Heaven (1) – Where Are They Now?

This is one of those Where-Were-You-When-It-Happened moments.

I was too young to understand the massive outpouring of grief when Elvis died.

But I did when Princess Diana passed away… the princess whose fairy-tale wedding was celebrated and whose death was mourned by millions around the world.

I could imagine how the fans felt with Michael Jackson’s demise.

Only a few days ago, another celebrity was added to the list of notable personalities whose passing could perhaps be deemed as premature. Whitney Houston was only 48.

There seemed to be some parallels between Whitney and Elvis.

Elvis Presley attended church as a child. Whitney Houston was raised as a Baptist.
Both rose to meteoric heights in the music industry because of their amazing voices.
Elvis used drugs; Whitney went down the same path as well.
Both died suddenly in their forties.

When Whitney made her debut, her clean-cut image and expressions of faith and gratitude to God were like a breath of fresh air.

I could only hope then that she would not fall into the trappings of fame and wealth.

But as we now know, it was not to be.

There was a torrent of tributes on various media, and I found this on the internet:

Also available on the internet was a mobile phone recording of Whitney’s last song in public. The song was “Yes, Jesus Loves Me”. It was not an official performance, but this may bear hope that despite what had happened in her life, she did find an opportunity to get right and restore her relationship with God while she still had the time.

Because of her Christian heritage, many naturally would think or want to believe that Whitney has gone home to be with the Lord.

Let’s hold that thought for now…

to be continued…

HOME

Years from now, would “Instagram moment” replace the “Kodak moment”, the latter being relegated as a relic in the darkroom?

A long, long time ago, I used to buy rolls and rolls of Kodak films for long holidays. Returning home, one of the first things was to hurry to the photo lab to develop the films. That was a rather costly exercise with no certain results, unlike what we could do now, take copious number of digital photos and load them into cyberspace. And if we really want to have a print copy, we can easily choose the best pictures.

Despite the transition to the digital age, I have developed a habit of internalising holiday memories. There was a line from an old Japanese series where the protagonist talked about capturing an important memory, “with all my might, I clicked the shutter in my heart”. And this was exactly what I did on the last nights of holidays… peered out of the hotel room and just took in the night skies and cityscape so that these became imprinted in my memory. Sometimes, I would just keep staring till the lights went off one by one in the surrounding buildings.

I could recall how I dreaded leaving Singapore on our first trip back home from Perth. On that last night, there was incessant clicking in my heart as I sought to capture and cling on to as many memories as I could. And so it was, for the second trip home, the third… and then the most recent trip…

Surprise… I didn’t do the usual lingering and longing shots of the last night. Sure, I was rapt by the magnificent panoramic view atop the Sands Skypark observation deck. But at the end of the holidays, I was longing to return home. Home… as in Perth…

Don’t get me wrong… Singapore will always be home. At this stage of my life, though, Perth is more of a home to me. It caused me to wonder… what has caused this transition? Maybe…

Home is where the eart is. I have grown to love my current city, embracing all its beauty and shortcomings. Yes, it is not exactly a “happening” place; the restricted shopping hours are ridiculous; it gets unbearably hot in summer (40+ degrees anyone?); the cost of living is rocketing skyward… but this is a landscape and lifestyle that I now cherish and enjoy… where I have built new relationships and where going to work amidst lovely people is more of a pleasure than pressure.

Home is where one has wnership. Travelling may be fun, but after a protracted period of living out of a suitcase, I just long to be back to my very own lot in this world, where all my belongings can be found. I can make as many clothing changes as I like simply because they are all there… everything is familiar, and arranged according to my needs and lifestyle.

Home is where aintenance is required of us. When we have a stake in something, we have the responsibility to carefully, conscientiously and consistently upkeep its condition. This may sound ironical, but I really hate housework. I would rather someone do this on my behalf. But then again, there is nothing like the satisfaction that one gets from accomplishing a gleaming mirror, a clean floor and a tidy house.

Home is where xtension and   xpansion can take place. A home is where one goes…

• Hmmm, this painting will go well on the feature wall.

• Oh, I’ve just found the perfect ornament to dress up this corner!

• Maybe it’s time for some renovations and home improvements?

 

I am quite sure that my conflicting desire, to either linger longer at a holiday destination or to return home, is nowhere as strong as the dilemma Paul faced:

I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far
Philippians 1:23

I just can’t say this in as much passion. Of course, I want to be homeward bound towards Heaven. But compare this to the excitement when one is planning towards a holiday? Or to the gladness in returning home for the real holiday, (i.e. rest)?

So where exactly is our spiritual home? Our spiritual address is actually determined by where we choose to reside on earth. Lot chose to set up his tents in Sodom (Genesis 13: 10 to 13), a land which appeared to be well irrigated and the better choice. But he ignored the fact that the people living in that land were wicked. A closer examination of our heart will help determine the latitude and longitude of where we have chosen set up home.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Luke 12:34

Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it:
‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Matthew 22:37 to 39

If our lives are cluttered with the affairs of this world, what we have actually inherited would be kept outside the door to our heart. When we do begin to grasp a little of what God has in store for us, the goals we have or the way we live will change very drastically.

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:2 to 3

so that, having been justified by his grace,
we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:7

and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:13 to 14

When we take on a vested stake in Heaven, we will be compelled to stick to the strict regime and discipline of maintaining our course and spiritual life. It is like how one would fork out the money to join a gym, in the hope that with that bit of ownership, there will be an impetus to continue with the program.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12 to 13

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

And not forgetting the most important thing… we are the very house where God dwells!

As you come to him, the living Stone
—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood,
offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:4 to 5

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them,
and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
John 14:23

For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
2 Corinthians 6:16b

Is God at home in us?

Origins

I guess Allan and I are still very much city folks, even though we have been closer to nature since we settled here in Perth.

It still fascinates us when we spot animals like horses, cows, sheep… which is fairly often as it is still a modest farming region where we live.

We get all excited when we see melons sitting on the sandy patch outside a shop or on the roadside. Oh… wow… that’s how they are grown!

Buying vegetables at the grocers’ or markets also brings fresh revelations of the actual forms of the produce before they become food on the dining table.

This reminds me of those childhood days when I used to go marketing with my aunt at the wet markets. There was a fascinating corner where hens… very much alive… were kept in cages. My aunt would pick one out (not sure how she chose), tell the hawker her choice, and he would retrieve it from the cage and go behind somewhere. As a kid, I had an inkling as to what had happened to that unfortunate hen, but wouldn’t dwell too much on animal rights especially when my aunt was such a good cook. The pots of chicken curry, the chicken rice, the deep fried chicken wings… sedap!

These days, I would prefer to buy meat that doesn’t look like their original form… better still if it comes diced, sliced, minced or even marinated. It still bothers me to see remnants of feathers on drumstick and wings… oh can’t these be plucked more thoroughly?! It’s also easier to buy vegetables in packaged or frozen form, hence eliminating the hassle of having to wash and remove traces of soil and bugs, and then to trim, chop, slice, julienne, dice, etc.

So yes, there is a tendency to want to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labour without the corresponding recognition of or interest in their origins.

Both our parents worked very hard in their youth and led a frugal lifestyle in order to give their next generation a better life.  Today’s environment may be tough, but just imagine those days when Singaporeans had to grapple with great uncertainties and unknown challenges that loomed ahead of the new-born nation. Up till now, despite a much improved financial situation, our parents continued the same simple lifestyles and would not bear to lavish creature comforts, good food and expensive holidays on themselves. It gives them more joy to indulge in their children and grandchildren. We are definitely enjoying the fruits of the pioneers’ labour.

I think about the origins of Evangelites who grew up or are now growing spiritually through the ministry of the church. For example, in the 80s, many teenagers and young adults came to the Lord through the ministry of Evangelism Explosion and the stirring two diagnostic questions.

Most did not come from a Christian family background. But we were brought back like lost sheep to the Good Shepherd. We had prayed to God that our parents would understand the decision we made. Raised on Godly principles and discipline, thriving on a healthy diet of the Word and exercise of faith, the young students and adults of those years saw the continual increase of God’s goodness and favour in their lives. We had prayed to God that we would pass our exams, with flying colours if we dare to ask for more. We had prayed for God’s wisdom to choose the right jobs. We had interceded with fervour for God to bless us with a spouse. We applied for a HDB flat, we started a new family, we continue to stamp our mark in this world…

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

Do you ever wondered how differently your life might have been if you had not taken the first step of accepting the Lord as your Saviour? Or how things might have changed if you had decided to stop being a follower, but to go your own way back into the world?

I just cannot picture how I could independently live a life that can be so easily rocked by life’s circumstances. How does it feel to rely just on my own resources to get through problems and issues, not knowing or being able to put one’s trust in the Omnipresent, Omniscient and Omnipotent God?

Not sure if it is a sign of our age, but Allan and I reflect a lot more these days. Evangel has done Reflection as a CG group, and it’s a beautiful to see people deep in thoughts, meditating on the Word and their lives.

We retrace some of the footprints behind us by going through past diary entries and old photos and compare these to the present. There is also a thanksgiving “scroll” on the fridge to record our gratitude and thanks to the Lord for His blessings and divine intervention.  It never fails to make us marvel at how we have progressed and how God has positioned us in His blueprint in such amazing ways.

Origins…

We did not start out as finished and flawless products. We were but dust. We have a sinful nature and we were meant for destruction. But despite this, God redeems us and restores us to His original design. His faithfulness and goodness continue to follow us all the days of our lives. This definitely gives us confidence in moving forward for the future.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Genesis 1:26 to 27

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.  But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Titus 3:3-7

For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.
Psalm 71:5

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,
and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:7-8

Royalty and VIP

So the Queen came to Perth.

In fact, she came within walking distance of me (um, that is if I would take the trouble to walk about 20 minutes to the main road, cross the road to the opposite college and stand together with a large contingent of police and onlookers to catch a fleeting glimpse of the queen as her motorcade zipped through the driveway.

If I had done so, the best part of the above would have been the exercise from the walk, rather than coming as close to royalty as I possibly could in my life time.

We wondered if the queen had ever stepped foot in Singapore, and found out that she actually did, a year after the very first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was held in Singapore in 1971. But I guess both of us were really too young then and probably more excited about the arrival of the first McDonald’s in Singapore in 1979. I can still remember my first bite of Filet-O-Fish!

There were other opportunities to catch a glimpse of royalty. We could go line up along other roads where her motorcade would travel. We could jostle with the crowds over the weekend for the big Aussie barbecue held in her honour. We could, but there wasn’t much of a reason to. Singapore declared independence from British rule on 31 August 1963. While Australia remains a constitutional monarchy, amidst continuous debates about whether the country should become a republic, we have never considered the British monarchy to be our rulers on a personal level.

Prior to the Queen’s visit to Perth, the churches jointly organised a Church Together 2011 event on 23 October. We were much keener to go for this event especially when Tony Campolo was the key speaker. Allan had read many of his books, and I especially remember seeing the book It’s Friday, But Sunday’s Comin’ on his bookshelf at the beginning of our courtship. He still has this book.

In the end, we did not attend this either, primarily because of the location. We would have gone if the venue was in a more accessible and safer area, but that place was already booked up for the CHOGM event.

Quite disappointing… we seemed to be missing out on Christian “royalty” and “VIPs” for some reason or other. When we visited Hillsong Church in Castle Hill in 2003, Darlene Zschech seemed to have flown to Singapore for a conference. When Darlene came to Metrochurch in Perth for the Just Worship 2009 event, we couldn’t quite make it.

But it’s never about personalities in God’s eyes.

To round up the September sermon theme of Healed and Whole, the church had set aside a period of fasting. We could fast anything from sweets, the internet, etc… basically things that we held dearly and would give up during the fasting period, backed up in prayer for the healing service at the end of the month.

Pastor Geoff shared with the church that he had considered inviting a guest speaker, possibly someone with a prominent and proven ministry in healing for the healing service. In the end, he decided against it. He also told the congregation in the morning that there was no need to feel especially holy or different, or to be extra charged up for the evening service. It was not about the guest speaker. It was not about a particularly charged-up congregation. It was about a body of believers who had committed the night in prayer, and a simple faith that God is the Healer and that His power will be evident in the service.

The good news reports are still coming in from the ministry of the evening service. No fanfare… no hype… just people allowing and trusting God to perform the miracles without human “help”.

Of course, on a practical level, it is inevitable that events are published with the biggest fonts reserved for the most important guests. God would probably have designed the banners and posters very differently.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts…”
Isaiah 55:8 to 9

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.  Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him.  Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
Luke 9:46 to 48

So really, I am already among the Christian VIPs and royalty every Sunday. These are the behind-the-scene brothers and sisters who:

• set up the sound and video
• lend a listening ear
• clean the church
• reach out to the community
• intercede for the church
• fold the bulletin

The recognition system certainly works very differently in the Kingdom of God. This is an account of a very important person in His eyes:

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor.  About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.  Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive.  This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord.

Acts 9:36 to 42

I want my garlic and leeks!

Loud screams of alternating elation and despair punctured the normal quiet of the neighbourhood. Neighbours might have thought someone desperately needed help. But they would understand.

It was the preliminary finals round of the Australian Football League (AFL) after all.

Western Australia has two teams in the AFL, the more established West Coast Eagles and the newer and so-called poor man club of Fremantle Dockers. Allan supports the former, while I somehow prefer the Dockers. Our loyalties would therefore differ in a western derby, which is the game where the Eagles and Dockers are drawn to play against each other.

Anyway, both of us do cheer the home teams on in any game, especially against those “snobby” ones from the east coast of Australia. The game originated in the state of Victorian, and the Victorian teams tend to do really well in the game given their tradition, history and resources.

How different was it years ago when we used to scoff at the game of Australian football. We were both fans of the English Premier League (EPL), and coincidentally, also fans of the same football club, Liverpool. I used to watch a lot of soccer as a teen, especially the weekend roundup of the game. Liverpool, in its better days, boasts great players like Kenny Daglish, Graeme Souness, Ian Rush, Paul Walsh, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen. They did reasonably well despite having an eccentric and erratic goalie in Bruce Grobbelaar (who had no chance of becoming Spiderman with his slippery grasp). It was quite a pity that Kevin Keegan had left the club before I took an interest in soccer. Needless to say, the other team with the red jersey was regarded as a perennial enemy!

On the world stage, my favourite teams are France (especially the one captained by Michel Platini), Brazil (the squad comprising Socrates and Zico) and England (always).

Over the years, I became less engaged with the game. This could be attributed to the fact that my favourite teams had not done very well, or the need to pay in order to watch the significant games, or perhaps I had just acquired new interests.

Still, when we first settled in Australia, I would turn my nose up at Australian football, thinking that it paled against the beautiful game that is soccer. The strategic built-up, team play and the individual skills are just a joy to watch. Allan was the first to take an active interest in AFL and he began to support the Eagles. As he watched the games, I also began to pick up some of the rules and look beyond what I had perceived as the “brutal simplicities” of the sport. It helped that the Dockers had a very interesting “Fred Flintstone” of a coach at that time. I was expecting him to do his best impressions of the stone-age character during a match.

In the 2010 to 2011 seasons of the AFL, both of us really stepped up our support, particularly as both the local teams had taken turns to do really well in the competition. We began to know the players’ names and also acquired some favourites in the process.

My favourite player so far is someone who we termed the “most irritating little forward” in the league. Hayden Ballantyne is notorious for getting under the skin of his opponents, but yet skilful enough to score stunning goals.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/fremantles-hayden-ballantyne-distracts-sydney/story-e6frf9jf-1226096384558

Back to the screaming, oh well, I was just being anxious that the opponent was catching up with the Eagles with three quick successive goals in injury time. The score was narrowed to a two-point difference (each goal is equivalent to six points) and if the final siren had not sounded, the Eagles might lose the game and the opportunity to advance to the quarter finals.

So yes, I do enjoy the AFL now and have a more vested interest in the teams. I love the game for being fast-pacing, heart-pounding and high-scoring. So much so that I sometimes find the slow built-up of some soccer games rather boring.

A group of Israelites found themselves making comparisons with their EPL of yore and the AFL of the present. They complained about not being able to eat garlic and onions, which sounded strange even to a fan of the bulbs, such as I.

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
Numbers 11:4 to 6

Apparently, all those hardships, deprivations and oppressions meant nothing as long as they can eat their bawang-bawang. They could also eat things like fish at no cost (really?)

Oh well, but I cannot really judge, can I? It’s quite likely that if I was in that crowd, I might complain about the lack of onions in the manna (by the way, prata with egg and onion is the best breakfast one can ever have!)

We sometimes have the tendency to look upon the past with rose-tinted glasses.

      Oh, how good was our last work place

…yes, and why did we decide to leave?

                The last car was far more fuel-efficient

…but the new one has gotta the power!

I miss the good ol’ days

…do you really want to go back there?

If our Christian life is to be a journey, we do have to keep moving on from one point to the next. The only constant in the ever-changing landscape of life is ourselves and what we decide to bring along for the trip. It’s like packing for a holiday… we could keep our luggage light so that there is space to accommodate new things that we might pick up at the next destination. You won’t want to lug along your bed, pillows, furniture, whatever, just so that the familiar stays with you.

So perhaps, we need to maintain an open heart, great anticipation, high expectations and sheer excitement about our Christian journey. Of course, we need to temper this with contentment, a malleable mindset to be abased and to abound. But really, sometimes we just miss the sparks that we could have ignited in a new phase, an unfamiliar environment, a different financial position, an unwanted situation, etc, just because we are busy dousing it with regrets and sentimental reminiscence.

Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18 to 19

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13 to 14

Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:62

Are you moving but not moving on?

Father to the fatherless

The first two Sundays of September had been quite an emotional journey.

3 September 2011

The theme for September in Metrochurch is “Healed and Whole”, which covers aspects such as mental and emotional health, family wholeness, etc. In Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, and this effectively kicked off the sermon series for the month. On this occasion, the church was transformed into a scary neighbourhood, with the most frightening characters ushering and collecting offering. The ushers were virtually unrecognisable with their temporary tattoos, hoodie, rapper getup and massive gold chains.

The special musical presentation was a rap written to celebrate the role of men in families and societies.

We had a really good laugh, especially with the incorporated ‘live’ performance, but any mirth was soon silenced with the message. The guest speaker shared with us his compassion and mission for the children in Haiti, who were affected by the massive 2010 earthquake in Haiti. You know how “crisis” can translate into “opportunity”… but the human traffickers knew this as well.

Before any humanitarian aid can be organised, the human traffickers were already there on the ground, taking the children away to be child slaves. In fact, child slavery is actually the norm in Haiti… even pastors have child slaves working in their homes. The speaker could foresee the anarchy and social issues in the country when the child slaves, many of whom are denied education and proper care within a family structure, grow up in a few decades’ time. He was to return a year later, to challenge the Haitian church into spearheading a change where child slavery is no longer to be condoned.

Do we share the heart of the Father, who champions the cause of the weak?

Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.  Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come!
Matthew 18:4 to 7

Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
Isaiah 1:17

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27

11 September

Ten years ago on this day, we had just got home from Tuesday prayer meeting… turned on the television for the news and… We were to stay riveted to the continuous news stream about the plane crash into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York.

Just as the horror was about to sink in, ‘live’ news feed came in that the South Tower was hit as well.

Both of us couldn’t sleep very well that night.

Can’t believe that it’s been ten years since that tumultuous event… One of the features that was shown in the lead-up to the tenth anniversary was “Children of 9/11”. Most of the children featured had lost their dads; the kids were either very young or not born at that time. It was really heart-breaking to see how they treasured their dads’ memories through the home videos, photos and other keepsakes. For the older kids who could vividly recall the chain of events, their lives took a drastic turn and it is evident that they still hold the emotional wounds and trauma ten years on. I wonder how different their lives would have been if their dads were still around to celebrate their birthdays, academic and sporting achievements, college graduation, and even wedding down the road. There is a gaping vacuum in each of the family photos.

‘I have tried to teach my brother all the things my father taught me. How to catch a baseball, how to ride a bike and to work hard in school,’ said Peter Negron, 21, whose dad, also called Peter, died at the World Trade Center.

Life has now partly moved on for the young Peter who said that at the 2003 memorial to those who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks, he had read a poem ‘about how bad I wanted to cry.’ Now he is in college, and training to be a forensic scientist, he told the crowd gathered for Sunday’s emotional remembrance at Ground Zone as he read out his father’s name just steps from where he died.

But the 9/11 attacks robbed Peter Negron forever of countless moments he could have shared with his dad.

‘I wish my dad had been there to teach me how to drive, ask a girl out on a date, and see me graduate from high school and 100 other things I can’t even begin to name … I miss you so much, dad.’

2000 over years before 9/11, an even more momentous event took place. There was no media coverage, no news feed on Facebook, no tweets… but the account was captured in the Word, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. It was about a Father who made the ultimate sacrifice out of agape.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18

On this 10th anniversary of 9/11, we had two guest speakers who spoke about their childhood in Australia. One of them was conceived out of wedlock and was almost aborted as a result. His parents eventually divorced and he has since had the privilege of a good step-father who loves him unreservedly. The other speaker’s father was an alcoholic who physically and sexually abused his children. She eventually fell pregnant, and did not know who the father might be… it could be her boyfriend… or her own father. The two broken individuals somehow met, and just months into their relationship, went on a road trip to meet up with some other friends.

These friends had just been saved, and they were glowing with the testimony of having entered into a relationship with God. She had attended a Methodist church as a kid and her heart was hungry and open for God. He, on the other hand, was angry at his friends’ conversion and transformation. Particularly as he had brought along a crate of beer but his good ol’ mates would not partake with him. But God’s presence filled the car of this atheist and he also gave his heart to the Lord eventually.

He was recently reunited with his biological dad who put out a notice through the Salvation Army to look for him. He first sought the permission of his step-father, who had absolutely no issue with this and even paid for his passage to meet up with his biological dad. Though he brought photo albums for the catch-up, his own dad could no longer see, blinded with diabetes and robbed of all his possessions by his step-children from a subsequent marriage.

She had prayed in her younger days for God to give her a good family of her own; otherwise she would have given in to her suicidal thoughts. God has also blessed her with a reunion of her firstborn, whom she had given up for adoption so that he could grow up in a wholesome family. Mother and son have now become fast friends.

This couple are actively involved in pastoring and church ministry. Despite their bad start and broken lives, God has given them a fresh beginning with their own Christ-centred family. It continues to be a journey, for which the destination is a bonus.

All this is possible because of God, their heavenly Father. Biological fathers will fail but our Heavenly Father is steadfast, loving and omnipresent.

Though my father and mother forsake me,
the LORD will receive me.
Psalm 27:10

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads out the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Psalm 68: 4 to 6

Loaded and Laden

I am so loaded!

Hehe, only if my junk is worth its weight and bulk in gold.

I am inclined to think that hoarding useless things and keeping memories in physical forms is in my DNA. My dad once happily showed off a pair of kid’s shoes, still in very good condition. Nope, they did not belong to his grandchildren but to my eldest brother. No wonder I still have my primary school essays, secondary school magazines, auditing textbooks and references, lugging them from house to house and even overseas.

“…It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) and if I could paraphrase that in another dimension, it is also more blessed to throw than to keep.

For those with a propensity to keep rather than throw things, you will understand the constant dilemma. To throw or not to throw? This is where Murphy’s Law tends to operate, the moment you find the resolve to throw something out is the moment that you suddenly realise that it is actually useful. To keep means that you will have to organise the clutter to make it look um, less cluttered…so you buy more boxes to put the junk in… then you install more shelves to put the boxes on… then you build more rooms to house the shelves in… Uh-oh, that sounds dangerously similar to the fool who embarked on building bigger barns in Luke 12:13 to 21!

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matthew 6:19 to 20

I had the opportunity for a big spring clean recently and out went piles and piles of treasured trash, now either yellowed with age, mouldy, or space-consuming but serving no purpose. I must confess that there are some things that I still find it hard to discard, and my resolve to continue to reduce the junk and trash has wavered. It is an on-going battle against my nature.

The experience has certainly dissuaded me from shopping. Do I really need another bag? Is it necessary at all to build up a video library? Is there a better use for my money?  I am just bewildered at the things I bought in the past, many of which were long forgotten in deep storage.

I have to say that it’s very liberating to offload and de-clutter. Sometimes it feels like there is a stab to the heart… will I miss this? But when the things are thrown into the bin, any emotional engagement is but over.

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
Ecclesiastes 3:5 to 6

What is even more worrying is spiritual clutter, as this has eternal implications and could change the course and outcome of our Christian journey. Spiritual clutter can embitter, enslave and entrap, weigh us down, slow us to a halt, and turn us away from our heavenward goal.

It is very vital that we check our heart and mind. Do we regularly spring clean our spiritual entity and fill it with the presence of God? Is there dust of neglect and carelessness? Are there cobwebs of unforgiveness? Is there a skeleton in the closet?

Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
Psalm 119:37

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us
Hebrews 12:1

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

Are you up for the challenge of de-cluttering?

Clear the clutter and make room for God!

I’m a blogger!!!

I’ve wanted to start a blog for some time.

It was going to be a food blog (surprise, surprise).

But with most of my plans, procrastination often stops the translation of good intentions into action. Like a stubborn donkey, I need to be pulled, pushed, plodded before I would shake off inertia.

Recently, I took the plunge and upgraded my office computer to Windows 7 and Office 2010. It was hard setting up all the other applications again, and customising the settings to my preference. But I love the change!

So I am very grateful for yet another opportunity to upgrade myself in terms of IT knowledge and usage. CSS and HTML can be so fun.

So here is my current status, I’m now a blogger!