Sunny’s been an oddball her entire life! Raised in Alexandria, Virginia in the early 1970’s, she was the only Christian, in an immigrant, Korean-Buddhist household, where she is the youngest of three children. Not only were there no Christians in her family, but there were none to be found in her neighborhood either. But God is Sovereign, and in His mercy and by His grace, He wooed her to Himself at the tender age of four. The Lord of hosts, miraculously provided for a bus to pick her up every Sunday to take her to church, where she first heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, so that she might intimately know His agape love for her. And this truly was the best and greatest news she’d ever heard….and it still is! To read her entire story of salvation, please visit her blog and click “Alive In Christ” on her navigation bar.
Sunny is a 39 year old who has been married for nearly 17 years to the most godly husband in the world who loves her as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25-33 & 1 Peter 3:7) – though it wasn’t always this way. They had their marital struggles and nearly divorced within their first few years of marriage. Due to God’s awesome power of reconciliation and peace, both Sunny and her husband committed to choose Christ as their first love and each other as their second. To demonstrate her immense gratitude to God for restoring her marriage, she passionately reaches out to other women who are also struggling. She encourages women through her commitment to Biblical submission; first to Christ, then to her husband. Sunny is also the proud Mama of two fabulous, godly young men, Michael (almost 16) and Kevin (13 ½).
How did you go about naming your blog, and where can we find it?
I have two blogs: “A Damsel No Longer in Distress” (my personal blog) and “A Wife’s Biblical Submission” (an online, meme-Bible Study I’ve written). I originally named my personal blog “Jesus Is My Hero”. This is my first blog and I’ve only been blogging since February of this year and didn’t know much about it, so I began reading and searching for how other people were writing and maintaining their blogs. Then I found Amy Bayliss at Split Decisionz and got a great tip! “Be personal! Don’t be afraid to share your heart.” And I noticed the names other sisters used for their blog titles represented who they are. So I changed my blog title to “A Damsel No Longer in Distress”. The definition for damsel is: a young woman or girl; a maiden, originally one of gentle or noble birth. And that is what I am. I am a princess of the King, one of noble birth and because of my King Jesus, I am no longer in distress, because Jesus is truly my Hero! You can find me at: http://jesusrulzme.blogspot.com/ and http://biblicalsubmission.blogspot.com/
What do you find yourself writing about the most?
I mostly write devotionals and exhortations about Christian living: specifically as a woman, for teen girls, child-training, evangelism and whatever else the LORD inspires me to write. I also participate in three memes: At The Well, Word-Filled Wednesdays and Live Well Wednesdays.
What prompted you to start blogging, and when did you launch your site?
I’ve had some serious health issues for the past five years. And this past year, my health took a serious dive and I nearly died in November of 2007 a week after my oldest son’s 15th birthday. I had emergency surgery and had some post-op complications that caused my recovery to take much longer than expected. During my recovery from the first surgery, we found out I had a couple of other diseases that if not dealt with immediately, they would become cancerous. So I had my second surgery in June 2008.
I used to teach women’s Bible studies and disciple quite a few ladies, specifically on Biblical submission and have been doing this for the past 13 years. Due to my serious health issues, I was pretty much confined to my home, but still had the desire to serve the Lord. Then I remembered what Jesus told His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane,
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ~ Matthew 26:41.
And I am a seriously lazy, self-absorbed, self-pitying person and did not want to fall into that temptation since I was “confined.” God gave me hope through His word by reminding me that while my body may be weak, my spirit that has been made one with Christ who is willing to go further, and that’s why I blog – this is how I’m now traveling with the Lord and my sisters…through the internet! I launched “A Damsel No Longer in Distress” in February of 2008 and “A Wife’s Biblical Submission” in August 2008.
How much thought and time do you generally put into each post?
I pray constantly for God to inspire me and lead me by His Spirit to write for His glory, with His love and compassion only that which will build up my readers according their needs, that it may give grace to those who read (Ephesians 4:29-30). I generally spend about 1 to 2 hours in prayer and meditation regarding each post and write in my journal everything God reveals to me. Then I sit down at my computer and type it all up, do a little editing and voila… I’ve got a post!
I spend much, much more time on posting my lessons for the Bible Study blog. I usually post one lesson per week (on Thursday), but am trying to finish writing the entire study, so I’m attempting to write two per week. Each lesson takes me countless hours in prayer and about 10-15 hours per week in research, then writing.
What are some of your hobbies or accomplishments outside of blogging?
I love to snuggle with my family and do just about anything with them! I love movies, herbal tea (that my husband makes for me nearly every evening) and my all time favorite is my quiet time with my Savior, my God, and Master. I’m also a professional volunteer!! I volunteer at my church, at both my sons’ schools and just about any other place I can! Of course, I’ve not been able to volunteer as much since I’m physically limited. I don’t know how to sew, but I’ve sewn and made two large window treatments to save money and made cushions for our kitchen nook, and many other things to help save money and keep my house in a way that is honorable to God and pleasing to my husband. I’m also an avid gardener! I hear the LORD best when I’m gardening!
What struggles, if any, have you experienced with keeping your blog updated?
Continued health issues, and sometimes, lack of proper time with God. Due to all my health issues, sometimes it’s difficult to get up in the morning and have adequate time with God; I need a minimum of one hour and I don’t always get that. So I struggle to hear what He’s telling me and I don’t like to write when I’m not inspired by the Lord of my life. I’m sure everyone is grateful for that too, because I’m really not a nice person without Christ.
What are some of you favorite blogs?
One Sacrifice For All Time
I Will Take It Lord, All You Have to Give
The Salas Family
Life-Faith-Scrapbook
To the Moon and Back
What Bible verse has God recently placed on your heart?
Oh my, that’s difficult…to choose just one! Well, God has been repeating to me the same message through MANY different verses: to share His agape love; be tenderly kind; never forget to exercise justice and mercy, with no expectation of it in return; lift up the lowly and speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. But since I have to pick one verse, I’ll share the one God showed me today:
“ ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against one another in your heart.’ ” ~ Zechariah 7:9-10
Is there anything you’d like to add in closing?
Yes. I’d like to encourage everyone that doing things that are “nice” and “good” just for the sake of being nice and good, out of duty, rather that out of love are not what God requires. But in our good works, He requires that we practice compassion, tender-love, mercy and righteousness (Jeremiah 9:23-24). May we all be quick to listen, slow to be angry, generously offer compassion without passing judgment, overlook personal offenses and see others from Heaven’s view and not our own. There are many who are hurting, both inside and outside the Church. And while we share God’s truth and His salvation to those who are lost, let us do it with the humility of Christ with much grace. (Micah 6:8)
For more encouragement and exhortation, please come visit me at “A Damsel No Longer in Distress” or to journey with me to Biblical submission, join me and other sisters at “A Wife’s Biblical Submission.”