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Feb 09 2012
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Christianity, faith

de-baptism

I never really heard of de-baptism not until I read about the news of the 71 year old Frenchman Rene LeBouvier has been requesting to have his name removed from the book of the Roman Catholic church but was being rejected, thus he is taking the case to court. The triggering point could have been “the pedophile scandals and the pope preaching against condoms in AIDS-racked Africa, a position that LeBouvier calls “criminal.” Again, he asked the church to strike him from baptismal records. When the priest told him it wasn’t possible, he took the church to court.” Click here to read further. This is a very interesting situation it’s like when you have joined a private club with hope, and after joining it and you notice it’s not exactly how you feel it should be like, thus you would like to retreat. But the church or believing God is not a membership, it’s something way more significant and it’s life-long. There’s no turning back I suppose and what I find it’s such a shame about the issue is this old man does not seem to notice what he sees or believes is about the physical representation of the belief, and no one human being is perfect, not even the Pope. If he is let down by these several “sinful” people, I guess he forgets that he is sinful too, but in a different way, and thus we need to go back to God for redemption and forgiveness. For the energy that he is trying to fight against the Church to have his name removed, why does he not spend the rest of his days praying further to God and hear His suggestions, maybe Rene did and just did not hear anything but his very own voice and anger? It’s an art to know how to hear from God, I am still learning it but it also takes some wisdom in our mind to help move along. Stay open to God’s land to take His open grace.

Daily Quote
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Matthew 5:43-45

I pray to God that I will be flexible and fluid in learning to see God in my daily life, and just stay warm, mild and nice!

Postscript Quote
Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
John Adams

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Jan 24 2012
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after thought

stoned-heart

I read from the newspaper that there is this heart shape ‘land’ dimensioned of 7x6m made of small stones specks in a local beach at Ma On Shan. It’s man-made. Who made it? It’s done by a retired uncle, every day between 10am to 4pm he would work non-stop by cleaning the beach and bring forth the stones to make sure the heart shape is maintained because the high and low tide would cause the water to blur the heart shape and flushing trash to the heart, so he has to work on it every single day. This is a completely self-initiated ‘project’ and whenever this uncle sees people taking photos with this heart-land, some couples take their wedding photos here – he feel accomplished and happy. After reading the piece, I am completely stunned that someone in Hong Kong in 2012 would spend the time to do something that needs so much physical labor which in most people’s standard or definition, would be seemingly so ‘useless’, for so many years! The heart-land took 2.5 years to build, and after the construction, requires every day work to make it in shape. He refused to reveal his name to the reporter, and just said: a person’s hard work is many people’s joy. When he said that, there are people laughing next to his ‘heart’. This uncle is rewarded in a way not many of us would experience or understand. When you believe in something for a good cause, carry on and God will empower you to move on.

Daily Quote
Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:3-4

I pray to God that I will trust in God and do not stay conformed but transformed.

Postscript Quote
Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand.
Saint Thomas Aquinas

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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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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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Oct 25 2011
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travel, volunteering

come as you are!

I have finally received a Sending Ceremony invitation of my ex-boss and mentor + great friend now who is heading to Kolkata, India by end of year this year for a 3 year lay missionary experience. She is the one who brought me to India 2 years ago and giving me the chance to experience one of the most eye opening thing in my life. She groomed me in the advertising field for 4 years and have been my mentor all along especially in the spiritual side. It’s not a simple decision she has decided and I once object her plan in some ways and did not support fully in the beginning. I do not understand completely what is a calling from God as I have not heard that yet personally, but I will bless her as she has shown immense obedience and trust in God. It’s not something which all of us could understand or do but that does not matter, as the relationship between my friend and God is solid and un-moveable, and that would only impact further and spread farther. She mentioned in the invitation: “Some go by giving, some give by going.” Bye my friend, God will be by your side.

Daily Quote
Come, follow me!
Mark 1:17

I pray to God that we will focus on the relationship and look to Him hard. And finally we will hear Him.

Postscript Quote
Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.
Christopher Columbus

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Jun 21 2011
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day to day

trust in?

Last night I was working a bit later than normal coz some technical issues with the printer’s FTP detained me and my intern at the studio – I was in a rush and my intern was starving, and I kept on bugging my intern to see if the uploading was done properly yet so we could dash and run. But the intern said she has to wait for printer’s confirmation…and after another while, I hear no phone ringing and nothing we could do…I haggled my intern again and making her to bug the printer again…she turned her head and starred at me with her cute sparkling eyes, she said “the printer said he would call me..I trust him!” WOW! I love the way she said it – I trust him. How many times I lose trust in people and situations, and of course God, I always bug Him and doubting Him if He is going to give me what I want. Of course He would, and I should just let Him control it, I am a control freak in this sense. I just want to control the steering wheel to make it turn the way I want, but I forget I am not the driver, He is. So, I should stop being the backseat driver and do what I should do instead…

Daily Quote
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 56:3

I pray to God that I do not forget that He has His unfailing love for me, and He would only only gives me the best. What I don’t get is not right.

Postscript Quote
You may be deceived if you trust too much. But you will live in torment if you do not trust enough.
Frank Crane

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Mar 21 2011
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day to day

silence is gold

I was reading I think Friday’s or Saturday’s newspaper, the headline was showing a renowned Japanese actor reciting a Japanese poetry to encourage the whole Japanese population that they would overcome. Part of the poem says they should smile when they face hardship, if there are people arguing, they should leave them and just help those in need of their help, go help the elderly and the young, stay calm and things will become fine again. Those are what I could recall and I cannot forget how much they have in their heart that they believe even at the moment of life and death. So many are facing the moment of death and they are still calm and really ‘implementing’ the values that they learn since birth. I just cannot believe how they manage to do it. I personally has high dependence on religion and of course understand the essence of eternal life, God as my ultimate savior and creator, but i seriously think there are sooo many out there in Japan who don’t share that beliefs but they behave more Godly than so many out there. I am speechless and highly impressed and touched. God is showing me a lot of things through this. I must pray to get more of His wisdom. Lord hear me.

Daily Quote
Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
1 Peter 2:2-3

I call for your persistent prayer to pray for Japan and ourselves, we need the clarity and heart of charity.

Postscript Quote
In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.
Robert Ingersoll

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Jan 27 2011
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day to day

purposeful

A lot of people from HK loves to go to Taiwan for a short break, coz it’s really close – 1 hour flight, all food are divine, the book store chain there – eslite is fantastic, and i find the place super friendly. Everyone is soooo friendly and helpful. My colleague went to taipei last year-end, and unfortunately lost his wallet on the very last day of his trip. It’s pretty sad way to end a journey like that and busy cutting all credit cards and applying back for HKID – the most painful process. This lesson taught my friend to buy travel insurance!  Last week, he received a call from a travel agent and asked him to go pick up his wallet which traveled all the way from Taiwan to HK. We are all surprised coz rarely could one get back a wallet when it’s gone, not to mention it’s left in another country. Another stunning thing was that when he gets back the wallet, he discovered all things – card and ID are there, but the money, not a penny less! I seriously think it’s becoz Taiwan is a very religious country, a key portion of the people are Buddhist and I just think that that really makes a difference. When people have a religion, have a faith and belief, a lot of things will be straighten out!

Daily Quote
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He would lift you up.
James 4:10

I pray to God that we all would be inspired by His work and we will be chasing for His presence.

Postscript Quote
Do or do not, there is no try.
YODA from Star Wars

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Dec 14 2010
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day to day, faith

healing prayer

Best friend’s partner is suffering from persistent illness troubling her to have some deepest fear within her heart. Handling patient is not an easy thing – these sick helpless souls tend to be emotional, grumpy, weak and reliant. When one suffers, a bunch suffer. My best friend even suffers from insomnia as too much thoughts kept circling and drive her mind wild and into despair. I tried to convince her to control herself in not letting the mind wander too far, but keep focusing in praying to God, speak to Him and surrender all worries and sadness to the hands of God. She is an atheist and it’s really hard to convince someone at the moment of deepest low to be looking to God for help, but she listens. I know she is listening and trying to do it. She told me for three nights she has been praying and I know God will hear her plea. Prayer does work, only if we try. We could be hearing God’s words why He has arranged things we see He wants us to see. Prayer answers not by receiving things we ask for, but could be God’s direction and guidance and hope. When we have hope, we persist. My best friend – don’t sink – stay afloat with the live-saver God has given you!

Daily Quote
When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then he will save the downcast.
Job 22:29

I pray that we would trust and believe in God, he would only give us the amount we could bear…believe in Him and believe we, through Him, could move the toughest hurdles! We would make it.

Postscript Quote
By lifting the weakest, poorest amongst us, we lift the rest of us as well.
Bill Clinton

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Jul 12 2010
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Christianity, day to day, faith

the moment

just to let you know i was baptized yesterday at my Church! it’s an amazing time, family and many many friends turn up! their presence really is making such a difference – quite a few are non-believers too and yet they make an effort to come witness the wonderful moment. all the lovely flowers & gifts…thank you! some friends cannot appear being they are at the hospital delivering their babies, otherwise I am sure they would be there for me. i am a person who fears attention – i don’t even want to attend graduation when i graduated from school, i m scared of awards etc. being i can’t handle all eyes on me. but yesterday, it turn out to be fine as it’s different – it’s not something about personal glory, it’s a moment I have announced publicly through my testimony that He is my one and only true God. I have accepted him and that is the least I could do to thank Him. i know God will be happy to see what i have done. it’s indeed a personal advancement for me, as i feel like i have grown a bit further now.
more to come !!! wanna see some photos? click here!

Daily Quote
This water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 3:21

I pray that God will continue to use me as His instrument and tool.

Postscript Quote
Baptism is an outward expression of an inward faith.
Watchman Nee

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