chronicles of young

"How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?" John 5:44

University is the last 4 years we have before work starts. And well I was super excited about university and so far it hasn't disappointed. Learning about things I care about, doing things that enthuse me, learning to work with people... And importantly, shaking off all those stereotypes that I have unconsciously accumulated.  University= Unity in diversity. I am only beginning to learn how deeply competitive I am, and I thank God that He has humbled me in many ways. I am only starting to learn from people with their vastly different experience. Learning to allow more time with people, starting to slow down, to not be so caught up with being efficient.  "The world is always sizing up people, putting people down" ~ Tom Wright, in Early Christian Letters for Everyone This really convicted me of my competitive spirit that led me to oscillate between feeling insecure, arrogant and judgmental.  I really thank God for all His numerous blessings :) And here...

I think a darn good way to find out more about a person is to look through his/her smartphone. My home screen says that I hate clutter. And prefer the natural over the man made. The no-sound, no-vibration setting hints that I don't like (or cannot cope well with) distractions. See the battery-saving icon? I guess I'm quite an environmentalist. Yep I need the dictionary cos when I think about what someone writes, I want to be able to define all those big words. The requisite camera apps.. Two file organizers for convenience. Faith Comes By Hearing is the organisation that develops audio bibles in the many native tongues of the peoples all over the world. It's not that I don't want a cute calendar; I cannot find a cute calendar widget that doesn't need Internet connection. Voice recorder to record how I sound when practicing on the guitar.  The Guitar chords app is really useful! Motivates me to practice cos at least I can sing and play the easi...

So many stereotypes behind this right. About to start my last 4 (or 5?) years of studying before I enter the workforce to earn my bread. Really want to make things work. Not just the As but also to find a place in God's kingdom, to make lasting friendships, to reach out to people, to make a difference. There are times when I feel like I absolutely suck at everything. Then there are times when I feel so good about myself. Hope to find the in-between, and be comfortable with it. I am probably not a charismatic leader, I am an (extroverted) introvert, I have yet to be able to think fast. I am still grappling with guitar (suspect that my cheap guitar is tripping me), I cannot survive without sleep, I don't take distractions/disturbances well. In the meantime.. I can think about deep issues. I am becoming comfortable with uncertainty, I can see the complexities of many things. I guess this helps me to empathize with people. I am quite a decent baker (nothing to shout about b...

Attempts at vegan recipes. Kimchi fritters Vegan choc cake Made the rest below in one day with my good old friend. With a lot of help and advice from A, her domestic helper. Onde onde! Glutinous rice packets that pack a real punch cos of the bird's eye chilli. Most of the work done by A Kueh Dadar

In between interning from 8.30-6 (plus overtime), working for 2 weeks as a clinic assistant (got asked to leave cos doctor wanted a permanent nurse; or mebbe I wasn't doing a good job haha), and most importantly thinking about the existence of a God/which is the one true God, Blogging was the last thing on my mind.  No one would want to read how horribly hollowed I felt mulling over God anyway. Because both ways there seemed to be losses for me. If I bet my life on Jesus Christ, I would have to accept that almost all my loved ones aren't saved, and I found that I couldn't trust God to do so.  The other option was to forsake my faith and say I'm not betting my life on anything.  But I knew I couldn't survive with that. Because impassive (and more 'tolerant of other views') as this stance is, I am still betting my life on something. The same thing which my mum is betting her life on.  Which is that having a clear conscience, and living a relativel...

Change is as subtle as the clouds changing shape. Can you feel it? As permeating as light in our lives, but as undefinable  too. Even as I feel something inside me has changed, I look outside at the sun shining so brilliantly, and the life that goes on. What is different? I lose hold of the change as it slips away in the fog of my tiredness, in the distracting worldly issues. O can you feel it?

I think I have anger/frustration/irritation issues. Today I was going home and there was this guy that sang out loud and his voice was actually not bad but I was just so darn irritated I felt like clawing at him. I always feel like my heart is being twisted when I feel this way. I feel so angry/frustrated when I know that my friends are living lives of a diminished quality and this seems to show that I am controlling and demanding. Oh to be able to have that love and restraint that springs from it Jesus has, who being in the nature God with all power, held back again and again so that we can have the abundant life we were made for. For " Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres ." ( NIV 1 Corinthi...

Have you ever gotten scolded for reading? I have and it wasn't even illicit stuff. Sounds like a no-lifer, but I love to read; on a reading binge now. Just finished Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchet. It was a darn funny, witty book. A close friend said that everyone should write at least one book in their life. I think I wanna write something like that. Creating an entire new world, creating new metaphors (love the one about the crab bucket; had me flipping back a few pages to where I puzzled over the term), pointing back to the real world. I know that even if I tried, I can't write like the Japanese authors. Their books are.. weird. I come away not understanding what the author wants to say. Currently reading Sayonara, Gangsters by Genichiro Takahashi. I have currently reached the conclusion that only Literature students are up to the task of analysing it. I got real excited thinking about writing The Book yesterday. I want a character to show Kang Li; especially all ...