Thoughts

The Glad Game

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

pollyanna“When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will.”  

This is my favourite line from one of my favourite childhood movies, Pollyanna (1960).  The film is based on a book written in 1913 by Eleanor Hodgman and features a little girl named Pollyanna who chooses to look for the good in all people and all circumstances despite being orphaned, crippled, and criticised.

When she comes to live with her rigid aunt in a small town in America, she explains this “Glad Game” to others: Her parents had been impoverished missionaries in the West Indies. Pollyanna had wanted a doll so badly that her parents wrote requesting a doll for a little girl.  When the missionary barrels came, there had been a mistake and instead of a doll, there was a pair of crutches.  Pollyanna was deeply disappointed.  Her father then made up the “Glad Game,” where whenever she was upset, they would think of something to be glad about.  What was there to be glad about crutches?  Well, they could be glad that they didn’t need to use them.

Pollyanna’s “Glad Game” catches on and the town that had been fractured and full of cranky people eventually becomes a caring community who find the good in each other.

The Glad Game.  At first, it’s a very difficult game to play if you’re used to playing the Self-Pity Game or even the Blame Game.  Many of us are champions of the Whinge Game.

What if we started to play the Glad Game?  What if we looked for the good not only in difficult circumstances but also in challenging people? What differences would we see and experience?

The wise king said, “Whoever seeks good finds favour, but evil comes to one who searches for it.”  Proverbs 11:27.  Or, as one translator paraphrased, “Anyone can find the dirt in someone.  Be the one that finds the gold.”

After all, God chooses to see the good in us and believes we are worthy dying for.  Glad tidings, indeed.

For Such a Time

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

What do you do when you belong to an organisation, company, or country whose leader you don’t support or whose culture is contrary to your values and beliefs?

Do you run, quit, or protest?

Those may be valid responses.  But I’d like to present another option:

Have you ever heard of Obadiah?  I know, unusual name.

Obadiah was the chief of staff in King Ahab’s palace (~ 5th c. BC).  Ahab is infamous for being the most wicked of Israel’s kings.  As a high official, Obadiah has to carry out Ahab’s orders – but he also has the means to be faithful to his own beliefs.  When Ahab’s wife Queen Jezebel orders the prophets of the Lord to be killed, Obadiah hides a hundred prophets in two caves ad provides them bread and water until the crises abates (1 Kings 18:3-16).

A better known figure is Esther.

Esther was the Queen of Persia when Haman, the right man of King Ahasuerus, tries to annihilate all the Jews in the Empire (~5th c. B.C).  She courageously risks her life to expose Haman and to plead for her people.  The Jews still celebrate the Feast of Purim to honour the historical event (Esther 8,9).

Obadiah and Esther were at the right place at the right time to save lives and make a difference.

We may not be high officials or royalty.  But we can still exert our influence in a corrupt environment to bring about some good.  Of course, if being in that setting starts to poison us, it is time to get out.  But until then, could it be that we are where we are for a reason?

Time to Grow Up

in Thoughts  by Ruth 0 comments

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Has ‘growing up’ ever made your New Year’s resolution list?

I recently finished Aldous Huxley’s classic dystopian novel, Brave New World.

Here, adults are kept simple in their thoughts and impulsive in their relationships.

In essence, they are kept child-like for the sake of societal stability and control through entertainment, sensations, sensual pleasures, and games. On the surface there should not be any discontent. Despite this, a few of them craved deeper relationships and their thinking began to diverge.

They were like children wanting to grow up but caged in a type of Neverland.

Maturity isn’t a process we think about too often. It has never made my New Year’s resolutions. We typically limit maturity to physicality instead of spirituality.

The apostles longed for spiritual maturity in the church.

Paul states we are to  “… become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

“Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” (1 Corinthians 14:20)

“…we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” (Colossians 1:9-10)

Put simply, we are to grow up. We are to graduate from milk to solid food and not remain infants in Christ.

There is a time to be children as Jesus instructed for our humility and faith but we are not intended to stay as such.

The world needs spiritually mature adults. Only as spiritually mature adults can have deep relationships, connections, thoughts, and reasoning. As mature adults, we should bear fruit.

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions are, you are essentially desiring to grow up in an area that needs maturity: fitness, diet, relationships, finances.

In 2017 I encourage you to seek spiritual maturity. May you resolve to grow up by searching the scriptures to increase your knowledge of God.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” (Ephesians 4:14-15)

Has the Christmas Story Been Lost?

in Thoughts  by Naomi 2 comments

So I decided to take my three year old son Andrew to see the Myer Christmas Windows in the city. Something that’s been a tradition in my family for years, as my Grandmother used to take me when I was a little girl. This year was as popular as ever with quite a few people, many of them families watching each performing window. The theme this year incorporated Luna Park & a Melbourne Christmas in the 1960s. It was quite well done.

After we watched the last colourful, musical window which ended the story, there was then a prominent single window of three lovely gold figurines of baby Jesus in his manger and Mary and Joseph looking down at him lovingly. Andrew and I talked briefly about the scene (and I was glad that Andrew recognised the baby as Jesus). It then hit me that nobody else was stopping to look. I saw in the reflection of the glass that a couple behind me glanced at the window as they walked past but they didn’t stop. Nobody stopped. It really saddened me and unexpected tears began to well. Here we had all these parents and children eagerly watching the “Luna park” themed Christmas story just adjacent to us but nobody was interested in stopping to look at the true Christmas Story. Not even for a brief moment. I thought to myself, “What has our society become? Is it really that secular now?” It seems that we are fast losing our Christian faith, and it’s sad, it’s concerning.

A bit later, Andrew and I arrived at Christmas Square where to my delight there was a nativity scene, and the story of Jesus’ birth was written on a board next to it. I noticed a young boy of about 10 years reading it and then I saw a Mum exclaiming to her young child, “Oh baby Jesus. Look, there’s baby Jesus!” This warmed my saddened heart and it restored my “faith” in our society a little.

I still wonder though if the true Christmas story has been lost amongst the masses. Amongst all the present buying and Santa Claus excitement, does the average person even pause to give one thought to the true meaning of Christmas? To the significance of the birth of Jesus and what He has done for us/for them?

I suppose it’s up to the rest of us to teach the true story and to encourage such thinking, such recognition and the true acknowledgement of Jesus.

LOVE… PASSION… SUFFERING

in Thoughts  by Ruth 0 comments

LOVE… PASSION… SUFFERING

We hear the word passion used a lot these days. We are encouraged by the 1000s of self-help career books and online blogs about ‘how to find your passion.’

It is a modern day scavenger hunt.  Hundreds of online articles promise to help you find your passion in six steps, eight steps, four steps, etc.

We are so busy looking for our passion, have we ever stopped and considered what the word actually means?

Passion derives from the Latin passus – to suffer. It was used in Medieval Europe to describe the sufferings of a martyr.  Martyrs underwent tremendous suffering before their inevitable death for their beliefs. They considered dying for their deep convictions an honor.

It would be hard to mention passion without love. The two are woven together. Passion is essentially the unstoppable fortitude of love.

We marvel at stories of people who persevere through great struggle to achieve their goal. Sometimes the struggle is abolishing slavery, blocking corrupt legislation, making a speech, working two jobs to send your kids to school, painstakingly researching a cure for a disease, or trying to understand advanced calculus. Their dedication reveals an extraordinary dedication for a higher principle than any material gain.

Christ exemplified the meaning embedded in the very heart of love and passion. The greatest passion belongs to Him – The Passion of Christ.

His passion was and still is for us. He suffered and died for the love of humanity.

King Solomon poetically captures the intensity of love/passion in the following verse:

SOS 8:6 … for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.

I encourage you to reflect on Christ every time you hear the word passion. For the word is intertwined with Christ’s zest for humanity. Christ’s passion testifies of His love.

If you are searching for your own passion, I can’t give you a step-by-step guide on how to find it. However, in light of this word’s origins you can now ask a far more guided and thought provoking question. Ask yourself “For what am I willing to suffer and sacrifice my life for?”

Lest We Forget

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 2 comments

I’m reading a book called “Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives” by Charles R. Swindoll.  It’s about the people behind the scenes who make it possible for famous individuals to succeed.  For example, ever heard of Josheb-basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, Eleazar the son of Dodo the Ahohite, or Shaman son of Agee the Hararite?  I didn’t know who they were until I read the reference:

“These are the names of David’s mighty warriors: Josheb-Basshebeth, a Tahkemonite, was chief of the Three; he raised his spear against eight hundred men, whom he killed in one encounter.

Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty warriors, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the Israelites retreated, but Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.

Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the Lord brought about a great victory.” 2 Samuel 23:8-12

Thanks to these men, David was able to survive the years of persecution and exile while King Saul was alive.  Because of their dedication and sacrifice, David became the King of Israel.  Yet we don’t often hear about them nor the many others whose incredible stories of loyalty and devotion would merit individual biographies if there were enough information about them.

It is a timely reminder to treasure each person around us who make different things possible – the postman who delivers our Christmas presents and cards, the train conductors who keep us safe on the tracks, the nurse who attends to our needs at the hospital, the janitor who keeps our workplace clean.

Every one has a story that if we listened, would be a fascinating, even heartbreaking story of redemption, loss, and hope.  Every one fills a place that may be unnoticed by the majority but nurtured carefully by the Creator who designed each person with unique personality, skills, interests, and opportunities.

You may feel invisible and insignificant in the drama of culture, politics, and competition that flash in blinding colours and burn in the spotlight – but in God’s eyes, you shine like a star (c.f. Daniel 12:3; 2 Corinthians 4:5-7; Philippians 2:14-16).

So let’s remember the unsung heroes this Christmas season.  Let’s appreciate each other as we celebrate the birth of a baby born in a manger to poor parents.  After all, the world has never applauded the meek and humble – but the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Sandcastle

The everlasting rock

in Thoughts  by Sharyn 0 comments

As a kid, one of my favourite songs at church was the song Sandy land.

“Don’t build your house on the sandy land… don’t build it too near the shore. Oh, it might look kind of nice, but you’ll have to build it twice, ’cause you’ll have to build your house once more. You got to build your house upon a rock. Make a good foundation on a solid spot. Oh the storms may come and go, but the peace of God you will know.”

(… if you have that song stuck in your head the rest of the day – you’re welcome!)

One of the reasons I liked singing it so much was because of all the actions. While we sang, we pointed, clapped, sketched circles in the air. We mimed building, we waved our hands from side to side to represent storms, we made peace symbols and pointed at the sky.

It was a fun song to sing because of the actions that went along with the words.

The story the song is based on is also about actions that go along with the words.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:46-49)

Reading the story Jesus told, you can see there are a lot of similarities. Both men were builders. Both built houses. Both were hit by the same storm.

The difference is, one man took the time to lay a firm foundation. He built into something solid. Something that would last, that would anchor him.

The second builder skipped that step – we’re not told why. Maybe he was lazy. Maybe he was just so keen to start building, he didn’t see the point of digging first. After all, it’s hard to get excited about a foundation. That’s not something that people can see just by looking. After all – the house is the part you live in – so he focused on that.

When they were finished, both houses would have looked the same. Looking at them side by side, you wouldn’t be able to tell the strength of their foundation. However after the storm hits – it becomes very apparent. One house has collapsed, and one is still standing.

It didn’t matter how much time or care the second builder put into the house – once the storm hit, it all came tumbling down.

A foundation is something that comes first, that everything else rests upon.

Isaiah 26: 4 – “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

In life, there will always be storms. We can’t control how strong the wind may blow or how heavy the rain may fall around us. But we can make a choice what sort of foundation we will lay, by following what Jesus has said. The storms may come and go – but the peace of God you will know – if you build wisely, on a sure foundation. 

As Water to the Thirsty

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 3 comments

I broke out in shingles the day Donald Trump won the U.S. Presidential Election.  As I stared at my computer in disbelief, I felt the rash burning on my back and belly, which had been aching for several days (I had ignored the pain thinking it was just a strain from carrying the boys).

The GP confirmed that I had shingles and told me to “rest.”  As if that were possible with a 3.5-year-old and a 6-month-old!  For the next several days, I struggled to “stay positive” as Joshua refused to take the bottle and I questioned whether taking the anti-viral medication was the best thing to do.  I still had to pump and discard every 3 hours, which meant that the elusive “rest” was even harder to get despite Roy and my friends’ generous help and support.  Even when I could lie down, sleep would not come and the pain and discomfort haunted my dreams.

Reading about shingles on Google only increased my fears and anxiety – what if I developed post-herpetic neuralgia, a complication of shingles that results in chronic pain so bad that some people commit suicide? What if Joshua got chickenpox? What if the rashes spread?

On Monday, I hit a breaking point.  I was too overwhelmed and exhausted. I curled up into a ball (on the side that was rash-free) and cried.

I thought about Job and how my troubles were so light compared to his.  I had friends going through far worse.  I knew that I had so much to be grateful for, and yet – the tears kept flowing.

I prayed and tried to find comfort in the Psalms, a collection of poems that express the gamut of human emotions.

“As the deer pants for streams of water,

So my soul pants for you, my God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food day and night,

While people say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?” Psalm 42:1-3

But the words blurred in my mind as I tried to blink away the fears that filled my heart.

My soul thirsted for peace and comfort.  I wanted God to come and hold me.

You know what?  He didn’t come.

But caring friends delivered delicious food.  Prayers were said on my behalf.  Roy took care of the children and cleaned the kitchen while I took one of the best naps I have had in a long time.

I woke up feeling not only physically improved but emotionally rested and spiritually refreshed.

The rest of Psalm 42 came to my lips as a song:

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God…

By day the Lord directs his love,

at night his song is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalm 42:5,8

He had come after all – not like a mighty wind blowing away the tears, nor like a fire burning down the fears, but like a constant friend, a loving partner, and the sweet, healing slumber of a weary soul.

As water to the thirsty,

as beauty to the eyes,

as strength that follows weakness,

as truth instead of lies,

as songtime and springtime

and summertime to be,

so is my Lord,

my living Lord,

so is my Lord to me.

Like calm in place of clamor,

like peace that follows pain,

like meeting after parting,

like sunshine after rain,

like moonlight and starlight

and sunlight on the sea,

so is my Lord,

my living Lord,

so is my Lord to me.

As sleep that follows fever,

as gold instead of grey,

as freedom after bondage,

as sunrise to the day,

as home to the traveler

and all we long to see,

so is my Lord,

my living Lord,

so is my Lord to me.

Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith

 

Splash

in Thoughts  by Ruth 0 comments

b6c72007-406d-4223-9801-94073c953475SPLASH

Test. splash 

Run. splash

Music. splash

Trump. splash

These are examples of the random-seeming words produced by Julius Popp’s word waterfall entitled bit.fall.

I admit it was ambitious to go to an art museum with our nine-month-old son. We felt entitled to at least one adult centric excursion.  After all, it was our nine-year wedding anniversary.

The MONA in Hobart did not disappoint. Well, at least the third we got to enjoy before our bub dictated otherwise.

The museum is entirely underground. Three stories carved out of solid rock. Bit.fall was the most impactful for me. (Perhaps because it is the first one in the exhibit, and every art piece thereafter I was placating our son.)

Words are created using water which appear for a moment until they splash with a cracking echo into the drains below. The words are temporary. You process them with brevity of thought and then it is on to the next word. It is hypnotic and a major waste of time but that is the artist’s point.

Bit.fall encapsulates the constant barrage of distraction within our digital age. Our phones herald new messages, meet ups, and Facebook posts with catchy sounds, and once hooked, we become victim to the plethora of ‘link bait’ stalking us on nearly every web page.

I see an ad, a word, a picture, news feed or a status update.

I view.

I consume. My phone vibrates.

I move on. Splash

Although these distractions waste my precious time, I feel I have lost something far more important – Focus.

Matthew 8:23-27 is a well-known but amazing story of how Jesus commanded the stormy seas to be calm. The storm caused the disciples’ fear that ultimately revealed their lack of faith. Their distraction was a storm. They lost their focus.

In addition to storms, the modern world is bathed in distractions. Where once we may have watched the occasional TV show, we are now drowning in a sea of personalised content.

It is not that news, YouTube, status updates are bad or even sinful but they are common snares that detract from experiencing the abundance of life. I have found personally that it robs me of my ability to think deeply and reflect.

In a feeble but sincere attempt to reclaim my focus and thoughts, I have deleted the Facebook app from my phone.  I have to sign on using my computer (pre 2007 style). This is just enough effort for me to forget to check it at all. I have also unsubscribed to a number of email subscriptions this week.

These minor changes have given me more time to reflect on important matters and my focus is slowly coming back. I still get distracted and admit I struggle to concentrate.

I am comforted by the fact that despite the disciples’ lack of faith, Jesus still calmed the stormy seas. There are no prerequisites for God to rescue us whatever our snare.

On that thought, I would like to finish on the serenity of Psalm 107:28-31 instead of a distracting splash.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.  He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. 

Peace lilies and parables

in Thoughts  by Sharyn 0 comments

For my birthday this year, one of my best friends gave me a very special present: my first ever plant! It is a peace lily (for us non-gardening types, you may know it by its less scientific name, the-one-with-the-wide-green-leaves-and-the-upright-white-flower-bits).

I was promised it (and the other plants we bought on the same expedition) would be ideal for a novice gardener like myself. ‘Low maintenance’. ‘Hardy’. 

Six months later, and I’m pleased to report that my plants are still alive and – for the most part – well. Although we have had our ups and downs.

Particularly my peace lily. It turns out lilies need a fair amount of watering, and it took us a while to get into a routine. Especially after I went away for a few days.

When I came back, I could see its leaves drooping – and drooping. I panicked. I watered it, but the next morning it still looked sad. I was convinced this was the end. Surely I couldn’t coax my plant back from the brink of its drooping decline.

I talked to my friend (who is an excellent gardener), and she told me to take it to my laundry sink and leave it under a running tap for five minutes, then let it drain in the sink overnight. I was skeptical, but did exactly what she said.

The next morning, when I woke up I couldn’t believe my eyes. My plant had gone from looking like a forlorn, disgruntled swan and the lilies had returned to their perky upright selves.

Peace lily

What a difference water makes! I could see the difference for myself.

Isaiah 58:11

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones. You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

If you’ve ever been thirsty, you know how amazing that first sip of water tastes. If we hadn’t ever experienced drought, we wouldn’t appreciate what it would mean to be connected to a source of water that won’t fail. A watered garden means that a gardener is tending it. And unlike me, who may occasionally forget to water my plant, God is there continually to guide us, to satisfy our soul and to give us strength.

Throughout winter, I watched in dismay as the lilies changed from white to brown, and eventually dropped off. My peace lily became all leaves and no lilies. I kept watering it. And in spring, I was so excited to glimpse the first lily as it bloomed – and then another – and another (I’m now up to four!). Each one seems like a miniature miracle to me. 

In parables, Jesus often uses examples from nature – vines, branches, fruit. Things that grow. Things that require care. And things that flower, and bring forth fruit.

John 15: 5, 8 

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing… By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.