In Pixar’s new animation Up, there’s a scene that depicts a couple’s life as they progress from newlyweds to old age to death. And even though they had a happy life, there’s also sadness that never in that long life together were they able to fulfill a dream. There’s a sense of bittersweetness in relating to that regret, the fear that our lives will also end before we’ve had a chance to make something of it. So we have a tendency to fill our days with activity, as if by being busy all the time our lives have meaning and purpose. The new standard answer for ‘How’re you doing?’ seems to have changed from ‘Fine’ to ‘Oh you know, busy.’ Even the fact that I didn’t have time to write this post until Thursday (sorry Bert!) makes me think that maybe we’re missing something when we organise time.
Read more on The Pace of Life…

The summer of 1998 i had the opportunity to be part of Short Term missions team to Liverpool Chinese Gospel Church. I was called in as a last minute substitute team leader, and found myself thrust into a leading and organising a team of people from different parts of the world.

That missions trips was the second short term team I was on, and the first one i had a chance to lead. And it was amazing, because for the few weeks we were together, we developed fantastic team bonds, and friendships that were more than skin deep.

But like all short-term missions, they happen for only a short amount of time. In this case, 3 weeks. And at the end of the 3 weeks, it dawned on me, that even with the best of intentions, it would be difficult to keep in touch with these friends once the mission ended. And even if facebook and twitter existed back then, the very nature of the friendship would change.
Read more on Some Thoughts on Friendship…

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. [Ephesians 5:15-21]

Apparently we will meet about 100,000 people during our lifetime, some we will remember, and others we will forget. We encounter different people during different stages of our lives; some are with us for a while and others just in passing. The time in between our hellos and goodbyes can be just moments, years or for the long haul.
Read more on Hellos Goodbyes and Everything In Between…