an interview with god

[from an email received]

i dreamed i had an interview with god.

"come in," god said. "so, you would like to interview me?"

"if you have the time," i said.

god smiled and said: "my time is eternity and is enough to do everything. what questions do you have in mind to ask me?"

“what surprises you most about mankind?"

god answered:
"that they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again.

that they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.

that by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.

that they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived."

god's hands took mine and we were silent for awhile and then i asked...

"as a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

god replied with a smile:

"to learn that they cannot make anyone love them. what they can do is to let themselves be loved.

to learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.

to learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. all will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis!

to learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

to learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.

to learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.

to learn that there are persons who love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.

to learn that money can buy everything but happiness.

to learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.

to learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.

to learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."

i sat there for awhile enjoying the moment.
i thanked him for his time and for all that he has done for me and my family,
and he replied, "anytime. I am here 24 hours a day. all you have to do is ask for me, and I will answer."

christmas words

i wish to share the following "christmas tree" decorated with words

JOY

GRACE

HOPE - LOVE

FAITH - PEACE

HONOUR-PURITY

JUSTICE - CHARITY

COURAGE - LOYALTY

GOODNESS - PRUDENCE

SYMPATHY - HUMILITY

FORTITUDE - TEMPERANCE

BROTHERHOOD - COOPERATION

AND

GOD

IS

LOVE

have a blessed and meaningful christmas !!

home - at last - from tokyo japan

we are back !

we had a great time together in tokyo. the weather was cold - got a bit unbearable at times. abigail's nose was blocked most of the time and had to take some medication to clear. i had flu like symptoms and popped in some flu tablets to get rid of it. thank god for helping us to stay healthy.

some pictures taken from the trip.

first photo taken with a class at keio boys' senior high school and the other two photos taken at the tokyo's national museum of emerging sc and innovation showing abigail and a robot seal

baggages in life

today abigail and i started packing our luggage for our trip to japan. the weather there now is cold - very cold for us - so our bags are full of heavy clothing for warmth.

i was just thinking - we will only be away for 6 days and there are already quite a number of things to bring along. if i were really planning for another trip somewhere else and for a longer time, how much baggage do i need to bring?

hmm. baggages....

if one decides to leave and go to a totally different country and not come back for a while, then one must learn not to bring along so many "baggages". you can't bring along things that will remind you too much of home, of your loved ones, of things that are sentimental. why? you might get home sick really fast and really bad! i have been through such a state - long ago - so trust me on this.....

so, back to my packing - phew.

letting go

i was also lead to think about the same thing this morning and last night when i was going to bed. you know, i want to do something different with my life - and to be able to do this, i have to start considering what i must let go. there are quite a number of things that can hold me back from taking that "big step" into the next great adventure in my life.

slowly i need to begin to pull myself out of some "routines" that i wish to abandon - just to get less involved gradually might be the solution to finally be "detached" from it.

will not be easy - eventually it will mean letting go of those who are close to me too. i pray that perhaps god can be gracious enough to allow my loved one(s) to also be in the second part of the journey of my life should i actually embark on it.

sigh.

The butterfly.

Today in the morning i came across a butterfly on the door of the car. It was the biggest one i had ever seen so close up. As the car began to move slowly, it was shaken just a bit, but held on.

My mom drove on, accelerating and soon the vehicle was out of the basement carpark. Undeterred, the butterfly held fast to the edge of the car door.

As the car did a u-turn, the butterfly was swung sideways. But as soon as it could, it moved the right way up.The frame of metal on wheels started to go faster and faster and faster on a straight road with little traffic.

By now the insect was seriously struggling. I wondered if one of its legs were stuck in between the car door and the frame of the silver car. Alas, when the butterfly could not bear with it any more, it let go and permitted the wind to carry it away.

I thought of how the butterfly might have felt the instant it let go. If it were me i would most certainly feel free from all struggling to keep onto the car. I would feel at ease, provided i wouldn't land smack on the windshield of another vehicle. As i was deep in thought, i could not help thinking of how this butterfly would have been similar to us humans as well.

Sometimes God wants us to let go of certain things we hold dear in our lives. It might be a big job, a loved one or even a certain habit that might be destructive to us. Very few people know what God intends for them and learn how to let God be in control and let go of the car. But most people struggle to hold on, regardless of the situation. As the winds blow against them, they clench tightly to the frame of the car. As the car takes an unexpected turn, they move back into position to keep on the car. But when they finally let go, they know God's plan for them and will finally find peace, knowing that God has a plan for them.

'"For I know the plans I have for you,"declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."' (Jeremiah 29:11)

The only difference is that we as Christians should not be afraid of being wiped off the screen by another vehicle's windscreen wiper. God loves us and will protect us from harm.

So, if you have been holding on to a "car", think of whether God is behind the car, waiting for you to take that leap of faith.

"sailing" through life's storms

when we are much younger it may be easier to accept "misfortunes" that come into our lives. after living a life as a christian for so long, sometimes i take a long while before i can come to terms with a life crisis. telling myself : "god is sovereign, it is god's will" is very much easier than living with the crisis after that. doubts do surface again and again.

so i find myself always asking god the question : "why?"

i think god does not mind us asking him to let us know his reasons for "allowing" some things to occur. but he may not wish to tell us the "answer" yet. i think he wants us to continue to believe in him even though we don't know why. it's all a matter of exercising our faith in him that is what he really really wishes to see and he is really really pleased with.

yeah - always difficult to sustain ourselves when the crisis is so real, so close to our hearts. but know what? we can rely on his holy spirit to help us, his people (christians) to support us. i learnt from a crisis 4 years ago that i should not be "shy" to ask for help from brothers or sisters in christ. it is very important to keep close not just to god but also to fellow believers.

yes, abigail, i agree with you - god will sail through our storms with us - i sincerely believe this.

Job 1:21

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked i will depart.
The Lord has given and the Lord has taken away,
May the name of the Lord be praised."

These were the words from Job's mouth upon hearing that his livestock and children_almost everything he had- were taken away from him.

As christians we must learn to accept blessings from God as much as we must learn to let God take them away. God is in control of everything and we know that all things work for the good of those who love Him(Romans 8:28). We should praise and give thanks to Him all the time, whether during times of storm or smooth sailing.

I have come to a conclusion.

Sometimes god calls out to calm our storms.

Sometimes He chooses to sail through them with us.

dear abigail - thanks for the song and your words.

keep praying to god and tell him the desire of your heart to be a witness for him. he will reveal to you one day your "abilities" - keep walking close to him.

i will be praying for you too.... (smile)

Here I Go Again (Casting Crowns)

Father, hear my prayer
I need the perfect words
Words that he will hear
And know they're straight from You
I don't know what to say
I only know it hurts
To see my only friend
Slowly fade away

So maybe this time
I'll speak the words of life
With Your fire in my eyes
But that all familliar fear
Is tearing at my words
What am i so afraid of?
Cause here i go again

Talking 'bout the rain
And mulling over things
That don't live past today
As i ditch around the truth
Time is not his friend
This might be my last chance to tell him that You love him
Cause here i go again

Lord, Your loving soul
You gave Your only Son
If people just believed
He would never die
How then will he know
What he has never heard?
Lord, he has never seen
Mirrored in my life

So maybe this time
I'll speak the words of life
With Your fire in my eyes
But that all familliar fear
Is tearing at my words
What am i so afraid of?
Cause here i go again

Talking 'bout the rain
And mulling over things
That don't live past today
As i ditch around the truth
Time is not his friend
This might be my last chance to tell him that You love him
Cause here i go again

----------

Well i guess that most christians today face a common fear whilst witnessing and telling pagans the gospel-the fear of being dejected or made fun of. Strangely i have never experienced this fear in my life- although i am not that sucessful in bringing people to know Christ-and i don't know why either.

Maybe because i need a miracle, i don't have the before and after optic nerves or stuff like that. I have been very fortunate all my life and was born and bred in a Christian family my whole life. It may be a good and bad thing.

The good thing is that i think i have a more intensive knowledge of the bible than some my age as a result of my upbringing. Dicussions about spirituality and religion have become quite the norm. Children with non-christian parents might sometimes feel akward when touching on such subjects.

The bad thing is the witness part. I don't really have a before and after the introduction of Christ, so it is hard to tell people of my personal journey with Christ.

Well, i have to go now so,

Until next time!

pray for our friends that they may come to know jesus

abigail says her friend (school classmate) may be visiting bcc this sunday after asking her for a long time.

good news! but let's pray for this friend everyday from today - her name is Sujin.

let us remember when we are inviting our friends to come for any church service or activity, we are going into a "warfare". we are going to face obstacles put in by the one who does not wish people to come near god.

so we have to start praying. pray for the holy spirit to go before us - to "straighten the path" - convicting the heart of the person we are praying for, removing things that may hinder - these are what we cannot do on our own because we cannot see nor have control over them.

be specific in our prayers. pray exactly what we wish god to help us in.....

and TRUST - have faith - in your prayers. if you have any doubts, commit them to god the minute it comes into your mind. doubts can be very destructive - pretty hard to get rid of them most of the time - they are so real. so give them to god to help you deal with them and learn to let god keep them away from you.

any other friends to pray for?

The Way I Was Made

Caught in the half light, I'm caught alone

Waking up to the sunrise and the radio

Feel's like I'm tied up, what's holding me?

Just praying today will be the day i go free

I want to live like there's no tomorrow

I want to dance like no one's around

I want to sing like nobody's listening

Before I lay my body down

I want to give like i have plenty

I want to love like i'm not afraid

I want to be the man I was meant to be

I want to be the way I was made

Made in Your likeness, made with Your hands

Made to discover who You are and who I am

All I've forgotten help me find

All that You've promised let it be in my life

-Chris Tomlin

What if His People Prayed

What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let Satan have one more

What if the church, for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God's promise
And storm those rusty gates

What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would only seek His face
And turn from their own ways

What would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids at school could pray
And unborn children see light of day

What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the truth
What if the family turned to Jesus
Stopped asking Oprah what to do

What if His people prayed
And those who bear His name
Would only seek His face
And turn from their own ways

He said that he would hear
His promise has been made
He'll answer loud and clear
If only we would pray

If My people call by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray
If My people call by My name
If they'll humble themselves and pray

-Casting Crowns

Free, at last?

Wow! Hurray!
Free at last for the rest of the year? I mean, free from exams?
Hurray again!

Do make good use of the rest of the year before next year comes again with its sessions of studies and assessments (sorry, have to go back to reality).....

Remember to give thanks to god for all "good things".

Have we lost our hearing?

Once there was a man who dared God to speak.

Burn the bush like you did for Moses, God.

And I will follow.

Collapse the walls like you did for Joshua, God.

And I will fight.

Still the waves like you did on Galilee, God.

And I will listen.

And so the man sat by a bush, near a wall, close to the sea

and waited for God to speak.

And God heard the man, so God answered.

He sent fire, not for a bush, but for a church.

He brought down a wall, not of brick, but of sin.

He stilled a storm, not of the sea, but of a soul.

And God waited for the man to respond.

And he waited...

And he waited...

And he waited.

But because the man was looking at bushes, not hearts;

bricks and not lives, seas and not souls,

he decided that God had done nothing.

Finally he looked to God and asked, Have you lost your power?

And God looked at him and said, Have you lost your hearing?

Max Lucado [A Gentle Thunder]