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haiz...channel newsasia just had a special on william hung...at least they didn't "victimise" him...but applauded his spirit...altho mark and don richmond were amusing... hee watched many downloads today!!! this strange thingy my brother downloaded...rurouni kenshin and some roger and me show...and i downloaded charlie and the chocolate factory!!! haha!! happiness..it's a cool story anyways...like gene wilder's version of willy wonka...and the chocolate!!ooh!!! :) hee...and wanted to downloaded pride and prejudice...but they only had mansfield park..thought the former had a much better plot...
hee went for the "worship God in sign language" course held by the ministry of hearing imparied in church today...was great!:) many people turned about...apparently about a hundred...from the really young to the very old...revised the alphabets, learnt a few words, and signed my first Christian song! :) hee and it was made more exciting by caroline:) and shen lynn..,,haha instead of paying attention to the alphabets (we knew it already u see) we were flipping thru caroline's sign language (american version) dictionary and learning strange things like, freaking, weird...heh...:) well am looking forward to the next session! felt really quite accomplished at the end...
haiz...on the way home today though, started getting highly worried and tense...i guess it's one of those moods where one starts panicking about the results...which will be out soon...came home, and my mom went, "do you know results are coming out soon?" i numbly nodded...to which reality came back to me...sobness...then i started freaking out inside and the moment my parents left the house to fetch my younger bro...hee started crying...i guess it's not about trusting Him alone...it's a painful panic as one thinks of what may happen....despairing even though i shouldn't be...sobness...i hope God works miracles for me...
hee "the matrix revelations" at fort canning park was amusing...at least, actually i thought it was quite good cause 1) i learnt a few more words in sign language!!! 2) many peeps from my sec1 small group came!! 3) started communicating with the peeps in my group...well, not really...was being bullied by the guys every second they could..with their teasing on how i looked hideous (well not that i deny it...) and that no guy will like me and that it's even more hideous knowing i haven't had a single boyfriend yet....nice. *gRINz* then they went on about how this p6 guy had 10 girlfrens already... scary.. hee yup! but the clues were very hard...and considering the sec1s were still kids, hardly many of them could stay for the entire thingy...ah well! yup! then watched "something's gotta give" which was hilarious....although i had to hide my eyes behind my fingers everytime the scene got a bit too...er...heated...haiz, but lost in translation would have been a much better movie!!! hee so nxt on my list: lost in translation, cold mountain, big fish...yup! :)
ahhh!!!! hahaha!!! finished watching (well actually browsed thru the irritating parts) of the wu tou dong gong or the strange eng title " love is beautiful" just now!!!! hahaha!!!! i'm on a "wan jiang jun" high!!!! :) hee i'm always more easily impressed when someone i think is bad ain't bad but brilliant!!!! :) he's one of them man!!!! haha!!! my jie and i really set our eyes on him as the bad guy since he always acted as one and had this shifty, crafty look!!! it didn't help that he had secret tracing devices!!! so when the other guy we had thought was a good one turned out to be really wicked and he came out in the nick of time, risking his life and arm for the stupid and useless emperor really a yong1 jun1) my jaw dropped and i was dumbfounded for a minute before shouting muahahaha :) didn't help that he's a 1)brave and automatic, 2) sensitive, 3) brilliant general!!! woohoo!!! and he's super polite and loyal unlike some idiots...:)ahhh!!! oh yah, haha was thinking that the guy who played this role should have been starred in huan zhu ge ge as xiao jian....he really has the qi zhi or charisma of a jiang hu da xia...the way he's dressed and the way he carries himself...*beams* hahaha...oh yeah...the two princes were brilliant too!!! just that the poor lady had to risk her life for each one before the dense guys took the hint and really became good sons(!!-_-) (!!=_=) tired....hee my cough seems to be getting worse although it seems okay with warm honey...for a while..although i can't seem to rest well....din go for the a/ysgls training yesterday cos i felt so ill...every 5 seconds on my bed i woke upo to cough...haiz...and it continued for 4 hours...so it felt like i had only slept for half an hour... ran around playing basketball during the kids' pe these two days...in a skirt...and kept cursing..haha...oh yeah...and barefooted as well...brilliant....sighness...but guys are really violent...the p4s seem to have taken to pushing one another... terrible... 4 peeps cried today...3 guys and 1 girl...haiz...all for lame excuses...really! hee...shall read my share of fan fic today then off to my sweet dreamland!!! (though my dreams are weird...and i dun think i'll be able to rest well...) hee lots of things tmw and must wake up early for fun o rama at ac!!!:) gd nite sleep tite dun let the bed bugs bite your backside!!!!(@-@)
sobness...haven't felt so terrible in a long time....having a hacking cough now...apart from that am croaking from shouting at the class....what you get from teaching a p6 class...and the most rowdy at that....:( haiz...maybe i'm just a lousy teacher...although they were notti i sort of miss them now heh....i guess they're notti...but some are really good...and actually they can all be good...just that the school system ain't enuff..
Sobness..my voice is half gone...so is my throat...and i still have 2 more days to go til the end of the week...:( dun understand why....i shout so much louder and many more times during nationals for schools...bleah..and become more crazy...ah well!!! haiz...scolded a boy today....one of the primary one students had a headache...and during lesson wanted to go to the toilet...since i was worried but couldn't leave the class (well he might faint or sth) i asked which boy could go look after him...and out of the many eager hands i picked this earnest looking pupil i thought i could depend on... but after a few minutes, the boy who was ill came back...alone. After waiting five more minutes, the other boy then came back. He didn't bother looking for his classmate, not to mention taking care of him but ran to and fro with another guy...got so pissed i scolded the class, and taught them a lesson on not being selfish and the concept of responsibility...and said if they should have a family one day, if they left their family behind how terrible it would be.. then what happened after that made me want to slap and punch myself..the topic changed with 3 students telling me they either had no dad or mom...and suddenly i felt upset for them..especially this other guy who seemed as cheerful as ever...maybe they won't feel the impact of it yet...and i don't want peeps mocking them for it..but i admire their courage...it's not easy...somehow i really wanted to help bring more love into their lives...so i told them "anyway 1A, you guys should know that there are people who love you too okie? I do too, and if you have any problems tell me..." and i felt depressed after that class...sighness... however it became very sweet after that....after telling the kids to do their math hmwk, i could see peeps helping one another, especially the boy whom i scolded...then this other guy cried in class...asking why, the girl next to him said he didn't have any friends....so i asked the class, " who are (his name) 's friends?" and immediately everyone in the class raised their hands :) but he couldn't stop crying and it was suggested due to his pencil lead which broke (!!-_-) so i asked for a pencil sharpener and everyone scrambled to lend me one :) ...sweetness... I pray the kids will always stay this way....cheerful, bubbly, and eager to help!:) *gRINz* and of course, surrounded with love...
Hee am booked for the entire week!!! *gRINz* though i'm starting to really have this very phlegm-y cough bleah...giving me less energy to teach :( haha yup! but am now flying between princess elizabeth and bukit timah primary school...although de la selle (is it correct?) called me up a few days ago... Hahaha oh yah! felt like teaching was worth it after lessons when past students you relief taught (ey...) greet you with a loud "miss lim" !! haha...though it feels rather bad when they do it in front of their teachers... Haiz...actually i'm quite worried for my small group...from jiemin's e-mail...they are really resisting the presence of God...at least, that's what i feel...stupid Satan...please pray for my group yeah? Yup...actually i'm a bit worried about tribulation...but "If the Lord is for me, then who can be against me"... alrighty then!!! off the school in one hour!!!:)
Hahahaha!!!! *gRINz* i just love BBC's "Just one minute"!!! :) oh dear...addiction....can't wait for the next 'episode' :)
Woohoo!!! *gRinz* am finally home....haiz...was out since 7.30, waking up at 6.30 (miracles!!!) haha...became so tired i fell asleep on the train.falling over everything... :) ooh! but don's food's not bad, and yami yoghurt too!!!:)
Hee spent Valentine's day with God (well i do it every year:) ) and it's made me rather happy so far:) happy v day peeps! *gRINz* Teaching again at bukit timah primary (well last week's was princess elizabeth pri) yesterday seemed to get more rewarding...i mean, at least for the form class i was with:)However this other primary 6 class was terrible...one guy was like super duper rowdy and harrasing me with his nonsensical "teacher are you...!!! " and "teacher you're...." got so pissed i stopped paying attention to him and gave up when he came up behind me and kicked my shoe!!!! and caused the idiotic heel to break....(!!-_-) but i did think he came from an unhappy family which does explain the unlimited want of attention.... Hee anyways in my other class (primary 5) the role of being a"mentor-friend" seemed to finally work out on them...i guess twas only because they were supposedly the best class (>0<) the girls were really amusing...running to me to get an autograph and drawings haha... so the lessons went on....with my voice really dying away (up til now...)so the class got really sweet and help me keep the rest quiet using my "favourite" way of talking haiz...heh and the entire class just got noisy...:) hee well so it came to the last lesson art and craft....wanted to do math (again) but heck cared seeing how sian they were:) yup! told them to think of words that would describe them or at least their names and decorate each letter (pirated the idea from art class in nanyang :) ) hee but the kids didn't have any idea...which made a tiny demo induce the entire class to want one from me to them as well (!!-_-) haha and someone told me to become an artist (right....) instead of a teacher...haha....wait til they see aep students... :) even though it's extremely flattering for some of them to compliment me...sort of feels quite bad...this student was like..."ms lim are coming back?" to which i said no of course, and another started complaining about the other teacher and wished she would be ill forever! haiz...maybe i'm too slack eh...but giving them 6 sets of work to do in 2 days shouldn't be called slack eh....haiz.. hee stuck on you's great!!!! *sMILez* found the part where bob's bro was recollecting his childhood experiences touching!!! hee so much so i cried...and i still can't stand cher, or may fong...haha! :) yup! otherwise it's hilarious and the teamwork's amazing!!!!! woohoo!!!! :)
*gRINz* biangz! slept at 4.30 plus in the morning today when my mom started shouting at 6.30 plus in the morning saying that i had another teaching assignment!!!! (!!-_-) so off i went half asleep and still sleepy:( hee anyways the primary school kids are learning robotics now!!!! feel so "old" and "ancient"...and realised i can't remember much of what my teachers taught me in sec school...therefore a great time to learn~!!!! haha... aniwaes the staffroom door's rather cool, the teachers have this electronic card which causes some electrical instrument to beep, turn from red to green and in an instant, voila! the door was opened!!! haha :) although i really didn't know about it and tried to force and pull the door open a couple of times to the amusement of a few students, who, obviously knew the truth (!!-_-)bleagh.....haha and marking books does give one more muscles methinks....marked three stacks of workbooks today in 2 hours....woohoo!!! :) ohs!!! haha praise the Lord! went back for a follow up check up when Dr Sin said i was doing great and reduced my dosage by half!!! haha!!! and i'll be assisting him by acting as a patient for the year 5 medicine students, to be diagnosed as their test since my symptoms are rather obvious...:) haha! imagine! though i'll have to stay overnight at the wards....haiz.... methinks i'll stay away from huan zhu ge ge fan fic for a while...those things have given me enough heartache for a while.....twisting my heart in all directions...haha!! okie!!! off to sleep and replenish my miserable "not-present-anymore-voice". ....
Yikes! I hate needles...went for another blood test at Alexandra Hospital today...apparently i had only one test to do so i figured it would take a short time..heh and decided to pretend to be unafraid (last time, the lady made me stare at the needle going it and wouldn't take it out until she decided i had enough 'gazing' (!!-_-)) and the nurse still saw through my act!!! argh!!! pain......(@~@) *found another yummy huan zhu ge ge fan fic!!!happiness* *gRINz**blissful smile* woohoo!!! and i've been booked for relief teaching nxt thurs and fri at bkt timah pri (though i dun know where it is) :) hee life's picking up real fine! :)
ahhh!!!! happiness!!!! hehe i've found a workable online radio connection to a christian channel!!!:) oh dear...i don't feel like sleeping anymore...every minute's really precious... :)
The problem of evil and suffering (L.P) When asked what questions they would like to ask God if given the opportunity, forty-four percent of Americans said they want to know, "Why is there evil or suffering in the world?" John Hick noted, "To many, the most powerful positive objection to belief in God is the fact of evil." Peter Kreeft agrees, saying, "The strongest argument for atheism has always been the problem of evil." That’s been the case the past twenty-five hundred years, since the days of Buddha’s "enlightenment." The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (342?-270 B.C.) stated the problem in four parts: "God either wishes to take away evil, and is unable, or He is able, and unwilling; or He is neither willing nor able, or He is both willing and able. If He is willing and is unable, He is feeble, which is not in accordance with the character of God; if He is able and unwilling, He is envious, which is equally at variance with God; if He is neither willing nor able, He is both envious and feeble, and therefore not God; if He is both willing and able, which alone is suitable to God, from what source then are evils? or why does He not remove them?" What Epicurus failed to consider is that, in light of his eternal purposes, God may choose to allow evil for a time. It wasn’t his idea, it’s certainly not his ideal, but he’s not going to instantly obliterate the universe to eradicate it, either. Still, many atheists cite this problem as proof positive that they know better than God. Nietzsche, for one, called God "the greatest immoralist in deeds that has ever existed" and decried the religious theories that attempt to explain human suffering as equally immoral, especially those theories that infer that suffering is rightly brought on as a divine punishment of humanity’s supposed sinfulness. Some writers claim the problem of evil and suffering actually is the source of humanity’s varied religious impulses. Echoing Feuerbach, Holbach, and Freud all in one breath, Michael J. Buckley remarked recently that the aboriginal source of religion "is ignorance and terror, and the model on which the imagination fashions its creations is the human person writ large. Once fashioned, this chimerical agent is open to prayers and sacrifices, appeal of penitence and self-denial, which will disarm his anger and control the outrages of nature. Religion is the magical way of controlling the causes of human tragedy." The implication? Buckley is blunt: atheism evolves into antitheism, actively seeking to destroy religion, which he sees as opposed to his "scientific" way of thinking. "Take, for example, the attribute of ‘goodness,’" writes Buckley. "Theologians call god ‘good,’ and human beings have some idea what is contained in that predicate. Then realize that this god is also omnipotent. Try to combine these two predicates in the face of human pain, the desolation of war, the destruction of earthquakes and disease. It makes no sense to say that this omnipotent god is good.... The goodness of an omnipotent god is contradicted at every turn of human history." Buckley claims it makes more sense to say this life doesn’t make any sense at all; nature alone calls the shots, arbitrarily, certainly without any reference to morality, necessity, or purpose. Hans Küng observes that "even in antiquity, philosophers strove in the name of morality to deprive the gods of power, a tradition that can be traced up to Nietzsche, Sartre and Camus. Albert Camus, the French writer and philosopher, rejected God for allowing the world to be a place "in which children suffer and die." His answer, then? Indiscriminate rebellion–as if that could possibly make things better. What about classic Christianity? Philosopher Mortimer Adler says: "Christianity is the only logical, consistent faith in the world. But there are elements to it that can only be described as mystery." In writing about the origin of evil, John H. Gerstner admitted: "This is the most difficult problem in all of theistic theology and philosophy." Yet to be honest to reality, we must consistently avoid the irrational options of denying the existence of evil or of God. If any period of history has conclusively proved the reality of evil, it’s the twentieth century. Fifty years ago, Albert Einstein said it bluntly: "I do not fear the explosive power of the atom bomb. What I fear is the explosive power of evil in the human heart." Thomas E. Dewey stated: "Our problem is within ourselves. We have found the means to blow the world physically apart. Spiritually, we have yet to find the means to put together the world’s broken pieces." More recently, Arthur C. Clark lamented, "This is the first age that has paid any attention to the future; which is a little ironic seeing that we may not have one." In the face of such actual and potential evil, does religion offer any hope? Actor Richard Gere says he was disappointed by what he found in Christianity: "I was raised a Methodist but found that Christian religions failed to answer crucial questions like, What is the nature of suffering and where does suffering come from? How can suffering exist? Why does evil exist? Why did God create good and evil? I finally found [in Buddhism] a system willing to engage those questions and many more." For Gere, as a Buddhist, suffering is the result of an evil act and bad karma. What he missed back in Sunday school, had he read his Bible, is that Christianity takes the issue of suffering very seriously. Only four chapters in all the Bible–the first two in Genesis and the last two in the book of Revelation–say nothing about sin and its terrible consequences. The scope of this book doesn’t allow me to address Gere’s questions at length. Others already have covered this subject well. In his book, The Problem of Pain, for instance, C. S. Lewis wrote: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." In A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken in turn asked God some tough questions when his young wife died: "How could things go on when the world had come to an end? How could things–how could I–go on in this void? How could one person, not very big, leave an emptiness that was galaxy-wide?" Still, let’s briefly consider the crucial questions Gere raises. What is the nature of suffering? The Bible says both humanity and nature suffer the consequences of humanity’s sins against God and hurtful deeds against each other. We both sin and are sinned against. Novelist Harriet K. Feder suggests that in times of great evil and suffering, the question we should ask is not "Where is God?" but "Where is man?" Stanley Hauerwas, professor of ethics at Duke University, says that when a disabled child is born, the religious question we should ask is not "Why does God permit mental retardation in His world?" but "What sort of community should we become so that mental retardation need not be a barrier to a child’s enjoying a gratifying life." Dr. Harold O. J. Brown, director of the Rockford Institute Center on Religion and Society, observes that "an unfocused, intuitive awareness of God, without knowing Him personally, leaves us totally bewildered by and unprepared for the suffering of this world." Much suffering is the result of sin, whether our own transgressions or the iniquities of others. Brown says: "The scope of human sin from Adam to the present, the pain it caused and continues to cause, is an incredible burden. As the Lutheran theologian Paul Althaus expressed it, the burden would be too much to bear except for two world-transforming facts: first, the victory Christ won on the cross over Satan and sin; second, His impending return in glory." Brown continues: "These truths do not solve the problem of evil or answer all of the questions it forces on us here in time, but they do put everything in perspective. Philosophers and theologians can help us deal with the problem of evil, but the ultimate answer will come only when `God will wipe away every tear from [our] eyes’ (Revelation 7:17)." Where does suffering come from? The Bible gives four specific answers. First, from natural disasters, such as an earthquake or a large storm. The suffering that results from these disasters happens to both the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). Second, from man’s inhumanity to man, including armed conflicts. Because of greed and pride, individuals try to hurt others (James 4:1-2). Third, from our own erroneous actions. If I walk off the roof of my office and fall to the ground, breaking my leg, I am suffering because I broke God’s laws of physics. We also suffer when we break God’s moral laws. Some, not all, suffering is allowed by God as a punishment for sin. Often, God simply lets us live with the consequences of our actions (Galatians 6:7-8). Fourth, from the unseen hand of Satan, our adversary. The abiding lesson of the book of Job (one of the oldest Hebrew Scriptures) is that even the wisest of men and women cannot always comprehend in a purely rational manner where evil, suffering, and pain come from. Often it can be understood only from a divine perspective, from the propositional revelation that God is far above us, God is good, God is in control (even though Satan opposes us), God has his purposes, and God will gain the victory through our perseverance. The one mistake we dare not make, Philip Yancey reminds us, is to confuse God (who is good) with life (which is hard). God feels the same way we do–and is taking the most radical steps possible (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and more to come) to redeem the present situation. How can suffering exist? The Bible presents a paradox. In a remarkable exercise of his sovereignty, God has given humanity the freedom to make moral choices. In more than twenty passages, the Bible clearly states that every person makes wrong moral choices. Because by nature we tend to choose our will over and against God’s will, "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Such acts of rebellion against God produce most heartaches and suffering. An atheist may rightly reject such an answer, but only if he or she is first willing to face a much more difficult question. Harold Kushner describes the atheist’s dilemma this way: "He has to explain why there is love, honesty, generosity, courage, and altruism in the world, and why it feels so good and so right when we let those qualities into our lives." Scott Peck concurs: "Dozens of times I have been asked by patients or acquaintances: `Dr. Peck, why is there evil in the world?’ Yet no one has ever asked me in all these years: `Why is there good in the world?’ It is as if we automatically assume this is a naturally good world that has somehow been contaminated by evil.... The mystery of goodness is even greater than the mystery of evil." Whether due to a brain tumor or debilitating syndrome, no one ever has uncontrolled fits of goodness. Still, Why does evil exist? Contrary to Gere’s thinking, the Bible makes it clear God did not create evil. Evil entered the universe through the fall of Satan, an archangel who dared to rival the Almighty. The prophet gives us a picture of this: "You said in your heart, `I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit" (Isaiah 14:13-15). Another prophet writes: "`You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you.... So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings" (Ezekiel 28:15-17). Jesus himself said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (Luke 10:18). But before his expulsion from heaven, Satan drew perhaps a third of the angels into his rebellion. Ever since, the Devil has schemed against God and His people. Satan knows he’s doomed, but, like any common criminal, he wants to take as many with him as he can. Misery loves company, but the tragic irony is that hell will be the epitome of loneliness. Some joke that they want to spend eternity in hell so they can party with their friends. Yet hell, by definition, is separation from relationship with God and others forever. In the words of Lewis, "The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell." No wonder Jesus warned, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). So, while the problem of evil and suffering is a serious problem, it certainly isn’t sufficient cause for unbelief or rebellion against God. Instead, it should drive us to God, humbly asking for his will to "be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).
Bored to tears (well actually waiting for my anime downloads etc), I decided to pick up one of the books I borrowed from the library-“God is relevant” by Luis Palau (and David Sanford). An eye opener, I’ve decided to take bits and pieces now and then and paste it here (well type, actually) so I can reflect and refer if needed. Pardon me, some may be offensive, but even so, I hope you guys (if there are any readers) will read it up and consider what Luis Palau has discussed. Feel free to argue blah blah (no, we won’t have a riot gRINz) if you feel strongly against it or have questions…but first, some articles from his webby :
A God who is sufficient for the pressures of life- Luis Palau Some time ago a friend of one of my boys put a gun to his head and shot himself. He was only 16 and the son of a wealthy, notable doctor. A few days before this young man's death, our local newspaper reported that a well-known clinical psychologist in Portland committed suicide, leaving this note to his staff: "Tonight, I feel tired, alone, and suddenly very old. The full understanding of these feelings will come only when you, too, are tired, alone and old." Suicides are increasing at alarming rates. French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre expressed the despair many feel when he wrote, "Now I know, things are entirely what they appear to be, and behind them there is nothing." Thousands of people feel like Sartre, the clinical psychologist and the high school boy. They feel that life is empty. Overpowered by the idea of "nothingness," they kill themselves or seek escape through drug or alcohol addiction. Why do people surrounded by friends and family suddenly despair of life itself? Psychologists offer many solutions to that question, but only one true solution exists--Jesus Christ. Only He can meet our deepest needs when suddenly our world is falling apart. God has plenty to say about our outer pressures, inner despair and everyday struggles. The following verses of Scripture could be entitled "The God Who is Sufficient for the Pressures of Life." "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort" (2 Corinthians 1:3-7). Are you hurting inside? Do you ever feel like giving up on life? When a crisis arises, the worst mistake you can make is to pretend that nothing is wrong. To find relief from your problems, you must first acknowledge them and the inner despair they cause. Only then can you embrace the "Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort." Paul reminds the Corinthian church that it is God's nature to be merciful. God Himself is the believer's source of encouragement, consolation and forgiveness under all circumstances. The secret of discovering God's sufficiency is found in spending time with Him. Do you spend time alone with God every day? Learn to share all of your problems and needs with Him. Say, "Oh, Lord, I believe You are the Father of all mercies and the God of all comfort. Please help me today, especially in this situation." You may be saying, "But Luis, you don't understand. My situation is different." No problem is unique. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man." For God, one situation is not more difficult than another. God testifies of His own problem-solving ability in all mankind. Is anything too difficult for me?" Paul experienced desperate need--physically, emotionally and financially. Yet he declared, "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). From personal experience Paul spoke of a God who proved sufficient for the pressures of his life. Even Paul was not exempt from the temptation to despair,but he knew how to flee to his Heavenly Father for comfort. How else could he write that God "comforts us in all our troubles" (2 Corinthians 1:4)? Paul so knew God's keeping power that he did far more than endure his problems. He was strengthened and blessed by them! In turn he was able to comfort others in their hardships with the same comfort he had personally received from God. Little wonder that in 1 Corinthians 1:3-7 the word "comfort" appears no fewer than nine times. And each time, the verb is used to illustrate how God stands beside us and encourages us in the midst of our severest trials. Unfortunately, when many Christians face trials, they forget to look to God for comfort. "I'm such a nice person," they say. "Why does God allow these things to happen to me?" One reason we experience trials is to enable us to comfort others who are hurting. Christians who are walking with the Lord have much to share regarding the blessings God has given them in times of deep need or despair. As a Christian, have you met the true Comforter? Do others turn to you for counsel because they sense God's comforting presence in your life? Or are you a Christian who complains about everything? Do you blame God for your own failures? It must grieve our Lord deeply to hear some of the ridiculous things we complain about when He has given us so much. He must ache when He sees His children facing adversity yet refusing to call upon Him for comfort. It's powerful when a Christian can tell someone, "Because of a similar situation I've experienced, I think I understand what you're going through. Let me share with you what God did for me." In the ministry of comfort, God's Word comes alive, and His promises become active and real. Suddenly you understand why you went through your hardship. And, praise God, it was worth it! Paul wrote that even the most severe pressures of daily life never separate us from the tenderness and compassion of our Heavenly Father. On the contrary, when we feel like our world is falling apart, God's power and grace are magnified. As a missionary once said, "Peace is not the absence of conflict. Peace is the ability to cope." The God of all comfort can provide that "copeability" in the midst of any crisis. Paul is not saying that we won't face disappointment, suffering or conflict in life. But he is saying that no Christian need ever despair. Why? Because we worship the God of all comfort--the God who is sufficient for every pressure of life.
Hahaha! went to the library today...:) borrowed 9 books, bought the 16th book of blackcat anime and you zhou kan, which leaves me quite alot to read*sMILEz* heh but hardly any storybooks this time...borrowed like 2,3 books on drawing and sketching and 2 books on japanese origami, whilst the other 4 books were on Christianity :) hee, finally decided to get myself enriched...
Hahaha!!! pardon my absence these few days...have been rather lazy, indulging in my "a results are coming out soon!!!" blues, teaching, oh!!! haha and reading huan zhu ge ge fan fiction...so far i've been reading 4 of them, each one more cruel than the last (!!-_-) . Kind of makes me wonder why i was devastated with chiunyao's ending (well part of which i could decipher) when in contrast with those "hellish" plots, hers was just: haven :) Makes one imagine characters jumping around from one plot to the other and finally finding the original most comfortable:) Anyway....Happy friendship week!!!! :) hee today was quite a headache: so many things happened!!! or, at least many things were revealed i hardly knew about...bleah ;p ooh!!! anyways, haha i got this orange balloon from macs!!!the one that's stuck on a stick =) it's propped up in a teeny corner of the part of the room that belongs to me :) muahaha!!!
Forgiving's a very difficult thing to do...at least, when you become angry with that person as he/she scolds you. And one recalls all his/her past wrongs as he/she may be doing to us right now...and it makes it worse when you are wronged. What right does he/she have to judge me for who they THINK i am when they;re just so wrong...ad they were once that way? I hate to cry. Why is it that the people in closest proximity to you make you most vulnerable? I hate to be angry.
Sobness.....just watched Armageddon again...which brings to mind the reason why i had told myself never to watch it again...cried buckets...but not so much as the first time where i soaked my shirt and pillow(which i always hug to cry) all the way through...talk about depressing...haiz....
Hahaha!! I've been suddenly urged to go and exercise! :) Hee so i went skipping today with the aid of Chris's (my younger brother's) powerful skipping rope....eh, well the handles are "merely" heavier that's all...(!!-_-) haha! yup! my target's to skip 1000 times, which according to him, is rather lousy....apparently i have to do 10000..... :S..... anyway! i've already done 650++ times with double jump cos i'm really quite psycho motor in sets of 50...haha...hope i can keep it up...such monotonous exercises aren't for me... :(.... *gRINz* haha yup! so papa lim came down (i've been skipping at this playground below the block of flats...well at that time i WAS taking a break and playing around with the springy see-saw *sCHMILEz*) and started to teach me tai-chi!!!! woohoo! i must admit i only remembered half of the entire "concerto" of movements which really just seemed to look like singapore workout in slow motion bleah...haha so i yawned many a time!!! Yup! hee and am intending to go 1) swimming..and swimming as well! hee can't bear to run or whatever...yup! and may go down to bukit timah hill OR macritchie then bukit timah hill through rifle range road on a hike...haiz, the extent of boredom :(((( haha i guess it's so my dad can stop me pining over mountain climbing with "hill" climbing (that has more stairs than a mountain!!!!) oh! if anyone wants to come along just tell me!!! :) hee i've a feeling i might be lost though.... Oh!!! yup! and i might go to pulau ubin too!!! just to walk around on the beach and cycle :)
Hee i'm sure many peeps have had little ideas of their own...at least i had many *gRINz*. One of them was the thought of being able to know at least everyone in my school. Haha queer since i didn't really have the natural ability of being an extrovert thru and thru, but what touched me was the idea that at least i knew them and would have the chance to help and care where it was due :} well, it never came to pass, and i must profess that since then, on the contrary, many a time have i met peeps who drifted away, brought personal betrayal and such...making one quite wary and more unsure of friendships...for the pain brought was never a day alone... ....so i came to TRY to be more "cold-blooded". (obviously it doesn't seem to be working) But we are human after all, and the very essence of our purpose to live(in general) is TO BE LOVED. Hee just watched moulin rouge again, and ain't it true that "The Greatest Thing You'll Ever Learn Is to Love and be Loved in Return". However, the more we "love" someone, our expectations of him/her increase. We expect that person to understand us, we expect a greater want of courtesy even though to be "close" to another is to behave in anyway as chosen. We want to be special to someone, we want to belong to someone. Even more so, we expect to be the "first". To know of what has happened. (there's an unspeakable sense of security in the knowledge of being trusted) To be able to feel part of the peeps this way. To be involved. To be able to be given the privilege of being a major key in that person's sharing of sorrow and giving a great source of comfort. Especially after much has happened. Those dear to us are just like a piece of unmolded clay set on the wheel (or whatever you call it) . We all wish to have a part in the gradual unfolding of its old self and follow through like the molder. Or to be part of the clay. Sub-consciously we desire that relationship, to be remembered and cared for. Such are the formations of cliques today. We see it everywhere- groups of people who feel comfortable together. From Prime Ministers to kindergarden/ nursery children, or even childhood friends, we find ourselves attached to a group. And most of the time, that group becomes impenetrable to those stagnant or rooted to the stillness of time in what has happened. Or even to those who try. So it is. To many who feel excluded, is it not true that we have ourselves a clique/cliques of our own? Such a natural tendency it is to want comfort without disturbance? It is the truth that strong friendships are built over time, trials and great time of sorrow. However it cannot be done instantly. No sturdy castle is built in the twinkling of an eye, neither is it's magnificence displayed until hard days of work, perseverence, patience and care. So it is with friendships, cliques or whatever relationships one might have. I guess this can be applied to many other cases as well... However indeed sometimes cliques are impenetrable. No matter how much hard work is supplied...one's still a foreigner to a "tribe". You know, Satan's greatest weapon isn't of the physical...but in altering what we think and want. How subtle it is in ensuring us that our greatest desire is that we're always comfortable blah blah...that we give up ever so easily, that we are diverted from the forked path we need to walk more than once. Despair, anger, sorrow, feelings of loss and the negative lot of all. Indeed, fellowship is important, but does fellowship mean everything in a service? Being 'in' is a bonus, being at the forefront of all personal things that occur is probably what makes going to church more meaningful. However dear friend...what's at the heart of worship? Never forget that midarling...but should you ever think you're alone, You're not...everyone goes thru it, maybe it's felt more acutely here. But one cannot deny years of close friendship, going to the same school does make a difference, what more working together as a team? Many have been childhood friends for as long as they could remember...should we fault them for the number of memories they have made together and binding them more tightly? Should we fault them for not being there when they might have needed us most to care after them? Or to blame them for not having confidence in one whom she/he would not find confidence in us understanding since we've never been through it before? It's nature to talk to someone with forehand experience, therefore being able to obtain substantial advice and comfort. A beautiful dress does not form by one seam alone. However a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step...However lonely and tough, do not give up or despair, cause you are never alone!!!! *gRINz* You will always have a fren in me! Even though i know it's never enough :) Maybe i was a bit hurt by what happened today, but perhaps at times, the greatest love one can give is to give the person a knowledge that you'll always be there and ready, and standing by the side watching over him/her, with a ready hug or shoulder. Although it may be tough.
Heya!!! I'm back again!!! hee well 'twas a rather roller coaster ride for me this weekend..went for Fusion 2004 held at paya lebar church on saturday which was brilliant!!! hee well basically it's a gathering of all youths from all methodists schools and churches(well yeah, acs, mgs, acjc, plmgs etc...) and it was sort of a reduced scale of Festival of Praise. hee it's kind of amazing to see the great numbers of youths from other churches(especially when you meet peeps you know suddenly), but what touched me was the thirst and longing all of us had :) voices raising to the heavens in worship and prayer, we were all as one, and on that night, i could subconsciously feel the Spirit of God coming upon many of us:) And on that night, darren, eric, ruthie and i prayed for what we knew to be the faults of our church...especially what had been revealed by the Father in last year's camp. Indeed, such a burden has been placed on our shoulders...and it doesn't help that i saw it today in my sec one class a rift....
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