Longing

My Advent word for today is Longing. We are created for relationship with God and with any break in this relationship creates a deep longing inside us. The deep inner indescrible longing is like homesickness where you know there is another place you rather be. C.S.Lewis has described this longing well in his Surprised by Joy where he described his conversion. I remember I first felt this deep aching longing when I was twelve years old. I was too young to understand this and lived with this inner longings for many years. I read and devoured sacred texts from many religious traditions to find the the answer to this longing.

Three statements from Augustine, one of our most helpful theologian, help me to understand this longing.

"Let us come home at last to you, O Lord, so that we shall not be lost."

"I sought for you abroad, but you were within me though I was far from you. Then you touched me, and I longed for your peace, and now all my hope is only in your great mercy."

"I call upon you, O God, my mercy, you who created me, and did not forget me when I forgot you."

Advent is the season of waiting for the two comings of Christ. The first is when he came as a helpless baby boy to redeem the world and has been fulfilled, and the second is when he comes in glory to claim it. Christ's comings is both the answer to my longing and its fulfilment.

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Careful of food coupons that are fraudulent

Because of the economy, job losses,  many of us are doing all we can to save money.  Food is a major part of our budget, so to save money we check out sales and use coupons. But BEWARE suddenly there are fraudulent coupons circulating. You should NOT knowingly use coupons that you know are fraudulent.
Here is a website that shows a Frito Lay fake coupon.

Careful of food coupons that are fraudulent

Because of the economy, job losses,  many of us are doing all we can to save money.  Food is a major part of our budget, so to save money we check out sales and use coupons. But BEWARE suddenly there are fraudulent coupons circulating. You should NOT knowingly use coupons that you know are fraudulent.
Here is a website that shows a Frito Lay fake coupon.

Dutch Children - Kids Coloring Pages

Dutch Kids Coloring PagesChildren - Kids Coloring Pages

Anticipation

My Advent word for today is Anticipation. I did not grow up in a Christian family so Christmas and Christmas presents did not have a influential role in my life until I became a Christian during my University days. My parents were worshippers of the traditional Chinese religion which is a combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. It is later in life that they both became Christians. My family were not rich, in fact we were living just above the poverty line but there is love and we have what we need. I remember that I always look forward to the Chinese New Year which mean a new set of clothes, an angpow (containing usually two dollars- which is a fortune to a little boy) and good food. The last month of the lunar year is often spent in anticipation of the coming of the Chinese New Year festival.

Now as an adult and as a Christian, this season reminds me of my anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. As I look around at the deteriorating and worrying situation of the state of my country and of others around the world, I look forward to the peace of the Millenial kingdom of Jesus Christ. I also look forward to a time when there is an end to suffering and pain, and the whole creation is restored to its former state of goodness and wholeness.

Maranatha, Come, Jesus, Come.

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Dressed for Travel - Kids Coloring Pages

Dressed for Travel - Kids Coloring Pages

My Mission Statement and Scope of Ministry

I have been giving some thoughts to and reviewing some of my activities this past year. This is a summarised mission statement and scope of ministry.

I am a visual learner and sometimes it is helpful for me to write down and list things.


My Mission Statement

To nurture spiritual formation of disciples of Jesus Christ to develop informed minds, hearts on fire, and contemplative in actions.

Present Scope of Ministry

1. Preaching and teaching at Holy Light Church (English), Johor Bahru, Malaysia

2. Preaching and teaching at other churches

3. Preaching and teaching at conferences, seminars and church camps

4. Organising seminars and workshops

5. Mentoring of individuals and groups

6. Pastoral and spiritual friendships with pastors, full time workers and other church leaders.

7. Teaching courses at seminaries and Bible colleges

8. Spiritual direction and retreat directing

9. Mentoring of individuals and groups

10. Writing articles, chapters and books

11. Establishing an Internet presence though blogs, websites and the social media (Facebook, Twitter)

12. Study and research Spiritualities and Christian spiritual formation

13. Study and research Biomedical Ethics

14. Study and research Practical Theology

I find that having a mission statement and a list for scope of ministry helps me to see where I am at and where I should be going. I do appreciate your prayers.
 
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Waiting

Today, my word of Advent meditation is Waiting.

Waiting is not something that comes naturally to me. I am by nature very impatient, stressed by an internal clock that seems to be set on fast forward. I want it (things, events etc) and I WANT IT NOW! I try to imagine Mary's experience as she waited slowly for the unborn child, who is to be called Immanuel, the long awaited Messiah, forming inside her womb for the natural duration of her pregnancy. I cannot imagine the thoughts and her emotions as this 'miracle' baby grew bigger and bigger making it obvious to everyone that she is pregnant. I cannot imagine the words of the angel playing through her mind as she pondered this being inside of her. Was Mary impatient? Was she contented to allow the events to unfold? Waiting.

Two thousand years ago, the whole of creation waited with abated breath for the arrival of God incarnate.

Soli Deo Gloria

Triple Decker Cone - Kids Coloring Pages

Triple Decker Cone - Kids Coloring Pages

First Sunday of Advent

Today is the First Sunday of Advent

Fishing Pole - Kids Coloring Pages

Fishing Pole - Kids Coloring Pages

Girl with Dog - Kids Coloring Pages

Girl with Dog - Kids Coloring Pages

Reading on my iPad

I was a bit hesitant to buy an iPad because I thought I will have difficulty reading from the screen. I am one of those folks which prefers to read hardcopy rather than the text on the computer screen. I can tolerate reading short articles directly on a computer screen but for longer and more technical articles, I prefer to print them out. As for reading an entire ebook-never!

So it is with fear and trembling that I decided to buy an iPad and try to read an ebook on it.

To my pleasant surprise, it actually a pleasure to read the text using an iPad. I have installed both iBooks and Kindle for iPad but for this reading experience, I read an ebook from amazon.com using Kindle for iPad. It is easy to read, much like reading a paperback. The self-lit screen makes it easy to read in any part of the house and at night in bed. The screen is easy on the eye and I did not get an eyestrain. Turning the pages are intuitive which is something I have expected from Apple products. I even tried reading in the bath which I do often.

I have finished reading my first ebook on my iPad. It is as enjoyable as reading from a book except that I cannot handle the book and shelf it with my other books. At times, when I was so immersed with the ebook that I am not aware that I was using an iPad. Now I am glad that I have an iPad. I have already downloaded 235 ebooks and more will be downloaded soon. The title of the first ebook that I read on my iPad?

Star Trek: The Typhon Pact, Zero Sum Game by David Mack.

Make it so...

Reformed Perspectives Magazine for November 28 to December 4, 2010

RPM Volume 12, Number 48 (November 28 to December 4, 2010), is now available. The following articles are featured in this issue:
The Anchor of Assurance
A Sermon on Romans 8:31-39
By: D. Patrick Ramsey
Webpage  PDF  Word
Our Righteous Standing
The Doctrine of Justification
By: John Stevenson
Webpage  PDF  Word
The Evil of Sin
An Article
By: John Flavel
Webpage  PDF  Word
Sins Estimated by the Light of Heaven
An Article
By: Edward Payson
Webpage  PDF  Word

Precious Hobo Moments- Kids Coloring Pages

Precious Hobo Moments- Kids Coloring Pages

Music Notes of Love - Kids Coloring Pages

Music Notes of Love - Kids Coloring Pages

A 17th Century Nun's Prayer

(click on picture to enlarge)

Child on Swing- Kids Coloring Pages

Child on Swing- Kids Coloring Pages

Go Forth, Young Doctors

This is the second cohort of medical students to graduate from Monash University Malaysia. All will be taking up house officer jobs in Malaysia or in Australia soon. They are not longer my students but are now my colleagues and friends. I am so proud of them. Go forth, young doctors.

The Star Trek Universe: The Typhon Pact

In the literary Star Trek Universe, the Borg invaded the Federation and their allies space in large numbers and destroyed many planets, literally bringing the Alpha and Beta quadrants to their knees. This was in the Destiny trilogy series in 2008 (my review here). This happened 6 years before the destruction of Romulus which lead to the events of the recent Star Trek movie and the bifurcation of the Star Trek universe into the original and the new version by J.J.Abrams.

In the literary Star Trek universe with the Federation weakened by the Borg invasion, a new group of interstellar civilizations formed the Typhon Pact to fill in the power vacuum. They are the Romulan Star Empire, the Breen Confederacy, the Tzentkethi Coalition, the Gorn Hegemony, the Tholian Assembly and the Holy Order of the Kinshaya. This is a bold move to steer Star Trek into a new direction with new enemies and allies. I look forward to reading about the Typhon Pact, of which only one novel has been published Zero Sum Game.

I like the introduction of a new class of starship, the Vestaclass which uses slip-stream technology which was first mentioned in the Star Trek Voyager series. I appreciate the sleek design of the USS Adventine NCC-82602, captained by Ezri Dax.

source: Star Trek magazine Oct/Nov 2010

Child on Donkey - Kids Coloring Pages

Child on Donkey - Kids Coloring Pages

Balloon Seller - Kids Coloring Pages

Balloon Seller - Kids Coloring Pages

20th Anniversary of the English-Speaking Presbytery of Malaysia

The ministers, preachers and elders of the English-Speaking Presbytery (ESP) celebrated the 20th anniversary since its incorporation as a separate Presbytery under the Synod of the Presbyterian Church in Malaysia (Gereja Presbyterian Malaysia)

To God be the Glory

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Apple Basket - Kids Coloring Pages

Apple Basket - Kids Coloring Pages

A helpful nurse. - Kids Coloring Pages

A Helpful Nurse - Kids Coloring Pages

The Human Response in Spiritual Formation

The human response in the process of spiritual formation is twofold. One is the cognitive volitional action of assent to respond to God’s revelation. The second is a passive submission to allow the Holy Spirit to transform the inner person. The human response is important in the process of spiritual formation. Augustine is reported to have said, “God with us will not, as we without God cannot.”

Human beings are given the free will to make choices. Examples abound in the Bible. Joshua’s challenge to the ancient Israelites to choose, and his own choice to follow the Lord (Josh. 24:15) in the Old Testament indicate that human beings have the ability to make choices. This is supported by Paul’s letter to the Philippians where he shares his angst in having to choose between continuing to serve in his apostolic ministry and dying and being with Christ (Phil. 1:22). This implies that Paul is allowed his personal preference. Calvin in his anthropological understanding of man explains that no person has absolute autonomy or free will. Because of the effect of the original sin, a person’s ability to make choices is tainted. However, unlike Martin Luther, Calvin believes that fallen people still bear the imago Dei, though a deformed one. Thus all persons may make choices to restore this broken imago Dei in their spiritual formation.

The human response is to be willing and to allow the Holy Spirit to do his transforming work in the individual’s inner life. This is often not easy as Paul himself attests to in Romans 7. The means of spiritual formation offers some understanding and suggestions on how a matrix may be formed for the Holy Spirit to work in.

In Ephesians 5:18 Paul urges his readers, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Theologian John Coe points out that the words “to be filled with the Spirit” in the Greek have a verb-form that is a present passive imperative. This may be taken to mean that instead of actively doing something, a person is to passively allow something to be done to him or her. This highlights the passive submission of a person required in spiritual formation. Thus spiritual formation does not encourage work-righteousness but embraces effort to become like Christ. Dallas Willard affirms this by often repeating that “God is not opposed to effort but to earning”. The anthropological understanding of spiritual formation is paradoxical in that it is an active choice to seek shalom with God and yet it is also to passively allow God to create that shalom in the person. 

All that implies that a person has to want to grow spiritually before Christian spiritual formation can take place.

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Online Christmas Coloring Pages

Have online access over these coloring printables based on theme of Xmas full of happiness, cheer, celebration mood and pleasing feel to be part of Christmas holidays. All are free to surf these Online Christmas Coloring Pages showcasing different theme images of santa claus, reindeer, tree, candles, holly, berry and more.

Christmas Winter Coloring Pages

Enjoy the winter season of snowfall, ice, snowman, snow covered pine trees, fireplace and many other things of winter Xmas holidays by accessing any of these Christmas Winter Coloring Pages adding up sizzling cold feel of weather, winds, temperature and the warmth of fun.

Christmas Decorations Coloring Pages

Decorate your home and Xmas tree with glittering hangings, balls, bells and other ornaments to create happy environment and mood of festive celebrations. Be part of these Christmas decorations coloring pages to bring that glowing beauty to your coloring book by best utilizing holidays in such creative activities.

Christmas Fairy Coloring Pages

Get in to the World of coloring sheets based on cute images, pictures and graphics of Xmas theme. Here, visitors are free to explore Christmas Fairy Coloring Pages to gift this cute gift of god to kids and children to fill colors in the blank fairies.

Jesus Coloring Pages

Offer your words of prayers and worship to Jesus, God of Christianity on this holiday season of Xmas by letting your kids color Lord of Christ by accessing from here. Download Jesus Coloring Pages from here by clicking and saving for future usage. Even religious quotes could be written near the image.

The Moral Dimension of Technology

I enjoyed the way this article is written and the insights it contains.

The Moral Dimension of Technology

by Kevin Kelly

What technology brings to us individually is the possibility of finding out who we are, and more important, who we might be. During his or her lifetime, each person acquires a unique combination of latent abilities, handy skills, nascent insights, and potential experiences that no one else shares. Even twins—who share common DNA—don’t share the same life. When people maximize their set of talents, they shine because no one can do what they do. People fully inhabiting their unique mixture of skills are inimitable, and that is what we prize about them. Talent unleashed doesn’t mean that everyone will sing on Broadway or play in the Olympics or win a Nobel Prize. Those high-profile roles are merely three well-worn ways of being a star, and by deliberate design those particular opportunities are limited. Popular culture wrongly fixates on proven star roles as the destiny of anyone successful. In fact, those positions of prominence and stardom can be prisons, straitjackets defined by how someone else excelled.
Ideally, we would find a position of excellence tailored specifically for everyone born. We don’t normally think of opportunities this way, but these tools for achievement are called “technology.” The technology of vibrating strings opened up (created) the potential for a virtuoso violin player. The technology of oil paint and canvas unleashed the talents of painters through the centuries. The technology of film created cinematic talents. The soft technologies of writing, lawmaking, and mathematics all expanded our potential to create and do good. Thus in the course of our lives as we invent things and create new works that others may build on, we—as friends, family, clan, nation, and society— have a direct role in enabling each person to optimize their talents—not in the sense of being famous but in the sense of being unequaled in his or her unique contribution.

However, if we fail to enlarge the possibilities for other people, we diminish them, and that is unforgivable. Enlarging the scope of creativity for others, then, is an obligation. We enlarge others by enlarging the possibilities of the technium— the greater ecosystem of technology – by developing more technology and more convivial expressions of it.

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Winter Coat and Hat - Kids Coloring Pages

Winter Coat and Hat - Kids Coloring Pages

Child on Swing - Kids Coloring Pages

Child on Swing - Kids Coloring Pages

Baby Swing - Kids Coloring Pages

Baby Swing - Kids Coloring Pages