Today I saw it, the first sign of spring in Hong Kong.
Most people, when they think of the first sign of spring, they think of nice, marvelous, springish things. The first sign of spring can be many different things, such as:
*The snow being completely melted
*Baby Birds appearing
*A Robin
*The date that the groundhog foretold
*The first flower
*Planting season
*Muddy season
*The semester coming to a close
*Leaf buds appearing on trees
These are all logical things to call the first sign of spring. But today, I saw the first sign of spring. It was horrible. It was hideous, and oh so unnecessary. Does that ever stop it from happening? No. It's spring, they're back again: OLD MEN IN SPEEDOS. Yep, they're back. The lovely walk alongside the harbour has been quite enjoyable this winter, and I forgot why. But as I was walking today, I heard a splash, and in goes an old guy, into Victoria Harbour to do his laps, then out of the water climbs another old man. Thankfully, I only saw three, but soon, it will be up to the 20s or even more. It's the sign of spring. Of...old life that tries to be young. Of things that shouldn't be worn out in public.
Now, for the record, I do plan on swimming in Victoria Harbour myself before I leave. I think that it has got to be the most polluted water in the world. But it's just something I've got to do. I will however, be wearing appropriate swimwear.
I realize that I haven't blogged in a while, just about things, so let me just fill you in on how life is going. It's been quite full, as every spring anywhere seems to be. We had our spring retreat REVEAL about 3 weeks ago. That went really well. I started a post about it, but it is still in the drafts folder. It will probably be posted soon. Last week me and PM were both recruited to go to CAIS' High School Camp. That was pretty good. And we also had our Annual General Meeting last Sunday, and this Sunday is our 2 year anniversary as a branch church. Then the next Sunday is Easter. So things are hopping around the church. I have been taking two distance ed courses through NWC, so I've been keeping up with those, along with stuff at church. It's going fairly well, and I think it might be a crunch, but I'll get them done in time. The rugby sevens (or "The Sevens") are this weekend in Hong Kong with teams from all over the world...so every male, and every rugby fan are all psyched about this weekend. The second week in April I am going to Thailand with Mike and Melissa and Izzy on vacation. It will be a good time of hanging out with them and relaxing before I start the interesting/tiring/emotional process of preparing to go home. Already I have started to prepare, like housing at NWC for next year, a job for this summer, etc...
Well, that's all for now. Please pray :
*That I would be able to get all the details ready for college next year, it's kind of confusing to get it done on this side of the ocean and not being able to talk to anyone in person.
*That I can get all my course work done on time.
*That I would use my time wisely here.
*For my girls Bible study, due to certain circumstances, it may be restructured.
*For the Youth worship team, that the kids wouldn't feel discouraged and that they would be able to just enjoy playing.
*For me as I continue to learn about leadership and teaching. I speak at another church on the 22 of April, so pray for me as I prepare for that.
That's about it! I'm gonna go hit the hay, I'm sorry that this wasn't a very detailed post. If any of you guys back home have any questions, or would like to know more about what's going on, just email me!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Attack of ADD
I'm pretty sure I've just suffered from the worst attack of ADD I've ever experienced.
I'm taking two courses over Northwestern's Distance Ed. Program. The program is great. I've never done distance learning, and the only thing similar that I've had was homeschool in years 3-4. And I can barely remember that, I'm not sure if I purposely blocked it out. All day today I've been planning on taking my midterm exam for my Christian Theology class. So after I got home from babysitting, I immediately grabbed my water bottle, computer + power cord, large Bible (with concordance and index), Knowing God by J.I. Packer, bottle of nail polish, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, and my course binder. I sat down at the dining room table about 9pm. At about 9:20 or so, I stopped checking my email and logged into the course website. I got into the test. Only 8 questions...fabulous. Or not so much. The test was open book, meaning that I could use my text book, the extra books, or the very large Bible. That's a lot of resources to use when you're trying to convince a professor that you understand the point. So yeah, by question 2 I was averaging about 28 minutes per question. It was at that point that I realised it was going to be a LONG night. I got distracted by everything!!! I don't think I've ever been more distracted. I had to get up to fill my water bottle, to get a snack, go to the bathroom, paint my nails, drink nescafe to keep me awake, watch Seinfeld, take off my watch, stare blankly at the screen, stare blankly at my reflection in the patio doors, and stare blankly as I thought about all the other things I have to do before I go to sleep. Anything that I could get distracted by, I let myself be. So I finished, finally 3 hours and 47 minutes after I sat down to start. And now what am I doing? I'm blogging about it so that I can procrastinate on going to bed (it doesn't make sense, does it?) But hey, I think I did OK on the test. And now, I'm going go pack for camp tomorrow. Wahoo, Batman!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
My Perfect...Moment
I'm having one of those perfect moments right now. This weekend at the retreat, we did this exercise where we went through all five senses and thought about how we saw God in them, and that's what I'm going to do right now to draw you a mental picture. It's 10:35pm. I got home about an hour ago, I had Bible study with a girl and then we hung out for a bit. I've already taken my shower, so I feel nice and clean and refreshed. I'm on the roof of the Enns' house, which is one of my top three places in Hong Kong. I brought this computer up to work on a video for this event on Saturday, but you know me, I had to check if I could get internet signal up here, and, well, you know what happens after that. While I was walking home, I saw the rooftop, and a ton (for Hong Kong anyways-about 25) stars, and decided it was warm enough to be up here. Here's the scene:
Right now I see the light post that is on the corner of the roof wall. Also a few stray pieces of laundry hanging on the line. I see the village houses surrounding this house, most of the houses are dark, except for 5 houses with dim lights on. I see mostly clouds unless I look straight up. There is a lot of light coming up over the mountain tops. If I had a sense of direction, I could tell you if I was looking at lights from China or lights from Kowloon. (Yes, I do know that China is north and Kowloon is South from here, but I haven't figured out yet which way is north. So let's just say I'm looking at China.) I am sitting in a plastic lawn chair, with a matching stool next to me. On it is a Coca-Cola coffee mug with cold water, my iPod, and my cell phone. I really only need one of those things right now, the water. I thought I really wanted to listen to music. But this is one of those rare moments in Hong Kong when music would not be an improvement. I'm wearing my pajamie pants and my hoody (not a jumper as Beckel would call it), so I am quite comfortable. I can feel a slightly cool breeze, that kept blowing the door open and shut, until I propped it open. I can smell a tiny bit of fresh air, and a lot of Herbal Essences. I can hear a few random dogs barking--thankfully not the ones next door or I would be tempted to drop something on them--traffic far off in the distance (it isn't that unpleasant when it's far away, almost like the ocean waves or something), the wind rustling in the trees, and the click-clacking of the keyboard. I taste onion-ess, sesame, and fruit jelly. I was given some Thai candy earlier. I am touching the chair I am sitting on, and the computer, which is warming up my lap.
I am experiencing God in all these things. This evening I spent some time with a girl from the youth group. She's going through some challenges right now. I wish I could solve them for her, or even help her solve them for herself. It's really frustrating. I wish I could change people. I think that is one of my challenges in life: I wish sometimes I could change my friends, the people that I don't get along with especially, sometimes my family, God, and myself. And the thing is I really can only change myself, and even that's subjective. I can change my relationship to those people though. I wish that I had answers for her, or even sound advice. I'm not sure I gave her either. I tried though. But in reality. It's up to God. And while I've been learning to make my advice not sound so flowery and Christianese (ex. Trust God, He'll take care of everything, or just pray some more, the answer will come) sometimes the truth is just those things. The things that are easiest to say, and hardest to do....and sometimes it's not. Someone told me that I always know what God's will is for me: it's that I love Him with everything, and love others. C.S. Lewis gave me a different perspective on loving others. He said that loving them doesn't mean that we have nice feelings for them, or even like them. (Previously I thought that if we forgave them, eventually, the good feelings toward them would come back.) Lewis was talking to a people in the middle of WWII. How were they supposed to "love" the Nazis? He said that truly loving someone means loving them like you love yourself. A lot of times we do things even we don't like, but we forgive ourselves, and wish we hadn't done it and weren't facing the consequences. He pointed out that we should wish it weren't so when someone does wrong, not glad that they'll be getting their punishment. That we wish deep down that it wasn't so, and that somewhere along the line, they get all those kinks in their soul straightened out with God. I'll tell you, if I lived in Nazi Europe, I would have a tough time not wishing that those men would go to hell. But that is not loving them.
I think this moment that I've been having for the last half hour is God telling me that He holds it. All of it. I can't have the answers nor should I.
What a relief.
Right now I see the light post that is on the corner of the roof wall. Also a few stray pieces of laundry hanging on the line. I see the village houses surrounding this house, most of the houses are dark, except for 5 houses with dim lights on. I see mostly clouds unless I look straight up. There is a lot of light coming up over the mountain tops. If I had a sense of direction, I could tell you if I was looking at lights from China or lights from Kowloon. (Yes, I do know that China is north and Kowloon is South from here, but I haven't figured out yet which way is north. So let's just say I'm looking at China.) I am sitting in a plastic lawn chair, with a matching stool next to me. On it is a Coca-Cola coffee mug with cold water, my iPod, and my cell phone. I really only need one of those things right now, the water. I thought I really wanted to listen to music. But this is one of those rare moments in Hong Kong when music would not be an improvement. I'm wearing my pajamie pants and my hoody (not a jumper as Beckel would call it), so I am quite comfortable. I can feel a slightly cool breeze, that kept blowing the door open and shut, until I propped it open. I can smell a tiny bit of fresh air, and a lot of Herbal Essences. I can hear a few random dogs barking--thankfully not the ones next door or I would be tempted to drop something on them--traffic far off in the distance (it isn't that unpleasant when it's far away, almost like the ocean waves or something), the wind rustling in the trees, and the click-clacking of the keyboard. I taste onion-ess, sesame, and fruit jelly. I was given some Thai candy earlier. I am touching the chair I am sitting on, and the computer, which is warming up my lap.
I am experiencing God in all these things. This evening I spent some time with a girl from the youth group. She's going through some challenges right now. I wish I could solve them for her, or even help her solve them for herself. It's really frustrating. I wish I could change people. I think that is one of my challenges in life: I wish sometimes I could change my friends, the people that I don't get along with especially, sometimes my family, God, and myself. And the thing is I really can only change myself, and even that's subjective. I can change my relationship to those people though. I wish that I had answers for her, or even sound advice. I'm not sure I gave her either. I tried though. But in reality. It's up to God. And while I've been learning to make my advice not sound so flowery and Christianese (ex. Trust God, He'll take care of everything, or just pray some more, the answer will come) sometimes the truth is just those things. The things that are easiest to say, and hardest to do....and sometimes it's not. Someone told me that I always know what God's will is for me: it's that I love Him with everything, and love others. C.S. Lewis gave me a different perspective on loving others. He said that loving them doesn't mean that we have nice feelings for them, or even like them. (Previously I thought that if we forgave them, eventually, the good feelings toward them would come back.) Lewis was talking to a people in the middle of WWII. How were they supposed to "love" the Nazis? He said that truly loving someone means loving them like you love yourself. A lot of times we do things even we don't like, but we forgive ourselves, and wish we hadn't done it and weren't facing the consequences. He pointed out that we should wish it weren't so when someone does wrong, not glad that they'll be getting their punishment. That we wish deep down that it wasn't so, and that somewhere along the line, they get all those kinks in their soul straightened out with God. I'll tell you, if I lived in Nazi Europe, I would have a tough time not wishing that those men would go to hell. But that is not loving them.
I think this moment that I've been having for the last half hour is God telling me that He holds it. All of it. I can't have the answers nor should I.
What a relief.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Tin Roof Tonight
Tin Roof Tonight: Sounds like a Chick flick, or an ice cream, or add "baby" to the end of it, and it could be an emo song. But I'm actually talking about a tin roof. It's raining right now, and I just realized that I think both of my umbrella's are at the church. I haven't posted a serious blog for a while. But I think it's time. Besides, it's raining, which means I can't go outside, which means I have more time to do my homework, which I put before playing RISK tonight with friends. And I'm sick of doing schoolwork, ergo, a blog. Right now, I'm kinda in the bittersweet part of this whole experience of being overseas. I'm missing home, and family, and friends. But at the same time, as soon as I know it's time to pack up, my heart will be rebelling for all it's worth. I also don't really like the fact that I'm missing those things so badly, because in the future I plan on being gone from home quite a bit longer.
I look around and realize the blessings that I've been given these past 6 + months. I was sitting in Habibi's with two new friends on Saturday night, and realized that several friends wanted to do things with me that night, while, in the beginning of my time here I was spazzing out because I thought I needed friends so badly and didn't have any. But when I learned (this lesson isn't done being learned though) that Christ is sufficient, I wound up having several good friends. People and families that I love spending time with. I live with an awesome family, and even though they're Canadian (hahah, just kidding), they rock. They threw a birthday party for me, and encourage me to keep playing Settlers (even though I lose 4 out of the 4 games we play a week), and continually invite me to go wakeboarding, even though I have yet to do it. And I get to be an aunt to a little (almost) 2 year old whose aunts are far away. I work in an office with a coffee maker 8 inches from my head, but it is still encouraged to go to Pacific Coffee for meetings. An office where the Friday songs are, "Kung Fu Fighting" and "You are Beautiful". Where the secretary really does know everything, and where the cultural differences among the staff are so different, that I must keep myself from laughing when menstruation is mentioned in a prayer meeting. An office where my boss only says he's my boss when he is forcing me to accept something generous. And a job where I am forced to work on myself as a person, like learning to be patient, to speak in public, to pray, teach, and work on a mac. I am so very grateful for all of these things.
I thought I had more to say than that. I started off giving myself a large slot of time. So people at home, I miss you, I still am very glad to be here, I'm still learning, growing, and stretching, and learning patience (I knew that was a bad thing to pray for...it always gets answered by way of testing!) Just one more thing:
While you're at home being buried alive in snow...this is what we have here!
I look around and realize the blessings that I've been given these past 6 + months. I was sitting in Habibi's with two new friends on Saturday night, and realized that several friends wanted to do things with me that night, while, in the beginning of my time here I was spazzing out because I thought I needed friends so badly and didn't have any. But when I learned (this lesson isn't done being learned though) that Christ is sufficient, I wound up having several good friends. People and families that I love spending time with. I live with an awesome family, and even though they're Canadian (hahah, just kidding), they rock. They threw a birthday party for me, and encourage me to keep playing Settlers (even though I lose 4 out of the 4 games we play a week), and continually invite me to go wakeboarding, even though I have yet to do it. And I get to be an aunt to a little (almost) 2 year old whose aunts are far away. I work in an office with a coffee maker 8 inches from my head, but it is still encouraged to go to Pacific Coffee for meetings. An office where the Friday songs are, "Kung Fu Fighting" and "You are Beautiful". Where the secretary really does know everything, and where the cultural differences among the staff are so different, that I must keep myself from laughing when menstruation is mentioned in a prayer meeting. An office where my boss only says he's my boss when he is forcing me to accept something generous. And a job where I am forced to work on myself as a person, like learning to be patient, to speak in public, to pray, teach, and work on a mac. I am so very grateful for all of these things.
I thought I had more to say than that. I started off giving myself a large slot of time. So people at home, I miss you, I still am very glad to be here, I'm still learning, growing, and stretching, and learning patience (I knew that was a bad thing to pray for...it always gets answered by way of testing!) Just one more thing:
While you're at home being buried alive in snow...this is what we have here!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Kangaroo and Diddley-doo
I was rather disappointed when I realized that the Webdings in my last post showed up as Arial font or something. But I'm hoping it's just my comp, which has been acting kinda strange in the area of fonts lately. Otherwise, that last post looks stupid, and other than for the reason that I never blogged that night. I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to write, but I know that if I don't, a few things (10 to be precise) will happen:
1. If I don't blog soon, I may never
2. If I don't blog, I will get flack from PM because I let another night go by blogless (or postless, as he would correct me)
3. If I don't blog, I might actually get more sleep
4. If I don't blog, then I have to stop
5. If I don't blog, then I'll have to write a longer one later
6. If I don't blog, then I can't honestly say that I have
7. If I don't blog, I could actually do something useful
8. If I don't blog, then I'll have to go inside and use the washroom, which I'm avoiding at all costs right now because I'm comfortable in my bed.
9. If I don't blog, then I won't be able to get this list up to 10, and right now, that's pretty important, because if I don't, then it will drive me nuts... I may have just discovered that I have OCD, just from blogging...amazing
10. If I don't blog, then I can never say, "Ha, I made it to ten!"
Ha, I made it to ten!!!
I will blog soon (I don't want to restrict myself to a timetable) and tell what is actually going on, but for now, I must go to sleep.
Friday, February 23, 2007
My Promise
I promise I will blog tonight.
Tranlation from Webdings language to English:
"I promise I will blog tonight".
Tranlation from Webdings language to English:
"I promise I will blog tonight".
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
I'm in Love
Happy Valentines Day! Yes, it is officially as of 47 minutes ago. I've always loved valentines. Especially that one year when me and Bethany Veldhuizen dressed up as cupid (with clothes) and we made our own bow and arrows that actually worked, and we had wings and halo, and pink, and girlishness, and we ran around school trying to hit everyone with our coat hanger bows and our chopstick arrows. Good times, good times. Basically, what I'm doing right now, is procrastinating. I think it's just something I have to do. I even do it with things that I love. For example, sleep. I love sleep, and yet, I'm avoiding it. Why? No one knows. Maybe because I get flack for never blogging. Anywhoo. Yes, I love sleep. Do you know what else I love? James Morrison: 21, British, and sings like an angel. And yes he is a real person...I found him on iTunes the other day. He was the free download of the week. Go to jamesmorrisonmusic.com...you'll fall in love too. That sounded strangely reminiscent of an Time Life infomercial.
So I just finished watching an episode of ED. Oh the drama in a bowling alley. It was one of those cheesy romance twists, and you think you know what's gonna happen, and then they surprise you, but then you think about it, and you're really not that surprised. And then you wonder if they are going to be predictable. Or predictably unpredictable. I like that show. I got an email from my dad today. I've got to say, I've got the best dad in the world. Not a "#1 dad baseball cap" dad, which every dad has, but a real, live, #1 dad that hardly anyone has. Anywhoo. This has got to be one of the most scatterbrained posts ever. Here's a Quote about Love to get everyone thinking about the holiday, if anyone can guess the author, I will give you a fantabulous prize:
"But now that I know...I love"
Think about it
So I just finished watching an episode of ED. Oh the drama in a bowling alley. It was one of those cheesy romance twists, and you think you know what's gonna happen, and then they surprise you, but then you think about it, and you're really not that surprised. And then you wonder if they are going to be predictable. Or predictably unpredictable. I like that show. I got an email from my dad today. I've got to say, I've got the best dad in the world. Not a "#1 dad baseball cap" dad, which every dad has, but a real, live, #1 dad that hardly anyone has. Anywhoo. This has got to be one of the most scatterbrained posts ever. Here's a Quote about Love to get everyone thinking about the holiday, if anyone can guess the author, I will give you a fantabulous prize:
"But now that I know...I love"
Think about it
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A Commentary on Life
I have this voice in my head. I'd like to think it's me. Actually, it is. I'm a people person, and, I'm also sometimes critical. I read blogs, books, have conversations, and am constantly surrounded by people. (Sometimes too many. Today I was on the KCR-train- and I was touching five people simultaneously. It was not a pleasant situation...thankfully it is winter, and no one has BO and I had my iPod to whisk me away from the sound of the masses) I'm also a thinker, a tangent taker, and quite random. Today I was on the bus on the way home, and I saw a guy picking his nose, and I immediately started a monologue with the voice in my head.
It went something like this,
"Ughhh, he's picking his nose. On the bus. Why is he looking at it? I know the bus sometimes seems like personal space, but it isn't. Why is his pocket bulging? Does he have another McFish in there like he just finished? Who would put a sandwich in their pocket? What is that big book on his lap? It looks like a large Chinese Bible. Why would he be carrying it? Oh crap, there goes my bus stop, now I'll have to walk back from the next stop!"
And that's how it went. My exact thoughts. Strangely similar to Elaine on Seinfeld. I am constantly have a commentary on life going on inside my head. I was having a conversation on AIM today, and I was like, "Why the heck is the person so stubborn? Don't they see that...blah, blah, blah?" Then I was reading a blog, and I was like, "Oh, honey, this stage won't last, keep your chin up." And the commentary continued. I am constantly making decisions based on this inner commentary, some of them aren't so good. Some of them are quickly judgmental, based on what I assume. Some of them are harsh, and irrational thoughts. It makes me wonder how many people have a commentary on my life. And what they think. This can be an entirely paranoid and overwhelming thought. But the truth is, only One Person's commentary really matters. And He is the other voice inside of me. Lately in Revolve we have been talking about silence, listening, hearing, posture. All very good, valid, and horribly difficult things for me. (And for most people, I'd like to assume.) My commentary drowns out His voice so much. And yes, I do like my random thoughts and tangents, but if I don't allow myself to shut up inside and hear what He is saying, my commentary on life will become the reality of life. And that's far too much of myself. My mom used to say that I like to talk to hear my own voice. It's true.
It went something like this,
"Ughhh, he's picking his nose. On the bus. Why is he looking at it? I know the bus sometimes seems like personal space, but it isn't. Why is his pocket bulging? Does he have another McFish in there like he just finished? Who would put a sandwich in their pocket? What is that big book on his lap? It looks like a large Chinese Bible. Why would he be carrying it? Oh crap, there goes my bus stop, now I'll have to walk back from the next stop!"
And that's how it went. My exact thoughts. Strangely similar to Elaine on Seinfeld. I am constantly have a commentary on life going on inside my head. I was having a conversation on AIM today, and I was like, "Why the heck is the person so stubborn? Don't they see that...blah, blah, blah?" Then I was reading a blog, and I was like, "Oh, honey, this stage won't last, keep your chin up." And the commentary continued. I am constantly making decisions based on this inner commentary, some of them aren't so good. Some of them are quickly judgmental, based on what I assume. Some of them are harsh, and irrational thoughts. It makes me wonder how many people have a commentary on my life. And what they think. This can be an entirely paranoid and overwhelming thought. But the truth is, only One Person's commentary really matters. And He is the other voice inside of me. Lately in Revolve we have been talking about silence, listening, hearing, posture. All very good, valid, and horribly difficult things for me. (And for most people, I'd like to assume.) My commentary drowns out His voice so much. And yes, I do like my random thoughts and tangents, but if I don't allow myself to shut up inside and hear what He is saying, my commentary on life will become the reality of life. And that's far too much of myself. My mom used to say that I like to talk to hear my own voice. It's true.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
My Musings
Here are some things that I've been thinking about lately:
*Guys should NOT shape, wax, or pluck their eyebrows (unless they are bordering on a unibrow)
*Is it bad to forget to bring your Bible to a prayer meeting?
*It's always easy to be willing to learn when you're in a new place, because you have to learn, because it's new. But when you're used to a place, liking to learn gets a bit harder
*Dipping bread in olive oil is a good idea
*It's good to taste again (after having a cold)
*Who really is the best super hero ever?
*I'm going to try to smuggle a bamboo shoot back to the US
*My time here is going WAY too quickly.
*It's really ironic to be taking Race & Ethnicity in America over Distance Ed. Especially when I'm not in the states.
*I wish I could speak Cantonese or Mandarin
*Or at least decent Spanish
*Pizza hut is not a great place to go for a birthday
*It's a good thing that places here don't have sprinkler systems...we lit a cake with 17 candles in Pizza Hut w/o anyone yelling at us or getting sprayed with water.
*Climbing over a wall that has a thorn tree growing over top isn't a pleasant experience
*I am woman, hear me roar, I climb over an 8 foot wall. Oogah, oogah (Cavewoman voice)
*Lilies are definitely my favorite flower
*Contacts shouldn't be left in for three days straight
*Sportsmanship doesn't seem to develop in males until age 13 or later
*It only costs $10.30 to mail a large card to the states (that's like $1.50 USD)
*Guys should NOT shape, wax, or pluck their eyebrows (unless they are bordering on a unibrow)
*Is it bad to forget to bring your Bible to a prayer meeting?
*It's always easy to be willing to learn when you're in a new place, because you have to learn, because it's new. But when you're used to a place, liking to learn gets a bit harder
*Dipping bread in olive oil is a good idea
*It's good to taste again (after having a cold)
*Who really is the best super hero ever?
*I'm going to try to smuggle a bamboo shoot back to the US
*My time here is going WAY too quickly.
*It's really ironic to be taking Race & Ethnicity in America over Distance Ed. Especially when I'm not in the states.
*I wish I could speak Cantonese or Mandarin
*Or at least decent Spanish
*Pizza hut is not a great place to go for a birthday
*It's a good thing that places here don't have sprinkler systems...we lit a cake with 17 candles in Pizza Hut w/o anyone yelling at us or getting sprayed with water.
*Climbing over a wall that has a thorn tree growing over top isn't a pleasant experience
*I am woman, hear me roar, I climb over an 8 foot wall. Oogah, oogah (Cavewoman voice)
*Lilies are definitely my favorite flower
*Contacts shouldn't be left in for three days straight
*Sportsmanship doesn't seem to develop in males until age 13 or later
*It only costs $10.30 to mail a large card to the states (that's like $1.50 USD)
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Unaware
Tonight after (R)evolve I stood on the train, in the usually position: leaning in a corner. I had my new iPod out, and was playing solitaire. I don't like to read when I'm standing, so I usually find something else to do if I don't get a seat. That, of course, is a huge waste of time since I only get a seat about 1/2 the time. So I was standing there, playing solitaire on a tiny little screen, when I decided to take a look around me. I noticed a guy on the bench adjacent to me, on the end, reading a book. Bibles are really, the most recognizable books in the world. I had no doubt that it was a Bible, and not a Koran, the book of Mormon, or any other type of prayer book. Whoever decided that all Bibles should look relatively the same was a genius. Unless, they don't, and it's just something a fellow Christian knows. I found myself observing him almost the whole rest of the train ride. My heart just seemed to warm as I watched him, and I felt so connected somehow, connected to God, and to him. I looked at the Bible, and it was in Chinese, and it made me smile. I felt closer to him than to anyone on the train (the kids that were with me in the beginning left), and he was reading the Word of God in Chinese. It was great. I felt compelled to whip out my Bible (by that point I had put away my game of solitaire and was feeling sufficiently guilty for not attempting to read because I was standing up...) and start reading, or run over to him and say, "Amen brother!" and walk away.
He encouraged me so much. I watched him turn a page, then turn it back, and reread it, he was studying his Bible, and taking pleasure out of it. So often I don't study the Bible when I'm on my own. I just read it. I usually only study it when I need to for a class or lesson or something. He has reignited my fervor for reading on the train, especially my Bible, I never will know who I encourage. I don't know why watching him gave me so much pleasure (he wasn't cute, it wasn't that...) but I was so encouraged, and it gave me joy knowing I was connected with him through the Holy Spirit. And the whole time, he was unaware.
He encouraged me so much. I watched him turn a page, then turn it back, and reread it, he was studying his Bible, and taking pleasure out of it. So often I don't study the Bible when I'm on my own. I just read it. I usually only study it when I need to for a class or lesson or something. He has reignited my fervor for reading on the train, especially my Bible, I never will know who I encourage. I don't know why watching him gave me so much pleasure (he wasn't cute, it wasn't that...) but I was so encouraged, and it gave me joy knowing I was connected with him through the Holy Spirit. And the whole time, he was unaware.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Lost in Interpretation
So I've been thinking a lot lately about interpretation. Earlier (like a few months ago), I was thinking about interpretations between people. The way people interpret what you are saying isn't necessarily what you are actually trying to say. People have these frames in which they are framing everything you say. In the same way, when I say something, I am framing it before I "send it out". Tricky. Yeah, if you need more clarification, go to my blog archives and look for the post "frames". Anywhoo. Back to the main subject.
Interpretation. I just finished the book Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. This book is amazing, and I recommend it to anyone, or most anyone. Rob Bell would be called an emergent thinker by most Christians. In the beginning of his book, he was talking about the authority of the Bible. He in every way states that the Bible is the true Word of God. He tells a lot of the Jewish history behind some things in the Bible. Like, the yoke. When Jesus says His yoke is easy, He was talking about His teachings. And he talks about how every Rabbi had his own interpretation of the Torah, and when a new Rabbi was said to have authority, it means that 3 other Rabbis had validated that this new interpretation was good and valid. Bell also talks about the practice of "binding and loosing", which is wrestling with a text and getting the meaning out of it. So yeah, it's hard to explain, but it all makes sense and he has the utmost respect and regard for the Holiness of the Bible. So then I started reading a John Piper book. In the beginning, he just goes through and talks about some of the people that have affected him in his faith journey. Piper was in college during the whole Existential movement in the 60s, where everyone could make up their own truth. So of course, his faith is firmly rooted on the premise that there is only one truth. Which I whole heartedly agree with. But Piper talks about there being only one meaning to a Bible passage, and that is the truth of the Bible. But the thing is, is that no one wants a Bible that was written 2000+ years ago by people who were writing to their own culture and time period, that has the exact same meaning that it did 2000 years ago. That makes it dead. Bell talks about wrestling with a text, looking at the original meaning, but saying that the whole power in the Bible is the interpretation that the Holy Spirit is doing with and in you and the text. But the thing with that is, that no one wants a Bible that is wishy washy and that can be explained away as a person's interpretation of the truth. Or that someone can simply say, "Oh, the Spirit led me to this." So many people use that phrase in the name of truth, and it is the exact opposite of that. So many people have their versions of the truth, or how they claim the truth. So yes, this is the quandary that I find myself in. And currently, the sinus pressure in my head is killing my brain cells, so I don't have any left to wrestle with this tonight. More on this later. If you have any thoughts, please leave a comment.
Interpretation. I just finished the book Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. This book is amazing, and I recommend it to anyone, or most anyone. Rob Bell would be called an emergent thinker by most Christians. In the beginning of his book, he was talking about the authority of the Bible. He in every way states that the Bible is the true Word of God. He tells a lot of the Jewish history behind some things in the Bible. Like, the yoke. When Jesus says His yoke is easy, He was talking about His teachings. And he talks about how every Rabbi had his own interpretation of the Torah, and when a new Rabbi was said to have authority, it means that 3 other Rabbis had validated that this new interpretation was good and valid. Bell also talks about the practice of "binding and loosing", which is wrestling with a text and getting the meaning out of it. So yeah, it's hard to explain, but it all makes sense and he has the utmost respect and regard for the Holiness of the Bible. So then I started reading a John Piper book. In the beginning, he just goes through and talks about some of the people that have affected him in his faith journey. Piper was in college during the whole Existential movement in the 60s, where everyone could make up their own truth. So of course, his faith is firmly rooted on the premise that there is only one truth. Which I whole heartedly agree with. But Piper talks about there being only one meaning to a Bible passage, and that is the truth of the Bible. But the thing is, is that no one wants a Bible that was written 2000+ years ago by people who were writing to their own culture and time period, that has the exact same meaning that it did 2000 years ago. That makes it dead. Bell talks about wrestling with a text, looking at the original meaning, but saying that the whole power in the Bible is the interpretation that the Holy Spirit is doing with and in you and the text. But the thing with that is, that no one wants a Bible that is wishy washy and that can be explained away as a person's interpretation of the truth. Or that someone can simply say, "Oh, the Spirit led me to this." So many people use that phrase in the name of truth, and it is the exact opposite of that. So many people have their versions of the truth, or how they claim the truth. So yes, this is the quandary that I find myself in. And currently, the sinus pressure in my head is killing my brain cells, so I don't have any left to wrestle with this tonight. More on this later. If you have any thoughts, please leave a comment.
This Year in Review
I promised the classic New Years post, so here it is. And, it is not technically late, because Chinese New Year is still a month away!
In 2006 I...:
*Finished my first year at Northwestern
*Got a new sister
*Dyed my hair for the first time
*Tore 3 ligaments
*Had my second knee surgery
*Got closer to my other sister
*Broke up with my first boyfriend
*Got closer to my sister in law
*Started learning about and loving homeless/destitute people
*Was in my first car accident
*Finished a scrapbook that I had been working on for two years
*Made many new friends
*Had 2 of the best roommates ever
*Prepared for an internship
*Came to Hong Kong
*Learned so many things that are too numerous to count
*Got a bigger view of the world
*Went to Taiwan for the first time (very briefly, just a layover...)
*Went to LA for the first time
*Went to Thailand for the first time
*Experienced some of the hottest weather I've ever been in
*Have had my socks blessed off
*Spoke my first phrase of Cantonese to a native speaker (it took a lot of effort, I missed my bus stop many times because I was too afraid to say anything)
*Met a ton of international people
*Gained perspective (on many levels)
*Inherited a "niece" (for lack of a better word) for a time...Isabella...I love that baby!
*Lost confidence
*Gained it back again
*Lived through an earthquake (heheheheheee)
*Gained another family (the Roses)
*Missed the first election I was able to vote in
*Gained another family (the Enns)
*Realized what loneliness feels like
*Appreciated my own family more than ever
*Realized my family isn't quite conventional
*Learned (still learning) about leadership
*Ate real sushi, at a real sushi place
*Ate fried squid (not bad)
*learned to like cucumbers, asparagus, and tomatoes
*Learned how to make homemade frosting
*Learned how to find my way around a new country (I am now fairly confident)
*Got lost about a million times before I came to the previous point
*Stayed outside for a whole night with Brett to win the golden ticket at Krispy Kreme! (PS. We won)
*Got sick of Krispy Kremes (never thought that would happen)
*Realized there are more Indians than the 5 that are in MN.
*Turned 20
...That's all for now...maybe I'll add more!
In 2006 I...:
*Finished my first year at Northwestern
*Got a new sister
*Dyed my hair for the first time
*Tore 3 ligaments
*Had my second knee surgery
*Got closer to my other sister
*Broke up with my first boyfriend
*Got closer to my sister in law
*Started learning about and loving homeless/destitute people
*Was in my first car accident
*Finished a scrapbook that I had been working on for two years
*Made many new friends
*Had 2 of the best roommates ever
*Prepared for an internship
*Came to Hong Kong
*Learned so many things that are too numerous to count
*Got a bigger view of the world
*Went to Taiwan for the first time (very briefly, just a layover...)
*Went to LA for the first time
*Went to Thailand for the first time
*Experienced some of the hottest weather I've ever been in
*Have had my socks blessed off
*Spoke my first phrase of Cantonese to a native speaker (it took a lot of effort, I missed my bus stop many times because I was too afraid to say anything)
*Met a ton of international people
*Gained perspective (on many levels)
*Inherited a "niece" (for lack of a better word) for a time...Isabella...I love that baby!
*Lost confidence
*Gained it back again
*Lived through an earthquake (heheheheheee)
*Gained another family (the Roses)
*Missed the first election I was able to vote in
*Gained another family (the Enns)
*Realized what loneliness feels like
*Appreciated my own family more than ever
*Realized my family isn't quite conventional
*Learned (still learning) about leadership
*Ate real sushi, at a real sushi place
*Ate fried squid (not bad)
*learned to like cucumbers, asparagus, and tomatoes
*Learned how to make homemade frosting
*Learned how to find my way around a new country (I am now fairly confident)
*Got lost about a million times before I came to the previous point
*Stayed outside for a whole night with Brett to win the golden ticket at Krispy Kreme! (PS. We won)
*Got sick of Krispy Kremes (never thought that would happen)
*Realized there are more Indians than the 5 that are in MN.
*Turned 20
...That's all for now...maybe I'll add more!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
It's been a while...
So it's been a while, hasn't it. Let me explain. The holidays rushed by, and then my mom came for a visit, and then I had been procrastinating for so long, that I was avoiding blogging like the plague. (Or SARS, if you want me to be more culturally relevant.) In any case... I have a lot of catching up to do. This post might end up being a blurred, boggled, mess of a blog, being that it's been so long! So lets get it started...
Christmas:
Christmas was definitely good. Definitely different as well. It was my first Christmas away from home, or any family. (The fact that I knew my mom was coming 3 days later did help though.) I spent the majority of the month of December at Mike n' Melissa's flat. That was very nice on several levels. 1. It was good to spend Christmas with people who have known me for years. 2. It's more centrally located. And most importantly 3. I LOVE THOSE GUYS! Seriously, I know you both are reading this, and it's semi cheesy, but I appreciate everything that you did, and still do to make me feel more at home, especially during the holidays. The best present that I saw over Christmas has got to be Isabella's tent. Ok, so when you think of a tent for a 19 month old, you think small. Isabella is so loved that she got a good sized tent. And when I say "good sized", I mean like it was a regular Gander Mountain 2 person tent (only with Hello Kitty all over it). Hahahha. No, but really, she loves it, and it's so cute when she invites you to play in it...that kid has a heart of gold. Melissa made a fabulous Christmas feast complete with turkey, cranberries, mashed potatoes, asparagus that I actually liked, and a "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake. It's amazing what that woman can do in such a small kitchen.
My mom arrived on the 28th. We stayed at the High Rock Christian Centre, where a family from our church also live. The name High Rock really isn't just to sound pretty. It's on the top of this really random hill, and to get to it, you have to climb a series of extremely steep inclines. And then when you get to the top, there's a set of stairs that climbs almost like a ladder. It was quite an adventure to get the suitcases up there. The hill aside, it was a great place to stay. The room we were in had a couch with a hyda-bed in it, and a bed up high with a desk underneath, a kitchenette, and a bathroom complete with washer/dryer and a shower.
It's really amazing how ingenious Hong Kongers are with space. A previous tenant had rigged a pulley system in the hallway where he could attach his bike and raise it to the ultra-high ceiling. The second bed was super high (the best mattress in Hong Kong though), and the bathroom had this wooden rack thing on a pulley. We figured out a few days in that once you wash your clothes, you can hang them on the rack, raise it to the high ceiling, and then there was a conveniently located fan pointed directly at the raised rack so it would be a speedier process. Genius, I tell you!
Me and my mom did a slew of things while she was here. We went to the Peak, SoHo to get Krispy Kremes, around the Island, a Chinese tea class, Cheng Cheu Island (rural fishing island...we got to eat seafood for really cheap at an oceanside restaurant and walk in the S. China Sea), Enns', TST to get Ebeneezer's (great Lebanese food), Heritage Museum, a temple, and some other random things that are escaping my mind. But we were running every second. I am so glad that she got to come. The ticket was actually a surprise from my aunt and uncle. What a blessing! My mom is such a prayer warrior. When she found out I was going to HK, she immediately thought of visiting. But then realized that we wouldn't be able to afford it. Then she kept praying about it, and in the fall, she was surprised with this ticket! What a blessing. It was so cool to have her come and bring a little bit of home with her. I was glad that she got to meet some of the kids here and sit in on some of the youth group activities. I think the thing that most pleasantly surprised me that I missed was praying before going to bed (yes, childhood tradition, that still goes on, even my older brother prays with the parentals when home on break) and hugs and kisses. I really didn't realize how much I missed physical touch from family. So yeah. That's the trip in a nutshell. If you know my mom, and are interested in hearing more, ask her to show you the DVD...she constantly had her video camera out, much to my chagrin =) (PM, I get a point for using "chagrin")
New Years:
New Years was not too different from normal: the classic youth group Lock In. This was a ton of fun. The kids were so laid back and actually just wanted to sit in one room most of the time and play board games and Xbox and watch movies. It was great. I think the kids here rarely have an extended time to relax and hang out with friends without other pressures. One girl did, however, bring one of her textbooks, I don't think she got a lot of studying in. I am going to write a separate New Years post highlighting 2006 for you all. I tried to do it last year, but never got around to it.
Since then:
*I moved out of High Rock and back to the Enns'. It's good to be back in their home, and I missed them. They are now obsessed with this game called Settlers. It's seriously a huge family event. I finally got to play last night. Needless to say, I lost badly. I think they've played at least 15 games of it since they got it a few days after Christmas!
*I'm a little bit sick, so you could pray for me if you think about it. I don't think I'm terribly sick, because when I take medicine, I'm good for "6-8 hours".
*Youth worship started playing again on a regular basis. (We took a break for a few reasons)
We have a new sound system that we share with other groups in the church and today was the first time we used in Sunday School. It was sweet. No amps to carry upstairs, and we even had mics! YESSSS!
*I have started a girls Bible study. PM had wanted me to start one eventually. The cool part about this is that one of the girls approached me and said that she knew the boys had a Bible study, and she was wondering if I would start one. I was totally blown away. So we have officially met 2 times. Attendance is a little lacking, but that is to be expected. Pray that more girls would come, and also that I would be able to develop teaching skills. Teaching is not my favorite thing (mostly because I'm not very good at it), and the worst part is that it takes practice to be good at it. (Annoying how that works, isn't it?) But I am deep down thankful for the opportunity to develop my teaching skills, get to develop my relationship with these girls, learn more about the Bible as I prepare, and share life with them, as they share with me. And so, we are both learning, which I have realized is a good and necessary component.
*I will be starting online classes through NWC soon, so pray that I can manage my time wisely and do well in these classes.
That's all for now. Adios.
Christmas:
Christmas was definitely good. Definitely different as well. It was my first Christmas away from home, or any family. (The fact that I knew my mom was coming 3 days later did help though.) I spent the majority of the month of December at Mike n' Melissa's flat. That was very nice on several levels. 1. It was good to spend Christmas with people who have known me for years. 2. It's more centrally located. And most importantly 3. I LOVE THOSE GUYS! Seriously, I know you both are reading this, and it's semi cheesy, but I appreciate everything that you did, and still do to make me feel more at home, especially during the holidays. The best present that I saw over Christmas has got to be Isabella's tent. Ok, so when you think of a tent for a 19 month old, you think small. Isabella is so loved that she got a good sized tent. And when I say "good sized", I mean like it was a regular Gander Mountain 2 person tent (only with Hello Kitty all over it). Hahahha. No, but really, she loves it, and it's so cute when she invites you to play in it...that kid has a heart of gold. Melissa made a fabulous Christmas feast complete with turkey, cranberries, mashed potatoes, asparagus that I actually liked, and a "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake. It's amazing what that woman can do in such a small kitchen.
My mom arrived on the 28th. We stayed at the High Rock Christian Centre, where a family from our church also live. The name High Rock really isn't just to sound pretty. It's on the top of this really random hill, and to get to it, you have to climb a series of extremely steep inclines. And then when you get to the top, there's a set of stairs that climbs almost like a ladder. It was quite an adventure to get the suitcases up there. The hill aside, it was a great place to stay. The room we were in had a couch with a hyda-bed in it, and a bed up high with a desk underneath, a kitchenette, and a bathroom complete with washer/dryer and a shower.
It's really amazing how ingenious Hong Kongers are with space. A previous tenant had rigged a pulley system in the hallway where he could attach his bike and raise it to the ultra-high ceiling. The second bed was super high (the best mattress in Hong Kong though), and the bathroom had this wooden rack thing on a pulley. We figured out a few days in that once you wash your clothes, you can hang them on the rack, raise it to the high ceiling, and then there was a conveniently located fan pointed directly at the raised rack so it would be a speedier process. Genius, I tell you!
Me and my mom did a slew of things while she was here. We went to the Peak, SoHo to get Krispy Kremes, around the Island, a Chinese tea class, Cheng Cheu Island (rural fishing island...we got to eat seafood for really cheap at an oceanside restaurant and walk in the S. China Sea), Enns', TST to get Ebeneezer's (great Lebanese food), Heritage Museum, a temple, and some other random things that are escaping my mind. But we were running every second. I am so glad that she got to come. The ticket was actually a surprise from my aunt and uncle. What a blessing! My mom is such a prayer warrior. When she found out I was going to HK, she immediately thought of visiting. But then realized that we wouldn't be able to afford it. Then she kept praying about it, and in the fall, she was surprised with this ticket! What a blessing. It was so cool to have her come and bring a little bit of home with her. I was glad that she got to meet some of the kids here and sit in on some of the youth group activities. I think the thing that most pleasantly surprised me that I missed was praying before going to bed (yes, childhood tradition, that still goes on, even my older brother prays with the parentals when home on break) and hugs and kisses. I really didn't realize how much I missed physical touch from family. So yeah. That's the trip in a nutshell. If you know my mom, and are interested in hearing more, ask her to show you the DVD...she constantly had her video camera out, much to my chagrin =) (PM, I get a point for using "chagrin")
New Years:
New Years was not too different from normal: the classic youth group Lock In. This was a ton of fun. The kids were so laid back and actually just wanted to sit in one room most of the time and play board games and Xbox and watch movies. It was great. I think the kids here rarely have an extended time to relax and hang out with friends without other pressures. One girl did, however, bring one of her textbooks, I don't think she got a lot of studying in. I am going to write a separate New Years post highlighting 2006 for you all. I tried to do it last year, but never got around to it.
Since then:
*I moved out of High Rock and back to the Enns'. It's good to be back in their home, and I missed them. They are now obsessed with this game called Settlers. It's seriously a huge family event. I finally got to play last night. Needless to say, I lost badly. I think they've played at least 15 games of it since they got it a few days after Christmas!
*I'm a little bit sick, so you could pray for me if you think about it. I don't think I'm terribly sick, because when I take medicine, I'm good for "6-8 hours".
*Youth worship started playing again on a regular basis. (We took a break for a few reasons)
We have a new sound system that we share with other groups in the church and today was the first time we used in Sunday School. It was sweet. No amps to carry upstairs, and we even had mics! YESSSS!
*I have started a girls Bible study. PM had wanted me to start one eventually. The cool part about this is that one of the girls approached me and said that she knew the boys had a Bible study, and she was wondering if I would start one. I was totally blown away. So we have officially met 2 times. Attendance is a little lacking, but that is to be expected. Pray that more girls would come, and also that I would be able to develop teaching skills. Teaching is not my favorite thing (mostly because I'm not very good at it), and the worst part is that it takes practice to be good at it. (Annoying how that works, isn't it?) But I am deep down thankful for the opportunity to develop my teaching skills, get to develop my relationship with these girls, learn more about the Bible as I prepare, and share life with them, as they share with me. And so, we are both learning, which I have realized is a good and necessary component.
*I will be starting online classes through NWC soon, so pray that I can manage my time wisely and do well in these classes.
That's all for now. Adios.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
My International Christmas Part I
Well, I haven't written for a while, and now the advent season is at its peak, it's Christmas Eve!!!
This Christmas season has been quite different for obvious reasons. Last night was the CityWide Christmas Celebration. It is put on by a committee of people and sponsored by business men all over Hong Kong. The goal of the event is to bring together the English Speaking Congregations and the Cantonese Speaking churches. We had 6 kids go plus a one family. It was over on the Island in Hong Kong Stadium. The big event of the stadium is the Sevens. (The Rugby Sevens) About 8,000 people were there, and it was a three hour long program translated in both Cantonese and English. An Australian band did the worship, there was a speaker, and dancers, and also a really cute Christmas program. It's so fun to be in such an international place. I never thought I would hear Mary say, "Hi-ya, hi-ya, the baby is coming!" It was so cute. Again, I just stopped and took a moment to look around at the place I am, and where God has placed me for this short while, and I am in awe, and so thankful. Even though it's not the most convenient, it was fun to need to listen to a message through a translator.
And that was Part I of my Christmas Extravaganza
This Christmas season has been quite different for obvious reasons. Last night was the CityWide Christmas Celebration. It is put on by a committee of people and sponsored by business men all over Hong Kong. The goal of the event is to bring together the English Speaking Congregations and the Cantonese Speaking churches. We had 6 kids go plus a one family. It was over on the Island in Hong Kong Stadium. The big event of the stadium is the Sevens. (The Rugby Sevens) About 8,000 people were there, and it was a three hour long program translated in both Cantonese and English. An Australian band did the worship, there was a speaker, and dancers, and also a really cute Christmas program. It's so fun to be in such an international place. I never thought I would hear Mary say, "Hi-ya, hi-ya, the baby is coming!" It was so cute. Again, I just stopped and took a moment to look around at the place I am, and where God has placed me for this short while, and I am in awe, and so thankful. Even though it's not the most convenient, it was fun to need to listen to a message through a translator.
And that was Part I of my Christmas Extravaganza
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Cold Weather Warning
Melissa just read me this blurb from the Hong Kong Observatory (weather site), and I thought that everyone might get a quick out of this...PS. the temperature in Fahrenheit is 61 degrees...the humidity is like 30%. Yeah, this is Hong Kong for you....but fyi, I was even chilly today...there's just something about the cold here, it's just different.
COLD WEATHER WARNING
COLD WEATHER WARNING
COLD WEATHER WARNING
THE COLD WEATHER WARNING IS NOW IN FORCE.
THE HONG KONG OBSERVATORY IS FORECASTING COLD WEATHER IN
HONG KONG DURING THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD AND TOMORROW MORNING.
AS HONG KONG IS BEING AFFECTED BY A COLD WINTER MONSOON,
PEOPLE ARE ADVISED TO PUT ON WARM CLOTHES AND TO AVOID
ADVERSE HEALTH EFFECTS DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER. YOU MUST
ALSO ENSURE ADEQUATE INDOOR VENTILATION.
IF YOU MUST GO OUT, PLEASE AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO
WINTRY WINDS.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
The Return of Liturgy
I've decided to start praying before my meals again. I haven't regularly since last spring. It was at that time when I realized (via lectures of a certain professor) that I wasn't bound and sworn to pray before every meal, and that, in fact, sometimes going through the motions leaves out the heart of what we do as Christians. So from then on, I have only sporadically given thanks before my meals. Not because I wasn't generally thankful, but because I was just going through the motions without my heart. Is that a greater sin to pray without heart, or to not pray at all? I'm not quite sure any of us can say. Pastor Ed recently spoke about the freedom we have in Christ. We have freedom from sin, and as Paul says, everything is permissible, but not beneficial
(I Corinthians 10). He talked about how many Christians these days focus most on the freedom aspect than of our slavery to everyone in righteousness.
I am currently reading MUDHOUSE SABBATH, which is a great book, that I highly recommend. That author tells of the richness of Jewish Tradition and Liturgy, and how it can enrich a Christian's life. So I bring back my thrice daily (and sometimes more if we count snacks) liturgy of mealtime prayer. Not because I feel obligated, or that I have suddenly realized that I need to verbally express my gratitude to God. (Which of course, I do), but because eating is something that I do regularly, and praying is something that I should do even more of. Winner, (the author of MUDHOUSE SABBATH) talks about the rhyme and rhythm, and how liturgy brings that into our lives. The regular (which doesn't have to be mundane) pattern of connections that we make with God. So with that, I bring back more of my daily liturgy, and maybe some new. Starting with my mealtime prayers. Hopefully it starts a new pattern of meaningful connections with God. And who knows, I may feel the need to stop the liturgy again for a time, and I may not. But even so, I will try, and I challenge you to as well, to bring back a bit of liturgy, of daily rhyme and rhythm back into your life. Because with, "Great freedom, comes great responsibility." (Uncle Ben--from Spiderman)
(I Corinthians 10). He talked about how many Christians these days focus most on the freedom aspect than of our slavery to everyone in righteousness.
I am currently reading MUDHOUSE SABBATH, which is a great book, that I highly recommend. That author tells of the richness of Jewish Tradition and Liturgy, and how it can enrich a Christian's life. So I bring back my thrice daily (and sometimes more if we count snacks) liturgy of mealtime prayer. Not because I feel obligated, or that I have suddenly realized that I need to verbally express my gratitude to God. (Which of course, I do), but because eating is something that I do regularly, and praying is something that I should do even more of. Winner, (the author of MUDHOUSE SABBATH) talks about the rhyme and rhythm, and how liturgy brings that into our lives. The regular (which doesn't have to be mundane) pattern of connections that we make with God. So with that, I bring back more of my daily liturgy, and maybe some new. Starting with my mealtime prayers. Hopefully it starts a new pattern of meaningful connections with God. And who knows, I may feel the need to stop the liturgy again for a time, and I may not. But even so, I will try, and I challenge you to as well, to bring back a bit of liturgy, of daily rhyme and rhythm back into your life. Because with, "Great freedom, comes great responsibility." (Uncle Ben--from Spiderman)
Monday, December 11, 2006
Brief Explanation
The previous post is partly the product of introspection and part of procrastination (I was supposed to be writing a paper at the time that I wrote that poem) The words are a bit cheesy, yes, but at least I enjoyed writing them.
Free Verse
Life as we know it,
it's only part of a chorus
of the grand symphony that is being directed
let the music of mystery flood your ears
let the unknown notes fill your page
Let your fingers flow with the unknown rhythm
Of the song
Life as we know it,
it's only a portion of the picture
like a poloroid half developed
let your eyes open to the whole
let them float over the beauty of the colors
over the lines and the texture
soak in the beauty
contemplate the meaning
Of the picture
Life as we know it,
is only a drop in the glass
of the waters that could cover the highest mountain
Let your limbs free flow
Let the air fill your lungs before you take the plunge
and swim in the vast depth
of the water
Life as we know it,
is only a small coal
in the fire that burns and refines
that melts the gold down
Let the heat surround your heart
Let the fire burn your soul and purify
As you slowly become a diamond
A diamond still
In the fire
it's only part of a chorus
of the grand symphony that is being directed
let the music of mystery flood your ears
let the unknown notes fill your page
Let your fingers flow with the unknown rhythm
Of the song
Life as we know it,
it's only a portion of the picture
like a poloroid half developed
let your eyes open to the whole
let them float over the beauty of the colors
over the lines and the texture
soak in the beauty
contemplate the meaning
Of the picture
Life as we know it,
is only a drop in the glass
of the waters that could cover the highest mountain
Let your limbs free flow
Let the air fill your lungs before you take the plunge
and swim in the vast depth
of the water
Life as we know it,
is only a small coal
in the fire that burns and refines
that melts the gold down
Let the heat surround your heart
Let the fire burn your soul and purify
As you slowly become a diamond
A diamond still
In the fire
Sunday, December 10, 2006
A Penny For My Thoughts?
Here are some random, unstructured thoughts of mine.
*I like high school band concerts, as long as:
a. They don't go too long (two hours is the max)
b. There is enough variety
c. The chairs are comfortable
d. There is a minimum amount of talking
*Spaghetti House lasagna is the best in the world
*I am really excited for Christmas
*Tomorrow is my day off
*John Travolta sucks
*Starbucks' Peppermint Mocha is the best coffee holiday drink in any coffee shop
*Red sprinkles totally makes anything better
*It is always fun at a social gathering to sit next to someone and comment on everything. Ex. Sitting next to PM at the band concert...so funny. The poor people in front of us probably hated it. We played Peggy Kohl's clapping game. Peggy, I wish you had been there!
*My mom is coming to Hong Kong in a couple of weeks
*I wore an Indian tunic thing today and I felt very Indian
*I have a great new Chai recipe
*Hummus is still the best
*Canadians say "drama" (Draw-ma) like d-ram-a, with the ram pronounce "ram"
*Ballroom dancing is sweet...I wish I knew more dances and had people to dance with
*It's getting "chilly" here, lower 70s, and 60s at night
Here are some random, semi-structured thoughts of mine:
The roof of the Enns' house is one of my favorite spots in Hong Kong, and almost from the beginning, I thought that it would be so beautiful to string white Christmas lights and have a party up there. So I decided to throw a Christmas party for the Enns' last night instead of trying to buy all of them presents that they would like. I had so much fun planning this party: I bought white Christmas lights and strung them along the roof, then I got fake evergreen strands and hung them across the clotheslines, and I got hors d'oeuvres, made a cake with "Merry Christmas" on the top, and I got lasagna from Spaghetti house. Seriously, that is the best lasagna in the whole world. Then we all ate on the roof, it was so pretty with the white lights, the foggy mountains all around, and the Christmas music playing in the background from my computer. I had so much fun throwing it for them, I appreciate them so much.
Tonight was the CAIS Christmas band conference. Christian Alliance is the school that Art Enns is the headmaster of, and our church works pretty closely with them. I eat lunch there with the kids once a week, and about 10 of our kids go there. Tonight the 5th, 6th, concert, philharmonic, and jazz bands played. The dance class also did several ballroom dances. It was so fun going. As me and Lori and Mike were waiting in the foyer for the doors to open, and I realized how many people I've gotten to know. I was able to say hi to several parents of kids I know and a lot of the teachers as well. Then when the bands started playing, I was able to pick out kids that I know, which happened to be a lot, and just be excited to see them play. This fall, our main theme in the youth group has been the Jesus Creed from Mark 12(Love God, Love others). I could say that the reason I am here is "for the kids, and to get to know them and lead and serve them" (which I have said before, and it is true, but it's so much more). But what God has called me to is living globally or doing ministry globally (that is my new term for missions or being a missionary). Living as a Christian means glorifying God and loving others. Most often, this means getting into their lives, and letting them get into yours as you glorify God, love them, and serve together. As I was sitting there, watching all the kids, I realized how much I've gotten to know and started to love these kids. And they've gotten to me as much as I have to them. It was so fun to pick out kids and know their personality, and who their friends are, and who they are.
And one more thing:
Last week, Kay, one of our (R)evolve girls asked me if there was going to be a girls' Bible Study, like the one that Mike leads with several of the boys. Of course I said yes, and in fact, this is something that Mike had in mind from the beginning. I will start it after Christmas. But I'm really nervous about this. I know I just need to dive in and do it, but it's new, to lead a Bible study alone, with people who aren't my peers. So I have to find a Bible study that would be appropriate and that would be a good fit for the girls. And I'm mostly nervous about the actual teaching part. Teaching isn't exactly my forte, relationship building is. And I know that knowing how to teach just takes practice, which I will get plenty of this year. And I think I'm partly nervous about the preparation and the personal responsibility it means for me as well. Like I said, I am a relational person, and leading kids that are 3 years younger than me (those are the oldest) is hard. It's hard not to go into friend mode, and I need to remember that I must first be a leader and that their spiritual lives are most important, and friend comes last. So with that, please just pray for every aspect of this upcoming Bible study: That I will know which study to choose, that I would be able to dive in with my heart, and that it would all just fall into place, and that God would lead me and show me how to lead as well.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
The Sky Looks like Grape Pop
The other night I was walking on the sidewalk, and it was getting dark. Through a clearing in the skyline, I could see the buildings across the harbour. The sky should have been dark blue or black, but for some reason, with the lights and the pollution, it looked exactly like the color of grape pop. I don't particularly like grape pop, but I liked the look of the sky, and it amused me. I thought to myself, What a great beginning to a blog that would be... so I started writing this. But there is nothing really to follow this great, random thought of mine. So with that thought, I leave you with this: May you see a sky that looks like grape pop sometime in your life, and share a smile and a chuckle with me that is not subject to time or distance.
El Fin
El Fin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
