God.

There is a natural law at work in sin and in sickness, and if we just drift along following the flow of our circumstances, we will sink under the power of the Tempter. But there is another law of spiritual and physical life in Christ Jesus to which we can rise, and through which we can counterbalance and overcome the natural law that weighs us down. There is a spiritual law of choosing, believing, abiding, and remaining steadfast in our walk with God. This law is essential to the working of the Holy Spirit in our sanctification and in our healing.

God gives us trials, but he equips us well. There follows a time of establishing and testing, during which we must stand still until the new relationship becomes so ingrained in us that it becomes a permanent habit.

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God knows how to get his message to me through the people and the things that I have a weakness for.

生活的压力和生命的尊严, 哪一个比较重要？

Been taking the A2 shuttle bus back to PGP for the past week, so that I can watch and live vicariously through the ruggers training on the school field. The acknowledgement that my best days have passed, coupled with new goals to fulfil in my life made me give up the sport, but cannot take away the passion that I have for it.

God is nice enough to give me friends like Grace who helps me to reflect tremendously; a friend who helps to break certain impasse that I have with the questions of the heart and mind, not only with answers, but more with new perspectives that helps me to move off in a more focused, and relevant direction. : )

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Some images of the week:

 

I love to watch the sky set through the canopy of the abundance of raintrees that we have campus. Which is also a reason why I like to walk from Central Library to outside LT11 that area instead of taking the shuttle bus. Sometimes I walk, looking but not seeing. The picture of Dean looking out of the MPV’s window made me paused and mused about the big and little things that God may have wanted to show me, but I missed them only because I was preoccupied with myself to know the rest of the world is breathing and talking to me.

At least I didn’t missed out on the friendly cashier of this Indian fastfood restaurant smiling and enjoying the Thaipusam festival.

 

 

Dara, Ellen, Susie, GK, Alejandro & Me.

I love my time with my newfound international student friends. Weichao joked over skype that I’m making more international friends that he is over in London. I enjoy the implicit understanding that we have which makes us open to each other’s cultures and experiences. : ) A couple of us went to watch the spike kavadi procession for Thaipusam leading from Little India all the way to Dhobby Ghaut.

With the starting of the English Speaking Corner (ESC) next week, eating dinner cooked by my good Vietnamese neighbours Thang and Khoa, and also watching Akari performing at Yong Siew Toh with Kyohei on Monday, all these promise the start of a semester that is going to be filled with a very distinct international favour. Am thinking that I will miss all these friends even before they are gone.

Including my ex cgl Joanna who is going for exchange at King’s College the next semester. Heh. Think I suan her once too many already. I always suan people more unconsciously when I’m feeling down… Got to make up to nice Joanna soon.

Mala trying to act like Aristotle. Mala is an New Zealander Indian on an exchange programme from New Zealand. Dora and Susie are American Cambodians on exchange from the States. Not to mention Jaernes who is French Indonesian. A first-hand experience of a global diaspora. Mala and his friends (Indians from India) were super friendly. Invited me to a badminton game on top of a home-cooked Indian meal. Even though I am a minority at PGP, I really really am enjoying my stay. Yes. Including the mugging days.

Spent my first full week of the second semester in my PGP room mugging away and having midnight chats with the fellow CFers. Sat on the steps at the PGP forum with Clara, Ellen and Ale and just talked away about our lives, what it means to be Singaporean, Dutch and Mexican respectively for each of us, and why we all are not fans of clubbing. And hopefully going to catch Singapore vs. Saudi Arabia at the National Stadium with Ale, a Nery Castillo, Rafael Marquez but not a speedy Gonzalez fan. : ) Sitting on the steps and sharing offers a sense of tranquility not matched fully elsewhere.

Yiwen, Becky, Han Wern and I had good chats too. I just pray that the PGP CFers will have a more united fellowship this semester, and support each other in prayer and deed.

Almost forgot to pay recognition to the Afterglow team. There is Gary, Michelle, Lai Peng, Huiyi (and Ywee Ern who is not in the picture). Thank you guys for such a great job.

talking.

I appreciate my friends who always take the initiative to talk to me online and ask me how I am, even if I don’t really want to talk. Sometimes Grace does it, Dean has been doing it quite often and Pam lately too, even if it means talking rubbish. Lol… And I finally admitted to someone on our sunny shores that I’m not just feeling tired, but also feeling down too. I counted it my blessings to have so many friends walking up to me in the week and asked me why do I look so tired.

School is really taking a toil in a way. The heavy workload, the desire to do well while putting your all in serving. It is tired in a good fulfilling sense (nothing beats caring for the people that you love who love you too), but it takes wisdom to manage time properly.

Read Grace’s blog and something struck me. After so much that has happened, it is still do hard to give everything to the Lord. The word “demand” strikes deep into the heart, and is a word that I find it hard to mouth when I sing to the Lord. The apex of total surrender still seems to be so far off, yet I’m the closest point in any time of my life. It has been a long and tiring week. Looking for a closure to this week before I’ll start new week again refresh and renewed.

艺术人生- 周华健

Quite a touching story of Emil Chau… The people around him, especially his wife, really inspired him to write the songs that he had today, which perhaps had inspired and emancipated more people that he would have originally envisaged or hoped for.

Portrait of a ESTP

I’m an extrovert. And I agree with it. I feed off the energy from the people that I interact with. Finally did the Meyer-Briggs test again to see how I have evolved since the last time I took in JC. Mine is ESTP.

Below is the link for an extract for my type which I think is at least 90% accurate.

http://www.personalitypage.com/ESTP.html

And here is another write-up:

Extraverted sensing types are pragmatic and realistic with a zest for living life to the fullest by way of multiplying experiences. Always on the alert for what needs immediate attention or what might provide a bit of action, excitement or entertainment, they engage quickly with their environment. They seek and enjoy freedom, are good-natured, direct, and tolerant and are often the ones who provide levity.

They have a way with dealing with people on a very equal platform and are not easily star struck. Rank, celebrity and status mean little when they are face to face with another individual.

On the job, they appreciate having the right tools and are quite ingenious at finding ways to fix and repair things with dexterity. They love variety and are curious and adventurous, enjoying the unexpected. Their brand of extraversion is one of deeds rather than words. As long as things are moving along, they are happy. They like to keep things simple and immediate, going with the flow. They are helpful in very concrete ways, providing the correct tools or specific service the person requires. They often have an uncanny ability to respond appropriately in cases of emergencies, often having excellent reflexes. They act without thinking. They also tend to have natural mediating skills.

They are attuned to the environment and the myriad colours, textures, sounds, beauty and the sensuousness of it all. They are quite graceful and agile while moving through their environment. They love having fun and if things are too quiet they may provide the entertainment or distraction. They learn by imitation and are keen observers. They teach through example. Their attention will always go towards whatever provides the keenest impression on their senses.

The Servant King

From heaven You came, helpless babe
Entered our world, Your glory veiled
Not to be served but to serve
And give Your life that we might live

This is our God, the servant King;
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to the servant King

There in the garden of tears,
my heavy load He chose to bear;
His heart with sorrow was torn,
yet not my will, buy Yours he said.

Come see His hands and his feet,
the scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space,
to cruel nails surrendered

So let us learn now how to serve,
and in our lives enthrone Him
Each other’s needs to prefer,
for it is Christ we’re serving.

The Christ’s Breath

I am

a hole in a flute

that the Christ’s breath moves through -

listen to this

music.

Christianity in World History.

When Jesus came to Earth, he wasn’t the Christian Braveheart or King Arthur type of character that the Jews came to expect. Neither was he swashbuckling, nor he was the charismatic political leader. People thought that if they believed in Jesus, they will belong to a new kingdom, where the Romans would be driven out. This did not materialise; the Jews did not get the restoration of power, independence and sovereignty that was promised to them. That implies that the Jews did not feel the power of Jesus in their lives, they did not feel that their lives had transformed by the powers of a messiah.

Perhaps with no such intentions since it is a regular history module in a secular university afterall, Professor Lockheart seems to have challenged us on our notions about Jesus identity without doubting his works. I was compelled to reflect on how Jesus has been a personal presence in my life. I threw the question at Weiting today as we were studying together in the Central Library. Why did she believe in the Messiah? She replied me with quotes from the bible and the navigator series (the one I am using now to teach in church). Through those verses we are reminded again that Christ already won the battle for our souls on the cross, and that we have victory over our sins through our hope and redemption in Jesus.

With the type of authority and power that Jesus has demonstrated in the bible, will you not have expect greater and wonderful things in your own lives? What amazing and wonderful things have you done with your life that can be said to have its source in Jesus? It can be God, but why does it have to be Jesus?

The message that is given to the faithful believers weekly does not adequately bridge the yawning chasm between what is promised and what is the verge of reality. People following the Laws without understanding the context or even attempt to reason; has Christianity, or religion in particular gave us the emancipation that we perhaps think we have gotten?

Instead of viewing that the fact that the idea of Christianity is theologically sound with Jesus’s identity as the messiah, or that the verses in the bible prove of his existence – an argument which borders on the edge of credulity who those who believe, I think what is more important is that you try to personally own the idea of Jesus.

Have you that moment when you know it is Jesus and nobody else who is in your life? If you do, praise God that you own that moment. For the others, let’s just pray for Jesus to be more evident in your lives, and to reflect what does it mean to be a greater Christian.

Incoming semester.

I got my modules for this coming semester sorted out and they are all my first choices. Am taking 3 political science modules (Public Admin in Asia; Govt & Politics in Singapore; Politics of Contemporary Europe), a Singapore studies module (Singapore Society) and an expensive history module (Christianity in World History) which I think is going to turn to be my favourite based on the fact that I have a funky teacher named Bruce Lockheart. Dr Kikon Ko for Public Admin sounds funky enough too until I saw his murderous reading list… *trying to release some stress already before school starts.

This semester is going to be heavier than the last with mid-terms for 4 of the modules and projects with a formal presentation. The reading list is horrendously long, which means that I probably has to stop buying new books and stop my favourite pastime of reading for the time being. I pray for lots of wisdom, stamina and consistency to navigate and last the pace in what seems to be a challenging semester.

Met up with quite a few people, including Erjie who’s back from Cornell to thaw himself on the supposedly sunny local shores. We had a good chat on his assimilation into American culture, American politics and how he viewed religion. As usual, he gave me some food for thought.

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Caught up with Adeline too. We haven’t seen each other since 2 weeks before the start of my last semester exams. Another good friend that I missed dearly, not to mention her pink comfortable sofa, which her mother had bought after I nearly broke my bones by jumping onto the old one which was reduced to a thin layer of leather covering the wooden frame. We have a Europe trip to plan sister. : )

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Clockwise from left: Eric, Huishan, Yueting, Me and Weijie

This is the annual dinner treat that I have with my students from church. This year we had fish-head steamboat and washed it down with cold beancurd, egg tarts and soya bean drink at Aunty Marrianes. The first time I taught them was when they were secondary 3. Now they are fresh A’lvls graduates. Time really flies, and it has been a privilege to have watch them grow and mature, and to mature with them too. I never say it to them explicitly, but they are really a joy to me. : )

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Clockwise from left: Me, Zhixuan, Zhiwei, Phoebe and Lai Peng. (missing: Wei Shieng, Ryan, Rachel Rocks and Sarah)

Went out with my AnnTic group. The entire group was present at different times. It was my second time at the museum after the first time with the church people. That said, I really enjoyed the visit with both groups of people. : ) And yes. I want to play like Sarah and get the grades like Zhixuan. We used to be two classes apart in secondary 4. Oh well. : ) I hope some of those magic dust rubs off on me.

 

Florence, Grace, Dean & me @ my place.

3 of the closest pals that I’ve made in NUS so far. I really really thank God for them. It will be sad when Flo and maybe Dean graduates after this semester. Flo has been my pal throughout the Vietnamese class and I really miss her when she is gone. I promised her that if she gets her job at SGH, I’ll visit her to have lunch with her so she will not be so lonely. : ) As for Grace, we are taking “Christianity in World History” together next semester. I hope it is not only a module where I will do well, but hopefully to enrich my knowledge of Christianity and other religions as a whole. As for Dean, I’ll miss the company when I go home because he stays so near me.

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This is my cell group for this year. : ) Xueying, Diwei and I are finally reunited after having our super solid cell broken up last year. I hope this cell stays for some time, and I’m going to put my utmost effort to make this cell a home for all of us. : )

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I think Eric and Charmine have been a blessing to AGPC. I really thank God when a strong and Christ-yearning person like Eric comes along. He reminds myself of the impact and the ease of assimilation that he had with the guys. I want to finish my lessons with Brendan before going to him. But I know he is in good hands now with Hui Cheng laoshi.

Super good sister, friend and prayer buddy in church. : ) This is dedicated to you Yee Ching! : )

Sketches of December.

 

I feel that I have neglected some of my friends more than others in this December break as I seek to balance the time I spend on old friendships with the time that I need to spend on the new and yet flourishing ones while balancing my time for social work, travel and outreach.

It is my fault that I haven’t been updating as regularly and substantially as I would like to. Been ‘facebooking’ a little bit more than I would like, but I would like to continue and share with those who doesn’t use fb, those who are busy with their lives, and of course my pals overseas. And writing continues to be a form of communication that is particularly endearing to me.

There has been many events in my life recently, and I didn’t do my best nor it is possible to document them all. So here is a recap of the things that I’ve done in December, in no particular order.