The Goodness of God

By Noah Choi

This story is about how God restored my relationship with my parents when I punched my dad in the lip at the beginning of 2021!

Prior to that time, I was finishing up my undergraduate studies at Biola University during the COVID 19 pandemic. I was not taking care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually, and I was fed up with being stuck at home, feeling disappointed by ending my time in college on Zoom, and feeling overwhelmed with dread and existentialism, trying to figure out what to do with my life after college.

While all of this was happening, I was building up hatred and resentment towards my parents. This is because they were telling me to do XY&Z to help me with my stress and anxiety instead of listening to me. They said that it was my fault that I was so anxious and depressed, and it made it seem like I chose to be depressed and anxious. These feelings were building up inside of me for about two months. 

Then, on January 1, 2021, I got into a huge screaming match with my parents before going to my grandparents for Korean New Years. One thing lead to another, and I sucker punched my dad in the lip, and he fell down. I was frozen. I couldn’t believe what I just did! Growing up as an immature teenager, I always fantasized about beating my parents up because of my resentment towards them, but I never imagined that this dark fantasy would turn into a dark reality. The worst part about that moment was that I was going to do much worse than punching my dad. Thankfully, through putting on supernatural wisdom and compassion, my mom calmed my dad down and told me to go upstairs to my room. They came into my room, and we talked about it. 

Five minutes later my dad forgave me for punching him! I was confused. How could He forgive me for this? He should have kicked me out of the family by this point, and yet, what was even more confusing was what he said afterwards. “You punching me is the best thing to ever happen to this family.” He said this to ease the tension of the moment, but what I didn’t realize then was how prophetic that was.

It has been a little over two years since that punch, and my relationship with my parents could not be any better. We are more open to talking and listening to each other. We are now more open to discussing our issues and learning to love and support each other. I have a bigger capacity to submit to my parent’s authority and not seeing them as heroes or villains, but as humans who are also figuring out life. My parents have opened up more about their own shortcomings, having a humble posture of knowing more than me but also being dependent on God. 

I am not saying that you should punch your dad (or your mom, or anyone) to achieve forgiveness and reconciliation. What I am saying is that God can redeem and restore all things. As my dad forgave me instantly for punching him, God forgives us for our sins against Him, which is basically us punching and beating up God. No one is ever too far gone for God to do something miraculous. 

The Goodness of God

It all started with a ruptured colon!  Donna Ogle ended up in the hospital for a reattachment of her colon following the removal of an ostomy bag, but the relatively quick procedure ended up leading to 2 ½ weeks in the hospital.  The day after her surgery, she developed an infection, so a second surgery was required.  Then they found a tear in her small intestine, so she had to be completely opened up again.
 
“It was so hard, but there was so much love.”  And here's how God’s goodness shone through it all:

“About two weeks before the surgery, I was asked by a friend to photograph a bridal shower.  I hadn’t known the bride, but we just clicked.  I loved her so much.  Her name is Katie and I learned that she was a nurse.  Fast forward to the day of my third surgery.  The nurse walked in the room and said, ‘Hi, I’m Katie, and I’m your nurse today.’  I asked, ‘Did you just get married a few weeks ago?”  Katie replied, “Donna!  I’m so glad to see you, but not here.’  Katie immediately prayed over me and was such a huge blessing.”  While in the ICU recovering and after two blood transfusions, Katie kept being there to encourage and support Donna.  “And this was during Covid, when I was not allowed any visitors.”
 
Dr. Kim who was attending Donna figured out she was a Christian and whispered, “I am, too.”  “He would have been watching out for me anyway, but now there was a bond between us, and he was so responsive whenever I needed anything.”
 
And then there was the phlebotomist – I said to her, “Oh, I’m just praying it’s a good result.”  She immediately responded, “In the name of Jesus, I ask for the blood to be good.”  “And there was a new nurse I had for one day who got on her knees, held my hand, and prayed for me before my second surgery.”
 
“God was sending me all these people to let me know He was right there with me every day.  I never felt, ‘this is awful, and I can’t have any friends with me.’  I always felt God’s presence and protection no matter what happened.”   She even felt it when, after being fed intravenously for ten days, with tubes and wires coming out of her every which way, a nurse said, “When I saw I got you today, I was happy because you’re so nice, but you’re so much work."  “ God is so, so good.”
 
“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”  Psalm 91:4

The Goodness of God Series

As a teenager, I thought my life would turn out as I had planned. I had specific goals: 1. College, 2. Medical school, 3. Job, 4. Marriage, 4. House, 5. Family, in that order. I had worked hard and was ready to put my plan into place. What I did not plan, although it is my life, is that it is ultimately God’s plan. It may not seem like it, but God promises it will be good.

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,  plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

My life’s plan began to change just before moving to the dorms at college. I had been accepted into the pre-med program at UC Santa Barbara. I had my room assignment and was ready to move in.  I was on the road to completing goal #1. But, when my parents discovered the dorms were co-ed, they said NO!  That derailed my plans.  Looking back, I can see how God had provided me with godly parents to help facilitate His plans.

Ephesians 6:1-3, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise, “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

I quickly, but reluctantly, changed plans and enrolled at CSU Long Beach, just 10 minutes away from my childhood home. I thought my life’s plan was ruined. To make matters worse, I was late for enrollment and all the parking passes were sold out. I had to ride my bike to college; nothing was going as I planned. 
 
After a year at CSULB, my plans took another unexpected turn. I attended a retreat with our church’s college group. On the way to the retreat, I had a one-on-one chat with our youth pastor. He asked about my plans, goals, etc. This was easy! I already had the answers, 1. College, 2. Medical school, 3., etc. Then he asked, “Where does God come into your plans? What number is He?”  “God is always there. He’s in all the plans!” I explained.  "Hmm," he said, “Is God following you or are you following Him?"  I struggled to answer. I realized my goals were not about pleasing and serving God, but about pleasing and serving myself. We prayed together, and asked God to help me make Him the priority in my life. 
 
I transferred to Pacific Christian College that fall, and began a course of biblical studies. I wanted a better working knowledge of God’s Word, and a better plan so I could put Him first in my life. 

2 Corinthians 5:9, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”

That decision paid off. I met my future husband, Ed, while living in the dorms at Bible college. And the rest is history, His story. 

Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Today, I am still learning. But I am confident of this: God is good. He has a good plan for our lives. We live it when we put Him first.
 

Psalm 23:6, “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

The Goodness of God Series

As we continue to look at God’s goodness in our lives, we wanted to share a story from Barbara Belyea.
 
Back in 2013, Barbara was scheduled for a physical, so about a week before, she went in to do her lab work.  The doctor called the next day and said, “This is not good.”  Her white blood count had risen to 317,000 – normal is about 10,000.  He advised her to get to St. Joseph Hospital right away.  Immediately, Barbara felt strongly that God was with her.  “I just knew it!”  God’s love was also tangibly expressed from those in the church who came around her to pray and to support her.
 
After seeing five doctors over a period of three days and having a bone marrow test, all doctors agreed that she had acute leukemia, for which there was no acceptable treatment.  One daughter asked how much longer Barbara would live and a few other questions.  Barbara experienced an incredible pain in her chest and began sobbing.  But her older daughter asked, “Are we going to sit here and cry, or are we going to get on with life?”  Barbara immediately chose the latter.
 
Barbara was scheduled to leave for Boston for her son’s graduation and asked if she could still go.  The doctors said firmly, “We would not recommend it.”  She learned later that they were worried about acute infection or a hemorrhage.  But Barbara went anyway.  She was on steroids and in a wheelchair.   Click here to continue.
 
A week after returning from her trip (about 4-5 weeks after the diagnosis), her doctors were surprised when her white blood count started to drop.  They had been expecting to do a blood transfusion.  And after a month or so of going back and forth to the City of Hope, the new diagnosis came back.  “You do not have acute leukemia.  You have lymphoma, and it is treatable.”  Barbara shed a few tears of gratitude, but by then was grounded in her belief that she would live one day at a time, to stay in that day and accept it.
 
For six months, she received a course of heavy-duty drugs, and two years of less strong ones.  She couldn’t work for the first six months because she had no strength.  Barbara still goes for treatment today about every six weeks and experiences a loss of energy each time.
 
Barbara says, “I’m convinced that God changed that diagnosis!  I was always a go, go, go person, and I wonder if he just wanted to slow me down.”  Barbara experienced God’s goodness throughout a difficult diagnosis and journey and continues to be an encouragement to others experiencing trials in their lives.

The Goodness of God Series

Recently in our home worship groups, we shared stories about looking back to see the goodness of God in our lives.  This week we are sharing Debbie and Jeff Strickland’s love story.
 
Debbie and Jeff dated while Debbie was still in high school, but they knew that Jeff would be moving to Virginia to live with his father and go to college.  There was a specific song on the radio after she dropped him off at the airport (this will be significant later). They found they couldn’t retain a long-distance relationship, ultimately going their separate ways.  Both married other people and had three children each, and both eventually got divorced.  Debbie shared that, “We’d run into each other occasionally, and I would always think that he was the one that got away.  I never stopped loving him.”
 
As part of her backstory, when Debbie was younger, she lived across the street from Roxanne, in Seal Beach, where they went to elementary and middle school together. She led Debbie to the Lord and to baptism at church camp.  This will come into play later in their story!
 
After Debbie’s divorce, there was a period where she had broken her foot and had three months where she couldn’t place any weight on it.  She became really depressed with that, and raising her three children as a single mom.  Her relationship with the Lord had waned, and she was not going to church.   All this led her down a very dark path, and serious thoughts of suicide.  She believes her ex-husband not responding to her is what stopped her from following through because she was concerned for her children.  One day while sitting at her desk at work, she heard Barry Manilow’s song, “Somewhere Down the Road,” that reminded her of that day she dropped Jeff off, and she began crying.  She prayed, “Bring someone into my life that can show me what a good relationship is.”
 
That very day (Veteran’s Day 2005), she received an email from Jeff on “Classmates,” who she hadn’t heard from in 16 years. He was in the military and getting ready to deploy to Iraq. “We started sending emails to each other and wanted to get together, but there was no convenient time before he was leaving, due to deployment preparations and training, and her broken foot. I couldn’t believe that I finally found him again and he had to go to war!”  Then Jeff contacted her and said, “Something came up and I have a window of opportunity for one night in Monterey.  If you can drive there, I can see you.”  Debbie started driving, with a broken foot.  She turned around twice, but eventually decided to continue on to Monterey and arrived with a very swollen foot. She and Jeff were able to spend that one day together.

In Iraq, Jeff would get up at 3am local time and walk a mile from his tent to the office trailer to call Debbie. They also exchanged many, many emails (3100 give or take, that she still has).  “God brought him back into my life to save me from my depression and dark thoughts.”   In the meantime, Jeff was in Iraq getting shot and mortared everyday. The base was always under attack, and he was a Helicopter Crew Chief performing Direct Action Assaults to destroy the IED infrastructure and Mahdi Militia in and around Baghdad. A close call came one morning as a mortar landed 20 feet from him – but luckily was a dud and didn’t explode!  He was gone 121 days.

When Jeff returned home in April 2006, he and Debbie picked up where they left off back in 1982, thanks to almost six months of correspondence while deployed, eventually getting  engaged (again). After retiring in 2008, Jeff returned to school to complete his Bachelors degree.

At this time Debbie still had not returned to the Lord.  Enter Roxanne.  Debbie and Roxanne had lost touch over the years, but Debbie saw on Facebook that she and Ed were doing “Date Night” performances at book stores and coffee shops around Orange County.  From that night on, Jeff and Debbie would regularly attend when they could, while Debbie listened, Jeff would do his schoolwork.  Roxanne and Debbie became close again, and began walking together weekly.  “We would go to church on Christmas Eve where Roxanne and Ed were leading worship.  We did that for three years, with Roxanne always asking, “Why don’t you just come to church?”  Eventually they did, and became friends with Ed as well.

Jeff felt that the things he did in the war were unforgivable and wouldn’t participate in communion because he didn’t feel he deserved God’s love.  Jeff and Ed became close and started meeting for coffee. Through Ed’s counseling, Jeff soon found his way back to the Lord and forgiveness.

“We blew it the first time, but it was God leading us back to each other and to him.  We used to call all these things that happened in our lives karma, but now we know that it was and still is the goodness of God guiding us on a path to the light.”

The Goodness of God

In our home worship groups, we have been sharing stories about looking back to see the goodness of God in our lives.  Lothar told us about coming to the U.S. in 1968 with Heidi.  Their families thought they were crazy, that the U.S. was a bad country, with the recent killings of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.  And Lothar had a good job in research with the Dutch company, Philips, in Hamburg.  But he left that job and they came to California with no work and unsure where they would live.
 
Lothar has a degree in Engineering Physics, but since jobs were scarce, he would have taken anything.  He was living in Fontana and drove out to the San Fernando Valley to interview with Bendix.  Because they were a government contractor and he was not a U.S. citizen, he couldn’t work for them.  But the man who interviewed him gave him a list of companies that would hire someone who was not a citizen.  As they were driving back to Fontana, Lothar saw a sign in Pasadena that advertised Xerox, and he remembered that was one of the companies that might hire him.
 
He was hesitant to apply, but a family that “adopted” them in Fontana encouraged him to at least apply.  Xerox was opening a new division that would specialize in breast cancer detection.  Lothar’s experience had been in electrostatic imaging, so he was a good fit for the job.  In fact, he was hired on the spot, with the interviewer exclaiming, “Where did you come from?!”  Lothar then spent his entire career in this field.
 
“When I look at my life, I see how my Lord was faithful.”  He wasn’t even a Christian at the time, but he knows now that the Lord was at work in his life even then.
 
What’s your story?  Are you willing to share it? 

On Mission in El Salvador

By Elijah Spence

Thank you all for being so supportive of my mission trip to El Salvador!  I thought I would share how it went so that you might be able to understand what we did, why we did it, and how it has affected my life.

On our first day, a Monday, we visited a boys orphanage.  The boys didn't speak English but were thrilled to have us there.  We played basketball, volleyball, and soccer with them.  It was extremely fun, and we made some great connections.  On Tuesday, we went to an adult home for the disabled and played lots of soccer and also danced.  It was nice because the people were so open to socializing with us, and they taught us simple phrases in Spanish.  That evening, different groups prepared meals and went out in pairs to feed some of the homeless.   

On Wednesday, the boys started a house build, while the girls went to help with the local girls that were attending Quinceanera.  The guys worked on the foundation and made sure the area was cleared for the house.  Keep in mind that this house was not large - only one room - but it would be much more than they had before.  We went back on Thursday to finish the house and by the end of the day, gave the family of five the keys to a home that we filled with furniture.  We spent the rest of the day bringing food and supplies to families in need in the same village.

Friday was the Quinceanera, and the girls did most of the work that day getting all of the 25 girls ready that were turning 15 years old.  The boys got to relax and watch a movie in Spanish until it was time for the party.  We paired up with the Quinceanera girls and walked them in to have pictures taken with us, then socialized and danced until the party ended around midnight.

We packed up on Saturday, but before leaving went to the park with a kindergarten class to play with them and have lunch.  They were probably the most social group we interacted with as they loved having piggyback rides.  They wore us down very quickly, but it was a really nice experience.  We then left for the airport after saying our goodbyes to the translators that we got to know so well.

This experience was amazing. Throughout the entire trip, I felt more connected with God than ever. Being able to go and share our time and resources with people who are less fortunate is something that God commands us to do.  I felt close to God during the days where we were helping families and even when doing small things like playing basketball with some of the kids.  I was able to grow in my relationship with Jesus and am looking forward to being able to search for more trips similar to this.  I was able to make so many new friends, both with the people at Sus Hijos and even new friends at my school.  It changed my perspective on God's creation and opened more opportunities to help others and share his word.  Again, thank you for your support.

Reflections from the L.A. Mission Team

Earlier this summer, our church sent a team of junior highers and two adult leaders to serve for a week in inner-city Los Angeles. A few of them shared in a worship service a few weeks after they returned, and the team recently got back together for a team dinner. Here are some reflections from the mission trip:

"The best part of the mission trip was just being able to serve and let the Spirit lead and guide us. I enjoyed being able to have fun and laugh while working hard and being aware and thoughtful. The hardest part for me was seeing how bad and rough it is for others. It breaks my heart, and I wish I could do so much more for them. I saw Jesus at work in those we served in their gratitude and pure joy as we helped them. An elderly lady I gave cake to said, "Thank you, you're a gift from God, and I love to see youngsters serve." I experienced Jesus working in me when I felt him urging me to stop by a certain person or even do a small thing that makes a big impact. I've experienced humility and serving others before myself." --Amy F.

"I enjoyed working at St. Francis [food pantry] the most. ... I saw Jesus at work when people told us how grateful they were that we were volunteering. ... I saw Jesus in myself when I got the homeless people everything they needed. One area of growth I experienced in my relationship with God was empathy." --Danee V.

"Some of the people we served said, "God bless you" to us. That was really inspiring to me that they have God in their hearts even through the tough times they are going through! After going on the mission trip, I now see God in a different way. I see how he moves in other people and feel like I am growing to understand how he moves in me. While I was on the trip, I saw crosses out in nature; some were even captured in the pictures we took. For example, two blades of grass made Jesus' cross. I feel God was showing me how he is always with us!" --London G.

"I enjoyed serving others and meeting all the amazing people. The hardest part of the trip was going through places like Skid Row and seeing all the pain and suffering. I saw Jesus' work through all the organizations that are working to support the people of LA. Some examples are some of the people we met who were volunteering and taking off time from work and other activities to serve others. Jesus helped me to be compassionate to others because you don't know what they are going through." --Lukas B.

"Serving the people of LA and getting to hang out with everyone again [was what I enjoyed the most]. ... I just saw the joy in people's faces when I gave them food. I just felt good about giving back to the community. I felt God and strengthened my relationship while serving at skid row." --Mandy S.

Praise God for these young people and Jesus working in and through them as they served and gave of themselves!

Camp Alandale Recap

Dear Spectrum Church,

I appreciate all of you who prayed for us, the other counselors, staff members and campers. It was a great week at camp, but it would not have been that way without all of you praying for us. Other people praying for everyone at camp is crucial to Camp Alandale running and seeing God move in the hearts of the people there.

One of the ways in which I saw God work is in my camper, Timophay. It was his first time being at Camp Alandale, but he was super excited to be there and really enjoyed each activity at camp. As we talked more as the week progressed, Timophay talked about how he didn’t feel like God could forgive him because of some bad things that he’s done. He talked about how he felt so guilty and couldn’t imagine God forgiving him. Earlier in the day, we had watched a skit on how Saul became Paul. I asked him if he remembered the skit we had watched earlier, and he said he did. I told him that Paul had murdered hundreds of Christians and hurt a lot of people. “If God forgave Paul for all the people he had murdered, then He could definitely forgive you.” To see God work in Timophay’s heart and help him see that he isn’t beyond God’s forgiveness and that he could be free from his guilt was absolutely amazing.

It is often only in stories from missionaries working in other countries that we hear God do incredible and transformative work. However, God is doing similar work in the foster system in Orange County and Riverside. He’s moving mightily to show these kids how much they are loved and that He’s offering them a chance to be part of a family that’s completely different from the ones they’ve experienced growing up. And God wants to do the same work in our lives. He wants to move in the hearts of the people we come in contact with in our everyday lives. We don’t need to go away to a five-day camp or a month-long missions trip to another country to see God transform people’s lives. Our chance to be missionaries is right in front of us in our neighborhoods and workplaces. We just need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and present in the moment to see the opportunities that God has given us now in our daily routines. Thank you again, Spectrum Church, for all your prayers and support!

In Christ,
Luke Woods

Spectrum family,

I wish I could take all of you with me to that last week of June in order that you might see for your own eyes the beauty, wonder, and miracles that happened at Camp. Imagine a crisp and cold bubbling stream, trees so tall they make your eyes scan the sky, nights by a fire under a scattering of stars, afternoons spent splashing and laughing in the pool, and children experiencing Jesus for the first time.

I spent the week with a precious gem of a girl aptly named “Jewls” or Julianna. Early on, I could tell we’d be fast friends as I shared my interests over lunch and she replied to each one with, “Me too!” During our time together, she told me about the dream she had that brought her to Jesus. She said she was trapped in a dark room, and that she couldn’t find her way out. Door after door brought her to another dead end until someone came alongside and guided her. Slowly but surely, each new door she entered brought her closer until she made it into the light. She proceeded to tell me about her realization that Jesus is the Way, how He is the Door by which we may enter, and that He is the light of the world. At twelve years old, she is recently adopted and though she spent time with a rude foster mom prior, she declared that all along, “God was planning something better for me.”

“Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him. “Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read, “‘From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?” Matthew 21:16. Her childlike faith inspired me throughout the week, and she rejoiced to see other campers give their hearts to Jesus. We spent time praying for her biological mom to come to church and understand Jesus’ love for her. I came away encouraged to believe ever more deeply the promises and power of God as lived out in the life of this young daughter of His.

A few more highlights include: Cheryl forgiving her biological father and accepting God as her heavenly Father, Lana giving her heart to Jesus and sharing the good news with two other campers who proceeded to do the same, Raoul praying to God for the first time in spite of claiming to worship Satan, Kalani opening up and beginning to heal from his mother’s death and setting an example of leadership for the others, and…

“Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25. Thanks for fighting for these children of God through prayer, family! It made all the difference.

Love,
Bekah Woods

Serving Jesus in Croatia

By Abigail Schweizer

Earlier this summer, one of our college students, Abigail Schweizer, served on a short-term mission trip with Cru for six weeks. Here she shares with us what she experienced of God during that time ..."

I’m back from my summer mission trip! My time in Croatia was so fruitful. My team was made up of Cru staff and students from all over the US who modeled what it means to truly live life for Jesus. Every day in Rijeka was special. Tuesdays through Saturdays, we’d meet students at the University of Rijeka, or at a cafe or the beach. On Sundays we’d go to church and connect with Croatian believers. On Mondays we got to be tourists! We visited nearby towns like Pula and Ravine, the island of Krk, and the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which houses startlingly blue lakes and waterfalls. Each location showed more and more of God’s beautiful creation.

Throughout the six weeks, we studied 2 Corinthians and learned what it means to be ambassadors for Christ. I was able to apply what I learned from our discussions as I met with Lorena, Nensi, Ena, Ivana, Paula, and my other Croatian friends. It was wonderful to be able to sit with people over coffee or gelato and talk about our lives, culture, and spiritual journeys.

One of the best experiences happened toward the end of the trip, when Andelyn and Trevor, two of my team members, and I shared the gospel with Lorena, a girl who works at the gelato stand in Korzo, the city center. My team connected with Lorena from the very beginning of our time in Rijeka, because at least two or three of us would buy gelato every day, chat with her, and get to know her. God orchestrated countless meetings between Lorena and my team, and we were able to love her as she wrestled through difficulties at work and at home. When Andelyn, Trevor, and I finally shared about Jesus with Lorena, it was so special to see her face light up as she connected the dots of the gospel. After that conversation, we learned that she had just started working at the gelato stand the day my team arrived in Rijeka. She told us she’d started to connect with a youth group during the month before our arrival, but stopped attending because she had to work. Her face was filled with joy as she recognized that God brought a community of believers to her when she couldn’t attend the youth group anymore. After this conversation, my whole team was amazed at how good God is, and how endlessly he pursues every one of us!

God taught me so much about letting go of my plans and expectations, presenting my requests to Him through prayer, and trusting Him as He orchestrated each day for His glory. Thank you Spectrum Church and everyone who donated for your prayers, encouragement, and financial support! Without your partnership my mission trip might not have been possible. Please join me in praying that the people in Croatia would hear and accept the gospel, and that God would continue to work in Lorena, Nensi, Ena, Ivana, Paula, and all my other Croatian friends’ lives as He reveals Himself to them. I encourage you to be open to serving in ministry or missions as the Lord leads you!