22nd March 2008

10 days left until my best friend returns from Philippines. Of course, I have many best friends also other than him!

My bed is way too comfortable. I should stuff some wooden blocks inside the mattress to make it more up to mark. I want to wake up; this is not my Singaporean Dream. Yups, you've gots to be asleep to experience it.

'Ere we go, if ten people think you're drunk, don't drive. Up yours!

Passivity

6th March 2008

Argh. The more I read into His word, the more I realize how much I am falling way short of His standard. I really need to redouble my efforts, and must surrender to Him my wicked self.

I gotta cool it with my temper, that's a start. As for reconciling with my brother before offering my gift on the altar, I know too well how guilty as charged I am. My intentions alone, not the action itself in many situations are liable for judgment. It is not to be supposed that Christ intended the dismemberment of limbs and gouging of eyes to be taken literally, but abandoning our dearest objects that causes us to sin is so much harder than thought. Self-denial and sacrifice is impossible without divine aid.

Do not take oaths, that sounds easy enough. But letting a yes be yes, a no be no is going to take a very very long time to apply. Aha, so someone who wants to sue me and take my tunic should be offered my cloak. That's easy to say. Going two miles for someone who forces me to go one mile sounds easy; I walk quite a lot to Houggang Mall just for fun. However, I doubt it would be easy to do that for someone without mumbling five words for every step I take.

There are like so many beggars around the world, where can I find all the money to give them all? I think I'm really gonna be in big trouble if some guy wants to borrow the piano in my house for use elsewhere. If it's at my house, I'll gladly oblige, but how am I supposed to dismantle such a big object to fit through my narrow door to be towed away...
But of course, I too doubt that the passage meant this; here is e-sword's explanation.

This is the general rule. It is better to give sometimes to an undeserving person than to turn away one who is really in need. It is good to be in the habit of giving. At the same time, the rule must be interpreted so as to be consistent with our duty to our families and with other objects of justice and charity. It is seldom, perhaps never, good to give to a person who is able to work. To give to such is to encourage laziness, and to support the idle at the expense of the industrious. If such a one is indeed hungry, feed him; if he needs anything further, give him employment. If a widow, an orphan, a man of misfortune, or an infirmed man, lame, or sick, is at your door, never send any of them away empty. So this is true of a poor and needy friend that wishes to borrow. We are not to turn away or deny him. This deserves, however, some limitation. It must be done in consistency with other duties. To lend to every worthless man would be to throw away our property, encourage laziness and crime, and ruin our own families. It should be done consistently with every other obligation, and of this everyone is to be the judge. Perhaps our Saviour meant to teach that where there was a deserving friend or brother in need, we should lend to him without usury, and without standing much about the security.

But, it's still hard to be perfect; the only way is to look for help from someone who is already perfect, our heavenly Father. His blessings are great and the rewards stored in heaven. Of course, I don't wanna give the impression that I'm doing all these for reward points, but my human nature remarks that they might give my efforts a little boos, hahas. :-)

So much to abandon, even more to learn, God Bless!

4th March 2008

Argh, slept all the way till 3pm today. Been a long time since I slept like that.

Maybe cos it's the holidays
Maybe cos it's the headache
Maybe cos everything's cleared up

Oh my sky, i told Wei Jie we've got a little meeting through an sms, then he replied that there was a car accident just next to his house on 6.40 (I'm guessing morning). I suppose the way I felt was a little bit surprised; I reckon it's no different when Emmett asked me where I was in a message last week since he was free and wanted to play, and I replied I was in a funeral.


Anyway, I later found no one he knew was involved in it, and he told me that it must have felt very thrilling to be in sandwiched in between 3 or 4 cars. I was incredulous. He followed up by feeling sad for the kids in the car, and also remarked that there was a baby in one of the cars.

Maybe I'll find out more about his opinions and feelings on Sunday; he told me he wouldn't mind me inquiring a little bit more about it.

2nd March 2008

Blame it on what you've been though
Blame it on what you're into
Blame it on your religions
Blame it on politicians

I have no generation
Show me my motivation
One world one desperation
One hope and one salvation

We've been blowing up
We're the issue
It's our condition

We've been blowing up
We're the issue
Our detonation

Look what a mess we've made of love
Look what a mess we've made,
We've got ourselves to blame
Look what a bomb we've made of love.

We've been blowing up
We're the issue
We're ammunition
We're ammunition
We're ammunition
We are the fuse and ammunition.

26th February 2008

Jon Foreman came out with a few solo albums; Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer EP, whereby it's not a rock band that is involved; Jon wanted some time alone for more intimate and soul searching thoughts. This is when Jon Foreman opens up to everyone, and talks about his faith. Those looking for fun pop tunes can look at any number of Switchfoot's releases, but Foreman taps into the more frail elements of human nature and the spiritual realm on his solo material. A lot of Switchfoot fans will now get to know the God that Jon Foreman believes in. He's formalizing his faith now. The songs are all acoustic.

The first song of the Winter EP is Learning How to Die. Here are Jon's handwritten lyrics of the song.

26th February 2008

Came back from a chalet; before that went for a funeral.

Life begins at the intersection; what direction now!?

Salvaging from the spiritual shipwreck; I want to wake up without a touch of gold.

The flowers cut and brought inside
Black cars in a single line
Your family in suits and ties
And you’re free

The ache I feel inside
Is where the life has left your eyes
I’m alone for our last goodbye
But you’re free

I remember you like yesterday
Yesterday
I still can’t believe you’re gone
Oh I remember you like yesterday
Yesterday
And until I’m with you, I carry on

Adrift on your ocean floor
I feel weightless numb and sore
A part of you and me is torn
You’re free

I woke from a dream last night
I dreamt that you were by my side
Reminding me I still had life
In me

I remember you like yesterday
Yesterday
I still can’t believe you’re gone
Oh I remember you like yesterday
Yesterday
And until I’m with you, I carry on

I’ll carry on, I’ll carry on

Every lament is a love song
Yesterday, yesterday
I still can’t believe you’re gone

Every lament is a love song
Yesterday, yesterday
So long my friend, so long

19th February 2008

The term "awakening dream" is an oxymoron. Pointedly(oxy) stupid(moron). But it really rings true to me, so maybe I'm an oxymoron too.

Anyways, there are many good reads on Christian apologetics that I've come across. One will soon realize that they are never a solution formula in itself. More questions would arise and reopen previous seemingly sealed cases. But they are a good kick start to the concept of an infinite God requiring infinite solutions that only an infinite wisdom could suffice. Ah well, talking in circles again.

It's not everyday that you get a dream like that twice in a row.

10th February 2008

Watched a movie with the church youths today. A boy, who was actually played by a girl, is the son of Stephen Chow, an impoverished widower. It was one of the more meaningful movies I've watched (compared to the last few horror movies that some of us viewed).

The movie reminded me of the gospel though. There was one scene whereby this unseen hand placed a "battery" into this green gooey ball. The ambiance was akin to that of outer space. Following that, I had the impression that this furry creature (which it later transformed into) was sent into Earth, not to be served, but to serve. Initially, the boy who owned this "pet" believed it to have magical powers, but was disappointed when it did not create any device for the boy to cheat in his exam nor any trainer shoes to make him athletically invincible. The end result was that the poor creature was widely scorned and ill-treated by the boy. Towards the end, the boy's father suffered from a tragic accident and died, only to be "redeemed" from death by the sacrifice of the fur ball, who exchanged its own life for its owner's father. A couple of days mourning for the loss of his poor toy later, this UFO appeared and brought this fur ball back to the little boy back to him (as well as a comedic twist of having hundreds of similar fur balls to the entire community), which was giving me an impression that the fur ball resurrected.

What was more intriguing was the way the appearance of this toy changed the situation that the boy lived in, as well as the people around him. All's well that ends well, as Shakespeare would say. Apparently, what was more striking was the portrayal of how the boy, after the sacrifice of the fur ball, realized what a "sinner" he was, and had quite a huge change of heart, now determined to listen to his father and to uphold the moral and ethics that he emphasizes (we may be poor, but we don't steal, fight, etc.), as well as study hard and grow to become a fine man useful to the society.

Not a single person I asked shared the same view. Woah, maybe I'm just thinking too much.

9th February 2008

:-):-S:$;-D:-o;):-PB-)

What was I thinking!? Er, I'm just following a certain pastor's wife's peculiar habit of adorning text messages with a myriad of similes, who also just came back from East Malaysia today. She also stated she missed us, even though it was only one week!

God Bless and belated CNY