cheap valentine

Other than my wife's birthday, Valentine's Day is probably the most intimidating day of the year for me.

First of all, I tend to forget it. It's just another day, isn't it? It usually falls on a weekday and people don't even take work off of it (Lucky are kids who get the day off as "Presidents' Birthday".. Hmm, why can't we have it as "Homeboss' Day" and all men get to go home and clean the house for the wives, supposedly, then I'll remember). Ah, wouldn't it be lovely if everyone, especially ladies, let it slip by just like any other normal, peaceful day of the year..

But nope, the commercial world won't let you go easy. Eventually I am reminded of the day's coming by all the Valentine's Day sales specials on TV and in stores. I have to act, that is, to buy something for my wife, while helping the economy a bit.

Now comes the other intimidating part: what to buy? Knowing my wife, and with the husbandly wisdom I gain through years of living with her, I know if I buy something really fancy, meaning high priced, she will first be flattered, perhaps, but then almost in an instant become upset that I "wasted" that much money on it (and in my honest mind I agree these overpriced vanity items have no practical use in life therefore "waste" is a right word for them). I may even have to return them afterwards.

The following is my true Valentine's Day gift story of last year:

I was buying some miscellaneous stuff at one Big Lots discount store, and noticed some tiny earings on sale near the checkout counter. Looked nice and pretty, I thought my wife would like it. So I bought it. I left the price tag on the earings.

I gave it to my wife on Valentine's Day. She did like it, and she noticed the price on the tag: $25.

"Hmm, not too expensive, huh," she said, smiling, knowing I didn't "waste" a fortune getting this thing she likes.

"Yup," I said, "Better still, it's on sale when I bought it."

"Really," She smiles even more. A woman always likes a good bargain, and she's been lecturing me never buy anything unless it is on sale. It looks like I finally am taking heed to her advice.

"How much was it on sale?" she asked.

"They marked it down to $15, 40% off," I said.

"Wow, that's a great deal." Her face shines. She's happy I saved that much money for her, or, in her name.

Well, I could have stopped here, she's completely happy now, I don't need to worry that she not likes the earings, or she thinks I bought a cheap gift for her. But I cannot resist the temptation.

"Do you know how much I actally paid for it," I said.

"What do you mean?" She's puzzled and real curious now.

"Well, they marked it down even further at the chcekout stand. I actually only paid $5 for it."

Now she's totally taken aback, but then she realizes I am telling her the truth (an honest husband have I always been), she bursts into laughters... She must be thinking that she married the smartest man in the world... or at least that's what I think she thinks.

One cheap Valentine's Day story for laughs. Don't try it at home. May not work for you or your wife :)

what chores would jesus do

"What chores would Jesus do," is a story I read on LA Times last Saturday: http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-monk26jan26,1,7718645.story?page=1&ctrack=4&cset=true

It was about two Christian families and one single man, feeling contemporary Christian life too soft and empty, moved in together to a communal house to truly live out a Christ centered life--live frugally, love others and help the needy unconditionally, something similar to what the early Christians did as recorded in the Bible.

It's a rough road, instead of fulfilling their noble goals, they found themselves bogged down by daily chores and petty grudges. After 3 months, they couldn't agree on what constitutes simple living, they hadn't helped any outsider, and they were frustrated by even issues such as whose turn it is to mop the kitchen floor..

But they regrouped and continued on. They invited in and lived with another difficult person; they learned what it really means to serve God and others at every annoying moment; they opened up their place for two homeless women and their kids when they needed it..

I won't divulge too much detail of the story. But if you read it, I think you will find it very real-life, touching, and enlightening.

"A wonderful part of Christianity is growing and learning of God's plan for our lives. Our sinful nature will often distract us from God's PERFECT path, but it's a joy to keep trying."

--One reader's comment after reading the story

shape & essence

A few words that got through to me this morning when reading Oswald Chambers':

"When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God's nature, not ours."

"The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God."

Not to dispute the "SHAPE" approach that emphasizes on finding the kind of ministry work that fits your personality, spiritual gifts, experiences, etc., but I think the above does catch the essence of what a calling should be.

I hope you guys all had had a wonderful Christmas-New Year season. I am glad to see the beautiful blue sky and sunny landscape of Southern California again after my 5-plus week getaway to Taiwan and China. Are we ready to meet again this Saturday? Same time--8:30 AM, same place--at my home backyard. To celebrate my own home coming, I'll cook the breakfast for you guys--my self-styled omelette. "Come hungry, leave happy", as they say in the commercial. Just tell me whether you are coming or not, and I'll prepare the eggs, the sausages, the coffee as usual, and set the grill burning...

interfaith

I went to an "Interfaith Choir Festival" last Sunday evening. It was an event arranged by the Interfaith Councils of several Orange County chapters to promote harmony and mutual understanding between different religious groups. It was held in a Mormon church (right across the Lakeview Senior Center in Irvine), with choirs and representatives from Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, etc. Besides the traditional hymns from Catholic and Protestant groups, I heard for the first time live soul-style gospel singing by a black group, and a Jewish choir worshipping in Psalms. The Irvine Chinese Chorus, the only non-religious group invited, sang a couple of Chinese folk/love songs too.

In between singing, each religion/sect's representative went on the platform to give a short speech about their religion's beliefs, as well as some inspirational sayings. "Righteousness is the highest Virtue, it leads to enlightened happiness, this Radiant happiness comes to the person, who is Righteous for the sake of Righteousness alone, and not for any reward or fear of punishment", says the Zoroastrian Scripture. "One day of life is more valuable than all the treasures of the universe. You still have many years ahead of you, and moreover, you have found faith. If you live even one day longer... how precious life is! So together we will offer a prayer of appreciation", says a Buddhist Scripture. Or "Truth is higher. Higher still is truthful living", says the Sikh Scripture.

I wish I had time to study all these different religions. It seems they all try to reach the same goal, as they say, just with different approaches. But, maybe that's where it matters. All religions may point to the same abstract truth: be good, be selfless, be loving, etc. But how do you achieve that? It seems to me Christianity is the one that gives most straightforward answer and effective way to achieve that: Jesus is the truth, be like him. Simple as that, with evidences you can't deny.

Enough of my monologue. This Saturday our men's group meeting will take a little different venue, going outdoor for a hike with the Saddleback Beginner's Hike group to the Riley Wilderness Park in Coto De Caza, if you will. Please see the following information. You can bring your family along if you like, and we can all walk and talk and enjoy a sunny, beautiful day in the wild!

halloween salute

Wednesday, the Halloween, kids' fun day, is coming. Stories and controversies abound about this day's origin and meaning and whether Christians should celebrate it or not, etc. But one thing historical and surely worth celebrating by all (or at least Protestant) Christians about this day, is that this is the day, exactly 490 years ago, the Protestant Reformation, the movement that split Christendom into Catholic and Protestant camps 'till this day, all got started.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, a German priest/theologian, posted his famous 95 theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, a little town in today's eastern Germany, to display his objection to the "indulgences" the Church was selling. An indulgence was a printed permit or coupon with monetary value of personal confession of sin. The idea was sinners could buy indulgences to release them from divine punishment, or "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs," went the commercial jingle of the day. The Church used such "fund raisers" to collect revenues to help rebuilding St. Peter's basilica in Rome, or as political payback by some local bishops to Rome for their clergical assignments. 

Though Luther's intention was to dispute and argue the subject within the Church, copies of these theses got spread quickly throughout Europe (making the controversy one of the first in history to be fanned by the printing press) and unleashed a reform movement that would eventually effect all political and social structures of the Western world.

Besides objection to the indulgences, Martin Luther had many other theological differences with the Roman Church of the day. His studies of the Bible, especially the epistles of St. Paul, had led him to the conclusion that Christ was the sole mediator between God and man and that forgiveness of sin and salvation are effected by God's Grace alone and are received by faith alone on the part of man. This point of view turned him against scholastic theology, which had emphasized man's role in his own salvation, and against many church practices that emphasized justification by good works.

Luther also condemned the vow of celibacy and, as a former monk, he married a former nun that he helped escape from a convent in 1525, when he was 42 and she was 26. By all accounts theirs was a happy marriage, with 6 children. One of their descendants was Paul von Hindenburg, President of Germany after World War I and before Nazi takeover.

Another great accomplishment by Luther is his translation of Bible from Latin to German language. He is not the first one to do such work, but is by far the greatest according to historians and literary scholars. The Luther Bible contributed to the emergence of the modern German language and is regarded as a landmark in German literature.

According to American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, these are Luther's most important theological insights:

(1) Humankind is entrapped in the ancient temptation to play God (Genesis 3:5), violating the first of all divine commandments, "You shall have no other gods."

(2)  Liberation from this original sin comes through faith of at least two people ... one who tells another of Christ as the source of freedom from sin, and one who, so addressed, affirms faith in Christ alone.

(3) The Christian life is one in which, though we are sinners by nature, we are at the same time saints by God's grace and love. 

(4) The Christian life is lived in two realms that belong equally to God ... church and society. This calls for Christian commitment to education, fair economic practices, and a life of mission to the ungodly.

Sounds pretty refreshing to me even today.

Happy Reformation Anniversary!

just do it

We all know enough of God's teachings to be saints, yet we all are not. It is so very hard to practice what we know is right when that "rubber hits the road" moment comes. Or is it? Here is a true story:

God's grace was powerfully displayed in the life of Corrie ten Boom, who had been imprisoned with her family by the Nazis for giving aid to Jews early in World War II. Her elderly father and beloved sister, Betsie, died as a result of the brutal treatment they received in prison. God sustained Corrie through her time in a concentration camp, and after the war she traveled throughout the world, testifying to God's love. Here is what she wrote about a remarkable encounter in Germany:

It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower room door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there--the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie's pain-blanched face.

He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. "How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein," he said. "To think that, as you say, he has washed my sins away!"

His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who had preached so often to the people in Bloemendall about the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? "Lord Jesus," I prayed, "forgive me and help me to forgive him." 

I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. "Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness."

As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.

So I discovered that it is not on our forgiveness any more than on our goodness that the world's healing hinges, but on him. When he tells us to love our enemies, he gives, along with the command, the love itself.

What I found most exciting in the above story is, we are God's instrument, literally. An instrument in the literal sense is a lifeless medium that conducts the will of its handler to the aimed recipient, and its job is done. Often times we are confused and stagnated by our own wills and emotions on whether we should or would, like or want, to do this or that--a
whirlwind in our own little tea-cup mind, we forget the big picture and that we are not really the one in charge. 

But then the magic comes when we summon ourselves and go out and do His will, all these virtual whirlwind are
replaced by substance and confirmation, and this lifeless instrument suddenly becomes a very alive part of the body of Christ!

Look forward to meeting you fellow parts/instruments Saturday,

PS, I plan to experiment my BBQ rotisserie with whatever chunk of meat appropriate I can find at Costco this Saturday. Be brave and bring an empty stomach with you when you come. First come first serve.

walk the valley

Here is a daily devotional I read the other day:

We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain, when we have seen things from God's perspective and have wanted to stay there. But God will never allow us to stay there. The true test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain. If we only have the power to go up, something is wrong. It is a wonderful thing to be on the mountain with God, but a person only gets there so that he may later go down and lift up the demon-possessed people in the valley (see Mark 9:14-18). 

We are not made for the mountains, for sunrises, or for the other beautiful attractions in life- those are simply intended to be moments of inspiration. We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength. Yet our spiritual selfishness always wants repeated moments on the mountain. We feel that we could talk and live like perfect angels, if we could only stay on the mountaintop. Those times of exaltation are exceptional and they have their meaning in our life with God, but we must beware to prevent our spiritual selfishness from wanting to make them the only time.

We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character. The mountaintop is not meant to teach us anything, it is meant to make us something. There is a terrible trap in always asking, "What's the use of this experience?" We can never measure spiritual matters in that way. The moments on the mountaintop are rare moments, and they are meant for something in God's purpose.

Speaking for myself, I don't think I ever get that "mountain top" experience, have deep valley dropped a couple times, but then the rest, or most of my spiritual life, as far as I am aware of, are just plain walking ("on roads less travelled", I am tempted to add, but then that will sound so audacious, so unlike me :) So, my favorite phrases from the above, are "We are made for the valley and the ordinary things of life, and that is where we have to prove our stamina and strength", and "We are inclined to think that everything that happens is to be turned into useful teaching. In actual fact, it is to be turned into something even better than teaching, namely, character." 

Would like to hear about your mountain top/valley experiences, or your favorite take on the above, if you would like to share.