o v e r f l u o

The voice we should listen to most as we choose a vocation is the voice that we think we should listen to least, and that is the voice of our own gladness.   What can we do that makes us the gladdest? What can we do that leaves us with the strongest sense of sailing true north and of peace (which is much of what gladness is)?   Is it making things with our hands out of wood or stone, or paint, or canvas? Or is it making something we hope like truth out of words? Or is it making people laugh or weep in a way that cleanses their spirit?   I believe that if it is a thing that truly makes us glad, then it is a good thing and it is our thing and it is the calling voice that we were made to answer with our lives.   – Fredrick Buechner

"To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there." –Kofi Annan

Many people have heard of Sunday school. Most have no idea where it came from. In 1780 a Jesus-follower in Great Britain named Robert Raikes could not stand the cycle of poverty and ignorance that was destroying little children, a whole generation.  He said, "The world marches forward on the feet of little children." So he took children who had to work size days a week in squalor. Sunday was their free day. He said, "I'm going to start a school for free to teach them to read and write and learn about God." He did, and he called it "Sunday school." Within fifty years, there were 1.5 million children being taught by 160,000 volunteer teachers who had a vision for the education of a generation. Sunday school was not a privatized, optional program for church kids. It was one of the great educational volunteer triumphs of the world. From Who Is This Man: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus, by John Ortberg

Excerpts and part summaries from "Every Good Endeavour" by Timothy Keller: Regarding decision making when there is no "moral compass" in terms of definite right and wrong, which is for about 80% of life: When God's gracious love becomes not an abstract doctrine but a living reality, it means our hearts are less controlled by anxiety and pride, two powerful forces that constantly lead us to unwisely over or under react to situations.   How does the Holy Spirit give you wisdom? See Acts 15:28 in the Bible. They debated until they came up with a sound decision. Then, they attributed that it came from the Holy Spirit. "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and us that..." The Holy Spirit makes Christ a living, bright reality, transforming our character, giving us new inner poise, clarity, humility, boldness, contentment, and courage. All of this leads to increasing wisdom as the years go by, and to better and better professional and personal decisions.  ...

What did you want to be when you "grew up"? I never really had a fixed ambition, and even now, I can't say I do. I have some sense of what I'm good at and might like to focus on, but I can't say I'm 100% sure (who can?). Abraham Maslow, the guy who came up with the hierarchy of needs , said, "It isn't normal to know what we want. It is a rare and difficult psychological achievement." Well, glad to know I'm "normal". I am definitely in the midst of that, and know friends who are also working out what they want. It probably is a lifelong process – figuring out each step of career, family, personal development and interests, and more. While going through this, I picked out "Every Good Endeavour" from my brother's shelf. Author Timothy Keller writes about the significance of work, the place of our work in God's plan, and helps us discover a little more about our motivations. Here are excerpts and key points I go...

Portion of an interview about John Piper's Desiring God ministry God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. It follows from this that joy is not simply icing on the cake. Rather, we ought to seek joy. We ought to seek joy. This is what the Scriptures command (Psalm 37:4; Matthew 6:21; Philippians 4:4; Psalm 97:12) and model (Philippians 3:8; Psalm 43:4; Hebrews 12:2). Yet so often the idea has crept into the church that somehow it is bad to want to be happy. That desiring to be happy is sinful. But the problem with the human race is not that we want to be happy. The problem is that we seek happiness in the wrong things-in things outside of God (see, for example, Jeremiah 2:13). And the great irony here is that this results in less satisfaction. It results in less satisfaction because those things ultimately cannot satisfy. The idea is often out there that the most exciting life and the greatest happiness comes from following the values of the world—either for o...

God-Encounters "They... went through the towns, preaching..." –Luke 9:6 (NKJV) One night a man walking to church saw four boys hanging out on a street corner, so he invited them to go with him. They did, and they went back again the following Sunday. Actually, these four boys became the nucleus of the Sunday school class he began to teach. Years later his friends decided to contact the four boys, see what had happened to them, and invite each to write a special birthday letter to be read at a surprise party for their old teacher. Their letters were real eye openers. One boy had become a missionary to China, one was president of the US Federal Reserve Bank, one was the private secretary to President Herbert Hoover, and the fourth was - President Hoover himself. Sometimes your small encounters are God-encounters that take place when you're busy with other things or on your way to somewhere else. If you're not prepared you'll miss a real blessing, a chance to grow an...

Hello folks, pardon the lack of updates due to busyness. But here's a brief post :) Afternoon out with Dawnsa - always well-spent time; and as usual, in the city. Happy Birthday Stone at Pancake Parlour Where there were nice Father's Day promo material And Pancake Parlour for the second time that night because Bryan's leaving for SG for good on Mon :/ Also, drove up to Anglesea today to join in for part of OCF Caulfield's Winter Camp. A view from part of the way there, and the very quaint hall which was a redecorated barn - so gypsy-like! As usual, my pictures may not be very representative of what went on. But they are the pictures I like best :) -- Love Beyond Reason John Ortberg The miracle of the touch is that Jesus was willing to share another person’s suffering in order to bring about healing... For God’s shop is full of signs that say please touch. We may not want to. We are afraid or shy or busy. But it is only when pe...

Pardon my lack of updates, but after-exams sometimes are the busiest times. Partly pure fun - like meeting people and watching the IQ-lowering but very funny show, Top Secret , and the need-to-use-your-brains-a-bit-more one, The Big Bang Theory (Sheldon is the best!) - and partly "work" but still fun ones like meetings and pre-camp prep. I actually have stuff to write about, thoughts to complete; but they shall have to wait. OCF Clayton's winter camp starts Friday, and I'll be going to Sydney the Monday after, mainly for the Hillsong conference. Don't know if I'll be posting anything here in the next two weeks or so! -- Look to Me, look to Me Keep your eyes fixed on Me Trust in Me, trust in Me Keep your hope firm in me Then you'll find out who I am Then you'll find out what I can Then you'll know who you are in my hands Then you'll know that my promise stands I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me -- The very simplest things. ...

Haluo meimei jiejie (: Thank you for the dress :P Do you go swimming sometimes at your new home? -- Love Beyond Reason John Ortberg Ralph Ellison wrote of the pain of life as an African American in white society: “I am an invisible man… I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids – and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me. Love me, love my rag dolls (me: meaning each of us - we are all his "rag dolls" - ragged, but His, and loved), Jesus says. Loving in God’s love requires new eyes. We must learn to continually see God’s grace at work all around us.” ...When I was growing up I often thought the more “spiritual” a person was, the more unapproachable they were, that holiness involved a certain rigidity and sternness and distance. But in Jesus we see that true spirituality always makes a person more approachable, not less. That’s why it is worth reflecting on this: Jesus is the m...

It was very foggy one day! This was while walking to school. Looking far (ignore the cars and look up, beyond) it felt like I was in some jungle and there was super morning mist. Plus the sun/moon pale was behind the fog. Btw it's cold. Definitely winter now. Haluo jingyi jiejie I wore your nice red jacket today. Tell Mark thank you hahaha :P -- Last Saturday, finally joined the house (Aunty Lucia, Uncle Ollie and Shierly) for lunch and grocery because I didn't have anything on - there's usually OCF stuff. We went to this organic produce place at Bentleigh. Was standing just somewhere in the shop and this lady, i mean, woman, pushing a cart said excuse me from behind rather rudely so I moved over, and she looked back as she pushed her cart and snobbishly said what are you doing here. Whee. Yes what business had a girl in a hoodie in an organic store? Made me wonder if she was racist or if it was my hoodie, because in youth media class there was some ment...

I read the vine about three to four times a week for some refreshment. Here is today's. Seeing Others The Right Way The Word for Today with Bob Gass "Take Mark… he is profitable… for the ministry." –2 Timothy 4:11 When John Mark decided to take time off to visit his family, it didn't sit too well with Paul. Later when Barnabas wanted to take John Mark on their next mission's trip, Paul exploded! 'The contention became so sharp… they parted from one another… Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; but Paul chose Silas' (Acts 15:38-40 NKJV). But the story doesn't end there. Later, an older and wiser Paul who had learned to add grace to his grit, writes, 'For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world… [so] Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry' (2 Timothy 4:10-11). There are three important lessons here for you: 1) Always be willing to give someone a second chance. After all, that's wha...

Miss Rachel Kam, whom I've known since I was seven, and I, went for Citylife's Oxygen (for young adults) today! At first we sat in the car at the Citylife carpark and deliberated whether to go in or not. So we chatted for about 45 minutes in the car (ohman). Finally we decided to go in and whee we were glad we did. There was a guest band, Playjerise and I was just going ahhhh to Rachel quite a bit because I thought they had some pretty good acoustic sounds and the sound there that night was GOOD man. Really good EQ and whatnot. I've got new ceedees :D -- Love Beyond Reason John Ortberg God did not create us out of need. He created us out of his love. C.S. Lewis wrote, “God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them." If I love someone, it means I have certain hopes and intentions and wishes for them. I’m in their corner. I long for them to flourish and blossom. I want them to realize all their pote...

Standing tall in this wide space Getting lost in Your embrace I see a fire burning brighter It's calling me to catch the flame ( I Feel Like I'm Falling , Hillsong) -- It's time to quote from another book - do another series thingie. This season, we have more of John Ortberg :) Love Beyond Reason John Ortberg We are all of us rag dolls. Flawed and wounded, broken and bent… But we are God’s rag dolls. He knows all about our raggedness, and he loves us anyhow. Our raggedness is no longer the most important thing about us… But we were not created ragged… There is a wonder about you. Raggedness is not your identity. Raggedness is not your destiny, nor is it mine. We may be unlovely, yet we are not unloved. And we cannot be loved without being changed. When people experience love (and here I don’t mean simply having warm feelings towards others, I mean love that is sometimes stern and challenging and may even be painful), they begin to grow lovely.

Something interesting from boundless by Candice Watters who reviews the book What He Must Be...If He Wants To Marry My Daughter . Go read the article if you're interested. Boundless has a lot of good stuff. An excerpt: ...a young man must be ready to represent his family before God (as a priest), represent God before his family (as a prophet), meet the needs of those in his household (as a provider), and place himself between his family and all who would do them harm (as a protector). -- I guess for now, the most important thing when it comes to the area of relationships/marriage is - work on yourself. Don't worry so much about who the right person is and when the right time will be. Just focus on being who God wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do now. Then in the future, you'll better be able to serve each other in a healthier relationship. And things always work out fine somehow because God's got perfect everything :)

01: my hair is growing realllly slowly. -- 02: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven... He has made everything beautiful in its time... I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and taken from it." - Ecclesiastes 3 -- 03: i like to listen. you really do gain a lot by listening. -- 04: -- 05: writing in my journal in february, i listed down how one can love, as a lover: shower with gifts place other above self - want good for the other acts of service want to be near that person, be in that person's presence, constantly be patient have self-control share deep thoughts, to build the relationship. tell of dreams and plans mutual trust stay pure (single minded, don't flirt with others) respect be presentable (how you look does reflect your partner) not be afraid to be myself, but also considering my flaws and knowing what has to be changed take an interest in the others' hobbies/likes/passio...

A page from my notebook, filled up today. Sermon notes from service today on the left, drawing of a part of melbourne central station on the right. I had an hour to spare while waiting for friends, so I sat below the clock, and took out my paper and pen. Extremely squiggly lines are due unsteady hands, thanks to today's cold, further washed with rain. -- The grand weaver Ravi Zacharias When your will becomes aligned with God’s will, his calling upon you has found its home. The Bible clearly lays down the starting point for this, and it is not terribly hard to discern. Whenever someone exercises leadership in the Bible, you notice the extraordinary lengths to which God goes in his pronouncement of the character and the vision of the person pursuing the call: “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” (see, for example, 2 Kings 14:3, 15:3, 34); “he did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (see, for example, 2 Kings 13:2, 11; 14:24). One of these two lines summarizes years and years of ...

I discovered how to record stuff on my mac, without having to use a plug-in! Thanks to Joy, because of the session we spent singing and recording PL songs, with Eunice! :D Ah I feel so silly, because I've been recording on my super lousy quality phone! However, better quality also means amplification of the imperfections. Heh. Now, to figure how to compress the recording because they currently hold at about 20MB each. Going to Melbourne this time is painful, unlike when I first left five months ago in February. Maybe because I haven't had enough time to actually properly say hi to everyone and everything here, and I already have to leave. It's kinda queer. But anyways, I am excited to go back. To see what God has in store for the next semester in Melbourne! I know it's gonna be an awesome sem :) My Keds, alike Little Red's red Birkenstocks: signature – in that we wear them (almost) all the time. My Keds are killing my feet, because I have worn them out so the cushio...

THE PURSUIT is relentless. -- My second sister got married last Saturday. Page boy Shawn, Bride Chin Siew, Flower girl Jasmine. My happy grandparents and third sister. Dad walking his daughter down the aisle. When Rev Melvin Huang asked if he would give his daughter to be wedded to Raymond, my Dad said an "I do" which was resounding and confident enough to make the congregation laugh with his joy and at his enthusiasm. Presenting Mr and Mrs Raymond Koh. -- My brother is serving the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) now, where after his Basic Military Training (BMT), he got drafted to the Officer Cadet School (OCS). Too bad this first part of the course only ends 13th July, because I'll be heading back to Melbourne before that. So we were upset because it kind of sucks that the whole short time I'm in Singapore, my brother is in camp. But ohwells. Thank God there was OCS open day for his wing today, so the family went down to say hello and look-s...

Hallo Dawnsa, happy singapore-ing. -- The Grand Weaver: How God shapes us through the events of our lives Ravi Zacharias We often find out too late in life that attaining a pursuit and finding fulfillment are not necessarily the same thing. It is surely possible to find meaning without achieving extraordinary success. Many people do. Immense success does not always bring meaning or fulfillment. For some, finding their calling does mean success, but often this success comes after repeated failures. And sometimes it takes an entire lifetime to recognize God’s calling.