Filed under day to day …

Jan 23 2012
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day to day

let the dragon roar

It’s the 1st day of Chinese New Year today – wish you all a very prosperous and auspicious year of the Dragon! Saw soo many fortune tellers forecasting each sign’s fortune for this year on TV, my curiosity drove my ears closer when my sign’s commentaries are announced…SORRY GOD! It’s just so interesting to see what they speak about you making you all think it’s so accurate and specific. I know this is a long standing art and culture – but when you think deeper all things they quote are universal such as: drive more carefully, beware when you are in the water, there could be another person getting in your relationship so be patient with your partner, an opposite gender would give you a lift in your career, mind the big mouth and so careful what you do etc etc. These are all time, life long ‘wisdom’ day in and day out no matter where you are and what you do. I am sure everyone is wise enough to understand this but we just all want to know the ‘future’ in advance. We want to feel prepared and secured. But we forget the utmost important rule of thumb is that if you are following the truth & path – which God has commanded, then we all would arrive at the same destination – the eternal land of God. It’s just our process will differ, but we will land our feet at the very same place, so basically we know our future already. Happy New Year!

Daily Quote
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8

I pray to God that I will rely on Him and trust that He will give me the best, if I obey, follow and submit.

Postscript Quote
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. Buddha

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Jan 20 2012
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day to day

angry bird

I told my colleague that she should read or at least listen to the topic “How to live beyond your feelings” as both myself and her all live super emotionally. And I have a friend who has problem with anger. She could be lit up like a matches striking against the match box, she would go horrendous and sometimes I joke saying if there is weapon or knife in front of her, I would see her behind bars. She just doesn’t know how to deal with her emotions and I told her to check further about anger management. But I don’t know how to help besides praying for her. I pray to God that He can bring her to follow Him and it would be such an amazing conversion if she accepts Him as her Christ, coz she is an atheist as she believes in herself and will power only. She is a great sportsman because she spends her energy drilling her skills and that is her persistence that she relies on, but nothing else. However, I tried to explain to her that she could also use her strong will power in managing her anger, but I don’t know the tricks to doing that. It’s like you have this super powerful machine in front of you, but you just don’t know how to operate it. I told her she can do it – managing her anger if she wants to. But we got stuck at the point – how to make it happen? Joyce Meyer in her sermons says we just have to use the peace, but where is the peace and how can I get peace I ask myself. I know I have to pray but what if non-believer don’t know how to pray? Then Joyce mentioned that peace already is in us, we just have to use it coz God has given the peace in us ALREADY. I am stunned at this point, coz I think that is actually the case. It’s like we all have wisdom, just use it. I am yet to get there to see how further I can manage my emotions, but I think this is a good start! I hope my Angry Bird friend will one day master her anger and transform the power into something positive.

Daily Quote
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13

I pray to God that I will be able to use His gifts to manage my emotions and use it with wisdom.

Postscript Quote
You can feel wrong and still do what is right.
Joyce Meyer

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Jan 19 2012
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day to day

able to be stable

It’s not a very encouraging news in the new year to get to know a dear colleague has decided to move to Shanghai and explore a new career course, plus the person our studio has been waiting up on from New York since last August, he suddenly decided not to join us after we have applied and successfully gotten his working visa in HK. It’s not the end of the world but it’s just not very encouraging. My little colleague said we must hate her for her decision, which is totally not true as the studio’s ultimate goal is that we use our creativity to make an impact on the society which at the same time will fulfill us, and the most obvious outcome is that we all would feel happy with our work. If my colleague will feel happier elsewhere, then she needs to move on and get there. But what my learning through the situations is that, me and my boss are extremely calm and stable. We just sit down and think things through and find out what the quickest solution and what could be done to make things better. Joyce Meyer’s sermons this morning for me on Podcast is about how to be stable. To be stable, we cannot let our emotions overtake us and bring us where it wants to be. To be stable is to feel joyful even we can’t land at where you want to be. This requires extreme discipline and submission of ourselves to God and let Him handle the situation. I never realize it’s so important to be stable, not until I recall I used to work with a person who is extremely moody and emotional, every time when I sense that there are things which could set her off, I felt terrified coz I just hate to see things explode and she gave me that pressure. This will be a reminder to me that I can never let myself behave similarly, we have to make ourselves emotionally stable, and that is one of the best way to show our love.

Daily Quote
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Exodus 14:14

I pray to God that I will remain calm and stable and He would empower me to keep my temper in place.

Postscript Quote
Always remember that the most important thing in a good marriage is not happiness, but stability.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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Jan 16 2012
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charity, day to day

if he can, so can you!

Some of you might know I go visit elderly from time to time whenever I am free. Yesterday I happened to tag along my church to do a Chinese New Year visit to around 260 old buddies. The experience is quite different as the scale is huge this time and quite a key portion of the elderly are Christian. There was this old man in wheel chair whom I spoke to, he looked at me with kind smile and told me in loud strong voice that “THANK YOU LORD”, I was shock. Not that I don’t think he should not thank Lord but I did not expect him to be announcing it. And I feel kinda guilty afterwards. I mean, this friendly old man is in wheel chair, he is nearly 90 years old and he has no children, no wife but all his relatives living elsewhere and he got a stroke not long ago. By my logic, not many people would think they are blessed or grateful for what they ‘have’, but this old buddy screamed ‘gratitude’! How can I not move by him and he even kissed my hand saying thanks to me for staying around him. I am moved, and I know the Holy Spirit is in motion and action. I just need to be better, if this old friend could, why couldn’t i?

Daily Quote
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:16

I pray to God that I will let Him warm me and I will warm the others, just like what He does to me.

Postscript Quote
Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.
Anonymous

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Jan 11 2012
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day to day

while the scissors are moving…

I happened to have my hair cut by a new stylist last night, and the guy came from Chicago. I asked how it feels to be living in a new place, he said “Oh I love it, I love Hong Kong! It’s awesome.” and his reaction overwhelms me. He told me further he just came to HK for 1.5 year because it was pretty bad the situation back home where he lives. He said it looks like the day after Thanksgiving shopping day everyday here during lunch, and he jokingly said nobody cuts their hair in Chicago so he has to move over. I asked if he is aware about the news in HK about Dolce & Gabbana and we both laughed, and I said at least the security guard earlier was trying to traffic a heavily packed store and unlike many places, the luxury store was dead quiet, and what we see in Tsim Sha Tsui all the time, long queue and people fighting for NEW products, these are actually grateful things for us, at least they are spending, and I don’t think we should complain that the HK shopping malls are overtaken by Mainland people, they could have pushed prices up, they could have gotten our hospital beds, but at least we our economy is moving, we have a government who is trying to regulate things, our government is not the best, but at least we have a voice to certain extent and we are respected, not many people in the rest of the world could enjoy these ‘rights’, look at Middle East, North Korea…I thank God for bringing me to the earth at a place where there is law and order, civilization and human rights. Gratitude is essential to a happy living.

Daily Quote
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:15

I pray to God that we will not only look at what we don’t have, but what He has given us.

Postscript Quote
I would thank you from the bottom of my heart, but for you my heart has no bottom.
Anonymous

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Jan 05 2012
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books, day to day

insight from the sausage dogs

Two young sausage dogs visited my studio last night and the whole place was like frenzied by these 2 creatures. Click here to see the cutie friends. They kept running around chasing each other non-stop, each time I tried to locate them I could only hear them but not seeing their whereabouts because they just ran fast like horses. They went nuts and so are we. I was soo happy to see them as just before the doggies arrive, I was struggling with some troublesome work, but things just change drastically in an instant. And I thought of what Joyce Meyer was trying to preach in her sermons on Battlefield of the Mind, that you master what you choose to think, if you fill yourself up with negative, worrisome thinking, your whole person will become what you think. And everyday we will have to be warrior, fighter and soldier in the army of Lord. Our actions are a direct result of our thinking, we with the help of Lord can transform ourselves. If we are feeling miserable because we let it happen. I am trying to kill some of my bad habits but taking each and every little step to bring myself to the bright and light side of the world. God will empower me and I will choose to follow Him.

Daily Quote
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
Romans 8:5

I pray to God I will kick my bad habits away and stick to what God wants me to do.

Postscript Quote
The hotter the battle, the sweeter the victory.
Bob Marley


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Dec 30 2011
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day to day

farewell 2011

Today is the last working day in 2011 for me and I guess for many of you guys also. Isn’t it amazing that we can feel like there is a new start when actually the sun will rise and set just exactly the same way it has always been? It’s just us – our mind and perception that we feel we can restart all over. And it’s because of this very will power, we can actually make things change and transform. If you are willing to open up and God will help you all the way as long as that is according to His will. Why don’t we make good use of this chance when a year is ending and renew our thinking and covenant God has granted all of you, everyone is the same. We are all created equal as God has given us the very special gift to each one of us. What is that very thing you want to achieve, say it now and pray for it – if that matches God’s will, you will get it.

Peace be with you all in 2012 and may you open up to let God’s spirit, grace and love enter you and exalt with you!

Daily Quote
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:1-3

I pray to God I will now speak to Him and tell Him my new hopes and He would bring me high.

Postscript Quote
Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.
Eskimo Proverb

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Dec 28 2011
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day to day

move faster to find Him

Hope you all had a good break, I just got back to work and notice my boss has done a major studio sweep and discarded loads of things and reorganized stuff for the sake of making work life more systematic. I happened to be doing something similar home over the break and removed lots of things untouched over the years. It’s like doing a detox or weight losing program for ourselves – when you have less with you, you move faster. This echoes an initiative created by founder of treehugger Graham Hill that we need to have less stuff and live in smaller spaces, like the 420sf apartment (USA standard!!). In his website, www.lifeEdited.com we can learn more about this idea as we always think we have inadequate to work with. The core idea is what if we could save money, radically reduce our environmental impact, and have a freer, less complicated life? This mindset fits perfectly for a truly Christian life in that we would simplify ourselves to follow Jesus. We need to remove clutter of our minds to stay focused on what God has wanted us to achieve and walk, we need to remember that earthly baggage will slow us down in seeking to improve our relationship with God. Our security does not rely on ownership of material matters and earthly relationship with people around us, it’s in our heart and based on the love God has for us.

Daily Quote
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
Hebrews 12:1-2

I pray to God that I will simplify to follow Him.

Postscript Quote
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Confucius 

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Dec 21 2011
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day to day

what it takes to persist

Recently I have been obsessed with watching TED – the global conference which holds the mission of “ideas worth spreading” and people from different discipline would speak about things they believe worth spreading. I have been watching many many conferences now and people are just amazing, and you would feel so tiny while you watch what they were just saying in a simple 10 or 15 minutes what they do for life. One lady who is currently creator large enormous size art exhibit worldwide, told the audience she was rejected 7 times getting into 7 art schools and thereafter, she just started to draw on her own for 10 years continuously, and then she went around traveling and finding inspiration for things she aspire to produce. A lot of times, we are told by the society, family or close peers different things in our lives like what you should study, what you should do for profession, who you should not hang out with, who you should not consider to marry, what you are good at, what you are bad in etc. People just like to comment on other people’s lives and we ultimately got really confused and lost. If we can just hold on to just that little faith that Jesus has in God when he has to take up the cross on the road, just like Abraham when being asked to surrender his son Issac to God, just like Mary believing there is God and being the virgin mother is a holy mission, they all truly believe in what is righteous to do and thus persist. How amazing faith is and if you are lacking that faith or you are wanting more, you need to pray for that.

Daily Quote
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
Romans 3:22

I pray to God that I will hold onto the faith I have in Him and He would give me strength and power to persevere.

Postscript Quote
Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.
Kahlil Gibran

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Dec 16 2011
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day to day

color of the year 2012

Many of you should know what is a Pantone color, it’s a company that produces color and the products could be paint, fabrics and their famous Pantone Color Guide. I just realize each year Pantone would elect one color to be the color of the year! And it’s announced that next year’s color is….Tangerine Tango! Quoting from the authority, it says “The 2011 color of the year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward.”  Further to this interesting initiative referencing color to be one of the theme of next year, it’s actually cool to think of what we want to do next year by giving yourself a theme too!? Such as year of courage, year of trying, year of caring, year of depth, year of focus! I am starting to think, if I can give myself a theme, all my action would be evolving or cultivating around that attribute, then result would be more specific. There are 9 values which God highly emphasizes and those are the 9 fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Patience, Self-control and Gentleness. Maybe these could be the inspiration for you to think through which value you want to focus in to see advancement in yourself.

Daily Quote
Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
Psalm 86:11

I pray to God that I will be able to step up and focus and use what He gives me to exalt.

Postscript Quote
You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.
Mark Twain

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