Amazing Grace

Postcard: Tojinbo Cliffs

繁忙 - Busyness

忙 - Death of the Heart.

Not only death of the heart but many times.

Psalm 39:6 (New Living Translation)

6 We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.

It was the best 97 seconds of my life.

Scenes (abbreviated) from TV show "House, M.D." (Season 4 episode 3 - 97 seconds) (House is the name of the main character, if you have not seen the show before. ) You can find the transcript at:

http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/house/season4/house-403.htm

(scene)
The patient tries to electrocute himself by sticking a knife in the electrical socket.

(scene)

HOUSE: Can't let you leave if they think you're still... suicidal.

ALMORE I wasn't trying to off myself.

HOUSE: (quietly sarcastic) No, that's right. You were just trying to kill the wall. (pause) I check this box, and your next roommates are gonna be Jesus and Crazy McLoonyBin. That guy never had a chance.

ALMORE It's gonna sound stupid.

HOUSE: Suddenly you're shy? (moves to Almore's side) You pooped your pants in front of me. (beat) It's one of the nasty side effects of dying.

Almore sighs, considers, sighs again, then answers.

Almore says: Last Saturday, I got into a car crash. A drunk driver came over the line, hit me head-on. It was like slow motion. I saw these... headlights... and... I saw.... Paramedics... said I was technically dead for 97 seconds. It was the best 97 seconds of my life.

(scene)

STARK (another patient): I already can't walk. I can't eat. You're telling me that the rest of my life... is in this bed... puking and in pain?

WILSON: We can manage the pain.

STARK: I'd rather just get this over with. I've been trapped... in this useless body long enough. It'd be nice to finally get out.

HOUSE: Get out and go where? You think you're gonna sprout wings and start flying around with the other angels? Don't be an idiot. There is no 'after', there's just 'this'.

WILSON: House!

(scene)

WILSON: (exasperated and angry) You can't let a dying man take solace in his beliefs.

HOUSE: His beliefs are stupid.

WILSON: Everybody lies. Some for good reasons, some for bad. This would have been a fantastic reason to lie!

WILSON: Why can't you just let him have his fairy tale? If it give him comfort to imagine (stops and turns to House) beaches and loved ones and life outside a wheelchair....

HOUSE: (sarcastically) Are there 72 virgins too?

WILSON: It's over. He's got days, maybe hours left. What pain does it cause you if he spends that time with a peaceful smile? What sick pleasure do you get in making damn sure he's filled with fear and dread?

HOUSE: He shouldn't be making a decision based on a lie. Misery is better than nothing.

WILSON: You don't KNOW there's nothing. You haven't been there.

HOUSE: Oh, God, I am TIRED of that argument! I don't have to go to Detroit to know that it smells.

WILSON: Yes. Detroit. The Afterlife. Same thing.

Aggravated and disgusted, Wilson gives up and stalks off. House stares off into space after him.

(scene)

Amber comes up to the door in time to see a blue flash. She starts in horror, then sees House on the floor.

AMBER: Dr. House!

She runs over to him, sees the knife in the outlet. Kneeling down, she checks his pulse, and begins CPR.

(scene)

WILSON: You're an idiot. You nearly killed yourself.

HOUSE: That was the whole idea.

WILSON: You WANTED to kill yourself?

HOUSE: I wanted to NEARLY kill myself. Is he... better?

WILSON: No. But he doesn't have cancer. We think it might be eosinophilic pneumonia. (refusing to be distracted from his rant) Maybe you didn't want to die, but you didn't care if you lived.

HOUSE: You insisted that I needed to see for myself.

HOUSE: (also refusing to be distracted from his original thought) What, was he discharged?

WILSON: No. He's dying. You've already had two near-death experiences.

HOUSE: Not that guy. The guy in the car accident. With the knife. I... I need to talk to him.

WILSON: He... died almost an hour ago. Apparently, it's bad to electrocute yourself within days of suffering massive internal injuries. Why did you need to talk to him? Did you... see... something?

HOUSE: Eosinophilic pneumonia...

WILSON: House? What did you see?

HOUSE: Nothing. Who's idea was that?

WILSON: Brennan. Nothing-you-don't-want-to-talk-about-it or nothing...

HOUSE: Which one's Brennan? Is he the ridiculously old guy?

WILSON: House, you gotta talk about this.

HOUSE: If it's aggressive enough, it might have gotten past the steroids. Start him on cyclophosphamide.

WILSON: I already did. (frustrated) Just looking at you hurts. (takes his chart and scribbles) I'm going to order up some extra pain meds.

HOUSE: I love you.

(end)

Bottom-line: The doctor who does not believe afterlife tries to electrocute himself to get that near-death experience. How stupid/sorry can human be? He is willing to lose his life for something he is not sure of. Aren't we God if we can control our own destiny.

Christ the Wisdom and Power of God

1 Cor. 1:18For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

20Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.

BSF & A.S.K

Just finished another year of BSF and praise God for that. Also praise God for the "A.S.K" of the Men's BSF group.

The fragrance of Jasmine

The fragrance of Jasmine

Have you tried the Jasmine tea before? Do you smell the fragrance of jasmine flower in the tea? Do you see the little white jasmine flower pedal floating in the tea? It was just that little pedal of jasmine flower that emits the aroma that madks it different than any other teas.

I thought I had taken a picture of the jasmine bush (this one is downloaded from the internet) at the Touch Ranch where we stayed for the W100 camp but I could not find it. Audrey, who is the resident manager/chef of the ranch, pointed out to me the jasmine bush in her garden when I was taking some pictures. Then I realized that I did not take a picture of the jasmine bush because the fragrance of the jasmine flowers was too strong for me. There were so many jasmine flowers, it is probably their blooming season. The fragrance was so strong that I probably did not want to get too close to them. I liked the fragrance of a few jasmine pedals in the tea but I did not like the smell of blooming jasmine bush. Why?

Matthew 13"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

I think there is a lesson for us Christians here. Jesus taught us to be “Salt and Light” of the world as stated in the Gospels. So shouldn’t we Christians gather as much as we can so we can be the “Salt and the Light” of the world. Maybe not. What do you say to the cook when you taste the food is too salty or what do you do when the light is so bright that you could even open your eyes? I think we Christians are like the jasmine flowers sometimes. We gather in numbers and with our self-righteousness that we smell like a blooming Jasmine bush. The fragrance is so strong that no one wants to be close to us.

Jesus wants us to be the witnesses for Him. Jesus wants to use our life to show other people that He is alive and living in us. Jesus wants our life to become the salt and to shine our light before people. Let each of us be a jasmine pedal in this world of darkness and evil that our fragrance will spread.

2 Corinthians 14But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

playing w/ Blog:

I need to write something for W100 homework.