Faith + Action 1

As stated in James 2:17 : so you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

The theme of my Happiness Project resonates with the same momentum : Faith hand in hand with Action.

I planned to go to Tainan with Mom since last year.  But I could not made it.  I put it aside ...pile it up, store it up, stock it up....with tons of burden and sometimes grief.  For sure, I don't want to regret... This Apr, I myself felt steamed up and need to free it.  Luckily, my "cheer team partner" is able to fix a schedule - 13 to 16 May.  So I prayed and prayed to see if this time slot should be best for all.   Coincidentally the trip fell into the Mother's Day.

We went to Tainan in trio over 3 generations.  This is the first time I went abroad with my mom.  I need some time to compile a travel chronicle.  Though the time with my girl is somehow rough, it is cherishing as mom enjoyed the fun time.  

 

The hotel Cozzy is very good with supra-big room, we live a 4-person room and it is really spacious.  I love it... so does my mom.  She said the room is just as big as a small flat in HK. Crazy... but relaxed!!

We spent a memorable 4-day trip in a warm and seemingly familiar city that speaks our dialect.  Ordinary street people are so friendly that they greeted us on Happy Mother's Day!

retreat 2017042830

我神與我

最美麗的安排 – 中山屬靈之旅 20170428

387  我神與我 

我神與我結伴同行到永遠，我們並肩深交肝膽相照。天地世事一切都會成過去，但神我關係永恆不變。

原來我們不是顧念所見的，乃是顧念所不見的，因為所見的是暫時的，所不見的是永遠的。         哥林多後書 4:18

我相信屬靈的事，只有天天查考聖經、禱告、fellowship，才可以領悟出來。 Demographic House Church中活出信心的班，叫我們加深認識亞伯拉罕、以撒……更要求每人自選一個聖經人物，做專題作業(時限3分鐘)。就讓我們趁著今次退修，滿足心底裏追求屬靈成長的渴求。出發前，請大家選出一位聖經人物，男女老少不拘。如經上說：我們既有這許多的見證人，如同雲彩圍著我們 希伯來書 12:1 。當中有信心的榜樣，忍耐的榜樣，犧牲的榜樣，勇敢的榜樣，悔改的榜樣……；就讓他/她們的故事激勵我們，也彼此激勵。也使我們知(信)行合一，且看他/她的作為或不作為，從中學習活出屬神的信念，在退修會(4月29日 晚(第一部分)/4月30日 早上(第二部分) 補充) 彼此分享，互相鼓勵。也預備專題作業的練習。  

最美麗的安排暫定時間表

日期	時間	項目/地點	負責人
4月28日	晚 6:45	登車上中山 晚6:30在 旺角太子港鐵站 榮利車站等	Linda
4月29日	早上8 – 11:00	我神與我 一起早餐 然後獨自在屋苑內/任何自選地點靈修(嗎哪靈修—約書亞記24章)，享受獨有「我神與我」時間。 11點回到中山家，來個分享時間。	Sandy
4月29日	中午12:30 -	午餐	五月之星：Connie (主角) Wendy 選擇參與與否
	下午	最美麗的安排：姊妹放下自己，與主角盡情享受她最喜愛做的活動。與喜樂的人要同樂。(羅馬書12:15)
	晚上7:00	晚膳-法國餐廳	Connie
	9:00 à	聖經人物 (每人三分鐘)	Iris
4月30日	早上8:25 前	早餐暨靈修	Sandy
	8:30-9:50	主日崇拜 : Iris/ Connie/Sarah/Wendy	Iris Sandy & Sarah : Hymns
	10:20	回程	Linda

Laugh and Smile

I started the 3rd bible devotional plan in Jan -- Joy for Today : 14 Joy-filled Days with God!

JOY = Jesus + Others + You
yes, Jesus is the answer and the source of JOY . 

The 5th day reminds me of Laughing more!  AND  the 9th day Smile!
Laughter is a cure to the sick!  Smile is a gesture to connect to my heart of being joyous and happy and a joyful reflection of the time being.  Once others see you smiling, they will be moved and become happy.  How magical it is for a smile.  A smile a day; miles of distance will be shortened. A frown uses much more muscles than a smile! A frown also induces stress -even if you just look at someone else's frown!  If a person is happy, they definitely do not frown at others.  A smile, on the other hand, makes a person feel good.

There is an old saying : if you meet someone who does not have a smile, you should give them one of yours.  

:-)  I choose to smile and laugh more so that I make others happy and myself.  Pray that I will also wear a smile!  Amen!

Devotional on 20 Jan 2017

 Once a month, we hold a BT devotional.  We held our first 2017 devo at Connie's home and shared the common Church's objective this year: 5-4 Movement 五四運動 -  “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch. Luke 5:4 ; and update what I have been getting up with our Happiness Projects.   

1.  5-4 Movement, to me, is divided into 3 tiers :- Individual with God; intra-BT relationship and Within the Single ministry.

a. Glad to see each of us are keen on fostering individual relationship with God by all means:-  Sandy and I will develop a secret place to stay tuned to God and often have a dialouge with Him.  From CS Lewis who answered my question : How do I go about spending more time with God and he further confirmed me, "Jesus answered!"  GO TO THE SECRET PLACE!  This is the place where you pour all your inside out before HIM.

Then what do we do there?  Jesus said, "Go and pray."  Matthew 6:6 This is spending time with God.  We shouldn't make our greatest effort and time with God all about petition an intercession - but simple fellowship with Him.  Ask Him to reveal to me new facets about Him and Heaven not as an insight for problem solving; but for me to step away from the earth for a while and rest in the awesome glory of His presence and His Kingdom.   

CS Lewis remarked this as an oxymoron : We experience the spacious ground as we are cramped in the Secret Place with God. 

Similarly, Sandy decided to treat God special and squeeze time with Him at least once a week especially on Saturdays.  She will cut down her workload so to have solitude with God.  And she decided to foster relationship (afterall, religion comes from the word - relationship) via dinners with unfamiliar sisters.  Finally she will do more exercise and join the swimming club again to boost up her energy.

Linda asked herself if she is ready to go to deeper water and evangelize!  Hold on...she is not really ready -- her answer.  But the shift of a new job struck her to think about an ex-colleague, Yanni, whom keeps her updated from time to time.  She decided to pray for Yanni that she will one day open up her heart to God.  She continues to declutter her stuffs.

Sarah finds a new place alone or with friends/sisters to stay close to God.  Decluttering continues though slowly both physically and mentally.  Focus to pray for some friends, Sammy, Jenny etc. to seek God with a heart.

Connie will make use of the family gathering on Day 2 Lunar New Year as a chance to evangelize and share some bible scriptures.  Pray for her son!

   A rough mind map of sisters' update of Happiness Project

Apart from 1st tier, we hope to understand and foster deeper relationship with BT sisters.  Once bi-monthly (i.e. April, June, August, October & December) the exact birth-month/or a month preceding for each sister, the others will reserve a time slot, in particular, to deepen BT sister's relationship.  The birthday girl will introduce her most favorite activity to others and then the rest will company her without a doubt or a query.  Go and enjoy life!  

Top tier is already embedded in two lower tiers... in short, how to evangelise.  We will play a game of bowling or badminton in Feb with chosen friends.  Pray that it shines and appeals; and glorify God in return via our relationships.

Obey His law makes me happy

A big challenge to walk with my girl who is facing some problem.  I got to retreat to His word, Kneel humbly on my knees and pray twice in a day.  Please walk with her and lead her to walk on YOUR path.

不從惡人的計謀，不在罪人的道路，不坐傲慢人的座位。惟喜愛耶和華的律法，晝夜思想祂的律法，這人便為有福。

I meditate with the verses.

 有福，怎樣才是有福呢?  
這個人一定要思考要常常思念神的話語，還要把祂的話牢記於心。更要好好選擇自己的朋友圈，不能聽從惡人的計謀，他們心裏只有惡念。又是老生常談的一句話:小心擇友!  我的朋友是誰?  
7-buddy rule holds?
BC,RT,VL,CL,SY,SL,CH,TT,CT,JL 不期然也重組自己的朋友行列表。誠然，一些人已隨著歲月的流轉淡出了......這就是人生的旅程，交朋友何嘗不是一次火車的旅程，上車落車，每人原本就有自己的上車站和終點站。在人生某時某刻，會遇見某些人。也會在另一些時候，跟一些說再見，也可能連再見也不說一聲，就不見。就像一次人生火車的旅程。

也把這段經文跟女兒分享。求主把祂的天使安插在我們的朋友圈，為使我們更親近祂。也求主叫查經小組/pair up bt  內的弟兄姊妹關係更加鞏固。阿門!

靜默等候 我思故我在

今早按靈修計劃 : I choose...第七天 I choose Power over Perfection...繼早前的名聲(受人歡迎)

、 憂慮和掌控 。人彷彿會想自己話事 ，而在日常生活上 ，我們從小就想話事；事無大小，都想由我來話事。永遠不想停下來，把人生的掌控交出來。是自討苦吃嗎?

這一天碰到今天的主打經文 :《詩篇》 62

我 的 心 默 默 無 聲 ， 專 等 候 神 ； 我 的「救 恩」 是 從 他 而 來 。

也回應Steve 主日的講道提及這句經文。今天的周三靈修剛剛也是這一篇詩。我決定把今天禁食改為午間靜默。

而今天靈修計劃的 I choose 也提醒我要默想神的恩，思念我對祂的信。我就選擇上好的福份: 在神面前，默默無聲地專心等候祂。

按著以下四部曲: 
1. 讀出經文 :讀 《以弗所書》二章 ，就是第8節最感動我。

⁸ 你 們 得 救 是 本 乎 「恩 」， 也 因 著 「信 」； 這 並 不 是 出 於 自 己 ， 乃 是 神 所 賜 的 ；

⁹ 也 不 是 出 於 行 為 ， 免 得 有 人 自 誇 。         《以弗所書》2:8 

翻覆讀出這一節。

2. 默想著「恩 」 和 「信 」

倒空自己 ，不用慣常的看法去看和想這段經文。

3. 禱告

求主賜我智慧和信心去解讀這段經文。

4. 反思

反思這段經文如何使我走出現在的局面/改變自己。

倒要照著這句話做:要靠主常常喜樂 。也要記取我的得救是本乎恩，也靠著信。

 我的「救 恩」 是從他而來 。

Bye Bye 2016

Really anchored myself to my sanctuary-HKCL, to review my 2016 and to honour it as a part of my memories.

a panoramic view from my seat at HKCL on 31 Dec 2016 afternoon

A plan made in early Feb 2016

Basically, in early 2016, I planned in 8 major areas namely:-

1. finance :- save some $ regularly every month at the beginning of a month; 
2. career :- change a job that earns more/take up an extra freelance job/pray for a promotion
3. family :- foster a stronger tie with my biological family - establish family devo /a family trip in summer/closer bonding with my mom
4. health :- keep on yoga/one more regular sport
5. Spiritual :- Love God more every day; how to go deeper/plan to read the whole bible once again in a year 2016 - Come Drink Live; prayer diary for single ministry. 
6. friendship/love :- get focused at a friend; find a soul mate 
7. leisure/fun :- Read (some ingredients to write a book), Travel (to Europe with my girls), Eat (cooking as a sort of hospitality), 
8. dream big :- buy my own house in 2018...if God allows!  

on 31 Dec, I reviewed and assessed as follows:-

1. finance :- Yes. I did save thousands.  But I also used them to finance my girls for different reasons.  I will keep up with the targets.
2. career:- I was promoted in April...but I got a new assignment.  :-)  This is really thrilling!!
3. family :- yum cha with mom every Sat noon; walk a while hand in hand with her after that.  Mutual trust is further enhanced; plan to travel with her (not yet fixed); Only 1 family devo was done!  POOR :-(   Will keep on praying for Cherie to open her heart shortly.  The girls themselves went to Europe in summer without me for I couldn't get the annual leaves. :-(.  I went to Bali Conference in June with Merry.  I sponsored Cherie the trip to UK 
4. health/Sport :- Play pingpong ball once in two months (joined the interest club) and yoga every Tue evening as usual
5.  Spiritual :- complete Come Drink Live:a whole year bible reading plan.  What do I feel now?  Overwhelmed at the moment when I finish the last sentence on 30th Dec.  Sat is free from bible reading...I mediated.  Malachi 3 & 4 and Revelation 22 really struck me to think more about God's mercy and anger.(will spend some time later again on reading and writing it down).
6. friendship :-  no new acquaintances made, I think.  But keep old friends running on the loop from time to time.  Yes, I must admit I am not eager to make new friends as it takes time and effort. But I try to strengthen my existing friendship by knowing each other more and meeting more in smaller groups within the Church and beyond.     Reading -- the authors of different books became my friends over the year.  To name a few:- Gretchen, Cohen, Gaarder,..
7. Leisure/fun :- I picked a book read in Aug. and decided to embark on my own Happiness Project and set up a blogger: www.ijoyproject.blogspot.com to journal my step and every precious moment about it and share with my pals who walk with me :- Linda, Connie, Lydia....more and more.  I would introduce this to my colleagues as well.  Life is fun though short or sometimes even challenging.   Besides, I turned my favourite reading and started forming a reading group that shares and multiplies the joy of reading.   From a book known as 日常書店, I am further motivated to start my mini exploration project : plan to explore and visit different local second-hand book stores in HK, Kowloon and even NT (see if I can spare on my tight weekend schedules).  It is really exciting and empowering.    In another way, my interests in travel slowly diminishes, without knowing why.  Ponder : no soul mate? Maybe a reason?
8. This big dream will exist throughout 2017 and even beyond if God allows me -- this sustains my training in hospitality and cooking!    From the Bali trip, I discovered movie therapy and am interested in learning more and even form a small movie connection group.  Will it be a stepping stone that we will have a group of movie therapy kick-off?  Pray for it. Let time lead...