"For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."
Galatians 1:10
Check out the verse for the day!
Completely relevant.
I think I try to please men too much.
Try too hard to win their approval.
Life boat syndrome.
Maybe someday, it'll be like it was in the Garden of Eden, and I'll only let God tell me who I am.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
God on My Pedestal
A completely casual utterance of Wingardium Leviosa in the office yesterday led to a long conversation that resulted in some very enlightening conclusions.
I hesitate to use the word 'enlightened', because it gives connotations of nirvana, Buddhist enlightenment and whatnot, but I couldn't find a better word for it.
Basically, it was a whack over the head and the loose bulb that had been flickering finally came on.
I realized humanism has a form of godliness, but actually leads down the path of destruction because it is the worship of man as god. Which is pretty similar to all that stuff I've been talking to daddy about (he presenting the side of Buddhism, of course).
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many hungry you fed, naked you clothed, homeless you sheltered, lives you changed, or how much of humanity you saved if all of that was done with man as the end goal in mind.
Christians do all that, not because man is the greatest, but because God is, and naturally when you love God and worship him, you will come to love the people He loves too, see them through His eyes and value them as He does.
The key difference being that you do NOT worship them ie. place them on the highest pedestal, which is a really sneaky tactic the devil uses (just look at the numbers who have fallen prey to it!).
I have to confess, I was one of them.
Which explains the highly confusing situation I found myself in.
I had God and humanity both on the same pedestal, though in Christian reality love for latter flows out of love for the former. Unfortunately, the tricky line was something that eluded me for a bit.
Thank God, thank God, THANK GOD for helping me to learn that through an unexpected conversation.
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone."
- 2 Timothy 3:1-9
I hesitate to use the word 'enlightened', because it gives connotations of nirvana, Buddhist enlightenment and whatnot, but I couldn't find a better word for it.
Basically, it was a whack over the head and the loose bulb that had been flickering finally came on.
I realized humanism has a form of godliness, but actually leads down the path of destruction because it is the worship of man as god. Which is pretty similar to all that stuff I've been talking to daddy about (he presenting the side of Buddhism, of course).
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many hungry you fed, naked you clothed, homeless you sheltered, lives you changed, or how much of humanity you saved if all of that was done with man as the end goal in mind.
Christians do all that, not because man is the greatest, but because God is, and naturally when you love God and worship him, you will come to love the people He loves too, see them through His eyes and value them as He does.
The key difference being that you do NOT worship them ie. place them on the highest pedestal, which is a really sneaky tactic the devil uses (just look at the numbers who have fallen prey to it!).
I have to confess, I was one of them.
Which explains the highly confusing situation I found myself in.
I had God and humanity both on the same pedestal, though in Christian reality love for latter flows out of love for the former. Unfortunately, the tricky line was something that eluded me for a bit.
Thank God, thank God, THANK GOD for helping me to learn that through an unexpected conversation.
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone."
- 2 Timothy 3:1-9
Friday, November 13, 2009
You Only Live Once
YOLO stands for you only live once.
How utterly cool is that.
Kevin Goh has a long lost brother called Kevin Thio.
Wahahahahaha :)
Ps Daniel Chua gave me a biggish card today with nice swirls inked over it and the words "We are God's MASTERPIECE - from Ephesians 2:10" nciely inked on in colour-changing tones.
Lovely with a capital L.
And also very touched by his kind gesture.
I work with really awesome poeple.
Chee Onn is a totally fab boss :) he's steadfast and really knows his stuff and is super efficient, but non-pushy and also kind and fatherly.
And how else can I say "I am really thankful Xingqi is around"?
The very fact that I've got someone to share girl stuff with is reason to rejoice :) on top of that, Xingqi and I get along well so that's the icing with the cherry!
Caleb comes through the door - he's long and spidery, just like Yi Min.
Oh boy.
Was hoping he'd be not-so-tall but guess that's not happening.
2 minutes to practice starts!
Gotta zip!
How utterly cool is that.
Kevin Goh has a long lost brother called Kevin Thio.
Wahahahahaha :)
Ps Daniel Chua gave me a biggish card today with nice swirls inked over it and the words "We are God's MASTERPIECE - from Ephesians 2:10" nciely inked on in colour-changing tones.
Lovely with a capital L.
And also very touched by his kind gesture.
I work with really awesome poeple.
Chee Onn is a totally fab boss :) he's steadfast and really knows his stuff and is super efficient, but non-pushy and also kind and fatherly.
And how else can I say "I am really thankful Xingqi is around"?
The very fact that I've got someone to share girl stuff with is reason to rejoice :) on top of that, Xingqi and I get along well so that's the icing with the cherry!
Caleb comes through the door - he's long and spidery, just like Yi Min.
Oh boy.
Was hoping he'd be not-so-tall but guess that's not happening.
2 minutes to practice starts!
Gotta zip!
Friday, November 6, 2009
His and Hers
I wrote this a long time ago and forgot all about it!
曾经想过，如果我是道明寺爱上的杉菜，那该多好。
不过，现在终于明白，尽管道明寺很好，自己毕竟不是杉菜。
也只有像杉菜性格如此般强烈的女生，才能够改变像道明寺般的男生。
扮演别人，能够扮演多久呢？
一个月？两个月？
或许吧。
一辈子吗？
不可能。
现在的我，不再希望自己是杉菜，也不希望道明寺爱上我，只希望做回我自己，然后，等待会爱上陈语嫣的人出现。
因为每个女孩都有属于自己的道明寺，就有如每个男生都有属于他的杉菜。
曾经想过，如果我是道明寺爱上的杉菜，那该多好。
不过，现在终于明白，尽管道明寺很好，自己毕竟不是杉菜。
也只有像杉菜性格如此般强烈的女生，才能够改变像道明寺般的男生。
扮演别人，能够扮演多久呢？
一个月？两个月？
或许吧。
一辈子吗？
不可能。
现在的我，不再希望自己是杉菜，也不希望道明寺爱上我，只希望做回我自己，然后，等待会爱上陈语嫣的人出现。
因为每个女孩都有属于自己的道明寺，就有如每个男生都有属于他的杉菜。
Muse for the Day
Edwin Beh's chinese name is Ma Yi Sheng, translated to Beh Yik Teng!
How cool is that!
How cool is that!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sunshine, Cabbage and Zombies
Life is noticeably alot happier when you're not focusing on your own emo feelings and just being thankful for the myriad of reasons to smile each day.
I really ought to make it a point to not blog when I'm emo, or at least, not only when I'm emo.
It's good to turn the blinds and allow a bit of sunshine to get into the room - ahhhh, breath of fresh air :)
Muse for the day: this really interesting game Boon Kiat was playing in the office. Basically you plant an assortment of plants to stop the zombies from attacking. You've got the sunflower that gives you sun-credit to buy plants with, cabbage that shoots -what else- cabbage at the zombies to kill them, nuts of two diffeerent sizes to block the zombies with (they take longer to eat up the nuts than the seedlings), pumpkin fenders and a weird, ghoul-like looking sack that squashes the zombies (an immediate kill, valid for one-time use).
I'm still amazed that someone came up with a game where you kill zombies with plants.
Almost makes you wanna roll your eyes and go, "But of course, why didn't I think of it?" but honestly, I have to say it's quite clever :) And the graphics are quite cute - uh, well done. Makes me feeling like playing!
Lunch at Ministry of Steak with Xingqi, Boon Kiat and Kevin, who was most kind to treat us, ending off with original frolick topped with fruity pebbles :)
Did you know: Hannah Loke has never tasted frolick!
It's 3.22pm now and Mooks is waiting in the room-with-the-green-couch. I'm not even halfway through my to-do list yet.
Work work work, Ave!
Geum Jan Di - fighting!
I really ought to make it a point to not blog when I'm emo, or at least, not only when I'm emo.
It's good to turn the blinds and allow a bit of sunshine to get into the room - ahhhh, breath of fresh air :)
Muse for the day: this really interesting game Boon Kiat was playing in the office. Basically you plant an assortment of plants to stop the zombies from attacking. You've got the sunflower that gives you sun-credit to buy plants with, cabbage that shoots -what else- cabbage at the zombies to kill them, nuts of two diffeerent sizes to block the zombies with (they take longer to eat up the nuts than the seedlings), pumpkin fenders and a weird, ghoul-like looking sack that squashes the zombies (an immediate kill, valid for one-time use).
I'm still amazed that someone came up with a game where you kill zombies with plants.
Almost makes you wanna roll your eyes and go, "But of course, why didn't I think of it?" but honestly, I have to say it's quite clever :) And the graphics are quite cute - uh, well done. Makes me feeling like playing!
Lunch at Ministry of Steak with Xingqi, Boon Kiat and Kevin, who was most kind to treat us, ending off with original frolick topped with fruity pebbles :)
Did you know: Hannah Loke has never tasted frolick!
It's 3.22pm now and Mooks is waiting in the room-with-the-green-couch. I'm not even halfway through my to-do list yet.
Work work work, Ave!
Geum Jan Di - fighting!
Cough Syrup and a Little Love.
Puzzled over the sudden occurrence of a coughing fit late at night, I ran through the day's menu in my mind: sarpino's pizza, instant yuan yang (that's the official name for coffee-tea mix in chinese for you), mummy's mixed rice and tonic soup with black chicken, wolfberries and black beans.
I saw no loop-holes.
Could just be a sign from my body to work less, more rest (unintended rhyming there, sorry if it sounds bad - I couldn't resist :).
Yanked my very unwilling self out of bed and trudged over to the kitchen in search of Woods' cough syrup. Thank God for peppermint flavour. About to down the spoonful with some warm water when dì (that's younger brother in chinese) came into the kitchen.
"You got a sore throat?"
"Nope, just a cough."
And that was it. No Academy Award winning script there.
But his voice betrayed concern, if he'd attempted to hide it in the first place, that is. I trudged back to bed in a considerably much happier state.
It's little things like that that really go for the heart, know what I mean?
I saw no loop-holes.
Could just be a sign from my body to work less, more rest (unintended rhyming there, sorry if it sounds bad - I couldn't resist :).
Yanked my very unwilling self out of bed and trudged over to the kitchen in search of Woods' cough syrup. Thank God for peppermint flavour. About to down the spoonful with some warm water when dì (that's younger brother in chinese) came into the kitchen.
"You got a sore throat?"
"Nope, just a cough."
And that was it. No Academy Award winning script there.
But his voice betrayed concern, if he'd attempted to hide it in the first place, that is. I trudged back to bed in a considerably much happier state.
It's little things like that that really go for the heart, know what I mean?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Welcome to the desk job :)
Reporting on the situation in Room 02-15.
Items on desk (left to right):
Hope the teddy bear sitting atop my Gold - Harmony tissue box;
clear glass vase with two stalk of gerberas, left from a recent meeting;
Dave's copy of Living Your Strengths on top of a stack of papers, including freshly photocopied pages out of Jim & Casper Go to Church;
telephone (working at looong last - we can call out now!);
two extra-large post-its (我似乎已变成便利贴女孩了！);
air freshener nicked from the satellite office (no, no satellites in there, just stationery and a very handy all-purpose printer);
used scented candle, courtesy of Cas (unfortunately wasn't very effective in getting rid of the carpet smell);
chocolate digestive biscuits (and everyone say hooray!);
my almost-completed sign-up form for the Epic, the Tim Elmore conference;
anti-bacterial hand gel, influecned by Cheryl Hoe;
stack of namecards tied up with a yellow rubberband;
a really gi-normous pink and purple heart-shape lollipop from Shukun;
an NTUC plastic bag and three clean ziplocs;
the desk top and keyboard and mouse.
I LOVE MY DESK!
And even more so, I love the people I work with :)
Chee Onn is a terrific boss, Xingqi is a wonderful colleague (it's nice having a girlfriend you can click with), and Boon Kiat is dependable in his own quiet manner :)
Not to mention the cool Bartley people a few doors down in the satellite office (like Shaun, who treated Boon Kiat and I to pizza today - Sarpino's rocks! It beats every other pizzeria I've had so far) and the SV muggers (those dear, dear kids...haha I sound ancient calling them kids; they'll probably kill me for that).
My first paycheck is due in about ten days' time.
No hiccups there, I hope.
After my recent splurge on Erwin McManus books, my bank account is precariously balanced (think wobbly and on tenterhooks).
And I'm still wondering if this blog is of significance. I mean, how many of us actually achieve Julia Powell status in our lifetime?
Sometimes you wonder if anyone's listening and in the event that there isn't, if that's an indicator of your lack of wittiness, personality, humour or whatever.
Whoever would've thought the a blog could be a feed-off site for egos?
And something inside me is resisting the urge to roll my eyes and go, "I feel soooo loved."
I mean, not that I'm not (I know Yinky and Joylynn and Roomie love me), but just how much love is needed for a person to feel loved (as in, the fully, completely, totally lost-in-it, feet firmly planted on ground sort of knowing you're loved)?
That's where I get stumped, and you know what?
It still comes back to God after a long round of rambling (474 words of rambling, to be exact; yeah I counted using the word count on microsoft doc).
Insatiable need for love.
That's you, me and everyone else living on this planet.
And no thanks, I'd rather not go through a gazillion reincarnations to attain enlightenment (or nirvana, or whatever it's called).
It's waaaaaay better to know that you're loved.
Full stop.
No strings attached.
It's good to know that you're loved :)
Items on desk (left to right):
Hope the teddy bear sitting atop my Gold - Harmony tissue box;
clear glass vase with two stalk of gerberas, left from a recent meeting;
Dave's copy of Living Your Strengths on top of a stack of papers, including freshly photocopied pages out of Jim & Casper Go to Church;
telephone (working at looong last - we can call out now!);
two extra-large post-its (我似乎已变成便利贴女孩了！);
air freshener nicked from the satellite office (no, no satellites in there, just stationery and a very handy all-purpose printer);
used scented candle, courtesy of Cas (unfortunately wasn't very effective in getting rid of the carpet smell);
chocolate digestive biscuits (and everyone say hooray!);
my almost-completed sign-up form for the Epic, the Tim Elmore conference;
anti-bacterial hand gel, influecned by Cheryl Hoe;
stack of namecards tied up with a yellow rubberband;
a really gi-normous pink and purple heart-shape lollipop from Shukun;
an NTUC plastic bag and three clean ziplocs;
the desk top and keyboard and mouse.
I LOVE MY DESK!
And even more so, I love the people I work with :)
Chee Onn is a terrific boss, Xingqi is a wonderful colleague (it's nice having a girlfriend you can click with), and Boon Kiat is dependable in his own quiet manner :)
Not to mention the cool Bartley people a few doors down in the satellite office (like Shaun, who treated Boon Kiat and I to pizza today - Sarpino's rocks! It beats every other pizzeria I've had so far) and the SV muggers (those dear, dear kids...haha I sound ancient calling them kids; they'll probably kill me for that).
My first paycheck is due in about ten days' time.
No hiccups there, I hope.
After my recent splurge on Erwin McManus books, my bank account is precariously balanced (think wobbly and on tenterhooks).
And I'm still wondering if this blog is of significance. I mean, how many of us actually achieve Julia Powell status in our lifetime?
Sometimes you wonder if anyone's listening and in the event that there isn't, if that's an indicator of your lack of wittiness, personality, humour or whatever.
Whoever would've thought the a blog could be a feed-off site for egos?
And something inside me is resisting the urge to roll my eyes and go, "I feel soooo loved."
I mean, not that I'm not (I know Yinky and Joylynn and Roomie love me), but just how much love is needed for a person to feel loved (as in, the fully, completely, totally lost-in-it, feet firmly planted on ground sort of knowing you're loved)?
That's where I get stumped, and you know what?
It still comes back to God after a long round of rambling (474 words of rambling, to be exact; yeah I counted using the word count on microsoft doc).
Insatiable need for love.
That's you, me and everyone else living on this planet.
And no thanks, I'd rather not go through a gazillion reincarnations to attain enlightenment (or nirvana, or whatever it's called).
It's waaaaaay better to know that you're loved.
Full stop.
No strings attached.
It's good to know that you're loved :)
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