haha, sent by my friend. Thinks it's a pretty old clip, but still, good for a laugh~
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Ask Milk Campaign
haha, sent by my friend. Thinks it's a pretty old clip, but still, good for a laugh~
Saibogujiman Kwenchana (2006): Trailer
http://trailersforthemasses.blogspot.com/2006/11/saibogujiman-kwenchana-2006-trailer.html
haha, my colleague wanted to "jio" me watch this, cos got Rain (THAT korean superstar) in it.
Was not interested at first, but after watching the trailer, might wanna go catch it liao...
Official Website:
http://www.cyborg2006.co.kr/
IMDb Entry:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497137/
Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKLk6A2tDQI
on giving thanks for finishing 2 Kings
*Jumps up and punch the air*
Last year was thinking of reading through the Bible in a year. So started from the Book of Genesis. but somehow ran out of steam by the time I hit the middle of the book of 2nd Kings in July.* At the start of this year, was encouraged and reminded to go back and start the bible-trekking again. Now am still not really counting the days - if I go by the schedule, I'm late behind time again***. But the idea is more than just meeting the time-line I've given for myself. The idea is to meet God as I read His words for me.
So, do give thanks with me~ :D
---------------------------------------------------------
* I'm a slow reader**, and a conscientious one at that. Then somemore the Bible I'm trying to read through has all the interesting factoids and commentaries at the footnotes, so even slower.
** When it comes to the Bible, I'm ashamed to say...
*** Should be in the midst of Chronicles ah, if I really wanna pace myself "strenously"....
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
YouTube - 絢香ayaka x kobukuro - WINDING ROAD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgjOQnsI51I
Performance from kobukuro live in 万博公園 2006.09.09
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Monday, January 29, 2007
on You are Worthy
My colleague led us in this song during staff devotions this morning. Thought it was some new song, when actually it's not that new...
-------------------------------------------------------
Worthy, You Are Worthy by DON MOEN
Worthy, You are worthy,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
You are worthy.
Worthy, You are worthy,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
I worship you.
Holy, You are Holy,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
You are Holy,
Holy, You are Holy,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
I worship you.
Jesus, You are Jesus,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
You are Jesus.
Jesus, You are Jesus,
King of Kings, Lord of lords,
I worship you.
Worthy, You are worthy,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
You are worthy.
Worthy, you are worthy,
King of kings, Lord of lords,
I worship you.
King of kings, Lord of lords,
I worship you. *3
taken from http://www.tsrocks.com/d/don_moen_texts/worthy_you_are_worthy.html
----------------------------------------------------------
Key: D
Verse 1:
Dsus2 Asus
G7 Asus
Dsus2
Dsus2 Asus
G7 Asus
Dsus2
©1986 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (ASCAP) (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.) ARR ICS UBP
All rights reserved. International copyright secured.
CCLI song #17384
(taken from http://www.pwarchive.com/song.aspx?SongID=753&v=1)
----------------------------------------------------------
See the full story:
First Message (2006)
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Music |
| Genre: | International |
| Artist: | 絢香 ayaka |
---------------------------------------------------
1 Start To O(Love)
2 Real Voice
3 Sha La La
4 ブルーデイズ
5 I Believe
6 Stay With Me
7 Melody
8 君のパワーと大人のフリ
9 永遠の物語
10 時を戻して
11 1.2.3.4
12 Story
13 ライラライ
14 三日月
15 Message
http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/1241083
Sunday, January 28, 2007
YouTube - The Prodigy - Firestarter [1996]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyFjUP6wyMA
OMG, it's been 10 years already! Still remember listening to this during army days~
Saturday, January 27, 2007
on the home being the hardest battleground....
yesterday's* night had the weirdest family quarrel ever. There I was putting down the house phone after confirming a friend's appointment for this Saturday, when my dad suddenly demanded that whether I was going out the same day. Realising that he must have overheard my conversation with my friend,** I said "Yes, I did".
Then my dad went into overdrive and started yelling at me for not informing him of my social calender. Deep down in my heart, I was thinking "Huh? For the last 10 years of my life, you never really cared my weekends and stuff, so what gives??" Well, I din try to get into a shouting match with him, but I did try to match him up in loudness. After a while, as we were both really getting loud, my dad had to use "Young man, you don't use that tone with me, I'm your father, understand?"
Well, that brought me up short. Didn't realise how loud my voice was getting that loud, so I tried to talk to my dad again in a lower volume. He is right, he's my "lao pei", so it's only right I give him the respect, no matter what he does or says. Then I slowly got the details out - my dad had to work the next day, and so couldn't be at home to supervise the HDB renovations. My mom, who went through it alone on the previous Saturday, has been nagging at my dad incessantly for the previous 6 days. So my dad was just doing the "husbandly" thing of ensuring there'll be people around the house the whole day with my mom.
My siblings and myself had actually planned to stay on that weekend, also because our mom has nagged at us. My mom has real security issues - she's afraid the workers will shortchange on everything during the renovation process, and she's afraid she cannot communicate with the workers because she cannot speak English that well. Back to us, I've actually checked with my siblings beforehand that they will be around in the house in the morning, so I went ahead to make that appointment with my friend. I didn't have the same fears as my mom so I didn't reason as she did: "All hands on deck and scrutinise the workers minute by minute!" I mean you gotta give space for the workers to work, rather than shadow their every move....
My mom, who was silent prior to my dad's and my shouting match, decided then to add in a dash of her "complaint and sob" show, just to get her point across. That's her way of contributing to the family discussion usually. I think after 25 minutes of that, I needed time out and get out of the room. I went to the living room and stilled myself down to pray. Can't exactly remembered the words, but think I prayed for strength, love and wisdom. Went back into my room and prayed for my mother, as she was the "spark" to this. Then I left it to the Lord to do His work amongst us. I still went out the next day to meet my friend, and came back to join in the supervision.
Looking back, it seems really funny how we can get into such a tense family situation, over such a trivial matter. But I guess that's the way life is - sometimes the home is the hardest battleground. I've gotta constantly remind myself to love my parents, and respect them - even sometimes the things that they do makes it very difficult for me to do so.
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Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
- Colossians 3:20-21 (NIV)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
*well, not yesterday's "yesterday"; but about 21 "yesterdays" ago...
**Not a hard thing to do, as we all talked very loudly in the family. Supposedly has to do with something about we originally came from Shanghai, and all Shanghainese talk at least in 80 dB (decibels)
^ 老爸
-------------------------------------------------------------------
P.S. Supposed to have posted this on the 09 Jan, but the PC screwed up while in the midst of posting it. So din have the heart to write it again immediately. But it's a good learning point, so here's sharing it with you folks.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”- Ephesians 6:12-13
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
on return of the Prodigal Son
That's the question my friend asked us as we started the Bible-Study session. I think for most of us who are familiar with the parables of Jesus, we would have guessed the above picture depicts the return of the wilful younger son to his family, from the parable of the Prodigal Son*.
Mr friend was inspired to share a few of his thoughts after reading Henri Nouwen's book titled appropriately The Return of the Prodigal Son. It's amazing that as he led, and we shared our thoughts during the discussion, new lessons flow from old stories.
Here are my few take-aways:
1) I never really ponder on the reactions of the elder brother in detail before. To me, he's just a jealous stereotype, a caricature of the Pharisees and teachers and lawyers which Jesus was saying the parable to at that time.
But one of my friends brought out an interesting point, with regards to the insecurities of the elder brother. It seems that the elder brother was never secure about his relationship to the father, despite having never left home like his wilful younger brother. He's also confused about the reaction of his father - "Does Father love my brother more than me?"
2) One of the most striking thing that the discussion brought out is that we are to graduated from the son-ship with God to the fatherhood of God. As children of God, we are to model after our Heavenly Father. Our Lord Jesus is called great in our lives not only because He's divine and can perform wondrous miracles; He is called Wonderful not only because He's compassionate and loves the whole world; Jesus is God first and foremost for being like His Father, the Holy of Holies. He obeyed the Will of the Father completely, and displayed the attributes of God fully. That is why we call Jesus fully God, fully Man.
As creature of God, we must be moulded by the Holy Spirit, to become from His creatures (creation), to His servants, to His children. And as children, we must become like our Father in Heaven fully, as we become His own, we are to display His likeness for His glory.
3) Last point is on going home. My friend who led brought up this interesting point. In Christian circles, amongst ourselves, we are always talking about seeking God, as if God is lost somewhere out there. But my friend said that in reading the book, he came to understand that God is not lost. It's we who are lost in our little pursuits in the world. We need to start make our way home to the Father, who's ever at home waiting patiently for us to return to Him... just like the prodigal son.
So look again at the picture, who do you see in this picture?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt from Henri Nouwen's
The Return of the Prodigal Son
*Luke 15:11-31
Monday, January 22, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
YouTube - 自拍--王心凌 Cyndi--Honey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCsEw7n3SBw
My colleague sent me this over last weekend, but it wasn't until just now till I opened it in office...
*Warning*
WILL seriously cause eyes' pain and nauseous reaction. Do not open if you are not lion-hearted...
My colleague sent me this over last weekend, but it wasn't until just now till I opened it in office...
*Warning*
WILL seriously cause eyes' pain and nauseous reaction. Do not open if you are not lion-hearted...
on sharing a drink....
another fundamental principle that stuck in my mind after another co-worker shared this during staff devotions. It has to do with the principle of hospitality.
Simply put - if I have a thirst and want to have a drink, it seems most probably the guy next to me also have a thirst and wants to have a drink too. So if I'm can get myself a drink to satisfy my thirst, I should get my fellow thirsty person a drink as well, so that his thirst can be slaked as well.
Same with our daily devotions and lessons gleaned in the Lord - we should not sting or hold back God's wisdom for ourselves only, while our fellow men are thirsting for the truth. If you see a fellow person searching, guide him or her to God's truth, in His wisdom.
---------------------------------------------
You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. - Nehemiah 9:20 (NIV)
(read also Matthew 25:31-46)
Saturday, January 20, 2007
on time and season for everything...
No doubt God send the rains and the sunshine to water and to make the harvest grow, but the farmers have to do certain things by a certain time. Till the land in spring and sow the seeds, take out the weeds while the plants grow in summer, and harvesting the mature crops in autumn, to store up for provisions to tide over winter. She said no self-respecting farmer would plant crops in autumn and expect to reap it in the same season - it just doesn't work that way.
Likewise, we should do the same with our lives. In order to receive the good things** that our Heavenly Father has in plan for us, we should partner with him in preparation. We must still continue to labor in certain areas in our lives, while trusting the God to send us His rains and sunshine.
Somehow the Lord led me back to this lesson in my own reflections. 3 weeks of January has flown past - just like that. In the figurative sense, I am coming out of the "winter" of 2006 and into the "springtime" of 2007. It's time to come out of the hibernation mode and shake off the comforts of warming by the fireside in my allegorical cottage. Time to take up the hoe and plow the gardens*** of my life, and await upon His rains and sunshine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Tried to Google- and Wiki-search the term "Law of the Farm" - but couldn't find it. Hmm, don't know whether my friend had copy-righted the term or not... :p
** Good things not because they are "blessings" in themselves (like physical and mental well-being, prosperity, a career/family/calling after one own heart's desires etc). But Good things because they are from our God who only wants the best from us - even when He permits sufferings, pains and tests to come along our way.
*** I'm a "small-time agro-owner" :p don't have big fields. Then again, could be because I'm a lazy person by nature - don't like having big stuff. Less efforts mah, in upkeeping. :D Maybe that's why I don't have a large inheritance... hmm, thoughts for another blog entry...
Friday, January 19, 2007
A Tale of Three Kings: A Study In Brokeness
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Religion & Spirituality |
| Author: | Gene Edwards |
Thin book, short story, powerful imagery.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
SKS Books Online
http://www.sksbooks.com/
SKS: Serving the King's Servant
SKS Book Warehouse
315 Outram Road , #09-03 & #10-05
Tan Boon Liat Building
Singapore 169079
Tel : 6227-9700
Fax : 6221-4595
Opening Hours :
Monday to Friday : 0900 Hrs to 1900 Hrs
Saturdays : 0900 Hrs to 1800 Hrs
Sundays : Closed
Public Holidays : Please refer to website for Opening Hours
How To Get To SKS Books Warehouse ?
1. From Outram MRT Station Bus: 16, 123, 75, 970
2. From Tiong Bahru MRT Station Bus: 16, 123, 63, 75, 970, 851
3. By Bus : 16, 123, 63, 75, 970, 851
Monday, January 15, 2007
Christian Chinese New Year E-cards
http://www.antioch.com.sg/postcards/chnycard3.shtml
My colleague forwarded this link to me. Can use this to spread His good news!
My colleague forwarded this link to me. Can use this to spread His good news!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
on the Joy of a Good Conscience
The glory of a good man is the testimony of a good conscience.[1]
Have a good conscience, and thou shalt ever have joy.
A goof conscience is able to bear very much, and is very cheerful in adversities.
An evil conscience is always fearful and unquiet.[2]
Thou shalt rest sweetly, if thy heart do not condemn thee.
Never rejoice but when thou hast done well.
Sinners have never true joy, nor feel inward peace; because “there is no peace for the wicked,” saith the Lord.[3]
If they should say, ”We are in peace, no evil shall fall upon us,[4] and who shall dare to hurt us?” believe them not; for upon a sudden will arise the wrath of God, and their deeds shall be brought to naught, and their thoughts shall perish.
2. To glory in tribulation, is no hard ting for him that loveth: for so to glory, is to glory in the cross of the Lord.[5]
That glory is short which is given and received from men.[6]
Sorrow always accompanieth the world’s glory.
The glory of the good is in their consciences, and not in the mouths of men. The gladness of the just is of God,[7] and in God; and their joy is of the truth.
He that desireth true and everlasting glory, careth not for what is temporal.
And he that seeketh temporal glory, or despises it not from his heart, showeth himself but little to love the glory of Heaven.
He enjoyeth great tranquility of mind, that careth neither for the praises nor dispraises of men.
3. He will easily be content and pacified, whose conscience is pure.
Thou art not the more holy, though thou be praised; nor the more worthless, though thou be dispraised.
What thou art, that thou art; neither canst thou be said to be greater than what thou art in the sight of God.
If thou consider what thou art within thee, thou wilt not care what men say of thee. Man looketh on the countenance, but God on the heart.[8] Man considereth the deeds, but God weighteth the intentions.
To be always doing well, and to esteem little of himself, is the sign of an humble soul.
Not to look for comfort by any creature, is a sign of great purity and inward confidence.
4. He that seeketh no witness for himself from without, doth show that he hath wholly committed himself unto God.
“For not he that commendeth himself, the same is approved,” saith Paul,”but whom God commendeth.”[9]
To walk inwardly with God, and not to be kept by any outward affection, is the state of a spiritual man.
(From Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, book 2 Chapter 6)
Thursday, January 11, 2007
on another entry about toilets again...
Just this morning, it was drizzling as I left the house for work. It was quite a heavy shower, so my sneakers/track-shoes got wet in the process.* Decided to try out the executive toilet at my new workplace within the Technopark. After a week of using the temporary toilet, I welcome the thought of having a hot water shower just before work, as well as to wash off the sticky feeling of wet socks and musty feet**.
The first thing I noticed when I turned the doorknob of the toilet was that it was unlocked. So my HR has warned me the executive toilet is shared by ALL the tenants of the offices along the same level, sometimes you might have ladies using the uni-sexual toilet space. Anyway, what greeted my eyes was a closed cubicle and an open one. So I was thinking, "yea, still got one available shower-stall at least..."
As I closed the door, I noticed a pair of jeans was hanging from the door spring. As my eyes travel up the hems of the jeans, I saw that the guy also took off his briefs while in the toilet! Basket, whoever that person was, he was treating the PUBLIC toilet as if it was his home's one.*** I stifled my laughter and looked around some more. Wa, he left a bunch of keys as well as his wallet on the sill of the wash-basin. Daring... and brainless^.
Well, I made a big hoo-hah of getting into the unoccupied toilet stall. Thanks God the water was already heated up. Since there was an unknown person in the stall next to me, I wasn't taking the chances or the luxuries of taking a slow shower. As I was taking off my clothes in double quick time,^^ suddenly the nice toilet music stopped. Apparently, it was coming from the guy's cell-phone. And the funniest exchange took place. It went like this:
------------------------------
Other guy: (in terse voice)
Excuse ME, do you know that I am in the in the TOILET?!
Me: (in calm, measured tone)
Er, yes^^^... Are you going to use the shower soon?
Other guy: (still in terse voice)
YES!!
Me: (in humble tone while trying to control my giggles)
Okkkaayyyy... since I'm already in, can I go ahead and use the shower for 5 to 10 minutes?
(Pause for 3 seconds)
Other guy: (in "bway gum guan" voice)
Okay...
[ Bold italics to show where stress is put upon intonation ]
------------------------------
well, I went ahead and took the best shower of the week. Hah, I know I shouldn't be so gloating, but it's soooOOO funny! "Bway tah han", what a humorous way to start off my Friday... God is good, and He really lightened up my heart with this incident.
------------------------------
*Dress down friday, no need to wear normal leather shoes mah...
** or is it musKy feet? You get the drift... :p
*** well, to give him all benefits of the doubt, it was before 8am on a rainy Friday morning, who would be so crazy enough so as to use the executive toilet??
^ what the Hokkien would term as "bo-nao", or 没脑...
^^ in about 5 seconds, which is slow already. My RSM (Regimental Sergeant-Major) would have bawled my brains out with lotsa salty language for being so slow...
^^^ *in Bak Chor Mee man's tone* Of course there is someone in the toilet la... If not who does the pair of jeans, briefs, and wallet belong to? the Karang Guni Man meh?! :D
^^^ Hokkien for "Not willing" or 不甘愿.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
on using the temporary toilet under the HDB flat...
Don;t get me wrong, I'm not complaining. In fact, am grateful that finally will have new toilets in the house, after nearly 30 years of seeing the same throne royale. One of my favorite responses from my friends and colleagues were like, "Eeewww, how can you bathe out in the open?"? I was like, "Hallo? It's in a cubicle, with OPAQUE walls." Best was when they say, " What if someone put in those pinhole cameras??"
To which I candidly reply, "Real sorry for them then, since they probably get an eyesore watching me in the buff..."
ARGH! MY EYES!! MY EYES!!!!!* :D
----------------------------------------------------
* only funny to those who watched "SpongeBoB SquarePants: the Movie".
Monday, January 8, 2007
Singapore 24.365
http://www.pray24-365.org.sg/
Pray for Singapore through a year!
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(from the main page)
Singapore 24.365 in a nutshell
- A one-year unbroken chain of prayer for revival in Singapore.
- 52 churches anchoring a week of 24.7 prayer each.
- The prayer week runs from Sunday noon to Sunday noon.
- A simple passing of the prayer baton from one church to the next during Sunday service.
- One coordinator per anchor church to keep the link intact from one church to the next.
- No standard approach. Each church may creatively activate 24.7 prayers however they prefer.
-------------------------------------------
" I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth."
Isaiah 62:6-7
Sunday, January 7, 2007
on waking up early to seek the Lord...
Last week we started off the 1st week with the church coming together to pray early in the morning for the first five days. We huddled together before the crack of dawn to seek the Lord in worship and prayers. It was a time of enjoying His presence. Here are a few takeaways:
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1) The Lord is good to me - He knows I can't afford the hefty cab fares from home to church, so He provided a SMRT bus service that's starts real early to take me to church. Even though I have to sacrifice some "beauty sleep"*, I still am very grateful in no need to fork out precious cash to make the journey from home to church.
2) It was a struggle whether to continue from the 3rd day onwards, as I didn't know how to get from church to office. As I'm only 4 weeks into my present job, it wouldn't be very nice if I came in 20-30 mins late after 8.30a.m. ...
But again He is faithful~ provided transport for me through a brother-in-Christ who also worked in the same technopark as I am! Am just so blessed that can go to work on-time and be blessed by the company of people who shared the car-pool. We not only just bask in the after-glow of the dawn prayer messages, but also shared a bit of each other's lives on the way to work.**
3) It's a challenge to come in to church, day after day at 6 a.m punctually. :p When the flesh really cries out for rest, and the spirit is weakened... Sometimes we don't hear the Lord very well like in time like that...
But I recognise the fact I need to seek the Lord early in the year, to clarify certain goals and issues in my life. Albeit I came with selfish intentions (to seek directions and be ministered) rather than just to dwell in His presence, the Lord is still good. He knows my every need, and continue to minister.
And then I realise why I have to come early in the morning. Sometimes the Lord speaks loudest when we are weakened, not resisting Him on our own strengths... Funny how we tend to do that at times, resisting God when we should be just submitting as His creatures.
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* Think I have a few more millimetres of darkness around my eye-bags... :P
** One of the most interesting things I remembered from the conversations on the car-ride was "How do you explain the Book of Revelations to kids? "
Bugging You...
http://img.tapuz.co.il/forums/8572800.swf
"Bugging you...."
My colleague sent me this early in the morning... Brighten up my day immensely!
Friday, January 5, 2007
TGIF (Today God Is First)
http://www.todaygodisfirst.com/
Introduced by one of my fellow "car-pool kakis" earlier this week.
For maketplace ministry.
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
on the much misunderstood chicken...
Somehow, when I heard that expression, I was like, "Eh, what wrong with being a 'chicken'"?
Do you know:
1) how a mother hen would fiercely protect her chicks if danger (either in the form of small ferret-y creatures, snakes, foxes or eagles) approach the nest/roost? For those who played the game "老鹰抓小鸡" in primary school before, you would have know how a mother hen would protect her brood under the shadow of her wings, when the eagle tries to snatch them out of her reach. That doesn't seems so cowardly to me...**
2) the talons and beak of a male rooster can tear a centipede into shreds, scratch out the eyes/feathers of his enemies in a cockerel fight, and generally do more harm than you can ever imagine?
hmm, i guess people just popularised the association of the common poultry as "dumb" and "cowardly", because you eat them for food, and they don't fight back.*** To the majority of the younger ones growing up thesedays thinking that chicken comes form the supermarket, I sure would like to see their faces when they come into contact with a live fowl. Hopefully, a jungle/"kampung" rooster at that... :D
So please, do not underestimate the Way of the Chicken!
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*You know, the usual slang for cowardliness
** Based on my hyper-imagination. I didn't grow up in a farm, so cannot say that this took place. And I don't think normal farm life would qualify for air-time on National Geography, so I can't verify this...
*** Well, Colonel Sandlers don't get much respect this day and age... Who's afraid of Colonel Chow's chicken?? :D
P.S. Yes, I know I shouldn't be having such deviant thoughts while listening to the message, but hey, those amusing thoughts just popped into my mind....
Monday, January 1, 2007
on how I spent the 1st day of 2007...
The message was consistent with what the Lord has been speaking to me through His words from the Bible and messages I hear from people and books I read these past few weeks. There is a need to stand firm on His promises, through faith in God's grace, and be done with lesser things in my life. Later in the time of praying in small groups, shared lives and prayers with a few brothers and sisters - was glad that I was able to be ministered and minister not only by the people, but also by the Holy spirit.
After the message and prayers, went to have a good time of breakfast fellowship. Caught up with with a few old friends and really treasured the time of joking and laughter, even though it was just for that short 20 minutes. After that, went to a friend's place to ransack her place for "loot", as she was throwing out stuff. :p Unfortunately, did not find anything I want. Did managed to "stun" the Nouwen book that I reviewed though, as I was captured by one of the paragraphs in the closing chapters.
Took a slow bus-ride to East Coast Park (ECP) around noon time, as I wanted to catch some sunshine and spend some time reading by myself. Was remarking to the friend that as we left her place, maybe it will rain ah, cos' the sky was overcast and can't see blue sky. However, by the time I reached East Coast, not only did I see blue open skies, but the sun was really blazing. It was remarkable as the weather in Singapore for the past two weeks has been nothing sort of monsoon-y.^ As my friend would wont to say, "God is goodeth! He heareth thou prayer for a sunny day, and have granteth the heart of thy desires..."^^
Made my natural dosage of Vitamin D under the shade of a tall tree at the ECP after a quick lunch. Read my devotional, read the Nouwen book, and had a short nap. Unfortunately, my i-Shuffle flashed the "low-batt" message, and so I wasn't able to prolong my stay. Went to town instead of returning home, as I deemed 3pm to early to return on a public holiday.
Was pleasantly surprised to find the Singapore Art Museum and Singapore History museum doing a free-admission open-house. The SAM had a great exhibition titled "Drawing Ground". It featured painting by 2 influential artist Srihadi Soedarsono and Chua Ek Kay. Was especially fascinated by Soedarsono's use of lush vibrant colors in simple strokes. The Singapore History Museum looked great after it's renovation and addition of a modern wing. Stayed till around 6 plus before heading over to Orchard for dinner. By the time i finished dinner, it started to drizzle heavily, so there was not much left to do save to go home and rest up for the next day...
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(pic taken from http://www.nhb.gov.sg/SAM/Exhibitions/OnShowNow/Srihadi+and+Chua+Ek+Kay.htm)
*Due to public holiday, the first bus left later than usual from the terminal.
** yea, I a more "half-full" than "half-empty" kinda mood yesterday.
^ Think English teachers would brandish a dictionary at me, and clobber me over the head with a huge thesaurus, at the way which I'm making new words and mangling the language. :D
^^ actually, don't think anyone speaks like this anymore. Just to appease the English teachers... or not~ :P
on learning about giving again...
haha, funny how the Lord has been teaching me about giving again. Always come back to a certain struggle, when I see the money in the back account dwindling again.
"To tithe or not to tithe?" Only 10% only what...
Then there will always be the rationalisation, that I remember my friend and some pastors say, tithing is no longer relavant, as it's part of the old system of law before Christ. If you want to give, you should give with a cheerful heart. Why only 10%? Give something that would cost you.
These are the many thoughts that fleet through my mind even as I went to draw the money out from my bank account.
Then I remembered again another thing as I dropped the money into the offering bag. Eh, this is not my money leh. This Is God's money, even the rest of the money in my bank account, not just the money I dropped in. Nothing in my life is mine - everything is supposed to be His leh. I'm only on "T-loan basis" with everything I have.
Funny how I have to relearn this lesson again and again... :p
In The Name Of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Religion & Spirituality |
| Author: | Henri J.M. Nouwen |
In this treasure of a book, Henri Nouwen presents a powerful vision of leadership for now and for the future. As he looks back at his own life, the author reflects upon the challenges and the solutions that are faced by today's Christian leaders. Nouwen questions many of the current perceptions of how to lead, and take the reader back to the lessons of scripture and the lived example of Jesus.
Thought-provoking, stimulating, this is a book for anyone already involved in leadership, and for all those who may be called to it. It will become a source of inspiration and renewal.
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eh, "stun"^ this book from my friend's place. Read it within the space of 2 hours at East Coast. A short book, but powerful and revelatory. Not just for leaders only, all Christians should read this modern mystical disciple's manual.
^ Singlish slang for "Borrowed"
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