A Skeptics Quest

SG found this interesting article on the Internet while doing some homework for the upcoming Seekers Forum. Very interesting. Below is an extract & some after-thoughts.


~~~Extract~~~~~
.....THE SEARCH BEGINS

So I started looking for answers. Now, where I was brought up, a lot of people had religion. So I took off on religion. I was involved in it morning, afternoon, and night. But I must have gone to the wrong church because I actually felt worse.

Next I thought, "Well, maybe education is the answer." So I enrolled in the university. I was probably the most unpopular student with the professors in the first university I went to in Michigan. I wanted answers.

My economic theory professor could tell me how to make a better living, but he couldn't tell me how to live better. It didn't take me long to realize that a lot of faculty members, and students too, had more problems, less meaning to life, and more frustration than I did.

Then I thought, "Maybe prestige is the answer." Find a "calling" and give your life to it. So I ran for various student body offices and got elected. It was neat - knowing everyone on campus, making decisions, spending other people's money to do what I wanted. I enjoyed it.

But every Monday morning I woke up the same individual, usually with a headache because of the night before, with the same attitude, "Well, here we go again for another five days." Monday through Friday I sort of endured. Happiness revolved around three nights a week: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Then I'd start the whole cycle again.

Eventually I became frustrated. I doubt if too many students in the universities of our country have been more sincere in trying to find meaning and truth and power and purpose in life than I was, yet I hadn't found it.

WHAT'S WITH THESE PEOPLE?

About that time, around the campus I noticed a small group of people ñ eight students and two faculty. There was something different about their lives. They seemed to have direction. They seemed to know where they were going, and that was very unusual......

Rest of Article:
http://www.greatcom.org/resources/toughquestions/skepticsquest.pdf


~~~After-Thoughts~~~~~

1. Live out a live reflecting Christ & people will be drawn naturally.
2. Intellectual conviction is essential but insufficient for conversion; supernatural courage is essential in final step.
3. Faith is key to miracles.

Christmas Party 24 Dec 06

This year, our care/cell group is participating in a cooking competition at the combined Christmas party.

Our people hard at work

Beautifying our main dish...

Our main dish- Prawns Mango Salad

Appetiser - Tomato Baked Beans & Prawns!

After the hard work, it's time to relax. Here's our whole care/cell..

while the others still sweat it out in the kitchen...

...and in the hall too.

All food onboard!

Zhihao trying his best to rescue his 'marriage-not-colourful' speech

Karen adding to the PSI for the night

Enough talk, let's tuck in!!

Sunny announcing the cooking competition results

Caroling led by Wilson

The whole gang giving their attention

Our song birds

What are thes people singing about?

The End

Watch The Lamb

It's Christmas, so time to begin with the end in mind....

Watch The Lamb
Ray Boltz

Walking On the Road
To Jerusalem,
The time had come to sacrifice,
Again,
My two small sons,
They walked beside me down the road,
The reason that they came,
Was to watch the lamb...
And they said,

"Daddy daddy,
What will we see there,
There's so much that we don't understand,"
So I told them of Moses,
And Father Abraham,
And I said dear children,
"Watch the lamb....

There will be so many,
In Jerusalem today,
We must be sure this little lamb,
Doesn't run away,"
And I told them of Moses,
And Father Abraham,
And I said "Dear children,
Watch the lamb...."

When we reached the city,
I knew something must be wrong,
There were no joyful worshippers there,
No joyful worship songs,
And I stood there,
With my children,
In the midst of angry men,
Then I heard a crowd cry out,
"Let's Crucify Him!"

We tried to leave the city,
But we could not get away,
Forced to play in this drama,
A part I did not want to play,
Why upon this day were men condemned to die,
Why were we standing right here,
Where soon they would pass by,

I looked and I said,
"Even now they come,"
The first one cried for mercy,
The people gave him none,
The second one was violent,
He was arrogant and loud,
I can still hear his angry voice,
Screaming at the crowd,

Then someone said,
"There's Jesus,"
I scarce believed my eyes,
A man so badly beaten,
He barely looked alive,
[ these lyrics found on http://www.completealbumlyrics.com ]
Blood poured from His body,
From the thorns on His brow,
Running down the cross,
And falling to the ground,

I watched as He struggled,
And I watched Him when He fell,
The cross came down upon His back,
And the crowd began to yell,
In that moment I felt such agony,
In that moment I felt such loss,
Till the roman soldier grabbed my arm and screamed,
"YOU! Carry his cro-----------ss!"

At first I tried to resist him,
But his hand reached for his sword,
So I knelt and I took
The cross from the Lord
I put it on my shoulders
We started down the street
And the blood that He'd been shedding,
Was running down my cheeck...

They led us to Golgatha
They drove nails,
Deep in His feet and hands,
And on the cross,
I heard him pray,
"Father, forgive them..."
Never have I seen such love
In any other eyes
"Into thy hands I commit my spirit,"
He prayed,
And then He died.

I stood for what seemed like years,
I lost all sense of time,
Then I felt two tiny hands
Holding onto mine
My children stood there weeping,
And I heard the oldest say
"Father please forgive us,
The lamb,
Ran away...

Daddy daddy,
What've we seen here,
There's so much that we don't understand,"
So I took them in my arms,
We turned and faced the cross
And I said
"Dear children
Watch the----- la-----mb..."


Some ask SG why he chose such a common name 'Simon' for his Christian name.

A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced
him to carry the cross. ~Mark 15:21~

Amazing Art

These are photos of a sculpture in mid-air in a Christchurch museum. Very interesting. If you walk around it, the house seems to change shape. Simple art. Why can't we have more similar art in Singapore?

Joy

SG was inspired by Sunday's sermon titled Gifted to Build by Pastor Jeff. Since a while heard a heart-touching moments, esp when simple people share on their life. Well done!!

So, SG also intends to share his simple story so far. Simple formula. Believe most world-changing formulae are always simple, easy to remember, yet powerful....

Another Interview with God

http://www.christiananswers.net/courtesy-interview.html

Feet Washer Wanted

Feet Washers wanted

Able to face difficult and unforgiving customers
Regular rewards and renumeration uncertain
Ranging from daily disappointments
To occasional glimpses of human greatness
But eternal payout assured
Ability to Lead By Example critical
Must be independent worker
Yet able to submit to supreme authority

Demonstrate ability to love stubborn stake holders
Perseverance and teach-ability most essential qualities
Physical and hardship common in workplace
Huge risk of being misunderstood
Multiple heart break guarantee

No prior experience require
Only God lovers need apply

Feet Washers wanted

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After Jesus had washed his disciples' feet and had put his outer garment back on, he sat down again. Then he said: "Do you understand what I have done? You call me your teacher and Lord, and you should, because that is who I am. And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them." ~John 13:12-17

Jamming

The story goes that Karen was picking up keyboard again. So SG bought her a Yamaha keyboard from Yahoo Auction for her birthday present. Then, Evelyn also got a new one for Joel. And Junming (aka Tiger) was also learning. The idea of having a jamming session, to play & have fun was floated!

Last Sat, our very first jamming session was held!! Yeahhhh....

Lots of fun. Here are some photos....

And an interesting toy from Bangkok from Priscilla. Think it's some form of plastic toy with liquid in it. You threw on the floor and it looks like a squashed tomato, but after a few seconds, will 'recover' back to a tomato.

And nice desserts from Karen, who learns it from her friend in her Nestle. Milo jelly!! Yummyy.... Very new dessert. SG also cooked his fav ginko nuts & barley (not in photo though)...

SG's Testimony 22 Oct 06

(Spoken during Sunday services at Hope Church Singapore)

Hi! My name is Soo Guan or Simon, and I am working as an IT Network engineer. Today, I am here to tell you a love story.

The story started many moons ago, when someone gave me a love letter in Junior College 1. The impression I had then was “Wow, someone can love me so much!” But the culture was very foreign to me. So, I said to myself, “I believe in God but I can’t accept His love”

The second encounter I had with this love was about 10 years later, when a friend gave me a Bible for Christmas. After reading the first few chapters, I was very disturbed by the violence documented, including incidents whereby God told the Israelites to kill people. So, again I ran away.

The third time I was touched by His love was Easter 2003. I attended a friend’s church where they put up a drama about the last day of Jesus’ life. I was very touched by it. So began a year of questioning.

I attended church services intermittently, but was only drawn to the sermons and not the praise-worship songs. You see, I am a very rational person. And the first impression I have about Christians’ faith is that it has no place for reason!

During this period, I asked many challenging questions (e.g. in the Old Testament, God stated many laws. How come we are not obeying all of them today? Who decide? Church leaders?). I like to use this opportunity to thank people in my care group then, especially Joel & Evelyn, who explained patiently & bear with my tough questions.

During a tough time in 2004, I was really, really down. I challenged Jesus, “You show me the way you want me to go, and I’ll follow”. The very next day, I attended a friend’s church service where the pastor preached about taming our tongues from the book of James. He mentioned that “many times, when people went forward for altar calls, they were very passionate in front of God. But a few weeks later, all was forgotten.” He reminded us not to promise things to God casually/offhandedly. And when we did, we must honour them. I took it that God was reminding, “Remember what you promise me the day before?”!! So, I promised myself not to take my promise lightly.

From then on, I searched more about His love in my heart rather than in my head. So instead of the conventional method of “Seeing is Believing”, I tried “Believing is Seeing”. I believed that God did something in between, because after 3 months or so, I decided to follow Him. I went for my water baptism in May 2003 as a show of my love for Him publicly. I chose “Simon” as my Christian name, after the only man who carried Jesus’ cross.

I made the choice because someone else chose to love me even before I know Him; because He loved me before I love Him.

Many moons later, I still have tons of unanswered questions. But I believe that He will reveal more to me in His time. I can understand the Bible better, especially when I use both my mind and my heart to unearth the treasures within. When I open my heart, the knowledge will just come. I’ll end this love story with a verse from Matthew 10:38-39, which spoke to me during my search many moons ago:

Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

I wish you “Happy Cross Carrying”!

Wedding Stuff

SG was house-keeping his computer & came across several good websites on wedding he found last year. So want to share them with people who are planning:


Wedding Photography

Everafter Photography- they do interesting journalistic wedding day photography

Choosing a Wedding Photographer- interesting article on JuzWeddings.com

Choosing a Wedding Photographer- interesting article on JuzWeddings.com

Diamonds

FAQ on Diamonds

Wedding Forums
These can be great source of recommendations, tips and what to look out for. But do take things as 'for info only'.

ido.com.sg- an active forum on all wedding stuff in Singapore

SingaporeBrides.com- good article on photography too

prep2wed.com

bridalsingapore.com- seems to focus on wedding planning

Housing

CPF Resale Transactions Website- a guide on the latest resale flat transactions, down to block number!

Misc

Tecman Gifts

Chinese Calendar- being a Christian, I don't believe in choosing a good date. But we don't want to chose a date (eg. Hungry Ghost Festival) when our guests don't want to come right?

Chinese Bible

SGH Health Screening Centre- you may also want to check out family GPs to see if can provide the same deal at lower prices.

Who's right?

SG met his old friend for lunch. She was sharing why she left her former church. Her dad was giving her lots of pressure before her wedding, wanting her to give up Christainity. Her cell group leader and rest of friends not supportive. They refuse to come to her wedding, most prob 'cos they don't really approve her marrying a non-Christian.

Luckily, her good friend still supports her and allows his cell people to attend her wedding. In fact, she said, "I got more support from my husband than all my so-called Christ brothers & sisters."

Yes, it may be necc to make a stand on not wanting people to marry non-Christians, out of love. But when the storm is blowing so hard for her (so much so that she had to tell her father-in-law to expect her own dad not attending her wedding), isn't it more important to "love thy neighbours", aka stand by your fellow child of God?

Of cos, easier said than done. Esp when one's a leader & people will look up to your action. Maybe that's why her cell leader had to say "No" to her even when my friend asked her to come as a friend, not a church leader.

What can SG do for her? She said, "pray for me". Yes, SG will. And he will get Karen to do so too. In times like this, really remind SG of the song "Blessed Be Your Name" (esp the Bridge), which is based on the Book of Job.

Blessed be You name in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name when I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed be Your name


Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say

(Chorus)
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name when the sun's shining down on me
When the world's "all as it should be" Blessed be Your name
And blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name


(Bridge)
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

Roller Blading

Haven't went down to East Coast for many moons. Really inspired by this clip from Jeff to go down one of these days...

细水长流

SG met two very old VJC friends while on S2006 duties. Wow, 15 years since we knew one another and about 10 since we last met. Yes, we all got caught up so easily in our job, getting married, etc. And when we look back at the end of life's journet, what really matter? Really reminds me of 梁文福 song:

年少时候，谁没有梦，无意之中，你将心愿透露。
就在你生日的时候，我将小小口琴送，最难忘记，你的笑容。
友情的细水慢慢流，流进了你我的心中。
曾在球场边为你欢呼，你跌伤我背负。
夜里流星飞渡，想象着他日的路途，晚风听着我们壮志无数。

年少时候，谁没有愁，满腔愤概，唯有你能听得懂。
每当我失意的时候，你将那首歌吹奏，琴声悠悠，解我轻忧。
岁月的细水满满流，流到了别离的时候。
轻拍你的肩，听我说朋友不要太惆怅。
霓虹纵然再嚣张，我们的步履有方向，成败不论切莫将昔日遗忘。

多年以后，又再相逢，我们都有了疲倦的笑容。
问一声我的朋友，何时再为我吹奏。是否依旧，是否依旧。
人生的际遇千百种，但有知心长相重。人愿长久，水愿长流，年少时候。

But do we really have to 多年以后，问一声我的朋友，何时再为我吹奏，是否依旧??

The fast pace of Singapore's society is sometimes really scary. So scary that we miss out people relationships seem to matter less & less. Likely for SG, he knows that there's a relationship that he can continue building till the end of life's journey. Yes, like what he shared with Joel, SG is still missing 2 key components in his Christian walk. But it will change. It will. It must. And it will be done.

IMF S2006

SG now on S2006 Delegate Liaison Officer duties. Lots of waiting time while his VIP goes for his meetings/events. Most important thing of the job is to have positive attitude. 'cos there's always missing info or, worse, wrong info. But so far, his VIP is ok, not demanding. Unfortunately, he came during weekend. So SG misses Hope Church Anniv at Expo :-( going to miss tonight's Chelesa vs Liverpool match too.

DISC

SG & Karen went for a seminar "Uniquely Yours" by Bible Society of Singapore 2 months ago. Based on DISC, the most useful part of this serminar is it will link your personality to what are the strengths/weaknesses in your ministry work. Very interesting.

They udpated the survey recently, so SG took another it again (from Management Centre of Asia website). Here's the result.



So, no doubts about it. SG is definitely D-C, or what term "Choleric" & "Melancholy".

The main thing is how can a D-C person be more effective in a people-oriented, intercessary role! Really have to rely on the super-natural.

Scars

SG got a nice email from Karen, and it reminds him of one of the 3 key verses that melted his heart 3 years ago....

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ~ Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

Source: http://www.devotions.co.uk/scars.shtml

Some years ago on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His mother in the house was looking out the window saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, she ran toward the water, yelling to her son as loudly as she could.

Hearing her voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his mother. It was too late. Just as he reached her, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the mother, but the mother was much too passionate to let go.

A farmer happened to drive by, heard her screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator. Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived.

His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal, and on his arms, were deep scratches where his mother's fingernails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to the son she loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Mom wouldn't let go."

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator or anything quite so dramatic, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.
.....

Home

Home is not a bed or house;
But one where the heart belongs,
And which is filled with tears, joy & love.

Welcome to a brief look at our humble place...

Chinese Traditions and Weddings

Chinese Traditions and Weddings

SG was tasked to write a short portion on Chinese Traditions for the church’s Marriage Preparation Class. After much pondering & reading the only book he can lay his hands on, he’s ready to draft some stuff.

But he thought he should give some formula (yes, good old engineer) to help the couples along. So, he came up with

 P + D + A

where
 P= Pray
 D= Deposit (into the parents’ accounts)
 A= Anticipate the incoming arrows

From SG’s experience, many people can do A, and even P. But few really do D. And it’s really important. In fact, it will continue even after the wedding day. Often, Christians got very involved in church but neglected their families. Of cos, church family is important. But we need to spend some effort in maintaining the relationships with our siblings & parents too right?

Now, to pray before writing the first draft…

Blessed Is the Man

Blessed Is the Man….

… who has loving church friends as neighbours.

SG’s birthday is round the corner. And beside a nice pair of crocs shoes (which is the ‘in’ thing now) from Karen, he received a very touching gift too.

You see, Karen decided to cook for SG.  And she went lots of trouble to get the lamb, special ingredients, etc.  After spending some time labouring in the kitchen on Sunday afternoon to come up with some very tasty food, we could sit down to enjoy a good, lovely meal. Then….

Then, the door bell rang!

And guess what, a surprise present from Mingfeng & Lynette!! It was a delicious tiramisu made by Lynette. Such a nice gesture. Hey, who says having great church friends got no benefits? yummy ..

But the thing that really touches SG heart is the thought. And it reminds him of the church in Acts and that in the book “In His Steps”.  When people shared & really display love to one another.


… who has brothers willing to bare their hearts out.

Last Friday night after Care Group (or cell group), the guys hang out at the suggestion of Andrew. We drove to Mt Faber and boy it was crowded. Lots of cars. The food is so so. The view is good. But even better is the conversations.

Seldom do we had chances just to sit down together & chat. To catch up on married lives, joy, struggles and issues potentially we will face.

Really excited that we sort of explored the possibly of bring Wilson’s dad to Lighthouse for healing. Not only can we help to expose the rest of the family to His love, we can also eagerly await for miracles to happen. Andrew also shared his experience of going there for his healing. It’s a process of building up one’s faith so that healing can really come. I now await eagerly for the time we will go…

Beijing

Thoughts on Beijing

Karen went to the capital of the raising dragon for a 8-day course. So SG flew over on the last day to join her. Photos are on our fotki page.

Here are some thoughts from the short trip we have:

1) Beijing is dusty! Yes, PSI for most days easily above 100! No, the night scene shown here is blurred not due to the camera not focused, not due to rain. Yes, the effects are due to the dust in the air. Main culprits are the many vehicles on the road, and of cos, the huge population. The government is taking measures to clean up the environment for Beijing Olympics 2006. Let’s hope they do it real fast.


2) Beijing has rich history! Just visiting the many sites will also leave you in awe, wondering how many other places on earth have the same number of such locations in a city. As a taxi driver said well, visiting Beijing should be shopping and visiting the historical sites. From the Forbidden City to the Summer place, from the centuries old Great Wall to the new People’s Hall; Beijing got good sites. Unfortunately, if you don’t speak Chinese relatively well, you may struggle. The audio guides provide some basic info at the attractions, but those from the guides (whom you have to paid & speak mainly Chinese) are much richer. If you can, do engage a guide. But as in 99% of the time here, do bargain! Yes, even the guide fees should be negotiated.

One of the must-see in Beijing- Temple of Heaven, where Ming & Qing emperors offer prayers & sacrifices to heaven. The amazing thing is the whole structure is made without any nails! And the number of pillars, etc, all have significance in ancient Chinese. Awesome!

3) Beijing has interesting food! Beside the Peking Duck, there are lots interesting food, such as ‘cool vegetables’ (which is popular during summer months). Also, the noddles and small bites are great too. Here, in the middle of the high-end shopping district, we found a street of small eateries. Guess what we found?? Fried sea-horses, insects, star-fishes!!

I am glad…

I am glad that in the church camp that God chose not to speak to me in voice or vision, but He inspired me through people.

I am glad that I got to pray hard for my CG though there were only 3 of us.

I am glad that He did not let me fall very sick and no food poisoning.

I am glad that I did not suffer back pain from the long journey to and fro Malacca, and I got to bond & pray with people.

I am glad that He blessed me with people around me who were so unselfish that made me wonder what had I done to deserve this.

I am glad that He gave us chances to know the church leaders more.

I am glad that He showed us the need to pray and cover our leaders.

I am glad that He displayed how a great leader should lead and motivate his people, out of love.

I am glad that I was there in Malacca 8-11 June 2006.

Thank God.

Kawan Go Melaka!!

Praise the Lord! SG's leave application for the Adult Getaway is approved this morning. Nearly missing it. Praying for past few days about it. Luckily approved in time.

Recalling the past 2 church camps, there were always important things to pray & see His way. 2004 was about their relationships. 2005 was about marriage plans. This year paled in comparison. Only about able to go. Fell sick last week so did not really fast. And what a difference the sense of spiritual hunger & confidence it makes!

Man, really missed those times that fasted for one over month and prayed everday for Jon!! Yes, lost a few kilos, and really on spiritual high. Yes, praying & fasting seems more for oneself than for Him.

More Photos

Oh yes, forget to add that our good friend Meng Chong also helped to take some photos for us. It's also at Fotki http://public.fotki.com/williamgmc/wedding/sgkarens_wedding/

Wedding & Honeymoon Honeymoon Photos

Beside our wedding photos, we had also posted our honeymoon photos too at http://public.fotki.com/sooguan. So, go check them out!!

If you like any and would like a copy (esp the group photos), do email us ok? :-)

Hello World!!

Welcome to this little space that is the window to our world!!

Well, Karen & I had been delaying posting our photos from our wedding & NZ honeymoon for too long. So, here's the first step to putting them for public display. We'll put the photos up quickly. Do let us know if you want us to print any of the photos for you ok??

Cheers :-)