There is not enough room in your mind for worry and faith.
Only you can control what goes on in there.
What comes to our mind when we think about God is what defines us.
Tests to consider taking:
Birkkman
Secret Pathways
Spiritual gifts??
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Green leaf in drought, by Isobel Kuhn
But to tell of the secret Source by which a tree can put forth green leaves when all others around are dried up and dying from the drought - that is timeless. That is need by all of us. Your drought may not be caused my Communism, but the cause of the drying up of life's joys is incidental. When they dry up - is there, can we find, a secret Source of nourishment that the deadly drought cannot reach? This book wants to suggest an answer to that ageless question of suffering men and women.
Falling in Love Is the Easy Part | Mandy Len Catron | TED Talks
You don't just fall in love, it doesn't just happen to you. You choose to fall in love. You continually make the choice over and over again, while hoping that the person you choose to love will also continue to choose to love you back.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Giggle's breakup
Two days after I came back to Beijing after my October break, we had small group. I desperately did not want to go, I wanted to spend time alone with God. (Actually, thinking about the TED talk I recently watched, I was lonely and being self destructive!) But God has a plan like always. He closed off the section of Bridge that I was working at, and I instinctively felt like He wanted me to go.
During small group, Giggle shared about her breakup. She shared her hurt and her sorrow, but also the hope that she was clinging onto. She said: "It is better to lose an eye than to not go into heaven." She posed a complex thought: God wants us to love others, but then when we love others we sometimes get caught up in the midst of it. And yet at the same time, we are not supposed to let go of God.
I realize that it seems trivial but it's hard and I will be the first to admit that this is a big sin for me. I sometimes do replace my relationship with God with humanly relationship.
Giggle went on to sharing that despite being hurt, she knew that God's grace was enough. During that month, she felt that she had become even closer to God than before and was thankful for that. Watching her expressive face and hearing her sorrowful words gave me comfort because it was a gentle reminder that Tim and I had made the same choice. And in that moment, I knew that God specifically created that situation for me to realise that He does indeed have a plan, and that He is in charge.
During small group, Giggle shared about her breakup. She shared her hurt and her sorrow, but also the hope that she was clinging onto. She said: "It is better to lose an eye than to not go into heaven." She posed a complex thought: God wants us to love others, but then when we love others we sometimes get caught up in the midst of it. And yet at the same time, we are not supposed to let go of God.
I realize that it seems trivial but it's hard and I will be the first to admit that this is a big sin for me. I sometimes do replace my relationship with God with humanly relationship.
Giggle went on to sharing that despite being hurt, she knew that God's grace was enough. During that month, she felt that she had become even closer to God than before and was thankful for that. Watching her expressive face and hearing her sorrowful words gave me comfort because it was a gentle reminder that Tim and I had made the same choice. And in that moment, I knew that God specifically created that situation for me to realise that He does indeed have a plan, and that He is in charge.
TED Talks
1. Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong, Johann Hari
Addiction occurs when people are lacking connections in life. Patients are given a lot of strong morphine and vicodin, but they don't get addicted because they have other better things to do. You can help break off addiction by replacing it with different thoughts/actions and keeping busy. You need to feel like you have a purpose.
2. How to Practice Emotional First Aid, Guy Winch
Address your issues, and make sure that you battle negative emotions. Negative emotions such as loneliness and rejection can actually be as harmful to your body as smoking. We don't cut ourselves deeper if we are hurt - why then do we put ourselves down when already feeling upset? We need to take note of our mental health and try to make ourselves feel better.
3. How to Stay Calm When You Know You'll Be Stressed, Daniel Levitin
Try to plan for future chaos. Mark out a spot to put your keys, your wallet, your phone. Think of back up plans. Avoid being in the situation where you need to make important decisions on the spot because when you're stressed, you do not think clearly and make bad decisions.
Addiction occurs when people are lacking connections in life. Patients are given a lot of strong morphine and vicodin, but they don't get addicted because they have other better things to do. You can help break off addiction by replacing it with different thoughts/actions and keeping busy. You need to feel like you have a purpose.
2. How to Practice Emotional First Aid, Guy Winch
Address your issues, and make sure that you battle negative emotions. Negative emotions such as loneliness and rejection can actually be as harmful to your body as smoking. We don't cut ourselves deeper if we are hurt - why then do we put ourselves down when already feeling upset? We need to take note of our mental health and try to make ourselves feel better.
3. How to Stay Calm When You Know You'll Be Stressed, Daniel Levitin
Try to plan for future chaos. Mark out a spot to put your keys, your wallet, your phone. Think of back up plans. Avoid being in the situation where you need to make important decisions on the spot because when you're stressed, you do not think clearly and make bad decisions.
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