Ruth and Naomi

God must have known I needed tomorrow's Thursday evening free in preparation for Friday night's Valentine's Event. As I was reading through the book of Ruth, my adult student from the public library adult literacy program called me. She said she went to the dentist today and the dentist said she'll have to come in tomorrow night to get her fillings done.

I am amazed. I was actually thinking about how to get some of the last minute purchases done before Friday night. Enough said.

I read over the book of Ruth tonight because after these 3 nights with just my mother-in-law and myself I am reminded of the story of Naomi and Ruth. (Not to say we lost our husbands to Panama for 2.5 weeks but just the fact that we are two women living together without our men).


Alas, Ruth is deemed as a woman with noble character. I can only strive to be somewhat like her.

Salivating over bread crumbs (Mark 7:24-30)

Not much of a bread person, let alone bread crumbs.

My first introduction to whole wheat bread was back in grade 3. I remember my grade 3 friend sharing with me a ziplock bag of little pieces of brown bread cut into cubes. It was a good and tasty experience. Fast forward to lunchtime on Day 2 of the Toronto Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010 - turkey sandwich. I ate half of the sandwich intact first. The other half I only ate what was inside the two slices of bread - the turkey slices, tomato, and the lettuce. Joel rebuked me saying I need the carbs! If there was rice, I'd gladly take that kind of carbs, I replied.

One of those minor things I needed to adjust to moving in with Joel and living with his family was actually eating toast for breakfast. (I know. It sounds silly). Rest assured, I do eat my breakfast. As a matter of fact, I can eat rice, chow mein, congee, different types of rice noodles, etc for breakfast. Maybe I should start praying "Dear God, please give me my daily rice or Dear God, please give me my daily bowl of noodles."

Last Friday, our high school church group and I had the privilege to study a Bible passage from the Book of Mark on the Greek Syro-Phoenician woman. A very humble but smart and witty woman who came to beg Jesus to come and drive this demon out of her daughter. Understanding the historical/biblical social attitude Jewish people had towards Non-Jews (like the Samaritans) back then, Jesus replied with such words which his disciples and people around him would have expected him to use:

"Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." ~ Mk 7:27

With great humility, this woman answered Jesus, "Yes, Lord", despite being called a nasty name. She understood the social climate then meant the Jewish people were God's chose people - clean - and all others including herself were considered dogs. YET with faith (and wit) she adds, "yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." ~Mk 7:28

Jesus honours this Syro-Phoenician woman saying, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." She goes home and what does she find? Her child lying in bed and the demon gone.

How can we not be humbled by and be in awe of this woman's faith? She understands this God of the Jews is an abundant God - with blessings that overflow. True, it is right to first feed the children - Israel, the first born, the chosen people, the people who are expecting the Messiah, the people to whom are promised one; but what's to stop this God of abundance only there? No. His blessings are so abundant it overflows to every one. How about the 5 loaves 2 fish 5000 men, yet 12 basket full of crumbs are leftover?

Now how can we not salivate over these bread crumbs?

After 200km on the bike

218km
2 days
Toronto --> Niagara Falls
The Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010 benefiting the Princess Margaret Hospital


Joel and I first signed up for the Ride to Conquer Cancer 2010 event back in November 2009 -- when we were still in Jasper, AB, en route to Vancouver, BC. There wasn't too much thought to it back then. I only thought it was for a great cause and a great feat to accomplish with Joel.

I guess sometimes it's when you stumble into things unknowingly, you tend to encounter great things. As we were fundraising ($5 000 combined), Joel and I encountered great generosity and warm encouragements. As we entered the CNE grounds in Toronto on Day 1, we encountered a sea of cyclists and cancer survivors all with one goal and hope to conquer cancer. Even the week approaching the event, 3 more stories -- the death of a fellow brother from church after 7 courageous battling cancer & his funeral (we rode in memory of him); the death of my great-uncle in Vancouver (without him, I wouldn't be here); and then the story of a woman -- victor over breast cancer.

I assure you there were hills. There's no way around that since we had to climb the Niagara escarpment to get to Niagara Falls. Then again, you somehow forget about the climbing, the digging hard into the pedals, that burning sensation building up all along your legs, that aching butt of yours, the tempting thought of getting off the bike and walk. You see this community of cyclists, the yellow flags behind each cancer survivors' bike, the leg amputee lady, that 80 year old man ... still riding, still fighting and then you remember why we ride. We ride in memory of our lost loved ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVDXt6kST7I&feature=youtu.be&a

'Chairstack' prayer

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

I had a most wonderful time with CB on Tuesday during our prayer meeting on campus. Sensing that as a leadership team we should be more grounded in prayer this semester, our team carved out 2 prayer meeting times during the week - Friday mornings @ 7:15 in the Inter- Faith Chapel, and Tuesdays 12:30p-1:30p.

This Tuesday, I came out to my first prayer meeting and half expected another girl to come, but at the end, it was just CB and I. We went over to the Theatre building across from the library because usually they have very nice carpeted areas with sofas. We ended up going down a small flight of stairs in this somewhat dark area with stacks of chairs around us because a lot of other students were sitting around and reading.

A nice cozy spot and CB suggested that since we haven't really looked over our SFU prayer book, we can read out some of it, pray from it and let the Spirit guide us. As we prayed, many things came up. As we sat with these stacks of chairs right behind us, I was reminded of the small group of students who gathered under a haystack (because of a sudden thunderstorm) and prayed. And because of their faith that our God is a God that answers prayers, they prayed and because of that we have student movements and fellowships all across Canada and US campuses today.

We weren't at the haystack but we were by a 'chairstack' and I suspect both places would have been just as dusty and random. So as we continued praying, claiming this campus for God and for His Name, and praising Him, our dark corner lit up from the sunlight that penetrated. Not only this, but both CB and myself began hearing people singing "How great is our God". We thought wow, must be some people singing in the Forum Chambers next door, and cool for God to orchestrate such a thing.

After closing of a wonderful, quiet and emotional time of prayer, we decided to ask the lady in the box office of the Theatre building. We asked her where the singing came from but she told us she didn't hear anything and was concentrating on her computer work. We left the building and walked by the Forum Chambers only to find that nobody was in there except for the guy that sells Vegetarian lunches every Tuesday by donation.

CB and I still do not know where that music, that choir of people (or was it angels) came from, but I suspect our prayers was something that God honoured and that which glorified Him. I am coming to see the truth in what Jesus said in Matthew 18:20. CB and I, two of us came together for a prayer meeting on campus and Jesus met us there.