Tagged with persistence …

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 04 2012
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after thought

bible reading plan

It’s interesting in what I read about new year, it says that gym membership application peaks in January as many people consider that as their new year’s resolution, and forcing themselves into some kind of program will be the best driver to success. I can’t agree more as I have entered myself into the one year bible plan just yesterday by picking up the book my dear friend gave me last July. It’s a pretty amazing mix of the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. If I were to do my own reading, I would definitely not knowing how to begin and will just start with the Gospels (that’s what I did before and of course ended the practice in a sporadic random manner). I am already behind the schedule as I have to catch all 3 days of readings. I had a good feeling this time as I am taking ‘notes’!!! And making myself a glossary of terms and names as follow up, as I didn’t really get things sinking in my mind and just take them quite casually before. It feels like going to class indeed. It’s like one of the course I am taking during my college, and that is incredibly interesting and fulfilling. And to supplement this learning spree, I tuned in to some radio stations online while I am on the road about Christianity, and this morning I just listened to something about genealogy of Jesus, it’s amazing, I can’t repeat them as I forget them, but it’s really mind-provoking if we can expose to ourselves to continuous learning and feel inspired with discipline. I wish you all a very fruitful 2012 and this is going to be a year of Learning for me!

Daily Quote
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
Titus 2:11-12

I pray to God I will get the strength from God to pursue this with persistence and patience. Do not give up, just like God never gives up on us.

Postscript Quote
A single conversation with a wise man is better than ten years of study.
Chinese Proverbs

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Feb 18 2011
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day to day

keep running

It’s the annual Standard Chartered Marathon again this coming Sunday, many of my friends are runners and I am always at awe how much time and effort they devote in the running ritual they take from time to time. They would watch their diet, train and pamper their muscles, study and research on how they could improve their performance, take personal and group practice all the time. They want to break their very own record – not exactly to beat others’ record, but their own. I am not so much a sportsman, and i can’t understand where that kind of stamina and perseverance these sporty friends derive from. The mind and will power of these people are amazing. I wish I could apply the same kind of attitude to train my spiritual & religious muscle and put God as my priority so that i can improve my ‘record’ progressively. I am very weak in many sense, and the only thing I have i guess is my desire to learn, I am a curious cat, and I know i always have room to improve, that is the only thing I hang on to to make myself persist. It’s time to do more to be better. Hope all of us – runners of our lives – could break our own record!

Daily Quote
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.
1 Corinthians 9:26

I pray to God that He would lift me up and be my sturdy rock base where I can stand high up!

Postscript Quote
Run like hell and get the agony over.
Clarence DeMar

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Jun 04 2010
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day to day

live like a roach

last night i saw a big cockcroach in my bathroom…near the edge of the door…i was about to think just let it go. but then..i m afraid it will migrate to my bedroom and the rest of my night will be deadly worrying. so i shot my haiviannas flip-flop towards it. Ooops….i missed the aim…it’s only half dead but quite badly injured. arrgghhh…then i left and hoping the next day my helper will help take care of the rest (how irresponsible i was..). after a while i passed by the bathroom again…and suddenly realize i must be careful not to step on the ‘thing’.  ahhh…i notice it’s gone!!! but…to the other side…i cannot believe this! it’s almost dead?! but the roach did not give up and continue to persist to live & move! i was wondering if we could have the persistence to live and the mind-power not to give up like a cockcroach, we could have achieved soo much more?!

BTW, today marks the 21st year anniversary of the 4 June Tiananman Sq Protests, it’s a time to pay respect to those who sacrificed their lives for the bigger hope of the others, to those who lost their own freedom hoping to fight for bigger liberty. See you at Victoria Park tonight!

 Daily Quote
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Romans 8:21

I pray that we can persist to believe in our beliefs and do not be afraid to stand firmly for that in the spirit of God.

Postscript Quote
When my heart beat no more, I hope I die for a principle, or a belief which I had lived for.
anonymous

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Apr 19 2010
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after thought, day to day

further thoughts

visited an art exhibition over the weekend called Glory & Hope, by Simon Birch – a British born HK based artist. It’s not so much about how creative or visually stimulating his work is (but they certainly are in fact), but when i got to know more about his background, i find him inspiring and enlightening. he came to HK in 1997 coz he fell in love with a girl who then flew to HKG with nothing, no money & no experiences, but loving the city and started to become a self-taught artist. slowly things all went well and his career started to bloom but when he realized he got a very rare kind of cancer in 2008, then he went through all kinds of crazy treatments and finally fighting the battle WINNING it which pushes him to do something for himself and HKG. He applied for the fund subsidy from HKG government and seek many big corps such as Swire to support his event. I m so moved by his determination as he said, he was so near to death and now he could see things in another light and perspective. how many more of these passionate souls do we need in the city/world? just do sth – out of the genuine thoughts for yourself or the society!

Daily Quote
And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Ecclesiastes 1:10

I pray that God will continuously motivate us to achieve things for the good of the bigger society!

Postscript Quotes
That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others that we can achieve them as well.
Abraham Lincoln

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Apr 08 2010
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day to day

formula to success

was helping a young designer friend to revise her personal resume so that she could reach out for more work opportunities..i was reading hers and find out it’s not quite right for me coz it’s not appealing at all. but i can’t get her to understand why it’s not working and i started to find all those CVs references whom i get all the time at my studio from ‘initiators’ all over the world. some of them are really good, the tone and manner, the way they present their previous designed work, the logic they structure their personal details and even the sign off frame of their portfolio. and she still does not understand and told me that her CV is using typography to set things up which i told her i totally find it boring and uninspiring. at the end, i told her – developing a CV is not easy, it takes time, effort and heart. it’s not just a piece of info which we put together in a couple of hours…as per the book “Outlier” i am still reading, it says:  “Success is a function of persistence and doggedness and the willingness to work hard for twenty-two minutes to make sense of something that most people would give up on after thirty seconds.” job search will be the perfect exercise for my designer friend.

Daily Quote
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
Genesis 39:1-23

I pray to God that in my daily journey of life, i learn from the world and the people around me as much as they would find my help useful.

Postscript Quote
Those who really seek the path to Enlightenment dictate terms to their mind. Then they proceed with strong determination.
Buddha
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Apr 01 2010
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after thought, event, music

genuine artist

saw eason chan in concert last night – amongst all the different experiences people have such as their witness of his super coarse voice and off tune [he was very ill!!] what i saw i would say was some not totally cool dancers, too much firework effect as if it’s by the harbor side during chinese new year in HKG, some not seamless rundown of the show, BUT i saw a very passionate eason chan! he’s so into the show and the performance and i will almost imagine he feels more than awesome to be singing in front of the fully pack hk coliseum stage! it’s in his blood! it’s like seeing someone’s blood boiling with passion and it’s diffusing through every pore of his skin! it’s so obvious that his voice is not fully in shape still, but that does not hinder him from doing the best of the rest he could do! isn’t it something we should all follow suit? Doing the best with the rest of the things we have in hand? just move on!
Have a peaceful Easter – a time when we can take a moment to think how our Lord has sacrificed his life in pain and insult, but risen from death to life! That gives us HOPE.

Daily Quote

Endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
Romans 5:1-5
May Lord bless Leslie Cheung in His House up in the Heaven. (Leslie ended his life 1 April 2003)
May Lord reminds us that we would love our lives and not let despair exfoliates our hopeful heart.


Postscript quotes
In all things, it is better to hope, than to despair.
johann wolfgang

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