Dealing With Grief During Christmas

Articles, TCK's Articles, TCKs for Christ

Christmas is known to be the holiday of joy. During this season, families typically invite their relatives and close friends. Around the table gather cheery eyes, rosy cheeks, and bellies savoring warm food. 

As perfect as that scene may appear to be, my Christmases often tasted of a blend of flavors. All sorts of ingredients are thrown together into a pot – sorrow, happiness, longings, thankfulness, and contentment roil around and bash against each other. I eventually found the word to describe my mixture of emotions: grief …




Clarissa Choo is a vessel used for Christ’s glory. Although she has lived in four countries, heaven is her only home. She desires to love Jesus and sow His seeds. You can find her writing at TCKs for Christ and Light Unto Darkness. Besides writing, she is also part of Diamonds’ chronic illness community.

Three Ways Love Casts Out Fear

Articles, TCKs for Christ

Are you sick of living in fear? I know I am. The TCK life can introduce a myriad of fears – fear of interacting with people who may stereotype you, fear of not knowing what will happen in the next country, fear of committing social faux pas … you name it.

A friend once recommended that I write my fears down. Let’s do this small mental exercise together, shall we? Grab a pencil and jot five fears that come to your mind. Try to be as specific and honest as possible. 

For example, one of my fears is the pain of leaving people behind when I move to another country.

Now take a step back and look at your list. Ask yourself, “Why am I afraid of [insert fear]?” Note it down. Before you set your list aside, keep it near you throughout this article ….


Clarissa Choo is a vessel used for Christ’s glory. Although she has lived in four countries, heaven is her only home. She desires to love Jesus and sow His seeds. You can find her writing at TCKs for Christ and Light Unto Darkness. Besides writing, she is also part of Diamonds’ chronic illness community




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Sowing seeds

To the Discouraged Sower: Persevere

Articles, Light Unto Darkness

Imagine sowing Gospel seeds day after day and not one of those people placed their trust in Jesus. On the other hand, a fellow believer has been reaping a harvest.

Does this sound like you? Because that is me. I have not seen a single person get saved from my witnessing despite how many times I sow. A missionary couple I know of, who are serving in the Czech Republic, experienced similar frustration. Days of sowing turned into months and months into years. Year after year, despite sowing the Gospel to hundreds of souls, few were saved and the size of the church barely grew. No one seemed to respond to the Gospel. 

“Maybe the harvest will be reaped after God takes both of you home,” I said, trying to encourage them. “Like how the results of some past missionaries were not visible until after their passing.”

Not seeing results can be disheartening. I was feeling exactly that way during my mid-teens, even to the point of wondering if I was doing it wrong. What about you? Are you thinking the same? These three reminders encourage and direct me to the truth whenever discouragement hits …


Clarissa Choo is a vessel used for Christ’s glory. Although she has lived in four countries, heaven is her only home. She desires to love Jesus and sow His seeds. Besides writing, she would be washing dishes, chopping ingredients into smithereens, and recording music. You can find her writing at TCKs for Christ and Light Unto Darkness.




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Release of Hope Book!

Special Events

I’m so excited to announce Hope (My Theme in Glory Book 1), a collection of short stories and poems crafted by authors from The King’s Daughters’ Writing Camp! It’s now available to purchase on multiple platforms! Praise the Lord! (Psst, a poem of mine is in it.)

About the Collection

Hope Collection Book Cover


Hope,” I thought. “What a small word for such a big thing.”

The broken world groans. Oh, for a beacon of light! Where is something to live for—to kindle the spark of excitement, to calm the heart, to impart love, joy, and peace—and perhaps to shine the light of God’s glory on earth as in heaven?

Hope.

In these twenty-two sweet stories and poems, experience the dawning of sure, unfailing hope. Join a plethora of relatable characters young and old in their journey through the heights and depths of suffering—a cancer diagnosis, a shocking accident, the loss of a dear family member. Wrestle with the agony of a missing loved one, an unavoidable mortgage, or a tough move. Experience the ache of rejection and loneliness, misunderstanding and oppression, and illnesses both physical and mental. Yet in the midst of each heartache winds a strong, undying cord of hope—that light in the darkness, that beacon, that anchor of the soul. As you smile, cry, and sigh through each heartfelt piece, perhaps you too will grasp ahold of your own hope again.

For our Saviour Jesus Christ is our glorious Hope.

Where To Find It

Clarissa Choo is a vessel used for Christ’s glory. Although she has lived in four countries, heaven is her only home. She desires to love Jesus and sow His seeds. Besides writing, she would be washing dishes, chopping ingredients into smithereens, and recording music. You can find her writing at TCKs for Christ and Light Unto Darkness.




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Rainbow in rain

Updated: Giving Thanks In Everything

General Articles

Dear Friend,

Like the weather, life has different seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 describes the seasons of life in detail, and to categorize them in human terms, we have good and bad seasons. We tend to define good seasons when good situations happen and bad situations for bad seasons. Regardless of the weather, we still need to give thanks in everything.


“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV (Emphasis added)



How do we give thanks in everything? Everything covers both good and bad, big and little. Yes, it can be easy for us to give thanks for good things, but it can be difficult to naturally always give thanks for them, let alone the bad things. Humans generally tend to murmur, which is the opposite of giving thanks. Complaining is being ungrateful. Ungrateful to Who? To God. And I’m guilty of this. Because my sinful nature is prone to be ungrateful, God commanded that I must give thanks in everything.


“… for this is the will of God …”



It’s His will that I should be grateful. Do you know what’s hard in giving thanks? Giving thanks from my heart. That is true It’s His will that I should be grateful. Do you know what’s hard in giving thanks? Giving thanks from my heart. That is true thanksgiving.

To truly give thanks to Christ means –

  1. I’m trusting Him wholly,
  2. I believe that God is Who He is,
  3. I’m surrendered to Him,
  4. And I’m submitted to His will.

Whereas complaining shows that –

  1. I’m doubting Him,
  2. I don’t believe that God is Who He is,
  3. I’m not surrendered to Him,
  4. And I’m not submitted to His will.

Ouch. I feel bad from reading the last points. Choosing between giving thanks and murmuring is choosing between acknowledging God and letting unbelief rule my life. However, it is impossible for me to consistently choose the former because it’s against my sinful nature. But


“… in Christ Jesus …”




it is possible because He has freed me from sin. And because I am free, I can give thanks for His salvation, His faithfulness, His words, His grace, His mercies, His punishments, His blessings, my sorrows, my pain, my difficulties, and so on. It is possible because of Who He is instead of who I am and what my situations are. Dear friend, my prayer is that in all of your rain, sunshine, sweet moments, and broken messes, you will look to Jesus and give thanks.

Resulting in the fullness of joy and peace in Him no matter what circumstance I’m in. Then I’ll have two more things to be thankful for.


“To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee forever.”

Psalm 30:12 KJV



Very Sincerely Yours,
Clarissa Choo

P.S. If you have a paper and pen near you, write down each good and bad thing for this day and give thanks to Jesus regarding them. If you want to take a step further, write ten of His characteristics that you’re thankful for.

This article was also published in the private email magazine ministry, The Father’s Kingdom, and was originally published in this site.

P.P.S. Stay tuned for the next post I have exciting news to share with you!

Clarissa Choo is a vessel used for Christ’s glory. Although she has lived in four countries, heaven is her only home. She desires to love Jesus and sow His seeds. Besides writing, she would be washing dishes, chopping ingredients into smithereens, and recording music. You can find her writing at TCKs for Christ and Light Unto Darkness.




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