单纯 与 杰出 (2)

一個人的價值﹐應當看他貢獻甚麼﹐而不是看他取得甚麼.

Einstein, quoted from 施以诺之“因为单纯，所以杰出”

"我非常喜歡身邊的某些長輩和朋友們... 雖然當中有許多人的價格不高﹐ 但價值卻很高."

from 施以诺之“因为单纯，所以杰出”

What else is new?

first day teaching at Cal State - you know the first thing i did today once i was on campus? i was asking strangers for money! 'm serious. Once i parked my car, I realized I didn't have enough money change to buy the daily parking permit from the machine. I spent the next 5-7 minutes under the sun asking people if they had change for $10. Nobody did. Eventually, someone just gave me 50 cents to add to my $1.50 and thus afford me to buy a 4-hour permit!

Let God be God

Yesterday, C-mo preached a simple yet very stirring message. (Wish I remember the Bible passage we read.)

- Do I know my role and act accordingly?
- Is God serving me, or am I serving Him?
- Is He to make other people orbiting around my universe, or am I orbiting around Him the Center?
- Who or what takes control of my life?

He's the Creator and we're the created. Let God be God.

Roller coaster - change again

it's quite unexpected ... will post my update soon!

TGIF from a "sad Christian"

Thank God It's Friday!

Isn't the term "sad Christian" an oxymoron*?

Lost some piano students over the summer but gain some new students gradually! The # of students is just like life, which has its ups and downs.

I was feeling this annoying sadness on and off last week; this doesn't seem a hot topic for Christians to talk/write about. After all, doesn't it say in the Bible, "rejoice in the Lord always"? How could a Christian who's supposed to have so much to give thanks for feel depressed?

Yes, the Bible does tell us to rejoice in the Lord always. However, Christians are prone to not rejoice; it's human nature. That's why Paul, the writer of the book Philipians, reminded us again and again -- "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).

"你们要靠著主常常喜乐，我再说，你们要喜乐。"

腓立比书 4:4

* an oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory ideas, like "icy fire," "bitter sweet," "deafening silence," etc.

Job task

I took these pictures yesterday - it's a job-related project on recycled water! Not bad, huh, my photography?

God's good again!

[Picture at right: this is a plant given to me by my neighbor when she moved out. Because I closed all the windows to keep the dust out when I was away, much of it was heat-burned from the heat trapped within my home. Now it's growing pretty again.]

This morning in my devotion, I remembered my promise to pray for the needs of 4 people. Afterwards I felt like praying for my "boss" and a few work-related items. In my mind I was applying the Bible verse in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, so that I can work peacefully.**

Ha! God answered all of these work-related prayers! I felt great the entire day -- physically not tired after a long day; and got to find out and celebrate a colleague's b/day! It's great! God's good. Hm... I suppose God answered my prayers for the 4 people as well!

Never underestimate the power of prayer! Got to do that again tomorrow.

Oh... my dear friends and Tong Cheng students, I pray that God's blessing be upon you today.

** "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (New International Version)

"因此，我劝你最重要的是要为万人、君王和一切有权位的恳求、祷告、代求和感恩，好让我们可以敬虔庄重地过平静安稳的日子。"

提摩太前书 2:1-2 <<环球圣经新译本>>

单纯 与 杰出

人奋斗的动机不该是世俗的名,钱,权，
人奋斗的动机，应该是尽心尽力地让自己的生命成为别人的祝福。
如此，你的成功才会有意义； 才不会在功成名就的时候，反而换来一股空虚感。

from 施以诺之“因为单纯，所以杰出”

Hearing the world through Jesus' ears

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Matthew 20:29-34

This is a familiar story. As I read it again today, what struck me is how Jesus could notice the two blind men in a large crowd.
- The two blind men could easily be missed because of the presence of a large crowd.
- They were just sitting by the roadside (their immobility is possibly due to their blindness), unlike the crowd which followed Jesus and would be able to get much closer.

Man tends to notice those who are bright, smart, funny, outspoken, good-looking, ... Yet, Jesus spotted the weak and the needy, and He heard them, and He had compassion on them. As He said in Matthew 9:12-13, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. ... For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Birthday -- good to be remembered

不知是否年纪大了，人就比较mellow and 没那么 cool, 也更appreciate朋友和家人(其实次序应该对调)的生日祝贺 和人与人间关系的真诚。 不同形式的祝贺, whether it's a greeting locally or from oversea, an e-card or a real card, a thoughtful email, a phone call, a present, a home-made meal or dining out, 也都是一份心意。 感激，感激。