One Day Blog Silence

Easter Camp 2007

People often say that every camp is different. This Easter Camp was... very different. Beyond different :)

God touched. Spirit moved. Minds awed. Hearts stirred. Souls revived. Passion re-flamed.

Truly, His love is beyond all comprehension.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
- Matthew 5 : 14-16

May the flames of passion for God always burn strong, and may His light shine brightly through each life ...

Adding colour

Finally posted and uploaded some photos, so the sea of words is now interspersed with islands of pictures.

So She Dances

So she dances ...

and it's not how gracefully she moves,

but the passion within her that matters...

"... the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"
- 1 Samuel 16 : 7

Wouldn't it be good if we could see people from God's perspective more often, and not through the blinkers of our own prejudices or expectations...

How We Learn

How We Learn

10% of what we READ

20% of what we HEAR

30% of what we SEE

50% of what we SEE and HEAR

70% of what is DISCUSSED with OTHERS

80% of what is EXPERIENCED PERSONALLY

95% of what we TEACH TO SOMEONE ELSE

- William Glasser

~~~

Many friends have said similar things before (without the actual percentages, of course :) , but everyone agreed on this : that you learn and remember things more when you experience it personally, and that you learn so much more when you have to teach it to someone else. Maybe it's because we often have to work it out and understand it first before we explain or pass it on to another person.

Over the years, I've been fortunate to enjoy the privillege of tutoring a few students at uni. It's funny, I once told mum that I was probably more prepared for their exams than I was for my own exam :P (heh... fortunately, I somehow got through my exams back then too). But looking back, I realise that through it, I've actually reinforced my understanding of those topics or subjects, especially in the areas that I had been unsure of before. And it's the same when helping to facilitate bible studies.

Like I've said many times before, I suspect the teacher often learns more than the students... :)

When facilitating practicals and tutorials, I try not to give the students direct answers to their questions. Instead, I tend to ask them questions related to the topic, trying to challenge and prompt them with further hints and questions, to help them figure out the answer to their original question. I tend to also ask the dreaded question, 'Why do you think so/say that?' :) in a bid to help them understand, and not just memorise, what they've learnt. Sometimes, you get interesting and valuable insights into how they think too.

Therefore, when I chatted with a friend who attended one of my tutes, she confided that she found me quite an intimidating tutor at first, because I often asked them questions that forced her to think more. However, most of them actually work out the answers for themselves as a result, and I can't help but smile as I watch their faces change when they figure something out... it sounds cheesy, I know, but it's true :)

I couldn't help but realise too... that someone actually found me intimidating (!) ... eep! :) And although my teaching or facilitating may not be that great, hopefully, it would have helped at least one person along the way. Once we understand something, once it becomes a personal revelation, then it becomes much easier to remember, and may even become something we remember for life.

We're all still learning... I know I am :)

Agape

“And what about Agape?”

“Agape is total love, the love that devours those that experience it. Whoever knows and experiences Agape sees that nothing else in this world is of any importance, only loving. This was the love that Jesus felt for humanity, and it was so great that it shook the stars and changed the course of man’s history.” ...

... “For me and you who have experienced another form of Agape, this life here may seem hard and terrible. Yet the Love that Devours makes everything lose its importance: these men live only to be consumed by their love.” He took a pause.

“Agape is the Love that Devours,” he repeated once more, as if this was the phrase that best defined that strange type of love. “Luther King once said that when Christ spoke of loving our enemies he was referring to Agape. Because according to him, it was impossible to like our enemies, those who do us harm and try to make our daily suffering all the worse.”

“But Agape is a lot more than liking. It is a sentiment that invades everything, fills all the cracks and makes any attempt at aggression turn to dust.” ...

... “When Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven belonged to the children, he was referring to Agape in the form of Enthusiasm. The children reached him without paying any attention to his miracles, his wisdom, the Pharisees and the apostles. They came happily, driven by Enthusiasm.”

“May you never lose your enthusiasm at any moment for the rest of your life: it’s your greatest strength, intent on the final victory. You cannot let it slip through your fingers just because as time passes we have to face some small and necessary defeats.”

- Paulo Coelho Warrior of Light Online, published by www.paulocoelho.com.br

...

Took the time this long weekend to relax and read some books and pdf's which I'd downloaded earlier, but which I hadn't had the time to look through. And what a timely reminder this article was, during this Easter weekend, of the true message of Easter, a reminder of His Agape love, the total love that God had for mankind ...

"For God so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3 : 16