Monday, August 27, 2007

What you want to learn is what you are going to learn ...


For the past few years, somehow, this phrase has been lingering in my mind whenever I am setting a plan for my work and study ... "What you want to learn is what you are going to learn" ... once we have a goal to learn, we tend to gear ourselves toward learning those things that are associated to our original goals ...

When I was working in Maples Adolescent Treatment Center ...
I remember when I was in my 1st job after UBC grad, my supervisor from a mental health team said, "If one day ... one day ... that you find nothing to learn from your work or from your study ... you need to reevaluate if you are on the right track in your work and study ..."

When I was working in UBC research team ...
I remember when I was in my 2nd job after UBC grad, this job is all about 'knowledge translation', for this is the foundation of our research project. Though I am not in the field of nursing, the department where I worked, I have learnt how important it is to translate all those head knowledge into practice and daily life.

When I was in Calgary on my 3rd set of practicum ...
I remember the 1st day of meeting with my site supervisor, he asked, "Lorraine, what are your learning objectives?" I walked into this degree with ideas of what I hope to learn (i.e. I have my own learning objectives). However, I realized, the more I learn, the more I realized I need to learn and the more I feel inadequate.

When I was in my 1st counselling session with clients ...
I remember the 1st homework I gave my clients (a family of 3) was to set their learning objectives in the upcoming counselling sessions. It would be a waste of time, if we don't have a direction and a goal to work towards. It would be a waste of time, if we don't know what we want to learn. I remember it took us 4 sessions to come down to their goals, which was great, as our subsequent sessions were very very fruitful.

When I was in Uncle Bean's AFC biweekly training over the summer ...
I remember the few sessions we spent time learning 'how to learn"! it makes sooooo much sense after those 'learning moments for learning' that took place in my life.

What a blessing to have someone in every aspect of my life reminds me to keep learning ... I feel blessed to have all those amazing people in my life. Honestly, I am a 傻o下傻o下人仕being tenderly cared by Our Creator.

As I am planning ahead for my work for the upcoming season, a few learning objectives became very salient. Before any major planning takes place, I am going to have lots of quiet moments with our Lord and check with my BIG BIG Mentor of His thoughts about those objectives lingering in my heart.

Meanwhile, 2 lines from Proverbs also appeared in my heart, as I am doing all these plannings and consultations with Our Lord ... "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make you paths straight" ...! My Lord reminds me to focus on Him, as I recalled how much I wanted and planned to graduate last year, but turned out that I became so sick. My Lord reminds me that lesson, as I felt dizzy for the past 2 weeks(no worries, I am being very 保by Dr. mom's 'special drinks' and going to see Chinese Dr tomorrow). Perhaps, ultimately, my focus is set on My Lord than anything else ...

I have started to pray for a few topics for the upcoming conferences in this season ... I am feeling very very excited for this coming season, though I'd be packed ...

I am thankful that 'building relationships' is never kicked out of my piority list even when I am jammed packed.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

感覺像是 ...

感覺像是 ...

一個學生因為忘記要常常努力溫習,結果大考不合格。
從前她已從前她已試過不合格的後遺症,她今次更要努力了!
要爭氣點!一分一分的討回來唷!

近日像是 ...

坐在「茶杯」中天旋地轉

近日有紅棗水,鐵片,葡萄等作伴侶。

請爭氣!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

小小生命

Welcome, Baby Koen Chan!!!

We can't wait to visit Koen and May during our lunch break.





Monday, August 20, 2007

永別 ... 歡迎

上星期五,我們的甲蟲小蟹離開了「蟹」世 ...
我跟妹妹啟動了CSI腦袋也沒什麼頭緒 ...
為免讀者受驚,我也決定不把蟹仔的「死樣」公開 。
(其實,是因為死相真是有很高的驚嚇程度,我也沒有拍下吧)。

其實,甲蟲蟹陪了我過好一段時間,我也好謝謝牠!
為了養牠們,我也在牠身上花了很多時間,見到牠們成長我也開心!
牠要離開牠的「蟹友」也很可惜!
甲蟲蟹雖然不會明白,牠生命很短,但也幫我走過一段短短的路。

我跟妹妹見只有一位蟹公子 ... 我們就去為牠多添了三位新朋友了。
歡迎歡迎 ...
經過牠們有一番迎新party後,shells也換了好幾個,一切也安頓過來啦 ... we hope! haha ...


Saturday, August 18, 2007

時空門


「時空門」是叮噹各樣的百寶中最實用的一樣法寶。
當叮噹遭難時,他從百寶袋中拿出時空門,一打開,他就可也走進去脫難了;
但是,有時叮噹也因為各種原因 (可能是受驚過度;一時意氣用事),透過時空門走進更恐怖的地方去。

每個人也逃不過被傷害或傷害過人的事情, 說沒有的就是騙人!
無論已面對或處理過與否,往往這些經歷也留了很多痕跡在我們的心板上。
每次受傷害,在我們心房也多了一度時空門。

當正在向更光明的路上進發時,一切也在正路上走著。
在門的一邊,是努力面對過後更燦爛的路,更勇敢的心力靠上帝面對前路的挑戰,更相信自己因為肯定上帝造我的原因 …
在門的另一邊,就是一連串教導我們更堅強的教材,又即可能是被傷害的畫面,被遺棄的顫抖,被出賣的聲音 …

有時雖在正路上進發時,偶然也在時空門口踱步,也被過往的教材嚇了一頓。
頓然覺得恐懼,不知所操,陣腳大亂。
再定睛望住上帝,這般像是突如其來的恐嚇也可以manage到。
我也可以更勇敢的跟住天父再往前走了!
無論高處,低處 … 人控制不到 …
每度時空門背後可能帶來很多眼淚,但卻是引證上帝不變的應許和同在,
何懼之有?!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Aching for brokenness, soothed in His love



These 2 days, I have been preparing for an one-hour radio show early next week ... it's all about ...children from broken families ...

My heart is drawn to talk about this on the 1-hr on-air opportunity. Brokenness is everywhere ... anywhere ...
Broken family relaitonships, broken homes, broken relationships, broken hearts, broken dreams ...

As I am reading up in preparation for the show, I realized I am also doing work to speak in a conference later this year. God has been allowing threads running throuh many aspect of my work. God is so energy-wise too!!!

I feel passionate about speaking in this topic of family brokenness. Children are victims when daddy and mommy give up on their marriage. Children (no matter how old you are) are put into distress. Yet, Children are well trained to hide their distress and emotional turmoils ... children from broken families, in one way or another, will tend to attempt to 'protect' their parents even when they should be the ones who need attention and protection. (I need to write more on this later ... )

For the whole day, I have been praying for ways to bring out important messages in a succint manner on-air. God has been givning me flow of logics and insights in digging deeper in such matter ...

For the whole day, my eyes became watery ... hearts aching for children and families ... as I have been through those valleys and darkness. Feeling of abanadonments, fearfulness ... came to knock on the door of my heart. Yet, I know those feelings so well that I no longer fear of them and I turned those into my contineous prayers to God.

Tears of warmth engulfed my soul as I thank God for His unfailing love for me. He loves me just as the way I am. I don't need to work up to earn His love and to earn His protection. That is GRACE! I keep thanking God for His protection over my life. I thank Him for carrying me through in all these years. I thank Him for being my very very very personal Lord of my life. Nothing can replace His place in my life ... that I feel so transparent with Him. Every single time when I recall how Jesus on the Cross ... my tears just naturally flow down my cheeks. The tears are heart-warming. Honestly, the very reason that I dedicate my life to serve if just because of His love ... and that's my response to His Love. I still remember the scenes from the drime from the CCM camp last weekend. It moves my heart ...

Thank you, My Lord, for being My Lord ...
You are just amazing, Lord ...

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Congrats to Dr. Yam!!!



I am so proud of my PhD buddy ... Dr. Mandy Yam!!!!!

.... Her diligency brought her all the way through the PhD study!
.... when I got her simple message after her denfense ... "I PASSED!!" ... I am so thrilled for her ...
.... So happy for Auntie and Uncle too ...

dear sister ... I pray that your heart and soul always remain open to God and I am sure God will make use of what He has given you for His Glory ...

I think The Long's and The Yam's will have a dinner together soon ... hhahahaha ... LET'S EAT!!!! We are soooooo Chinese ... doing everything over food all the time!

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Inspired by young lives ...

I stepped into the camp with a prayerful heart that God will use our workshops and sermons to touch many young lives in the CCM youth leadership camp 2007... and God really did ... in the weekend of August 3-6, 2007 ...

My heart is moved ... so are theirs ...
I am so alive among them ... I become some 'long-ish' in the camp ... just being me ... just being the Long that God created for and called to serve ... perhaps ... a long-lost Long ...

I am amazed by their youthful energy and creativity ... they can basically turn AIR into fastinating toys and tools ...
I am amazed by the speaker's gifted preaching to youngsters ...
I am touched by the youths' pure faith in our Lord ...
I am amazed that I can still communicate with a 12-yr-old and engaged in pretty deep talk about their faith in our Creator

Words that have been hanging in my hearts since the camp: love mercy, act justly, walk humbly with our God, Micah 6:8, compassion, servanthood, life manual, apprecation, apology ....

Physically drained after the camp ... guess I am young no more ... though a little kid asked me what grade I am in ...! hahaha ... totally made my day! hahaha ...

Ear infection and fatigue ...

thoughts are as fragmented as this entry ... yet ... heart and soul is so inspired and ready to prepare for the busy rounds of walk in the upcoming few months ...

Depriving for sleep ...

I need quiet time to rest and to think over my planning for the coming 3-4 months ... hum ... Extrovert is now needing time to develop her introvert characters ... so that she has good discernment from God ...

I still remember a few days before I started in AFC ... I prayed in the dyke ...
God kept reminding me to practice good 'self-care' as a part of my ministry in Him ... I will kick that in moments like these ...

Rest and quietness seem to become my piority these days ...






















I pray that all these vibrant lives will keep on growing in The Truth ... and that they keep on learning to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with Our God ...
You guys are just so amazing ... beautiful and precious creations of our Lord and our Creator ...