Deepthinker - Reflection on reflections...

Seems kind of weird, a reflection on someone else’s reflection, but something about Vanessa’s entry... well. Her posting can be found at here

Lesson #1: I think, it’s fairly straight forward. Too often we get caught up in our own situations (final exams is a memory still relatively fresh...), and end up really focused and worried about them. I think, it’s really easy to be tempted to just skip the prayer meetings and continue on cramming. But where does our life focus around then? Definitely, we’re breaking a few rules...

“You shall not make for yourself an idol...” – Exodus 20.4-5

It took me a while to realize that idols don’t necessary have to be a physical form. Money is a commonly quoted one. But I’m beginning to realize, so can marks. It’s not easy to stop and refocus when we’re strapped for time or trying to learn a course in a few hours (*cough cough*), but we need to keep each other accountable. For some reason, I’m reminded of that verse in Proverbs...(can’t find it...the verse about how iron sharpens iron, so man must sharpen man)...so keep each other strong in prayer, every step of it...

Lesson #2: As someone who is not as acquainted with the Word, I can’t really comment about how important it is. Instead I’ll talk about her last few sentences for that part...

Scripture (I’ll roughly equivalant it to prayer, since I’m not much for quoting the Word)...It is easy to take in good times and nod, telling ourselves we earned it (Once again, another reference to post-exam break). Comparing the amount of times I’ve lifted things back up to God during exam session (for those of you who has seen me panic after PHYS125 and ECE100...) and the break afterwards, I think illustrates the point very nicely.

That's pretty much it. The last 3 lessons of hers I can't relate. Though that's how we advance, no? Though the knowledge that we gain through each other. We benefit from each other's mistakes, trials and wisdom. There are many things we have to do ourselves...but many we must do with others. Growth and learning just happen to be one of them.

(I think, there’s a sense of incoherence behind my blogs...ha...)

Reference: Vanessa Li, Eric Cheng, Lue Lau

CCF Grad 06 - Words of Mike Yung

I think there is alot of time as university students that we think of ourselves as managers, and I think that's a tremendous disadvantage to us in terms of we don't work on a grassroots level per say. There are alot of things that needs to be done on this Earth. Some of it provide more recognition then others. But what I’ve learned is that, you really need to do those things that people don't see. To make the picture complete.

-Michael Yung

This line really spoke to me. I think, as an AV technician, I’m allowed to participated in the most exciting and intense of screenplays, of drama project and all sorts of productions that needs technical support. I guess it’s my way of getting involved, the pride of being part of a major project, and yet still able to do it all from the backstage. A certain degree of satisfaction knowing that the project will just not be the same without us, but yet, still able to stay anonymous at the same time. But AV is simple one example. There are many, many other roles. Stage crew. Runners. Outside the theatre, people like cleaners and people that set up. People that plan and organize the logistics. A great deal goes into any given project, and often it is the stars of the day that gets the credit. My philosophy as an AV techie is that I didn’t take on this role to get recognized. Heck, I like to act and sing (although horribly). If I really wanted to, I could’ve geared my development towards that, and maybe I could carry a pitch once in a while. "If you can talk, you can sing. If you can walk, you can dance." *shrug* We must complete this picture. If it was only us, there would be no production. If there wasn’t us, the production would be highly difficult to pull off. So lets make the picture complete.

I guess CCF kind of parallel with God sometimes, in terms of it's right there. and it's always there. but it needs you to ask to seek to knock for it to have any meaning in your life.

- Michael Yung

CCF is simply an organization. Nothing more, nothing less. What really makes CCF what it is today is the people in it. The faith. The prayer. The praise. Yet, like everything else in life, you must put in before you will receive. It was these words that solidify my belief that into to gain maximum possible from this organization we call CCF, we must give back into it. Service is my way (see below blog entry), but I look around and see so many more ways to march with my fellow CCF’ers. Like you, the people of CCF are busy too. We simply don’t have the time to reach out to every interested person that comes by. Heck, I don’t even have time to be with everyone I DO know...much less for new comers. We’ll do so much, and we’ll always be there. But CCF will still need you to ask, to seek, to knock...for it to have any real impact and meaning in your life.

Reference: Michael Yung, Grad of 2006

CCF Grad 06 - Words of Elaine Ho

If you see a need for something to be done or you feel that you want things to be done differently then just go do it cuz otherwise it probably won’t change.

- Elaine Ho

Most people who has studied Psychology should be familiar with the Bystander Effect, and the Diffusion of Responsibility. I think, this quote is a direct reference to that. CCF, with its sheer size, has its advantages and disadvantages. Responsibility diffusion being a very common thing among groups (yes, I’m guilty of that too). I think, once in a while, we’re stuck with sudden inspiration, yet hesitate to act, or even to pass along the idea because it might not be a good idea. Thus the demise of what could very good be a pwnage idea. Logically, the person who came up with an idea should be most passionate about it, no? I’d like to think, if I came up with a dumb idea, I would be told so. You’ll have to trust your comrades to support you when you have an idea that is good, and to tell you when you have a bad idea. *insert Elaine’s “weaponry” photo here*

Reference: Elaine Ho, Grad of 2006

CCF Grad 06 - Words of Ada Wong

And so we each should carry our torch and burn the school down together!

- Auntie Ada Wong

We’ve all heard and seen the cliché. United we stand. A bundle of sticks is harder to break than a single. And so forth. We all know unity is important. Yet...it may very well be the thing that is lacked the most. Having coming from World History IB, and being shown to see things (such as the “national identity of Canada”)...it’s increasingly easily to see how fragmented we all are. Individually we can do much. One person does matter.

But...if one person can do much...how much can two do? Or three? If CCF was fully united, how can we shake this world? Sure, we can each carry a candle... or we can gather a few of us and carry a torch... but if we unite, we can do a lot more. It is not a coincidence that a major symbol of the Olympics is the torch, carried from the scared village of Olympia to the city of the Games. Fire has many meaning throughout different periods in the past and to different cultures, passion being a common one. And so we each should carry our torch, given to us from the Sacred one, and burn the school down together.

Fire is one of those things that have both positive and negative uses. Fire is often harnessed for destruction. To be utilized for things like slash-and-burn operations in rain forests, or incinerating garbage, created by society. Yet...a great deal of things depends on fire to be productive. Metallurgy and glassblowing, for example, cannot be done if heat wasn’t applied to ores and glass. Electric power (especially here in Alberta) is achieved by burning gas and oil. Yet, I think the most compelling example is the plants that survive and even thrive after a fire has passed. Lodgepole pine depends on fire to spread. Spruces grows better due to mineral changes in the soil. Grasslands can be virtually immune to the effects of wildfire. What we should now decide isn’t weither or not to pick up this torch...it is what we should do with it once we realize we must utilize the fire.

Reference:
Fire Ecology: http://www.cnr.uidaho.edu/range456/hot-topics/fire-ecol.htm
Auntie Wong, Graduate of 2006

Random - granted

I think, time and time again, we have trouble appreciating what it is that we actually have until we’ve moved away. I guess the most pressing thing at the moment is people. Whither it’s family that we haven’t seen for the last four month, or the people leaving on work term, or graduates that are...well. Graduating. I think, we don’t realize how good the status quo can be until once again, life moves to disrupts it, and we’re called to move on, physically and mentally. Although it’s a lesson we’ve all learned many, many times, I think, it’s difficult to get desensitized to changes to a satisfactory status quo. I guess I want to remind (myself mainly), if you’ll regret that you didn’t say it, don’t put it off till tomorrow. You never know how a pat on the back...or a handful of words...or a nice gesture...I think, the best we can do is offer our support to the people close to us, even if they’re not physically. Remind them that we’re there, and the rest...well. The rest we really will have to leave up to God.