EDITORIAL
Year End is always a time to end the whole year activities or plan the new year activities.
New Year's Eve has always been a time for looking back to the past and more importantly, to look forward to the coming year. It is a time to reflect on the changes that we want or need to make and resolve to follow through . It can be the following :-
Spending more time with family and friends
Enjoy Life to the fullest
Be more Charitable
Write a Book
I was watching a documentary film on the program, “Witness” on the people of Somalia. This is what I gather. “Leave the bitter part behind and let us start afresh.”
The people of Somalia have been robbed of their land, their families killed, their wives and daughters raped, their sons being shot and their relatives been tortured and put to death. Yet, the people that were left behind were able to say things like “We forgive them, We forgive them for their actions for they do not know what they are doing?” which is exactly what Jesus said when he was put to death on the cross. Jesus said, “Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23: v.34. It is indeed a noble attitude for these people to be able to forgive and forget and start afresh for the sake of PEACE. It is easier said than done but it takes a lot of effort to build this kind of attitude among the human race. With the recent war between Israel and Palestine all because of human pride and revenge, this conflict cannot be solved until they have to learn that peace cannot be achieved with these attitudes of pride.
CULTURAL HAPPENINGS IN MIRI
Festival of Lights , Deepavali falls on 27th October, celebrated by all Hindus world wide. A colorful and eventful evening party was held at Eastwood organized by the Miri Indian Association under the leadership of Mr. Karambir Singh.
6th December - Piasau Boat Charity Half Marathon held a charity run to raise funds for the Palliative Care Home Programme.
6th December - Miri City Christmas Parade 2008 organized by eight churches with over 2,000 people taking part in the parade.
20th December - Gymkhana Club and the Children of Miri Community (over 100 performers and volunteers) came together to hold a Christmas Musical Charity Concert to raise funds for the poor children of the rural areas through MERCY MALAYSIA SARAWAK CHAPTER. A sum of RM 4,900 was raised and this money will be used to prescribe spectacles for the poor children in the Baram areas ;
Miri City Council launched its first newsletter - click to www.miricouncil.gov.my - Why the Punans do not eat deer?
In this last quarter we have lined up the following features which I hope can enlighten the readers and encourage more to join SOSWE. We are happy to have a new comer, Robin Sim who is a freelance lecturer in English and who shares the same interest in reading and writing. We welcomed him abroad.
LOCAL INTEREST - The Essence of Christmas , the origin and how the people of Sarawak celebrate Christmas by Jennie Soh
LOCAL SHARING - Christmas , a personal sharing by Robin Sim
MEMBER’S CONTRIBUTION - Paradise Lost , an experience in 1998- By Florence Enau
SENIOR SECTION - Heartbreak in Athens , a football love story by Joseph Ruffus Kaos, Jr.
JUNIOR SECTION - Music heals, a personal feeling of how music affect a person’s life by Sarah Abida Chong
As we look forward to another year, we do not know what is going to happen. We expect global financial crises, downsizing of companies, layoff of employees and maybe natural disasters, we do not know. All these are beyond our control and what we can do is just to take care of our health, stay close with our families and friends and do our best in all undertakings.
We always have a choice, so follow your heart and do not allow anyone to discourage or stop you from what you want to do.
It is natural that people will forget the good things you do, but one mistake you make will mark your integrity for the rest of your life which you think is not fair.
Just be sincere in your thoughts and your giving. At the end of the day, it is the satisfaction that you can experience that you can learn to share and give.
Life is not about how rich you are, it is all about how much you can appreciate your life by being able to share in many things you have inherited from your self. When we leave this world, we are not going to take anything with us except our own souls. So, be charitable and share your good fortunes.
“Choices can change our lives profoundly. The choice to mend a broken relationship, to say “yes” to a difficult assignment, to lay aside some important work to play with a child, to visit some forgotten person - these small choices may affect our lives eternally.”
- GEORGE GATTHER -
GOD BLESS YOU AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009 !!!
EDITOR
