LEE J. YI

Author: leejyi

  • My Food? His Will

    My Food? His Will

    “Baby’s full”

    When I was in college, there was a dining hall next to my dormitory that was buffet style (i.e., all you can eat). I remember going there every night of freshman year with the same group of friends. One of our favorite nights was chicken tenders night. How can you resist? Unlimited piles and piles of fresh chicken tenders. It was the first time I was introduced to the amazing concoction of ranch dressing and Tobasco sauce. To this day, whenever I have chicken tenders, I must have ranch and Tobasco handy. You could say it’s one of my weaknesses.

    After one of these nights, one of my friends, a petite little Asian girl, rubs her belly and says, “Baby’s full.” I reeled. I knew she had a steady boyfriend, but I did not know she was pregnant. She laughed and assured me that it was just her way of saying she had eaten way too much.

    You know what? Today, “baby” was full for me. (more…)

  • Me, Too?

    Me, Too?

    I don’t consider myself an emotional individual, but I was really rocked by what happened in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. #HopeForVegas

    I have also been troubled as I read Facebook posts after Facebook posts that all begin with #MeToo.

    I was hoping that someone in the Christian space would speak into this topic, but I haven’t really found a voice that has really said what’s needed to be said. To be fair, can anything be said that really encompasses all there is to be said about this topic? (more…)

  • I’m a Little Tired

    I’m a little tired.

    Friday

    4:30 Woke up

    5:15 Drove to Newport

    10:00 Drove to Irvine

    2:00 Drove to Newport

    Saturday

    4:30 Woke up

    8:00 Drove to Irvine

    10:00 Drove to Newport

    12:00 Drove to Irvine

    7:00 Drove to Newport

    9:00 Drove to Irvine

    Sunday

    5:30 Woke up

    2:00 Drove to Newport

    6:00 Drove to Irvine

    8:00 Drove to Newport

    Monday

    5:30 Woke up

    8:00 Drove to Irvine

    3:00 Drove to Newport

    5:00 Drove to Irvine

    8:00 Drove to Newport

    Tuesday

    4:30 Woke up

    9:00 Drove to Irvine

    10:00 Drove to Newport

    11:00 Drove to Irvine

    3:00 Drove to Newport

    5:00 Drove to Irvine

    I’m a little tired.

  • Praying As a Family

    Praying As a Family

    Here’s a little snippet I wrote for the October newsletter of Saddleback Kids Irvine South. It was fun to write, so I thought I’d share with the rest of you. Here it is . . . uncut.

    “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 (NLT)

    After a long, exhausting day, I look forward to flopping onto my bed. No, really. I flop onto my bed. I think I get a good amount of airtime as I get my body horizontal and flop onto my bed. It’s my daily end-of-the-day habit. You know what my wife’s daily end-of-the-day habit is? Telling me to get back out of bed to go pray for my kids. We do this every night. (more…)

  • SERMON: Was Jesus Alive? (Ephesians 2:1-10)

    SERMON: Was Jesus Alive? (Ephesians 2:1-10)
    Delivered during 11 am service of Torrance Good Shepherd Church

  • SERMON: Indomitable Spirit (Romans 8:31-39)

    SERMON: Indomitable Spirit (Romans 8:31-39)
    Delivered during 11 am service of Torrance Good Shepherd Church

  • Everybody Was Kung-Fu Being Somebody Else

    NOTE: On Thursdays, I will try to provide a preview of what I will be teaching on Sunday. Usually, I will post what I am going to teach in TGSC KiDS, but about once a month, I’ll also preach to the TGSC EM adults.

    kung-fu-panda-3

    I had an opportunity to watch the third Kung Fu Panda movie this week and I must say that I was thoroughly inspired spiritually. Despite the movie obviously being heavily influenced by Eastern spirituality (i.e., Buddhism), it has much to say from a Christian perspective as well. Don’t get me wrong. I am definitely not a universalist. I do not believe all paths lead up to the top of the mountain. I do believe, though, that you can find redemptive truth in almost every story. As I begin a series on Spiritual Formation (also a controversial topic), I look forward to sharing what Po’s “enlightenment” can teach us about our own spirituality. Join us at TGSC this Sunday as I share three things I learned from the movie that can help us move past ourselves and grow in our faith.

  • No Excuses

    Maria C Dawson: Stupefied "No Excuses"

    Only by the grace of God, I had an opportunity for a parenting moment today. This Friday, her youth group is having a Bring-A-Friend night. I asked her who she was going to bring. She said she wasn’t going to bring anybody. I asked her why. She gave me a whole litany of reasons why she wouldn’t even bother. All of her reasons were valid. All of her reasons were legitimate. The most difficult thing about bringing somebody to our church is that we live in Irvine and our church is in Torrance. So, I heard her out. For all of her reasons, though, I still did not hear a good enough answer as to why she shouldn’t (or couldn’t) bring a friend. I had a rebuttal for every single argument. (more…)

  • SERMON: Gift of Joy (John 3:16-21)

    SERMON: Gift of Joy (John 3:16-21)
    Delivered during 11 am service of Torrance Good Shepherd Church

  • SERMON: The Fruit of Fallen Seed (John 12:24-26)

    SERMON: The Fruit of Fallen Seed (John 12:24-26)
    Delivered during 11 am service of Torrance Good Shepherd Church