Hm... met a new friend who went to the north-eastern part of China (沈阳) and taught university student English for a year. Then bumped into an acquaintance at church and found out that he also went to the same part of China to teach English in 1999!
Good to know that people don't just chase after wealth and material goods.
What is your life driven by? What's sucking away your time, energy, and your life?
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
My other fish died
Please see Little fish's obituary.
Sorry Chad, Jason, and Albert.
Not so sad this time, 'cuz I know the memory of the people will be with me for a long time.
Sorry Chad, Jason, and Albert.
Not so sad this time, 'cuz I know the memory of the people will be with me for a long time.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Got a temporary full-time job, in addition to teaching piano
Thank God! It's temporary, but it's full-time. Haven't had a regular 9-5 routine for so long, I find it kind of cool to go to work in the morning and come back in the evening ... temporarily :)
Thursday, August 24, 2006
To find a full-time job
Won't spend so much time on the internet la. My goal is to send out one job application per day, starting yesterday. Well, yesterday I sent out one, today I sent out three. This is now my lunch break. This afternoon, I'll write something on "world music culture," part of another job application. I'm working hard! 加油!!! Add oil!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
A thankful heart is a happy heart
[Inspired by "野猪"'s email]
When things are going smoothly, it's easy to be thankful for people and things: family, friends, teachers, school, health, love, friendship, job, church, opportunities, etc.
But when things don't go smoothly or get tough, what can we be thankful for?
- like when i failed my exam
- when i'm separated from my loved ones
- when i come from a broken family
- when a friend has gotten seriously ill
- when a close friend got drowned
- when things don't go my way
Remember Lena Maria, and remember the God that Lena Maria trusts with her life. Be thankful that God's with us. Christians are not immuned from difficulty. God doesn't give us a smooth path, but He gives us strength to get through a difficult road.
Here's one of my favorite quotes from Lamentations 3:22-23--
When things are going smoothly, it's easy to be thankful for people and things: family, friends, teachers, school, health, love, friendship, job, church, opportunities, etc.
But when things don't go smoothly or get tough, what can we be thankful for?
- like when i failed my exam
- when i'm separated from my loved ones
- when i come from a broken family
- when a friend has gotten seriously ill
- when a close friend got drowned
- when things don't go my way
Remember Lena Maria, and remember the God that Lena Maria trusts with her life. Be thankful that God's with us. Christians are not immuned from difficulty. God doesn't give us a smooth path, but He gives us strength to get through a difficult road.
Here's one of my favorite quotes from Lamentations 3:22-23--
... for His [The Lord's] compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;great is Your faithfulness.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Life and Death
In Ecclesiastes (圣经“传道书”) 3:1 & 11, it says:
I had studied this topic and wrote about it in my dissertation (2005). Recently I came across a Chinese book written by 张祥志, who explains these two verses of Ecclesiastes in a similar way. Let me quote & share it with you:
I believe that there's an order of things. Man needs to recognize his role. God gives man the idea of eternity (永恆) and he also gives man set time (定時) so that man may understand his limitation (限制) and his role as the creation (受造物) not the Creator (创造者).
While the Book of Ecclesiastes implies the roles of the Creator and the creations, elsewhere in the Bible, the loving relationship of Father and son/daughter is used to depict God and man.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
"万事都有定期，天下万务都有定时... 他使万事各按其时，成为美好；他又把永恒的意识放在人的心里；虽然这样， 人还是不能察觉神自始至终的作为。"
I had studied this topic and wrote about it in my dissertation (2005). Recently I came across a Chinese book written by 张祥志, who explains these two verses of Ecclesiastes in a similar way. Let me quote & share it with you:
神创造人的时候给人“定时”的限制， 但同时又将“永恒感”放在人心里，让人有完美的渴望。在这“定时”与“永恒”，“限制”与“ 完美”的结合下，人就成了一种很矛盾的个体，他既有完美的渴望，但得不到这完美，因为他同时有定时的限制...。 这“永恒“与“定时”的差距产生得无奈感，传道书称之为“空虚”。
神在人生命中创造了这“永恒“与“定时”之间所产生的“空虚”， 目的就是要提醒人：人永远不是创造主，人不能掌管一切，人要学习尊重神是生命的主宰，这叫做“敬畏神”。
I believe that there's an order of things. Man needs to recognize his role. God gives man the idea of eternity (永恆) and he also gives man set time (定時) so that man may understand his limitation (限制) and his role as the creation (受造物) not the Creator (创造者).
While the Book of Ecclesiastes implies the roles of the Creator and the creations, elsewhere in the Bible, the loving relationship of Father and son/daughter is used to depict God and man.
神爱世人，甚至把他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的，不至灭亡，反得永生。 约翰福音 3:16
凡接受他的，就是信他名的人，他就赐给他们权利，成为 神的儿女。 约翰福音 1:12
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Good-bye, little fish
ablogaday wrote:
如果死掉的，是一尾普通的鱼儿，他的死只会给留下的同胞带来悲伤与孤寂。
如果死掉的，是一尾信耶稣的鱼儿，那他的死不过是代表著新生命的开始。死亡对他来说只是由人世进入到永生的那扇门。他要回到天父的怀抱那里，永远和天父在一起。
如果仍活著的，是一尾普通的鱼儿，他同胞的死只会再一次显示生命的无奈。生命的无奈便是你跟本无法从它带走甚麽。仍活著的他，应该在馀下的日子好好思想生命的意义和答案是甚麽。
如果仍活著的，是一尾信耶稣的鱼儿，那我想问问他：鱼儿啊，你能感受到主耶稣赐你永生的把握和出人意外的平安吗？你懂得为上帝给自己仍有生命气息而感恩吗？你会明白生命原来并不是必然的吗？
桐城的鱼儿啊，你会是那一尾？
in the past, i've quoted from and linked to ablogaday's blog here in Renaissance of Grace. 这次藉小鱼的死,引发他在本blog留言, big_head 无言感激, 也忍不住要将留言转放在比较当眼的地方.
Come to think of it, I like to write about death. See my other posts: 怕死, music spec. for my big day, and music talk: 彩虹下的約定.
Little fish's obituary
Two lively, little fishes were given to me on July 27, 2006.
One passed away on Friday, August 15, 2006.
The other passed away on Tuesday, August 29, 2006.
They're among the many wonderful creations of God. Though short-lived, their mere presence testifies to the wonder of life and the existence of a creator.
As it says in the Bible 《环球圣经新译本》
One passed away on Friday, August 15, 2006.
The other passed away on Tuesday, August 29, 2006.
They're among the many wonderful creations of God. Though short-lived, their mere presence testifies to the wonder of life and the existence of a creator.
As it says in the Bible 《环球圣经新译本》
"神的事情，人所能知道的，在他们里面原是明显的，因为 神已经向他们显明了。其实自从创世以来， 神那看不见的事，就如他永恒的大能和神性，都是看得见的，就是从他所造的万物中可以领悟，叫人没有办法推诿。" 罗马书 1:20-21
Friday, August 18, 2006
Health crisis
It's one of the fish! Think it's sick. It's been quiet for 2 days. What to do??? So worried!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Mode of communication
i like to connect with people.
i prefer to talk face to face 'cuz it's direct & w/ eye contact.
otherwise, i'd rather do email, as i get time to process before i write. in that respect, email allows more depth in commnucation. plus, email is non-intrusive, since we choose our convenient time/place to do email.
my least favorite channel of communication is talking on the phone. i don't get to see the person's face, and phone call is often quite interruptive.
of course, if you need to call, call! i just usually don't talk for hours (she said sheepishly). That's why all the telephones at my home didn't work properly, which bothered everyone but me, until recently i purchased a new one from Target.
i prefer to talk face to face 'cuz it's direct & w/ eye contact.
otherwise, i'd rather do email, as i get time to process before i write. in that respect, email allows more depth in commnucation. plus, email is non-intrusive, since we choose our convenient time/place to do email.
my least favorite channel of communication is talking on the phone. i don't get to see the person's face, and phone call is often quite interruptive.
of course, if you need to call, call! i just usually don't talk for hours (she said sheepishly). That's why all the telephones at my home didn't work properly, which bothered everyone but me, until recently i purchased a new one from Target.
宋詞精粹
I received a bookmark, on which 黄庭坚---清平乐(春归何处) is printed. Thanks to google search and many software programs that switch from simplified to traditional Chinese and vice versa, I can learn what it means!
If you are able to read Chinese, check out this external link and let me know whether the interpretation is sound. Many, many thanks la.
春歸何處？
寂寞無行路。
若有人知春去處，喚取歸來同住。
春無蹤跡誰知？
除非問取黃鸝。
百囀無人能解，因風飛過薔薇。
If you are able to read Chinese, check out this external link and let me know whether the interpretation is sound. Many, many thanks la.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Tong Cheng - afterthought 2
Picture taken in Tong Cheng, Anhui.
Can you believe it -- I carried this all the way back from Tong Cheng, via Shenzhen, via Hong Kong, via Tokyo, to the US?
All the gifts, letters, notes, pictures, private words, songs, and hugs from students are very precious.
Tong Cheng - afterthought
So many memorable things happened during the brief 10 days there -- I don't even know where to begin. And all the friendship sprouted there was so special -- words simply can't capture how I feel. I miss my students!
Our theme song for the English camp is the "True Meaning of Love" (1 Cor 13:4-8) (English or Chinese). I myself learned a great deal about the power of Love. We didn't (or couldn't) preach it with our lips much, but we did plenty with our action. As one student wrote, "Don't underestimate the power of love."
This morning, I remembered these lovely faces and prayed for them. The song "Pass It On" by Kurt Kaiser occurred to me. The lyric expresses exactly my experience with them and my wish for them.
Our theme song for the English camp is the "True Meaning of Love" (1 Cor 13:4-8) (English or Chinese). I myself learned a great deal about the power of Love. We didn't (or couldn't) preach it with our lips much, but we did plenty with our action. As one student wrote, "Don't underestimate the power of love."
This morning, I remembered these lovely faces and prayed for them. The song "Pass It On" by Kurt Kaiser occurred to me. The lyric expresses exactly my experience with them and my wish for them.
It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing;
That's how it is with God's Love,
Once you've experienced it,
Your spread the love to everyone
You want to pass it on.
...
I wish for you my friend
This happiness that I've found;
You can depend on Him
It matters not where you're bound,
I'll shout it from the mountain top!
I want the world to know
The Lord of love has come to me
I want to pass it on.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Count down
[I actually wrote this a week prior to the trip.]
feeling almost panic with planning the lessons
5 days before the trip: i decided to stop planning lessons & start praying & reading Acts (this was inspired by our team coordinator)
2 days before the trip: someone totally unexpected gave me financial support
1 day before the trip: yet another person--also unexpected--gave me a relatively large sum of money to support the trip. (I redistributed the money and gave a major portion away ...)
i am more keen to the fact that we're going to fight a battle that He has won. But we still need to do our job so that the Lord can bless our work and His Kingdom may be advanced.
Amy's email that asked me my flight time prompted me to pray in detail God's protection and guidance, from Friday's flight to Sun's, from travel safety to road condition, water & food, weather, insect, mosquitor, road, our unity with team members, our witness at hotel, restaurant, school, ...etc., whom we meet, and activities during the 2-week period.
More people outside my "prayer team" told me that they're praying!
feeling almost panic with planning the lessons
5 days before the trip: i decided to stop planning lessons & start praying & reading Acts (this was inspired by our team coordinator)
2 days before the trip: someone totally unexpected gave me financial support
1 day before the trip: yet another person--also unexpected--gave me a relatively large sum of money to support the trip. (I redistributed the money and gave a major portion away ...)
i am more keen to the fact that we're going to fight a battle that He has won. But we still need to do our job so that the Lord can bless our work and His Kingdom may be advanced.
Amy's email that asked me my flight time prompted me to pray in detail God's protection and guidance, from Friday's flight to Sun's, from travel safety to road condition, water & food, weather, insect, mosquitor, road, our unity with team members, our witness at hotel, restaurant, school, ...etc., whom we meet, and activities during the 2-week period.
More people outside my "prayer team" told me that they're praying!