The Largest Digital Photo

Just saw this on Slashdot.org:

Gigapixel writes to point us to what is claimed to be the largest digital photo on the Net, at 8.6 Gigapixel. It is a composite photo of the "Parete Gaudenziana," a fresco painted by Gaudenzio Ferrari, dated 1513. This fresco is in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in the convent of Varallo Sesia, diocese of Novara and Province of Vercelli, Italy. The site uses Flash to let you explore the fresco over a zoom range of more than 180 to 1. The photo is made up of 1145 images, each 12.2 Mpixel and 16 bits per color channel. Read on for more technical specs of the photo.

I've checked it out... it really is COOL! The music is very nice too... while you're looking at the fresco in excruciating detail, the sound of a church choir singing in the background really adds to the atmosphere. http://www.haltadefinizione.com/

Learning to enjoy people's presence more, not just the talking. Think God also wants me to learn this truth - to be still and know that He is God... He will be exalted in the heavens and the earth.

And yet, there's this joy of being able to laugh so much about something so seemingly banal and mundane - a secret shared between two friends, like how we laugh about silly posters... and silly timings and silly jokes and silly quarrels.

Shared experiences. Lord, aren't these experiences dear and so sweet? Gold dust in a flowing stream. Honey found in the rock. Precious moments from the dim recesses of memory.

Second Life

Ok... this is my 300th post. =) haha... actually wanted to do the 300th post on my birthday, but hey, looks like I'm blogging too much. :P

Anyway... Since 3 of my modules and classmates and term papers have been mentioning about this online game, Second Life, just thought I'd check it out and download the client, in order to stay up-to-date with one of the hottest phenomena that the Web has seen.

Some people are in fact saying that what the Web and browser was to the Internet last century, Second Life may be the next "browser" of the Internet for this century.

Check it out at http://secondlife.com/ - the first basic account is free.

BTW my username is YYA Voyager.

Ps Ben's sermon today touched my heart a lot. He told us this story:

From http://home.att.net/~scorh3/Twinkle.html:

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted an old friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.

Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE."

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage.

In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle,Twinkle Little Star."

At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."

Then, leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child, and he added a running obbligato.

Together, the old master and the young novice transformed what could have been a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience.

The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played. Only the classic, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

*******

It brought tears to my eyes, because that story really touched me. Felt as if God Himself was telling me, "Don't give up, son!" and how He has blessed my stumbling and bumbling efforts to serve Him in this NUS ministry during these years... and especially when I turned back to Him last September...

Sometimes all I can really do is just keep on playing the same "Twinkle" song again and agin... but Daddy's hands are also playing the piano together with me... and while I play "Twinkle twinkle little star", He makes entire galaxies spin out of the piano! :D THAT is our God, so great is He!

This is our God, the Servant King
He calls us now to come follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to the Servant King...

Shared wif YF and Hongtao abt my reflections for this sermon over dinner. YF also shared her thoughts and feelings on this too. We were very encouraged by the time of sharing. Praise God, He is ever-ever-ever faithful! :D

To love a lover, to love the Lover

Had a great time of dinner wif Yuantao and QP and Joyce joined us later too. :D Very fun and heartwarming sharing! :D
*******
Just some personal thoughts about I tend to behave and think when I like a sister -> and how I can apply this to my relationship wif God.

Some things that I observed about myself:
1. I tend to want to seize every possible moment to be with her, no matter how little.
2. I tend to treasure every little act she does, and every word that she says.
3. I tend to think of her a lot, every waking moment.

And the result of doing all these is that I start growing in fondness and affection for the sister that I like.

Then somewhere along the way this year, it struck me, why not translate all these points towards your relationship with God?

I think this post sounds awfully abstract, but if you've ever been in love with a girl, just remember that the greatest love between two lovers is but a shattered visage of what it means to love God.

But there's an important difference too. This came to mind as I was typing this: If we claim to love God, we must love His people too. For if you don't love those whom you can see, how can you love God whom you can't see?

Food for thought... to put into practice.

the mrbrown show: the deeply cultural show

From the website (http://www.mrbrownshow.com/?p=375):

The National Library Board is archiving local websites and if talkingcock.com and mrbrown.com are deeply cultural enough, we may be considered too! Stars Mr Tan, Colin Goh, and Woo Yan Yan.

(Gosh, I realised Colin Goh and Lee Kin Mun (aka Mr Brown) look really similar...)

Check out the podcast! Heard that it's really hilarious - they didn't even spare the email address of the NLB's project:

- Hello, may I know what is the email address to recommend a website?
- Was at NLB dot GOV dot SG
- OK, then was is the email address now?
- I told you -- Was at NLB dot GOV dot SG...

What Is Your Battle Cry?

Yea, verily: Who is that, striding across the hotel lobby! It is Yeuann, hands clutching a jeweled meat hammer! He bellows thunderously: "I'm going to smack you into a fine spicy powder!!"

Find out! Enter username: Are you a girl, or a guy ?

created by beatings : powered by monkeys

Huifang's bday celebration today :)

Blessed birthday, dear sis! :) Always very touched by your heart of serving others and your humility to want to learn more, and especially your heart for Jesus. :) May you grow stronger in your walk with the Lord... Happy birthday to you!

A New Way Of Apologising

Oh my goodness... this is hilarious! Check it out at http://www.kennysia.com/archives/2006/10/a_new_way_of_ap.php

Wee Shu Min...

Oh man. I read Shuyi's entry on WSM (tks sis!), got curious and googled for her name. Wah. Where have I been for the past 2 days?

Think a LOT has been written about it, and yup, agree that Mr/Ms Sixiang made a very good point. Though what I'm REALLY worried about is her dad's response - I think it's VERY, VERY worrisome.

Think this is important, that before we jump in to judge, we need to stop and listen first to both sides. As Proverbs 18:17 says, "The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him."

Still, if what the rest of the bloggers have been saying is true (even partially), then all the more we gotta pray for our leaders to have humility and servant hearts... else Singapore is going to be in deep, deeper, deepest doo-doo in the next few generations of leaders.

*******
So sourced out all the relevant posts:

Derek Wee's original entry: Still up at http://derekwee.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 02, 2006
When I read the Straits Times article (dated 24 Sep) on PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference to Singapore, I have so much thought about the issue.

I am 35 years old, graduated from University and gainfully employed in a multinational company. But I cannot help but feel insecure over the future of Singapore. Lets face it, it’s not uncommon to hear, “when you are above 40, you are over the hill”. The government has been stressing on re-training, skills upgrading and re-adapt. The fact is, no matter how well qualified or adaptable one is, once you hit the magical 40, employers will say, “you are simply too old”.

We have been focusing our resources and problem solving on low unskilled labour. But in reality, our managerial positions and skilled labour force are actually fast losing its competitiveness. I travel around the region frequently for the past 10 years. It didn’t take me long to realise how far our neighbours have come over the past decade. They have quality skilled workers, and are less expensive. When I work with them, their analytical skills are equally good, if not better than us.

It’s not new anymore. Taxi drivers are fast becoming “too early to retire, too old to work” segment of the society. I like to talk to taxi drivers whenever I am heading for the airport. There was this driver. Eloquent and well read. He was an export manager for 12 years with an MNC. Retrenched at 40 years old. He had been searching for a job since his retrenchment. Although he was willing to lower his pay expectations, employers were not willing to lower their prejudice. He was deem too old. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have another No. 1; having the most highly educated taxi drivers in the world.

On PM Lee calling the young to be committed and make a difference. Look around us. How dedicated can we be to Singapore when we can visualise what’s in store for us after we turned 40? Then again, how committed are employers to us? But we can’t blame them. They have bottom lines & shareholders’ gain to answer to. Onus is really on the government to revamp the society. A society that is not a pressure cooker. A society that does not mirror so perfectly, what survival of the fittest is. But a society, where it’s people can be committed, do their best and not having to fear whether they will still wake up employed tomorrow. Sadly, Singapore does not offer such luxuries and security anymore.

On the issue of babies. The government encourage us to pro-create. The next generation is essential in sustaining our competitive edge. Then again, the current market condition is such that our future has become uncertain. There is no more joy in having babies anymore; they have become more of a liability. It’s really a chicken and egg issue.

Many of my peers, bright and well educated have packed up and left. It’s what MM Goh called “quitters”. It’s sad but true, Singapore no longer is a place where one can hope to work hard their lives and retire graciously. It’s really the push factor. A future is something we sweat it out, build and call our own. Unfortunately, people like me, mid 30’s going on 40’s, staying put by choice or otherwise, we can’t help but feel what lies ahead is really a gamble.

To PM Lee and the Ministers, we are on a different platform. Until you truly understand our insecurity, the future of Singapore to me remains a question mark.

Ms Wee's blog reply:

Thursday, October 19, 2006

mom's friend sent her some blog post by some bleeding stupid 40-year old singaporean called derek wee (WHY do all the idiots have my surname why?!) whining about how singapore is such an insecure place, how old ppl (ie, 40 and above) fear for their jobs, how the pool of foreign "talent" (dismissively chucked between inverted commas) is really a tsunami that will consume us all (no actually he didn't say that, he probably said Fouren Talern Bery Bad.), how the reason why no one wants kids is that they're a liability in this world of fragile ricebowls, how the government really needs to save us from inevitable doom but they aren't because they are stick-shoved-up-ass elites who have no idea how the world works, yadayadayadayada.

i am inclined - too much, perhaps - to dismiss such people as crackpots. stupid crackpots. the sadder class. too often singaporeans - both the neighborhood poor and the red-taloned socialites - kid themselves into believing that our society, like most others, is compartmentalized by breeding. ridiculous. we are a tyranny of the capable and the clever, and the only other class is the complement.

sad derek attracted more than 50 comments praising him for his poignant views, joining him in a chorus of complaints that climax at the accusation of lack of press freedom because his all-too-true views had been rejected by the straits times forum. while i tend to gripe about how we only have one functioning newspaper too, i think the main reason for its lack of publication was that his incensed diatribe was written in pathetic little scraps that passed off as sentences, with poor spelling and no grammar.

derek, derek, derek darling, how can you expect to have an iron ricebowl or a solid future if you cannot spell?

if you're not good enough, life will kick you in the balls. that's just how things go. there's no point in lambasting the government for making our society one that is, i quote, "far too survival of fittest". it's the same everywhere. yes discrimination exists, and it is sad, but most of the time if people would prefer hiring other people over you, it's because they're better. it's so sad when people like old derek lament the kind of world that singapore will be if we make it so uncertain. go be friggin communist, if uncertainty of success offends you so much - you will certainly be poor and miserable. unless you are an arm-twisting commie bully, which, given your whiny middle-class undereducated penchant, i doubt.

then again, it's easy for me to say. my future isn't certain but i guess right now it's a lot brighter than most people's. derek will read this and brand me as an 18-year old elite, one of the sinners who will inherit the country and run his stock to the gutter. go ahead. the world is about winners and losers. it's only sad when people who could be winners are marginalised and oppressed. is dear derek starving? has dear derek been denied an education? has dear derek been forced into child prostitution? has dear derek had his clan massacred by the government?

i should think not. dear derek is one of many wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leeches in our country, and in this world. one of those who would prefer to be unemployed and wax lyrical about how his myriad talents are being abandoned for the foreigner's, instead of earning a decent, stable living as a sales assistant. it's not even about being a road sweeper. these shitbags don't want anything without "manager" and a name card.

please, get out of my elite uncaring face.

And, Ms Wee's dad:

A lesson learnt, says MP and dad Wee Siew Kim - ST

'WHAT she said did come across as insensitive. The language was stronger than what most people could take.

But she wrote in a private blog and I feel that her privacy has been violated. After all, they were the rantings of an 18-year-old among friends.

I think if you cut through the insensitivity of the language, her basic point is reasonable, that is, that a well-educated university graduate who works for a multinational company should not be bemoaning about the Government and get on with the challenges in life.

Nonetheless, I have counselled her to learn from it. Some people cannot take the brutal truth and that sort of language, so she ought to learn from it.

In our current desire to encourage more debate, especially through the Internet, our comments must be tempered with sensitivity.

I will not gag her, since she's 18 and should be able to stand by what she says.

The new media of the Internet is such that if you don't like what she has said, you have the right of rebuttal.

Hopefully, after the discussion, everyone will be the richer for it. As a parent, I may not have inculcated the appropriate level of sensitivity, but she has learnt a lesson, and it's good that she has learnt it at such an early stage in life.'

- ANG MO KIO GRC MP WEE SIEW KIM on his daughter's comments

Finally:

Oct 26, 2006
'Insensitive' blogger also lacked humility, empathy

I REFER to the report, 'Teen blogger counselled for her 'elitist' remarks' (ST, Oct 24).

I believe Miss Wee Shu Min has drawn enough criticism for her insensitive and offensive remarks. Hopefully, she will learn from this saga and move on.

The public should spare her further personal insults and allow her to concentrate on her exams, bearing in mind that she is just an 18-year-old with a major examination coming up.

What I am dismayed about is how her father, MP Wee Siew Kim, appears to agree with her opinion and sided with her when he said: 'She wrote in a private blog and I feel that her privacy has been violated.'

If Mr Wee feels that his daughter's privacy had been violated, is he implying that the Government was wrong to punish bloggers who posted racist comments on their supposedly 'private' blogs that were viewable by anyone with just a click of a button?

I should think not. One should always be responsible and conscious of his choice of words, be it in an essay or a blog.

In the article, Mr Wee also stated that '(Miss Wee's) basic point is reasonable' and 'some people cannot take the brutal truth'.

I have read Mr Derek Wee's commentary and I feel that he is not the unmotivated or whiny, discontented worker that he was portrayed to be.

Mr Wee was merely airing his fears about how older workers are finding it difficult to cope with today's competitive and practical reality.

At no point did he state that he was dissatisfied with his job and I believe he will 'get on with the challenges in life'.

It seems that Mr Wee Siew Kim endorsed his daughter's 'elitist' remarks and that her only mistake was insensitivity.

The issue at hand is not merely about insensitivity; it also involves values like humility and empathy.

If Mr Wee's only concern for his daughter is about being politically correct, then I am afraid he is missing out on something fundamental.

Hopefully, Miss Wee will learn from this episode about humility and empathy as well.

Yang Sixiang

*******
A quick overview and analysis of the situation:
Mr Wee's issue was the security of employment of older people, including himself.
Ms Wee's issue was that Mr Wee's concern is not that bad - there are far worse cases than that of his.
Her dad... same lah, I think.
The public's (as represented by the bloggers and Yang Sixiang) issue was the harsh personal attack on Mr Wee by Ms Wee, and how Ms Wee's dad replied.

My view - I think Ms Wee didn't really consider Mr Wee's issue at hand and (carelessly) vented her frustration about people who were complaining and discontented. Mr Wee, if we accept what he said, and the tone of his entry, was genuinely concerned about the unemployment issue at hand and was not just another idle complainer. Her dad... felt rather shocked by his reply, to be honest.

Hmm... think the issue of unemployment is something very critical actually. God really has great concern for the poor and oppressed. Both the OT and NT writers soundly denounce the rich people who don't care for the poor - and worse, exploit them. It's not wrong to be rich... as long as we remember the poor and help them out of our riches. We are going to be accountable to God for what we have done with our money. If we didn't use the money well... and God asks us, how have you used the money that I gave you? Then... if cannot answer, really really really jialat! or put it more bluntly, damn jialat.

Hmm... worrisome issue actually. What do you guys think?

*******
Oh, thank God, I remember an MP, who even though I only got to chat with him for a very short while, was struck by his humility and sincerity. I mentioned about him earlier in one of my previous blogs - if I rem correctly, he's the MP for Marine Parade GRC. :)

There's still hope for Singapore then. :) Prayed that he'll be blessed and go far in life and in his work too.

Real World Faith

Claramae shared with us yesterday on this topic, and personally, it's a deeply convicting issue - faith that makes an impact outside the 4 walls of the church.

Jesus was a working man, and He lived a working life for 15 years as a carpenter.

Did you ever think about what he might have said if he hammered his thumb? Or cut his finger? (Besides "Ouch!")

What quality were his products? (I like to think that you always got the best deals with his products. Confirmed never short-change.)

Did he ever haggle over prices? How?

How would he talk with his fellow carpenters when he joined them for a drink or meal?

Because today something happened that made me think more about God's grace to me. In a nutshell, I've been struggling to keep up with the rest of my group members 'cos I have 4 term papers to settle, and I'm working with very different personalities in three different groups. Was sharing with Jits the other day about these 3 very interesting types of personalities - one's really very business-like, the other's very creative in a journalistic kind of way, and the last one's a self-described punctuality freak. Haha... God really knows that I need a LOT of pushing in this aspect. And miraculously, I find that I've been improving in this area - much thanks to Shennon who has straightforwardly pointed out to me.

One group is all guys - and all from SoC - but they are NOT nerds - they are Silicon Valley types people, another group is actively engaged in social issues and campus journalism, and the last is very into advertising and new media.

Wow... praise God! :D So exciting to be able to work with such different groups in one semester, and best of all, to LEARN from them... I really have learnt A LOT and still learning even more.

*******
So, one important experience I learnt from all this is that people, whether Christian or not, can actually be more understanding than I expect them to be. A lot of these people are actually more mature in their interpersonal intelligence than me, and have more street-savvy and wisdom due to greater exposure in life-experiences.

I think the old YA would have been very discouraged last time, when comparing himself to the non-Christians... but now I see it from a different perspective - that God is actually teaching me street-smarts and savviness and social skills through them!

Humility is really so important if you want to get ahead in life... humility in wanting to learn more - this is CRITICAL if you want to thrive, both in your walk with God and working in the world. Humility is a teachable spirit that is eager to learn and apply...

Of course, the Bible also reminds us to be wise in discerning in what we learn... think an analogy is that, formerly, when we were young as babies, we lived in a very sheltered environment and ate the cleanest and purest foods that our parents could give us... but now, as mature Christians, as young men and as spiritual parents in Christ, Jesus sends us out "like lambs among wolves" - shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Not the other way round.

Personally, I was reflecting on myself this week, and I think that I've been growing increasingly more wily in how I do some things, trying to gain benefits for myself. And I'm scared of that, because I fear losing my integrity and sincerity. It's so easy... in fact, I read in the news today that a top student in NUS had succumbed to temptation and set up a credit-card hacking operation... I realised that this could have happened to me too - but there, by the grace of God, go I.

Then after a project mate gave me some very good advice regarding how to collaborate better in a team, I realised that I really responded in a sweet spirit... so was very touched by God's grace, and yet asking Him, how is this possible? That I find myself growing increasingly wilier, and yet, at the same time, really have a sweet spirit with innocence in my heart?

Then the words of Christ came to mind: "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

I was very very touched at God's incredible grace to me. By right, I really deserve to be blacklisted in the group, because I am going so much slower than the rest of my teammates, and my working style in the team is very individualistic, yet my project leader actually understands my difficulties and gave me very encouraging advice. Really don't deserve this kind of gracious treatment at all... and yet I got it!

Waves of mercy, waves of grace
Everywhere I go I see Your face
Your love has captured me
Oh my God this love, how can it be?

Really want to grow in shrewdness of mind, yet also grow in sweetness of spirit. I want to grow in wisdom and stature, and yet grow in tenderness and compassion of heart... I want to grow in maturity, and yet I want to grow in childlikeness...

And I'm so amazed by God. He's the one who made the delicate flowers, and yet made the mighty mountains. He's the one who send the gentlest breeze, and yet made the roaring thunders. He's the one who made the supermassive black holes capable of destroying entire galaxies, and yet made the tiny hydrogen atoms.

*******
So then, I find that this last semester, Daddy is training me to be wiser, and to work harder... today, I read in my Bible from Proverbs 31 these verses:

"She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands."
"She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks."
"She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come."

Normally, when I read these verses, I keep thinking about qualities that I'd like my future wife to have. But today, God impressed on my heart that these are qualities that He'd like me to have too.

To work with eager hands, to be vigorous in my work, to have strong arms for my work, to be strong and have dignity... and to laugh at the days to come. :)

Wow... the Word of God is wise! :D And on a side-note, when I see the words "work with eager hands", I think about a particular sister whom I admire... I think she really exhibits this particular quality, and I find it very attractive too, actually. =) Hee hee...

*******
Then I was reading through some acquaintances' blogs, when I realised that they're very passionate about Silicon Valley and what not. New media included too. And another thing that struck me is how well they designed their blogs - very professional and reflects well on them.

Then this question came to mind: Just how relevant would my blog be to them if one of them visiting this blog?

I think the answer's obvious.

And who are the ones going to make an impact in future on Singapore's economy and new media? These are high-flyers and hard-hitting achievers who will really go all the way. And us? And me?

Think I can't really change so many things at once, but I think one step I can take to be a better influence and more relevant is to change my blog design and expand the scope of this blog beyond talking about spiritual things and long-winded reflections. Think what's more important here may not only the number of people who read your blog, but also, how many types of people read your blog and are interested in it.

So from today onwards, you may start seeing more types of posts popping up... (after my term papers are done)... do take the opportunity to learn more things! It's a blessing that I have a growing passion for new media and media trends - think it's something that will help me connect with an increasingly media-savvy generation and future media leaders.

What do you think? Feedback and advice always welcome! :)

Brothers' outing-cum-discussion at Botanic Gardens

Wow, what a time the brothers had at the Botanic Gardens on Sunday. :)


Playing 'dog-and-bone' rugby-style...

Ok boys... SCRUM!

Gollum got the ball! Preciousssss!

half the brothers clambering onto one tree branch...

"Uh... thanks, man, but now's a bit hard to answer the phone."

Our Branch Club. (Note the latest applicant trying to get on.)

the wonderfully tasty picnic...

It's feeding time!

Edwin is a bit ham-handed at the moment...

the mind-boggling games that Hongtao and Guanrui concocted...

"We have highly classified info here. That's why we're using the Classifieds."

the WONDERFUL open-air praise session... somehow singing "Let the trees of the forest clap their hands" really takes on an added realness when you're singing and dancing in the middle of Botanics Garden... You can really sense the AWESOMENESS of God, how wonderfully He made everything, as you sing His praises out aloud in the open! Wow! So sweet!

"This is how you scare the crows away."

Talking about sweet... I snapped this photo of a toddler I saw.


And of course the wonderful time of sharing! :D

*******
We talked about what criteria do the brothers look for in sisters, how can we be a better man for our future life partner (to the corny tune of "A Better Man"... apologies to Robbie Williams...), and oh man I forgot the last question.

But it was a very good time of discussion and sharing, and whoa, listening to Jasmine's input as a sister...

She shared wif us what are the top 3 things that our sisters look for in a future life partner...

1. Must be able to spiritually lead her
2. Must be able to lead the household too
3. Great if he can cook too. (I'm not making this one up. XD)

Haha... hmm, she then asked us, what do we brothers think of having relationships during tertiary life? Some of us gave various feedback, and HY made a good point about the need to be financially stable first - which Jas said was a good point. I was very surprised when she said that she's pro-relationship - 'course there's the need for both the guy and the girl to know what they're in for, and other factors to consider, etc. etc. Haha... in any case, it's good to know that Scripture is pro-relationship: "He who finds a wife finds what is good, and receives favour from the LORD." (Prov 18:22) But it also wisely advises, "Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." (Prov 24:27)

Personally, I'm not really for relationships in general during tertiary studies - the emotional strain can be quite overwhelming, and I think you'd miss out a lot on friendships - both brothers and sisters - due to time and social constraints. Hah, this coming from a guy who says he has had a LOT of crushes - it's something that comes to me very easily. But God is wise - He really shepherds me and helps me learn how to relate better with the opposite gender. More than that - He also has helped me learn how to relate better with my own gender too - I think a lot of men struggle to be close with other men... partly because I remember Jan saying it's because we guys tend to have expectations of other guys. That's a good thing, and that's a bad thing too.

But kept on thinking of someone in particular during that time... :)

It's really good to be a single, seriously. :) There is this freedom that you can't have if you're attached. But haha, I think it's just as good to be attached too... though I know that celibacy is a REAL gift from God. Sometimes I really wish that I had the gift of celibacy, then I wouldn't think so much about my "missing rib" at times. :P Again then, I'm not sure if I'd enjoy that gift. ;)

Anyway, back to the point. Oh I remember now. I think the 2nd question that the brothers discussed was "Compatibility or Complementarity: Which one do you think is more important in a relationship?" After a lot of throwing back and forth of opinions, the general consensus was that it depends on the guy and girl themselves. As Flince put it so well, "If you're looking for a peaceful marriage, choose compatibility. If you're looking for an exciting marriage, choose complementarity."

BTW what compatibility means is that both have similar personalities, interests, communication styles, etc, whereas complementarity means that what one side doesn't have, the other has, and vice-versa.

Hmm... personally, I tend towards what Eric said, that at the start, it's compatibility that draws us together, then after that, it's complementarity that will strengthen the relationship.

Wow... lots of more thinking to do. I guess I value both - compatibility and complementarity, but I think compatibility is more necessary, because fact is, when disagreements and differences arise, compatibility, a common vision, common interests, common personalities really do serve as a lubricant when the cogs just don't click.

Ha... just some thoughts to pen down before I forget. Ha, I'd be interested in hearing your feedback on this...

Taking care of a younger bro isn't easy. It really isn't. Jesus never promised that it would be easy. But He did say that He would be with me. And yes, He does provide. In fact, He provided me with a very timely resource just now while I was chatting online with him.

God! He's very young... very sweet-spirited, eager to learn... and I'm so unsure about how to help him take the next step. How I really need His wisdom and guidance at this very moment. Jesus, help me out here!

*******
Wow. Not sure how it went. Hope he was encouraged - thank God for the verse that He put in my mind - he said that the verse helped him. =) So glad to hear that! Really want to help him learn to live on God's Word more and more... kinda like 'weaning' him I guess. :)

These old words from an old chum came to mind as I was chatting with him:

It's been two nights of extended MSN conversation with her... fumbling as I try to answer more than what she's asking, hesitating as I try to figure out what it is she wants to know, praying frantically throughout that what I'm sharing is what she needs to help her in this beginning stage.

And all the parts that struck her were the parts that I initially wasn't going to share, but somehow felt the urge to in the end. It wasn't me.

How timely! Yes, I'm glad I'm not alone - Daddy's the one doing the REAL work in his heart, making him grow.

"[Flince and I] planted the seed, [Yufen] watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

MACHO, redefined!

OMG, was chatting wif another bro over MSN, telling him about M.A.C.H.O., our brothers' discipleship group. I asked him to guess what MACHO stood for...

me: we came up wif a very macho-sounding title for our group
me: guess what we called it?
me: haha
him: you're gonna have to give me something to start with, or it'll sound weird
me: well, it starts with M.
me: and ends with O
me: five-letter word
him: mango>
me: ...........

me: ok lah it's MACHO.
me: not mango

him: macho??
him: why?

me: MACHO = Men Always Chasing Holy Objectives
me: haha

him: eh
him: MACHO = Men are cherishing Hamburger Outings

Cheeky!

Memento?

I have to stop blogging so much... one reason why I've been blogging so much is because I want to record down everything that I've learnt and/or experienced from God... and I'm afraid that I'll forget what He told me or reminded me. Just like that amnesiac guy who tattooed himself to remind himself of important things in the movie "Memento". :P

But all that blogging means that I don't have much time to study or to pray or read the Bible even I think. Because I think so much that I think sometimes I forget to just spend time with Jesus, just sit at His feet, "covered with the dust of the Rabbi". To just enjoy His presence. To let Him take delight in me. To let Him quiet my soul. To listen to His words with my heart.

And it's not been easy doing so, these past few weeks. Expectations from my project groups, my hopes and dreams, last semester... and what I want to do for Jesus as compared to resting in Him. Mary or Martha? Oh Lord, both of them loved You, though Martha let herself get so distracted with serving You that she forgot to welcome You. :) It's good to know that I'm not the only one too. Haha...

Think I need to trust Him to remind me everything that He's taught me... to blog down in my heart... so that I can practise what I have learnt from the Bible... that way I will grow more! :)

Think this verse is very meaningful here...

Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced,;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.

Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.

I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

Really want Your words, Your law, Your truth, Your promises, the memories of Your faithfulness, Your goodness, Your lovingkindness, Who You are, What I've learnt... all to be inscribed in my heart... so that I will never forget you again. Help me Lord, even when I forget. Help me Jesus, because You know that I WILL forget.

Wow... was reminded of this verse since last night. I just read it... and it really touches my heart a lot.

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

He knows my heart exactly. Be my Radar, be my Guide, Holy Spirit.

"For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death." (Psalm 48:14, KJV)

Facing Fear in the Classroom

Found this article very relevant and meaningful! Check it out at http://crosswalk.com/family/parenting/1354332.html

(BTW, this article is specially dedicated to a dear friend whom I challenged on Saturday night to speak up more and not be afraid... :) this is for you too! Hee hee! Hope this encourages you even more...)

"What’s to fear? Plenty. The first thing to fear is a grade. I always wonder if speaking up is going to cost me academically. Does the professor have an appetite for vengeance? How battered do I want my GPA to be? And to be quite honest, and borderline opportunistic, the chances I’m going to change a professor’s mind are probably zero to none, so is it worth the risk?"

Dear Lord! Even though I've only a few more weeks academically, I pray in Jesus' most precious name, help me stick my head out (wisely of course) and be wise as a serpent in speaking up for You, Jesus! For You told us not to be afraid, but to be strong and courageous, to live up to our convictions! Lord You do not want weak 'tofu' Christians who will flee at the first flaming arrow - no, You want men and women of God - soldiers of Christ! Give us a fierce joy, a fierce faith - one with Your wisdom and guidance, so that we don't do stupid things too... 'cos You told us in Scripture not to have zeal without knowledge too! In Jesus' most precious name, amen!

Seeing a Greater Purpose in Adversity

Seeing a Greater Purpose in Adversity

Acts 16:28
But Paul shouted,"Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"

"... Paul and Silas did not leave because they saw a higher purpose for which they were in prison. They were not looking at their circumstance; they were much more concerned about the unsaved guard. The story goes on to explain how Paul and Silas went home with the guard and his family. Not only did the guard get saved, but his entire household as well.

What a lesson this is for us. How often we are so busy looking for deliverance from our circumstance that we miss God completely. God is looking to do miracles in our circumstances if we will only look for them. ... Our adverse situations can often be the door of spiritual opportunity for those who need it."

Read this article just now, and it's really a very sharp reminder and encouragement to me not be narrow-minded and inwards-looking. Reminded again of what Jasmine shared with us during Saturday's sermon to "partner with the Holy Spirit", and to have more than "head knowledge" - something I'm extremely prone to.

Dear Lord, help me open my eyes BIG BIG, and to rely on Your super-radar, Your Holy Spirit... to give me discernment and a sensitive heart to Your prompting and leading, dear Holy Spirit, so that I can see what You want to do in this situation, no matter how painful or jialat it may seem. Because You work in ways we cannot see; You will do something new today!!! :D Through Jesus I pray: aMeN!

Fellowshipping with God

Was thinking and pacing about, trying to pray. But my heart and mind has been feeling quite blank the past two days after two tiring days - so was wondering what to pray to God about. So asked Him how, what to do?

Then think God put these words in my mind over a short period of time:

"Share your joy with Me."
"Share your life with Me."
"Share your memories with Me."

Yah! That's so true! :) Because after seeing Ceyang coming to know Christ, and the wonderful sermon, and the sweet time of fellowship over dinner, getting to know the NUSB2 bros + sisters better... I was really at a loss how to share to God how I felt yesterday.

Then I remembered this song that we'd just sang during service:

Love divine
Joy unspeakable
Overflowing in my soul

Yes, Lord, that's it!!! :D Joy so great that it really defies description! Joy unspeakable at what You are doing in this NUS ministry! I am seeing with my very own eyes the marvellous things You are doing - after 4 years of barrenness!!!

Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad!
Let the seas resound with a mighty roar!
Let the trees of the forest clap their hands!
Let the earth be filled with the glory of the Lord!

I'm so reminded of that verse You planted in my heart back in 2002, that verse that says, "After this, I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language..."

Wow! :D Praise God indeed! And after just rambling, and sharing my life and memories with Him in the kitchen - that's my favourite place to pray at home - I just really felt so grateful to be in His presence... "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Corinthians 3:17)And I realised that this time was really a sweet time of fellowship with God... wow! :D really amazed... not just fellowshipping with brothers and sisters, but also fellowshipping with Him!

All so often, I worship Him...
all so often, I serve Him...
all so often, I think of Him...
but when was the last time I fellowshipped with Him?
To just share my life, my joys, my sorrows, my memories with Him?
To "come, just as you are, before your God, come!"

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." (1 John 1:3-4)

Oh, I just read Jitsy's latest blog entry. It's so timely and appropriate... think this is exactly what the Spirit reminded me as I was trying to pray to Him while feeling restless and - shall I say, jittery too? - in my heart just now.

... He loves to see us come to Him, He enjoys it when we talk to Him, when we seek Him. At this point in time, as I read it, the part that strikes me even more is that He will quiet us with His love. How? He delights in us, and not just that, but He will quiet us with His love when we get overexcited, or overanxious. The power of His love to quiet.

Hope it encourages you too, dear friend, whoever you may be. Do take time to pray to God - He welcomes all who simply want to spend time with Him, no matter what their heart conditions may be. :)

*******
Also, another breakthrough testimony: I think God has helped me breakthrough in understanding this person whom I'm scared of better... because I was hurt by this person before. But YF encouraged me not to be scared, but to remember that "perfect love casts out fear." Yup it's so true. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

And somehow, I think God has been changing my heart these past few days. I'm learning to see this person's (let's call this friend S) actions in a new light - to actually start appreciating S more and more - and I think Jesus has very graciously opened my eyes to the possibility that I may have misunderstood a lot of S's actions (due to my previous bad experiences with S)... somehow, He gently draws my attention to the fact that I keep on looking at the bad things in people, but He wants me to see them through His eyes instead. To learn to see people as He sees them.

And I think He helped me make sense of the MACHO discussion today - I was asking Him what was the whole purpose of the discussion, actually... think He helped me see the bigger picture at hand here - "To understand your heart better, to understand other ppl's hearts better and to understand My heart better too. What are the things that makes My heart beat with pleasure as you look for your life partner."

:) Wow, God is really sweet. He's not tame, but He's GOOD. The Lion of Judah - on His fierce mane we sheep rest, our weary souls secure and safe.

He is my everything, He is my all
He is my everything, both great and small
He gave His life for me, made everything new
He is my everything, now how about you?

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good
For He tastes like honey in the rock
Oh taste and see that the Lord is good
For He tastes like honey in the rock
Sweet honey in the rock...

Kids say the darndest things

Wanted to write this down since last week, but forgot to:

Was having discussion time with the 3-4 years old kids, when one of the teachers asked the boys, "What kind of animals can you find in the sky?"

And one of the little boys stuck out his hand and said, "Jet fighters!"

He's probably going to be a fighter pilot in future... :)

I was in the Media Lab, trying to get some MM stuff done, and I was wondering why the computer wouldn't read my hard-disk, even though the hard disk was clearly connected and on.

Shrugged my shoulders, and turned off the computer. Then wondered why the hard-disk's light was still on.

Then it dawned upon me that I had connected the hard-disk to the computer besides me instead of the one in front of me...