Leo's Own Space 里奧的自製空間

One of my favorite songs from Stream of Praise 讚美之泉 (www.sop.org). I love how Ps 139:1-10 is beautifully fitted into the song!

I sang it at Valley Chinese Bapitst Church 恩谷華人浸信會 (www.valleychinese.org). Lijing Jiang was the pianist.

Lyrics:
主耶和華，你已經鑒察了我。
我坐下，我起來，你都已曉得。
我行路，我躺臥，你都細察，你也深知我一切所行。
我舌頭上的話，你沒有一句不知道。
你在我前後環繞著我，按手在我身上。
這樣的奇妙，是我不能測透，
你的至高你的尊貴，是我永遠不能所及。
我可以往哪裡去躲避你的靈？
我可以往哪裡去逃，可躲避你的面？
我若展開清晨的翅膀飛到地極，就在那裡，
你的雙手也必引導我。

Ps 139:1-10 (NASB)
O LORD, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all.
You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it.
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

The second month since our church moved into our own building, we were able to host a wedding for one of our sister. And I sang the special music for them too.

This Is the Day
Words/Music: Scott Wesley Brown

This is the day that the Lord hath made
And I'm so glad He made you
With each rising sun you are here by my side
You are more than a dream come true

Oh, to have you, to hold you, to love you, to pray
To share with, to care with, to hold hands and say

This is the day that the Lord hath made
And I will rejoice, I will rejoice
I will rejoice with you

This is the love that the Lord hath made
That you and I are one
Love's mystery is unfolding today
Written for us in the sun

Oh, for better, for worse, for rich or for poor
Each day that passes, I'll love you more

'Cos this is the day that the Lord hath made
And I will rejoice, I will rejoice
I will rejoice with you

This is the day!

These days I was very touched by the news and photos after the China earthquake. I remembered we prayed together as a church for China in our Wednesday prayer meeting. I used Ps 46:1-3 as the text for my message.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. 神是我們的避難所，是我們的力量，是我們在患難中隨時的幫助。所以，地雖改變，山雖搖動到海心，其中的水雖匉訇翻騰，山雖因海漲而戰抖，我們也不害怕。(Ps 46:1-3)

Mountain will quake and disappear in seconds, as in this earthquake in Sichuan. But our God and His help is secure and sure, and He is ready to be the shelter for those who seeks Him. He is ready to help. We are in trouble because we don't seek this very present help.

Somehow the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray "it is not a time to ask why, but a time to seek how". True, when disaster strikes, people would start to ask why God allows this to happen, and question His goodness and power, etc. These are all legitimate questions, but this is not the right time to ask these.

Rather, this is a time to pray that how we could exercise our Christian love, weep with those who weep, and contribute to the needs of the saints.

Then I received this email devotional two days later, which is very well written, and I want to share.

不問為何，只問如何

　　一場地震，震碎了奧運的歡欣，也震破了無數的家庭的美夢。

　　看到溫家寶總理緊握著孤女的手，竭盡所能的說出安慰的話，卻不能止住女孩的哭泣。那一刻，除了動容，我能感到他的無奈。縱能掌握全國億萬資源、最高權力，卻不能撫平一個稚女心中的苦痛。他能叫千萬軍隊拼死向前，卻不能命令無助雙眼收回叫他心碎的眼淚。

　　強者的無能處，越發使人神傷。

　　又看到軍隊以血肉之軀，突破蜀道天險，徒步九十公里進入災區，為的是早一刻搶救被埋的人。還有那些冒死搶救別人的勇者事蹟，使每一個人都肅然起敬。然而人性的光輝，掩不了悽苦的哭聲、每一刻生命流失的哀號。

　　強壯的勇士，救不了疲弱的生命。

　　生死之事，又豈是權勢和勇力可以控制的。

　　有孕婦和母親被救出來，拯救者歡呼慶祝，背後卻傳來啕哭之聲，因為她的家翁仍未救出來。拯救者默然……

　　生與死之間，又是誰能主宰呢？

　　或許你對這些事有其他看法、有更多的感受、更深的領會，但很多人總會問句：「為甚麼呢？為何神會讓這些事發生呢？」然後是一連串永不止息的討論。我這個普通的信徒，恐怕永遠也不會明白苦難的原因，但我卻感受到神在這事上的傷心，千萬於你我之上。我們不一定認識這些受害人，仍感到心情沉重；想到認識每一個人的神，面對如此巨大的傷痛，實在是我不敢想像的。

　　蒼天同哭，神也在同哭。

　　大能者可以把苦痛除去，但卻選擇去承受；可以去拯救，卻選擇自限；可以決定生死，卻接受死亡，為的是甚麼？

　　或許其中一個答案仍是回到聖經中：「哀慟的人有福了，因為他們必得安慰。」誰來安慰他們呢？「憐恤人的人有福了，因為他們必蒙憐恤。」聖經是否早已預告，這份責任，已經放在你我的肩膀上呢？

　　不問為何，只問如何。

　　讓我們為受苦的人禱告，求神赦免他們的罪，接納他們的生命；也求神讓我們明白當作的事。

　　「你手若有行善的力量，不可推辭，就當向那應得的人施行。」(箴言3:27)

不知所言的同行者
黃偉

http://www.ccfellow.org/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=56830&Pid=2&Version=0&Cid=1&Charset=big5_hkscs

I am very happy for Zang Wei, a sister who recently came to our church, because she will be baptized tomorrow. How best is it to be baptized on the Easter Sunday, the day when our Lord Jesus rose from His death! I am dedicating this song "A New You" to her and pray that she and her cousin will continue to grow in our church. In Christ all things are new!

若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人，舊事已過，都變成新的了。（哥後五18 ）

【全新的你】
你說陰天代表你的心情，雨天更是你對生命的反應。
你說每天生活一樣平靜，對於未來沒有一點信心。
親愛朋友，你是否曾經，曾經觀看滿天的星星，
期待有人能夠瞭解你心，能夠愛你賜你力量更新。
耶穌能夠叫一切都更新，耶穌能夠體會你的心情，
耶穌能夠改變你的曾經，耶穌愛你，耶穌疼你，
耶穌能造一個全新的你。

I thank everybody for the hard work and dedication in practicing and presenting it. Let's sing together again soon!

We are glad we captured this. That night Caleb was full of music. Below is the YouTube version. I have a higher-res version on my facebook account.

I have been using Google Docs all all my loose documents because I can access them everywhere with internet connection. During lunch time, I work on my sermons on Google Docs, and go home to continue my preparation. Besides word documents, the spreadsheets are especially useful to keep track of church information (e.g. outreach RSVPs, church directory) that needs to be shared among selected people. All these involve a browser only and no need to have word/excel installed on the PC and worry about copying files, synch up, etc.

Recently Google Docs add the support to create powerpoint presentation and this is pretty cool. I am sure in the future I would be able to find use of it.

IMHO, few application on the web are as sticky as google's offerings. Its calendar too is indispensable to me and my ministry. The Picasa and its web albums, the google maps, google/youtube video, and more... all are good for integration. And all with a goal to drive people to sign up google.

I always like this praise song because it describes both the beauty of the Lord and the response of His worshipper. Pianist this time is Hoyan Chu. (Sorry the video is not very clear. The quality of video went south after the being uploaded...)

Here I Am to Worship 我在這裡敬拜
By Tim Hughes

Over the long weekend we tried to get Caleb stand/walk. This is the first of the series. The others... too long and need editing. Don't know which video editing tool is the best... Anyway, enjoy it.

Finally took the plunge to try facebook. http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=702826895 The ability to network with people is amazing, but I have yet to see too much excitement beyond that. Perhaps I should try more applications to see.

We had a relaxing Labor Day weekend. Went to Applebee's for the first time since Caleb's birth, also invited someone from church for dinner at home, joined facebook, read some of 笑傲江湖, and... Caleb is now having his 7th and 8th teeth (dangerous :)!

Daisy和我在2005聖誕節到聖地考察。我們有機會和吳秉堅，趙文海，影音使團及其他的弟兄姊妹在伯利恒一同事奉，感到非常榮幸。領團的李志光牧師用我們中文名字所作的對聯如下。

It was taken during our dinner time. Caleb was supposed to be sleeping. But then he cried, and cried until we had to take him out from the crib. As soon as he got to mom and played with us, he smiled and laughed (those baby gek-gek laughs). Note his eye-bags from the crying... This smile is precious. I wish we could capture the video of that moment as well!

Daisy and I sang again on Sunday at church. Thanks Lijing for the excellent piano!

(We don't have the beginning... This is all we have, unedited.)

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Christian leaders who appear on secular television talk shows are often asked whether they believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. If the answer is Yes, Jesus is the only way, the interviewer often paints the Christian as intolerant, arrogant, narrow-minded, out-dated, and fanatical.

But if the interviewer were talking to a physician who had made a medical breakthrough for a terrible disease, would he say, "Doctor, how intolerant to think this is the only cure for this disease"?

If he were talking to a mathematician about the multiplication table, would he say, "Professor, how can you be so arrogant as to believe that three times three always equals nine"?

By its very nature, truth is narrow, precise, and factual.  Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). In this day of pluralism and political correctness, it's important to know that Christ is still the only one who can save from sin. Do you think God would have given His own Son had there been some other way?

Trust in Christ alone, and trust Him today.

Dr. David Jeremiah, Turning Point

This is our singing at Amy and Red's wedding... 多多指教

Household of Faith - Originally by Steve Green

Here we are at the start committing to each other
By His word and from our hearts
We will be a family in a house that will be a home
And with faith we'll build it strong

We'll build a household of faith
That together we can make
And when the strong winds blow it won't fall down
As one in Him we'll grow and the whole world will know
We are a household of faith

Now to be a family we've got to love each other
At any cost unselfishly
And our home must be a place that fully abounds with grace
A reflection of His face

We'll build a household of faith
That together we can make
And when the strong winds blow it won't fall down
As one in Him we'll grow and the whole world will know
We are a household of faith

Originally scheduled an oil change with the shop and arranged ride back with Jackson. Then early in the morning the car wouldn't even start at all! Actually as I drove back on Sunday after church, I've already noticed that the speedometer, tachometer, and temperature guage would suddenly drop to zero for about 10 seconds then resume. While this happened, the car would not accelerate! It was quite dangerous on the freeway as some fast cars were behind me. Anyway, God's grace is more than sufficient and I got home safely. To make a long story short, the auto shop which I scheduled the regular service fix the problem on top of the oil change. The electric and ignition unit was bad. The bill was okay. :) I was thankful as I got back the car at the end of the day. Great is Thy Faithfulness! I felt great and secured this morning as I drove to work (with a functional dashboard that tells me the state of my car). God's dashboard and instruction will never fail.

The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
(Psalm 19:7-8)

This is a picture of Caleb when he was 5 months old. He cheers me up whenever I look at this pic. Do you like it?

Praise God for baby. 

This quarter for my Sunday School class I am teaching three related books in the Bible: Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. I love studying them. You can always find God speaking to you. There are just so much to learn from them!

I love reading the spiritual characters of Ezra ("For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra 7:10).

I can always learn the trust in the Lord and leadership skills of Nehemiah ("I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, 'Let us arise and build.' So they put their hands to the good work." Nehemiah 2:18)

And of course, the courage of QueenEsther ("If I perish, I perish" Esther 4:16c).

Pictures are from www.joemckeever.com