【鳥與湖 ● 私宅款待空間】

#2026-1113

This afternoon, I strongly suggested that Jean and I go out for a little outing, hoping we could relax and recharge by taking a leisurely walk and enjoying a meal somewhere nice. However, when she asked where we should go, I had no particular destination in mind. I had only one simple criterion: it should be within a 30-minute drive from home.

"It's already three thirty," I said. "We shouldn't go too far from home. But I'm sure there's a scenic spot somewhere waiting to be discovered, where we can truly relax and recharge. Why don't we do a little brainstorming together?"

Before long, several possible destinations came to mind. How about the 92-Cafe in Guoxing? Or the campus of National Chung Hsing University? Perhaps Guangfu New Village, which isn't far from our home? We also considered finding a cozy place in Nantou City or somewhere in Caotun. After tossing around these ideas, we finally agreed on a place that was completely new to both of us: Niaozuitan Artificial Lake (鳥嘴潭人工湖).

For supper, we headed to a restaurant called "鳥與湖 ● 私宅款待空間" (Bird & Lake: Private Hospitality Space), where we enjoyed roast fish, pizza, and tea.

Even more delightful than the meal was the opportunity to get to know the hostess, Ms. Yaling Hong (洪雅玲), a warm and friendly Christian. Her husband, Mr. Jinfeng Lü (呂金豐), is a professional interior designer. During our conversation, we learned that the couple had been living in Caotun for seven years.

What began as a spontaneous afternoon outing turned out to be a lovely experience, with a new place to explore, a pleasant meal to enjoy, and new friends to meet.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  松濤園 @ 中興新村     (2025)

2)  Walking Nearby: "暑期特別巡禮"     (2023)

3)  又一次來到 Music Waterwheel    (2023)

4)  An Outing: 偷得浮生半日閒     (2021)

5)  《九二咖啡》附設 Kám-á Tiàm     (2021)

生活小札 ~ Musings on a Sunday Night

#2026-1108

Jean has been in Kaohsiung since Thursday afternoon, taking care of our younger grandson, Shine, while his parents were away. They both attended the consecration service for our new bishop, the Rt. Rev. Keith Lee, at St. John's Cathedral in Taipei yesterday.

Meanwhile, I had to stay in Wufeng to look after our older grandson, James, who attends school on weekdays. Even on weekends, it's probably better to have at least one adult around to keep an eye on a teenager. Am I right?

I'm looking forward to Jean's return home tomorrow (Monday). I've already prepared breakfast for James and myself. Around dusk, besides picking up two boxes of rice and something for supper, I stopped by a well-known local bakery and bought two sandwiches that looked delicious. They're now waiting in the kitchen refrigerator!

At first, I thought I'd invite James to go hiking with me somewhere in the nearby mountains, if he was interested. To my surprise, however, he already had plans of his own. He spent almost the entire day today (Sunday) meeting up with his classmates somewhere in Nantun District, Taichung, as he told me afterwards.

As a result, I had plenty of "free time" today. I didn't even make it to church this morning because I overslept and got up too late. Instead, I hiked along some familiar nearby trails and enjoyed a beautiful sunset at dusk. Look! The western sky was ablaze with shades of orange and red.

What's more, I came across quite a few lovely photos on St. James' Church's Facebook page, including a group photo with the Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor, who visited and preached at St. James' this Sunday. I also found some lovely photos in our family LINE group, the Liangs. My son, Rev. Antony, shared a photo with me on LINE showing four people: Antony and Anita standing alongside our new bishop, the Rt. Rev. Keith Lee, and his wife.

What a memorable photo! (See this and other photos below.)

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  夕陽之美：Beautiful Sunsets!     (2024)

2)  Wufeng Ecological Trail (嶄新的一段)     (2022)

3)  An Afternoon Hike: 登上「望月峰」     (2026)

4)  Love in Christ     (2021)

5)  敬祖主日 (Ancestor Remembrance Sunday)     (2026)

I Pray... (我心祈禱)

#2026-1106

"Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace." (BCP, pages 134–135)

「主阿，醒來時求祢引導，睡眠時求祢保護：使我們覺醒時可以與基督一同守候，睡眠時可以在平安裡歇息。」(公禱書中文版，第 98 及 99 頁)

This morning, I visited my eldest sister, Xiuzhi, who lives in Nantou City, about a 25-minute drive from my home. I felt deeply sorry to see that she had been suffering from cancer for months and was now too weak to undergo surgery to remove the tumor.

We spent less than an hour together in her apartment, sharing some of our recent experiences as well as memories of things that had happened long ago in "those good old days." Unfortunately, her physical weakness made it difficult for us to chat as freely and cheerfully as we used to.

O God, make speed to save us;

O Lord, make haste to help us. Amen and Amen.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  探親記 (附圖：花、鳥)     (2025)

2)  Lunch plus Tea or Coffee (梁家聚餐)     (2024)

3)  從牆上到窗外，都是 "藝術"！     (2023)

4)  A Small but Beautiful Bug?     (2021)

5)  A Photo Album by Xiuzhi Liang (大妹的作品)     (2017)

The First Day and Sunday in November

#2026-1101

All Saints' Day with Taizé Songs

On Sunday, November 1, 2026, we celebrated All Saints' Day with Taizé songs!

There were 58 people attending the service, and 51 of them received the bread and wine during Communion, while the other seven, who were not yet Christians, received blessings from the clergy.

Cheerful Coffee Hour after the Service

After the service came to an end, we enjoyed our lovely coffee hour, as usual. The first three photos below show just some of the people who joined us for coffee. Others preferred to sit and chat outdoors in the open backyard garden!

Thanks be to the Lord, we have recently welcomed more and more brothers and sisters in Christ to St. James'. It's wonderful to see the number of participants in our English-speaking Sunday worship service growing.

A Group of Ten Visits the Liao Family

In the afternoon, a group of ten brothers and sisters in Christ visited the Liao family. We wanted to spend some time with Mr. Ian Liao, his wife Helen Chiang, and their eldest daughter, Shirley Liao, following the sad loss of their second daughter, Wanling, who passed away from cancer in August. For more than a year, many of us at St. James had been praying for Wanling's recovery. Although we had hoped and prayed for a different outcome, she eventually went home to be with the Lord.

It was a meaningful opportunity for us to visit the family, share our thoughts, and express our love and care for them. I believe that sometimes our presence speaks louder than words. We may not fully understand the sorrow they have experienced, nor can we take away their grief, but we hope they feel that they are not alone. May the Lord continue to comfort and strengthen the entire family, and may His love and peace be with them in the days ahead.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Holy Eucharist with Taizé Songs     (2021)

2)  St. James' English Congregation Retreat, 2018     (2018)

3)  Confirmation (堅振禮 / 堅信禮)     (2018)

4)  Confirmation (新主教來堂主禮)     (2020)

5)  Prayer for Each Other (彼此代禱)     (2023)

We Felt So Blessed ~ 感謝陳牧師和師母...

#2026-1027

Today, Jean and I felt especially blessed.

The Rev. Charles Chen, our rector emeritus at St. James’, and his wife, Joe, invited us to lunch at Wa Cheng (瓦城), a Thai restaurant inside Kuang San SOGO Department Store. Our neighbors, the Rev. Sam Cheng and his wife, along with Brother “Can Ge” (燦哥) and his wife, Diana Wang, joined us. There were eight of us in all.

Jean and I hadn’t visited a department store in Taichung City for at least ten years, so it was a special outing for us. We enjoyed the restaurant’s warm, inviting atmosphere, delicious Thai food, and lively conversations filled with laughter.

Many thanks to the Chen couple! Over the past several decades, the six of us who joined them for lunch today have received so much love and care from them. They have truly been like spiritual parents to us. Now in their nineties, they continue to hold a special place in our hearts. May the Lord bless them with good health, joy, and all that their hearts desire! Amen.

Today’s blessings didn’t end with the lunch. We also received an AI-generated cartoon portrait of our son, his wife, and their two children, sent from Kaohsiung via LINE. What a lovely 全家福—a portrait of the whole family!

Then Facebook brought another pleasant surprise: a memorable image and a little poem I had posted exactly six years ago, on October 27. It reminded me of a similar gathering at the 92 Cafe in my hometown of Guoxing.

That memory made me wonder: What will Jean and I be doing six years from now? What memories will October 27, 2032, bring? Will Facebook remind me of today’s wonderful lunch at Wa Cheng?

Only the Lord knows what the future holds. For now, I am grateful for the blessings of today, the precious people in our lives, and the memories that connect our past, present, and future.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Thanks for Such a Special Day!     (2010)

2)  The 92 Coffee     (2020)

3)  More Photos: 《典禮外 ● 足跡／留影》     (2018)

4)  祝賀陳牧師和師母 90 歲生日快樂     (2024)

5)  歡慶九十大壽 (Presented by Rev. Sam Cheng)     (2024)