New Life in Christ

The students shared 2 songs with us ^_^

These 2 pictures were very very funny! A few students kindly offered help to move some benches from the front of the sanctuary to the foyer. Their videoman wanted to shoot the scene ... but the 'movers' walked too fast ... then the videoman asked the students to walk back to where they go then bench and walk again (consider that it was rather heavy!) Other students heard that the videoman is shooting again ... haha ... the rest of the whole gang ran to 'pretend' offering help to carry the heavy bench. One of them said "我要爭取出鏡機會" ... hahaha ... well ... so basically the 2nd shot has way more people law! hahaha ... they are simple cute!!!

Nothing is greater than God's almighty power ...

Zheng Sheng College's (Drug Rehab school in HK) principal

 and founder came to Vancouver with 12 others students. All the students are either substance abusers or admitted through court orders.  

Got to meet a few of the students during PP959 show last Sunday. They were the abandoned, neglect, abused ... they once lost hope ... they once wounded ... God reached out to them and healed many of their wounds ... though an ongoing process, ye

t, they are found. And in fact, we are all 'in-progress' ...

When I got to sit down with a few of them during dinner. We had such a good conversation. I felt like serving in gospel camps in RCAC in the old da

ys, surrounded by young folks whose

 lives are vibrant but once hurt and torn. They shared their stories with me, from hindsight, of how they longed for love and acceptance ... and ended up they gave up their life to drugs and other abuse of other sorts. Reminded me of my 2.5 years in Maples Adolescence Treatment Center ... 

When I was walking out to the parking lot ... a few kids whom we are chatted with came to said bye! Somehow, I missed them ...! I asked them to "加油，要堅持，天父的恩典夠你用。好好用天父給你的恩典幫助在掙扎的同學唷" ... don't know why, the guy nodded his head and his eye became watery ... so were mine's . As I asked him why he got teary ... I am amazed how God prompted me to say what I said ...

加油加油加油加油！

Yes, they are still struggling ... but they have God in their lives ...

There are more out there who are struggling without knowing who God is ... my heart aches ...

So many typos in this entry ... I am sooo tried from a long day of meetings and work ... but really wanna write these down before I hit my bed ...

Fee Lee Fat Let

Sigh ... what's going on?!?!?!? I've been getting bad bad sore throat for the past 2 days and now coming down cold-combo (with fever+running nose+headache) ... grrrr ... grrrr ... I dropped dead after I got home from work and just got worsen. I don't like that at all!!!

Fee-lee-fat-let all the way through the night ... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... I planned to get a paper done this long weekend. I hope I can still make it. 

Gotta rest, feel drowsy with Mr. Tynanol ...

Keep praying for those who are suffering from China ...

心痛

這幾天也想寫篇blog 有關四川的地震，但是見到報紙和在網上的片段時，我的心真是為著他們很難過。Most probably,我不知到他們的名字；most probably, 我從未見過他們；但是聽到他們在如山般高的碎片叫著兒子的名子, 見到小女孩又嚷著要爸爸媽媽時，我卻跟他們一起流淚 ...

一月在Calgary上的Crisis Intervention counselling科時，我們花了好幾天在練習在天災中輔導方法時，心想「有幾可會用到？不如多教Suicidal 或 grieving 的更好！」

當我看到這幾天的報導時，我就跟覺的自己好膚淺 ...

我也不禁想起去Manitoba前完成的paper ... Crisis Intervention for parentally bereaved children ... I keep wondering how feasible it is to implement things that I suggested in my paper in this situation ...

Anyhow anyhow ...

Let's offer our prayers and help to those who are mourning secretly in their hearts ...

Christian Masquerade?

After a long day of class and right before dinner, I took a nice walk along "THE" river that gentle meandered through the meadow near the campus building. It was a little chilly and my windbreaker was just good enough. 

As I meandered, my conversation with God went on

... some are unfinished thoughts from the classes about being a woman (or even a man), 

... some are just praises for the works that God has brought to my life, 

... some are praying for names of people that came to my mind,

... some are things that didn't sit well in my heart about how people connect/disconnect with each other,

... the quest went on ...

Came back to the dorm and sat down to read a chapter from a book that our prof gave us before the end of the day ... somewhere along the chapter, it says ...

"... When I became a Christian, I was taught that anger was a sin. Wanting to be like Jesus, I stuffed all feelings of irritation, annoyance, resentment, and hatred. They were sins. right? ... When we do not process before God the very feelings that make us human, such as fear or sadness or anger, we lead." Our churches are filled with 'leaking' Christians who have not treated their emotions as a discipleship issue. Grieving is not possible without paying attention to our anger and sadness. Most people who fill churches are 'nice' and 'respectable'. Few explode in anger - at least in public. The majority, like me, stuff these 'difficult feelings,' trusting God will honor our noble efforts. the result is that we leak through in soft ways such as passive-aggressive behavior (e.g. showing up late), sarcastic remarks, a nasty tone of voice, and the giving of the 'silent treatment' ..." from

Perhaps, we can't change the whole world, but we ought to make a different in our own connection with people that God lead us to. 

Christian-masquerade is quite hurtful at times ...

"The bridge" analogy

The school campus is really ... REALLY in the middle of nowhere! It's a really good place for solitude and retreats ... well ... basically turned my reading mode on, as, even the internet usage is limited that no way to watch youtube or similar, there's nothing to do other than reading. I guess I will post some pictures up in the next blog entry :) so stay tuned :)

I've been looking forward for this course about gender issues and counselling. The readings are quite heavy, yet, very interesting, so I decided to keep a little reading log along the way ...

"... Behind the 'two are better than one' Scriptures is the idea that two independent persons have unique strengths to offer each other and the relationship. Without two separate identities, interdependence is not possible. Some hold to the false notion that dependency or fusion is the ideal: 'I can't do it without you, and I must lean on you to be strong.' Two overly dependent persons hanging on to each other for dear life have no solid ground on which to stand when things get difficult or an unexpected stress hits."

"... Empowerment occurs when two equal partners influence each other. Interdependence is the intent. Spouses who are secure and self-confident can express them selves honestly and directly. In doing so, they have an opportunity to listen and to know the deeper feelings and thoughts of their spouse so they can come to a decision out of mutual respect and regard. Individual power is translated into relationship strength. When each spouse is able to sta

nd solidly on his or her own feet, using the personal resources and relational strengths that have been developed mutual empowerment happens..."

by Ronal Pierce and Rebecca Groothuis

The whole article goes on to depict the whole concept of marriage as partnership for life. The growth sense of self is a rather key component in empowering the marriage ... yet ... not letting it carried away to be overly egocentric. It somewhat reminds me of an analogy I used in one of my sessions with my clients to explain healthy what a healthy boundary and sense of self looks like in a relationship. That's my little 'bridge analogy'

[haha, don't challenge me on the actual engineer of it, I just thought of this little picture of a bridge as I was taking a walk along steveston landing 2 years ago ... hehee]

The pillars that support the bridge have to be stand at a precise distance in order to avoid collapsing. It cannot support the bridge if the 2 pillars are too far apart, nor can they be too close. the only way that make a bridge stand with 2 pillars is to make them stand at certain distance. ... well ... I guess it somewhat applies to relationships (whether it's family relationships, friendships, marriages, ...etc). When 2 people are too enmeshed, at least one will get suffocated, but when they are too distant ... needs for companionship and intimacy will never be met. And perhaps, in seeking the the unique meaning as a Christ follower in our lives shapes our identity and give shape of our sense of self  ... hum hum  ...

... incomplete thoughts lingering ...

MooMoo

I will be flying out to Manitoba this Sunday for my course on Providence campus in Otterburne. 

I remember how the spirit led me to mission conference in Jan 2004 and met a registrar there. There was a guy asking the registrar ...

Guy: So ... what do you have out in Otterburne other than the school building ...

R: Well, we have a river ...

Guy: Oh, nice ... what else?

R: Hum ... nothing ...

Guy: oh ... that's ... fun ~_~''

Oh great, so  ... I guess I will at least see a river in Otterburne ... and perhaps a bison or two. 

A month ago, I whined about how much school work I have on my plate, with all of God's Grace ... I survived through ... yet ... I still have 2 pending. I think I will be able to nail one down before I go on my trip (makes it ... at least I have all my stuff that I need to submit before my class).

After all, I really do pray that God keeps on speaking to me in the upcoming course about Gender Issues ... maybe it's something that God will use to narrow my counselling speciality. There are just too many non-sense little things happened lately ... my heart just tells me that all these non-sense will make sense one day. Well ... so ... I am not too worry ... as long as God is surfing the waves with me ... I am happy! God is faithful and good!

Moooomooooo my way out Vancouver skyline ... 

Oh, in fact ... I am not too sure if bison moomoos ... let me find out if I get to meet them on my trip.