thanks :)

i ve been very blessed by ming han and mj, who has been blessing me and taking initiative to ask about my life and care for me. ming han has been a really thotful brother and i just wanna affirm the two of u here :) wanted to do it over cg but yest was quite late already. hahah.... ve been gg thru a rough time and e support tt u guys ve given me thru gifts, encouragement cards or just asking me how am i or affirming me really comforts me and encourages me alot :) I am really thankful for u two and i thank God for u guys for being sensitive to my needs.

I ve been really blessed so wanna encourage each and every one of us to grow in caring and loving one another :) i think we all do, but maybe we can grow in being more expressive and taking initiative. I am also growing in this area of being more sensitive to ppl and meeting one another's needs instead of always being the one talking... haha....

Rem for the last 2 cgs tt we had? we did on love lang? maybe we can start by remembering each other's love lang and love them according to their love lang :) haha... some of us, our love lang is touch. bro and sisters a bit hard to express in such a manner ah... so we can work on the second or third love lang.... anyway if it's sincere, i dun think any one of us will mind also... ahahah....

hope to see us growing in care and love for one another :) i am trying to grow in writing affirmations which i tend to be super lazy to do... hahah.. so prepare to receive cards from me SOOONNNNNNNNNNN... :)

Human rights, conversion and apostasy

Hi peeps! Haven't been posting here for quite some time, I really miss talking to you guys actually. Anyway, I am really in love with my GEK1045 module, Intro to World Religions. It's so exciting and makes me think. Sometimes, I wonder why I didn't become an Arts major; I like writing essays, and I like readings on certain topics, if they interest me.

So anyway, I digress. Coming back to the point, I just want to discuss about certain things here which I hope to get some views on this. I'll just give a basic background beforehand. We're currently on Judaism this week, next would be Christianity. So anyway, about Judaism, the lecturer told us that babies of 8 days old have to be circumcised. According to him, it's a really painful procedure, and may have psychological effects as well (he said he went to google it and found that circumcised kids have a low threshold for pain).

As you know, circumcision is a permanent thing - you can't reverse it. He later went to the topic of the freedom of conversion and apostasy (converting out), which links to the aforementioned topic of circumcision. In Judaism, it's a sign that you've been welcomed to the Jewish community and have accepted the Jewish faith, ie you're officially a Jew. However, at the age of 13, young males (and females, I think) are required to go through a ceremony, where they are asked to declare their devotion to the Jewish faith (not sure if they are allowed to say no).

Question he posed to us was: since circumcision is a permanent one, does it violate the human rights to one's own body? Does it also violate the right of one's freedom of choice to a religion?

It's interesting to see arguments in relation to this, and I wonder what the Bible says regarding this controversial topic. On one hand, is human rights and freedom of choice. On the other, tradition.

I would also like to end off with a court case brought up in Finland in 2006, where a father sued the other parent for ordering the son's circumcision. Judge in this case ruled that "even a life-long tradition does not invalidate a child's right to his own body."

Interesting.. I wonder what does the Bible say about this?

sick sick sick

Think many of you have been quite concerned with my health. Thanks ppl and sorry to keep u all worry. Thanks for all ur prayers and blessings from fruits to drinks and prayers. thanks alot :)

ve been sick for one month... quite xin cu also. Dun worry ppl i ve been taking care of my health just tt my immune system is really abit weak. Since young ve been falling sick like monthly already, so quite used to it. If i m healthy for a few months is like God's blessings and a miracle already.... heee....

went to the doc yest and i m currently on antibiotics, caught some really nasty bacteria and tt's y i m sick for so long and its hard to kill the bacteria. After i recover from this, the doc is gg to try to build up my immune system by taking more vitamins.

ppl really need prayers so do keep me in prayers. Honestly i dun know why i m falling sick and take so long to recover. yup....

We Need Models and Mentors

We Need Models and Mentors
by Rick Warren
(From Purpose Driven Daily Devotional


Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. Philippians 3:17 (NIV)


*** *** *** ***


For us to mature, we need models and mentors.


Many people make the mistake of thinking all they need to grow spiritually is God’s Word and prayer. But the truth is, we need people to help us grow.


Christlike character is built through relationships, not in isolation. There are many things God wants you to learn about life that you’ll never learn on your own. You’ll only learn them in community.


We always grow faster and stronger with living, breathing examples who can model for us what a purpose driven life looks like. We need more than explanations, we need examples.


Paul realized the power of a pattern when he advised, “Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you” (Philippians 3:17 NIV). To grow, we need to see principles in practice. We need to see what beliefs looks like when they are translated as behavior in everyday situations.


When Paul would travel to a city to start a church, he would begin by simply living among the people. He was a “living Bible,” echoing the life of Jesus, where “the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14 NKJV).


After Paul left a city, he would write back, “Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:9 NLT).


Who are your models for following Christ? Who are you watching and learning from?


Here’s a tougher question: Are you an example for anyone else? In elementary school, you probably enjoyed “Show and Tell.” As believers, we’re often better at “telling” than “showing.”


In today’s culture, the world desperately needs people who can show us how to love our spouse and make a marriage last, how to relate to our kids, how to do business with integrity, how to handle conflict in the way Jesus would. These are lessons we learn by watching others.


Not only do we need models to grow, we need mentors. Mentors are people who’ve followed Christ longer than we have and are able to share their life lessons. You’ve heard that it’s wise to learn from experience, but it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others. Life is too short to learn everything by experience! And some painful experiences can be avoided if you’re smart enough to learn from mentors in your church family.


Ask yourself this: “What’s been the greatest positive influence on my life?” Most likely it was not a sermon, seminar, or small group lesson. It was somebody who shaped your life through a personal relationship.


Can you see God’s wisdom in creating the church, a family full of mentors and models for our benefit?


That’s why being connected to a small group is so crucial to spiritual growth. It’s a regular opportunity to learn from each other.


Today, spend a few moments getting intentional about this. Write down the names of people in your church and small group that you’d like to learn from. Then identify what you’d specifically like to learn from them. Remember, they don’t have to be perfect to be a model or mentor.


To grow spiritually, you must also be willing to be a model or mentor to others. That may scare you but all it takes is being one step ahead.


People don’t expect you to be perfect – they already know you aren’t. What they want you to be is honest! So let them see your struggles, not just your successes. We usually grow as much from others’ weaknesses as we do from their strengths.

Beijing Olympics 2008

So proud of God's atheletes!
Check out this article that Yufen sent me (for those who know her):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/05/AR2008080503315.html

God is closer than you think

Just finish reading God is closer than you think by John ortberg, can understand but still feel lost in some areas....God speaking thru ppl, how do u know? u know if its align with God's word aka bible, anyone in da family finish reading? lets have some discussion on it soon!!!

Mh