Tuesday Morning Prayer

Walking today was amazing!! I followed my same route through the trails in the forest to emerge onto the beach. But today, I was struck with the growth and fullness of the vegetation around me. Perhaps because summer was so late in arriving or perhaps because I enjoyed the barrenness of the forest in the winter, today the abundance of foliage just overwhelmed me. And as I walked, I thought of this: (taken from Celtic Benediction by J. Philip Newell)

In the beginning, O God,
when the firm earth emerged from the waters of life
You saw that it was good.
The fertile ground was moist
the seed was strong
and earth's profusion of colour and scent was born.
Awaken my senses this day
to the goodness that still stems from Eden.
Awaken my senses
to the goodness that can still spring forth
in me and in all that has life.


and this one:


The world is alive with Your goodness, O God,
it grows green from the ground
and ripens into the roundness of fruit.
Its taste and its touch
enliven my body and stir my soul.
Generously given
profusely displayed
Your graces of goodness pour forth from the earth.
As I have received
so free me to give.
As I have been granted
so may I give.

Heard Recently at the Malouf House

Well, we've officially entered a new season in our household. I now have a member of "generation text" living under my roof! Mikaela got her first cell phone...and my life will never be the same again.

She has been playing with it non-stop since she got it on Thursday and has had to recharge it twice! Plus, she and her friends have figured out the text messaging so well that we decided to upgrade her plan to include 250 text messages a month or else she would have been broke within 5 days! (She has to pay for her monthly charges.)

So here is the conversation I recently heard in the backseat of my car:

Mikaela: My phone has megapixels!!

Luc: What are those??

Mikaela: I don't know.

Luc: Well....if it uses the word "mega", it has to be good!!!

Love...

"Art is love creating the new world
and justice is love rolling up its
sleeves to heal the old one."
-NT Wright @ Emory University 2008

Slideshow of Beijing

So forgive me for not putting these to music...all the selections were obnoxious after 121 photos! Also, the old film effect was the best one they had! Enjoy some of the photos! For a better look at the pictures, click on "view all images".

On to Guangzhou

Evidently, Western wedding photography is big here. There is a company that the bride and groom can go into their shop, the bride can pick out any dress she likes (and the groom, his tux), get makeup and hair done, and go out for a photoshoot! It doesn't matter if the dress doesn't fit, they just pin it. AND you can do this any day of the week! We saw pictures like this being taken all through the weedkdays as well as the weekend.
We stayed on Shamain Island. It was the only British outpost on mainland China during the 19th century. It was beautiful, but very British colonial. It didn't feel totally like China.

A boat on the Pearl River.

Tai Chi in the morning.

This is a pagoda and waterfall at the White Swan. By the way, if you are ever in Guangzhou, that is the place to stay. It is beautiful!

Bridges link Shamien Island with the city of Guangzhou. Cross the bridge and you feel like you are back in China.

Now we are back in China...

We used a laundry service while we were in Guangzhou. Then, as we walked down the street, we'd see all the clothes drying like this. I half expected to look up and recognize the pants, shirt, or underwear!!

Mao's Little Red Book

We visited the pearl market on one of our last days...



This is ONE store...these bags are FULL of pearls...there are a dozen or so more stores like this!

MMM...octopus on a stick! Can't beat that snack. It's almost as good as chicken feet!

Near the pearl market

Working hard...always!

What Will Become of This Child??

$1, 600, 137.23. This is how much Mikaela helped raise for different causes this weekend.

OK, so the 1.6 million was from an event that she went and served at for Medical Teams International...but she got her first taste of being a champion of causes and she loved it!!

I think we've always know that Mikaela was always good with money in a Kingdom sort-of-way. The minute she would get money, it would be given away to the person, event, cause that God had placed on her heart. Many a homeless person has been the beneficiary of her generosity (in money and food), victims of hurricane Katrina have received from her, the church, African and Chinese children, and even her brother have been gifted with "her" money (which she doesn't really see as hers!).

On Friday at a school carnival, Mikaela almost singlehandedly raised $137.23 in an hour and a half for new trees to be planted at the school. I watched her from a distance as she promoted the cause, talked to people, and persuaded them to give. She wasn't a "salesman" nor a manipulator, but it came out of a genuineness in her heart and people responded! It was really amazing to watch! (And of course, she was excited because none of it was for her...it was all for something else!)

At the Medical Teams International fundraiser, she got to see it on a much grander scale and to only be a small part, but it fed her desire to do good around the world and to keep finding ways to give away money. (Of course, it also confirmed to her that she "really wants to travel around the world now and serve others" in the name of Jesus.)

So, all I can say is a repeat of what Elizabeth said about her son, John..."What will become of this child? Clearly, God has His hand in this." (Luke 1)