Hi all my dearest:

Didn't hear you guys for so so long... I miss you guys so badly!!! How was everyone's going? :) seems everyone are too busy in their school stuffs... Homework... Tests and exams... However I also want to remind all of you that God is so good to you... As a Christian to show your love to God as basis is to go church on time every Sunday. It is not a homework you have to deal everyday but is to worship our almighty Lord. It is a MUST no matter how busy you are. I know how was feel coz I have been lazy in the old days... And not going to church was actually a kind of laziness... If we do love our God, and want to get closer with Him, we should follow his way and trust him. Wholly trust Him and let Him guide you. God knows the future, so we are safe in his hands. Homework can always be finished on time after going to church. Because God will help us to complete them and definitely he won't let you fail in test and fail doing your work. Trust Him. And you will find your way. I have a nice verse to remind all of my friends which is come from the Philippians.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philip 4: 6-7)

Remember: You do your best and God do the rest. Set yourself free in God and you will find peace in Him. :)

My all dear MUJ1 brothers and sisters... Though I am in another part of the world... But I am always with you and support you... Hope everyone grows in the love of God and relax your stresses by prayer. Take care :)  

Your lovely sister Xtina

Miss all of you xx

Sent from my iPhone, October 16, 2009

Team Hoyt：The World Strongest Dad                 Jasmine Kan

Our CE teacher showed us a clip which touched everyone and it taught me not to give up at times of trouble but to face it. The clip was about the hope and the love from the father, Dick Hoyt, to his son, Rick Hoyt. Rick Hoyt was born on January 10, 1962 and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition which occurred when the oxygen that goes to the brain during the birth process was blocked when he was born. Doctors told Rick’s parents that Rick was nothing but a “vegetable”, but Rick’s parents decided to give their son a life and hope. Rick’s parents did everything to help their son to have a life just like a normal person. Rick’s mother, Judy, spent hours each day teaching Rich the alphabet with sandpaper letters and posting signs on every object in the house. In a short amount of time, Rick learned the alphabet. Rick had also experienced sledding, rolling down the grassy hill, and swimming. When Rick was 12, the family raised $5000 and bought a touch pad for Rick which was to put around Rick’s head so he could communicate with the outside world through the computer. Rick had also made a very good academic achievement and graduated from a major university.

Something inspirited Rick’s father, Dick. It brought Dick running in fundraisers for paralyzed teenagers, and bringing Rick with him. Dick used to be in the army so he didn’t struggle with any problems many people had. He started training with Rick again and they formed a team call the Team Hoyt in 1977. At that time, Dick was 40 years old and Rick was 18 year old. Dick would pull Rick in a special boat as they swim, carry him in a special seat the front as they biked, and pushes him in a special wheel chair as they run. Until August 31, 2008, Team Hoyt had participated in a total of 984 events; 229 Triathlons (6 was iron man competitions), 20 Decathlons, and 66 Marathons. They had also biked and ran across the USA on 1992, which was a 3735 mile journey and took them 45 days. Dick had accomplished his dream, to gave life and hope to his son. Reporters questioned Rick what he wishes to give to his father, and Rick’s reply was, “The thing I'd most like is that my dad would sit in the chair and I would push him once."

The relationship of Dick and Rick was like to relationship of God and us. God will never abandon us or leave us even when bad things happen to us. He will always stay with us and give hope to us.

Clip of Team Hoyt - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIeANpNIOSw

消費主義使人把生命全都放在三個動詞上：「想要」、「想有」和「想做」。三個「想」把人推向渴求、抓緊和忙亂中。消費主義使人不單單追求物質本身，更誘騙人透過消費來作身份認同，以高消費作生活的炫耀。

人如何擺脫無止境的「想要」、「想有」慾望呢？齊思德敦（G.K.Chesterton）曾說：「人世間有兩種方法使自己滿足:：一是不斷囤積，另一是減少慾望」。而簡樸操練就是一項減少慾望的操練，我們可以通過操練，讓自己學習十架約翰所說的：「讓你的靈魂時常想的不是要更多，乃是要更少。」

保羅曾說：「只要有衣食，就當知足」（提前六9），我們可從簡樸操練中，學習把憂慮變成依靠，把自我中心轉化為以神為中心，更重要的是從中學習「如何知足」。知足讓我們退出身份的競逐和物質的追尋。簡樸生活就是一個擺脫物慾，學習知足的生活。信徒透過操練，我們可以除去那份希望從消費過程中得到的虛榮感，人會慢慢明白簡樸生活也可以是一種很美好的生活。所以有人說，「簡樸是一種豐富，禁食則是真正意義的盛宴。」

操練建議：簡樸生活的操練，可以學習自願守貧作起點，不買奢華的東西，不參與無益的活動，選擇以簡單的方式過日子。在操練的過程中，我們可以檢視一下，自己有沒有曾經購買過一些至今還沒有用的東西，然後把它們送給有需要的人。與此同時我們亦學習，盡力遏止那些心血來潮的購買慾，在每次購買之先列清購物清單，甚至限制自己一天用多少金額的金錢。

有學生問：「為甚麼要代求？很多人為一件事祈禱，事就會好嗎？」他的意思是，祈禱，一個人就夠了，神會聽到，無需多個人祈禱，令神「更加」聽到。不錯，神的大能不會因為祈禱人數多寡而有所改變，《舊約》記載850巴力先知載歌載舞傾盡全力向假神巴力求雨不遂，反而以利亞先知一人單挑向耶和華神祈禱，雨立即傾盆而下。

聽過一句說話：「多禱告多能力，少禱告少能力，不禱告無能力。」這句說話常用於勉勵人多禱告，可惜誤解它的人也多。很多人誤解，祈求的事未成就，神未做野，只因「未夠多人」、「未夠多時間」。所以我要「多禱告」，迫神做野。這不太正確。「多禱告多能力」的「能力」，不是指「神的能力」，是指「我們的信心」。試想，我們縱然患病跟病魔打仗，但仍常常禱告交托，又有弟兄姊妹為我代禱，豈不更有力量跟病魔作戰？

以患病為例，又有問：「神成就或不成就一件事(例如病得醫治)，都有衪的旨意，哪我們為何還要祈禱？」很多人以為「祈禱方程式」就是「祈求>>等待>>應允」，耶穌也說：「你們奉我的名，無論求甚麼，我必成就。」(約14:13)，他們理解「祈禱」即是「祈求」。根據溫偉耀牧師《如何按照神的旨意祈禱》一書中說明，這只說對了六分之一，因祈禱裡面還包含了六個內容(下文將會列出)。若我們以為「祈禱」就是將一份個人的「祈求清單」向神列出，等待神逐一實現，就太「功能化」(functional)了。原來祈禱最重要的目的，就是透過與神「情的交流」，慢慢與神的心貼近，思想和性格也會慢慢跟神更相像。

再回到第一條問題「為甚麼要代求？」既然祈禱的重點是使我們「更像神」，神當然希望我們樂意為人代求，身體力行的彼此相愛，正如《聖經》所說「各人不要單 顧自己的事，也要顧別人的事。」(腓2:4)。耶穌也應允多人的禱告：「若是你們中間有兩個人在地上，同心合意的求甚麼事，我在天上的父，必為他們成全。」(太18:19)

附：祈禱的六個內容：

第一：讚美  —    就是將我們的心思和思想集中在神的身上，然後從心底發出對衪的欣賞和讚美。作者相信稱讚是不屬於那些懶惰的人，而是屬於那些勤力的人，這對我來說是一個很大的提醒，因此我開始閱讀詩篇，寫下一些讚美神的金句，從而學習具體的讚美神。

第二：感謝  —    是將心思集中在自己身上，思想神給了我們甚麼。我們可用眼睛或耳朵去找出一些值得我們感謝的事物，但更重要的是用我們的心去回憶神過去給我們的思典。因我們的記憶有限，我們可用一本簿將一些經歷和恩典記錄下來，方便我們回憶。

第三：認罪  —    認罪有兩個大方向: (1) 做了不應該做的事﹔(2)沒有做應該要做的事。前者我們都知道要認罪，反而後者是我們常忽略的。而認罪的態度亦不可只草草向神說了便去睡覺，應該要詳細說出所發生的事，這樣下次才不會再犯，所以認罪也是要具體的。

第四：奉獻  —    是將自己歸還給神，學習將我們的心意更新而變化，亦即是將神的看法換成自己的看法，這是我們每次禱告應有的決志。

第五：祈求  —    是將我們所需要的求告神，但切記這不是祈禱的全部內容。

第六：代求  —    為他人的事情求神幫助。

今星期再跟大家分享在消費文化下的另一種屬靈操練 － 「禁食操練」。在新約時代，耶穌也曾禁食四十晝夜(太四2)。「禁食」在原文中有「捨棄自己操練」的含意。人有目的地禁食，是為了更親近神，學習全然仰望。所以禁食的操練是用來幫助我們學習將自己全然交給神，把肉身的需要暫放一旁，讓神真正在我們生命中作主作王。

在消費主義社會下，消費文化只強調個人如何獲得即時滿足和快樂上，當下人重視自己擁有多少「物質」多過重視人生有沒有意義。因此今天人活著，只是為了物質而活，世人亦以擁有多少物質來衡量一個人的價值，上帝在人的生活中從來都佔不到一席位。而禁食的操練就是一項以神為中心的操練，讓人的視線從物欲的滿足轉向靈裡的需要。禁食使人明白人真正的需要不只是物質，乃是上帝，就正如耶穌所說「靠神口裡所出的一切話」（太四4）。

而禁食的操練是一項控制的操練，它讓我們再次思考自己的真正需要究竟是甚麼。雖然消費主義叫我們單為肉體而活，使我們貪戀一些自己不是最需要的東西；但禁食的操練卻讓我們學習如何從響往肉體的需要，轉向心靈更深層的靈性需要中。禁食原文有「捨棄自己」的意思，因此禁食讓我們懂得捨棄，學習節制，因此「節制」是禁食操練的精義。我們可以透過定期禁食，讓自己明白到人是可以不單為自己的需要而活，人是可以有能力制約自我的需要。在禁食操練中，我們能學習到真正捨己的功課，當下人不需為「要甚麼」而活，而是可以安心的親近神。所以魏樂德指出：「禁食教導我們在得不到我們想要的東西時要輕鬆和堅持」。

操練建議：禁食可由簡單開始，例如以一天不吃一餐作禁食操練，或在某一時間，禁戒某些食物（如自己特別喜歡的食物），繼而可以在某天自己只吃簡單的麵包和飲用清水，隨後我們可以進一步嘗試在一段特定時間內，完全不進食而只飲用清水，以此學習作一次完全的禁食操練。