not for duty's sake

We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace.

If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.

-from utmost.

i need to crash and BURN right now. somebody save me.

You are alpha and omega

We can only depend on those who love us, those whose love is unchangeable, whose character is immutable. One who is always and will always be there. There is only one person that we can depend wholly on.

God at work

As I listened to my senior pastor recount how he came to the vision and the values of the church, how it was undeniably God at work, I wondered whether my capability could become a hindrance for me when I fail to see how God was actually at work in every challenge that I've faced..

last kiss

absolutely love the harmony!

the purpose of this life

how often at various stages of my life have I pondered about this question..

when I see generation after generation of people brought to this earth, grow up as children, hope to find love, get married, have children, get a job, grow old, sometimes going through the motions as though it were a chore, especially when providence is uncertain, worrying about tomorrow. makes me ask, what is the point? so that one generation can learn to be more successful than the previous generation - as would be predicted by evolution based on adaptation to survive? adaptation to survive works when there is relative stability in environment, but not so much in environmental catastrophes, where survival does not depend on physical traits but by what people might call luck.

it is only in times of stability when we can "teach ourselves strategies that will allow us to become prosperous". but the world is not so stable is it? whether it is environmental disasters or unpredictable markets. when there is uncertainty, so-called "strategies" can fail. (so how can we rely on them?)

we are told from young - we must study hard, get many As, get into the best programmes, get all the relevant experiences, get many qualifications (the higher the better), and qualifications lead to better paying jobs, and then we don't need to worry about feeding ourselves (and our kids), getting a house. this message is ingrained when parents sign kids up for special tuition to take special exams. this message is ingrained when students take part in various activities (CCA, CIP, attachments...) to boost CV. this message is ingrained when students stay in school after the first degree to get a masters thinking it might give them an extra edge (which might not be true in every area of study).

when I see people using ways and means (lawful or not) to get around the system to climb the social or corporate ladder, I see it as a result of people's goal of being more successful than another, being more prosperous than another, maybe so that no one may look down on them, maybe so that one day they have something they can boast about.

and even when people become prosperous - are they satisfied?

could it be to fulfill childhood dreams? for some people fulfilling their dreams means getting the dream car dream house dream clothes/shoes. for some people fulfilling their dreams means doing something that helps them express themselves. for some people fulfilling their dreams means going to this place and that, to see the world, to meet lots of people. a lot of these dreams are self-centred dreams. but not everyone gets to fulfill their dreams, perhaps due to circumstance. so it cannot be that we live so as to fulfill our dreams, some lucky ones do. but that is not the end goal of living this life.

but everyone has a chance to find happiness, whatever their circumstance and situation.

i think, the purpose of this life is to learn to love. not just to be loved.
it is not so difficult to be loved - one can do things to try to attract people's adoration.
In learning to love, we learn
To treat any and everyone with care and respect
To give people the benefit of doubt
To be filled with compassion but not hatred
=> To be able to forgive
To be humble to learn from everyone
While not compromising on what is right and what is wrong

Such love may be viewed by people as foolish, as placing yourself in a situation where others could take advantage of you, or a situation where you receive no thanks for what you do. Certainly, loving others opens us to to disappointments or despair. But it is not about what you get in return for what you do. Your actions reinforce your principles. It's about what kind of character you build when you do certain things. It's between you and God and nobody else. And in difficult times, learning to love as we remind ourselves of God's love for us helps us-
To see any little blessing and find joy in it
To see God's providence and protective hand - and therefore be able to trust in it

That's all we really need to learn in this world - that we are loved by God and we should share this great love with the world.

unappreciated

when helping someone and making life easier for someone else attracts no notice, no thanks, no assistance, possibly even rejection, when you feel taken for granted. God sees it. Continue because God notices. As His people and carriers of His name, let no one else's opinion matter above Jesus's.

consider my loss

http://theamericanscholar.org/the-disadvantages-of-an-elite-education/

Because students from elite schools expect success, and expect it now. They have, by definition, never experienced anything else, and their sense of self has been built around their ability to succeed.

Now that students are in constant electronic contact, they never have trouble finding each other. But it’s not as if their compulsive sociability is enabling them to develop deep friendships. “To whom can I expose the urgency of my own passion?”

Reminder

We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God’s blessings means.
Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself.

From Apr 04, Oswald Chamber's Daily Devotional

this is why guys must always make the first move

Gentlemen, you've got to have the GUTS to communicate your intentions. Ladies, if you are attracted to a guy who appears to share your interest but doesn't have the courage to communicate his feelings toward you, drop him like a bad habit. Men need to have enough sense and DISCERNMENT to recognise and acknowledge that spending time together creates some level of emotional commitment. Such a realisation should motivate a man to bring DEFINITION to the relationship. Guys, you are not ready for a relationship if you are content to continue flirting without sharing feelings. Feelings and intentions need to be communicated in the proper timing.

From Dating Delilah by Judah Smith

perks of living overseas

now i miss taking baths. instead of the usual shower

for my own reference.. PhD advice

http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/labcoat-life/15_mistakes_young_researchers_make

http://matt.might.net/articles/ways-to-fail-a-phd/

one at a time?

there's so many things I want to pray about, I hope I don't miss any out (though I'm sure I do), my heart can't even dedicate enough time to each of the things I'm concerned about. sometimes I wonder if things are going so slow because I don't spend enough time and heart praying about it.

How rich are we?

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

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

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

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

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

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

the power of LATER

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/changepower/201110/the-tricks-treats

Lord of Heaven and Earth

oh Father stay close, don't let me stray

freezing cold places

so my dad stopped me from applying to wisconsin thinking i'll freeze myself there. now i'm applying to a small ulu place where the nearest town is Minneapolis. O_O lets hope theres lots of snowy sunny days up there!

so cool

Did you know that the word "POSH" comes from maritime language?! The best cabins on Indiaman, a sailing ship that travelled between Britain and India, were the cooler cabins on the North side of the ship. Ones labeled as "Port side going Out, Starboard going Home"... or simply - POSH cabins

Happiness is a personal choice. It does not need to depend on the things that happen around/to us.

Now i just need to believe that.

http://theweek.com/article/index/99512/the-last-word-he-said-he-was-leaving-she-ignored-him

much needed..

glory to God, Monday is a public holiday!