keepingintouch

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on
the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the
freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

whisperings of nature

Friday, August 8, 2008

PEACE

Jesus Diverts Focus From Worry "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." ( Matthew 6:31-34)

Jesus Offers Peace for the Heart "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." ( John 14:27)

Join God in an adventure of love
Last year when we were in Rwanda a couple of people from our team went to visit an orphanage. One of the rooms there was filled with babies whose parents had either died or left them at the orphanage because they couldn`t afford to feed them. There were so many babies that the staff couldn`t keep up with all the needs. The babies just lay there without crying, but when they heard the sound of an adult voice in the room, the babies would lift up their arms, just hoping that someone was going to pick them up. That`s how starved for human touch they were. The people who were there said it was just heartbreaking to see all those babies with their arms in the air, just hoping that someone was going to touch them.

In that moment, what would be the one thing you would want to do more than anything else in the world? What would be the one thing that would give you the most joy in that moment? Wouldn`t it be to pick up one of those babies? That`s what these people did. They started scooping up as many babies as they could pick up. Every time they picked up a baby the baby would smile and so would one of our team members, because it gave them joy. Maybe not happiness: maybe not the happiness that comes from getting everything you want when you want it, but something deeper, something longer lasting, something more powerful - joy. The joy that comes from having your heart broken by the things that break God`s heart, but then getting to be a part of God`s healing in the world. And that picture of all those babies with their arms in the air: isn`t that all of God`s children in one way or the other? Whether we`re nine months old or 99 years old, aren`t we all holding our hands up in the air in one way or the other, saying "Hey - is anyone out there or are we alone on this planet? Did somebody create us or are we just a bunch of cosmic goo that happened to come together in a certain way? Is there a purpose to all this, or are we just lost in a cosmic void?" And the moment when we ask that question, whether it`s the nine year old girl in Medina thinking she`d better lose some weight because that`s what our culture tells her will make her valuable, or the family that`s working hard but can`t get out of poverty, or the kid in Rwanda who wants to live a whole life but can`t because he`s got to turn tricks on the streets of Kigali just to eat, or whether it`s us sitting in the pews wondering if there isn`t more to life than consuming and racking up one more item on the resume, whenever we ask that question in any way, shape, or form, God`s heart breaks and He becomes passionate, passionate to let us know that He`s out there, passionate to push back the margins of evil in our world, and passionate that we join Him in this great adventure of binding up what Satan has torn apart..

Love one another

'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "And a second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." ( Matthew 22:37-40)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ( John 13:34-35)

"Whatever you want others to do for you, do so for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." ( Matthew 7:12)

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward in heaven will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men." ( Luke 6:35)

"Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many." ( Mark 10:43-45)

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you." ( John 13:14-15)

whisperings of nature

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Happenings......

August 8 Olympics in China. Ann invited us for Olympic dinner.
Suppose to eat and watch together at her house.
However we turned down the invitation as the two guys in
my house prefer to watch at home.

August 9 will be attending school -class of 1978 reunion at
Casuarina Hotel. Looking forward to see old friends and teachers.
(So Suzanne , I won't be able to go online this Saturday afternoon.
Will postpone your conversation with Po to next Saturday afternoon, ok)

August 12 sister will be going to ISH to do an eye laser-operation.
Her operation is at noon. So got to go with her.

August 13 dinner with Amy, Young & family together with Ann, Tony,
Gaik Hong and Richard at a restaurant in Jalan Leong Sin Nam. Amy
and family will be going back to Nigeria very soon.

August 17 SMC Fundraising dinner at Florex restaurant.

August 29 or 30 ( cannot remember exact date...
suppose to get the invitation card soon) ) to attend wedding dinner...
a relative's daughter getting married.

End of September my grandaunty in Johor will be celebrating her 100th birthday.
Not sure I will be going or not......but hope I can.
I am happy for her that she's able to live till a hundred years old.
However I'm having mixed feelings whether I want to live
till that age if I am given a choice.

If I can be of some use I think I don't mind.
Read in the newspaper a few weeks ago about this 91 years old
lady who volunteer to draw portraits of cancer victims.
She travels by taxi once a week to a pallative ward in one of the hospital
in M'sia ( cannot remember which one ) just to draw and that cheer
the cancer patients there.
How wonderful to be able to do that.

whisperings of nature