Beyond reason

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason.

Hmmmm, I have always thought women are more beyond reason than the edge of reason most of the time. Well, I just watched the 120-minute movie alone on the spur of the moment, for no rhyme or reason.

Call me independent or claustrophobic. Ha. Give me S P A C E!

An encounter in season

Yesterday I spent almost a day at Dingrong's place with Mingfu and Sandra making Christmas gifts for ushers in our section... And as the four of us sat in the living room for less than an hour, a lady came knocking on the door wanting to have a "chat" with us and I saw the Bible in her hands. I sat facing the door so naturally, she started a conversation with me... Let's call her 'L'.

L: Hi, would it be fine if I ask you a question?
J: Yes? (*frown*)
L: Just as I was talking to your neighbor (she meant Dingrong's) about it, have you ever thought about when will peace be on earth?
J: When Jesus comes back! (I answered without thinking; trying to go back to what I was doing and look busy but failed...)
L: Right, so have you ever thought about what the Bible refers to as the "kingdom"? (Quite a duh question, don't you think?)
J: Well, Jesus is the King, is He? And thus, a King should have a kingdom yuh? (I'm beginning to doubt the legitimacy of her visit...)
L: Yuh, but what and where exactly is this kingdom? In Daniel chapter xx... (I didn't catch that and didn't see a need to.)

We were all raising our eyebrows and thinking to ourselves the motive of this lady, while I try to remain friendly while answering her questions...

J: Actually if you intend to spread the Gospel, we are all Christians here... we're from City Harvest Church (I smiled and hoped she would take her leave, but she did not..) And if you are really interested to find out more, perhaps you may like to go for Bible Study classes 'cos there's really no way these questions can be simply answered in a one-liner or two.
L: Oh, we do receive spiritual food... May I come in and have a chat?
J: Actually we are in the midst of something right now and I would prefer not.. By the way, which church do you attend?
L: We don't come from any denomination... (Notice it's "we"..)
J: Then where do you get your spiritual food, may I ask? (Still trying to maintain a friendly countenance to get the answers to my questions!)
L: We are Jehovah's Witnesses... (All of our lightbulbs lit up!)
J: Right, I see.. Thank you for your time. (And I guess she had no choice but to walk away! Finally!)

Just as we learned about Antinomianism from Pastor Kong and Dr. Robb Thompson, we saw heretics at work right at our doorstep, in our neighborhood and in this decadent, perishing world. As I think about it, I wonder what would happen if we are not rooted in the Word of God? A door could have possibly be opened if we thought nothing about it and allowed her to entertain, influence and sow an undesirable seed in us. Thank God for the experience and using it to further illustrate the importance of knowing His Word and having the right biblical teachings.

"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The 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. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ." -- 1 Cor 2:13-16

E for Edna Mode

My favourite character in 'The Incredibles' is small in size, big in ego; talks in a low voice (ummm, no, not sexy) voice and punctuates her sentences with "Dahhhhhhling"; known for her good fashion sense, perfect design and mega temper; is once again, not the protagonist.

Now let me guess, she is a Melancholic-Choleric; perfectionist-ic and domineering. She is E, aka Edna Mode.

How is she related to the Incredibles? She designs the suits of the superheros (Supers). The Supers were highly exalted and the talk of the town until one man, who intended to commit suicide and not desiring to be saved, sued Mr Incredible for saving his life! An overwhelming plague of lawsuits exiled all the Supers back into mediocre living, forcing them to blend into the society and supress their gifts and talents. Sigh, so much for doing good. (But we all know it's not the end... so watch it nevertheless!)

You may liken the plot to that of Spidey's, but I like this one better with values of family cohesiveness and maximising one's potential - "If you've got it, don't hide it!"

Oh, and not forgetting the short film before the movie - Boundin'. Totally inspiring. Two thumbs up, Pixar! Lovely job.

A greater perspective

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

A commonly heard, preached, memory verse - so common that I think and meditate over it too little times.

During my ushering duty last evening, I was very privileged to be seated at the first row! Let me explain my excitement: The first row is nearest to the altar, where the God's presence would be the most tangible. Besides, I would usually be near the doors at the back of the hall, distracted by the movements of walkouts and late-comers I have to handle, and thus, it would be hard to focus on any item of the service, not to mention the sermon. So I'm sure a blue moon glowed in the dark sky last night!

Pastor Kong preached about the 7 steps of faith: Desire, Make a decision, ask, receive, confess, see and act on what you intially desire for! I was totally stirred within my heart and spirit; it was the Word that I needed...

God lives in eternity; we are placed in time by Him. If He's spoken the Word, consider it done. Wow... Faith would only be possible if we continually cast our eyes on God and see things from His perspective. To us, troubles and worries may seem towering and unbearable at times; but with God, nothing is too difficult or impossible. Mountains would seem much smaller and easily be removed if only we believe.

A greater perspective gained, a new attitude birthed.
With God's perspective, faith will be in place.

Moi mini dream

Mini Cooper S!

Lonesome dreamer

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For those of you who still do not know what 'Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation' is all about, here's the enlightenment:

A panda eats shoots and leaves.
A panda eats, shoots and leaves.

See the major difference in meaning with and without the pretty curl? What would the world be without the necessary dots and stops, dashes and slashes?



I don't know about you, but I am a stickler for punctuation, though not an expert yet; I so love Lynn Truss' wit and humor, I finished it in a week. Read it.

Total irony

Have you ever told yourself one thing and then gone the other direction the following day? Have you ever told yourself that you have decided to do one thing and you were tested the very next moment?

Just yesterday, I told myself I should endure to the end and do you know what I feel today? I feel misunderstood, unjustified and feel like giving up.

Endure to the end

I started the week with a cluttered mind and a filled agenda. I had a migraine stuck to my head until it became dull after two days. I missed Sabbath - maybe that's why.

Since Monday was the first day of November, I decided the best thing to do was to take the day off and could do whatever that was necessary. I was supposed to rest, I know. All thanks to the caffeine-powered Panadol Extra, I "worked" 12 hours that day. Hmmmm... sometimes it's as if I am a (voluntary) full-time administrator. It feels like a bundle of satisfaction added with enthusisiam, plus a tinge of "how long more?" frustration sprinkled on top.

There are only so many tentacles an octopus has, there is only so wide a gap I can stand in and there is only so much I can do despite my desire to be a good armorbearer to my leaders and a good example for my peers. I am not a superbeing! Nevetheless, I just want to give my best.

Moses suffered the wrath of God directly while the stiff-necked children of Israel were often shielded from the major part of it. I wonder if Moses ever felt that being the "middleman" was the toughest job on earth and that the people should just get it from Him once and for all! Well, I do and I felt taken for granted. Countless times.

Joshua, my cellgroup leader, once exclaimed before his core disciples, "I am a leader, not just an administrator!" My sentiments exactly.

Then again, in spite of all that, it all seems worth it when I know that I have touched the lives of the people within my influence. I've just received an e-mail from an usher who used to be in my team and have transferred to serve in another section a few months ago. She dropped me a note to inform me that she has recently resigned and decided to step out of her comfort zone and answer to the next calling of her life - the Dialect Church ministry. What she wrote touched my heart... and I feel extremely excited about what God is going to do in her life!

Quoting part of her e-mail: "I guess it's more of an aptitude thing that makes one a people person - it's not how long you've served but how well you can serve others naturally in a spiritual way that really matters! But the ministry has indeed helped me to overcome personal barriers, smoothen some raw edges and serve people with greater humility and spontaneity. It's taught me what it really means to serve God.. and to love and serve people in a physical and real way. I think more than me being a blessing to the usher ministry, I have been greatly blessed by the ministry and the brothers and sisters here!"

It is very fulfilling to have someone whom you once discipled share how the ministry has helped in her spiritual and personal growth all these years (she deserves a "long service award", you know?), how she was moulded by God in this training ground and how I have led and impacted her... I felt the Lord's hand uplifting me and encouraging me to move on...

Despite the trials and tribulations, I count it a personal joy and honor to be used by God. I will endure... and endure to the end.

"...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:2

One thing worth

I am reminded about Mary and Martha once again while writing 'Stress less' in my group blog Odd Perspectives.

I know I can't speak for myself when it comes to identifying whether I am a Mary or a Martha. The answer is so obvious I found myself guilty. Lia said, "Hmmmm, you flashed across my mind when Pastor spoke about Martha..."

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed them into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was worrying over the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me."

But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are so upset over all these details! There is really only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it--and I won't take it away from her."
- Luke 10:38-42 (NLT)

Though not necessarily a born leader, I chose to be task-oriented and focus on getting things done most of the time. More often than not, I found myself so busy that I forgot my first priority and calling in life - to love God.

I believe most of us do possess the qualities of both Mary and Martha. But how can we strike a balance or is there really room for balance? It's a fine line between the two and a matter of doing the right things, at the right time. Worship does not only happen during Christian meetings or our devotional time... But every single thing we do with what has been placed in our hands can become worship to Him... And not forgetting what we do with Jesus.

"Love God wholeheartedly. Love people fervently."

Love God first. Yes, before everything else. Then comes our ministry - a channel that we serve God and love His people through. Focus on Him and everything else will fall into place. Love Him and you'll soon find yourself serving Him. We can be both Mary and Martha, and please our Lord the same. But if there is only one thing you can choose, choose what Mary did. Worship.

Watching over America

I am keeping my eyes on the nation by prayer -- for a God-fearing, strong and wise leader to emerge as the elected president -- and by keeping tabs on the electoral votes. (Learn more about the U.S. Electoral College.)

Kuodos to CNN.com for the realtime statistical updates!

Weighing my brain

Jan's Brain Usage Profile:

Auditory: 50%
Visual: 50%
Left: 52%
Right: 47%

Jan, you are one of those rare individuals who are perfectly "balanced" in both your hemispheric tendencies and your sensory learning preferences.

A problem with hemispheric balance is that you will tend to feel more conflict than someone who has a clearly established dominance. At times the conflict will be between what you feel and what you think but will also involve how you attack problems and how you perceive information. Details which will seem important to the right hemis-phere will be discounted by the left and vice versa, which can present a hindrance to learning efficiently.

In the same vein, you may have a problem with organization. You might organize your time and/or space only to feel the need to reorganize five to ten weeks later.

On the positive side, you bring resources to problem-solving that others may not have. You can perceive the "big picture" and the essential details simultaneously and maintain the cognitive perspective required. You possess sufficient verbal skills to translate your intuition into a form which can be understood by others while still being able to access ideas and concepts which do not lend themselves to language.

Your balanced nature might lead you to second-guess yourself in artistic endeavors, losing some of the fluidity, spontaneity and creativity that otherwise would be yours.

With your balanced sensory styles, you process data alternately, at times visually and other times auditorially. This usage of separate memories may cause you to require more time to integrate information or re-access it. When presented with situations which force purely visual or purely auditory learning, increased anxiety is likely and your learning efficiency will decrease.

Your greatest benefit is that you can succeed in multiple fields due to the great plasticity and flexibility you possess. (www.mindmedia.com/brain works/profiler)

Besides being a balanced of both, am I also a confused person?