While waiting

While waiting for Josh to pack up...... we'll be heading out in 10 minutes.

Anyway....do you know Michelle Weis and Sania Mirza? One Korean-American and the other Indian. What do they have in common?

Both are young. Both are rich. Both are great sportwomen in their fields. The former is the 3rd highest earning sportswoman in the world and only at 15-16 years old (who recently was disqualified in a golf tournament for cheating) and the latter was ranked 169 last year and this year as of now, she is ranked 32. Mirza has recently been given a fatwa which is an Islamic warning and it's for her dressing while playing tennis - she needs to cover her legs.

Oh well, while the rest of the world have sportswomen prodigys who are now in trouble, what about here, home, in Singapore. There's Wan Ting (I think, if I recall correctly...if not sounds something like that), an upcoming budding swimmer.....and yes reminds me of my swimming days.

Cheerio! God Bless! And see ya when I come back from Vietnam....hopefully in one piece.....

To God be the glory! ron

My Master

My master, I can never thank you enough
My master, you saved me
By your blood, your death, your suffering, your pain,
You bought me life

My master, how could it be
You brought meaning into my life
Now life's worth living
There is hope

My master you are alive,
Because you have resurrected,
You are now seated at God's right hand
You now rule as the perfect man over the heavens and the earth

My master, you called for obedience, to love you, to remain in you, to be fruitful,
You gave us the Holy Word and Spirit to help us
My master, I want to do it
My master, but sometimes I fail,
My master, forgive me,
My master, help me
My master, in your blood I am clean

My master, which nation should I go
to proclaim and live out Your Word
My master, to whom should I go
to proclaim and live out Your Word

My master, make within me your son that glorifies you
My master, use me to the fullest
My master, cause within me to serve you wholeheartedly
My master, You are the one!

My master, your servant is here.

Transfixed

There she was
In all her slendour
I looked and was transfixed

There she was
Moving so gracefully
I looked and was transfixed

There she was
She sang
I heard and was transfixed

Where in the world has one seen such beauty
Such exquisite lips, mesmerising eyes, elegant nose, intricate ears,
A voice like an angel
I was transfixed

My heart throbbing
My body weakening
My soul shiwering
My all in awe

She won't know
She will not know
How can she know
I would not tell?

Ah! I was transfixed.


[the she is purely fictious, if you are wondering....the poem transpired i guess due to inspiration to write a poem on the word transfixed in the context of love]

Eve of Vietnam

On the eve on Vietnam, so many things have happened. I mean happened since the last blog entry till now, the eve of Vietnam.

Thanks be to God for seeing me through a crazy week! Whereby by His Grace, I managed to finished 2 papers, 1 sermon, 3 talks, 1 workshop!

At least I can go to Vietnam with some ease. And it was a great reminder from Phil 4:6-7 that we are to turn our anxiousness to pray to the Lord, with thanksgiving and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

After mid-Nov, hopefully things will return back to normal....for now all anxiousness are to be turned to prayer....already.....many anxiousness has come to fruition!

And there are so many things to thank God for!

I thank God for a good friend. For seeing me through all those things that needed to be done.
For my sister getting a job, alas after many months of waiting and praying (pls Lord....save her).

And so many other things!

And I now know what April Snow means!

Juga, saya telah diberitahu saya fikir, barangkali b bukan untukmu. Well, saya mesti serahkan kepada Tuhan Mahakuasa....dalam masanya....saya pasti dia akan beritahu saya dengan jelasnya. Tuhan....saya sedang menunggu......yang penting sekarang....tiap-tiap hari saya mesti berpuas hati dengan salvation mu dan godliness.

With the visions of the City of God in my mind....I go to bed.......goodnite!

ps: housesitting was great! feeding animals makes me feel that I'm fulfilling God's mandate to mankind to rule over the animals. And having a car to drive was great but expensive. Too bad tadak wanita yang boleh bernikmati kereta denganmu....oh well!

Eragon

I recently bought a book (or should I say rent) and it's called 'Eragon'. It belongs to the fantasy genre and it's been a while since I read one. I was initially hesistant to buy it because ever since I read 'Magician' when I was 15, I have yet to find any fantasy book that came close to it (ok maybe exaggerating a bit). Nevetheless, I've read lots of other fantasy book series like David Edding's Belgarian series, the dungeons and dragons originial series written by margaret weis and tracy hickman, Shannara series by Terry Brooks plus others. The other more acute reason is because after a while....it's all about the same things...just rehash and presented differently.

So I was hesitant. But then I thought I'll just pick it up and have a glance....to feel the world of fantasy again....to my surprise...the first few pages of eragon was quite interesting and grapping. Perhaps it was the style of the writer, perhaps it was the storyline....i like the idea of a nobody set in a small town, becoming someone big in due time and perhaps it was the fact that it was the no.1 sunday times bestseller at some point in 2004, perhaps also it involves dragons which I do have a fascination for, perhaps i was in the right mood, perhaps ......anyway...i bought the book.

And it has been an enjoyable read so far. Given my busyness, I forsee myself making only good attempts to finish it after mid-Nov. Then perhaps sometime I can embark on book 2 called 'Eldest' which came out August this year. These books are part of the Inheritance Trilogy.

Oh...and i just discovered that a film on eragon will be released next year and its production is currently underway in Budapest.

Cheerio!

Goal!!!

Yo! It's been a while since my last entry. Basically swarmed by work and my brain is currently almost dried up which explains why I'm blogging at this hour - to relax the mind. Right now, it's raining cats and dogs. Really heavy torrential downpour.

Anyway, an ad for a movie caught my attention recently...well more of the catch cry that was in the ad...which is there is 'one word that unites the world.....[pause]......goal!!!' then scenes of goals being scored fills the screen. Wow, true isn't it, probably soccer is the most played sport around the globe. And btw....the next world cup is next year.

And from the Christian point of view, the one word that should unite the world should be Chriiiiiist! For in Christ, no matter what enthic background, what lauguage you speak, what you eat, what you wear, or how you pronounce English words,.....if you are in Christ....we are one ....the body of Christ....the church. So let's shout, 'Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole......Ole, Ole....Christ!!! in the spirit of the famous soccer cheer.

Gambling

Hi! I recently attended a meeting, while it is still fresh in my mind :-

It seems that gambling is wrong from the Christian perspective on the account of 4 principles which are (I hope I remembered them correctly :) :

a) it breaches ....ah can't remember...
b) gambling operates on chances....this runs contrary to living on trusting God rather than on chances
c) it breaches the love your neighbour commandment...as one's gain results in another's loss
d) it promotes coveteouness or greed which will lead to idolatry to greed, in other words breed the worship of money rather than God.

However, while holding the above principles as true, some Christians say that there is room for certain kinds of gambling.

So for e.g Richard Baxter (a puritan) in the 17th century, says that 'recreational gambling' is ok. recreational in the sense of having fun or making a point in a social or close relationship context for eg amongst friends. like one would call a 'friendly wager'. and usually this sum is small. Hmm....what do you think?

Anyway this is for food for thought.

Goodnite!

Serendipity

Guess what? Natalie Grant is a Christian....and 'Held' (currently no.1 on the American Christian chart) is from her album 'Awaken'. How coincidence is that, as I use the phrase 'wake up' on my sharing of Ezekiel 1-11? (read her story on her website on how she was woken up or awaken!)

And another coincidence?..... as I shared on home/family - 2 entries ago, guess what I discovered the following morning as I opened the mail from the Briefing....there is an article on the family during the Reformation period.

Then at the SBC book sale, I bought a book on a reader on the reformation and an OT book which contain a great, really great article on the Psalm. And when I think of it....see the connections?

Wow....'Held' is truly a great song....listen to the lyrics.....

Coincidence? Serendipity or simply God's providence, His sovereignity at work! :)

ps: i guess if you're my neighbour, you will know what song will be filling the air over the next few days (ha!).

Listening to the radio

Wah I'm been listening to class 95 tonite as I embarked on writing the first paper for my ordination. On my spiritual journey.

Anway, it's been ages since I listened to the radio and for that long. Made me realised how out of touch I've been. Perhaps I've to start listening to American Top 40. The last time I listened to it was when I was a teenager!

I was glad that I learned that the song which I heard the other day is called 'Held' sung by Natalie Grant. Tis a beautiful song. Definitely a must hear. Catch it if you can.

Writing and listening is reminiscent of my schooling days! How cool! Yeah locked in this world of studying, pondering, thinking, writing, being absorbed in this world.

Read Ezekiel 1-11 this morning, was thoroughly struck by it, yeah was really absorbed into it, the phrase that kept appearing was 'and/then they will know that I am the LORD'. To see God's anger, fury on his people who worship idols, not obeying His law. In his judgment and restoration of Israel....it's for the purpose of so that 'they will know that I am the LORD' says Yahweh.

Wow....God had to do this like to drive into the rebellious hearts of the Israels....to punish them severely using the Babylonians and then to restore them as a wake up call like blowing the trumpet loudly at their faces so that they will realise that God is Yahweh, the God of Israel, the God who created the world and saved them from the Egytians. And therefore, deserve their thorough devotion, their thorough worship, their thorough obedience, love to Him. How dare they worship idols and not obey Him and behave like the other nations!

I guess, even for us, sometimes God has to use a severe incident in our lives to wake us up! To wake up our rebellious hearts. So that we may repent, come to our senses and worship the true and living God! Only Him and Him alone deserve our devotion and worship. No other.

Goodnite!

Home

You know when michael buble's song came out 'home'.....(i actually learned about this song through the movie - ? can't remember...a romantic comedy which came out first half of this yr which featured a few of mb's songs), the song is really beautiful.

And the song makes me think about home. Home where we can go back to, our solace, our refuge, our comfort, somewhere where we feel safe, feel nice, feel at ease, be ourselves and if we have good relationships with our family members.....wah....it's great to be home...to hear familiar voices, people who understand you w/o saying a single word, your good, bad and ugly side, where there is love despite the arguments and quarrels, there is real care despite the apparent 'i don't care' attitude...for deep down....there is the bond...always caring, concern, loving.

Of course this also makes me think of our heavenly home. Where Jesus said in John, God will prepare a room for us in his home. Yes we are aliens in this world....refugees, strangers, yeah would be nice to back to our 'real' home, the home that is supposed to be - where God and His people live in his perfect world. No more pain, sorrow, sadness, suffering, sin, quarrels, there will be peace, harmony, perfect relationships. That is the real home.

I guess when one thinks of home - the family has to come into the picture. For what really makes the home are the people - the family. When I think of family - of course I think of my own family....but tonite i am thinking more of the family sitcoms that I grew up with - like the cosby show, family matters, growing pains, family ties and more recently....the series have ended after 9 years is Everybody loves Raymond - yeah i really look forward to watching every episode....it was showing on Sunday evenings then move to tuesday evenings in Sydney. So sad that is over.

But there is just something magical watching good family sitcoms.....for they depict...God's creation - the family in action .... the ups and downs, the relationships between family members...the learning, the hurting, the forgiving, the fun, the laughter, the crying, just being there and going through things with each other..... simply beautiful.

So i wonder which family sitcom can take over everybody loves raymond? i guess one have to just wait.

Speaking of good family sitcoms....it also makes me think of good couple sitcoms like mok and mindy, king of queens, mad about you, Dharma and greg, etc....

Of course there is also perfect strangers, moonlighting, remington steele, etc

Ah are there good sitcoms or good dramas these days?.....maybe....but yet to endear me as much as those I've mentioned.... i guess the late 90s and 2000s belong to a different era.... now families are more dysfunctional, relationships are messed up or perhaps the shows now tend to show the darker side of things....more daring to show the so called more 'real' side of things.....but perhaps..... showing good wholesome ones are better - why? - because perhaps they serve as better models for us to follow - they are not perfect - but they are real - in that there are ups and downs....it's organic - living thing - changing - but we are constantly learning, they inspire.

are those sitcoms any different from the situation today? i think the principles remain the same. perhaps they can use the same principles and apply them to today's so called more realistic home situations.

Oh the family...... lot's of work needs to be done by all family members, but i guess it's difficult when both mummy and daddy are working - don't spend time with the children, when maids take over the parental relationships,......the family.......oh parents wake up and spend time with your children...after all the hand that rocks the cradle rocks the world. Spend time with the family....build the home a good wholesome one.....of course if one is a christian...build solid Christian homes on Christ....

Ah the family....well of course....we who are Christians....belong to another really big family...yes the family of God...those in Christ....who are sons and daughters of God (Romans 8) and hence we call each other brothers and sisters in Christ.

And so we have this set of family to spend time with and work on these relationships too!

Ok, as mb sings home, i think of my home in M'ca, melbourne, sydney, singapore, God-willing my future own home, and of course....the heavenly home.

Oh....I want to go hooooooooome......home...oh hooome.......I'm coming back home. :)

Post M'ca

Hi! Am back. Ok some quick random sharing:-

- correction....my dad turned 62! ahyo! how could i make that mistake :) oh well.....my mum is the one turning 60....this dec. the b'day celebration was quite good....dinner...then had ice kachang on the beach by the sea, cut the cake at home.... (in the midst of all that, the malaysian cup soccer final was being played....selangor won 3-0 against perlis)

- hmm....on hindsight...wow....bali was bombed that night too. sad state....pray...

- tonite or should i say on sunday nite, celebrated 2 other b'days together....had nice dinner next to the esplanade, cut the cake near the sea, had drinks at california bistro (i think)....

At JFN....Ephesians 2:8-9 was studied......and so it lingers in my mind as i go to bed.....

ps: in desparate housewives....they used the narrator style technique...hmm...was rather surprise that they still use it.....and it still works....well it worked for malcom in the middle, the wonder years, ally mcbeale (i think), so why not.....it works even in the mid 2000s!