Prayer in Pictures

Pray and worry seems to be on opposing ends. Often they are entirely opposed to each other. The observation is plain and simple. When we worry more, we carry a lot of cares and burdens on our own shoulders. We carry more of it ourselves.

On the other hand, when we pray more, we seek to cast our cares upon God. We let God carry our burdens, and us as well.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:6-7)

---

---

---

---

conrade

Book Review: "The Scent of Water"

TITLE: THE SCENT OF WATER - grace for every kind of broken
AUTHOR: Naomi Zacharias
PUBLISHER: Zondervan, 2011, (224 pages).

With wisdom and wit, Naomi Zacharias shares her journey of learning how to cope with brokenness through her own ministry travels as well as her own personal life. She invites readers to follow her in this book, which in a way is her personal memoir and observations about a world in need of grace and healing. If you are like me, you will probably feel three particular emotions: Anger at injustice, anguish at helplessness, and appreciation for grace.

The first part of the book makes me angry. Angry at the injustice perpetrated so openly in the developing world. Angry at how broken the world has become. Angry at how women have been forced into prostitution, suffered domestic violence, while governments and institutions appear helpless against it. The second part of the book brings me anguish. Anguish about the helplessness of a broken world. Agony about how the weak and the vulnerable have been abused, and the limited help people can give.  It is the third and final part of the book that the author shares deeply and intimately about her own broken life. This final part is written in a way that the author is able to use her own sense of brokenness to connect with the broken world. Put all these together, we have a book that whether anger, anguish, or agony, there is the potential of grace that can flow into every crevice of injustice, every sign of weakness, every hint of vulnerability, and every kind of broken.

Seven Reminders for Hockey Fans

TITLE: Seven Reminders for Hockey Fans
WRITTEN BY: Conrade Yap
Date: 16 April 2011

KEY POINT: Distinguish between passion and obsession; between the 'game of hockey' and the 'game of life.'

In India, people riot throughout the country if there is a power outage during a cricket game. In South America, citizens stomp out into the streets in violence when their favourite soccer team loses to their fierce rivals. In Central America, gangsters are prepared to kill if their national team loses. In Canada, whenever a major hockey event is staged, nothing else seems to matter.

Canada is a hockey nation. Politicians know it. Leaders are aware of it. Newscasters re-schedule their regular programming because if it. It is common to see people postpone activities that clash with a game. The fact is simple: Hockey wins, hands down. Mostly.

Some employers even have a television set turned on during a soccer game. For the rest of the world who wants to know why Canadians are so passionate about hockey, ask yourself about how World Cup Soccer has affected people in your country.

Canada is a strange place. They say that hockey is a religion, and they mean it. They let their passion show it. Rather than to fight it, I think it is important to be careful not to let obsession rule our heads. Hockey can be such an obsession that it threatens church programs too. I write this note so as to remind hockey fans who are also Church goers to cool it. Do not let passions turn into obsession. May the seven reminders below help keep our heads grounded in earthly realities, without turning them into unhealthy fantasies.

Forgiveness - Doing what is right

This devotional is powerful. It deals with something that all of humanity needs most: Forgiveness. It is taken from the Navigators College ministry website here. All credit goes there.

DOING WHAT IS RIGHT 

"For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men." - 2 Corinthians 8:21

On September 13, 1995, Mary Lambright was killed by a semi-tractor trailer driven by Curtis Peterson. She was an Amish woman and the horse-drawn buggy she was driving was struck by Peterson's truck. She left behind her husband Mahlon and eleven children. Following his wife's death, Lambright was offered by Peterson's insurance company a wrongful death settlement totaling $212,418. This was money for Lambright, his wife's funeral expenses and the children. Mahlon Lambright went before Wisconsin's Dunn County Circuit Court and asked the judge to drop the petition of wrongful death settlement against Peterson.


"I admire him," said David Richie, who was appointed Guardian Ad Litem for nine of the family's 11 children. He said Mahlon doesn't want the settlement "for the simple fact that he felt the money would cause more problems than it would solve."


Lambright feared his children would not appreciate Amish traditions when they grew up if he took the money, and he pointed out to the court that members of the Amish community helped them by providing food and clothing and having an auction.


Emanuel Miller, a spokesman for the Amish community said, "It shows that he's not seeking revenge, or he would have accepted the money. Our Bible says revenge is not for us."


Doing what is right brings joy to both God and man. Do you find it painful to do "the right thing"? Today in prayer, thank Christ that He receives the glory when we do what is right in His name.


"I prefer to do right and get no thanks rather than to do wrong and get no punishment." - Marcus Cato

God's Word: "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men." - Romans 14:17-18

---

My Comments

For many of us, we will be more shocked about the story of how the hurt can forgive so generously. It is unthinkable. For some of us, we will be appalled and the seemingly lack of justice. I can understand anyone who is angry at the driver. The moment one starts to do mental gymnastics with possibilities and punishments, the road of bitterness that comes with a refusal to forgive turns into a highway to perdition and self-destruction.

For any of us who thinks it is impossible, have we forgotten Jesus' words in Luke 18:2?

Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

c

THE COURAGE TO CHANGE

TITLE: THE COURAGE TO CHANGE
Written by: Conrade Yap
Date: 14 April 2011

The year 2011 is gearing up to be an election year for a number of countries I am familiar with. Canada, Malaysia and Singapore are all gearing up for elections. Canadians are free to vote, as well as not to vote. Malaysians can vote only if they are registered on time. In fact for Malaysians, any three consecutive failures to vote can mean the forfeiture of future voting rights. In Singapore, it is compulsory to vote, only if there are no walkovers. In this note, I will argue that a stable democratic society is one that voters can freely choose, and freely agree to live with its consequences.

Only in Canada

Canada is now in the midst of an election campaign. It is the 4th in 7 years. It is also an election that most Canadian voters do NOT want. What's more? There is something else more important for Canadians. Hockey.

Only in Canada, medical personnel are warned not to chat about hockey during surgery. (new)

Only in Canada, a nationwide elections debate by the leaders of the leading political parties shift the date because of the Stanley Cup playoffs. (news)

Only in Canada, the Premier of the Province asks businesses to turn on the TV if meetings are to be held during a hockey game that involves a Canadian team.

Only in Canada, schools and employers are asked to encourage their students and employees to don hockey colours to school and to work. (news)


Only in Canada, all activities are adjusted so as to fit into a hockey playoff game.

Only in Canada, hockey is treated as the national obsession, even a religion. Between elections and a hockey game, the latter wins hands down.

Credit: The Province

Initially I cannot really understand why. To this day, it still baffles me. I have learned that in Canada, hockey cannot really be understood. It can only be experienced.

Today marks the start of the playoffs for the coveted Stanley Cup. Two Canadian teams are playing, Montreal Canadiens and the Vancouver Canucks. Many will say it is more prestigious that the Olympics. It is the defacto world cup of hockey, at least in Canada.

This year, the Vancouver Canucks are ranked #1 going into the playoffs. They are Canada's best chance to bring back the Cup to the North.

Go Canucks Go!

In Vancouver, We are all Canucks.

Changing Face of Learning Our ABCs

Not too long ago, this is how kids learn their ABCs.

Now, this is how kids learn their ABCs.

Time changes. So do our ABCs.

conrade