Thursday, December 31, 2009

Day +1275 : Happy Birthday to Joseph!

I am fine today.

Today we celebrated Joseph 10 years old birthday. His actual birthday was yesterday but I was too busy yesterday that we had to postpone the celebration one day later.

This is the 5th Joseph’s birthday that I have celebrated since I was diagnosed with Leukaemia and I should say again that it is by God’s abundant grace that I am alive to celebrate his birthday.

May God bless Joseph!

The food




The cake - Jesus loves Joseph.
A happy Joseph posing in front of his cake :-)
A family photo
Singing birthday song
Blowing candle
See you next post :-)

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Day +1274 : An Christmas and New Year Celebration in the office

I am fine today.

I attended a Christmas and New Year Celebration organized by some staff in our company. The celebration was attended by most of the staff.

It was a very nice event with unhealthy but delicious food, singing session, gifts exchange, magic show and game. I enjoyed it very much :-)

Food








Singing
Eating
Gifts Exchange

Games - building structure with paper. The one that is most stable against the wind wins.




The losers - singing "twinkle twinkle little stars" :-)
See you next post :-)

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Day +1273 : “Who saved you?”

I am fine today.

As the school is going to re-open next week, my wife has to go back for a series of meetings to prepare for next school session since Monday.

Aaron was very attached to my wife. He always wanted to follow my wife.

“Why you don’t bring me to school?” he asked when my wife came back from meeting late in the afternoon on Monday.

“I went for a meeting. And during the meeting I have to sit there and cannot move around,” explained my wife.

“Who saved you?” he asked after puzzling for a while.

“…” my wife didn’t know how to answer.

He must be thinking that my wife was detained and needed someone to rescue :-)

See you next post :-)

Monday, December 28, 2009

Day +1272 : A Christmas Message

I am fine today.

I was arranged to give a short Christmas message on the Christmas Eve. The message was prepared at the very last minute as the arrangement was impromptu due to certain unforeseen circumstances.

That was a great challenge to me but thank God that everything is over now :-)

I would like to share with you the script of the message.


圣诞节的意义

今天晚上我们很高兴能够在一起庆祝圣诞。我相信不只是我们,许多人在今天晚上也在庆祝圣诞。不只西方人庆祝,东方人也庆祝;不只南方人庆祝,北方人也庆祝。东西南北都在庆祝。可见,圣诞节是一个非常普遍的节日。

圣诞节的意义

但是我们是否想到一个这么普遍的节日到底在庆祝些什么东西呢?我相信许多人庆祝圣诞只为了趁机狂欢一下。也有许多人庆祝圣诞是为了跟家人团圆一下。也有的人把圣诞当着许多节期中的其中一个。

你觉得圣诞节到底是庆祝些什么东西呢?有没有人可以给个答案?有人想过这个普遍的节日到底对我个人有什么意义呢?或者对我个人有什么关系?

圣诞节告诉我们上帝爱我们

其实圣诞节对我们每个人都有很大的关系。圣诞节告诉我们上帝爱我们,祂要将平安赐给我们。所以我们在圣诞夜常常唱平安夜。上帝如何爱我们呢?就是透过圣诞节的主角耶稣。

圣经说:上帝爱世人,甚至将祂的独生子赐给我们,叫一切信祂的,不致灭亡,反得永生。

这个上帝的独生子就是耶稣。圣诞节的主角。

接下来,让我们看看这个圣诞节的主角到底带给我们什么。


耶稣给我们平安

第一,耶稣给我们平安。我相信我不需要在这方面多说。刚才马先生的故事已经强而有力的见证上帝如何改变他的生命,让他从非常艰难的环境当中仍然有平安。爱情、友情、金钱、保险、家庭都无法给我们平安,只有耶稣能够给我们真正的平安。不止马先生,在这里许多相信耶稣的人都经历过了。

我四年前患上血癌,在漫长的治疗过程中有两件事需要『特别睡觉』。第一就是抽骨髓。在这个过程中,医生用一枝又粗又长的针刺进胯骨,抽出里面的骨髓来检验。病人可以选择要不要睡觉。若不要睡觉,那手术就在局部麻醉下进行,非常疼痛。在八次抽骨髓当中,我只有一次选择不睡觉,其余的都睡觉。我看着医生替我注射麻醉药,之后不到两分钟就不省人事,大睡起来。一点痛也没有感觉到。

还有一件事需要睡觉的就是当护士替我吊(输入)一种抗霉菌药物的时候。那时因为在化疗的时候,没有抵抗力,血液受到霉菌的感染,需要输这种的药,为期两个星期。每天晚上八点,护士就会来替我打两针麻醉药,之后旁边的一位Auntie就开始算:『一、二、三、四。。。』还没有数到五,我就不省人事,倒头大睡,非常痛快,直到半夜十二点才醒来。几天之后,还有一点响往麻醉针。打麻醉药是为了避免身体对药物的反应;睡了就没事了。

但是有一些病友跟我说,医生跟他们打了麻醉剂之后还是睡不了觉。这样就惨了,免不了疼痛之灾。

不能睡觉是件很痛苦的事。我相信惟有经历过失眠的人才体会那是多么的痛苦。我感谢神让我这么『贪睡』,免了许多的痛苦。

没有平安的人非常容易失眠。耶稣来了,祂将平安赐给我们,不论我们的生命遇到怎样的挫折,只要我们相信祂,我们仍然可以有平安,安然入睡。我在接受治疗的过程中,虽然不知下一刻会遭遇什么患难,但是靠着神的恩典,还是睡的很好。这真是个大福气。耶稣带给我出人意外的平安。

不只是我,许多人跟我说他们在困境中本来失眠,非常痛苦,但是相信耶稣之后,得到真正的平安。每一晚都可以安然入睡。

平安是耶稣带给我们一份美好的礼物。


耶稣给我们永远的希望

稣除了带给我们平安之外,也带给我们希望。这个希望不是短暂的希望,乃是永远的希望,不会破灭的希望。那么这个希望到底是什么呢?这个希望就是永远的『生命』。永远的『生命』的意思就是永远不死或永远活着。这有可能吗?好像是不可。哪里有人永远活着?

许多人包括中国历史出名的皇帝秦始王努力寻求长生不老药,但没有一个成功。有人说:『只要活着就有希望』。那没有长生不老药就没有希望了,对不对?

但耶稣的降生改变了这一切。圣经说:『上帝爱世人,甚至将祂的独生子赐给我们,叫一切信祂的,不致灭亡,反得永生。』原来只要我们相信耶稣就可以有永生,也就是永远的活着。

我在九个月的血癌治疗过程中住在医院差不多150天。许多时候,距离死亡很接近。走过这段日子不容易。但是不论我的情况如何糟糕,我从来没有失望过。因为我知道我有永生。我对我说:『我若活着,很好。』。『我若死了,也好。』。活着很好,是可以理解的,但死了也好可能对你来说就有点不正常了。

但是因为我相信耶稣,我就很有把握天堂乃是我永恒的家园。死了,进入天堂,永远活着。这个希望成为我的一个很大的能力让我安稳的度过这个我生命中最大的挑战。

我们如何得到永远的希望呢?

上帝爱我们每一个人,祂看我们为宝贝。祂要我们每个人都有平安,也要我们每个人有永远的希望。但是因为罪破坏了我们跟上帝之间的关系,使我们不但没有有平安,也没有永远的希望。而且因为罪的缘故,我们都要接受刑罚,而这个刑罚就是『死』。

于是上帝就差派耶稣来到这个世界,让耶稣因我们的罪被钉死在十字架上,代替我们接受罪的刑罚。只要任何一个人愿意承认自己是一个罪人并且愿意接受耶稣成为我们生命的主,我们就成为上帝的儿女,得到永远活着的希望 - 一个『天堂是我永恒的家园』的希望。

许多人透过接受耶稣成为他们生命的主得到了平安和永生的希望。你也希望得到这样的平安和希望吗?我真的希望你也能够得到。如果你要多一点了解这个信仰,欢迎你跟我们谈谈交流。

See you next post :-)

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Day +1271 : Christmas Night (2)

I am fine today.

Continue from yesterday...

Attendees

Trio
Sketch




Instrument Ensemble - my wife and Daniel. A very good presentation :-) A lot of effort had been put in by my wife - arranging the music, training the team, practicing...


Senior member choir
The middle one is my mother-in-law and the right one is Richard's mother-in-law
Testimony by Yean Ling - Richard's wife
Testimony by William
Christmas message by Rev. Lau
Group photo - many attendees were not in the group
Taking a group photo with Rev. Lau's family
A family photo
Back to home after the celebration
See you next post :-)

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Day +1270 : Christmas Night (1)

I am fine today.

Our church held a Christmas celebration last night with overwhelming response. There were about 230 adults and children attended the event and among them many were new friends. This was a church event with the largest show up – a record :-)

The event started with a brief singing session followed by a dinner. We had another singing session after the dinner which is followed by a series of programs including games, sketches, instrument ensemble, testimonies and a Christmas message by Rev. Lau.

We enjoyed the night very much :-)

Now I would like to present to you the dishes that we had and some other photos of the night.

Turkey
Preserved vegetables - what is the name of this dish?
Stewed eggs
Herbal tea eggs - our contribution. We prepared 90 eggs.
Hakka Braised Fried Pork - 客家炸肉
Red wine residuum pork
Beef
Chicken soup?
Herbal chicken
Stuffed bean curd
Vegetables



Fried Mee Hoon

MeeSalad
Jelly
Fruits


Busy preparing for dinner
Joseph and Daniel
Adriel, my wife, and Aaron
To be continued and see you next post :-)