Poem by Leyana

More Than Just a Friend

You are my friend
One I've known all my life
You were there in all my times of need
When I needed a shoulder to borrow
You were there when I got picked for the team
To celebrate and eat ice cream

But lately the line between friendship and romance is a blur
I've tried adjusting the lens
Trying to get it to focus
Needing to see the line
Needing to see where I stand

But I'm afraid I already know where I am
Way off in romance land
Cause every time you smile
The butterflies start acting up
When you put your arms around me
My heart starts to thump

I know you think of me as only a friend
I don't want to ruin our friendship
I don't want to cause that awkward moment
So I will try and hold back my feelings for you
Hoping they'll pass

My 2011 wishes

To be more than just another of your guy friends who talk to you now and then.

To more than just admire you from the periphery of your life.

To be part of it and you to be part of mine.

When I was a student, I didn't like Christmas for it meant holidays were ending and school was starting. Now that I'm becoming a teacher next year, it's all back to square one. How nostalgic!

If you are good, you will be assigned all the work.

If you are really good, you will get out of it.

"If God is watching us, the least we can do is be entertaining."

慶祝馬迷和魅妹的生日

Lord, there are so many things that vie for my attention. Give me Your wisdom to do the things that matter for life on earth is short.

軌跡

我會發著呆 然後忘記妳 

接著緊緊閉上眼 

想著那一天 會有人代替 

讓我不再想念妳 

我會發著呆 然後微微笑 

接著緊緊閉上眼 

又想了一遍 妳溫柔的臉 

在我忘記之前

心裡的眼淚 模糊了視線 

妳已快看不見

軌跡 Tracks

軌跡 Tracks

曲: 周杰倫 
Music: Jay Chou 
詞：黃俊郎 
Lyrics: Huang Jun Lang


Verse 1 
怎麼隱藏 我的悲傷 
How to hide my sadness

失去妳的地方 
The place where I lost you

妳的髮香 散的匆忙 
The fragrance of your hair scatters hastily

我已經跟不上 
I'm unable to catch up


Verse 2 
閉上眼睛 還能看見 
With my eyes closed, I can still see

妳離去的痕跡 
The traces of your departure

在月光下一直找尋 
I keep searching under the moonlight

那想念的身影 
For that silhouette that I’m thinking of

*如果說分手 是苦痛的起點 
If breaking up can be said to be the starting point of pain

那在終點之前 我願意再愛一遍 
Then before the final destination point, I’m willing to love once again

想要對妳說的 不敢說的愛 
I want to tell you, the love that I dare not express

會不會有人 可以明白 
Will anyone be able to understand


Chorus
我會發著呆 然後忘記妳 
I will be staring off into space, then I will forget you

接著緊緊閉上眼 
And then tightly close my eyes

想著那一天 會有人代替 
Thinking about that day, when there will be someone who’ll take your place

讓我不再想念妳 
So that I will not think about you anymore

我會發著呆 然後微微笑 
I will be staring off into space, then I will break into a smile

接著緊緊閉上眼 
And then tightly close my eyes


又想了一遍 妳溫柔的臉 
Thinking once again, your tender face

在我忘記之前 
Before I forget

心裡的眼淚 模糊了視線 
The tears in my heart, have blurred my vision

妳已快看不見 
I'm starting to lose sight of you

"My NS Experience" essay (repost)

Recently (Oct 2009) i was tasked (or 'arrowed' in army jargon) to submit an entry for an essay-writing competition. It's entitled My NS Experience. i thought it'd be good to share it here.

"National Service (NS) does indeed change a young man's character, for better or for worse." This remark came from my mentor recently. How true! To set it in context, we were having a casual discussion on the various differing personalities of NS Full-time servicemen (NSFs) and how they would spend their two years (or less) in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). We figured out NSFs range between two extremes. On one end stands a young man, in his Full Battle Order (FBO), who fully understands the need for NS and fulfils his purpose as a ‘Son of Singapore’, usually transitioning into his NSman (or re-service) liabilities with the rank of Full Lieutenant (LTA) or Second Sergeant (2SG) on his Operational Ready Date (ORD). On the other end sits a young man, in front of a computer screen wearing his No. 3 uniform, who totally misses the rationale behind NS and pursues his goal of ‘serving the nation for two years and no more’, typically avoiding his NSman liabilities altogether with the rank of Private (PTE) or Lance Corporal (LCP) on his Run Out Date (ROD).

Personally, my perspective of NS before I enlisted was not the same as that well after I have enlisted. It has, in fact, constantly changed through the different phases of my army life – namely Basic Military Training (BMT) at Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) on Pulau Tekong, Basic Section Leader Course (BSLC) and Advanced Section Leader Course (ASLC) at School of Infantry Specialists (SISPEC), and now as a BMT Commander back on Pulau Tekong. Prior to enlistment, although I was uncertain about NS, I gave an overestimation of my abilities to adapt and cope with a regimented lifestyle. Just a few days after I waved my parents farewell at the Tekong Ferry Terminal on 11 January 2008, I began to stumble in my efforts to adapt to the new life.

During my BMT, I had a difficult time adjusting to regimentation. I looked out for no one except myself, seeking to meet my own needs all the time. I was a terrible recruit in Jaguar Company, but I was given the chance to become a commander nevertheless. Shortly after graduating from my BMT, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) allowed me to return to school so that I could study and re-take my General Certificate of Education Advanced (GCE A) Level examination, thereby disrupting my NS for 9 months.

On 22 December 2008, I re-enlisted and was posted to SISPEC to continue my next phase of military training. So, I joined the 50th BSLC instead of the 47th BSLC if I had not disrupted my NS. Of course, it was an honour to be part of the pioneer batch of SISPEC trainees receiving the newly created Specialist Cadet (SCT) rank on 23 December 2008. I was posted to Golf Company where I started to acquire the mindset of a Specialist-in-training. Initially, although I had completed my BMT, it was as if I were starting to adapt to army life all over again because I had gone back to a non-regimental civilian lifestyle for more than half a year. Thank God I managed to pick up my physical fitness quite quickly and re-adjusted to a regimental military lifestyle with the help of my commanders and platoon mates.
I can still remember the words of the Officer Commanding (OC) during one of the Team Building Team Learning (TBTL) sessions. Master Warrant Officer (MWO) Teo See Keong said, “Leaders make sacrifices.” That simple statement shed some light onto the path of my learning journey of becoming a commander. Indeed, I learnt that sacrifices are necessary for a leader. When I was holding the appointments of Leader Platoon Sergeant (LPS) and Leader Sergeant Major (LSM), I had to sacrifice some sleep by waking up earlier so that I could hurry my fellow cadets to fall in for our daily morning five basic exercises (5BX) and hitting the haystack later due to receiving orders from above. Even then, before becoming a Specialist, I already felt immense pride reciting the Specialist’s Creed every morning.

On 17 February 2009, I continued my journey towards becoming a Section Commander as I joined the 50th ASLC in Charlie Company. It turned out to be the most memorable phase of my army life, perhaps because it was the longest period of time which I spent with a group of army buddies (BMT – 8 weeks, BSLC – 8 weeks, ASLC – 14 weeks!), and we even spent 3 weeks in a foreign country which is dubbed as the Land of a Thousand Smiles. 25 February 2009 was another day to remember for it was the day of our beret presentation. Till today, the label with my name and 4-digit reference number is still on the inside of my green headdress. It is merely a piece of masking tape with the words ‘Gland Liang’ and the number ‘C2202’ but it brings back so much nostalgia of the good old days of my trainee life. I closed my ASLC journal with a two-line summary: I had the hardest times of my life during ASLC, but I also had the hardest laughs of my life during ASLC.

After passing out from SISPEC with my new rank of Third Sergeant (3SG), I have been posted back to BMTC on Pulau Tekong but as a commander now, I had never found the island of Tekong so beautiful before during my recruit days. It has been a very pleasant working experience here at Orion Company and I am truly enjoying my NS now. My first batch of recruits haa just graduated as Privates nearly three weeks ago and they have reported to their new units this week. I must say I miss them because they were my first batch and I had put my heart and soul into training them. They were more than just recruits to me. in fact, they were like how Colonel (COL) Chan Wei Gan, Commander of BMTC, urged us to treat them – brothers. I may have had been a lacklustre recruit/trainee, but I aspire to be a good Specialist. I will keep aflame the fire of my passion and enthusiasm towards subsequent batches of recruits throughout the rest of my NS. When I have finished serving my NSF liabilities on 8 August 2010, may my mentor say that NS has indeed changed my character, for the better.

- 3SG Glen A. Liang, Orion Company, BMTC School 2, 24 September 2009

My love-hate relationship with National Service: i love it just enough to survive through it and i hate it just enough to prevent myself from signing on.

God's message for my 22nd birthday: Wait

i believe God is telling me something on my birthday weekend, through the birthday card that Godpa Neale got me as well as through the song i found while surfing on Youtube, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller.



"Waiting for God's best can be very hard at times.

Remember, His best is the best.

It really is worth waiting for.

About this card design: I can testify to the futility of trying to get God to speed things up in my life.

I finally learned to put my 'wait' on His shoulder when it came to finding a wife, settling in on a career, having a ministry, owning a home.
When it comes to giving us His best, He is simply never in a hurry.

There's a wonderful by-product that He gives when we're willing to wait: contentment.

(And His best never comes without it!)"

 - Matthew B. Anderson

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am hopeful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it is painful

But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident

Taking every step in obedience

While I'm waiting

I will serve You

While I'm waiting

I will worship

While I'm waiting

I will not faint

I'll be running the race

Even while I wait

I'm waiting

I'm waiting on You, Lord

And I am peaceful

I'm waiting on You, Lord

Though it's not easy

But faithfully, I will wait

Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve You while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting

I will serve you while I'm waiting

I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

"Waiting for God is not laziness.
Waiting for God is not going to sleep.
Waiting for God is not the abandonment of effort.
Waiting for God means, first, activity under command;
second, readiness for any new command that may come;
third, the ability to do nothing until the command is given."
 
 - G. Campbell Morgan

My email exchanges with Creation Ministries International

This is what i said in my email to Creation Ministries International:

A friend of mine said to me this on Facebook: "Creationism is not science. You can look up thousands of scientific journals, there's none about creation science. Creationism is a religious belief, not science. So I guess we're talking about different things here. I'm talking about science, you're talking about Christianity.


Just one caveat, if you start challenging scientific theories with religious teachings, you risk being as ridiculous as Pope Pius when he disagreed with Galileo's heliocentric view. And I'm not 'sure' about evolution. I'm no scientist, so my view doesn't matter. I merely agree with scientists on scientific matters, just like I agree with Mourinho on football or Jon Favreau on speech writing."


Please help me answer his challenges. Thanks.


This is their reply:

Creation at its core is not about scientific claims, but historical ones. While refuting the scientific claims of evolutionists is an important part of what we do, this in and of itself does not disprove evolution, because theoretically there could be some mechanism we haven’t discovered yet. So our rejection of evolution does not have to do with the scientific evidence per se, but our acceptance of the truth of the Bible’s historical account of the creation of the world by God in 6 literal days.


While some areas of the creation/evolution debate are carried out in the scientific arena, like whether or not there is a plausible mechanism that would bring about the conditions required for naturalistic evolution, the most vital questions are in the historical arena, because we’re not debating things that we can test in a lab, but one-time events. As N.T. Wright points out in Surprised by Hope,


“There are, after all, different types of knowing. Science studies the repeatable; history studies the unrepeatable. Caesar only crossed the Rubicon once, and if he'd crossed it again it would have meant something different the second time. There was, and could be, only one first landing on the moon. The fall of the second Jerusalem Temple took place in A.D. 70 and never happened again. Historians don't see this as a problem and are usually not shy about declaring that these events certainly took place, even though we can't repeat them in a laboratory.


“But when people say, "But that can't have happened because we know that that sort of thing doesn't actually happen," they are appealing to a would-be scientific principle of history, namely, the principle of analogy. The problem with analogy is that it never quite gets you far enough. History is full of unlikely things that happened once and once only, with the result that the analogies are often at best partial. In any case, if someone declares that certain kinds of events "don't normally happen" that merely invites the retort, "Who says?" ...


“So how does the historian work when the evidence points toward things that we do not normally expect? …Sooner or later questions of worldview begin to loom in the background, and the question of what kinds of material the historian will allow onstage is inevitably affected by the worldview in which he or she lives.”


We’ve got a lot of articles on the Galileo myth (for instance http://creation.com/galileo-quadricentennial); Galileo didn’t get in trouble for promoting heliocentrism, but for promoting what was then just a pretty good hypothesis as if it already were a proven fact, and his arrogance. In fact, it was the Aristotelian establishment in the universities, not the Church, who was the first to attack him. The Church initially supported him!


Which scientists does he agree with, though? Evolutionist scientists agree that evolution happened, but it’s hard to get them to agree exactly how that happened! And then there are scientists who believe that the evidence in their specialty supports not evolution but some form of Intelligent Design or creationism (although not all of those scientists would agree with biblical creation). CMI employs more scientists than any other Christian organization to the best of my knowledge, and they all believe that the evidence from their specialties fits better with biblical creation than with evolution.


Me:

Here's what my friend replied me:

"Haha, first of all, my sincere respect to you for taking what I thought as a casual discussion seriously.
I suppose you want me to counter their arguments, so here it is:

 One of the first things I noticed is that they (CMI) seem to indicate that scientists are not evolutionists. This is very skewed. You can ask, google around or approach jc/univ biology/paleontology teachers/professors, find out how many of them are evolutionists.


Just to give you a perspective, in the scientific community, the theory of evolution is almost as solid as the theory of gravity. As I said, scientific journals are filled with articles about evolution. All scientists are evolutionists, except the cuckoo ones.I wrote a paper about (social) evolution last year, so I read quite a lot of them for my literature review. All the published articles agreed with evolution.



Having said that, it's interesting that they say creation happened like a historical event and, hence, unprovable/irrefutable. This clearly indicates that it is not science as one of the main principles of science is falsifiability. If there is no way that the "theory" can be falsified, it is no science. Example: the theory of gravity is falsified if it is proven that there is no gravity force between two masses. But since there is no such proof to date, we can assume that that theory is valid.

 The theory of evolution is the best scientific explanation we have today regarding the variety of species on Earth, at least untill we find a theory that better explains the matter at hand and/or falsifies evolution.

I think I have answered to all of their arguments. Otherwise, please do point them to me. And for you, try think for yourself. Don't always believe what is said/written in a (holy) book or preached by a charming figure. Imagine all possibilities. Is there any slightest chance that you're mistaken about something? Open your mind. Ask questions, accept no simple answers. Life is much more beautiful if you understand its mechanism. (;"



i know i should be rebutting him myself but i lack the necessary adequate knowledge to do so. but one day i pray i God will equip me with the knowledge to enlighten the unreached! for now, pls advise me what i should reply to him. seems like i'm stumped!



Creation Ministries International:


I’ll reply to your friend’s assertions one-by-one.


> One of the first things I noticed is that they (CMI) seem to indicate that scientists are not evolutionists. This is very skewed. You can ask, google around or approach jc/univ biology/paleontology teachers/professors, find out how many of them are evolutionists.


Not all scientists are evolutionists. We don’t dispute that creationists are a minority. But creationist scientists have made important contributions to their individual fields. And heliocentrism and evolutionism were once minority positions, as was relativity; simply constituting a minority doesn’t make a view automatically wrong.ot all scientists are evolutionists. We don’t dispute that creationists are a minority. But creationist scientists have made important contributions to their individual fields. And heliocentrism and evolutionism were once minority positions, as was relativity; simply constituting a minority doesn’t make a view automatically wrong.


> Just to give you a perspective, in the scientific community, the theory of evolution is almost as solid as the theory of gravity. As I said, scientific journals are filled with articles about evolution. All scientists are evolutionists, except the cuckoo ones.



Gravity is testable. You can drop a ball, walk off a cliff, throw a computer out the window to observe the effects of gravity. You can repeat tests over and over in different conditions to see what happens. But you can’t perform the same tests with evolution; you can’t see life coming from non-living chemicals by chance. Indeed, the scientifically testable principle that I learned in biology class is that life comes from life, that is, if you see a living creature, it’s safe to assume that it came from a living creature of the same sort, which itself came from another living creature of the same sort, and so on and so forth. But they make an exception for the first life, which they argue came from non-living goo.


Also, part of the “life comes from life” rule is that the offspring will be the same sort of creature as the mother; rats from rats, bats from bats. But evolutionists have to assume that somewhere along the line, for example, a rat (or something so like it that that’s what a layperson would call it) gave birth to something that wasn’t quite a rat, even though it was separated from its family by only a membrane of skin. This was somehow advantageous to it, and somewhere down the line its descendants gave birth to something a little less like a rat. Somewhere along the line the front paws became neither paws nor wings, but something in between that was neither particularly good at walking or flying, but somehow an ancient predator didn’t leap at this easy dinner, and eventually, slowly, over millions of years, this crippled lineage turned into full bats.


As Chesterton argued, a divine providence watching over the creature is more plausible than a run of luck like that. Your friend might reply that this is a ridiculous simplification, and that in fact bat evolution is nothing like that. Okay then, have him give a more plausible account of an evolution of flight in a creature that couldn’t always fly that doesn’t result in a crippled intermediate. And ask him to explain why the “earliest” bat fossils are fully developed fliers with echolocation.


> Having said that, it's interesting that they say creation happened like a historical event and, hence, unprovable/irrefutable. This clearly indicates that it is not science as one of the main principles of science is falsifiability. If there is no way that the "theory" can be falsified, it is no science. Example: the theory of gravity is falsified if it is proven that there is no gravity force between two masses. But since there is no such proof to date, we can assume that that theory is valid.



Creation didn’t happen “like” a historical event, creation is a historical event. If evolution happened, it would be a historical event as well. If life arose from non-living chemicals, it would have only done so once, and had it arisen multiple times, it would have meant something different every time. In that sense, what we are discussing is a historical question, not a scientific one, and so science is limited in what it can tell us about those historical events, although no creationist would say that science tells us nothing about historical events.


> The theory of evolution is the best scientific explanation we have today regarding the variety of species on Earth, at least untill we find a theory that better explains the matter at hand and/or falsifies evolution.


The theory of evolution cannot explain the origin of first life, because evolution assumes a reproducing organism to start with. Your friend will say that the question of abiogenesis is a completely separate issue. It’s not—many specialists call it “chemical evolution”, but even if we give him that, evolution cannot account for the genetic information needed to turn the descendents of the first microbe into life forms as diverse as corn, fruit flies, and people.


Your friend argues that you should ‘think for yourself’. You believe what is written in the Bible and is preached by your pastor. Your friend believes what is written in his science textbook and is preached by the likes of Dawkins. Is there the slightest chance he is mistaken about evolution? He should open his mind and not accept simple evolutionary answers.

20 June 2005

5 years ago today was the first time i met her, at Changi Airport.

This song comes to mind - If You're Not The One by Daniel Bedingfield.

If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call?
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all?


I never know what the future brings
But I know you're here with me now
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with


I don't wanna run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?


If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed?
If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head?
If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life?
If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife?


I don't know life so far away
But I know that it's just a trip
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with
And I wish that you could be the one I die with
And I'm praying you're the one I've built my home with
I hope I love you all my life

I don't wanna run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?


'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away
And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today
'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right
And though I can't be with you tonight
You know my heart is by your side


I don’t wanna run away but I can’t take it, I don’t understand
If I’m not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

My love-hate relationship with National Service

In my life, there are two groups of people: those who misunderstand me due to some of my actions and those who choose to be understanding towards me despite those same actions.
i thank God for both.
The first group tells me that Jesus was treated the same way and the second group tells me that is how Jesus treats others.
One day i will be able to choose to love the second group of people with God's help.

To sum up my love-hate relationship with National Service: i love it enough to survive through it, and i hate it enough to prevent myself from signing on.

My love-hate relationship with the army: i love it enough to survive through my NS, and i hate it enough to prevent myself from signing on.

A new definition of us Specialists came to my mind today: A Sergeant is 1/4 of an Officer and 3/4 of a Storeman. With pride we lead, SISPEC!

"These words are not enough to tell You just how truly good You are. These words are empty if my heart is hardened to who You are."

 - So Good, Wayne Kerr

A Biblical response to bad times

Though the cherry trees don't blossom and the strawberries don't ripen,
Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted,
Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty,

I'm singing joyful praise to God.
I'm turning cartwheels of joy to my Saviour God.

Counting on God's Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength.
I run like a deer. I feel like I'm king of the mountain!

 - Habakkuk 3:17-19, The Message

Psalm of the week

Psalm 139
For the choir director: A psalm of David.


1 O Lord, You have examined my heart
and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me.
You place Your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from Your Spirit!
I can never get away from Your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, You are there;
if I go down to the grave, You are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there Your hand will guide me,
and Your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night -

12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from You.
To You the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to You.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvellous - how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in Your book.
Every moment was laid outbefore a single day had passed.

17 How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, You are still with me!

19 O God, if only You would destroy the wicked!
Get out of my life, you murderers!

20 They blaspheme You;
Your enemies misuse Your name.

21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate You?
Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose You?

22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,
for Your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends You,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

A Christian's Possessions

A tax officer came one day to a poor Christian to determine the amount of taxes he would have to pay.

"What property do you possess?" asked the assessor.

"I am a very wealthy man," replied the Christian.

"List your possessions, please," the assessor instructed.

The Christian said:
"First, I have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Second, I have a mansion in Heaven. (John 14:2)
Third, I have a perfect conscience & peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7)
Fourth, I have joy unspeakable. (1 Peter 1:8)
Fifth, I have divine love which never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:8)
Sixth, I have a faithful wife. (Proverbs 31:10)
Seventh, I have healthy, happy obedient children. (Exodus 20:12)
Eighth, I have true, loyal friends. (Proverbs 18:24)
Ninth, I have songs in the night. (Psalms 42:8)
Tenth, I have a crown of life. (James 1:12)"

The tax assessor closed his book, and said, "Truly you are a very rich man, but your property is not subject to taxation."


I pray that all of us will have this kind of tax-free "wealth."

 - Anonymous

"Let them do the wrong thing; you just do the right thing." - Don Hogan, Come What May

The Balance Sheet of Life

Our BIRTH is our OPENING BALANCE
Our DEATH is our CLOSING BALANCE
Our PREJUDICED VIEWS are our LIABILITIES
Our CREATIVE IDEAS are our ASSETS
Our HEART is our CURRENT ASSET
Our SOUL is our FIXED ASSET
Our BRAIN is our FIXED DEPOSIT
Our THINKING is our CURRENT ACCOUNT
Our ACHIEVEMENTS are our CAPITAL
Our CHARACTER & MORALS are our STOCK-IN-TRADING
Our FRIENDS are our GENERAL RESERVES
Our VALUES & BEHAVIOURS are our GOODWILL
Our PATIENCE is our INTEREST EARNED
 - Anonymous

Dear God, a poem for You

Dear God,


I'm writing to say I'm sorry
For being angry yesterday,
When you seemed to ignore my prayer
And things didn't go my way.

First, my car broke down.
I was very late for work,
But I missed that awful accident.
Was that Your handiwork?

I found a house I loved,
But others got there first.
I was angry, then relieved
When I heard the pipes had burst!

Yesterday, I found the perfect sweater,
But the colour was too pale.
Today, I found the sweater in red.
Would you believe, it was on sale!


I know You're watching over me
And I'm feeling truly blessed,
For no matter what I pray for,
You always know what's best!

I have this circle of E-mail friends
Who mean the world to me.
Somedays I "send" and "send",
At other times, I let them be.

I am so blessed to have these friends
With whom I've grown so close.
So this little poem I dedicate to them,
Because to me they are the "most"!

When I see each name download,
And view the message they've sent,
I know they've thought of me that day,
And "well wishes" were their intent.


So to you, my friends, I would like to say
Thank you for being a part
Of all my daily contacts.
This comes right from my heart.

God bless you all is my prayer today,
I'm honoured to call you "friend".
I pray the Lord will keep you safe,
Until I email you again.


 - Anonymous

When I say I am a Christian

When I say "I am a Christian", I am not shouting that "I'm clean!"
I'm whispering, "I was lost but now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say I am a Christian, I do not speak of this with pride,
I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not trying to be strong,
I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not bragging of success,
I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say I am a Christian, I still feel the sting of pain,
I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say I am a Christian, I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner who received God's good grace, somehow!

  - Anonymous

If God Is Sovereign, Why Pray?

We are responsible for our lives. That is stewardship. But God is sovereign. How is that possible? How can we be responsible for that over which God is sovereign?


When a large business deal I had worked on for six months looked like it wasn't going to close, I asked my wife and son to pray about it with me.


When it was my turn to pray I basically begged God to let the deal go through, then concluded, "God, you already know what's going to happen. In fact, you have sovereignly decided what is the pleasure of your will. Give us wisdom not to miss the way."


When I finished, my son asked, "Dad, if God has already decided what's going to happen, why pray?" Good question.


God is sovereign but we are also responsible. The Scriptures lay down these two ideas side-by-side, without apology, and without much explanation. In fact, we see this principle throughout the Bible. Here are a few examples. You probably know of others.


"In his heart a man plans his course (our responsibility), but the Lord determines his steps (God's sovereignty)" (Proverbs 16:9).

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle (our responsibility), but victory rests with the Lord (God's sovereignty)" (Proverbs 21:31).

"Unless the Lord builds the house (God's sovereignty), its builders labor (our responsibility) in vain" (Psalm 127:1).

David wrote, "I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory; but you give us victory over our enemies" (Psalm 44:6). David didn't trust in his bow, but in God. But neither did he throw his bow away! He used it with all the skill he could muster.

Paul writes, "To this end I labor (our responsibility), struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me (God's sovereignty)" (Colossians 1:29).

Paul wrote, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it (our responsibility), but God made it grow (God's sovereignty)" (1 Corinthians 3:6).

On top of all this, God invites, even instructs, us to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:18).


This idea that "God is sovereign but we are responsible" lies at the heart of stewardship. At its core, stewardship means receiving all our abilities, resources, love, relationships, spiritual gifts, possessions, and places as "gifts on loan" from a sovereign God. It means to keep an attitude of accountable responsibility tempered by profound gratitude.


Frankly, why would we want to pray to God for help unless He is sovereign? Because He is sovereign, it actually means something when we pray.



Yours for changed lives,
Patrick Morley, PhD

OSIM Duathlon Sprint 2010

"I don't see anyone as my competition. We don't have the same dreams, goals, ambitions or brains. We're not the same."

National Atheists' Day

i got this from the web:

Driving around town I often slow down so I can read church signs. Some of them are just plain, just giving the schedule of services and the name of the preacher, but some of them having wise and witty sayings. On one of them is this sentence, "April the 1st - National Atheists' Day".

I think that all of us are aware of what April 1st is in our country. It is called "April Fools' Day." It is where people "fool you" about something and then yell, "April Fool!" How many of us have not been tricked this way with a "Your shoes are untied" or other such funny tricks? Most of it is done in good humour.


The Bible tells us that we should be careful about calling another person a fool (Matthew 5:22). While the text in Matthew seems to deal with being angry with a brother and not a harmless joke like April Fools' Day, it is true that we should be careful about attributing to another the descriptive term "fool".

But what better day could one pick for National Atheists' Day than April the 1st, April Fools' Day? The Bible makes this clear. "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good" (Psalm 14:1). The Bible says that anyone who denies God is a fool!

Why is the person who denies God a fool? The Bible clearly tells us so in Romans 1:18-22:

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools."

While this refers specifically to the Gentiles of Paul's day who had departed from God and had worshipped idols instead of the living God, it clearly fits our present day atheists as well. Paul says that there is no excuse for not believing in a personal God who created the universe. God has simply left too many "hand prints" all over His creation for man to not be able to see Him.

One need only look at the world and everything in it to see that there must be a God. Paul says that there is simply no excuse for a person denying the existence of an intelligent creator. He concludes by stating the obvious concerning all the great thinkers who deny the existence of God, "professing to be wise, they became fools."

Come to think of it, April the 1st might be the perfect day to celebrate "National Atheists' Day." Nothing in life is more foolish than denying the existence of God, since He has left indisputable proof!



Copyright 2000 by Grady Scott may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others

http://associate.com/library/www.christianlibrary.org/authors/Grady_Scott/atheistday.htm

Florida court sets a holiday for atheists - April Fools' Day!

In Florida, an atheist filed a case against the holidays of Easter and Passover. He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians and Jews and their observances of these holy days. The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognised day(s).

The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the passionate presentation by the atheist's lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring, "Case dismissed!"
The lawyer immediately stood up and objected to the ruling saying, "Your Honour, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter, Good Friday, etc. and the Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my client and all the other atheists have no such holidays!"

The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, "But they do. Your client, Counsel, is woefully ignorant."
The lawyer said, "Your Honour, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists."

The judge said, "The calendar says the 1st day of April is April Fools' Day. Psalm 14:1 states, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Thus, it is the opinion of this court that, if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool. Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned."


Happy Atheists' Day!

Suffering for Doing Good

Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good?
But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it.
So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats.
Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life.
And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.
But do this in a gentle and respectful way.
Keep your conscience clear.
Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.
Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

 - 1 Peter 3:13-17, NLT
 
 
But how do i know whether what i'm going through now is indeed God's will?
What if it isn't? Am i still better off suffering for doing good?

i wish i could say, "Everyone gets his fair share of shit in life," but no, it's not true for me 'cause my share is much less than the rest!

i have a thoughtful bunkmate but there're also inconsiderate noisy ones on the same level. Oh, the joy and pain of communal living!

A happy one year anniversary to my mountain bike!

A happy one year anniversary to my mountain bike!

Uni applications are such a hassle. Even NS enlistments are a much more user-friendly process, albeit much less exciting of course.

Hey Woman of God, will i ever get to unlock the door of your heart? Or have you thrown the key away? i wish to find it, if it's God's will.

Thought for 5th day of field camp: If i can't justify or validate the punishments i mete out, i simply do not carry them out unreasonably.

Thought for 2nd day of field camp: Life is full of misunderstandings. If we were to clarify them all, the world would be a better place!

Thought for 3rd day of field camp: It is such a fine line between tough discipline and ill treatment. How does one strike a balance?

Thought for 4th day of field camp: Even the toughest guys break down in tears knowing that their loved ones are behind them in tough times.

Thought for 1st day of field camp: Even the toughest guys break down under the sweltering heat of the Tekong sun. Lord, please cool it down!

Lord, please grant me super memory to remember the names of the people i've met in my entire life. Please cure my short term memory!

Lord, please grant me super memory to remember the names of the people i've met in my entire life. Please cure my short term memory!

Pertinent Bible verses

The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands He has rewarded me.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I have not done evil by turning from my God.

All His laws are before me;
I have not turned away from His decrees.

I have been blameless before Him
and have kept myself from sin.

The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.


You armed me with strength for battle;
You made my adversaries bow at my feet.

You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.

They cried for help, but there was no one to save them -  
to the LORD, but He did not answer.

I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind;
I poured them out like mud in the streets.

You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
You have made me the head of nations;
people I did not know are subject to me.

As soon as they hear me, they obey me;
foreigners cringe before me.

They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Saviour!

He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,

who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from violent men You rescued me.

Therefore I will praise You among the nations, O LORD;
I will sing praises to Your name.


  - Psalm 18: 20-24, 39-49

Had a great time chatting with my youth pastor Wilson Barnabas Koh about the things of God!

i overestimated my own strength. i could manage sending 200+ SMSes but not receiving 200+ replies! They simply drove me crazy yesterday.

O Lord, have mercy on us here on Pulau Tekong. Please send down Your tears of compassion as rain now. It's getting hot in here!

The most regretful thing i have about this (shit) compilation of A Level results is after slogging my (tight) ass off, i can't submit a good end-product. It's beyond my job scope! There's a reason why i'm only a Section Commander, not an Officer. Only those on the ground know how it feels to be overworked/underpaid. i'm so exhausted that my sentences are incoherent. Pardon my self-pity again.

i'm approaching an important crossroad of my life. May God guide me along the path which He has planned for my life and may i follow Him!

Went exploring the island on my mountain bike again. Very gorgeous sunset. Exotic wild boars, monkeys and monitor lizards. What a privilege!

God speaks to me in many more verses

I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts - men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.
 - Psalm 57:4

The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
Then my head will be exalted above my enemies who surround me.
Teach me Your way O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desires of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
 - Psalm 27: 1-2, 6a, 11-12

If God is for us, who can be against us?
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
 - Romans 8: 31b, 33

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
 - John 15: 18-19

God speaks to me in 3 verses

i believe God is speaking to me through these 3 verses of His Word:

Am I trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
 - Galatians 1:10

Faith by itself, if it not accompanied by action, is dead.
 - James 2:17

You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
 - James 2:24

i've done enough damage to the testimony of Christ. i hope those around me will see my sincerity and give me the time and chance to change.

i hate the lag time between my efforts to become a better man and their tangibility to those around me. They say it's not obvious enough.

To those who have seen my slack behaviour, please forgive me. That sort of behaviour was inconsistent with my commitment to Christ.

i see myself in so many unlovable people around me, yet i struggle to love them like Christ does. God's love is amazing indeed!

This is the distance i cycle to and from home (Potong Pasir) and camp (Pulau Tekong) - 20+km (around half the length of mainland Singapore. :)

i don't like Chinese New Year. It's so noisy and filled with unhealthy temptations. My hongbaos aren't getting fat, but my tummy is!

Percy Jackson movie is good, but why did the Greek Gods choose to mate with American mortals? Anyway i agree that Hades is in Hollywood. :D

One of the saddest days of my life is when you change your status from 'Single' to 'In a relationship' and it's not my name after 'with'.

Spending Valentine's Day on romantic Tekong, away from the buzz of the Lunar New Year on mainland Singapore. i regret testing the system.

Happy Valentine's Day to all God's children!

Father's Love Letter

an intimate message from God to you:

My Child,

You may not know Me,

but I know everything about you.

Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.

Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways.

Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.

Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in My image.
Genesis 1:27

In Me you live and move and have your being.

Acts 17:28

For you are My offspring.

Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived.

Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation.

Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake,

for all your days are written in My book.

Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.

Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb.

Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born.

Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented

by those who don't know Me.

John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry,

but am the complete expression of love.

1 John 4:16

And it is My desire to lavish My love on you.

1 John 3:1

Simply because you are My child

and I am your Father.

1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.

Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father.

Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from My hand.

James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.

Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

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

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

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

I will never stop doing good to you.

Jeremiah 32:40

For you are My treasured possession.
Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you

with all My heart and all My soul.

Jeremiah 32:41

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

If you seek Me with all your heart,
you will find Me.

Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in Me and I will give you

the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires.

Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you

than you could possibly imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you

in all your troubles.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.

Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb,

I have carried you close to My heart.

Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away

every tear from your eyes.

Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain

you have suffered on this earth.

Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you

even as I love My son, Jesus.

John 17:23

For in Jesus, My love for you is revealed.

John 17:26

He is the exact representation of My being.

Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.

Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression

of My love for you.

1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved

that I might gain your love.

Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of My son Jesus,

you receive Me.

1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you

from My love again.

Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party

heaven has ever seen.

Luke 15:7

I have always been Father,

and will always be Father.

Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is …

Will you be My child?

John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you.

Luke 15:11-32

 

Love, Your Dad

Almighty God