Baby Jovan has had enough staying in the safe sancty of his mummy's womb. Already over-due by a couple of days, he decided to make his grand entrance into the world today in the wee hours of the morning at preciously 0408H. Welcom to the world, Baby!
Slim Lady was quite taken in by little Jovan when she visited him at the hospital and smsed me to tell me how cute as a button he is. Little Jovan is a real whopper, weighing 8.21 lb, breaking the record of Senior Junior when he was a baby at 8.11 lb!
我岳母大人的家，可说是孙子满堂啊！With the arrival of Jovan, she has a total of 11 grandchildren. My mum only has 3, plus 1 coming in June (Not mine though cause Sim Lady's factory has long closed down for business. I'm so happy that my younger brother is finally gonna be a Dad!).
Category: Personal
10 comments:
hi chris, interesting blog. i bloghopped from victor's site. read from one of your entries...are you a christian as well? me too! i attend new creation church @ suntec's rock auditorium. how bout u?
happy CNY, take care!
Hi Evan. Guess it's not too late to wish you a "Happy New Year".
Well, many many moons ago when I was in school, I used to attend Chapel of the Resurrection in ACJC (no, that's not my school though). Then I stopped going altogether. This is not say that I've stopped believing in God. I still do, but it's hard to be a Christian living in this worldly place. I still say my prayers and try to do what a Christian should do (or should not do) though. But it's really hard sometimes, what with temptations abound.
A few years back, I attended Trinity for a while. But that stopped as well. You can say sometimes I feel deluded by what I witness in Church and those who proclaim themselves as "Christians". Don't think I want to dwell into that Evan, cause I'm really not in a position to judge. Maybe one day, I'll blog about.
But hey, I'm still the Lord's sheep, albeit a lost one. One day, I'll be back. I hope I would.
Evan, I asked you to visit Chris' blog and you really did. To borrow a phrase from Uncle Lam, you really the 听话 leh.
Chris, I didn't make any New Year resolutions not to take swipes at you... and I am not a Christian. So here goes. First, I congratulate Jovan's parents and you for being uncle yet again, for the umpteenth time. It's going to be hard for you to shake off that term of address you dislike so much. Secondly, it's unfair (and even MCP) of you to blame your wife for everything. It could be your factory that's closed down and not hers, you know.
What it should have been - I just realised that nurses administer jabs and swabs, not jabs and swipes which I mentioned in one of my comments. We are sorry for the error, to borrow a phrase from Straits Times.
hi chris, i totally understand what u mean. we live in a fallen world and there are more ppl who are unbelievers and sunday christians ie. those who don't practice what they preach more often than not. but that doesnt mean we shd just "offer the right cheek when someone slaps our left". i dunno what you think abt what i'm going to say but since we're all God's righteous ppl, i shall give my two cents worth and that i used to hv the same concerns & struggles like you did.
but first of all, let me just ask, how do you see God? do you see Him as a God who is condemning, full of wrath and anger, hates sin and will only forgive or listen to our prayers if we obey the 10 (or even 100) commandments? or do you see Him as a loving, kind, forgiving Father who is full of grace, just like Jesus? im not sure if its becoz of the church i attend, but my church pastor often preaches about grace of God and for that it has given me much hope and joy. i no longer feel condemned or shameful to come to Him and even unbaptized christians (like me) could partake in the lord's supper (holy communion). yes God wants us to be righteous, and He still hates sin now. BUT, we're no longer under the law, after Jesus died for us. we're no longer under the old covenant, but the new one. so, remember we're not judge by what we do (or didnt do). all we have to do is to receive the gift of salvation, which all of us had. and therefore, we do not hv to struggle with the world and go with their flow doing all the wordly things. when holy spirit dwells in us, expect good things to happen.
of coz i know, its easier said than done. after we received Christ as our savior, we're still tempted by the worldly stuffs and ppl still break our hearts and we're just so tempted to gossip, be revengful and give ppl a taste of their own medicine. but yet we know as God's ppl, its wrong to be like them. so i understand there's a struggle there. and that is the time where many christians, being ignorant about how God works, backslide or stop believing in Him altogether. i used 2b like that too! but ultimately did i feel more free? maybe in our own eyes, we have become more free. free to sin that is. but at the end of the day, i just felt so worn out coz there wasnt any peace in my heart and i didnt ask Him for directions. by using my own effort and human ways, i failed badly. by our own effort, nothing could be done. the more we try not to sin, the more we'll do the opposite. God wants us to cast our cares upon Him and not let our heart be troubled. becoz He promised us that whoever comes to Him will not be ignored. we're righteous in his eyes, no matter how sinful we are, coz Jesus has paid the price for us.
i dunno how you feel abt saying me all these, since we're afterall, strangers. but i feel the need to say this coz i've really been thru this b4 and would juz like to share the revelation i received from God. how we see Him is important. some ppl may say, there are so many denominations out there, so there's no such thing as good or bad. but i really beg to differ. how we see Him determines alot of things. if we think God is out to get us and cant wait for us to sin so He can condemn us, then its very difficult to establish a good relationship with Him and trust him totally. then we no longer wanna pray, wanna talk to Him whenever we hv a problem coz we're not sure if He'll listen since we're such sinners, or we may even be angry with Him coz he's allowed so many "bad things" to befall upon us. but if we see Him as a loving God who's truly graceful and forgiving, then its a different story altogether. i used to see a God who's stern and full of wrath, but now i don't see Him that way now. so its probably why i feel more joyful, my prayers and bible time are more voluntary rather than "forced" and i just feel so much love from Him that its now possible to love others like how Jesus has loved me.
lastly, focus on Him rather than on the ppl. afterall human beings are fallable and failable but He's not. when you focus on ppl and dwell on the fact that christians still don't practice what they preach and witness all the bad things that they do, then you're bound 2b disappointed. afterall, we're still in the flesh and live in a fallen world. and im not sure you believe this. when you truly focus on Him, things will become right. if you only believe, you will receive. don't doubt the fact that God has the power to change things. to Him, nothing is impossible. when you see evil ppl or colleagues or bosses whom you think is impossible to get along with, or in a failed relationship/friendship etc, you wonder how you're going to handle it. it almost seem impossible to get out of the mess, but trust God, He will. God works in amazing ways...and sometimes He doesnt answer our prayers directly. bosses won't become mild-mannered and considerate the nx day, nasty colleagues won't either. but, maybe who He wants to change is you first. if He doesnt change others, He will change us & give us wisdom. so we ultimately know how to handle the worldly ppl n situations. do you believe this chris?
sorry, its been long....hope you don't mind.
Wow Evan... I didn't quite expect this.. but I'm happy that you wrote and really appreciate it.
My definition of God is one who is gracious, loving and forgiving. And I feel bad that I've let Him down one time too many. I've taken his kindness for granted. That's my main problem.
Decades ago, when I was still in school, I used to resent some of the "teachings" of my pastor. Whenever there were late comers, he would comment things like, "I'm sure if you're having a meeting with our president, you would strive your best to be punctual. But when it comes to God, you can afford to be late?" Then he would also talk about young people dyeing their hair and attending discotheque and that rock music was bad for you, and so on and forth. I meant what's so wrong about music? We sing in Church and even dance in celebration of our Lord! Yes, I know there are rock music, especially heavy metals, with subliminal anti-Christ message, but to use a term borrow from Victor, we can't simply use a bamboo stick to swipe down a whole boat of people, can we?
There are other areas that irked me. People coming to church and dozing off in the middle of a sermon. Their bodies were there, but spirits were elsewhere, probably at home on their beds. Then there were those celebrations on mother’s day or father's day. The Church would spend almost 3/4 of time celebrating such occasions, sometimes with concerts staged by Sunday school kids and young Christians. Only 1/4 of was devoted on the sermon. Is this right?
Just last year, I was at Trinity and I witnessed a spat between two fellow Christians at the church Cafeteria that left a bitter taste in my mouth. They had a big argument when one accused the other of queue-jumping! To think that this occurred at the premises of God!
Ok, you may say my relationship with God should not be affected by the people around me. After all, it's preciously because of our imperfections that we turn to God for salvation, is it not? Our fellowship with God takes precedence over other interaction with have with fellow Christians. But I can't help feeling a sense of coldness and alienation when I was in church sometimes. The congregation is so huge, you hardly know the person sitting next to you. It got so impersonalised that I simply refused to attend it any more.
hi chris, its amazing to see how many erronous teachings the pastors/church leaders hv imparted unto ppl for the past decades or even centuries. first, quote me a verse in the bible which says you cannot dye your hair, buy branded stuffs or listen to rock music. its not written in the old testament neither is it in the new. everything can be turned into "idols", not just those at the altars. they can be bad habits, food, career or simply anything that is being put before God and He doesnt want it to happen to us. for everything, He is to be at the center and the first priority. motive is very important also. God wants us to have the correct intentions when doing things.
actually i totally understand all these crap we're seeing around us. this reminded me of a real incident my aunt told me about. my uncle used to attend church with her, until one day he went to the supermarket and saw a pastor reprimanding a cashier over a minor mistake and then throwing the money right at her face. imagine that, a pastor!! from then on, he lost every inch of faith he had in him and started having ill-feelings about christians. and as you can guess, he stopped going to church. and then there's this catholic priest called joachim kang who embezzled money (not sure if i got the right term). took the money meant for the church for his own personal use..and he's now in jail. if church leaders make mistakes like that, lest a normal christian. like i said, the world we live in is a fallen world. sins & temptations are not spared, not even towards christians. but the worst mistake one could make is to see the bad examples that happened around him/her and then stop trusting the Lord. i just think it doesnt make sense.
even in my own church, i see ppl dozing off, chewing gum or talking during sermons. on big occasions such as xmas or CNY, services will be held at indoor stadium and during the ending part when the pastor is blessing the church, ppl can just walk right away infront of him, just so they can avoid the crowd after the service. dozens and dozens of examples...but i just think my faith shouldnt (and wouldnt) waver just becoz of these. i still believe God will make things right. what for i care about all these ppl...
of coz we'll go to heaven for sure, whether or not we live a sinful or holy life down here. afterall, murderers and rapists can also enjoy the salvation, so long as they receive Christ as their savior. just that, don't we wanna enjoy the quality life and inner peace & rest that God gives? i definitely want! i agree that the huge congregation makes it difficult to know one another..but actually you don't hv to. its more meaningful if you go with your family, close friends or relatives who are god-loving people. for me i hardly know anybody in church as well but i'm happy coz i've got ppl i love to go to church with me, and its more than enough. God wants us to love and praise Him, not to try hard to know everybody in church, contribute or join a cell group and tithe 10% of your salary. of coz if you can do it, its best but its not necessary. its what goes inside you that God wants to see, not your deeds.
to tell u the truth, my christian life was still pretty shaky until last year. even til now, i cant say i'm at all faithful or anything. im going thru some rough patches in life and i'm still depending on Him to sort things out for me. i backslided way too many times...and i'm the impatient type. when i don't see God answering my prayer the way i want Him to, i'll give up. i know i've been twisting God's arm, telling Him to grant me my wishes, or else!you know, that sort of thing. but only until recently i realize God works in miraculous ways i can never imagine, so i told myself never to give up coz God knows whats the best for me. it takes time and effort, but i know i can do it. so can you.
thats all i gotta say...hope you don't mind me long winded. btw, can i link you up in my blog? would appreciate that. thx.
Maybe I shouldn't pass judgement too quickly on those people who claim themselves to be Christians but behave differently. I suppose they're probably like me, struggling to be a living example of how a Christian should live on a daily basis. But I do agree it's sad that many a christian backslides because of disappointment in what they see as hypocrisy in the behaviour of these Christians. And truly, if we love God, we should not let this happen at all.
Some people ask, "If there's God, why is there so much suffering in the world?" I'd believe that's God's way of testing our faith. But we can be assured that God hears us, wants to answer our prayers, and truly cares for us.
1 John 5:14- "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
Sure Evan, you can link my blog.
Victor, when did I blame my wife for "everything?"? I'm not that sort of husband ok? I just blame her for "all things"!
And factory having "closed down" is not factory "gutted down" ok? It's not "rosak" ok? And it can be up for "business as usual" anytime we want. But that's none of your business, just like it's none of your business where Evan is concerned, ok? Hng!
thats it chris, i love the verse you quoted. in fact there are 2 other paragraphs that i love as well..one is proverbs 3:16 which says 'trust the Lord with all your heart and not lean on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.' i also love the teaching of Jesus when he was at sermon of the mount. He said something like...'seek first the kingdom of God n His righteousness. and all other things will be added unto you. do not worry what you'll eat or drink or wear. the lilies of the field, God clothes them, as well as the birds in the sky, God feeds them.' not to mention us!! this is a powerful verse i always quote when i feel troubled n frustrated about finances, living, work etc. its amazing how therapeutic it is!
as for that part as to why God allows all those things to happen, there is an explanation, according to my pastor. i hv his sermon audio on this subject, if you want i can send it to u in mp3 format. but anyway, i know there are lots of arguments n debates on this issue...if God is so forgiving n loving, why does He allow that to happen. my pastor said, those are not works of God but the devil. if tsunami, diseases, leprosy & natural disasters etc are the works of God, then you'll see all these in Heaven. God made us in His image, and He wanted 2 give us free will. probably God could stop adam from sinning in the first place but becoz of free will, he gave the "keys" to adam to rule the earth. and becoz there was sin thereafter, and this is a fallen world, there are all the pain & suffering. whereas some charismatic church will believe all these are generational curses thats being passed down from generations..coz their ancestors sinned. but i think its crap. coz we're not living in the old testament. after Jesus died for us, believers are NOT judged this way anymore. all the work is done! if those ppl still believe in generational curses, then they're indirectly saying Jesus didnt die for us and its a lie. but of coz you and i know its not. sometimes i do think God makes mistakes too, since the bible quoted that he found fault with the old covenant. but whether or not God made the right or wrong choice that lead to the downfall of man, i'm sure He's heartbroken and it pains Him to see human beings falling into sin. i did ask lots of questions like for eg. i liken God as a movie director for example. He has the ability to call the shots since he could forsee everything that's gonna happen. then why didnt he make angels all perfect? why did he allow lucifer to be ambitious so he could defy God and become satan? why did God not prevent adam from eating from that tree if He could forsee whats gonna happen etc etc? but bible scholars said there are lots of things which are beyond our understanding..as to why God does this or that...we can never understand fully his actions or why He allows things to happen. so, those smart aleck scientists will try to come up with theories of evolution lol. anyway trust Him..its all the matter of faith. if our faith is strong, then all these doubts n questions wouldnt post any problem in our relationship with Him.
yea sure, go ahead n link me too! i've done so in my blog. cya around!
Hi Chris and Evan, I attended Trinity Church at Farrer Road a few times in the last one or two years. It was my brother-in-law who invited my whole family there. So I am not completely new to your discussion here. And if I keep following this thread, I can tell my brother-in-law that I don't have to go already, to church that is, hee.
Chris, now I understand what you meant when you said that blogging is therapeutic.
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