對璧姬的懷念 A Remembrance of Peggy

璧姬是一位非常「順服」的人，
她對人順服，是個孝順的好媳婦、好太太、好弟媳；
她對還境順服，勤儉持家，是丈夫的好幫手，孩子們的好母親，將三個孩子教養有成；
最後更以超乎常人的勇氣與信心坦然面對一切；
其一生所結生命的果子，是我們的好榜樣，永存在我們的心中，
我一生懷念她。

大組
錦環 思念
2009/3/16

---

A Remembrance of Peggy:

“Dedication and surrender” describe the best to my beloved sister-in-law, Peggy.

She dedicated (順服) herself to her family
~ as a good daughter-in-law who honored her mother-in-law as her own,
~ as a good wife, and
~ as a good sister-in-law.

She surrendered (順服) herself to the life God prepared for her.
~ a great helper of her husband. She strived to be a good steward for her family
~ a great mother of her children. She raised her three children to be mature and useful people in God’s eyes.
~ an abundant faith in the Lord. She humbly faced her last days on earth

The fruits of her life are the model we are eager to bear and the memory we ink in our heart. I miss her ……


Sister-in-law
Chin-Huan
March 16, 2009

To Auntie Peggy - Celebration of Her Life on Earth

Auntie Peggy has a tremendous influence to my life. 18 years ago, I came to the States as a young single international student. Uncle Morris and auntie became my most immediate family here. Whenever, I faced the loneliness or struggled with my school work. They always make themselves available and welcome me to their family and to be part of their family.

Over 18 years, Auntie Peggy has encouraged me and helped me to open my eyes to our great Lord Jesus Christ. From her, I saw …

~ as wonderful daughter-in-law, who always took good care of grandma
~ as a loving wife, who submitted herself to uncle
~ as a sacrificial mom, who put all of herself to raise Faye, Gene and Matthew; and
~ as a faithful servant of the Lord, who served and praised Him all of her life

Although she passed away, I am celebrating her life in Christ on earth. “Victory”… It is the word always coming out of my mind when I think of Auntie Peggy’s life.

Her life is a victory over death ~
Auntie Peggy has overcome death at the moment when she trusted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. The everlasting life she has victoriously conquered death. Since I know, I will see her again on the day come.

Her walk on earth is a victory over the world ~
Look at it… How may people have been touched by her? How many souls have been saved through her witness, pray, and her walk in Christ? I don’t know where you are spiritually, but, surly, I am the direct beneficiary of her witness. Through her, I saw the true Love from God. Through her, I saw the significance of great gift of salvation which led me to restore my relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

I am certain that it is a victory of her life as the faithful servant of the Lord. And I know, on her home going, our Lord stood up and received her joyfully in heaven. She will reside with Him forever and ever.

Do I miss her? Absolutely… But she did not disappear from me. Her love, faith, and hope in Christ and, especially, her smile will always be remembered deep in my heart.


Nephew
C. Benjamin Chen
Shared on Feb. 6, 2009
Edified on Feb. 9, 2009

need prayer...

i just found out that my grandfather (our mom's dad) passed away yesterday.  if you are willing, please pray for peace and comfort, especially for our family in taiwan.  it's an extremely difficult time right now.

Because He Lives

this past friday would have been our mom and dad's 32nd wedding anniversary.  sometimes i wonder if God could have made things any harder: since our mother left us a couple months ago, we've gone through valentine's day, her birthday, and now her wedding anniversary.  i have to admit at times i struggle to see God's work in all of this, but our family continues to rely and trust Him...i know that's what our mom wanted.

more importantly it was good friday, as we remember Christ's death.  my dad's reading this chinese book that a friend gave him, that helps wrestle with the questions of why bad things happen.  although it doesn't present any concrete answers, it does assure us that we serve a God who can relate to and understand the hurts that we're going through.  it uses the example of Jesus on the cross, crying out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" before He died.  in many ways it is a great comfort to know that Jesus himself knew what it felt like to be abandoned and feel forsaken.

sunday was easter.  i went to efc with my dad today, and it was odd to not have my mom singing in the choir during easter, which she so often did.  one of the songs that we sang was Because He Lives.  when we got to the last verse, i started to tear up, because it made me think of my mom.  the words say this:

And then one day I'll cross the river
I'll fight life's final war with pain
And then, as death gives way to victory
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He reigns

how fitting this was for her life...

thanks God, for giving us hope.  thank you also for being a God who can relate to and understand our hurts.  thank you for the cross - amidst all the uncertainties and unknowns in life, it is the one thing we can be sure of.  

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

heather, my mom's physician assistant, just ran a triathlon to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer.  heather was such a blessing to our family, especially in the last few weeks.  you can read about her race here: http://triforpancan.blogspot.com/.  if you want to donate, you can do so here: http://www.firstgiving.com/tri4pancan.  

also, for those keeping up with the news, you may have heard that supreme court justice ruth bader ginsburg was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  fortunately, it was caught extremely early, and she was able to undergo surgery.  here are some articles in the media that were written following justice ginsburg's diagnosis - both of them actually mention dr. varadhachary, my mom's oncologist from md anderson:

US News & World Report: 6 Things You Need to Know About Pancreatic Cancer

Wall Street Journal: Justice Ginsburg Plans to Return to Court in Weeks

How deep the Father's love...

the past week has brought some incredible weather to houston, with some gorgeous sunshine, and a wonderful spring breeze.  sometimes i think to myself that i wish my mom got to see spring one last time, instead of spending her last days on earth in dreary, cold winter weather.  however, i have to keep reminding myself that she's in an infinitely more beautiful and magnificent place right now...ironically, i bet she's probably wishing we're all experiencing paradise with her right now.

How Deep the Father's Love for Us from Gene Valgene on Vimeo.

anyhow, i thought i'd share this vid that dr. hwang gave to us.  it's a short clip of my mom playing piano at EFC's 20th anniversary in early december, less than two months before she went home to be with the Lord.  this was one of her favorite songs, and she asked that it be sung at her memorial service.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that helf Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I knoww that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast inJesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

When cherry trees blossom in April

The following was written by Chao-Dung and Amy Shih, friends of Peggy's for many years.  The Shih family are active in the Clear Lake Taiwanese Association, the same organization that Peggy was a member of.  

---

In early April of 2008, Stone and I had a long driving trip from Houston to Boston, I told Peggy that on the way we'll stop by Washington D. C. to see Cherry Blossom. One day before the trip Peggy gave us a gift bag containing her homemade roasted pecan, two Christian music CD and a note she wrote that" thousand Mile's driving would be long and tired, eat the pecan listening the Christian music will keep you awake and safe". We were so moved by reading her note, her caring thoughtfulness warmed our hearts throughout the whole trip. While we enjoyed the beauty of Cherry Blossom in Washington D. C., at the same time we thought of Peggy's great beauty of giving, caring and kindness. Her big smiling face is as pretty as the Cherry Blossom!

Once Peggy said that she wished to hear what friends would talk about her before passing in steads of after passing. I am glad that I did send her a Cherry Blossom card to let her know that we had deeply cherished her friendship, her loving, caring and kindness was very much appreciated.

 

Peggy was a "people's person", she always did the small stuff with a big heart, extended her helping hands to friends including young and old, men and women, poor and rich; she was loved dearly by whose whom knew her. Her big smile and soft speaking voice will be forever remembered, specially when Cherry Blossom in April. 

 

Chao-Dung & Amy Shih

 

P.S. Attached three Cherry Blossom pictures, one of them is about the same cherry blossom card sent to Peggy in April of 2008.

An act of generosity

The following was a story sent to us by Linda, the wife of Dr. Robert Calhoun, the former English pastor at EFC of NASA. Their family has always had a special friendship with Peggy, and have been close friends for many years.

I don't know if Morris was aware of this or not...but when we were finally able to move out of our apartment in Houston and looking for a home, we had asked Peggy to be our realtor. She took it very seriously, and promptly helped us find a house we really liked on Enchanted Isle! (Ha, and we are moving to "the Misty Isle" in a few months!) Anyway, we were so surprised and touched by her generosity in not keeping any commission on the transaction. She instead wanted us to have the money she would've made! I remember her and another lady...I think she was another realtor friend who also gave up her part too, coming over to our house to present the check. We had a nice visit and I expressed our appreciation for their unexpected and generous gift! We were able to put new carpet, that the house really needed, in with the money. That act of generosity pretty much typified Peggy's lifestyle didn't it? Not wanting anything in return...just seeking ways to serve others. Jesus was very evident in her life.

"My dearest daughter Pichi..."

the following was a letter written by peggy's father.  it was read at peggy's memorial service by jack, one of her younger brothers.

---

•

璧姬 我摯愛的女兒,

忽然聽到妳因病安息主懷的信息，令我震驚和無限的哀慟，妳從小到大的生活情況都一一的浮現在我的眼前，雖然我的淚水如湧，昔日的情景依然清晰，妳從小聰慧，秉性善良，在家裡妳是父母寵愛的女兒，對父母至孝至順，對兄姊和弟妹都尊敬關懷，在學校妳是功課名列前茅的好學生，老師和同學都讚賞妳，妳以優異的成績畢業於台中東海大學。

•自從妳在美國結婚成家之後，每個星期，我們在台灣都可以接到妳的越洋電話，妳總是貼心的問候我，並且很高興的告訴我，妳的同學和朋友幾乎遍佈美國和加拿大各州，每到一個地方，妳也不忘告訴我遊覽的心得，讓我分享妳的喜樂，而每逢過年過節以及我的生日，妳都記得向我祝賀，並且寄禮物回來給我，妳就是這麼貼心的乖女兒。

•妳是虔誠的基督徒，妳以主耶穌基督的心為心，熱心的在教會侍奉，熱心的投入宣教，並且鼓勵妳的兒女參加宣教，前往各地服務人群。

•想到以後再也接不到妳向我問安的電話，再也收不到妳的聖誕卡，我不禁又悲從中來，雖然我們知道妳已息了地上的勞苦而安息主懷，但身為父親的我，怎捨得我至愛的女兒璧姬離我而去。

我已老邁不適宜長途飛行，未能參加妳的追思禮拜，令我心疼不已，我唯有在祈禱中懷念祝福妳，直到將來在天家相見。

•我感謝上天曾經賜給我這麼好的女兒，璧姬，我的女兒，爸爸永遠愛妳。

---

My dearest daughter Pichi,

When I heard about your sudden passing, it broke my heart, and I have been grieving endlessly. Tears well up in my eyes when I think about your life, from when you were just a baby until now. The images I have of you are so clear, that it seems just like yesterday.

You were always so smart. You had a heart of gold. At home, you were the one that your mother and I loved especially much. You always respected and loved your parents, and always looked out for the needs of your brothers and sisters. In school you were always a good student, your teachers and classmates always loved you, and you graduated from Tunghai University with honors.

Ever since you got married in the United States, each week in Taiwan we looked forward to receiving your phone call. You always called to send your regards to me, and were happy to tell me that you had classmates and friends all over the United States and Canada.

Whenever you travelled to a new place, you always shared about your experiences with me so I could share in your joy. You remembered all of the holidays as well as my birthday, and never failed to send me a gift. You were such a wonderful daughter.

I know that you were a devoted Christian, and you took on the heart of Jesus Christ. You joyfully served in the church, and encouraged your children to do the same. You had a heart for missions, and always served others wherever you went in the world.

When I think about how I will no longer be able to hear your voice on the telephone, and that I will no longer be able to receive a Christmas card from you, I am heartbroken. Although I know you are free from pain and suffering in the Lord’s arms, as a father it is extremely difficult for me to let go of a daughter I love so much.

Because I am so old [93 yrs old], I am unable to make the long flight from Taiwan. My heart hurts because I am not able to join you this week. I can only remember you and bless you through my prayers, until we meet again in heaven.

I thank God that he gave me such a wonderful daughter. Pichi, my daughter, your daddy loves you forever.

•

•

Thanks..and keep 'em coming!

thanks so much too all of you who have already sent us stories and encouraging words about our mom.  we will start posting them over the next several weeks.  i think faye has an online side project that she's putting together too, where the stories may show up :)  also, we will be posting some material from our mom's memorial service, for those who could not make it.  anyhow, we wanted to thank you all again, and encourage y'all to keep the stories coming!  you can email them to prayingformom[ a t ]gmail.com.  for more details, see the original post here.

"a dream my dad had"

The following email was written by Elsa.  She is Peggy's niece, the daughter of Peggy's oldest brother. Their family was very close with Peggy, and likewise their entire family was very close to Peggy's heart as well. We think that Peggy is still praying for them, even in heaven.

---

March 6, 2009

Hello Liaw Clan,

My dad just shared a dream he had last night and wanted me to pass it on to you all. Two things he did not know when he told my mom the dream were that it was her [Peggy's] birthday yesterday and that her [Peggy's] favorite color clothing (according to my mom) is red.

In the dream, my dad was at a fair-like place with booths walking when he noticed someone that looked like her. Then he thought to himself that it can't be but as he got closer, it became clear that it was her. This part of the dream was not clear to him but what followed was. When she turned around, her face was beautiful and radiant. She looked gorgeous (my dad really emphasized this) and she was dressed in red. She didn't say anything to him. He feels that it's her telling him that she is doing well in heaven.

I know it's been a tough week for you all. I'm sending you positive energy and you are in my thoughts.

Love,
Elsa

Happy Birthday, Mom...

today, march 5th, is my mom's birthday.  she would have been 61 years old today.  to be honest, the past week has been really tough for me (and i know for the rest of the family as well).  i think it's starting to sink in that my mom is no longer here.  my mom was one of the first people i would call whenever i got good news, or whenever i needed to ask a question.  i remember the other day i was in the kitchen in our apartment in dallas, and i had a question about cooking something.  i instinctively reached for my phone to call my mom, and then it hit me real hard that she wasn' t there.  

it still hurts everytime i pull into the driveway at my parents house, and my mom isn't there to greet me.  it still hurts everytime i walk by her empty piano bench.  it still hurts everytime i want to tell her something only to realize that i can't.   i feel like there's an emptiness in my heart.  i miss her so much, but i know by God's grace He will carry our family through.  my mom told us before she left that if it were possible, she would pray for us in Heaven.  i like to believe that she is still praying for us this very moment.

happy birthday, mom...we miss you.

And Let Us Not Grow Weary

i've been reading this devotion book called Streams in the Desert which i pulled off of faye's bookshelf.  the devotion for march 5th, our mom's birthday, seemed so fitting for her life...and i thought i'd share it with y'all:

---

"We are made partaker of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end" Hebrews 3:14.

It is the last step that wins; and there is no place in the pilgrim's progress where so many dangers lurk as the region that lies hard by the portals of the Celestial City. It was there that Doubting Castle stood. It was there that the enchanted ground lured the tired traveler to fatal slumber. It is when Heaven's heights are full in view that hell's gate is most persistent and full of deadly peril. "Let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." "So run, that ye may obtain."

In the bitter waves of woe
Beaten and tossed about
By the sullen winds that blow
From the desolate shores of doubt,
Where the anchors that faith has cast
Are dragging in the gale,
I am quietly holding fast
To the things that cannot fail.

And fierce though the fiends may fight,
And long though the angels hide,
I know that truth and right
Have the universe on their side;
And that somewhere beyond the stars
Is a love that is better than fate.
When the night unlocks her bars
I shall see Him--and I will wait.

--Washington Gladden

My dearest daughter Pichi,

When I heard about your sudden passing, it broke my heart, and I have been grieving endlessly. Tears well up in my eyes when I think about your life, from when you were just a baby until now. The images I have of you are so clear, that it seems just like yesterday. You were always so smart. You had a heart of gold. At home, you were the one that your mother and I loved especially much. You always respected and loved your parents, and always looked out for the needs of your brothers and sisters. In school you were always a good student, your teachers and classmates always loved you, and you graduated from Tunghai University with honors.

Ever since you got married in the United States, each week in Taiwan we looked forward to receiving your phone call. You always called to send your regards to me, and were happy to tell me that you had classmates and friends all over the United States and Canada. Whenever you travelled to a new place, you always shared about your experiences with me so I could share in your joy. You remembered all of the holidays as well as my birthday, and never failed to send me a gift. You were such a wonderful daughter.

I know that you were a devoted Christian, and you took on the heart of Jesus Christ. You joyfully served in the church, and encouraged your children to do the same. You had a heart for missions, and always served others wherever you went in the world. When I think about how I will no longer be able to hear your voice on the telephone, and that I will no longer be able to receive a Christmas card from you, I am heartbroken. Although I know you are free from pain and suffering in the Lord’s arms, as a father it is extremely difficult for me to let go of a daughter I love so much.

Because I am so old [93 yrs old], I am unable to make the long flight from Taiwan. My heart hurts because I am not able to join you this week. I can only remember you and bless you through my prayers, until we meet again in heaven.

I thank God that he gave me such a wonderful daughter. Pichi, my daughter, your Daddy loves you forever.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter read by our mom's younger brother (Uncle Jack) at our mom's memorial service on behalf of our maternal grandpa.

Originally written in Chinese, below.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

璧姬 我摯愛的女兒,

忽然聽到妳因病安息主懷的信息，令我震驚和無限的哀慟，妳從小到大的生活情況都一一的浮現在我的眼前，雖然我的淚水如湧，昔日的情景依然清晰，妳從小聰慧，秉性善良，在家裡妳是父母寵愛的女兒，對父母至孝至順，對兄姊和弟妹都尊敬關懷，在學校妳是功課名列前茅的好學生，老師和同學都讚賞妳，妳以優異的成績畢業於台中東海大學。

自從妳在美國結婚成家之後，每個星期，我們在台灣都可以接到妳的越洋電話，妳總是貼心的問候我，並且很高興的告訴我，妳的同學和朋友幾乎遍佈美國和加拿大各州，每到一個地方，妳也不忘告訴我遊覽的心得，讓我分享妳的喜樂，而每逢過年過節以及我的生日，妳都記得向我祝賀，並且寄禮物回來給我，妳就是這麼貼心的乖女兒。

妳是虔誠的基督徒，妳以主耶穌基督的心為心，熱心的在教會侍奉，熱心的投入宣教，並且鼓勵妳的兒女參加宣教，前往各地服務人群。

想到以後再也接不到妳向我問安的電話，再也收不到妳的聖誕卡，我不禁又悲從中來，雖然我們知道妳已息了地上的勞苦而安息主懷，但身為父親的我，怎捨得我至愛的女兒璧姬離我而去。

我已老邁不適宜長途飛行，未能參加妳的追思禮拜，令我心疼不已，我唯有在祈禱中懷念祝福妳，直到將來在天家相見。

我感謝上天曾經賜給我這麼好的女兒，璧姬，我的女兒，爸爸永遠愛妳。

Slideshow from Mom's Memorial Service

Celebrating the Christ Loving Life of Peggy Liaw from Gene Valgene on Vimeo.

*You can double click on the slideshow to bring it to fullscreen*

Please send us your stories!

Hi friends and family of Peggy,
 
We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of this tough but encouraging journey with our mom and family. Thank you to all of you who came to celebrate Peggy's life with us a few weekends ago and thank you for continuing to pray for all of us during this time. We know that many of you flew from across the country and globe, so thank you again.
 
As we have been reflecting back on everything, we realized that there is SO much more about our mom that we don't know in terms of how she's touched so many of ya'll in a personal way. After hearing a few stories from some of you either at the memorial service or afterwards, we were SO touched and moved -- and so much more amazed at how much she truly gave of herself to those around her no matter who you were. It made us really want to know EVEN more about our mom and the life she lived, not just for our own knowledge, but also so that we may share these stories about her with our own kids and their kids in the future and so on...
 
We are asking you all as her beloved friends and family, to please share with us her story in your own life, and how she has loved you or impacted you personally (including those of you who shared at the memorial service or who wanted to but couldn't). This is very open, so please feel free to share whatever is on your heart. Also, please feel free to write in your own native language whether it be in Chinese or English.
 
You may either :
1) email us your story about her to prayingformom[ a t ]gmail.com
 
OR 
 
2) if it's easier to handwrite it, you can mail your story/letter/pictures to our address.  You can email us above if you need our mailing address.
 
We plan on posting all of your stories on the blog as they come throughout the weeks. We know that many, many, people across the U.S. and world have been reading mom's blog and have been so touched by her story from just reading about her. (If you look at the cluster maps on the right side of the blog you can see all the people who read it from all over the world!)
 
We also plan on creating a scrapbook of all of your stories so that we can share them with future generations of our family.  
 
We invite you all to be a part of continuing on our mom's legacy that is in Christ!
 
Love,
Morris, Simon, Faye, Gene, Sharon, Matthew, and Mariella

"New Bike, First Rides, and Mrs. Peggy Liaw"

our friend eric chen from PCAC is participating in a charity bicycle ride from austin, tx to anchorage, alaska called the Texas 4000 to raise awareness for cancer. here is a link to his most recent blog post, where he mentions our mom: "New Bike, First Rides, and Mrs. Peggy Liaw"

you can track more of his journey here.

Slideshow from Mom's Memorial Service! :)

Celebrating the Christ Loving Life of Peggy Liaw from Gene Liaw on Vimeo.

*You can double click on the slideshow to bring it to fullscreen*

Our Mom's Memorial Service - RSVP

Dear Friends and Family,

We would be honored by your presence if you can attend our mom's "Celebration of a Christ Loving Life" service.

Your prayers and friendship has helped us each and every step of the way. God has used you more than you know. We are so grateful for your love for our family.

The service will be this Sat. Feb 7th at EFC of NASA at 2:00PM.
401 N. Texas Ave.
Webster, TX 77598

It would be great if you can stay and have dinner with us as well. It will be a awesome time to catch up.

Please e-mail Simon at leesimon[at]hotmail.com to RSVP by this Wednesday. Of course, if you change your mind about coming, you can always drop by.

Thank you so much! God is good.

Yes, indeed. Our mom is now with Jesus.

[S & F] Dear Friends and Family,

This morning at 11:30am, Mom went to be with our Lord Jesus. She passed away from this earth very peacefully and is not suffering any longer. Mom's love for all of us is something that we will miss dearly.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and love for our family. We are grieving, but God is comforting us and giving us peace.

We are so grateful for the gift of our mom that God gave us while she was on earth. She belongs to God and not us and we are just so honored to have known such a wonderful loving woman of God.

In the end of all of our lives, it does not matter how much money we have, what kind of car we drive, or the kind of house we own, the only thing that matters is how much we love God and much we love people. Mom did both extremely well. She loved until the very last second of her life. She lived a God-fulfilled life. Even until her last breath, she was praising Jesus. She has finished the race and crossed the finish line. She is now celebrating with Christ in heaven which we are eternally grateful.

The memorial service will be at EFC of NASA at 2pm Sat Feb 7th. (401 N. Texas Ave., Webster, TX 77598).

Everyone is invited and dinner will be provided as well. This will be a time of celebration of God and Peggy's life on earth.

Thank you once again for your love for our family. Your prayers and love were felt.

God is good and we worship Him and Him alone. Christ continues to reign in our family. He will continue to be Lord until our last breath on earth. To Him have all the Glory!

Love,
Simon & Faye