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I'm back from Taiwan-Taipei! Can't believe it... the trip was fun yet stressful.. thinking of what to buy for everyone, how much goodies to buy for people at home.. and what nots. But all the same.. it was really exciting to be overseas, looking at new places, faces and cultures. People watching at places like XiMenDing, where we stayed, was particularly fun. You can just marvel at how many versions of wearing black socks and colourful sneakers there are. There're all kinds of coloured shoelaces, types of sneakers, and even types of socks. It's a wonderful trend if I were a teen once again.. IF! Haha.. Lixia and I were just quipping how we could never go back to dressing like teens.. duh. Well during the trip, funny things happened.. like being silly and taking pictures with people we didn't know. We got asked by this weirdo lady at Changi airport to take a picture together, and before we even could think properly we snapped the picture. Same thing happened in Taiwan on our 2nd day while we were visiting the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall... a jap guy asked JAC to take pictures together.. hahaaa.. and we blindly went to snap again. But at least, I was quite sure they were tourists. Not weirdos. But then again, they thought we were Taiwanese.. wasn't that a bit silly? And the guy who asked us for the pic later walked away saying that he's stupid.. sheepishly.. we were quite amused at how it could happen a 2nd time again.. we're too nice.. Pity Davina had a bad stomachache right from the 2nd day. Must be after the stallside foods at Shilin on the first night.. Well, shopping was good.. we went to Shilin Night market for 2 nights in a row.. shopping all we could for what it was worth. And we missed visiting YeLiu coz we OVERSLEPT! But so we managed Yang Ming Shan Park with the intention of stopping at 2 visiting points (to see the sulphur gheyser, and the waterfalls). But after the first stop and a long and winding bus ride, we conveniently dozed off in the bus and found ourselves back at the bus terminal. What a waste.. So then it was already late afternoon, so we skipped Dan Shui that night and went for hot spring. We managed to get to the open outdoor public hot spring at xinbeitou.. but it looked really rundown and OLD ah-peks and ah-mas all around.. nah.. we decided not. In the end, we settled for an indoor one at the hotel nearby. But it was still cool.. soaking and watching Taiwanese drama.. which I may just decide to go catch - once again! Hahah.. get back into the Taiwanese-Korean drama season.. Finally that night, we shopped around our hotel (Rainbow hotel) for the next few hours even skipping dinner. Till our soles were hurtin.. at least, mine was really hurting! We then topped it off with supper at Macdonalds..haha! What a day! On the last day (3rd day), we managed DanShui( Fisherman's Wharf at the North Coast). And a final bit of shops at the Taiwan Metro near the main station.. and then it was off back home. Dan Shui was nice.. old fishing village.. I was not very impressed at first, but now on hindsight, I really appreciated the walking experience through the little town,.. including the market to get Jac's dried roast beef, and all the sights.. while observing the way of life of the people! All in all, it was a great but too short getaway! While I think what really works best for me is rather something more cultural, or scenic.. but for shopping, this is one cool place. Reminds me of Thailand, easy MRTs and lotsa night markets. The people are really fascinating.. and the fashion is just tooo way off for me, but it's fun.. and I won't mind going back.. at least just to complete more night markets and visit Ye Liu! But as of now.. I think what's next for me should be some kind of scenic area. I wanna take lots of cool photos and also things like slice-of-life styled stuff.. like photojournalism. Hehe.. check out my pics in the next blog!
I take this line from http://spirituallylonely.blogspot.com/as i was reading this blog by musing... Certainly, it takes a lot to be a christian.. It takes really a lot out of any person. I walked at Orchard Road today, went to collect a set of scores from Weihan and then bought some stuff.. I felt like shopping, but then again, didn't feel like it. So I promptly went back. And Orchard Road felt - crowded but empty. Call it but a super negative mindset going about in motion. But I couldn't help feeling depressed at the way society is moving - secularism, materialism, looks, success and riches are all that matters in life. I felt challenged. certainly. My faith wavered. I'm thinking... have I been missing out on life? seeing everyone dressed up to the nines along orchard, and feeling dowdy in my clothings.. and wondering to God with all the pain in my heart that there is so much to live up to, we are always never most perfect, most beautiful, most well dressed, most thin, most whatever... ANd i realised it's the old self of me. The one with the issue of self image. I asked myself, what makes the difference between another person and me if we were dressed almost the same? Answer was, that that person may be confident and happy, but i'd be miserable and unhappy. But that's the old me. It's me, but not any longer. I went home. spent a quiet walk home. pondered. and my 'musings' lead me once again to the same conclusion. That life is about God. I live my life to worship the Lord. and my heart is at peace. Why in orchard road there was no peace at all? Can anyone find peace there? And so I wonder at my so-called 'spiritual obsession' and wonder if it's really an unbalanced aspect of life after all... and I realise NO. There is so much more God wants to bestow for me. And I want to live the life that He has for me. As Steven curtis chapman sings, "let all my dreams fall to the ground, till this one remains.... everything my heart desires, let it be for you JESUS... " And my confidence in Him.. though wavered for a bit... is set straight again.. Even if it's hard being a Christian in this century, I will be one. I will Stand Up for my faith...
I happened to read this. It does a good explanation for why Christianity is different from New Age or Atheism and points out the flaws in the beliefs of the latter 2. REad it --> http://www.reformed.com/pub/newage.htm I think it explains well, the truth of Christianity, and explains why people hide, deny, or choose other false notions and concepts. Well I pray for the Spirit of Truth to make things come to light. For people to come to a realisation of the True God. I mean.. for myself, I really can't see WHY others don't believe. Isn't God so obviously God? But truly, scriptures even say that without the Spirit of God in us, we cannot understand spiritual things...
But once you know the Real God, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the conviction of the Power of Prayer, and having seen the signs and wonders that accompany it - transformation of lives, change of attitude, breakthroughs from addictions, freedom in Spirit, joy, love, peace, life abundant, victory, forgiveness, etc.... you'll KNOW where the true God is. 1 Corinthians 2:14The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. But God said, He would pour His Spirit on EVERYONE: Isaiah 44:3
For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants. Joel 2:28
The Day of the LORD
"And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your old men will dream dreams,
your young men will see visions. Joel 2:29
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
So if we say, we do not have the Spirit and that's just the way it is, and that we're fine, and ok without having to believe in God... That's just a lie.. and we're still evading the real Truth and the real fact that God is STILL STANDING THERE... (HE IS A REAL BEING! Not just a concept..) waiting to pour His Spirit upon us, so that we may understand everything about Him.
We're simply saying, Jesus, I do not accept your gift of salvation because I don't believe in whatever you say, and I don't have your spirit, and I'm not going to ask you for this Spirit because I don't believe in You. OH man, that sucks. And that Hurts Jesus. Verses found at:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2044:3;%20Joel%202:28,29;%20Zechariah%2012:10;%20Matthew%203:11,16;%20Mark
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
You know the song... Let the music heal your soul.... ? To me, Music is heavenly. Tonight was one memorable one. It was simply a string practice. A lousy one at that, with me playing lots of wrong notes and sounding bad. But after that, KY, Keith, WH and me went over to the Hong Kong Cafe at Kovan for supper.. and it was really cool... reminiscing our string days right from year 1.. those were the days. In fact, if i remember anything strongly from NTU, it would be the passion in String. Perhaps I never talked about it. But its like the people there, we may never meet for one year, but when we do meet up, just bring the music - and we'll play together once again. IT's a special bond. Perhaps that's why people in Band tend to stick through from beginning to the end. It's the same for the string ensemble. And now we're a STring Orchestra. Can you believe it? I believe the seeds started from the time when WH came in, will all passion and vigour to change the ensemble. Back then, we didn't know what more it could become. We just thought, let's bring it higher.. let's improve things. let's make things bettter. There were some hiccups along the way, but thank God, someone - Ruiting - managed to catch that vision that we had - which was almmooosstt lost - and brought SE back to its feet with even more gusto...transforming it overnight (or rather, over the whole year) into a dynamic organisation, with new leadership, new dreams and big ones at that. She was daring, and acted upon her dreams. I often look to her as an inspiration - and back one year ago i believed that I even thought that if only people in my youth ministry could be like her. So this year, the NTU SO is going to peform at the Victoria Concert hall, to really cool orchestra pieces like Harry Potter & Star Wars. MAN... a dream i have.. is coming true. I just want to find the time to go for practice. There's so many so so so many things I wanna do but lack time. And sometimes, people blame me for it. But what to do? My heart is sometimes torn into so many shreds. But I am so happy tonight. I am truly happy - for I know that these people are people whom I can come back after long periods of time and yet still share the bonds. I do hope we could be closer, but time and circumstances forbid. Perhaps, we'll play more together.. as we are already doing now.
I've had a very unique experience during the recent Youth in the Spirit Seminar on 15 - 18 June. I was facilitating a group - and my group's name was "Divine". Isn't it divine? haha.. anyway, after making very pink & girlish name tags in a rush on the 15th morning itself, I arrived at camp all full of energy. After all, I had purposely taken 2 days leave for this. And my group was really unique. Firstly, my co-facilitator called off sick and busy with work, so was not coming. And then, I found out that my group had 2 hearing-impaired people - one girl was deaf. And secondly, 3 of the members could not come on Thursday. But I soon found that this arrangement was really good. Because communicating was very slow. We took double the time to communicate something, because we had to write out what we wanted to say and wait for the written reply. And then, since 3 members could not make it, it gave me enough time for my special members.. and then, I also found out that it was really cool - to learn sign language.. you can even sing in sign language - something like those hand actions we do at mambo nights.. All in all, we were really unique, and that it really made me love others so much more. At the end of the camp, I am blessed so much more. Because I felt that I had given something away - God's love - through me. And i'm so happy because of this. The true measurement of happiness is living our lives for others.
People are constantly seeking information. Publishers simply figure out what they want and need to know, and then give it to them. As a publisher, you can write, compile, or record the information yourself, you can hire writers, or you can reprint information. It's totally up to you. I think i'm doing a publishing job already in my own way. But I wonder whether I have figured out what people want to know? heh..
It's a beautiful night... The moon is awesomely bright tonight... Here's me playing around with my camera's night-mode.. plus a bit of photo enhancements. But hey i only added a bit of blue to the night sky... otherwise it's near original. heh..! Still need a tripod though, for the perfect shot!  
 Samantha, you should pick your Adventurous AllyThat's who you should share your adventures with! We don't care what some people say, and neither does this friend. This friend gives you an adrenaline rush like no other, and it's this trait that connects you two at the hip, or by a bungee cord, or in the chair lift, or as you embark on the next adventure just around the corner. Just because your social calendar tends to be pretty full doesn't mean there isn't any room to keep exploring on your dance card. So go ahead. Keep pushing those envelopes and expanding your horizons. Just name it, and your adventuring amigo is sure to be there by your side. Aren't they always? =============================== Just did this tickle test... Pretty interesting the words in the end.. it makes sense and it's pretty much what i'm looking for in friends or maybe a special someone.... an adventure ally. I think I need someone whom i can share my adventures with (or dreams of adventures haha) and pursue life even more. Truly, the social calendar is pretty full, not really with social activities, but fulfilling activities all the same. And it says,... "exploring on your dance card".. haha.. ok.. there's so many things i wanna do next and one of them is dance... but it's a big hurdle.. going back into dance.. i gotta push myself. =============================== On a sidenote, i reflected on what I just said above, why do we need to pursue life? Why do people need to fill their life with events? me included? Ok silly question - we are all social animals i know.. but... then again.. as far as i know, these events can satisfy for a moment, but it dies off at a point of time, and we realise that it cannot really satisfy or give us true self-worth. We could be living in denial. But what we do is really NOT a measure of our self-worth. When we do so many things, it's because of that void in our hearts that is meant to be filled by a knowledge of God and God's love itself. At least that's what every christian would say. But it's true isn't it? I can vouch for that, not coz i'm a catholic, but coz it's true... Sometimes I find myself doing activities just to fill up that void because I feel, i'm "nothing" if i don't do anything. So i get up and DO a lot of things. But at the end of the day, DOING so much, doesn't make me any more fulfilled or happier. I could use what I do to be my backbone in life.. yes. Doing fun things gives me energy, doing good things makes me noble, doing new things gives me confidence to boast about ---- none other than MYSELF. But it's contrary to the Bible and what Jesus says. As a christian, we don't boast about ourselves.. but about Christ. So isn't it not really about the doing? Rather it's from knowing God's Love, that I am saved, that I am made WHOLE by HIM, then i'm FREE and BLESSED, and protected, and given all things and PROVIDED for by GOD, to do these things.. so that I can say, that God is good and gives me strength to do these, so it's not by might nor power, but by the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4: 6) I've been struggling. I keep asking God WHY for a million of things.. but i realised that there's always a lesson to be learnt, light at the end of the tunnel. In that faith, i can walk on... and persevere.
When I wonder how I got involved in the whole youth ministry & its works thing.., I just wonder. No sane person would want to do all these things lor... but not to say that I'm insane or weird. I just think that perhaps, I felt more obligated to serve in church. Why? Because i was truly touched in 1999. I truly recognised that Jesus is Lord and Creator of the whole Earth, and that he is my God! I worship Him, not other things. And so that makes me truly happy. That's why i serve. Thinking along this line, I also thought about how our passion for service flares and wanes. It's like the typical seasons of the year. So then... these are the things i thought about: -- We always think we ought to serve in an area we are comfortable in, but sometimes God calls us out of that comfort area. -- We need to remember always that we are not serving ourselves. Therefore, if we are the best person for a particular area of service (e.g. natural inclination to those service areas and natural talents in that area) but we don't want to serve because it will be difficult for us, not fun, not enjoyable, not so 'beneficial', we may not be rightly appropriating our talents. We may have been searching to be served - rather than to serve. -- We may underestimate the whole thing about serving the Lord. We may think that service is our own choice (depending on whether we are free, or able) when ultimately it is the way through which God is able to grow us and help us reach greater depths and heights. So therefore, service is not dependant on our schedule, or our ability. It is God working through us. Without service, we are not serving God. We are basically still followers, waiting to be fed. -- To serve, we must take a risk and 'dive in'. -- Happiness, Sadness, Stress, Tiredness are part of the challenges that come during serving others. It's normal, and ok. So we need to pray not to be void of those, but to be able to rise up again and devote better service to the Lord. On a sidenote.. other interesting snippets of my life:
- Finally watched Over the Hedge. Also watched She's The Man (which is REALLY Funny) - I just splurged lots of $$$ at Esprit the other day.. oops!! Blame it on the really good salesgirl - I have choco cravings! ahhh! - Its been a really really really really busy week.. juggling so many things like.. olps orchestra string practices & admin, planning for SACCRE Youth Open house & intercessory this Sat, Liaising to set up the OLPS Youth Forum, and (to do next) OLive Notes (olps) June's E-news issue, and Personal website lobang, Getting the scores for wedding lobang for string quartet (it's not that easy after all!)...as well as arranging to practice with String Trio (elaine & claire)... aiyoh.. crazeee! - Thirdly,.. i found another thing i wanna do.. actually i always wanted to do it but just happened to talk with a colleague recently and i remembered - it is OIL PAINTING~~~ :) Too many too many eh! hehehe.. Finally, busy and tired.. but mildly happy. Very content. ONLY very disturbed by a dream last night on how a friend of mine asked me to go somewhere - just me and him! But in reality, i think it won't happen. Talk about your subconscious revealing to you your hidden wishes.. ahaha!!!
It's so difficult to maintain a community. I get people to be involved, but without my prompting, no one steps up, volunteers, or even want to be involved. Is it simply me wanting them to be invovled? Is it simply my negative feelings about the whole matter? IS this spiritual warfare? Or am I simply working in the wrong time and wrong place? Oh God... doing your work is so tough. I know we are never an island. We need to work with people. But then.. where are the people? I ask... where are they? I feel like i'm working alone... for no one, for nobody.. for God- yes, but perhaps it's only my desire to do something that is considered for God. Ultimately does it help anyone? does it spread God's glory? Does it really? So what if i stop? so what? will it matter?
Conversion is a lifelong process in which Christians are expected to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Although all Christians remain sinners (e.g. Romans 7:7-25 and 1 John 1:8-10), those who know better are expected to do better.
"What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?"
About last night's talk (Pentecost Triduum 1-3 June) at Our Lady of Lourdes, by Fr. Paul Goh. I believe it was a move of God that Mum & Dad agreed to go. I mean.... like finally, they are willing to come for something like this.... And the message was exactly everything I wanted mum/dad to hear. Well, I don't know if the message has remained in their hearts, but I believe it is the start. And I do wish for them to get to know the Holy Spirit and God's real presence in their lives - so that they are able to bear the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, longsuffering(patience), goodness, kindness, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness. And begin to serve and give - even more, and not worry and fret over petty things.. being too caught up in me myself and I. SpiritualSurvival.org -->A very true Exerpt: "If we don't stay in a close relationship with the Holy Spirit, we experience harmful attitudes, spiritual sluggishness, negative thoughts, reduced spiritual vision, resistance to sin is lessened, and damaging habits creep in causing a slow spiritual decline. These bad habits can become a major part of our lives. The good news is that these patterns are reversible. The bad news is that before we can change these habits, we need to recognize and accept that our behavior needs to be changed."
I'm now on CHAPTER 3 of Spiritual Survival.org. It's fantastic. http://www.spiritualsurvival.org/view/?pageID=804
As for today...
--> I was looking around but couldn't find the answers to "What is the sin against the Holy Spirit". So I found it at this catholic website. It's comforting to be reminded once again, that after all, the Catholic faith indeed does contain the fullness of truth. --> This includes the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a book i've not touched till today... and found that it's really rich! Perhaps, it's time that I'm seeking more answers.. to be grounded in truth.. and to be assured of God's promises even more : http://www.catholicdoors.com/catechis/index.htm
The Exerpt from http://www.catholicdoors.com/faq/qu42.htm:
Q. 2. More specifically, what sins offend the Holy Spirit?
A. There are six sins that offend the Holy Spirit. These are: (1) Despair, "By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God's goodness, to his justice - for the Lord is faithful to his promises - and to his mercy." (C.C.C. # 2091) (2) Presumption of God's mercy, "There are two kinds of presumption. Either man presumes upon his own capacities, (hoping to be able to save himself without help from on high), or he presumes upon God's almighty power or his mercy (hoping to obtain his forgiveness without conversion and glory without merit)." (C.C.C. # 2092) (3) Impugning the known truth, (Clarification: To "impugn" the known truth means to attack it by word or argument, to resist it, to contradict it, or even to oppose the known truth or to challenge it as false.) (4) Envy the spiritual good of another, (Clarification: Regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians states, "All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually as the Spirit chooses." To envy the spiritual good of another is to question the Divine judgment of the Holy Spirit in His distribution of spiritual gifts. It is to be jealous of another person who has a gift different than one's own gift. Through envy, one rejects the gift that he has received from the Holy Spirit, determining in his own mind that the gift he has received is not good enough for him and he wants someone else's gift.) (5) Obstinacy in sin, (Clarification: To be "obstinate" means to resist the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, to be stubborn, to persist in sin, to be unyielding.) (6) Final impenitence. (Clarification: "Impenitence" means to be uncontrite, unrepentant, hardened, unconverted, to be without regret, shame or remorse.) SEASONED BY GODGod works in mysterious ways, Always fulfilling His Divine Plan. He inducts the hearts He chooses. Did He not see St. Paul's potential? Temporary taking His sight away, He softened Paul's heart to His affinity, Transmuting him into a great teacher. God is the true transforming power. Many sufferers are moulded by Him, Including captives of war and prisons. Using their prolonged solitude, God reaches them in an obscure way, Teaching them true righteousness And a great compassion for others. Then He sends them out into the world; To follow the footsteps of His Son. Hardened by their sufferings And softened by the love of God, Nothing stands in their destiny; Their only fear being the fear of God. Chosen, they have been seasoned by God! Poem taken from CatholicDoors.com: http://www.catholicdoors.com/poetry/index.htm
www.spiritualsurvivor.org And some banter... Music I listen to these days.. P&W.. 92.4FM, 96.3FM, 99.5FM. How boring eh! hehehe..
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