Providence
Sometimes providences [of God], like Hebrew letters, must be read backwards. – John Flavel (1627–1691)…
Ghost Month
Ghost month. A period of time when the gates of hell are opened, allowing ghosts and spirits to enter our world. It is a time for them to feast on the food and drink offerings made for them. At the height of the month, the ghost festival (the 15th day…
Culture shock: why don’t you understand?
I’m an Australian-born Cambodian-Chinese (aka ABC). I have thick, black hair; dark brown eyes; and a fairly tanned skin tone. No, this isn’t a dating advert, but it’s a pretty standard description for most South-East Asians. It’s almost a month since my family and I moved…
The blessing of support ministries!
We’re new field missionaries. We’ve served for the past couple of years as support missionaries on the “homeside”, but now we are serving on the “field” in Taiwan for the next 18 months or so. As new cross-cultural workers, we are in the midst of transitions. We’re…
Culture shock: the early days
Well, it’s Day 4 of our new journey in Taiwan. We arrived safely last Wednesday and we were warmly welcomed by a fellow co-worker. To date, there are daily communications in the form of personal visits, phone calls, and messages from one or more of our new co-workers here…
The Lord of the Sabbath
I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.” — Matthew 12:6-8 (ESV) The Sabbath day is not…
Live in the world: a warning from John (Part 3)
I have a tendency to hoard. I’m not as a bad as I used to be, because I’ve come to learn one very important lesson: it might come in handy one day, but if I’m not using it now why hold on. Part of this realisation is…
I don’t feel it
I’m a Christian. I believe Jesus died for me and He is the Saviour of the world. I believe my sins are forgiven by His immeasurable grace. I declare that He is Lord of all Creation and my life. Still… I just don’t feel it. At the moment,…