December 9, 2001: Stethoscope, 12 Days of Christmas

Hi,

Originally, I was planning to take a trip out of town this past weekend, to
places like Angkor Wat, or Kota Kinabalu. However, things didn't work out
with the scheduling. As a result, I was able to go to the White Elephant
Christmas Party for the teens at my church. It was quite fun.

The kids sang Christmas songs using a karaoke machine. One of the
highlights of the evening was when two kids, Carole and Katie, acted out
the "12 Days of Christmas" as the rest of us all sang the song. It was
very funny. The other highlight was doing the white elephant gift
exchange. I think the most fought over items were a disco ball, and a
mini-massage device. I really enjoyed hanging out with the teens. They
are a very good group. Here are some of the pictures I took from the party.

Teens Christmas Party 1
http://community.webshots.com/album/26742036EVMGaoLtgk

Teens Christmas Party 2
http://community.webshots.com/album/26742729xwHRdifrlf

My next project will definitely be in Cleveland, Ohio, so please look me up
if you are ever in that part of the U.S. Again, please let me know if you
know of any good churches out there.

I'll be in Boston over the weekend of December 21st to 24th, and then in
New York City from Christmas to New Year's Day. Hope to see you if you are
there. My parent's phone # in New York City is: 718-454-7608.

In the next few weeks, I'll be packing, hanging out with friends, and
traveling. So I won't be sending out this weekly newsletter until after I
get settled down in Cleveland.

This week's thought provoking question is, "If Jesus Christ was never born,
how would that impact your life?"

This week's humor and inspirational pieces were forwarded from Anna Man and
Jennifer Deniega, respectively. (I sent these out last Christmas. I'm
resending it because of last night's singing of this song).

Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

-Josh.
_________________________________

Stethoscope

On the way to preschool, the doctor had left her stethoscope on the car
seat, and her little girl picked it up and began playing with it.

"Be still, my heart," thought the doctor, "my daughter wants to follow in
my footsteps!"

Then the child spoke into the instrument, "Welcome to McDonald's. May I
take your order?"
_________________________________

Hidden Meaning

People often think of The Twelve Days of Christmas as the days preceding
the festival. Actually, Christmas is a season of the Christian Year that
last for 12 days beginning December 25 and lasting until January 6 the Day
of Epiphany when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the
light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi.

>From 1558 until 1829 people in England were not allowed to practice their
faith openly. During this era someone wrote 'The Twelve Days of Christmas'
as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without risk of
persecution. The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface
meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church.

Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.
1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ.
2. The two turtledoves are the Old and New Testaments.
3. Three French hens stand for faith, hope and love.
4. The four calling birds are the four Gospels.
5. The five gold rings recall the torah (Law) the first five books of the
Old Testament.
6. The six geese alaying stand for the six days of creation.
7. Seven swans aswimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the Spirit.
8. The eight maids amilking are the eight beatitudes. (Matthew v, 312)
9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the spirit. (Gal.5).
10. The ten lords aleaping are the Ten Commandments.
11. Eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful disciples.
12. Twelve drummers drumming symbolize the 12 points of belief in the
Apostles Creed.

There you have it, the HIDDEN meaning of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and
the secret behind the song. Received this from a friend and it gave new
meaning to the song we sing at this time of year. Hope you find this as
"New/Old Meaning" to the season.

December 3, 2001: 29 Signs, G-U-I-dance

Hi,

I ate a huge amount of good food this weekend. My friend Ramon hosted a
BBQ / farewell party for me. The chicken and beef marinated in sauce
tasted great. It was also awesome to hang out with some friends before I
head back to the U.S. Ramon, thanks again for throwing the party!

Although it was cloudy at first, it did start to rain. Luckily, most of
the cooking was done by then. Since Ramon lives on Mohammed Sultan Road,
where they are a lot of dance clubs, a group of us went clubbing for a few
hours. The club we went to was "Newsroom", which played some of the stuff
I like to dance to, which is 80's music. They have two life size terra
cotta warriors on the dance floor. Here are some pictures:

BBQ 1
http://community.webshots.com/album/26338392jEZJMeLscb

BBQ 2
http://community.webshots.com/album/26338766mqkdppzisa

Then on Sunday after church, we went to Seoul Garden in Great Wall City.
This is an all you can eat Korean BBQ place. So again, I ate a great deal
of bulgogi beef, chicken, squid, fish, etc. They also have a hot pot to
cook vegetables, tofu, noodles, and soup. The cost is only about US $12!

My next project starting at the beginning of January will most likely be in
Cleveland, Ohio (95% sure). It will be very cold there during the winter.
I'll be leaving Singapore, where I still have the AC on right now. When I
get there, I'll be looking for a good church, new small group, an apartment
(or roommates), a used car, and new friends. If you have any leads, please
let me know. Thanks!

I'll be in Boston over the weekend of December 21st to 24th, and then in
New York City from Christmas to New Year's Day. On Sunday, 12/23, I'll be
visiting BCEC, so I look forward to seeing my friends there. If you are in
either of those cities, I hope to meet up with you. My parent's phone # in
New York City is: 718-454-7608.

This week's thought provoking question is, "If you could meet Jesus Christ
in person, what is one question you would ask him?" In this busy Christmas
season, please remember the true meaning of Christmas!

This week's humor and inspirational pieces were forwarded from Anna Man and
Jenny Quek, respectively.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

29 Reasons Why You Might Want To Sign Off and Read a Book.

1. Tech support calls YOU for help.

2. You forgot how to work the TV remote control.

3. You fall asleep, but instead of dreams you get IMs.

4. You meet the mailman at the curb and swear he said YOU'VE GOT MAIL.

5. You sign off and your screen says you were on for 3 days and 45 minutes.

6. You see something funny and scream, "LOL, LOL."

7. A friend calls and says, "How are you? Your phones have been busy" --
for a year!

8. You buy a laptop and a cell phone so you can have AOL in your car.

9. You beg your friends to get an account so you can "hang out."

10. You get a second phone line just to call out for pizza.

11. You've gone to an unstaffed AOL room to give tech support.

12. You say "he, he, he, he" or "heh, heh, heh" instead of laughing.

13. You say "SCROLL UP" when someone asks what it was you said.

14. You sneak away to your computer when everyone goes to sleep.

15. You talk on the phone with the same person you are sending an instant
message to.

16. You look at an annoying person off line and wish that you had your
ignore button handy.

17. You start to experience "withdrawal" after not being online for a
while.

18. Your answering machine/voice mail sounds a little like this...."BRB.
Leave your S/N and I^ll TTYL ASAP".

19. You sit on AOL for 6 hours for that certain special person to sign on.

20. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.

21. You end your sentences with.....three or more periods.......

22. You purchase a vanity car license plate with your screen name on it.

23. You think faster than the computer.

24. You enter a room and get greeted by 25 people with {{{hugs}}} and
**kisses**.

25. Being called a "newbie" is a major insult to you.

26. You're on the phone and say BRB.

27. Your teacher or boss recommends a drug test for the blood shot eyes.

28. "Where did the time go?"

29. You need to be pried from your computer by the Jaws-of- life!
_________________________________

G-U-I-dance

When I meditated on the word "guidance," I kept seeing "dance" at the end
of the word.

I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two
people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with
the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the
music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by
pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one
body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and
attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G", I thought of God,
followed by "u" and "i". God, "u" and "i" dance". God, you, and I dance.

This statement is what guidance means to me.

As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance
about my life. I became willing to let God lead.