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A Prayer for Our Nation This year, China celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution. When the revolution occurred in China in 1911, the Qing Dynasty was overthrown as many blamed the Qing Dynasty for the miserable conditions in the country. Everyone was starving and there was terrible bloodshed because of the internal rebellions and invasions by foreigners. Doctor Sun Yat-sen led the revolution and overthrew the more than 2000-year-old imperial system. He set out three national goals, namely, achieving independent nationhood through chasing out the foreign occupiers, establishing a democratic republic and restoring China to prosperity. He became the Father of the Nation. This Saturday, November 12, will be Dr. Sun's birthday. He received his education in Hong Kong, and in 1884, at the age of eighteen, he became a Christian and was baptised here. As a young boy, he shocked his family and the people of his hometown by damaging the image of the local idol, an action that showed he was against superstition. When he was kidnapped in London, he prayed constantly for God's help. He was convinced that God had kept him safe from his enemies so that he could fulfill some great deed for China. As he lay dying, he said that he wanted people to remember that he was a Christian sent by God to fight against evils. We should learn from Dr Sun to be a good Christian, loving God, loving people and loving our country, with a spirit of sacrifice, as exemplified by Jesus. Now, let us bow our heads and pray. Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love of our people and our country. You have sent many good people and good Christians, known and unknown, who have dedicated their lives as guardians of revolutions that helped our country to emerge from the miserable conditions and political turmoil. These people are the salt of the earth and light of the world. "You are the light of the world......let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matthews 5:16) Help our leaders to follow and put into practice the teachings of Dr. Sun so that our country can thrive with democracy, freedom, equality, justice and love. Teach us to understand that the world will be perfect only when God's kingdom comes, so that "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain." (Revelation 21:4). In Jesus name we pray. Tao Chee Ying |
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God is our Refuge and Strength We care deeply about our environment and we believe that all people world wide should work together in peace and harmony to protect the Earth for our next generation. For the past few weeks I have, like all of you, been watching some of the news from Japan. There are no words to describe the sufferings and struggle of the Japanese in the wake of the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear meltdown which leads to radiation exposure. Here, I would like to thank our Student Union for taking the initiative to start a donation drive for the victims of the tragedy. Please give generously. We see the devastation and feel a great sadness. Our minds are blank and our hearts go out to them. The spinach, dairy and farm products from Fukushima have been found to have unsafe levels of radiation and cannot be exported. The whole world has to step up their testing of food exports from Japan. What will happen to the Japanese farm produce? How will our leaders solve the problem of nuclear radiation? Let me share a quote from Psalm 23 Girls, in these days of continuing distress and instability and spread of nuclear radiation in the air, water and food , we must put our trust in God and have faith that He is present with us every step of the way We should reject everything that is harming the environment and do our little bit to save the Earth. Remember Jesus said 'You are the Light of the world'. Let us bow our heads and pray together: Most merciful and compassionate God, Giver of Life and Love hear our prayers from True Light and let our cries come unto you. Lord, comfort and heal the victims and may the peace of God's presence be in their hearts. May God's love be poured into every frightened soul that they experience the confidence that there is no fear in love. Lord, strengthen the resolve of governments so that every country will come together to help one another. Also, prevent other nuclear plants from causing more serious disasters on our fragile planet. Let every member of our True Light family remember the quote from Psalm 23, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for You are with me" We ask this in Jesus name, Amen. Tao Chee Ying |
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Number your days Recently, I have read an article entitled "Number your days" in Dandelion Monthly Journal. The article mentioned a website where you can find the number of days you have lived since your birth when you enter your year and date of birth. Do you want to find your number of days on earth? Check it out at http://numberyourdays.com/ . Please remember that every day is precious; every day is filled with grace, and every day should be cherished. When I wake up every morning, I always thank God for giving me such a wonderful present－a new day. Today is not yesterday's repetition, and tomorrow will not be the same as today. Every day is unique; it is the one and only one day in your life. Let me share a little story with all of you here. Once there was a student grumbling to a teacher, "Time is never sufficient for me, I can never finish my home-work." The teacher then asked the student to get her a box into which she put some stones. At that time, the box seemed to be full. The teacher then got some smaller stones and put it into the box. The gaps between the stones were large enough to hold many more stones. Once again, the box seemed to be full. The teacher went on to pour a bucket of fine sand into the box until no more sand could be held. Finally, the teacher poured a bucket of water into the box. The teacher then laughed and said, "See, although the box seemed to be full, we could still put things in. Of your packed schedule, there must still be time that you can make use of." Do you find this story inspiring? It is now spring time, and according to the Chinese saying , we should plan for a new year in spring. Girls, are you using your time fully? Is being busy always your excuse of failing to make an ideal living? Have you been working hard for your target? Do you improve every day? Let us be a good master of our time and manage it efficiently and effectively. As long as it is your will, you can make good use of any moment in your life, the time between lessons, the time when you are waiting for the bus, when you are walking, when you are taking the MTR or during television commercials. Let us learn to master our life better. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the breath of life. Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Psalms 90:12). Teach us to utilize our time fully and to take a new hold on the present; no matter how old we are, it is never too late. Do cherish every moment and grab every single opportunity to learn. For we know that our Lord is with us every day, His grace is sufficient for us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Tao Chee Ying |
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Seeking the right path with great faith During the past few days, some university graduates who were our former students come back to take graduation photos with their teachers. They toured around the campus, expressing their gratitude to their teachers and school staff. They cherished the good memories of their school lives they had shared with their schoolmates. Teachers congratulated them on their graduation and extended their best wishes. I was delighted and deeply impressed by the scene. Last Saturday, I was honored to attend the Hong Kong Island Outstanding Students Award presentation ceremony. Our students Miki Cheung Yan Ki of S3 and Hui Ho Ling of S7 were presented the awards among 10 awardees of the Junior and Senior sections respectively. Congratulations, Miki and Ho Ling. True Light is proud of you. There are only three schools on Hong Kong Island with awardees in both junior and senior sections, and we are one of them. We are indeed excited to witness True Light girls' excellence in aspects such as studies, conduct, community service, physical education and arts. Not doubt, our True Light girls are bright! With the True Light in their hearts and the right direction in life, our girls have the potential to become future leaders and be the salt and the right of our world. (Matthew 5:13-14) This morning when I stepped into the school, I heard students and teachers in the Christian fellowship singing hymns beautifully. I was very pleased and enjoyed singing hymns together. This week is Gospel Week. If you are not yet a Christian, please seize the opportunity to know God during your school years. Our school not only offer you opportunities to enter the university, to be outstanding students, to develop your potential and to obtain awards, but also offers you the chance to know Jesus Christ, seek for the right path and prepare yourself for your eternal life. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to have the opportunity to meet here at Hong Kong True Light College. I do believe that it is the gift of God. During the Gospel Week, may You continue to strengthen our students and teachers, lead us to open our hearts to you and help us experience Your grace. As Christmas is approaching, help us understand the true meaning of Christmas and obtain the salvation granted to us though the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. At the same time, I pray that more and more people will get to know Jesus because Jesus is "the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:16) "He is the light of the world. Whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12) In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Tao Chee Ying |
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The Bridge of Love and Care Girls, do you still remember the speech entitled "The Bridge of Care" delivered by Professor Edward Ng at the Inauguration Ceremony of School Prefects, last Friday? I am touched by the good deeds performed by Professor Ng, the teachers and students. Their love, concern and determination have enhanced the mutual understanding among people. They are building two kinds of bridges, one is real bridge, while another is a bridge of hearts. (Website: www.bridge2china.org) I think the latter is more important. I am sure you can now understand more about the meaning of true love and care. As you know, Jesus attached great importance to love. He said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is Love your neighbour as yourself. The Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Mattews 22:37-41). John said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). "We love because God first loved us. And God has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:19-21). Paul elaborated on the meaning of love in his famous writing: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Dear Havenly Father, thank you for sending your son our Lord Jesus Christ into the world to save us. The love of God has strengthened our hearts and comforted our souls. Where there is lack of communication or obstructions among us, teach us to drive away our indifference and coldness. Help us to fill our hearts with love and care. Teach us to provide the insufficient, help the helpless, bring peace to the fearful, comfort the weak and give hope to the hopeless. Let our students, teachers and all members of True Light be the bridges of love and care. Let us love ourselves, our family members, our friends and extend the love from our school to our community. May all the good deeds be done to glorify your Holy name. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Tao Chee Ying |
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Happiness I would like to talk about "Happiness". Isn't it strange? Every body wants happiness, but how do we study for it? We study Mathematics, Geography, Economics, etc, at school, but we do not study "Happiness". Why are some people always happy? Are happy people smarter or are they just too silly to realize that they should be miserable? A few months ago, there was a TVB programme on a research conducted by the School of Public Health of the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong. It was revealed in the research that people in the three districts in Hong Kong that were most happy were from outlying Islands, Sham Shui Po and Wan Chai, whilst the Central and Western District was one of the districts that was most unhappy. A housewife in one of the happy districts pointed out in an interview that money could buy medicine, but not health; Another interviewee said that though they were not rich, they were happy because they had a family where all members loved one another. A female interviewee remarked that they were happy because they lived in an excellent community where neighbors helped one another and shared their joys and sorrows. Indeed, people who live happily are not necessarily the smartest, or the richest or the most talented. They have their own situations and philosophies. Dear God, we are happy because we have Jesus, our saviour, the source of our joy and happiness. In the Bible, in Philippians Chapter 4 verses 4 to 7, Paul tells us "to rejoice in the Lord always. Let our gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus." What a wonderful message from Paul! Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching us that by relying totally on you, loving you and loving other people, we will be joyful. Jesus, you are the source of our happiness, because through you our sins are forgiven; you bring us hope for our eternal life. Teach us to be content because "godliness, with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it." (1 Timothy 6:6-7) In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Tao Chee Ying |
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Prayer for the Beginning of a New School Year To many of us, summer vacation seems too short but we are indeed glad that school has finally started because we can see our friends and teachers again. Today, we want to ask our Almighty God, our Lord and Saviour to bless the journey of a new school year that we shall embark on. Loving God, our Creator, our Saviour, our Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to begin this new school year. Send your blessings on all who are gathered here in True Light College, students, teachers, janitors, parents and supporting staff. Refresh our souls and renew our spirits as we embrace the beautiful ministry you have called us to. We welcome those who are new to our True Light family and we ask that you strengthen them to share the wonderful gifts you have given them. O God, please purity our students' hearts as they prepare for their upcoming studies. Keep them safe as they return with open hearts and open minds, eager to learn and accept challenges however big or small. We pray for the school community and we ask You to bless the staff, the students and their families that we may be able to work together to accomplish all the goals set before us this school year. Be with us our Heavenly Father in all our undertakings; keep us safe from all dangers; lead us into a fuller knowledge of all things which are true, honourable, pure, and lovely, and fill our hearts with love and praise. We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Tao Chee Ying |
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校長感言
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真光堂 － 生命的足跡 歷史的印記 每次回到廣州白鶴洞真光，最喜歡往紅磚綠頂的真光堂走一趟。真光堂的正面刻在雲石上的校訓「爾乃世之光」在陽光照耀下激勵著無數生命的改變，訴說著一個個感人的故事，見證著真光發展的足跡。 一八七二年真光書院在廣州成立，校祖那夏理女士為美國女傳教士，專心致志來華傳道，一方面向學生傳福音，另一方面訓練學生作為傳福音的人。校祖訂定校訓：「爾乃世之光，爾光當照人前」，這是「真光」校名的出處。校徽上的真光星，原意是希望學生效法伯利恆之星，引導人歸向基督。校祖為當時還纏足的中國婦女學生洗滌足部，送鞋送襪，並幫助他們恢復自由行動；教他們讀書識字，在社會上可抬起頭來；向他們傳揚真道，做耶穌基督的精兵。 每次細閱真光校史，良久不能自已，心想如何能承先啟後，繼續發揚真光精神。自一九九五年由堅道校舍遷往鴨 真光堂凝聚了真光人的夢想和心血，衷心多謝校董會的撥款，校董及老師們的設計意念，師生、家長、校友及真光友好的捐助，這奇蹟才會出現。真光堂可作為多用途室，一方面是小教堂，亦可作禮堂、分組教學活動及試場之用，以配合三三四新學制分科分組教學。真光堂入口以橙色雲石、原色木條為主，配以橫樑及柱身，採用藍色，為真光的校色之一，有典雅古樸和接近大自然的感覺。抬頭遙望學校對開翠綠的山，明澄的海、蔚藍的天空，海天一色，充滿天人合一的精神，令人不禁讚歎造物主的偉大。走廊旁的壁畫，等待著同學們發揮無限的創意，鐵欄上的相架，盛載著同學們多元化的學習成果。 每次踏進真光堂，心裡有一份平靜安穩，充滿盼望和喜樂的感覺。台上的設計、意念及顏色，以自然簡潔為主，與入口互相呼應。台中間擺放著木製的十字架，是深啡色的，代表著耶穌基督的救恩。在此，我們可以仰望神，親近神。十字架背後白色的磨沙玻璃代表宇宙；十字架的光源代表真理之光，照亮四方；台上兩側的文化石，是粗糙的，是樸實的，代表著堅固的磐石，是基督教信仰的根基。「惟獨衪是我的拯救，衪是我的高台，我必不動搖」。詩篇62:2 期望真光堂觸動每一顆真光人的心靈，以認識主耶穌基督為樂，毋忘真光的創校使命。讓榮耀歸於天上的父！ 杜子瑩 |
洲校舍，已十三個年頭。天父一直眷顧著真光，在一班愛真光的校董、老師、家長、校友、同學共同努力下，我們經歷不同階段的發展，迎接不同的挑戰，亦見証一個又一個的奇蹟。從我們爭取到政府撥地興建綜合體育中心，至學校改善工程新翼的落成，乃至將會落成的七樓雨天操場改建為真光堂，無一不令我們心存感恩。|
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