A year of thanks

Coming to this time of the year, like always, I'd take out my journal and write down the thanksgiving items for the 12 months past. Yet, the year 2006 is like no other years in the past, as I'm writing my thanksgiving list on my blog !

I'm thankful for :

- starting a new job at Conyers Dill and Pearman in January. I'm back to private practice doing corporate finance legal work again but in a different seat (offshore work on BVI, Cayman Islands and Bermuda law)

- having Andrew and Felicia visited us for nearly 4 weeks in June. They stayed with me at my "Park Island hotel" and had alot of fun time in HK like eating, shopping, watching World Cup and having fun at Ocean Park. On top of it, the whole family had a very nice trip together to Soeul, Korea (and we also watched the World Cup there, cheering for the Korean team!). I also took another trip with Andrew and Felicia to KK, Malaysia, visited the in-laws and saw the beautiful beaches and marvelous sunset I've never seen.

- after much prayers, I initiated with a few Christians in my firm to start a "cell group" in July (there are about 9 of us). We met once a month and it was such a blessing to have a committed group of Christians in the office. We will begin to study the book of Ecclesiastes in 2007.

- taking 2 different theology evening classes at China Graduate School of Theology, one in the Summer months about 'Looking at Emotions from the Christian perspective', the other one in the Fall season on a difficult topic of 'The Biblical views of Suffering'. Though it was never easy to get to classes on time in a weekday evening, both classes shed many new lights to my biblical understanding in these two increasingly important areas in our lives.

- joining the Tsim Fook Church formally in June. Very thankful that God brought me to settle at Tsim Fook after searching for a spiritual home for some years.

- starting this blog with my prayer partners since July, as an encouragement to each other on our devotion and meaningful thoughts.

- went on an very 'ad hoc' 5-days trip to Tokyo, Japan with 5 sisters in my fellowship in August, had so much fun shopping and eating together.

- for the first time ever in my life to win a prize in a lucky draw. At my firm's Christmas party, I won the grand prize - a digital video camera!

- after knowing someone as just ordinary friends at my highschool's best friend's wedding for a couple of years, something took us further this year. After several months of waiting and prayers, finally in September, a new stage in this friendship commenced joyfully. God's timing is always so unexpected and fill us with pleasant surprises.

The list can go on and on... There is no better ways to express my gratefulness to our King but to count each day my blessing and continue to live my days pleasing in His sight.

Immanuel.

Dec 19 - The Nativity

I know of a group of brothers and sisters from another church has planned a Christmas caroling visit to the "homeless" tonight. I have never visited such a place before, but I can imagine how the place would be like from the "things to note" these friends of mine have to observed tonight. Just to name a few :

- do not dress up, but dress down. if you're an OL, please get changed into casual wear after work
- if you want to buy Christmas gifts, please buy practical stuff, like food, drinks or daily used items
- please be forewarn that there might be smell or noise, and expect no appaulse or cheers from the audience (as they don't actually expect visitors to come / intrude their place at night)
- dinner boxes have been prepared after caroling, but the dinner boxes are for the homeless, not you. So, please arrange your own dinner before coming
- please meet at YMT MTR station by 8:45pm, the group will then walk to the venue nearby. program is expected to begin after 9pm (why so late ? as these people are not supposed to be there in the day time, and they probably won't return from the streets at late hours) etc. etc.

The list goes on. While I tried to imagine the actual environment of such a place for the homeless where my friends will be singing joyful Christmas carols to them, the picture of our King lying in a lowly manger came to me. The manger must be much more worse than where the homeless live, the manger is built for animals, not even human beings! Yet Christ took the manger.

To quote from a very meaningful booklet given to me at Advent - THE LIFE - by Michael Card and William L Lane : "... The child was wrapped in rags and laid in a trough. The Son of God was born in deep povery, in a barn, not a palace. He was attended to, not by royal staff, but by the bleating of sheep and the soft voice of a peasant girl. It was a scandalous entrance for the MESSIAH of GOD into the world, more a reason to mock than to revere. Jesus was born in abject poverty. ...".

What a life ! What a lowly life ! And yet, what a wonderful life it becomes! What a fruitful life it bears!

Now I'm really curious to the latest movie - The Nativity.