Forza Azzurri - reward of determination

During the quarter finals, Italy defeated England in penalty shootouts (regular time ended 0-0). But clearly Italy was the team who put more effort into generating opportunities to score. They had at least 65% of the ball possession and probably more than double the amount of shots on goal that England had. It was due to the inaccuracy of their forwards that Italy could not score on the regular time.

England was limited to play defensively, and relied on some sort of long ball strategy for Rooney (who didn't play well) to get chances on scoring. I have to admit that England did a great job defending and holding until the penalty shootouts. But based on what the game showed, Italy was the team with much more determination to score and win the game, and they got the victory via the stressful penalty shootouts.

Special mention to Andrea Pirlo for his confidence in scoring the penalty kick with such remarkable technique.

In the similar way, I believe that the determination to work hard for the Lord and to glorify Him will yield fruits in His own timing.

The need of a leader

France has been a team that dominated the soccer world in the early 2000s by winning the World Cup 1998 and the Euro Cup 2000. It was led by one of the most elegant players I have seen, Zinedine Zidane. Many people (specially those who don't watch soccer) know him as the guy who headbutted an Italian defender during the finals of World Cup 2006. But this guy is incredibly skilled with refined techniques and ball control, accurate passes and shots.

I was watching some of the highlights of the French team in World Cup 2006, and I it was just so enjoyable to see Zidane's master skills defeating opponents of the caliber of Spain (the younger version of the current world champion), Brazil (Kaka, Robihno, Ronaldihno, Ronaldo), and Portugual (led by Luis Figo).

He was the leader of this great team, someone who the rest of the team can look up to, someone who carries the team on his shoulder, someone who enables the rest of the team to play better.

Nowadays, France does have players of great skills like Ribery, Benzema, Nasri, Menez... but as seen in their last game against Spain, there is a disconnect within the team. It feels like every player is doing their own thing. They are in a urgent need of the "number 10" that they can look up to in times of difficulties.

Similarly, a leader of a Christian community cares for the people and feels burdened for them, lives above approach for them to follow, and enables them to use their gifts so that they can reach their full potential.

Talents and unity

To the disappointment of many people (including myself), Netherlands was not able to pass the first stage of the Euro Cup 2012. Even more, they lost every single game!

Netherlands is historically a very competitive team since the late 70s carrying generations of great players. In the present, they actually have a big pool of talent in the offensive side which propelled them to get into the finals of the last World Cup. They have players of this caliber:

• Robin van Persie: top scorer of the English Premier League with 30 goals
• Klaas-Jan Huntelaar: top scorer of the German Bundesliga with 29 goals
• Wesley Snejder: one of the top 3 midfielders in 2010, and instrumental player for Internazionale success in previous years.
• Arjen Robben: instrumental player for Bayern Munich team

We can also add more with players like Rafael van der Vaart and Ibrahim Afellay who have exceptional skills. The rest of team is also above average.

Why did the dutch lose every single game? Even more, with such much gunpowder they only scored two goals.

I can think of two main reasons:

• Not investing their talents effectively: it seems that the forwards were carrying much pressure and not performing well at all. They were missing easy opportunities, and it is not very typical for them. If they are not able to focus, then despite how talented they are it is futile.
• Lack of unity within the team: even though the individual players have much talents, but if they are not working together as a team they will not be able to accomplish their goals. It was evident the lack of coherence in their play style.

Just as a Christian believer, even if we are given talents and gifts, if we are not focused on God we will not be able to be effective in our ministries. As well, we are to serve with other brothers and sisters but if there is a lack of unity, not much can be accomplished.

Top 5 of Hong Kong

It has been quiet lately, but I came back recently from a trip from Hong Kong which was great! Actually I lived in Hong Kong for two years when I was a kid so this city has a place in my heart. As I visited, I pondered about what are the things I like about Hong Kong, and whether I want to live there in the future. So I decided to post my 5 likes and dislikes about HK.

Five likes:

5. Transportation: MTR and 2-level buses
The MTR (subway) is an immensely convenient way to get around. An engineering piece of art. While I really like the 2-level buses because it is so comfortable to sit in the top level (since I am always walking), and you get to see the city as you travel.

4. Efficiency
I am always impressed at how fast and accurate people deliver in HK. Whether it is serving your food, giving you change, processing paperwork...

3. Shopping
You can get very decent quality clothing at very cheap price. Or you can get brand name stuff too without having to pay sale taxes like in Canada. As well there are electronics stuff. Also, there are random stuff you can get in the streets. Moreover, shops don't close like until 10-11pm.

2. Excellent Food
There are many great places to eat, and it is relatively cheap. There is also a great variety of places, not to say that there is a restaurant every 10 steps you take. I have to make a honorific mention to hot milk tea. It is just intense.

1. Family
Both my dad and grandma are there, so it is also very valuable to spend quality time with them, and maybe get spoiled by them for a bit.

Five dislikes:


5. Salespersons
In some shops, when I enter to look at things I feel like a vulnerable deer getting attacked by hungry hyenas. And in some cases, salespersons are like robots because they just repeat the same phrase whenever they see you "Welcome" or "Feel free to look around". It's like they have a sensor, and whenever they detect a living organism, they will just spill out these words even though you heard it a few times.

4. Stress
Since things are so efficient that people are always on the go, very fast paced. No slowing down, and this leads to a very high levels of stress. It seems very challenging to have a good work-leisure balance. There are no places to sit in malls! That's how stressful it is.

3. Emphasis on appearance
I notice that people (especially female homo sapiens) like to dress well and look good. I think it is fair to want to look nice, but I feel that it is way too much. I don't have enough facts, but I get the sense that there is way too much focus on outward appearance.


2. Lack of personal space
It's crazy how pricey living space is, and unfortunately this leads to very cramped places where people barely has personal space to spend quiet time. If the environment is so fast paced and stressful, I personally need some down time with my own space to recharge. I think part of the reason why people go out a lot is because there is not much space at home.

1. Too much shopping
Though shopping is good in HK, the amount of people I see shopping after school hours or during weekends is crazy. At peak hours, I feel like an electron trying to pass through an insulator because of the insane amount of people. And there is shopping every where, and at all times... so it tells me that people are very materialistic. Also heard that HK has one of the best second-hand market, since people buy stuff and don't want it after a short time since new models are released. Yeah, it's kind of sad I think.


I just wanted to point out my random thoughts, but as well I realized that there would always be pros and cons in whatever place I choose to make a living. There will always be things I like about it, and things I dislike about it. As I continue pondering, I can see the factors of finding a good job and establishing a family as big weights for this kind of decision.

But I would like to add another factor, which is the vision that God has given me. Do I have a burden to invest in this specific city? How can I impact this city in a positive manner? How can I utilize the gifts that God has given me for His service? We are the salt and light of world, and so wherever we go, we ought to shine Christ.

Perseverance

Since the soccer season is about to come to an end, and the Euro Cup is happening this summer, I will be talking about my favorite sport more often.

I grew up watching great players who have retired or are retiring soon, and there are two that I really like: Alessandro del Piero (from Juventus) and Francesco Totti (from AS Roma).


They are considered as the most talented players in Italy in the recent decades, and they are both near the end of their career. Actually this weekend their teams will face each other, but the likelihood of seeing both in the field is not high because both players has been benching for most of this season.


They both share many common characteristics:

• Played for the same team since the start of their career (about 20 years ago), and are captains of their respective team
• Scored more than 200 goals in ~500 appearances in their respective team (both of them are top scorers and highest capped in their respective teams)
• Won the Italian league at least once
• Part of top 10 scorers in all-history in the Italian league (Totti is ranked 5th, del Piero is ranked 9th)
• Played in the position of '10' (playmaker, second striker)
• Winner of the Golden Foot
• Multiple awards with the Italy national team: World Cup (2006), 2nd place on Euro Cup (2000)
• Part of FIFA 100 (top 125 living players in history)
• Nicknames: "Bimbo d'Oro" (Golden Boy) for Totti, "Il Pinturicchio" (artist from Renaissance) for del Piero

Before I get more excited talking more details about them, I want to explain one interesting trait that they both shared, and that is they are both "one-team man". This means that they have been playing on the same team for all their career. This is not that rare (especially since both Juventus and AS Roma are renown teams), but most famous players do switch team for fame, money, increase chances of winning something, etc. There was a time when Juventus was demoted to a secondary league and many famous players left, but del Piero decided to stay to help the team get promoted to the main league. As well, AS Roma does not have the potential to compete with other big European teams, but Totti remained in his team always. Both players did get offers from other big English and Spanish teams, but they refused and decided to stay.

This shows how loyal they are to their teams, and that even though turbulent times, they decided to persevere to help this team go forward, while fame and money are very secondary factors. This makes me think of the importance of persevering in my faith. Believing in Christ is not a one time event, but a continuous journey of walking with God despite the challenges in our lives. We are to run the race with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1), and finish it well by the grace of God.

So yeah, from my own experience, there are definitely times of weakness when I contemplate the idea of giving up, but the grace of God is always compelling me to keep on running, and that is a wonderful thing to do.

Gate of Babylon

From the anime Fate Zero (mentioned in this post), there is a character by the name of Gilgamesh, who can be summoned by a magician to fight. Gilgamesh is some sort of a legendary Babylon king who is famous for collecting and storing riches in the "Gate of Babylon". Specifically, he collects swords, and his technique "Gate of Babylon" is all about explosive swords flying at you at the speed of sound. That move is kinda cool, that even Final Fantasy 13-2 has a boss who uses it. Gilgamesh also stores very fine wine in that gate.

Gilgamesh's character is one who boasts a lot of himself, and looks down at everyone else to the point of calling them mongrels. He boasts in his success of collecting the best swords of the world.

This made me think of the concept of storing treasure, which one of my favorite passages of the bible talk about:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:19-21

So I want to follow through an earlier post I have: http://koinowarrior.blogspot.ca/2010/03/what-are-you-thirsting-for.html

From the start of sermon of the mount (Matthew 5) until the above passage, Jesus talks about various laws at which many Jews obey it by the letter, but fail to obey by the spirit. For example, one will not murder his brother, but he might have thoughts of hatred towards him. Or one man will not commit adultery, but will look lustfully at a woman. There is a big emphasis on the person's inner motive. It is not about the outward appearance, because it is easy to fake living like a Christian. So the question reside in the motivation behind a person's action.

When it pertains to good actions like studying hard, working hard, and serving hard, it is important to reflect and ask ourselves why are we doing this. Are we doing it for our selfish gain, for popularity, for reputation, for success? Or are we truly working as we are doing it for the Lord (Col 3:23)? What drives you to pursue to do those good actions? What do you desire? It is important to understand that we need to focus on God and His Kingdom in the activities we do here on earth. That the primarily focus is on God, and not in the activities themselves, because we can get too attached to a ministry that it comes an idol, or we can be mastered by the success of studies, and that is also idolatry.

I also want to introduce my concept of "kingdom currency". Whenever I make decisions regarding serving and investing my time I consider prayerfully which choice will grant me more impact in the Kingdom work. So it's like where I can invest more in the Kingdom, so that it will create more "kingdom currency". Regardless, it is very important invest in the Kingdom in the activities we are involved in. For example, if we are serving hard, it is not just about running the program but about impacting and investing in the people who attend the program. If we are studying hard is because we want to be trained so that we can use the skills in the future for God's work. If we are working hard, it is because we can become a good witness towards others.

So what's the meaning of "storing up treasure in heaven"? I don't think I have a good grasp of this concept yet, but my current thought is that we as Christians ought to focus on God in everything we do because Christ Himself is our most precious treasure and in Him we find joy. Hence, if God is our treasure, our hearts is also there, and consequently we would want to act in alignment to His will. As a result, our character is transformed, we study hard with joy, we work hard with joy, we serve hard with joy, we impact other's people's lives (through discipling, teaching, mentoring, evangelizing, witnessing). I think these are the treasures that cannot be taken away.

I think the next step is to encourage and challenge others to living in the same manner. So let each of our "gate of Babylon" that encapsulates the testimonies, character molding, impact in people's live, the track of records in God's work leave a legacy for others to follow.

As the time for Easter comes near, let us reflect in the motivation of why do we do the things we do. We have been saved by the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, and we are not to live for ourselves, but we live for our risen King.

Commitment to Membership

There are many famous soccer players that most people know like Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, etc. They are excellent players, and most of them play in my current favorite team of Barcelona.

But I gonna talk about a not-so-known player for non-soccer fans, he is Javier "el Pupi" Zanetti who plays as a right defensive winger in Argentina and in the Italian club Internazionale (Inter). He is currently 38 years old, which is at least 3-4 years above average of retiring age, but he still plays consistently well.

What is cool is that I have seen him play since I followed soccer in 1994. So it has been 18 years! So what else is cool about him? Why am I talking about this player?

Zanetti holds some pretty impressive records and honors:

• Most games played with the national team of Argentina (which is impressive considering the so many talented players that Argentina has, yet Zanetti played over 145 games!)
• Most games played with Inter with 560 games 
• Most games played on an Italian club by a non-Italian
• Oldest played to scored a goal on a UEFA Champions League game (this record has been broken by other legendaries like Ryan Giggs and Filippo Inzaghi)
• Captain of Inter since 1999
• Recognized by his charity work
• Known to behave professionally with humble and gentlemen character (he has only gotten 1 red card in 560 games in the Italian league!)

He is nicknamed "the tractor" because of his resiliency, stamina, consistency, and coverage on both defense and offense. He works hard consistently so that even at his old age his performance is very respectable. He has been playing for the same team for 17 years, and being its captain for 13 years. It shows great commitment he has for Inter as a member of the team. And I like that.

It is easy to take lightly the concept of membership with a church or fellowship. Often the church's or CCF's members' meeting tend to be not of much interest for its members. Often in CCF, only committee, some of the leaders, and a few upper years would attend. It is during member's meeting when both committee and fellowship members come together to discuss how we as sinful people can make this fellowship a better place under God's grace. It is a way for committee to get direct feedback which can be either an encouragement or some constructive criticism to improve. During this meeting, the fellowship members can keep the committee accountable for their leadership. I think it is a precious time to discuss as a family how we can be used by God to move CCF closer to where God wants to be.

Usually people only become members because of elections, since it is a requirement to vote for the committee candidates. Outside of that time, I think not many people really think about membership. 

I don't think we should look membership in a legalistic way, as in "if you are not a member, you are not cool", but we should focus more on understanding why membership is important. I can think of a few points:

• Official act of expressing your commitment towards CCF
• It is a formal way for you to express that you are committed to participate in fellowshipping with this Christian community, and this is glorifying to God. 
• Agreeing to represent as a individual the vision that CCF drives. 
• In the CCF membership form, it asks you whether you read and agreed with Article 2 and 3 of the CCF constitution which includes the common main Christian doctrines that we believe in, and the purpose of CCF. By becoming a member, I am agreeing to these things, and I will make an effort to walk in alignment with these things.
• Reminder of remaining committed to this fellowship in spite of good or bad times.
• All of us are sinners so fellowship is not a perfect place. There will be conflicts, struggles, discomforts. But by God's grace we are able to be forgiven and forgive one another. By becoming a member, I need to remind myself why I am going to CCF in the first place and not just bail out when life is tough.
• Right to vote.
• Self-explanatory. As a member you can influence the direction of CCF through the election process.

I understand that membership seems more a mere formality, but there understanding the meaning behind it helps to see why it is important.