Mission Trip

Hi guys,

Just got back from Khon Kaen Thailand on Saturday night.
Ministry-wise it was a wonderful trip and I had the opportunity to renew old acquaintances. Physically, though, i had never felt worse.
The hot weather, coupled with a post-steroid flare, meant that my face was most of the time, disfigured. Yes, that's the word. I don't have pictures, but it was quite frightful, and i was suffering most of the time. Still I thank God for small graces, and I received prayer both there and here in Singapore. On Sunday, my skin made a remarkable recovery and I'm back in camp when i thought I would need to take MC. Oh and the boss isn't in today, so that's another small mercy. =]

I wanna take this opportunity to thank lotsa people:

Gaby: For being a wonderful leader, and making the effort to look after me when we had to focus on ministry.

Mum: I know you prayed for me. Thank you. Oh and all the precious medical advice and care provided even after i returned.

Bee Shau: Thanks for praying for me and helping me. and the Vaseline too.

Duncan and SY: Thanks for being "buddies". I had a really great time with you guys.

Nana: Thanks for the lotion. And also instigating the Holy Communion. I feel that was a turning point for me.

Jenny, Lerane and Fann: Thanks for showing your concern throughout the trip. Thanks also for your prayers.

Air and James: Thanks for organising another great time of ministry. All the best for your incoming addition to the family. Do send pictures in July!

Men's ALG: I know you guys kept me in prayer. Thanks guys. You're the best.

Agape Community Church: Thanks for keeping me in prayer.

And finally Jasmine: Couldn't have gone on without you. Thanks for being a personal nurse. =] No lah, I valued your companionship and encouragement more than anything else. Love you.

Mission trip

YES!
FInally my leave for mission trip is approved! I'm going to Khon Kaen, Thailand on 14 Mar and coming back on 19 Mar. I'll be at the airport at 0615hrs in case you want to send me off. =] I'll be coming back at 2130hrs on Saturday.
I'll be going with my dear, so should be fun. Let's hope my eczema clears up there ya? Hear temperatures can hit 40.
If you need anything from the Land of Smiles just tell me ya? If not I'll just smile for you...
fun fun fun fun fun fun
SABAI DEE!!!

Long time no see

I haven't blogged properly in a long time so I guess I owe you guys one. To those who've been logging faithfully, I apologise, but there hasn't been enough time or material to justify consistent blogging.

Still, ask not whom the blogger blogs, I blog for you.

This blog should be interactive, so tell me what you wanna see here, and if it's within my capability, I'll blog something about it.

For today, let's just stick with something I can shoot my mouth off with: my day.

I just finished writing my reflection paper for a Learning to Care course I am completing in church. I'm glad it happened so naturally that I could just periodically refer to the file to know what I'm talking about. I should be taking the Historical Books course next term, with guest lecturers. Should be fun and difficult.

As you (might not) know, I am currently the assistant leader of my Men's ALG, serving under Pastor Koo. It's all good so far, and I'm responding better to this challenge than I thought I would. I enjoy being an effect on others' lives, and am glad to be able to have Amos and Stanley helping me out. We'll do well guys.

Just had lo hei with the worship team and it was pretty good value for $20. I have no idea what else to talk about.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, as it's the last day of the holiday mood, before hitting the grind again. Also I'll get to watch the Manchester derby. Hooray.

Confinement

Ok guys, I'm serving what I hope to be my last confinement of my NS liability. Stoopid reason like not tucking in the shirt. =]
But confinements gove you time to do stuff that you'd never have time to do on a busy Saturday e.g. blogging, studying for tests, sleeping, watching TV, reading the newspaper... Did I mention sleeping? It's all good really. Oh and long hours on the phone. Call me if you're free!

Going to Malacca

Hey guys,
I'm off to Malacca till Friday so you won't be able to reach me. If it's drop-dead urgent, SMS my dad at 94501613.

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

PS: If you're reading this and are married for more than a year, let's sit down and arrange how I can visit your house. =]

Cheap mobile call rates

Looking to reduce your mobile phone bill? These might help:

osmscard.com
epic.erafflessc.com
icentel.com

Cheers!

Apologies

Hello my avid fans, who must be bored stiff by now:

I apologise for not regularly updating this blog, but there just hasn't been the time. So I need some help: I need inspiration. If there's something you'd like me to write or rant about, just tag me and I'll try to find th time ok? Thanks all.

Aaron

Sony Ericsson k500i

ANyone heard anything good about this phone? THinking of getting it. Says quite a lot for a Nokia user...

Lost phone

I've just lost my phone. I'll be keeping my number, so wait a few days before contacting me ya?

Bde Family Day

This is why I'm griping:

There's an SAF welfare fund, apparently $30/pax, and they choose to hold this in camp, on a saturday, and we can't go till the event is over. chao ji sian. at least i've company. =]

Happy!

I'm the happiest guy in the world!

Newcastle 3-1 United

Sure I'll take a 3-1 win away at the Magpies any day. but it was the manner of victory that worried me.
United rode their luck too many times, if Newcastle were more clinical in the box, in particular Shearer and Kluivert, this could've been disastrous.
Ferdinand made the mistake of not following the man with the ball for a second game. First it was Yakubu, now Shearer, who finished easily. Uncannily reminiscent.
Ronaldo frustrated ALL of his teammates with his individualism; van Nistelrooy must want to rake a few studs down his shin too. Only Ferguson seemed to smile beatifically. If Fergie doesn't tell him now and give him a scolding, he'll never learn. Reyes and Cesc under Arsene Wenger is a good example of team first, me second.
On the bright side, United gave the ball away much less, and were often controlling things, Scholes illustrating how rich a player he is. Incisive and simple all at once, my favourite player demonstrated his class.
ROnaldo would do well to learn from ROoney. COol finishing, and dribbling only in need. Ronaldo's stats are worrying: gazillions of dribbles, shots and crosses, but no end result. Only ONE assist since august.
If Ferguson can harness his players, we can improve. I dare say he's just not getting involved enough in this team. When that happens, players get wilful, indisciplined, and play for themselves.

Youth Issues

Hi,

I am looking for story ideas with regard to youth issues, for a youth-targetted publication I am writing for. I'm interested in lifestyle news features, youths' responses to topical issues and anything journalistic that gives some insight into the lives, hopes and aspirations/disatisfactions of the young ie 18 to about 25.

Below are some examples:
portraits of youth subcultures,
youths being duped into signing on to modelling agencies and never getting assignments,
drug usage among youth,
useful pieces on job market etc for those youths who are at such crossroads,
doing things with a small budget.

Keywords I'm looking for:
alternative, extreme, newsy, responsible, accurate and relevant.

If you come across anything that you think impacts your age group, drop me an email. I might be able to do something with it.

Thank you.

Aaron Wong
Freelancer
The Straits Times

HP: 94566789
Email: aaronwong@journalist.com

Looking for: Young Budget Airline Travellers

Attention! If you know anyone around 18-23 years old who has travelled/will be travelling on a budget airline (eg AirAsia, Tiger Airways, Valuair) regionally on a holiday (even better if it was
self-funded), kindly put that person in touch with me?

Also, if you now anyone who works for these budget airlines, please also provide their contact
details.
Thank you!

Aaron Wong
HP: 94566789

Settlers Cafe

There's this cool place near Clarke Quay MRT where the food isn't too bad and you play obscure but fun board and card games all day long! There's the popular stuff like Risk, Jenga, Monopoly, Uno, and what not too. Really fun... =]

Meteora and Diana Krall?

Anyone has either Linkin Park's Meteora or a Diana Krall CD? Can i borrow?

Weddings

I didn't think I'd have fun, but I did have a great time eating and more importantly catching up with cousins Lynnwei and Suewei. I have a rather weird family, where we're basically the only ones in SIngapore and the rest have emigrated, so we hardly get to see each other except at weddings and funerals. Oh no, and now they're asking when I'm getting married!!! *shudder*

Food Fiesta!

Hi people!

My church, Agape Community Church, is having a Food Fiesta on 20 Nov 2004, Sat, from 12 noon to 4pm. Most of the local cuisine will be well-represented, with up to 20 stalls to tickle your palate. I will be making Thai tom yam soup and Green Papaya Salad.

The purpose of the Food Fiesta, of course, is to raise funds for our church building, so we'd appreciate it if you could make it! Booklets are sold at $15, and each booklet contains coupons that are used to exchange for food. You can choose to purchase the coupons and turn up and eat your fill, or you can choose just to sponsor a booklet if you can't make it on the day. Either way your contribution will be greatly appreciated! This Sunday (24 Oct) is the last day for buying the booklet, so if you're interested just reply me or call me at 94566789. I personally guarantee the quality of the food, as we just had a tasting last Sunday. A rough estimate is one booklet/person, and should really fill you up!

At most jsut come down to support me, and come taste my papaya salad that I will make on the spot for you! See you there!

In God's love, Aaron

More gender malfunctions

"Of all the stumbling blocks inherent in learning this language, the greatest for me is the principle that each noun has a corresponding sex that affects both its articles and its adjectives. Because it is female and lays eggs, a chicken is masculine. Vagina is masculine as well, while the word masculinity is feminine. Forced by the grammar to take a stand one way or the other, hermaphrodite is male and indecisiveness female.
I spent months searching for some secret code before I realised that common sense has nothing to do with it. Hysteria, psychosis, torture, depression: I was told that if something is unpleasant, it's probably feminine. This encouraged me, but the theory was blown by such masculaine nouns as murder, toothache, and Rollerblade. I have no problem learning the words themselves, it's the sexes that trip me up and refuse to stick.
What's the trick to remembering that a sandwich is masculine? What qualities does it share with anyone in possession of a penis? I'll tell myself that a sandwich is masculine because if left alone for a week or two, it will eventually grow a beard. This works until it's time to order and I decide that because it sometimes loses its makeup, a sandwich is undoubtedly feminine.
I just can't manage to keep my stories straight. Hoping I might learn through repetition, I tried using gender in my everyday English. "Hi, guys," I'd say, opening a new box of paper clips, or "Hey, Hugh, have you seen my belt? I can't find her anywhere." I invented personalities for the objects on my dresser and set them up on blind dates.

Nothing in France is free from sexual assignment. I was leafing through the dictionary, trying to complete a homwork asignment, when I noticed the French had prescribed genders for the various land masses and natural wonders er Americans had always thought of as sexless, Niagara Falls is feminine and, against all reason, the Grand Canyon is masculine. Georgia and Florida are female, but Montana and Utah are male. New England is a she, while the vast area er call the Midwest is just one big guy. I wonder whose job it was to assign these sexes in the first place. Did he do the work right there in the sanitarium, or did they rent him a little office where he could get away from all the noise?

Ive started referring to everything in the plural, whcih can get expensive but has solved a lot of my problems. In saying a melon, you need to use the masculine article. In saying the melons, you use the plural article, which does not reflect gender and is the same for moth the masculine and the feminine. Ask for two or ten or three hundred melons, and the number lets you off the hook by replacing the article altogether. A masculine kilo of feminine tomatoes presents a sexual problem easily solved by asking for two kilos of tomatoes. I've started using the plural while shopping, and Hugh has started using it in our cramped kitchen, where he stands huddled in the corner, shouting, "What do we need with four pounds of tomatoes?"

Hugh tells me that the market is off-limits until my French improves. He's pretty steamed, but I think he'll get over it when he sees the CD players I got him for his birthday."


"After graduating from college, he [Hugh] moved to France knowing onlt the phrase "Do you speak French?" - a question guaranteed to get you nowhere unless you also speak the language."
- This one's like only knowing how to ask "Where is the toilet?" in Thai. =]

Learning French the hard way

The following posts document David Sedaris's fictional accounts of his narrator learning French in his excellent book Me Talk Pretty One Day:

"When called upon, I delivered an effortless list of things that I detest: blood sausage, intestinal pâtés, brain pudding. Having given it some thought, I then declared my love for IBM typewriters, the French word for bruise, and my electric floor waxer. It was a short list, but I still managed to mispronounce IBM and assign the wrong gender to both the floor waxer and the typewriter. The teacher's reaction led me to believe that these mistakes were capital crimes in the country of France.
"Were you always this palicmkrexis?" she asked. "Even a fiuscrzsa ticiwelmun knows that a typewriter is feminine."
I absorbed as much of her abuse as I could understand, thinking - but not saying - that I find it ridiculous to assign a gender to an inanimate object incapable of disrobing and making an occasional fool of itself."


"We'd have one of these "complete this sentence" exercises, and I'd fool with the thing for hours, invariably settling on something like "A quick run round the lake? I'd love to! Just give me a moment while I strap on my wooden leg." "


"My only comfort was the knowledge that I was not alone. Huddled in the hallways and making the most of our pathetic French, my fellow students and I engaged in the sort of conversation commonly overheard in refugee camps.
"Sometime me cry alone at night."
"That be common for I also, but be strong, you. Much work and someday you talk pretty. People start love you soon." "


"The Italian nanny was attempting to answer the teacher's latest question when the Moroccan student interrupted, shouting, "Excuse me, but what's an Easter?"
It would seem that despite having grown up in a Muslim country, she would have heard it mentioned once or twice, but no. "I mean it," she said. "I have no idea what you people are talking about."
The teacher called upon the rest of us to explain.
The Poles led the charge to the best of their ability. "It is," said one, "a party for the little boy of God who call his self Jesus and ... oh, shit." She faltered and her fellow countryman came to her aid.
"He call his self Jesus and then he be die one day on two ... morsels of ... lumber."
The rest of the class jumped in, offering bits of information that would have given the pope an aneurysm.
"He die one day and then he go above of my head to live with your father"
"He weared of himself the long hair and after he die, the first day he come back here for to say hello to the peoples."
"He nice, the Jesus."
"He makes the good things, and on Easter we be sad because somebody makes him dead today."
Part of the problem had to do with vocabulary. Simple nouns such as cross and resurrection were beyond our grasp, let alone such complicated reflexive phrases as "to give of yourself your only begotten son." faced with the challenge of explaining the cornerstone of Christianity, we did what any self-respecting group of people might do. We talked about the food instead.
"Easter is a party for to eat of the lamb," the Italian nanny explained. "One too may eat of the chocolate."
"And who brings the chocolate?" the teacher asked.
I knew the word, so I raised my hand, saying. "The rabbit of Easter. He bring of the chocolate."
"A rabbit?" The teacher, assuming I'd used the wrong word, positioned her index fingers on top of her head, wriggling them as though they were ears. "You mean one of these? A rabbit rabbit?"

Nothing we said was of any help to the Moroccan student. A dead man with long hair supposedly living with her father, a leg of lamb served with palm fronds and chocolate; equally confused and disgusted, she shrugged her massive shoulders and turned her attention back to the comic book she kept hidden underneath her binder."

KO

TOday was a fast day. My eczema flared up, so went to report sick. MO gave me an anti-histamine jab that knocked me out for the whole day. SO basically I slept from 9 to 5 with lunch in between. Then I went to ALG. I am SOOO tired. Think the medicine hasn't worn off completely yet.

SPH Undergraduate Scholarship

This is SO outta reach. I mean for a poly grad with pitiable academic results and a non-existent CCA record, it's really a no-go isn't it? Someone tell me otherwise (truthfully)?

David Sedaris

I've been meaning to blog David Sedaris's Me Talk Pretty Someday, but i just haven't found the time. It's worth the wait though, but don't have sleepless nights over it. soon lah, huh?

e-PREP

I am finally eligible for e-PREP, some MINDEF thingamajig that allows you to do an online course in various disciplines for free (up to $300). I'm thinking of Thai, French, or SATs. Ideas?

Transvestite

A transvestite: likes to eat, drink and be Mary.

Hot Dog

What do you call a dog with no legs?

It doesn't matter! He won't come!

Durian vs Coconut

If you know the answer, shhhhhh!

Question: If a durian and a coconut were to fall on your head, which would hurt more?

Storm in a teacup

If you guys know the answer, shhhhhhhhh!

Question: Would you stir your coffee with your right hand or left hand?

The Dyslexic Man

A dyslexic man balks into a war...

The Bicycle Repairman

Bush and Powell were sitting in a bar. A guy walks in and asks the barman, "Ain't that Bush and Powell?"

The barman replies: "Yep that's them."

So the guy walks over and said: "Hello, what you guys up to?"

Bush said: "We're planning World War 3!"

The guys asks excitedly: "Really? What's gonna happen?

Bush says: "Well, we're gonna kill 10 million Iraqis and one bicycle repairman."

The guy exclaims: "Why are you gonna kill a bicycle repairman?!"

Bush turns to Powell and says: "See I told you no one would care about the 10 million Iraqis!"

"The bloody tower..."

Once upon a time Dracula decided to hold a competition to see which was the cchampion bat in his household. All the bats were honoured to take part.

The rules were simple: Whichever bat drinks the most blood will be the winner.

So the first bat goes and comes back after 10 minutes, her mouth sovered in blood.

Dracula says: "Congratulations! How did you do that?"

The bat said: "You see that tower? Behind it is a house. I went in and sucked the blood of the family."

"Very good," said Dracula.

The second bat goes and somes back after five minutes, her face covered in blood.

Dracula is astonished and says: "How did you do that?"

The bat replies: ""You see that tower? Behind it is a school. I went in and sucked the blood of all the children."

"Impressive," said Dracula.

Now the last bat goes and comes back barely a minute later, literally drenched in blood.

Dracula is stunned. "How on earth did you do that?", he asked.

The bat replied: "You see that tower?"

Dracula: "Yes?"

And the bat says: "Well I didn't."

Her lift doesn't quite go to the top floor

Ok just so you know who we're talking about, but I can't say explicitly, let's just call her Letchbo.
And she insisted that Terry Fox ran 42 HOURS a day to raise funds for cancer research. Go figure

The answer is 2 of 3. And here's why. If you change, 2 times out of 3 you get a car. And is you stick, you only a car 1 time out of 3. And this shows that intuition can sometimes get things wrong. Simple?
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Saturday!

woke up at 1, then did housework, then went my frend place play xbox (Shrek 2), then watched united win 1-0 comfortably. shiok. the only worrying thing is what bad luck we have in front of goal.

C'mon pple...

I received just one attempt, but i'll reveal the answers tmr night regardless. C'mon, think!

Two goats and a car

This is an interesting maths problem taken from Mark Haddon's excellent book "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time":

You are in a game show on television. On this game show the idea is to win a car as a prize. The game show host shows you three doors. He says that there is a car behind one of the doors and there are goats behind the other two doors. He asks you to pick a door. You pick a door but the door is not opened. Then the game show opens a door that you did not pick to show a goat (because he knows what is behind the doors). Then he says that you have one final chance to change your mind before the doors are opened and you get a car or a goat. So he asks you if you want to change your mind and pick the other unopened door instead. What should you do?

Are the odds of you winning the car higher, lower or the same if you change your mind and pick the other door?

I will supply the answer with a diagram as explanantion in about three days. In the meantime please explain your answers in the comments feature. I was pretty bowled over by the answer myself, and yet it was mathematically flawless.

If you need more time just let me know, too.

Happy

Saw Sab today, so am happy. Missed you lots gal. Almost like rediscovering a long lost sista. =]

2-1 again!

Well we didn't need no Diego Forlan this time, as Mickael Silvestre popped up just when it looked like United's embarassing superiority was going to go unrewarded again.

Twice the ball rocketed off the Frenchman's bald pate from the unerring accuracy of Giggs' left foot, and twice Jerzy Dudek grabbed air, although his defenders were the bumbling ones this time.

For all the guile of Luis Garcia and Xabi Alonso, and the more direct threat of Djibril Cisse and Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool attack simply had no answer to the way United were closing them down.

All the pre-match hype about the goalkeepers being the weak link failed to materialise, with Roy Carroll replacing Tim Howard, and Dudek having a decent outing.

United flew out of the blocks, as they threw everyone forward in search of a settling early goal. Instead, the Liverpool goal seemed to lead a charmed life, as Cristiano Ronaldo teased and tortured the Riise and Kewell, and even hit the woodwork with Dudek beaten.

This was no one-half wonder, as United possessed a hunger that seemed to signal that their season started now, with Rio Ferdinand proving a rock on which Liverpool foundered.

It was breathtaking stuff, as the swagger and one-touch football returned, and quite simply, Rafa Benitez's men could not cope.

In the end, 2-1 was a flattering result, as United could have been at least three-up by the break. But as Jose Mourinho would say, it is just three points.

But it is also just United's second win in six games. Nevertheless, they can take heart from three points off a title contender, as well as an assured display from the United defence.

I am very happy!

Well it took many many months to make my day, but she finally did it. My bestest friend (let's call her Minah for anonymity's sake) finally contacted me as she got a mobile phone again, after we lost contact for a few months. I'm so overjoyed I forget when it was that I last talked to her, let alone saw her. But let's forget that. Can't wait to see you again, Minah. =]

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Motivation Test

The following 7 pictures are excerpts from Kevin Gerald's The proving ground: Nine tests that prove your personal potential. Have a look...

Unfit

I am unfit; it's official. I basically ran my gut out in soccer today, and almost died. But it was fun. eeeagggh. back to work tomorrow.

Weekend!

Wow! So fun to work only five days!

Went to Ikea after work today with Jeannie and Angela today, apparently to buy furniture, but we ended up stuffing ourselves silly woth Swedish meatballs, chicken wings and chocolate mousse. Ended up being $8/head well spent, consuming about 25 meatballs and six chicken wings altogether.

And tomorrow I'm going to IDS to change my UQ intake to BA in Feb 2007, and then going Golden Mile to recce for green papaya to make somtham (papaya salad). We'll see.

Oh and just bought ten (!) GV ticket vouchers! Hmmm I feel like a movie...

Stay-out

Pray with me: I asked Mdm for stay-out, as it can only improve my skin. She was reluctant to make the effort, but she sadi she'll ask S3 on Monday, so keep those prayers coming!

Free!

OK don't ask how, but I have vouchers for a free body spa and facial spa. My friend already tried it out and gave it the thumbs up, so I guess it's pretty good. Anyone wants the voucher just drop me an email.

The zebra

There was a zebra who had always wondered:
Was he a black horse with white stripes,
or a white horse with black stripes?

This little zebra traversed the world, looking for a wise man who would give him the answer. Eventually he came to Timbuktu, where everyone told him he would find the answer.

He was directed to the famous wise man, who knew the answer to everything.

With his heart in his mouth, he asked the question:
"O Wise man, am i a black horse with white stripes,
or a white horse with black stripes?"

The wise man replied slowly, his eyes closed.

"You are what you are." Then he said no more.

The zebra was ushered out before he could ask more. Now suitably flummoxed, he asked the assistant why he did not receive an answer, since the wise man knew everything.

The assistant insisted the answer had been given.

The zebra asked: "So am I a black horse with white stripes,
or a white horse with black stripes?"

"That's simple," the assistant replied. "You're a white horse with black stripes."

"How do you know?" the zebra inquired.

"Well, if you were a black horse with white stripes, he would've said, 'You is what you is.' "

Jazz Concert

OK to get four free tickets to a jazz concert by SAF Central Band and featuring four local jazz musicians. It's on 23 Sep at 730pm, Singapore Conference Hall (near Shenton Way). All you have to do is call 64505895 and leave your name. Enjoy!

Wild Wild Wet

Oh and I can buy Wild Wild Wet tix at half price for $6.50. So let me know if you want any. Exclusive to my faithful readers.

GV movie tickets

I am able to buy 10 GV movie passes for $5.50 each, any time any day. interested. Of course I want some for myself, but anyone wants any? Let me know asap. Exclusively for readers of this blog.

Unnmoveable vs Irresistable

A US Navy ship is travelling in Iraqi waters when they receive this radio message: Please alter your course 15 degrees east to avoid a collision. The ship navigator concurs and advises the ship captain that one of them needs to change course.

The ship captain replies: I am Captain Roger of the USS Dell and I suggest YOU change your course.

The reply is prompt and incenses the captain: I'm going to insist that YOU change your course instead.

The captain replies: I am the Commander of aircraft carrier USS Dell, with enough firepower to blow you out of the water, and we will take action if we perceive and lack of cooperation or aggression toward us. We are not diverting from our charted course!!! Why on earth should we move?!?!

The reply was short: We are a lighthouse.

The immoral doctor

Tim had felt guilty all day long. No matter how hard he tried to forget it, he just could not. The shame was overwhelming.

But he would hear a voice tell him: "Don't worry, you aren't the first doctor to sleep with your patient, and you certainly won;t be the last. And you're single, so just let it go."

But invariably the other voice would bring him back to reality: "Tim, you're a veterinarian..."

Beer Drinkers' Survey

Topic: Beer Drinkers' Survey
Date: 6 - 17 Sep 2004 (closing date is Wed, 15 Sep)
Time: 1100 - 2130 hrs (any time suitable for the interviewee)
Interview length: 30 min
Venue: Field Dept, 4th floor, 241 River Valley Rd (at the junction of River Valley Rd and Jln Mohd Sultan)
Pre-requisites: Interviewees must be MALE and 18 - 59 years old
Incentive: Successful interviewees will be paid in cash on-the-spot, on conclusion of the interview, as follows: 18 - 29 years old: S$30; 30 - 59 years old: S$40
Exceptions: All interviewees and their family members / close friends must NOT be working in industries such as market research, advertising, PR, or manufacturer / retailer of alcoholic beverages

If you or your friends wish to be considered for this survey, kindly contact Aaron at 94566789 or through email at aaronwong@journalist.com as soon as possible, with your name, age and contact number.

ACORN Marketing and Research Consultants, the company conducting the interviews, will then contact potential interviewees individually by phone to assess their suitability. ACORN will then arrange for an interview with you directly. Please be assured that ACORN will only use your contact number for the purposes of arranging an appointment for this survey ONLY. Your information will be kept confidential.

I hope to hear from you soon. This, in my humble opinion, is a really simple way to pick up some extra spending money. If you don't qualify for this particular survey, be rest assured that there will me many more in future that I will update you with. Alternatively, if you don't to hear from me about these surveys, just let me know. Thanks.

Yours sincerely, Aaron

Mission Trip

OK the reason why I haven't been blogging for a week is because I was in Thailand on a mission trip. Nothing to do with the SAF, though we did fly near Kanchanaburi, but rather on an evangelistic mission with 10 others from my church. Five of us were first-timers, but it didn't matter as we all gelled wonderfully and enjoyed oourselves tremendously.

I probably wasn't in the best of condition for the trip, and had a constant cough and slight fever throughout the trip. This and the inherent eczema exacerbated by the daily exposure to the elements. But all this is unimportant.

What was important was how God opened my eyes to His ministry and the wonderful thing He is doing in Khon Kaen and Mahasarakam, towns in Northeast Thailand, one of the most impoverished provinces.

It was so wonderful to see the joy on the children's faces as we visited schools from primary level all the way to university level.

Seeing the primary children with their torn shoes and socks, threadbare uniforms, but still clenching their hands and closing their eyes so tight when we prayed, it broke my heart. But seeing their faces light up with joy when we sang and danced together, it just made all the sweat and fatigue worth it. And they were just so happy with little gifts that we gave, which back home in Singapore our kids wouldn't give a second glance. But here they grasped these as if they were the only things they had.

I put my cap on a little girl's head (let's call her Boo) and she wore it as if she believed she was queen for a day, never letting it go. Due to our policy on personal gifts though, it had to be returned, but I did manage to leave my whistle with her. I'd like to think she's driving her family crazy with it. I'll post a picture soon.

The high school (or what we'd call secondary) students were certainly a rowdy bunch. While at primary level the boys were noisier than the girls, when they grew up it reversed. The boys were all in Boy Scout uniforms, and the girls in Girl Guides' and Girl Scouts'. How they cheered and called for more after our songs and skit! And how eagerly they pressed forward for autographs from us afterward! If we can direct this desire into a longing to know more about God, Thailand will know revival!

Though, it was the Bachelor in English Language students that connected with me. These are young men and women my age who have never set foot outside Thailand, but yet harbour such wonderful ambitions to be tour guides, news reporters, boxers. They show such a willingness to learn about our Singaporean culture, but yet their humility and bashfulness keeps them from asking more. Three of the four male students I spoke too have actually heard the gospel, and two of them had attended church before. Indeed the gospel of Jesus Christ has begun to permeate the youth of Thailand, and we will see them use their energy and vitality to reach their countrymen. A second year student, Off, actually attended one of our children's outreach ministries a night later. I trust God ministered to him, and I'm thankful that we were able to speak to him before he went home that night.

The youth in Mahasarakam under Ajaan Dat were an inspiration to us because they were just SO talented in dance, compared to the ponderous Singaporeans, and they did it with such joy, as if they meant every word, even though it was in English, their weaker language. We were blessed by them, and it was a blessing to be able to have been used by God to answer their prayer for yellow t-shirts.

It was also a blessing to see Air's ministry slowly but surely come to fruition. She now has some land, and she is planning an orphanage, training school and English centre. May God bless her and James richly.

Personally I've been blessed tremendously by the love of our Thai brethren and can't wait to go back. I'm told I have to skip March as it is too hot, but let's see if God heals me eh? I have 16 days leave next year, so it'll be just nice.

The food there is FANTASTIC! May be on the spicy side, but their papaya salad, tomyam, pork, chicken was heavenly. And with all the fresh fruits, it was even healthier than what we eat back here. We were even blessed with a home-cooked dinner by our driver, who shared the same name as the noise his horn made - Phi Phu. We bought all sorts of groceries for him, that bluffed him to say it was for us to bring back to Singapore. He was wondering wy Singapore didn't have all that stuff!

You know, it'd take me forever to talk about everything, and I don't have forever, so I won't. If you wanna know more, just pick up the phone and drop me a line lor!

San-sern Pra-Jao!!!

Let the commercialisation commence

OK I'm a sellout. See the little unobtrusive ad on the right hand column? OK now click on it. Good. I've just earned a few cents. OK Guys. Do me a favour and click on it whenever you log in, as many times as you want. Helps augment my meagre NS pay...

Flatulently speaking...

When C3PO said he was affluent in over 6 billion languages, did he really mean effluent? If you're feeling rather gassy sing along to this, with appropriate sphinctural percussion:

Beans, beans, they're good for your heart
The more you eat, the more you fart
The more you fart, the better you feel
So let's have beans for every meal!

Here's to Heinz, Inc. America's singular culprit of global warming.

5 days to go!

OK I'm trying to psyche myself up. Doesn't quite work cos all I'm looking forward to is the weekend and suddenly I have to pack all my stuff for mission trip. Anybody want anything from thailand? =] I draw the line at Tata Young CDs.

Approved!

My leave has finally been approved!!!

Hana & Alice

While I'm not normally a fan of Japanese fare, Hana & Alice was a relly nice movie. It may have been all saccharine-sweet and a Yuu Aoi vehicle, but hey, I'm a sucker. =]
This movie isn't without its hilarious moments too, and is well worth watching, even during the weekend.
The script is nothing original, but this director really immerses you into the story and its characters. He even loses focus halfway through, but you don't really mind, cos everyone's so damn sweet.

5 Day Work Week!!!

I love PM Lee! He just announced a 5-day work week for civil servants; same hours, compressed into the weekdays. Shiok ah? What's long weekend? =]

A joke

Q: Why shouldn't you buy a hi-fi set from an Arsenal fan?
A: They don't have Treble.

Off!

Cool! Actually managed to get an off tomorrow! Perhaps the pigs are flying over the blue moon!

RAW

I scratched my nack to bloody bits again last night. I now know the meaning of intolaerable. I knew if i scratched it'd get really bad, but I really couldn't help it. Today it's open sores all over, thank God the surprisingly sympathetic MO gave me two days Attend C. I wouldn't know what to do otherwise. They do have good in them after all. So i only return to work on Momday morning.

The weekend

Wow let's catch up on the weekend shall we?

Saturday:
After mulling over whether to turn up at work at all, coming to work proved to be the right decision, as my boss turned up. Whew! Then played pool at Woodlands, before joining the youth for outing at Pasir Ris Park. I missed the games, but good thing I didn't miss the birthday saboing.

Sunday:
Had mission training after service till about 1930hrs, but was rather fun with all the desynchronised dancing. Then went to join friends and parents to watch fireworks at Esplanade. My friends had waited since 1630hrs with a year-old baby, sorry, toddler in tow. When I got there I couldn't find them cos:
1. There were too many people.
2. There were too many people using the mobile networks so I couldn't contact them.

So anyway I found myself a good spot on the bridge railing and at 2030hrs the fireworks lit up the night sky... for all of five minutes. Then came the mad rush to get AWAY from the Esplanade. This probably took another 15 minutes, during which time I still couldn't find my friends cos:
1. There were too many people.
2. There were too many people using the mobile networks so I couldn't contact them.

Was originally supposed to go to Edgar's house to catch the Community Shield, but decided to hop to CHIJMES instead. Free lawn to sit on, big screen, ahhh. But I had to sit beside an inebriated heckler who had had too much to drink. Hang on, he noly had a Tiger, so he must be naturally boorish then. Irritated the hell outta me with baseless comments about how Jermaine Pennant and Alan Smith used to play for Leeds. Good job Ferdinand wasn't playing then, eh? He apparently hated both Leeds and Manchester United, which just doesn't cut cheese if you know about the War of the Roses. So irritating that I left midway through the second half to go catch my last train. OK lah, by then United were 3-1 down, and the kids were kicking the ball around. No oles then.

Ran for last train to Dhoby Ghaut, then ran like hell at Dhoby Ghaut to catch last train to Sengkang, only to discover it was arriving in 8 min, with another 13 min after that. And the moronic staff at City Hall actually told me: "No train oredi." When I questioned this, he said: "You better run at Dhoby Ghaut." Waste my time.

Oh, the match. Well United have some bucking up to do, especially in defence. There was a general absence of a FLAT. BACK. FOUR. Mostly because they were in a crooked line, they weren't back in defence, and there was usually less than four of them around, including Tim Howard.

Monday:

Had dim sum at Crystal Jade at Woodlands, only for the bill for a four-person lunch to be $90!!! Was my mum treating my dad on his birthday though, so eat first think later.

Then went to Jasmine's house where we:
1. Played with Ian.
2. Played with Joey.
3. Watched Ian play with Joey.
4. Played daidee.
5. Watched NDP and Singapore Idol.
6. Played daidee while laughing at NDP and Singapore Idol.
7. Laughed some more at Lemon Tree singer.

What a weekend! And now I'm on duty. With a LWE this week, I only have THREE working days this week! And my colleague's coming back tmr!!!

On the bright side...

I managed to apply leave for my mission trip, which means i'm only awaiting confirmation in b&w. thank God!

Torment

My skin is killing me, really. I went to sleep at 11, but onlt managed to sleep at 3am because I was scratching away till then till I bled. The result? Frighteningly grotesque wounds on the neck and arms. Can't take it anymore...

Nuggets of Wisdom

Learn not just the truth but the whole truth about God's nature and character

It is only when we understand who God is that we will understand what He does.

We must be careful not to interpret God's character by what we see, but what we see by God's character.

" "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."
It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?" But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' " Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath--prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory - even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?"
- Romans 9:15,16,19-24

Co-heirs with Christ

"So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."
- Galatians 4:7

God only does what is right, and what is best for us. Instead if questioning God, our attitude should be like this:
"I don't know what You're doing, Lord, but I know this:
You are a God of justice, of faithfulness, of holiness, of purity, of power and of right judgment.
I bow before Your superior knowledge and wisdom and ask for grace to bear Your discipline."

This should be our teachability.

"Unless the LORD builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain."
- Psalm 127:1

God is always right!

God always acts according to what is right, in His righteousness reflected in the moral fibre of our hearts. God obeys every law He has laid down for us:

By all that God requires of me
I know that He Himself must be

God is right in everything He does, no matter how things must seem.

"Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
- Genesis 18:25b

"I will proclaim the name of the LORD .
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
upright and just is he."
- Deuteronomy 32:3-4

"Far be it from God to do evil,
from the Almighty to do wrong.
It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,
that the Almighty would pervert justice."
- Job 34:10,12

Double Portion

Elisha asked for a double portion of Elijah's anointing, and got it. He believed he would get it even though Elijah told him many times to stop following him. In the end, God granted Elisha's request.

If you want something, be persistent in seeking God for it!

Customised Service

God deals with us each on a personal basis, depending on our understanding of Him and our condition.

For example, He may choose to reveal himself after a certain time, like He did with the two disciples en route to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32). These two were grieving, so Jesus wanted them to come to terms with their sorrow and deal with their pain. That's why He spoke to them wothout revealing Himself first.

Alternatively. Jesus appeared suddenly to His disciples in Jersalem soon after (Luke 24:36-49). Why the difference? The disciples weren't grieving; it was mroe an issue of confusion and unbelief that Christ needed to address.

God can be trusted to reveal Himself appropriately and pertinently.

A Timely Word

Your listening should not be restricted to God. Also keep a wise ear to people who seek your counsel. Draw on God's wisdom, and listen fully before speaking.

"A man finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word!
A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones."
- Proverbs 15:23,30

Sounds of Silence

God does not always shout. Sometimes He whispers too. Pray that God will sharpen your listening skill to hear His still small voice. (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Go on...

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
- 2 Corinthians 12:9

My friend has just been christened Grace. And what a name, because God has grace for everything. However difficult to accept, God's revelation to you must be obeyed. Pain or no pain, there must be no turning back - we must march on.

If you accept what God says, He will "strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come"" (Isaiah 35:3-4).

Yield to what God has shown you. After all, God knows best!

The Light That Scorches

Can we handle God's plan for us? If He told you to drop everything, quit your job and prepare to go to the mision field in three months, would you? If He told you to forego your natural talent and preach the gospel instead?

Easier said than done certainly, but follwoing God's will is the only way to true freedom. Do not let this frighten you from seeking God's answer but instead be encouraged that God has a unique plan just for you.

"Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ."
- Philippians 3:7

Are you ready?

What are the reasons God does not answer promptly? Well in Habakkuk's case, his situation was one that you can contrive to be either firghtening, or frightfully exciting.

"For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told."
- Habakkuk 1:5

Whoa. That's the reason for God's silence to Habakkuk. The reason for God's delay was that Habakkuk was simply not ready to receive the answer. He would've got a spiritual heart attack! God's reasons for His timing are always impeccably self-explanatory.

Let us be teachable, for we may be big enough to ask the questions, but are we big enough to handle and accept God's answer? Say what you need to say to God, and be honest with Him. Then when the saliva runs dry, be still and know that He is God: Wait on Him.

Furthermore, what is the point of God revealing His plan to you if he knows you cannot or will not understand it? He knows when we're ready so let's trust Him.

"He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."
- Matthew 13:58

"He rebuked them for their lack of faith."
- Mark 16:14

Beware, for our lack of faith, in God's timing for example, can prevent God's work from being accomplished in our life. It can also be a reason for God's rebuke.

Have faith in God's timing, for He knows when we're ready. Amen?

MORE good news!

Oooh goody.
Little uniformed birds on a tree told me that the pay increment for NSFs is actually closer to $100, and might be implemented earlier than thought.
Also I'm to be promoted to Trainee Corporal wef 16 Sep 04, so that's ANOTHER $20. Let's hope the pay hike takes effect quickly!

Unanswered Prayer (15 Jul 2004)

Oooh. Frustrating isn't it? Especially if it's something you know is in God's will. Why does God take so long sometimes?

Some of us are claiming upon the promises of God, but the redemption coupon is taking ages to process. Maybe it got lost in the mail? Got thrown to junk mail? Maybe we need to phrase the prayer just the right way with perfect diction and enunciation? Why, despite our earnest and intense intercession, does God still not reply?

If you're asking all these questions, congratulations! - you're human. The fact is - God has heard, and will attend to your request within three working days: His working days.

The three words we need to remember are: In God's Time. Of course we're confused, confounded or even despairing! We have to learn to submit ourselves to God's impeccable sense of timing. Learning to wait on Him builds our faith and character in Him. Trust that God will deliver, even when things get desperate.

All in His good time. =]

No Need to Bleed (15 Jul 2004)

What does God require when we come before Him?

A humble spirit, a contrite heart, and no unresolved emotions. There's probably more, but for my purposes this will suffice.

God does not require self-mutilation, a crawl to China on your knees, ot other sacrifices to prove worthy of His love. If all of us went crawling to China, wouldn't the church be in trouble! "Brother So-and-so is now at Laos, but realises he can't cross the Mekong on his knees. He's returning next month."

He certainly isn't sadistic, and His grace is sufficient forus.

Jesus has already spilt His blood to redeem us. By metaphorically cutting ourselves, what we're saying is that CHrist dying isn't good enough for us.

A Spiritual Revolution

"The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."
- Exodus 33:11
Some of us may have been brought up in a family of traditional patriarchy, worse still if it is Oriental in origin.

Aloof yet acerbic;
authoritative yet abstemious;
absolute yet absent;
some call it asinine.

A rude tongue would be promptly forked (ouch), and insubordination was (is?) taboo, and probably liable to corporal punishment. Damn I hate my rank. If you're wondering, rang is rank in French. So is the weirdly spelt corporal.

It is an authority led by fear rather than familiarity.

I'm glad to say that our Heavenly Father is none of these. God has been involved in our life even before we came into this world, and He loved us even before we knew Him personally. When God sent His Son Jesus to die for us on the cross, a spiritual revolution took place.

He is not aloof; far from it. This is a God that has His fingers in every pie, a cook for every broth, to handle what we can't.
He is not acerbic; far from it. His rebukes are borne of the unconditional love that He has for us.
He is not self-contradictory. While He exercises His authority in our life, He gives us Choice. And when we struggle to choose correctly, He is not abstemious; He's there to help us out.
He is absolute and omnipresent.
How asinine to suggest that God is otherwise!

Yes we ought to fear God, but positively. The fear of God is respect given to God as an acknowledgement of His deity. Yet GOd wants us to be familiar with Him and understand Him, that we may the desire the godly things that He does.

We can speak frankly and honestly to Him because He is our Heavenly Father. Bring your frustration and fallibility to Him, and let Him turn it into "something beautiful".

Let the spiritual revolution continue in our hearts.

God's Amazing Patience (13 Jul 2004)

"I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me."
- Psalm 13:5,6

Lord Your patience is amazing, but mine is not. I am having trouble focusing on Your will and purpose. Worse still, I am stumbling others similarly.

Lord, I have already decided to take such a difficult and heart-wrenching step, but I trust it is right. This step I have taken tests me on how much I trust you, beyond however much I've been tested thus far. And as I see it, this test might extend up to four years, and perhaps more. 16 seasons, 16 stars in a glass jar.

Humanly, I look at the situation and I know it's impossible: I can't Lord. I thought ORD would represent a watershed in the testing of my faith, but it is not. It is only the beginning, and I am clueless as to what lies beyond.

I need you to show me quick. I have already sacrificed and foregone my greatest source of happiness for You! What more must I give or give up? I am near my limit Lord, please help me.

"But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children -
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts."
- Paslm 103:17,18



And then God spoke to me.

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise."
- 2 Peter 3:9

Phwoar! Fantastic right?



Our God is an awesome god
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power and love
Our God is an awesome God

More good news!

I have just been officially informed that I have been permanently downgraded to PES C9L3, with permanent excuse No 4 uniform. What this means is:

1. No more IPPT, now and reservist.
2. 5-year reservist cycle (I think)
3. No need to run Army Half-Marathon. Sorry donations made are unrefundable.
4. No more folding Smart No 4, Hello spiffy No 3.
5. No more lacing up boots.
6. No more garters.
7. Admin attire every day till I get my No 3.

Unfortunately, it also means:
1. No cash reward even if I pass IPPT in reservist.
2. Gee can't think of anything else. Hooray!

10 THings You Didn't Know About Yourselves

OK all my rabid fans! Here are some quirky facts you might not have known about yourselves!

1. 97% of you use Windows OSes, the other 3% are either Mackies or liars.
2. 7% of you visit my site from places like the States, UK, Eastern Europe and Australia. Who are you? I wanna know! I'm guessing Nat, Foong Lay, Yew Hock, and the Mass Comm Brigade in Oz, but let me know who you are!
3. 2% of you log on from a edu.sg domain. I wonder who's skiving MOE time... =]
4. 95% of you are on IE 5 or 6. The remaining use Mozilla or Netscape. Jeannie, you're on Mozilla right?
5. Most of you log on between noon and 8pm local time. At least you guys are sane. Hmmm during office hours leh.
6. Most of you visit on Thursday. Sundays and Tuesdays you just can't lift a finger to click.
7. Site traffic has increased by a phenomenal 280% since January this year. Keep it up guys! =]
8. I get about 17 hits a day, and you guys hang around for about 2 min or so. Glad to take up 35 min of your time daily. Hope it made your day.
9. All of you speak English.
10. 100% of you can't wait to get tomorrow's fix of unadulterated cow crap!

Data from Sitemeter.com

Brainiest? Or best mugger?

For the record, Singapore's Brainiest Kid highlights a lot of things wrong with Singaporean values and education. Why is memorisation so prized? Is mindless regurgitation over topics like Roald Dahl's Big Friendly Giant and weird video games really and indication of our children's intellect. If so, and the Singaporean public lapping it up thinks so, then God help us. Where's the brains in that? I am appalled, though I was like that as a kid. Where's the emphasis on problem-solving? Let's see the BFG expert write an original opinionated piece, and see if he's so brainy after all. All these smart-alecky kids with their smug faces, and brainier-than-thou posturing should have their misguided pride defrocked and neutered.

I Need You Now by All Star United

When worlds collide
Then drift away
I will cling to the pieces
The ones that point at the way to go
More than anything I want You to know

So here I wait
Cold and afraid
I'm not the kind to cry Jesus
Or put my heart on parade
There are four words I want You to know

Chorus

I need you now
More than ever Lord
Give me truth over mystery
'Cos when you're around
The uncertainty seems to fade into history

Now that you've heard
My empty heartache's lament
I'm praying now that You'll be breaking through
This heavy shell of cement, and oh
More than anything I want You to know

I'm crying out
I'm pushing through
I'm trading fear and doubts for truth and absolutes
Was lost, then found
These things I never knew
Without You

If We Were Lovers by All Star United

Let's take a walk into the sky
Conversing with the stars to fathom why
They're not afraid to burn
To lose themselves while turning into light

Chorus

If we were lovers
Like we were meant to be
Open arms, broken hearts
All the world to see
If we were lovers
Loving like we say
All the ghosts of doubt would crash and burn away

The obvious will be implied
From the simple implications of our lives
If we don't get it right
I guess they're gonna wait a long long time

An extraordinary love
Offers heal for hurt and kind for cruelty
Words are not enough
Revolution must begin for you and me

If we were lovers
Then we would love

Torn by All Star United

It's excruciating
I know you need to know where we stand
Is there harm in waiting?
Is this my only chance to take your hand?

Chorus

I'm torn in two
By what i should or should not do
Torn, torn in two
Will you wait for me if I run from you?

I really must confess
It feels like there's a war in me
I'm drawn to those who offer less
But is this really where i need to be

Over this I'm losing rest
I can't bear to turn away
If I try to second guess
Will I give it all away?

A Dialogue with God (12 July 2004)

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
- Hebrews 4:16

God says to put Him first in everything. But often we turn to friends instead. While indeed some friends are capable of godly counsel, without wisdom from God, you might as well ask anybody else. The key word is godly, because there is no godly counsel without God, is there? It is God who puts the word in people's mouths to advise us. True, spiritual "knowledge and competen[ce]" (Romans 15:14) do abound in strong Christians, but we still need specific words of wisdom from the voice of the Father.

Seeking God first is also an act of obedience onto Him. Our spiritual dependence must always be in Him, not in ourselves or others. To do otherwise is sin, because we end up doing whatever is right in our own eyes. By making Him our first stop, we also acknowledge Him as the Vine (John 15:5) and our dependence in Him.



"Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.... Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."
- Hebrews 10:22a,23

"We have confidence before God receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him."
- 1 John 3:21,22

Go to Him first, and taste His goodness.

Weekend's devotions

This is to summarise the devotionals for Sat and Sun. Well to be honest I missed both, but I read through it and gleaned this.

Basically this is what we should be doing:
1. There is nothing too cheem for God, so if there's something you need to ask God, just whack.

2. We have to learn to talk to God about our problems before talking to others. Otherwise, how is God going to use people to talk to you?

3. In the end, God's the one with the answers. Honour Him, bu putting Him first in everything.

Testimony

I've just been informed that my Sunday duty on 25 July has been rescinded, thanks to a guy who slept in bunk during PE. I've done that before, though not here. THank God for His providence once again.

A Tribute to My Mum

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character (Proverbs 31:10-31)

Apathetic:
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
Blessed:
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also.
Confident:
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
Dignified:
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity.
Eager:
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
Faithful:
26 faithful instruction is on her tongue.
God-fearing:
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Hardworking:
27 She does not eat the bread of idleness.
Industrious:
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
Joyful:
25she can laugh at the days to come.
Knowledgeable:
26 She speaks with wisdom
Laborious:
18She sees that her lamp does not go out at night.
Matchless:
31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Noble:
10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Outstanding:
29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Profitable:
18 She sees that her trading is profitable
Queenly:
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Resourceful:
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
Sacrificial:
15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family.
Talented:
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
Unafraid:
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
Vigorous:
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
Watchful:
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
Xperienced:
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
Yielded:
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
Zealous:
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

Going Beyond Imagination! (9 July 2004)

Indeed as the Bible says, some are called to be evangelists (Ephesians 4:11), but some are not.

As challenging as it is to forego all you've known and go the frontline of the gospen proliferation, think about the people the missionaries leave behind.

Some leave behind families, loved ones, friends, all for the sake of the gospel. But it's all for you Lord.

Sometimes the hardest thing for a "sender" to do is to let go of the "goer".
They wonder why the missionary has to go and leave them all behind.
They wonder why they can't follow suit.
They even wonder why these unreached people groups who don't even know their loved one is going to them deserves him/her more than they.
They question the fairness of God and doubt His plan for them.

The question is: What can they do?
The army says LLST. (ask any soldier what it means)
Their heart yearns to be with their loved one.
Their head is ruled by their heart.
They are tempted to jump off God's path and bash their own way through.
The hokkien peng says "ai piah, ai piah, ngeh ngeh lai".
So how?

What does God say?
He reassure us simply by saying that He knows what he is doing.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11

By human perception, we can't for the life of us figure how things are going to work but thank God that He knows, and He'll tell us at some point.

I pray I'll be teachable and receptive, but it's easier said than done.

Stepping Off the Bridge (8 July 2004)

COntinuing from yesterday, today's devotional touches on independence from conventional safety lines.

Do you have confidence in God? If you do, step out into the water in faith. When you face the truth about yourself you ultimately pave the way to discovering the truth about God. The next time you face a situation that causes you to question God's purposes, do not merely accept it: Ask God why. Allow God to speak to you, and allow yourself to depend on His strength. Once again, it is better to analogise at this point, but I promise not to go into anything too slimy this time.

Imagine yourself standing on the railing of the Benjamin Sheares Bridge facing Marina East and beyond. Let's dramatise this and assume Marina Bay is infested with sharks that have been fasting for days. If you jump, you'll be dead before you hit the water. yes the sharks are probablt Christian since they're fasting at this time, but all that means is that they'll say grace before devouring you.

Marina Bay, then, represents the emotion or problem that you don't want to face, or God's prompting you don't want to follow. You know what I mean.

The bridge represents the earthly assurance you hold on to, be it your job, money, or even your status.

Look down to your feet. Attached firmly around your ankles is a bungee rope. For thos averse to heights, this analogy will be more real to you.

Here we go:
You know the rope is safe, and is securely affixed to you. But there's no way of knowing how safe it is till you step off the bridge.
The rope represents God's love and is held in His hands. Right now the rope hangs limp, because you are supported by the bridge, not the rope.

What I'm trying to say is:
Experience the power of God's delivereance and trust in Him to uphold you in the presence of your insecurities.

Step off the bridge and live boldly for Christ! Amen?

Go there! (8 July 2004)

"Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: "Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him: "Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food." "
1 Kings 17:2-9

Where God guides, God provides.

It's often said that God always provides a way out, and it's true.

While He isn't your "Get out of jail!" card, and you should never consider Him that, He remains Jehovah Jireh our Provider.

Are you in the place where God has sent you? If so, you will know God's provision. Our relationship with God is not a rice bowl - it's a mission. He'll never shortchange us and His supply will follow us every step of our obedience to His mission.

Where God guides, God provides! Go there!


If God is calling you to lead a simpler life for the sake of the gospel, do it! God is guiding you somewhere so He can demonstrate His providence to you. God bless those who have stepped out in faith to serve God's frontline mission, forfeiting their privileges of comfort and convenience so that unreached people groups may hear the Good News.

To those whom God has placed the burden of cross-cultural missions in their hearts, may the Lord stir their hearts and give them the faith to trust and obey.


If you do not yet know what your specific calling is, continue to ask God for His wonderful plan for you, like what I'm doing. Remember His three answers: No, Wait, and Here's Something Better? Keep waiting, but keep praying. Amen?

Buried Alive

"Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

No, it isn't David Blaine again.

OK raise your hands. Who likes negative emotions? Who enjoys melancholy more than mirth? values dourness above delight? likes to =[ rather than to =] ? A rhetorical question if there ever was one. Masochists please refrain from raising your hand.

So much so, we just want to be rid of it as soon as possible, by all means and any means.

Habakkuk asks repeatedly why bad things happen to good people and vice versa. Yes, every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17), but that doesn't mean we can just take the good and accept nothing else from God. Faith would be a piece of cake if you received only good things wouldn't it?

I urge not to be remiss and dismiss discomfort and hardship offhand.

We are guilty of two types of dismissal: Suppression and Repression, very much like the fleeing and forgetting I touched on yesterday. These also result in Depression and Regression, and a Compression of your spirit, because your Transgression is not acknowledged. OK enough digression.

Suppression basically means moving the negative emotion to the KIV tray, pushing it to the side of your plate, or stashing it away in your drawer. But when your IN tray is cleared, when you've eaten everything else that you liked from the buffet, when your mom nags you to clean your room, There! The emotion hasn't disappeared; it's still there, and it has to be dealt with.

Repression takes it a a step further, or should I say deeper.

You burn it, shred it, run the anti-virus software, delete it, empty the Recycle Bin (sorry Mac users, all two of you), format your hard drive, all so you NEVER have to deal with it EVER again.

But these methods are still only temporary, and the root problem remains unsolved, and insoluble in the solutions you use.

And as it festers in the Keep-Out-of-View tray, conspicuously untouched on your dinner plate, or buried in the dark recesses of your drawer, it will undoubtedly remanifest itself.

Because God loves you and considers the lesson you have to learn essential to your development, He'll want you to learn it, no matter how many times you've skipped lecture. Please realise we just have to learn it well once, and with Christ our teacher beside us, we can do all things.

I reiterate: any emotion you harbour, hoard, hide, hold or hush up will return to haunt and harangue you like a thorn in the flesh. Any emotion buried within us is never buried dead - but buried alive.



"When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess
my transgressions to the LORD "-
and you forgave
the guilt of my sin."
Psalm 32:3-5

Once again when I least expect it, God speaks to me, this time through Paul Baloche's No Eye Has Seen (Track 11) and Spontaneous Worship (13), from his album Open the Eyes of My Heart. The spontaneous worship gave me the opportunity to meditate on God in His presence, but No Eye Has Seen really spoke to me:


No eye has seen, no ear has heard
No mind has conceived what the Lord has prepared
But by His spirit He has revealed His plan
To those who love Him

We've been held by His everlasting love
Led with lovingkindness by His hand
We have hope for the future yet to come
In time we'll understand the mystery of His plan


That is almost verbatim what God is speaking to me, and I'm really overwhelmed. Amen.