ESCAPE

You know, I'm not someone who particularly enjoys work.
In fact, more often than not, I'd much prefer to be doing nothing.
When I'm in a good mood, I'd pretty much rather do anything else.

But when I'm in a crappy mood, work is my escape.
I've tried praying. I've tried blogging. I've tried running. All this pretty much makes me feels sorrier for myself.

But when I work, emotionally, I'm pretty good. You see, I'm lucky enough to be doing something that require an emotional capacity of zero to do.
I search through literature. I print out papers. I read them. I process them. And I formulate sentences.
Work keeps my mind occupied, keeps my emotions in check.

Hence why I can never stop working.

I've just recently discovered, work is my escape.

What's yours?

THE COST OF THE GOSPEL

While I am typing this, evangelists in Iran are being executed for refusing to stop preaching the gospel.

If I am truly convicted, why do I chat about frivolous things.
If I am truly convicted, why am I worrying about things like the car and getting my PhD done.
If I am truly convicted, I would go out and preach the gospel.

Does this mean I am not truly convicted?

i feel a bit weird

DAY 17 LAUGHS AT WORK

Today Rob told us that we needed to treat our bosses as friends.

It's all about 'reciprocity'.

I guess I have a lot to be thankful about for my work and the people I work with.

They pay me and have never tried to exploit me.



































They are generous with words of encouragement.





















They make me laugh about small things


































They're fun to hang out with



























They celebrate each others achievements






















































































Today , day 17 I think God for work and all the people I work with.

Quote of the day:

" You'll never be able to be 100% sure that you want to marry that person. The only day you can be completely certain is the day after the wedding." Greg Lee

Event of the day:

Sleeping till 11am and Greg's sermon 'love in a sex obsessed world'

LOL moment of the day:

Dillon's water bottle stuck in the woolies trolley. Made me LOLed.

Meal of the day:

Banana bread and coffee, of course.

Fav picture from yesterday (cost nothing exciting happened today):





























The gorgeous J Hydes

10 THINGS TODAY

1. Baby feet are soooo cute.
2. Banana bread and coffee. My favourite combo even if I have to eat alone.
3. " Hi, I'm Serene, a student from the University" : Beams at unexpecting survey victim.
4. Worst sense of direction in the world (next to Emmerie).
5. I <3 GPs. Can I be one?
6. Don't park so close to me or I'll kill you. At least with my eyes.
7. Pizza + wedding rehersal.
8. Don't leave me. =(
9. Maybe I was too quick to judge.
10. And I should be writing. Real important scientific stuff.

YOU KNOW WHAT

I thought I had very little tolerance.

But apparently I have more tolerance than I thought.

I.....

just need to be sure

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THING

Conversation with Simeon (He's the one striking the pose in the middle).

Me : (looks over and sees Simeon digging his nose) What's in your nose Simeon?

Simeon: SNOT. I ate one piece just now. (continues digging nose).


Ahh...how great it is to be a kid and not worry about social niceties.
And to be able to say SNOT out loud instead of excuse me.

DAY 16 BABY HANNAH

Day 16, I thank God that Nicky had a smooth delivery.
Day 16, I am thankful that we could visit 12 day old Baby Hannah.
Day 16, I am thankful to be reminded to be thankful.






























Mommy!





























Daddy's here too!





























Awesome gift wrapping by Ginny.





















Me and gorgeous 12 day old Hannah.

SO MANY DRAFTS

Only once chance at life, I should do things differently.

Only one way to live, would I live differently?

The things I frame as questions are more often than not, statements.
When situations are framed as questions, the possibility of choosing exists.

Very often in life, the situation is a statement not a question.

So, is this time a statement or a question.

DAY 15 THREE YEARS

Wow, we've come a long way since 2007 hey.

It's been a mixed journey. Lots of highs, lots of lows. Only God could have brought two such different individuals together and helped us stay together.

To many years ahead.

AND

TODAY...


=(

DAY 14 MY BROTHER IS SO WISE

Today I thank God for the talk with my brother.

Thank God for his wisdom, kind words and insightful comments <3

DAY 13 IT'S FINALLY RUNNING FULL FLOW

I started saying since March this year, that my project is starting to recruit participants in Melbourne/Sydney,

Well, it hasn't.

Or it hadn't.

It is FINALLY starting.

After being away from my desk at work today, I came back to 35 emails regarding details of the project/progress reports/follow up recruitment procedures/paper draft etc.

Which puts me to at least 7 tasks that needs to be completed by Friday.

IT IS FINALLY STARTING.

Here's to a stressful few months ahead.

If you know me, please pray that I don't die/explode/quit my PhD.

CREATIVE WRITING

Inspired by Greg's talk about the consequences of 'electronic' relationships and how there is a lack of filter on the things we post online.

I feel like being cryptic today.
Type sentences like I just don't care.
Why should they have things to say?
When these are my thoughts to share.

Today I feel like writing.
Just words straight from the heart.
Will it matter who will be reading?
Why must I craft as though this is art?

When typing with your keyboard.
All may mean less.
But you may push friends overboard.
With posts not meant to bless.

And when night time creeps in
This blogger has some tips
Never create a din
With words that comes from your lips.

Think twice when sending that text
And posting facebook updates
For the net gives you the pretext
Of speaking without gates

There must be an ending for this post.
And yet I can think of none.
I guess ideas must be lost,
All inspiration has gone.


Night!

SNAPS FROM MY MOBILE

23/09/2009 When there was red fog in NSW. My mobile doesn't capture colours really well but it was really red.




















The only picture I have of ruth at her wedding. With my finger in the way.





















Full house with the best friend.























Testing out my new frames























My role at work! Resident dietitian


































Mommy and I after my bro's wedding shoot!

































Salmon terrain from Silo





















Dene and Rachel's WALL-E(lliot)
































I love this beach.


































Family buskers in Sydney































Birthday cupcakes




















Sunway Hotel Christmas decorations 2009.

PERSONALITY TESTS

I haven't done this in a while but ...

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:

You are very serious about relationships and aren't interested in wasting time with people you don't really like. If you meet the right person, you will fall deeply and beautifully in love.

Your views on education

You may not like to study but you have many practical ideas. You listen to your own instincts and tend to follow your heart, so you will probably end up with an unusual job.

The right job for you:

You have many goals and want to achieve as much as you can. The jobs you enjoy are those that let you burn off your considerable excess energy.

How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.

What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:

You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.


http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

DAY 12 FAMILY

Lacking the energy. TIRED TIRED TIRED. Rawr.

DAY 11 DEATH DO US NO PART

My grandfather passed away about one month ago.

Although I was not extremely close to him, I loved him very much.

Death just makes you think hard about the futility of life. The idea of never being able to see someone you love ever again, is extremely painful.

Separation is any form is difficult. Whether by death or distance, the idea of someone close being far is always unbearable.

Today day 11, I thank God that there is no eternal separation for those who believe in Christ.

⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."^g]">[g] ⁵⁵"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"^h]">[h] ⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 15:50-57

and we look forward to seeing those separated from us in a perfect heaven.

¹Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ²I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

⁵He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." Revelation 21:1-5

DAY 9

No, I didn't forget day 9.

Nerissa wrote it for me.

Thanks Nerissa. <3

DAY 10 MERDEKA FOR 53 YEARS

While ordering at Starbucks in Malaysia

Me: "One earl grey, grande size please."

Cashier: " That will be $9.90"

Hands over 10 ringgit.

Cashier attempts to make small talk. "Where are you from?"

Me: Malaysia.

Cashier: Oh, I thought you..foreigner.

Me: Haha. Nolar. Malaysian. This accent cannot fake one.


After a long hiatus home, project 101 continues.
Today, I am thankful for 53 years of independence. Thank you for freedom and abundance while growing up.

Today, I am thankful for a country where I grew up with people who were completely different from me, yet we identified ourselves as one, Malaysians.
I grew up not realising that people in other countries would find it difficult to understand how three completely contrasting and different races could live in one land.

What is our main cuisine? It would take me at least 20 minutes to elaborate that we have no 'main' cuisine. We live in abundance of diversity and richness, all equally good.

As an adult, the fact that we are different has been made all too obvious to me.

I wish I could go back to the days where my best friend was a Malay.

Second class citizens, ungrateful foreigners are some of the unpleasant labels that have been thrown about.

One Malaysia, I love the idea, but somehow doubt the execution.


One Malaysia song -Satu Suara




Where am I from?
Malaysia.

Malaysia is home.

Love this video.



Here in my home, I tell you what it's all about.
There's just one hope in my heart.
One love undivided, that's what it's all about.
Please won't you fall in one by one with me?



Happy National Day Home.

DAY 8 JUST A LITTLE BABY CRAZY

Today, I carried the cutest 7- month old baby































Image source here




















And here

Today, I am thankful for cute babies that make me smile.
And also that I get to carry a cute, sweet smelling baby and then hand the baby back to his mommy.

DAY 7 FRIENDSHIP

²³Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ²⁵Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25

Day 7, I am thankful for real conversation over yummy dinner.
For helpful (and sometimes funnily unhelpful =p) comments.
For real concerns about being Christian.
And for every other thing.

DAY 5/6 WINTERCON 2

Okay, so technically it going to be project 100, because days 5 and 6 go together.


Because Wintercon 2 (WC2) definitely deserves two days.











Picture source here

The messages were amazing. The Bible explained in absolute clarity.

Over the past year, I have been struggling with certain things I hear in church. I did things out of obligation. I served in church and went for Bible study because it was simply the 'good thing' to do.

Relationships were too tiring, other people were selfish, the sermon focused too much on things that were unhelpful were some of the complaints floating around my head.

What I didn't think was that my attitude and motives absolutely stank. The Holy Spirit definitely convicted me of it this weekend.

We learnt about relationships. How we were created to be relational like God is in the Trinity. How relationship and sacrificial love is integral to reality and how the purpose of relationship is to ultimately be for God's glory.
We learnt about what the perfect relationship looks like in the Trinity.

And we saw how sin tainted relationships so that what we have in the world is a warped, twisted and damaged version of what could have been perfect. Sin distorts our capacity to take delight in what is good and right, instead we are deceived into wanting all wrong things.

And oh the glorious news is yet to come. The wonderful, wonderful event on the cross. The deflection of God's anger (propitiation), the changed verdict from guilty to innocent (justification) and the fixing of our relationship with God (reconciliation), all done when Jesus died on the cross and raised from the dead.
And only through that perfect submission and obedience, sins were justly punished and we could become right with God (Roman 5).

Relationships are once agian restored.

Not perfect yet. But we see and are consciously aware for the need to be other people centred and to glorify God just like Jesus did.

And,Day 5/6 I am thankful for WC2, but more so that I am able to be reconciled to Him, through a selfless Saviour.

DAY 4 FRIDAY

Friday! Do I need any other reason to be thankful? =p

But seriously, today I am thankful for great dinner with fun people. =)
Yummy mushrooms, fried chicken and tiramisu. Recipe for a great night.

Wintercon 2 tomorrow !

DAY 3 THE VIEW EVERY WEEKDAY

Day 3, I'm thankful for the view I get while walking from the car to my work place.
And I'm also thankful for free parking in the city!

LESSON 101 DAY 2

Today, I could be thankful for the awesome carpark I got in the morning.
The great, sunny weather compared to yesterday's horrid rain and win.
The uni's hr system managing to get my scholarship through in time.
The boyfriend giving me his Kinder Bueno.

But today, day 2, I'm thankful for the great company at lunch.
=)

Thanks Amy + Jason.

That on the left is Heather, not Jason. =p And this picture is not from today's lunch.

LESSON 101 DAY 1

The one thing I constantly forget to do ( amongst many others), is to be thankful for the many good things I have in life.
And I often let the little things I don't have get the better of me, instead of dwelling on all the awesome things in life.

Today marks the start of a new project, 101 days of thankfulness.


At FOCUS today, we were outnumbered by guys. That has probably never happened before.

As great is it to have increased number of guys, day number 1, today, I am thankful for the girls that serve faithfully by continuing to show up, cook dinner/dessert and clean up.

Today I am thankful for the blessings that are Yueen Mun, Ellen, Emma, Jae Mie, Julia, Jun Shi, Desiree, Sandra, Joyce and Allycia.

OF COURSE

Was doing some extra stuff on Indigenous health for my supervisor.
Ran a Medline search, trolled through gazzillion articles, found an article that sounded perfect, clicked to read the abstract.

While waiting for the abstract to load,

I glanced at the authors name. SansonFisher et al.

Of course.I should have known.

WHO SAYS I CAN'T DRIVE

First reverse parking in a long long time.
Woot!

I JUST KNOW

The one difference about being a Christian in Australia is that the response ' I just know' isn't quite enough here.

When I was home in Malaysia, quite often my explanation for believing that Christ died for my sins is simply, "I just know".
I did not quote Scripture. I knew vaguely that the Bible was historical but I couldn't quite tell you how it withstood the scrutiny of historians. I'd never read the book of Revelations in it's entirety. In fact, I had very minimal bible knowledge apart from the firm conviction that I, belonged to Christ.

Then, I came to Australia.
Predestination, propitiation, evidential apologetics, ontological Trinity.
Excited by the amount of careful study people placed into the Bible, I threw myself into it. People actually studied whole BOOKS of the Bible instead of singular verses taken out of context.
In fact the first book we heard preached about was every preacher's nightmare : the book of Revelations.

Almost 4 years down the road, I think I know the Bible a bit more than when I first came.
I've read Revelations and Romans in its entirety.
I believe in predestination.


But somehow, sadly, I find it hard to say " I just know" anymore.
It scares me that I agree so easily that we need to fear God but somehow cannot nod my head in agreement when someone says God loves us.

This week at church , we learnt that we need to fear God because God is wrathful and powerful.

But the Bible, also speaks about His great love for us.

¹How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1John 3:1-3

³All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. ⁴But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Eph 2:3-5

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8

³⁴Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." Romans 8:34-36

I guess, 'I just know' isn't really a complete response.
We know because the Holy Spirit convicts us.
The Holy Spirit convicts us because of the Father's great love for us.

And how blessed are we when we can say, I just know.

LAST PIECE OF ORANGE

I love you too. =)

OPS TRAIN PEREMPUAN?

Inspired to blog about relationships after having a couple of conversations with friends.

The dynamics of modern relationships is really confusing because gender roles are no longer clear. The burden of providing financially no longer falls on the male's shoulder and vice versa, females no longer do all the housework on their own.
With this switch, comes more power for women ( the rise of feminism!). We literally get to wear half of the pants in the relationship (because we pay for it right?).
And we, girls become more demanding, we want more of everything and we want the things we want. We expect that men do more than they are actually capable off.
With the increasing dominance of females in our current culture, men are made even less capable of doing what they ought to do.

This has thus resulted in the existence of immature, selfish, useless males ( more accurately termed as man-boys).

So, ala Tinki Talks Ops Train Jantan, this one is for the girls rather than the guys.

Girls, it is not wrong for you to expect love from your guys. Rather guys should always ( I repeat always) strive to protect your girls both emotionally and physically.

Rule number 1. DON'T COMPARE. This is the root of all misunderstandings. Comparing your guy with another guy is the worst thing you can do for a male's self esteem. Expecting your boyfriend to become someone else is the worst mistake you can make. They can change, become better but they cannot be that person you are comparing them to.

TREAT GUYS LIKE GUYS. Not just your boyfriend. Any guy. Don't take over leadership roles. Don't insist on moving heavy furniture. Don't insist on driving all the time. Let guys be guys. Yeah, feminists, kill me.

And on that note,

BE A WOMEN. Men and women are equal but different. Point made. We are not men. We are softer, more sensitive, better versions of men. We want security and someone to protect us. But we try and become the protector of ourselves simply because we don't trust the men in our life.

EXCITEMENT IS NOT EVERYTHING. It isn't. Right now, flirting with a random guy might seem so much more desirable compared to being with a nice, boring guy. But in the long run IT ISN'T. Guys that bring excitement are usually trouble (I might be stereotyping). Unless you're up to it ( i.e. not looking for marriage), steer clear from these guys. (again generalising). And with time, even boring guys can change.

NO MAN IS PERFECT. Prince Charming suddenly looks like a frog? Girls, we want this ideal man, but there is not such thing as a perfect man. Because we are all flawed, selfish human beings, used to looking out for ourselves. If you set the bar too high, you're might just realise that the bar is out of reach, even for you.

See, this rant is not about letting guys of the hooks. They do need to love us, be romantic, shower us with gift and affections, change their bad habits etc etc.

But so do we. We need to stop being so self absorbed and self centred.
Our generation of women, with so much freedom and opportunities, needs to stop thinking that the world revolves around us. We need to stop putting men down and taking over their roles. Instead, we need to start thinking about how we can complement one another and play our own respective roles.

And so I end this random rambling post with a picture of me and my attractive colleagues. CHECK OUT MY TOP HAT.

After that trashing of England, the sexy win against the Argentinians.

It was Spain that brought you down.

End of the run for Germany in World cup 2010.

This picture cracks me up. I was so desperate for someone to talk to after the match.

WORLD CUP IS GOING TO BE OVER SOON

Head full of Klose, Podolski, Mueller, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Mertesacker, Neuer.

Almost posted this as a status update but decided to spare people from endless soccer updates.

WORLD CUP 2010

I can't believe I haven't blogged about the world cup since all I do on FB is talk about the world cup.

June 13 : Germany vs Australia at 4.30am + No work tomorrow = Perfect combo
June 21: Tujuh kosong (Malay for seven zero). What a shocker (Referring to the beating North Korea took from Portugal)
June 28: Bye bye England. (Referring to the trashing of England by Germany 1-4)
June 28: Bring it on Argentina.
June 29: World cup updates, that's all I do. Geez, when did I become a soccer fan?
June 30: Can't resist. PORTUGAL HAHAHAHAHHA. (referring to them losing out to Spain 0-1)

And I never talk about soccer. Never.
Every 4 years I wait for the World Cup, and then I rant about soccer as though it is the most important thing to me. =p

I love picking a team to support and then anticipating their victory (although none of the teams I've supported so far have gone on to win yet! *Brazilalwayswins*)

The Germans looked so close to being able to put on some sort of fight against Brazil with the Oliver Kahn/Michael Ballack combination in 2002 Japan/Korea. Ballack, of course, had to get suspended just before the final match.

France and the infamous Zidane headbutt in 2006 Germany lost out to Italy. *edit*

As for South Africa 2010, I'm on team Germany, again. Although Ballack is out due to injury, Lahm has done a commendable job so far. And Manuel Neuer is filling in some big Golden boots too.
The 'old' team couldn't beat Brazil, maybe the young team can.

With some experienced ''veterans' like Klose, Podolski, Schweinsteiger, Friedrich;














Miroslav Klose

















Lukas Podolski

















Bastian Schweinsteiger

As well as young players, Ozil, Muller.

This team might just be the right combination to take on Brazil (assuming they beat Netherland and Ghana/Uruguay).

Now the Germans just need to steamroll through the strong Argentinians like they did in the 2006 world cup.

IT MAY BE A LITTLE CRUDE BUT

" Look, in my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person is still going to think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with." Juno (2007)

Isn't that what all girls want?

Recent conversations with other girls have proved that school of thought wrong.

Apparently, girls want excitement, not the acknowledgment of the simple fact that the other party simply adores you.

I don't get it. Women are just weird.

GOD SUSTAINS

Last night, I felt completely alone and yet at no moment at all did I feel that I was all alone.

God truly sustains.

WRONG SENTENCES

Today I woke up and I was sad. For no reason. Is that wrong?

Today I woke up and I was sad but I pretended to be happy. Is that wrong?

Today I woke up and I was sad but I felt like I couldn't tell anyone because I was sad for no reason, therefore I had to pretend I was happy.

I think I'll be happy tomorrow.

When a church (whether knowingly or unknowingly) leads you to worship the preacher, worship team, lights, music, songs, being in the limelight;

I beseech ( yes in the words of the Apostle Paul) you.

Ask yourself.

Do I worship Christ, or do I worship the church?

This is not exclusive to any one church.
It is not the fault of any one church.

If anything; it is the fault of humans' desire in wanting to replace God with man made ideas.
And humans' desire in wanting to be glorified like God.

Stupidly, we put God's creation in God's place.
Very arrogantly, we try to claim God's glory as our own.

And when we've truthfully answered the question.

I hope some of us are brave enough to make the decision to leave.

Taking at break from recruitment at the McDonalds opposite the clinic.
Free WIFI =)

Checking the results from the World Cup matches for the last 2 nights.
And the train times to Sydney tomorrow PM.
Hopefully the coming weeks will be slow and relaxing.

I keep feeling like I've forgotten something.

WORLD CUP SEASON!

1st match I've watched so far - Aus V Germany 0-4
1st red card - Tim Cahill no 4

As far as teams I'm rooting for, go GERMANY!

Sigh, I've turned into such an angry, bitter person.
Maybe I was always like that, but now I'm just realising it more.

Dear Heavenly Father, I know you are able to change me. Please let me trust You and Your sovereign plans

THE GOSPEL - A STRANGE CONCEPT

The many questions we asked during Bible study about Jonah and the way in which the Ninevites responded to God's message simply led me to think - the gospel is wonderful, truly, uniquely strange.

You see,the Bible says this about it's message

"but we preach Christ crucified; a stumbling back to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,..." 1 Cor 1:23

Because if you think logically, by accepted social and moral grounds, the message of Christ does indeed appear foolish.

To answer any question beyond our realm, we often use statements like God's reason are beyond us, our minds are finite and we could not possible begin to understand the great mystery that is the Almighty creator. Supported by that is scripture such as Isaiah 55:8-9.

⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

And you see that God plans and craft, with a certain logic and reason that is beyond us as human beings. However; it is clear that despite how strange God's decisions sometimes appear, it is certainly not in defiance of logic and rationale.

So why did God create human beings? Because from what I can tell, that was when all problem began.

The Bible says it was His will, His pleasure that we were created. Our creation was not an accident but rather a deliberate and logical enactment of His will.

Were we created to exist?
Logically, this seems somewhat senseless and irrational.

Were we created for God's utility?
Perhaps God needed to create us because He was lonely and needed to love.
The concept of the Triune God for Christians shows that this is not the case at all.
God existed in a perfect relationship prior to creation.

Perhaps God needed to use human beings in another way.
From what I know about myself, I struggle to see how I could possibly be of utility to God, the creator of all things.
You see because I in all my unholiness could not possibly be of any use to God.

In fact, creation now tainted with sin needed God more than ever, to save us from the judgment of eternal death.

And God in a brilliant but incredibly costly move for Himself solved this problem by sending His perfect son to face God's holy wrath and judgment in our place ( John 3:16, Isaiah 53:3)

In that one move , God was able to demonstrate both His justness and love for His creation.

The redemption of humanity cost God his life, an enormous price to pay for utility.
It would have been easier not to create us, because He did not need to create us.

Were we created for our sake?
Maybe God created us so we could experience relationship with Him. To be adopted as sons and daughters into his family.

These reasons all somewhat make sense.

But even then, creation seemed like an unnecessary act.

Christ goes one step further, turning the gospel from unreasonable in the eyes of unbelievers into foolishness.

You see, Christ, as God, made himself man, became obedient to death, not just any death but death on a cross (Phil2:7-8)
And God did not die for friends but He gave Himself up to excruciating death for sinners, enemies.

Such is the amazing, wonderful truly alien concept of creation and redemption of humanity, surpassing all boundaries of moral standards, going beyond all human comprehension and logic.

Call me soppy if you like.
But isn't this the most romantic wedding song you've ever heard.



Lyrics
Peter can you gather the angels all around
I'll need everyone to get this down
This will not be easy
cos what i'm asking for is something we have never tried before
Lets make a girl, but not just any girl
She needs to be perfect, perfect
and so beautiful; flawlessly divine
she needs to define perfection
and don't forget the sugar
make it so she's sweet from her head to her feet
Perfection

go and get Picasso he can paint her eyes
Michelangelo can paint her smile
and when they're finally finished
i want nothing less
than for all of us to stand here breathless
Lets make a girl, but not just any girl
She needs to be perfect, perfect
and so beautiful; flawlessly divine
she needs to define perfection
and don't forget the sugar
make it so she's sweet from her head to her feet
Perfection

All the angels said can we keep her
she's so beautiful
but God said someone down there needs her
and he can't live without her, without her
She's so beautiful
flawlessly divine ; and yes she defines perfection
please don't change a thing
it's obvious to me that what i see is perfection
when she's 21 she'll change somebody's life
when she's 28 she'll be his wife

P-P-P-PO-POKER FACE

Human beings are .... difficult.

I see that mostly in myself.

I'm stubborn.

Selfish.

Hate to be told I'm wrong.

Cocky at times.

Self depreciating which I often mistake as humility.

Argggghh..humans are so difficult!

Pictures just because!



They've opened up a bit more now.



<3 Breezy Bar


Cupcakes for my birthday



Me with lollipops and freddos

I LIKE IT LIKE THAT

Guy Sebastian; Like it Like That.



One word, no, make that two: Crazy (in a good way) fantastic.

I am going to see him live one day.

I would say more but RCT's beckon.