the time of singing has come!

First, my favourite bag's zipper broke.

Then i think i lost my rubberband (my Tj netball team rubberband! Yes. i still have it.) on my pa's bus.

Then my pretty new pink sandals broke. The straps totally tore off the edge of my sandals.

And its only half way thru the day today.

Whats gonna happen still?

It better be good tmr (Stats Exam!!)!

Yes this is a concept of Buddhism. That everything is essentially nothing but karma. There is no such thing as a 'self' according to Buddhism. Well, i hope im not appearing to be selling the idea to you. In fact, i hope for the opposite. that you may disagree with the concept of no-self and agreE with me that we all have a soul.

In any case, i am one who is for the pursuing of the truth. As in, I think that everyone shld have a certain understanding of the various faiths. Of course, research and seek the truth with caution too because many things may not be what they are said to be. dun rush into it but seriously seek it with all your heart. The truth can never fall. It is there waiting for the faithful to discover and receive.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

Im confused by the many religions that i've cramped in my head for my religion paper just now. I am glad that it is over but as i walk back to my hostel, i cant help but feel.. empty. hah. thats why i was reminded of the nothingness concept in Buddhism. In fact, as i said my prayers before i ate my (late) lunch, i cried. Its so weird. i dunno what's wrong with me!

It could be the paper. It could be that the stall sold finish wan tan mee. It could be that my sis wanted to meet me for dinner but i've bought my food. It could be the seemingly unfamiliarity i felt among the girls whom i met after my paper. It could be the gloomy weather. It could be that he is down with fever. It could be the lack of socialization for the past one week plus.

Well, i've been cooping myself inside my hostel room to study. But i cant tell you if it is more effective than if you study at the library with friends or stay home to study. I dun know. I think it is taking its toll on me already. Im starting to feel the after-effects now.

And yes, i have a high need for things staying the right way and going smoothly. I still cannot deal with changes that readily i guess.

But I guess the main reason is that i haven been giving time to God as well, though i am alone most of the time in my room. I believe that the 'empty' feeling i had in my heart is for a good cause. In fact, i feel very little anxiety over this exam as though they are all in the hands of God. I felt peaceful. There was this indescribable peace in my heart that actually left me feeling funny! because this is so unlike me! usually this period of time is when im most frustrated, most easily agitated, most anxious and most depressed! I attributed it to the grace of God.

And so perhaps, i haven been giving enough thanks to God for this peace. And this peace evolved to become emptiness. Nope, I am not saying that God made it to become so but that because i haven been attributing it to God, on my part, i forgot about the grace and even the presence of God, who is always with me.

Yes, maybe i cried because i was "awakened". when i once again humbled myself before God and thanked Him.

Anyway, i will definitely miss religion class and my religion mates. I love discussing issues on faith with them!! and i know that if they sincerely search for the truth, they can find it! (i can imagine ZhiSheng's skeptical look now!)

Well... one more week to go (and people are already proclaiming that they finished their exams alr on MSN)... endure till the end!

A man found a cocoon for a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no farther. Then the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily.

Something was strange.

The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand, was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the small opening of the cocoon are God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through all our life without any obstacles, that would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

Not only that, we could never fly.

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One paper down... abnormal paper was fairly predictable and manageable because Dr Lee promised to make it so. im glad i managed to study finish all that is required (which is usually not possible). Thank God it was a good start to my exams! But my sleep patterns are severely disrupted!! my bedtime now is like 6 to 12 noon!! and im like sleeeeepiest at 1 to 2pm!!! Thank God my paper was 230pm just now!

Remember guys, dun hate the struggles in your life. They are there to make you stronger and better. It takes time..... but dun take short cuts. Hang in there!

Added two more links to my blog... they are blogs by church brothers from the church i am attending (True Jesus Church). I hope they dun mind. :P

Added them in because i really enjoy reading their blog entries. Makes me think and ponder more over matters of faith. They dun write very often so just pop in there once in a while to receive edification ya?

In the meantime, i shall go into hibernation. In actual fact, i haven got much time left to study for my exam! I haven start. All my textbooks look as good as new. eerrrh. im quite dead? I thank God that i still feel peaceful at heart, as though knowing that panicking won't help and that everything will turn out fine in the end. BUT still, i must do my part and study HARD for the next 2 weeks.

Shall go into hibernation now.... but might still pop by when i cannot resist the urge to talk about matters of God and faith. hee. (:

There was this museum laid with beautiful marble tiles with a huge marble lady statue displayed in the middle of the lobby.

Many people came from all over the world just to admire this beautiful marble lady statue.

One night, the marble tiles started talking to the Marble lady.

Marble tile: Marble lady, it's just not fair, it's just not fair! Why does everybody from all over the world come all the way here just to step on me while admiring you? Not fair!

Marble lady: My dear friend, marble tile, Do you still remember that we were actually from the same cave?

Marble tile: Yeah! That's why I feel it is even more unfair. We were born from the same cave and yet we receive different treatment now. Not fair!

Marble lady: Then, do you still remember the day when the designer tried to work on you, but you resisted his tool?

Marble tile: Yes, of course I remember. I hate that guy! How could he use his tool on me, it hurt so badly.

Marble lady: That's right! He couldn't work on you at all as you resisted being worked on.

Marble tile: So???

Marble lady:When he decided to give up on you and start working on me instead, I knew at once that I would be something different after his efforts. I did not resist his tool, instead I bore all the painful tools he used on me.

Marble tile: Mmmmmmmmm??

Marble Lady: My friend, there is a price to everything in life. Since you decided to give up half way, you can't blame anybody who steps on you now.

The Moral of the story is:
The more hard knocks you go through in life, the more you'll learn and put them to use in the future.
Do not be discouraged by setbacks, challenges and failures.
There is No gain without any pain
What's past is past, you can't change it, but it is actually a blessing in disguise.
Past was good, present is better and the future will always be the best.

For us true Christians, it's a calming reassurance that the trials and viccisitudes of life are meant to mold us into the perfect image of Christ. The hard knocks every once in a while all add up to make us the Master's beautiful masterpiece.

KEEP YOURSELF FOCUSED ON YOUR HIGHEST VALUES, YOUR GOALS, AND YOUR ASPIRATIONS IN this Life and The Eternal Kingdom, Not Forgetting that it is God who will guide you through all that you undertake.

My Personal thoughts:
Have you allowed God to mould you? Have you, because of the sufferings and persecution faced, rejected God to work on you, to renew you? Are you, therefore, like the marble tile, who rejected the designer's work and came to regret it only at the end? At the end, when nothing more can be done to change things. That is, at the Second Coming of Christ.

Or are you like the Marble Lady? Who endured the pain and sufferings that came with the work of the designer. Who understood the meaning of "endurance till the end" to receive a far better prize. Who understood the will of the designer, which was to change her into something better. Do you understand the will of God? Do you realise the reasons for your sufferings in Christ? Only when you do, then can you fully submit to the beautiful will of God.

I do not think that people are truly growing cold in their hearts. Rather, i think the majority do not understand their faith well enough and they lack the motivation to do so. But this isn't good. This means that one's foundation in God will not be strong and this leaves a foothold for the devil!

Also, understand that God treats all man equally and fairly. Equal opportunities were given to the Marble Tile and the Marble Lady to be worked on.

If you are currently facing persecutions or sufferings because of your faith in Christ, do not give up. This means that He has already started work on you. Do not give up halfway. Suffer a little while, endure to the end and He will give you the Crown of Life.

Note also that He doesn't give up on you. Just that the deadline is when He comes again. He is constantly trying to work on you. Its a matter of whether you are resisting His work. Not whether He is working on you or not.

Do not come to regret it at the end.


"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. "
1 Peter 5:8-10

Remember my entry a few days back on April 5 on "God takes pride in the simple-minded"? On friday April 7, God showed me these verses during service.

When i came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as i proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

1 Corinthians 2:1-7

I was so excited when i read these verses. They spoke exactly what i had meant. Im glad that what i thought is in line with the thoughts of Apostle Paul :) and so they must be acceptable and pleasing to God.

Preacher Chin also posted the same question to the congregation again, encouraging us to find the answer ourselves, not wanting to reveal it yet.
The question is "Why was Elijah the representative of the prophets (and Moses the rep of the Law) when Elisha performed even greater miracles and deeds than him? Erh somewhere along that line.
[see Matthew 17:1-3 Jesus was talking to Moses and Elijah. see 2Kings 13:21 even the dead body of Elisha could bring a man back to life!]
i have to admit my bible knowledge is very limited. i especially dunno what was going on during the Old Testament time! :S i guess i must read more.. but if anyone of you know the answer, tell me!

Have you ever felt a pain in the pit of your soul that just won't go away?

He felt it, too.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isa 53:3)

He lived to the age of thirty-three and He was used to being alone. No one understood or cared to understand anything He said, even though He had words beyond the wisdom of the greatest philosophers; beyond the beauty of the greatest poets. No, they shook their heads at Him. At one point in His life, they all left Him except for a small band of ragtag disciples. There were even those who tried to find any way they could to kill Him because of His words.

Who wouldn't be sorrowful with all of that? Worst of all, He knew that the day was coming. He understood that every verse in Scripture that spoke of unspeakable suffering was about Him. Imagine how He must have felt whenever He read those verses above.

He knew that all that everyone else in the world was enjoying, from the joys of having a family to even the comfort of a home and a warm bed to sleep in, were things that He would never be able to enjoy. He knew that God had one purpose in His being on earth, and that one purpose was to die.

If you're feeling sad, know for certain that He knows how you feel. He's been there. If you're suffering, He knows how you feel, because He suffered unspeakable agony on the cross. If you're lonely, he was lonely beyond description. Even His own disciples didn't understand him. If you're feeling pressure, He knows how you feel. He bore the sins of mankind on His shoulders.

His heart is aching with yours. He loves you so much that He did all He could for you. He loves you like a shepherd. Even to the point of laying down His life for you.

He brings rich gifts to you. He shed His blood for you so that one day, you might have the chance to be washed in His blood, and that all your sins may be forgiven for eternity. He died so that He would rise again and send the Comforter, the promised Holy Spirit, down for you.

And when you receive the promised Holy Spirit, Christ truly dwells in you. Even when you're feeling alone, you can be assured that you're not really alone, but have within you His constant presence--an unquenchable source of strength and sufficiency.

Despite your broken heart, despite anything you've done in the past, He is there. He knows how you feel because He's been there. Before you even know him, he has already loved you today more than anyone can ever love you.

The Bible says that we all, like sheep, have gone astray. It's true, isn't it? We've wandered far from God, and the farther we roam, the more lost we become. We encounter sorrows and pain in life because we've become disconnected with Him. But even so, He still loves us, more than ever. He tends His flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart, and He gently leads those that have young.

A funny thing happens when you accept Jesus Christ as your shepherd. You find that His grace is always there, and is always enough for you. When your soul hungers, He leads you into the open green pastures. When your soul is filled with anxiety, He leads you beside the calm, still waters. No matter how broken your soul become in this life, He restores it. Even when faced with death, or the slings and arrows of our enemies, He is there.

How do you rush term paper and project when you have an unanswered question? an unsolved problem? a broken heart?

How do you study for your final exams in this manner?

Do you solve it first? Or do you bury yourself with work, hoping that something gets in, even though every 5 min you find yourself staring into the empty space in front of you? Do you sleep the days away, hoping that something will have changed for the better when you wake up?

Only 34 hours to the deadline for my term paper.
Only 4 days to the deadline for my jap project.
Only 12 days to the start of my exams.

Am i dead or what?

--The solution can be very difficult. But actually, it can also be very simple. If only you knew.

today i had my last lectures for stats as well as religion. They went well, although i still cannot help dozing off at times. haha but overall i really felt that they were good wrap-ups of each module. im gonna miss my stats mates! in other words, my psych gang!! they include tsunting, vivien, wenhui, irene, xinyu and the extra Zhengwei. haha we took photos after stats lecture today using tsun's ever-available camera. You dunno she keeps the camera with her always so that she can constantly take photos of herself?? hahah. i'll also miss Chua Fook Kee leh. He's stupidly funny! yep and like what tsunting said, i know this bunch of friends are gonna walk me through my uni life too! and im thankful for them. and thankful for God that He places them into my life. next sem must take same modules as them again!! pple, dun take abnormal psych la!!

i also had fun in religion class. exposure to the different world religions and getting to understand these faith better. Im sure it will help in some ways when im preaching to people. I also think that it isn't by chance i got to know people like YongHao, Zhi Sheng. They are really nice seniors who helped me in many ways, especially with term papers. I thought NUS was pretty much a cold-blooded place whereby people are left to fend for their own survival. haha nobody will be so kind as to help you. If you are lagging behind, you are lagging behind. They will just say "goodbye" to you. haha. But they helped to change my perspective a little. I also look up to them for their academic knowledge. They seems to always know what they are talking about and have their own opinions (backed up with facts) about issues. I hope to be at their standard when i am a senior in year3.

hahah.. i am back again. i need to praise myself! i was totally clueless about managing a blog before this. i mean i can simply write and post alright but i wouldn't know how to post photos, how to modify the template, how to change the skin etc. im totally a idiot when it comes to all these. BUT. im slowly grasping the concept! See! i added new things to my template after some experimentation. im just worried i might have done something wrong that the creator of the skin might sue me about? BUT. i actually figured out that < "br" > means the empty row in between!! does it mean "break"??

hahah, i know i know, i am just stupid. but so proud of my own discovery! all by my self! gotta run again...

there is a heated debate over whether Hitler was a Christian or not in this blog http://helives.blogspot.com. look up the title (dated April 03, 2006) On the touchy subject of "true Christians" and read all the comments posted! i posted a comment under "passerby" too!! (exciting!!) some comments are cheem.. you'll need time to ponder over them and digest but not bad a read if you got the time!

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Pardon my immature arguments and discussion. after reading others' blogs, i came to realise how 'small' and simplistic my arguments sound like..

but then again, sometimes, simplicity is a beautiful thing, isn't it? In this complicated world today, i guess simplicity is really rare already. How many simple-minded people can we find today around us? Not many, except those young children and those who are intellectually-slower.

I wish i can write lengthy strong arguments for God, to argue for God's case and to win people over to Christianity. hah. but i am still lacking that gift. i am still very immature in my thoughts and haven seen much of the world yet i would say.

But, even though wisdom and knowledge is useful, only wisdom from above is truly beneficial to us. Worldly wisdom aids one in this life, allows one to be respected and consulted because of the wisdom but most of the time, worldly wisdom is what causes one to fall away from God. It is difficult for most of them, who keep questioning all the time and demand answers based on reasoning and logic and science, to come to know God. It is difficult for the worldly-wise to bow down to God and humble oneself before God, acknowledging Him to be the Almighty.

The Pharisees etc in the Bible thought that they were spiritually-wise. To some extent, they may be. They are the ones who knows the Scriptures and the laws. but they do not understand the will of God. and they have reached an extent that they forgot to humble themselves before God. They might not think that they are greater than God, but they thought that they were greater than the common people, esp those tax-collectors and non-Jews. So, they lack the wisdom from above.

I pray that though i lack worldly wisdom (i can never argue that well in my academic works), He may grant me spiritual wisdom so that through my words, i may speak for Him.

Through my simple words and my simple faith, i still hope that i can win some over to God. And i also hope that God takes pride in my simple-mindedness. :)
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ps. i just spent the whole afternoon blogging!! eeks. whats gonna happen to my projects!? seriously shld just consider making it my career writing for God? That is, if God grant me the gift first. :) gotta run now!

recently i started my new hobby of blog-reading... especially those of christian content.. its really edifying some of those entries that i read. if only i've more time to do that regularly. Is there a job related to reading christian blogs?? If only more of us take the time to read up and search for the truth, discuss about the truth, debate about the truth, then i believe more of us will be able to find God.
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A question that most non-believers will ask-- If God created everything, did He create satan? Did He create evil? haha sebastian asked me this before. i tried to answer but i think i didnt answer that well. Read the story below to understand better ("kop" from LQ's blog after linking from serene's. hee) got to warn you that its gonna take some time to finish though but please take some time to read it :)

The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"
"Yes, sir."
"So you believe in God?"
"Absolutely."
"Is God good?"
"Sure! God's good."
"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
"Yes."
"Are you good or evil?"
"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly.

"Ahh! THE BIBLE!"
He considers for a moment.

"Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"
"Yes sir, I would."
"So you're good...!"
"I wouldn't say that."
"Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could... in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't."
(no answer)
"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"
{No answer}

The elderly man is sympathetic.
"No, you can't, can you?"
He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones.

"Let's start again, young fella."
"Is God good?"
"Er... Yes."
"Is Satan good?"
"No."
"Where does Satan come from?"
The student falters.
"From... God..."
"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he?"

The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair andturns to the smirking, student audience.

"I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen."
He turns back to the Christian.

"Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"
"Yes, sir."
"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"
"Yes."
"Who created evil?"
{No answer}
"Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness. All the terrible things - do they exist in this world?"
The student squirms on his feet
"Yes."
"Who created them?"
{No answer}

The professor suddenly shouts at his student.

"WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!"

The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Christian's face.
In a still small voice:"God created all evil, didn't He, son?"
{No answer}

The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails.

Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized.
"Tell me," he continues,"How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time?"

The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world.

"All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"
{No answer}
"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?"
Pause.
"Don't you?"

The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers,"Is God good?"
{No answer}
"Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks.
"Yes, professor. I do."

The old man shakes his head sadly.
"Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you seen Him?"
"No, sir. I've never seen Him."
"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"
"No, sir. I have not."
"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus... in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"
{No answer}
"Answer me, please."
"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
"You're AFRAID... you haven't?"
"No, sir."
"Yet you still believe in him?"
"... yes..."
"That takes FAITH!"

The professor smiles sagely at the underling.
"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son? Where is your God now
{The student doesn't answer}
"Sit down, please."
The Christian sits... Defeated.

Another Christian raises his hand.
"Professor, may I address the class?"

The professor turns and smiles.
"Ah, another Christian in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering."

The Christian looks around the room.
"Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a questionfor you. Is there such thing as heat?"
"Yes," the professor replies."There's heat."
"Is there such a thing as cold?"
"Yes, son, there's cold too."
"No, sir, there isn't."

The professor's grin freezes.
The room suddenly goes very cold.
The second Christian continues.
"You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold otherwise we would be able to go colder than -458. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence.
A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.

"Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
"That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"
"So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"
"Yes..."
"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, brightlight, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you...give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?"

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him. This will indeed be a good semester.

"Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"
"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

The professor goes toxic.

"Flawed...? How dare you...!"
"Sir, may I explain what I mean?"
The class is all ears.
"Explain... oh, explain..."

The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

"You are working on the premise of duality," the Christian explains.
"That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it."

The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it.

"Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor. Is there such a thing as immorality?"
"Of course there is, now look..."
"Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?"
The Christian pauses.
"Isn't evil the absence of good?"

The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless. The Christian continues.
"If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing? The Bible tells us it is to see if each one of us will, of our own free will, choose good over evil."

The professor bridles.

"As a philosophical scientist, I don't view this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable."
"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going,"the Christian replies.
"Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."
"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.

"Professor. Since no-one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?"
"I'll overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.

"So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
"I believe in what is - that's science!"
"Ahh! SCIENCE!" the student's face splits into a grin.
"Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."
"SCIENCE IS FLAWED..?" the professor splutters.

The class is in uproar.
The Christian remains standing until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"

The professor wisely keeps silent.
The Christian looks around the room.

"Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?"
The class breaks out in laughter. The Christian points towards his elderly, crumbling tutor.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain... felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?"
No one appears to have done so.

The Christian shakes his head sadly.
"It appears no-one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says the professor has no brain."
The class is in chaos.
The Christian sits... Because that is what a chair is for.

it's really is quite a lengthy story. i think its a discussion over faith and science. but dun misunderstand us christians as disputing science. Science does go hand-in-hand with the Bible too. but this is another discussion altogether.

one thing i just want to stress is the concept that "evil is the absence of good". actually i think i was taught this on my theolo yr1. :) i was quite enlightened! i didnt define evil in this way before this. i guess i was still confused (like most christians in the world, i would say) over the concept of "did God create evil". but now everything's so clear. God did create satan. but God didnt create evil. evil comes about when there is no good. and this is the choice God gives us - to choose good or evil. God created everything to be good. but when we (and satan) chooses not to be good, then there will be evil in the world. i hope the story made the concept clear to you.

I also feel that it is important for all Christians to really know what we believe in so that when people question our faith, we are always ready to answer them.

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Peter 3:15-16

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i think i need to revamp my blog soon. ok, i'll do it after my exams. bear with me for one more month!! i think i need to get another skin. this one is sweet but i think i need one that allows comments at the end of each entry plus a bigger window for my entries. otherwise reading my blog can be quite difficult right, esp when i write lonng entries? yep, i hope also to make this a space for glorifying God. By sharing and discussing about God and the Truth, i hope to grow in faith with fellow believers. I guess this is one way i can serve God for now. :)

WHAT!?

There is no netball training today.

i want to plaaaayyyy.

currently facing a mix of emotions that i've become confused about how to express my feelings.. my just-passed social psychology mid-term test result was offset by my religion term paper actually getting a A-!!! i was so afraid that i was gonna get double the da3 ji1... i was praying repeatedly to God while flipping through the pages of my paper till i reached the last page and there was a big A-!! so glad! my first paper that i actually write for academic purposes! good start! i dun care if majority get As or A+, i shan't go and find out. then i will remain happy abt my grade. (:

i got bored reading my materials for jap project that i went to search for blogs for read.. i came across www.messychristian.com.. found some of the discussions and opinions interesting.. yep, will update my links soon.

Bible verse of the day from Bible.com:
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:12-13

I hope to be able to discuss daily about Godly stuffs but sometimes i am just too tied down by worldly commitments and issues. ):

Avolition.

Alogia.

Anhedonia.

Affective flattening.


This emptiness in my heart is weighing down on me, pulling me down and down and down...

This void feels so heavy.



--- actually, im missing you.

i am depressed...

i am not.

i am stupid.

i am a stats pro.


i need help with stats, basically. and need help managing my time better.

i need junkies and chocolates, really.

ohh i really want to comment abt the forwarded email "The Missing Piece" as well. I really like it and i've forwarded to most pple on my mailing list.. if any of you dun have it and wants to take a look, just leave a msg at my tagboard. It was one of the best forwarded email i've received i would say. It talks abt this supposed circle-shaped figure missing a piece (imagine a cake after a slice is cut away) and how he went on his search to find his missing piece so that he may be perfect and happy.

while on his journey, he experienced the hot weather and rain, and even snow, went thru shrubs and up mountains, across the ocean... but he also chatted with a worm, smell the flowers, raced with the beetle and played with the butterfly. The reason he could do all these was because, missing a piece, he cant move that fast.

finally, he came upon many "pieces". one declared he wasn't anyone's piece. some were too small, too big, too sharp, too squarish. even when he found the "perfect fit", one slipped because he didnt hold on tightly to it and dropped it. another broke because he held on to it too tightly.

He continued on this journey nonetheless and met with dangers - shot by an arrow, fell into a pit... finally he met a piece that seems a perfect fit but was hesitant in accepting it at first. He accepted it in the end but it causes him to roll so fast that now, he couldnt chat with the little worm, nor smell the flower nor could the butterfly rest on him. He couldnt even sing his favourite song "i've found my missing piece". At this, he finally realized the reason for his imperfection and let go of the missing piece.

The purpose of the story was mainly to tell us that everyone is imperfect and is lacking something. and this imperfectness in everyone is for a purpose.

Everyone's life has been designed with imperfections,
You may not want it, but it will follow you.
I used to hate my imperfections,
But now I have learnt to accept it with open arms.

The flaw in life is like a spike on our backs, reminding us to be humble and empathetic with others.

If there are no hardships, we will be complacent. If there are no sufferings, we cannot be compassionate and console those who are less fortunate.
Life cannot and can never be too perfect.
Having a crack, to let happiness flow to others, is a beautiful thing.

You don't have to have everything.
If you have everything, what's left for the others?
Also recognise that life has flaws,
That you shall not compare yourself with others,
Instead cherish what you already have.

So, don't go around envying others, count the blessings that Heaven has bestowed upon you.
You will find that there are more things that you have, than things that you don't have.

And what you do not have, although not lovable, is very much part of your life,
Accept and appreciate it, and your life will be much happier.

but there was something that i didnt quite understand abt the story at first. didnt understand the link. i couldnt understand why the story talks alot abt his experiences on his journey to find his missing piece ie the heat, rain, dangers etc. and also why talks abt the many "failed" missing pieces. finally, why was he hesitant in accepting the last missing piece?

perhaps the author meant this: in our search to become perfect, we often had to go through many hard times. and sometimes, we thought we had the key but actually they dun really fit. sometimes we want it so much that we lose it. other times we lose it because we were complacent. all these in our quest for perfection. therefore, it is to show the extent pple go to achieve what they desire, to be perfect. how one probably has got to first go through many failures and rejections before one can achieve the perfection one desires. and perhaps one has got to the point that one is afraid of more failures, thats why he was hesitant in accepting the last piece. but we saw that even after hesitation, accepting the piece thinking that one is perfect now doesnt make one really perfect nor happy.

therefore, personally, i feel that we shldnt then waste too much time on pursuing perfection. of course i dun mean we shldnt strive to be perfect. Look at how the missing-a-piece guy still went on his journey after letting go of the last piece, singing "im looking for my missing piece." Therefore we must still STRIVE to be perfect, like Christ is. but the thing is nobody can really be perfect. few can achieve perfectness. in fact i believe that perfection will come only when Jesus comes again. so instead of dwelling so much on attaining perfectness and lamenting when one is not, we shld learn to accept our imperfection. Im not just talking abt physical imperfection here but also spiritual imperfection! Man is weak and we shld accept this weakness in us humbly and look to God for strength. Not many can admit that he is weak and needs God. but by accepting one's weakness, one can then be a better person in terms of empathy and compassion for others and also realise our need for an Almighty God.

Share with me your views!

its amazing how God plans for things to take place.. its amazing how perfect the timing is. i had a good day in church and the sermon was good. but actually i was feeling kind of down and i felt my heart aching in fact. there are certain things that keep bugging me and i just cant figure out whats the best solution. and it was making my heart hurts.. my heart was wounded and even empty perhaps and i needed God to mend it.

and amazingly, besides a good sabbath day in church, my two best buddies asked me out. haha like at the same time? well, one after another. both asked abt my plans at night. in the end, i met joce! and hj joined us later. joce and me went shopping for flats. both our flats like died already. need new ones for school. but we also shopped around and i saw this nice chandelier-dreamcatcher-like earrings at dorothy perkins and i decided that i really like them!! its rare that i get such strong conviction abt things i like. usually i cant decide and rely a lot on people's judgment and opinions. anyway it was $16 but i wasn't sure if i shld just splurge like that on impulse? in the end, i didnt get them but im still thinking abt them! they are rreally quite pretty! hah.

well, in the end i got a pair of flats at URS. actually they are more like strappy sandals? haha but the colour is nice :) and hj got lost while looking for us! haha one does get lost in marina sq, i dun blame him.. but finally he found us! haha that was after we promised to go look for him. but we were still admiring the sandals that i tried on when he surprised us with his presence. lol. had dinner at cafe cartel and we got so so so FULL. haha and dumb hj didnt treat us! neither did he drive! hmmmF! and quite nice, we caught the last shuttle back to cityhall interchange and we felt like tourists! i felt that the music on the bus was too noisy though. lol.

yep, so i just felt that its amazing how friends will always be there when you need them. i recalled previously when i was really upset and heartbroken (when i didnt speak to him for a while), hj and joce was there to spend my weekend with me. its like they dun even know that i was down! so im amazed at God's plans.. He understands our needs best and has His plans for us. May we understand His will for us. and i also hope that He will mend my broken heart soon. even though wounds remind us of his love for us, the pain is sometimes still too much to bear. The boy needs his mother to constantly dress his wounds and apply medication for him so that his wounds may heal. similarly i need God to dress my wounds.

A story i took from "The Inspiration Place":

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore. His mother in the house was looking out the window saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. Not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle. He's been there holding on to you.

The Scripture teaches that God loves you. You are a child of God. He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way. But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack. That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of his love on your arms be very, very grateful. He did not and will not ever let you go.

Never judge another person's scars, because you don't know how they were made.

~ Author Unknown ~

I can't help but cried (a little) as i was reading this. felt that God was directly talking to me. I've felt intense guilt towards God for certain things that i've done. and because of them, i've often felt that my christian life was a struggle. its as though there are these wounds that never go away. but i've always seen them as though they were constant reminders of my flaws and sins. never have i seen those wounds in this light.

The author wrote "But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle. He's been there holding on to you." This really touches my heart. I feel the Holy Spirit moving me into understanding what i've done wrong but then God still haven give up on me. no wonder i always felt those struggles in my christian life.

I must always look upon these scars of God's love to give myself strength to overcome my weakness and flaws. I mustn't run away from God thinking that im not worthy or something. Yes, we are indeed unworthy of His great love but what He wants really is for us to return back to Him, into His protecting arms. this is just like the mother wanting nothing, but for his son to return back into her arms safe and sound.

Some verses for edification (:
"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." Ephesians 6:12

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1