Genesis 38 – Tamar bore sons to Judah

Genesis 38 indicates that our salvation is absolutely based on God’s grace. this chapter shows the shameful act of Judah, which seems inappropriate to be included in the book of the Bible. However, through the line of Judah, especially Perez, a son of Tamar, the Savior has come. This tells us that we are not eligible to obtain salvation but only by God’s grace we are saved. Thank God.

Restoration of Co-Worker relation

In UBF, we use the term co-worker(s) when we call members of UBF chapter. Most importantly, any member in UBF chapter is called as coworker in contrast to chapter director.

We need first to think how the term co-worker is being used with what meaning, and secondly we must restore its original meaning and use it correctly.

Rethink of disicple-making principle (ministry)

For many years, UBF has dedicated in disciple-making ministry in each campus. Now is the time to examine the discrepancy between what the Bible teaches about disciple making and the daily life of the disciples and what UBF has been doing in raising disciples through many activities.

Then, UBF needs to take a new direction proactively of raising disciples and help them to live a life of the light toward the world as Jesus meant.

Otherwise, disciple-making ministry in UBF may be limited with no match with teachings of the Bible.

==> TO BE CONTINUED…

Boxing Day: Find room to give to charity

Published On Sun Dec 26 2010, www.thestar.com

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Boxing Day’s origins are obscure. According to one theory, it dates from the Middle Ages, when boxes outside churches were used to collect special offerings for the poor in conjunction with the Feast of Saint Stephen. In the Victorian era, it became customary for middle-class and affluent families to give small boxes of goods to the tradesmen, delivery workers and servants who had laboured for them throughout the year.

Today, this tends to be a holiday to reward ourselves. Shopping malls are at their busiest, packed by thousands of enthusiastic consumers taking advantage of low, low Boxing Day prices. It’s a great day for bargain hunters and for businesses eager to sell off leftover Christmas inventories.

But there’s less to celebrate for those lacking money to take advantage of these sales. Boxing Day is of little use for the destitute, for the many who lack a job and have a hard time finding cash to cover even their essentials, and for those too ill or disabled to risk the holiday crush.

It seems appropriate that those of us who eagerly reap Boxing Day savings also channel some of our resources to a purpose more in keeping with the tradition behind this holiday — that of helping the less fortunate.

The need is especially great this year as donor fatigue and the straitened circumstances of many Canadians have drastically reduced the amount of charitable giving. A recent Angus Reid Public Opinion poll found that about 34 per cent of people surveyed have cut their charitable contributions this year. About 57 per cent donated the same amount as in the past, while only 8 per cent gave more to charity.

Yet the need is greater than ever. United Way Toronto is striving to meet a bold $113 million fundraising target — the biggest in its history and the highest goal of any United Way in North America. A Boxing Day donation here reverberates throughout the year, working in support of 200 health and social services agencies across Toronto. Together, they serve the poor, the hungry, the homeless, abused women, new immigrants, the elderly, and the disabled.

The Daily Bread Food Bank’s holiday drive also has an ambitious goal: the gathering of one million pounds of food, and $1 million, by Jan. 3. A donation of goods or money will help supply 73,000 hampers of food each month to individuals and families struggling to ward off hunger.

The Star’s own Santa Claus Fund provides 45,000 gift boxes to children who may otherwise receive nothing over the holiday season. Many are recent immigrants to Canada and the boxes contain cold weather essentials — like mittens, hats and socks — as well as books, toys and treats to delight the young. This year’s boxes have already gone out, but a donation now helps guarantee next year’s delivery.

Indeed, there is no shortage of opportunities for Boxing Day generosity. Please give.

 

 

Hunger, poverty at a ‘crisis point’

The only way to stop the growing rate of hunger is by increasing wages, investing in income security programs, providing affordable housing and improving access to community food programs, according to a list of recommendations to be released on Monday.

The Recession Relief Coalition is releasing 10 top recommendations that are key to combatting the troubling rise of hunger in the province. They are geared toward policy-makers at all levels of government.

“Hunger and poverty are at a crisis point,” said Dr. Gary Bloch, a family physician with St. Michael’s Hospital and assistant professor with the University of Toronto, who helped draft the recommendations.

“We are facing the highest levels of food bank use and some of the highest rates of social assistance use ever,” said Bloch, noting his practice is largely comprised of people living below the poverty line and struggling for basic survival.

The recommendations were put together by a six-member panel after a full day of evidence at a hunger inquiry in late November. The panel — which also included a retired minister, celebrity chef and a housing advocate — heard from more than 30 front-line workers, social service agency staff, academics community leaders and people directly affected by hunger. The coalition’s full report is expected in January.

After decades of cutbacks to government revenues, through individual and corporate tax cuts, “a small reversal of these cuts” would provide funds for some basic social insurance programs to fight hunger and poverty, Bloch said.

“We are willing to pump ever-increasing dollars into health care, much of it to treat the health problems caused by high levels of poverty, but we seem unwilling to address the root causes of these problems,” he told the Star.

His comments were echoed by Jim Stanford, an economist with the Canadian Auto Workers, who was also a panelist.

Taxes in Canada have declined by five percentage points of GDP since 2000, representing $75 billion per year of foregone government revenue, said Stanford. If a small fraction of that was devoted to the sorts of measures proposed, hunger would be eliminated, he says.

“We are cutting off our fiscal nose to spite our face, when we short-sightedly fail to provide necessary income supports to the poor and hungry,” he said. “I would rather pay up front, in a concerted and integrated effort to prevent hunger, rather than after the fact, to try and fix the health and other problems caused by hunger.”

He hopes recommendations will provide input into the 18-month evaluation of Ontario’s welfare system, recently announced as part of the Liberal government’s poverty reduction strategy.

Bloch agrees the “draconian” system must be overhauled, but says with nearly 840,000 people on social assistance “it is a travesty” the review was announced without immediate relief measures.

The Star spoke with people who know first-hand what it’s like to be hungry, homeless and without a job. We asked about their experiences and their thoughts on the recommendations.

Top 10 recommendations of the Recession Relief Coalition Hunger Inquiry

1. Employers pay a living wage so people working full-time can afford nutritious food, access to adequate housing and other life essentials.

2. The Ontario government immediately implement a substantial increase to social assistance rates.

3. The Federal government provide additional access to Employment Insurance beyond the normal 50-week maximum until the recession ends and unemployment rates decline and lower the threshold of eligibility to 360 hours down from the current minimum of 420 hours.

4. The Ontario government maintain the Special Diet Allowance at current funding levels to support prevention and treatment of disease and recipients not be required to reveal medical information to non-medical professionals.

5. Members of Parliament vote for Bill C-304, a bill for a National Housing Strategy, to enact a plan to increase safe, affordable housing.

6. Food banks remove restrictions to access based on postal code, number of previous visits and identification.

7. All levels of government include health outcomes as a measurement of the impact of social policy decisions.

8. All levels of government consider the long-term cost to the health system of not addressing poverty and hunger now.

9. All levels of government and funders invest in community-based organizations to create food hubs that provide nutritious food and cooking opportunities.

10. Governments and community-based organizations reject charity as a means of fighting hunger and consider access to food a basic human right.

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from www.thestar.com, by Isabel Teotonio,  Staff Reporter

What is Christian leader?

It is important to make clear that what the meaning of Christian leader in current society and how we can raise them to be influential really to every aspects of the world.

Potential hazards of food wrapping materials

(source: Metro Toronto News)

Wrapping may contain harmful chemicals

Wrapping used to line popcorn and other junk food is leaving dangerous chemicals inside some foods, a new study says.

University of Toronto scientists have discovered chemical contamination in the blood of those who ingest foods wrapped in these papers.

Perfluorinated carboxylic acids or PFCAs are the breakdown products from chemicals used in the manufacture of certain products, such as non-stick pans, clothing and food packaging.
These PFCAs have been discovered in humans and have been worrying scientists for years.

Now it seems the major source of human PFCA exposure may be in the consumption of polyfluo- roalkyl phosphate esters or PAPs, which are the chemicals found in junk food ­papers.

“Those chemicals called PAPs move into food, make it into humans upon ingestion and metabolically are transformed into the ­PFCAs,” said Scott Mabury, the lead researcher and a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Toronto.

The packages are lined with this chemical to act as a grease-proofing agent to keep water and fat from escaping.

“Any kind of paper-based food packaging that comes into contact with food may contain these materials,” said Mabury.

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Today, we are living with CHEMICALS that we have produced. It is a great health concern. Some day, we will be attacked by CHEMICALS which is considered to be beneficial for our living.

 

think positive

Whatever we want can’t be obtained or whoever we want to be with can’t be there always. Though, endure whatever sad thing happens and think positively whenever you are despaired.

Sometimes things make me feeling down, sometimes joyful and happy. It vary daily. Once I talked about our subconscious mind can change the way conscious mind think and the consequence will be so much different than we normally expect. I should use subconscious mind to make the greatest outcomes in daily life.

Flowers

What I like is something like this.

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Collingwood,