Barefoot Is Better.

• Before •


• After •


S-P-L-A-S-H! =)

Running The Race.

I've been running.
Oh, yes, I have, albeit in the wrong fashion.
I've been running away when I should have been running to win.
Running The Race
READ: 1 Cor. 9:19-27

“ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. —1 Corinthians 9:24 ”

Spiridon Louis isn’t well known around the world, but he is in Greece. That’s because of what happened in 1896 when the Olympic Games were revived in Athens.

During the competition that year, the Greeks did quite well—winning the most medals of any nation. But the event that became a source of true Greek pride was the first-ever marathon. Seventeen athletes competed in this race of 40 kilometers (24.8 miles), but it was won by Louis—a common laborer. For his efforts, Louis was honored by king and country, and he became a national hero.

The apostle Paul used running a race as a picture of the Christian life. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, he challenged us not just to run but to run to win, saying, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” Not only did Paul teach this but he lived it out. In his final epistle, he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Having finished his race, Paul joyfully anticipated receiving the victory crown from the King of heaven.

Like Paul, run your earthly race to win—and to please your King. — Bill Crowder

As we run in this race—
As our best effort we bring—
We are spurred on by the fact
That we must win for the King. —Branon

The Christian’s race is not a sprint—it’s a marathon.

All contents and materials © RBC Ministries
For more resources, please visit our website at http://www.rbc.org

Where My Heart Belongs.

Consider this -

• Attractive remuneration.
• Location : Hong Kong.
• Field : EMS Specialist Training (right up Mich's alley)
• Expatriate status
• Lodging provided.

And Mich, being the Foolish Girl as she is, will pass up this offer.

For here is where her heart belongs.

With her family. With You.

And so, she'll stay.

Do What Is Good.

Crystallized logic postured, the cogwheels chug in motion.

I get it now.

I'll never run away from You again.

Neither will I attempt to cut You off again.

The Skedaddle is no more.

There's nary a mite of goodness in that.

With each attempt, the column would break into regimented pieces and its fragments felicitated while You beckoned with sweet words of fancy ad captandum.

Slinking away in Silence only inflicts anguish on my mantle.

Alea Jacta Est - Yes, it would be doing the Right Thing but it would not suffice. On the fringe of consciousness, it only persists in stubborn anoesis.

All my life, I've been fastidious in the dogmatic pursuit of a singular tenet - Do The Right Thing.

Finally, the adumbration as such has shaken off its shroud.

Precipitated sentience effects thus - Do what is Good.

So....Yes, I'll Stay. =)

2 Songs. 2 AM.

(1) Keith Urban - You'll Think Of Me

A song shared with Daniel at 2am. I've been listening to this for hours. No fancy footwork, outlandish costumes nor extravagant setups needed. A good voice coupled with awesome guitar skills will suffice. =)



I woke up early this morning around 4am
With the moon shining bright as headlights on the interstate
I pulled the covers over my head and tried to catch some sleep
But thoughts of us kept keeping me awake
Ever since you found yourself in someone else's arms
I've been trying my best to get along
But that's OK
There's nothing left to say, but

Chorus :
Take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need them
Take your space and all your reasons
But you'll think of me
And take your cat and leave my sweater
'Cause we have nothing left to weather
In fact I'll feel a whole lot better
But you'll think of me, you'll think of me

I went out driving trying to clear my head
I tried to sweep out all the ruins that my emotions left
I guess I'm feeling just a little tired of this
And all the baggage that seems to still exist
It seems the only blessing I have left to my name
Is not knowing what we could have been
What we should have been, so

(Repeat Chorus)

Someday I'm gonna run across your mind
Don't worry, I'll be fine
I'm gonna be alright
While you're sleeping with your pride
Wishing I could hold you tight
I'll be over you
And on with my life

(Repeat Chorus)

So take your records, take your freedom
Take your memories I don't need them
Take your space and all your reasons
But you'll think of me
And take your cat and leave my sweater
'Cause we got nothing left to weather
In fact I'll feel a whole lot better
But you'll think of me, you'll think of me, yeah

And you're gonna think of me
Oh someday, Baby, someday.
(2) Better Than Ezra - Our Finest Year

And likewise, Daniel shared this song with me. Love the drums on this one! =)



I am bending
Made of steel
I am stumbling
Towards something real
How can you forget this feeling
Of standing straight while the world is reeling?

Don't leave me here alone
You're as close as it gets to home

Don't look down
You might fall
Life made rookies of us all
In our finest year
Don't wait up
We'll be fine
Somehow we might get it right
In our finest year

I am hopeful
Full of doubt
And I am trying to work this whole thing out
So how can you just sit there sleeping
When your worlds on fire
And your chest is beating?

And I want to think you feel the same

(Repeat Chorus)

In this moment
While you're breathing
If the future leaves you needing
Will you be the one who stayed?
As your life just slipped away?

Don't leave me here alone
You're as close as it gets to home

I'll be there if you fall
Love made suckers of us all

Don't look down
You might fall
Life made rookies of us all
In our finest year
Don't wait up
We'll be fine
Somehow we might get it right
In our finest year
Do you like them too? =)

The Wisdom of Isaiah.

Tonight, I asked the Lord, "God, how long? How long before I know what to do?"

Then, I opened my Bible and it landed on Isaiah 6:11.
11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"

And he answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,

12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.

13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."


Wanting to know more, I asked, "How would I know, God?" and flipped the page. Isaiah 7:10 had the answer.
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz,

11 "Ask the LORD your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights."

12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put the LORD to the test."

13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also?

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.

走。

走。

最放不下的是妈妈。

否则今晚，我就已不存在了。

也因为圣经把它定成一种罪，

我，还是我。

痛苦。

您认为这一切是因为它的出现。

您错了。

倘若有朝一日，我把增藏的故事说了，

您也许会目瞪口呆，

您也许简直不敢相信，

您也许会佩服我。

它所给的快乐掩盖着心里的创伤。

原地踏步，我。。。真没用。

上帝，我迷失了方向。

带我回家，好吗？

一步一步的往前。。。

走。

What's Next, Pretty Kitten?

A tangled ball of wool aside, it's time for Pretty Kitten to hit the road. Again.

How familiar.

In aeternum et semper.**

当你偶尔问起我，听说我再没有哭过。
一个人，向前走，走到约好的以后。
能这样就够，你真的幸福，我知道就足够。

[ 約好的以後 - 蔡淳佳 ]

** Forever and Always.

Hello.

IP : 222.165.3.59
Source: 0takb0i

Dear Reader,
Kindly identify yourself. Are you 0takb0i by any chance?

Misery And How To Avoid It.

2 hours into my Quiet Time, this series shook me up and I truly believe that God is effecting a change from within because there are many interesting pieces of analysis here that offer a refreshing and honest perspective.

If you have serious afflictions and can identify the spiralling inflections in your life, do read this. You can be an atheist, pagan, Jew, Christian, etc. It doesn't matter. You will walk away with a new gift of knowledge.

Dear God,
You know my hurts and wounds. You know what plagues me. I pray in Jesus' Name that You deliver me from this curse in time to come. And Good Lord, I know that everything happens for a reason. I didn't stumble upon this by chance. It was the inexplicable result of googling an irrelevant topic. May this touch every individual whose eyes lay upon these words of wisdom. Amen.

MISERY AND HOW TO AVOID IT

For thousands of years wise people have pondered why we suffer so much misery. That misery we bring on ourselves or inflict on others they called "sin." Some sins seemed to be more miserable than others. These they called "deadly sins." In the 6th Century St. Gregory the Great listed them as seven. In the 13th century Thomas Aquinas noted that they were deadly not merely because they were serious offences morally but because they gave rise to other sins.

Early Christian theologians cataloged seven deadly sins. They called them deadly because they are states of mind which lead to sinful behavior: lust, anger, gluttony, covetousness, envy, sloth and pride. They are not things we do. They are things we think and feel. And they make us miserable.

1. Pride
Pride insists, "My will be done," until God finally says to the damned, "Have it your way." The thing that burns in hell is self-will. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions" not because they are lightly held and weakly abandoned, but because they are stubbornly pursued until they become self-serving ends in themselves and are deified.

Pride is competitive. The proud get no pleasure from having anything, but only in having more than others.

Humility is not self-hate. Self-haters are probably the proudest people we know. They hide behind great walls of arrogance to keep us from seeing how cheap they feel inside.

Humility is self-forgetfulness. It is not a low opinion of yourself; it is no opinion of yourself.Truly humble people are not slimy individuals always talking about how terrible they are. They are unaware of their own humility because their attention is not on themselves, but on you. They are interested in what you think and feel and do. They are the most delightful people to be around.

Talent is God-given, so be humble. God's gifts are not on shelves one above the other so that the taller you grow the easier you reach them. They are on shelves one below the other so that by bending lower you get his best. "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and he will lift you up in his good time."

J. D. Teague wrote this prayer: "I was a child playing hide and seek with You. And You caught me hiding in the silliest, saddest places, behind old grudges under a ton of disappointments, tangled in guilt, smothered with success, choking on sobs that nobody heard. You found me and whispered my name and said, 'You're it!' And I believe You meant it."2. Greed
Greed is a one syllable word for the sin of covetousness. It comes from a Greek word meaning "to have more." Greed is a demon within us that whispers to our heart, "You ought to have more than you have."

The Bible identifies greed as a form of idolatry. An old joke claims that a miser makes a terrible neighbor and a wonderful ancestor.

Greed has been renamed, "enterprise." It swaggers forth proclaiming a new virtue called, "profit motive." It looks so clever and sophisticated that nobody can believe that its heart is cold and calculating. Besides, where is its heart? Greed has been institutionalized into the joints and marrow of our corporate society which, unlike individuals, has no heart to hear appeals and no soul to be damned.

Have you learned it? You may not have traveled as far down the slope of self-interest as he. But consider where you are headed. Sooner or later you will get so tired of drinking cups of sand, you'll say, "I'm ready for some living water."

The issue is not right and wrong, but good and bad. Jesus illustrated this principle with a parable about a rich fool whose money cost him everything he had. God called this man a fool because he wasn't smart enough to ask, "What is good?" He only knew what was right.

Greed seeks what is right. Generosity seeks what is good. What are you seeking? And when you finally get what you want, will you want what you have?3. Lust
Thomas Traherne said, "As nothing is more easy than to think, so nothing is more difficult than to think well."

You are responsible for what you think as well as for what you do.

Our modern world has separated thought from behavior, attempting to give freedom to what we think and restraint to the way we behave. With uncensored liberty, our advertising, entertainment, art, literature and movies inflame our appetites and suggest that discipline and self-control are unhealthy, if not downright unamerican. Meanwhile our crowded jails and mental hospitals collect the casualties of our moral disintegration.

Nobody should feel guilty for having a sexual appetite. But only a fool would deliberately intensify an appetite for what is forbidden. Uncontrolled lust is a cannibal committing suicide by nibbling on himself.

You are not what you think you are. But what you think, you are! The wise Solomon said, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7).

Self-serving lust can be dethroned only by a stronger love which seeks the welfare of others (See Matthew 12:43-45). Lust is not love. Lust wants it, the thing itself; love wants the beloved. The thing is a sensory pleasure that occurs within one's own body. It has often been said that a lustful man wants a woman. But that is not what he wants. What he really wants is a pleasure for which the woman happens to be a convenient piece of apparatus. Lust is what makes people want sex even when they have no desire to be with each other.

"Fill your minds with those things which are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honorable" (Philippians 4:8).

You are what you are and where you are because of what goes into your mind. Garbage in, garbage out applies to your thinking. That should make a difference in the kind of movies you see and the videos you rent.4. Envy
Every sin carries with it its own punishment. This is especially true of the sin of envy. Envy takes many forms, of Possessions, Position, Privilege and People.

Poverty is a state of mind induced by what our neighbour has. Envious people count other people's blessings instead of their own. Envy is the mud that failure throws at success. Envy begins by asking, "Why shouldn't I enjoy what other's enjoy?" and ends by demanding, "Why should others enjoy what I can not?"

Envy is a great leveler. If it can't level things up, it will level them down. At best it is a social climber; at worst it is a destroyer. Rather than having someone happier than itself, it would make us all miserable together.

Envy sees other people as competitors for prominence instead of companions in progress. Envy creates hell in the human heart. It allows no satisfaction, no security, no peace — only the constant discontent of selfish desire. It is a deadly sin and a miserable punishment. How, then, can we get free from envy?

A wise man prayed, "Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal"

[Note : Amen. Mich has prayed this all the while - to be self-sufficient and abundant within wise limits so that she can support her mum and soon, Big Koo and Big-Ee who have contributed greatly to the nurturing of her mind and self since childhood. It is the least that Mich can do to repay their love with gratitude. Mich's biological father may have been absent since 2000, but Big Koo was more a father than her own dad had ever been. Mich has always been very grateful for this undeserved compensation. She has also learnt the value of Sacrifice through the acts of Mummy & Big Koo. For the sake of our family, as Big Koo is the eldest on the maternal side, he turned down the opportunity to be a politician. He had been serving in politics for decades but bowed out for us and instead, intensified his leadership in church. Truly, I am very proud of Big Koo, whom I regard as my father figure.]

Contentment can come either from having more or wanting less. The contentment provided by the latter is seven times more durable than the former. We must learn to be satisfied with our lot even when we don't have a lot.

Love makes us content with what we have and discontent with what we are. Those who are content have enough. Those who complain have too much.

To move from the sin of envy to the virtue of contentment we must first become moderate in our wishes. Second, we must become adaptable in our circumstances. Paul said, "I have learned to be satisfied with what I have… I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions [How?] by the power that Christ gives me" (Philippians 4:11-13 TEV).

God has made us what we are and placed us where we are. Envy is a sign we think he made a mistake. The wise Elihu said, "Since you object to what God does, can you expect him to do what you want?" (Job 34:33 TEV)?

Envy is a deadly sin and a miserable punishment. Always be content with what you have, but never be content with what you are. Free from envy, count on Jesus Christ to complete his work in you, "working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever" (Hebrews 13:21 KJV).5. Gluttony
Gluttony refers to more than just food. A gluttonous appetite for food destroys our physical health, but a gluttonous appetite for things destroys our economic and spiritual health.

Ever since Adam and Eve fell for the first food commercial we have been in deep trouble. The wise Solomon said, "Put a knife to your throat if you are man of great appetite" (Proverbs 23:2). Paul denounces those "whose god is their belly" (Phil. 3:19 KJV). Their kitchen is their shrine, the cook their priest, the table their altar, and their belly their god.

Gluttony is not only sinful; it is expensive. It costs us our health. Food addiction shortens more lives than drug addiction.

Gluttony, like lust and anger, is an attitude problem. Why do I continue to eat after I am comfortably full? Why do I eat snacks when I'm not really hungry? It must be that I am trying to feed a hunger that isn't physical. It doesn't work. It is bad for both the body and the spirit.

Why do I continue to eat after I am comfortably full? Why do I eat snacks when I'm not really hungry? It must be that I am trying to feed a hunger that isn't physical.

God created and cares for the whole person — not just our soul, but our body too. It is, in fact, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:12-20). It is where he lives. He wants us to keep it clean and in good repair. The Bible says, "Listen, my son, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live. Don't associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food. Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty" (Proverbs 23:19-21 TEV).

Gluttony costs our happiness. How ironic! Happiness is the very thing the god of gluttony promises to give us. There are few pleasures more wholesome and innocent than moderate eating of good food. But overeating does not increase pleasure. It decreases it. The cure-all for every human ill is consume. Are you depressed? Go shopping. Buy a pill, or a boat, or a car, or a house. Buy something and you will be happy.

We are looking for happiness in all the wrong places. The centers of our most gluttonous pursuits are also the centers of human failure.

SIMPLICITY IS A SENSIBLE VIRTUE.

Hassled by a defective dishwasher, we forget what Jesus said about laying up treasures where rust corrupts and circuits break down (Matthew 6:19). Alarmed by next week's mortgage payment and utility bills on our air-conditioned homes, we seek divine assistance from One who had no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:20).

To simplify life does not mean we forsake our lamps, but we focus on the stars.

Ernest Hemingway said, "The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without."

"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good." (Isaiah 55:2).

Unlike negative diets, the scriptures focus not on what you have to give up, but what you have to take in.6. AngerFredrick Buechner wrote, "To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontation to come—to savor the last toothsome morsel of both pain you are giving and the pain you are getting back, in many ways it is a feast for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton of the feast is you."

The Old Testament restricted the end of violence: "Thou shalt not kill." The New Testament restricts the beginning of violence: "Thou shalt not get angry."

Some Christians can be as mad as a pit bull chewing bumblebees and still excuse their temper by saying that it is just the way they are. They take a perverse pride in being outspoken and honest.

When the weak suffer at the hands of the strong, when the poor suffer at the hands of the rich, we may have to answer for the sin of not getting angry. Without anger the money changers would still be in the temple, blacks would still be in the back of the bus, and women would still be barefoot and pregnant.

Not all anger is sin, but some is. The two sides of anger are often misunderstood. Anger is a powerful emotion of resistance which has two sides: selfishly gaining something and selflessly giving something. Both sides, however, are expressed by the same word.

There are 3 degrees of hostility :

(A) Anger - The true test of Christian charity is not whether we can get along with atheists or Islamic Fundamentalists but can we get along with the people in our own household. Some Christians are gentle and respectful to neighbors and friends, but mean-spirited to their own family members.

(B)Personal Contempt - "Raca" is the sound people make when they get ready to spit. It was originally spelled hraka. It is an ugly word. Jesus is talking about the sin of treating someone with non-verbal contempt. There is no defense against that. The angry person hasn't said anything, but is ready to spit in someone's face. Such contempt is condemned by the supreme court of heaven.

(C) Verbal Insult - There is a common notion that words don't hurt. We say, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." But they do. Especially do they hurt when they come from the mouths of brothers, sisters, parents and children. Some children need to be spanked, but no child needs to be insulted. The most damaging thing a parent can say to a child is, "You're stupid!" Children grow up in homes where they are made to feel dumb. No wonder they lash out in anger themselves. They soon learn to say abusive things to their brothers, sisters, friends and parents. Child abuse is not just physical. Verbal abuse is the most common form.

Husbands and wives, be careful how you speak to each other. If you try to make your spouse feel foolish, you will answer not only to him or her, you will answer to God. "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). If you speak in anger, you will probably make the best speech you will ever regret.Watch your words. "Speak the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15). If you can't say it in love, you had better hold your peace. "Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires" (James 1:19 NIV).

Many people think that hell is only for monstrous people like Hitler. Jesus says its fires torment respectable people who engage in verbal violence. Some are already suffering a kind of hell on earth. They are imprisoned in a vicious cycle of grievance, insult and anger… grievance, insult and anger… ad nauseum.

Jesus did not address these words to pagan sinners, but to self-righteous fanatics who were proud they hadn't murdered anyone, but who cut others down with their tongues instead of their swords. Jesus said such behavior is Sin.

Anger is just one letter short of danger. The danger is not what we do to those who anger us, but what they make us do to ourselves. Hate hurts the hater more than the hated. Forgiveness is a favour we do ourselves. In rejecting our brother in Christ we lose more than our brother. We lose our Heavenly Father (1 John 4:20-21). We lose our Christian fellowship. We excommunicate ourselves from all we claim to love.

Still there are many who try to justify their anger as "righteous indignation." On closer inspection, however, such righteousness indignation turns out to be only hate with a halo. They hide malice under a zeal for orthodoxy or lofty resolution to expose scandal. Their intention is not to correct an offense, but to punish an offender. They would rather the offense were not ended than that it be ended quietly without violence.

"Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, in order that your opponent may not deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you shall not come out of there, until you have paid up the last cent" (Matthew 5:25-26). There are two interpretations of this statement. Some think Jesus is giving us practical advice: when interpersonal relations are torn, immediate action will mend them. Delay will cost you dearly. Others think Jesus is giving us theological advice: put things right between ourselves while life lasts, before we stand at the judgment bar of God. Both interpretations may be right. If we want happiness now and forever, in time and eternity, we must never leave an unreconciled quarrel or an unhealed relationship. It is far better to forgive and forget than to hate and remember. The one who angers you controls you.

Junior sat down at a picnic and suddenly cried out with pain.
"What's the matter?" his mother asked.
"I'm sitting on a bee," he sobbed.
"Why don't you get up?"
"I figure I'm hurting him as much as he's hurting me!"

That might be true in the case of the bee, but it is rarely, if ever, true in the case of those who hurt you or anger you. Get up and make your peace. The relief you bring will be your own.

7. Sloth

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having enough sense to be lazy. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

Even the most diligent among us usually have some areas of laziness in their lives. There is certainly no pleasure in having nothing to do. The real pleasure is having lots to do—and not doing it! We are all lazy — only in different ways! Some are physically lazy, others are mentally lazy and others are spiritually lazy. And still others are just plain lazy.

(A) Physical Sloth -

In the Old Testament we read: "Go to the ant, O sluggard. Consider her ways and be wise, which having no chief, officer or ruler, prepares her food in the summer, and gathers her provision in the harvest. How long will you lie down, O Sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 'A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest' — and your poverty will come in like a vagabond, and your need like an armed man" (Proverbs 6:6-11).

The pace of life is set by what is in us, not what is around us. Everywhere I have lived there have been lazy people who never got things done and diligent people who tried to do more than was good for them.

Laziness is a sin against God who called us to work.

It is a violation of the ten commandments to rest six days and work the seventh. God means for us to work six times more than we rest. He gives us work till our life is done and life till our work is done.

Everyone to whom God gives breath he also gives something to do. The fact that a Christian is on earth instead of heaven is proof that there is something important for him or her to do.

Jesus didn't save us just to get us to heaven, but to change us into the kind of people who make a difference in the world. What on earth are you doing for heaven's sake? That is, what are you doing on earth for the sake of heaven?

You are not saved to sit; you are saved to serve. God hasn't called you into his vineyard just to eat grapes, but to get busy and hoe. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

It is the sin of omission.

Busyness is not necessarily the cure for laziness. Socrates said, "He is not only idle who does nothing, but he is idle who might be better employed."

"In all things, whatsoever you do…"

1. "Do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31)

2. "Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Colossians 3:17)

3. "With all your heart as though working for the Lord" (Colossians 3:23).

Consider what you did last week and plan to do this week. Ask yourself, "Am I doing this to the glory of God, in the name of the Lord Jesus, with all my heart as though working for the Lord?"

(B) Mental Sloth -

Johann G. Seume said, "Idleness is the stupidity of the body, and stupidity is the idleness of the mind." One may be physically ambitious and mentally lazy. I remember seeing this sign: "When I works, I works hard; when I sits, I sits loose; and when I thinks, I falls asleep."

Some Christians get bedsores on the brain. They haven't read anything weightier than the morning newspaper or worked through a fresh new thought in years.

Their ceaseless activity may actually be a false escape from the horrors of mental sloth. With empty hearts and vacant minds, they cram their lives with mindless busyness. They refuse to stop for quiet moments when the hollowness within rings with an echo of despair. They are busy because restful contemplation terrifies them. They are physically active and mentally slothful.

Mental sloth wears many disguises. Sometimes it takes the form of tolerance that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing — and only remains alive because there is nothing to die for.

Sometimes mental sloth takes the form of conviction that jumps to conclusions instead of digging for facts. Lazy thinkers save time and effort by simply parroting what someone else has said. They are intellectual sluggards.

(C) Spiritual Sloth -

The ancient Latin theologians called this the sin of Accidia or Tristicia (despondence). It is the kind of indolence which comes from indifference to the good. It is the mood in which when good tries to play on us we have no string to respond.

The effective antidote for the poison of sloth is faith, hope and love (1 Corinthians 13:13):
= faith in God's sure word,
= hope in God's firm promise, and
= love for God's eternal kingdom.

Paul concludes his great chapter on our final resurrection with these words: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Those who believe there is nothing beyond this life could easily despair of human effort and fall victim to sloth. "What difference does it make?" they might ask. But those of us who believe heaven awaits our coming have an unshakable reason for diligence. Nothing we do for God is in vain.

Let none hear you idly saying,
There is nothing I can do!
While the souls of men are dying,
And the Master calls for you.
Take the task he gives you gladly,
Let his work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when he calleth,
"Here am I; send me! Send me!" (author unknown)[ Source : Christians.org, Douglas Beyer ]

What Now?

Giving Up?

“ I alone am left; and they seek to take my life. — 1 Kings 19:10 ”

God, if it's time, take me home to be with You, where these tears shall stop.

Thank You, God.

A really fabulous day at work.

Unmerited Grace & Favour.

Giving thanks to God.

Amen. =)

Day 11 - Keeping Haiti In Prayer.

God bless the ongoing rescue work in Haiti.
Haiti’s Many Troubles Keep Bodies Uncounted

On Wednesday, United Nations officials began quoting an estimated number of bodies buried at 75,000, which they called the Haitian government figure. But the most common reaction among both United Nations and Haitian officials is that there are too many problems coping with the dire needs of the living to worry about the dead.

“We pass through the bodies, we saw the bodies, we don’t have time to count them right now,” said Guiteau Jean-Pierre, the director of the Haitian Red Cross.

Source : International Herald Tribune

A Dance of Chance.

A delightfully catchy tune rehashed from Kris Allen's performance in 09. Wouldn't it be nice to dance in the moonlight? =)

I wanna kiss a girl (guy)
I wanna hold her (him) tight.
Maybe make a little magic in the moonlight
Na-na-na-na-na-na, na-na-na-na-na-na,....

Paddling.

Frantically.

Furiously.

Pushing it.

Throwing myself in the throes of work.

In the hope of alleviating what's within.

可欲不可求。

今晚，我又哭了。

好朋友，您觉得可笑还是可悲呢？

A Completely Different Approach.

I think that I may finally have an inkling.

Intensive poring over reading materials have presented a plethora of choices.

Dum Dum Do Da Dey! =)

10 Things Mich Loved About The Concert.

#1: Pre-concert tipple at Brewerkz
#2: Newfound male expat chums - They are sure an affable lot!

#3: Hanging out with Friend El.
We've been attending Sunday School in the same church since 1987,
were in Anglican High & Temasek JC
and our families gathered together frequently for parties and such
but somehow, it took us 20+ years to hang out together!
It's never too late to have fun!
[Pssst...Friend El was a former Director at the Ministry of Finance
but she's really humble!]

#4: Another newfound expat chum, Pretty Mongolian C and us Peranakan gals. =p

#5: Banner screaming in the background.

#6: Myriad of lovely lights.

#7: Definitely the Music!
After 21 years, they were FINALLY in Singapore for the first time! *shriek*

#8: The unpredictable antics of BJ. Out of the blue, he stopped playing and lay on the stage before belting random hits like Hey Jude, Love Me Tender, etc while inciting the audience to sing along. Bizarre but awesome as the audience gamely chanted, "Na....Na na na na na na! Na na na na! Hey Jude!"

#9: Pyrotechnics!

#10: The generous douse of confetti. The entire standing area was drenched in confetti. We could hardly make out the stage. Although this was a conventional method of signalling the finale, the avid concert-goer in me had yet to witness such a shower at other concerts! =)

Time.

It's sad how the rain does fall.
One by one, these drops do trickle.
But never do they come together. [Mich]

All I need is Time.

All I want is Time.

And Time, is but elusive amidst the shifting sands.

I dreamt of You thrice in a week - You told me the truth that I'd been waiting for.

They said that Time would heal all wounds.

Will it?

It's been almost 5 years.

When will it be Time?

Time to move on.

Time to forget.

Time to stop scurrying to You whenever You beckon.

Time to stop falling prey to your honeyed words and sweet gestures.

Time to stop wondering when (not if) there'll be a next Time.

Time to realize that for all that You've done,

I will, and can never, be with You.

Being Vulnerable - Friend H.

13 Jan 2010, Wed

It takes courage to break down and cry in the presence of a friend, thus exposing one's vulnerability.

And I bore witness to such a situation, albeit involuntarily.

At 9pm, my phone rang incessantly.

It was Friend H.

He needed to talk and so, I agreed to meet him.

Within minutes, he picked me up from where I was and we headed towards the nearest cafe for a drink.

Time ambled on and he sought solace by pouring his heart out to me.

As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes and they fell, as if on cue.

Two hours slipped by before he had to leave.

We tarried with more chatter at my place. Just as I pored and analysed his situation, he concluded the night with this - "Mich, you know, you'd make a darn good lawyer."

And I could only offer a hint of a smile, for that is one of the Regrets in my life.

Apart from You.

If.

Dear Mich,

Constantly reminiscing won't do you any good.

Look forward.

Leave the Past behind.

Forget how it had been, how close You had come, how things should have been.

Life is not perfect.

We don't get what we wish for.

Forget that much laughter was shared, how Your eyes had twinkled and the awkward silences that punctuated hesistation.

Mich, listen to Me.

He's not the one whom You'd spend the rest of Your life with. If He'd wanted to, He'd have done something tangible a long time ago. He wouldn't have strung You along with nifty surprises and honeyed words. He wouldn't have watched You walk down the aisle with nary a word. He would have told You.

How long are You going to wait for that Someone to whisk You away from Your current life to integrate with His?

Isn't five years sufficient to encapsulate the writing on the wall?

Mich, Oh Mich.

May You awake to a day when Your mind is no longer filled with Ifs.

Anguished.

Immersing myself in work doesn't help one single bit.

I dreamt of You last night.

And when I awoke to a different reality,

I wept.

Of Umbrageous Platitudes.

Entrenched in the past are snippets that forge my identity as thus.

Regardless of what is to come, it will not change who I am.

What I am to be - Who Knows?

Looking forward, working conscientiously and inching towards my personal goal.

Having suffered much in 2006-2007, when I was on the verge of a complete meltdown but managed to maintain the facade to the general populace, it has taught me well.

"Who'd throw in the towel when the finishing line is within sight?" I'd lamented.

The reply I received was, "There's no point in winning the competition if it will have an adverse impact thereafter."

My constant dilemma is being torn between Him and You.

The inanity is such.

Is it Time?

Is it possible to live without You?

Once Broken, Considered Sold.

Work beckons.

A technical fault in my ISP resulted in sixty-six minutes frittered away before the voice of a human was heard.

Before I continue to slog on my slides and worksheets on the other laptop, here's a quick entry.

Today, Mr D.F. asked what the constant stumbling block in my life was.

The nature of the answer was evident.

It's hard to watch You go by, without much of an inkling if there'd be a next time.

To be haunted by the Past in the Present for the Future.

That's quite a mouthful, isn't it?

It's not easy to forget when You ply sweet words of mirth with lavish linguistic garnishings, ornately carved to the ears

Conversely, neither is it easy to pry open the very fingers that clutch wildly at these straws.

If I'm just an ego-effusive toy, the shackles jingle thus -

Once Broken, Considered Sold.

**[ And now, work mounts on another laptop. Goodnight. ]

The Inevitable Burst.

Life goes on, doesn't it?

I'm not going to let it cripple me.

Oh, no. I'll just wait till You come by.

Again.

As always.

When You do, I'll forget the days when You weren't around because for that one moment, You'll be with me.

Silly, isn't it?

Then again, Mich has always been a silly Little Girl.

She must be, or it wouldn't have rendered years of being strung by You.

永远有多远 想了一整夜
我才不管以后路 刮风又下雪
也许你没说 你爱我 可也没说 不爱我
Perhaps you've never said that you love me.
Neither have you said that you do not.

女人时间 少得很可怜
你说得很对 可我为了谁冒险
我不神仙 我也会抱怨
我只要一分钟你还拖延

爱情偷走我理智 你笑我死心眼
爱你浪费多少时间 你不会发现
Time slips by as I love you but you'll never know.

你给我泪里咸 你给我苦里甜
你带着我超过了极限

幸福蒙住我眼睛 也叫我死心眼
爱它莫名其妙出现 我睡得很甜

我忘了还有时间 我忘了还有明天
我忘了说 情人再见
I forgot to say goodbye, my lover.

嘿 你笑我老爱掉眼泪
You'd tease me for my constant trickles
女人泪 一种正当防备
A lady's tears are her legitimate defense mechanism
我可以飞 我没有飞
I could have taken off, yet I stayed.
为了谁 你知道为了谁
For whom? Do You know?

Appropriated By Time.

Deconstructing the first week of work thus far, it has been frenetic.

Clamouring in all directions [literally], I have but little time to muse over my daily happenings in formal writing, which explains my torrent of status updates in Facebook. Take it as a whiff of a blog entry. =)

Slides and Worksheets vie for my attention while edibles find their way into my orifice as my legs saunter forth in cogwheeled motion.

Minutes, Hours and then, a Day goes by.

And in my state of work delirium, my mind flits to You, if only for a moment.

Strewn about, these haphazard clumps clutter my temperament.

But soon, I let these pass.

As I have done,

All this while.

An Etymology Of My Own.

I want to be brave, to walk on with my head held high. I want to appear to be a strong individual, respected and held in esteem by you, a symbol of awe to me.

I want to string beautiful words and appear to be intellectual, dabbling in linguistic garnishings.

But at the tip of my tongue, honesty begs to be uttered.

What Is Your Story?

What is it that I continue to rescue, that I continue to be afraid of, that I continue to run towards and then run away but stay in relationship with the whole time? What is my story?

My answer? You.

That’s the relationship we have with our stories. "Oh, this might happen, Oh, no it won’t. Oh, there it is. Oh, it’s drowning. Oh, let me rescue it. (Laughter) Oh, let me throw it away. Ahh, it’s running towards me." That’s the routine that we go through with our own stuff.

What is it that I continue to rescue, that I continue to be afraid of, that I continue to run towards and then run away but stay in relationship with the whole time? What is my story?

When Jesus said to the man, “What is your name?” and He tells him, it says, “There were on the hillside a large herd of pigs and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. And the demons entered the pigs and they ran down the hill and drowned in the sea.”

Because of the folklore at that time, the way that demons were destroyed were by drowning. He gave them permission and they left. The man himself also gave them permission. Maybe that is exactly what we need to do? Give the stories that don’t serve us anymore, just give them permission to leave. Don’t put ‘em on anyone else. Send them into the heart of the compassionate one who can transform them, but give them permission to leave.

How do stories die? They get replaced with new ones; they get transformed into strength and power rather than woundedness and victimness. Give them permission to leave. Get a new story ‘cause the last thing that Jesus says to the man is this, the demons leave. And demons can be anything—negative thoughts, old wounds, habits of addiction, and we’re addicted not just to substances.

We’re addicted to emotions, certain feelings. So if you’ve got a story about sadness, if you live in that story long enough, your body, your very cells become addicted. I’m not making this up; this is scientifically proven, addicted to sadness. Or the more angry you are day after day after day, your cells actually reconfigure themselves so they hitch up, so that actually this, you’re fed by this anger because it comes as an addiction. But the power is, you can break that and help reprogram those things inside.

Give them permission to leave and find a new story about what is going on right now. It never makes the past irrelevant but it transforms the past into the strength and hope of who you are today and who I am today.

Jesus only said two things to the man. “What is your name?” and lastly, “Return home now.” As the man was clothed, “sitting in his right mind” the story says. “Return home and tell what has happened to you.” What has happened to you. How you experienced a new way of being. How you let things go and became a new person. Go ahead, return home, tell that story. Isn’t that powerful?

Tell that story. So you picture the man kind of walking down the street, and somebody saying, “Hey, aren’t you the guy that, you know, used to be in the tombs?”

“You know who I am today? Today I am a person that is freed from my past and I’m living in the present moment. Here’s my story. I let it all go and I’m here to tell you about it. I got a new theme song. Want to hear it?”

What is your story? It’s a question to reflect on spiritually and then ask, “What is my story and how is it serving me or how is it not? How is it leading me to transformation?”

Return home and create for yourselves new ways that help you live in your full power because you are in this moment, beautiful and strong and powerful. Begin to believe it and it will be so.

Amen. (Amen and applause)

Questions to Live By: What Is Your Story?
September 12, 2004
Dr. G. Penny Nixon
Read the full article here. ** This blogger does not subscribe to the carnal inclinations of the author. The article is only relevant within its given context.

Teach Me.

I want to shake off the sadness that encompasses me.

I want to be Happy again.

I cannot be Happy if I keep clinging onto thoughts of You.

How and Where do I start?

How can I truly ensure that the Past remains where it is?

I would love to spend my time and laugh my days away with You but the years have slipped by and Nothing tangible has come to pass.

I don't want to let go of You and yet I know I should.

Teach me.

For I know not.

A Brand New Day.

Mich potters about, engaged in activities of work and pleasure.
And nobody knows
That which she hides within.

So Close.

Do You know that this replays the scenes in my head?

Of how You used to tell me everything, Of the excuses you would concoct to meet me, Of the time when you wanted to get off the bus to keep me company, Of how it could have been, Of how I'd wanted to tell You the Truth when I paused before getting out of Your car and turned to You but ended up dropping everything, Of all that I've kept repressed within me, Of the years gone by, Of how I'd always managed to coax myself into believing that You'll be told 'the next time' while knowing jolly well that I would never do so?

And when the realisation hit us simultaneously that we had been silent because of our preconceptions, I'd wanted to say Something yet Nothing was uttered.

I sigh,
If only to expel the sadness within.

I waited half my life for the dream that could never be.

You were.
So close. And yet so far.

A life goes by
Romantic dreams will stop
So I bid mine goodbye and never knew
So close was waiting, waiting here with you
And now forever I know
All that I wanted to hold you
So close

So close to reaching that famous happy end
And almost believing this was not pretend
Let's go on dreaming for we know we are
So close
So close
And still so far.

A Lil Wish.

A Tip For The Next Festive Season.

If you really have to, the trick to wearing sequins without looking tacky is to stick to monochromes and simple designs.

= The Good =


= The Bad =


Even so, you can always sparkle with confidence and happiness without the need for dazzling sequins, can't you? =)

That said, what about the general male populace?

Guys, do you like sequins on a girl?