1/40 & 2/40

很多朋友也看過"the purpose driven life"這本書，剛剛開始看的我很想借這個半私人的日記網頁，每天記下一些讀後感，當成是reading journal，也想以此和各位朋友分享交流。
先簡單介紹一下，這可以算是一本以基督教為中心的自我成長，自我增值的健康讀物。（很沒趣的感覺...呵呵！但事實是健康讀物很多也是沒趣的，正如健康食品很多也是難吃的） 作者Rick Warren將書分成四十個chapters，鼓勵讀者每天看一個chapter，用四十天的時間細心思想生命的意義。很大的一個課題。一本書，四十天的默想縱使未足夠叫我領會生的意義，但四十天細味思想同一課題，總會叫我明瞭比現在所知道的多一點吧~

1/40
It's not about me.

"Contrary to what many popular books, movies, and seminars tell you, you won't discover your life's meaning by looking within yourself. You've probably tried that already. You didn't create yourself, so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for! If i handed you an invention you had never seen before, you wouldn't know its purpose, and the invention itself wouldn't be able to tell you either. Only the creator or the owner's manual could reveal its purpose."

有一定程度的self-consciousness, 再花更多的時間心力和毅力去發現自己，我做到的只是可以更清楚自己的興趣，性格，喜好，對物的觀點，反應，態度，甚麼東西惹怒我，令我羞愧，令我興奮，令我不安，和背後的為甚麼。
能夠做到這些已經很了不起，但做到以上全部卻並未等於我了解人生的意義。
生命應該不單單是了解自己，然後做自己喜歡的事情，吃愛吃的食物，愛我愛的人；生命應該不是單純的自我滿足 -- 只因為我知道，我們永遠也無法真正的靠自己而覺得滿足。

"Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him." Colossians 1:16b (Msg)

2/40
You are not an accident.

poem by Russell Kelfer:

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And no matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into his likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!

我相信神叫我活在這個年代，從一種文化走進另一種文化，叫我在這個地方成長，一定有祂的用意。祂給我這個身體，這個腦袋，這副德性，必然有甚麼要我知道，要我學習，要我達成。
也許，這就是我的生命的意義。

"I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born." Isaiah 44:2 (CEV)