Paul Long's Ramblings

This is a kind of cross post. Just posted something on the MBS (ED) Alumni blog on this topic appealing to alumni to send in their stories (click HERE ). But the subject is something that interests me, so here's a more personal and longer rambling version :-) I read this morning a simple piece by Gordon MacDonald entitled Entering the Stories of Ordinary People. Caught my eye because I "love" stories. Not just stories as in illustrations for sermons ... but stories that define and shape everyday people. The article and link can be found below but before that ... just a few rambling thoughts. I find it sad that most people do not want to share their stories. Sometimes people think their lives are boring and they have nothing significant to share but I doubt that this is actually the case especially if one is a Christian. I can't imagine how being a Christian can be boring especially since God is working in our lives daily, changing us into Christ's likeness. I th...

Just posted my latest Pastor's Notes. To read, CLICK HERE

One of the things I did during my three weeks plus of shingles related problems was to spend more time praying. After all I still had work to do and "prayer is work related". Interestingly, I think I got a lot more done! Of course I know this in theory - I have even preached on this ... :-) but it was nice to experience it practically. I think being unwell forced me to be more focused? Hmmm ... Anyway it was also a time where I decided to put the FOTF Pastor to Pastor CDs in my car. I bought a stack of them (sale for USD 1 each). The first one I put listened to (now on the 2 nd CD) was on the theme "Pastors Unplugged". Reminded me that I needed to relax more and spend more time with my hobbies. Since gardening was currently too painful, I realized that I have not enjoyed a good book unrelated to ministry for a long time so I surfed trademe and found, bid and bought for NZ$10 each - Criss Angel's Mindfreak season 2 and his book, Secret Revelations. (Yeah...

I am looking forward to the opportunity to be a part of this Waitakere City Council event planned by my council friend Mei. I will be doing a magic show for the occasion. From what I have gathered, I think this is the first time such a Council sponsored event has been planned for Glendene - the purpose of which is to help get the community together for a fun time and to get to know each other. From what I understand ... unusually complicated in my opinion :-) Waitakere City (which is West Auckland) is divided into four wards: Massey, Henderson, New Lynn and Waitakere. Hmmm.. I do wonder what it will be like when all the cities merge to become the new Auckland Super city! Anyway back to the subject at hand. New Lynn in turn is subdivided into New Lynn, Kelston (where my church is), Glendene, Glen Eden (where I live) and Green Bay. My new friend Mei works as the Council Sustainable Neighbourhood Broker(Social development) for both Kelston and Glendene (as both are relatively small distri...

Interesting reading ... Tying the Clouds Together Rob Bell's metaphors and references make his listeners stretch, but his wisdom for preachers is down to earth. H e once planted a church by teaching through Leviticus. He can use a rabbit carved from a bar of soap to illustrate the nature of suffering. Google his name and the term "Sex God" will appear among the top entries. Rob Bell is the most interesting preacher in the world. ... Click HERE to read the interview

From the STAR ... Three women caned under syariah law I am more interested to know whether the men were caned as well for this crime of illicit sex. ...

Been catching up on the news on The Star online ... Zul Nordin: Group in Pakatan scheming to kick me out And you still want to stay? I don't get it. More slam removal of board welcoming Najib But there was no permit ... if it involves the PM, an illegal billboard is okay? Party slams Nik Aziz for scrapping Maulidur Rasul celebrations in Kelantan So Nik Aziz is manipulating for this political mileage but this is not? Will the DPM and Pak Lah show they are not using this celebration for political mileage by turning up? ‘I’m sorry I made a mistake,’ Anwar says I'm impressed that he admitted he made a mistake. Good sign. Then on to Malaysian Insider .. UMNO Youth meets Najib about rumours of in fighting Yawn, it was expected ... RPK some time back predicted all this political wrangling. What is so sad is that these are the main issues of people who wish to be respected leaders of the country. BN, Perkasa protest at Australian mission Er ... I thought protesting and marches etc we...

Woohooo! This Sunday sermon's done - passage is on Luke 20:45-21:6. Still have a headache - bad night due to pain and mosquito bites and had a fever yesterday :-( BUT hardly felt my shingles pain this morning! :-) But still had to take some panadol for the headache ...not much help though :-( Just had lunch catching up with one of my church youth who is back after a one year teaching stint in Korea. Sadly the Indian restaurant was closed so we ended up at a nearby Wendys. But still it was a nice lunch. Good to hear the many stories of his experiences in Korea. Steven went back to school last week. He's clearly enjoying being back at school. he was actually sick on the first day of school (due to the heat , flurry of activities and lack of sleep etc at the recent Parachute festival) BUT insisted on going to school. Good for him! Andrew still waiting for Uni orientation and in the meantime spending lots of time with his GF and happily doing extra shifts at McD. (Good money!) He ...

Just posted up my Pastor's notes. To read, CLICK HERE

Finally went to see Avatar yesterday. My wife and I waited till school had begun and so could enjoy watching the movie in the morning on a working weekday! Once again, we had most of the cinema to ourselves. Nice :-) The 3 D experience was really nice despite my getting a headache because of it for the first half an hour or so. The scenes on Pandora were brilliantly done etc BUT the storyline to me was really weak. The characters to me were pretty one dimensional. The hero who overcomes all odds (Jake), bad military guy (the colonel), the greedy corporation man, the mostly mindless soldiers who follow orders without question, a couple of geeks, a sexy macho tough woman who is at home with weapons (can't even remember her character's name - but it was Michelle Rodriguez - hehehe which tells you that I have noticed that this is her stereotype role in many movies - and even the LOST TV series). The noble (but still one dimensional) native (Tsu tey) who is the jealous territorial t...

Just read a couple of interesting but also very disturbing articles / reports in the Malaysian Insider. Here's the first ... Waiting for the kings wisdom Here's the Star's report that prompted the above article ... Rulers want Allah issue resolved quickly And the second article. UMNO brings 1 Malaysia to the UK and the rebuttal ... which to me makes it even more disturbing ... read it for yourself and you will see why *sigh* UMNO official denies making racist remarks in London

Did not find the normal disclaimer that I cannot reproduce this without written permission etc, so hope it's okay to do so :-) I found this piece by Margaret Manning from Ravi Zacharias Ministry personally challenging. Brother Lawrence's book, "The practice of the Presence of God" is one of the books that have impacted my life so the discovery that he hated his kitchen work but yet did it joyfully has not just made me admire him more but made me sit and rethink again how I think about faithfulness. The article too has made me sit and think on various aspects of "potential" and vocation (I am once again re-reading Gordon Smith's "Courage and Calling" because I am in a new mentoring triad) Anyway, do read the article below first! I am still reflecting on the article and so I have more questions than even tentative thoughts so all I have done is highlighted in red some of the questions I am trying to think more deeply about. The Heroism of t...

Just posted up this Sunday;s pastor's Notes. To read, CLICK HERE

Been in a little quiet in the area of blogging as I have been sick for over a week. All kinds of ailments - from super sensitive skin to a couple of stomach related issues as well as bleeding when passing motion and ... a lot of pain. Symptoms keep "changing"and yesterday what I thought was merely swelling from more and more insect bites seems to be due to the development of shingles . Interestingly, not all the symptoms which has made it difficult for my GP to diagnose (3 visits in over a week). Rashes that seem to fit the shingles patterns only suddenly came up yesterday (that's over a week since I first experienced the nerve pain) and I do not have a fever. But enough of a pattern to suspect that it is shingles. *sigh* My scheduled gastroscopy and colonscopy (spelling?) now has been postponed due to this new development. Decided to go for these tests (dear wife has been pushing me to do this for almost 2 years now). Personally not that keen as I think the bleeding etc...

I found this news report from the NZ Herald interesting. How important is a flag as a symbol identity, ... values ... heritage? Patriots agree: Time to change the NZ flag Today, two days from Waitangi Day, the Herald starts a serious debate about changing the national flag. The familiar flag with its Union Jack dates from an era when New Zealand became a British dominion. We believe an independent nation deserves something more distinctive. EXPAND The New Zealand flag is lost in a sea of blue and Union Jacks. Photos / Supplied A majority of New Zealand's most eminent citizens say it's time to change the New Zealand flag. A Herald survey of 18 of the 22 members of the Order of New Zealand - the country's highest honour - has found 11 of them believe it is time for a new flag. Only five oppose a change at this time. One is unsure and one is unwilling to comment. The survey comes as debate about the flags of both New Zealand and Australia, which still feature Britain's ...

Pastor's Notes resumes this Sunday. Have posted this Sunday's Pastors Notes. Will be trying to continue to follow the lectionary readings. To read it, CLICK HERE .

Another particularly excellent commentary that personally resonated with my soul. Sentences highlighted in red are my emphasis and my personal comments are after the commentary. GRACE@WORK MAIL 4/10 January 29 th , 2010 Edition. (Grace@Work Mail is a ministry of Graceworks : www.graceworks.com.sg ) Commentary: Seeing Mum By Soo -Inn Tan Bernice and I did a lightning visit to Penang this last Monday to Wednesday (Jan 25 th - 27 th , 2010.). We went to visit my mum. Widowed, she lives with a maid in her home in Pulau Tikus . We have asked her to live with us in Singapore many times, but like many Penang folk, she is not keen to leave her island. Besides her primary social networks are there. Mum will be eighty-three this year and I wonder how much time I will have with her. In truth nobody knows when their time is up and I may die first. Still, in the normal course of things, I tell myself that I have to be prepared to bid her goodbye. Our times together are extra precious now. Bern...