Day 39– Sally Back

1. What do you do for a living? (occupation/field of study)

I currently work as a forensic consultant.

2. How do you like to spend your free time?

I spend most of my free time running my small business. I'm either making candles or fulfilling orders while binging my Korean dramas. I also enjoy creating digital content mainly for my business, but recently I’ve been filming more personal, day to day moments as a form of a digital diary. Besides this, I like taking walks at the park, browsing at homeware stores or catching up with friends over dinner!

3. Share one interesting fact about you that most people don’t know!

My two pinkies are different sizes because my lovely brother crushed the tip of one of them by shutting a heavy metal door on it when we were younger.

4. Do you have a favorite book in the Bible? If you do, which one is it and why?

All my favorite verses are from the book of Psalms. These verses gave me just enough hope to get through some of the toughest seasons of my life. Reading Psalms reminds me of who God is and how perfectly secured my life is in him. It also challenges me to have a humble heart that mirrors David’s.

5. Is there a verse/passage in the Bible that has significantly impacted your life? If so, which is it and why?

Psalm 139 is a passage I hold on to in moments of my anxiety and doubt. Reading this helped me rest in the fact that I'm fully known and understood by God. I realized that God is not just all-knowing but He knows 'me'. He knows 'when I sit down and when I rise up' and knows my thoughts 'even before a word is on my tongue'. I don’t need to explain anything. His presence is not just everywhere but he is with ‘me’. ‘Where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there’. What a relief that I could never escape his presence even if I tried. I remember reading this passage for the first time and although nothing groundbreaking, every word felt new and as if they were directly spoken over me by God. He also made me reflect on David's humble prayer at the end asking God to search his heart and reveal any unknown sins or 'wicked way' in him. I often let my anxious thoughts consume me and acknowledging my sins becomes the least of my concerns. I think God knowing that about me was calling me to make this prayer my own.

6. Is there a prayer request that has been on your heart recently? If so, please share with us.

To experience a fresh wind of God's presence in my life. I feel like I've been living life on autopilot this past year. I pray for faith as I seek his guidance over my family's future as well as for strength and physical/spiritual healing over us!

7. Tell us about how you met Christ? (feel free to share a brief testimony)

I think it was a gradual awakening since I returned to church during sophomore year of college. He started refining my faith through seasons of uprooting my sins, relationships, and exposing various idols and lies in my life. I think it was early 2020 following the Kingdom Series and winter retreat where I really encountered Jesus and recommitted my life to him. I had always doubted my love for God and in his love for me due to my past sins and struggles but he faithfully answered in ways I just couldn't deny his love for me. I also remember singing 'Great are you lord' after praying and this part that goes, "it's your breath in our lungs" pierced my heart. I had forgotten that my life does belong to him and that every breath was bought with a price. I've never felt so forgiven and full of hope despite my past and my unchanging circumstances. God opened my eyes to experience the unimaginable joy and peace that comes from encountering his living presence through prayer. I remember rushing home just so I could sit and pray in my closet. I hope and pray that God restores the same joy in me.