Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Yay~~~ to all you chinese, half-chinese, a quarter chinese, an eighth, an etc, lol!

God bless all!

Just wanna share some pictures for the season~

Some interesting/fun facts:

One

According to the Chinese calendar, we are in year 4706, the Year of the Rat. Based on a 12-year cycle, 12 animals make up the Chinese zodiac. The rat is the first animal in the cycle. (Kel, Su and me are rats!)

Two

Famous people born in the Year of the Rat include Ewan McGregor, Denise Richards, Johnny Knoxville, Tupac Shakur, Missy Elliot, Lance Armstrong and Ricky Martin.

Three

The politically correct term is now “Lunar New Year,” as opposed to “Chinese New Year” since many Asian cultures other than China’s observe the lunar calendar. Of course, if you are specifically referring to the New Year in China, then Chinese New Year is perfectly acceptable.

Four

The Vietnamese observe the Lunar New Year and the arrival of spring with the festival of Tet Nguyen Dan, or simply Tet. In Korea, rural areas celebrate Tongshin-je, a welcoming of the new year with shaman rituals emphasizing fertility.

Five

The Chinese calendar dates back to 2600 B.C. It is the oldest known calendar.

Six

To cry on New Year’s Day is to cry all year long, so children are indulged and never spanked. Elders and relatives give children red envelopes with money for good fortune.

Seven

Special emphasis is also placed on the symbology of different foods during this festive season. Certain ones represent gold, or wealth, while others suggest wishes for good health, longevity, togetherness, and completeness. Here are some examples:

Citrus fruits (oranges and tangerines): gold, abundant happiness and wealth
Whole fish: togetherness
Chickens: prosperity
Noodles (long and uncut): long life.
Lotus seeds: bring many children, especially male children
Fresh tofu: death and misfortune. (The Chinese try to avoid serving this dish during Chinese New Year)

8 comments:

KeL said...: YAY!! Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!! "Gong Xi Fat Choi" This is the year of the Rat.. :) Su and Phyu.. this is our year!! Yuy Proud to be Chinese and proud to know that I'll be making all those wonderful new memories with you All.. God bless you!! Love ya!! Kel; February 7, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Anonymous said...: Happy Chinese New Year to u all!!!! "Gong Xi Fat Choi" ..thanks Phyu for the useful info. about chinese new year. yay!! this year is rat year.. Wishing you all have a blessed and prosperous year..And May God bless u :D; February 7, 2008 at 1:16 AM
jae said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; February 7, 2008 at 8:36 AM
jae said...: "Sae Hae Bok Man Ni Ba De Sae Yo!!!"

We Korean are celebrating it same time as well ... unfortunately we don't greeting each other "Gong Xi Fat Choi" WaHahhahha ....

So if you see any Korean friends... say this ..."Sae Hae Bok Man Ni Ba De Sae Yo" Usually older people give us the pocket money .... nice, right? (don't you dare to use this trick to me ...kkkkk)

By the way .... don’t forget to bow and your head and waist politely (not to much like Japanese ..) ... hahhahaha; February 7, 2008 at 8:42 AM
jae said...: By the way ... .Kel, Su, and Phuy is "rat" ... oh my goodness ... mine is "Cow" ... so that mean we are having gap between us "????" Now I feel so old ....already ...

Speaking of "birthday animal" ... I used to grow up and hearing from old people saying ... "I must be diligent like cow .... Additionally I born at early morning ….so they used to compare with me the life of cow in the early morning …. MOOOOOO "

When my two kids were born …. It seemed most of Burmese are interesting about what day they were born … example …Mon, Thues, Wed … and so on. Later I was surprised by their feedback … here we go … animals again…. It isn’t strange “birthday animal for year or day or time” is everywhere in all kinds of human culture ….

Be honest with you …. I don’t really like at all … and I feel so not biblical …. Yes, I still greeting my parents in Korean New Year way and I do respect my culture ….but if you have kids one day …. Please don’t compare them with animals .. Whahahhaah …. I am still hearing “MOOOOOO” in my ear ….

Just a thought!!!; February 7, 2008 at 9:23 AM
Phyu said...: completely not biblical but it's just for fun hahaha.. so funny aunty jae "don't you dare use that trick on me"

lol...; February 7, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Anonymous said...: hahaha Aunty Jae. Lot of people do compare us with animals. Esp in Chinese Culture.. Just for the fun of it I even call my lil bro "Kway Ka Lay" Meaning lil dog.. hehe..; February 7, 2008 at 11:01 AM
jae said...: Hahahhaha .... another thought about being born in "Cow" year ... My hometown's cow need to work very hard to provide the food for his or her owner family ...

But ... here(U.S.A.) ... Cow .. all I can see them is lay down on the grass and eat ... lol lol lol ... I could see them near by my home ... what a different life ....lol lol lol; February 7, 2008 at 11:20 AM

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Story Box

The Big Rocks
One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered over achievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."
Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered.
"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted. Once again he said, "Good."
Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the 'big rocks' in your life?
Your relatinship with God?
Your husband or wife?
Your children?
Your loved ones?
Your health?
Your education?
Your dreams?
A worthy cause?
Teaching or mentoring others?
Doing things that you love?
Time for yourself?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little things you worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks).
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the "big rocks" in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.
Matthew 6:33
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

ARE YOU 'THE CRACKED POT' ?? .
A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts,"   the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway. Go out boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His strength, and that "In Him every one of God's promises is a Yes."

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DID GOD CREATE EVIL?
At a certain university, there was a professor with a reputation for being tough on Christians. At the first class every semester, he asked if anyone was a Christian and proceeded to degrade them and to mock their statement of faith.
One semester, he asked the question and a young man raised his hand when asked if anyone was a Christian. The professor asked, "Did God make everything, young man?"
He replied, "Yes sir He did!"
The professor responded, "If God made everything, then He made evil." The student didn't have a response and the professor was happy to have once again proved the Christian faith to be a myth.
Then another man raised his hand and asked, "May I ask you something, sir?"
"Yes, you may," responded the professor.
The young man stood up and said "Sir, is there such thing as cold?"
"Of course there is, what kind of question is that? Haven't you ever been cold?"
The young man replied, "Actually, sir, cold doesn't exist. What we consider to be cold is really an absence of heat. Absolute zero is when there is absolutely no heat, but cold does not really exist. We have only created that term to describe how we feel when heat is not there."
The young man continued, "Sir, is there such a thing as dark?"
Once again, the professor responded, "Of course there is."
And once again, the student replied, "Actually, sir, darkness does not exist. Darkness is really only the absence of light. Darkness is only a term man developed to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally, the young man asked, "Sir, is there such thing as evil?"
The professor responded, "Of course. We have rapes, murders, and violence everywhere in the world, those things are evil."
The student replied, "Actually, sir, evil does not exist. Evil is simply the absence of God. Evil is a term man developed to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. It isn't like truth, or love, which exist as virtues like heat or light. Evil is simply the state where God is not present, like cold without heat or darkness without light."
The professor had nothing to say............

Does God Still Speak?

A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?" After service he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message.
Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.
It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God.. If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."
As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought, to stop and buy a gallon of milk.
He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home.
But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.
"Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk." It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk.
He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn down that street."
"This is crazy," he thought and drove on past the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street.
At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will." He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi-commercial area of town.
It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.
Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street."
The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid." Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.
Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk.
If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient.
I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here."
He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside.
A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?" Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed.
He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?" The young man thrust out the gallon of milk,
"Here, I brought this to you."
The man took the milk and rushed down a hall way speaking loudly in Spanish.
Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen.
The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying,
"We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.
"His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?"
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put it in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.

       A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor's visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited.
       The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.
        The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember's flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and "dead as a doornail."
        Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
        As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said,
"Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday."

John 3:16
In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner, the people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers.

He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay,"

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "you go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in."

So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said, "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off. The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16....I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.

Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days, and I guess I could stand a little bit of food," The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself: John 3:16... Boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out.

The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.

The next morning the lady came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate, she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face.

"Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently.

He replied, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it," She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16. .. .. I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2008