Chinese-American Year of the (Wild) Horses: Blessings and a Tribute

The Chinese Year of the Horse has recently begun, and the next time this could  happen would be in twelve years. So, many who were born in a Year of the Horse (at least 12 years ago) are very excited about 2014.  To learn more about the Chinese Zodiac, you can Travel China Guide or Google(v.) it.

Horses are considered by some Chinese as "energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able." I borrowed those adjectives from Travel China Guide because of all the ways I've heard horses described tonight, I like these the most, particularly the latter two: intelligent and able.  "Able" in my mind connotes humility to accompany one's abilities. Perhaps, though, Americans  primarily see horses as wild and free-spirited. All good things.

Tonight, at Memphis' Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the Greater Memphis United Chinese Association, the opening speaker said this is a year many people will make big decisions and changes for their lives. Whatever you believe about the Chinese Zodiac and the Year of the Horse, I hope you have an amazing year with lots of joyful surprises.

While I was at the show tonight (which was awesome--it really was one of the most well-ran and entertaining New Year shows I've ever seen!), I was thinking about the meaning of the year and the fact that my awesome wife "is a horse." All of a sudden, I remembered a song I used to love to listen to and play along with back in the days that I was really "into" songwriting.

I  love a well written song. One of my favorites is by Ray LaMontagne: "All the Wild Horses." It's a tune to listen to with eyes closed, meditating on the lyrics. I found a nice video put together and shared by Sandy Elmore, the woman behind the blog, Wild in the Pryors. She captured some beautiful images of the wild horses up on Pryor Pountain in Montana. The video looks great, and I'm glad it includes Ray's song.

The lyrics mostly go like this:

"All the wild horses--

all the wild horses, tethered with tears in their eyes--

May no man's touch ever tame you.

May no man's reigns ever chain you,

and may no man's weight

every lay freight your soul.

And as for the clouds,

just let them roll.

Roll away, roll away."

May your dark clouds roll away and our shared Year of the Horse 2014 be blessed with freedom in Christ.

Notes for Reading Philippians 2:1-5 in Chinese

Notes for Reading Philippians 2:1-5 in Chinese

Well, Sam keeps putting me on the list to serve in the Chinese service at Highland, so I'm forced to stretch.

I'm pretty excited about this Sunday's service. I'm supposed to read Philippians 2:1-5 and pray. Though I always feel inadequate for this kind of ministry, I'm thankful for the opportunity.

Often I use a Bible that has English, 汉字，and pīnyīn（transliteration of the sounds of Chinese characters), which Beng Chuan Tan gave to me, but this time, because the Powerpoint has the scripture in a different Chinese translation, the reading comes from notes.

I copy/pasted their preferred Chinese translation into Microsoft Word, and thankfully, I know at least half of the characters, so I'm just adding pīnyīn and definitions to the words I'm still learning.

Mostly because I love this chapter of Philippians and am in sharing kind of mood, I want to share what I'm using to read tomorrow. This aims not to glorify me but rather to encourage others struggling to learn a language, especially missionaries. If these notes reveal anything of myself it is my weakness, not strength. Also, the name of this blog comes from the eighth verse in the same chapter of Philippians.

philip 2 chinese

Singing after Supper (in Chinese)

I've uploaded some songs we sang recently. I'm hesitant to give too many details, but I'll say there were around 20 people gathered together, about 75% being Chinese Christians. We had a feast, and the food was followed by some singing of worship songs. I recorded these two via my phone, so the quality is low--just the way these young folks like it. I hope you enjoy it and praise God.

Reblog/Press: Keep Your Identity Small

Keep Your Identity Small, by Paul Graham.

A friend of mine recommended this article, and I found it useful, so here's to sharing.

Graham writes: 

I think what religion and politics have in common is that they become part of people's identity, and people can never have a fruitful argument about something that's part of their identity. By definition they're partisan.

...

The most intriguing thing about this theory, if it's right, is that it explains not merely which kinds of discussions to avoid, but how to have better ideas. If people can't think clearly about anything that has become part of their identity, then all other things being equal, the best plan is to let as few things into your identity as possible. [2]

Most people reading this will already be fairly tolerant. But there is a step beyond thinking of yourself as x but tolerating y: not even to consider yourself an x. The more labels you have for yourself, the dumber they make you.

via Keep Your Identity Small.

The wise friend who share Graham's piece with me also has a website worthy of your attention: http://rbiser.com/

Read Your Bible More and More – Desiring God

Read Your Bible More and More - Desiring God.

I love the first two reasons Piper gives as to why reading the Bible everyday (whether one feels like it or not) is not legalism.

  1. You are confessing your lack of desire as sin, and pleading as a helpless child for the desire you long to have. Legalists don’t cry like that. They strut.
  2. You are reading out of desperation for the effects of this heavenly medicine. Bible-reading is not a cure for a bad conscience; it’s chemo for your cancer. Legalists feel better because the box is checked. Saints feel better when their blindness lifts, and they see Jesus in the word. Let’s get real. We are desperately sick with worldliness, and only the Holy Spirit, by the word of God, can cure this terminal disease.

I actually founds this as I searched DG for "daily Bible reading" to see what Piper or some other might have to say to "stir me up" and rekindle my fire for reading the Word before breakfast each day. Why do I go to DG? Because a true friend tells you what you need to hear instead of what you want to hear, and I can often count on the folks at DG for that, and Piper is simply the most motivating advocate of daily reading of the Word in personal and/or corporate devotions, but especially the former.

Let us continue the race of faith, slowly and steadily, always quick to listen and slow to speak, humbly and boldly.

via Read Your Bible More and More - Desiring God.

Brain Scans, Free Will and So on

I cannot believe I am still interested in this topic as much as I am.

I'm going to give you some quotes I liked  most from a recent "news" piece, or some quotes that I think summarize what the point and interest of this is.

There's a growing recognition of the importance of the subconscious in our decision-making. We may not even be aware of the influence that a surrounding smell or noise is having on our choices. And some neuroscientists have even claimed that by examining patterns in the brain, they can predict decisions that we will take six or seven seconds before we ourselves consciously choose to take them.

...

All this raises a question for the philosopher - what are the implications of advances in knowledge about human decision-making for our conception of free will? Will scientific progress undermine our sense that we have free will? Will it eventually lead us to conclude that free will is an illusion?

...

The emergence of the concept of free will can be dated to about the 4th Century AD, and was an ingenious solution of Christian theologians to the so-called Problem of Evil. If God is all powerful, and God is all good, how come there is evil in the world? The answer, said Saint Augustine, is that man has free will.

According to this article, I am a compatibilist, believing that both free will and providence (of God) need not be split in order to solve the problem of evil.

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today." -(Gen. 50:20)

God didn't merely fix Joseph's brothers' blunder: he ordered it for a purpose larger than anyone saw coming.

via BBC News - What can a brain scan tell us about free will?.

Tim Keller – Christ Is Your King

"Democracy is medicine, not food." -C.S. Lewis

We all worship something or someone, admittedly it or not, so choose the real king: Jesus Christ.

Tim Keller - Christ Is Your King

As Keller gives instruction on how to treat Jesus like a king, namely, to accept whatever he gives (including orders), in prayer, Keller recalls a stanza of John Newton's hymn, which I like:

"Thou art coming to a King,

Large petitions with thee bring;

For His grace and power are such,

None can ever ask too much;

None can ever ask too much."  

via Tim Keller - Christ Is Your King 

As Much as I Love Books and Literature: Marginalia

As much as I love books and literature, the books in my library are not eternal. Every physical book I own is in the process of returning to dust—“For you are paper pulp and to paper pulp you shall return.” I keep this in mind when I uncap a pen and begin scrawling my notes into the pages of a book. My books are not fragile museum pieces to archive behind a glass display; my books are well-worn hand tools—hammers, tin snips, measuring tapes, and vice grips—to help me remodel my brain.

-Tony Reinke in Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books

A Copy of St. Andrews Seven

John Piper said St. Andrews Seven is one of the best books he has read on missions, so a lot of people (including me) flocked to Amazon to buy said book, months ago.

This book is no longer in print.

That afternoon, the prices increased from $30 to $50 to $75 and then...almost $300? (We're talking about a tiny, used book). I didn't buy it originally because I thought $30 was too steep for a used book...

I was creating an Evernote about the experience today as I sat down to read the copy I checked out at HST (from the phenomenal library on campus), when I decided to check to see if there are any copies on Amazon  still for $300 a pop), just for the sake of accurate note-creating, today, and there were some.

The price was still jacked up except for on one copy! Caught and bought after being sought for months--you rascal!

St Andrews Seven
St Andrews Seven

I think I'll wait for that copy in the mail, so I can make notes in it (with pencil).

This evolved from an Evernote note, to a Facebook Status, to a blog post before I could save or submit the former--

My, how things can escalate quickly.