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An hour to an end of another year. For me, there never is much fanfare. The end of the year just passes in a fleeting moment, like this year has been too. I’ve already done my reflections for the year. I am thankful for this year and all the opportunities that I had. And as I look towards the new year, it seems daunting and yet so very exciting. I’ve made some new year resolutions which basically entail me striving to become a better person, friend and follower of my King.
As a new year is around the corner, I am reminded of a favourite hymn. Its words have echoed through most of my life, but my most vivid memory of singing it was at Mrs Caroline Lee’s funeral. It was her favourite hymn and while she was the principal, she made it the school’s vision. She was a wonderful woman, but sadly, one of those people who are never truly appreciated till they’re gone.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.Be Thou my Breastplate, my Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
And to you, my friends, seeing as I don’t have much talent at writing poetry, I shall have to borrow a poem from the woman who wrote Take my life and let me be consecrated, Lord, to thee. That, too, is my prayer for the coming year. But I digress, here’s the poem.
New Year’s Wishes
What shall I wish thee?
Treasures of earth?
Songs in the springtime.
Pleasures and mirth?
Flowers on thy pathway,
Skies ever clear?
Would this insure thee
A Happy New Year?
What shall I wish thee?
What can be found
Bringing thee sunshine
All the year ’round?
Where is the treasure,
Lasting and dear,
That shall ensure thee
A Happy New Year?
Faith that increaseth,
Walking in light;
Hope that aboundeth,
Happy and bright;
Love that is perfect,
Casting out fear;
These shall ensure thee
A Happy New Year.
Peace in the Saviour,
Rest at His feet,
Smile of His countenance
Radiant and sweet,
Joy in His presence!
Christ ever near!
This will ensure thee
A Happy New Year!
- Frances Ridley Havergal.
The new year doesn’t mean sunshine and fluffy clouds. It doesn’t mean constant happiness or a smooth road. The end of the year doesn’t mean the smoothing out of bumps. For tomorrow is but shrouded in darkness and each day comes and goes. We should not boast of time, but think that in one fleeting day, how earthly things could pass away. But we have a guide, one to hold our hand. The future days are in his hands and we leave our footprints in the sand. Remember: dismiss your doubts and feelings. Be still and see it through, and God who cares for the sparrow, surely cares for you.
When I was in the UK, this issue caught my eye, especially since I used to be from an Anglican church.
Liberal bishops face evangelical backlash (11/12/06)
Williams warned of Church anarchy (14/12/06)
US churches vote to split from Anglicans (19/12/06)
It’s sad that the church is splitting, but I support these ‘anarchists’. Look out in Febuary for a summit of the leaders from all around the world meet in Africa.
The statement by the churches from SE Asia addresses the issue with clarity and prudence. Kudos to them.
———
At Christmas and now the new year, it’s so easy so get so caught up in the celebration that we forget those who cannot celebrate as freely as we can.
Christians find room in Bethlehem’s holy ‘twin towers’ (24/12/06)
‘Leave, crusaders, or have your heads cut off’ (24/12/06)
I hear about missionaries who get killed in Indonesia, out of the many countries around the world.
Even outside these hostile countries, in places countries that are normally associated with Christianity, there is turmoil.
‘Christmas is taboo in America, but now people are fighting back’ (19/12/04)
An excellently written article.
And now some people argue that An Atheist Can Believe in Christmas.
But perhaps there is some hope.
———
At a time when it was proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests” and in this world, one song is brought to mind,
Shine Jesus shine
Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze Spirit blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow river flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth Your Word
Lord and let there be light
Slept quite well last night thankfully. I think that it had something to do with the fact that I forced myself to stay up the whole day even though I only had 2 hours of sleep on the flight. And of course, having a very stimulating discussion with Sze Min about our hardly done TOK essays on the phone helped a lot. :) I never knew that I could discuss TOK for 2 hours, well, not really, we did end up chatting. I shall attempt to stay awake for the whole of today, but it’ll be hard especially seeing as today’s service is at 8pm. I just hope that the sermon is not too boring and we get a good preacher. *ahem*
In the middle of writing cards and wrapping presents. I will seriously feel like Father Christmas on Wednesday.
I’m home! :) I’m feeling so glad to be back where it’s not cold and the wind not bitingly chilly. But for some reason, the sunlight seems so bright, perhaps the sun doesn’t shine so brightly in the UK. The geography student in me thinks it has something to do with Singapore being on the equator. *grin* My geography is not quite up to standard.
My suitcase weighed 18kg today; twice the weight when I left Singapore. But coupled with the jellybabies, I found that I was helping my father carry 12 CDs, so no wonder my bag weighed a tonne (not literally). And I feel a bit like Father Christmas with all the presents that I’m bringing back. Oh yes, Father Christmas visited again this year! :)
On the plane, as we were touching down, I had the sudden urge to sing Home at the top of my voice. The suggestion itself mortified Amy. I was highly amused, though of course I didn’t sing it. I was feeling compassionate for all the Brit tourists visiting Singapore and didn’t want them to have a bad impression of Singaporeans’ singing talents. Haha. And of course, I never ever embarrass myself in public; I’m much too self-conscious for that.
Finally downloaded all my emails, so my account isn’t clogged up anymore. I must say that the LWMC music and sound crew are very efficient all of a sudden. I’ve already gotten my roster for all of January. And I have to be in church early 3 out of the 4 Sundays in January, plus I have to stay in school till 7.30 for music team practice on the first day I’m back. Ah, I suppose it’s my own fault for being too lackadaisical (I love Laura for teaching me that word, or was it Kohster? I forget) and not wanting to troop back home after school. I mean, it’s only 4 hours to wait. *grin*
I watched this wonderful South African film on the plane called Beat the Drum. It’s a fascinating movie and forward in the way it addresses the issue of AIDS. I also watched Step Up. I don’t normally go crazy over dance films. This one was okay and the dance moves sleek, but the plot a tad predictable. I still want to watch the Richard Gere one. Of course, LOTR ROTK and Prince of Egypt have already won my heart. :) So pretty nice movies, except for the first bit of Crash, which I gave up watching because it sickened me so.
And I’ve gotten my answer to this, though it was pretty obvious all along. But you know the feeling when something so obvious jumps out at you, so it seems like you had never known it before.
Through Heaven’s Eyes [Prince of Egypt]
A single thread in a tapestry
Through its color brightly shine
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand designAnd the stone that sits on the very top
Of the mountain’s mighty face
Does it think it’s more important
Than the stones that form the base?So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your lifeLook at your life through heaven’s eyes
Lai-la-lai…A lake of gold in the desert sand
Is less than a cool fresh spring
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy
Is greater than the richest king
If a man lose ev’rything he owns
Has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning
Of a new and brighter birth?So how do you measure the worth of a man
In wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come
The answer will come to him who tries
To look at his life through heaven’s eyesAnd that’s why we share all we have with you
Though there’s little to be found
When all you’ve got is nothing
There’s a lot to go aroundNo life can escape being blown about
By the winds of change and chance
And though you never know all the steps
You must learn to join the dance
You must learn to join the dance
Lai-la-lai…So how do you judge what a man is worth
By what he builds or buys?
You can never see with your eyes on earth
Look through heaven’s eyes
Look at your life
Look at your life
Look at your life through heaven’s eyes
Stupid Singnet is down and I have done my obligatory rounds of blogs. Well, not all, but just the major ones. Not much to update really.
My sister is about to drag me out for some very last minute shopping. For once, I am not going to detest it. I have already ranted enough about shopping this trip. Although I have planned a couple of shopping expeditions when I return. I hope Amy sells me her Kino vouchers cheaply. :)
Leave tomorrow. I am looking forward to getting home and catching up with everyone. Not even the ominous TOK essay deadline is going to bother me, or, believe it or not, the prospect of seeing a certain feather-brained colour-coordinated woman. I know I’ll cringe when I hear her call “Beckyyy!” (I am so not a ‘becky’!) But who really cares… not me… I think.
My suitcase is full, not with clothes, but with presents. I travelled light when I came so now I have tonnes of space for gifts. And I’m bringing back a HUGE tin of jellybabies! YAY! :) Sorry, jellybabies make me happy and hyper, though I’ve only found one person who likes them; Mr Wong. The Haven cast who I shared my last pack with disliked them; strange people… Ah well, more for me then.
I’ve to scoot now… Adios and Becca will update upon her return! [I love writing in third person for some strange reason]
P.S. I am high, in case you haven’t realised. Who was it who wanted to see me high? Hmmm…
A belated merry Christmas and happy Boxing Day. But I’m early for new year. :)
I return on Saturday! Yay!
And Xin, is Saturday a ‘yes’?
This morning, I heard about a cousin in Australia who got close to a perfect score for every subject in her ‘A’ Levels. She’s a talented trumpeter who has also won awards for her conservation of the bush.
It’s at times like these that I begin to doubt my own abilities and how far I’ll make it in life. I’m an extremely competitive person and some people would say that I have an inferiority complex AND a superiority complex. I don’t deny either; in fact, I suppose it’s true to an extent. Like it or not, one does get compared to their relatives; whether siblings, cousins or even just family friends. And for me, it’s just daunting.
I recently met a friend who is now in university for pharmaceutical studies; she scored 44 points for her IB exams. I’ve always felt that I’ve had to match up with those around me, yes, including my sisters. Amy topped the nation for her ‘N’ Levels, plus won some LKY award. Elizabeth was deemed the most courteous student in SMSS, and I have been compared to her by my teachers in secondary school countless times. Both were leaders in their own CCAs.
And, me? Well, I don’t have anything to my name. None of my grades has ever been spectacular. I’ve no awards to speak of, nor has my CCA performance ever been something to be proud of. Mediocre is my middle name (well, not really). I’ve got a sneaking feeling that all my little cousins will outshine me too; piano, ballet, what have you. I look around my family (all sides) and I see very, very, successful people; businessmen/women, lawyers, bankers, doctors etc.
I know that my parents just want me to do my best, as Daddy assured me when I voiced my fears this afternoon. But I feel as if I have to do as well, if not better than all my relatives etc. The pressure and fear that I feel when I hear about people like my cousin doing well is probably from me. As much as I’d like to deny that getting 33 points didn’t bother me and that it isn’t a competition, I’d be kidding myself, which I am. It does bother me that I didn’t even score the 36 points and all. I appear nonchalant but I, too, want above 40 points. But I’m afraid. If I just have an average performance, I know that I would disappoint those around me.
Yes, as Mr. Quek noted at the start of the year, I am terrified of the competition that I face in school. I am so absolutely daunted by the easy brilliance that I see in my peers. Am I the only one?
The sting of not doing as well as others is like being beaten in a Scrabble game. The superiority complex tells me that I should have won. And the other extreme tells me that I’m too arrogant and probably just don’t possess the talent or brains to win. And while I know that my opponent won fair and square, I will always find something to doubt about the win or some excuse for my loss.
As usual, I can’t really explain how I feel and justify these sentiments, but I still react in such a fashion. It’s not really fair on anyone and I suppose that it’s me just being silly.
I’ve just been given another harmonica to add to my growing collection. I have like 6 harmonicas but, strangely, none can play sharps.
Excuse the random entries. I type out my entries when I get inspiration and save them in my thumb drive. So I’ve just added a couple of entries. The previous two were written at 2am this morning when I couldn’t sleep.
Finally finished The Odyssey. :) And I still haven’t started Anna Karenina. But I started reading Read, Shoots & Leaves at my Aunt’s place. Hilarious… :) Now I get the joke, Autolycus. But I figure that I should be able to finish Anna Karenina by the time I leave, at the rate I’m reading.
Ben is now cracking lame jokes and being crazy as usual… so distracting. Not much to write about anyways…
The Genealogy of Jesus
Mt 1:1 A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Mt 1:2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,
Isaac the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
Mt 1:3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
Mt 1:4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Mt 1:5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
Mt 1:6 and Jesse the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,
Mt 1:7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
Mt 1:8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
Mt 1:9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
Mt 1:10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
Mt 1:11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
Mt 1:12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
Mt 1:13 Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
Abiud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
Mt 1:14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Eliud,
Mt 1:15 Eliud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Mt 1:16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
Mt 1:17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
I wondered about the significance of this genealogy and why Matthew and Luke put Jesus’ genealogy at the beginning of their books. I mean, one of the answers is obvious; to prove that Jesus was really from the root of Jesse and a son of David, especially since Matthew was writing to the Jews who were using the Old Testament prophecies as their point of reference.
It is interesting to note that the genealogy is divided into sections of 14. Certain names have been missed out, like an omission of three names in verse 8, and strictly speaking, there are only thirteen names in the third section, as Jeconiah was actually part of the second section before the exile to Babylon. But what’s significant about the number ‘14’? Well, from what I’ve read up, it stamps the name “David” on every section, for the value of the letters of David’s name in Hebrew (DVD) add up to 14. And one can always take the conventional interpretation as well, as 7 was considered a perfect number in Jewish custom. However, one must note that the word “father” in Hebrew is the same word as “forefather”, thus accounting for some of the names being omitted without messing the genealogy up too much.
What’s most fascinating for me is the inclusion of five women; well, more like four because Mary is a given. The four women were Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and the wife of Uriah. These women were all unattractive by orthodox Jewish standards.
Now Tamar, a Canaanite woman, was the daughter-in-law of Judah, as one can read in Genesis 38. Basically, she had been married to Judah’s first-born son, Er. Er died before having a son to carry on his name. According to the widespread practice of that day known as ‘levirate marriage’, it was the legal duty of a brother-in-law to provide a widow with a son bearing her first husband’s name and title. However, upon marrying Tamar, Onan, Judah’s second son, died too. Judah was unwilling to allow Shelah, his third son, to marry Tamar, as he was afraid that Shelah would die, effectively denying Tamar’s legal rights. Thus, Tamar took things into her own hands and disguised herself as a shrine prostitute, and Judah slept with her. Needless to say, her subsequent pregnancy was found out and she was going to be stoned, till she revealed who had slept with her; her father-in-law. She gave birth to twins.
Rahab was a prostitute and her story is told in Joshua 2. She helped hide the Israelite spies in her house when they were spying out Jericho. Consequently, she was saved when Jericho was destroyed and brought to the Israelite camp, where presumably, she married an Israelite of the tribe of Judah.
Ruth’s story is told in Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite. The Moabites were shunned by the Israelites and cursed by God (Numbers 24:17). Well, there’s no need to expound on a well-known story.
Uriah’s wife is otherwise known as Bathsheba. Ah, now I see the understanding dawn on your face. 2 Samuel 11 records David’s affair with her and the plot to murder her husband, Uriah the Hittite. Thus, one can assume that Bathsheba was not an Israelite, though her origins are never stated. Because of David’s adultery, her first child died, but after Uriah died in battle, David married her and she gave birth to Solomon.
So, all these women were foreigners and shunned by society. They had unpleasant and painful backgrounds; stories of sin and/or suffering. Unfortunate circumstances, to say the least. And yet, God still used them and worked with these people. God certainly works in mysterious and wonderful ways and brings good from what appears to be unsavoury situations. :) God doesn’t just use the righteous or the socially acceptable but He deigns to use those rejected by society. How much more vividly is this shown when He came down to Earth as a man?
Thou who was rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor;
Thrones for a manger didst surrender,
Sapphire-paved courts for stable floor.
Tho who wast rich beyond all splendour,
All for love’s sake becamest poor.Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest Man;
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heavenwards by Thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God beyond all praising,
All for love’s sake becamest Man.Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship Thee.
Immanuel, within us dwelling,
Make us what Thou wouldst have us be.
Thou who art love beyond all telling,
Saviour and King, we worship Thee.
-Frank Houghton.
Well, it’s Christmas in three days time. I’ve always looked forward to Christmas; with presents, Christmas lunch, crackers, carols; the works really. For me, one thing that marks the approach of this celebration is the start of Advent which means that my family starts our advent quiet time book. It’s always good to sit down together, as we do during Lent too, and read these devotionals and pray together. Once in a while, we might start singing too. I must say that my father has a fantastic voice. :)
As Advent marks the approach of the coming of our Lord and we prepare to celebrate His entrance into our world, we are reminded of His second coming in glory.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 paints an awe-inspiring picture:
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1Th 4:17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
It’s such wonderful news, isn’t it?
At the same time, a terrifying picture of the Day of Judgement is painted in Isaiah, along with countless other bible passages:
Isa 13:9 See, the day of the LORD is coming
—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate
and destroy the sinners within it.
Isa 13:10 The stars of heaven and their constellations
will not show their light.
The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light.
The Sheep and the Goats
Mt 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
Mt 25:32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
Mt 25:33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Mt 25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.
Mt 25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Mt 25:46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
The above passage always used to, and still does terrify me because I’ve always questioned what that would mean for me and whether I would be weighed and found wanting. It’s a scary thought. It always leaves me wondering if I would go through my life following God, or thinking that I am, to find out in the end, that I wasn’t.
I cannot tell how He will win the nations,
How He will claim His earthly heritage,
How satisfy the needs and aspirations
Of East and West, of sinner and of sage,
But this I know, all flesh shall see His glory,
And He shall reap the harvest He has sown,
And some glad day His sun shall rise in splendour
When He, the Saviour of the world is known.I cannot tell how all the lands shall worship,
When at His bidding, every storm is stilled,
Or who can say how great the jubilation
When all the hearts of men with love are filled.
But this I know, the skies will thrill with rapture
And myriad, myriad human voices sing,
And earth to heaven, and heaven to earth will answer;
At last the Saviour, Saviour of the world, is King!
-William Young Fullerton.
And yet, while we are filled with rapture and fear at the wonderful news, we are called to be on our guard for we do not know what time the Son of Man will arrive. Jesus himself didn’t know when He would return, only the Father knew. I’ve just realised that this supports the argument that Adam wasn’t all-knowing simply because he was the perfect man, but that’s another subject which I don’t really want to broach now.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Mt 25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Mt 25:2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
Mt 25:3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.
Mt 25:4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
Mt 25:5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
Mt 25:6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Mt 25:7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
Mt 25:8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
Mt 25:9 “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
Mt 25:10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Mt 25:11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
Mt 25:12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
Mt 25:13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Matthew 25:1-13
We don’t know when Christ will return, but when He does I want to be ready, don’t you? I saw an interesting t-shirt the other day. It read “Jesus is coming back! Look busy.” Well, looking busy is one thing, but being ready for Him is a completely different issue. But if we have the assurance, then we don’t have to worry. :) So in the words of John, we too can declare, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
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