“生命”
约10: 10……我来了,是要叫羊得生命,并且得的更丰盛。
群富弟兄和羽凡姐妹这对基督徒夫妇是我们在奥克拉荷马时教会的同 工。尽管我们在不同的时间都离开了那座城市, 但在主里还常保持联系,彼此劝勉并互相代祷。提到群富, 我马上会联想到至少三件事:
第一,“忠诚的五个人”( “Faithful Five”)之一。据群富分享, 他2008年在中国上大学期间信主后, 在没有特殊情况下他每次团契和敬拜都必须参加,从不缺席, 无论学业多么繁忙。当时团契里有五个固定参加的弟兄姐妹,“ 忠诚的五个人”之一由此得名。他坚持不懈的聚会鼓励了许多人。
第二,群富2010年在塞米诺尔州立大学(Seminole State College)毕业后于2012年到奥克拉荷马城市大学( Oklahoma City University)就读。他主动找到教会。 我开车送他回去的路上聊天时,我和他说了一句话:“ 你毕业的那所大学也许就是你将来工作的地方。”结果, 他毕业后的第一份工作就是在塞米诺尔州立大学教书。 这是神奇妙的预备和带领。
第三,群富在2014年研究生毕业后, 已经到了谈婚论嫁的时候,但他还没有找女朋友。 当时教会组织人去参加在德州举行明日之光营会(the Pioneers Conference in Texas)。报名的最后一天,我鼓励他去参加,并随口和他说: “你也许会在营会上遇到自己的终身伴侣”。神使万事都互相效力。 事实上,就是在那个营会上他遇见了羽凡, 并且后来迈进了婚姻的殿堂。
两周前莎莎和我说,群富和羽凡有宝宝了。 我听到这个消息后非常兴奋,第二天就和群富通了电话, 恭喜他们喜得千金。在电话中群富让我去看他的脸书。 在2024年6月24日,群富在脸书上分享到:
“在新生儿送礼会上,许多新父母选择举办性别揭晓派对, 但我们决定做些不同的事情,举办名字揭晓派对。 对于那些还不知道的人,我宣布我们将有一个女孩!爸爸的女儿! 多年来,我一直想要一个女儿。中国人有一句俗语:‘ 女儿是爸爸的小棉袄’。这个俗语传达了女儿为父亲提供温暖、 舒适和亲密的感觉,就像棉袄在寒冷的天气里提供温暖一样。 多年来,我从未考虑过要一个男孩,直到几个月前 Shell 怀孕了。我们最初以为是个男孩, 所以我们不得不想出一个男孩的名字以防万一。然而, 我们早就决定了一个女孩的名字了。
我和 Shell 于 2015 年 10 月结婚,大约九年前。我们家的墙上一直挂着一份祷告清单, 上面列出了大约 7-10 个祷告请求。我们每年更新两到三次。自从我们在 2016 年开始列出这份祷告清单以来,我们一直祈祷上帝赐予我们孩子。从 2017 年开始,生孩子的请求一直排在清单的首位。上帝是信实的! 除了这个最上面的请求外,清单上的大部分祷告请求都已实现。 多年来,你可以想象,有许多沮丧、失望、怀疑和质疑上帝的时刻。 我在祷告中经常问上帝:‘你什么时候给我们一个孩子? 我会有孩子吗?’多年来, 我在教堂听到过一些夫妇经过多年的祈祷终于有孩子的见证。 我总是想知道我什么时候有机会与大家分享类似的见证。 上帝再次听到了我们的祷告!直到去年 11 月,我们得知 Shell 怀孕了。我忍不住哭了,百感交集。下班回家的路上, 我一遍又一遍地听着‘神真美好’这首歌,歌词是:‘神真美好, 神真真好。你对我真好。’
2017 年的一个星期天早上,我们的牧师讲的是耶稣在圣经中谈到的‘ 丰盛生命’。他向我们介绍了希腊语 ‘Zoe’,意思是生命。它指的是来自上帝的神圣、永恒的生命。 在约翰福音 10:10 中,耶稣说:‘我来了,是要叫人得生命,并且得的更丰盛。’ 这强调了与上帝的关系中丰富而充实的生命。那一刻, 我和Shell互相看着对方,知道我们彼此在想什么。 礼拜结束后,在回家的路上,我们决定给我们未来的女儿取名为 Zoe,尽管我们甚至不知道什么时候会生孩子。 我们知道上帝是生命的创造者, 我们希望女儿能因信耶稣基督和与神的关系而拥有‘丰盛的生命’。 话虽如此,我们的女儿名叫 Zoe Grace Cheng。Grace (恩典)是中间名。所以它的意思是,因着神的恩典, 祂赐给我们丰盛的生命……
14 年前,也就是 2010 年,我独自一人带着一个随身行李和一个行李箱来到美国, 当时还是一名留学生。对于那些不了解我背景的人我想介绍一下: 我在中国的一个农村长大。我妈妈只读了一年小学, 我爸爸初中毕业。由于他们受教育程度有限,只能做体力活, 收入很少。自从我在 2008 年成为基督徒以来,上帝彻底改变了我的生命。在美国的 14 年里,上帝一次又一次地实现了祂对我的应许。 祂引导我完成了三个大学学位,提供工作,赐予我妻子和家庭, 以及周围拥有很多朋友和教会弟兄姐妹,现在还有一个小女儿 Zoe。我的杯中满溢着祝福。我别无所求。 我们俩都受到了朋友们的祝福和爱戴!
2010 年 8 月,在我来美国的前一天晚上,教会的弟兄姐妹为我举行了欢送会。 他们给了我一本崭新的圣经,里面有许多来自兄弟姐妹的信息。 其中一节是耶利米书 29:11‘耶和华说: 我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念,不是降灾祸的意念, 要叫你们末后有指望’。这已成为我人生的箴言。 每当面对生活的挑战、困难和危机时,我总是记得上帝对我的承诺” 。
8月13日早8: 13时Zoe Grace Cheng 平安来到世界。在她出生的那个时刻,群富感动不已,泪流满面。 小宝宝非常可爱,她穿的衬衫上写着:“我是上帝应允祷告的明证” (I Am Proof that God Answers Prayers)。 上帝是听祷告的上帝。小Zoe的见证提醒我们,要祷告,祷告, 再祷告,到了时候上帝终必成就祂的美意。我们同心祈祷, 愿主赐福小Zoe健康成长,尽早认识主,得着永恒的生命; 也愿主赐给群富和羽凡智慧、力量和恩惠, 使他们在为人父母的过程中生命更加丰盛,将更多荣耀归于父神!
第一,“忠诚的五个人”( “Faithful Five”)之一。据群富分享,
第二,群富2010年在塞米诺尔州立大学(Seminole State College)毕业后于2012年到奥克拉荷马城市大学(
第三,群富在2014年研究生毕业后,
两周前莎莎和我说,群富和羽凡有宝宝了。
“在新生儿送礼会上,许多新父母选择举办性别揭晓派对,
我和 Shell 于 2015 年 10 月结婚,大约九年前。我们家的墙上一直挂着一份祷告清单,
2017 年的一个星期天早上,我们的牧师讲的是耶稣在圣经中谈到的‘
14 年前,也就是 2010 年,我独自一人带着一个随身行李和一个行李箱来到美国,
2010 年 8 月,在我来美国的前一天晚上,教会的弟兄姐妹为我举行了欢送会。
8月13日早8: 13时Zoe Grace Cheng 平安来到世界。在她出生的那个时刻,群富感动不已,泪流满面。
Zoe
John 10:10…… I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The Christian couple Jeff and Shell were our co-workers when my wife and I served in Northwest Mandarin Church in Oklahoma. Although we left Oklahoma City at different times, we have kept in touch with each other in the Lord, exhorting and praying for each other. When I mention Jeff, I immediately think of at least three things:
First, he was one of the “Faithful Five.” After he became a believer while studying in a university in China, without special occasions, Jeff never missed attending fellowship and worship even though when he was very busy with study. At that time, there were five brothers and sisters in the fellowship who regularly attended, and the name of one of the “Faithful Five” came from this. The faithfulness Jeff has encouraged many brothers and sisters.
Second, Jeff graduated from Seminole State College in 2010 and went to Oklahoma City University in 2012. He took the initiative to find the church. when I drove him back to his dorm, I said to him, “The college you graduated from probably will be where you will work in the future.” As a result, his first job after graduation was to teach at Seminole State University. This was God’s special plan and arrangement.
Third, after graduating from Oklahoma City University in 2014, Jeff came to the point of looking for a girlfriend. At that time, the church organized people to attend the Pioneers Conference in Texas. On the last day of enrollment, I encouraged him to attend and casually told him that he might find his future wife at the camp. In all things God makes every work for the good. In fact, it was at that camp that Jeff met Shell and later walked on the aisle of wedding ceremony.
About two weeks ago, my wife Shasha told me that Jeff and Shell had a baby. I was very excited when I heard the news, and I called Jeff the next day to congratulate them on the birth of their daughter. On the phone, he told me to check his Facebook. On June 24, 2024, Jeff shared on Facebook:
“In Baby Shower Party, many new parents choose to have a gender-reveal party, but we decided to do something different and have a name-reveal party. For those who do not yet know, we will have a girl! Daddy’s girl! For many years, I have always wanted a daughter. In Chinese, there is a saying, ‘女孩子就像是爸爸的小棉袄,’ which means ‘Daughters are like a little cotton-padded jacket for their fathers.’ This idiom conveys that daughters provide warmth, comfort, and closeness to their fathers, much like a cotton-padded jacket offers warmth in cold weather. Over the years, I had never considered having a baby boy until a few months ago when Shell was pregnant. And we initially thought that it was a boy, so we had to come up with a boy’s name just in case. However, we had already decided on a girl’s name long ago.
Shell and I were married in October 2015, about nine years ago. In our home, we have always kept a prayer list on the wall, which shows roughly 7-10 prayer requests. We update it two to three times a year. Since we started this prayer list in 2016, we have consistently prayed for God to bless us with children. Starting in 2017, the request for a baby has always been at the top of the list. God is faithful! Most of the prayer requests on the list have been fulfilled, except for this top one. Over the years of prayer, you may imagine that there were many moments of discouragement, disappointment, doubt, and questioning God. In my prayers, I often asked God,
‘When will you give us a baby? Will I ever have a baby?’ Over the years, I have heard testimonies in church about couples who, after many years of prayer, were finally blessed with children. I always wondered when I would have the opportunity to share a similar testimony with everyone. Once again, God heard our prayers! Until last November, we found out Shell was pregnant with the baby girl. I could not help but cry, with a flood of emotions. On my way home from work, I listened to the song ‘God, you’re so good,’ over and over, which says, ‘Oh God, You’re so good. You’re so good to me.’
In 2017, one Sunday morning, our pastor gave a sermon about the ‘abundant life’ that Jesus talked about in the Bible. He introduced us to the Greek term ‘Zoe,’ which means life. It refers to the divine, eternal life that comes from God. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This emphasizes a rich and fulfilling life found in a relationship with God. At that moment, Shell and I looked at each other and knew what we were thinking. After the service on our way home, we decided to name our future daughter—Zoe, even though we did not even know when we would have a baby. We knew God is the creator of life, and we hoped for our daughter to have an “abundant life” through her faith in Jesus Christ and her relationship with God. With that said, our baby girl’s name is—Zoe Grace Cheng. Grace is the middle name. So, it means because of the grace of God, He grants us an abundant life…
Fourteen years ago in 2010, I came here as an international student all by myself with one carry-on and one suitcase. For those of you who do not know my background, I grew up in a village in China. My mom had one year of elementary school education, and my dad graduated from middle school. Due to their limited education, they could only do labor jobs and earned very little money. Since I became a Christian in 2008, God has completely transformed my life. Over the past 14 years in the States, God has fulfilled His promise repeatedly in my life. He led me to complete three college degrees, provided jobs, blessed me with a wife and family, surrounded us with lots of friends and church communities, and now a baby girl, Zoe. My cup overflows. I could not ask for more. We are both so blessed and loved by our friends!
In August 2010, the night before I came to the United States, our friends in Christ had a sendoff party for me. They gave me a brand-new Bible with many messages written from brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the verses is 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.” This has become my life verse. Whenever faced life’s challenges, difficulties, and crises, I always remember God’s promise to me.”
Zoe Grace Cheng came into the world safely at 8:13 am on August 13. At the moment of her birth, Jeff was deeply moved and burst into tears. The baby is so adorable. On her shirt, it says: “I Am Proof that God Answers Prayers.” God is a God who cline his ears and listens to our prayers. Little Zoe’s testimony reminds us to pray, pray, and pray again. When the time comes, God will eventually fulfill His good will. We pray together that the Lord will continue to bless little Zoe to grow up healthily, know the Lord as soon as possible, and gain eternal life; and that the Lord will give Jeff and Shell wisdom, strength and grace, so that their lives will become more abundant in the process of being new parents, and give more glories to God our Heavenly Father!
First, he was one of the “Faithful Five.” After he became a believer while studying in a university in China, without special occasions, Jeff never missed attending fellowship and worship even though when he was very busy with study. At that time, there were five brothers and sisters in the fellowship who regularly attended, and the name of one of the “Faithful Five” came from this. The faithfulness Jeff has encouraged many brothers and sisters.
Second, Jeff graduated from Seminole State College in 2010 and went to Oklahoma City University in 2012. He took the initiative to find the church. when I drove him back to his dorm, I said to him, “The college you graduated from probably will be where you will work in the future.” As a result, his first job after graduation was to teach at Seminole State University. This was God’s special plan and arrangement.
Third, after graduating from Oklahoma City University in 2014, Jeff came to the point of looking for a girlfriend. At that time, the church organized people to attend the Pioneers Conference in Texas. On the last day of enrollment, I encouraged him to attend and casually told him that he might find his future wife at the camp. In all things God makes every work for the good. In fact, it was at that camp that Jeff met Shell and later walked on the aisle of wedding ceremony.
About two weeks ago, my wife Shasha told me that Jeff and Shell had a baby. I was very excited when I heard the news, and I called Jeff the next day to congratulate them on the birth of their daughter. On the phone, he told me to check his Facebook. On June 24, 2024, Jeff shared on Facebook:
“In Baby Shower Party, many new parents choose to have a gender-reveal party, but we decided to do something different and have a name-reveal party. For those who do not yet know, we will have a girl! Daddy’s girl! For many years, I have always wanted a daughter. In Chinese, there is a saying, ‘女孩子就像是爸爸的小棉袄,’ which means ‘Daughters are like a little cotton-padded jacket for their fathers.’ This idiom conveys that daughters provide warmth, comfort, and closeness to their fathers, much like a cotton-padded jacket offers warmth in cold weather. Over the years, I had never considered having a baby boy until a few months ago when Shell was pregnant. And we initially thought that it was a boy, so we had to come up with a boy’s name just in case. However, we had already decided on a girl’s name long ago.
Shell and I were married in October 2015, about nine years ago. In our home, we have always kept a prayer list on the wall, which shows roughly 7-10 prayer requests. We update it two to three times a year. Since we started this prayer list in 2016, we have consistently prayed for God to bless us with children. Starting in 2017, the request for a baby has always been at the top of the list. God is faithful! Most of the prayer requests on the list have been fulfilled, except for this top one. Over the years of prayer, you may imagine that there were many moments of discouragement, disappointment, doubt, and questioning God. In my prayers, I often asked God,
‘When will you give us a baby? Will I ever have a baby?’ Over the years, I have heard testimonies in church about couples who, after many years of prayer, were finally blessed with children. I always wondered when I would have the opportunity to share a similar testimony with everyone. Once again, God heard our prayers! Until last November, we found out Shell was pregnant with the baby girl. I could not help but cry, with a flood of emotions. On my way home from work, I listened to the song ‘God, you’re so good,’ over and over, which says, ‘Oh God, You’re so good. You’re so good to me.’
In 2017, one Sunday morning, our pastor gave a sermon about the ‘abundant life’ that Jesus talked about in the Bible. He introduced us to the Greek term ‘Zoe,’ which means life. It refers to the divine, eternal life that comes from God. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” This emphasizes a rich and fulfilling life found in a relationship with God. At that moment, Shell and I looked at each other and knew what we were thinking. After the service on our way home, we decided to name our future daughter—Zoe, even though we did not even know when we would have a baby. We knew God is the creator of life, and we hoped for our daughter to have an “abundant life” through her faith in Jesus Christ and her relationship with God. With that said, our baby girl’s name is—Zoe Grace Cheng. Grace is the middle name. So, it means because of the grace of God, He grants us an abundant life…
Fourteen years ago in 2010, I came here as an international student all by myself with one carry-on and one suitcase. For those of you who do not know my background, I grew up in a village in China. My mom had one year of elementary school education, and my dad graduated from middle school. Due to their limited education, they could only do labor jobs and earned very little money. Since I became a Christian in 2008, God has completely transformed my life. Over the past 14 years in the States, God has fulfilled His promise repeatedly in my life. He led me to complete three college degrees, provided jobs, blessed me with a wife and family, surrounded us with lots of friends and church communities, and now a baby girl, Zoe. My cup overflows. I could not ask for more. We are both so blessed and loved by our friends!
In August 2010, the night before I came to the United States, our friends in Christ had a sendoff party for me. They gave me a brand-new Bible with many messages written from brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the verses is 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.” This has become my life verse. Whenever faced life’s challenges, difficulties, and crises, I always remember God’s promise to me.”
Zoe Grace Cheng came into the world safely at 8:13 am on August 13. At the moment of her birth, Jeff was deeply moved and burst into tears. The baby is so adorable. On her shirt, it says: “I Am Proof that God Answers Prayers.” God is a God who cline his ears and listens to our prayers. Little Zoe’s testimony reminds us to pray, pray, and pray again. When the time comes, God will eventually fulfill His good will. We pray together that the Lord will continue to bless little Zoe to grow up healthily, know the Lord as soon as possible, and gain eternal life; and that the Lord will give Jeff and Shell wisdom, strength and grace, so that their lives will become more abundant in the process of being new parents, and give more glories to God our Heavenly Father!