Tagged with joy …

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 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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Dec 23 2011
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Christianity

joy to the world

It’s finally coming so close to Christmas – the very important date that we all gather together to show appreciation for the things you have, for the things God has created us. So many times we celebrate birthday of our friends and family and now it has come to that very moment, that it’s the birth of our creator, our Lord and our Jesus Christ. Please spend a moment in the midst of such festive and busy season, you spend that very silent moments to think of what He wants you to be, and what you want yourself to be – to think further what that driving force of your life is and He would help you. It’s a time to get emotional and stay hopeful. It’s a wonderful thing that throughout our lives, we are given a cycle that runs on and almost ‘restart’ every 366th day. And we can pick ourselves up and gather that courage to start all over again. It’s a magical thing we are given incessant opportunities and you just have to live that up and tell Him you will shine and you will fly! Have a very warm and peaceful Christmas. Joy to the world the Lord has come!

Daily Quote
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
Luke 2:8-11

I pray to God that I will remember that He arrives to this world for all of us!

Postscript Quote
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.
Larry Wilde

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Dec 12 2011
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Christianity

magnificat

My church on Sunday has brought up a very interesting topic, it’s about Mary. About Mary’s role in this festive season: she as a teenager was already given a holy role of being a mom, but a virgin mom and risking her marriage to Joseph and she says Yes to the angels of willing to take up the role. And throughout her life, she has to go through lots unusual situation such as Jesus’ amazing caliber and intelligence who actually is against the norm, and when she witness her only dearest soon Jesus died on the cross, and then she saw Him resurrects. All these are absolutely not ordinary passages anyone would go through, but she still chooses to believe, persist and persevere. Mary is just like anyone of us, not the most intelligent, not the best looking, not the wealthiest, just the mediocre and ordinary. But God chooses us to be his tool, Mary said: “My soul magnifies the Lord”. That means she is the tool to demonstrate the existence of something: the existence of God. We too could magnify God, we can make the fact that God exists be more obvious, more noticeable and larger in those who don’t see Him.

Daily Quote
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.
Luke 1: 46

I pray to God that we will be willing to magnify God!

Postscript Quote
The greatest magnifying glasses in the world are a man’s own eyes when they look upon his own person.
Alexander Pope

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Oct 13 2011
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day to day

tea for two

Just passed by our office guard who was about to make himself a good pot of Kung Fu tea using those miniature teapot and cups! That is the authentic way to appreciate and enjoy tea. Then I chatted with him coz he is clearing his tea leaves tin can. I told him it’s time to stock tea leaves now! He responded telling me each year, he has a rough count he would consumer around 30kg tea leaves and I exclaimed that is aaa lot of tea that he drank and he laughed hardly saying, it’s not just himself, but a lot other people like the tenants of the building! He was laughing so badly with joy and in content. My cute mister guard is soo generous that he is the happiest of all! A godly life relies on us to share, to give and to help!

Daily Quote
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
Philippians 2:1

I pray to God that we would all be willing to give and to share!

Postscript Quote
Thousand candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened.  Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha

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Nov 30 2010
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culture, travel

city of joy

I am back – back from Kolkata India! This is an awesome trip as I see so much I have never seen. I worked a few days for the Missionaries of Charity and chose the Home of Dying Kalighat and Daya Dan – home for the physically & mentally disabled children. These homes situate in the poorest part of the city, if you have seen the movie Slumdog Millionaire, you would be able to visualize what slum means in India. I had a sharing session with Father Abello, who is close friend of Mother Teresa, one thing he pointed out that a lot of the Indians are facing destitution but not poverty. They are much worse than being poor, coz they basically have nothing with them. They move from the rural, which face countless natural calamity, to the city but the city do not offer them jobs coz the caste system is still in place. Without a job, so many of them could only reside in the street or slum and beg for money. I witness babies a few months old lying on the road naked just next to piles of trash, with flies and mosquitoes flying in the air. Small kids with no clothing run towards non Indians begging for a few rupees. Some more proactive people might be searching revolting trashes in the street just to get as few as 4 rupees (40 cents HK dollar). It’s sad but i see God’s spirit in place coz there are volunteers from all over the world to help out in Kolkata. I met many friends during this short stay who are from France, USA, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Tibet! So many stay as long as a few months just to volunteer at the centers. Many return continously from time to time. They bring hope to so many souls in Kolkata. In the house of dying, a lot of the patients suffer from deadly disease like leprosy and they look totally not normal and grotesque, but they have the loveliest smiles on their face and they wave at us every morning when we get in and they call me aunty!!!! I cannot explain why so many like these people still suffer – but we brought them hope! One day when they leave this earth and return to our heavenly Father, they will remember we still give them love and care.

Visit the Mother House one day if you could! Experience yourself. I will definitely join again.
Feel free to browse my photo album here!

Daily Quote
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

I pray that God will continue to bless Kolkata and the needy ones over there.

Postscript Quote
There must be a meaning for suffering, which is to allow people to realize the importance of love and hope.
Anonymous

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Sep 28 2010
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day to day

weakest is the strongest

I happened to go home and watched some TV in time, it was showing something about ‘love in HK’ – it’s a session the TV station devoted to a little girl’s ‘misfortune’ happening. She is around 13 now, when she was 9, due to high electricity voltage accident, she completely lost her both arms. But the TV showed she was still swimming & under training, she was still using her feet to paint, she was still standing right in the middle of Causeway Bay with air going through her sleeves, her face smiling in joy and pride. She said it’s her biggest gain of losing her arms, coz otherwise she does not know she could paint, otherwise she does not know she has faithful family, and she does not know how it feels to have arms during those 9 years of her ‘former’ life. My personal self shrinks to less than zero when i could stand in front of the TV set..and tears rolled…Mom passed by and commented i was silly, she said sooo many out there are without limbs & don’t be over-emotional. I have limbs but not making full use how I could be, I scream when I have zits on my face, I worry my chin grows loose due to gravity, i get grumpy when client demands what i think is demanding, I groan when traffic sucks at time when I think is inappropriate, and day after day, I don’t learn but getting even more impatient. I have so much to improve when I have all the blessings already.

Daily Quote
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten and hidden from my eyes.
 Isaiah 65:16

I pray that I will not waste what I have from God and use it as salt and light for the better of the world.
Postscript Quote
A good memory is one that remember the day’s blessings and forget the day’s troubles.
Anonymous

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