Encouragement From a Dear Friend

Dear Alex and Miriam,

I have been thinking of you since the last visit with you in Alabama. Your faith in God and your love and commitment to each other touched me a lot! I still pray to God for both of you day and night and wait for Him for His healing on Miriam. When I finished reading the Minor Prophets and came to the Scriptures in Malachi, I think of both of you again because they were the promises to those who feared the Lord. I am so encouraged and want to share with you.

"Then those who feared The Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared The Lord and honored His name." Mal. 3:16

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." Mal. 4:2

Miriam will be released soon from her facility after your retirement and you two will have more time together. It is my prayer and desire to see God's healing will come to Miriam soon and your family will rejoice together in His love! God remembers those who fear Him and He has a scroll of remembrance in His hand! He promised His healing to those who feared Him, too! This is my hope and prayer to God for you!

Love you,

S L

Happy Mothers day Miriam

Dear Miriam,

A very Happy Mother's Day to you! You are an awesome wife and mom.

Proverbs 31:10, 27-28 " A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies... She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her."

Proverbs 31:30-31 "Charm can be deceptive and physical beauty will not last, but a woman who reveres the Eternal should be praised above all others. Celebrate all she has achieved. Let all her accomplishments publicly praise her." 

You are the mother described in Proverbs 31. I love you very much and I feel so honored that you have chosen me to be your husband.  I also want you to know that it is a privilege to suffer for Christ and to suffer together as husband and wife.  Christ suffered for us so it is okay that we suffer together for Him.

Please continue to pray without ceasing!

In His Time,

Alex

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Mom,

Happy Mother's Day! I love you a lot, and I am excited to come see you over Memorial Day weekend. 

Howie is spending the weekend with me, and it brings me great joy to take care of him as you would. I brought him to a Michelin-star Japanese restaurant in TriBeCa called Rosanjin last night, and for brunch today, I brought him to Minetta Tavern, a restaurant famous for their steaks and Black Label Burger. This afternoon, we walked in SoHo where I used my gift certificate to buy Howie a pair of frames from SEE Eyewear, and we picked up a new pair of shoes from the flagship Vans store on Grand St between Greene and Mercer St. Along the way, we ran into two of my classmates from MIT- Mingwei Gu from Alabama and David Chen from Maryland. Tonight, I will bring Howie to Bar Bacon where we will meet up with friends from Redeemer as well as our cousin Christine. Tomorrow, I am bringing Howie to morning service at Redeemer and then will see him off as he returns to the Naval Academy. Howie is maturing, and I am happy we can spend some quality time together so we can stay close and I can mentor him.

I praise God I am part of such a loving family. We are so blessed to have a happy home. I know you pray for me, Howie, and dad constantly, and I thank you for that. There seem to be a lot of changes in our lives in the upcoming months- Howie is halfway through college and will be starting his junior year at the end of the summer, I am learning/reading as much as I can as I opportunistically apply for investing positions which interest me (including a position based in San Francisco), and you and dad will be heading out to San Diego by the start of next year. It's amazing to see how our life stories have evolved, and I know it is important we continue to trust in God to lead us along His perfect path for us. 

God Bless!

Love,

Warren

Mother’s Day Greeting for My Mom

11MAY14

Dear Mom,

First and foremost, Happy Mother’s Day! I love you so much and continue to pray for your recovery.

Everyday at school, I always think about how much you’ve done for me and how blessed I am by God to be here at the US Naval Academy. I wouldn’t be here without your help. Your daily efforts in looking out for me both physically, academically, and spiritually have continued to develop me into a better person. Thanking you is never adequate enough to express my gratitude.

I remember the last words you told me before you had your stroke: “Do not depart from the Lord. Do not ever depart from the Lord”. I’ve been doing my best to follow your example and be a strong follower of Christ. I joined a Christian group called BCM(Baptist Christian Ministries) and enjoy singing praises and learning more about God's word. Hopefully I can meet and associate with more Christian friends.

I miss hearing your voice and being able to talk freely about anything in general. I’m praying and hoping everyday to God for your speedy recovery. There are so many things that I’d love to show you at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. 

Anyhow, I love you very much, and have a Happy Mother’s Day!

Love,

Howie

Grandma and Doris arrived

Dear Family and Friends,

Grandma and Doris were with Miriam and she cried so heavily according to grandma and Doris. She cried for so long until she got tired and fell asleep.

She suffers and she knows. Please continue to pray for her healing and for God's will to prevail.

In His time,

Alex

I Had a Dream...........

Dear Family,

I had a dream on Valentine's Day night that  Miriam fully recovered from her stroke. She went out with grandma and Doris. She looked just like nothing has ever happened to her. When she got back home, I knelt down and held her hands. I told her how much I love her, that I was so saddened by her physical pain and sufferings. She answered back with her beautiful smile and said that she was in no pain at all. I cried and cried in front of her with so much joy. I woke up still crying from my dreams. I prayed to God and pleaded with Him to make that dream come true.

In His Time,

Alex

Happy Valentines Day Mom!

Mom,

Happy Valentine's Day! I love you a lot and am very excited to see you this weekend. I am so lucky to have you as a mom. It feels so good to be in your presence. I pray that God will restore you physically so you can help advise me again and so that I can treat you to nice meals in New York and vacation with you in different cities!

Best Regards,

Warren

Letter from Dear Friends

Dear Alex and Miriam:

Seeing your Christmas card with the picture of Warren and Howie made me think again of Miriam.  You raised such outstanding young men who love the Lord and are willing to serve God in the church as pianists, just like Miriam used to play the piano in the Chinese church and BSF.  Also, both of your sons show such respect for others and are so polite whenever they see us.  They remain humble men even though they excel in so many areas.  This is because they were raised by wise and God-loving parents who taught them well.  As it says in Luke 2:52, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.”  Seeing your boys must bring you comfort and joy.

Although it was more than 3 years ago, I still think of Jan 4, 2011, when I received Frank’s call letting me know that Miriam was ill and that we needed to pray for her.  During these past 3 years, we have prayed daily for you and Miriam.  Much of the time, we do not comprehend why these things happen because we are too limited in our understanding.  One day when we are face-to-face with God, everything will be clear to us.  We believe that God is trustworthy and merciful.  2 Corinthians 12:9 says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Alex, what you have experienced over the last 3 years, is more than many people can endure.  We can only imagine how hard you work each day, the pressures you are under, your hope for Miriam’s awakening, and the loneliness that you must feel as you take care of everything.  We know how much you love and care for Miriam.  Even under these circumstances, you still remember God’s sacrificial love for us and remain obedient to God.  We admire your Christian example and steadfastness; you are a witness to us.  We feel that we cannot do the same.

For many years you and Miriam have loved and helped us.  We wish we could do more to help you now.  As Psalms 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble.”   How is your health?  Take care of yourself as well as Miriam. 

We will continue to pray for each other. 

D and F

Card from Friends

Three Years Later

Dear Family and Friends,

It has now been 3 years and 8 days since  Miriam's catastrophic hypertensive bleeding stroke event. 

Life  remains a roller coaster but she is gradually improving. There is no functional recovery and any improvement is coming at a snail's pace. 

My health has changed significantly this past summer. It is hard but Christ suffered too. He gave all what he had...His life while He was here on earth. It is my privilege to love and help my wife. I am not quitting because Miriam and I have seen God perform miracles in our lives. He remains real and alive to us. He knows it all and he sees it all.

I thought this song "I've seen Him do it" is very appropriate for everyone to listen to. Never give up and never give in. He lives! So we have hope!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgAjN9Aa3-k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59IWHgH995g

Please pray for my health and continue to pray for Miriam's healing. 

In His Time,

Alex

Dear Family and Friends,

Miriam is recovering well from her surgery and urinary tract infection. Thank you for your prayers. 

Not too long ago, Howie was in town for a short summer break. I was able to record Howie playing and practicing the piano at home. I showed it to Miriam and she cried with joy. I am sure a flood of memories came back to her. She made music fun for the boys. Miriam could easily turn a "boring" music piece into a wonderful lively piece to play. God gave her that gift of music. She had the ability to compose, transpose and improvise all types of music. They came so easily for her. She gave God the glory.

Recently a dear friend of Miriam wrote her this letter and I received her permission to include this in her blog. It is my prayer that someday Miriam will be able to read this herself.

"Miriam, we love you and continue to keep asking God to heal you. We know you bear a lot of pains not only physically but also deep inside your soul. The deepest pain I guess is that you want to tell our beloved ones how much you miss talking to them and want to hug them and participate in their lives but couldn't so far! You are a devoted wife and mother. You always bless your family with all your heart. You love the Lord deeply and even now you look to Him daily for deliverance. 

Miriam, you are still serving your family through your faith in God! We are here to join you in prayers! We hold God to His Word that nothing is impossible with Him. He is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine! His Word will not go back to Him empty! Our hope is in Him, our faithful God!

Miriam, you have a beloved family who loves you and can read your heart through every facial expression and sound you make. What a special family! May God restore you soon and redeem the days the locusts have eaten.

I really want to hug you even though I am cannot right now since I live so far away. I ask God to give you His divine big hug for you! I know He will and does everyday because you are His child!

Love, 

Siu-Ling"

Please do not give up praying for her healing. She is ready to receive her healing from God. We continue to wait upon the Lord.

In His Time,

Dad/Alex

August 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

I have not updated the blog for quite some time. Miriam has had very minimal progress but she has had close calls during her suprapubic catheter placement. As a result, I have pulled Miriam's foley catheter and she seems to be tolerating it without any skin breaks for the past 3 months. 

What is most pressing at the moment is to pray for her upcoming Baclofen Pump and Intrathecal catheter removal this coming August 13, 2013. The catheter tip was positioned too high by the neurosurgeon in Atlanta. This made it very difficult to titrate her intrathecal dose. I consulted with her neurologist and agreed to lower her dose to the lowest possible dose. If she tolerates this lowest possible dose then Baclofen pump and intrathecal catheter removal will follow. Miriam has tolerated this lowest dose. 

Interestingly, I received an FDA warning that the Baclofen Pump has a recall. So, this Baclofen Pump and Catheter removal is really divinely ordained.

Miriam has had very little progress. We continue to wait for His healing.

In His Time,

Dad/Alex

A Special Friend,Flowers and a Special Song

Recently a dear friend from Costco came to visit Miriam to brighten her day....thank you for caring about our dear Miriam :-)

Mrs P also dropped by and left flowers for Miriam....beautiful!

Jenny and HK sent these beautiful flowers from Taiwan for Miriams birthday....so thoughtful.

Also Mike sent a link to a meaningful song.....it is called "Blessings" by Laura Story.
. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ
We don't always have the answers, we don't know the outcome, but we move forward in faith.

God Bless you friends and family.....keep praying!

A Concert For Miriam

We are truly thankful for the wonderful concert organized and performed by Mrs Barbara Poularikas and friends,  and dedicated to our dear Miriam.
It was a beautiful concert and we are so grateful for the thoughtfulness of Mrs Poularikas who taught Warren and Howie on violin and viola.

Valentines Day

Alex has been singing this to Miriam all week!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3tOEjhrZak

 He also sent many flowers to his dear wife:-)

Happy Valentines Day!

Flowers For Miriam

Beautiful flowers from dear friends.....thank you Jill and Jim.

Two Years Have Passed

Dear Family & Friends,

It has been two long years  since  Miriam's massive hemorrhagic stroke. Her recovery has been progressing at a snails' pace. She is much more wakeful and for longer periods. No functional recovery yet. She recognizes her family members and friends. She remembers remote events and she is able to assess funny stories/situations. The support from her family and  friends has been incredible. The almost daily video conferencing with her family members have provided the much needed auditory and visual stimulation. I am there everyday to love her and oversee her care from head to toe. 

 Miriam smiles at me more frequently when I remind her that we are married and committed for life. Warren, Howie and I love Miriam so much and miss her lively conversations. It is tough to have an empty nest but we are blessed by the tremendous support from her mom, sisters and brothers via daily video conferencing.  Her sweet sister, Doris, comes here to Huntsville and literally stays with her from sunrise to sunset. We are blessed that Doris is able to visit Miriam. Thank you Jim for letting Doris come; it means so much to us.

All of her siblings from afar have been able to visit her. They are coming again.

Yesterday, Warren and Howie's violin/viola teacher left a concert program and some flowers. She and two of her friends will be performing a Viola & Piano Concert dedicated to  Miriam. She has touched our hearts and moved many of us to tears. Below is a copy of her upcoming concert program. She has been quietly visiting mom Miriam frequently. She would bring flowers for her, play the violin in her room and talk to her.  Miriam may not have the ability to talk or respond appropriately but I know that she understands and she is listening. Thank you Mrs. P. for your visits, flowers, stories, music, love and compassion. Just like  Miriam, you have a very big heart and you have given her/us so much. You, Vilma and Susan have contributed much to her recovery. Thank you also to everyone else who has visited  Miriam. Please continue to plant those seeds of love and prayers. We continue to wait for that day when she can personally thank everyone for being faithful in prayer and for playing a role in her miraculous recovery.

Please do not give up praying for my princess and sweetheart Miriam.

In His Time,

Alex

A visit from our Pastor

 "Mark and I pray for Miriam all the time. She is such a special lady. Everyone that knows her, loves her.
We love your family and pray for all of you!"

November Update

Dear Family,

Miriam has had very little progress. She remains more wakeful and for prolonged periods at a time. A few weeks ago, her Knoxville, TN Women's BSF leader came by to see her with her daughter Amy. Patti felt prompted by the Lord to see Miriam and she didn't know why. I told her that God wanted to send a message to Miriam and our family that HE knows. That was very reassuring. Miriam gave Patti and her daughter Amy a beautiful muted smile. She tried her best to stay awake the entire time they were here. We are grateful for their visit.

Yes, our family go through this emotional roller coaster on a daily basis. Miriam sheds tears more frequently too. She remains unable to follow commands. Continue to pray for functional recovery.   Please do not give up praying for her and our family.

Miriam and I are looking forward to our boys coming home for Thanksgiving. 

In His Time,

Alex

August 11,2012

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been 19 months since Miriam's catastrophic stroke event. Updating her blog site is becoming very difficult since she continues to make very little progress and still no functional recovery.  Please also pray that the nurses and CNAs will be very careful in their daily care of Miriam. She is unable to speak or request for help. I am her only advocate and I cannot be with her 24 x 7. 

Our family continues to wait for God's healing and waiting is painfully hard. It would be less then truthful if I didn't say that I continue to struggle emotionally, physically and spiritually. Free falling in a bottomless pit has not stopped. I have been told that this free falling will never stop. It just slows down.  It continues to be an emotional roller coaster ride. I frequently feel so numbed and paralyzed. 

Thanks to mom and Doris, I am here in Annapolis, MD for the USNA Parent's Weekend event. What a joy to see Howie and Warren and be together again as a family. Miriam would be so proud to see Howie with his navy white uniform. Howie looks so handsome. Is it obvious that I am a very proud dad?  I am most of all touched by his continued spiritual growth. He knows that this is where God wants him to be and he loves it here. The US Naval Academy is now his "second home" for the next four years. I took many pictures  so mom Miriam can see what has transpired over this USNA Parents Weekend event.  As Howie puts it, we are deeply grateful to God for being our family's GPS. We would be lost without Him.

We do have mixed emotions because Miriam  is not here to attend  this wonderful occasion.  We always enjoyed being together as a family. This new norm is very difficult to overcome. It is only by God's grace that we are able to survive as a family. 

Everyone, thank you so much for your love and prayers. Please do not give up praying for Miriam and our family.

In His Time,

Dad/Alex

Psalm 18:1-2 "I love You, O Lord, my strength." The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Isaiah 43:1-3. " .....Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."     

 I  claimed these promises for Miriam and I on February 12, 1982 as we go through troubled waters in life. 

A Letter from a Friend

Dear Miriam,

 

How are you doing?  It has been a long time since I have written you and I have been thinking about you. In the past, when I spoke to you by phone, we always had such fun conversations with laughter.  We had such happy conversations. We shared news about our families and children and points of view. On every topic, we knew that everything is God's grace and have such thankful hearts.  I hope that we can speak to each other again soon.

 

On Mother's day, I read Alex, Warren and Howie's posts on your webpage about their thankful hearts, and my heart was moved. You are such a lucky woman with loving children and a husband who deeply loves you. They always remember how much you loved them and all the many things you did for them and how much you loved them too. Even now, their love for God is very deep, and I know that they trust in God's will and continue depending on Jesus.

 

Alex is busy working and taking care of you. He works so hard. In the past, you took care of so many things for him.  Now, he has to do all of those things by himself. This is not an easy task. I believe that God will give him a double portion of strength and ability. I pray for his health as well. In Deuteronomy 33:25 it says '...your strength will equal your days.' This is God's promise to us. Warren and Howie love each other, and are doing so well in their studies and work. They also have a heart that yearns for God. You should be very proud of them.

 

These 2 weeks, our children have been visiting. The house has been very lively. We live very quiet lives now, and find ourselves unaccustom to all of the noise and busyness.  Once we have adjusted to having so many people in our home, the children are leaving again. We are thankful for this time to all be together.

 

We miss you very much and love you. We will continue to pray for you! 

Love, F and D

Mothers Day Greetings from Alex and the boys

Dear Mom,

Happy Mother's Day!!! I love you so much. Everything about you is truly magnificent, and I am so proud to have a father who constantly reminds me, Howie, and those who come to see you of your many virtues. You are a mother who looks after our family with such doting care. Your love for our family and others is genuine, and we are forever grateful. Your joy for Christ is palpable, and your presence always pleasant.

You have taught me and Howie well. I praise God for all the quality time Howie and I spent under your wings. We are grown now but will never forget the lessons you have taught us.

Life in New York City is going well. I am exploring what the city and life has to offer. I am striving to excel at work and am learning a lot. This is the perfect place to be for someone my age, and I hope I can convince Howie to join me here after the Naval Academy and his service. I still have a lot to learn and a lot to work on, so please continue to pray for my spiritual, mental, and physical development. 

Love,
Warren

**********************************************

Dear Mom,
Happy Mother's Day!
Today, and more days to come, definitely honor your love, kindness, patience, and commitment towards both Christ and our family.

Thanking you for loving me so much is a complete understatement. Your never ending love and care for me has made me achieve things that I thought were not possible.

I remember the many things that you've done for our family. You loved us so much that you spoiled us. You did our laundry, cleaned the house, and cooked for us everyday. Those were hard work mom and we took them for granted. I feel completely bad for being picky about your food at times. That was definitely wrong. Without you here, doing all these house chores are pretty difficult. I have no idea how you did them all by yourself! You were always smiling and cheerful.

Thank you mom for raising me well. Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it".   I am so fortunate to have a loving and caring mom. There aren't many moms out there who are like you. You have given me the confidence to demonstrate my strengths and not letting my weaknesses bother me. Carrying this to UAB, my one year college experience has definitely made me more mature spiritually, mentally, and physically.

I know God has a wonderful plan for everyone. I remember how we discussed the possibility of me attending the United States Naval Academy during my junior year; but somehow, we decided not to. Then you got sick. I ended up at UAB and that turned out to be a blessing. I wasn't ready for the Naval Academy; I wasn't mature and physically fit enough.

With God's help and loving support from my uncles, aunts, cousins, and others, I applied and was accepted to the United States Naval Academy. This has definitely been the biggest accomplishment of my life. I could not have done this without help from God, you and the rest of our family and relatives.

Thank you so much for being a true follower of Christ, a loving and dedicated mother, and always being there for me.

You've spoiled us many times, and when you recover, it is our turn to spoil you.

Although your recovery appears extremely slow and at times, feels extremely discouraging, we should not let that bother us. This is all temporary. God has a wonderful plan, and our main goal is to be faithful and devoted to him in both good times, and bad times. We have to learn how to endure. God has a reason for everything. At the end, we will come out as a stronger and united family. We shouldn't forget the miracles that God has performed. From Warren's admittance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to my acceptance to the United States Naval Academy, we should never forget that God answers our prayers. God loves us and care for us deeply.

I love you very much mom and again a very Happy Mother's Day!

Love,
Howie C.

**************************************

Dear Miriam,

Our children and I love you very very much. They are where they are today because of YOU. 

You gave your best every day. Everything in our house was in order because of you. You were the first one to rise up in the morning and the last one to go to bed. You were always full of energy. You excelled in time management. You were like a superb conductor in the New York Symphony Orchestra. The music of life was always a daily Standing Ovation event. You did them so skillfully and we were living in heaven on earth. It was paradise everyday for me and our children.

Your secret was God and your mom. Thank you Grandma. You learned from your mom to pray everyday for wisdom and strength from God. Your deep deep love for your husband and your children made you smile everyday and you carried them wherever you went. Your friends at Costco, Publix, Rite Aid, Staples etc etc can attest to that.  I always looked forward to coming home. I could still hear your voice telling me when I walked into the house " Hi Honey, it is so good to see you!!!" You love me and our children so much. As a matter of fact, you were overflowing with love that you always had plenty to give to your mom, siblings, friends and strangers. The words that came out of your mouth were always soothing and full of encouragement.  The boys and I enjoyed talking to you always. You always made us laugh. You always had a funny side to the story. Thank you for teaching us HOW TO LIVE.

I love you very very much too. Happy mother's day my love.

In His Time,

Alex