Learning about Fasting, finally

Monday morning.

Celebration of Discipline, a book that I bought and signed in 1985, has a chapter on fasting.

Vision, clear spiritual vision.  "Open my eyes ....", the tune of this old hymn played in my mind.

Is that about acquiring wisdom?  SS's making me study Proverbs.

It's Lord Jesus

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31–32)

From time to time, I experienced a surge of spiritual energy to overcome feeling downcast.  I used to think someone must have prayed for me.

I feel that burden removed -- burden that I have felt in recent months, which climaxed/resolved after the Vancouver trip.

It's Jesus.  He prays for me, and/or he prompts someone to pray for me.  Jesus:  I pray that I can use my experience to empathize and edify other people.

Patience

If the previous lesson which God intended for me to learn was "humility," the lesson He may want me to learn now is "patience." How do I know? I don't know how but the idea just came to mind this morning. I even saw a John Piper quote on a photo on FB later today about patience, as if to affirm it. Is God speaking?

It's been difficult for the most part in the past two months.

Seek and Listen

This morning I was thinking to seek for God's voice, rather than telling him over and again what I needed, when I come forth to Him through prayer. Throughout the morning, I read some meaningful and encouraging quotes on FB. Around lunch time a fragment of this song floated in my mind (i.e. some tune and I only remember the lyric 釘痕手), and I searched online and found the Youtube link and music.

Message In a Bottle

This is some of the gift that I prepared for the students, with the helps from Janet who gave me the "message in a bottle" idea and her sponsoring of 24 glass bottles, Monica who did 99% of the craftwork, and Emily who furnished beautiful pouches to wrap the bottles.



May God bless each one who received these bottles. God bless the makers of these bottles as well!

5000 fed, then 4000 fed, the disciples .....

So, I was thinking about if I would go to Anhui in 2015.  As of now, my summer is clear since I've preemptively turned down my usual summer teaching job.  But then I have other plan which takes priority over the Anhui trip.  I hope my other plan is aligned with God's will and guidance.

One reason I felt able to turn down the summer teaching job is that my library job has increased from 15 hrs to 30 hrs, with benefits.  The news came towards the end of last year.  Some people got the hours increase in January.  I got mine in February, after the Old Testament Boot Camp.  To me, it's God's perfect timing.  I AM RECORDING IT DOWN lest I forget.

Like the disciples who seemed to forget and gave the same response to Jesus when facing the task of feeding the 4000, I forget God's providence and perfect timing upon the slightest change of my piano teaching or my library job.  

Thank God for the lesson in the Gospel according to Mark from the Word Of Life class.  Thank God to remind me from the mouth of a non-Christian friend at work to be grateful.

Christ came to destroy sin

A Christmas message:

"Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:7–8)

The issue in this context is sinning, not sickness or broken cars or messed up schedules. Jesus came into the world to help us stop sinning.


~ http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/the-son-of-god-appeared

Remembering Richard CK Lee

認識Richard是在宣教會恩召堂。聽我父親講過Richard怎樣開始返教會，他在葛培理香港佈道會中信主，經過聖經函授課程（郵寄方式）栽培後，就被介紹到他家附近的一所教會，恩召堂的舊址與Richard的家只相隔一條街。那時他在念中學，太久以前的事情了，記不清楚，推算我當時應該在讀小五或小六。

我父母親是這間地方教會的牧師和師母。我聽過他們私底下不只一次讚賞Richard對神有追求的心，他在恩召堂聚會沒多久就帶了有一群踢足球的朋友回教會，也帶了他的妹妹和他的鄰居參加團契。他們叫Richard做「驥仔」，這群人給團契帶來了活力和動力。後來他們很多沒有再參加教會聚會，差不多這個時候，「驥仔」又帶了他的中學同學返團契，一個一個的，這些同學又帶他們的朋友，弟妹返團契，福音營，非常開心。因為 Richard比我大，不能叫他「驥仔」，我就連名帶姓的叫他中文名字。

Richard不亂花錢、有禮貌、溫柔、聰明。中學以後，他往美國德州升學。其實我與家人在他往美國前已移民到美國羅省。我們保持通信聯絡，他常常問候我父母和姐姐的安好。他提過德州因為產油，學費便宜，所以他就選了一所當地出名的大學就讀。 大學期間，他好像來了羅省一、兩次探望我父母，也去了聖地牙哥探望在大學念書的我。記得我有些事情做得不對，他就私下對我講了一個比喻，間接指出我的錯處， 他沒有說任何話令我尷尬，只跟我講道理。

後來我們分別回到香港工作，然後又分別離開了香港。他婚後到比利時念書，而我回了美國再念書，有機會與父親去旅遊，也順道探望他與他太太Melody。我知道他倆很忙，但他們還是很有愛心地撥冗與我們相聚，又對長輩（我父親）很尊重和照顧。我去了他家一趟，看到Richard有一塊大概是3呎x 5呎的板塊，很有創意，他聰明地用 matrix 的方式展示寫了論文重點的索引卡片。

之後我們繼續生活在地球不同的角落，他太太會把禱告分享信寄來，我因此得知他們生活的點滴。最後一次見面，是幾年前我路經香港，與恩召堂的弟兄姊妹吃晚飯，他也來了，那時他已學成回港於大學任教。

認識了Richard 三十多年，他是我尊重和敬佩的主內兄長。讓我引用他於2007年, 寫下懷緬我父親的文字，在此跟他說再見：「如今您已經在我們主的懷抱裏，釋去了地上的勞苦，也從主裏得著您一生服事祂的賞賜。我們或許暫時哀傷，但再過不多的日子，我們必在榮耀裏與您相會。阿們。」

十年了

畢業後第一份的教職是2005年到距離60公哩 U of Redlands, 之後就是在家附近的Cal State U 教部份時間。算起來教了十年了, 要想想。

Battling one's unbelief with God's future grace

“Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you, with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, RSV).

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  (Philippians 4:6, NASB)

"And my God will meet all you needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NASB)

http://solidjoys.desiringgod.org/en/devotionals/god-shall-supply-all-your-needs