Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Are you afraid of being taken advantage of? In the rememberance of the good old days, I remember the kindness and gentleness of my roommate last year,Dzung. Her heart is so pure and generous that whoever God has put in the care of her hands will be comforted.Outsiders might think that this girl is silly because other people will take advantage of her kindness.
But they dont understand.
If love is in parallel with pursueing self-interest, it is not love. God says " Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."( Luke 6:27-31)
God only gives us a certain period of time to be with a particular person. We never know when the time is over until it really comes. Who knows that it would be the last time you could help the person God sent you because when you see him/her next time, it would not be the same anymore. The situation would be surely different.I am in the process of learning. It is just so hard to keep His commandments and I fail everyday. But we have to keep at it. Dont be discouraged, sam.
But they dont understand.
If love is in parallel with pursueing self-interest, it is not love. God says " Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you."( Luke 6:27-31)
God only gives us a certain period of time to be with a particular person. We never know when the time is over until it really comes. Who knows that it would be the last time you could help the person God sent you because when you see him/her next time, it would not be the same anymore. The situation would be surely different.I am in the process of learning. It is just so hard to keep His commandments and I fail everyday. But we have to keep at it. Dont be discouraged, sam.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
ASEAN dance
The memory of the ASEAN dance yesterday still seems to linger so vividly somewhere in the air. Perhaps it is the excitement of the party. Perhaps not.
In the morning, the feeling sometimes got so strong and still possessed its overwhelming power over me. It was scary, wasn’t it? It appears like a monster which casts on its victims the spell of possession and obsession that can haunt them for long. Though it was not my first time to join this annual event, I think this year, somehow it was different than my experience for the past two years.
Too wild. Far too wilder than I imagined.
Is it because when people get to JCs, they believe that they are more mature now, perhaps like adults (I doubt so) and thus can do likewise? Or is it me that did not see it two years ago and that it was there all along?
I wanted to go for ASEAN dance to see some of my close friends. It is like a friend gathering kind of thing because we have been too busy to catch up with one another for the longest time ever. Wouldn’t it be fun to fast dance with your friends and even teach one another some of the hip hop dance steps that you have never thought that you can one day do it gracefully? After a while, you and your friends would get out of the crowd, sit down to rest, at the same time chit chat. Wouldn’t it be perfect?
That did not happen. At some point of time when the music and the urging recurring drumbeat resounded in my ears, I found myself struggling to grasp back the alertness of mind, the self-control that could easily be lost in the craze and ecstasy. I did not want to see my choir friends to be the same as some of the overexcited people there. It would sound really ridiculous because at some moment I wanted to protect them as if I could, from all that noise while I myself was not safe either. I think they were even calmer than me.
The music, the craze, and the dance movements- they are not from God. The music was turned on. Your heart started to beat fast, hungrily, crazily and you were tempted to swing your body, clap your hands and gyrate your hips.
God never tempts us. What belongs to Him gives us the inner peace that is distinctive and lovely. Perhaps I should not have gone for ASEAN dance. But I saw something. I saw a monster in me that had never had a chance to reveal- something cold-blooded and wild. It immediately canceled the self image that I have often carried in my mind. Sometimes, we can think that we are good-natured because we do things that are generous and kind. We are so wrong. Or at least, I am. The Devil is the most hardworking creature. It sees through our innermost weaknesses and deceives us cruelly. Who says that the music that day was not nice? Attractive should be the word here. We fell for it. I fell for it because I am not God. We are not God, who is never tempted by the evil. And that is why we need God desperately.
“Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15)
I thank God for letting my mind somehow aware of what was occurring around me. I thank Him for not letting go of me but always patiently waiting for me to come back. I have come back dear Lord.
Amen.
In the morning, the feeling sometimes got so strong and still possessed its overwhelming power over me. It was scary, wasn’t it? It appears like a monster which casts on its victims the spell of possession and obsession that can haunt them for long. Though it was not my first time to join this annual event, I think this year, somehow it was different than my experience for the past two years.
Too wild. Far too wilder than I imagined.
Is it because when people get to JCs, they believe that they are more mature now, perhaps like adults (I doubt so) and thus can do likewise? Or is it me that did not see it two years ago and that it was there all along?
I wanted to go for ASEAN dance to see some of my close friends. It is like a friend gathering kind of thing because we have been too busy to catch up with one another for the longest time ever. Wouldn’t it be fun to fast dance with your friends and even teach one another some of the hip hop dance steps that you have never thought that you can one day do it gracefully? After a while, you and your friends would get out of the crowd, sit down to rest, at the same time chit chat. Wouldn’t it be perfect?
That did not happen. At some point of time when the music and the urging recurring drumbeat resounded in my ears, I found myself struggling to grasp back the alertness of mind, the self-control that could easily be lost in the craze and ecstasy. I did not want to see my choir friends to be the same as some of the overexcited people there. It would sound really ridiculous because at some moment I wanted to protect them as if I could, from all that noise while I myself was not safe either. I think they were even calmer than me.
The music, the craze, and the dance movements- they are not from God. The music was turned on. Your heart started to beat fast, hungrily, crazily and you were tempted to swing your body, clap your hands and gyrate your hips.
God never tempts us. What belongs to Him gives us the inner peace that is distinctive and lovely. Perhaps I should not have gone for ASEAN dance. But I saw something. I saw a monster in me that had never had a chance to reveal- something cold-blooded and wild. It immediately canceled the self image that I have often carried in my mind. Sometimes, we can think that we are good-natured because we do things that are generous and kind. We are so wrong. Or at least, I am. The Devil is the most hardworking creature. It sees through our innermost weaknesses and deceives us cruelly. Who says that the music that day was not nice? Attractive should be the word here. We fell for it. I fell for it because I am not God. We are not God, who is never tempted by the evil. And that is why we need God desperately.
“Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15)
I thank God for letting my mind somehow aware of what was occurring around me. I thank Him for not letting go of me but always patiently waiting for me to come back. I have come back dear Lord.
Amen.
Sunday, September 02, 2007
The parable of the Talents talks about a master giving his 3 servants different numbers of latents of money ( a talent was worth more than a thousand dollars) according to their ability. At the end of the day, the one who was given 5 talents had invested all five of his talents and gained 5 more. Same for the one given 2 talents. He produced 2 more. Only the one with one talent did not do anything with his talent. Instead, he buried it, thinking that he had too little to do anything. (Matthew 25:14-30)
We all know that God has given each one of us different talents. The money in the parable is actually the gifts that we have. They can be the gifts in music, in sports, in art, language, science, business, the gift of consoling, entertaining, storytelling, teaching and so on. In the world's view, some gifts are believed to be better than others and some people do have more talents than others. But remember the one with 2 talents. Though he was given fewer talents than the first one, he did not complain but invested all he had in something profitable. At the end of the day, it is not how many talents we received that counts. What matters is the faith in the Lord and our trust that God will bless our fruits through our serving. We all have to be accountable for our actions. To face the day of judgement and answer these questions, 'what have you done with your life that I have given you? What have you done with the talents that you received? What have you done with the people that I sent you?' is not easy.
I see some people use their talents to earn financial gain and self pleasure. Well, it is not for me to judge them but the motives of our doings are important. The Lord sees through them all.
No matter how little we have, it counts and the "little" can be used for making something good and beautiful. So do not envy for envy will only lead to destruction and self condemnation. When God made the world and all the creatures , "He saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25), but when He created man, "God saw all that he had made and it was VERY good" ( Genesis 1: 31) because man was made in God's own image. We are all so beautiful in God's eyes and if we truly think that we are not, we have fallen short of God's expectation.
The parable continues. When the master came back, he was pleased at the fruitful results of the first two servants "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness."
But to the last servant, the master scolded him :" You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you shoud have put my money on deposit with the banker, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest"
The servant was punished.
This is the lesson that I have learnt today. To look back, I have complained a lot. I was saddened because I cant be as good as my friends. I should stop them all.
We all know that God has given each one of us different talents. The money in the parable is actually the gifts that we have. They can be the gifts in music, in sports, in art, language, science, business, the gift of consoling, entertaining, storytelling, teaching and so on. In the world's view, some gifts are believed to be better than others and some people do have more talents than others. But remember the one with 2 talents. Though he was given fewer talents than the first one, he did not complain but invested all he had in something profitable. At the end of the day, it is not how many talents we received that counts. What matters is the faith in the Lord and our trust that God will bless our fruits through our serving. We all have to be accountable for our actions. To face the day of judgement and answer these questions, 'what have you done with your life that I have given you? What have you done with the talents that you received? What have you done with the people that I sent you?' is not easy.
I see some people use their talents to earn financial gain and self pleasure. Well, it is not for me to judge them but the motives of our doings are important. The Lord sees through them all.
No matter how little we have, it counts and the "little" can be used for making something good and beautiful. So do not envy for envy will only lead to destruction and self condemnation. When God made the world and all the creatures , "He saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:25), but when He created man, "God saw all that he had made and it was VERY good" ( Genesis 1: 31) because man was made in God's own image. We are all so beautiful in God's eyes and if we truly think that we are not, we have fallen short of God's expectation.
The parable continues. When the master came back, he was pleased at the fruitful results of the first two servants "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness."
But to the last servant, the master scolded him :" You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you shoud have put my money on deposit with the banker, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest"
The servant was punished.
This is the lesson that I have learnt today. To look back, I have complained a lot. I was saddened because I cant be as good as my friends. I should stop them all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)