Growing up as a Chinese American daughter of a mail-order bride and a busboy working in San Francisco Chinatown, Bonnie Gray had never truly felt beautiful or beloved. She had built her life to look pleasant and ordinary, with a wonderful husband, two amazing boys, and a thriving career. But despite these blessings, she still felt the tugging emptiness of a missing piece.
At 39, a long-forgotten birth certificate in an old file cabinet sparked a curiosity Bonnie couldn’t ignore. Determined to uncover family secrets and understand the home she was born into, Bonnie embarked on a journey that would leave her forever changed. Returning to the culture, places, and stories that shaped her, her search led her to soul-shaking discoveries about her identity, human kindness, and what it truly means to be loved.
Bonnie is on the show today sharing her memoir titled Sweet Like Jasmine. It is a profoundly moving account of how God uses our unique and broken stories to create a beautiful mosaic of His love, one life at a time.
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Feel seen and valued, because you are worthy of loving, resting in God’s love for you.
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See the grace woven in each chapter of your life and embrace the wholeness of who you are.
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Learn to listen deeply to your life and feel empowered in your true worth.
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Find freedom, hope, and healing in rewriting your stories with faith.
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Through powerful truths and insightful reflection prompts, find beauty out of brokenness and belonging out of loneliness.
Quotes:
“I always felt split. There was never one place I felt whole.”
“I always felt different.”
“My father never came back.”
“I felt like Jesus understood me. I connected to the lonely Jesus.”
“Bad things can still happen to women of faith.”
“I carried the secret and the shame.”
“I’m building a new story.”
“I tried to use faith as an eraser.”
“It’s not contentment, it is hiding.”
“Jasmine is the most fragrant and popular tea. It starts off as a closed tight bud and only opens under the heat of water. My whole life I was closed, but God was leading me to open my life for myself and for the benefit of others. Our stories and struggles matter. There is beauty in our brokenness.”
“We are living letters of Christ, shaped by our experiences. We need to tell our stories.”
“We should not edit ourselves.”
“Prioritize your wellness and wellbeing.”
“Let the flowers remind you that Jesus says you’re worth it.”
“Name the emotion.”
Be love offerings by sharing with others what brings us joy and peace. But you first have to receive it yourself.
Connect with Bonnie:
Sweet Like Jasmine by Bonnie Gray
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