎世界所能賜的喜樂和平安。 祝聖誕蒙福和新年重新得力！
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網上小店有新產品！有興趣可以看下 Please check up my new projects in my online stop：
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2022 is a memorable year of blessings and harvest. The Lord is good. As I conclude this year, I reflect on the multitude of blessings from the Lord for my family and I (this post is mainly about myself).
First, my health has been stable for the 3rd year. My follow up doctor appointments are less frequent, and for most of them, twice every year. My medications and treatments are minimal in comparison to what I had before. I am finally discharged from the hand clinic after two years where I had the surgeries done for the finger on my drawing hand. I am feeling so good that sometimes I forget I was once very sick and bedridden. Praise the Lord!
Second, things have been going quite well spiritually. I have been part of 2:7 Mandarin discipleship class, and I am learning a lot in the past 3-4 years. I have gradually become more used to preparing for classes every week including doing pages of homework plus reciting scriptures. It can be hard work at times, but my friends and I are certainly reaping benefits from it. I continue to spend my mornings on devotion, Bible reading and prayers. I enjoy keeping a digital or handwritten spiritual journal. These have been part of my daily routine since I got sick. Before I had a glimpse of thought that without devotion time I could have more time for art. But now I acknowledge the importance of it and think it may make my day more positive, efficient and meaningful. This year I have started contributing one morning of the week to fast while doing devotions and prayers since the Resurrection exhibit in June, and I feel good about spending more quality time with the Lord this way. In addition to private prayers, I realize the importance of corporate prayers and have been part of a weekly prayer group.
Interestingly, the Lord has been talking to me many times through scriptures that I see on repeat for the day, and they have put a smile on my face as if He is walking with me daily. I also got to talk to or listen to mature Christians who lovingly build me up and set as a good example for me in terms of love and obedience. Whenever I become negative with doubts, frustrations, disappointments and worries, the Lord reassures, encourages and comforts me through different people, media, scriptures and passages. I am looking forward to walking with the Lord in 2023, and please pray for me that I won't be backsliding but will become closer with and more like the Lord.
Thirdly, this year I have experienced a breakthrough in my art ministry. It is nothing but miraculous and I know I can make it thus far only because of the Lord and the angels He has placed around me. What I did was mostly puting my faith on His calling, did what I could and He has taken care of most of it.
From being hopelessly sick to partnering with CCM to hold my first solo art exhibit and publishing a book and a 2023 calendar are completely beyond my wildest dreams. I don't have enough words to express my gratitiude for Terries, Wudi the designer, and the editors for all the work, passion and efforts into this project. We have worked hard on it for the first half of the year with meetings to brainstorm, for ideas to come together, with late night calls and messages, uncountable cycles of editing and proofreading, improving the devotional passages and correcting mistakes, buying art frames, taking HD photos of my work and so on. Terries, in particular, who is the director of the Caring Ministry of CCM, did most of the organizing, fund raising, following up, communications, marketing and promotions, quality control, and many more. She had OTs willingly even during her vacation. There was probably a lot more she had done behind the scenes that I do not know about. It took us a leap of faith to publish a thousand copies of my Devotional art book "Rely on Christ to Live: a Compilation of Art-therapeutic Devotional Pieces" and thousands of 2023 calendars, despite of the possibility of having many copies unsold and suffering a loss. It was a stressful time as well when the date of arrival was uncertain and delayed for the books and calendars that were published in Taiwan, as it would affect the exhibition as well. As for myself, the exhibit was nerve-wrecking as I was concerned about my opening ceremony speech, my energy level and health, the sales and finances and so on. The Lord encouraged me to give Him all my anxiety. He asked me to "deny myself" as if it was no longer about my abilities but His power alone would be sufficient. Praise the Lord that everything went well. What I have received was tons of warm and gracious encouragements, praises and support. The sales are much better than expected too. I enjoyed conversations with the visitors, staff and volunteers and valued their time and contributions.
In addition to the project with CCM, I also had a chance to participate and showcase 3 pieces of my work at the Resurrection Art Exhibit with Christians artists from different areas of Vancouver. It was touching to see the time and effort they were willing to invest into it, not for personal gain but for the kingdom of God.
I am grateful for my family and friends who are supportive of me and love me for who I am. There are much more I am thankful for, but I will finish the blog here. For this Christmas, I hope to be quiet before the Lord, hear His voice and remember the true meaning for the season. I pray for His guidance for 2023 and am open to see where He will lead my family and I.
May you receive joy and peace from the Lord at this time of the year while counting the blessings of this year and remembering the greatest gift of Jesus. Wishing you a warm and cozy Christmas with transqility and renewal of strength for the new year!
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