Bing's blog- the Net Cafe version

Due to technical difficulties- like the PC deciding to fry itself- this site will only be intermittently updated over the next two weeks. The site administrator (Bing) can be contacted at at the following address if you wish to contact him. Or like always, the comments page is available. It is unfortunate that blogging at work just seems wrong, emails will be replied to- I hope.

Have a very good New Year,

Bless ya,

Bing.

P.S. Unfortunately Matt, this means noi Starcraft either. Will you have the Net in Dunedin? - or you could always come round... :)

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A lesson in paitence

At cell group a couple of weeks ago, made the comment that Christmas service was always boring-cos it was the same "peace, joy, goodwill, don't get hung up on the presents etc" and it kinda made it seem well meaningless. So I asked God about it, and saw the same stuff about salvation, redemption and the son of God, all very cool things (and stuff I know as concepts only), but there was nothing new.

And so he showed me something new: OT festivals and altars are for what-rememberance. Looking back and seeing where we have come from- Passover- REMEMBERANCE of freedom from slavery, Day of Atonement- REMEBERANCE of sins, and our imperfection. There was also a thing in the Word for Today about common things losing there impact. It used Phil Yancey's illustration of the Waiters at the Old Faithful cafe in Yellowstone park not even being impressed any more.

So yah (hmm, that's Russian ain't it?), that's where the call to remember our blessings came from. And I hope that all your Christmas' were a time of remembering how lucky we are- even if it was doing it. ie remembering our family by enjoying time with them.

So what did I remember on Christmas day?

God- with church play, and Midnight Mass. the same- but different if you know what i mean.

people- i went and served at the "poor person's lunch" actually spent most of the time talking to people instead of serving, which i feel kind of silly about, but apparently that was ok. It was so humbling being keen to serve and not be able to do anything. It was also very hard cos I went by myself. But i enjoyed it, and am definitely going again next year.

myself- well I'm not perfect! But i did clock up about 100k's in the car so that was nice.

family- I drove out to join the rest of my mum's side of the family in Wellington to celebrate there. It was very cool, and I really enjoyed playing with my little cousin Sarah ("Se") and talking with my grandparents, aunts and uncles and of course my immediate family. we also went for a walk in the sun (At 7:30pm!!) in Wilton bush which was cool, until Sarah spent the last part of the walk hanging out of her carry-pack thing asleep, then getting me to carry her. she was up wet, by that stage. Ah, who am I kidding, even that was fun.

Lastly a question that I posted on Sam's blog- How do you deal with your imperfection; your humanity? Have you even accepted that you have limitations yet? I'm struggling (to badly,) or anything but it would be cool if you shared your thoughts. OK, and I'm really curious.

meow

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Stuffed- like a turkey

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you are all having/recovering from an excellent Christmas. A time to reflect on the second chance that God gave us, and enabled us to enjoy peace, love, joy, happiness and many other things that we like, including family.

There are many things that I could write about, like finishing starcraft, the church play, midnight mass, "room at the inn", or family christmas time. But maybe tomorrow.

Instead, I hope that you all had a good time, got some cool stuff, and most importantly, realised how lucky we are
A)for those who know God, to know Him which is why this day is so special,
B) and for those who don't (and do), that even though you are missing out on someone very cool, that he has still blessed you heaps (or if you prefer, "you are blessed heaps") that you live in a fantastic country, with fairly well off families that don't need to worry as much about surviving as other people in the world. That for all our problems, no matter how big or small, there is always hope for something better. That we are healthy, and that we are alive.

That we (as individuals) are not alone and that in itself is awesome enough. That we can share with others our joys, our triumphs, our sufferings and our failures.

With thanks to Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one"

CYA L8R

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Stuffed- like a turkey

Merry Christmas everybody. I hope you are all having/recovering from an excellent Christmas. A time to reflect on the second chance that God gave us, and enabled us to enjoy peace, love, joy, happiness and many other things that we like, including family.

There are many things that I could write about, like finishing starcraft, the church play, midnight mass, "room at the inn", or family christmas time. But maybe tomorrow.

Instead, I hope that you all had a good time, got some cool stuff, and most importantly, realised how lucky we are
A)for those who know God, to know Him which is why this day is so special,
B) and for those who don't (and do), that even though you are missing out on someone very cool, that he has still blessed you heaps (or if you prefer, "you are blessed heaps") that you live in a fantastic country, with fairly well off families that don't need to worry as much about surviving as other people in the world. That for all our problems, no matter how big or small, there is always hope for something better. That we are healthy, and that we are alive.

That we (as individuals) are not alone and that in itself is awesome enough. That we can share with others our joys, our triumphs, our sufferings and our failures.

With thanks to Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one"

CYA L8R

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You win some. you lose some

Well I had written a couple of paragraphs before I accidently hit "back" on my mouse about weird words like "bejezzus". I all honesty I don't know about many grey area words, and I'm not even sure where it comes from or what it means. Paul says that it's better to be blameless in the sight of all (Romans I think, near the end?) so I guess that grey words should be "no" words. My vocab should be big enough anyway. Cheers Sam, i really appreciate it!

In Other news: I saw ROTK last night at Reading Cinema. I went with my family, so it was free :). I really liked it, clapped, cheered, cried and all the rest. i do think that i understand why some people like "Empire Strikes Back" more than "Return of the Jedi" though. Even though I've read the book, I did feel that ROTK started off in a certain direction and didn't really change, just action, action, action. Whereas Two Towers was more of a balanced story, and could explore the themes a bit better. Perhaps all I'm saying is that Two towers would be a better choice to study in 7th form English than ROTK!? Still some of those battle scenes were very cool, and it was nice to see some of the other characters get some screen time.

At work today I was doing a spreadsheet, and got to the final stage of producing the document, then realised that 1 line was out, and had wasted a whole afternoon's work. While very annoying, I guess it's another lesson in patience. No fun to lose two hours of shifting cells around though!

Hi Bilbo Baggins whoever you are!

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A sad Saturday night

Well, it is sad to be at home on a Saturday night right? Got the bejezzus kicked out of me at Cashflow, 1 mistake and it was all over. Bah. Finished off the Christmas shopping today, completely swapped my brother's presents with each other- at least they make sense now. I mean what was Andrew going to do with a puzzle in Dunedin, and Greg-well let's just say that he is really hard to buy for unless you have a spare $120 for a soccer or basketball related product or aplane ticket to LA for a Lakers game, or to Anfield for Liverpool V Man U/Arsenal/Newcastle/Champions League game. But I reckon He'll enjoy the puzzle, and it'll give him something to do woith two of us out of the house. I brought my parents an iron pukeko statue- it has a certain amount of dorky class, and i'm quiet tempted to get one made for myself. My friend Dave from work makes them. thing is- he's sick of making them, and look to be a causalty of their own success.

Cell group was well, funny last night. A very ill prepared study by yours truly kinda turned into one of those really tired/stoner conversations that are held in the early hours of the morning. Only this was at 9:00 at night. not exactly my best ffort, but the worship was cool (cheers to God and Sam the doubtful (who really was hanging for Dave O to walk in and do it, but so didn't need it)), and I guess we laughed lots.

New Years is going to rock.... (Secret plans are afoot, schemy, schemy)

and i have some time off from Christmas :). It really is tempting just to sleep, but there is too much do....

bumped into my ex-girlfriend, Kerryn today in the Warehouse. That is probably the wrong word to describe her. She is one of my good friends who a very long time ago I went out with for a bit- I actually like her better as a friend, and she is a good laugh. Anyway had a good chat, scary cos she is now graduated, and looking for work. She's in IT and is pretty good at it- She got an A for her final assessment which is just awesome. Funny thing is though- she always wanted to be a writer. meh, its a living.

replies to comments:

Sam: Yeah, you're probably right about it being the kind of that is an easy target. Probably is a pride thing too. but hey God made me righteous and the goal of perfectness. I guess it's something that i'm just walking through at the moment. Perhaps it means more when someone you value says it. i dunno.

Donnovae: good to hear that it never really ends. Keep going :)

Gus: Good to see that you're still reading. Thanks for the reminder about the net being an open place, but you know I don't think I really mind too much if anybody involved in my life reads this. i guess it's good for people I know to get to know what goes on in my head (well, not all of it).I reckon
it could be cool in twenty years time to come back and read this. And if someone else finds it and they find something they don't like, well I hope I've told them anyway. Honesty is something that I value, but don't always practice in the verbal. in the written however, everything i write is as honest as i can get it.

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MMM, squishy

Strangely enough this has something to do with this blog. You see, I'm starting to get worried about the small tyre that's slowly growing around my waist. I reckon its a combo of sitting at my desk all day, a full pantry, a car, and excess cash to spend on junk food. This is kinda disturbing, and I don't like it. It only can get worse over Christmas (a western one at least!!!) Hmm, does anybody else remember "Do they know it's Christmas time"? With all those starving childern in Africa, and a whole heap of eighties pop stars? guilt trip anyone else?

If you aren't that's ok, I don't blame you. A while back I wrote about how I didn't really like Hillsongs because they were so ubquitous in every Christian setting in this area of the planet. But you' know it's not that, because i kinda get really annoyed about Trinity Broadcasting Network too (Christian TV station imported from the states), I honestly can't stand watching it. Yet if any pastor/priest/christian came up and told me exactly the same thing, I would probably go "wow". So maybe it's not the media that it's transported in, but me. That because I can't see it as "real" it must be "false". Meh, something else to ponder I guess

Speaking of which, I managed to pick a fight last night with my mother. It was after youth group, and because she had been good enough to lend me the car, I arranged to pick her up after work. For those of you who don't know, my folks co-own a pharmacy. This was cool, and i bowled down at the arranged time. For the next half hour or so, my mother found jobs for herself to do, but wouldn't let me go home, or run any errands for her and kept giving the promise of "five minutes". so I was bored and tired, and not particularly understanding.

I argued that when people try do something nice for you that you should possibly try a bit harder and try accommodate their attempt at a good deed. She argued that I didn't really understand the life she was trying to give us, and that it wasn't always possible to do everything that you wanted to in retail because customers were always coming in. Which was a valid point, but I guess was missing the point of why I was upset. Then I decided to show my immaturity and said that Iwas sorry for not remembering that her job was more important to her than people and she showed her immaturity by biting back. So here we were to fully grownup (albeit tired) adults having this massive arguement until 12:30.
Definitely my mother's son.

We're better now, but probably not my proudest moment.

In other news (and I have been wanting to write this for a while), my friend Angela gave me a cool little silver cross for my birthday. i really like it, and even though (As Dave keeps telling us,) we shouldn't lust after the things of this world, I really do appreciate it. -does tend to jump a bit when playing sport though.

Gus, I'd love to show you my site, but as you know, INTRAnets ain't exactly too welcoming to the outside world.

Sweet, I'm out.

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I swear that there's something that I've been meaning to do...

So, 1 week after my last blog eh? How slack is that? I take full responsibility, even though my computer or the blog site has been down the two times that I've tried.

I have been quiet busy, mostly doing stuff with Sam, so all you avid blog readers might as well skip this paragraph (Or not)

Saw The Two Towers, probably didn't enjoy it as much as Fellowship, probably because I had seen the extended version of that more recently. Cell group was well, AWESOME, and if I could emphasise that any more I could. I really felt inspired to seek God afterwards, and I was quiet challenged by what was said, and where God lead us. Those God times seem to be fewer and more far between up here. So I really enjoyed it. J's party was cool, and it was good to hang out with just guys again. Not that I don't mind girls, no sireee, but it is nice to do "guy stuff" every now and again. Even if the conversation did get rather unsavoury.

Bumped into my friend Matt on the Train home, so it was good to have a yarn.

Went to church yesterday (as you do). Sunday school presentation of the Christmas Story. It was quiet funny ("I don't believe it" and "believe") and the Vicar got down on the floor to pray with the kids. It was quiet a moment. Another was when I had two Reweti kids (Tuari's 5 and 3 year olds) crawling all over me and pulling off many leaps and crash tackles onto me.

Work was good today, I've nearly finished the website. I never thought I'd say this but "@$%@$# point and click programmes". ARRRGGHHH. Gus I might have to learn Java after all just to get revenge on it. Although-Revenge is mine says the Lord. I did "learn" something from "The Count of Monte Cristo" :)

So yeah, that's been my life. Just been listening to Brooke Fraser on the radio. "Reacquaint my knees with the carpet" that is cool.

Hey Bridget, I'm sorry I didn't get back to you. I reckon a good way to get people would be to do a chain-mail kinda advertisement for it if you want heaps of people. I think Zane still keeps in touch with quiet a few people.

anyway, God bless you all and sleep tight.

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In the summertime, when the weather is fine...

That's the name of the latest song I've been learning. It's got some funky kinda strum where you mute for at least half of the beats, and the lyrics do leave something to be desired, but its all good. It funnily enough sounds really crap atthe mo' but thats ok, cos I've only been trying for a couple of days. I think i'll have to get my hands on some worship music somewhere though. Not that the chord changes are going any better, but....

This morning I got the oh-so-fantastic news that I wouldn't finish on the 19th, but the 24th at least : ( .In my mother's words "welcome to the real world" Me thinks I'm glad I'm at uni for another 4 years.

On the other hand, I did get to go for a drive for a meeting today over at the company "farm". Its where we breed mice, guinea pigs and rabbits for testing our vaccines. It was really cool. I saw guinea pigs at least a foot long, and rabbits at least 1 and a 1/2 - 2 feet long. They were HUGE. I also learnt a lot about automatic doors, but I won't bore you about the details. And I know that animal testing is a touchy topic, but I reckon its ok. I mean, albino animals have to be good for something right? They're pretty useless in the wild because of their lack of camoflague and propensity to skin cancer. this isn't trying to offend any albino people, and my apologies if (and it probably is). I guess I feel that they get a pretty good deal (being breed, fed, and safe from predators and that sort of thing, that well, dying in your sleep after being infected with some bug ain't such a bad way to go, especially being looked after by the good people there, who do put down if the animal's in too much pain.

This doesn't represent the way I feel about humans though. (Gen 1:26-30)

I also got to drive some awesome scenery, kinda blend of farm land and mountain country. Gee it was cool.

And you know, the sun is still shining.

Personals:

Sam, I'm going to call about Cell, and Two Towers. I'm probably not the best person to get in touch with via blog. I really had no idea what ur text meant. But now all is crystal clear :)

Abbey: hi, thanks for your address, i'll get the cards off tomorrow.

That reminds me: I'd really like all your addresses so i can stalk you...I mean send you christmas cards. In my fantastic organisation I forgot to get people's addy's. Feel free to email me if you don't want it plasted over the web.

Gus: I'm glad I beat you at something-pharm, I guess buying that text book was worth it :). And i haven' even touched Starcraft since i've been back!!!

Dave: Sounds pretty cool in Penang, and surely it's not lust unless your drooling at the mouth. I'm joking, I know what you mean. 3 things: Chelsea so shouldn't have drawn with Leeds, I'm glad Newcastle did with Liverpool, what do you think of the World Cup qualifying draw? Seems most of the big guns will get through though.

Sweet. I'm out!

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Ahhh, ahhhh, ahhh, chhhhoooooo

I hate hayfever. It is so draining, and you feel really rotten. Even when I'm loaded to the hilt with antihistamines, it doesn't seem to stop. Ah well, I guess I can survive.

I have actually been really tired this week- skipped youth on Wednesday, and took some "me-time". Kinda selfish i know, but really enjoyed it, and it was very refreshing. Played a board game with Greg- "Cashflow" by Robert Kiyosaki, the Rich Dad Poor Dad guy. Quiet good, but can actually be very slow.

Saw "Fellowship of the ring" at the Embassy with Sam, J and their friends Nick and Michael. WHOAAA! I am so seeing ROTK there. We sat in seats labelled "The Bentons". Apparently Sam's uncle sponsored some seats. These seats had a little less leg room because they were first behind the balcony. BUT they were four rows from the front, so you get the whole IMAX phenomenom of the screen being (nearly) bigger than your visual field, sop you move with camera, and also you vibrate with all the sound coming out of the sound system. Like when Sauron was exploding in the opening battle scene, you seriously felt it. : )

I didn't go to Cell group last night. I've been feeling especially since I've been back, how lucky I am to be "western-middle class", and pretty much having the lifestyle associated with it. So I went along to "Friday night youth". This is run by my Youth Pastor and his team, for the lower socioeconomic kids that they meet through the schools. Basically it's to give the kids, and through the kids the family to be served, to feel love, and to learn about God in a way that's relevant to them. Its Church. They were having a break up hangi, and invited all the parents along. It was one of those "nigger" experiences personally. I felt so much the minority there, even in my own church hall, and I guess a lot of people may have me in the same way. I mean I would never have hung out with these people at school, nor in Dunedin. I know some of the kids from youth group, but this, this is something else. It's awesome. there is a real presence of God there, and not the one that's about during praise and worship at Elim. It's very loud, exciting, and a sense of belonging. Kinda like the first time you step into a real close knit community, or an on fire church. Handshakes are done like an armwrestle position instead of an outstretched hand, and everyone greats each other with hugs. "Dawg" and "G" seemed to fill the air. Little kids (and big ones) screamed at delight of balloons. It was HUGE. But in saying that one of the lessons I learnt last nightwas of brotherhood, and my own insecurities.

For sitting in the corner during the sermon was a young Maori fella, one who I wouldn't have hung around with at school or now, wearing a basketball singlet and was probably into basketball. Scruffy, statistically below average at school and all the rest, and there he was reading Exodus. And again I was made aware of all my insecurities, and my fears, and my predjudices. And I felt about 10cm tall.

As I think about my great western-middle class life (I refuse to call it "white"), I guess I feel like the rich young man to whom Jesus said "sell everything you have and follow me". I guess I feel stink about what I have, and sometimes when you worry about stuff, or pray for stuff that you reckon you need but you don't. Or a million other things that you know that you shouldn't do. And then I remembered Christ, and what he'd done seemed so much bigger again. That stepping down and coming to hang with us, eventually dying to reconcile us to God out of love, again seemed so much of a greater feat when viewed through the lens of a revealed human frailty.

Last night was very humbling and very cool. I really enjoyed it, and will treasure it forever. Sadly, I probably didn't even get half of what was there, but I do know that it is making me think, and pray, and pray some more about that experience.

Praise God.

(Ok, I am kinda gutted that I missed Cell though.)

In other news I got a "very good" pass for Med that is 3.64-3.89 out of 5. I only "failed" one question- the physiology of sleep, ironically finding out at 1:30 this morning. I'm satsfied, but would have liked to have been 3.9 and 4.2. Although looking at my marks I can't have been too far off. So yeah, onto next year, and the things that wait there.

And Katie, I'm not going to change it. So there. : P, I do look forward to seeing you soon though.

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Hmmm, I think I need more time

No seriously, I'm actually booked up till next Monday. Well, the party was HEAPS of fun, I loved catching up with all my old and new friends, and it was great to see people getting along. I had fun with everyone, from blowing bubbles with the little kids, to doing a supermarket mission with my granddad (Gon Gon in cantonese). It was a very special day, and yes Dave, it was a memorable day in Bing-land.

Yesterday, I managed to get off work early and went into town with my friend Ming from work. Man it was cool. Ok so we got there late enough to not realy see anyone (My claim to fame is seeing Hugo Weaving, and Ian Mckellan), but we ended up looking through a gap in hte crowd round the back of the stage, with a really good view of the big screen. And it was so cool to be there. Did I mention how cool it was to be there. For all those not in the best city in the world... ok so discretion is the better part of valour, but it PJ's (Peter not Penny) speech was straight out of the locals guide- sound down in the house by the Airport round about etc. And Andy Serkis (?), was pretty cool with the Gollum visitation. Also bumped into Veronica from Otago on the train, and my mate Cairnsy from school. He was Dux to my Approxime Accessite, and he is very smart, and nerdish. but still it was cool to catch up with him, and good to hear that he's doing well

Things are going pretty good at work. One of the projects I was doing was awaiting final approval, but was declined there. I was quite gutted until after seeing the manager's point of view, and how he was after the best interest of the company. Funny how you remember sermons about praying to be cowboys as kids, and how that necessarily isn't the best thing for you, so God doesn't answer it. I did want this project to be finished because I haven't finished anything big yet, but I can now also see that even though it had gone all this way, a lot of people had been wanting to see this project finished, and were willing to leave a chance of it not being completely covered and letting it pass through. I guess that why Ray's the manager, cos He's always thinking of the bigger picture, instead of the smaller annoyances. An important lesson there me thinks.

Right I owe Lyds, Matty, Gus, and Penny(3) emails. I better get onto it.

So have a really good life until next time...
Bing

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