tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82322050414918446502012-02-10T14:06:07.376+08:00“铁磨铁，磨得锋利；朋友互相切磋，才智也变得敏锐。”－－箴言27：17 <br> “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”－－Proverbs 27:17Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-43291387095462537962012-01-27T13:21:00.000+08:002012-01-27T13:21:25.386+08:00

My journey that finally brought me home to Eastern Orthodoxy started many years ago started in 1992 when I was at Moody Bible Institute. It was then that I first visited an Orthodox Church. As for any first time visitor coming from a Protestant background, it would be hard to capture the experience in any one word except different. Even at that time I could articulate that Protestants had

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-52002420721994755062011-01-06T11:02:00.000+08:002011-01-06T11:02:05.602+08:00

This is a difficult question​ for me because it has implications for my brother, who​, when younger, was a very passionate Christian, but who died after he fell away from the faith. Being raised in a "once saved, always saved" church, my family members too​k​ comfort in ​their doctrine of eternal security.​  It seems that their doctrine is naive because it overlooks Scripture that indicates that

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-72851619932499189572011-01-06T10:57:00.000+08:002011-01-06T10:57:24.253+08:00

The doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement teaches that Jesus offered up himself as a sacrifice to vicariously satisfy divine on behalf of sinners. When considered together, the nature and design of this atonement necessarily decide its extent, i.e., that it was for the elect and only the elect that Christ died. Let's first consider three aspects of the nature of the atonement: its

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-81685133536438114142011-01-06T10:55:00.000+08:002011-01-06T10:55:04.365+08:00

The strongest objection to the doctrine of unconditional election, which, to be honest, is also the one with which I am currently struggling, is the charge that it is unfair. Note that I am making a clear distinction between fair and just. The argument that infralapsarian election is unjust has no leg to stand on because the decree logically took into account the results of the decree to allow

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-57836361548788843692011-01-06T10:49:00.000+08:002011-01-06T10:49:59.213+08:00

The reason that Pelagianism is such a serious theological error is that the glory of the gospel (and thus of God Himself) is necessarily dimmed. This happens in two way: 1) by representing the bad news of Adam's fall as less bad and 2) by representing the good news of God's grace as less good. First, it represents the bad news of Adam's fall as less bad. The brightness of an object is made more

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-90792042313317672302010-05-28T04:29:00.000+08:002010-05-28T04:29:01.516+08:00

The art of sculpture is, first of all, the art of seeing; and discipline is the way to make visible what has been seen.This reminds me of the definition of imagination from Redeemed Lives (as modified by my selective memory): the human faculty for perceiving the unseen real. Perhaps this the reason my life is going nowhere: I have no vision. Thus, nothing compels me to pursue and persevere in

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-25574949062931284812010-05-27T09:26:00.000+08:002010-05-27T09:26:46.949+08:00

I am reading Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen and wanted to record some of the good quotes I found: I started explaining all my problems and difficulties--trying to convince her of how complicated it all was! When, after ten minutes of elaborate explanation, I finally became quiet, Mother Teresa looked at me and quietly said: "Well, when  you spend one hour a day adoring your Lord and never do

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-82944631671023086032010-03-10T08:08:00.001+08:002010-03-10T08:08:12.728+08:00

The Sabbath RightImagine for a minute that you are a farmer. Everyday you get up early to feed and water your animals, to milk your cows, to repair your equipment. At different times of the year, you have to plow your fields, plant your seeds, pull your weeds, irrigate your crops, harvest your crops. Every morning, you wake with a sense of fear, "If I don't feed my animals, they will die. If I

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-61026837074174863892009-10-14T22:50:00.001+08:002009-10-14T22:50:24.929+08:00

The Chinese have a traditional form of seasonal decoration called a Dui Lian (对联). They are red strips of paper that go on the outside of your door at the top and on the sides. Sort of like putting the passover blood on the lintel and two side posts. Then on the strips of paper are written seasonally relevant poetry in calligraphy. A monk at the monastery taught me a Dui Lian to capture the

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-33032121766286974492009-10-07T19:49:00.002+08:002009-10-08T18:58:25.261+08:00

On October 2, through a combination of boat, plane, and car, I traveled to a Trappist monastery in a village called Shuili, in a township also called Shuili, in the county of Nantou, in the country of Taiwan. The monastery was located about an hour by foot up a mountain. There were only three resident monks, all of them priests: the current superior Father Paul and two aged former superiors

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-47926621786493938472009-08-29T21:22:00.001+08:002009-08-29T21:22:31.618+08:00

The following is a letter I sent to my nephew a couple weeks ago. It captured my thoughts so well that I chose to reproduce it here for everyone's benefit:Josh, do you know what happened to me two weeks ago? I came home. I don't know how it happened, but I went on a very distant journey that left my soul in deprivation. I remember distinctly my gratitude, passion, hope, and confidence in 1996

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-76833501509587645562009-06-16T20:48:00.001+08:002009-06-16T20:48:12.129+08:00

Here are the photos from my time of quarantine: http://picasaweb.google.com/HaoBole/QuarantinedInXiamen

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-44214624431210428352009-06-13T15:18:00.002+08:002009-06-13T15:31:40.854+08:00

I remembered how when Paul and Silas were in jail in Acts 16, they sang praises to God. And then God sent an earthquake that broke open the jail. I thought I would try. No earthquake.But about 5 p.m. on the June 12, a nurse buzzed my room and said I could go. I asked about what paperwork I would need to complete, and she said that she would put a certificate in the compartment for passing food to

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-86409714549488586482009-06-12T08:41:00.001+08:002009-06-12T08:45:49.628+08:00

A doctor visited me yesterday about 7 p.m. I was very happy to have a visitor. She said that my throat culture came back negative, but that since I came from the US, I needed to have two consecutive negative throat cultures. So she took another one, remarking that my throat was hyperemic (I did not know the Chinese word either, but fortunately my computer has a Chinese-English dictionary) and I

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-50682720193272208402009-06-11T17:17:00.002+08:002009-06-12T08:45:09.047+08:00

I must share a bit about my return trip to China. The story began in Chicago, where my flight to Los Angeles was delayed 1 1/2 hours. When I finally reached Los Angeles, my next flight had already boarded, and I was not quite sure how to find it. It was not just at another gate; it was in a different terminal. I frantically searched and ran to the other terminal and went through security again.

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-58269882651849998662009-05-19T04:50:00.011+08:002009-05-20T03:49:37.388+08:00

IntroductionLast week my brain had a coming together. I was finally able to see the truth and co-applicability of three things that over the past year had struck me as odd yet potent. I will share these below.Lust Inflicts Injury That Needs HealingLast year I started seeing a Christian counselor. He prescribed for me a weekly checklist of disciplines that I was to observe. This was a negotiated

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-25165357815514320802009-05-16T22:33:00.002+08:002009-05-16T22:40:46.404+08:00

On May 1 - 3, 2009, I attended the semi-annual Red Tag retreat. One of the themes was God's four omni's: omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience, and omnibeneficence. Below I will try to share some insights with which I came away.I basically have a mental block on the fourth omni (omnibeneficence) that has become the cords that bind me, and they were relentlessly tight all day Friday night through

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-10016555111167395772009-02-08T10:38:00.003+08:002009-02-08T10:52:32.070+08:00

Introduction What is today’s date? Based on the time of year and the precedent that Lipu set in January of this year, what topic would I naturally want to talk about today? Right. Personal Growth Plans or Goal setting or New Years Resolutions. So what topic do you think I will talk about today? Wrong. We will talk about none of them. Lipu’s strength is looking forward, planning for the future,

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-54769492036504252432008-11-08T18:03:00.001+08:002008-11-08T18:03:15.906+08:00

Below is a letter I wrote to a friend on December 6, 2005. I came across it today and thought that its content was still relevant, so I publish it here for anyone else interested:Dear Paul, I felt particularly riled up after tonight's theological discussion. But the limitations of time and of extemporaneous speech's clarity kept me from responding in full. However, something you said (thought I

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-18867719488323811482008-10-25T21:22:00.001+08:002008-10-25T21:22:44.246+08:00

Helpful Vocabularly rusty 生锈 rudder 舵 bit 爵环 self-fulfilling prophecy 自我应验预言 self-deprecation 自我贬低的，过分谦虚的 viz. (abbr. for videlicet) 那就是 reinforce 强化 to elicit 引出；诱出 verbal creature 平时运用语言来跟自己、他人沟通 phenomenon 现象 utterance 言辞;言论;话语 Here I go again! 我不得不重蹈覆辙 subconscious 下意识的 to evoke 唤起(记忆等);引起 specious validity 似是而非 to perpetuate 使永久存在 manipulation 操控别人的感情 asset 宝贵的人材 to deflect 使偏斜;使转向

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-44726038982581798592008-09-21T09:24:00.001+08:002008-09-21T09:24:45.586+08:00

Disclaimer:I wrote a letter to my friend Cheryl last week. I thought it was a really good letter explaining a recent insight I had had. I also want to share the insight in my blog, but I don't want to write another batch of prose, so I thought that I would shamelessly plagiarize my letter to Cheryl and put it here. Cheryl, if you ever read this post, please know that your letter came first, and

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-84586833889903005302008-08-26T22:06:00.005+08:002008-08-26T22:16:30.729+08:00

　　我从小就一直想学习外语。因为很少美国人学习别的国家的语言，所以上外语课不太方便。至于自习语言，古代的语言比较方便因为不用说出来。因此我高中、大学的时候自习拉丁语和古代的希腊语。大学毕业之后，我当了八年的软件工程师。钱存够了，我就决定停下工作而出国学习外语。本来我选择了在日本学习日语，后来因为中国的生活费没有日本那么贵，所以我来了中国。最初我住在天津，在新世纪语言文化中心上学。学了一年的中文以后，我的钱用光了，不得不又找工作了。我问老师 ：“中国的什么城市有暖和又干净？”她立刻回答，“厦门。”然后我问她，“厦门有没有大学？”她又回答，“有，而且挺有名的。”我立即准备了我的简历然后发到厦大。我的申请被批准之后，我就厦门搬到了厦门，当了厦大软件学院的外教。虽然我常常很喜欢跟我的学生在一起，但是我发现教书不太适合我的性格。那时侯，我认识一个中国朋友，我们很谈得来，甚至比所有的美国朋友都更熟。

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-35728880585473930892008-08-20T05:58:00.003+08:002008-08-25T21:40:55.742+08:00

I wrote these lyrics to accompany the hymn tune Appalachia. I cannot find an mp3 online, but if you are American, you probably would recognize the melody if you heard it. In morning hours I rise to meet,The one for whom my heart does beat.His face to see, His voice to hear.O Father God, let me draw near. Throughout the day my passions rage.Alone can You the hurts assuage.A place of safety where

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-8939649814810282882008-08-15T16:09:00.001+08:002008-08-15T16:09:34.299+08:00

Be sad that things turn out unlike you wish.Be angry that his words were rude and tough.Be envious that you've none, but he has fish.Do judge his action's quality as rough.All these you may embrace but at your loss. I offer joy; why waste it to be sad?Forgiveness is your lifelong secret sauce.Content, forbearing as your Heavenly Dad.Have joy or not: This is a choice you make.The pressure, I

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-7420904743793768092008-06-17T06:45:00.001+08:002008-06-17T06:45:13.833+08:00

Dear Daddy,Thanks for the wind this morning. It is so fresh. I love how it feels on my arms. Thank you also that I have a dry place to live to keep out the rain. Thank you that my friend Jordan is so eager to spend time together, even to accompany me to get acupuncture. Thank you that Jordan also helped me to discover the cause of that technical problem yesterday. Thank you for the block of time

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-71634054698927480132008-06-13T06:24:00.000+08:002008-06-13T06:25:00.232+08:00

Dear Daddy,I really like what Big Brother said about You in Matthew 6. It makes me feel so warm and safe knowing that You are so attentive to my physical needs. You know that for years and years I have had a fear of becoming homeless. And this fear caused me to save all my money. In my mind I was storing up money to build a wall against Your future capricious decision to make me lose my job or

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-36076671644583241382008-06-09T10:59:00.002+08:002008-06-09T22:58:09.560+08:00

Helpful vocabulary lie 错误的信念 stutter 结结巴巴地说话 Stinkin' Thinkin' 发恶臭的思路 adversely 不利地，逆向地 weed 杂草 rotting corpse 朽腐的尸体 illustrate 举例说明，阐明 interpretation of data 数据判读 annoy 令人讨厌的 advocating 提倡

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-762481433188508822008-05-27T06:22:00.001+08:002008-05-27T06:22:55.780+08:00

Dear Daddy,I was really struggling to get out of bed today to write you. I kept telling myself, "It does not matter. An invisible, intangible god. What evidence is there that he receives the letters?" But then I thought that these are the types of thoughts that precede an emotional downward spiral, which I want to avert. Plus, bedtop reasoning is notorious unlucid, so I decided I had better get

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-671956940949754972008-05-25T09:31:00.002+08:002008-05-25T09:33:33.724+08:00

N. T. Wright wrote an article proposing a liturgical prayer: http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Prayer_Trinity.htmI thought it was useful, so I reproduce it here along with my Chinese translation:Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth: Set up your kingdom in our midst.Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God: Have mercy on me, a sinner.Holy Spirit, breath of the living God: Renew me

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-65406709955023530332008-05-25T09:10:00.001+08:002008-05-25T09:35:06.461+08:00

Dear Daddy,Thank you for causing Amy to say some things yesterday in the Areopagus Forum that opened my eyes to You. She was trying to persuade Paul that "being thankful" in itself is inadequate; thankfulness needs to be directed toward a person to be complete. This I knew, for I have used this line of reasoning before when trying to raise other's awareness of You. But then she listed examples of

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-14534038018128958462008-05-24T07:26:00.001+08:002008-05-25T09:35:06.462+08:00

Dear Daddy,I thought today how kind it was of you to prompt my parents to have me take piano lessons. You know how much joy it brought me at the time. Even to this day I can still play many pieces upon demand if provided the music notation, and this is a joyful thing for me. And not only the fact of my taking piano lessons, but also the teacher you inspired my parents to choose. What a tremendous

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-21494347743888936702008-05-23T06:59:00.001+08:002008-05-25T09:35:06.462+08:00

Dear Daddy,I wanted to write and say that I love You. I don't remember exactly when I first started to notice You, but I was very Young. I do remember, for example, when that evangelist Frank Gonzales spoke of You, how my heart burned for You. At that age I did not know the word intimacy, but that feeling was certainly a juvenile desire for it. In high school when I read the interaction between

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-45545841662100153682008-05-20T06:02:00.001+08:002008-05-25T09:34:44.068+08:00

Lie: The principle of cause and effect does not apply in my life: seeking God has no positive effect; indulging the flesh has no negative effect. Truth: Every decision has consequences, both in this life and in the life to come. Scripture: "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-89989153717930739092008-05-19T05:48:00.001+08:002008-05-25T09:34:44.069+08:00

Lie: My weaknesses are more powerful than God's grace. Truth: God anticipates and takes steps in advance to compensate for my weaknesses. Scripture: "For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us" (

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-52936876549604406432008-05-18T09:59:00.001+08:002008-05-18T10:02:22.591+08:00

One way to help identify lies is to find a verse that moves me to tears of longing, a verse that I feel resistant to believe because it is too good to be true. Then to work backward to see what the lie is. I used this method to identify the first lie. There is a passage that has moved me to tears ever since as a child I first heard it in a solo from Handel's Messiah. Lie: God forgave my past

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-89840763358167610812008-05-18T09:57:00.001+08:002008-05-18T10:02:22.591+08:00

I want to start a new blog series. I have really been struggling recently. A friend suggested that I systematically identify the lies that I believe and then find a corresponding truth from Scripture to use a weapon against that lie. I think that this is a good idea. I hypothesize that there are others who also struggle with the same lies that I do, so I thought that I would publish my results on

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-26056575321586735652008-05-16T19:05:00.001+08:002008-05-16T19:05:16.980+08:00

茫茫六十亿，我是小小的我；上下五千年，我是小小的我；东西南北中，我是小小的我；春夏与秋冬，我是小小的我。小小的我，为骄傲的资本而努力，小小的我，为明天的出路而失眠，小小的我，为眼目的情欲而愁烦，小小的我，为生命的意义而蹉跎， 有一天，小小的我碰到大大的神，六十亿中多了许多弟兄，五千年中多了许多姐妹，四极当中有了许多家庭，四季当中有了许多喜乐，因着你，小小的我，找到努力的动力；小小的我，不为明天而忧虑；小小的我，眼目充满着神迹； 小小的我，生命不再无目的。

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-63893662760249705542008-04-18T08:19:00.001+08:002008-04-18T08:19:57.006+08:00

The Bridge has temporarily moved to a new location. Please follow this link to see pictures of our new home: http://picasaweb.google.com/HaoBole/TourOfTheBridge Lord willing our new building will finish being built in a couple months and we can move into the Promised Land.-- Direct Line in China: +86 135 9991-7574US number that forwards (at my expense) to China: +1 708 572-4285 Blog: http://

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-56625878523295110352008-04-13T22:59:00.001+08:002008-04-13T22:59:14.967+08:00

I tried twice to email these photos into my blog, but just cannot succeed. So in order to see the pictures of my apartment, please go to this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/HaoBole/TourOfApartment

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-74087760010831137502008-04-02T18:56:00.001+08:002008-04-02T19:11:47.827+08:00

I have struggled with warts on my hands all my life. It did not stopwhen I came to China. The first time I had a set removed in China waswhile I lived in Tianjin. It was terrifying. Up to that point in time,I had always used liquid nitrogen, and so my expectations werecalibrated for that. However, that doctor used a laser, and boy didshe use it. I sat there smelling my flesh being offered up as a

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-81305662945941019512008-03-08T23:32:00.001+08:002008-03-08T23:32:57.310+08:00

Merciful God, you are the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the Resurrection and the Life.As we reflect on Matt's life, make us deeply aware of the shortness and uncertainty of human life; and let your Holy Spirit lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days.As we reflect on all your servants who have finished their course in your faith and fear, we pray that, encouraged by their

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-65065584971815858292008-03-05T22:39:00.000+08:002008-03-05T22:45:05.965+08:00

The Puppy and the CalfOnce upon a time, a puppy and a calf  were  good friends. The puppy liked to watch   floating white clouds . So did the calf. But the reason that made them  friends was  not only because they shared the same interest but also because for both of them the quality time was their most favorite love language . That's why they were together everyday talking about the size, the

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-36798598906658763012008-03-01T07:07:00.001+08:002008-03-01T07:07:16.896+08:00

My oldest brother Mathew Thomas Hallstrom passed away on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. An Orange County police officer called my mom's home at 11:30 p.m. looking for a relative of his. I identified myself as one, and they told me the news. I woke my mom and then proceeded to call each one of my remaining five siblings to tell them the news. My sister Melodie, her husband and daughter came over

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-59205342356793289222008-02-24T17:28:00.000+08:002008-02-24T17:33:50.754+08:00

A Puppy and A CalfOnce upon a time, a puppy and a calf are good friends. The puppy likes to watch the floating white cloud, so does the calf. But the reason that makes them to become friends is not only because they share the same interest but also because for both of them the quality time is their most favorite love language. That's why they are together everyday and are talking and sharing

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-79974682512878116522008-02-19T00:28:00.000+08:002008-02-19T00:33:23.289+08:00

Hi YM,我是Paul, 不知道你是否介意Doreen把你下面的这封邮件转发给了我，我看过之后心中有一股强烈的冲动想给你写一封回信，可是因为我的自私，我的懒惰，我珍惜自己的时间，我想完成每天给自己订好的学习任务，所以就一直压制着内心中这股冲动，一直拖到现在。可是今天晚上，我再也忍不住了，神借着Teresa修女的话语拿走了一直以来蒙在我眼前的那块黑布，让我看到一个事实：其实这七天以来我一直盘算着要告诉你的话，我应该先给自己讲一遍。我想给你讲的只是一则小故事，故事的主人公是一个穷寡妇，财主A, 财主B和耶稣，群众演员是耶稣的门徒，以及群众甲和群众乙若干。这个故事发生在一个炎热的夏天，在教会奉献箱的门前，聚会刚刚结束，又到每个月缴奉献的时刻了。这时走过来财主A, 是个大腹便便的家伙，他从怀中拿出一包银两，拿在手中掂了掂分量，然后款款放进了面前的奉献箱，潇洒地回头，转身，

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-91374305913502318272008-02-17T12:32:00.000+08:002008-02-17T12:36:57.641+08:00

外婆过世了我的外婆昨天早晨过世了, 因为我远在厦门无法奔丧的缘故, 今天我才知道这个消息. 当妈妈告诉我的时候, 令我感到奇怪的是, 我并非非常的悲痛, 伤心, 当然也没有一丝一毫的愉悦庆幸, 只是感觉到一种惋惜, 一种乌云覆盖着大地遍地阴翳的心情.外婆, 82岁, 一辈子是个好强的女人, 生了8个子女, 除了大儿子生病很早去世之外, 其他的儿女们都被她调教的很好, 日子一个比一个过的红火, 而且更加难能可贵的是不但是儿女们就连媳妇女婿们也是个个都很孝顺, 很敬重她. 打我记事起, 她就一整天忙个不停, 厨房是她的舞台, 在厨房中她不但能煮出可口的饭菜, 那里也变成她跟她的儿子, 儿媳, 女儿, 女婿, 孙子们情感交流, 谈心解闷的有质量的时间（Quality Time）. 我还记得每次我进入厨房的时候, 都能够听到他们在谈论工作的话题, 相夫教子的话题, 为人处事的话题. 在我印象中,

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-44961106020389095742008-02-14T15:45:00.000+08:002008-02-14T15:50:37.693+08:00

"Ring, Ring, Ring", Victor woke up immediately and it is 5:20am. Today is Valentine's day and it is the time that he has an phone call with his girlfriend. Turned on the Skype and cleaned his throat, he expects a happy conversation with her since they have not talked for almost two days. As expected, she is there. "How wonderful!" he said with his blood pressure going up and his eyes widely open.

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-82819351861972103712008-02-12T08:56:00.000+08:002008-02-12T09:01:27.775+08:00

诗篇37:4 "又要以耶和华为乐"哥林多后书 6:10 "似乎忧愁，却是常常快乐的"尼希米记8:10 "因靠耶和华而得的喜乐是你们的力量"诗篇36:8 "他们必因你殿里的肥甘得以饱足；你也必叫他们喝你乐河的水。"诗篇43:4 "我就走到神的祭坛，到我最喜乐的神那里. 神啊，我的神！我要弹琴称赞你！"诗篇16:11 "在你面前有满足的喜乐，在你右手中有永远的福乐"马太福音25:21 "可以进来享受你主人的快乐"希伯来书 12:2 "仰望为我们信心创始成终的耶稣。他因那摆在前面的喜乐，就轻看羞辱，忍受了十字架的苦难，便坐在神宝座的右边。"to "love mercy" (not just do it,   Micah 6:8),   "好怜悯"  to "show mercy with cheerfulness" (  Romans 12:8), "怜悯人的，就当甘心。" to suffer

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-28127260189403397912008-01-29T11:06:00.000+08:002008-01-29T11:07:51.305+08:00

I am really struggling with this Rules of the Road book. There are so many paragraphs that I don't understand or study questions that are ambiguous. I am feeling much anxiety about this test. Here is a typical confusing paragraph: Red arrow — The red arrow means do not make the movement shown by the arrow until a green arrow appears. You may make a right turn at a red arrow or a left turn at a

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-61247081937943783762008-01-27T22:24:00.001+08:002008-01-27T22:24:23.343+08:00

My flight from HK to LAX was probably the most uncomfortable international one that I have ever undertaken. Observations:When I bought the ticket, United offered an upgrade to get more leg room. It was just $100 more, but I did not consider it since I was focused on conserving money. I repent of that decision and will gladly pay the extra money next time. When I went through security, they

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-43162584335589101362008-01-22T21:24:00.000+08:002008-01-22T21:28:54.587+08:00

问人间情是何物，直叫双目欲穿。莱顿厦门两地间，时区颠倒早晚。时而欢，时而悲，个中滋味谁人知。卿有千言，恨光阴有限，吾有万语，只等见汝面。耶和华，钦定这条道路，应许平安蒙福。顺服主耶稣基督， 我心本应喜乐。无奈何，心所系，思愁日夜俱增附。两地相隔，实未人所愿，神要保守，再等七个月。

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-36799753088009045492008-01-20T14:43:00.000+08:002008-01-20T14:45:56.259+08:00

Last night I found a cool website (http://www.ccel.org) in which I legally downloaded a lots of great books that I longed to read for a long time. The ebooks I downloaded and wish to read are, the Practice of the Presence of God, Pilgrim's Progress, Confession of St. Augustine, the City of God, Heretics by G. K Chesterton, the Club of Queer Trades by G.K Chesterton, the Innocence of Father Brown.

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-84735330892762632992008-01-20T11:29:00.000+08:002008-01-20T11:33:42.601+08:00

My Father, you are my creator, You know exactly how I am functioning and you know completely what I am thinking.  I have nothing to hide from you. Please don't be angry with me,if I am still a very spiritually immature son of yours. Please nurture me with your spiritual milk,and walk me through this toddler stage. I need your help more than any other time because my heart is in dismay, my eyes

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-55792774255912191372008-01-17T17:17:00.000+08:002008-01-17T17:41:25.645+08:00

第二个故事还是我高中的一个同学, 因为复读了一年, 去大学的时候比我们晚一年. 偏巧爱上了一个和我同一届的一个女孩子, 她在天津外国语读书. 所以京津高速就成了他们最熟悉的道路. 女孩子大学毕业后, 顺利申请到了去澳大利亚读书的签证, 当时我同学还在大学读大四. 我同学告诉我因着她的女朋友他开始读圣经, 开始认识主, 希望可以问我问题. 我特别的高兴, 一直在祝福他们在主的道路上越走越甘甜. 去年初跟他联系的时候, 他说他在准备考雅思, 因为他女朋友不打算回来了, 所以他去找她. 但是在刚刚过去的圣诞节晚上, 我发短信问候他, 他说他们分手了, 因为女孩子不想回国, 我朋友因为家庭的缘故也出不了国.一则很短的故事, 也许现在正在进行中, 我不知道现在是不是给这个故事花句号的时间.

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-42901907171529047432008-01-17T17:16:00.000+08:002008-01-17T17:43:40.885+08:00

第一个故事炜和君是我的好朋友, 特别是炜, 我们做哥们的时间从小学就开始了. 一起经过了小学, 初中, 高中, 到大学后还经常的保持联系. 君是一个精灵的女孩子, 从小学开始就没有断过追她的男生, 因为她不但看完了很多的外国名著, 而且连金庸全集和古龙系列都了如指掌, 她和男孩子在一起的时候就特别有话题, 很多男生也愿意跟她沟通, 当她是黄蓉. 炜比郭靖要聪明多了, 考上了大连理工大学. 君也以优秀的成绩考入了北京邮电大学, 分数很高, 比我们班去清华的就差一些分数, 因为电信是很好的专业, 所以在毕业的时候我们也没有太计较她怎么没有考北大. 其实我知道, 炜在高中的时候, 就暗暗的喜欢上了君, 但是因为我们所在的班老师有很大的期待, 而且君的成绩名列前茅, 他就一直只是默默的喜欢她. 好了, 大学时代终于开始了, 可以自由的恋爱了. 可是炜宁愿每天跟她打三个小时的电话,

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-61492050264767644442008-01-15T08:49:00.000+08:002008-01-15T08:53:12.456+08:00

Verse I read today:耶利米书11:20 按公义判断，察验人肺腑心肠的万军之耶和华啊！我却要见你在他们身上报仇，因我将我的案件向你禀明了。Jeremiah11:20 O LORD of Heaven's Armies, you make righteous judgments, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.彼得后书3:8-10 亲爱的弟兄啊，有一件事你们不可忘记，就是主看一日如千年，千年如一日。主所应许的尚未成就，有人以为他是耽延，其实不是耽延，乃是宽容你们，不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。但主的日子要像贼来到一样。那日，天必大有响声废去，

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-13251898307227207172008-01-15T08:48:00.000+08:002008-01-15T08:52:27.312+08:00

I enjoyed a very tranquil day today, except some disappointment I had when I read two magazines Duzhe(读者)and Qingnian Digest(青年文摘). Duzhe was used to be my favorite magazine in my middle school and high school. My perspective were partly defined by this magazine and some other books. But I stopped reading it after I went to study in university since I was attracted by reading English at that time

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-16834332334900282632008-01-15T08:47:00.000+08:002008-01-15T08:51:35.967+08:00

Verse I read today: 耶利米书10:12 耶和华用能力创造大地，用智慧建立世界，用聪明铺张穹苍.Jeremiah 10:12 But God made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.耶利米书10:23-24 耶和华啊，我晓得人的道路不由自己；行路的人也不能定自己的脚步。耶和华啊，求你从宽惩治我，不要在你的怒中惩治我，恐怕使我归于无有。Jeremiah10:23-24 I know, LORD, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, LORD

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-20846238042838148522008-01-15T08:46:00.001+08:002008-01-15T08:50:50.344+08:00

Verse I read today:耶利米书9:23-24 耶和华如此说："智慧人不要因他的智慧夸口，勇士不要因他的勇力夸口，财主不要因他的财物夸口。夸口的却因他有聪明，认识我是耶和华，又知道我喜悦在世上施行慈爱、公平和公义，以此夸口。"这是耶和华说的。Jeremiah 9:23-24 This is what the LORD says: "Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-54021218106256882852008-01-15T08:46:00.000+08:002008-01-15T08:50:19.156+08:00

Verses I read today:耶利米书8:4-6 你要对他们说，耶和华如此说：'人跌倒，不再起来吗？人转去，不再转来吗？这耶路撒冷的民为何恒久背道呢？他们守定诡诈，不肯回头。我留心听，听见他们说不正直的话，无人悔改恶行说：我做的是甚么呢？他们各人转奔己路，如马直闯战场。Jeremiah 8:4-6 "Jeremiah, say to the people, 'This is what the LORD says: " 'When people fall down, don't they get up again? When they discover they're on the wrong road, don't they turn back? Then why do these people stay on their self-destructive path? Why

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-71662897768829134252008-01-09T07:30:00.001+08:002008-01-09T07:30:17.003+08:00

Last year January I had my cholesterol checked. It was:HDL 39LDL 220The LDL/HDL ratio: 5.6At that time I started on Lipitor, and it did great things, but it caused pain in my joints, so I stopped. Instead I pursued a lacto-ovo-vegetarian lifestyle, I started taking red rice yeast as a supplement, and it crossed my mind to exercise a few time. I had a new test yesterday to see if their was

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-90659061106796952282008-01-08T07:13:00.000+08:002008-01-08T07:17:40.878+08:00

Verses I read today耶利米书 7:22 因为我将你们列祖从埃及地领出来的那日，燔祭平安祭的事我并没有提说，也没有吩咐他们。 7:23 我只吩咐他们这一件说：你们当听从我的话，我就作你们的　神，你们也作我的子民；你们行我所吩咐的一切道，就可以得福！Jeremiah7:22-23 When I led your ancestors out of Egypt, it was not burnt offering and sacrifices I wanted from them. This is what I told them: 'Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!'约翰一书 5:3 我们遵守　

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-24691465041281266332008-01-08T06:01:00.000+08:002008-01-08T06:05:48.771+08:00

Verses I read today:耶利米书6:16 耶和华如此说："你们当站在路上察看，访问古道，哪是善道，便行在其间；这样，你们心里必得安息。他们却说：'我们不行在其间。' 6:17 我设立守望的人照管你们说：'要听角声。'他们却说：'我们不听。'6:18 列国啊，因此你们当听；会众啊，要知道他们必遭遇的事！6:19 地啊，当听：我必使灾祸临到这百姓，就是他们意念所结的果子，因为他们不听从我的言语。至于我的训诲 （注：或作"律法"），他们也厌弃了。6:20 从示巴出的乳香，从远方出的菖蒲 （注：或作"甘蔗"）奉来给我有何益呢？你们的燔祭不蒙悦纳，你们的平安祭我也不喜悦。"Jeremiah6:16-20 This is what the Lord says: "Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old,

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-6559991684553349902008-01-06T19:43:00.000+08:002008-01-06T19:46:19.559+08:00

Verse I read today:耶利米书5:1 “你们当在耶路撒冷的街上跑来跑去，在宽阔处寻找，看看有一人行公义、求诚实没有？若有，我就赦免这城。5:2 其中的人，虽然指著永生的耶和华起誓，所起的誓实在是假的。”“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem, ” says the Lord. “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city. But even when they are under oath, saying, 'As surely as the Lord lives,' they are still telling lies!”

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-79997336344672237732008-01-06T11:24:00.000+08:002008-01-06T11:25:57.246+08:00

站在今天, 蓦然回首, 2007年中充满了神精心的带领, 2008年的我应该怎么样渡过, 天父把自由选择的权利交到了我的手中, 但是似乎他不是让我天马行空的为所欲为, 因为在我心灵的某一个地方, 他给我播下一个种子, 我知道丰收不丰收在乎主, 但是耕耘不耕耘在乎我. 2008年就在我的正前方, 我要用这封计划吹响进军这块土地的号角, 我要对我的主说, “主人, 我预备好了, 请差派我”. 这颗种子是这样被播种在我的心田的. 通常当我去书店的时候, 我会直奔英文版的书籍区, 然后如饥似渴的阅读, 满足我一颗骄傲的心, 因为大多数人都只能读中文的书, 但是我能用英文来读书来吸收的时候, 我觉得我被分别出来了, 虽然不是分别出来为圣, 但却分别出来自以为聪明. 所有我好久好久都没有阅读过中文的书籍. 但是就在今年, 当神借着很多渠道让我读了几本中文的书籍的时候,

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-50458056835479181122008-01-06T08:36:00.000+08:002008-01-06T08:40:30.618+08:00

Verses I read today:耶利米书4:19 我的肺腑啊，我的肺腑啊，我心疼痛！我心在我里面烦躁不安，我不能静默不言，因为我已经听见角声和打仗的喊声。My heart, my heart --- I writhe in pain! My heart pounds within me! I cannot be still. For I have heard the blast of enemy trumpets and the roar of their battle cries.耶利米书4:22 耶和华说："我的百姓愚顽，不认识我，他们是愚昧无知的儿女，有智慧行恶，没有知识行善。""My people are foolish and do not know me," says the Lord. "They are stupid children who have no

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-39155030068771144372008-01-06T08:33:00.000+08:002008-01-06T08:36:55.097+08:00

Verses I read today:耶利米书3:16 耶和华说："你们在国中生养众多。当那些日子，人必不再提说耶和华的约柜，不追想，不记念，不觉缺少，也不再制造。 "And when your land is once more filled with people," says the Lord, "you will no longer wish for 'the good old days' when you possessed the Ark of the Lord's Covenant. You will not miss these days or even remember them, and there will be no need to rebuild the Ark."耶利米书3:24 从我们幼年以来，那可耻的偶像将我们列祖所劳碌得来的羊群牛群，

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-3594100895463586672008-01-06T08:30:00.000+08:002008-01-06T08:34:01.757+08:00

Verses I read today:耶利米书 2:13  "因为我的百姓做了两件恶事，就是离弃我这活水的泉源，为自己凿出池子，是破裂不能存水的池子。"For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me --- the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!"约翰二书1:5 太太啊，我现在劝你，我们大家要彼此相爱。这并不是我写一条新命令给你，乃是我们从起初所受的命令。1:6我们若照他的命令行，这就是爱。你们从起初所听见当行的，就是这命令。I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-40809797435114499822008-01-06T08:21:00.000+08:002008-01-06T08:29:54.244+08:00

Verses I read today:1:4 耶利米说，耶和华的话临到我说：1:5 "我未将你造在腹中，我已晓得你；你未出母胎，我已分别你为圣；我已派你作列国的先知。"The Lord gave me this message: "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations."1:8 你不要惧怕他们，因为我与你同在，要拯救你。这是耶和华说的。"And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I the Lord, have

Paul Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15439045331724671435noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-84037841274362541902008-01-04T18:27:00.001+08:002008-01-04T18:27:45.705+08:00

Recently, I have been struggling with discouragement, so I did some reading about hope. I found St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica to be insightful albeit exceptionally hard-to-read. In the end I relied on Father Davis' digest on the topic in order to help me to grasp it. In short, hope is not just a good thing to have; rather, it is a virtue. As such, it is under volitional control and the

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-42086874411325185582007-12-31T13:52:00.001+08:002007-12-31T13:52:34.266+08:00

I took the occasion of the day off from work today to look at the blogs of some of my friends today, and I thought to myself, "Why is it so hard for me to write a little bit on my blog?" I decided that there were three factors: I struggle with insecurity about the interestingness of the content. I assume that what people want to see are pictures, not text. But frankly, I am not a visual person. I

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-61753400469901590452007-11-28T21:52:00.000+08:002007-11-28T21:54:40.412+08:00

Definition: Giving to others' basic needs without having as my motive personal reward. "That man is worthless who knows how to receive a benefit, but not how to return one."--Plautus (c. 200 B.C.) "The best portions of a good man's life are his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love."--Anonymous

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-71981824545017896812007-11-28T17:29:00.000+08:002007-11-28T17:34:09.114+08:00

My Thanksgiving Day was normal during the work day since it is not a holiday here. However, in the evening I invited all of our employees to eat hot pot with me. We shopped for ingredients, ate, and cleaned up together. Our conversation was also good. I shared with them the story of Squanto: how he had been kidnapped by English speakers and taken to England twice, yet was willing to forgive and

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-62277255325286755492007-09-23T10:47:00.000+08:002007-09-23T11:20:55.069+08:00

One Sunday morning a while back my business partners and I were holding a devotional time together. Nate read aloud a chapter entitled “The Prayer of Examen” from Richard Foster’s book Prayer: Finding the Heart’ s True Home. One sentence struck me deeply: “Even the pagan philosophers were wiser than this generation. They knew that an unexamined life was not worth living. ‘Know thyself’ is the

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-33296184073411847762007-08-27T18:32:00.000+08:002007-08-27T22:53:58.833+08:00

Last Friday was the last day that one of our interns worked for us. His name is Clive, and he will be heading to graduate school in Beijing. I will miss him a lot. Here are two pictures of our team:Also, another associate of Jian Hua has opened up has opened up a Dutch cheese factory in China. In addition to providing poor Chinese farmers a skill and work, this is a very welcome service for us

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-87188183161481921022007-08-11T07:49:00.000+08:002007-08-11T07:53:59.238+08:00

I gave a talk this week at our lifeskill training session on forgiveness. I used the story of Joseph to illustrate the point. If you read Chinese, you can peruse the prepared text below.我给饶恕下定义为“不去追究那些得罪我的人而且不怀恨他们。”从前在迦南地，亦即现代的以色列，有一户叫雅各的人家。当时一夫多妻很流 行，他的四个妻子给他生了十二个儿子。他的儿子中，有一个叫约瑟，雅各特别偏爱。为什么呢？因为约瑟是雅各爱妻的大儿子。雅各很明显地偏待约瑟，还做了一 件色彩缤纷的新衣服给约瑟，其他的弟兄都没有。而这件彩衣不断地提醒约瑟的哥哥们，雅各爱约瑟胜过爱他们，所以哥哥们讨厌约瑟。更糟的是约瑟有时做很奇怪 的梦

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-61054218695245674752007-08-05T07:13:00.000+08:002007-08-05T07:19:00.415+08:00

I gave a speech at the Bridge yesterday. I thought it went really well, so I will reproduce the text here:As Lipu brought out so clearly, it is foolish merely to pursue the things that make us happy here and now. Furthermore, it is actually a sign of wisdom to prepare in advance for our final--and eternal--stage of life. This naturally leads us to the question how to prepare for eternal happiness

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-1302605316091495192007-07-29T18:28:00.000+08:002007-07-29T19:42:57.156+08:00

The last two weeks have been challenging physically. If you are interested in details, please read on.On July 19, I wrote the following and asked our administrative assistant to translate it into Chinese for use when I went to the doctor the next day:July 14, I woke up with a bad headache and pain in my abdomenJuly 15, the headache was gone, but the pain in abdomen remained. Could not sleep this

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-4851275029902740982007-07-16T20:41:00.000+08:002007-07-16T20:59:27.618+08:00

Last week, I ordered a series of CD's as a birthday gift from my mom. They all were hymns set to baroque style music. The series is called To God All Praise and Glory . I highly recommend them.This morning as I was worshiping with them, I heard "And Can It Be", so I went to Cyberhymnal to get the lyrics. And lo and behold, I discovered that there were SIX verses to the hymn. In my whole life,

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-43743085426720972722007-07-15T17:18:00.001+08:002007-07-15T17:47:26.294+08:00

Wow, it has been seven months since I last posted! Part of the issue is that my camera broke, so I no longer can provide pictures, which I figured that people would expect from me. So, I reasoned, provide nothing rather than provide something substandard. Another reason is that I suffer from repetitive stress syndrome in my hands, so I try to minimize my typing (very hard for a software engineer

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-31258733045248209652007-01-07T21:28:00.000+08:002007-01-07T21:41:56.557+08:00

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-83318266243051978832006-10-31T14:57:00.000+08:002006-11-11T14:59:53.614+08:00

我第一次和中国人见面，他们经常问我一样的问题，比如说：“你是从哪里来的？”、“你多大了？”、“你结婚了吗？”、“既然你这么老，那么你为什么还没有结婚？”、“你想取一个中国老婆吗”、“你打算在中国住多久？”有些问题比较不容易回答。对我来说，最难回答的问题就是这两个：“你为什么来中国？”“你为何将每年能赚八万多美元的工作辞了？你难道疯了吗！” 这两个问题为什么那么难回答呢？就是因为回答很复杂，而且通常听众都没有耐心听完我对这些问题作出完全的回答。为什么回答这么复杂呢？就是因为有很多角度能用来看待这些问题。我不知道他们想听我来中国的目的、还是原因、还是使命、还是希望、还是动力、还是意图、还是意向。由于这个缘故，我今天想用四个角度来回答这些问题：我人生的目标是什么、我为什么选择在中国追求这个目标、我怎么敢将每年能赚八万多美元的工作辞了、我具体怎么要在中国活出这个目标？

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8232205041491844650.post-54560358218152641342006-09-30T15:34:00.000+08:002006-09-30T15:47:59.068+08:00

The Chinese branch of our company has a first customer. His name is Pat Ramsden. He owns a franchise of Intelligent Office. He needs some software to help manage his customers. We met over skype in order to discuss what his requirements were. It became quickly apparent that we did not have a framework in place for long-distance customers to specify and track progress on requirements. We looked

Philip Hallstromhttps://profiles.google.com/110529449412049025023noreply@blogger.com0