Blessed Life Of Goodness (B.L.O.G)

Fall in love 3X

2010-09-12T19:45:00.001+08:00

Before you can grow up, you must fall in love 3 times.

Once you must fall in love with your best friend, ruining your friendship forever. This will teach you who your true friends are, and the fine line between friendship and more.

Once you must fall in love with someone you believe to be perfect. You will learn that no one is perfect, and that you should never be treated as any less than you deserve.

And once you must fall in love with someone that is exactly like you. This will teach you about who you are, and who you want to be.

And when you’re through with all that, you learn that the people who care about you the most are the ones that you hurt, and the ones that hurt you are the ones that you needed the most.

But most of all, you learn that love is only a concept and is not something that can be defined, it is different to each person that experiences it. And you will learn to respect each and every person on this earth, knowing that everyone only wants to be loved.

How true is that.... hmmm...

Calvin & Hobbes: "THE BAILOUT"

2009-02-04T22:44:00.000+08:00

Paradox of our Time + Living the Abundant Life

2009-01-17T11:41:00.008+08:00

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints.

We spend more, but have less. We buy more, but enjoy less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.

We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.

We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait.

We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes.

These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

To all my friends in my life, thanks for being MY FRIEND!
By George Carlin

I wonder... have you thought about this...
Why is it that we are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with life, when in many ways we have never had it so good?

We have more disposable income than ever before; we are living longer and are healthier than we’ve ever been.
But yet there are many unhappy and dissatisfied people in our world.

How can we discover true joy and freedom in life?
People are searching for the answer to this question in many different places.

Leo Tolstoy, author of War and Peace wrote a book called A Confession, in which he tells the story of his search for meaning and purpose in life. He describes how he rejected Christianity as a child. As he went through life he became very ambitious. First of all, he thought pleasure was the answer. Having a great time. He entered the social world of Moscow and Petersburg, drinking heavily, sleeping around, gambling and leading a wild life. But it did not satisfy him. He then thought maybe money was the answer. He had inherited an estate and made a large amount of money out of his books. Yet that did not satisfy him either. He then sought success, fame and importance. But still he said, it didn’t satisfy. Then he thought, maybe the answer is family life, to give his family the best possible life. He married in 1862 and had a kind, loving wife and thirteen children. He had achieved all his ambitions and was surrounded by what appeared to be complete happiness.

And yet 1 question brought him to the verge of suicide: "What meaning has my life that the inevitability of death does not destroy?" He searched for the answer in every field of science and philosophy, but without satisfaction. Eventually he found that the peasant people of Russia had the answer he had been looking for, in their faith in God through Jesus Christ.

I've notice that it's a common belief that once you're a Christian, you'll start living a boring, underprivileged and unrewarding life as you need to give up the pleasures of modern living like clubbing and partying thru the night. And to give up the vibrant nightlife is like asking you to stop seeking fun, enjoying life and start living like a monk/nun in a monastery.

In your mind you're thinking,"How abundant or fulfilling can that kind of life be? Joyless, dreary and unexciting? No way man..."
Well, nothing can be further away from the truth.

Jesus came to unveil and teach us the way to abundant living.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 (NIV)

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 (NJV)

What exactly is Abundant Living?

Abundant life is NOT:
1. It is NOT necessarily a life of comfort and ease
2. It is NOT dependent on outside circumstances, but more on how we respond to circumstances
3. It is NOT necessarily obtained quickly. It may take time for us to experience abundant life, because it is a process that often takes time

How can we know if we are living life in its abundance?

Abundant living IS happening when:
1. We learn to live each day in the light of Christ.
2. When we can look back on the past, without it ruling the present.
3. You are filled with faith, hope, peace, joy and love, and live without anger, greed, guilt, envy, or thoughts of revenge.
4. You are secure in who you are, so you are at peace with God.
5 You love the unlovable, give hope to the hopeless, friendship to the friendless, and encouragement to the discouraged.
6. You can look back in forgiveness, and forward in hope, with gratitude to God.
7. You recognize, develop, and use your God-given physical, mental, and spiritual abilities to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind.

Then again, you can be saved and still live a life that is as dry as a corn shuck. If you do not live as close to Him as you should, you will probably think the Christian life is boring, the church is dead and that your life is no different than that pagan who lives next door.

If you want to abundant life that Jesus can give, it will require you to walk in close communion with Him. This might mean you will have to start praying. Maybe you will have to read you Bible. You might have to find your way to the church house with a little more regularity. You might even have to stop doing some of those things that hinder God from moving in your life like He wants to.

The Author Of The Abundant Life – The Bible tells us here that God is the giver of abundant life. Many people live a life that is in a rut. They do the same things in the same way every day of their lives. There is no excitement. There is no overflowing joy. They never see anything out of the ordinary. That is not the kind of life Jesus saved us to live! He saved us to live a life that is filled with His presence, power and glory, a life that extraordinary and overflowing in the unusual.
When a person is walking with the Lord, as they should be, they will be constantly seeing the Lord working in them and around them in wonderful, supernatural ways.

Do you want a life that is different?
Do you want a life that is filled with the wonder of God’s work in and around you?

Paul says the way to have that kind of life is to get to God. He alone can give that kind of life to His children. The secret lies in being saved and in living close to the Father! Jesus promised His children that their lives would be different if they came to Him. "Whoever believes in Me... streams of living water will flow from within him" John 7:38

Before we decide that the Christian life is dull and boring, let’s make sure we have lives as close to the Lord as we can first. If you can get close to Him, your life will be anything but boring!

《葉問》Ip Man

2009-01-10T15:13:00.007+08:00

Love this movie man! Go watch it if you havn't caught it yet...

Thriller

Ip Man Vs 10 Black Belts ("I'm just a Chinese guy...")

Ip Man vs Japanese General (End Fight)

Ip Man vs the Notherner

Ip Man vs Liu Sifu

The Father's Song - Spirit Behind Christmas

2008-12-06T13:08:00.010+08:00

Matt Redman widget by 6L & Daxii

I was touched by this beautiful song. The lyrics speak to me. It tells me the Father's heart.

People always talk about soaking into the festive spirit of Christmas. Oh it's about joy and laughter, Chrsitmass tree decorations, merrymaking, gift-exchanging, family and friends gathering, a call for celebration for the year's work.

The 3 Fs of Christmas - Family, Friends and Faith.

No doubt, yes it is the season for us to remember and give thanks to the people whose lives are interwined with yours. Do it. Appreciate those around you. Make gifts for them. Give them a hug. Thank God for them.

But somehow I feel the 3rd F is always neglected or forgotten.
The Christ of Christ-mas is missing. The reason for the season is lost.

Christmas is so much more than just having a good time and giving things away and receving goodies in return.

It's so easy the miss the spirit behind Christmas, which is:

We couldn't get to God, and so Christmas tells the story of how God got to us.

I like the way Eugene Peterson's translation puts it, "God became one of us and moved into the neighbourhood".

Why did Jesus come?
Numerous reasons. To call sinners to repentance. To be King and bear witness. To be the Light of the World etc.
Most importantly, he came to rescue you and me. To close up the gap coz the Law has driven us too far apart from intimacy with God.

This is how much He thinks about you.
"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." Luke 15:20

Let's ponder... What could God have done otherwise?
God can simply throw down a Book... and say, "Nah! This's my Word. Meditate on it day and night. Obey them and you'll be blessed" The Dos and Don'ts manual is sufficient.

No, He loves us too much to do that. So Jesus was sent to us on a rescue mission.

The Law came via Moses... Grace, love and truth arrived in the form of baby Jesus.

The Law condemns and rejects but Jesus loves and accepts.

Jesus could have descended to Earth flanked by thousands of angels. But he wanted to share in our humanity and demonstrate his humility. A stinky manger and into a carpenter's family was where he was born into. Stripped of all his glory. He descended, put on our "flesh and dwelt among us"(John 1:14).

"Christ himself was like God in everything. He was equal with God. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be held on to. He gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant. And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God. He obeyed even when that caused his death -- death on a cross" (Philippians 2:6-8).

The Father's Song. The Father's Love.

Heaven's perfect melody. The Creator sent for me.

Father's Love Letter

2008-11-23T21:24:00.005+08:00

God has written you a letter...

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. ~Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. ~Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. ~Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. ~Matt 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. ~Gen 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. ~Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. ~Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. ~Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. ~Eph 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. ~Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. ~Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. ~Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. ~Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. ~Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. ~John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. ~1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. ~1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. ~1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. ~Matt 7:11

For I am the perfect father. ~Matt 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. ~James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. ~Matt 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. ~Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. ~Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. ~Psalm 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. ~Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. ~Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. ~Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. ~Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. ~Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. ~Deu 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. ~Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. ~Philip 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. ~Eph 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. ~2 Thess 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. ~2 Cor 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. ~Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. ~Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. ~Rev 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. ~Rev 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. ~John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. ~John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. ~Heb 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. ~Rom 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. ~2 Cor 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. ~2 Cor 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. ~1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. ~Rom 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. ~1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. ~Rom 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. ~Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. ~Eph 3:14-15

My question is… Will you be my child? ~John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. ~Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Daddy
Almighty God

The Don't Song

2008-11-12T21:24:00.008+08:00

Hilarious... Guys, take heed (me included)... Don't do it... (no no no)

Chorus
Don't... Don't... Don't...
Don't... Don't do it
Stop... Must stop it
Cut... It out

S.M.I.L.E - & the Whole World Smiles Back at YOU

2008-10-27T21:19:00.066+08:00

"A smile is the shortest distance between two people."

What happens when you feel the first instance of joy?

That’s right. You break out in a smile. You don't think 1st whether should you smile or not. In another words, it's involuntary (though you can certainly fake one, out of courtesy for instance, and no one knows except for yourself). Some people find it hard to smile. Some people smile without knowing that they are smiling (I think I'm one of those; think my mouth is shaped in a way that is slightly lifted on the edges... like the Joker... except his is a serious case of permanent motor malfunction).
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."

As defined by Wikipedia, a smile is a facial expression formed by flexing those muscles most notably near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes, aka 'Duchenne smile'. Sometimes, it may not be mouth that is telling of a smile; it may just be that sparkle in your eyes! Hence, it is very possible to use a smile to communicate a thousand words.

Most smiles are happy signs. They speak of joy, happiness, love or even pride. However, there are smiles that can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, otherwise known as the grimace, or an expression of embarassment in a sheepish way.

Mona Lisa’s smile is enigmatic, the Cheshire Cat’s is devious, the Joker’s is mischievous and Jesus’s is serene. Humans probably have been smiling for as long as they’ve been around. But despite the long history of smiles, scientists still haven’t figured out exactly how or why the brain tells the lips to curve, the nose to wrinkle, the eyes to twinkle and the cheeks to lift.

Babies generally start smiling at about 6 to 8 weeks. Throughout childhood, boys smile just about as much as girls. That changes soon after puberty. Grown women smile more than men, and they also smile wider.

Smiling, studies suggest, makes people appear more attractive, kinder and, by some accounts, easier to remember.

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

A Duchenne smile contracts the muscles of the cheek and eye, forming crow's feet. The corners of the mouth turn up and the skin around the corners of your eyes crinkles. The crow's feet show that the smile is genuine and that the smiler is truly happy. It was discovered by and is named after Guillaume Duchenne.
In a Duchenne smile, the facial muscles involved in are difficult to control voluntarily. Therefore, it's difficult to fake a Duchenne smile unless you smile from within. You know the sign. You recognize true delight in a friend's face.

"No, please accept them," Jacob said, "for what a relief it is to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the smile of God!"
Gen 33:10

The other smile, called the Pan American smile (after the flight attendants in television ads for the now-defunct airline), is nothing but a courtesy smile as in the case of a flight attendant responding to a patron. It's an expression of courtesy and politeness rather than inner joy.

"Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart."

A true smile, which engages the muscles around the eyes as well as the muscles around the mouth.

You can work it in reverse. We smile when we're happy but we also become happy when we smile; it works both ways. The emotional response to endorphins is happiness which creates a smile, but the smile also creates endorphins. This lifting of our mood is wonderful for our health and well-being. It boosts our immune system and can even improve our posture.

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."

Here's a list of smiles that you can currently wear - for all ocassions. (Note: Your intent is very important when it comes to projecting the smile you wish to put on).

1. Sweet Smile

This is the smile that melts hearts. One look and you know you are done for! It is hard to say no to the request that usually accompanies it.

2. I am in Love Smile

You can’t mistake this smile from the rest. This smile exudes the energy of pure love and bliss. It need not be just a romantic smile. A smile for the love of your pet also qualifies!

3. Beautiful Smile
This is a smile that is Simply Breathtaking! It is a smile that causes others to skip a heartbeat and ECG reading to go haywire!

4. Happy Smile

Pure bliss! The I-am-so-in-paradise drooling smile.

5. Thoughtful Smile

Your eyes look glazed. There is no eye contact in this smile because you are thinking about sometime faraway: the longing for someone or the cherished memory of a past. You can still remember the joy and how it felt like. It is as if you are living the moment again; so you break out into this smile.

6. I-Know-It-All Smile

The hint of a smile. It is also one that you cultivate as you get older, wiser your mind filled with wonderful stories from your past. It is a smile that speaks volumes about the wisdom you’ve gained about life.

7. The Sparkle in The Eyes Smile

The eyes say it all. Sparkling with excitement and sheer joy. No words need to be communicated.

8. I-Am-The-Boss Smile

Wear this smile if these thoughts run through your head: Say what? I am the boss. Captain of the ship. Come humor me!

9. I-Feel-Lucky Smile

An almost embarassed look. The smile that says "I’m Lucky... Again!"

10. Amused Smile

Guess: who is the amused and not so amused?

11. Naughty Or Up-to-No-Good Smile

This is the smile that you would wear when you are embarassed for being caught red handed at something naugthy. This cute baby smile's classic and a dead giveaway!

You know this guy's got something up his sleeve... even if his mouth is almost covered.

12. Playful, Romantic Smile

Clue: look at the coin, closely.

13. Satisfied Smile

Baby Ethan: "I feel so contented!" Photos courtesy of Liza & Len's bundle of joy

14. Contented Smile

Someone's shot of his mum. Thank God for all mums!

This old lady was snapped in a Vietnamese market. She needed no invitation for some photos. Like all the people the photographer has met in Vietnam, she was really nice. The lines on her face speaks of character and the ravages of time.

This is a smile that needs to be distinguished from the satisfied smile. A satisfied smile is one for having felt joy derived from an external factor, whereas a contented smile comes from within. A contented smile reflects quiet serenity, a sense of peace and fufilment in everyday joys. It is a "In the Now" Smile.

15. Confident Smile

Wear this smile for any reason that you feel confident about. Even if it means showing off your braces!

16. Proud Smile

There is the hint of a smile that speaks of pride. Almost a smirk. A job well done. A smile that says, "I know what I am doing."

17. Sexy Smile

This smile needs some strategic positioning. It is to be projected at a 47-degree angle to the recipient, so that you are seen from your best side. You also need to tilt your head slightly downwards (for coyness) but with eyes glancing up (daring the recipient to come forward) and if you are female, fluttering your eyelashes with deliberate intent. Leaning your head on one of your hands denotes helplessness: That You Need to be Rescued Quickly!! Overall, there is a certain mystery to this smile.

~ SUNRAY SMILE ~
lovely song... dedicated specially to everyone who had a bad day and in desperate need of a smile =D

What a difference a sunray can make
in a world that's tired of the rain.
What a difference a smile can make
in a heart that's filled with pain.

(She had a) Sunray smile
Fairer then the spring or a rainbow
Sunray smile
Come to melt away the snow

The darkness of a shadow always flees
where ever a sunray is found
The darkness in a heart always leaves
when the glow of that smile is around

(She had a)
Sunray smile
Fairer then the spring or a rainbow
Sunray smile
Come to melt away all the snow.
In my heart today.

"Today, give a stranger one of your smiles. It might be the only sunshine he sees all day." ~Quoted in P.S. I Love You

Bye Lion City! Hello Land of Bubble Tea!

2008-10-03T23:57:00.008+08:00

Well, hope it touches my heart!

Leave a Legacy - Making a Diff in the Lives that Follow

2008-09-21T12:30:00.006+08:00

For this Vision month of September in TCC, we recorded a song "live" written by one of our Trinity members that fitted suitably to the theme of "Build a Lasting Lagacy". And yes, the name of the song is "The Legacy".

I would define it as leaving something behind that blesses others. You die, but your legacy will live on. Essentially, your legacy will outlast you. It'll serve as a reminder that you (Mr/Miss/Mrs/Mdm so-and-so) has ever walked on this earth.

I remembered one fateful day, my primary school science teacher came to the class telling us that she recently signed on a form to donate her organs to any patient who need it at the time of her death. Corneas, kidneys, liver, heart, or anything they find useful and in "working condition" can be harvested so that another human can live as healthily and normal as possible. She told us it's of no use to her anymore when she dies and so it doesn't hurt to give it away. I think the reason she said that was to address the stunned looks on our faces. In our young minds, we just thought it would be terribly painful to remove your body parts, voluntarily or not. I visualized her standing in front of us with holes in her eye sockets. Yucks! The teacher further emphasized that when people die, they can no longer feel pain and their bodies are but empty shells without a soul. Yea, that helps.

What she shared that day left an indelible mark on me today. I think our young hearts were stirred that particular day. Death and organ donation were serious and morbid topics for a bunch of 10 year-olds. Death? It never did crossed our minds. Don't people live happily forever? We were strangely quiet and focussed for once. You can actually sense the heaviness in the classroom air. We feel important that an adult would share something so personal with us. I remembered still thinking about it on my walk home from school. Wow, I've never ponder that long about a classroom lesson. That was the first time I heard anyone doing something so noble and self-sacrificial that is beyond my imagination. The idea is new and it blew us away. No doubt, I had new respect for that teacher since. And seeds are definitely sown.

As I listened to the sermons of leaving a lasting legacy, I was suddenly jolted to memory of this amicable teacher (even though I've forgotten her name... sorry mrs XX!! Her habit of putting her hands on her hip while speaking still linger in my mind). Some snippets about her. Her science garden is a favourite recess time hang-out. Pupils like to fuss around her rabbits and plants. She always loaned out rabbits in her science garden for us to take home. Guess it's to inculcate values of T.L.C for small creatures and tending small pots of plants. As small kids, we always feel big when entrusted with such responsibility. It's a great way to build confidence in the little ones coz grown-ups don't usually trust us with things. So take note, all teachers out there! =D

My science teacher taught me an invaluable lessson on giving beyond myself. You and I were put here on earth to make a contribution. God did not create us in his image to do nothing but sit around on clouds and play harps. He’s not doing that, so why would we ever think of this as a fitting conclusion for us? He created us to share in the ongoing creating and nurturing of his world. We were made in his image to share in his work. We are supposed to do that here on earth, and we will do that in heaven. And we can start today.

The need and capacity to serve was in us from the beginning. Adam was immediately given the job of naming the animals and subduing the earth. This did not change after disobedience took its course and banished him and Eve from the garden; it just got harder to do. Eve was given the job of being his helpmate and that definitely got harder to do! But nonetheless, we all have jobs. Not the job you get paid for, but a job to do in relation to your existence – a job to do in service to those around you.

The more we are conscious of this purpose, the easier it will be to figure out what this job is at any given time. Suffice it to say, it is primarily found in focusing our attention on others. This is in stark contrast to “getting the most out of life,” which has become the modern mantra of a “me” generation. This would be more along the lines of “giving the most out of life.”

Deep down inside, every one of us wants to leave something behind. We want to leave a legacy. We want to be significant. We want an epitaph with substance. God put this desire in us because it is one of our purposes in life.

If your epitaph were written today, what would people write about you?

Who would be better off because of your life?

If you’re anything like me, the answer to that question makes me glad I still have time to change it.

Think today of what you can add to someone’s life, not take away.

Think of leaving situations better than you found them.

Think of whom you can serve – of how this can be a better day for someone because of you. This is important. It’s part of your legacy.

Let’s be careful to give the most out of life today.

家

2008-07-22T22:18:00.002+08:00

August's the only time of the year (apart from Xmas) when you see more than the usual dose of red and whites on the streets... when S'poreans get lulled into the warm, fuzzy wuzzy atmosphere of patriotism and forget momentarily abt the ERP, petrol hikes, security lapses, charity self-implosions, depressed markets, recession gloom and $$ no enough.

Some overseas friends commented that though they left S'pore physically, S'pore has never left them. Despite all the complaints and backlash on govt policies in public forums, we've to admit this lill island does hold a special place in our hearts.

Well-travelled we may be... I'm sure we can identify with the lyrics of Michael Buble's "Home":

May be surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel all alone
I just wanna go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky, I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home

Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

Home... a place where we truly feel at ease and say,"Ahh finally I am home at last!"

每一次我感到彷徨不自禁就会回头望
mei yi ci wo gan dao pang huang bu zi jin jiu hui hui tou wang
我知道心中有个地方一定会有一盏灯
wo zhi dao xin zhong you ge di fang yi ding hui you yi zhan deng
照亮每一颗黑暗的心房指引未来方向
zhao liang mei yi ke hei an de xin fang zhi yin wei lai fang xiang
沿着生命河流向前航就能登陆理想
yan zhe sheng ming he liu xiang qian hang jiu neng deng lu li xiang

Chorus:
我的家收藏我的欢喜悲伤
wo de jia shou cang wo de huan xi bei shang
只要点燃希望梦就会自由飞翔
zhi yao dian ran xi wang meng jiu hui zi you fei xiang
我的家给我一双坚定翅膀
wo de jia gei wo yi shuang jian ding chi bang
我的梦不论在何方一生的爱唯有家
wo de meng bu lun zai he fang yi sheng de ai wei you jia

再也不会感到彷徨不会再失意回头望
zai ye bu hui gan dao pang huang bu hui zai shi yi hui tou wang
我要用心中一点烛光燃放千万户辉煌
wo yao yong xin zhong yi dian zhu guang ran fang qian wan hu hui huang
要让繁华的城市更灿烂世界和平共享
yao rang fan hua de cheng shi geng can lan shi jie he ping gong xiang
全凭生命河流来导航一起登陆理想
quan ping sheng ming he liu lai dao hang yi qi deng lu li xiang

( Repeat Chorus )

Home - Where I am Truly, Surely.... Really?

2008-07-22T22:10:00.002+08:00

My fav NDP Theme Song of all time...

Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
I will always recall the city
Know every street and shore
Sail down the river which brings us life
Winding through my Singapore

Chorus:
This is home truly, where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me, where that river always flows
This is home surely, as my senses tell me
This is where I won't be alone, for this is where I know it's home

When there are troubles to go through
We'll find a way to start anew
There is comfort in the knowledge
That home's about its people too
So we'll build our dreams together
Just like we've done before
Just like the river which brings us life
There'll always be Singapore

( Repeat Chorus )

For this is where I know it's home
For this is where I know I'm home

2008-07-10T22:37:00.007+08:00

Seeing Matt do his goofy chicken-dance antics... you can't help but break into smiles. Cheerios!! =D

Where the hell did he find so much $$ & time to visit so many places, you wonder

This time... with thousands joining him in his dance. S'pore included =)

Your Grace Still Amazes Me

2008-06-24T22:58:00.012+08:00

Does it?
Do you still draw yourself to Him? Or are you hiding? You know, we do that sometimes... when Christianity becomes a systemic routine which we follow blindly... it becomes more of a chore, a duty rather than something we would have gladly done willingly... like for a lover.

The "coolness" of being tagged a Christian and "God, I never want to out of Your Love ever again" promise are being replaced by 'no one attends service with me', 'it's too far and too early anyway', 'i feel tired all the time'. Whenever we hit a peak, the trough is waiting. We are sick of politics in church. Church people are waaayyy too "artificially" nice. Our faith turns cold. We don't "feel" Him around when He's needed. We no longer communicate with Him in all honesty and openness. We don't pray as often. Sermons no longer speak to us. The "same-old, same-old" is a drag. Somehow, His Amazing Grace is not so amazing after all. Or is it?

~ Your grace still amazes me ~
~ Your love is still a mystery ~

My faithful Father, enduring Friend
Your tender mercy’s like a river with no end
It overwhelms me, covers my sin
Each time I come into Your presence
I stand in wonder once again

::Chorus::
Your grace still amazes me
Your love is still a mystery
Each day I fall on my knees
Your grace still amazes me
‘Cause Your grace still amazes me

Oh, patient Saviour, You make me whole
You are the Author and the Healer of my soul
What can I give You, Lord, what can I say
I know there’s no way to repay You
Only to offer You my praise

It’s deeper, it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
It’s deeper it’s wider
It’s stronger, it’s higher
than anything my eyes can see

Flight of Your Life

2008-06-24T22:22:00.007+08:00

What God teaches through faith's ups and downs
Ruth E. Van Reken

Life with jesus hasn't turned out quite the way I thought it would.

As a child, "testimony time" was my favorite feature of Sunday evening church. Each week the white-haired ladies and gentlemen around me would grab the pew ahead, pull themselves to a slightly stooped stand, and proclaim, "I accepted Jesus 40 years ago, and it's been glory ever since." I figured "glory" must be great, and couldn't wait to follow in their steps. I expected to soar through life with unswerving faith.

Instead of soaring, however, my faith journey has more closely resembled the flight of my first homemade kite: first rising, then dipping and crashing, so I'd have to start over again. Why couldn't I be more "spiritual" like those saints I'd known as a child?

I decided to study the Old Testament heroes listed in Hebrews 11 as members of the New Testament "hall of faith." At first, their stories puzzled me. How could God possibly put Jacob in that list? He'd stolen his brother's birthright through treachery. What about Samson? He spent his life chasing women such as Delilah. David had committed adultery and murder. None were people I'd choose as an example of faithful living. So why did God?

But as I read more carefully, I saw how those listed in Hebrews 11 shared a common story: God worked through their lives to shape them into individuals who trusted him despite seemingly impossible situations. Each experienced the same ups and downs of faith I knew so well, yet God used those events to build strong faith in him.

Why does God often seem to take us back to square one in our journey with him? What can we learn only when we have nothing left but God himself and his promises? Here are some answers.

Faith and feelings aren't the same. Throughout high school I promised God I'd follow him fervently, no matter what. God's presence seemed palpable as our school Bible club grew from 15 to 115 members. We prayed. God answered. It was great.

Soon after beginning college, however, I found myself seated alone in a dorm prayer room, wondering what had happened to God. The same Bible that had been savory meat for my soul now tasted like cold French fries. Prayers seemed to bounce off the walls with mocking echoes: "God isn't LISTENING … listening … listening." How could this be?

That's when I glanced up to see a plaque on the wall quoting a verse from Job 23: "I do not see him … but he knows the way that I take." I opened my Bible to read the whole chapter, and it described my situation perfectly. No matter where Job looked, he couldn't find God—yet God always knew where to find him. Based on that, Job determined to continue trusting God through the darkness.

That fact—that God knows where I am when I have no idea where he is—has been one of the most stabilizing truths in my life. I can pray, "God, I haven't a clue where you are in this mess, but I thank you that you know where I am. Please hold on to me when I can't seem to hold on to you."

God isn't a system to be learned. Following my first year in college, I went into a nursing program and worked with people in life-and-death situations. Seeing many of them face life's starkest moments without Jesus restored my faith — I knew I'd never doubt again.

Wrong. A few years later my husband, Dave, began his pediatric residency. We moved with our 8-month-old daughter to a new city where I didn't know one person. Dave took calls at the hospital every second or third night, and I became a stay-at-home mom. Depression set in. This time God didn't merely disappear; it felt as though he'd died.

I did what I'd done before. I asked God to keep his eyes on me when I didn't know how to find him. I read my Bible. I prayed. I even followed the advice of a book that promised if I'd praise God no matter what, all my problems would go away. I still felt awful.

Finally I confessed my struggle to a friend. "I'm sure if I'd only pray more or read my Bible more, I'd be okay, but I can't seem to do it like I should."

My friend gave me a strange look. "Did you hear what you just said, Ruth? If you do this or that exactly right, then God must perform according to your dictates. Why don't you ask God to be God in your life, and stop trying to control him?"

With that simple question, I realized while I'd always believed my salvation came by God's grace through faith in Jesus rather than through anything I could do, that's not how I lived. Instead, I'd started believing that if I just met certain standards of performance such as Bible reading and prayer (both good things in themselves), then God would essentially become my fairy godparent and do my bidding. My friend was right. I'd turned God's means for knowing him better into a method to keep control of my life.

Childish or immature perceptions of God need replacing. As a child I somehow picked up the skewed idea that really good soldiers in God's army barely notice the wounds they suffer while serving him, if they feel them at all.

Years later, Dave and I moved to Liberia, Africa, as missionaries. During our first year there, Uncle El, a fellow missionary, and his daughter, Rhoda, were in a terrible motorcycle accident. While Dave and I stayed with them all night at the hospital, robbers completely ransacked our home. Here we were, serving Jesus, and life had never been so catastrophic.

I knew I should pray — but how? For what?

I had no faith that Uncle El would survive and Rhoda already had multiple fractures. Finally, as I tried to pray, an amazing thing happened. Somehow, in a way I can't explain, I saw Jesus weeping in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified. What an incredible paradox. There, in the midst of Christ's greatest act of faith, he suffered his greatest moment of pain.

Faith didn't prevent his pain, but pain also didn't prevent his faith.

By his Spirit, Jesus said to me, "Ruth, I know what it's like not to want the Father's will. Sometimes the Father's will is very hard. So I'm not going to push you through this; I'm going to carry you."

I've learned as I've matured that true faith not only acknowledges pain, but agrees to God's plan despite it. After Uncle El's death, Aunt Lois told me, "No reason is worth the price of my husband's life except one. Somehow God has allowed this to happen for his glory, though I may never understand why before heaven. With that, my heart can rest."

God's character is trustworthy. After my encounter with Jesus in the Garden, life continued to tumble from one crisis to another. We were robbed 9 more times. 5 close friends or relatives, including my father, died in the next 2 years. Just a few short years later, I had to face the biggest question of my life so far: "Have I given my life to God for a joke?"

My husband and I were living back in the States, but our 2 adopted Liberian sons, William and James, had returned to Liberia just before a civil war began there in 1990. For months, we had no idea if our sons were alive or dead. No matter how hard I prayed, the news got worse: "Cholera Sweeps the City." "600 Killed in Church Massacre." Even if I'd known where William and James were, I had no way to send help or rescue them. I felt numb inside. Each day I waited for a breakthrough from God. Each day—silence.

After many weeks, God finally impressed one thought in my heart: "Ruth, you've come to trust what you know about me, but you don't trust me."

That puzzled me. So I prayed, "God, I have no idea what that means, but if it's true, would you teach me about yourself from scratch, as if I've never known you at all?"

A few months later, still numb, I opened my Bible once more to Hebrews 11. In verse 6I read, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

Do you really?! My mind began to rage at God as I compared that verse to the circumstances around me. I've sought you and sought you this year, but you remain silent, and everything I've prayed about has only gotten worse. You haven't rewarded me with one thing!

Hadn't we given up family, country, and professional opportunities to follow God? Now look. Because of the war in Liberia, our mission buildings had been destroyed and our two sons were likely dead and gone. Instead of a plentiful harvest, we had a sun-scorched land.

Had I, in fact, spent my life for nothing?

As I stared at the passage again, the Shepherd's voice popped up once more in my mind. Do you believe I'm faithful and true and good, not for what you see me do, but for who I am?

The greatest wrestling match of my life followed. If I said "Yes, God is faithful, true, and good," it meant I believed he was keeping his promises in this awful situation — even if I didn't understand why or how. It meant I had to trust him; I had to leave all my unanswered questions with him. That seemed like an impossible choice.

But if I decided "No, God isn't faithful," then I was saying God was a liar and none of his promises were true — including that Jesus is my Savior. In that case, my life was a joke and there was no point in continuing the deception. That seemed like a hopeless choice.

Thankfully, I finally bowed before God, trusting his character, whether William and James lived or died. In God's mercy, both of them survived the war, but many others didn't. However, like the stories in Hebrews 11, where some people were rescued from the lion's den while others were martyred by being sawn in 2, God is equally faithful, true, and good in all cases.

I once heard George Verwer, head of Operation Mobilization, say, "Christians have to relearn their faith from scratch at every stage of life."

How true. And how wonderful that as God teaches us more about who he is within the circumstances of our life, our relationship to him becomes deeper and stronger. We can trust, no matter what we feel. Maybe that's the "glory" part after all.

Take my Life & Let It Be

2008-06-22T19:48:00.002+08:00

An old hymn written by Fanny Crosby (the blind woman of faith who penned "Blessed Assurance")
Performed by Chris Tomlin

As you listen the lyrics of this song... ask the Lord in what area am I struggling to surrender. It mentions so many areas in which can a challenge to for us to submit to God's will.

Do I give Him my hands and feet?
Do I only use my voice to to sing praises to my King or do I allow it to be used for satan's will?
Do my lips bring messages of love or of hate, of acceptance or of judgement?
Do I use the intellect He has given me to glorify Him or me?
Do I see the money I have as His or mine?
Who holds my heart, the world or Jesus?
Who does my life belong to and who do I submit to?

Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord, to thee
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of thy love
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for thee

Take my voice and let me sing always, only for my king
Take my lips and let them be filled with messages from thee
Take my silver and my gold not a might would I withhold
Take my intellect and use every power as you choose

::Chorus::
Here am I, all of me
Take my life, it's all for thee

Take my will and make it Thine it shall be no longer mine
Take my heart it is thine own; it shall be thy royal throne
Take my love, my Lord I pour at your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee,
Take myself and I will be ever, only all for thee

"Kept for the Master's Use" is a wonderful book written by Fanny Crosby (aka Frances Havergal). She uses lyrics from this hymn as chapter titles and it speaks to me every time I read this little paperback book that is so filled with godly wisdom that all of us need.
She encourages us to take every aspect of life and consecrate it for the Lord's use.
Why keep anything for self glorification when we can keep it all for His use?

May all of us be kept for the Master's use, alwayz!

《承諾》[China Sichuan Earthquake 12-May-2008]

2008-05-20T22:40:00.001+08:00

《承諾》
多少人多少幸福被搶奪
多少生活在一瞬間被埋沒
一切變沉默
淚光在眼眶閃爍
塵埃沾滿了失落的輪廓(情願是我)
不必說你們背後還有我
未來就是崎嶇也會陪你過
一個你一個我
扛起不需要脆弱
前面越走一定會越寬闊(你還有我)
* 誰都會有恐懼面對黑暗的角落
為了你我再苦也不躲
我要你重獲原來的生活
認定了這一輩子的承諾
( repeat * )
** 縱然山搖地破也要安然渡過有你有我 **
( repeat * )
我要你重獲原來的生活
認定了這一輩子的承諾
( repeat * )

Smoky Mountain Memories - David Archuleta

2008-04-21T22:27:00.005+08:00

Beautifully sang....

You ought to go north somebody told us
Cause the air is filled with gold dust
And fortune falls like snow flakes in your hands
Now I don't recall who said it
But we'd lived so long on credit
And so we headed out to find our promised land

Just poor Smoky Mountains farm folk
With nothing more than high hopes
So we hitched our station wagon to a star
But our dreams all fell in on us
Cause there was no land of promise
Though it's a struggle just keepin' sight of who you are

Oh and these northern nights are dreary
And my southern heart is weary
As I wonder how the old folks are back home
But I know that they all love me
And I know they're all thinking of me
Smoky Mountains memories keep me strong

You know I've been thinkin' a whole lot lately
About what's been and what awaits me
It takes all I've got to give what life demands
You go insane if you give in to it
Life's a mill and I've been through it
I'm just thankful I'm creative with my hands

Oh and these northern nights are dreary
And my southern eyes are teary
As I wonder how the old folks are back home
But I'll keep leanin' on my Jesus
He'll love and guide and lead us
Smoky Mountains memories keep me strong

I'll keep looking to the father
Keep our heads above the water
Smoky Mountains memories keep me strong

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

2008-04-20T19:01:00.001+08:00

The original.... =)

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2008-04-17T22:53:00.004+08:00

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

And the dreams that you dreamed of

Once in a lullaby ii ii iii

Somewhere over the rainbow

Blue birds fly

And the dreams that you dreamed of

Dreams really do come true ooh ooooh

Someday I'll wish upon a star

Wake up where the clouds are far behind me ee ee eeh

Where trouble melts like lemon drops

High above the chimney tops thats where you'll find me oh

Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly

And the dream that you dare to

Dream really do come true oo ooo

Oh yes… dreams come true

How Good Do You have to Be to Get into Heaven?

2008-04-15T20:20:00.001+08:00

Christ Eyes

2008-04-13T12:10:00.018+08:00

Fairest Lord Jesus

Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature,
O Thou of God and man the Son,
Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor,
Thou, my soul’s glory, joy and crown.

Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring;
Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer,

Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

Beautiful Savior, Lord of all the nations,

Son of God and Son of Man.

Glory and honor, praise, adoration,

Now and forever more be Thine.

The BirdCage

2008-03-21T21:57:00.005+08:00

A man was on the side of the road with a large birdcage.

A boy noticed that the cage was full of birds of many kinds.

"Where did you get those birds?" he asked.

"Oh, all over the place," the man replied. "I lure them with crumbs and pretend I'm their friend. Then when they are close, I net them and shove them into my cage.""And what are you going to do with them now?"

The man grinned, "I'm going to prod them with sticks, and get them really mad so they fight and kill each other. Those that survive, I will kill. None will escape."

The boy looked steadily at the man. What made him do such things? He looked into the cruel, hard eyes. Then he looked at the birds, defenseless, without hope.

"Can I buy those birds?" the boy asked. The man hid a smile, aware that he could be on to a good thing if he played his cards right.

"Well," he said hesitantly, "The cage is pretty expensive, and I spent a lot of time collecting these birds, I'll tell you what I'll do, I'll let you have the lot, birds, cage and all for 10 pounds and that jacket you're wearing."

The boy paused, 10 pounds was all he had, and the jacket was new and very special, in fact it was his prized possession. Slowly, he took out the 10 pounds and handed it over, then even more slowly he took off his jacket, gave it one last look then handed that over too.

He received the cage from the man. And then (well, you might have guessed it) he opened the door and let the birds go free.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Enemy of the world, Satan, was on the side of life's road with a very large cage.

The man coming towards him noticed that it was crammed full of people of every kind, young, old, from every race and nation.

"Where did you get these people?" the man asked.

"Oh, from all over the world," Satan replied. "I lure them with drink, drugs, lust, lies, anger, hate, love of money and all manner of things. I pretend I'm their friend, out to give them a good time, then when I've hooked them, into the cage they go."

"And what are you going to do with them now?" asked the man.

Satan grinned. "I'm going to prod them, provoke them, get them to hate and destroy each other; I'll stir up racial hatred, defiance of law and order; I'll make people bored, lonely, dissatisfied, confused and restless. It's easy. People will always listen to what I offer them and what's better, blame God for the outcome!"

"And then what?" the man asked.

"Those who do not destroy themselves, I will destroy. None will escape me."

The man stepped forward. "Can I buy these people from you?", he asked.

Satan snarled, "Yes, but it will cost you your life."

So Jesus Christ, the Son of God, paid for your release, your freedom from Satan's trap, with His own life, on the cross at Calvary. The door is open, and anyone, whom Satan has deceived and caged, can be set free.

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

The Search for Meaning

2008-03-09T22:17:00.011+08:00

"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." Nietzsche

Sometimes in life we struggled to understand events that caused upheavals in our lives. Sudden deaths/chronic illnesses in the family, disappointment in exam results, unexpected loss of job/income, negative doctor's report and so on. If you're the religious type, you'll question why God allow bad things to happen to good people like yourself. We need to find a reason to justify our sufferings, and the truth is, more often than not, we won't find any. Do you deserve it? Well, maybe. Do you need it? Absolutely.

Man's Search for Meaning (was written in 9 successive days and first published anonymously in 1959; now has more than 12million copies in print) has riveted generations of readers and contain ideas that have the power to change a person's life, with its vivid descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its poignant lessons for spiritual survival.

This book insists that life is meaningful and has a purpose and we must learn to see life as meaningful despite our circumstances and hardship.

Between 1942 - 1945, Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl labored in 4 different camps including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother and pregnant wife perished. Based on his personal experience and stories of many of his patients and fellow comrades, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.

Frankl's theory - logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning") holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Sigmund Freud proposed, or a quest for power as Alfred Adler taught, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.

"What man actually needs," Frankl wrote,"is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task... the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him."

In his book, Frankl poignantly described those prisoners who gave up on life, who had lost all hope for a future, were inevitably the first to die. They died less from the lack of food or medicine than from lack of hope, lack of something to live for. By contrast, Frankl kept himself alive by summoning up constant thoughts of his wife and the prospect of seeing her again and by dreaming of giving public lectures after the war about psychological lessons from the Auschwitz experience. Appearently, many prisoners who desperately wanted to live did die from diseases, gas chambers, mass grave executions etc. But Frankl's concern is less with the question of why most died than it is with the question of why anyone at all survived.

The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his/her life. Frankl saw 3 possible sources for meaning:

1) in Work or Deed - doing something significant
2) in Love - experiencing something or encountering someone in his/her very own uniqueness
3) in Courage during hardship and pain

His most enduring insight: forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except for one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you feel and do about what happens to you. As observed by Frankl during the years he was imprisoned at the concentration camps, Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even under extreme, inhuman conditions of psychic and physical stress.

A scenario from Arthur Miller's Incident at Vichy in which a professional man appeared before an Nazi soldier and showed him his credentials: university degrees, lettters of reference and so on. Then the Nazi asked him,"Is that everything you have?" The man nodded. The Nazi threw it all in the wastebasket and retorted,"Good. Now you've nothing." The man, whose self-esteem had always depended on the respect of others, is emotionally destroyed. Frankl argued that we're never left with nothing as long as we retain the freedom to choose how we will respond. The truth of Frankl's insights can be witnessed in our society today. Successful, wealthy businessmen who upon retirement, lost all zest for life. Their work had given their lives meaning. Often it was the only thing that had given their lives meaning and without it, they spent day after day sitting at home, depressed "with nothing to do".

Pursuit of Success
Frankl said,"Don't aim at success - the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you're going to miss it. For success, like happiness cannot be pursued; it must follow, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect. In other words, as a by-product and not the end of one's dedication to a cause greater than oneself. Happiness must happen, same goes for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run - in the long-run I say! - success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it."

Choices
There were always choices to be made. Every single day, every hour offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner values which determined whether or not you would become a plaything of circumstances, renouncing freedom and dignity.
In concentration camps, even though conditions such as lack of sleep, tiredness, insufficient food and various mental stresses may suggest that the inamtes are bound to react in certain ways, it becomes clear and conclusive that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences. Fundamentally, any man, even under such terrible circumstances, can decide what shall become of him -mentally and spiritually.

Provisional Existence

Life at a concentration camp could be termed "provisional existence of unknown limit". Prisoners testified that the most depressing influence of all was that one could not know how long his term of imprisonment would be. The Latin word finis has 2 meanings: the end or the finish and a goal to reach. A man who could not see the end of his "provisional existence" was not able to aim an an ultimate goal in life. So he ceased living for the future, in contrast to a man leading a normal life. Thus the whole structure of his inner life changes; signs of decay set in. Similarly an unemployed worker finds himself in the same predicament. His existence become provisional and in a certain sense he cannot live for the future or aim at a goal. Research done on unemployed miners discovered that they suffer from a peculiar sort of deformed time - inner time - which resulted from their unemployed status. Prisoners too, suffer from this strange "time-experience". A day filled with hourly tortures and labour, appeared endless while a larger time unit - a week seemed to pass very quickly. Seems paradoxical in their "time-experience".

A man who allow himself to decline because he could not see ant future goal occupy himself with retrospective thoughts. His "provisonal existence" caused him to lose his hold on life; everything in a way became pointless. Such people forgot that often it is just such an opportunity to grow spiritually beyond himself. Instead of taking the camp's hardship as a test of their inner strength, they did not take their lives seriously and despised it as something of no consequence. They preferred to close their eyes and live in the past. The prisoner who had lost faith in the future - his future - was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay. He simply gave up and nothing bothered him anymore. Life for such people has indeed become meaningless.

Most men at concentration camps believed that the real opportunities of life had passed. Yet in reality, there was an opportunity and a challenge. One could make victory of those experiences, turning life into a personal triumph, or one could simply ignore the challenge and simply vegetate, as did a majority of the prisoners. Frankl forced his thoughts when the suffering became overbearing, to seeing himself lecturing in a pleasant lecture room on the psychology of the concentration camp. All that oppressed him at the moment became objective, seen and described from the viewpoint of science. By this method, Frankl succeeded somehow in rising above the situation, above the sufferings of the moment, and he obseved them as if they were already of the past.

Those who know about the fighting spirit of dying men/women on hospital beds will understand the link between the state of mind of a man - his courage and hope, or the lack of them - and the state of immunity and that a sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect.

Meaning of Suffering
Suffering by itself holds no meaning; we give our suffering meaning by the way we respond to it.

Dostoevski said once,"There is only one thing that I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings."

Suffering is an ineradictable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete. The way in which man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails gives him ample opportunity to add a deeper meaning to his life. He may remain courageous, dignified and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation, he may forget his human dignity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man to either make use of or forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not.

We must never forget we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, facing a fate that cannot be changed. When we are no longer able to change a situation - like an incurable disease, we are challenged to change ourselves.

An example is cited of an elderly man consulted Frankl due to severe depression. He could not overcome the loss of his wife who had died 2 years ago. Frankl refrained from telling hm anything but instead confronted him with this question,"What would have happened if you've died first and your wife would have had to survive you?" "Oh,"he replied,"for her this would have been terrible; how she would have suffered!" Whereupon Frankl said,"You see, such a suffering has been spared for her, and it was you who have spared her this suffering - at the price that you have to survive and mourn her." He said no word but shook Frankl's hand and calmly left his office.

In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.

Meaning of Life
"He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." Nietzsche

Whenever there was a chance, one had to give them a why - an aim - for their lives, in order to strengthen them to bear the terrible how of their existence. Woe to him who saw no more sense in his life, no aim, no purpose, and thus no point in carrying on. He was soon lost. A typical response to encouragment,"I've nothing to expect from life anymore." What sort of answer can one give to that?

What really needed was a fundamental change in out attitude toward life. It did not really mater what we expected from life, but rather what life expected of us. We need to stop asking abotu the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were questioned by life - daily. Our answer must consist, not in talk, but in right action and conduct. Life ultmately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfil tasks which it constantly sets for each person. These tasks, thus meaning of life, differ from man to man, from moment to moment. It's impossible to define meaning of life in a general way. These tasks form man's destiny, which is different and unique for each person. No man and no destiny can be compared with any other man or destiny. Sometimes the situation warrants a man to shape his fate by taking a step of action. Other times, it's advantageous for him to accept fate, to bear his cross. When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will have to accept his suffering as his task; his single and unique task. He will have to acknowledge the fact that even in suffering he is special and alone. No one can suffer in his place. His unique opportunity lies in the way in which he bears his burdens.

Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaces, nor can his life be repeated. Thus everyone's task is as unique as his opportunity to execute it. Ultimately man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather recognize it is he himself who is asked. In other words, each man is questioned by life, and he can only answer to life by answering for his life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.

The true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world, rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it was a closed system. The more one forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he gets and the more he actualizes himself.

Excerpt from Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl - psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor

I Surrender All - Brian Littrell

2008-02-02T12:55:00.000+08:00

All to Jesus I surrender All to Him I freely give I will ever love and trust Him In His presence daily live

CHORUS: I surrender all, I surrender all All to Thee, my blessed Savior I surrender all And all to Jesus I surrender Humbly at His feet I bow Worldly pleasures all forsaken Take me Jesus, take me now

And I give to You, all I ever had And everything I was, and everything I am And now I’m laying it down, laying at Your feet To Your grace, to Your bow I surrender all Lord, I give myself to Thee Fill me with Thy love and power Let Thy blessing fall on me

All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all

Fav Classic Christmas Songs

2007-12-16T11:28:00.001+08:00

enjoy =)

The Paul Potts Story - Underdog Does Win!

2007-12-08T13:27:00.000+08:00

Read this Christmas Yuletide discs article on Business Times the day before. Josh Groban "Noel" album.... sure.... heard that before.

Glanced upon Paul Potts "One Chance" Christmas edition. Hmm.... so who's this? Never heard of the name before. Found it on Youtube. And his incredible rags-to-riches story was just so moving and inspiring to ordinary folks out there who are struggling to make lives meet that I knew immediately I had to post this up.

36 Year Old Opera Singing Phone Salesman from South Wales and Winner of Simon Cowell's ITV Show 'Britain's Got Talent'. A real Rags to Riches story with Paul £30,000 in debt, suffering years of bullying and recovering from a serious bike accident, he now has a massive recording contract and a great singing career ahead of him. His talent is not a secret anymore.

On His 1st Audition (watch this):

Spotted on the hit reality show Britain's Got Talent, "Singing Salesman made judge Simon Cowell's jaw drop" - was the headline from Courier Mail (now how many times have we seen that on American Idol? Not many)

A MOBILE phone salesman from Wales has stunned the judges of a British talent show with his rendition of an opera classic.

"Very few things makes me speechless. And you're one of em, Paul. An ordinary bloke, doing a normal job, very unassuming, quietly had an amazing talent. We had a vision when we do this show... that is to provide a platform so that we can show the world what they can do. And you're that guy." ex-tabloid editor Piers Morgan (1 of the 3 judges on Britain's Got Talent.

The audience and the judges including, has little expectation for this cell phone salesman, Paul Potts, until he brings them to their feet with an amazing performance of an extremely difficult opera song - Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma”. Within 2 minutes, Paul shows more emotion than all the contestants combined.

I'm not into opera but even I had to watch this video a number of times. Unbelievable voice! After watching it, how can you still judge a book by its cover?

It was a daunting prospect, not only singing for a huge TV audience, but notoriously nasty Idol judge Simon Cowell. But Potts, who has battled a burst appendix, a huge tumour on his adrenal gland and a shattered collarbone after being knocked off his bike, knocked 'em dead.

Wearing a cheap £35 suit from Tesco supermarket and with his hair cut too short, he admitted the judges weren't initially impressed.

But when he opened his voice, he blew them all away.

Potts told the Wales on Sunday newspaper: "I don't think they were expecting very much. I'm a bit short and overweight and had a cheap old suit on and the hairdresser had used a number two on my hair instead of a four so it made me look a bit bald. "But when I sang, I made sure I looked at the judges and I saw Simon Cowell's jaw drop. I knew then I must have done alright."

Paul received a standing ovation from the 2000-strong audience at Cardiff's Millennium Centre and much praise from the hard-to-please judges, which included ex-tabloid editor Piers Morgan and actress Amanda Holden.

On His Semi-Final (watch this):

"I heard some of the audience were reduced to tears after my performance and Amanda has been quoted as saying the hairs on her neck stand up when she remembers it," Potts said. "As far as Im concerned, that's a great achievement already, anything else is a bonus. I just saw the show as my last chance really."

Potts was raised in Fishponds, Bristol, by his father Roland, a bus driver, and mother, Yvonne, a supermarket cashier. He has 2 brothers and 1 sister, and attended St. Mary Redcliffe school where he first developed his love of singing.

In the interview that was broadcast before his performance in the semi-final, Paul stated that he had trouble with being bullied in school, and that it may have had an influence on his lack of self-confidence.

On His Final (watch this):
Extracted from 20 June 2007 - from Daily Mail

He performed a full-length Nessun Dorma for his final on June 17, 2007 as well as an encore after he won the competition. Potts defeated co-favourite with the bookmakers, Connie Talbot and received the highest public vote out of 2 million votes cast to win Britain's Got Talent, winning the chance to perform at Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen.

"I vividly remember that doing that first audition in my cheap £35 Tesco suit and seeing Simon Cowell sitting there in his Armani," he added.

"I don't think I'll ever wear it again but it will always be a reminder of where I was and where I attempt to remain - except in better clothes.

"I'm wearing a Burton suit today and I expect to continue buying Burton. I'm not hung up on labels, or being seen in the right shops and the right clubs.

"I'm not going to be part of that crowd - I've no intention of being one of these people that has labels here, labels there, with artificial tendencies and caught up in superficial things. I don't think I'll ever be that Hollywood person.

"I'm not going to change who I am. I want to remain an Everyman.

"All of this stuff that's happening now is just mind-blowing, it's crazy. But all the support I've had - from the people I've worked with or sold mobile phones to, to the general public as a whole - has been so humbling.

"I still can't believe it. I keep waiting for someone to pinch me and say, 'Wake up, Paul, it's time for work - you're late again'."

Potts, who toasted Sunday night's success with a glass of champagne and two swigs from a bottle of beer, has yet to hand in his notice with the Carphone Warehouse where he has worked for the past two years.

Instead, he is due back at work on Friday. Julie, his wife of 4 years, meanwhile, is already back working at the call centre in Port Talbot where the couple share a small, two-bedroom home.

Since winning the final of Britain's Got Talent, which was watched by over 12 million viewers, Potts is set to sign a recording contract with Cowell's label, Sony Bmg.

His remarkable rise to worldwide popularity may be attributed to his humble demeanor and "rags to riches" success.

"I'd like to deal with the teeth because I do feel very self-conscious about them," he told the Mail.

"It'd be nice to feel less self-conscious and to be able to smile with confidence."

See Paul's website.

I Believe

2007-11-04T19:11:00.000+08:00

Do you?

Jesus Paid it All

2007-11-04T15:26:00.000+08:00

Tat includes GST as well.... Enjoy =)

A Heart, Treasured & Divided

2007-07-14T13:17:00.000+08:00

In this life, we're all pulled in different directions. You know what I mean. In the office, several emails enboldened "Urgent" beckons for your attention. Your handphone is ringing. Your best friend just broke up with her boyfriend and needs a crying shoulder and a listening ear. Your colleague passes you a stack of backlog documents to clear. When you reached home, your mom reminded you of the letters accumulated over the last few days. CPF and bank statements, handphone and credit card bills, GSS promotions, reservist call-ups.... And you know what, it never ends.... in fact, it gets more.... it all piled up. There's no escaping from this endless items that 'demands' your immediate attention. Thats why they say, multi-tasking is not an option... anymore. Even our job nature is no longer like that of the days of our grandparents or even parents. No longer we can be skilled in just one area of expertise and believe it will get us by. It doesn't work that way. Having knowledge a single financial product is not enough.... stocks, bonds, equity-linked notes, warrants, CFDs, interest-rate derivatives.... sometimes you wonder why God doesn't put more GBs in your memory and install an insatiable thirst for life in your hard disk to 'fulfil' your duties as a dilligent worker, dependable friend, obedient child and a dedicated church member. How come you feel tired of all this, you wonder? If God come to give life in abundance, how come that zest never seems to stay? Why aren't people consistent with what they say vs what they do? No wonder it's hard to trust people words. It's just that people fail to live up to their promises and expectations. They say one thing and do another. We're living in a world marked with confusion and busyness that in the words of Pukitzer Prize winning author Anna Quindlen, "it is so easy to exist instead of live."

Overheard one day in an office cubicle at 10pm, "Daniel, can you send my DNA to one of those U.S Genetics Lab. I need a clone to finish all the work that I have to do!"

Why do you have mood swings? How come you can be so enthusiastic over something and lose all interest the next moment? How come you can be so crazy over a person one minute and the waters become so mysteriously still the next?

It's no wonder that we've become more indecisive as the days goes by. It's hard to live a life centred on deep-seated principle and values, as advocated by Stephen Covey. You're torn between choices, each seem to be no less urgent or significant than the other. You've a BBQ gathering this weekend with classmates you haven't seen in years. But you have an evening Biblical class this Sunday. You're caught in two minds. Your heart is wrenched. God, teach me... let me have your wisdom in making the right decisions.

I wished I've been more resolute and sure of some the decisions I made. But life is such that God sometimes led you to hold His Hand and trust Him to show you the way out.

"Above all else, guard your heart". We usually hear this with the sense of "keep an eye on that heart of yours". Others may interpret that to believe our hearts are inherently evil, so they lock up their hearts and dump the key to avoid trouble and get on with living. But that isn't the spirit of that command; it says guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life, because it is a treasure and everything else depends on it. It's like God entrusting to a close friend something precious and dear to Him, "Be careful with this - it means a lot to me."

But many people doesn't think twice about guarding their hearts. We might as well leave our life savings on the seat of a car and leave the the windows unwinded - we are that careless with our hearts. Ray Orbison sang, "If not for my careless heart". My faith would be much deeper. My relationships so much better. I would be further along in my career.

All sorts of damage has been done to your heart over the years, all sorts of terrible things taken in. How many times have you said to yourself, "Ya, I should've known better". "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12). Certainly there's disappointments in your life. "Even in laughter the heart may ache" (Proverbs 14:13), which is to say, things may look rosy on the outside but on the inside, it's in turmoil.

We're told to "trust in the Lord" with all our hearts (Proverbs 3:5) but honestly, we find it hard to do. Does trust come easily for you? Oh, I would love to trust God wholeheartedly. How I wish we can all do that, wholeheartedly, without a hint of doubt or uncertainty. Why is it almost second nature to worry about our career, our future, our life? Then we also told to love one another deeply, "from the heart" (1 Peter 1:22), but that's even more rare. Why is it so wasy to get angry at, ot to resent, or simply grow apathetic towards the very people we once loved? The answers lie in the recesses of our hearts. "For it is with your heart that you believe," Paul says in Romans 10:10. Proverbs 20:5 read "The heart of a man is lke deep water, but a man of understanding draws it out." Our deepest convictions - the ones that really shape our lives - are down there somewhere at the bedrock of our hearts.

I expect all of us at one time or another have said," Well part of me wants to, and another part of me doesn't." You know the feeling - part of you pulled east, part of you pulled west. Part of me enjoys writing and genuinely looks forward to sharing life's little excerpts and insights. But not all of me. Sometimes I'm also afraid of it. Part of me fears that I will fail to deliver up to expectations, simply stating what's painfully obvious without adding any value whatsoever, or saying something incoherent. I'm drawn to it, and I also feel ambivalent about it. Come to think of it, I feel that way about a lot of things. Part of me wants to go all out and explore the world, take the risks, dive in, enjoy what life has prepared for me. Part of me wants to stay with the familar, feel safe and secure. One part says, "Stay away - you'll get hurt". Another part says, "Maybe God is going to come through for me." Yet another voice rises up and echoes, "You're on your own."

Don't you feel sometimes like your heart is divided? Don't you hate the feeling of not knowing what the future entails? No wonder fortune-tellers and psychic is a never dying trade, highly sought after by the masses. Sometimes, don't you wished you had been more decisive and more of a risk-taker?

Take your little phobias? Why are you afraid of heights or flying cockroaches or intimacy or public speaking? All the preaching and convincing wouldn't get you to jump off a bridge attached to a bungee rope, share your testimony on the pulpit on Sunday. Why do you hate it when people touch you or criticize you? And what about the little idiosyncrasies you simply can't give up to save your life? Why are you obsessed with the dirt in your house? Why do have to work so many hours? Why do you get irritated at these questions? You won't step out of your house unless you are satisfied by what you see in the mirror. Other women don't mind being seen in their grubbies. You clean and organize; you demand perfection - did you ever wonder why?

A war is constantly waged within our hearts, the new one and the old nature. Part of me doesn't want to love my 'neighbour', not when she bad-mouthed me to my bosses. Part of me knows that prayer is essential; another part of me would rather turn on the TV and tune in to my favourite show. And that whole chunk about long-suffering - No Way! Part of me just want to stay within my comforts. It's my battle with the flesh. We all know that battle well. And it's personal. Your friends can't fight it for you. Your pastors can offer counsel. How much do you want to win it?

When we say,"Well, part of me wants to and part of me doesn't", there's something else we are describing here.... everything is going well for you, and then - boom. Something suddenly brings you to tears or brings your blood to boil, makes you depressed or anxious and you cannot say why.

I'll tell you why. We are not wholehearted.

When Isaiah talks about the brokenhearted, it is not a metaphor. In Hebrew, it is leb shabar (leb for "heart", sharbar for "broken"). Isaiah uses the word shabar to describe a bush whose "twigs are dry, they are broken off" (Isaiah 27:11). God is saying this, "Your heart is now in many pieces. I want to heal it."

The heart can be broken - literally. Minds can be broken - or what are mental instituitions for? Will can be broken too. When you see pictures of P.O.W, their eyes are downcast; something in them is defeated. They will do whatever they are told. Perhaps we have overlooked the fact that this treasure called the heart can also be broken, has been broken and now lies in pieces. When it comes to habits we cannot quit or patterns we cannot stop, anger that flies out of nowhere, fears we cannot overcome or weaknesse swe hate to admit - much of what troubles us comes out of broken places in our heart crying out for relief.

Was watching Protege today; a film about the drug supply chain and it also illustrates the struggle of a pair of husband-wife drug addicts to kick their habit. They, too are torn between indulging in the high of a dose and then waking up next day penniless with no food to eat vs taking the hard route to breaking free of the craving once and for all. It's a physical and mental torment between taking on a new life and letting go of the past. The squirming, quivering, it's painful just watching it. But the problem is they can't help themselves.They are prisoners of their minds. The wife needs someone to tie up her arms and legs when the unbearable withdrawal symptoms sets in.

The lead actor, an undercover agent working for a heroin wholesaler, gave this comment at both the start and end of the movie, "Why do people take drugs? After the deaths of Fen and Kun I finally realise. It's because of emptiness in their hearts. So which is worse? The drugs or the emptiness?"

You decide.

Life's a Story

2007-06-17T15:50:00.000+08:00

Life, if you'll notice, is a story. It comes to us the way a story does, scene by scene. You don't get to know it in advance - you have to enter, take the journey as it unfolds. It might be raining. There's a traffic jam. Your friends might call you out to chill. You might lose your job.

Life unfolds like drama. Each day has its own beginning and an end. There's all sorts of characters, all sort of settings. When one chapter closes, another begins. Sometimes, it feels like an adventure. Sometimes, a tragedy. Other times, a comedy or soap opera.

When it comes to figuring out this life you're living, you would do well to know the rest of the story. If you want to get to know someone, you need to know their story. Their life is a story. It, too unfolds in a series of scences over the course of time. Why is Grandpa so grumpy over us watching Japanese love dramas? Well, he's a P.O.W during the Japanese Occupation and while he was there, he saw some things he has never been able to forget.

I expect all of us, at one time or another, in an attempt to understand our lives or discover what we ought to do with ours, have gone to someone else with our stories. "Tell me what happened. Tell me your story and I'll try to help you make sense of it."

We humans share these lingering questions: "Who am I really? Why am I here? Where will I find life? What does God want of me? Where does it come from? This quest. This thirst. The need to solve life's mysteries with the simplest of questions. What is the soul? Why do we dream? Perhaps we are better off not looking at all. Not doubting. Not yearning. But there's not human nature... not the human heart. The answers to these questions seem to arrive only when we know the rest of the story. As Neo said in Matrix Reloaded," I just wish I knew what I'm supposed to do." If life is a story, what is the plot? What's your role to play? It would really be good, wouldn't it? What's this all about?

In most train stations and shopping malls, you can find a huge map with a big red star indicating 'You are here'. The maps offer vistors an orientation of their, more often than not, unfamiliar surroundings. Ahhh... so this is where you're in that picture. Hopefully you now know where to go. You have your bearings.

Doesn't it sound like something in our lives? "This is the story in which you found yourself in. Here's how it got started. Here's where it went wrong. Here's what will happen next. Now this - this is the role you've been given. If you want yo fulfil your destiny, this is what you must do. These are your cues. And here's how things are going to turn out in the end."

We can... we can discover the Story. Maybe not with perfect clarity and details... but some clarity would worth something... at least better than having nothing at all. What exactly are you clear on these days? How about your life - why have things gone the way they have? And do you know what you ought to do next, with a deep conviction and confidence that it will work out? Neither do I. I would love to wake up each morning knowing exactly who I am and where God's taking me. Zeroed in on all my relationships and undaunted in my calling. It's wonderful when I do see. But for most of us, life seems more like driving along a highway with a grimy windshield. I can sort of make out the shapes ahead and I think the light's green. You may know your destination but accidents do happen when fate deals you a bad card. Then one fine day, you realise not all things are within your control, just because you kept to the rules of the game. You can still be penalised for things you didn't commit.

We all share the same dilemma - we long for life and we're not sure where to find it. Our days spent on this earth come to us as a riddle, and answers aren't readily available. We must journey to find the life we prize. And the guide we have been given is the desire set deep within. The greatest life tragedy is to simply give up the search. To lose heart is to lose everything. There is a desire within each of us, in the deep centre of ourselves we call our heart. We are born with it, it is never satisfied, and it never dies. We're often unaware of it, but it is always awake... Our true identity, our reason for being, is to be found in this desire.

The clue to who we really are and why we're here comes to us through our heart's desire.

Making Sense of Destiny

2007-02-20T14:09:00.000+08:00

Man is a narcissistic species by nature. We have colonized the four corners of our tiny planet. But we are not the pinnacle of so-called evolution. That honor belongs to the lowly cockroach. Capable of living for months without food. Remaining alive headless for weeks at a time. Resistant to radiation. If God has indeed created Himself in His own image, then I submit to you that God is a cockroach. They say that man uses only a tenth of his brain power. Another percent, and we might actually be worthy of God's image. Unless, of course, that day has already arrived. The Human Genome Project has discovered that tiny variations in man's genetic code are taking place at increasingly rapid rates. Teleportation, levitation, tissue regeneration. Is this outside the realm of possibility? Or is man entering a new gateway to evolution? Is he finally standing at the threshold to true human potential?

In this world we live in, the only constant is change. Only when we learn to cope with life's changes, can we adapt, learn, evolve and ultimately survive.

Sometimes questions are more powerful than answers. How is this happening? What are they? Why me and not others? Why now? What does it all mean? Is life really about making money, procreation and leaving a legacy?

Where does it come from, this quest? This need to solve life's mysteries, when the simplest of questions can never be answered. Why are we here? What's our purpose, if not to be born, to live, to study, to work, have a family, fall sick and die? What is the soul? Why do we dream? Perhaps we'd be better off not looking at all. Not doubting, not yearning. Just accepting. But that's not human nature. Not the human heart. That is not why we are here. To be curious, always. Inquisitive about the meaning of life. That's human nature.

You do not choose your destiny, it chooses you. And those that knew you before Fate took you by the hand cannot understand the depth of the changes inside. They cannot fathom how much you stand to lose in failure...that you are the instrument of flawless Design. And all of life may hang in the balance. The chosen One learns quickly who can comprehend and who merely stands in your way.

The Earth is big. Big enough that you think you can hide from anything. From Fate. From God. If only you found a place far enough away. So you run. To the edge of the Earth. Where all is safe again. Quiet, and warm. The solace of salt air. The peace of danger left behind. The luxury of grief. And maybe, for a moment, you believe you have escaped.

We are, if anything, creatures of habit. Drawn to the safety and the comfort of the similar. But what happens when the familiar becomes unsafe? When the fear that we've been desperately trying to avoid, finds us where we live?

In the beginning there was discovery. A confusion of elements. The first snowfall of impossible change. Old lives undone, left behind. Strange faces, made familiar. New nightmares, to challenge sleep. New friends, to feel safe with. Only then comes control. To feel safe and secure among familiar souls while we make sense of the chaos that's going on around us. Violence, school gunning, suicide bombs, floods, hunger, global warming and terrorism. I think, most of us, deep down, is sensing something's not quite right with this planet. The need to impose order unto chaos, through familiarity through determination, through study, through struggle. All in defiance of a thundering truth, they’re here. And the earth shudders underfoot.

To destiny. May we recognize it when we see it.

So What's Your Response?

2007-01-07T12:52:00.000+08:00

As you read this blog, try to stand apart from yourself. Project your consciousness upward into a corner of the room and see yourself, staring at the computer screen. Can you look at yourself as though you were someone else?

Now think about the mood you are now in. Can you identify it? How are you feeling? What's your current state of mind?

Your ability to do what you just did is uniquely human. Animals do not possess this ability. "Self-awareness" or the ability to think about your very thought process, is the reason why Man rules the world and not apes. This is why we can evaluate and learn from others' experiences as well as our own. This is also why we can make or break our habits. If you are a fan of "Terminator" trilogy movies, you would have known that the machines took over the world the day they became 'self-aware'.

Self-awareness enablese us to stand apart and examine the way we "see" ourselves and this world we live in - our self-paradigm, is the most fundamental paradigm of effectiveness. It affects not only our attitudes and behaviours, but also how we see other people. Until we take how see ourselves and others, we will be unable to understand how others see amd feel about themselves and the way they see this world. Unaware, we will project out intentions on their behaviour and call ourselves " objective". This significantly restrict our potential and ability to relate to others.

There are 2 major paradigms: 1) Environment or Condition-based (REACTIVE) and 2) Reality or value-based (PROACTIVE).

1) We are who we're today is largely determined by what happened to us in our childhood and past experiences, inherited through genes and present environment (someone or something in your environment is responsible for your condition). The basic idea behind this REACTIVE theory is that we are conditioned to respond in a particular way to a certain stimulus.

STIMULUS ==> RESPONSE

2) We are who we are today is largely because of how we run our lives. It shifts the responsibility of the REACTIVE theory (of how our environment shapes us) to 'we are responsible' for our own lives'. Our behaviour is a direct result of the choices, decisions we made for ourselves. We have the initiative, responsiblity and power to make things happen, turn things around.

STIMULUS ==> FREEDOM TO CHOOSE ==> RESPONSE

(Self-Awareness, Imagination, Conscience, INdependent Will)

Victor Fankl is a good example of a person possessing this proactive mentality. Frankl is a psychiatrist and a Jew being held capitve in the death camps of Nazi Germany, where he had seen and experienced things so repulsive and inhuman that we shudder to repeat them. One day, naked and alone in a small cell lock-up, he begin to become aware of the "last of human freedom" - freedom his Nazi tormentors couldn't take away from him. He could decide within himself how this was going to affect him. He has empower himself instead of allowing what has happened to him take control. In the midst of his experiences, Frankl help others find meaning in their suffering and dignity in their 'living-hellish' prison existence.

Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose.

Highly proactive people recognize that responsibility. They do not blame circumstances, conditions or conditioning for their behaviour. Their behaviour is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions which is based on feeling. Unlike reactive people, proactive people choose NOT to empower their environment to control them.

Difference bet. Reactive and Proactive People
Reactive people are often affected by their physical environment. If the weather is good, they feel good. If it isn't, it affects their attitude and performance. Proactive people carry their own weather with them. Whether it rains or shines makes no difference to them. They are value-driven and if their value is to produce good quality work, it isn't a function of whether the weather is conducive ot not.

Reactive people are also affected by their social environment, by the 'social weather'. When people treat them well, they feel well; when people don't, they become defensive and protective. Reactive people build their emotional lives around the behaviour of others, empowering the weaknesses of other people to control them.

Reactive people are driven by feelings, by circumstances, by environment and by what happened to them. Proactive people are driven by values and principles - meticulously thought and internalized values. Don't get me wrong, proactive people are still influenced by external stimuli - physical, social or psychological. But the difference is their RESPONSE to the stimuli
It is a value-based choice.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, "No one can hurt you without your consent."

In the words of Gandhi, "They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give in to them."

It is our willing permission, or consent to what happens to us, that hurts us far more than what happens to us in the first place.

Until a person can say honestly and responsibly, "I am who I am today because of the choices I made yesterday," that person cannot say, "I choose otherwise." because each of us has a responsibilty to face the result of the decisions we made in the past, be it right or wrong.

StandChart Singapore Marathon 2006... Outdo Yourself

2006-12-04T22:13:00.000+08:00

Reasons for running:
1) An excuse to buy new shoes
2) To eat Snickers ice-cream... guilt-free
3) I'm a believer... Are you?
4) A gorgeous babe asked me to run with her every Sunday morning
5) 4D Sun - 6649 (His no. tag was 66491)

With different motivations.... different reasons.... from all walks of life.... nationalities.... skin colour.... people gathered to run the annual race dubbed "The Greatest Race on Earth" A seemingly familiar sight at the City Hall/Esplanade start/end point. It's kinda weird to witness so many people (a record number of 30,000 participants this time) in the wee hours of a Sunday morning assembled at a single point for a single purpose of completing a foot race. Lines formed outside the mobile toilets. Chatter. Participants doing warm-ups by the roadside. The adrenaline-pumped atmosphere was buzzing with trepidation and excitement. At the starting point, the commentators' ranted out of the loudhailers in an attempt to drum up the spirits of the crowds whom have thronged the road stretch outside the Esplanade. The air was heavy and hot. The anticipation was killing us. Then we heard the horn sounded. It's time.

Concentrate on breathing. Huff. Puff. Huff. Deep breaths. Enjoy the surroundings. Soak in the excitement. Join in the fun. Before long, I realise I was talking to myself. Well... with no mp3 player to accompany and nobody to talk to, running can be a pretty lonely and boring affair. At least, the scenery at Marina South lifted my spirits. Interesting characters like Spidey and the lady dragging a styrofoam box atop a tyre attached with a can (you can imagine the weight, the attention and noise she's causing; and for a good cause too... she's campaigning for recycling awareness) enlivened the run.

I was doing pretty okay... till the 12 km mark. Then the lactic acid buildup in the muscles began to take its toll. My leg joints, ankles and knees ached as my body signalled its protest. From 15km mark onwards, the journey markers seemed to come later and later, though they were only 1 km apart.... as a result of me slowing down. More than once, the thoughts of giving up and start walking floated. And I buried those thoughts. That's when they say... it's all 'mental' from now till the finishing line. Mind over body. C'mon! Don't give up. "No pain" and "For Jesus" are the words that resonated in my mind during those agonizing moment. I promised God I'll complete the half marathon without stopping and no drinks. I was psyching myself up by telling myself it was no pain... compared to the one my Father suffered. No pain... no gain.

Temptations were aplenty. People stopping at the drinks station and taking a breather by the side of the running route. And when you are tired... the mind start playing tricks on you. A lot of possibilities Stop and rest! Have a sip of water, you're thirsty. Your throat felt very dry and your lips are parched. You deserve a drink. And I finally succumbed to the drinks 'taunting' and took half a cup of water. Bad mistake! I had stitches within 20 mins after drinking. Drats! Still I carried on... praying that it would go away in time. And it did! Towards the end, my mind was with the full marathoners.... how did they manage to finish it... I was actually contemplating of doing the full next year. I truly hoped 2007 will be a good year to finally do it, provided with adequate, effective training and proper rest. This year at least I can say that my feet never stop running the minute the horn sounded.

The feeling of reaching the finishing line has never been that inviting and welcoming before! With jellied legs and awkward swaying posture, I plonked myself by the side of the road... catching my breath and untying to get the time chip out of my shoe. The world spun a bit and stumbling to my feet, I exchanged the chip for the runners' medal. It was a test of faith for some... a personal challenge for others. For myself, nothing is more satisfying than setting a goal and despite the difficult circumstances, achieving it... for Him. At least I know in the deep resides of my heart, I do believe... worshipping and praising with actions and not exclusively on the lips. To actually do it, you experience the pain (or part of it) and that you certainly cannot understand by watching a movie, listening to a sermon, reading the word or singing a song.

His Providence was real... so was His love.

A believer I am... Are you?

Take from an Industry Veteran

2006-10-15T15:25:00.000+08:00

My boss, a veteran in the brokerage business and a respected man in his field (sits on several financial boards and often gave interviews to the press), gave us newbies a so-called induction speech recently... which I think is pretty truthful and humbling for anyone who wants to survive the corporate jungle out there, particularly in the sales industry. The following are essential pointers I took from his presentation:

1) You & Your Customer

- Your investing style versus that of your customer
You have to establish a rapport with your client. You need to have certain quality that your client trust and have confidence in, at least enough to put their money with. In a nutshell, you have to make your client like you. Question is: how to? You look to your left and your right. Your colleagues are certainly much uglier than you, lesser of a smooth talker than you're and definitely have a worser dress sense. You thought you know more, looks better and talks better. But strangely enough, you don't attract higher margins than the one beside you. What's wrong? You may be having the wrong bunch of clientele on hand that just doesn't click with you.

If you're the sort that likes to entertain clients in pubs or KTVs or enjoys the vibrant night life of our island city, your portfolio of clientele should comprises of such people. If you're the geek or bookworm type who loaths such places and only orders Coke or orange juice at pubs, then your clientle should ideally comprises a majority of the non-drinking groupies.

Let's face it, you can't possibly LIKE every single person on the face of the Earth. You can try faking it. But faking won't stand the trial of time. People can see through fakers. Recognize that people are attracted to specfic kinds of character that exudes a certain appeal.

- Don't make nuisance call
Take view of the market. Prepare your pitch to the client. Always do your homework. The last thing you want your client to have is an impression of a dealer dying to close a trade and making a last ditch to push up his/her quarterly sales figures. If you aren't adding value to the client, you're just another nuisance call he/she has to deal with. A bad experience is enough to make the client avoid your calls and emails from that time onwards. And forget about hearing from him/her, ever again.

- Your client pays to blame you
Things can and will go wrong. Question is: what went wrong and who's responsibility is it? Instinctively, as human beings, it's always outward-looking when it comes to the blaming game. Our mentality is: as long as someone gets the blame, we're off the hook. So in the event of something really goes wrong, you need to find something or someone to cover your ass with. Some of you may know what I'm talking about. There're people out there who are extremely good at covering their trail. For newbie trader like us, we've got the liberty to blame research reports. In the brokerage business context, when we say things go wrong, usually we're talking about losses in the monetary sense. Of course, no one complains when they make gains. The problem arises when they lose. They will blame you. They need a reason to justify their losses. And as a dealer representative, you're first to face the firing squad.

The power of money is phenomenal. It can change people. People who are personally involved in the trading of their own money get emotionally attached to the rise and fall of the market. Active investment trading has the same magical effect on people as gambling does. Greed, fear, panic and hope. A normally nice person can suddenly turn the tables against you. You're being accused of the main culprit in causing your client to lose money. They feel cheated. They take it out on you. The torrent of verbal abuse can sometimes be very personal and stinging. Just one bad incident at the office can spoil your day and leave you in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Veterans brokers have advised us not to take your work home. Leave your emotions at the workplace. Easier said than done apparently. If it's so simple to let go of your baggage, we will see road rage, depression and mental cases going down instead of skyrocketing isn't it? You can't just wave the magic wand and wish it go away.

Finger-pointing is such a common phenomenon in the working world. Just make sure that when you point your finger at someone, the 4 other fingers doesn't point back at yourself.

In short, there should be a fit between you and your client, considering the long-term win-win situation for both of you. You sub-consciously tag certain labels to your clients. He's a punter type... my kind of 'preferred' client. They come in fast and furious.... lose their pants and gone like the wind. Next. She's a just a housewife... she won't know the difference between a blue-chip and a penny stock. That old ah pek always calls and asks, "Eh... this stock... can buy or not AH?"Oh, not him again... What does he want?" when you see his name flashing on your handphone. In the end, you spent 30 mins talking to a fellow who speaks like 60 words per min and only gave you minimal commission. The implication is clear-cut. A choice is made here. You spend more time talking to people who contribute a larger portion of your pay and lesser time to those who don't. In economic lingo, it's called 'maximising returns'.

- "Show me the MONEY"
In the brokerage or any sales job, results counts. Your immediate superior may not like your face. She thinks you've got a serious attitude problem. She doesn't like your sloppiness, can't stand the way you talk over the phone, the more-than-desirable occasional M.C, etc. But as long as your customer doesn't have any problems digesting their food while hearing you present your case, you generate income for the company, your customer who pays your salary, and bonuses (mind you) are ultimately YOUR BOSS whom you serve. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter your superior likes and treats your colleague better than you. Whoever brings in the bigger dough is the winner. You take home a bigger paycheck. Yes, it's a cruel, dog-eat-dog world out there. So what if you're a nice guy, pleases the boss by licking his boots. Favoritism doesn't last in the sales industry. Your sales determine your market value. Not your boss.

2) 3 Kinds of People

-MAKE things happen
-WATCH what happens
-WONDER what has happened

We must always bear in mind to progress from 'wondering' to 'watching' and finally 'making' and not move in the reverse order.

In a jungle, you either eat or get eaten. You've got to feed to survive and at the same time, avoid becoming a meal for predators.

Guilty As Sin

2006-10-01T20:58:00.000+08:00

I hated being accused of something I didn't do. Being accused of a mistake through no fault of yours can be the worst feeling one can get. And it always seem that a lump get stuck down your throat. It feels as though God suddenly struck you dumb. Nothing comes out and it gives the tormentor more ammunition and satisfaction to rant on and on and on... coz he feels that the reason you're keeping mum is you're wrong and he now got the right to speak his mind.

Somehow, from childhood, I always get the blame. And when I grew up, I tend to be more accomodating and tolerant towards stuffs that happen around me. Perhaps I'm slow to articulate, didn't know how to defend myself and didn't want to come forth as a confrontational person. I think it's time to stand up and say things like, "Hey, I'm no pushover. I'm not intimidated by whoever you are. You can be my senior, my boss, but status doesn't gain you respect; how you carry yourself does. I've my rights too!"

Sad to say, even in the 21st century where we're right now, the problem that plagued our ancestors still haunt us today, even with the advent of technology like Bluetooth, Skype, e-mail - miscommunication; and I believe this will go on for future generations to come. Technology can't solve everything. At least not this, from what I see, not now, not ever. I quote from a powerpoint presentation someone sent me recently, "Know that 2 persons can see the SAME thing and yet have entirely DIFFERENT interpretions." The fundamental problem of communication still baffles us even with more gadgets and infrastructure in place. This thought always comes to mind, "Did he heard wrongly or did I not make myself clear? Somehow the message got lost in space. Lost in translation" This lead to many a misunderstandling and the way people react to it may result in strained work relations.

It never fails to amaze me how people can carry grudges in their hearts for years. They remember who had wounded them. The memory is etched deep within the inner walls of their heart. And they can't let go of the hatchet. So each time they see that person, they are reminded of the old hurt till it burns. And I'm actually ashamed to say that it's not exclusive to ladies. I know a pair of my college guy classmates who didn't talk to each other for 2 whole years just because one guy stood the other up once. And they were close friends for more than 2 years before that. Thankfully, they've reconciled, but not before we graduated from college. So who's childish now, who's the big baby? Are we adults, being so-called more 'intellectually developed' worse off than our children? C'mon, grow up! Didn't we encourage those kids who got into fights in school to shake hands and be friends again? Why can't we do that for ourselves? Well, if I were first to say sorry, it would mean I admit I'm at fault right? It always boils down to that pride issue uh... I won't burge until he offers an apology. I guess that's why Christ descended with forgiveness and love. If we could save ourselves, we wouldn't need a Saviour, would we?

Jesus once set a guilty woman free from her accusers by showing that the people who were judging her were just as guilty of sin as she was. “All right, stone her,” he said to the religious leaders who were ready, with stones in hand, to deliver the judgment she indeed deserved.

“But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!” John 8:7 NLT

This incident shows us something very important about our purpose as Christians living in a world of sinners. Our job is not to pass judgment on sinners, but to identify with them. The Pharisees and religious leaders were trying to separate themselves from this sinful woman they had found in the act of committing adultery. By judging her, they were going to be able to feel much better about themselves. Jesus put a stop to their little charade by putting them in the same boat with the woman they were accusing. They were just as guilty.

It is so tempting to think, especially after being a Christian for a while and spending a lot of time around Christians, that you are better than other people. You start to separate yourself from sinners, forgetting it was your sin that brought you to Christ in the first place. I know this because I’m so good at it.

The Gospel comes best from people who identify with the sins of others, because they have become so familiar with their own sins. It is noted in the account that as the self-righteous leaders were convicted by the presence of sin in their own lives, “they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest.” John 8:9 NLT

That makes sense. The oldest should be the ones most aware of their own sinfulness. There comes a time in your life when you can’t fool yourself anymore. There were probably a few young, arrogant idealists who hung on as long as possible, but even they had to finally give in to the truth about their own guilt.

The proliferation of both spoken and unspoken judgment found primarily within us, the Church, has forced many into the world, unarmed and without knowing a Christian friend and mutual sinner. We are constantly trying to separate ourselves from a world that Jesus wants us in. Not only that, he wants us to see our own sin and not make such a big fuss over everyone else’s. We seem to always use a different moral scale for ourselves and for others. We tend to be more lenient on ourselves and stricter and more harsh on other people's sins. We always think he or she is a bigger sinner than I am. That's why our prayers are sometimes focused on other people's struggles, rather than our own. We need to pray for our sins as well. Our sin is our connection with our neighbor, our salvation is our hope, and the good news of the Gospel is our message.

People can spot a mile away the hypocrisy of the Gospel of forgiveness of sin coming from someone who thinks he himself doesn’t need it. Somehow somewhere, we've lost it. The meaning and significance of His redemption, of His Coming. We think just because we are Christians, we don't need His cloak of forgiveness as much as non-believers. Ya, we're bigger than those minor sins like gambling, pornography and addiction. We have overcome those. They don't bother me anymore. Often we let our guard down. And the enemy loves to strike when we least expected. Christians need to realise that they are as vulnerable to sin as any other non-believer. Your arrogance and overconfidence may cause your downfall. You are your worst enemy. That's why we need a daily dose of His love, His Word to sustain us thorough our daily battles. Claim His victory, sound the horn, raise the banner, we are more than overcomers!

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty.” Jeremiah 15:16

Anorexia and bulimia are mind-crippling diseases that only function where food is plentiful. There are way too many starving people on this Earth, but most of them can’t help it. Where they live there is not enough food to go around. It is ironically tragic that people can starve to death in the midst of plenty.

What happens in the physical world is almost always an illustration of something like it in spiritual realms. And in spiritual terms, there is nothing more tragic than to have Christians starving spiritually with an overabundance of Bibles and teachers everywhere.

I don’t know a lot about anorexia and bulimia, but I do know that they are fueled by a culture that glorifies being thin, and that those who purposely starve themselves have a false view of themselves as being overweight. They look in the mirror and see a fat person regardless of how thin they are.

The quote comes to my mind, "I'm not who you think I'm. I'm who I think you think I'm." Make sense to you? We're constantly shaped by how we think the world perceives us. Unless you live by yourself and is self-sufficient, as long as you interact with human beings, we're susceptible to imprisoning ourselves by our own assumptions and presumptions of what others think. Sometimes, we are confused as to who we really are. Identity crisis they call it. I know impressionable teenagers suffer frequently from that. Well, I did when I was that age. We all went through that phase in life. Becoming, or pretending to be someone I wasn't that is.

The spiritual implications are obvious here as well. Our culture is awash in its own shallowness. We even glory in it. Shallowness and stupidity are celebrated in many of our most popular movies. I worry that as democracies begin to flourish around the world, it seems that the lifestyle of American culture goes along with them through the power of music and entertainment. We are exporting our own emptiness. And yet when we look at ourselves in a spiritual way, we look fat with so much cultural Christianity. Never in history has a culture looked more Christian while being so spiritually dead. We are, indeed, the spiritually anorexic.

What changes this picture is a commitment to the truth of God’s Word and a constant diet of it in our spiritual lives. And you have to do this yourself. No one can save an anorexic person; each has to decide to eat. The Word of God is spiritual soul food, and if you are spiritually starved, that’s only because you are not eating. We need to get a more realistic view of ourselves. We may look fat to ourselves, but in truth, we are thin, near death, and we need to eat – and food is plentiful.

Just pick up your Bible and feed.

When Meeting for Coffee Really Just Mean Meeting for Coffee

2006-09-24T13:01:00.000+08:00

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be in an arranged marriage? A set-up union of 2 families. It seems to only happens to our grandparents' era or in Third World countries. You feel sad that these people doesn't have a liberty of choice. They don't get to choose who they want to spend with the rest of their lives. Yet, they are happy, or so it seems. Growing old together... this term sounds really chessy in today's society context. The S'pore Department of Statistics reports the divorce rate has doubled over the last decade, and as of 2003, for every 10 marriages registered in Singapore, almost 3 ended in divorce. The dysfunctional state of marriages is, sad to say, a normaly across the globe. Could be due to numerous social factors. Could it be that we are now spoilt for choice, in contrast to previous generations that seemed more content with the mate their parents chose on their behalf. "He got a Beemer convertible." "She's a Grade 8-er and has a Masters." "He's got chiselled looks... like a Greek God and irresistable charm." "She's got model looks and those bum seems as though they were fitted with a turbo locomotive." "He's a hunk. She's a babe." I could go on forever. There's always someone better out there. Period. Point is this: how are you gonna handle the reality that your partner will probably never measure up to those out there in the marketplace will determine the amount of bitterness and pent-up frustration and eventually how the relationship going to work out? How are you gonna reconcile the differences between those eligible singles in your workplace, in your social circle with the one right beside you. Face it: He'll never be simultaneously handsome enough, rich enough and free enough to spend quality time with her. Likewise, he grows sick of her constant mumblings, nagging and insecurity, coupled with wrinkles and after 3 kids, that pear-shaped bodyline.

Have you ever felt like you're being scrutinized or even, evaluated by the opposite sex? It's a weird feeling... looks, tick... humor, somewhat ok... stable job and income, barely make it... godly, tick... sense of responsibility, cross... drives a car, bonus points! From head to toes, the eyeballs rolled up and down. The eyeball-to-eyeball stare... feels like she can almost see through my thoughts. "How can I ditch her without her feeling lousy about herself."

I hated blind dates. The mental stress and heart palpatations before the date, only to return home hopes dashed. Talk about dealing with disappointments in life. Your mind is wrestling with the fact that what you thought she would be and how she is now, standing in front of you, in flesh and blood. Voices in your head you can't shut them off. But, she sounded all right on msn and on the phone. Drats! Looking at her now, she looked like she's in her thirties. Sigh. Somehow I wished guys don't go looks. Why can't we forgo the looks department... true beauty is not found skin deep. A friend told me once a coupl of years back, "You know, it's amazing I find man obsessed with finding the perfect one.The perfect one is a myth. IT doesn't exists. Look, human skin is only 2-3mm thick. Stripped off the skin, we basically all look the same, bloodied mass of flesh. Beneath our only 2-3mm skin, we look no different from one another. Color, skin condition, hair, looks is secondary." Words of wisdom. Sure, 'the inner beauty are more important than looks' and 'charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting' sermon. I remember that. Easier said than done. Guys are visual creatures. Stimulated by what we see, rather than the unseen. That's the way we're made and programmed by the great Creator. Personally, I admired those guys whose wives or girlfriends are erm... lesser 'visual-stimulating' than they are.

Coming back to blind dates. Not to mention the part where we've got to show the fake "You aren't what I've expected to be; but heck, it's only a meal and I need to pretend I'm still interested but there isn't really a chance I'll ever see her again in my life." smile.

A zillion electric currents bolted through the neurotic nerves in the grey matter.

"Quick Frank. Think of something intelligent to sustain the conversation. Don't look like an idiot just eating your food and keeping silent. Say something! Even though there seems to be no chemistry whatsoever. C'mon, there has to be something. Dig deeper." Your mind just went blank. Mental block. Execute Plan B.

You felt like confronting God, "Why did you let this happen to me? Is he or she really 'The One'?! What did I do to deserve this? I can't possibly accept this, Father. " Cracked your brains for creative excuses to get out of the place as soon as possible. "Oh, my friend just had a car accident. I need to rush to the hospital now. See ya!" "Oops, I've forgotten, I need to return the car to my brother later tonight as he is using it for a chalet. Keep in touch. By the way, don't call me... I will call you." When you got home, you just wanna hit the sack and hope that by the next morning, you'll forget the whole nightmarish episode. Rarely happens. As Forrest Gump cited, "Life's like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

During dates, we often come up with a pre-date checklist that we mentally tick against to make sure that he or she is "The One" ordained by God, sealed by fate, fused together by divine circumstances and bonded by a common destiny. The ultimate question boils down to: "Is he or she marriage material? Can I see him or her being a father or mother to my children?" If the answer is no, that's the only one-to-one date you'll ever get with that guy/girl.

Recently a guy friend told me about hanging out with a single buddy, who talked at length about a woman from their church he'd been crushing on for months. "Why don't you ask her to coffee sometime?" my friend asked. The reply? "Well, I'd like to get to know her a bit more first. See if she'd say yes. And see if she really is marriage material."

I listened to my friend's story with a little bit of glee, glad that the phenomenon is equal opportunity. But I also felt dismay, thinking this is part of why there's a dating drought in Christian circles. We're paralyzed by seriousness and fear.

While the crazy-intense thinking about potential relationships—even potential dates—seems obviously over-the-top, I totally understand where it comes from. As Christians, at the end of the day—and date—we aren't looking for just a potential one-night stand or even a possible live-in love interest. As people of faith, we know the end game for dating is marriage. And that can be a lot to swallow along with that first-date latte.

In an age of casual sex and "starter marriages," it's great—not to mention, biblical—that we single Christians are taking matters of the heart so seriously. But I sometimes wonder if we're taking them a little too seriously. I have a friend who turned down a date invite because she couldn't picture the guy as the father of her children. Mind you, she'd just met him 5 minutes earlier. Surprised by how 1st impression counts. That's how important 1st impression is. And I've heard of guys who want to be completely sure a woman is their soulmate before even asking her to lunch. I hear these things and wonder how we're supposed to get into these relationships we value so highly at this rate.

I also suspect there's some fear at work here too. Fear that any step other then a slow march to the altar is outside of God's will and wrong. Fear of misleading someone and being labeled the villain of your singles group. Fear of revealing feelings and not having them returned. Fear of vulnerability, rejection, pain. But no matter how you approach them, relationships take risk.

And avoiding the risk often involves avoiding the relationship.

Below is an fascinating article by a female Christian writer I find rather amusing and insightful:

"To say my friend Jenny was excited would be an understatement.

This single sister had accepted an invite to a pre-service Starbucks gathering with a guy from her church. In anticipation of their outing, she'd gotten a manicure and a new blouse. And she'd told her mother.

As she recounted her elaborate preparations, I fought the urge to temper her enthusiasm. I was happy with her and for her, but I was a tad fearful she was getting too worked up. What if this was just a friendly get-together in the guy's mind? What if they didn't hit it off? At this rate, I knew my friend would be totally crushed. "It's not like he asked you to marry him," I wanted to say in soothing tones. "It's just coffee."

But then I remembered back several years earlier when I'd spent the better part of an afternoon in a mint-green facemask before meeting a male coworker at the dollar theater. And I may have changed clothes about five times before deciding on the just-right outfit.
Staring in the mirror while washing off the green goo, I remember telling myself to dial it down a couple notches. "It's just a casual movie outing. Relax." But at the time, it had been over a year since a guy had extended such an invite—or seemingly even noticed my existence. Finally, I'd breathed in relief after hanging up the phone from his call. And though most of me recognized that the thought was so premature it needed a whole new word other than premature, a little other part of me wondered if he could be "the one." It's just that when dating options don't come around very often, each one carries so much weight. So much pent-up hope. And so much pressure.

To make matters worse, it doesn't help that the male species can smell this 'sense of desperation' a mile away. And when they do, they run for the hills. But really, who can blame them, when on date one they sense a woman mentally picking out their China pattern and naming their future children? Unfortunately their understandable disappearance only furthers the datelessness that helped create the craziness in the first place—continuing the vicious cycle.

So in the past couple years I've focused on letting coffee be coffee. Not being cavalier with others' feelings or totally unexcited about dating prospects (I freely admit to purchasing a pair of flirty new shoes along the way). Just casualing it up a bit so there's more room to move. Not having to know a guy is my soulmate before agreeing to share mochas. Not plotting our future together on the drive to the Starbucks. Not having to know a guy is interested before sending him a breezy e-mail to test the relational waters.

The result? More male interaction—as I suspect they've sniffed out less seriousness and desperation. Less stress before these outings, and more of an ability to relax and just be myself when we're hanging out. Increasing courage to say "yes" and even to issue a few coffee shop invites of my own. And more confidence, as my "dating muscles" aren't quite as atrophied.
Just last month I met a guy for coffee. Did I deliberate a bit over what to wear? Sure. But there was no facemask and future planning. Just fun anticipation and prayers for God to guide, no matter what may start brewing along the way."

I've to agree with the writer that guys can sense the desperation in the opposite sex. Fact is: unless the urgency is a mutual feeling, it does drives men away. I realise over the years the reason for not settling down. One major fear of settling down with one is not marriage, not commitment... I was afraid I'd choose incorrectly. I was afraid I'd be wrong about the one I married. And thus, I was overly concerned about the choosing.

In a way, it's almost as if I was putting together a jigsaw puzzle and had one final space to fill—but many, many extra pieces in the box. Eagerly, I searched for that right piece. And instead of just trying them in the empty space, I held each one up for detailed analysis. Looking it over inch by inch, I checked the shape and size, and I tried to interpret the look, the markings, and the color—all to be sure it was indeed the one to even try in the space.

My prayer times also helped me realize my psycho puzzle search was keeping me from ever being content. I was just expecting too much—from myself, from God, and from the women I dated. My standards were too high. Of course, I'm not saying we should settle for just anyone—but I wasn't being realistic. By putting so much weight on every little quality of a woman—and by looking so hard for God's signs and the specific qualities I wanted—I could always find something that signaled this wasn't the right piece of the puzzle.

I also realized emotions can't always be trusted. Of course, emotions do speak to us in great ways. Regular happiness, secure comfort, or constant annoyance really do say a lot about the person creating those feelings in us. And God often speaks through how we feel. But momentary annoyance or anger or boredom isn't going to always "mean" something. Not only are emotions fleeting and unreliable, but love isn't immune from those things. My accountability partner at the time asked me, "Do you think I never get angry or annoyed with my wife? Sometimes, you'll be miserable."

What made a real difference in my mindset—and that specific dating relationship especially—was another realization. While I was too busy investigating whether this was the "right" puzzle piece, I forgot that love isn't a puzzle at all. It's not a search for one perfect piece or else all is lost. Instead, it's a mixture of following God's will, finding compatibility, and—the part I forgot—choosing to commit. Dating isn't about finding what you think may be the "right" puzzle piece and then holding your breath through the vows to see if you picked right. It's about choosing well (with an eye to compatibility, chemistry, and God's guidance) and then committing to make it work. Love says, "I'm gonna stick with this even if I'm angry at you. Even if I hate you right now. Even if I'm miserable. Even if I'm bored hanging out with you. I choose to love you."

With that realization, I felt tremendous freedom. No longer was I bound by undependable emotions or what I thought was the "right" one or not. Now, I could listen wholeheartedly to God, realistically evaluate my compatibility with the someone, and work to make our relationship the puzzle piece that fits.

Enjoy the companionship of your date. Relax, sit back, indulge in the lounge music and savour the coffee. It's just coffee, really.

Reminiscing 911

2006-09-10T23:04:00.000+08:00

It began with an appalling image, the north tower of the World Trade Center spewing black smoke into a cloudless September sky.

The face of terror has never been so real, at least for myself, whom pre-Sept 11, finds 'terrorism' an unfamiliar phrase confined only to the boundaries of war-torn Middle Eastern nations. The triumph of human spirit coming from numerous testimonies of heroic, self-sacrificial acts has never been so real either. Survivors, victims' families, emergency workers and city officials united for a single day in history.

For millions of people alive today the most significant political event of their lifetimes will be the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001.

It was, without question, the day the world changed... the day where henceforth, time will forever be distinguished as Pre or Post 911.

I still remembered vividly that fateful night 5 years ago... watching the horror 'live' on CNN unfold before my eyes. I was in my room at that time when the first plane hit the North Tower. My dad called me out to the living room. We stayed glued to the television set. History was made that defining day. Anyone who has watched it will be shocked at the unimaginable destruction. The sight of office workers dropping off the WTC Towers will be etched in my memory forever. Thoughts were racing, "What made these people want to end their lives like that?" Something terrible and untolerable I guess.

"It didn't seem real." said a survivor. Yet it cannot be further away from the truth. The Twin Towers became a cementary for almost 3,000 innocent souls.

CNA was broadcasting a 2-part series on 911 where the film producers collected and constructed real stories of what happened to people trapped in the WTC Towers and those who went in to save them. The unbelief, shock, panic, disorientation and fear of the office occupants of the torched, smoke-filled buildings were apparent enough. You see them trying to open jammed doors, navigating though debris, making your way crowded, dark smokey, stairways (more than 200 flights of stairs each and making phone calls to loved ones, clueless what had just taken place.

The individual agony, anguish and humanity of those involved is now brought to life through that immersive drama-documentary. Unsung heroes responded to their calling. Jan Demczur, the window cleaner who managed to save the lives of his fellow elevator passengers by unimaginable methods; and the firefighters who so bravely entered the towers, many of whom never returned. One extraordinary story that struck me involved Stanley Praimnath and Brian Park; 2 men who had never met until that day but whose friendship, faith and steely determination meant that they both survived.

"It was the first time I cried like a baby.... I've never received compassion like that before.... a total stranger." recalled Stanley Praimnath.

Tuesday, September 11, 2001, began like any other day for Bethel Assembly of God deacon and Sunday school superintendent Stanley Praimnath of Elmont, Long Island. He got up early, took a shower, prayed, got ready and headed for work. The drive was uneventful. The train ride was the same. Yet, this day he would see the hand of God spare his life. "For some particular reason, I gave the Lord a little extra of myself that morning [during prayer]," Stanley said. "I said, 'Lord, cover me and all my loved ones under your precious blood.' And even though I said that and believed it, I said it over and over and over.

Stanley worked as an assistant vice president in the Loans Operations Department, Fuji Bank Limited. That morning, Stantley went to work at his office located at WTC South Tower/Tower 2, 81st floor. He wanted to evacuate his office building when the 1st plane had hit Tower 1.
However, Stanley returned back to his office desk after the security guard told him Tower 2 was secure (talk about bad advice) after the 1st plane crashed into Tower1. He found his office phone was ringing."It was someone from Chicago calling to find out if I'm watching the news," he said.

He told the caller everything "was fine." But everything wasn't fine--far from it. As Stanley was talking, he looked up and saw American Airlines Flight 11 heading straight for him. "All I can see is this big gray plane, with red letters on the wing and on the tail, bearing down on me," said Stanley. "But this thing is happening in slow motion. The plane appeared to be like 100 yards away, I said "Lord, you take control, I can't help myself here." Stanley then dove under his desk. "My Testament [Bible] was on top of my desk," explained Stanley. "I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Lord was going to take care of me once I got there." As he curled into a fetal position under his desk, the plane tore into the side of the building and exploded. Miraculously, Stanley was unhurt. However, he could see a flaming wing of the plane in the doorway of his department. He knew he needed to get out of his office and the building fast. But, he was trapped under debris up to his shoulders. "Lord, you take control, this is your problem now," he recalled praying. "I don't know where I got this power from, but the good Lord, He gave me so much power and strength in my body that I was able to shake everything off. I felt like I was the strongest man alive." All the while, Stanley was asking to the Lord to spare his life. "I'm crying and I'm praying, 'Lord, I have things to do..., I want to see my family, Lord, help me through.' " Stanley's office resembled a battle zone--walls flattened into dusty heaps, office equipment strewn violently, flames flickering about and rubble everywhere. "Everything I'm trying to climb on [to get out] is collapsing and I'm going down," he said. "I'm getting cuts and bruises, but I'm saying, "Lord, I have to go home to my loved ones, I have to make it, You have to help me."

Suddenly Stanley saw the light of a flashlight. For a moment, it stunned him. "What were the chances of someone bringing a flashlight to this floor?," he thought. "My first gut reaction was, 'This is my guardian angel--my Lord sent somebody to save me!' " Stanley began screaming, "I see the light, I see the light." But after clawing his way through the debris, he realized that he couldn't get out--all the exits were blocked and his "guardian angel" couldn't get to him--a wall was between him and the staircase. "He can't get to me and I can't get to him, and by this time I can't breathe," Stanley said. "I don't know if it was sulfur or what [burning jet fuel, perhaps], but I can smell this thing. I got down on my knees and said, "Lord, you've got to help me. You've brought me this far, help me to get to the staircase." But then Stanley did something surprising. While praying on his knees, Stanley called out to the man behind the wall, "There's one thing I got to know, do you know Jesus?" The man replied he went to church every Sunday. Then they prayed together to enable them to break through the wall. "I got up, and I felt as if a power came over me," said Stanley. "I felt goose bumps all over my body and I'm trembling, and I said to the wall, 'You're going to be no match for me and my Lord."

Moments later, he punched his way through the wall and, with the help of the man on the other side, was able to squirm his way through the hole in the wall. "The guy held me and embraced me and he gave me a kiss and he said, 'From today, you're my brother for life.' " But the danger wasn't over. The man on the other side of the wall, who introduced himself as Brian, was an older gentleman and they still had 81 floors to walk down, with the building on fire and, unknown to them, in danger of collapse. "We hobbled our way down, and at every floor we stopped to see if anybody was there, but nobody was..., but a man was on the floor, and his back was gone, and he was covered in blood." Stanley asked to be allowed to carry the man out, but a security guard told him it would be better to send somebody up. When they finally made it down to the concourse, only firefighters were there. "They were saying, 'Run! Run! Run!', they were telling us to run out, but they were not concerned about themselves," he said. Stanley and Brian would have ran from the building, but now the concourse was surrounded with fire. Wetting themselves under the building's sprinkler system, they held hands and ran through the flames to safety to Trinity Church about two blocks away. "I wanted to go to the church to thank God," Stanley explained, "As soon as I held onto the gate of that church, the building [World Trade Center Tower Two] collapsed." Stanley and Brian made there way safely out of the danger area. Before they parted, Stanley gave his business card to Brian in hopes of contact at a later time, and said, "If I don't see you, I'll see you in heaven."

Cut and bloodied, with clothes tattered and wearing a borrowed shirt, Stanley finally made it home hours later to his wife Jennifer and his two girls, Stephanie (age 8) and Caitlin (age 4). "I held my wife and my two children and we cried," said Stanley. After thanking God for sparing his life, Stanley told God whatever he did, it will always be for His glory. "I'm so sore, but every waking moment, I say 'Lord, had you not been in control, I would not have made it.' "For some divine reason, I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the good Lord's mighty hand turned the plane a fraction from where I was standing," said Stanley. "Because when it crash-landed, it was just 20 feet from me. I don't care who would rationalize--what people would say now or years from now, but I know it was the handiwork of the Lord that turned that plane.

Sept 11... the day the American Symbol was reduced to ashes... New York, Lower Manhanttan skyline was transformed... terror reared its ugly head for all to witness... Osama Bin Ladin and terrorism became synonymous and the day the world awoke from its slumber and took notice of oppressed Middle Eastern Islamic organisations and 'security' became an overused word for international event organisers and personnel of key installations. What a difference a day makes!

In an instant, fate decreed who had the opportunity to escape and who did not. Amazingly, some chose to stay behind and not leave their offices immediately after the first plane crashes. They didn't know. Sounds ridiculous? Many just thought it was an explosion in the building.

Man lives are no longer in their own hands anymore. Nothing could have prepare those men and women for what took place that day. So who decides who to live and who to die? Definitely not you or me. Can you ever imagine in your wildest dreams that on a typical Tuesday you left for work, a plane is going to hit your office, deliberately? Before Sept 11, nobody did. Can you fathom the intricacies and mysteries of life? I can't.

No insurance could compensate the loss of a grieving family. It's been 5 years... yet some families are still coming to grips with the pain and hollow left after 911. "I actually didn't want to have the service[funeral] for Dave until his body was found, but as time passed it seemed harder to explain to my son," said Fontana's (a NY firefighter) widow, Marian.

Life could end in an instant. We do not know how long we have on this earth. We could have 60 or 70 or 80 years to live... OR, only 24 hours to live.

Are you certain of the place you're heading when you depart from here? Somewhat certain? 60-70% sure? Whatever religious beliefs you have, just make sure you do.

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:50:00.000+08:00

2 dudes chilling out as the curtains shut for the last time; bringing a deserved closure to an era of memories spent at the Grand Old Dame

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:46:00.000+08:00

Kenneth posing amongst the dispersing crowds; biding a fonding farewell to National Stadium

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:44:00.000+08:00

Crowds starting to make a move

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:33:00.000+08:00

What's an NDP without fireworks... There you go... brief spectacular display... sorrie... only 1 picture taken... was enraptured by its brilliant splendor... last min then rem to take photo...

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:31:00.000+08:00

The grand finale

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:23:00.000+08:00

Forming up of the various marching contingents

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:16:00.000+08:00

Against the backdrop of the fading sunset, the last Red Lion arrives (with the flag)

NDP 2006

2006-08-16T00:07:00.000+08:00

A smoking gun in the sky

NDP 2006

2006-08-15T23:59:00.000+08:00

Here comes more of the Red Lions

NDP 2006

2006-08-15T23:56:00.000+08:00

Here comes a Red Lion soaring across the evening sky

NDP 2006

2006-08-15T23:49:00.000+08:00

Overwhelmed by the occasion?

A wide-eyed boy with a stunned look and S'pore national flag on his face. My best shot of the day! Cheers!

NDP 2006

2006-08-15T00:50:00.000+08:00

Clapsticks were the assigned 'weapon' that evening. Great... saved the crowd from going home with sore palms. Looks good on national television as well. Those swaying, inflated tubes...

NDP 2006

2006-08-15T00:40:00.000+08:00

Now finally.... Here comes the crowd! The stage is set! The show is now ready to begin!

NDP 2006

2006-08-15T00:29:00.000+08:00

Kenneth (eating!) and the man with electric fan

NDP 2006

2006-08-15T00:22:00.000+08:00

Umbrella galore! This crowd are a seasoned bunch... meanwhile... we were being baked under the sun

NDP 2006

2006-08-14T23:33:00.000+08:00

Manz... we were EARLY... Look at those empty seats!

NDP 2006

2006-08-14T23:17:00.000+08:00

At the entrance of National Stadium with Kenneth.... my benefactor! I know, i know.... we are "supposed" to come in red/white to the NDP! Well.... at least my Milan jersey has some red! Duh.

NDP 2006

2006-08-14T23:09:00.000+08:00

The coveted NDP 2006 Ticket!! In my hands.... at last.... I thot I've lost the last chance to say goodbye to the Grand Old Dame of S'pore at its farewell party. But.... somehow.... the Blue Sector it is.... Can't contain the excitement. Thank God!

Views on Da Vinci Code

2006-05-20T13:43:00.000+08:00

Caught the movie on 19th May 2006, here's my 2 cents worth of it. Well, I've read the Dan Brown's novel and so I may be abit biased in my opinions vis-a-vis one who haven't read the book, have no idea about the storyline and are watching it for the 1st time. Laying my hands on the book about 1-year-and-a-half ago, DVC had me hooked! Towards the last pages, I couldn't bear to finish reading it coz each page left you thirsting for more of the rollercoaster ride that can leave readers breathless.

The movie has received mostly negative reviews from movie critics. I couldn't agree with more. I approach the movie with somewhat high expectations with all the hype surrounding the A-list stars and director making this film, and I was a tad disappointed with the end product.

For one who already is aware of the plot (as the 60.5 million and still counting, people worldwide who read the book), the sequence and intensity of the movie fails to impress. DVC doesn't capture my attention as much. Except for the occasional wit of Sir Leigh Teabing (played by Ian McKellan) Watching the movie isn't as satisfying, tantalizing and heart-racing as reading the book. The adrenaline rush I expected wasn't there. To be honest, towards the end, I just couldn't wait to get out of the theatre. The main problem is the pace, which suffers when the director, who wanted to stick as closely as possible to the Dan Brown's original script, attempts to squeeze in 359 pages (UK hardback version) worth of dialogue and storyline into a 2-and-a-half-hour film. The thrill of wanting to discover more as the plot thickens dissipated as the movie drags on. Some audience simply gave up mid-way and snoozed throughout.

However, to give due credit to the director Ron Howard, he stayed unbelievably true and accurate to the original novel nonetheless. There was simply just too much dialogue. The dash of mystery that have gripped millions of Dan Brown's readers flipping the novel till the last page was regretfully missing. The built-up to the finale is an agonising 2.5 hours wait. We grew restless as the movie dragged on to two and a half hours and spun a long sequence of anticlimactic revelations that instead of satisfying the palate, left a much less-desired bitter aftertaste.

A film critic at the Cannes Film Festival likened it to the Energizer Bunny who just kept going, and going, and going... and not in a good sense. Perhaps some bestsellers do indeed make poor screenplays.

A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby

Baby close your eyes and listen to the music
Drifting through a summer breeze
It's a groovy night and I can show you how to use it
Come along with me and put your mind at ease
A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby

Come on baby I'm tired of talking
Grab your coat and let's start walking
Come on, come on
Come on, come on
Come on, come on
Don't procrastinate, don't articulate
Girl it's getting late, gettin' upset waitin' around

A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby

'A Little Less Conversation' by Elvis Presley

An Extraordinary Man

2006-03-26T17:25:00.000+08:00

"Failure is the greatest opportunity I have to know who I really am."

John Killinger

Was watching a documentary today on CNA about an American named Gregory Burns. Born 1957. Accomplished Artist, Athlete, Writer and Internationally acclaimed Motivational Speaker. They were showing clips of his paintings, his books, his speeches. This guy's have it all. He looks like every successful man out there with his strong phsyique, endearing bright smile and chiselled good looks. I was getting bored with the lengthy How-I-did-it speech and was ready to switch channels. I'm glad I didn't. When the camera zooms out, I realise, hey, wait a minute, what's the pair of clutches doing beside this suave gentleman sitting on a bench. It seems Greg needs walking aid. Looks interesting. So this isn't an ordinary, typical rags-to-riches story after all.

You see, this guy's disabled. Having contracted polio in Jerusalem as an 8-month old infant, Greg relies on a pair of leg braces and forearm crutches to move around since then.

Later, the camera followed him swimming. As Greg removes his pants, there you see it. Those scrawny, shrivelled, pale pair of legs. Looks more like 2 wooden poles to me. Lifeless. Weak. Unable to even support his own weight. And he swam laps using solely his upper body strength. Yes, I mean laps. Amazing. I mean, I know some people can't even swim with both healthy feet intact. He's a Paralympian, a member of the USA Disabled Swim Team. Competing in the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Paralympics, Greg set four world records and captured half a dozen medals. He's also an avid hiker and mountaineer, having scaled the world's most impressive peaks, a certified PADI scuba-diver, body-boarder. In 1983, Gregg hopped the Honolulu Marathon and came in dead last. He crossed the finish line 16 hours after the start of the race .

"Arguably, due to a disability that constantly motivates me to scale new mountains both literally and metaphorically, I border on being an overachiever. Perhaps it all started when, petrified at the age of four, I would ride the roller coaster simply because my older brother wouldn't. In time, I graduated to climbing mountains, competing internationally as a swimmer and backpacking overland throughout Asia for 16 months at a stretch. No doubt part of it is comes for a need to overcompensate or a need to prove myself. I've never been sure of how much is too much as I have never had any role models. But more importantly, I've just done the things I wanted to do."

Gregory Burns

Greg’s physical disability has never limited his winning attitude, persistence and team spirit which have all combined to make him a consistent champion and gold medal winner at numerous international athletic events in the past 23 years. His medical condition and achievements have made him a unique source of inspiration and motivation for people to maximize their potential and creativity while overcoming life's challenges.

Greg has never let his disability stop him from achieving and becoming the person he wanted to be. He has a winning mentality that's nurtured from a young age when his parents refused to treat him as a 'disabled' person, and sent him to 'normal' schools with normal kids. And Greg adapted his abilities to the different sports that were exposed to him. He never limited himself to the boundaries that a disabled person can do. His mind was always open, always exploring, always determined to succeed and ready to prove others wrong. Instead of giving up on himself, Greg has pursued a passionate life of painting, traveling, trekking, swimming, scuba diving, producing documentaries, addressing large audiences as a motivational speaker and working as a regional Marketing/PR manager for PepsiCo Restaurants International. We must learn to harness the setbacks in our lives which are what push us forward and bring us inner strength.

Greg has a lesson for us. Never let logical thinking or what others say restrict what you can be. Circumstances have not stopped Greg from living out his dreams. We must learn to harness the setbacks in our lives which are what push us forward and bring us inner strength. Everyone has his/her own race to run. Some burst in front when the gun fires. Some are slow to react to the gunshot and lag behing others. Some stumble along the way. Some develop cramps and struggle to carry on, but finish it nevertheless. Doesn't matter how you start the race. Life's not a 100-metre dash but like running a marathon. It's how you finish that matters. When life deals you a bad hand of cards, stop whining about it and play it the best you could.

"I asked God what is His purpose for me. I realise from a young age that I wasn't like the other kids. I've learnt that when one door shuts, another opens. God took away my legs, and He gave me something else. When God takes something away from you, He always gives something back in return. "

Gregory Burns

Get Out

2006-02-19T11:54:00.000+08:00

A humbling interview on Fri where I was asked to "get out" not once... but twice... Utterly humiliated. Honestly speaking, I was rather shaken by the experience. I was fuming with anger as I walked back to my office. I couldn't stand the bad attitude of the director. I didn't deserved to be treated like this. My ego was deflated. Certainly, it ruined my day. Now why was I angry? What stirred my frustration? I narrowed it down to one word. Rejection. The interviewer had rejected me. He didn't accept me.

Genesis 4:4-5 says, " The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry and felt rejected." This is the first guest appearance of 'Anger' in the Bible... which will then pop up 400 more times. Both Abel and Cain had heard God's instructions. And when Abel brought the best parts of a firstborn from his flock, he did so out of obedience to what he had heard. And when Cain brought "some food" from the ground, he was acting out of disobedience and defiance. Surely he had heard what Abel had heard. He knew what Abel knew. But still he was angry that God returned his sacrifice unopened. God warned him to be careful of his anger. God asked Cain," Why are you angry? Why do you look so unhappy? If you do things well, I will accept you, but if you do not do them well, sin is ready to attack you. Sin wants you, but you must rule over it." But Cain had other plans. He told to Abel to go out into the fields. While they were out in the fields, Cain attacked his brother, Abel and killed him." (Gen 4:3-8)
Cain gave up. He gave up on God and submitted to himself to sin. And he took it out on Abel.

So if rejection causes hurt and anger, wouldn't acceptance cure it? If rejection by heaven makes you mad at others, wouldn't acceptance from heaven stir your love for them? Luke 7:47 tells us, "He who is forgiven little loves little." We see another biblical character Paul whose attitude took a 360 degree turnabout after he personally met with Christ. Before that encounter, Paul 'destroy the church' ... 'going from house to house, he dragged men and women and put them in prison.'(Acts 8:2), habouring a deep hatred for anyone who preached Christ. A No.1 enemy of God turned out to be one of the greatest evangelist and church-builders the world has ever seen. He's the one who gives us the timeless definition of love. "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Cor 13:7-8). His heart contains only love. Even for his enemies. People who hated him wished he was dead. His accusers beat him, stoned him, jailed him and mocked him. But can you find one occasion when he responded in kind? One anger outburst? One complaint? This is a different man. His anger is gone. His passion is unquenchable. His dedication is unquestioned. Rash flare-ups of rage? A thing of the past. What made the difference? He encountered Christ.

"You life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3). Whenever the Father looks down on you, what does he see? He sees his Son, the perfect Lamb of God, hiding you. Through Christ, God has accepted you and I. Think for a moment what this means. You cannot keep people from rejecting you. But you can keep rejections from enraging you. How? By letting His acceptance reimburse for their rejection.

Think of it this way. By the window sill of your office, you kept a single, bright yellow lily. You love lilies. You took it out of the sun and displayed it proudly atop your cubicle in the office for others to admire its beauty. This morning, your boss summoned you to her office. A mistake in the report you submitted last week. You're given an earful. Must be that Rosie who altered the formulae on my Excel spreadsheet. Not your fault right? Petal picked. You're blamed for someone else's error. Not exactly the best way to start a Monday. 4 petals left. Someone gossiped about you having a fling with a colleague from another department. 3 petals. During lunch, someone accidentally stepped on your foot while queueing for food. 2 petals. After lunch, your boss informed you that Rosie was chosen over you to go to London to pitch to those high net-worth clients you've been wanting to solicit. A trip you so badly wanted to go. By the end of the day, you are down to one. Bad hair day uh? An understatement definitely. You're only one petal away from a major blowup.

What if the scenario was changed slightly? You've a neighbour who owns a florist shop just across the street where you lived. Every night on the way home, he stops at your place and gives you a fresh, undeserved and irrresistable bouquet of your favorite lillies. These aren't leftover flowers that he can't sell. They're the top breed. You don't know why he thinks so highly of you but you aren't complaining. It's free, isn't it? Your apartment is now filled with the sweet fragrance of lillies. Your pot of liliy at the office is messed up. Never mind that. You've got a whole bunch to replace it! The difference is enormous. Do you think God can and will heal your angry heart? God will hand-deliver you a bouquet of flowers to your doorstep every day. Take it! It's yours to keep. When rejections come, you won't be left short-petaled. Anger does nothing, but robs you of the joy of living.

Do what Terry did. Years ago, a very stressful job stirred up within him daily bouts of frustration and anger. He had a tree at his driveway. It used to be tall. Then it lost a few limbs. And after some time, it was nothing but a stump. "That was me." Terry explained. "I took my anger on the tree. I kicked it. Took an axe and chopped at it. I didn't want to come home mad, so I left my anger at the tree." His family didn't recalled any outburst of rage during those years.

Take the flowers. Take out your anger at the tree on the hill of Calvary. Receive from him so that you can love or at least put up with the imperfect people of this world we live in. He's not frowning. He loves you from the day you are in your mother's womb. I've already forgiven the one who wounds me. Haven't you done the same yet? Take a long drink from His well of limitless love... and simmer down.

How Long must I put up with You?

2006-01-30T13:39:00.001+08:00

Someone asked me, "What questions do you have for God."

Oh gosh, there were so many... too many.

I wanted to ask Him what's going on in his mind in the Calvary as he faced head-on the brutality of the very people he loves so much and came to save. Being betrayed and disowned by his closest disciples and rejected by the people he once delivered. The mental and emotional torment is unimaginable. He could have given up. Imagine the change He has to make, the distance He has to travel. What would it be like to become flesh?

You would have thought God Himself would make a more spectacular entry into the world He created. Even the invading aliens from "War of the Worlds" could have done better. Freak lightning storms. Strong gusts of wind. Clouds twirling above... swirling around a single spot above. Meteor shower. Shooting stars. EMPs. Time stopped... literally. Earthquakes. Bolts of lighting striking the ground. Trumpets of angels echoed. Chorus of joyous singing in the background. Heavens open. And in a flash of blinding, white light. Behold! God Almighty has arrived! In style too... But as things turn out, when He came, hardly anyone noticed. Bethlehem held no parade, no celebration. No... nothing like that sort. Of all places... a dirty, stinky stable?? A poor, small-time carpenter Joseph for father? You would have expect someone with more clout... richer, smarter and powerful. Joseph can't even afford a hotel room, for goodness 's sake.

One evening, an army of ants has invaded my dinner table. "Must be the remnants of mossels of last night's supper," I thought. Leaning down to make sure they could hear me, "Hey, ants! Shoo! Let me have my meal in peace." No reply. No one looked in my direction. Then I realized, "I don't speak their language. They won't understand what I'm trying to tell them." On hindsight, I must have looked pretty silly trying to communicate to a group of ants. So what could I do to reach them, to pass them the message instead of just killing them in one stamp of the hand? Only 1 thing. I needed to become an ant. To become one of them. Go from 1.70 metres to a teeny-weeny. From 64kg to a millionth of a milligram. Swap my big world for their tiny one. Give up eating burgers to eating leftover mossels and trash. "No thanks! No way I'm going to give up what I have now to be an ANT!" I said.

How does it feels like to bear the weight of sins of all Mankind on His shoulders? To be wrongfully accused and persecuted of crimes He never commit. To be punished when He is innocent. To be mocked and beaten publicly as He paraded half-naked or naked(which some historians believe) along the streets. Streets lined with people on both sides, ridiculing and sneering. "Let Him save Himself if He's Christ, the Chosen One." Just Him and His Cross. 3 times He stumbled and fell, under its sheer weight. Weak. Groggy. Battered. Blood streaming down His face from the crown of thorns. Blurred vision. Parched lips. Gory back. Cold, clammy sweat from shock. Dehydrated. Exhausted. Bloodied body broken, mutilated and barely recognizable as a man. Flesh ripped to shreds. Hands and feet impaled to the Cross. Mouth agape. Gasping for breath. Struggling to hold on as long as He can. Despised and rejected by the world He created, He pressed on. Using every ounce of energy left in that disfigured body, each breath He drawn is labored. A wheezing noise from the lungs. Life's ebbing out of His body. Those eyes... half-shut, lifeless, sorrowful, yet a sense of quiet determination to complete what He is born to do. God trapped in a human body. Fragile. Helpless. Dying. Surely, Jesus can simply walk away from all that. At any step along the way he could have called it quits. But he didn't. "He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him." (John 1:10-11) The suffering of Christ was portrayed in all of its horror. It began with him praying in the garden and his humble “thy will be done.” In the midst of pain and sorrow, his thoughts were about others.

Jagged nails... splintered wood... furrowed wounds... fractured body... cause of death: asphyxiation. Unimaginable pain He suffered. But none hurt as much as the indifference and rejection of Man. Doors slammed in His face, backs turned on Him, backstabbed by whom He called "friends", blows after blows rained upon His heart that day. That is where the hurt is. That is what pained Him the most.

How disappointed is Jesus when those that verbally accepted Him as Christ, listened to His preachings, saw His miracles, simply turned a blind eye and walked away when He is prosecuted on the Calvary. In the distance, the women who had followed His teachings from Galilee, watched as the humiliation and punishment were administered. One by one they came, they gathered, they watched, they witnessed as the drama unfolded before them. But not one... no... not a single soul dare to come forward and testified Jesus is the Son of Man. Jesus is not ashamed of them... but they are ashamed of Christ. How did Jesus endure treatment like that? At any point, he could have said, "I quit. I've had enough." Why didn't He? What kept him from giving up? The fact is... He didn't. He refused to turn and leave. Why? Becoz His love for His children was greater than the pain of the journey. His love conquers all that belies His destiny. He came to pull you out. That's why He came. You were dead, mired in sin. That's why He came. He loves you. That's why He came. His Destiny is the Cross.

How Jesus can accept the undecisiveness and fickle-mindedness of Man? One minute they say, "I love you Lord. You're first in my life, before anything else. I'm willing to do anything for you." Yet, at the slightest challenge, the heart falters. Man hesitates to make a stand for God. They don't turn up to meet God. They made Him wait. They fail in their promises. Unlike Jesus, Man always has difficulty in grasping the true meaning of what they say and profess.

Even Jesus Himself has said in Mark 9:19 "How long must I put up with you?" Jesus's actions later on will answer his own question.

Long enough to be called crazy by my brothers and a liar by my neighbors. Long enough to be chased out of my own town and Temple. Long enough to be laughed at, cursed, sweared, slapped, beaten, flogged, blindfolded and mocked. Long enough to feel the warm spit and thorned whips ripped my flesh off and see my own blood puddle at my feet.

How long? "Until the rooster sings and the sweat stings and the mallet rings and a group of demons smirk at a dying God of Most High."

How long? "Long enough for every sin to so soak my sinless soul that heaven will turn in horror until my swollen lips pronounce the final transaction: 'It is finished.'"

How long? "Until it kills me."

Love... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor 13:4-7)

Jesus did all that. Every single one. That's what true love is and embodies. He has come down from His throne in the Kingdom to lowly earth and shown us how love become the centre His life. Even in His death, love is demonstrated. The precious Lamb of God has personified love. He bore sins, yours and mine too. The standard has been set by the God who says, "He IS love" (1 John 4:16).

Adapted from Max Lucado, A Love Worth Giving. Modified by me

The Gardener who Believes

2006-01-29T23:25:00.000+08:00

Alex was a poor Syrian farmer. All right, he's just officially become one. You see, he's recently inherited from their father a piece of land. As a youngster, along with his 2 brothers, he used to help his father during the busy summer harvest period. However, when it comes to real farming, he's really an amateur still. But Alex's determined to be a good farmer, just like his dad. "Son, you can do it! You shall be a greater farmer than I ever was." was his father's last words. One day, this flashback came upon him and he bought a packet of wheat seeds from the market.

Then, Alex went out to the fields to plant the seeds. He's never sow seeds before. A thought raced to his mind, "How difficult can this be anyway? It's just seeds." As he scattered it across his fields, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plant sprang up quickly, but it soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades so that it produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.

Unlike animals, plants are limited in their ability to seek out favorable conditions for life and growth. Consequently, plants have evolved many ways to disperse and spread the population through their seeds. A seed must somehow "arrive" at a location and be there at a time favorable for germination and growth. Those properties or attributes that promote the movement of the next generation away from the parent plant may involve the fruit more so than the seeds themselves. The function of a seed typically is one of serving as a delaying mechanism: a way for the new generation to suspend its growth and allow time for dispersal to occur or to survive harsh, unfavorable conditions of cold or dryness or both. In many if not most cases each plant species achieves success in finding ideal locations for placement of its seeds through the basic approach of producing numerous seeds.

The farmer I talked about is a courier who brings God's message to others. The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the message, but then Satan comes at once and takes it away from them. The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced. But the good soil represents those who hear and accept God's message and produce a huge harvest – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.

Seed signifies the beginning of life. Ask a couple who has been trying to conceive for years what a seed means to them. HOPE. Simple as that.
PURPOSE:
to disperse and spread the population of the plant
KEY FACTORS:
ground/soil conditon, the amount of seeds scattered (dispersal method) and the care administered by the farmers.

As seen from the above parable from Mark 4:1-20, there are many, many obstacles (eg. birds and thorns) blocking or hindering the growth of the seed planted in the soil. Young plants whose roots doesn’t go very deep into the ground may also wilter and die under harsh conditions, of which the saplings have yet developed the ability to withstand.

Similarly, we are like “gardeners”, tending the plot of land scattered with seeds of Christ. We need to clear the weeds and chase away the rodents and pests that disrupt and eat away the life of the young saplings. The plot of land is huge… one cannot do this alone. Hence, by working in a team, a group of gardeners can give full atttention, tender, loving care of the growing crops. Alex and his brothers toil in the fields daily. When it’s time to reap what they have sowed, the farmers’ visages glowed with pride. Their sweat and efforts aren’t wasted. Behold! A handsome reward spreads out in the slanting rays of the setting sun in the horizon. They looked at the glorious, shimmering field of ripen grains in the sunset and they rejoiced. "Man, they looked like gold" Alex thought. Indeed, the fields of wheat seemed to be adorned in golden robes that evening.

At the end of the next few weeks of milling and threshing the raw wheat into chaffs and grains. Staring at the bales of wheat stalks and sacks of grains, hands on his hips, for the 1st time in his life, Alex beamed with tremendous satisfaction. The countless quarrels and conflicts they had at the dinner table and sleepless nights worrying over the growth of the crops, eg. the brand of pesticide used, fertilizers to nourish the plants, way to irrigate the crops, which and how much machinery to hire to thresh and pound the wheat, no. of workers to hire during the harvest period, the sellers at the market who will want to buy their grains, the early struggles to wake-up in the wee hours of the morning, the endless ploughing with the ox under the scorching sun, sweltering heat etc… ALL they’ve forgotten. WHY??

“Because the harvest has come….” (Mark 4:29) Alex believes a bountiful harvest awaits him. For the weather-beaten farmers, the result is worth everything more than the process. Even if their harvest fail to meet his expectations, if you asked them if he would start all over again next season. Without a hint of hesitation, “Yes I will try again.” came the prompt reply. Even if the success rate is 0.000001%, Alex will be willing to invest the long, tiring hours and start the whole process all over again. WHY? Becoz Alex believes what his father told him.

Someone once planted a seed in you. All because of one seed. All because someone believed in you. Wouldn’t you have done the same for someone else? God believes in you. There is such power in belief. You may save someone's life. Believe in them as God has believed in you. Could you take that belief that he has in you and pass it to someone else? Could you believe in someone? Well, you should. Coz someone else once did.

Punchinello & The Most Marvellous Gift

2006-01-20T09:32:00.000+08:00

The whole town is bustling to get ready for Maker Day. Hans is baking his seven-layer Chocolate Cherry Truffle Cake with Double Butter-cream Frosting. Violet is putting the finishing touches on her mountainous bouquet. Lucia is warming up for her solo, featuring the amazing Dr. Marvel and his Marvelaphony-organoni. And Punchinello is just baffled. He has nothing that would even compare to their fabulous creations, and especially nothing wonderful enough to honor Eli on Maker Day. Yet, in the midst of the celebration, something goes terribly awry and Punchinello comes to the rescue with the most precious gift of all—a gift from the hearts of all Wemmicks to honor the Maker on His special day.

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. These little wooden people were carved by a woodworker named "Eli." Eli's workshop sat on a hill overlooking the Wemmick Village. Every one of the Wemmicks were different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the same village. All day long, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing. They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of dull gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking gold stars or gray dots onto each other. The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got shiny gold stars! But if the wood was rough or the paint was chipped, the Wemmicks gave dull gray dots. The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them shiny gold stars! Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star. There were many other Wemmicks though that could do very little. They got dull gray dots! There was one little Wemmick and his name was "Punchinello." He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather 'round and give him dull gray dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more gray dots. He would try to explain why he fell and, in doing so, he would say something really silly. Then the Wemmicks would give him some more dots!!! After a while, Punchinello had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him more dull gray dots. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and just give him one without any reason! "He deserves lots of dots," they would say. The wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person," they would say. After a while Punchinello believed them. "I am not a good Wemmick!" he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of gray dots. At least he felt better around them. One day, Punchinello met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dull gray dots and did not have any shiny golden stars either. She was a wooden Wemmick and her name was "Lucia." It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick to her!!! Some admired Lucia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But they would not stick either!!! "That's the way I want to be!" thought Punchinello. "I don't want anyone's marks!" So he asked the "stickerless" Wemmick how she did it. "It's easy," Lucia replied. "Every day I go see Eli." Punchinello asked,"Eli? Who is Eli?" She replied "Yes, Eli, He is the woodcarver. I sit in His workshop and spend time with Him." He asked Lucia,"Why do you do that?" Lucia told him, "Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill and visit with Him. He's there!" And with that, the sweet little Wemmick named Lucia turned and skipped away. "But He won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out to her. Lucia didn't hear him, as she was too far away.

So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other gold stars and gray dots. "It's just not right," he muttered to himself. Then he resolved to go see Eli after all. Punchinello walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big Woodcarver Shop. His little wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tippy-toes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard and thought to himself, "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave. Then he heard his name. "Punchinello?" said this voice, so deep and strong. Just then Punchinello stopped. The voice said, "Punchinello, oh how good it is of you to come! Let me have a look at you." Punchinello slowly turned around and looked at the large bearded craftsman and said, "Sir, you know my name?" "Of course I do. I made you," Eli said. All of a sudden, Eli stooped down and picked little Punchinello up and set him on the workbench. "Hmmmmm," the Maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles all over him, "Looks like you've been given some bad marks." Punchinello explained,"Oh, Eli, I didn't mean to; really I didn't!!! I really tried hard not to." The Maker said, "Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, my child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think." Punchinello asked, "Really? You don't?" Then Eli said, "No and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They are Wemmicks just like you. What they think really doesn't matter at all, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special." Punchinello laughed, "Oh, me special? How can I be special? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. I make silly mistakes all the time and I am not a beautiful Wemmick like some of the others. How could I matter to you?" Eli looked at Punchinello and put his hands on those little wooden shoulders of his and spoke very slowly, "Because Punchinello... you are mine. That's why you matter to me." Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this before or say anything so nice, much less his Maker! He didn't know what to say! "Punchinello, every day I've been waiting and hoping you would come to see me," Eli explained. Punchinello looked up at him and said, "I came because I met a sweet Wemmick girl who had no marks." Eli said, "I know. Lucia told me about you." So Punchinello asked, "Why don't the stickers stay on Lucia?" Eli said, "Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what anyone else thinks. The stickers only stick if you let them." Punchinello looked puzzled and said, "What?" Eli said, "Yes, the stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust My love, the less you will care about those stickers." But Punchinello said, "I'm not sure I really understand. What you are saying?" The maker said, "You will, but it will take some time. You've got a lot of marks. So for now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care about you." Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the floor. "Now remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You ARE special because I made you, and I don't make mistakes."
By Max Lucado, You are Special

Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think He really means it." And each time he remembered what Eli told him and each time he went to visit and talk with Eli, one of Punchinello's dots would fall off. They kept falling off and soon they were all gone!!! So like Punchinello, we must remember one thing: "Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart." (I Samuel 16:7) On Christmas Day, we honour God for giving His one and only Son for us... His precious gift unto us is everlasting, redeems our sins, and bridges the chasm bet. God and Man when we LEAST deserve it for He so loved the world! Surely... No other present you receive in this world can be better than this! Surely no love is greater than when you die a most painful death for someone who condemned, insulted, spitted, humiliated, hurt and tortured you. He died while we are still sinners and yet He was sinless. He carried the cross for you and I. Think of a person in your life you really couldn't stand and imagine yourself dying slowly and painfully for him/her. That pesky, selfish manager who always use me to do OT till 11pm and even weekends but all the credit belongs to him and I get nothing except tons of work to finish, that ger who always gossip behind my back, that nasty colleague who I can't seem to see eye to eye with and always game for confrontations.... etc. Can't do that, can you?

Only Your Maker knows your purpose and destiny on this earth we live in. Lucia's stickers don't stick becoz she cares more about what her Maker thinks about her than what others think about her. Punchinello has learnt his mistakes and begin renewing his relationship with his Maker who cares so much about him. We are unique in our own way becoz Our Maker does it so deliberately. The day you recognize this truth is the start of a covenantal relationship with Him. He's the reason for the Xmas season. He is YOUR Maker and truth is... He loves you very much... even more than Himself.

So ask yourself.... What will you present as a gift to your Maker this day?

Batman Begins: The Lesson

2006-01-18T08:46:00.000+08:00

Watched "Batman Begins" DVD recently, the film spoke to me powerfully. I was skeptical at first coz of the previous "Batman" franchise movies which were kinda cheesy. Nevertheless, the plot and depth of the film impressed me deeply.

Bruce Wayne (Batman) was haunted by his inner demons (bats) when he fell into this old well which was smarming with flying bats when he was a small boy. Since then, he developed a phobia of bats. One day, his parents took him to the opera where Bruce became scared at some of the dancers' portrayal of bat-like demons. Bruce's past experience with bats jerked back into his memories and he begged his parents to go. In the dark alley where they exited, a mugger confronted them. Even thought the meek father (Thomas Wayne) complied with his demands of the robber, both he and his wife was shot fatally in the chest. "Don't be afraid" were Thomas Wayne last words to a young Bruce, who became an orphan that fateful night.

He was brought up by the family butler, Alfred who raises him up as his own. 14 years later, Bruce returned from Princeton Uni to attend a parole hearing of his parents' murderer. Unknown to others, He brought a pistol to court, in hope of killing the murderer. When Rachel (his childhood friend turned Assistant District Attorney for Gotham City) learnt this, she slapped and rebuked Bruce and explained the difference between vengeance and justice. A disillusioend Bruce then traded his expensive jacket for a vagrant's and gave him all his money, hopped on a cargo ship and travelled the world seeking the means to fight injustice and "turn fear against those who prey on the fearful". By becoming a criminal himself, he learnt what it means to survive on the streets and resorted to stealing. Eventually, he ended up in a Chinese prison. Upon his release, he travelled to the League of Shadows in the Himalayas where he was taught theatrics and deception as his greatest weapons. His teacher (who ironically later became Bruce's nemesis bent on destroying Gotham City) taught him, "To overcome fear, you must become your own fear." After learning his trade, Bruce returned to his home. "Never given up hope on me, haven't you?" Bruce asked Alfred twice in the film. Each time after he seemingly fail to live up to expectations of managing the Wayne Enterprise. Alfred replied simply, "Never". At the end of the day, Batman saves the day and becomes the fear of criminals in Gotham City. But it was the faithfulness of Batman's ever reliable and faithful servant, Alfred that touched my heart. The one who believed in him when no one else did.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me" (Revelation 3:20). Every person has the right to say to God, "Leave me alone. Don't bother me." At some time or another, we've rejected Him. I know I have. A "Do Not Disturb" sign on our doors. But it is the Lord's right to pursue us with His persistent mercy. By His grace, He keeps knocking, ready to fill our lives with His love. He doesn't know the meaning of 'give up'. I thank Him coz he's NEVER given up hope for me... and for you too, my friend.

A song kept ringing in my ears this morning on my way to work. I don't know why... that's why I think I need to write this down.
"~Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me~"

God is faithful in sustaining us through suffering. One of the times we are most tempted to doubt God’s faithfulness is when suffering strikes our lives. It often makes no sense to us and we see no reason for it. We may search our lives, and although we find some sins which we have previously overlooked, we still cannot believe we deserve what God has allowed to happen to us. We begin to think that He has forgotten us or really does not care about us.

The people of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day were beginning to think that way. Israel was a tiny nation surrounded by giant powers which were continually menacing her. Listen to her complaint:

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me” (Isaiah 49:14).
But the Lord was right there with words of encouragement.

Can a woman forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me (verses 15-16).

He had allowed them to suffer, but He could never forget them in their suffering because He is faithful. And He does not forget us. He really does care.

Many other promises in the Word are absolute and unconditional. God is going to keep them whether we believe He will or not. He will fulfill His Word whether we are faithful to Him or not. The Apostle Paul said, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). To be faithless may also mean to be unbelieving. When God’s promises are unconditional, neither our faithlessness nor our unbelief will affect His faithfulness. They will rob us of our peace, our joy, and our testimony, but He will just keep right on doing what He promised to do, keep right on being faithful to His Word. What a wonderfully faithful God! Believe Him. Experience the peace, the joy, and the power which faith in His Word will bring. Then you too will exclaim enthusiastically, “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

Of the New Year and a Pair of Soggy, Muddy Shoes

2006-01-02T15:51:00.000+08:00

It was the 1st day of Year 2006! Woke up early in the morning for a much anticipated walk in MacRitchie and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve. Already, heavenly signs were showing it wasn't exactly the "perfect" day for trekking in the woods (worse for amateurs like us). A slight drizzle welcomed us as we embarked on the 15km or so expedition to conquer the Tree-Top Walk and Bukit Timah Summit. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one, small step. Indeed, I believe we were all caught offguard what obstacles lurks ahead of the 'fellowship' (L.O.T.R has always been a cult fav for me).
What a challenging way to kickstart into the New Year! Ok, so we cheated abit by taking a shortcut from Thomson Ridge... blah. The tropical rainforest was damp and the soggy mud greeted us the moment we took the well-trodden rocky path to the innards of the forest. The flora and fauna were rich and thick. Fallen logs are seen just off the trekkers' path. The spirits of the team were high and we were busily engaged in deep conversations about each others' lives which we barely touched on normally. We took a slingshot across SICC but shortly after, plunged into the woods again. Enjoyed a refreshing toilet break at the Rangers' Station where we could see many other trekkers like us. Then, armed with our umbrellas (quite a queer sight for forest trekkers don't u think?) we continued our 'quest' for the Tree-Top Walk. It was a boardwalk that snaked itself to the "entrance". The wooden planks were wet and slippery... it was a fantastic sight (above 8-10 storeys I estimate; I wished I could say it was worth the hassle... but... it wasn't a "WOW" but more of a "Oh, so this is it uh" kinda feeling) The morning mist sifted through the trees in a distance (reminds me of the 'Misty Mountains in L.O.T.R) and the watery body of MacRichie Reservoir was captured in the horizon to our right. We also took a climb to the 5-story high Jelutong Tower... it was already pouring by then. At the top, it was unsheltered and we were standing right next to the lightning rod... gosh... we could've been barbecued instantly right there and then by a single bolt from the heavens. We got uneasy and decided not to test God wrath in that instant. Held a mini-discussion and decided to go ahead to our mid-point destination of Bukit Timah Food Centre for lunch, despite the heavy downpour. 1.5hrs elapsed and we finally got out of the woods and started walking on gravel road leading out to our rest point. Except for a few cars that drove by us and a family of monkeys atop a tree, the isolated road was primarily deserted.
Had an array of dishes for lunch, we were famished! After the heavy lunch, we began the journey to conquer Bukit Timah Summit. We took the shortest route upwards, the 45-degree slope leaves us gsaping for breath. The summit this time was even less exhilarating than the previous one at MacRitchie. The thick canopy of foliage blocked every possbile attempt to have a view from the top. How disappointing... lucky for us we didn't take the longer routes up, otherwise it would have been even more exasperating.
We then make our way back to MacRitchie where we 1st started. As it was already 4pm, not wanting to be caught in the woods in the dark, we quickened our pace without a respite. The same snaking gravel road back... this time, we met several joggers, cyclist and a bunch of trekkers at the forest crevice. The smouldering heat and blinding rays were a discomfort as we had to wrestled with our fatigue and weary feet. Personally, I find Iy's mental tenacity admirable. Blisters formed at the back of the soles of my feet. Water-proof BandAid proved futile in easing the pain as they keep slipping off. I struggled a bit with each step. Suddenly, as Os remarked, "Seems like someone just turned on the tap." The imminent dark clouds that hang overhead let loose its floodgates. "My God, how worse can this trek get?" I thought to myself. The huge droplets of water plummeted us huddles beneath our brollies. Except for Jo who had a bigger brolly, we were soaked despite our futile attempts to keep dry. On our way to seek refuge at the Rangers' Station, we trodded past a rest stop which a number of trekkers took shelter.
After a brief respite at Rangers' Station, Os, our guide, wanted us off the slippery, rocky trrekkers' path in the woods and lead us to a shortcut to SICC. We observed many without umbrellas and ponchos walking, frolicking openly in the rain. I was reminded of the time I took my IPPT at Maju Camp where I ran the 2.4km in the rain. It was a great experience! Little rivulets of water formed on the road and gushed thorugh the drains and canals. After 45 mins or so of walking, it was civilisation again! Whew... what a way to enter 2006!
An unforgettable trip... I took with me memories of the jungle, the all-too-familiar smell of sweat soaked shirt sticking to your skin, mosquito-ravaged hands and feet and lastly... a pair of soggy, muddy tracks shoes.