Occasional Green Pastures and Quiet Waters

My beloved peers, and juniors,

I write this to you as a reminder and as an encouragement, to see what we have lost, to realise how far we have fallen. To then get up, and together, head towards the light.

We as a people, have become foreign to laying out premises, and become strangers to sound arguments based on logic. Having invested so much emotion and energy into our beliefs, we have become overly protective of them, hardening our ears and minds to the joy of sound debate. Instead, we have dismissed debates and arguments as 'divisive', and have secured our fragile beliefs as 'taboo' or 'sensitive'. Any attempt to debate merely crumbles into base mudslinging. We have, with increasing measure, turned in and gazed inwardly at ourselves. In doing so, we have while mouthing sweet phrases such as 'diversity' and 'tolerance', have become monsters of our own making - blind, and unable to see beyond our own bellybutton. We have scorned the efforts of those who have dedicated years of learning to a subject matter, insisting with all insolence that our 'expert' opinions are of the same weight and authority. We all have rejected all authority and sense with clever words like 'who are you to judge me?!', and made ourselves the sole authority and judge over everyone else. Yet we pause not to think of the consequences of having so many authorities, all 'wrong', yet all 'right' at the same time. Dark days are here, where everyone will do what is right in their own sight.

Listen to Sophia. She is crying out in the streets, in the marketplace she raises her voice. At the head of the noisy streets she cries out, at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

Let us gird ourselves, my brothers and sisters. Gird ourselves with a brave heart, and a love for truth. Be brave and challenge the ideas you hold dearly with logical debate as the Ancient Greeks were so fond of doing. Be even braver still to admit that you could very well be wrong, or that you be found lacking, and your belief found ridiculous at the end of a good debate. Pride yourselves in being lovers, not of the women you objectify, but of truth. In trusting that there is true truth to be found, we can examine our beliefs with great candour, exchanging them if necessary, for a better, more truer one, in journey to find that truth. It is completely all right to be wrong, but not foolish.

Before we tear apart our communities through our increasing inward gaze, destroying relationships between father and son, mother and daughter, ruler and subject, teacher and student, neighbour and neighbour, friend and friend. Stop before we estrange ourselves from all those around us, retarding our progress in the sciences and the arts (I would think these pursuits work best when seeking to benefit a community), furthering the cultural divide between races and creeds, and eventually leading to the destruction of our civilisation.

Do so before Sophia says to us:

I'm going to cover several topics in today's post, hence the generic title.

First of is the completion of my undergraduate thesis. I think thanks are well deserved for several individuals, namely my mother, who stayed up with me and fed me through out my last leg. Her provision of moral support had been undeniably critical in times when I felt like just burning my computer. Jeremy, I owe you one for saving my ass in stats. Other shout outs go to Daryll, Kevin, and Rowen, who were great help in data collection. Also, to the congregation of SMACC1 and 2 for being such willing participants.

Next up is a preview of harvests to come in the vegetable plot I've been working on at the Nathaniel residence. The sole brinjal plant has begun bearing fruit, after such a long wait, and here is a picture of the first of many to come.

This one's rather small, and honestly, quite disappointing, but what can you expect from local brands. The carrots are coming along pretty well, though slower than I'd hope for it to be growing. I guess the instant life has got to me. The dill has bolted and since gone to seed. I think I'll dig it up once I'm back in KL.

Did I also mention that I may be moving? I've been staying with Mr. and Mrs. Colonel for far too long. Their goodwill (not taking rent, feeding me, and even taking me out for movies) is making me feel rather bad for staying so long. They're really a super nice couple, they are. I've managed to find a small, but cosy house tucked away in PJ. It's quite run down at the moment, but if I should rent the place, the owner has promised to spruce it up. There isn't much of a backyard, but the front is quite promising. I'm wondering if I should have the rambutan tree uprooted and plant vegetables there or leave it for the fruit, and rear rabbits for meat instead. I suspect it may be rabbits, since I'm already running the garden at the Nathaniels. What do you think?

And here's a shot of a little fella who crawled up my arm while I was sprucing up the vegetable plot after the digging. Now off to bed so I can rouse in time for my taiqi.

I had it all planed out: 3 subjects last term, 4 this term, leaving me free to start work by the end of this term. But no, my anthropology lecturer had to fail me. Now I am one paper short of graduation. How am I supposed to start work with one more class left to take? How am I going to face the barrage of 'you should have's from my parents?

It was supposed to be a first year paper. Nothing too hard. I did not expect a heavily biased, uncouth, temperamental lecturer. But maybe I'm just biased because he failed me, or I think I'm un-fail-able. But looking at my track record, I don't think my work is that bad. I don't see how I can score below 49% on my paper at all. Problem is, I can't prove anything since it was all subjective papers.

Regardless, what has been done, has been done. I believe God is still in control despite my failures, and will work in spite of it for my sanctification, whether I like the process or not.

Everyone has their own dreams. So dream of becoming rich, others want to be notable figures in society. My brother has always wanted to be a soldier and he's working hard to achieve that dream. I really admire his tenacity in holding on to his dream.
I on the other hand have changed ambitions like I change underwear. I started off wanting to become an archaeologist, then it was a hacker. In secondary school, I was bitten by the green bug and I thought I'd be a farmer. It wasn't difficult to envision myself standing in the middle of a field, under the bright sun, overlooking all my crops. Reality kicked in when I got a C for biology. haha. While waiting to leave for Japan, I filled up my time with cooking. Dish after dish, I slaved at the stove. While in Japan, I made up my mind that one day I would be a chef and open my very own restaurant.
Some how along the way, I ended up reading psychology. Its not that I don't like what I'm doing now, but it is pretty funny to see how I've changed over the years. Now as I have entered a phase of theological interest, I'm considering seminary as well. I understand full well that I don't necessarily have to graduate from seminary to serve, but it would be pretty helpful to have a more comprehensive understanding of scripture.
It would be rather interesting to see what I would end up as in the future. A cooking-gardening-ruin digging-pastor? Now that would be a thought. haha.
Then again, as Mom always says, one has to be realistic. I can't believe I'm actually quoting her. There will be a family to think about in the future. House mortgages, car loans, school fees, utility bills... How will I ever be able to support my family?
Then again, I find great comfort in what Jesus told his disciples:

Ahh... sweet relief at last! It has been like a fart that has been building up, and finally released (^^) No more lectures, no more homework, unlimited fun ( and possible boredom ), until I register for uni, that is.

1. Sleeping in class ( Bad habit I picked up in Japan )
2. Not doing ANY homework ( ...that's been around since primary school )
3. Ignoring all the potential girlfriends around me (^-^) ( Glad I'm still ..ahem...free)
4. Not bothering getting to know people ( Gets me every time...)
5. Being so sarcastic ( too damn sour for my own good )
6. Not studying hard ( ah... no comment )
7. Not doing crazy stuff ( I guess I'm saving up for uni )
8. Not hanging out with classmates more often( now I know why I talk to my wall (^-^) )
9. Taking Accounting ( don't know what made me do it... )
10. Not bursting into tears during my final moments in college ( haha...like I would (^-^) )
11. Not dislocating the arm of a certain annoying musclehead ( it was sooooo tempting... It was just a little bit more....)

1. Continuing singing though I suck ( was fun being in MAD )
2. Meeting all those wonderful people eg. Nick, KG, Bell, Becky, Michelle, Sam Bong, Sheng Yi, Sam Leong, Wen Jo, Xin Ying, Yoong Jie, Krystal, Dennis, Daryl, Joseph, Cassandra, Melanie, Joanna, Rachel, Elizabeth, Snokee, Vanessa, Hong Chin, Nigel, Alex, Mei Xin, Clarissa, Bernard, and the list rolls on (^-^)
3. Playing sniper in English class ( used 24mm sarcasm rounds )
4. Leading morning devotion ( only once though )
5. Leading CF ( also only once )
6. Performing for Barbecue Night ( Thanks for forcing me to, Bell!)
7. Getting to meet Hitler, Pearly, Desiree, Zorro, and Mom
8. Learning how to write a program in QBasic
9. Honing my cooking skills ( inevitable when living alone )
10. Visiting the "special" kids for my community service ( they actually are geniuses in thier own way)
11. Performing for the 25th Anniversary Dinner
12. Taking Economics ( Now I can complain in detail about the way the country is being managed )
13. Not dislocating the arm of a certain annoying musclehead ( My parents would kill me if I got expelled... )

1. Taking my finals
2. Staying single
3. Not growing spiritually
4. Becoming a crabby old man in a house on a hill

Genesis 24

11And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.
12And he said O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
13Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:
14And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master.
15And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.





Weell... This is the closest I can get to telling what's going on in my life without embarrassing myself thoroughly...(^.^)/
Slept late last night...This morning actually...Stayed up playing a Plant Tycoon 60min demo. I wonder why I even bother playing something i'd never be able to complete nor continue after an hour.... Its arare litus (-.-;) But I still did...
Woke up early to prepare...ahem...breakfast, then jogged off to college. Later today I'll be co-leading CF worship for the 1st time in my life! *Yeah!!*
Whatever the matter is, I'm dead tired... The zombie walks again!!!
Off to catch some z's (-.-)z (If its even possible in this horribly noisy lounge...)