Daily Survival Kit

1. Bible - the Word of God- need I say more?

2. Toothpick - to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others
3. Rubber band - to remind you to be flexible: things might not always work out the way you want, but it will work out.
4. Band aid - to remind you to heal hurt feelings,
yours and someone else's
5. Pencil - to remind you to list your blessings everyday
6. Eraser - to remind you that everyone makes mistakes,
and it's OK
7. Chewing gum - to remind you to stick with it and
you can accomplish anything
8. Mint - to remind you that you are worth a mint!
9. Candy kiss - to remind you that everyone needs a
kiss or a hug every day
10. Tea bag - to remind you to relax daily and
go over your list of blessings 

Adapted from anonymous. 

What reading?

Reading week is just too short. I have a lotta work and reading to do! Heading back to Waterloo tomorrow to my geese friends. But hey, just 36 days until the end of lectures! I had my green tea latte today from starbucks, been relaxin'...no complaining!

Bring it on, 1B! Bring it on Chem midterm! (wait lemme start reading!)

Abe :)

A Little Love. [Homelessness in Toronto, part three]

Up to this point, we found that the people we've talked to were not there by choice. And really, I don't think anyone would want to be homeless...right? Well, let's see...

As we headed west on Queen Street, we saw a man huddled in his sleeping bag across from Nathan Phillips Square. As snow continued to fall, we sat down and asked him if he would like a bagged lunch. The man peeked slightly from his sleeping bag, and told us he was allergic to peanut butter, so we gave him a jam sandwich instead. The man, who didn't look older than in his thirties accepted the lunch and socks, and went back into his sleeping bag. Leaving, I noticed a water-logged and well worn book of the New Testament beside his few belongings, with the words 'Jesus Saves' on the cover. It saddened me to see such a young person out on the streets. It made me wonder what led him to his current situation?

 We decided to head into the heart of Queen Street West Village, an area that is notorious for being the fashion district, but also as a pretty funky sketchy area. Surely, we would find some people. We found a man, about his late twenties, reading a book, sitting beside his black Labrador retriever. He had a skateboard beside him, on which he had a cardboard sign attached. "Need $$$ for WEED."

We offered him a bagged lunch and socks, and he happily accepted it. As we talked to him, he explained to us that he really didn't care much about the outside life. Originally from the west, he used to snowboard, but now travels across the country and has stayed on the streets of Toronto for the past few years. He said most people would "finish school, get a job, get married, have kids and then die. pft." He doesn't see the point in that. He doesn't want to settle down, but wants to stay his current way, and maybe travel to the east in a bit. We wanted to talk about a greater purpose to life, and about God's love, but we weren't bold enough to. His friend came back a few minutes and joined us. He is originally from Nova Scotia but has also drifted around.  He too had a similar philosophy as his friend and did not see a point in settling down. He said this is what it's about. This is life, he says, and shows a tattoo that spells 'life'.  He hopes to head out west in a few days. As we said good bye, we realized maybe not everyone was there because they had to. Maybe, some are there by choice.

We decided to visit Rob again, as we wanted to give him a  second bagged lunch. Recognizing us, he greets us heartily and thanks us for the food. This time around, there was a heavy stench of booze lingering in his breath. We suspected he visited the LCBO in front of him. As we left, we heard his call to passerbys for spare change, and I know that once he has enough money, he will reward himself with a little bit of booze. It is said by the city report that 51% of the homeless require mental health and addiction services. Addiction can make it tricky for some to get back on their feet. I hope Rob will get back up someday....

We headed north on Spadina and saw a man standing in front of a Tim Hortons. From his appearance, you may mistaken him for Santa, with thick white beard and hair, except with a broken nose and scars all over his face. We walked over, but I couldn't help notice the businessman in front of us, walking by the homeless man, without taking a look at him, drops some change into his cup and walks into the Timmy's. Surely, he doesn't know giving a panhandler change isn't doing him any favours. It will only fuel his addictions. We greeted the man, and he was absolutely delighted by our bagged lunch. He said PBJ sandwiches are his FAVORITE! He thanked us for helping him, but then he leaned forward towards us, so close that we smelled the unmistakeable stench of booze from him, as he said, "you guys are CHI--NEESE!!!! CHINEESE! You people come from Chi-na, because there's too many of you, and you come here. You CHI-NEESE take over all our jobs. You hear me?" It came as close to a threat as it possibly could have been. He mumbled something else, but I did not catch it. Then, he went back to his previous self, and thanked us and shook our hands, thanking us for giving him a lunch.

We said good bye, and left rather quickly as we did not want to provoke anything. He was obviously affected by alcohol. By this time, it was almost 2pm, and I thought we would have been done by 12:30pm, and I was quite late for a reunion with my high school friends. So, with four bagged lunches left, we donated them to the Scott Missions, a local organization that serves the homeless people.

From this experience, I learned to realize not only how amazingly blessed we are, but what a little love would mean to these people. Taking the time out to just offer them things they physically need, like food and drinks, and socks, and chatting to them will hopefully build a trust between these people and ourselves, and to show some compassion, and God's love.

Again, it was a humbling experience, one that I hope I will continue to serve, and at the end of the day, it was only a small taste of what these people are going through. We can never fully imagine being in their shoes, but we can offer our love. Just a little bag of lunch and socks is worth so little to us in terms of money, but it goes a long way for them! We have so much to be thankful for, blessed with a roof on top of our heads, drinking water, 3 square meals a day, maybe 4, a bed we crawl into at night, and much more...much more!

After 11 km of walking, 13 bags of lunches, 7 different people, it was certainly eye-opening...

Toronto has over 30,000 homeless, mostly women, increasingly immigrants, and with 818 on the streets. Some people are there by choice, some people are not. Some are on the streets because they have mental illnesses or they've had domestic abuse, are jobless, have drug or alcohol addictions...Nevertheless, as Toronto becomes more upscale, the income gap continues to widen, and the rents skyrocket, making housing unaffordable, leaving many homeless.

I hate economics, yet it is useful: the rental market has something called a price floor, and it keeps increasing, while demand increases AND supply decreases, leaving many people without affordable housing.

But they are still people, and no matter who they are and what their backgrounds are, these people are our neighbours, and we can do even just little things that may make a big impact. What it means to "love your neighbour as yourself." There are many ways you can help, and if you don't think you would want to do something as hands-on as this, but would love to spread your love, there are many organizations you can donate to that do amazing work to help the homeless, like United Way, Scott Mission, Project 417, and countless others. Or you can make a difference by volunteering at community dinners or soup kitchens.

At the end, I can't say I've gained enough  insight into the reasons of why people are homeless and whether they are there by choice. Maybe I never will. What I've gone through in life cannot compare to what they've gone through, thus I cannot fully put myself in their shoes and I say, I get it. But what I realized is, everyone's story is different. There are so many factors and reasons that leads them to life on the streets, and we can never fully empathize with them because their pains and suffering  is being our comprehension. Only God understands, and because He loves us so, he took away the suffering we deserved for our sins and sent His son to die on the cross. Just goes to show you His amazing love. And because he first loved us, we spread that same love to others. (John 4:19) Loving others can mean doing little things like giving a lunch to the homeless, or volunteering for the food bank, or being a peer mentor.

Whether, they are there by choice or not, they still need our compassion and help.

We are truly blessed beyond our imaginations. Sometimes we take it for granted.  I know I sometimes do.

 But just a little love can go a long way!

God bless!

Abe :)

PS I know this is a LOTTA reading, but it IS reading week :P Thank you for reading until the end!

Unshaken Faith. [Homelessness Toronto: Part Deux]

A homeless in Toronto. (source: web)

With no luck, we headed east on Dundas and decided to search near Eaton's Centre, where it's full of people. We walked down towards the Canon Theatre, and a homeless man was sitting under the Billy Elliot sign. He had a cardboard sign, saying "Need Housing" We approached him and asked him if he would like a bagged lunch. He gratefully accepted the food and the sock, and we chatted with him. "Paul", like Rob, was going through a rough time. He's unemployed, and was living with his girlfriend. Except, his girlfriend was a drunkard with a heavy alcohol addiction. He thought he was doing a good thing by trying to help her, but in the end, she was being abusive, and started smashing him with bottles. He showed us a bruise/scar above his right eye, and took off his glove to reveal a cast around his index finger that he claimed his girlfriend had broke. Despite all that's happened to him, Paul said, "but I have faith."

Curious, we asked him where his faith comes from. He told us he used to attend masses. Yet he has faith in God. We continued chatting, and Paul seems to be pretty intelligent and clear headed. I asked if he has a place to stay, and he said he does. He told us it is quite dangerous at night on the streets, especially when drunks walk down the street and attack them. Paul certainly wasn't there by choice. After some words of encouragement, we prayed with him and bid our farewell.

As we walked a way, I couldn't help but think about Paul. How so many things has happened to him, where he's lost almost everything, yet he still has such a strong faith. Wow. It certainly was encouraging to see someone with such an unshaken faith.

Hebrews 11:1 says that "faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."


This man certainly cannot see a lot of goodness in his current situation, but he is confident that God will bring him up from the bottom. Confidence and trust. What it means to have faith.

Walking away, I couldn't help but look ahead. So far, two people we spoke to were not there because they want to be, but out of situation.

I certainly hope you will come back for part 3 :)

A glimpse of hope. [Homelessness in TO, part one]

What an amazing and humbling experience! Venturing onto the streets of the inner city was eye opening and certainly touched my heart. Though this is not my first time doing this, it feels special every time. Toronto is a city of prosperity, of hope of what some would say the Canadian dream. Toronto is the economic heart of the country, yet we have the highest poverty and homelessness rate in Canada. Toronto is home to 30,000 homeless people, of which 818 of them live on the streets.

So on this typical Canadian winter day, cold, with light flurries, I headed out onto the streets with four others to give back to the community and to share God's love. We packed a nutritious lunch with PBJ sandwiches and Macintosh and Gala apples (soft-flesh easier on their teeth), an all-natural juice box and cookies. We also bought tons of brand new winter socks, of which they appreciate a lot, sometimes even more than the meal itself! A lot of them wear the same pair everyday for several months, maybe a year, and having a new pair will mean they can change into a new pair and be comfortable!

As we lined ourselves into an assembly line to pack the lunches in front of Nathan Phillips, two middle-aged gentlemen carrying bags and wearing windbreakers approached us and asked if we were packing lunches for the homeless. We said yes. The older gentlemen replied, "Oh! We're homeless people!"  We were unsure if they really were homeless, but we didn't know much about them either. So we happily obliged and gave them two lunches.

Once we finished packing, our group splits off into two, and my partner and I headed down Bay Street. Immediately, we passed by two homeless people, at opposite corners, but they did not appear to be around, so we pledged to return at the end of our run. While walking, my partner brought up an intriguing question.

"Do you think homeless people are on the streets by choice?"  
     
What do you think? Make a note of your opinion in your mind, and come back to it when you finish reading. For me, it was a question we left in the open throughout the day, and I hope after finishing reading this entry, you would gain more insight into it. This blog may not answer the question, but it will hopefully provoke some thinking and reflection....

-----

An hour into the run, we continue our search for homeless people to give bagged lunches to. However, this was not an easy task! I used to frequent a wide area of the downtown core area, and I remember seeing homeless people on many of the streets. How hard was it to find one of the 818 people? Maybe our government's cleaned the streets up after G20 last year, or maybe they turned their lives around.

After venturing south to Union with no luck, we headed west. As time continued on, we still haven't given a single bag away! We were beginning to feel a bit dismayed at the slow progression of the run. Then just before we were about to head back east, we found a man with a Leafs scarf sitting in front of an LCBO. The man extended a coffee cup to passerbys. "Spare some change," he says. We introduced ourselves and  asked him if he would like a bagged lunch and socks. He replied heartily. We talked a bit and the man said he was going through a rough time. But he doesn't want to stay like this, he says he plans to be out of there someday. While listening to him, I couldn't help but notice his eyes. They touched me a lot. Looking into his eyes, I saw sadness, and it saddened me to see him this way. But out of those same eyes, I saw just a glimpse of hope. A hope of better days to come...We bid farewell, and continued our run as we continue our venture into the heart of this city....

To be continued.

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.

Whether you're a kid or an adult, Dr. Seuss's quotes will bring a smile to your day!

• "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You."

• "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." 

• "I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!"

• "ASAP. Whatever that means. It must mean, 'Act swiftly awesome possum!" (adapted from original) 

• "I’m glad we had the times together just to laugh and sing a song, seems like we just got started and then before you know it, the times we had together were gone."

And one of my all time fave aha:

"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

Hope you enjoyed them!

Abe :)

Refresh!

Last week's been a wild ride. I can't say it gave me the same thrill I would if I was on behemoth. Because with a roller coaster, I know where it ends. I can't say I am off the roller coaster right now, but I certain am at a point where the steep fall is tapering off for a while. If it plunges again, I cannot tell. Only God knows, and only time will reveal. But for now, I hope I will be able to take this week to just chill, relax, let my Waterloo troubles stay back with my geese friends, and be refreshed!

God's taught me me so much in the past week, His love never ceases to amaze me. While we all have a break from school, let us not have a break from God, but instead grow more and more in love with Him!

The beginning.

Words are such potent and effective tools. It is through these written and verbal symbols that we interact with each other, how we express ourselves, and how we present our thoughts and ideas. We often weave together an eloquent string of these characters and symbols together to form literary elegance that brings about a wave of emotions, such as joy, hope, and affection. But words can also hurt. Words can pack a punch more sharp and painful than a bullet through the heart. It is through words that also bring about emotions such as despair, fear, grief and hostility. Words hurt. My whole life, words packed quite a few emotional baggage on my shoulders, penetrating deeply into the heart and soul. I too, had also used words to harm. Words that, like poison, work quickly. Words that spread like wildfire. Words that kill, emotionally.


I've had many blogs in the past, as words are so effective and beautiful when used positively. And what more beautiful words can there be than God's words, written in 66 amazing books, 1189 chapters, 31 173 verses, 774 746 words. A book of truth. The absolute truth. Nothing but His truth. How amazing and beautiful is that? There is nothing in the world that can compare to the Holy Bible.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  ~2 Timothy 3:16-17

With that being said, this new blog I am starting will allow my thoughts and ideas to cultivate. As well, it is my means of sharing what God's been teaching me in my life and my journey. It is through his grace that this journey is possible. It is through his grace that I got to know His love. In turn, a challenging, yet exciting journey of my life through His love, and of hope and faith.

 More to come after midterms!!!

Abe :)

~ Sola Gratia. His Grace Alone.

Remind.

These past few days have been pretty crazy to say the least. Maybe the last several weeks, maybe months.  But last week was incredibly crazy, with academics stress of 4 midterms, 2 assignments and 1 lab; with emotional stresses that added on to it. I haven't been sleeping, and I'd lost my appetite, and I certainly was pushing the limits of my body.
So, Thursday night marked the last of my midterm exams before the break, and I thought I would be relieved of my stress when it was finished. But when I went to frosh cell, I was feeling exceedingly weary, physically and emotionally. My heart just wasn't there. I was distracted. As I tried to race through and survive the busy week, all the emotional stress and worries I attempted to put aside caught up with me. I was completely burnt-out. I wanted to be left alone. I wanted to push the world away, and be in my own bubble. I didn't know what was going on anymore. I felt so weak and broken in pieces. When I walked away from the environment building, I was feeling so down, not hopeless, because I knew God was right there with me, but certainly exhausted beyond even my own comprehension. Rain started to pour from the darkened sky as if a faucet was suddenly turned on at cue, while my own faucets started running, as tears and rain mixed together as I began the slow tread back home. I let out a cry, the words inaudible, but a cry to God. I'm now a 19-year-old, but I probably broke down more often than a child that week. It certainly was a low point of the term..


That night, a few sisters-in-Christ were kind enough to allow me to come over. I needed to badly. They were kind enough to let me share until the dead of the night. Through the sharing, I couldn't help but catch myself grinning a few times, as I unleashed a lot of my thoughts and stories into the open (while struggling to keep things within boundaries). Now, I am not sure how much they got out of it, as I realize I was being really vague on a lot of things due to those boundaries, but it certainly did help me. It helped me to open my eyes and see all the things that God's been doing in my life. The ups and downs. I couldn't help but grin at some of the crazy things that had happened since the fall term. Reflecting on past memories, past struggles, I saw how through it all, God had made me stronger. God had kept His promise in rescuing me from those moments, and this was just one of those moments. God was showing me all the times that I had fallen, and how every single time, he picked me back up. His hand is always there to carry me through the struggles.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

I can just see God scolding me, you of so little faith. I am always there for you. It's true, I haven't been trusting God will all my heart, and even thought I might think that I have been, I can't say I have. But it is through my sufferings that I become stronger, and I know God's chisel is at work through my cries and pain and He will reveal to me His power and who He wants me to be. That hit me when a sister shared this verse that night:  

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

God is just so amazing, because His grace is enough. Through my weakness, God was able to effectively display to me His power.


How ultimately, it is His grace alone that we have hope. It is by His grace that we can live life anew. Just amazing, His grace. We don't deserve it, by oh how He loves us!! 

Coming out of that night, I came out with renewed strength and hope, and I learned to thank God for my sufferings. I am still, suffering, but I know God is at work. And hence, I  rejoice!

~Sola Gratia.


Abe :)

History in the Making.

Imported from old blog, Feb 11, 2011:

I love history. As a child, learning about Canadian history always fascinated me. There's something about the past that is truly amazing. Maybe it's because history is what shapes who we are today, maybe it's because you learn so much from the accomplishments or faults in the past. Maybe it's all about identity. History shapes our identity. After all, we are a country founded upon our love for maple, beavers, hockey and yes, our beloved timbits.

These past few weeks, it's been a different experience. Watching history unfold itself is so potent and powerfully striking. For the last 18 days, Egypt has been in a tense standoff between the "elected" President (*cough Dictator) Mubarak of 30 years, and the good people of Egypt. 

The passions of these people, fighting for democracy until the very end, some sacrificing their lives for it. It strikes me to see what people would do for their rights, and how we've taken democracy for granted (low voter turnout), and allow our elected officials to make bad decisions without a peep of disagreement from the general public.

Last week, Egyptian Christians protected around the Muslims praying in the square. Yesterday, Christians prayed PUBLICLY in the square surrounded by a circle of Muslims protecting them. Now, Egypt is 90% Muslim, and a lot of tensions rise between the two groups, throwing stones, attacks, vandalizing mosques/churches. 

Seeing the people put aside their differences and fight together for freedom....it's just so awe-inspiring! God is truly amazing.

Resisting the threats of attack from the government, the Egyptians stood firm, and after 18 days of protest, 18 days of violence, 18 days of prayers, 18 days in solidarity, Egypt is finally free!


Now, the road ahead will not be easy, and to reach full democracy will take a lot of work and more challenges ahead, but there's hope yet for Egypt.


Following the story for the past few weeks, you feel for the people, seeing their struggles, crying out in protest, never dying down, and coming victorious, it's one of those days you feel like you've witness greatness, history in the making. 


It's one of those stories that tugs at you, seeing the human heart, soul, and mind triumph. I remember watching the Chilean mine rescue, where I followed the entire rescue story live throughout the day on CNN and watched, one-by-one, the miners come out alive after 69 days of entrapment. The human strength and determination is so formidable, but it is God who gave them the strength. A story of hope and joy that brought me to tears.

At the end of the day, it's one of those smile to yourself, feeling good and fuzzy moments that makes me appreciate all the more how God is in control of everything. His plan will always come out for the best.