Miwa in HK: Random gems
This was an awesome post written by Maria (and whilst I had to walk out of the movie "Beat the Drum" I "hoorah!" her for her noble attitude.)
In both posts were the thoughts "what is the good that I can do today?", "What difference can I make?", "How can I let the love of the one who has redeemed me shine forth"...
They're great thoughts!
Monday, April 23, 2007
revisiting the 8 ball
I just re-read my post on the magic 8 ball in light of some circumstances I'm facing at the moment. I wanted to challenge myself if I really was falling into a wrong way of thinking. I was encouraged instead however, by remembering through it that God does speak. and when he does, he brings life.
The 8 Ball I'm facing at the moment is doubting what God has already given me, and the peace that has come with that, due to words questioning where I'm "at". Other people and their opinions have always been a bit of an Achilles' heel for me.
I have battled all weekend questioning and doubting and confused... when God has already given peace.
I've let myself be tossed and turned by waves, because I rely so much on what people think - I let people influence me so easily - I question myself so easily. Instead, what I need to do is stand firm on what God, and the Holy Spirit have already given me, and trust him, in his love and gentleness and desire for my good, to correct me when I'm wrong. Yes, to lay my life down when called, but as and when HE leads and shows.
The magic 8 ball is deceptive. It comes upon us like a thief in the night, and it steels peace, it robs joy, it creates confusion and pain. God is not in that.
The 8 Ball I'm facing at the moment is doubting what God has already given me, and the peace that has come with that, due to words questioning where I'm "at". Other people and their opinions have always been a bit of an Achilles' heel for me.
I have battled all weekend questioning and doubting and confused... when God has already given peace.
I've let myself be tossed and turned by waves, because I rely so much on what people think - I let people influence me so easily - I question myself so easily. Instead, what I need to do is stand firm on what God, and the Holy Spirit have already given me, and trust him, in his love and gentleness and desire for my good, to correct me when I'm wrong. Yes, to lay my life down when called, but as and when HE leads and shows.
The magic 8 ball is deceptive. It comes upon us like a thief in the night, and it steels peace, it robs joy, it creates confusion and pain. God is not in that.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Meat Pie Perfection!
Tonight, after one failed and one very successful effort to ship a pie dish from the USA (thanks Michelle and Rob!) I made my first meat pie in Hong Kong!YEAH!!!!
Unfortunately, as you can see, my wee little toaster oven didn't quite fit it. As they say though, "where there's a will there's a way!". Nothing that a bit of Al-foil won't fix.
... and yup - it tasted great!
Anyone have any recipes? If so feel free to send them my way - and yup - Phil and Sue if you read this it DOES mean you've got a Steak and Guinness pie being cooked for you when you get back here :)
Monday, April 09, 2007
Hot Cross Buns
Easter would have to be my favourite season of the year. Not only because of what it represents, but also just because of all the amazing memories that I have of events that occur around this time.
I realised on Thursday night when I saw Hot Cross Buns for sale in Wellcome how much I miss being home for Easter. In one moment, that moment, I felt a flood of memories come back as I wrestled with whether or not to purchase these outrageously expensive bread rolls.
This year has been a great Easter. Rest, Sleepins, lychee martini’s, time for reflection and meditation, recognition of the meaning for Easter.
Oh – and if you need to smile or are feeling a little down check out this clip of patches the horse – almost worth its own blog http://gprime.net/video.php/patchesthehorse
Friday, April 06, 2007
Overwhelmed, but very thankful
I feel overwhelmed by the mass of humanity that is Hong Kong sometimes. Today, Good Friday, was one of those days.
It began last night (as I tried restlessly to get to sleep) with the contemplation that Jesus, the night before his death likely would have slept very little, if at all. Images of "The Passion of Christ" floated in and out of my head as I tried to remember that the intense episode of LOST I'd just been watching was only a T. V. show.
With that remembrance, I woke early this morning to head to St Andrew's for the 10am service. (Actually, I wanted to get there early as Hot Cross Buns were being served from 9:15!). The service was awe inspiring. A perfect mix of well conducted and executed choral music, Liturgy, Scripture, places for silent meditation and a good Sermon. But more than that, I found that in all my struggles with God recently, I was reminded throughout the service that that's OK. Whatever my doubts, or inability to express myself, God loves me - just as I am. And he so loved me that while I was still a sinner, and even if I would choose be a sinner my whole life and not have any relationship with him, he died... just so that if I wanted to I could be in communion with him.
Later on in the day I met up with Ian to go to Chung King Mansions where we were to meet with C.A. and discuss the possibility of visiting detained Asylum Seekers in a detention centre 500 meters down the road from where we live.
Chung King Mansions is a labyrinth of teeming humanity from all cultures, races and corners of the earth, albeit, not necessarily representing the more affluent of society. It was there, that for the first time in a long time, I was confronted by sheer desperateness. I have no other word for the need that was displayed and conveyed in our meeting, for the stories of lives with no security, or for the bedlam that I evidenced - people pushing doors demanding bread from the single female staff worker on duty, even when told there would be a full meal provided at 5pm.
I'm really thankful that we're going to be visiting people (although I don't know when that will start), but I must admit, I'm not sure how it will go. Or, in honesty, how I will cope. I first thought that the centre would be like a prison, but better, I mean... those detained have gone through hell to get to HK, at least they would be treated with dignity and respect. I found out today that I was wrong, it's worse than a prison. It's a prison with an indefinite period of detainment, no outdoor facilities (one communal room during the day, and one sleeping room at night (which you share with others from your country regardless of ethnic tensions) . It's a prison far from home and family, staffed by people that speak a different language to you and pressure you to sign papers that will make you be sent back to the country you have fled, and a prison that is governed by a legal system you don't understand and has no provision for you.
So, I now sit in my apartment, thankful for this day, yet thankful that it's almost over.
It's peaceful here. Safe. Quiet. Relaxed. Comfortable.
How privileged I am.
It began last night (as I tried restlessly to get to sleep) with the contemplation that Jesus, the night before his death likely would have slept very little, if at all. Images of "The Passion of Christ" floated in and out of my head as I tried to remember that the intense episode of LOST I'd just been watching was only a T. V. show.
With that remembrance, I woke early this morning to head to St Andrew's for the 10am service. (Actually, I wanted to get there early as Hot Cross Buns were being served from 9:15!). The service was awe inspiring. A perfect mix of well conducted and executed choral music, Liturgy, Scripture, places for silent meditation and a good Sermon. But more than that, I found that in all my struggles with God recently, I was reminded throughout the service that that's OK. Whatever my doubts, or inability to express myself, God loves me - just as I am. And he so loved me that while I was still a sinner, and even if I would choose be a sinner my whole life and not have any relationship with him, he died... just so that if I wanted to I could be in communion with him.
Later on in the day I met up with Ian to go to Chung King Mansions where we were to meet with C.A. and discuss the possibility of visiting detained Asylum Seekers in a detention centre 500 meters down the road from where we live.
Chung King Mansions is a labyrinth of teeming humanity from all cultures, races and corners of the earth, albeit, not necessarily representing the more affluent of society. It was there, that for the first time in a long time, I was confronted by sheer desperateness. I have no other word for the need that was displayed and conveyed in our meeting, for the stories of lives with no security, or for the bedlam that I evidenced - people pushing doors demanding bread from the single female staff worker on duty, even when told there would be a full meal provided at 5pm.
I'm really thankful that we're going to be visiting people (although I don't know when that will start), but I must admit, I'm not sure how it will go. Or, in honesty, how I will cope. I first thought that the centre would be like a prison, but better, I mean... those detained have gone through hell to get to HK, at least they would be treated with dignity and respect. I found out today that I was wrong, it's worse than a prison. It's a prison with an indefinite period of detainment, no outdoor facilities (one communal room during the day, and one sleeping room at night (which you share with others from your country regardless of ethnic tensions) . It's a prison far from home and family, staffed by people that speak a different language to you and pressure you to sign papers that will make you be sent back to the country you have fled, and a prison that is governed by a legal system you don't understand and has no provision for you.
So, I now sit in my apartment, thankful for this day, yet thankful that it's almost over.
It's peaceful here. Safe. Quiet. Relaxed. Comfortable.
How privileged I am.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Hearing - Being in the place to find new direction
Reflection 5 - Dare to Journey with Henri Nouwen
1 Samuel 3:9
"One of our biggest challenges is to resist doing more. It is to be still long enough in order to evaluate our many activities. Activities which drive us to distraction and sometimes exhaustion, but which also give us meaning and fullfilment. Activities which can give us our routines and our securitu, but which can also block out the "voice" of correction and change.
We need to recognise that our much-doing is not always fruitful. It is sometimes mindless. Sometimes it is driven It can be self-protecting. It keeps us going when in fact we should be still - still in order to evaluate and to hear.
Thus a far greater challenge is not to do, but to bein in the place where we can hear; not to hear the old and familiar, but to hear again waht God thinks about our life's direction, prioirittes and activities - and to hear again what our heart is saying. This is often dificult for us. It is a struggle.
Henri Nouwen writes about learning to listen "carefully to the inner movements of hte spirit and struggling with the question "how do I follow Jesus all the way?"" This is the struggle to hear what we may not wish to hear. It is a groping towards an openness that may cause one's life to be turned around.
Yet hear new things we must! For we cannot simply continue to plunge headlong into the incessant round of activities which are not longer a part of God's direction for our lives and which no longer express our creativity and our central concerns."
1 Samuel 3:9
"One of our biggest challenges is to resist doing more. It is to be still long enough in order to evaluate our many activities. Activities which drive us to distraction and sometimes exhaustion, but which also give us meaning and fullfilment. Activities which can give us our routines and our securitu, but which can also block out the "voice" of correction and change.
We need to recognise that our much-doing is not always fruitful. It is sometimes mindless. Sometimes it is driven It can be self-protecting. It keeps us going when in fact we should be still - still in order to evaluate and to hear.
Thus a far greater challenge is not to do, but to bein in the place where we can hear; not to hear the old and familiar, but to hear again waht God thinks about our life's direction, prioirittes and activities - and to hear again what our heart is saying. This is often dificult for us. It is a struggle.
Henri Nouwen writes about learning to listen "carefully to the inner movements of hte spirit and struggling with the question "how do I follow Jesus all the way?"" This is the struggle to hear what we may not wish to hear. It is a groping towards an openness that may cause one's life to be turned around.
Yet hear new things we must! For we cannot simply continue to plunge headlong into the incessant round of activities which are not longer a part of God's direction for our lives and which no longer express our creativity and our central concerns."
Monday, April 02, 2007
Hot in a Pot
I had my first "Hot Pot" (that wasn't at someone's house) on Saturday night for Ian's group birthday dinner. For the uninitiated it's basically is pot of soup on a fire in the middle of the table which you cook food in, and retrieve when it's cooked to consume immediately.
This wasn't your usual meal though as we had a local friend with us who did the ordering... thanks! As a result I ate, for the first time in my life the marrow of a cow's bone (in the picture that's the long white wormy looking things)! I did skip on the intestine this time though... I know... a bit of a woose :) The food was good and fresh with the prawns that had been skewered live still moving when popped in the pot.
Gotta love Hong Kong!
(Click on the menu for a better picture of the HK Cuisine!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
