becoming

For those of us who know nothing about the historic struggle for Jerusalem and the birth of Israel in 1948, may I suggest you to watch this movie coming out in Oct:

Understand the real struggles and stop the uncritical absorption of all things proclaimed by the Christian Zionists.

If you have a good idea, chances are someone else has either made it happened already, or in the process to.

A few months ago I was looking for an online collaboration tool which allows documents to be edited by different users. I need it to be secure AND simple to use at the same time. Versioning and check-out/check-in features are in my requirements.

Who knows a few months later, I would come across writewith.com. Not only it meets all my needs, it is free!

Good that I don’t need to write codes in order to earn a living.

是的，

這叫

因信仰所帶來的勇氣。

I am so happy yesterday when I received a surprise gift from Hong Kong!

Lesson learned: Keep blogging, and if I keep on telling people just how much I love to have a new house or a new car or a new something…. I just MIGHT get it!

Oops sorry, I just noticed I was dreaming. ;-)

Thanks Karen for such kindness! But if you ask me, I would have reversed the 2 percentages…

釋我傷痕（V）：回頭已是百年身

耶利米哀歌4:1-22

「遵主意行」不是一個口號，一個沒有後果的立志。我們說得出這句話，我們唱得出「更新我心意，使我能像你，主你是陶匠，我是泥土；模我、塑造我，是我的懇求」，我們不能不預備有如充滿瑕疵的瓦器要被擲碎，重新被神再造的可能。

昔日領受神的話的群體（先知）、把人帶到神面前的人（祭司）太安於現狀、太安逸了。他們忘記了自己的使命、自己的身份。這段經文特別提到的是他們忘記了在社會的責任。導至「慈悲的婦人要親手煮自己的兒女作為食物」（v.10），因為先知和祭司的殆墮，他們直接間接成為城中流了義人的血的人（v.13）。今天，誰是這地方這國家的先知和祭司？（請不要說牧者傳道人！）我們對這社會的參與是甚麼？是否只在對我們不利的事出現時才去國會行個圈、抗議？平時我們參與些甚麼？當我們不理，到那日神要審判這個國家這個城市，祂會不會以同樣的說話評價我們和我們的教會？「這都因信徒的罪惡和傳道人的罪孽；他們在城中流了義人的血」！

講道錄音：

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補充：

破碎，是神所給的禮物，和神親密的人沒有不是經歷過破碎。今天我們是否願意接受？對比對付某些痛苦的罪而言，所有其他的處理方法帶來的慰藉都只是短暫的，而罪疚感會潛藏在我們性格之內。若要真正的復元，必需回轉悔改，向神、向別人、亦向自己交代。

猶太人的曆法中贖罪日（Yom Kippur）豈不就是這意思？贖罪日是一段自我反省的時間：包括向神禱告懺悔，藉此為自己的所作所為負責。這些禱告提到個人和群體的罪。

你知道今年的贖罪日是何時？是剛剛的週六，九月廿二日（嚴格來說是過去的週五黃昏後到週六的黃昏）。

贖罪日針對的是個人和集體的罪行，但這並非解決人與人之間的不平等的渠道。若要彌補與人有關的過失，你必須直接面對那人，向他道歉，承認虧欠。贖罪的行動表明我們需要神的憐憫和幫助，立志今後的一年能有與悔改的心相稱的行為表現。

同樣，二千年的教會中，先賢的智慧在制定教會的節期，亦特別在一年中劃分一段的時間去特別反省我們得罪神和人，需要悔改，認罪的地方。這是在基督的受難日之前的40天的時間（我們稱為預苦期，或大齋期）。又特別在受難節之前的一週，教會的傳統是特別鼓勵弟兄姊妹以五篇的哀歌作為反省。這是相當有意義的。留意我們今天的敬拜中已經越來越少機會去認罪，或是尋求神和別人的饒恕。在我們的團契中、或弟兄姊妹的相處中，我們又有多少可以說是彼此認罪，在神面前、在人面前，尋求饒恕的時候？

還是我們的傾談由朝到晚就是飲飲食食，那無怪乎別人說團契的生活是多麼乏味、悶死人！因為我們來來去去到在生命的門外在兜圈！

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後記：

謝謝弟兄姊妹的問侯、鼓勵。

我哭，不是生活出了甚麼問題，也絕不是在教會事奉有甚麼不愉快。

我哭，是因為我真的感到罪惡的沉重，並它怎樣影響著我們的肢體關係、我們的教會成長。

成為一個全面的教導者，
也接受全人的教導。

從提多二章學習

I notice my wrist and shoulder starting to ache after the preparation of my talks in the last retreat. I am worried because I typed over 25,000 words that 2 weeks and it might be early signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. So after the retreat, I got freak-out and went to get all those keyboard and mouse pads and replaced the mouse with a trackball device instead.

I just read that ergonomic product company Ergotron offers an installation tool to figure out what your optimum ergonomic workstation should look like. Just click your height and various values are displayed; sitting eye height, standing elbow height, seat height, etc. It might explain why you have such bad backache all these years.

Click on the picture to give it a try.

Watching last night leaders’ debate reminded me that I should get to know more about the also-upcoming provincial referendum on whether to change from first-past-the-post to mixed member proportional representation, as recommended by the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform.

Note that when you vote during the advance polls or on Election and Referendum Day you will be given two ballots. One for voting for a candidate in the general election, the other will ask you to consider:

Which electoral system should Ontario use to elect members to the provincial legislature?

So just what is this mixed member proportional? And how about first-past-the-post?

This video should be helpful:

http://yourbigdecision.ca/en_CA/Media.aspx

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Update: 

Thanks to Hilda, there is another site which very well explains what we are asked to vote. Take a look here.