The Letter of Sullivan Ballou in "the Civil War"

美国内战中最感人的一封信，北方军罗德岛第二志愿团Ballou少校写给他的妻子Sarah。 我 在Ken Burns 的“the Civil War"中听到，找到原文如下。Ballou向妻子解释他为什么要舍弃今生的幸福和生命，为什么要付出这样大的代价去拯救联邦。他认为自己是一个对独立战争死去的士兵欠债的人，他甘心舍去自己的性命来偿还。

To put the letter in context it is helpful to understand a little more about Sullivan's background. His father had died when he was very young and he was raised by his mother in absolute poverty. Yet, Sullivan managed to get an education and become a successful lawyer. He was eventually elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives where he twice served as Speaker of the House. He was married to Sarah and had two young boys by the time he entered the Union army in June 1861. When Sullivan wrote his letter, he was camped with his regiment near Washington, D.C. Rumors of an expected move south into Virginia against the Confederates had been circulating all summer. Those rumors were about to come true. Everyone expected one big battle to settle the dispute between north and south. That battle would take place near Manassas Junction, Virginia but with an unexpected result. _____________ Sullivan's Letter _____________ July 14, 1861 Camp Clark, Washington My Very Dear Sarah: The indications are very strong that we will move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more. Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure – or it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. “Not my will, but thine, O God, be done.” If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans on the triumph of the government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this government, and to pay that debt. But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows – when, after having eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children – is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country? I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, before that of death – and I, suspicious that Death is creeping behind me with his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, and thee. I have sought most closely and diligently, and often in my breast, for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I loved, and I could not find one. A pure love of my country and the principles I have often advocated before the people and “the name of honor that I love more than I fear death” have called upon me, and I have obeyed. Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on, with all these chains, to the battlefield. The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God, and to you, that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard for me it is to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me – perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar - that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name. Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have often times been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more. But, oh Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night – amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours - always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by. Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again. As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father’s love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue-eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters. Tell our mothers I call God’s blessing upon them. O Sarah, I wait for you there! Come to me, and lead thither my children. - Sullivan 一个星期以后，Sullivan Ballou 少校在Mannassas 阵亡。

The Lesson of Two Hungry Men

"从前，有两个饥饿的人得到了一位长者的恩赐：一根鱼竿和一篓鲜活硕大的鱼。其中，一个人要了一篓鱼，另一个人要了一根鱼竿，于是他们分道扬镳了。得到鱼的人原地就用干柴搭起篝火煮起了鱼，不久，他便饿死在吃空的鱼篓旁。另一个人则提着鱼竿向水边走去，可当他已经看到不远处那片水塘时，他浑身的最后一点力气也使完了。"

What I learned: God did not create us alone. The grace of God is only to be shared.
"No man is an island"

外表与内心

耶和华却对撒母耳说，不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不拣选他。因为要紧的不是人怎样看；人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心。撒母耳记上16:7


不要轻忽在你里面的恩赐，就是从前借着预言，同众长老按手所赐给你的。
这些事你要殷勤实行，并要投身其中，使众人看出你的长进来。你要留意自己和自己的教训；要在这些事上持之以恒，因为这样行，又能救自己，又能救听你的人。

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

鲁迅散文：风筝

故乡的风筝时节，是春二月，倘听到沙沙的风轮声，仰头便能看见一个淡墨色的 蟹风筝或嫩蓝色的蜈蚣风筝。还有寂寞的瓦片风筝，没有风轮，又放得很低，伶仃地显出憔 悴可怜模样。但此时地上的杨柳已经发芽，早的山桃也多吐蕾，和孩子们的天上的点缀相照 应，打成一片春日的温和。我现在在那里呢？四面都还是严冬的肃杀，而久经诀别的故乡的 久经逝去的春天，却就在这天空中荡漾了。
但我是向来不爱放风筝的，不但不爱，并且嫌恶他，因为我以为这是没出息孩子所做的 玩艺。和我相反的是我的小兄弟，他那时大概十岁内外罢，多病，瘦得不堪，然而最喜欢风 筝，自己买不起，我又不许放，他只得张着小嘴，呆看着空中出神，有时至于小半日。远处 的蟹风筝突然落下来了，他惊呼；两个瓦片风筝的缠绕解开了，他高兴得跳跃。他的这些， 在我看来都是笑柄，可鄙的。 有一天，我忽然想起，似乎多日不很看见他了，但记得曾见他在后园拾枯竹。我恍然大 悟似的，便跑向少有人去的一间堆积杂物的小屋去，推开门，果然就在尘封的什物堆中发见 了他。他向着大方凳，坐在小凳上；便很惊惶地站了起来，失了色瑟缩着。大方凳旁靠着一 个胡蝶风筝的竹骨，还没有糊上纸，凳上是一对做眼睛用的小风轮，正用红纸条装饰着，将 要完工了。我在破获秘密的满足中，又很愤怒他的瞒了我的眼睛，这样苦心孤诣地来偷做没 出息孩子的玩艺。我即刻伸手折断了胡蝶的一支翅骨，又将风轮掷在地下，踏扁了。论长 幼，论力气，他是都敌不过我的，我当然得到完全的胜利，于是傲然走出，留他绝望地站在 小屋里。后来他怎样，我不知道，也没有留心。
然而我的惩罚终于轮到了，在我们离别得很久之后，我已经是中年。我不幸偶而看了一 本外国的讲论儿童的书，才知道游戏是儿童最正当的行为，玩具是儿童的天使。于是二十年 来毫不忆及的幼小时候对于精神的虐杀的这一幕，忽地在眼前展开，而我的心也仿佛同时变 了铅块，很重很重的堕下去了。
但心又不竟堕下去而至于断绝，他只是很重很重地堕着，堕着。
我也知道补过的方法的：送他风筝，赞成他放，劝他放，我和他一同放。我们嚷着，跑 着，笑着。——然而他其时已经和我一样，早已有了胡子了。 我也知道还有一个补过的方法的：去讨他的宽恕，等他说，“我可是毫不怪你呵。”那 么，我的心一定就轻松了，这确是一个可行的方法。有一回，我们会面的时候，是脸上都已 添刻了许多“生”的辛苦的条纹，而我的心很沉重。我们渐渐谈起儿时的旧事来，我便叙述 到这一节，自说少年时代的胡涂。“我可是毫不怪你呵。”我想，他要说了，我即刻便受了 宽恕，我的心从此也宽松了罢。 “有过这样的事么？”他惊异地笑着说，就像旁听着别人的故事一样。他什么也不记得 了。
全然忘却，毫无怨恨，又有什么宽恕之可言呢？无怨的恕，说谎罢了。
我还能希求什么呢？我的心只得沉重着。
现在，故乡的春天又在这异地的空中了，既给我久经逝去的儿时的回忆，而一并也带着 无可把握的悲哀。我倒不如躲到肃杀的严冬中去罢，——但是，四面又明明是严冬，正给我 非常的寒威和冷气。
一九二五年一月二十四日。

You call this a Niche?

我们市场学最常用的名词“niche”，指大众市场外，独特的小市场。利润比大众市场更高，但很不容易找到。

这里是一个“混吃，等死，赖活着”的典型。连同伴都看不下去了，哈哈。

Today's thought

You should always do something you don't have to do (work hard, helping others...), so that you don't have to do things you don't like to do.

Only try to meet the bare minimum will make you barely satisfied. The smart ones have the faith to ask for more even when they have enough, to knock the door when it is closed, to search for answers when they are lost.

与国人男士共勉

漫画的作者Larson一定没有想到他的狗儿Rusty比好多国人都做得好：我们很多男士的bad breath 已经到了“只可远观”的地步。所谓绅士淑女，不拘小节是万万不行的。

Warren Savage: From Anchorman to Drug Addict

Transcript from CNN Interview by Whitefield:

"For 10 years, his was the face and voice waking up Atlanta ( Good morning. I'm Warren Savage.) Then one morning, Warren Savage was the lead story. His mug shot plastered everywhere. Savage in his early 40s, busted for drug possession. Watching his fall from grace from a jail cell."
SAVAGE: it was humiliating. I mean, total embarrassment.
WHITFIELD: A dream job.
SAVAGE: Ten years had risen to this level. I mean, I'm very proud of.
WHITFIELD: A bachelor. Six-figure salary, cars, two houses.
SAVAGE: You were the number one local morning news show in the country, and I was very proud of that.
WHITFIELD: A dream life.
SAVAGE: It just got to the point where you know things just didn't matter to me.
WHITFIELD: All of it concealing a nightmare.
SAVAGE: They didn't know that Warren was depressed. That Warren was unhappy. They didn't know that Warren was very dissatisfied.
WHITFIELD: Depression had taken over.
SAVAGE: I went from depression to denial to detention.
WHITFIELD: But not but all at once. First -
SAVAGE: Dissatisfied with the news business. Dissatisfied with office politics.
WHITFIELD: So he abruptly quit his job minutes before he was to go on the air.
SAVAGE: I regret the way I left. I don't know that I regret leaving but I regret the way that I left.
WHITFIELD: Moved to Vegas.
SAVAGE: I thought that I'd be happier playing music. Las Vegas is a land of excesses.
WHITFIELD: Excesses that in his case translated into a lot of drugs and an overdose of bad judgment. He thought returning to the less glittery and slower paced Atlanta might be a quick fix.
SAVAGE: I had the presence of mind that you know the environment that I was in was not healthy. But you know addiction is merely a symptom of all the stuff that's screwed up in us. I mean, that's what I had to realize that my addiction was a symptom of everything that was wrong with me. And the things that I needed to fix with me. The character defects that I had to identify, to address and things, I mean, that I was struggling with for years. I mean, things that I didn't even know why I was unhappy.
WHITFIELD: Things like?
SAVAGE: Striving to be perfect. I was always a perfectionist. I put - I was always hard on myself. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Undue pressure on myself. And I think I put a lot of undue pressure on a lot of people.
WHITFIELD: The fast lane in Vegas now behind him. But a blurry $100,000 a year cocaine habit was still driving Savage. A traffic stop in rural Forsythe county outside Atlanta put the brakes on everything.
SAVAGE: From Warren Savage sitting in, you know, suits and ties, dwindled down to an orange jumpsuit in the Forsythe county jail asking myself, how did I get here?
WHITFIELD: And how to get back on track. And there's more. This is just the beginning. Warren Savage said he had to lose everything to get what he needed. Find out what he needed in the second part of my interview.

SAVAGE: I was heading down a destructive path, headed for a cliff. And not for my arrest, I would have gone over that cliff.

WHITFIELD: From seemingly on top of the world Atlanta morning anchorman to rolling the dice in Vegas as a musician in search of true happiness to Warren Savage, hooked on cocaine, busted for drug possession. The fall was hard.
SAVAGE: I had to lose everything that I had to get what I needed. And that was humility and a real sense of who I am. I had to lose all of that stuff.
WHITFIELD: A big salary, cars, two houses, local celebrity.
SAVAGE: Good morning. I'm Warren Savage, and you're not. You know, that type of attitude had to be knocked down.
WHITFIELD: But you were comfortable with that for awhile. You admitted that to me.
SAVAGE: I was. I was comfortable with that for awhile. But after awhile, it became so vain. It wasn't me. I mean, it wasn't me. I -- I began to feel unlike me. And trying to be someone that I'm not. A lot of character defects. I was a very egotistical, very arrogant argumentative. I was hard on other people. I didn't realize until after I got arrested.
WHITFIELD: With this image on the air, instead of reporting the news, he was now the lead story. Savage painfully realized this was no longer about just him.
SAVAGE: I got so many letters, so many letters from so many people. I mean, I well up even today when I read them. They are just so heartwarming and encouraging.
WHITFIELD: Tired of dismissing his depression, running away reality, Savage pleaded guilty to drug possession in exchange for 18 months of enforced rehabilitation. Rehab now complete, he lives modestly in rural Georgia. His bike, his most valued possession, getting him to work stocking shelves overnight at a retailer.
SAVAGE: I was heading down a destructive path, heading for a cliff. And if not for my arrest, I would have gone over that cliff. I try to do the best I can one day at a time. And I know -- I know if I had to speak -- if I could speak to children now, I could speak to children. There are only two roads that lead, that drug addiction, that drug use. Any drug that lead, jail or the graveyard. There's only two roads. I mean, that's it. That's it.
WHITFIELD: Hopeful, anyone else fighting this same kind of inner demons on the road to almost certain self-destruction, or worse, can learn from his wild ride.
SAVAGE: We all have demons. We all have things we're dealing with. Sometimes you think you know your neighbor. Sometimes you think you know your co-worker who you work side by side, next to every day. You never know what they are masking.
WHITFIELD: If that was Warren Savage then. Who have you discovered Warren Savage is now?
SAVAGE: I have a purpose. I think I know what my purpose is. And I think it is to help other people. I think it is to help other people who may feel like they are hopeless and that they are helpless. And that they can turn their lives around.
WHITFIELD: He hasn't mapped out what's next or whether he'll get back into television. But admits it's impossible to plan ahead without reflecting often on exactly where he has been.
SAVAGE: I had to learn that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, but the road back is paved with humility. And I needed to be on that road.
WHITFIELD: And nearly four months now after rehabilitation, Warren Savage admits it is still one day at a time, just like it is for anyone who is trying to kick an addiction.

Meassage from "Reaching the Invisible God" by Phillip Yancy

"The Christian has a great advantage over other men, not by being less fallen than they, nor less doomed to live in fallen world, but by knowing that he is a fallen man in a fallen world." -- C.S. Lewis

A pilgrim "who is on the way, though not necessarily very far along it, and who has at least some dim and half-baked idea of who to thank." --- Frederick Buechner

"I die of thirst, here at the fountainside." ---- Richard Wilbur

"This is hard teaching. Who can accept it?" (Disciples)

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" (Jesus)

"Lord, to whom shall we go?" (Simon Peter) John 6:68

"Your faith has healed you"

"Overtime, I have grown more comfortable with mystery rather than certainty. God does not twist arms and never forces us into a corner with faith in himself as the only exit. We can never present the Final proof, to ourselves or to anyone else. We will always, with Pascal, see "too much to deny and too little to be sure..."

Jesus often made it harder, not easier, for people to believe. He never violate an individual's freedom to decide, even to decide against him. ... And Jesus's story of the prodigal son reveals a divine attitude of forgiveness-in-advance that may seem indulgent and risky, but it did restore a dead son to life. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," ... I have concluded its converse is also true: "Truth" that does not set free is not truth.

Gradually those doubts settles into a lesser place, or found resolution, and they did so, I think , because fear melted away. I learned that the opposite of faith is not doubt, but fear. One of John Donne's Holy Sonnets contains the mysterious line, "Churches are best for prayer, that have least light." ... After all, we lean on God out of need, not out of surplus.

As Thomas Graham, dean of a theological school, put it, faith is reason gone courageous - not the opposite of reason, to be sure, but something more than reason and never satisfied by reason alone. A step always remains beyond the range of light.

Private Jackson's Bible Quotes in Saving Private Ryan

On the Beach:
Private Jackson: Be not Thou far from me, O Lord, for trouble is near; haste Thee to help me.
[lining up a rifle shot and killed the German machine gunner]

---

On the Street:
Private Jackson: O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.
[lining up a rifle shot at the tower and killed the German sniper]

On the Tower: Psalm 144:1-2
Private Jackson: Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.
[lining up a rifle shot]
Private Jackson: My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust, (who subdueth my people under me),

[He did not finish the verse before a tank gun killed both him and his friend]
Youtube link for Private Jackson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFCpslqr1tQ

---

James, earn this, earn it!

This is the last words of Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) in "Saving Private Ryan". I know Lord is saying the same thing to me when he died in pain on the cross two thousand years ago.

The whole rescue does not make sense to the soldiers on the mission, as said by Private Reiben: "You want to explain the math of this to me? I mean, where's the sense in risking the lives of the eight of us to save one guy?"

Pvt. Reiben: Even if you think the misson's FUBAR, Captain? (Fubar means Nonesense, I think)

Capt. Miller: Especially if you think the mission's FUBAR.

The mission did not stop when they found Ryan. Now Ryan did not think he should be saved. He did not asked to be saved, nor did he want to. Ryan: "It doesn't make sense, sir. I mean, why me? Why not any of us?"

The mission made no sense mathematically, it made no sense practically. No one can answer Ryan's question. What Ryan did not understand is that it was not about him anymore, it is about all that they were fighting or dying for: the humanity that was lost in Europe under Adolf Hitler. If no one was willing to die for this mission, the Americans were no different from the Hitlers and it made no sense to even fight the war.

Lord died for us not because it made sense under any human reasoning. He died because it is the only way to lead us from darkness to light. We are lost and need to be found, we are blind and need to regain the eye sight, we are imprisoned by our sins and need to be set free, we are oppressed by fears and need to be released.

What else can He do? He did not have to die, or must he? Every day I need to ask myself: did I earn the new life I received from Him? I hope at the end of this journey, I can say the same words as Older Ryan in the cemetery: "... And I've tried to live my life the best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope that at least in your eyes, I've earned what all of you have done for me."

《前赤壁赋》

苏轼
壬戌之秋，七月既望，苏子与客泛舟游于赤壁之下。清风徐来，水波不兴。举酒属客，诵明月之诗，歌窈窕之章。少焉，月出于东山之上，徘徊于斗牛之间。白露横江，水光接天。纵一苇之所如，凌万顷之茫然。浩浩乎如冯虚御风，而不知其所止；飘飘乎如遗世独立，羽化而登仙。于是饮酒乐甚，扣舷而歌之。歌曰："桂棹兮兰桨，击空明兮溯流光。渺渺兮于怀，望美人兮天一方。"客有吹洞萧者，倚歌而和之，其声呜呜然：如怨如慕，如泣如诉；余音袅袅，不绝如缕；舞幽壑之潜蛟，泣孤舟之嫠妇。苏子愀然，正襟危坐，而问客曰："何为其然也？"客曰："月明星稀，乌鹊南飞，此非曹孟德之诗乎？西望夏口，东望武昌。山川相缪，郁乎苍苍；此非孟德之困于周郎者乎？方其破荆州，下江陵，顺流而东也，舳舻千里，旌旗蔽空，酾酒临江，横槊赋诗；固一世之雄也，而今安在哉？况吾与子，渔樵于江渚之上，侣鱼虾而友糜鹿，驾一叶之扁舟，举匏樽以相属；寄蜉蝣与天地，渺沧海之一粟。哀吾生之须臾，羡长江之无穷；挟飞仙以遨游，抱明月而长终；知不可乎骤得，托遗响于悲风。"苏子曰："客亦知夫水与月乎？逝者如斯，而未尝往也；盈虚者如彼，而卒莫消长也。盖将自其变者而观之，而天地曾不能一瞬；自其不变者而观之，则物于我皆无尽也。而又何羡乎？且夫天地之间，物各有主。苟非吾之所有，虽一毫而莫取。惟江上之清风，与山间之明月，耳得之而为声，目遇之而成色。取之无禁，用之不竭。是造物者之无尽藏也，而吾与子之所共适。"客喜而笑，洗盏更酌，肴核既尽，杯盘狼藉。相与枕藉乎舟中，不知东方之既白。

加州旅店

加州旅店是Eagles最有名的一首，歌曲的最后一段说出我们每一个人都活在自我的囚牢里，我们无法杀死自己内心的野兽，我们可以结帐，却永远也无法离开。

Hotel California
...
Mirrors on the ceiling,The pink champagne on ice, and she said:"We are all just prisoners here, Of our own device"

And in the master's chambers They gathered for the feast They stabbed it with their steely knives But they just can't kill the beast

Last thing I remember, I was running for the door,I had to find the passage back to the place I was before, "Relax," said the night man, "We are programmed to receive, You can check out anytime you like... but you can never leave”


如经上所记：“神给他们昏睡的灵，看不见的眼，听不见的耳，直到今日。”大卫也说，“愿他们的筵席成为陷阱，成为网罗，成为绊脚石，作对他们的报应”【罗马书11：8-9】

没有义人，连一个也没有，没有明白的，没有寻求神的；都是偏离正路，一同变为无用；没有行善的，连一个也没有。平安的路，他们未曾知道；他们眼中不怕神【罗马书3：10-17】

原来神的忿怒，从天上显示在那些以不义抑制真理之人一切的不虔不义上。
他们虽明知神公义的判决，行这样事的人是当死的，然而他们不但自己去行，还与那些行这样事的人同欢，以他们为乐【罗马书1：18&32】

但我是属肉的，是已经卖给罪了。因为我所行出来的，我不认可；我所愿意的，我并不作；我所恨恶的，我倒去作。我知道住在我里面，就是我肉体之中，并没有善，因为立志为善由得我，只是行出来由不得我。因为我所愿意的善，我反不作；我所不愿意的恶，我倒去作。但我看出我肢体中另有个律，和我心思的律交战，借着那在我肢体中罪的律，把我掳去。我是个苦恼的人！谁要救我脱离那属这死的身体？感谢神，借着我们的主耶稣基督！因为生命之灵的律，在基督耶稣里已经释放了我，使我脱离了罪与死的律。【罗马书7章】

既然照着神的智慧，世人凭自己的智慧，未曾认识神，神就乐意借着所传之事的愚拙，拯救那些信的人。【哥林多前书1：21】

因为世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀；如今却蒙神的恩典，因基督耶稣的救赎，就白白地称义。【罗马书3：23-24】

写给一岁生日的Emma

从去年10月1日到今天，转眼已是一年了，惭愧的是做爸爸的我还没写过一个字给Emma。 我常常感谢神：赐给我们这个孩子，让我从Emma的眼睛里读出祂无言的爱。

Emma的出生还像是昨天。主日晚上10点钟，我们正要休息，她妈突然说我们得去医院啦！我们穿好衣服就冲出去，在路上我才发现双手在方向盘上不停地抖。我除了祷告，真不知道该如何平静我的心。。。。经过漫长的一天，Emma在晚上10点20分与我们见面。我看着一头汗水的Jin抱着她坐在病床上，就像一幅人间最美的图画。 我知道，我从来没有收到过比她更宝贵的礼物。

因为爸爸妈妈在这里帮忙，我们把主耶稣带给他们，他们则把完全的爱带给了Emma。Emma的健康成长离不开外公外婆白天黑夜的照顾。我没有见过我的外婆，可我知道外婆的爱是既无私，又温暖，而且无微不至的。

自从有了Emma，我们家就像上满了发条的闹钟，每天热热闹闹，忙忙碌碌。 Emma的能量可不小，甚至远在四川的爷爷奶奶和北京的叔叔也被她像磁铁一样吸引着。 只要有她的新照片，新录影，爷爷一定赋诗一首。 我们已经可以出版她的诗集了！ 连她叔叔也急着要找女朋友，想尽快生一个像Emma一样乖的宝宝。 我们再也不用催他考虑终身大事了。

Emma的成长，教会我很多生命的精彩与生命的律。没有经过为人父母的过程，实在是很难体会到其中的种种神奇。 孩子从豌豆大的时候就有了心跳，从B超的照片里感受神创造的大能，无不让我惊叹。

Emma刚生下来的一段时间，体重不增反减，我们曾为了让她长几个盎司想尽办法；后来又担心她半岁了坐不稳，9个月了也不爬。最后都是多余。每个孩子不一样，神有祂自己的律，我们除了爱心，还要多一些耐心和对神的信心。

今天是Emma一岁的生日，她会看着我喊“爸爸”，我真觉得那是我最幸福的一刻。我感谢和赞美我们的神，祂不仅让我们全家在主里得了自由和满足，更借着Emma给了我们最好的产业。愿她在主的爱里成长为一个爱主的好孩子！

林肯的信仰

"When I left Springfield I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ. Yes, I do love Jesus."

Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years:

Lincoln attended one of Cartwright's revival meetings. At the conclusion of the service, the fiery pulpiteer called for all who intended to go to heaven to please rise. Naturally, the response was heartening. Then he called for all those who wished to go to hell to stand. Not many takers. Lincoln had responded to neither option. Cartwright closed in. "Mr. Lincoln, you have not expressed an interest in going to either heaven or hell. May I enquire as to where you do plan to go?" Lincoln replied: "I did not come here with the idea of being singled out, but since you ask, I will reply with equal candor. I intend to go to Congress."

The defeat of General Ambrose Burnside at Fredericksburg followed by the defeat of General Joseph Hooker at Chancellorsville sent Lincoln into a deep depression. "If there is a worse place than hell I am in it," Lincoln told Andrew Curtin in December 1862.

When a pious minister told Lincoln he "hoped the Lord is on our side," the president responded, "I am not at all concerned about that.... But it is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side."

some former slaves in Maryland presented Lincoln with a gift of a Bible. Lincoln reportedly replied: "In regard to this great book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man’s welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it.”

After the death of his son Willie, and his visit to the battlefield of Gettysburg, he said, with tears in his eyes, that he had lost confidence in everything but God, and that he now believed his heart was changed, and that he loved the Savior.

林肯的就职演讲和书信

以下是林肯在第二次就职时的部分演讲，林肯人性的美德和宽容帮助了一个被内战撕裂的国家愈合伤口。他也可能是美国总统中文笔最好的一位。

他提到为什么南北双方读着同一本圣经，向同一位神祷告，却互相残杀， 虽然他觉得奇怪会有人一边从别人脸上的汗水收取果实，一边竟然敢向公义的神寻求帮助。但我们不要评价别人，免得我们自己被审判。
Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged.

南北双方的祷告不可能都被垂听，到现在双方的祷告都没有完全被垂听。神却有他自己的目的。“世界因着绊跌人的事有祸了；绊跌人的事是免不了的，但那绊跌人的有祸了。”
The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh."

无论我们多么迫切地希望和祷告让这场杀戮的战争过去，如果神许可，它将继续直到250年来奴隶贩子们积聚的所有财富完全沉没，奴隶主鞭打的鲜血被刺刀偿还，正如3000年前的预言 “主的审判既真实又公义”。
Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

最后林肯呼吁我们与每一个为善，不对任何人行恶，在正义里站住，如同神给我们看到正义的事。让我们完成手中的工作，为战乱的国家裹伤，去关心每一个士兵和他们的孤儿寡妇，来实现我们之间和与所有国家的持久和平。With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right asGod gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne thebattle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

One of the best English writings is this letter to a mother of five (appeared in Saving Private Ryan as quoted by Gen. Marshall) .

Nov. 2I, 1864.

To MRS. BIXBY, BOSTON, MASS.

Dear Madam—I have been shown, in the files of the War Department, a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which shall attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

Yours very sincerely and respectfully, A. LINCOLN.

P.S. It turned out later that 2 of the five were killed in the battlefield, one deserted or killed as POW, one discharged honorably, one deserted from army.

诸天的国是强力夺取的

Lord is looking for a strong man. The kingdom of God is for strong man who forced in. It is not for the weak, the passive, the lazy. We need to have the inner strength and the inner light. May Lord help us build up our strength and keep our light on.

诸天的国是强力夺取的，强力的人就夺得了。马太福音11：12
从此神的国当作福音传开了，人人强力夺取要进去。 路加福音16：16

马太福音25章
25:1 那时，诸天的国好比十个童女，拿着她们的灯，出去迎接新郎。
25:2 其中五个是愚拙的，五个是精明的。
25:3 愚拙的拿着她们的灯，却没有带着油；
25:4 但精明的拿着她们的灯，又在器皿里带着油。
25:5 新郎迟延的时候，她们都打盹睡着了。
25:6 半夜有人喊叫：看哪，新郎来了，你们出来迎接他。
25:7 那些童女就都起来，整理她们的灯。
25:8 愚拙的对精明的说，请分点油给我们，因为我们的灯要灭了。
25:9 精明的回答说，恐怕不够我们和你们用的，不如你们到卖油的那里，为自己买罢。
25:10 不料，她们去买的时候，新郎到了；那预备好的，同他进去赴婚筵，门就关了。
25:11 其余的童女随后也来了，说，主阿，主阿，给我们开门。
25:12 他却回答说，我实在告诉你们，我不认识你们。
25:13 所以你们要儆醒，因为那日子、那时辰，你们不知道。

刀锋战士：飞奔的玉如意

老弟看过残奥会男子200米决赛发来Email：残奥会其实更让人感动，目睹这200米短跑决赛的时候，我很吃惊这些生活的强者没有小腿竟然跑的像飞一样。 朋友们把他们的弧形片状假腿称作‘玉如意’，可是在赛场最陶醉的并不是观众，而是踩着‘玉如意’飞奔的人们。


我查了一下，找到这位“刀锋战士”的介绍：http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_493d44d40100apmy.html?tj=1

“Oscar Pistorius 这位不足22岁的南非小伙儿，至今已经刷新了26项残疾人世界纪录，保持着100米（10秒91）、200米（21秒58）和400米（46秒56）的世界纪录。 他出生时没有腓骨和踝骨，11个月时做了膝下截肢手术，以保全幼小的生命。16岁时投身到对抗异常剧烈的英式橄榄球运动，后来膝部也严重受伤，不得不放弃这项运动。仅用一年时间，戴上J形假肢，旋风式地一举成名……2004年后他参加的比赛中，80%都是与健全人同场竞技。他的成功，除了运动天赋之外，最主要的是靠他强大的内心力量。他拥有爷爷又狠又猛的拳头般的意志——爷爷是个职业拳击手。我们发现，许多残疾人，身体虽有缺损，但内心都十分强大。”

相比之下，鸟巢里的看客们惊奇地发现，四肢健全的我们竟然跑不过没腿的，游不过没脚的，... ,我们不更是残疾吗？只是这残疾在心灵，不在肉体。我们在这些强者面前实在无法自夸什么，我们不更应该对自己的啤酒肚感到羞耻吗？不应该对自己用烟酒麻醉自己感到羞耻吗？我们除了永不知足地索取，除了自以为聪明的算计，我们不应该停下来聆听自己心灵的呐喊和空虚吗？我想起了保罗在哥林多前书1章26-30节的一段话：Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

1:26 弟兄们，你们看你们蒙召的，按着肉体有智慧的不多，有能力的不多，出身尊高的也不多；1:27 神却拣选了世上愚拙的，叫那有智慧的羞愧；神又拣选了世上软弱的，叫那强壮的羞愧；1:28 神也拣选了世上出身卑下的，以及被人藐视的，就是那些无有的，为要废掉那些有的，1:29 使一切属肉体的人，在神面前都不能夸口。1:30 但你们得在基督耶稣里，是出于神，这基督成了从神给我们的智慧：公义、圣别和救赎，1:31 为使，如经上所记：“夸口的当在主里夸口。”

p.s. 我们这些内心原本软弱的人，并非全无希望，两千年来一代又一代的人在人生的某一个时刻遇到了神，摸到了主。“从救恩的泉源欢然取水”，在钉十字架的耶稣身上找到人生复活的力量。因为“神的愚拙总比人智慧，神的软弱总比人强壮。”愿这复活的耶稣能成为你内心力量的泉源!

Three Egonists in "the Coldest Winter"

"It reminded him of Napoleon saying, after he had advanced all the way to Moscow in his ill-fated invasion of Russia, "I beat them in every battle, but it does not get me anywhere." - P.603

Comment: Classic example of winning the battles but losing the war, same as Americans in Vietnam. A general's job is to win a battle tactically, but a commander-in-chief's job is to win the war with strategic visions.

"MacArthur saw himself as someone descended linearly from Washington and Lincoln, Harry Truman saw him less flatteringly, as the modern reincarnation of George McClellan. McClellan was the general who, in Truman's view, not only served Lincoln poorly in the field, but had treated him with open contempt, often deliberately keeping him waiting before their scheduled meetings. McClellan openly referred to Lincoln as "the original gorilla."
McClellan's ego was enormous, greatly exceeding his talents. He had seen himself as nothing less than the savior of the country. If, he said, "the people call upon me to save the country - I must save it & cannot respect anything that is in the way." .... He greatly preferred the idea of dictator, and he was willing, he sometimes added, to make that sacrifice. He hungered to run against Lincoln, which he finally did, unsuccesfully, in 1864, gaining 21 electrol votes to Lincoln's 212. ' A great egoist', Truman later said of McClellan. "A glorified Napoleon. He even had his picture taken with his hand in his overcoat, like Napoleon."
Comment: What a egoist! what a clown! You talking to me?


"After a long and often distinguished career, MacArthur's lesser side had finally caught up with him. He was, as Max Hasting summed up, 'too remote, too old, too inflexible, too deeply imprisoned by a world view that was obsolete to be a fit commander in such a war as Korea.'"
Comment: this sums up John McCain too in my opinion. John is a good man, but his world view is obsolete and his vision, if any, is blur if not in a rearviewing mirror.

the use of brain

From CONSCIOUSNESS EXPLAINED, by Daniel Dennett, p. 177

"The juvenile sea squirt wanders through the sea searching
for a suitable rock or hunk of coral to cling to and make
its home for life. For this task, it has a rudimentary
nervous system. When it finds its spot and takes root, it
doesn't need its brain anymore so it eats it! (It's rather
like getting tenure.)"

Tom Sawyer (the Fence story) Mark Twain

This story tells us that
1. The value of something is not always fixed. The harder it appears to be obtained, the higher the value of the item.
2. The fun of doing something depends heavily on your atttitude toward doing it.


Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He surveyed the fence and all gladness left him, a deep melancholy settled down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden. Sighing, he dipped his brush and passed it along the topmost plank; repeated the operation; did again; compared the insignificant whitewashed streak with the far-reaching continent of unwhitewashed fence, and sat down on a tree-box discouraged. Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing “Buffalo Gals.” Bringing water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom’s eyes before, but now it did not strike him so. He remembered that there was company at the pump. White, mulatto, and Negro boys and girls were always there waiting their turns, resting, trading playthings, quarrelling, fighting, skylarking. And he remembered that although the pump was only a hundred and fifty yards off, Jim never got back with a bucket under an hour - and even then somebody generally had to go after him. Tom said:“Say, Jim, I’ll fetch the water if you’ll whitewash some.”Jim shook his head and said:“Can’t, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an’ git dis water an’ not stop foolin’ roun’ wid anybody. She says she spec’ Mars Tom gwine to ax me to whitewash, an’ so she tole me to go ’long an ‘tend to my own business - she ‘lowed she’d ‘tend to de whitewashin’.”“Oh, never you mind she said, Jim. That’s the way she always talks. Gimme the bucket - I won't be gone only a minute. She won’t every know.”“Oh, I dasn’t, Mars Tom. Ole missis she’d take an’ tar de head off’n me. ‘Deed she would.”“She! She never licks anybody - whacks ‘em over the head with her thimble - and who cares for that, I’d like to know. She talks awful, but talk don’t hurt - anyways, it don’t if she don’t cry. Jim, I’ll give you a marvel. I’ll give you a white alley!”Jim began to waver.“White alley, Jim! And it’s a bully taw.”“My! Dat’s a mighty gay marvel. I tell you! But Mars Tom, I’s powerful ‘fraid ole missis -”“And besides, if you will I’ll show you my sore toe.”Jim was only human - this attraction was too much for him. He put down his pail, took the white alley, and bent over the toe with absorbing interest while the bandage was being unwound. In another moment he was flying down the street with his pail and a tingling rear, Tom was whitewashing with vigour, and Aunt Polly was retiring from the field with a slipper in her hand and triumph in her eye.But Tom’s energy did not last. He began to think of the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied. Soon the free boys would come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would make a world of fun of him having to work - the very thought of it burned him like fire. He got out his worldly wealth and examined it - bits of toys, marbles, and trash; enough to buy an exchange of work, maybe, but not enough to buy so much as half an hour of pure freedom. So he returned his straightened means to his poke, and gave up the idea of trying to buy the boys. At this dark and hopeless moment an inspiration burst upon him! Nothing less than a great, magnificent inspiration.He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently - the very boy, of all boys, whose ridicule he had been dreading. Ben’s gait was the hop-skip-and-jump - proof enough that his heart was light and his anticipations were high. He was eating an apple, and giving a long melodious whoop, at intervals followed by a deep-toned ding-dong, ding-dong, for he was personating a steam-boat. As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to starboard and rounded-to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance - for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water. He was boat and captain and engine bells combined, so he had to imagine himself standing on his own hurricane-deck giving the orders and executing them:“Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling!” The headway ran almost out, and he drew up slowly toward the sidewalk.“Ship up to back! Ting-a-ling-ling!” His arms straightened and stiffened down his sides.“Set her back on the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ch-chow-ow!” His right hand, meantime, describing stately circles - for it was representing a forty-foot wheel.“Let her go back on the labboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ch-chow-ow!” The left hand began to describe circles.“Stop the stabborad! Ting-a-ling-ling! Stop the labboard! Come ahead on the stabboard! Stop her! Let your outside turn over slow! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ch-chow-ow! Get out that head line. Lively now! Come - out with the spring-line - what’re you about there? Take a turn around that stump with the bight of it! Stand by that stage, now - let her go! Done with the engines, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling! Sht! Sht! Sht!”Tom went on whitewashing - paid no attention to the steam-boat. Ben stared a moment and then said:“Hi-yi! You're up a stump, ain’t you?”No answer. Tom surveyed his last touch with the eye of an artist; then he gave his brush another gentle sweep and surveyed the result, as before. Ben ranged up alongside him. Tom’s mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck to his work. Ben said:“Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?”Tom wheeled suddenly and said:“Why, it’s you, Ben! I warn’t noticing.”“Say - I’m going in a -swimming, I am. Don’t you wish you could? But of course you’d druther work - wouldn’t you? Course you would!”Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said:“What do you call work?”“Why, ain’t that work?”Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered carelessly:“Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain’t. All I know it suits Tom Sawyer.”“Oh, come now, you don’t mean to let on that you like it?”The brush continued to move.“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth - stepped back to note the effect - added a touch here and there - criticized the effect again - Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. Presently he said:“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”Tom Considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind:“No-no-I reckon it wouldn’t hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly’s awful particular about this fence - right here on the street, you know - but if it was the back fence, I wouldn’t mind, and she wouldn’t. Yes, she’s awful particular about this fence; it’s got to be done very careful; I recon there ain’t one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it’s got to be done.”“No-is that so? Oh, come now - lemme try. Only just a little - I’d let you, if you was me, Tom.”“Ben, I’d like to, honest injun; but Aunt Polly - well, Jim wanted to do it, but she wouldn’t let him; Sid wanted to do it, and she wouldn’t let Sid. Now, don’t you see how I’ fixed? If you was to tackle this fence and anything was to happen to it --”“Oh, shucks, I’ll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say - I’ll give you the core of my apple.”“Well, here - No, Ben, no you don’t. I’m afeared --”“I’ll give you all of it!”Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. And while the late steamer Big Missouri worked and sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs munched his apple, and planned the slaughter of more innocents. There was no lack of material; boys happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was fagged out, Tom had traded the next chance to Billy fisher for a kite in good repair; and when he played out, Johnny Miller bought in for a dead rat and a string to sing it with - and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling wealth. He had, besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jew’s-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spoon cannon, a key that wouldn’t unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar-but no dog - the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated window-sash.He had had a nice, good, idle time all the while - plenty of company - and the fence had three coats of whitewash on it! If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, he would have bankrupted every boy in the village.

what you have vs. who you are

A Far Side cartoon where the giant cockroach lying in an alley is talking to a bum saying: “I had it all: great job, great car, money, success, beautiful wife. Then one day someone shouted, ‘Hey! He’s just a big cockroach!’”.

鲁迅《野草题辞》和《秋夜》

当我沉默着的时候，我觉得充实；我将开口，同时感到空虚。过去的生命已经死亡。我对于这死亡有大欢喜，因为我借此知道它曾经存活。...生命的泥委弃在地面上，不生乔木，只生野草，这是我的罪过。... 但我坦然，欣然。我将大笑，我将歌唱。 我自爱我的野草，但我憎恶这以野草作装饰的地面。

我以这一丛野草，在明与暗，生与死，过去与未来之际，献于友与仇，人与兽，爱者与不爱者之前作证。 为我自己，为友与仇，人与兽，爱者与不爱者，我希望这野草的死亡与朽腐，火速到来。要不然，我先就未曾生存，这实在比死亡与朽腐更其不幸。

去罢，野草，连着我的题辞！

《秋 夜》
我不知道那些花草真叫什么名字，人们叫他们什么名字。我记得有一种开过极细小的粉 红花，现在还开着，但是更极细小了，她在冷的夜气中，瑟缩地做梦，梦见春的到来，梦见 秋的到来，梦见瘦的诗人将眼泪擦在她最末的花瓣上，告诉她秋虽然来，冬虽然来，而此后 接着还是春，胡蝶乱飞，蜜蜂都唱起春词来了。她于是一笑，虽然颜色冻得红惨惨地，仍然 瑟缩着。

我又听到夜半 的笑声；我赶紧砍断我的心绪，看那老在白纸罩上的小青虫，头大尾小，向日葵子似的，只 有半粒小麦那么大，遍身的颜色苍翠得可爱，可怜。 我打一个呵欠，点起一支纸烟，喷出烟 来，对着灯默默地敬奠这些苍翠精致的英雄们。

鲁迅散文与宋诗

鲁迅《希 望 》
我的心分外地寂寞。
然而我的心很平安：没有爱憎，没有哀乐，也没有颜色和声音。
我大概老了。我的头发已经苍白，不是很明白的事么？我的手颤抖着，不是很明白的事 么？那么，我的魂灵的手一定也颤抖着，头发也一定苍白了。 然而这是许多年前的事了。
这以前，我的心也曾充满过血腥的歌声：血和铁，火焰和毒，恢复和报仇。而忽而这些 都空虚了，但有时故意地填以没奈何的自欺的希望。希望，希望，用这希望的盾，抗拒那空 虚中的暗夜的袭来，虽然盾后面也依然是空虚中的暗夜。 。。。

“夜阑卧听风吹雨，铁马冰河入梦来” 陆游《十一月四日风雨大作》

“当年万里觅封侯， 匹马戍梁州。 关河梦断何处？ 尘暗旧貂裘。 胡未灭， 鬓先秋， 泪空流。 此生谁料， 心在天山， 身老沧洲！ ” 陆游《诉衷情》

楼船夜雪瓜洲渡， 铁马秋风大散关。陆游《书愤》

然而就是如此，陆续地耗尽了我的青春。 我早先岂不知我的青春已经逝去了？但 以为身外的青春固在：星，月光，僵坠的胡蝶，暗中的花，猫头鹰的不祥之言，杜鹃的啼血，笑的渺茫，爱的翔舞……。虽然是悲凉漂渺的青春罢， 然而究竟是青春。 然而现在何以如此寂寞？难道连身外的青春也都逝去，世上的青年也多衰老了么？

“桃李春风一杯酒，江湖夜雨十年灯”（黄庭坚）

鲁迅写的耶稣受难记

复 仇(其二)

因为他自以为神之子，以色列的王〔２〕，所以去钉十字架。

兵丁们给他穿上紫袍，戴上荆冠，庆贺他；又拿一根苇子打他的头，吐他，屈膝拜他； 戏弄完了，就给他脱了紫袍，仍穿他自己的衣服。〔３〕 看哪，他们打他的头，吐他，拜 他…… 他不肯喝那用没药〔４〕调和的酒，要分明地玩味以色列人怎样对付他们的神之子， 而且较永久地悲悯他们的前途，然而仇恨他们的现在。

四面都是敌意，可悲悯的，可咒诅的。

丁丁地响，钉尖从掌心穿透，他们要钉杀他们的神之子了，可悯的人们呵，使他痛得柔 和。丁丁地响，钉尖从脚背穿透，钉碎了一块骨，痛楚也透到心髓中，然而他们自己钉杀着 他们的神之子了，可咒诅的人们呵，这使他痛得舒服。

十字架竖起来了；他悬在虚空中。

他没有喝那用没药调和的酒，要分明地玩味以色列人怎样对付他们的神之子，而且较永 久地悲悯他们的前途，然而仇恨他们的现在。

路人都辱骂他，祭司长和文士也戏弄他，和他同钉的两个强盗也讥诮他。〔５〕 看哪， 和他同钉的……四面都是敌意，可悲悯的，可咒诅的。

他在手足的痛楚中，玩味着可悯的人们的钉杀神之子的悲哀和可咒诅的人们要钉杀神之 子，而神之子就要被钉杀了的欢喜。突然间，碎骨的大痛楚透到心髓了，他即沉酣于大欢喜 和大悲悯中。 他腹部波动了，悲悯和咒诅的痛楚的波。

遍地都黑暗了。 “以罗伊，以罗伊，拉马撒巴各大尼？！”（翻出来，就是：我的上帝，你为甚么离弃 我？！）〔６〕 上帝离弃了他，他终于还是一个“人之子”；然而以色列人连“人之子”都 钉杀了。 钉杀了“人之子”的人们的身上，比钉杀了“神之子”的尤其血污，血腥。

一九二四年十二月二十日。

鲁迅写给“愤青”的文章

随感录六十二 恨恨而死

古来很有几位恨恨而死的人物。他们一面说些“怀才不遇”“天道宁论”的话，一面有钱的便狂嫖滥赌，没钱的便喝几十碗酒，——因为不乎的缘故，于是后来就恨恨而死了。　　

我们应该趁他们活着的时候问他：诸公!您知道北京离昆仑山几里，弱水去黄河几丈么?火药除了做鞭爆，罗盘除了看风水，还有什么用处么?棉花是红的还是白的?谷子是长在树上，还是长在草上?桑间濮上如何情形，自由恋爱怎样态度?您在半夜里可忽然觉得有些羞(愧），清早上可居然有点（后）悔么?四斤的担，您能挑么?三里的道，您能跑么?　　他们如果细细的想，慢慢的侮了，这便很有些希望。万一越发不平，越发愤怒，那便“爱莫能助”。——于是他们终于恨恨而死了。　　

中国现在的人心中，不平和愤恨的分子太多了。不平还是改造的引线，但必须先改造了自己，再改造社会，改造世界；万不可单是不平。至于愤恨，却几乎全无用处。　　

愤恨只是恨恨而死的根苗，古人有过许多，我们不要蹈他们的覆辙。　　

我们更不要借了“天下无公理，无人道”这些话，遮盖自暴自弃的行为，自称“恨人”，一副恨恨而死的脸孔，其实并不恨恨而死。

Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hands.

Randy: The brick walls are not there to keep us out, it is there to show how much we want it. It is there to stop people who don't want it badly enough.

My mother will introduce me when I got my Ph.D. : He is a doctor, but not the kind that helps people.

Experience is what you get when you don't get it.

When you are screwing up and noboby bothering to tell you anymore, that means they care you to be better and they are not giving up on you.

Three words for advice: Tell the truth, if I can add three more words, "all the time". A lot of people don't want the truth, they just want to be patted and be told how wonderful they are.

It is better to fail spetucularly than to win easily.

I am dying and I am having fun. I have never found anger helps.

Can you see love, can you see hope, these are the most important things but you can't see them.

A good apology has three parts:
1) I'm sorry.2) It was my fault.3) How do I make it RIGHT?
A lot of people usually miss the 3rd part.

the Wisdom of life

Everything got a price. And the prices keep changing. No one knows for sure what the price is for anything at any moment (you will be God if you do).

A man with wisdom knows the order of these prices (he knows the priority of things in his life). He will not sacrifice the important for the trivial. Many people simply don't get it. They are paying ridiculous prices for something that is simply not worth it: people who are workaholic and die in their office, people who are alchoholic and get their health ruined, people who self-centered and never have a friend,...., I can go on and on but you get the point.

Read Bible, my friend. You WILL gain that wisdom.

李白《梁甫吟》中的姜太公

李白《梁甫吟》中的姜太公：

君不见朝歌屠叟辞棘津【1】，八十西来钓渭滨【2】。宁羞白发照清水【3】，逢时吐气思经纶。广张三千六百钓【4】，风期暗与文王亲【5】。大贤虎变愚不测【6】，当年颇似寻常人。

【1】姜子牙年轻的时候干过宰牛卖肉的屠夫，也开过酒店卖过酒，聊补无米之炊。《说苑尊贤》里有：“太公望，故老妇之出夫也，朝歌之屠佐也，棘津迎客之舍人也，年七十而相周，九十而封齐。”
【2】... 后来又来到西北陕西省的终南山。在那里，他经常到渭河去钓鱼，可是3年中他却一条鱼也没有钓到，而且他的鱼钩还是直的。
【3】“夫人行年七十有二，浑然而齿堕矣。
【4】我的理解是或者钓了十年（一天一钓），或三年，一天三钓（需要回去吃饭 :)
【5】姜子牙向周文王讲述了自己的身世，文王当时正为了打败敌人建立王朝而搜罗人才，所以就对他说：我的先祖太公早就寄希望于你了。
【6】“人人谓之狂夫也”人们都嘲笑他，他却无动于衷。

摘自百度百科：

姜太公出生地应为山东省日照市。当时姜子牙所在的王朝商朝的纣王是一个残暴的人，他统治期间战争不断，为了躲避战乱，姜子牙到中国北方的辽宁隐居了40年，后来又来到西北陕西省的终南山。在那里，他经常到渭河去钓鱼，可是3年中他却一条鱼也没有钓到，而且他的鱼钩还是直的。人们都嘲笑他，他却无动于衷，所以在中国有一句成语叫姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩。神奇的是，后来他果然钓到一条鱼，在鱼的肚子里有一本兵法书。更巧合的是，当天晚上，周王朝（公元前11世纪-8世纪）的姬昌周文王做了一个梦，梦见一位高人。第二天，他就遇到了姜子牙。姜子牙向周文王讲述了自己的身世，文王当时正为了打败敌人建立王朝而搜罗人才，所以就对他说：我的先祖太公早就寄希望于你了。因此，后人又称他为太公望，在民间一般称他为姜太公。 周武王伐纣，太公为军师，牧野大战，灭商盛周，立了首功。周初分封，姜太公被封为齐国君主。《尉缭子·武议篇》“太公望年七十，屠牛朝歌，卖食盟津，过七十余而主不听，人人谓之狂夫也。及遇文王，则提三万之众，一战而天下定。
六韬：
《六韬·文韬·文师》太公曰：“天下非一人之天下，乃天下人之天下也。同天下之利者则得天下。”
《六韬·文韬·国务》“太公曰：‘利而无害，成而无败，生而无杀，与而无夺，反而无苦，喜而无怒。’”

李白诗赏析1

于阗采花人，自言花相似。明妃一朝西入胡，胡中美女多羞死。【于阗采花】

君歌杨叛儿，妾劝新丰酒。何许最关人，乌啼白门柳。乌啼隐杨花，君醉留妾家。博山炉中沉香火，双烟一气凌紫霞。【杨叛儿】

落叶别树，飘零随风。客无所托，悲与此同。罗帏舒卷，似有人开。明月直入，无心可猜。【独漉篇】

明月出天山，苍茫云海间。长风几万里，吹度玉门关。【关山月】

秦皇扫六合，虎视何雄哉。飞剑决浮云，诸侯尽西来。　明断自天启，大略驾群才。收兵铸金人，函谷正东开。【古风】

庄周梦胡蝶，胡蝶为庄周。一体更变易，万事良悠悠。乃知蓬莱水，复作清浅流。青门种瓜人，旧日东陵侯。富贵故如此，营营何所求。【古风】

The redemption will come if you hear his voice

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. Hebrews 4:7 Psalm 95:7-8

哥林多前书的能力

并且我所要知道的，不是那些自高自大之人的言语，乃是他们的能力。因为神的国不在于言语，乃在于能力。 林前4：19-20


能力的彰显：
1. 自由：凡事我都可行，但无论那一件，我总不受它的辖制。林前6:12
2. 复活：身体乃是为主，主也是为身体。并且神已经使主复活，也必藉着祂的能力，使我们复活起来。林前6:13-14
3. 节制：凡较力争胜的，诸事都有节制；他们不过是要得能坏的华冠，我们却是要得不能坏的华冠。
4. 爱：
我们晓得我们都有知识。知识是叫人自高自大，惟有爱建造人。8:2
但若有人爱神，这人乃是神所知道的。8：4
无论何人，不要寻求自己的益处，乃要寻求别人的益处。10:24
我若能说人和天使的方言，却没有爱，我就成了鸣的锣、响的钹。
我若有申言的恩赐，也明白一切的奥秘，和一切的知识，并有全备的信，以致能彀移山，却没有爱，我就算不得什么。我若将我一切所有的变卖为食物分给人吃，又舍己身叫我可以夸口，却没有爱，仍然与我无益。13：1-4
如今常存的，有信心、希望、爱这三样，其中最大的是爱。13:13

从能力得益处：
只是那灵的表显赐给各人，是要叫人得益处。12:7
这人藉着那灵得了智慧的言语，那人也照同一位灵得了知识的言语，12:8
另有别人在同一位灵里得了信心，还有一人在这一位灵里得了医病的恩赐，12:9

每日一得：两种智慧

哥林多前书的两种智慧

1. 神的智慧:
求你指教我们怎样数算自己的日子，好叫我们得着智慧的心。 诗90:12
精明人的智慧在乎明白自己的道路 箴14：8
所以，凡听见我这些话就实行的，好比一个精明人，把他的房子盖在磐石上。太7：24
既然照着神的智慧，世人凭自己的智慧，未曾认识神，神就乐意藉着所传之事的愚拙，拯救那些信的人。林前1：21
这基督成了从神给我们的智慧：公义、圣别和救赎。 林前1：30
然而在长成的人中，我们也讲智慧，但不是这世代的智慧，也不是这世代有权有位正被废掉之人的智慧。我们讲的，乃是从前所隐藏，神奥秘中的智慧，就是神在万世以前，为使我们得荣耀所豫定的；这智慧，这世代有权有位的人，并没有一个知道，因为他们若知道，就不会把荣耀的主钉十字架了。只是如经上所记：“神为爱祂的人所豫备的，是眼睛未曾看见，耳朵未曾听见，人心也未曾想到的。” 但神藉着那灵向我们启示了，因为那灵参透万事，甚至神的深奥也参透了。 林前2：6-10


2. 世人的智慧
我说的话，讲的道，不是用智慧动听的言语，乃是用那灵和能力的明证， 叫你们的信不在于人的智慧，乃在于神的能力。 林前2:4-5
因这世界的智慧，在神看是愚拙，如经上记着：“主叫智慧的人中了自己的诡计。” 又说，“主知道智慧人的意念是虚空的。” 林前3：18-19

每日一得：李白的异象

“天姥连天向天横，势拔五岳掩赤城。天台四万八千丈，对此欲倒东南倾。”
“列缺霹雳，丘峦崩摧。洞天石扇，訇然中开。青冥浩荡不见底，日月照耀金银台。霓为衣兮风为马，云之君兮纷纷而来下。虎鼓瑟兮鸾回车，仙之人兮列如麻。”
李白 《梦游天姥吟留别》

引言：
李白在梦中来到一座高山前，看见了一个极美的异象。约翰在灵中也来到一座高山：“我在灵里，天使带我到一座高大的山，将那由神那里从天而降的圣城耶路撒冷指给我看。”（启21：10）

列缺霹雳，丘峦崩摧：“天就挪移，好像书卷被卷起来；一切山岭海岛都被挪移离开本位。”（启6：14）“各海岛都逃避了，众山也不见了。”（启16：20）
洞天石扇，訇然中开：“这些事以后，我观看，看哪，天上有门开了。”（启示录4：1）
青冥浩荡不见底： ”宝座前好像一个玻璃海，如同水晶。”（启示录4：6）“城的光辉如同极贵的宝石，好像碧玉，明如水晶。”（启示录21：11）

日月照耀：“不再有黑夜，他们也不需要灯光日光，因为主神要光照他们；他们要作王，直到永永远远。”（启22：5）那城内不需要日月光照，因有神的荣耀光照，又有羔羊为城的灯。（启21：23）
金银台：“既转过来，就看见七个金灯台”（启示录1：12）“【金银台】郭璞《游仙诗》“神仙排云出，但见金银台”

霓为衣兮风为马，云之君兮纷纷而来下，虎鼓瑟兮鸾回车：“耶和华在诸水中立楼阁的栋梁，用云彩为车辇，藉着风的翅膀而行。祂以风为使者，以火焰为仆役。” （诗篇104：3-4）

仙之人兮列如麻：”这些事以后，我观看，看哪，有大批的群众，没有人能数得过来，是从各邦国、各支派、各民族、各方言来的，站在宝座前和羔羊面前，身穿白袍，手拿棕树枝”（启7：9）“我又看见，且听见，宝座与活物并长老的周围，有许多天使的声音；他们的数目有千千万万。”（启示录5：11）

每日一得：“美好的托付”和“无伪的信心”

提摩太后书是一封激励人的信，也是保罗的遗书。两千年过去了，我们仍然能感觉到保罗澎湃的圣灵和他对主坚定绝对的心。

“你要藉着那住在我们里面的圣灵，保守那美好的托付”（提摩太后书1章14节）
主对我们有一份美好的托付（deposit），这托付要联与圣灵才能得保守。我们常常感觉软弱或无助，却忘记了我们有这样一位主，有这样美好的托付。主为我预备的远超我能认识到的。我们每一个人的潜力或有不同，却毫无例外地被我们低估，被我们忽视。只有藉着那 “能力，爱，并清明自守的灵”，我们才能做一个无愧的工人，一个劳力的农夫，一个忠诚的士兵。我们这一生才有价值。

“记得你里面无伪的信心，就是先在你外祖母罗以，和你母亲友尼基里面的，我深信也在你里面。为这缘故，我题醒你，将那藉我按手，在你里面神的恩赐，再如火挑旺起来。”
圣经是一本信心的宣言，是让人与神和好的书。没有这份对神的信心，主的话就解不开，就发不出祂的光来。只是我们常常需要提醒，需要记得，Remeber Jesus Christ：我们里面神的恩赐何其的大，我们活出来的又是何其的小。我们可不可以在每天的祷告中说：“求主增加我們的信心”（路17：5）
主来的时候， 曾经感叹说：“人子來的時候，在地上找得到信心麼？”主再来的时候，我何等希望祂不仅从我身上找到信心，也能从地上的我们身上找到信心。我们就能在那日“找着怜悯”。

每日一得：“我是好牧人”

主说： “我是好牧人，好牧人为羊舍命”
“我是好牧人，我认识我的羊，我的羊也认识我”
“雇工逃走，因他是雇工，并不顾念羊”（约翰福音10：11-15）

1. 要做到好牧人，有两个条件：好牧人主观上要愿为羊舍命，客观上我的羊也认识我。我们的主从来都愿为我们舍命的，问题出在我们不认识祂，常常跟错了人。

2. 好牧人和雇工的区别在于：好牧人有一种托付，他关心爱护他的羊。他与他的羊有一种生机生命的连接。雇工只是为钱做事，羊只是他谋生或挣钱的工具而已。 什么时候我们在工作生活中没有了托付，我们就成为一个雇工，就是在浪费时间，做没有价值的事。主是一个好牧人，祂也希望我们成为像他一样的好牧人。

"You don't have to do this" No Country for Old Men

This is a gruesome movie to watch, bloody and thrilling. This movie makes you think hard about life and death, about what you believe and what you don't, what you need as essential to your life and what you desire but eventually could get you killed. "No Country for Old Men" is not your typical Hollywood movie, and it reveals the powerlessness of human being in front of a true evil. The word "danger" loses its sense in this movie, it does not get dangerous over time, "danger" just never leave the audience.

There is one sentence hovering over my head after I watched the movie. "You don't have to do this" was a plea given by the wife of Llewyn before Chigurh killed her. It seems that Chigurh really don't have to kill her as she got no money and never saw Chigurh before to report anything. By the same token, the sheriff doesn't have to find Chigurh before his retirement and he did not. Llewyn doesn't have to fetch the water for the Mexican drug dealer but he did, which cause him grave danger.

Whether you do something beyond reasoning, depends on whether you have a rule in your life. All three main characters have principles in their lives, the difference is that Llewyn has some but not much (not when 2 million is at stake), the Sheriff used to have it but lost it (when his life is at danger), only Chigurh never bend his rules and always sticked to his so-called "fairness".

The author wanted to remind us that you live and die by principles. Things make no sense at all actually can either save or kill you (like a coin toss), so it only makes sense when you hold on to a principle. Your true color is tested when something grave is presented and you just can't survive without principle(s) any longer.

A Christian of Choice 1

I used to be an athesist, and I firmly believed that God does not exist. I never quite realized that I was not an athesist of choice: I was told to be an athesist, for the sake of someone else's benefit. There was a reason for them to do it. They wanted us to believe a man named Mao as God himself.
Like fruits of a tree, I was a product of an educational system. This is not just another school that teaches you math and arts. This system serves a government that sacrificed millions of peasants' life for one man's "glory", a government that lied about history, statistics, and anything else to make sure they are in power, a government that is now corrupted to its bone and is polluting the very home of its citizens...

If I am not dubious about what I have to believe, I am just a fool. Then I have no one to blame but myself.

君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚

“戚”： 忧愁，悲哀 （戚戚，憂貌。又惱也）

小人忧者，或其内外不合，或其所是与所欲不符。凡表里如一者，有自知之明者，莫不为人坦荡，盖因其无所以为惧。世人烦恼者，多有婚姻之事。恋爱之男女多不可信，常强为己所不是；而婚姻日久天长，待察觉二者之不配，晚矣！

新闻一则

今天读到一篇新闻，一位才华横溢的高中橄榄球员被斯坦福大学录取后，在回家的路上被黑帮无故枪杀。

1. 乱邦不居，危邦不入。有时候洁身自好也不能离开危险。
2. 他的父亲说：我告诉他远离毒品和暴力，我答应他如果你能为考大学牺牲几年时间的话，我会和你一同牺牲这几年的时间来奋斗。虽然这位父亲没能保护他的儿子，我却非常赞同他的教育方法。 中国人有句古话：“有其父必有其子”，“养不教，父之过”，很少有人问为什么。其实榜样的力量是无穷的。“You lead by example!"
侄儿成绩不好（嫂子常打麻将），表弟一事无成（姑父每天跳舞，出门前总是一句话：“好好看书！”）。 我至今记得高考前父亲建议我们不看电影三个月，他自己也同样做到。没有什么比“说一套，做一套”更让人看不起，孩子虽小，并不傻：你这个样子，有什么资格教训我？

Ben Franklin's Quotes

1. A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over. 祸从口出
2. Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. 沉默是金
3. Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is.
4. Wish not so much to live long as to live well.
5. Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. （Tuo's version: Those who would give up self respect to purchase a little temporary job safety deserve neither respect nor safety)
6. If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write something worth reading or do things worth the writing.
7. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
8. At 20 years of age the will reigns, at 30 the wit, at 40 the judgment. 三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命
9. If you would persuade, you must appeal to interest rather than intellect.
10. Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none.
11. Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead
13. Perhaps the history of the errors of mankind, all things considered, is more valuable and interesting than that of their discoveries. Truth is uniform and narrow; it constantly exists, and does not seem to require so much an active energy, as a passive aptitude of the soul in order to encounter it. But error is endlessly diversified; it has no reality, but is the pure and simple creation of the mind that invents it. In this field the soul has room enough to expand herself, to display all her boundless faculties, and all her beautiful and interesting extravagancies and absurdities. (幸福的家庭都是相似的，不幸的家庭各有各的不幸）

14. Fish and visitors smell in three days.
15. To lengthen thy life, lessen thy meals.
16. God heals, and the doctor takes the fees.
17. Drive thy business or it will drive thee.

Today's Reading: The Essential Buffett 1

The Essential Buffett: Timeless Principles For the New Economy
by Robert G. Hagstrom

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man" - Bernard Shaw

Buffett's four-part investment strategy:
1. Analyze a stock as a business
2. Demand a margin of saftey for each purchase
3. Manage a focus portifolio
4. Protect yourself from the speculative and emotional forces of the market

Tenets of the Warren Buffett Way
Business Tenets
1. Is the business simple and understandable?
2. Does the business have a consistent operating history?
3. Does the busines have favorable long-term propects?

Management Tenets
1. Is management rational?
2. Is management candid with its shareholders?
3. Does management resist the institutional imperative?

Financial Tenets
1. Focus on return on equity, not earning per share.
2. Calculate "owner earnings"
3. Look for companies with high profit margins
4. For every dollar retained, make sure the company has created at least one dollar of market value.

Makret Tenets
1. What is the value of the business?
2. Can the business be purchased at a significant discount to its value?

McCain and Bush Tax Cut

"He(McCain)'s embraced the Bush tax cuts that he voted against. He was against them being temporary; now he wants them being permanent. That's like marrying a girl you didn't want to date. "
----- Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala

Gospel of Thomas vs. Daodejing

1. And he said, "Whoever discovers the interpretation of these sayings will not taste death."
孔子：“朝闻道，夕死可矣”

2. Jesus said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. When they find, they will be disturbed. When they are disturbed, they will marvel, and will reign over all.
48.为学日益。为道日损。损之又损，以至於无为。无为而不为。取天下常以无事，及其有事，不足以取天下。

3. When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father. But if you do not know yourselves, then you live in poverty, and you are the poverty.
第三十三章. 知人者智， 自知者明。 胜人者有力， 自胜者强。 知足者富。 强行者有志。 不失其所者久。 死而不亡者寿。

4. Jesus said, "The person old in days won't hesitate to ask a little child seven days old about the place of life, and that person will live.
55.含德之厚比於赤子。毒虫不螫，猛兽不据，攫鸟不抟。骨弱筋柔而握固。未知牝牡之合而全作，精之至也。终日号而不嗄，和之至也。知和曰常。知常曰明。益生曰祥。心使气曰强。物壮则老。谓之不道，不道早已。

5. Jesus said, "Know what is in front of your face, and what is hidden from you will be disclosed to you. 　

(6) His disciples questioned him and said to him, "Do you want us to fast? How shall we pray? Shall we give alms? What diet shall we observe?" Jesus said, "Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate, for all things are plain in the sight of heaven. For nothing hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain without being uncovered."
73. 天网恢恢疏而不失

11. On the day when you were one, you became two. But when you become two, what will you do?"
42.道生一。一生二。二生三。三生万物。

(17) Jesus said, "I shall give you what no eye has seen and what no ear has heard and what no hand has touched and what has never occurred to the human mind."

(24) His disciples said to him, "Show us the place where you are, since it is necessary for us to seek it." He said to them, "Whoever has ears, let him hear. There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness."

(70) Jesus said, "That which you have will save you if you bring it forth from yourselves. That which you do not have within you will kill you if you do not have it within you."

110% 方案

Mark McCormick 的“110% solution” 是老弟留下的几本“人生（商业）启蒙”书的一本。我向来对这类图书不太感冒：冠军是读书读出来的吗？

近来闲的无事，随手翻了翻，竟读到一个很有意义的故事：Mark 是一位成功的体育明星经纪人，一直是慧眼识珠（高尔夫和网球的明星很多在他名下）。只有一位高尔夫球员，素有“坏小子”之称，是很多经纪人眼中的麻烦角色，Mark 却长期与他签约。手下人不理解，Mark就给他们讲了一件小事：几年前的一天，Mark收到一封信。信里夹着一些加币的现金。原来这位高尔夫球手应邀去加拿大参加了一场球赛，因为方便，他就自己订了机票和旅馆，而对方也用现金支付了奖金。 Mark 能够想象的到这一幕：这位球手回到旅馆的房间，把10%的现金一张张点出来，在Mark 的经纪人公司完全不知道的情况下，如数寄回了经纪人应得的部分。

我不知道在信主之前我能否做到这些，因为“人人为自己，上帝为大家”，更有文化的会说“人不为己，天诛地灭”。 经上却说，“聪明人中了自己的诡计”。 可是我如何能放弃眼前的利益呢？如何能相信正直无伪的必定得蒙祝福呢？不是说“手中的一只鸟，胜过林中的两只鸟么？” 我甚至不知道现在的我一定能做到这些，因为我信，但“信不足焉”。

我想这个故事的答案就在于信心，在于对神对人的确信，在于能不能做那有福的“没有看见就信的人”。 信心不是天然产生的，否则我们就不再罪中了。主耶稣说过：“

如果信心来源于看见神迹，以色列人又何至于在旷野漂流40年？如果信心来源于自己的天然能力，有谁会相信一位被钉死在十字架上的青年木匠？

你們若是在不義的錢財上不忠信，誰還把那真實的信託你們？
那些在磐石上的，就是人聽了道，歡喜領受，但沒有根，不過是暫時信了，在試煉的時候，就退後了。

君子安雅

1. 水火有气而无生，草木有生而无知，禽兽有知而无义，人有气、有生、有知、亦且有义，故最为天下贵也。 ---王制篇
2. 人之所以为人者何已也？曰：以其有辨也。饥而欲食，寒而欲暖，劳而欲息，好利而恶害，是人之所生而有也，是无待而然者也，是禹、桀之所同也。然则人之所以为人者，非特以二足而无毛也，以其有辨也。……夫禽兽有父子而无父子之亲，有牝牡而无男女之别。故人道莫不有辨。《非相》
3. 凡生乎天地之间者，有血气之属必有知，有知之属莫不爱其类。今夫大鸟兽则失亡其群匹，越月逾时，则必反铅；过故乡，则必徘徊焉，鸣号焉，踯躅焉，踟蹰焉，然后能去之也。小者是燕爵犹有啁噍之顷焉，然后能去之。故有血气之属莫知于人。-- 礼论
4. 越人安越，楚人安楚，君子安雅 (正而有美德者谓之雅)

运命论

三国，李康
1. 夫治乱，运也；穷达，命也；贵贱，时也。屈原以之沉湘，贾谊以之发愤，不亦过乎！
2. 其所以得然者，岂徒人事哉？授之者天也，告之者神也，成之者运也。
3.孔子曰：“清明在躬，气志如神。嗜欲将至，有开必先。天降时雨，山川出云。”
4. 夫道足以济天下，而不得贵于人；言足以经万世，而不见信于时；行足以应神明，而不能弥纶于俗；应聘七十国，而不一获其主；驱骤于蛮夏之域，屈辱于公卿之门。其不遇也如此。... 其徒子夏，升堂而未入室者也。退老于家，魏文侯师之，西河之人肃然归德，比之于夫子而莫敢间其言。
5. 然则圣人所以为圣者，盖在乎乐天知命矣。故遇之而不怨，居之而不疑也。其身可抑，而道不可屈；其位可排，而名不可夺。...是以圣人处穷达如一也。故木秀于林，风必摧之；堆出于岸，流必湍之；行高于人，众必非之。
6.凡希世苟合之士，蘧蒢戚绝之人，俯仰尊贵之颜，逶迤势利之间，意无是非，赞之如流；言无可否，应之如响。
7. 天地之大德曰生，圣人之大宝曰位，何以守位曰仁，何以正人曰义。故古之为王者，盖以一人治天下，不以天下奉一人也。古之仕者，盖以官行其义，不以利冒其官也。古之君子，盖耻得之而弗能治也，不耻能治而弗得也。原乎天人之性，核乎荣辱之算，其昭然矣。故君子舍彼取此。