Lawrence Lin 的小棧

Finally summer vacation has begun. To a teacher like me, it is so wonderful for I have much more free time. I can do what I have always wanted to do, but I could not afford it due to no free time before!
These days, I took a trip down to the south. At the same time, visited some of my good friends. They were also English teachers and toastmasters. That’s why we always have a lot of things to share with each other and chatting together.
In order to practice our English, we also have skype talk sometimes over the Net.
Talking about traveling, it always makes a person excited. Sometimes, I feel just getting out of town, changing the living environment could make so much difference for us. When we come back from traveling, we feel recharged, refreshed and revitalized, ready to face another challenge again in our life.

Long line
1. Five steps
2. Promenade
3. Fallaway bons
4. Outside spin turn
5. Kick Oversway Same foot line
6. Hook oversway Same foot line
7. Body roll
8. Hinge Body roll
9. Turn, same foot line
10. Reverse telemark to link
11. Fallaway hinge

Short line
1. Spin turn
2. Turn 180
3. Backward 5 times and kick
4. Link
5. Fallaway whisk 2 times

"Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (Isa. 30:21)

When we are in doubt or difficulty, when many voices urge this course or the other, when prudence utters one advice and faith another, then let us be still, hushing each intruder, calming ourselves in the sacred hush of God's presence; let us study His Word in the attitude of devout attention; let us lift up our nature into the pure light of His face, eager only to know what God the Lord shall determine--and ere long a very distinct impression will be made, the unmistakable forth-telling of His secret counsel.

It is not wise in the earlier stages of Christian life to depend on this alone, but to wait for the corroboration of circumstances. But those who have had many dealings with God know well the value of secret fellowship with Him, to ascertain His will.

Are you in difficulty about your way? Go to God with your question; get direction from the light of His smile or the cloud of His refusal.

The basic expectation of Waltz is ‘steady and moving要站穩, 要移動’.
It is said so simple but not easy to do. I know lots of people know in their head how to dance but they could not do it well. The problem lies in the fact that they don’t keep practicing soloing 16 basic steps
.
1. ‘Moving’ involves: lower your bodyweight, CBM, swing, sway
2. ‘Steady’ involves : balanced, no grabbing, , no pushing, no pulling, no rushing

摩登無四大技巧之一：昇降

《昇降》：在摩登舞套路中有着自然的套路編排和髮展規律，有昇必有降，有降必有昇。在舞蹈中如（華爾茲.狐步.快步.維也納華爾茲），都有者不同風格的昇降關繫，在舞蹈套路中每一個小節幾乎都有昇降的編排運動過程，所以稱為（昇降）在摩登舞中是非常重要的技巧之一。

練習運用：猶如練習芭蕾舞蹈的高位腳掌尖顛者步.在地麵逐慢逐快的反復運動行走，練習小腿的肌肉及配閤漆蓋的靈活運用，腳踝關節與地麵産生的壓力和支撐，兩腳的左右軸心與重心交磋，但上身要保持平穩過渡，輕鬆自如。切記一點：還要配閤吸氣的調節去完成。頭頂天窗，男士是高位氣質.紳士.莊重的飄逸感覺。女士是高位.豪華.嬌美.舒展.錶現感覺。（在原地也可以做練習）。

練習上昇時：如不會遊泳掉在水裏，兩隻腳和手不停的用力往上浮動掙紥感，去尋找上昇的飄逸感覺。

練習下降時：如腳掌尖在一個臺階的邊堰支撐者，全身不動，慢慢的用腳踝下降（齣氣），再用腳踝昇起（吸氣），不停的練習。（上昇時;漆蓋先昇再昇腳踝。下降時：腳踝先降再降漆蓋).反復練習，要求自然。不得突昇突降，更不得憋氣練習。要有一定的控製力。

在練習昇與降時，配閤音樂的音值長短小節，各用音樂的一小節1－2－3－上昇吸氣.下降齣氣，自然的呼吸與音樂配閤去完成昇降功的練習。一定會齣功的。（待續）

I once met a poor colored woman, who earned a precarious living by hard daily labor; but who was a joyous triumphant Christian. "Ah, Nancy," said a gloomy Christian lady to her one day, "it is well enough to be happy now; but I should think the thoughts of your future would sober you.

"Only suppose, for instance, you should have a spell of sickness, and be unable to work; or suppose your present employers should move away, and no one else should give you anything to do; or suppose--"

"Stop!" cried Nancy, "I never supposes. De Lord is my Shepherd, and I knows I shall not want. And, Honey," she added, to her gloomy friend, "it's all dem supposes as is makin' you so mis'able. You'd better give dem all up, and just trust de Lord."

In dancing Waltz, everyone's expectation is quite different. It is like taking a ride in a car. Surely taking a ride in a truck is not comfortable. At least, riding in a Yu-Long car is acceptable! But to some people, taking a BMW is still not satisfying. They expect to ride in a Mercedes-Benz or more than that, the presidential car!!
If your partner expect you to dance like a pro, You will get criticized all the time.
To me, I would not expect my partner to dance like that. but at least I hope she can dance steadily herself, no rushing, no grabbing.(自己站穩, 不要抓, 不要衝)
To dance well, a mature couple should be patient, tolerant and know how to improve themselves.
Focus the 'basic skills', Keep praticing! Otherwise, you can never dance well together. How?
先求站穩: Practice ' hold up body-center, and(lower your body vertically), swing, stand steadily (站好), no rush, no grabbing'. Make sure every step is steady! Every dancer should learn to solo. Dont' say 'if you can lead me or follow me, I can dance well'. It only could be possible when your partner is a pro A dancer. In the beginning, solo the simple square, then turning, then bigger swing, to 16 basic dancing routine, or fancy choreography ----! Practice yourself, check yourself! You know how well you can do or how bad you do!

"This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing." (Isa. 28:12)

Why dost thou worry thyself? What use can thy fretting serve? Thou art on board a vessel which thou couldst not steer even if the great Captain put thee at the helm, of which thou couldst not so much as reef a sail, yet thou worriest as if thou wert captain and helmsman. Oh, be quiet; God is Master!

Dost thou think that all this din and hurly-burly that is abroad betokens that God has left His throne?

Dancing is not a piece of cake. Everybody can talk about it, but very few can do well.
The common mistakes in dancing are
1. No power ------- because no ‘and’
2. Rushing ---------- because not steady in every step
3. Not beautiful -------- because no shaping, head position, eye, expression
4. Not comfortable ---------- not steady, grabbing, rushing
5. Comfortable ------------ gentle touching, extension, good connection, timing, easy flow
So whenever dancing, notice:

This year, we have four days off in a row for Dragon Boat Festival.
The origin of the festival goes back to ancient china. It is said the great poet Qu Yuan had a deep love for his country. When he learned about the corruption and some wrong policies, he gave advices to the emperor. To his shock, his advices were turned down. He was so sad that he threw himself into the river. People loved him so much that they jumped into the river, also threw Zongzi to the fish, hoping to keep them from eating his body. Surely his body was not found. But since then, he has been remembered and honored every Dragon Boat Festival.
All around Taiwan, there are many kinds of celebrations for the festival. The famous one is dragon boat race on the river and eating Zongzi --!
I know many people had their plan to spend their holiday. But some students still had to stay at home studying hard for their coming exam.

"Shall I refuse to drink the cup of sorrow which the Father has given me to drink?" (John 18:11.) (Weymouth)

God takes a thousand times more pains with us than the artist with his picture, by many touches of sorrow, and by many colors of circumstance, to bring us into the form which is the highest and noblest in His sight, if only we receive His gifts of myrrh in the right spirit.

But when the cup is put away, and these feelings are stifled or unheeded, a greater injury is done to the soul that can ever be amended. For no heart can conceive in what surpassing love God giveth us this myrrh; yet this which we ought to receive to our souls' good we suffer to pass by us in our sleepy indifference, and nothing comes of it.

“現在有雲遮蔽，人不得見穹蒼的光亮”（伯卅七：21）。

　　雲彩點綴了世界的美麗，天上如果永遠蔚藍一片，缺少了變幻多端的雲彩的美景。地球也會失去常態，變成一片單調。人生也時有雲彩罩上來，有時陰暗，有時燦爛宜人，有時漆黑如夜；但任何一種雲，都有它的光明面，所謂“我把虹放在雲彩中。”（創9：13）

　　如果我們能從另一方向去觀察，這些雲彩靜伏如波濤，高聳如阿爾卑斯山的峯巒，浴於它們所遮斷的光明中，我們將驚嘆它們的燦爛與美麗。

　　我們在地上抬頭看見的是它向下的一面，誰能從整個的空間，居於雲端之上，給我們描述那照耀着雲峯，雲谷的光明呢？次之，每一滴使生命滋長的水分，亦不是雲給我們帶來的嗎？

　　

論父母與子嗣 (by Bacon)
1 The joys of parents are secret; and so are their griefs and fears. They
cannot utter the one; nor they will not utter the other. Children sweeten
labors; but they make misfortunes more bitter. They increase the cares of
life; but they mitigate the remembrance of death. The perpetuity by
generation is common to beasts; but memory, merit, and noble works,
are proper to men.
父母底歡欣是秘而不宣的，他們底憂愁與畏懼亦是如此。他們底歡欣他們不能說，他們底憂懼他們也不肯說。子嗣使勞苦變甜，但是也使不幸更苦。他們增加人生底憂慮，但是他們減輕關於死亡的記憶。由生殖而傳種是動物同有的；但是名聲、德行與功業則是人類特有的；

OF LOVE 論戀愛 by Bacon
1 The stage is more beholding to love, that the life of man. For as to the
stage, love is ever matter of comedies, and now and then of tragedies;
but in life it doth much mischief; sometimes like a siren, sometimes like a
fury. You may observe, that amongst all the great and worthy persons
(whereof the memory remaineth, either ancient or recent) there is not
one, that hath been transported to the mad degree of love: which shows
that great spirits, and great business, do keep out this weak passion. You
must except, nevertheless, Marcus Antonius, the half partner of the
empire of Rome, and Appius Claudius, the decemvir and lawgiver;
whereof the former was indeed a voluptuous man, and inordinate; but the
latter was an austere and wise man: and therefore it seems (though
rarely) that love can find entrance, not only into an open heart, but also
into a heart well fortified, if watch be not well kept.
舞臺較人生受惠於戀愛者為多。因為在舞臺上，“戀愛”長期可以供給喜劇底材料，有時亦可供給悲劇底材料；但在人生中，“戀愛”只是招致禍患；它有時如一位惑人的魔女，有時似一位復仇的女神。你可以見到，在一切偉大的人物中（無論是古人今人，只要是其盛名仍在人記憶中者）沒有一個是在戀愛中被誘到熱狂的程度者：可見偉大的人與重大的事真能排除這種柔弱之情也。然而你必須把曾為羅馬帝國一半之統治者的安東尼和十人執政之一及立法者阿皮亞斯•克勞底亞斯作為例外；這兩個人之中前者確是一個好色而無度的人；但是後者卻是一個嚴肅而有智的人；所以好象（雖然這是很少見的）戀愛不但是會入於坦露的心胸，並且也可以進入壁壘森嚴的心胸中（假如把守不嚴的話）似的。

OF MARRIAGE AND SINGLE LIFE(by Bacon)
八、論結婚與獨身
1 He that hath wife and children hath given hostages to fortune; for they
are impediments to great enterprises, either of virtue or mischief.
Certainly the best works, and of greatest merit for the public, have
proceeded from the unmarried or childless men; which both in affection
and means, have married and endowed the public. Yet it were great
reason that those that have children, should have greatest care of future
times; unto which they know they must transmit their dearest pledges.
有妻與子的人已經向命運之神交了抵押品了；因為妻與子是大事底阻撓物，無論是大善舉或大惡行。無疑地，最好，最有功於公眾的事業是出自無妻或無子的人的；這些人在情感和金錢兩方面都可說是娶了公眾並給以奩資了。然而依理似乎有子嗣的人應當最關心將來，他們知道他們一定得把自己最貴重的保證交代給將來的。
甚好），因為他們不常有用仁慈之處也。莊重的人，常受風俗引導，因而心志不移，所以多是情愛甚篤的丈夫；如古人謂攸立西斯：“他寧要他底老妻而不要長生”者是也。貞節的婦人往往驕傲不遜，一若她們是自恃貞節也者。假如一個婦人相信她底丈夫是聰慧的，那就是最好的使她保持貞操及柔順的維繫；然而假如這婦人發現丈夫妒忌心重，她就永不會以為他是聰慧的了。妻子是青年人底情人，中年人底伴侶，老年人底看護。所以一個人只要他願意，任何時候都有娶妻底理由。
然而有一個人，人家問他，人應當在什麼時候結婚？他答道：“年青的人還不應當，年老的人全不應當”。
5 It is often seen that bad husbands, have very good wives;
whether it be, that it raiseth the price of their husband’s kindness, when
it comes; or that the wives take a pride in their patience. But this never
fails, if the bad husbands were of their own choosing, against their
friends’ consent; for then they will be sure to make good their own folly.
這位也被人稱為智者之一。常見不良的丈夫多有很好的妻子；其原因也許是因為這種丈夫底好處在偶爾出現的時候更顯得可貴，也許是因為做妻子的以自己底耐心自豪。但是這一點是永遠不錯的，就是這些不良的丈夫必須是做妻子的不顧親友之可否而自己選擇的，因為如此她們就一定非補救自己底失策不可也。

How important is the head in waltz dancing?
Both heads of the dancing couple should be a little shaping.
When turning, both heads should be a little away from each other so that it could produce ‘the proper centrifugal force離心力
The lady’s head is especially important. It not only has to do with beauty but also the balance in dancing!

"I even reckon all things as pure loss because of the priceless privilege of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." (Phil. 3:8) (Weymouth)

Shining is always costly. Light comes only at the cost of that which produces it. An unlit candle does no shining. Burning must come before shining. We cannot be of great use to others without cost to ourselves. Burning suggests suffering. We shrink from pain.

We are apt to feel that we are doing the greatest good in the world when we are strong, and able for active duty, and when the heart and hands are full of kindly service.

When we are called aside and can only suffer; when we are sick; when we are consumed with pain; when all our activities have been dropped, we feel that we are no longer of use, that we are not doing anything.

But, if we are patient and submissive, it is almost certain that we are a greater blessing to the world in our time of suffering and pain than we were in the days when we thought we were doing the most of our work. We are burning now, and shining because we are burning. --Evening Thoughts.

"The glory of tomorrow is rooted in the drudgery of today."

Life comes in a package. This package includes happiness and sorrow, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learning process. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us a better person. With each passing day we learn to handle various situations.

Love
Love plays a pivotal role on out life. Love makes you feel wanted. Without love a person could go hayward and also become cruel and ferocious. In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who shower us with unconditional love and care, they teach us about what is right and wrong, good and bad. But we always tend to take this for granted. It is only after marriage and having kids that a person understands and becomes sensitive to others feeling¬¬ us to understand life better.

Oftentimes, we find dancers too much focus on the details and forget the basic techniques and passion.
I have the same problem. The other day, I had a dancing class with my teacher. He emphasized the importance of dancing spirit. That is ‘passion and music’.
With passion and music, one can enjoy dancing. Without it, one is just like doing mechanic exercise.
And the basics is the foundation of waltz.
1. Strong connected body centers 拉住
2. Upper body, quiet, relaxed, yet, stable 安靜
3. Power from behind and heel (when forward --) 力道
4. Swing and extend beat 2 延伸
5. None stop movement 繼續

Someone said dancing is very deep. You can never totally understand or master.
That is also why it is so intriguing and people love it so much.
But it is a long way to go before you enjoy waltz's flowing and togetherness.
What you need to achieve the success is not only money or time spent on it, but also a good teacher and a good partner.
I am thankful to Miss Lee who gave me some very important tips about Waltz.

I am an English teacher. I am also a dance lover. I know very well the similarity between them.
English speaking focuses on ‘the correct pronunciation and natural intonation’.
For pronunciation, we need to do it correctly.
For intonation, we need to do it naturally.
So it is the same with dancing. In dancing, we need to know the exactness of all the steps and strong body center, the position of head, strong but relaxed frame, footwork, dancing direction, ------
In dancing with the partner, we also need to emphasize the natural flowing of it. There are time fast and slow, big space for each other, power producing, swing and flowing, stretching, nonstop movement, breathing, facing expression, music, -----

1. There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.
有些畫家把太陽改變成一個黃的點， 但是有其他畫家借助於他們的藝術和他們的智力，把一個黃的點改變成太陽。
2. It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.
畫像拉斐爾一樣花費我4 年，但是要畫像一個孩子一樣需一生時間。
3. Inspiration does exit, but it must find you working.
.靈感確存在，但是它需要你去工作才能找出。
4. Give me a museum and I’ll fill it.
給我一座博物館，我將充滿它。

by Winston Churchill
A gift¬ American psychologist has said, “Worry is a spasm of the emotion; the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go.” It is useless to argue with the mind in this condition. The stronger the will, the more futile the task. One can only gently insinuate something else into its rightly chosen, if it is really attended by the illumination of another field of interest, gradually, and often quite swiftly, the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and repair, begins.
The cultivation of a hobby and new forms of interest is therefore a policy of first importance to a public man .But this is not a business that can be untaken in a day or swiftly improvised by a mere command of the will.

Perhaps, O tried soul, the Lord is doing this to develop thy graces. There are some of thy graces which would never have been discovered if it were not for the trials. Dost thou not know that thy faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is too oft like a glowworm, showing but little light except it be in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star--not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, and only to be discovered in the night of adversity. Afflictions are often the black folds in which God doth set the jewels of His children's graces, to make them shine the better.

Every name has its special meaning. My Chinese name is 禹茵!
I like my name for it means a big place with beautiful scenery -------------- beautiful lake with lush trees around it ----------
One time, my teacher asked me a question, I was kind of too tired to answer him.
My teacher waited for a moment ------------- no answer!

One day, in our biology class, our teacher said ‘After a woman gives birth to a baby, her breasts will swell 漲奶, then they will drop because of gravity. -------
After the class, a few classmates and me got together for discussion.
One of my classmate胖妞said ‘ How I wish I could see Annie’s breasts swell and drop -------------- her breasts are so big! ---------------!
Another classmate Peggy said ‘before you can see, first, she must find a man to get her pregnant!
胖妞 said ‘The question is ‘How do you know she could find a guy to ------ to get her pregnant.‘
I said ‘You shut up! How about you! You are fat, and breasts like air port! No body will like you! ----------------
Peggy said ‘ Noooo, you know what! 胖妞 really has a boy friend!
I said ‘So what! Maybe her boy friend is just interested in her money, not her body -------------!

GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
By Abraham Lincoln
Delivered on the 19th Day of November, 1863
Cemetery Hill, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this continent
a new Nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that
all men are created equal.　Now, we are engaged in a great Civil War,
testing whether that Nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated,
can long endure.　We are met on a great battlefield of that war.　We have
come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those
who gave their lives that Nation might live.　It is altogether fitting and
proper that we should do this.

"熱血、汗水和眼淚" （溫斯頓•邱吉爾）
by Winston Churchill May 13, 1940

On Friday evening last I received from His Majesty the mission to form. a new administration. It was the evident will of Parliament and the nation that this should be conceived on the broadest possible basis and that it should include all parties. I have already completed the most important part of this task. A war cabinet has been formed of five members, representing, with the Labor, Opposition and Liberals, the unity of the nation. It was necessary that this should be done in one single day on account of the extreme urgency and rigor of events. Other key positions were filled yesterday. I am submitting a further list to the King tonight. I hope to complete the appointment of principal Ministers during tomorrow. The appointment of other Ministers usually takes a little longer. I trust when Parliament meets again this part of my task will be completed and that the administration will be complete in all respects. I considered it in the public interest to suggest to the Speaker that the House should be summoned today. At the end of today's proceedings, the adjournment of the House will be proposed until May 2l with provision for earlier meeting if need be. Business for that will be notified to M. P. 's at the earliest opportunity. I now invite the House by a resolution to record its approval of the steps taken and declare its confidence in the new government. The resolution: "That this House welcomes the formation of a government representing the united and inflexible resolve of the nation to prosecute the war with Germany to a victorious conclusion."

"Thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons." (2 Kings 4:4)

They were to be alone with God, for they were not dealing with the laws of nature, nor human government, nor the church, nor the priesthood, nor even with the great prophet of God, but they must needs be isolated from all creatures, from all leaning circumstances, from all props of human reason, and swung off, as it were, into the vast blue inter-stellar space, hanging on God alone, in touch with the fountain of miracles.