Dear Friends,

Had the joy of teaching in Hong Kong the last two weeks and the picture tells a little about what the city is all about. Of course with our good friends the Chinese, marketing and money is a high priority so they use whatever bright light means are possible to get your business. In the picture below you can see a sign for two tailor shops, a Seven Eleven (and notice a second one on the bottom- left further down the street), a place to stay, a place to eat and in case you need to keep the time and look fancy, a watch and jewelry store. Believe me, there are a zillion of these stores all over Hong Kong and I suppose you could call it a shopper's and an eater's paradise.

The city is very clean, has a great transportation system, charming parks, tall buildings, a bustling harbor and it is a cosmopolitan magnet that draws people from all over the world. The Chinese are very efficient in everything that they do and you can tell that a lot of thought went into every particular of the city. On the less than bright side, it tends to be expensive and like most places, you can be taken advantage of if you are not careful.

I was also impressed anew the last two weeks the very precious promise of our Lord before He went back to heaven. He made a sincere and earnest promise to His disciples that He would be with them always. What a comforting thought for today. Wherever we are, wherever we may go, whatever our circumstances in life, He will be with us . . . always. He will be with us when we get up and when we lie down. He will be with us before the lights go on and long after the last customer has left. He will be with us on this dark world below and when He places the jeweled crown on our heads in heaven above.

Immanuel . . . God with us. You don't really have to ask for Him to be with you today . . . He has already promised to be close beside you . . . today and everyday until He comes. Thanks be to God for the free and wonderful gift of His continual love His blessed grace and abiding presence.