Was at a Hope Church Staff Retreat last Monday for 3 days. It was my first time going to Kukup in Malaysia. It was quite exciting for me because I always wanted to be a monk to live in a monastery but I never could because firstly I am happily married and secondly I have no guts.

Our Kukup retreat was partly like living in a monastery. The solitude, the lack of activities, the long time available to be with God, the cold showers, the simplicity of the toilet drainage(that
goes straight back to nature). The part that didn't looked like a monastery are the board games, the abundance of food, the air conditioned rooms and staying up late at night. Actually I've never lived in a monastery so I can only guess these facts.

One of the best thing I learned during this retreat was that my colleague Steven has such tremendous skill with the camera. The insight he has with the photographs that he takes reminds me of Thomas Merton's work with his camera too. Below are some of Steven's photograph for you to agree with me. We can indeed see so much more if we just open our eyes and see things differently from what is the common. He takes such great photographs that I didn't take any myself. I am so complacent using all his photographs.

In the long hours of time with God, I meditated on Psalms 147:4 "God counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them". .. the longest time I ever meditated on a verse. If God could give names to all the stars, He must be able and the task he asked Adam to do to name all the animals wasn't shunning responsibility after all. It must be that he finds great joy working and partnering with us in His work on earth.

I came back from Kukup refreshed and thinking that I need to be a better photographer myself and God is going to help me to do it for His glory.