becoming

Jocelyn says:

Here are some pictures taken on my cousin Adrian birthday last Saturday. Enjoy! (I certainly did.)

Until you have a 2.5 year old who acts as your human alarm clock, some of you will find it very hard to wake up in the morning. Unless you have a heavy doze of caffeine in your bloodstream, you know you will work like a zombie for the rest of the morning. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO????

Behold! Here are 7 tips to get more alert in the morning without the unnecessary side-effects of coffee:

Read it all here.

I am back!! And a big surprise to see Cc at the airport when I arrived! Thank you for your prayers, emails and blog comments during the trip. I really miss all of you!

I hope everyone is well. For me, I am a bit disappointed that so far the most common saying I got is that “you looked darker”, not “you looked thinner”. But being as intelligent as you all are, I think you will be able to say more encouraging words when you see me in person in the next few days or through the pictures I posted.

Praise God that everything went well in Brazil. In fact, I have to say that God’s grace is abundant in the Sao Jose church there. I see a number of new Christians growing very strong and fast, as well as the bonding and love among all brothers and sisters. I think this trip was also more relax for me than my previous trips; since my senior pastor took most of the “heavy talking” and teaching. Other than preaching on 3 Sundays to different churches and congregations and leading a few bible studies and house groups here and there in the first week, I just sat back and watched what God is doing most of the time. That’s good too, since this allows me to do more reflections and thinking on the spot — regarding the Sao Jose church, MGC, and about myself as well. Hopefully I can share more about these later on.

With a full morning meeting, and a pile of things on my office desk, I do not think I can write long. But I do want to say “thank you” for all of you who were so thoughtful about Cc and Jocelyn during my absence. I am really thankful that we have brothers and sisters like you and that we are all part of His family.

And if you have absolutely nothing to do for the rest of the day, you are most welcome to take a look at the pictures taken during this trip (by Rev. Wong and Alex) — all 307 of them!

雖然不算是整體生活的回顧，但至少在blog和網絡之中，我會記下這些：

1. 講授加拉太書的主日學讓我深入反省NPP對了解保羅思路的貢獻。我相信，保羅的聖靈論和教會論將成為兩個纏繞我一生的題目。
2. 參加了全年唯一一個自己選擇參加的Conference — Ray Vanderlaan 的Walk As Jesus Walked。對他的熱衷和Dynamic，有很深的體會。但始終還是不太攪得通他對猶太文化的重視和保羅那種「十架後」的舊約詮釋，可怎樣接軌。
3. 坐在food-court裡，面對著一大群中學生剛剛放食飯，令我想到關於「反霸權」到「成為霸權」的事。
4. 面對著很多信徒馬虎的事奉表現，我（有點氣憤地）寫下：「不是一個人的」。
5. 意外地，竟然中獎！
6. 開始（並於十月完成）《釋我傷痕》的耶利米哀歌的系列講道。不管別人的評價怎樣，我總覺得這是一個「不講，便會遺憾一世」的題目。
7. 好友Charis和Anson的小女兒Alethia出世！
8. 一張假的十蚊紙，引發我對試探的思考。
9. 寫了一篇題為「無名火」的post，但因引起家人和朋友的不安，所以刪出了那篇，留下另一篇無關痛癢的。
10. 亦因如此，同月，開始另一個Blog，將或會引起不安的反省在另一處地方留下。
11. 看了Karen日見成熟的反省，有感而發的也來「論安逸」。
12. 七一周末，我選擇帶女兒去了Canada Day慶祝（Instead of 香港回歸十週年）。事後，有感這是一種有意識的身份宣示行動。
13. Jocelyn開始返學。
14. 作迦南團契的retreat講員。這次機會讓我對自己日後所要傳的信息有了很清楚的領受。
15. 讀侵華老兵金子安次的傳記，帶來了很久不能平復的震撼。
16. 估不到引文「失去了解的落差」，成為目前為止，引起最多迴響的post。就連原作者張小鳴也來湊熱鬧！
17. 寫了blog內第一篇Politics類的post，是關於莊德利在「三十天內的政治自殺」。
18. 在眾聖日，寫下了一直沒有機會寫下對楊牧谷牧師的追憶。真的，對他，我未敢忘懷。
19. 從女兒的一句「媽咪呢？」，我體會到思念，從來就不容易。
20. 延續「不是一個人的」，再寫了「天才•恩賜•奮進」，算是我對「老油條信徒」的解讀和抗議。

2006 Highlights
2005 Highlights

今年15.4lb 的燒牛肉（Prime Rib Roast）煮法：

1. 前一日將連七條肋骨的燒牛肉解凍，用海鹽和黑胡椒塗勻全身，再放回雪櫃（not freezer）醃過夜。
2. 燒牛肉前將肉取出，放於室溫兩小時以上。將可入焗爐的溫度計插進肉的中央。
3. Preheat焗爐至450F。
4. 用大錫盤將牛肉放進焗爐，待15分鐘後，轉至325F。
5. 由第一個30分鐘起，每30分鐘將從牛肉出來的油／汁塗回牛肉上。
6. 焗三小時半左右，以溫度計顯示肉的中央溫度為140F為止。
7. 從焗爐取出燒牛肉，用錫紙包著牛肉，等20-25分鐘以上。

兩種醬汁：

1. Blue Cheese汁： 1 1/2杯的Wipping Cream和兩cloves的蒜頭切碎，全放進猛火的煲內。待滾後轉細火，再煮10分鐘（時不時攪動，免燒焦） 。待熄火後，將3/4杯的碎Blue Cheese放進，攪勻。用時再以細火加熱。
2. 牛肉汁：燒牛肉完成後，用大錫盤底的牛肉汁，去油，再加入罐頭或自製的牛肉湯（Beef Broth），煮滾後即成。

Jocelyn says:

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I certainly have a great time so far! Wait until Auntie Tammy, Uncle Joannes arrive!

Here are some photos taken at Gung-Gung’s birthday, as well as dinner at Mah-Mah & Yeh-Yeh’s place.

And “Auntie” Eunice, it’s nice for you to drop by!

弟兄們，可否花少點時間打機和少點金錢在那些模型、相機等等的物品上？姊妹們，你們又可否花少點時間逛街、瘦身、買衣服和化妝品上？對，我們可以享受我們所有的，卻不是追求享受。把有餘的時間和金錢放在別人的需要上，就是神所喜悅的事。

不是我說的。是一個生活於香港，任職牙醫的年青基督徒姊妹說的。

真的那樣遙不可及和不可思議嗎？

今朝看見mannshin的post中的一句：

今日篇道OK get 到個message

令我不禁要confirm一下，她的意思究竟是：

今日篇道，OK get到個message （＝「只是OK get到，即不太get到個message」）

還是，

今日篇道OK，get 到個message（＝「今日篇道還可以，我get到個message」）

？

這令我想起我常用以illustrate聖經翻譯和編纂批鑒的挑戰和重要：

GODISNOWHERE

究竟是

GOD IS NO WHERE

還是

GOD IS NOW HERE

？

還是我們採取 Roland Barthes 的進路，來個「作者已死」，由讀者自決（哈哈哈）？！