Plastic World

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

It's nice to be important,
but it's important to be nice.

How true is this line to you and me when it comes to the "real" world?

The "real" world is so scary. You will know how scary it is when you really come out and work. Everyone around seemed to be putting up a masquerade. Turn around, you will see another masquerade right behind you =P

I remember my last Discipleship Group (DG) lesson with my DG leader Shu Shyan, and my mates Lydia, Esther and June. The topic was on faith. Shu Shyan made us remember that faith is to be really practised in all situation, under every circumstances. In the working world, if one doesnt practise faith, it's very very easy to fall into the world's trap.

This is a dogs eat dogs world... Am I being pusillanimous?

Vanities, all are vanities.

We are His Sheep, He is our Shepherd

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

You were in His heart.

When He left His home in heaven, He saw you;
when He became a man on earth, He was seeking you;
when He stretched out His hands upon the cross, He was reaching out to you;
when He returned to His Father, He was preparing a place for you.

You are the sheep He has come to shepherd,
to guide, to feed, to protect, to shelter and to carry.

You are the one He calls His own.



-Roy Lessin, Co-founder Dayspring

Chinese New Year

Learn about The Chinese Calendar

"Three of the most prominent are the Jewish, Muslim, and Chinese. Both the Jewish and
Chinese calendars are lunisolar: The years are reckoned according to the sun but the
months according to the moon.

"The Chinese calendar is basically lunar, or based on the moon, consisting of 12 months of
alternately 29 and 30 days. This lunar year totals 354 days. To keep this calendar in step
with the solar year of about 365 days, intercalary months are periodically inserted in much
the same way they are in the Jewish calendar. One interesting feature of the Chinese
calendar is the naming of the years. Twelve animal names from ancient times have been
attached to years. These names, in order of their occurrence, are: rat, ox, tiger, hare,
dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, fowl, dog, and pig. This cycle of years is frequently
used for astrological purposes, much the same way the 12 signs of the zodiac are used in
the West to describe personality traits and to tell fortunes."
~From Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia~

In conjunction with Chinese New Year, it's good to know a little more about the chinese beliefs. I find this site (annie's homepage) very interesting, and I like it very much. Very informative.

A Story of Two Brothers

I thank my God every time I remember you.
-Philippians 1:3

Once upon a time two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict.

It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a conflict. Then the long collaboration fell apart.

It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's tool box. "I'm looking for a few days work" he said." Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?" "Yes," said the older brother, "I do have a job for you.

Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbour, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us. Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better.

See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence; an eight foot fence so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore." The carpenter said," I think I understand the situation". Show me the nails and the post hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you." The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.

The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge -- a bridge stretching from one
side of the creek to the other!

A fine piece of work, handrails and all -- and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done.

"The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand.

They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. 'No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.

"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more bridges to build."

REMEMBER THIS:

God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house, but He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

God won't ask what your highest salary was, but He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

God won't ask how many friends you had, but He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin, but He'll ask about the content of your character.

God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation, but He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

God won't ask how many people you forwarded this to, but He'll ask you were you ashamed to pass it on to your friends.

Faith doesn't get you around trouble, it gets you through it !

Author Unknown