Review: The High Calling - weekly e newsletter

The weekly e-newsletter reviewed is from October 24, 2012.

I've never read anything from this site, let alone heard of it. This is a review of my experience with the newsletter - what I noticed, how I navigated through it, how I took in the 'sights and sounds' of it.

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The premise is attractive - firstly, this site is about everyday conversations, meaning it is accessible and approachable. Secondly, these conversations are about a mixture of work, life and God. The ordering makes me wonder if that's how we - how i go about my life. Work first, life second, and squeeze God in. Or at best, juggle the three into neat 33% packages. Perhaps I was simply in a contemplative mood and picked up on that.

The e-newsletter has three main sections: 

• New audio
• New articles
• Related articles from the community

With an explosive amount of information and things to do on the internet, I've developed a specific taste for information. Not in the mood to listen to something or watch a video, I scrolled straight to the related articles. As a young adult who admittedly struggles with surrendering to God and wanting Him, I clicked into 'stop waiting for God to tell you what to do' heading.

This opened up in a new tab, with a concise introduction to the piece, and link to the full post. on the sides were the usual 'subscribe to this' option, 'most popular post', and below 'related posts' and 'comments'. They weren't too obtrusive. I just wanted to read the post I clicked, in full.

(so now I'm no longer on the High Calling site)

I immediately the face on the new page (storylineblog.com) . It's Donald Miller - from blue like jazz.

I liked the article. I felt it struck the right idea - we are paralyzed by options. So much so, we choose passivity. We blindly call it 'waiting for God to act' when we're not doing our part. We avoid eye contact with being proactive. 

My number one draw point was that - you have to go and make survivable mistakes with God. 

The article doesn't go deeper than I thought, and not a single bible verse was used. In a way I was comfortable with that - inserting bible verses sometimes feels forced and out of context. Yet at the same time, without bible verses it feels more like a feel-good productivity article. I'm still juggling this outlook.

After the article, there's no links to go back to the original newsletter or the higher calling website. So ultimately the newsletter felt like a curated list of possible things I would need for that moment of time. A quick stop-by. I didn't feel particularly inclined to subscribe to the newsletter, though I did think of subscribing to the storylineblog.com. 






****DISCLAIMER****
Please note that I am not affiliated with The High Calling in any formal or personal ways. On the completion of this review (regardless of favourability), Handlebar Central reviews the blog review and may reward me a $10 Amazon Gift Card by email.

Book Review - Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

Wild at Heart by John Eldredge is a book about discovering the real heart of man, and in so doing reflecting the courageous, dangerous and wild heart of Creator God. At the core of this book is not principles, a list of dos and don'ts, but an ensuing dialogue that explains why men fight, why men are moved to rebel against injustice. In a flowing read, John covers the various aspects of men from both skill and experience as a counselor and married man - such as the wound of absent fathers, the ultimate question of 'am I strong - am I a man?', and the way towards restoring each dimension of manhood through community, vulnerability and perspective. As mentioned in the epilogue, this is not a book that should be read and put down as a mere interesting book. All great books in history inspire action, and read with the open mind and ready heart, this is another such book.

誤會

雖然選了那對字做部落格的頭條，但還是今天才真的體驗著。

拿出真心待人，誠懇地問候，友人竟發難，還要說我最恨的尾句：

『我知道啊，那又如何？那你現在開心嗎？』

沒附上什麼嘲笑成份，撇掉了平常的嘻嘻哈哈笑臉，始終都被誤會。

想大叫冤枉。

亦想以負面應付負面，

『你這份人就是那麼自信崩潰的！好言相告，反以為我要人身攻擊。』

或巧取，

『我的快樂不是被其他人主宰的，不像你，每每都渴要其他人的肯定，承受不到比較深入些的問候，以為我在揶揄你』

最后兩種回答都沒說，把守著沉默是金，沒好話說就閉嘴的道理。

雖說我的快樂是自己決定，不制于旁人半分，但真心視為惡意，難以接受。

還好，我知道自己出發點是善，表達是純直，連被誤會都不作無聊回擊。

不需盡如人意，我心早已無愧。

Book Review - Winston Churchill by John Perry

Winston Churchill by John Perry. This book brings together a concise outlook on the highly influential British man who, with no exaggeration added, shaped the modern world. His unwavering belief in the victory against evil, a sense of Divine intervention, and the advent of hope regardless of circumstance builds this narrative to a powerful start to finish.

Perry does not delve too deeply into the Victorian England system that Churchill's ancestors dwelt in, making the starting read a comfortable one for those who aren't so familiar with that upper class culture.

One cannot read this without quietly (or loudly) agreeing that Churchill was a man 'born for such a time as these'. Sharp wit coupled with oratory prowess could only pull him so far, and this book works to highlight some implications of early Christian grounding, provided by his beloved nanny who through Churchill's lisp calls 'Oom'.

This book is recommended for those looking for a good story, laced with the suspense of ‘what if…’s that comes with reviewing history in hindsight, and perhaps the feeling that purpose does come from on High. Or else there would be no Winston Churchill as we know him.

周杰倫是好幫手

原來音樂是這樣子的。

多年參與學校的管樂團，帶領教會種種音樂發展，但近年大多數自己在家里彈奏。

友人邀請我為他在一個婚禮儀式時伴奏，

歌曲方面沒太大難度，和音，音量上的轉變等等都拿穩。

來來去去都是那幾首歌，練習漸漸變得乏味。

我便在網上找了些周杰倫歌詞，說道：‘不如jam 吧！’

說罷便跳到電子琴處，開始彈出『青花瓷』 的序樂。

就是這樣的開始，我們連續cover 了十多首Jay Chou。

我倆都記得很多歌曲中的細節，真痛快！如：

『青花瓷』的開頭兩聲重鼓聲

『髮如雪』明顯的‘噢’ 放在‘狼牙月。。。’之前

周總時懶，時精的咬字唱功

我們一邊做音樂，一邊刻意地扮，隨意地唱高音。

噢，很久沒有如此玩！真正演奏時也需要發出這種凱悅。

總裁和『早才』

有一份經濟學的月刊 'In the black' (自譯：摸黑）談及

總裁和『早才』的兩種人生觀。（CEO & early talent）

沒有很突出的結論，但讀完後重燃了我的自學音樂路途。

這世界上（老土致詞的開始!)，

有些人少時得志，不習慣挫敗，往往故招重施，不肯轉變。

有些人少時比較上 ‘平庸’，好成績得來不容易，往往需要多方面思考，轉變和挫敗視於平常事。

能幹表面的背后還需要一份執著，一份輸得起的能耐。

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很多家長如賭博般逼小孩子學鋼琴，學小提琴, 心持著 ‘大個左嘅時候會多謝我地嘅培養！’的心態。爸媽沒給我這個機遇，我也從來沒有后悔，更加沒有覺得學琴的人比我幸福。

11 歲時小學學校開啟了‘賞試音樂班’，一共10 堂，每次15 分鐘，3 個人一起上堂。剛巧我跟兩位好朋友一起上課，而他們倆都已學了4-6 年（那又何必上這些小兒科？）。

我覺得彈琴蠻得意，在導師徘徊那幾分鐘，前前后后不夠3-4小時的教坊下，我便下了一個大膽的結論。

『其實彈琴很簡單啊～只要知道音樂符號代表那一個琴鍵盤，日夜練習左手和右手的配合便成了』

上了這條路，遇上很多學了多年的年輕人。

有些根本不知道自己學琴目的，有些只懂死記，盲目地將高手（莫扎特，蕭邦等等）的大作牢記。有些能夠考到高級，但當想彈奏一段自己喜歡的歌都需要先‘慢慢研究’，多年的訓練只為考張紙回來。

我不是早才。

我沒有收到『我的兒子考了X級琴，開始彈這個這個』的成人炫耀評語。

當人家寒暄的時候，沒有提及到我的什么‘天份’ 或 ‘恩賜’。

但，

我在大學二年的時候，決定每個禮拜跟隨一個鋼琴老師，足足學了8個月。因為我從來未進入過鋼琴考試，彈的手法全都是自創或模仿其他人的，所以這方面很需要人家指點。然后這‘高齡’*，‘後學’的我竟然考了一個六級的鋼琴文憑回來（成績B+)。

更重要是，我能對自己的演奏有信心，聽完歌曲后能準確地彈回來，能夠真正地享受全個過程和成果。

*通常小孩子會由5，6歲時開始學琴。如果每年持續著，很多人便會在14，15 歲考六級。我當時19歲，‘遲’了幾年，其他的考生還在中學。

友人的婚宴明天來了！

這禮拜都覺得心煩，因為不太了解他們的想法 - 裝飾態度要 ‘龜毛’ 還是 ‘過得去’？

自問略有品味的我，沒有發表太多意見。

只因我怕忙還未幫到，亂已增添。

只好默默在后邊等候，見機把瑣碎的事拿起來，辦好，然后做精簡的 ‘報告’。

希望此等舉動能夠舒緩少許，讓回憶大日子時，嘗倒的蜜意蓋過籌備的勞碌。

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動畫片‘天外奇跡’ （UP) 中，最深刻的莫過于老公公對已過世的妻子的情懷。

往往最真的愛，點滴在最平凡的每一天。

飛到南美的童心夢, 不倚靠別的 -

常慣的平淡生活從相片內牽起無數思念，

肯定了決心，交出了勇敢。

婚姻培養的真誠，就是這麼美妙。