《鳳凰詩》

#2025-0531

五月底，瞧見住家附近山坡上最 "火" 的鳳凰木開花，受其感動而作此詩，有圖為證。

《鳳凰詩》

疊翠丘林一樹紅

新蟬奏鳴樂廷宮

悠音隱入山和谷

念想花開光影中

倏忽天涼雲漸聚

追程雨落路朦朧

鳳凰飛問今安好

著眼從前與最終

圖／文：Mookoo Liang

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  觀景心得 (Untitled)     (2019)

2)  對聯 + 小品文 + 攝影繪圖     (2020)

3)  情長紙短 huà 詩詞 (Part 1 of 2)     (2020)

4)  The Phoenix Tree and the Rain     (2022)

5)  An Illustration of Summer (夏日圖說)     (2016)

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以下兩幅圖文取自

《情長紙短 huà 詩詞》

Part 1 of 2

St. James' Garden

#2025-0525

Here are some photos of St. James' Garden, taken this morning after the coffee hour following the English service.

I hope you enjoy them! If you’d like, feel free to leave a comment or share some related images. You’ll find the Posting Messages (張貼留言) section at the bottom of this page—just below the photos.

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Genesis 2:9a (NRSV):

“Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food…”

Psalm 104:24 (NIV):

“How many are your works, Lord!

In wisdom you made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.”

Song of Songs 2:12 (ESV):

“The flowers appear on the earth,

the time of singing has come,

and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.”

James 1:11 (NIV):

“For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.”

Matthew 6:28–29 (NRSV):

“And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.”

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Vivid Beauty, Gospel Reminder     (2025)

2)  A Picture of the Daisy Family!     (2022)

3)  The Sermon on the Mount (山上寶訓) #05     (2014)

4)  Ms. Katherine Preaching at St. James' Church     (2024)

Tea, Talk, and Turning Points

#2025-0523

— A Reunion with Former Classmates and Old Friends

Yesterday, Lao Zhan (also known as Peter Chan) called to ask if we could join them for lunch today. He said our old friends—my former classmate Guo Tian and his wife, Xiao Juan—were coming from Puzi, Chiayi, for a special visit to Taichung.

Jean responded with a cheerful “Yes!” and I quickly added, just as excited, “Sure! We’d love to see them again—and you two as well!”

Around 11:30 this morning, the three couples gathered at a small but cozy restaurant in downtown Taichung. We chatted nonstop all through lunch. Afterward, we headed over to Lao Zhan and his wife Xiuzhen’s place, where the conversation continued until Guo Tian and Xiao Juan left around 3 p.m.

In their “cool” living room—cool both literally and figuratively, thanks to the air conditioning and elegant décor 😄—Lao Zhan served us excellent tea. Without those refreshing drinks, we might’ve been too thirsty to keep up the long, lively conversations.

We shared many stories over tea. Some were personal anecdotes that truly struck me, as I had never heard them before this special reunion.

As Guo Tian recalled, his father—very much like mine—couldn’t afford to send him to any high school except Shizhuan, the Teachers’ Junior College. Fortunately, it was fully government-supported: students paid no tuition or fees and were even provided with free food, clothing, and housing.

“One day, my father came to find me while I was working in the rice paddy,” Guo Tian said. From his vivid account, we learned that this moment marked a turning point in his life. His father had finally agreed to let him take the entrance exam for Shizhuan—thanks to a teacher who had been urging him to give his son a chance. Guo Tian rushed to his junior high to register for the exam and made it just ten minutes before the office closed for the day. Had he arrived a bit later, the teacher in charge would already have left for Chiayi.

“That was a close call!” we all said in unison.

“If you’d missed the deadline,” Lao Zhan joked with a grin, “you wouldn’t have been able to take the exam. And then Xiao Juan would never have met and married such a great husband.”

“She would’ve married someone… probably better than me,” Guo Tian said, smiling.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  明潭之旅 + 車埕探秘     (2025)

2)  The Camel Class Reunion, 2024

3)  Camel Class Reunion 2025 (駱駝同學會)

4)  A Collection of Photos Shared by My Camel Siblings     (2019)

Where Memories and Faith Meet

#2025-0517

This morning, I attended Mr. Ko'en Lin's funeral at Nantou Presbyterian Church.

Since retiring from Nantou Commercial High School in 2007, I had rarely returned to Nantou City for leisure. Before the service, I checked the city streets on Google Maps to make sure I could reach the church on time.

As it turned out, I arrived early and ran into several former co-workers I hadn’t seen in years. Oh—suddenly, memories of those "good old days" came flooding back, stirring a deep sense of nostalgia.

It wasn’t just about names—Xiuqing, Zhaohuang, Chunfa, Qiuju, Minxiang, Jingying, Meiyi, Cifen, and others. Each person there seemed to bring back vivid, meaningful memories we had shared. We had all come to honor and remember our dear friend Mr. Ko'en Lin, who passed away in his 90s.

I was especially touched to hear from Rev. Maotang Cai (蔡茂堂牧師) that Mr. Ko'en (known in Mandarin Chinese as Xiaoyuan Lin) had become eager to participate in church activities starting in 2019, and was finally baptized in October last year (2024). Rev. Maotang shared that although Brother Lin (林孝園弟兄) received baptism late in life, the Lord had always loved him deeply—and he offered several touching examples of God’s love for him.

Rev. Maotang also used a PowerPoint presentation to describe what the Lord is like, using metaphors such as a Judge (for righteous judgment), Santa Claus (a giver of blessings), an Emperor (ruler of the universe), a Genie (all-powerful), and a Father (who disciplines and nurtures). Among these five vivid images, which one do you feel best represents God’s role in your heart? (Note: "The Father’s Love / 天父的愛" was the title of Rev. Maotang’s homily at today’s service.)

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  懷念 ~ In Memory of the Dean     (2025)

2)  My Former Colleagues     (2021)

3)  The 56th Anniversary of NNCS (投商校慶)     (2011)

4)  The 60th Anniversary of NNCS (情縈投商一甲子)     (2015)

懷念 ~ In Memory of the Dean

#2025-0516

As I prepare to attend the funeral of my former colleague and leader — the Dean of Studies during my years at Nantou Commercial High School — I find myself filled with emotions that are difficult to express. Though he had reached his 90s and lived a long life, the news of his passing has left me quietly saddened.

I knew him not only as “Dean” (zhŭrèn) but as someone I truly respected — a thoughtful and committed leader who guided us with fairness and sincerity. Outside of work, he showed a deep sense of responsibility and love, especially toward his aging mother. I remember giving him rides after work on several occasions so he could visit her at a nursing home in Wuri, not far from my home in Wufeng. As her only child, he made those visits faithfully. His quiet filial devotion moved me deeply — it said so much about his heart.

What also stands out in my memory is his passion for learning. Despite his busy duties, he joined the local Toastmasters International club to continue improving his English. That spirit — always striving, always growing — is something I admired greatly.

Today, I mourn not only the passing of a former colleague but also of a kind, humble, and dedicated man. He touched the lives of many, and I am grateful to have walked alongside him during those years. Let me pray especially for him tonight. May Mr. Xiaoyuan (or Ko'en) Lin, my dear Lín zhŭrèn (林主任), rest in peace, and may his legacy live on in the hearts of those he inspired. Amen.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  Where Memories and Faith Meet     (2025)

2)  The 60th Anniversary of NNCS (情縈投商一甲子)     (2015)

什麼果子：What Kinds of Fruits?

#2025-0515

The photo on the right was taken during St. James’ “coffee hour” after the English service about a month and a half ago. At that moment, I was drawn to the small red tomatoes beautifully piled in a plastic box on the long table prepared for our gathering.

Yes, the fruits in the transparent plastic box looked truly eye-catching, especially with the shiny reflections of the ceiling lights. Even now, in this picture, they still catch your eye and mine—don’t they? If you look closely, you’ll notice several bright dots—like smiling stars—on the red surface of each one. These dots, or stars, are light reflections, vivid and captivating!

Today, I’d like to share with you some pictures I’ve “reproduced” or “re-created” from that original photo. Though they depict the same small fruits, these new images display a variety of striking colors: ruby red, olive green, light or dark blue, yellowish brown, bluish purple, and other intriguing combinations. Looking at them, can you imagine what qualities they might represent? After all, what kinds of fruits could they be?

Beyond distinguishing cherry tomatoes (round in shape) from grape tomatoes (oval in shape), I suddenly began to reflect on the fruit of the Holy Spirit. According to Galatians chapter 5:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love (仁愛), joy (喜樂), peace (和平), patience (忍耐), kindness (恩慈), goodness (良善), faithfulness (信實), gentleness (溫柔), and self-control (節制).”

At the same time, I thought of a Chinese proverb: “要怎麼收穫，就先怎麼栽種,” which means: What you harvest depends on how you plant.

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相關文章 (See also)：

1)  愛 ● 喜樂 ● 生活     (2023)

2)  Regarding Grapes (葡萄傳說)     (2014)

3)  "Grapes that Are New to Me"     (2020)

4)  能量圖說: Pictures of Energy and Power     (2013)

5)  The Sermon on the Mount (山上寶訓) #07     (2014)