Joel said Hello!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow!!! I really can't...well, "can't believe" aren't the right words! i mean, Joel is what...2 months old? do babies articulate at 7 weeks? Joel will be 2 months old on the 11th of Dec...

Rena took a video of Joel as she repeated the word, Hello, to him.

And then in the middle of her speaking, he said Hello!

Ok, you can tell the daddy is very excited.  and i know, you think he probably made some sound which we interpreted to be his saying Hello... well, he'd been making sounds for a while now, and we don't mean crying mind you, but sounds like he's trying to have a conversation with us.

So yah... i got interrupted while typing this...

and so now... about 1 hr after Joel said his first word... He's had his first wound... his fingernails have been giving him a lot of grief... as in, whenever his mittens come off, he scratches his face... so we were trying to trim his nails a bit... and well... cut his finger a bit... ;_;

i iced the wound... and then left the blood to clot... ;_;

sigh... what a rollercoaster ride of emotions!

But! Thank God its not serious! and Thank God for Joel's first Word!

Praise the Lord!!!!

On Legalism and Love

During today’s sermon, Rev Mike mentioned a few examples involving the youth ministry. While they were all very valid points and actually good that they were addressed, I think there could be some additional thoughts that can be included.

The thing we want to avoid is Legalism. Whenever there are rules, there is a chance legalism may rear it’s ugly head. However, to claim that we are completely under grace and therefore have no need for rules is equally false. What we always try to achieve is the right balance of Rule and Grace.

For example, Pastor said that he hoped church members would be committed to attending Prayer Meets at least once a month. It can be misunderstood to mean we must all attend prayer meet at least once a month. (I think if we want to be legalistic – missing prayer meet is a SIN!) Yet Pastor said that he wasn’t forcing us to do that because what he really wants is for us to come once, taste and see that Prayer Meet is good and thus come again. Or regularly attend Prayer Meets.

The key is this – we must WANT to come… if we taste and see that Prayer Meet is good, we will WANT to come back again…

Thus what we really hope is – every member of CHS will WANT to come to Prayer Meet.

In the same way, what we really hope is – every Point Com Youth will WANT to go home early, dress sensibly, refrain from drinking alcohol, make friends carefully and date responsibly.

Now, if you DON’T SEE THE VALUE of going home early etc, of course it won’t be easy to abide by the rule. (especially since there doesn’t seem to be any punishment for breaking the rule!)

So, the question is, What is the Value? Where is the Value? Do I get anything out of it? (Ok… Can’t you do something because it is right but doesn’t seem to benefit you? =P but this question is not impt). Why must I do it?

I think that its always hard to follow rules when our focus is on the Sin… 

i.e. The Rules say DON’T DO THIS. 

If you do it, it’s a sin, its wrong etc. Let’s turn it around.

Let’s focus on Love. We all like to talk about Love… feels better… Our focus should be on Love. Love says DO THIS.
Jesus said If you LOVE ME, keep My commandments.

So the question dear youths, dear church members, dear me, is - Do we love Jesus?

“Wah, you win lor Ps Ben. So if I don’t follow the rules means I don’t love Jesus lor…”

Well, the Bible says Honour your Father and Mother… That’s a commandment… do you love Jesus? If you do, you’ll keep this commandment.

Dress sensibly? “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! – Matthew 18:7
So how? Do you love Jesus?

I was led to this passage during Pastor’s sermon. John 21:15 – 17

The main focus was this question – Do you love Me MORE THAN THESE?

Whenever you fail to see the point of doing something that curbs you, when you have to do something that restricts you and you haven’t seen the point of WHY, remember that Jesus asks this question of all Believers – Do you love Me MORE THAN THESE?

More than what?

Son, do you love Me more than your freedom? That you would choose to go home early and spend time with your parents and family. That you would pray for them that they may come to know Me. That you would do your best to present yourself as a good testimony to My name.

Daughter, do you love Me more than the attention of the boys and men around you? Do you love Me more than the desire to dress sensually? For you are worth far more than an object of desire. Do you know that I love you so much I gave up my dignity and life for you? So do you love me more than these? That you would dress sensibly. That you would dress to impress but not tempt.

Children, do you love Me more than your rights? That you would say alright, for the sake of those younger than me, I will not drink; I will be careful with the way I joke; I will be early; I will practice on my instrument; I will submit first to those You have placed in authority and seek clarification when I cannot understand.

As I mentioned earlier in this entry, Jesus asks these questions of ALL believers, young and old, lay and clergy, leaders and members.
How would YOU respond to Him?

With lots of love,
Ps Ben.

Below is an excerpt from Matthew Henry’s Commentary: John 21:15 – 17

Secondly, Lovest thou me more than these? pleion touton. 1. "Lovest thou me more than thou lovest these, more than thou lovest these persons?" Dost thou love me more than thou dost James or John, thy intimate friends, or Andrew, thy own brother and companion: Those do not love Christ aright that do not love him better than the best friend they have in the world, and make it to appear whenever they stand in comparison or in competition. Or, "more than thou lovest these things, these boats and nets--more than all the pleasure of fishing, which some make a recreation of--more than the gain of fishing, which others make a calling of." Those only love Christ indeed that love him better than all the delights of sense and all the profits of this world. "Lovest thou me more than thou lovest these occupations thou art now employed in? If so, leave them, to employ thyself wholly in feeding my flock." 

So Dr. Whitby. 2. "Lovest thou me more than these love me, more than any of the rest of the disciples love me?" And then the question is intended to upbraid him with his vain-glorious boast, Though all men should deny thee, yet will not I. "Art thou still of the same mind?" Or, to intimate to him that he had now more reason to love him than any of them had, for more had been forgiven to him than to any of them, as much as his sin in denying Christ was greater than theirs in forsaking him. Tell me therefore which of them will love him most? Luke vii. 42. Note, We should all study to excel in our love to Christ. It is no breach of the peace to strive which shall love Christ best; nor any breach of good manners to go before others in this love.

The Beginning of Mirth

I'm supposed to be studying for my New Testament exam... but i have to blog about this...

I've been doing a lot of thinking and pondering about life and belief etc. In part because of what i'm studying now and partly because of the discussions i've been having one on one with a couple of friends.  The consensus is that if we spend too much energy simply focusing on these questions and trying to figure out the answers, we'll go bonkers... which i don't deny... however, i still feel that it is possible to come to that place where we understand clearly, if not fully, what it is we believe about ourselves and God... or the Divine... etc...

But that has got absolutely nothing to with my title... hahaha... what happened was that i was carrying Joel, who was fretting, and i was just patting him but my brain was off thinking lots and lots of stuff - the above paragraph...- and then suddenly, i thought i heard Joel chuckle!

I looked down and saw that he wore the appearance of a smile on his face... his eyes were closed and i thought he'd gone to sleep... but there was this smile and before that, a sound and twitching of his body that sounded like a laugh...

and suddenly i thought... Is that the beginning of mirth? And then he did it again! He chuckled with his mouth opened into wide smile and for longer this time...  my heart was lightened immediately and i went as quickly as possible into the bedroom where Rena was and i told her Joel laughed! then i asked him to do it again.  But he didn't... and i haven't heard him do it since. Neither has Rena reported experiencing something similar...

oh well, i suppose it is apt to call this episode The Beginning of Mirth... since it is only the beginning and i hope that there will be a lot more to come... =)

Almost at the end of 2008...

It's quite hard to imagine that 2008 is coming to a close.  It didn't feel like so long ago that I had just gotten married... today i'm playing with newborn son who is almost a month old and outgrowing his Mamypoko... btw, I'd like to thank all those who bought and donated their share of Mamypoko for Newborns...

the problem seems to be that no matter how tightly we attach the clasp, Mamypoko seems to slip off his bum... i've begun to think that Mamypoko is the hipster version of diapers... either that or the 3 - 5 kg babies they are thinking about are smaller than my last weighed - 3.9kg boy...

the best newborn diapers in my opinion is Pampers! i hear they also cost the most... but those we have were kind gifts.. heh very much appreciated. of course, we've run out of Pampers... at the same time, we've tried Drypers but it fell out of the Newbie diaper race early on.

for now, Mamypoko is in use and we continue to use it coz we have a lot of it and Joel seems to poo and pee a lot... i think that's what babies do... anyway, he's not too tolerant of soiled diapers...(who would?) so we change often...

yes, nappies are cheaper, most breathable, but also most labour intensive... washing poo laden nappies are...well...

moving on, i've come to realize that while i've never liked to clean up after anybody's sh...er...mess aka poop... cleaning Joel up hasn't been repulsive.  of course, i've been squirted by him while changing diapers which is funny...and annoying... funny mostly because Joel seems to put on a :o face when he does it... like he's saying whoopsy, couldn't keep it in...

Joel's a good boy. sleeps 3 - 4 hours at a stretch so he wakes up about twice a night between 1 and 6am depending on how much he's had to feed the previous meal.

which is fine coz i wake up to go to school about 5am thereabouts anyway... so usually Rena takes the early shift and i take 4 - 6am one...

I want to Thank God for all that He has done... I have more prayer requests and He knows what they are... These are important to me but sensitive so i cannot post them...(one should NEVER post sensitive issues online... all the wrong ppl get hurt, mis-read your intention, etc... like if i said - those who rant online are stupid! - hahahahahahahaha.... so many people will come and flame me... that's an example only ok? don't take it personally)

Anyway, that's all for now... which is a vast improvement for ME! i usually only post once or twice a YEAR!

It's October 2008!

Ahem... It's 2008.  I blog once a year... almost... and so i have so much to say, i end up not saying anything.... well, i am saying something but it doesn't mean anything...

ok... I'm going to be a Father soon.  it is an honour i thought not of... no marks for guessing where that line comes from... anyway, i am.... somewhere in between excitement and apprehension. ah... a new life... going to be with me (if the Lord wills) for the rest of my life. and so the two that became one are becoming 3... or is it two... since two are already one...

questions questions questions... i'm sure there are those of you out there who wish life was simpler... so do i... Theological studies is challenging to say the least.  At least, it does make you question the foundation upon which you stand. Not that Christianity is wrong or flawed... but the stuff you have been taught or thought you always knew... too much to go into a blog...

yes, some people study theology from an "objective" point of view but i tend to agree with those who say that it is impossible to study the bible and Christian Theology without believing in the God who revealed Himself through Scripture.  Because not taking a stand IS taking a stand.

how far do we have to go before we realize THERE IS NO FENCE... you cannot deny the fact that all people hold on to some kind of religious belief whether it is in the form of the divine or in science. ah... science... is a religion... as in it often requires faith. even Manchester United is a religion... at least, i've seen the banner on tv before... yeah, football is a religion to some people too... the way some teams play... of course FAITH is required! and boy do people pray... especially when they've got money on the teams...

i digress... anyway, so anyone who tries to study God does so with some kind of pre-supposition or other... and Theology is Christians trying to explain what we believe using Terms that other people are familiar with... and the only real way to know what you've understood is correct is if it is tested... like what science does... always calling for proof.  

So you can't profess to understand God until you've actually believed He exists, encountered Him for real and then it all makes sense.  Seldom have i come across people who believe God is real because they were won over by some irrefutable argument alone... everyone experienced God in some way or other.  You can argue that then it is a personal thing, that the experience was right for some and not for others. but then, if you've never tried it, you wouldn't know...?

as for science... well, maybe i'm making a general statement here but - hasn't all of scientific enquiry been the result of someone coming up with a particular theory and then enough people trying it out/experimenting and confirming that the theory holds true?  Well, they'd have to believe it is possible in the 1st place... or if they are detractors, then they set out with the aim to disprove it...

i dunno... sounds like the argument i made for trying out God.

Sometimes i think science answers how things happen... the Bible tells us WHY things happen... is this too general a statement?