March 31, 2002: Doctor on Call, A Plan for life

Hi,

Happy Easter! This morning at Easter service, my church's choir sang the
Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah". It was the first time that I
ever heard this piece sang at Easter, but it was pretty inspiring.

As I mentioned last week, at my friends Steve & Winnie's wedding, we made
Steve & Winnie play a few games. In one game, they sat back to back and
had to answer 15 questions. For each question that their answers did not
match up, they had to kiss. One sample question was, "What was Winnie
wearing on your first date together?" Actually, Steve and Winnie did
extremely well in this game. I thought that the questions that I came up
with were fairly difficult, but they really knew each other well.

For the second game, I modeled it after something I saw years ago at
another friend's wedding. Steve had sent me the names of all the people
attending their wedding banquet. I pulled out the names of 30 married
couples at his banquet, and put them on small pieces of paper. We then
randomly picked out 10 of the married couples, and had them come up to the
front. We arranged the 10 couples from the longest married to the most
recently married. Then, each couple had to demonstrate a way of showing
affection to each other. They could kiss each other on the check, give
each other a hug, do a quick dance, or give each other a passionate kiss.
Then Steve and Winnie would have to do exactly what the couple just did.
As I expected, those couples who were married more recently gave each other
a more passionate kiss, which Steve and Winnie did a good job in emulating.

I based the game on what I saw at my friends Lisa and Vandy's wedding.
They put the names of all the married couples in a glass. Whenever people
started to knock on their glasses for them to kiss, they would pull out the
name of a married couple. That couple would come up to the front and
demonstrate a kiss. Then Lisa and Vandy would have to do the exact same
kiss. Part of the reason why these games are fun is that it gets some of
the audience involved, and gives the other married couples a chance to
demonstrate their affection towards each other.

This week's thought provoking question: "If you could run any single
company, institution, or organization in the world, which would you choose?"

This week's humor piece was forwarded from Anna Man. The inspiration piece
is about Easter, which was forwarded by Serena Chen.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

Doctor on Call

A doctor answers his phone and hears the familiar voice of a colleague on
the other end of the line.
"We need a fourth for poker," said the friend.
"I'll be right over," whispered the doctor.
As he was putting on his coat, his wife asked, "Is it serious?"
"Oh yes, quite serious," said the doctor gravely. "In fact, there are three
doctors there already!"
_________________________________

A Plan for life

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing
their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a
treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I
could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the
beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take
kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world.
Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and
straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and
look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to
them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will
always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of
woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said,
"This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood
to a carpenter," and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because
he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I
should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy
because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because
he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of
the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree, I'll take
this one," and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box
for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was
not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of
being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree
was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by,
and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they
placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first
tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this
manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event
and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second
tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the
water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough
to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood and said
"Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had
carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the
streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to
a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the
top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was
strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was
possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your
way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in
Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted,
just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's
plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways
are best.

March 24, 2002: Words Women Use, Believe in Easter

Hi,

As I compose this email, I'm watching the Oscars. It will be interesting
to see who wins.

I had a great time last weekend in LA. It was good to see a lot of friends
at Steve & Winnie's wedding. Next week, I'll write and tell you about some
of the games that we played at the wedding banquet. As usual, I took lots
of pictures with my digital camera. Here are some of the online photo
albums:

Steve & Winnie 1
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-20616191-Nksk-album/33823307DyPbqI

Steve & Winnie 2
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-20616191-Nksk-album/33827972EWBcOd

Steve & Winnie Banquet
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-20616191-Nksk-album/33886688xBdxzX

Steve & Winnie Bridal Party
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-20616191-Nksk-album/33831271epAXyU

Steve & Winnie BCEC Friends
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-20616191-Nksk-album/33835705YKlJzy

Steve & Winnie CCAC Friends
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-20616191-Nksk-album/33883024oVWzVd

This coming Friday is Good Friday and coming Sunday is Easter. If you
don't know who Jesus Christ is, or do not yet have a personal relationship
with Him, I strongly encourage you to visit a church this coming Sunday.
Many churches I know have a special service this Sunday geared towards
people who want to learn more about Jesus, why he came to Earth as a human
and died for our sins on the cross. If you ever wanted to visit a church
service, this Sunday is a great week to visit.

This week's thought provoking question: "If you could have prevented one
event in history, what event would you eliminate?"

This week's humor piece was forwarded from Anna Man. The inspiration piece
is about Easter, which was originally forwarded by Brent Chinn.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

WORDS WOMEN USE

FINE

This is the word we use at the end of any argument that we feel we are
right about but need to shut you up. NEVER use fine to describe how a woman
looks. This will cause you to have one of those arguments.

NOTHING

This means something and you should be on your toes. "Nothing" is usually
used to describe the feeling a woman has of wanting to turn you inside out,
upside down, and backwards. 'Nothing" usually signifies an argument that
will last "Five Minutes" and end with the word "Fine."

FIVE MINUTES

This is half an hour. It is equivalent to the five minutes that your
football game is going to last before you take out the trash, so I feel
that it's an even trade.

GO AHEAD (with raised eyebrows)

This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset over
"Nothing" and will end with the word "Fine."

GO AHEAD (normal eyebrows)

This means "I give up" or "do what you want because I don't care." You will
get a raised eyebrow "Go Ahead" in just a few minutes, followed by
"Nothing" and "Fine" and she will talk to you in about "Five Minutes" when
she cools off.

LOUD SIGH

This is not actually a word, but is still often a verbal statement very
misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot at
that moment and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and
arguing with you over "Nothing."

SOFT SIGH

Again, not a word, but a verbal statement. "Soft Sighs" are one of the few
things that some men actually understand. She is content. Your best bet is
to not move or breathe and she will stay content.

THAT'S OKAY

This is one of the most dangerous statements that a woman can say to a man.
"That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before paying you
retributions for what ever it is that you have done. "That's Okay" is often
used with the word "Fine" and used in conjunction with a raised eyebrow "Go
Ahead." At some point in the near future when she has plotted and planned,
you are going to be in some mighty big trouble.

PLEASE DO

This is not a statement, it is an offer. A woman is giving you the chance
to come up with whatever excuse or reason you have for doing whatever it is
that you have done. You have a fair chance to tell the truth, so be careful
and you shouldn't get a "That's Okay."

THANKS

A woman is thanking you. Do not faint, just say you're welcome.

THANKS A LOT

This is much different from "Thanks." A woman will say, "Thanks A Lot"
when she is really ticked off at you. It signifies that you have hurt her
in some callous way, and will be followed by the "Loud Sigh." Be careful
not to ask what is wrong after the "Loud Sigh," as she will only tell you
"Nothing."
_________________________________

Do You Believe In Easter?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She
was the patient of doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a
gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith
Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was
because of Edith Burns.

When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black
Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.
Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my
name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the
meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.

Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse,
Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood
pressure. Edith began by saying, "My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe
in Easter?"

Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you believe about
Easter?" Beverly said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church,
and dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter,
and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phillips said, "Beverly, don't call Edith into the office quite yet. I
believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room. After
being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down and when she took
a look at the doctor she said, "Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you
reading your Bible? Are you praying?"

Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor and you're the patient."
With a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back and it says you have
cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very long."

Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you
think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm going to see my
precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me that
I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty
giving me my ticket!"

Dr. Phillips thought to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns
is!"

Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips. Christmas came and the office was
closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not
show up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would
have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very near
home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my
room who need to know about Easter."

Well, they did just that and women began to come in and share that room
with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to
patients were so excited about Edith, that they started calling her Edith
Easter; that is everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse. Phyllis
made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a
"religious nut". She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it
all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married
three times, she was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.

One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick. Edith had
the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot. When she walked
in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves you and
I love you, and I have been praying for you." Phyllis Cross said, "Well,
you can quit praying for me, it won't work. I'm not interested." Edith
said, "Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until
you come into the family." Phyllis Cross said, "Then you will never die
because that will never happen," and curtly walked out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, "God
loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I'm praying for you." One day Phyllis
Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet would draw
iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come,
because God told me that today is your special day."

Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, "Do
you believe in Easter?' but you have never asked me."

Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until
you asked, and now that you have asked..." Edith Burns took her Bible and
shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus
Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?"

Phyllis Cross said, " Oh, I want to believe that with all of my heart, and
I do want Jesus in my life." Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited
Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk
out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.

Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, "Do you know what day
it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Edith, it's Good Friday."

Edith said, "Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!"

Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of
her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies
because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies
and wish her a Happy Easter. When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was
in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible.
There was a sweet smile on her face.

When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was
dead. Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Father's house are many
mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive
you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, " And God will wipe away every tear
from their eyes, there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and
there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted her face
toward heaven, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, said, "Happy
Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"

Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, and over to a
table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis
Cross. Do you believe in Easter?"

March 10, 2002: Academic Phrases, Golden Rule

Hi,

This weekend was very windy and cold here in Cleveland, so I spent most of
my time at home. The Director of Finance at Avery Dennison Singapore gave
me two books as a going away present. I started reading one of them this
weekend, and it is quite good. The book is "Be a People Person: Effective
Leadership Through Interpersonal Relationships", by John C. Maxwell. Dr.
Maxwell is a pastor, and leading author and speaker on leadership. He has
written several books on leadership, including "Becoming a Person of
Influence". This week, I'm going to use one of the passages from this book
as the inspirational piece.

Thanks to those of you who sent me suggestions for wedding banquet games.
I look forward to going back to LA this coming weekend. See you then!

This week's thought provoking question: "If you just learned that you had
exactly one year to live, what would you do with your remaining time?"

This week's humor piece was forwarded from Reiko Muto.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

Academic Phrases and Meanings

The following list of phrases and their definitions might help you
understand the mysterious language of science and medicine. These special
phrases are also applicable to anyone working on a Ph.D. dissertation or
academic paper anywhere!

"It has long been known"... I didn't look up the original reference.

"A definite trend is evident"... These data are practically meaningless.

"While it has not been possible to provide definite answers to the
questions"... An unsuccessful experiment, but I still hope to get it
published.

"Three of the samples were chosen for detailed study"... The other results
didn't make any sense.

"Typical results are shown"... This is the prettiest graph.

"These results will be in a subsequent report"... I might get around to
this sometime, if pushed/funded.

"In my experience"... once

"In case after case"... twice

"In a series of cases"... thrice

"It is believed that"... I think.

"It is generally believed that"... A couple of others think so, too.

"Correct within an order of magnitude"... Wrong.

"According to statistical analysis"... Rumor has it.

"A statistically oriented projection of the significance of these
findings"... A wild guess.

"A careful analysis of obtainable data"... Three pages of notes were
obliterated when I knocked over a glass of pop.

"It is clear that much additional work will be required before a complete
understanding of this phenomenon occurs"... I don't understand it.

"After additional study by my colleagues"... They don't understand it
either.

"Thanks are due to Joe Blotz for assistance with the experiment and to
Cindy Adams for valuable discussions"... Mr. Blotz did the work and Ms.
Adams explained to me what it meant.

"A highly significant area for exploratory study"... A totally useless
topic selected by my committee.

"It is hoped that this study will stimulate further investigation in this
field"... I quit.
_________________________________

The Golden Rule (by John C. Maxwell)

What's the key to relating to others? It's putting yourself in someone
else's place instead of putting them in their place. Christ gave the
perfect rule for establishing quality human relationships. We call it the
Golden Rule, a name it got sometime around the seventeenth century. Near
the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Christ summed up a series of profound
thoughts on human conduct by saying, "Therefore whatever you want others to
do for you, do so for them" (Matt. 7:12).

In this brief command, Christ taught us a couple of things about developing
relationships with others. We need to decide how we want to be treated.
Then we need to begin treating others in that manner.

Recently I took my daughter Elizabeth out to a restaurant for lunch. The
waitress whose job it was to take care of people, made us feel that we were
really inconveniencing her. She was grumpy, negative, and unhelpful. All
of her customers were aware of the fact that she was having a bad day.
Elizabeth looked up at me and said, "Dad, she's a grump, isn't she?" I
could only agree with her. Everything we asked of the waitress was met
with a look of disdain.

Halfway through our experience I tried to change this lady's negative
attitude. Pulling out a $10 bill I said, "Could you do me a favor? I'd
like some change for this $10 bill, because I want to give you a good tip
today." She looked at me, did a double take, and then ran to the cash
register. After changing the money, she spent the next fifteen minutes
hovering over us. I thanked her for her service, told her how important
and helpful she was, and left a good tip.

As we left, Elizabeth said, "Daddy, did you se how that lady changed?"

Seizing this golden opportunity I said, "Elizabeth, if you want people to
act right toward you, you act right toward them. Any many times you'll
change them".

Elizabeth will never forget that lesson because she had seen a noticeable
change take place right before her eyes. That grumpy lady didn't deserve
to be treated kindly. But when she was treated not as she was, but as I
wanted her to be and believed she could become, her perspective suddenly
changed.

Whatever your position in a relationship, if you are aware of a problem,
it's your responsibility to make a concerted effort to create a positive
change. Quit pointing your finger and making excuses, and try being a
catalyst by demonstrating and initiating the appropriate behavior.
Determine not to be a reactor but an initiator.

March 3, 2002: If You Can, Small Group

Hi,

When I left Singapore in December, I promised a friend from my small group
(Grace Leong) at the International Baptist Church that I would write an
article for the church's newsletter about my experiences in the Young Adult
small group. Grace has been very diligent in reminding me to write this
article, so I finally sat down this weekend and wrote it. I've attached it
below to encourage all of you to join a small group at church and to help
make it a wonderful place for sharing and growth. For those of you at IBC,
the final version you see printed may not be the same, because I told Grace
that she can edit it as she please.

As I mentioned last week, I will be the best man at my friend Steve Lee's
wedding. I'm starting to plan for the games and activities at the wedding
banquet. So, if you have any ideas or suggestions for any wholesome games,
please send them to me. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

This week's thought provoking question: "If you could change one thing
about your city or town or neighborhood, what would you alter?"

This week's humor piece was forwarded from Anna Man.

Enjoy!

-Josh.
_________________________________

If You Can

If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food everyday and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,
If you can overlook when people take things out on you when, through no
fault of yours, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can face the world without lies and deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can do all these things,

THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY THE FAMILY DOG
_________________________________

Importance of Joining a Small Group

One of the highlights of my short stay in Singapore was my experience with
the Young Adult small group at IBC. My company, Avery Dennison, sent me to
work in Singapore for 8 months. I spent the first two months visiting a
wide variety of churches. The reason I eventually chose to go to IBC was
because I checked out the Young Adult small group (lead by Ting Guevarra)
and liked the folks in the group and the bible studies. I looked forward
to the weekly Wednesday night studies because it gave me an opportunity to
study God's Word in more depth, but also because it was fun to catch up
with people over dinner.

On August 4, 2001, our small group (Ting, Grace, Stein and I) joined with
other small groups to go hiking from MacRitchie Reservoir to Bukit Timah
(highest point in Singapore). It was a beautiful sunny day, and the views
of the reservoir were spectacular. We made the long hike to the top of
Bukit Timah, rested a while, and hiked back down when it started to rain.
We rewarded ourselves by going to dinner at a Japanese restaurant for some
delicious food. It was a great time of bonding!

Towards the end of the summer, several members of our small group, Ting,
Ben, and Andrew all were leaving Singapore. We had several farewell
parties, including a fun BBQ at Andrew's parents' house. After everyone
left, those of us remaining wondered what would happen to the small group.
Luckily, Rich White agreed to lead our group and host it at his spacious
apartment. From that point on, our group grew quickly.

One funny anecdote is that at the last meeting at Ting's place, Miri Lee
commented that with Ting's departure, the small group would be
overwhelmingly male. I told her to pray for Godly women to join the group.
Well, after we started meeting at Rich's place, the number of women grew
rapidly. Now, the small group is heavily female. We commended Miri for
the power of her prayer!

At our weekly small groups, not only did we enjoy the great cooking by
Rich, Sandy and other helpers, we also started to look forward to the
worship time lead by Fleur. During the summer, we went through
"Experiencing God", which was a great series. I think we all learned more
about how to listen better to God's leading in our lives. We followed our
study time with some sharing, prayer, and dessert.

On Sundays after 2nd service, we usually met outside the sanctuary to
gather for lunch. Sometimes we walked to Great World City (GWC), but
occasionally we took cabs to go to restaurants like Nooch on Orchard Road.
One of our more memorable lunches was when a huge group of us went to the
Korean BBQ restaurant in GWC. Quite often we went to watch a movie
together after lunch. Other times, our group went to the Botanical Gardens
for the Sunday afternoon outdoor concerts, and then had dinner together.

A few of the other memorable events include a potluck at my place, and a
potluck / bible study at Melissa's place. Since I was going to be leaving
Singapore, the group bought a cake and threw a surprise going away
celebration for me. I was very touched! I also enjoyed spending some
great bonding time with good friends from the small group Ramon, Susylia,
and Melissa at the Teen Retreat, especially when we went to Sentosa Beach.
Ramon, Audra, and I hung out often with some of our other friends, and had
an awesome trip to Penang, Malaysia together.

It was very sad for me when I left Singapore in mid-December. I still get
emails about what is going on with the small group. I read about the small
group's fun activities over Christmas, and I wished that I could have been
there. I really thank God that He lead me to this small group and for the
friendships, even though I was only in Singapore for a short time. As I
write the paragraphs above, I can't help but to think that it is similar to
the early Christians' fellowship found in Acts 2:42-47.

Thom Corrigan, in his book, "Community Through Small Groups" provides some
definitions of a Christian community.

1. Christian community can be defined as a place where people feel they
belong, where they are accepted, loved, and forgiven.
2. It is a safe place where they are both challenged and encouraged. It is
a place where each person is valued just for showing up, because Christ in
them.
3. Christian community is a place to share joy and laughter, tears and
sorrow. It is a place of healing, a place to receive, grow, and invest our
lives in others.
4. Christian community is a group of people who are connected first to God
through prayer and worship, to others through loving service, and to
themselves through personal-spiritual growth.
5. Healthy community is built on friendship, mutual care, mentoring, and
opportunities for spiritual direction and formation.

Here are some other descriptive words to describe the ideal small group, in
no particular order:

Christ-centered, trust, safety, caring, intimacy, common goals, commitment,
encouraging, edifying, variety, nourishing, willingness to grow, unity,
good leadership, nurturing, prayer, common stage of life, participatory,
fun, loving, accountable, honest, loyal, confidential, forgiving,
practical, worshipful, joyful, supportive, sharing, healthy, attractive,
connecting, accepting, transparency, praying for others, bonding times,
consistency.

Wow, what a powerful group of words! If you are not currently in a small
group that fits some of the words above, here are two things you can do
(there are probably many more):

1. Take the initiative to help your small group become some of the
descriptions above.
2. Join a small group if you're not already in one.

May the Lord lead you to a good small group!

-Joshua Li.