March 31, 2004
Augustine Interviews God
For more click here (via Real Live Preacher)
Broken People
"God calls very broken people to enter ministry, for, once healed, it is out-of brokenness that we accomplish our greatest ministry of healing toward others."
~ Managing the Congregation, p. 18
Moh Foong has put up the latest 2003 pictures of BLC here
March 30, 2004
Random Thoughts hoping for better tomorrows
I really never expected that Mom's place would have a break-in that totally messed up our week (at least the last two days). But then, none of us can ever be truly ready for any form of invasion ...
Under stress when I found out about another unwanted event ( another kind of invasion). It's such a roller coaster ride the last two days.
Dinner with Mom was good tonight, I think Gareth brought her some joy in spite of what had happened.
Reading The Homiletical Plot (Expanded Edition) by Eugene Lowry.
It's been sometime since I've read a book on preaching. Interesting to find out what's in the minds of those in the pew. When will the time come when we move away or at least beyond a "consumeristic" approach to the sermon and towards a let's listen to God's message for us together both the so called "speaker" as well as the "listener"?
Spent some time with my God-son the past couple of days ... what a mixture of fun and discipline. hmmm....
Intrigued by the non-mainstream responses (and another link here) to our new PM's cabinet line-up.
Delighted to get in touch with two young men I've always wanted to read ... thanks Ben for finally letting me in into your head. And of course Yoshua ... the one and only :-) ... just wished they had rss feeds.
For the first time, I have a chance to help someone set up a blog ... I hope it helps.
Delighted read about John's reaction to A New Kind of Christian.
I love reading other people's blogs (as well as comments) ... it let's me know how they are doing, what they are thinking as far as they allow it ... at times I'm delighted, at other occassions pause in disappointment, many a times asking questions, other times just speechless ... but that's just part of life ...
Can't get a "particular" movement or influence that's "worming" in some churches and Christians I know out of my head. I'm sure it's probably going to continue expanding and it won't vanish just because I wish it will. An immediate reaction is "stay away from me!!!!", "i don't want anything to do with these guys", "Help! Lord, why are we stuck in all this nonsense?", "what happened to using our brains for a change huh?", ... the list is endless. ... need to focus on Jesus again ... if not, I might shout some profanity ... not to GOD, just when I think about the rubbish that's going around (forgive me Lord!)
March 29, 2004
Hell
~ From Spencer Burke
Just when I thought I could get re-oriented back to rhythm. The unpleasant unexpected happened. One feels invaded when your home is turned upside down (in this case it was my parents shophouse). Some portable property was stolen, and for my mom hard earned or saved money emptied, and I feel worse for my brother because the tools of his trade and "treasured" possessions disappear just like that. It's an awful feeling .... it's a numbing experience ... it's a glimpse of "hell" ... you might try to "rationalize" the causes or the "reason" behind all this ... we try to be somehow thankful no one was hurt in anyway ... but it does not take away the reality of "disappointment" ...
March 28, 2004
March 27, 2004
Attitudes to the Poor
Read and reflected on “Attitudes to the Poor in New Testament Times” in preparation on a message based on John 12.1-8.
Somehow reading the article coincides with our visit coming up this afternoon. We're visiting the NGO led by a friend I got to know better at the Asian Mission Conference in S'pore. The NGO is focused on working with the poor.
On top of that, I just got my copy of Byrant Myers book below. Is it coincidence, or an accident, or is it providence that all this is happening? It all depends which lens one chooses to look through, isn't it? :-)
>March 26, 2004
The Interview with God
click the picture and view the flash presentation and other info.
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THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD
I dreamed I had an interview with God.
“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.
“If you have the time” I said.
God smiled. “My time is eternity.”
“What questions do you have in mind for me?”
“What surprises you most about humankind?”
God answered...
“That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again.”
“That they lose their health to make money...
and then lose their money to restore their health.”
“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future.”
"That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived.”
God’s hand took mine
and we were silent for a while.
And then I asked...
“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
you want your children to learn?”
“To learn they cannot make anyone
love them. All they can do
is let themselves be loved.”
“To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others.”
“To learn to forgive
by practicing forgiveness.”
“To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in those they love,
and it can take many years to heal them.”
“To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.”
“To learn that there are people
who love them dearly,
but simply have not yet learned
how to express or show their feelings.”
“To learn that two people can
look at the same thing
and see it differently.”
“To learn that it is not enough that they
forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”
"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.
"Is there anything else
you would like your children to know?"
God smiled and said,
“Just know that I am here... always.”
-author unknown
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Health care chaos
Deserted by Doctors, India's Poor Turn to Quacks is a report that deserves attention and in some ways i couldn't help but even see it as an analogy for other areas from education to religion.
Two Journals
I've been keeping a spiritual journal since I was 17. Yesterday, i got introduced to the idea of a "management" journal from this book I borrowed from the seminary "Managing the Congregation: Building effective systems to serve people". I still don't feel attracted to the word "management" (even though the book is redeeming the word for me!) so I'll just call it my "ministry journal" for now ...
"The management journal is a log of what you are experiencing in your work-- the critical incidents that have happened in ministry -- key people, conversations, decisions and experiences: and what you are thinking about these. Just as important is the expression of your feelings about these incidents." (p. 35)
March 25, 2004
Stations of the Cross
Here's the powerpoint presentation I used for the STM talk. (according to my tech-guru kiffer ... it is advisable to right click and save!)
Simplistic answers
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In some countries, religious extremism has stepped into the power vacuums left by fall of dictatorships and the end of the Cold War, Tutu said.
"That is when fundamentalisms arise, because people then are deeply distressed by complexity," he said. "They look for simplistic answers." ~ Desmond Tutu Warns Against Fundamentalism
_______________________
I don't think many people I associate with would be strictly be called "fundamentalist". I'm sure they would detest the term ... I would, who likes to be labeled. But I believe many people around me are "distressed by complexity" and the temptation for us "look for simplistic answers" is ever before us.
If one just tries to "wrestle" with life's complexity, some look at us strangely with a "why-so-hard" glare. I know there are times we should take things easy, but even then the complexities don't vanish into thin air.
The reality is these simplistic answers won't help us, in fact the often hurt us in the long term. Living life with "despair" and no answers is not going to work too. That's why it can be so painful just trying to be human ... or a "pretty good person" (a phrase I got from Lewis Smedes), and ironically there's so much pleasure as well when we find some answers and are at least on the journey of discovery.
Qoheleth and Job
Found this article entitled Qoheleth and Job: Diverse Responses to the Enigma of Evil. I think it's good follow up on my newly ignited interest on these books. I've always found them fascinating!
Things Leaders Do
I borrowed two books on "change" & "management" from STM especially in relation to church. I've never felt close to the word "management" but I felt I needed to put my bias aside and look beyond the surface (will post up some goodies soon).
For now, on another area of interest I felt Fast Company has a good one on leadership.
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When GE's CEO Jeff Immelt teaches up-and-coming leaders at the company's famed management-development center, he runs through a checklist of what he calls "Things Leaders Do." In an interview with Fast Company , Immelt reveals his own leadership checklist.
1. Personal Responsibility.
"Enron and 9/11 marked the end of an era of individual freedom and the beginning of personal responsibility. You lead today by building teams and placing others first. It's not about you."
2. Simplify Constantly.
"I always use Jack [Welch] as my example here. Every leader needs to clearly explain the top three things the organization is working on. If you can't, then you're not leading well."
3. Understand Breadth, Depth, and Context.
"The most important thing I've learned since becoming CEO is context. It's how your company fits in with the world and how you respond to it."
4. The importance of alignment and time management.
"There is no real magic to being a good leader. But at the end of every week, you have to spend your time around the things that are really important: setting priorities, measuring outcomes, and rewarding them."
5. Leaders learn constantly and also have to learn how to teach.
"A leader's primary role is to teach. People who work with you don't have to agree with you, but they have to feel you're willing to share what you've learned."
6. Stay true to your own style.
"Leadership is an intense journey into yourself. You can use your own style to get anything done. It's about being self-aware. Every morning, I look in the mirror and say, 'I could have done three things better yesterday.' "
7. Manage by setting boundaries with freedom in the middle.
"The boundaries are commitment, passion, trust, and teamwork. Within those guidelines, there's plenty of freedom. But no one can cross those four boundaries."
8. Stay disciplined and detailed.
"Good leaders are never afraid to intervene personally on things that are important. Michael Dell can tell you how many computers were shipped from Singapore yesterday."
9. Leave a few things unsaid.
"I may know an answer, but I'll often let the team find its own way. Sometimes, being an active listener is much more effective than ending a meeting with me enumerating 17 actions."
10. Like people.
"Today, it's employment at will. Nobody's here who doesn't want to be here. So it's critical to understand people, to always be fair, and to want the best in them. And when it doesn't work, they need to know it's not personal."
__________________________
March 24, 2004
Wisdom from a Farmer
Thanks to McLaren for drawing my attention to Wendell Berry. After prof. Seow's interesting lecture on Proverbs I thought if the "editor" of Proverbs somehow weaved al those sayings within the rramework of "the fear of the Lord" sometimes my own reading of so called "non-religous" or strictly Christians writing helps me in the same way as well.
As a urban kid, his thoughs on rural life intrigue me ... read on!
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Berry is a strong defender of family, rural communities, and traditional family farms. He has developed 17 rules for the healthy functioning of sustainable local communities. The underlying principles could be described as 'the preservation of ecological diversity and integrity, and the renewal, on sound cultural and ecological principles, of local economies and local communities':
1. Always ask of any proposed change or innovation: What will this do to our community? How will this affect our common wealth.
2. Always include local nature - the land, the water, the air, the native creatures - within the membership of the community.
3. Always ask how local needs might be supplied from local sources, including the mutual help of neighbours.
4. Always supply local needs first (and only then think of exporting products - first to nearby cities, then to others).
5. Understand the ultimate unsoundness of the industrial doctrine of 'labour saving' if that implies poor work, unemployment, or any kind of pollution or contamination.
6. Develop properly scaled value-adding industries for local products to ensure that the community does not become merely a colony of national or global economy.
7. Develop small-scale industries and businesses to support the local farm and/or forest economy.
8. Strive to supply as mush of the community's own energy as possible.
9. Strive to increase earnings (in whatever form) within the community for as long as possible before they are paid out.
10. Make sure that money paid into the local economy circulates within the community and decrease expenditures outside the community.
11. Make the community able to invest in itself by maintaining its properties, keeping itself clean (without dirtying some other place), caring for its old people, and teaching its children.
12. Sees that the old and young take care of one another. The young must learn from the old, not necessarily, and not always in school. There must be no institutionalised childcare and no homes for the aged. The community knows and remembers itself by the association of old and young.
13. Account for costs now conventionally hidden or externalised. Whenever possible, these must be debited against monetary income.
14. Looks into the possible uses of local currency, community-funded loan programmes, systems of barter, and the like.
15. Always be aware of the economic value of neighbourly acts. In our time, the costs of living are greatly increased by the loss of neighbourhood, which leaves people to face their calamities alone.
16. A rural community should always be acquainted and interconnected with community-minded people in nearby towns and cities.
17. A sustainable rural economy will depend on urban consumers loyal to local products. Therefore, we are talking about an economy that will always be more cooperative than competitive.
Extra Wisdom for today
well ... I'm back. I enjoyed the sleep in STM, it's easy to fall asleep when the whole environment is so quiet. That's after feeding numerous mosquitos in the last post. :-)
Prof. Seow "re-enacted" beautifully two chapters of JOB so we could get the theological cues to interpret the whole book. I found his little side comment on how in the dialogue between the accuser and GOD showed us a glimpse on the "vulnerability of God". And how far he riskes being rejected because of such vulnerability!
A climatic closing question hit me hard,
"Do you worship God because he is God?
.... or just because he has blessed you with so many things?
... If God doesn't fit into your model of him, would you still worship him?"
I liked his challenge coming out from his exposition on the themes in JOB on bringing not only our GOD talk in line but also our GOD thoughts as well... who alone knows our hearts and hidden thoughts? God? most surely, and we ourselves too ...
I've heard the closing talk on Ecclesiasties before but this time with more detail. And I find myself more able to follow this socio-economic reading of the text. I just keep feeling a tug in my heart, hey we KL-PJ city folk must hear this message! Espccially how the standardization of currency and the love of money changes so many things!
I left Seremban today once again encouraged by this book to relate to GOD even though the world is out of control! There's this dimension where there's the "inscrutibility of God" I have to wrestle with. There's another part where I need to change and learn what true contentment is all about even without all the answers to life's questions and problems.
Feeding Mosquitos after being fed
well, wi-fi is good right now as I'm sitting outside the STM office trying to key in these words while defending myself from Kamikaze insects!
Prof. Seow is a passionate scholar, I can see he puts heart in his sharing. The Wisdom literature intro sparked me probably to read Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiates again with new eyes. I wonder especially after we finish the Torah the first five books of the Old Testament. It might be a good idea to do these three.
One thing hit me when he was talking about the meaning and metaphor for the word "torah" (usually translated or understood as law in the English Old Testament), he highlighted that the picture and meaning for Torah should be more of a "pointer" directing us to a right direction rather than legal law.
The emphasis on "theology from below" where our human experience and humanity is taken seriously is a good corrective not only for the religious of that time but also today.
I also liked the little gem he threw in drawing from wisdom literature on how the books deal with the positive aspect of human potential and yet realistically showing the danger of human power.
"Wisdom" defined or pictured more by the "art of steering" through life rather than just being intellectual and philosophical kind of affirmed some gut feelings I had about this especially in times when "bookish" cleverness is treated with suspicion.
I decided to join the part two of his "Daniel" lectures tonight and was served with an exegetical mixed with expository masterpiece of Daniel 7 with the detail that I'm not used too. Loved his mini-story telling of Cannanite mythology and how that gives insight to an important courtroom scene in the passage. Not too sure how BLC members or friends I invited for the same series in St. Paul's Anglican Church tomorrow can handle his depth. We here in Malaysia are often not used to such scholarship (though we need a healthy dose of it).
Before I go tonite, I've fed numerous mosquitos already .. a number of them sacrificed themselves after a feeding. I felt tonight I have a good closure.
The lectures this morning emphasized how the Wisdom literature (especially the three books mentioned) helps us deal with life in the here and now (with God somehow in the scene of course even though not explicitly many a times). And tonight the journey through Daniel 7 highlighted our lives in relation to the invisible, other-worldly aspect as well, we need both.
March 23, 2004
Wisdom from OT
It's nice to have a chance to just sit and be"lectured" to :-) especially in under someone like Professor Seow. The insights and info are just fabulous.
In our seminar this morning he highlighted the uniqueness of Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes. I need sometime to process this a bit before I put up more comments. For now I can only say, my mind is running wild in the relevance of these books in our complex world and how in different ways they offer pointers in multiple areas like Christian education, pastoral care and counseling plus preaching.
I loved the picture of kaleidoscope as a metaphor for reading the Scriptures he mentioned in passing.
Wi-Fi Delight
Gareth just loves water and he's just delighted when he can play in the pool. I guess, I feel a little bit like a kid when I could have Wi-Fi access here in the seminary in Seremban. Cool .... my first blog entry on using Wi-Fi ... splash .. splash!
March 22, 2004
Random Thoughts after Election Results
I was amused with the conversation I had with a malay-muslim uncle who drove the taxi I sat in this morning. He was clearly supportive of the government who would bring development and opportunity and yet he was very happy that Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh our two opposition party heavyweights through the years got elected this round. He said "We still need some voices to make some noise and keep the BN in check." I was even educated by the taxi driver in his views on Lim Guan Eng (Kit Siang's son), He said, "I like his mind ... he's sharp ... too bad he couldn't compete this round."
It was quick 10 minutes actually vote for the parliment seat and state seat. I'm glad I went later ...
sometimes the political analysts comes across as elite-better-than-thou rthetoricians rather than a humble servant helping people understand the complex nature of politics. I was delighted that at least one did a good job last night. Cheers to you ...
thanks David for the Oz view ... on the elections, click here. Since interacting with the Berry's, the Greningers, and the two Finnish guys connected to BLC, I've been enriched so much by the "cross-cultural" point of views.
Had some fun with Gareth a while a go ... he was kind of "kissing" me and then "chasing" me around ... he's really excited about walking now ... at KLCC yesterday he just wanted to get out of the restraunt ding his rounds!
It was a good dinner yesterday, it's wonderful when you can be at ease with those around the table and have a good meal together. I suppose that's why the "sinners" and "tax collectors " enjoyed Jesus company.
Still not back into rhythm yet ... I hope it'll be better today onwards ...
March 20, 2004
Bangsar.com.my
I was delighted to have a chance to get linked to this missing link ... :-)
Happenings between Sundays
one of the blessings and joys of blogging is that I get to "feel" and "know" what's going on in the lives of some of the BLC members who are blogging. And I get tremendous encouragement when I can see progress and growth in the "stuff" we are doing as a church or individuals. Check out some posts that really makes my heart jumping for joy about our efforts together to grow as humans and people who desire to follow Christ. Their blogs have loads of other stuff going on worth reading and it gives me a picture of how one integrates this whole lot into a "happening" life (I just picked those more directly related to BLC)!
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From David Berry:
... I can't believe my luck (how about you Keat Lim ?) that we are working through the OT as a church and discussing it in our LG setting at the same time I am doing the module for my study. I find this time of meditation helps me pick up areas that I missed when I read it and that we get some fantastic insight from our fellow disciples.
... It has been a long and busy week and I am grateful that it is finished though I have enough backlog to work over the weekend. Think I will give it a miss. We finished discussing Genesis and started Exodus tonight at life group. It is good to hear the others viewpoints so that we get a richer view of the text.
... Whew that was a fun night with lots of good food and some silly games. Darned if we could get the untangle the arms thing going in my team we got creamed every time. The two truths and one lie was good too as we found out a few new things about each other and debunked a few assumptions.
Craziest was the haboo (think that was the name) where you try and make each other laugh. Still think it was okay for me to give uncle a peck on the cheek to get him to smile !
Was fun to see two different groups get together and especially the kids. Kirsten misses not having a playmate around and she led Natalie around for half the night.
Fellowship is good......
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From John Cheah:
... LIFE Group yesterday was fun... had it at Bangsar Seafood Center. Different environment, with people around talking and a TV blaring in the background. Anyway, we learnt that it was important for the Israelites to be able to identify themselves in groups (tribes)... and so it is for us.... LIFE Groups.
... Wow! Never attended a church AGM before..... it was quite fun.... had plenty of laughs and had a chance to be serious as well. Congrats to the new adds to the Council of BLC. May the Lord lead you, James and Hoong Guit!
The way the AGM went, shows how close the church is as a body.... those that think and act as one need not be too worried about what's happening in the other areas, for everything is known. Basically, the hand hurts when the leg hurts, but the eye also rejoices when the ear rejoices. Here's to another great year being led by the Lord. Cheers, BLC!
... The LifeGroup completed the book this week..... whew! It was a powerful book.... we had to always remind our selves to read the OT books in the light of the NT... how Jesus would have read it.... So many seemingly difficult commands or laws.... yet seeing it through the lens of God (love), everything falls into place.... glad I finished the book with the help of God and the group... could not have done it without them all. Thanks Lord, and all you guys!
... Wow! I have not read the Bible THIS much before. 20 chapters a week for LIFE Group, skimming through 1 or 2 or more books a week for See Through the Scriptures (STS) class, and going in depth into the Old Testament for the London Bible College studies makes it quite taxing... but FUN.
Never realised how much I have missed in the past.
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From Moh Foong:
... Went for my first "See throught the scriptures" class b4 the worship gathering yesterday at church. We went thru 5 illustrations and Wai Kin made an interesting comment about how we & the world belongs to GOD and when we spend time with Him or doing His work we r not "robbing" Him of of his time. Hmmmm.....
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From James Tan:
... Reading the book of Job from The Message by Eugene Peterson, I'm intrigued by the fact that reading this book at this stage of my life bears a different meaning from my teenage years
March 19, 2004
Your Love is Amazing ...
~ Photo from last year's Lake Garden Worship Gathering ... first time I saw the shot today (thanks camera man!)
Alien Song
The first time I saw the Alien Song clip was at a Natural Church Development coaching Seminar. It entertained but got me thinking ... which is good.
For a better quality version click here
Pixar Short Films
As usual thanks to Jordon Cooper for this link
Fundamentalism - not FUN
"I must admit that my distaste for fundamentalism comes from a deeper well than an intellectual disagreement about the Bible. I do not have the constitution a person needs in order to be a fundamentalist; the literalism and absolutism of fundamentalism run against the grain of my stature. I seem to have been born with a need to look at both sides of the question: fundamentalism is dead set against giving me permission to satisfy this need. I certainly know fundamentalist who display richer grace and stronger love than I do. Their God is my God, their Savior is my Savior. And yet, I would not invite any of them to join me on a six-day fishing trip. I embrace fundamentalists as my brothers and sisters in faith, but we are not likely to become the closest of friends" ~ Lewis Smedes (emphasis mine, pp. 141-142, My God and I: A Spiritual Memoir)
I needed to get this out of my system. I wish I could vanish when I meet some people. I sometimes hope that I never need to deal with others. I need to keep stuff as general as possible ... I hear the internet is dangerous!
But yesterday was a strange day ... after some mini-conversations with a couple of people not from BLC, I really don't like somethings breeding in the wider Christian community in Malaysia and we're only 9-11% of the populations depending on how you want to count the stats.
What do you say to someone who's played a part in helping you come back to a faith journey in Christ but who insists on telling you what to do and not listening? (e.g. just keep on saying your wife is "a good thing" and your marriage will blossom ... hey! my wife is not a thing she's human. Or there's always these whatever non-sensical but good-sounding formula for money woes to family feuds dished out for our cosnsumption)
What do you do when you hear the same problem of so-called sincere people insisting their own ways that fragment the church ministries rather than integrate everyone in one common vision? (e.g. the best resources or the most energetic ones must all be chanelled into this one "solve-it-all" programme or area and the rest must just fall in line, hey what happened to the big picture?)
What do you do with those who want to live according to their own rules and ignores the rest of the leadership body? (e.g. one or two get special treatment because of some title in front of their names and the rest of the lot has to slog through the normal proper and right process - which is actually more beneficial)
What do you do when you see trends and patterns certain so called Christian businesses operate (usually in the name of GOD and mission) that some how smells more like it's about money and power and possibly fame? (e.g. they just want to keep on expanding and expanding with no regards of how it affects the people whom are working in their so called establishment ... tell me how much time can one have to think, reflect and get re-connected with GOD is you're arriving for work before some of us get up for work and leaving when most of us would be having dinner ... we're not counting KL traffic time for you to get home!)
There's a lot more ... but I've already watered down my tone on these matters. But seriously and honestly, I was comforted by what Smedes wrote. I felt I was not alone. Smedes always had a way to put into words what I felt and how I could respond (or affirm my present resonse to matters like this).
In Malaysia, there are times we pride ourselves as conservative against the liberals in the west. But, the lines are not that easily drawn. a lot of us are more like "fundamentalist" than we think we are (I'm warning myself here), and this is not just a religious thing. I've come across people who are fundamenlist in other areas as well ranging from views in dieting to their career.
More and more, my once "innocent-I-think-I can-relate-to everyone mindset" has accepted the fact that I too (like Smedes) "embrace fundamentist (in whatever shapes and sizes -whether religous or secular) as fellow humans or even brothers and sisters in the faith, but we are not likely to become the closest of friends". And I won't likely invite any of them to join me on something that close friends do together. I used to feel guilty and even shameful about this. Now, I just need to move on and grow up.
March 18, 2004
12 steps for Desk Mess-a-holics
Organize Your Desk in 12 Simple Steps via Jordon Cooper
Organize Your Desk in 12 Simple Steps
By Maria Gracia
When was the last time you saw your desk? If it has been awhile, today is the perfect day to find it under those towering, paper mountains.
Set aside time
Schedule at least 4 hours for the first half of this mission. When the day arrives, dress in sweatpants and a T-shirt – you know, ultra-comfortable. Play your favorite music in the background and take a deep breath.
Clear off your desk
Take every last thing off your desk, and out of your desk. Place it in a big pile on the floor.
Scrub and polish
Scrub your desk with disinfectant and then furniture cleaner until it looks shiny and new.
Trash it
Get a large trash bag, have a seat on your floor and begin dumping. Over 80% of the papers on your desk can probably be trashed. This includes your planner from 1975, the 20,000 business cards you come across, and the brochures from that seminar that took place over 5 years ago. The only items you should keep are your active projects, papers to be referenced in the future, and anything you must keep for legal purposes.
Grab another trash bag
It's probably time to grab another large garbage bag – maybe two or three more, but keep dumping.
Old newspapers, magazines and catalogs
Next, begin tossing old newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. Most are probably outdated by now, but even if they aren't, they will be over the next day or two. Again, if you see one or two that you desperately want to keep, that's fine. Just don't keep forty-two!
TOSS! TOSS! TOSS!
Now you're down to those final items that are not paper, old calendars, business cards, newspapers, magazines, or catalogs. This includes that old, grimy coffee cup, random office supplies, pocket change, and some widgets that you can't even identify. Three words: TOSS! TOSS! TOSS!
Take a break
Time for lunch. Go out and get something to eat. Go for a walk. Escape your desk for at least an hour. You deserve it! While you're out, purchase the following:
* A fresh pad of paper
* A pen/pencil caddy
* A vertical file holder – unless you have a drawer that fits hanging file folders
* Fresh manila files and labels
* A holder for your computer disks and CD-roms if you don't already have one
Time to reorganize
When you return, it's time to reorganize the stuff you're keeping. Hopefully, it's just a very small pile. Most of the things from your desk should probably be in the trashcan. Categorize and organize your everyday files into your new folders. Label each clearly. Place these folders in your brand new vertical file sorter. Those papers that are not your everyday papers should go into your filing cabinet.
Where to put things
Place your telephone back on your desk, along with your computer if you have one. Your new, fresh pad of paper should be placed near the telephone. Set up your new pen/pencil caddy and place some supplies inside — throw out those pencils that have shrunken to miniscule bits and those pens that don't write. If you have room for some office supplies in your desk, designate one of the drawers and place them inside. If not, supplies should be placed in a supplies cabinet. Your planner — this year's only — can now be placed on your desk.
What not to put on your desk
Ok, we're in the finishing stretch! Anything else you've come across that you haven't tossed, but I haven't mentioned above, should probably not be stored on or in your desk. Computer manuals belong on a shelf in your office, not your desk. Set up your computer disks and CD-roms in the new holder you just bought. Place them next to your computer. Photographs? Put them in frames and hang them on your wall. Random widgets? You don't need them. Throw them out.
Promise yourself
Congratulations! You must feel great. In the future, schedule at least 15 minutes at the end of each day clearing off your desk. Don't leave your office unless you've done so.
Make a solemn vow. Promise yourself never to let your desk disappear again. Good work!
Author information: Maria Gracia is the author of Finally Organized, Finally Free. For more information about organizing your office, home, or life, go to Gracia's Web site, Get Organized Now.
Election Fever - Malaysian Style!
~ From The Star
From New Straits Times
This morning I got irritated .... Bangsar now is flooded by banners and posters similar to the pictures above. Political party images are invading my senses until I'm annoyed. When will the time come when we get our "substance" on track? When will the time come when our "style" will also reflect our "substance" that's genuinely for the good of the people? (We need to get our act together while keeping our "streets" clean and our minds "straight")
well ... before I turn from "analytical" mode to "cynical" mode, I need a dose of wisdom from Grace at Work. Soo Inn wrote it with Christians in mind I guess, but then being a Christian is really about being human isn't it. So, I suppose all can benefit from his insights.
"... participation in the democratic process is part of God's call for His people to be involved in the world.
What can we do?
* We can pray. We can pray that the forces of good will prevail. We pray with full assurance that God hears and answers even when we do not see visible results. We can pray for Christian candidates. Time and time again I have heard Christian politicians complain that their churches do not support their work in prayer. There would be many prayers raised on behalf of missionaries. But never for Christians in politics. This is wrong.
*We can participate in public forums on the issues of the day. We should be doing this all the time but values and issues usually receive more attention in times of general elections and presidential elections.
*We can vote. We should vote. Recently I have decided to choose my candidates using three basic criteria. 1. Creed --- do I agree with the values of the party that a candidate represents? 2. Character --- from what I know is this person a person of integrity? 3. Competence --- does this person have the necessary skills and experience to do the job he or she is running for?
What happens if the three criteria clash? No easy answers. I'll probably still work with the three criteria in the order in which they have been mentioned. If I were totally against the values and manifesto of a given political party, I would find it hard to vote for a candidate from that party. And character comes before competence because I would expect a person of integrity to acquire whatever competencies he or she needs to get the job done."
March 17, 2004
Da Vinci Code?
I haven't read the book, I'm not interested, but I think I saw it somewhere in a Malaysian bookstore ... apparently it's a bestseller. And yet I stumbled on this sermon "The Bible Code: My thoughts on the da Vinci Code and more" so those interested might want to take a look. I'll read it during lunch ... I'm not eating anyway. (BTW, I meant reading the sermon ... time is precious)
Drops of love
We must not think that our love has to be extraordinary. But we do need to love without getting tired. How does a lamp burn? Through the continuous input of small drops of oil. These drops are the small things of daily life: faithfulness, small words of kindness, a thought for others, our way of being quiet, of looking, of speaking, and of acting. They are the true drops of love that keep our lives and relationships burning like a lively flame.
~ Mother Teresa via Prodigal Kiwi
March 16, 2004
Media Literacy
Just finished a topic with TAR College Christian Fellowship which my tweaked title "Beyond the idiotbox". Gave them a 2 page pdf (Download file) which a creative commons human-readable idea I found helpful.
The Center of Media Literacy (CML) MediaLit Kit is a useful tool. And it's free!
Grace at Work
How could I not highlight Tan Soo-Inn and his gracious work through Grace at Work one more time here? We bumped into each other at 1 Utama MPH yesterday, and it was great he could meet May Chin and Gareth face to face.
We had hot chocolate a couple of weeks ago .. it was a good and graceful time! And I suppose it must be "providence" that we meet again. Now when that happens it must be GRACE at work ... :-)
Stations of the cross
I was surprised and honoured to be invited to STM to share a little on how our little church tried out the Stations of the Cross (we transformed different rooms and sections into the various stations), the sharing turned out quite well actually last Thursday. For that I'm grateful, it's scary speaking at the seminary chapel you graduated from :-)
Here's the 2 page pdf notes I gave them ( Download file)
I've put up at least three photos in the Gallery ... more coming!
March 15, 2004
The Dialectizer
Thanks David Berry for this link ... totally hilarious .. take the translations to "cockney" for example ...
happenings in my head and heart this side of heaven
becomes
happenings in me loaf of bread and 'eart this side of 'eaven
The Return
~ From Prodigal son art
"In China, there is an annual festival when people ‘ come home to the well.’ The Prodigal returns to the well, and the rice bowl has been filled for him. The wanderer will be full."
Thank you
Thanks to Stephen Said from Australia for this ...
dear god,
thankyou that you are god and i am not
thankyou that you get it right every time and i don't...
thankyou that you think of every contingency, because i don't
thankyou that you remember the small details, and i don't
thankyou for seeing thru obnoxious behavior, when i don't
thankyou for not changing when confronted with senseless violence, when i can't cope
thankyou for being gracious when people die because of other peoples selfishness, because i get angry
thankyou for being so big and incapable of being overwhelmed, because i do
thankyou for being god, because i could never be ~ from who's happy?
Interesting Mission Interview
New Zealand is getting my attention not just because of the Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy. Thanks to Prodigal Kiwi for sharing his Mission Interview with us! (for the links go to his site...)
Mission in New Zealand - An Interview
A couple of weeks ago a student asked if he could interview me about mission in my church context. I said "sure," so over the next couple of days I'm going to post what I said in response to his questions. Are we on track? :
First Question
I. When did your church start a missionary program?
Several years ago, Murray Robertson (a pastor from Christchurch, New Zealand) gave an address at a national conference in which he said “New Zealand” is a mission field.” We (those at the conference) by and large hadn’t thought of it like that, or if we had we hadn’t really articulated it as succinctly as Murray had. Our focus had mostly been on “mission fields” elsewhere in the world. We hadn’t noticed that we were changing as a country. In 2001 (a census year) it was discovered that less that 10% of New Zealanders actually go to a Christian church. Running parallel with less people going to churches, more and more people were becoming interested in “spirituality.” Sadly however the institutional church (of which Bridges is very much a part) was bypassed. Church was experienced as having nothing meaningful or of value to contribute to this wider spiritual search.
Given the above (our context), intentional, practical mission is a tremendous challenge and opportunity for our church! From my perspective it’s less about “a missionary program” and more about embedding a missional identity at the core of who we are as a church. Mission needs to be core genetic material for us (along with our Godward and Communal / Pastoral dimensions, i.e. mission is one dimension of three which I believe need to be at the core of a balanced and healthy church). A very recent report, Mission-Shaped Church, produced by a working group of the Church of England’s Mission and Public Affairs Council, rightly noted that “the Church is called to be essentially, not incidentally, missionary in character…” Increasingly I’m coming to see that our identity and practice needs to derive from the missio dei – God’s mission in the midst of and on behalf of his creation. Does that make sense? If the church is not missionary it has significantly denied itself and it’s calling, for it has departed from the very nature of God (God who reaches out in and through Jesus Christ. God who is seeking to restore his original creation intent).
To help this renewed sense of identity and practice we might use programs (such as Ignition – a resource from Australian-based FORGE) but only to the degree that these are useful in helping us become a “missional church” (this expression needs to be further unpacked by us – What does it mean? What does it look like, feel like etc.? And what does a “missional church” do?). At this point I’d want to draw a subtle distinction between my sense of a “missional church” and a church that does mission. Of course we “do” mission (for me “mission” is both a noun and a verb), but mission needs to be at the heart of everything we are and everything we do. It needs to shape and influence every area of our church existence. From my perspective it can’t be an “add on” or about a small group within the church who have a heart for mission supporting mission (fund raising etc). It’s about who we all are. It needs to be very much a missional / ecclesiological question for us. Lesslie Newbigin has describes the church as the “hermeneutic of the gospel”. So, the question becomes, what forms and practices of church will best enable us to respond to what God by his Spirit is already doing in our local Cambridge context. American, Darrell Guder said it well when he wrote, “We have the responsibility and the capacity, through the Holy Spirit, to shape ourselves for faithful witness. Our purpose defines our organizational structures-which means that our mission challenges us to re-form our structures so that we can be faithful in our witness.”
This local focus doesn’t mean, I’m sure, that we’ll ignore overseas mission. It’s more a question of priority and holding the two foci in a helpful and creative tension.
Mission in our context – Aotearoa New Zealand – is about the Jesus-story being both embodied in and shared by our church community as it seeks to creatively inhabit the “ancient story” in the midst of our diverse and contemporary cultural contexts. This is something we need to learn to do. In many ways this is new ground particularly in Western nations such as New Zealand (the Church of England that has just published a paper entitled “Missional Shaped Church.” As we are in New Zealand, the Church of England is realising that England is, in its own right, a significant mission field). Helpful resources are being developed from within our Australasian context, and I’m benefiting from the research and writing of organisations such as the USA-based “Gospel and our Culture Network,” and recent visits by Canadian Alan Roxburgh to Australia are further addressing the challenges of mission that we face in our part of the world.
Mission, for me, includes evangelism but it is a whole lot more than just evangelism. “Evangelism” and “mission” are not similes, i.e. they do not mean the same thing.
New Zealand writer/theologian Mike Riddell has highlighted contextual issues that face the western church in particular, and also those we face here in New Zealand. His essays, Speaking the Lingo: Contextualisation as a Prerequisite of Mission to Pakeha Post-Christian New Zealand and Pine…or Pohutakawa wonderfully capture some of the missional challenges of our unique context, the tensions between imported expressions of the Christian faith and the need for indigenous (i.e. native to New Zealand) ways of expressing that same historic faith.
Other good resources which focus on a new Zealand Context are papers by Kevin Ward, here, here, here, and here
Work by Peter Lineham is also really useful.
Mission Interview - Part 2
II. What program was it and why did you choose this one?
As noted above, I see this issue as more than just a mission program. This really is new territory, one in which indigenous resources are being developed. I’m very much benefiting from the lessons that have been learned by overseas mission and development organisations / agencies. It’s good to have friends involved in these contexts.
III. How was the program implemented?
Again, this is not a straightforward question to answer. The issues are much more fundamental, much more ecclesiological than the implementation of a program.
Mission Interview - Final Section
V.What advice would you give a church that is working on a missions program?
1.Take your own cultural context very seriously. Mission, certainly in the West, is not so much about mission over there; it’s increasingly about how we are church in our diverse and local contexts. Make it a priority to listen to your own country’s theologian/practitioners, poets, artists, filmmakers, writers, activists, media, and musicians. Listen for the ways in which the gospel is “good news” in your context. Listen in order to translate and communicate the gospel in your particular context in such a way that witness to Jesus Christ takes place.
2.Start where you see God @ work in your own local context. Taking the missio dei seriously is to discover that God is already at work. God’s is an invitation to join in that work. Our big challenge comes around how we discern that activity. Again, there are lots of good resources that could help us get better at doing that- especially helpful in my view is: Danny Morris & Charles Olsen, Discerning God’s Will Together: A Spiritual Practice for the Church, Upper Room Books, 1998. The dedication says: "Dedicated to all who yearn and strive to shape a new kind of church in which knowing and doing God's will are ultimate values..." Based upon my experience I think that is an extremely radical statement! Mission seems less about forumating a strategic plan/a business plan, and everything about taking the time to actually hear and see God, whose servant we are. Not many churches I've been a part of or known about actually know or practice the 'discipline' of corporate discernment.
3.Build networks with those engaging missionally / ecclesiologically within their own contexts. I’ve benefited greatly by developing friendships with young (and not so young) leaders who are developing new and organic expressions of (missional) church here in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the United States of America. We learn from one another. We share experiences. We honour, acknowledge, share and adapt each other’s resources. Andrew Jones has posted some introductory thoughts, today, about a creative "narrative missiology" course he wants to teach. Engage with this kind of creative thinking. Listen to the stories and lessons learnt, emerging from Darren Rowse, Phil and Danielle McCredden, Steve and Lynne Taylor etc.
4.Choose programs / resources that help stimulate and which insist upon Christian praxis, programs which take the Jesus-story seriously and encourage us to recognise that until we actually, and in very practical ways, live into and out of that story we don’t fully ‘get it.’ These programs move us beyond just “head” knowledge to a learning experience that is born out of doing and experimenting. Our “doing” will help to encourage us to keep coming back too and engaging with Scripture in new and very contextualised ways. These programs encourage an interpretative / hermeneutical cycle: cultural context, biblical story etc.
5.Find creative ways to help people understand what mission is, to catch a vision for “missional church,” to help them understand why it’s important and what it might mean for church structures and practices, e.g. host informal missional dinners (Steve and Lynne Taylor do these very very well - send them a nice e-mail and ask them how it works, what they've learnt as a result of hosting them) and conversation with practitioners, church planters etc. when they are in town or available. It’s helpful for congregations to hear “outside” perspectives. Help people gain short terms mission (not necessarily overseas) experiences.
6. Be creative in forming what Frost and Hirsch call "proximity spaces" - ways of being present in the midst of your community / city / town etc. Mission is about being a "sent people." It's less about inviting people to come to us on a Sunday morning!
7.Rowan Williams notion of “mixed economy churches” in a denominational context has a lot of merit at a local church level; a missional ecclesiology that values the benefits of a rich diversity. So, a local church may have cell groups, it may have an alt.worship group, it may have a base ecclesial community.
WHAT ELSE HAVE I MISSED IN TERMS OF PRACTICAL ADVICE?
March 14, 2004
Random Thoughts after AGM
Wonderful to have new blood on the council ... welcome James and Hoong Guit. Excellent post election speeches, I do hope our local politicians will take some cues from you guys when it comes to attitude!
Took some effort to get myself centred during the Worship Gathering, I wonder what's going on with the others in BLC during that time ... but it was worth it.
Told the church my salary, actually it's not such a big deal if I don't make it one.
Shared a little on "Emergent Malaysia" (at least the little we're trying), I hope we can see how this is a small attempt to contrubute to the Malaysian Christian Eco-system (thanks newcomer Wei Aun for this phrase!)
Thanks to Jason Clark, after hearing his message on a CD, I was encouraged to really share some genuine fruits GOD has blessed us and used us in and through the BLC Christian community.
The way we sang Darlene's birthday song sounded like the fans during an English premiere league football match!
Madrid 3/11 kept me on the ground again ... and sober.
I'm glad this week has come to a good closure and I'm looking forward to the next week. Sunday is actually the first day of the week and yet to many it's a weekend. Transitional day maybe?
The stations of the cross talk turned out better than I expected. In fact I was a little suprised how I was "cool" during the chapel service sharing and holy communion. I used the 4 Min. Extended Promo Trailer for the Passion of Christ to transition to the Holy Communion.
Gareth is walking!!! And he smiles all the way, and tries to run a little ... :-)
Looking forward to dinner tonight especially with fantastic friends and their wonderful kids!
March 13, 2004
Mustard Seed
BLC's very own attempt at a Newsletter now ready for download ... it's been quite a journey ...
Mustard Seed 2003 - Easter Edition
Mustard Seed 2003 - Christmas Edition
Sad but true ...
when this becomes "bigger" than it's suppose to be ... people change and often not for the better.
March 12, 2004
Madrid 3/11
~ via Boing Boing
For Guardian Unlimited Report click here
For the New York Times Report click here
Kyrie Eleison ... Lord have mercy ...on us
Wish I was there ...
well, I'll just have to be contented for now by reading the kind efforts of Chris Monroe (love the pictures), someone new to me Bob Carlton (lookingforward to download notes) and a much needed female perspecive by Anna Aven
March 11, 2004
Bible Research
Bible Research: Internet Resources for Students of Scripture (via Jordon Cooper again!)
Alternative Worship FAQ
Click here ... via Jordon Cooper
March 10, 2004
Are You A Blogaholic?
got this from organic church, click here
I scored 56/100 and thus according to the test ...
"You are a dedicated weblogger. You post frequently because you enjoy weblogging a lot, yet you still manage to have a social life. You're the best kind of weblogger. Way to go!"
Random Thoughts in the Thinking Room
Read this open letter to Mel Gibson from emergent Kiwi with interest.
Thankful I managed to share with the Christian Fellowship Group meeting in the Father's House today. Half of them turned up ... I hope and pray the message shared and facilitated will help 9-10 of these future teachers in Malaysia.
feeling some pressure for tomorrow's Station of the Cross sharing at Seminari Theoloji Malaysia Chapel and will be conducting Holy Communion there ... I never imagined that this would be possible so soon.
physically and mentally tired...
lots more to do ... 2 LiFE Cells this week, prepare message for this week, fine-tune thoughts for BLC's AGM, acoustic guitar workshop 2 hrs on Saturday, rush to MATTA fair and hope to get good deals for German-UK trip, a meeting I think I need to get out of, ...
starting to feel a little "driven" with all this piling up (as well as other stuff submerged somewhere), after tomorrow afternoon I hope to "pause" and switch back (as if it's that easy?!) to "calling" mode ...
McLaren on the Passion "outreach"
Brian McLaren as always gets me thinking with a healthy twist, Passionate, but Not for Mel's Movie is another example of his wisdom and often challenge .... here's what struck me ... some people won't like the way he put it, but then again thanks Brian for saying it:
"No doubt, Mel G's film will be powerful and will help many—millions, I hope—for it is a sincere labor of love about the ultimate labor of love. But it's not the greatest outreach opportunity in 2,000 years, at least, not for the emerging culture. I'll tell you what is.
Actually, I won't, because there isn't one thing. Rather, there are uncountable great outreach opportunities. For example, there are millions of people, precious to God, dying of AIDs. And their orphans too. Do you want the emerging culture to sit up and take notice? Don't show them another movie, however great it is. Show them Christians around the world (starting with those who have been given the most: us) who care and give and love and move to serve.
There are millions of poor Muslims who see the West as decadent, strident, arrogant, selfish, careless, and pugilistic, and of course, they are right. Can you see how offering them a fine movie could just make things worse? Instead, why don't we show them some Christians (in the West but not of it) who are honest, upright, peacemakers, compassionate, humble, and generous?
Our world is torn by ethnic, class, and religious hatred. Don't show the emerging culture a movie about Jesus: show them a movement of people living like Jesus—people who like him love the different, even the enemy, whose doors are open and tables are set with welcome."
March 09, 2004
GOD ... 67%?
"A scientist has calculated that there is a 67% chance that God exists." ~ for more click here
Burning Bush
~ From Ratner Museum Virtual Tour
The plan is to finish reading the book of Exodus by this Saturday. Last week, I couldn't keep up with my 20 chapters. It's not a race, but our little way of getting the big picture without being bogged down by details. The sharing has been awesome ... the questions engaging ... the results often surprising!
News Internet-Style
~ For more read How News Travels on the Internet (via Boing Boing Blog)
March 08, 2004
e-Sword
Thanks to Timothy Loh for telling me about this free Bible Software plus loads of downloads!)
Undilah .. time to vote!
i like what my friend Kian Ming (name dropping *grin*) put in the papers:
" The elections mean different things to different people. Some hope that a holiday would be declared so that they can take a day off. Others consider it a waste of time given the foregone conclusion. But for the 70% or so of Malaysians who are registered voters who consistently turn up at every general election to cast their votes, it is an opportunity for them to exercise their democratic right once every four or five years." ~ from Expect the Unexpected
Malaysian Elections on the 21 March 2003 ... for Malaysians find out where you are registered as a voter here
For more information on the elections check out the following:
Election commission Website (which is fumbling every time i try to log on ... ai yah!)
The Star Online: General Election 2004
The New Straits Times: run up to the general elections
MalaysiaKini: General Election
Interesting reads:
SuaraMalaysia.com
Malaysian Election Media Monitors' Diary
Another friend Steve Wong (name dropping again *haha*) gives a timely word,
"Cynicism is an understandable response when nothing counts no matter what one does. This is far from the case in Malaysia. We are in the midst of a titanic struggle against corruption, poverty, religious intolerance and extremism, civil service inefficiency, low educational standards and racial disharmony. We are striving for efficiency of the police, prudent public spending, the rule of law, transparency in governance and social cohesion. There are those who are happy to divide this nation as long as they get to rule a part of it.
There is too much at stake to fall victim to the infamous Malaysian apathy and cynicism. We must, as enfranchised and res-ponsible citizens, choose a path. To not be heard must not be an option." ~ from Too much at stake to give way to apathy, cynicism
BLC Photo Update
Moh Foong has put up the latest photos for 2003 on the BLC site, click here
Thoughtful Review on "the Movie"
"Don’t accept any simplistic responses to this movie. Though there’s a sense in which there’s nothing whatsoever subtle about it, nonetheless subtleties abound; on topics as fraught as the suffering and execution of Jesus of Nazareth — especially when they’re taken up into a media-cultural phenomenon — you’ll benefit from seeking out as nuanced responses as you can find."
... that's how this thoughtful review entitled The Mystery of The Passion starts ... wise words
I was asked whether I could do a review of the movie (well .. I'll try when i get to watch it ... which is I don't know when), I said It will be extremly biased and possibly emotional, for now I'm reading this review and waiting to watch the movie for myself and then make up my own mind ... so far preaching from some passages from Luke based on the Lectionary is doing me much good to prepare for Good Friday!
The Sunday Service
"I love Sunday morning services. I know that's a passé attitude in some places, but that gathering every SUnday morning of the whole church really adds something to my week."
It nice to read these words by Adam posted on Kingdom Come. Like many other aspects of the church from leadership to discipleship, it's the "wrong use" or "mis-use" that needs to be changed or even eliminated. But, when it's functioning well and achieving part of God's agenda for us ... let's just enjoy it with thankful hearts!
March 06, 2004
March 05, 2004
Moved to sivinkit.net
~ yup another one from the best 2003 picture series.
Thanks to Kiffer and his friend Wai Keen ... I've finally got my own domain simply called sivinkit.net explain why net .. why the colours, why this and that later. It's still a work in progress ... so bear with me ... aren't we all work in progress and in need of bearing? :-)
I think it's high time to give the space I've been taking up at Kiffer's lovely "virtual residence" and let others have a go under his coachign and encouragement. I'll blog at sivinkit.net from tomorrow onwards .. see ya there!
Walking with Jesus
~ Thanks to our BLC digital camera man
There use to be this old song we sang in the youth group ...
walking with Jesus, walking every day, walking all the way
walking with Jesus walking with Jesus alone
walking in the sunlight, walking in the shadow
walking everyday, walking all the way
walking in the sunlight, walking in the shadow
walking with Jesus alone.
well, nowadays, i don't think we're walking with Jesus alone in the sense it's just me and Jesus. i'm part of the body of Christ, and I'm walking with Jesus and with his friends and family. But, the walking everyday part and sunlight-shadow part still rings true today. As I'm walking through some passages from Luke this LENT season with BLC (last week was the tempation in Luke 4, this week is Luke 13.31-35 - strange passage on Herod, the Pharisees and Jerusalem), I'm looking at Jesus again ... and he's just awesome!
March 04, 2004
Healing & Cleansing
Had a wonderful time with May Chin & Gareth at Bangsar Shopping Centre a while ago. May Chin bought me my long awaited new swimming shorts and Gareth just enjoyed himself pushing the empty shopping trailer. But it's really the buying and spending that matters. It's the simple "being with" that makes a difference. Amazing how GOD can use marriage and family towards his work of healing and cleansing ... so body, soul and mind battered by the whole week's pressures, pain and unpleasantness can be renewed once again ...
faces to faces
this is shot when I was showing different faces of Jesus, GOD would be looking at our faces as well ...
The Gathering Storm
Dark clouds roll over Blair, Neb., on May 9, 2003, bringing thunder and flashes of lightning.
~ another one from Best Photos of 2003
Random Thoughts in front of the TV
Malaysian elections coming ... what can we expect? what am I going to do?
can't stand this Malaysian David Letterman-pirated-copy on TV. aiyo! not funny ...
a lot of effort nd planning ahead is needed to get myself ready for the trip to Germany and hopefully a visit to UK (we'll see...)
I'm pretty happy that I managed to confirm almost all of the speakers during my absence for at least a month from mid July to early August.
felt good that BLC could open it's premises for an outside-BLC Christian Fellowship group to meet every Wednesday from 5-7pm. Hey, since the place is available, why not?
read a couple of chapters of Lewis Smedes' Spiritual Memoirs ... it's refreshing how he tugs in theology with his autobiography ... I've always liked the way crafted his paragraphs and his artistry with words.
I'm still puzzled why "someone" is so ... 'lethargic" in his approach in his service. Ok .. he's just yougn and immature ... but is that all?
*sigh* ... I need more patience ...
*smile* ...so thankful for all those patient with me.
still got lots of work ahead ... time to sleep ... another chapter of Smedes will do me some good.
sometimes I wonder am I "out-of-touch" or "counter-cultural" or whatever ... are my questions relevant? or necessary?
got the inspiration from Spencer Burke actually ... using more picture than I usually do ... but, don't have many cohesive thougths this past week ... or more preciesely can't blog very cohesively ...
March 03, 2004
The Little Duckling Who Could
Thanks June See for the email ...
Mallard ducklings wait their turn May 14, 2003 as a sibling struggles to make it up a curb in South Bend, Ind. The mother, who had already cleared the obstacle, flirted with traffic for 20 minutes before leading her offspring safely across the busy road. ~ from Best Photos of 2003
March 02, 2004
Random thoughts after the Berry dish
David Berry will be passing on his "cooking-kung-fu" to willing students in the coming months. For now, I'm totally "knocked out" by the dish he so kindly left for me his pastor :-)
persevered through another "not-so-happening" Bangsar Toastmaster's meeting, like all organizations there are ups and downs. My visit to the Money Mastery Toastmasters' club was quite different. There's nothing to compare but much raw material to reflect upon. Enjoyed being the Grammarian though ... good for active listening practice!
need to do some message prep work before I sleep ... hope to get a head start. This "Jerusalem" word has been floating in my head the whole day. Must be the picture and scripture I posted this morning.
wonderful time with a "friend" as he prefers to be called today. The hot chocolate was good but the conversations were even better.
removed a programme from the notebook in the evening, now having problems re-installing it. Opps ...
looking forward to read Lewis Smedes spiritual Memoir tonight before I sleep. Cost me RM71 (it's hard cover) from MPH 1 Utama. But, he's blessed me so much with his writings i just wanted to know the man behind the books.
A Song to Jerusalem
~ by Boruch Nachson, a Chassidic artist living in Chevron, Israel.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would have not!" ~ Luke 13.34 (NASB)
March 01, 2004
Fasting-Feasting through LENT
Thanks Jonny Baker for this insight (via Jordon Cooper)
Lent can be more than a time of fasting; it can be a season of feasting.
We can use Lent to fast from certain things and to feast on others.
Lent is a season in which we can:
Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Fast from, thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; feast on divine order.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressure; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on nonresistance.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on verities that uplift.
Fast from discouragements; feast on hope.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that undergirds.from a Benedictine website as quoted in The Tablet, 3 March 2001, p. 325
Random Thoughts Before the Oscars
ok I missed the Grammy's ... somehow I wasn't "drawn" to it ... but the Oscars now that's different matter. (some speeches are cheesy .. but then we do get some gems and occassional opps-wow-type of speeches *grin* ... the pre-award interviews are interesting) ... cheers for Whale Rider!! Yeah for Keisha Castle-Hughes!
nice to be included in DJ Chuang's emerging conversations rollup
thanks to Michael Boylink for his Cluetrain Manifesto-inspired remix for Churches (via Jason Clark)
multi-tasking here ... watching TV, drinking coffee, and blogging.
wondering what would fasting from my favorite Pringles potato chips do to me during this LENT season. hmmm ... when I decided, someone gave me two cans for a gift last Saturday. Talk about temptations!
will read Survey: Majority of Malays want hudud with concern and caution. What is the future for us here in Malaysia?
Oscars just started ... nice to have one of my favorites Sean Connery open the show, love his accent ...