Connections to the outside world....

How's this for connectedness to the outside world.... due to weather(well,an earthquake!) in Taiwan, Hong Kong and other countries are now, for most intentions, disconnected from teh outside world!

We have some connection, but not much! So my plans to catch up on emails, and send a newsletter will have to wait!

It has been fascinating to see how such a connected city have coped with it all!

MOre news to come, I'm sure, but for now, hope you're all having an awesome holiday!:)

Have an Ephesians 3:20 year!

One email that came in recently really struck me through this super up/super down day today.....

The person said... "we are hoping to have an Ephesians 3:20 year next year, and hoping the same for you!" That sent me straight to my bible to check it out, and yup, I really want to have an Ephesians 3:20 year next year too!

In The Message, is says....

God can do anything, you know- far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

May you have an Ephesians 3:20 year too!

One Desk!

Hi all,

It looks like I now have one very nice desk, after months of 2 or even 3 desks! Tis quite a change! Today was the first day of training Bethan to take over my "usual" "previou" job, which is really exciting, and not only that, she has done the job previously while I was on holidays once, and as she has been here for some time, it gives her a huge advantage in knowing so much about the ways of this work to begin with!

So while I will be at my "Usual" desk for a bit more to come, I am definately nearly there with the transition to moving into the new role!

One thing I DID find as I cleared out my drawers, was my chinese name- and the meaning! Co Lai La, and no, I don't have it in the Chinese text, but it means.... Beautiful, Magnificent, Elegant, Graceful, and delicate, soooooooo won't go into how appropriate it might be or how much I fit the name, or vice versa.

So will see where it all goes! In all of it there, there is peace, and much grace, which has been lovely to see, even though the changes have been challenging and not always easy- tis funny how even the best changes can be hard at the same time! Much food for thought!

Wow moments...

I had an awesome WOW moment on Monday night!

Christmas has hit the village, especially Building 2! We have almost all got lights up in our just outside our flats making for a very bright and Christmassy Building! I love it! I was walking to the laundry just after Steve had put a new set of lights up in one section, and looked back in wonder at our lovely looking building!

I then walked past Kate's place where I have dinner on Monday nights.... and the most awesome smell was wafting out for dinner.....and I walked past thinking....Wow! that's my dinner, and what an awesome dinner it was(Yum Chicken!)! (dessert was Lemon delicious!:))

WOW:) Tis nice to have moments of pure joy in being here:)

Disney at Christmas!

Christmas really is the time to go!

I was going to look after Alex while his parents went to Disney, however instead instead of being given 2 tickets, they were in total, given 3! This meant that we could all have the best of both worlds- going to Disney, going on rides, yet enjoying Alex's reactions as he discovered this new and strange place!

An awesome day out, had by all!:)

Some photos are below!



Main Street, with the Marching Band:)




Alex checking out the Marching band from the Shop





Alex and I





The Family Jam session!



Christmas, snow and all in HK!

The Abacus Man

I went to the Jade markets this afternoon to do some Christmas shopping- great fun- especially when I was so inspired!!!:)

Anyhow, I had been through the main section and bought all I wanted, then went to another smaller section. This had shopkeepers who looked like they had been there all their very long lives. They had goods on sale that looked old(really nice for a change, in ultra modern Hong Kong!), from mah jong sets, to icons, to traditional jade peices, coins and Chinese history.

At the end of one aisle though, there sat a man, surrounded by paper note books, that were obviously all full, he was holding a peice of paper in his hand, leaning it on the typwriter, while with his other hand he was doing some quick calculations with his abacus!

In a city that strives to be more and more modern in each and every way, it was a refreshing sight to see him, with all the technology he needed in the world!:)

ps. don't worry, I am very grateful to be able to put the newer technology to use myself!:)

The Story of the Hungry Elephant

Once there lived an elephant, and he said to himself, “I am very hungry”. He went along a path in the forest, and came to a bamboo-palm standing in a swamp. Roughly he tore down the palm; he saw a tender bud in one of its leaves. But as he took the bud from the lead, it fell into the water. He hunted and hunted, yet could not find it because he had riled up the water and it blinded his eyes. The a frog spoke and said, “listen!”. The Elephant did not hear, thrashing the water hard with his trunk. The frog spoke again: “listen!” The Elephant heard this time, and stood perfectly still, curious. Thereupon the water became clear so that he found the palm-bud and ate it.

By Karen Kennerly

Christmas Gifts...

November has begun, which now marks the Christmas season in Hong Kong! Christmas decorations and trees are going up in the shopping centres, Christmas cards are in full flight here, and conversartions abound about what Christmas gifts are best to send to friends, family and supporters!

I always get to this time of year and start to look back over the last year, the highs, lows, where God has taken us all and generally take stock of all that's happened.

It also reminds me of Christmas day.... and the question arises... what birthday gift will I give to Jesus this year?

We have a custom here of giving something back, of ourselves, something specific, something that would bless Jesus... last year I gave my strength and courage, that I would go out in His strength and courage, not mine.... sometimes it has been his, and sometime it's been mine- but ahh the joy when it's been his!

So to start looking back, and looking to the year ahead.... and Christmas presents!

What would be a great gift to give to Jesus for his birthday?

Snowing in Hong Kong!?

Well... it wasn't quite snowing, but we had what looked like snow falling today!

It was in fact ash from fires that were burning on the Mountins around and behind out property.

One Monday this week, was a traditional Grave Cleaning day where everyone is supposed to go and clean the graves of their ancesters, and burn things as an offering to them.

It is really dry here at the moment, so it seems that a few fires were lit and spread throughout the week. last night we could see the flames coming over the hils behind us, with helicopters going to and fro with their big bckets of water.

All now seems to be well though and the fires seem to be out for the most part!

Random Bank Moments!

I went to a Filipino Bank on Saturday for a friend- and it was the warmest, most lovely bank experience I think I have ever had!

The person at the desk was super friendly and helpful, and seeing the date of my birthday on one of the forms I had filled in(it was days away!) they had Happy Birthday play on the sound system!

It made my day!:) It also made me wonder if anyone else has had super fabulous bank experiences? I know my friend Christy used to have lovely moments all the time!:)

Christian Caregiving

As I madly struggle to get all my homework done this week for the course I have been doing, this statement stood out, as it describes so much of what we should be doing- all Christians everywhere! It's taking that two handed approach, of sharing the word, and showing it with our actions.

Caring Is Evangelism
But holistic caring is always evangelistic. Caring for another person involves meeting the needs of that whole person. Through actions of love, God reaches down and touches people with his power. His healing activity can renew all aspects of an individual's life. I am wrong if I try to limit God to what I might define as "spiritual." My caring provides a channel through which God's love can flow. My words and actions of love concretely demonstrate the Good News. By Kenneth Haugk

This is taken from some of the readings I have been doing from the Stephen's Ministry course

Bring it on:)

2 Desks now!

What an amazing few weeks it has been! Have you ever been taken out of all you know well in a situation, and being plonked straight back into another, in a known environment, yet a totally different perspective?

I have seen the Home school here grow from conception into reality, known and loved all the teachers and students there, but never expected to be there myself!

Helen returns from her holidays tomorrow, I downsize from 3 desks to 2, yet take away with me a whole lot of perspective and new understanding!

It has been a hugely challenging time, to look after 5 children, ages 7-14, through school time, and Vacation care time(yes, it should be a known thing!) to get to know the families in a whole new light, to see an entirely different perspective of life, and people. There's now much to think on, reflect, feed back and follow up!!

It was lovely to be there though and encourage the children in different areas, to do vacation Care the way I used to back in Australia (Ahhhh swimming, and ice skating! So much fun!)

So will see what the next days and weeks bring!

The Ultimate Foot Sensation!

What are the two things that are a joy and delight to walk on barefoot???

Beautifully Tended Grass and Carpet! ahhhhhhh!

I had dinner on the Cricket pitch of Kowloon Cricket Club last night and it was a joy and delight! Apart from the lovely company, and the reason for being there(The 100th anniversary of St Andrews Church in Hong Kong) the full moon rose above us, and the grass......imagine a beautfully manicured English Cricket Pitch?? That's where we were eating dinner! Lovely! Lots of ladies were not wearing their shoes!

We were talking about that at dinner, and I realised how lovely it was to come to a large stretch of carpet, and yes, the same reaction takes place! It's great!

So to those who live in places where lovely grass and carpet exhist in abundance- take your shoes off and enjoy the feel!:)

How many desks?

So my desks look like....

Desk Number 1: this is the one I have been sitting and and working from since we moved here.



Desk Number 2: This is the one I am supposed to move to long term, in the same office. It was actually replaced with a new all purpose desk that fits the space really well, so it may yet become the permanent desk:)





Desk number 3: This is the one I am working at while at the school for 3 1/2 weeks. One week down, 2 and a bit to go! The kids are great, but it's full on trying to oversee so much all at once! That's Leanne sitting at my desk!

Collecting Desks....

Crazy days here right now:)

Among other things I have started a collection:) I am currently up to 3 of each officially, though not all at the same time!

Having had the same job for the last 3 1/2 year, I am now collecting jobs and desks at an unheard of rate!

I am currently up to 3 of each, though not all exactly at the same time! It has been quite an amazing few weeks of 'holding on for the ride" and seeing what happens next! Right now I am back teaching in our Home school for the next 3 weeks! Isn't it amazing! I found out that I would be doing that at 4pm the day before 'the job' started:)

We have 5 children who are home-schooled here, and they are all an absolute joy and delight, and while it continues to get busier than ever (yup, it's possible!), it's fun!
I was already supposed to take another job, and pass my previous one onto others, so while I haven't taken my new job, I had been training a lovely lady to do my 'current' job, which has enabled me to take a detour via the school!

I will post picks of my new desks sometime:)

So it has been another time of holding on and seeing where our Heavenly Father is taking us- and wow it can be a wild ride!

WOW!:)

Sharing on Sunday

Hi!

For those who weren't there today, I shared at church on how I came to be studying and learning the stuff that I am studying and learning, and though it's long, I figure it will give you guys a good summary of a few things I have been thinking through over the last year or so.

Happy reading! I should send everyone a prize for those who are actually interested enough to read all the way through! I promise I will if you let me know who you are...:) And if you do- wow I'm impressed, and Thanks!!!

Last year was a big year! As is every year, so it seems! But this was big! It was full of people, activity, new things, a saying that has been mentioned recently, has been the phrase "it was bigger than Ben Hur!", and that was what last year felt like.

One of the main aspects of my job is to support people, to help them get their jobs done, and help to make each of their days easier.
I watch things go by my desk at work, people conversations, events being planned, people coming and going, life lived to the full, however, throughout it all I slowly became aware of something new.

As the year reached towards the end and Christmas approached, I started to think back on the year, of all the events, surprises, people from all over the world, age, and circumstance, each with their own needs and expectations. It seemed as though my eyes were slowly being opened to something I hadn't seen before, in myself, in others.

I became much more aware of our own brokenness, in whatever form that was, through living in a fallen world, in our body, spirit or circumstance.

I saw people, but I also saw more of their deeper needs inside of their brokenness, pain, longing for approval. Some of the words that came to mind that I wrote in my journal included: support, nurture, the need for a reset button when things go wrong and complete forgiveness is needed, of praise, calm, servant hood of looking after each other. There was the person standing a my desk needing something to be done, but also the person behind the job had needs too.

None of what I was thinking really made any sense to me at the time, it was jut a random growing awareness that God was working and had something planned, though I didn’t' know what it might be.

It was sometime later, on November 20, the service was about sharing about how the Church as a body looked after each other and took care of others when there were deep needs of depression, sickness, walking alongside and bringing each other through these challenges. I sat and listened in amazement at what God did through others, and how he sought to share his love, and could work through his body. Each were such powerful testimonies of how God works, of his love, faithfulness, and the promises that he makes, that he never breaks, should we choose to accept them.


It was during the time when one person in particular was sharing when it seemed that the still small voice spoke clearly to me, saying "now is the time to start training in this area, of not just supporting others on a work level, but it's time to start learning how to supporting others from a deeper level, by looking at the person within, and supporting them on a much deeper life giving level".

It was clear, challenge and there was no doubt where that voice had come from!

But where to start looking, and how does one get that kind of training from, here in Hong Kong? With no way of studying full time, and no available funds to really take part in on line courses. Where were there courses in Christian Pastoral care that clearly and specifically train others to reach out and support those around them to live as Christ intended. Where would I find the direction and forward movement to go where God has early spoken to me?

What has taken place since then has been a lot of prayer, investigation, talking to people who I know are involved in pastoral care, or counselling, of buying any good book I could get my hands on, of lots of reading of the bible to find out what God says about the brokenness of his people in different contexts, of his love for them, and the wholeness that can only be found only in him.

I have been so privileged take part in the Greifshare course that Michele ran last Spring. It was an amazing testimony to hear each person’s story, to grieve for and pray with each person who attended, to see strength return to each person as they walked through each day without the person they had lost.

I have continued to talk to people, read, and investigate different courses to study and generally find out as much as I can, and am now taking part in training for Stephen's ministers, to learn how to better listen to and encourage others in their walk.

So far, since that day I was first told to go and start training, it has been an uphill climb, but with a clarity of call that I haven't often had in my life, and through it all there has been the firm and steady conviction that this is clearly where God is leading me, no matter what distractions or pressures have come along- so far!

And while I don't understand much of what God has in mind at all, where I don't know what I have got to offer others in terms of care, support, or ability to listen to others, I know clearly that I need to keep pursuing the training, and learning of how better support others on this level.

I would love to leave you with a few verses that really blessed me when I first started this journey.


Romans9 25-26

I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies;
I'll call the unloved and make them beloved.
In the place where they yelled out, "You're nobody!"
they're calling you "God's living children."


Isaiah 9:6

For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He'll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.

Loving Tirelessly...

In the words of Mother Theresa…

At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. WE will be judged by “I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.”

I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like—but I do know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, he will NOT ask, “How many good things have you done in your life?”, rather he will ask, “how much LOVE did you put in what you did?”

Do not think that love, in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary—what we need is to love without getting tired.


Hmm… interesting concept… to love without getting tired... and what other types of ‘giving love’ should we be giving… without getting tired? How do we support each other in sickness, the draining ongoing kind, or the short, ‘sick for a day’ kind; in body or spirit, sadness, discouragement, plain old tiredness, of the recognised and unrecognised variety… this is something I have been thinking through this week… but no answers come to mind as yet…

I got In!

I just want to send this out to the big blue yonder because I ahven't been able to tell many people today, but I GOT IN!!!!:)

I ahve been accepted into THE most awesome sounding course, and will be able to do it alongside work, and everything else that happens here!!!:) I am sooo excited!

More news to come, or you can write back, if anyone isd reading this, or you can wait till I get around to wording this properly in my next newsletter:)

Bye!:) Sleep calls LOUDLY!

My Big Amazing Greek Family

Yesterday I became truly and genuinely proud of my family heritage! My family is Greek, well one side, that is. You wouldn’t be able to tell by looking at me I don’t think, but there you have it. Try and imagine what my relatives are like, and I would say that they are “more Greek than the Greeks” with the familiar example being the family in the movie, My Big fat Greek Wedding!

I went out with some relatives who were in town yesterday. It was so lovely to see them, though I don’t really know them at all well, but they were known, and family, and very much like home in many ways. It was just lovely to be there sitting chatting with them.

The wonderful part though, came when one of them was saying that the University in Beijing had started teaching Greek as one of the language subjects, because, she said, as you know, Greek is the root of most languages…and the American constitution was one vote shy of being written in Greek! And so it went on.

As you may know from the movie, that’s one of running amusements of the movie, and here it was in reality, in MY family!

I was so blessed by that, that this is my family, in all it’s diversity and variety! How great is our God who has created all things in perfect fullness, and creativity and diversity beyond our wildest imagination, and that this family, which in many ways, I feel so removed from, is as much my family as any relative ever could be!

What an awesome gift!

Imagine…

Three Aussies, in Hong Kong on Monday….at a Thai Cooking course, with a Chinese, Nepalese(!:)), Japanese and Filipino lady alongside us!

We all have a new appreciation for the flavour sensations that go into Thai cooking, and the process that they take to become such delicious combination of flavours.

Some of the things learned included making tamarind paste from scratch (you have to soak it in water- like taking the roots and soil of a plant and soaking the ‘soil’ part off the roots and seeds… chopping chicken to a fine mince, grinding your own curry paste in a mortar and pestle, till the lemon grass, garlic, chilli and various other goodies really are a paste, then assembling everything back together into a mouth watering meal.

My friend Kate and I often give thanks for the amazing breadth, diversity and wonder of food that is available around the world, and it was such a joy to appreciate a little bit more the richness of culture that is tied into one culture’s food! YUM!

Do some things make you cry? Some things really make me cry- yup there are the 'normal' things that are sad, or emotive, but then there are random things, when laughing, or other expressions of joy just aren't enough! Other times there just isn't any explanation! Once I even cried when a wonderful friend called to say they were getting married- great big tears of joy!:)

I have a song that makes me cry every time! I love it, and wouldn't ever want to stop singing it, but every time! It makes me cry! Some years ago, a friend requested that a large group of us sing it...to each other! Now, they are some truly powerful words when you think about it, and something super challenging in being each others servant, no matter what the person and circumstance! So I guess I will continue to sing, and cry at strange time, and remember my cool friend who first reminded me that we should be servants of Christ to each other!



Brother Let Me Be Your Servant

Brother let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have the grace to
Let you be my servant too

We are pilgrims on a journey
We are brothers on the road
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load

I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night-time of your fear
I will hold my hand out to you
Speak the truth you long to hear

I will weep when you are weeping
When you laugh I’ll laugh with you
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we’ve seen this journey through

When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we’ve known together
Of Christ’s love and agony

Brother, let me be your servant
Let me be as Christ to you
Pray that I might have to grace to
Let you be my servant too

This weekend has been one of great thanksgiving, starting with the sermon at Church on Sunday, entitled "Thanksgiving: the only way to live"

We were taken through Psalm 100, and Colossians 3:15-17.

Two comments that the visiting Speaker made are as follows:
If I can't give thanks for all I have been given, how can God give anything else?

The Tourist demands.... the pilgrim gives thanks...

The weekend that followed was one of giving thanks, for so many things!

At one stage I was given some news, and for a while the implications didn't really hit home, but all at once, I realised that it was an amazing answer to a prayer I have prayed often in recent months! I realised that I have picked up this prayer, turned it over in my hand, prayed it, then put it down till the next time I picked it up, and while I expected it to be answered in some way, I was in awe of the way it was answered.

My first reaction to the news that shock(good shock!) and surprise... then the joy and awe came that a pray that I have prayed for so long....was heard, acted on, answered, in the most perfect way!!!

What an awesome God we have!

Yesterday morning I found myself asking…. What on earth am I doing here?!

This morning I sat looking at the photo below and again asked myself the same question…



This my gorgeous niece, Evie- growing up very quickly!:)

I was then reminded of something I read yesterday morning before the day began, before the drama’s, the unexpected, the precious conversations with people saying “I want to bring my students here so much as there is no place like this anywhere else”, Or people organising evenings to opens the imaginations and eyes of people who have never seen what it might be like in another person’s shoes,let alone the traps that poverty bring; before all the coffee runs, the drinks with friends, the lovely conversations with current housemates and special text messages, before I discovered the precious gift of 2 rosebuds on one of the plants in my garden late last night…



It reads:
Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, "God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him." Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be. (My Utmost for his Highest, August 10, Oswald Chambers)


Oh to bring him Glory in each day, moment and random conversation!

The following stream of emails have been sent around this week in an effort to maintain conact with the Land of Aus and has provoked much food for thought!

So wherever you are in the world, on behalf of all the Australians, I hope you are enjoying your Bananas!:)


I love bananas and one of the joys of living in Hong Kong is the fact that bananas (and fruit in general) are so cheap and so good.

Well think on this, bananas in Australia have just hit $3.65 EACH that's around $20 Hong Kong for which you could buy about 30 or more bananas here.

A jewellery store in Australia is now giving away a free banana with every ring sold!

The reason given is the cyclone damage done to the Banana crop this year, although there is also a view that some profiteering is going on and it is an excuse. Be that as it may, Enjoy your bananas



Yes, we have no Banana’s
Folk Song written By: Frank Silver and Irving Cohn (1923)
There's a fruit store on our street
It's run by a Greek.
And he keeps good things to eat
But you should hear him speak!

When you ask him anything, he never answers "no".
He just "yes"es you to death,
And as he takes your dough, he tells you...

"Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!!
We have string beans and onions, cabBAges and scallions
And all kinds of fruit and say
We have an old fashioned toMAHto
A Long Island poTAHto, but

Yes! We have no bananas
We have no bananas today!"

Business got so good for him that he wrote home today,
"Send me Pete and Nick and Jim; I need help right away."
When he got them in the store, there was fun, you bet.
Someone asked for "sparrow grass"
and then the whole quartet
All answered:

"Yes, we have no bananas
We have-a no bananas today.
Just try those coconuts
Those wall-nuts and doughnuts
There ain't many nuts like they.
We'll sell you two kinds of red herring,
Dark brown, and ball-bearing.
But yes, we have no bananas
We have no bananas today."

hi,
all this panic about bananas makes that old song bananas in pyjamas all the more `meaningful` {?} the village where i used to live is overgrown with those huge triangle shaped `Chinese bananas` - in fact all the time I was there I’d be given more than a family of 3 could reasonably be expected to eat; daily! maybe we should do some business{?} no but really it does seem a bit odd that wild bananas are doing so well but not cultivated ones.

More awesome comments from Selwyn Hughes, Christ Empowered Living (my new Favorite book!)

Often, I have been asked, "what is God's overall purpose for out lives as Christians?" My reply has always been relationships.

We learn from teh Triniy that relationship is the essence of reality and therefore te essence of our existence... and we also learn that the way this relationship should be expressed is by concern for others. D. Broughton KNox.

Our Lord's mind was not preoccupied with himself but with how he could bring his Father's love to the men and women who crossed his path.

"Clyde Narramore says,"we don't know who we are until we know whose we are."

It follows then that we need supernatural support if we are to relate well to others because what often destroys relationships is the fear of getting hurt. When our relationships are governed more by a fear of getting hurt rather than by a desire to love, our relationships will be superficial. We will get close enough to people to be socially acceptable but not close enough to get hurt.

One definition of love is this: “love is moving towards others without self-protection”


In Parenting Adolescents, Kevin Huggins says: A person cannot be free to make another’s well being his top priority until he has entrusted his well being to Another. This frees us to relate even in the most painful relationships as Christ did with the goal of being a servant rather than a consumer.

“The measure of our relationships with others is the measure of out relationship with God”.

I have loved reading this book as it put relationships into the correct context and perspective it should be… in line with Jesus, that all of our needs are met in Him alone, that if we don’t live in right relationship with God first, then all others will be incomplete.

What good books are you reading???:)

Selwyn Hughes: "Christ Empowered Living" On people as being relational beings.

-Despite the fact that Adam was surrounded by the most wonderful creation- birds singing, deer gamboling, rivers rushing- he was alone. Not lonely, but alone. If in those days prior to the creation of Eve, God had asked Adam, "Are you lonely?" I don't beleive he would have understood the question.

Enjoying God and the pleasure of a bountiful creation, he must have felt fully satisfied with his lot. He seemed perfectly secure in his singleness. We never read of him making any complaint that he was lonely. But in order for God's image to be fully revealed in him as a relational being, he needed someone like himself to whom he could relate- someone with skin on! God has designed us to relate no only on a level with him but also on a leve with other human beings. Thus having only God, Adam was alone.

Note how God went about remedying this situation. First, he brought all the animals before Adam in order that he might name them. The book of Genesis says:

"Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was it's name" (Gen 2:19)


What was God's purpose in bringing all the animals before Adam in order that he might name them? I can think of at least two reasons. One was to bring the animals under Adam's rule. (when we name something, we bring it under our authority.) The second was to develop in his heart the idea that he needed to relate not only to the animals but also to someone comparable to himself.-



This is a book I am currently reading and am loving! Every chapter has something new and challenging in it! This was one of the first things that really jumped out at me- especilly what it says about naming things. I have been thinking about that in a variety of areas over the last few months. One example in, in the course I have been helping on recently, GriefShare, which helps people to walk through their grief and come more to terms with it, it was lovely to see people coming in the door at the begining of the course, who seemed fine, yet their grief was all-encompassing. However when they started to talk it through and NAME the different aspects, you could see them bringing it under authority, and finding ways to cope and go on with life, even though it doesn't go away, or minimise the loss of the person in their lives- amazing!

Have you ever quietly been a part of a large crowd of people who have been talking away, there is no huge reason to actively take part, because everyone else is talking to someone, so you stand by, happily being the listening ear.... then the unthinkable happens! The room goes quiet and someone says..."so what do YOU think, Maria?!"!!!!

That's how it feels to suddenly have a place here to share thoughts, cool sections of books, and other random happenings! So bear with me! When I started this, I had a huge list of things I wanted to share and when to has come to sharing... they have all dried up! Let's see where this new challenge takes me!:) Stay tuned....:)

Hi All!

Well, I have heard so much about blogs and blogging, I thought I would try it out and see for myself how much fun it could be!:) I have been reading so many books recently, and would love to share them and random moments of HK life that just don't make it into the newsletters.

Feed back would be awesome as would helpful hints and suggestions- gently though:)

Stay tuned:)
Maria

never doubt that a small group of thoughful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed its the only thing that ever has.
- Margaret Mead