I love my humor to act strongly like a gang,
Without being grumpy to look like a loser.
Sam：你唸幾年級？
我：[想一想]，高一，（高人一等）
Sam:你說我很閒（台語）
我：你是最贏的啊
Category: Daily Life
Joyful blessing is contagious
Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. (Proverbs 11:11)
My prayer buddy from Moms in Prayer group, Kim, recently learned that my son got a concussion from a car accident and went to the same clinic where her son-in-law, Zack, works as a chiropractor too. I told her I also met Zack and he is a nice person. Then, her reply stunned me. She said, “Now I know you will become a blessing to my son-in-law.”
Why did Kim say that? My first thought is that Kim is a very humble person who always thanks God for what she has received, including compliment. Meanwhile, Kim is so compassionate and loves to encourage others.
As a result, her word is like a driving force to motivate my heart to be thankful to God, who works through His saints to help my son recover. Therefore, I felt joyful to write down a prayer card with a little gift for the brothers and sisters working in this clinic as my appreciation.
The bible says: “Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted.” If one saint’s good word can influence and pass blessing to another person, then imagine that joyful blessing may be spread more powerfully than virus to the whole city.
As a matter of fact, Jesus is the first one, who came to the world to bless with His good news of forgiveness and freedom, then the salvation comes to each individual. And one by one, the whole world has been catching His fire of blessing.
Don’t underestimate the power of your word from your mouth. Let’s choose to speak blessing to lift up ourselves, family, friends and the whole city.
Prayer: May God sanctify our lips with His truth in love to speak blessing to exalt a city, where people shall come out of darkness to glorify Jesus Christ, who is the first one to come to bless the world in the power of Creator. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.
喜樂的祝福帶有傳染性
城因正直人祝福便高舉，卻因邪惡人的口就傾覆。（箴言11:11）
Kim是我的禱告同伴，當她知道我兒子去看的整脊診所，當中有個診脊師是她的女婿，她便對我說：「我知道你將成為我女婿的祝福。」
我因她的話，心覺被鼓勵而向神感恩。最後一次去診所時，我寫下禱告祝福的卡片，附上一個小禮物，送給診所中的員工們。
如果一個人口中祝福的話語可以影響另一個人，因愛的感動把祝福接著傳遞出去，想像一下，我們的祝福是否可以透過一個人傳給下一個人，而傳遍整個城市呢？
事實上，主耶穌就是傳遞喜樂祝福的第一個人。祂來到世界上傳告天父神藉由主耶穌的赦罪救恩，使人得自由，能遵守神旨意而活出生命原有的光彩。這個救恩透過人的傳揚臨到另一個人，一個接一個，如同星星之火可以燎原，將喜樂的火燃燒至整個世界。
禱告：願上帝潔淨我們的口，立志說榮神、建造人得生命的真理，使城市因義人的口得到高舉，脫離黑暗，來歸榮耀給主耶穌，這位賜全世界祝福的神。奉主耶穌基督的名求。阿門。
Facing death
My daughter’s pet rat, Oa is dying. Should we bring him to the vet who may give him a mercy death? I prayed and learned from God through prayer with a Christian lady this morning. I don’t want my daughter to learn that if we feel it’s painful to watch a creature dying, we should give him a quick death due to pity of humanism.
Instead, we pray to God for comforting this little creature and bringing him back to Him in His way. Only God, the Creator of life has the right to give lift and take it back. So, while we are sad to see this little creature dying, we thank God for the memories this little pet has brought us.
Likewise, when we are sad to see the old people dying, we may want to thank God for connecting their lives with ours, which I think is the most respectful way to God and to them.
May God use our prayer to support the dying people to have God’s joy and peace fill their hearts so that they know there’s a better home in heaven prepared for them. May their strength through faith in Jesus Christ equal their days. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.
面臨死亡的時候
女兒的寵物老鼠「芋仔」肚子長了水瘤，生命幾乎走到盡頭。女兒哭著看這曾經活蹦亂跳的生物，會聰明地聽到她聲音就跑來給她抱抱（聽到我的聲音就不會），也會學女兒教的小把戲逗得女兒開心。我問上帝，應該帶他去看醫生，給他一個「人道」的安樂死嗎？
今早與姊妹禱告時，感謝上帝透過姊妹的話告訴我：與其傷心，不如慶祝曾經有過的回憶吧。
是的，生命的賞賜與收取都從創造主而來，我們感謝上帝給予我們機會與這隻上帝也關懷的小動物相處，使我們看見上帝創造的奇妙與喜樂。
同樣地，面對長輩生命的衰退與盡頭時，我們能給予他們最大的尊重，是感謝上帝讓我們曾經擁有一段共同生活的記憶，讓這段記憶永遠活在我們的心中。
衷心祈求上帝給予信靠祂的人有平安，知道在天上有一個更美好的家鄉等著他們。願我們的禱告支持這些長輩們，讓上帝的平安喜樂充滿他們的心，使他們的日子有多長，信靠主的心靈力量也有多大。奉主耶穌基督的名求。阿門。
開始學邏輯論述
「你每次都這樣…」我說。
「你這是謬論(fallacy)，我不是每次都這樣」，女兒指正我的話。
幾次被女兒提醒我說話的內容後，我發現一般人在情緒化時說話常常不合乎邏輯。小英論文門的事件，給我的啟發是，邏輯判斷很重要。以下的學習參考自：http://www.fallacyfiles.org/introtof.html
邏輯教我：以正確的前提加上合理的推論，導出正確的結果，就是有真理價值(truth value)的論述。
有兩種推論法：一、演繹(deductive)，就是用對的前提導出對的結果。二、歸納(inductive)，可用許多對的前提合起來，但可能因草率歸納導致錯的結論，但整體論述聽起來可能仍頗有說服力，但沒有對的價值(truth value)，換句話說，就是空洞之言而已。
我想到一個例子，基督徒可能會說，你看我信主以後戒煙戒酒，所以這個神真的很厲害。這個是歸納法，用各種經驗歸納出上帝很厲害。但是這種說法的缺點會落人口實：「有人菸酒沒戒成，那是上帝不厲害？還是上帝不幫他？」因此這種草率歸納的說法陷上帝於不義，因為我們不知道「為什麼」（原因）那個人誡不成菸酒（事實），就不能直接說上帝無能或不幫忙（錯誤結論）。
另一種是演繹，像是以聖經的話來解釋聖經，不是用個人經驗來歸納。例如「你相信上帝創造生命（創世記第一章），以這個對的前提出發，推論上帝可以叫死人復活，因此總結耶穌死而復活是合理的」。演繹出來的結果帶出值得相信的真理價值，也就是a明白這整個論述，就能相信：人類不能改變的事，但是神可以。
相信真理的論述可以堅固我們的屬靈信心—「知道在人不能，在神凡事都能」。所以要吃真理，不要聽空洞之言。也就是聖經所說：「敬畏耶和華的，遠離惡事」（箴言16:6）。
What opportunity can we give them?
After reading the news about gun violence over the weekend causing 9 death in Chicago, I think many people may ask: why?
I researched about several news reports and found that some people may blame on the gun law is not strict in Illinois. But surprisingly, according to The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which tracks gun laws nationwide, has given the state a B+ for its gun laws. Therefore, people blame on the nearby states with lax gun law for selling guns to people from Illinois. However, we may still want to ask: why do they go there to buy the guns?
“Racial segregation, wealth inequality, gangs and the inability of law enforcement to solve crimes have fueled the gun violence epidemic — and a handful of minority, impoverished neighborhoods have received the brunt of the impact. 34% of African-Americans in Chicago live in poverty, compared to 21% for Chicago overall, per the Census Bureau.”
Moreover, the victims are afraid of reporting the crime because of the fear, according to a local pastor. And then this comment struck me: “Nothing stops a bullet like an opportunity.” said Colleen Daley, executive director of the Illinois Council against Handgun Violence.
I pray to God that these helpless young poor people may be given an opportunity to know the true hope from their Creator.
不要以小人之心度君子之腹
我寫了電子郵件給先生，告訴他想和他帶小孩一起去教會看動畫電影「天路歷程」試映會。他回信只有一句話：那在south campus（南邊會堂）。
我氣沖沖地走下樓梯，到他身邊：
「南邊會堂在Duluth（明州北邊開車四小時的城市）嗎？」我諷刺地說。
「是你在電子郵件裡說在城中的會堂（downtown campus）啊。」先生淡定地回答，還打開我的電子郵件給我看。啊，我真的寫錯了，原來他是在糾正我。
我之所以氣沖沖，是把他的回答多想成：那裡很遠耶。
「對不起，是我寫錯，還用小人之心度君子之腹」。我立即認錯。
我彷彿看到自己像卡通裡那個走路有風的大野獸，突然栽跟斗跌在我先生面前。
先生哈哈大笑，問我是不是來興師問罪。我點頭承認。他笑得更大聲說，沒想到我一下子就漏風了。
有個讀理工科、不容易情緒化的先生還是不錯的。
給薇薇的一封信
薇薇，
妳送我的十字架項鍊，我一直寶貝收藏著。
十二年前我離開公司時，妳笑著交給我一個喬治傑森的盒子，
來到美國後不久，聽姊妹們說妳受傷住院了，因為家裡發生大火，
過了幾天，聽到妳走了的消息，我知道神已經息了妳的勞苦。
然而一粒麥子落到地裡死了，卻結出許多子粒來：妳的丈夫、
從台灣千里迢迢帶來美國的這條項鍊的故事，我要為妳繼續述說下去
曼玲
給老公的一封信
老公，
我愛你，因為神把你賜給了我做人生的伴侶。
你在我軟弱時扶持我，在我害怕時鼓勵我，在我傷心時安慰我。
因你先來愛我，使我從不懂什麼叫愛，到能去體會愛，
因為有愛，我所為你做的都不是犧牲，而是甘心情願。
幾度我心裡掙扎，自私地想逃避可能會失敗所帶來的挫折。
你全心欣賞我的優點，接納我的不足，因我是你眼中的瞳仁，
你如細心的園丁呵護著我，使我能自在地綻放微小的花瓣，
我問自己能為你做什麼？我求神賜我更多愛你的力量，
帶著盼望，輕看這屬世至暫至輕的苦楚，
神承諾給我們生命下一秒鐘需要的力量與恩典，
我們會緊緊地手牽著手，凝視著對方的微笑。
那一刻，我們在彼此的眼底看見了應許的永恆。
約定一生的老婆