some stuff to think about

YOYOYO

So like most of us would have thought about creation and stuff. And i have a few questions.

Are angels bound by time? is there time in heaven? or does time only exist on earth?
Initially i was thinking God just created angels and they existed without time. but then i was thinking how do they praise God if there is no time? If angels fell from heaven, then there must have been a time when they were "good". Is this and answerable question or is this another question that cannot be understood by a finite mind?

Another question is why did God create humans?
Ok. So like my original thoughts was that God created humans because he wanted to share life with more beings because life is good. But then i thought, why not just share life with more angels? did he not create angels to share life with them as well? Don't angels have free will as well, which would be why some chose to disobey God? Why create Humans on a place called earth in a physical reality, when he could have just created more angels? What differentiates humans from angels appart from the fact that we can be redeemed and angels can't?

Where does it say that there are different levels of hell?

Here are some other things to think about that i read in the case for Christ. This is mainly for those who have not read it, and a reminder for those who have forgotten when they read it.

The question is, 'If God is really good, why would he create a place for humans to be eternally punished just because they did not believe in Christ?'
The answer was that God initially created humans to have God at the centre of their world. Then sin entered the world and people started putting themselves in the centre of their own world. As a result of humans being self centred, we began doing bad things just for ourselves, like killing, stealing, lieing and stuff like that. It might not sound that bad, but bigger sins are things like genocide and war. So if God did not punish people, would he not be an amoral God? So he created hell to punish them. The guy in the book also said that there were different degrees of punishment, so people like Hitler would be punished the harshest (hence my question above).

Also some ask why didn't Jesus go and tell everyone to stop slavery.
The response was that telling people to change is not very effective, and what reason would they have to listen to Jesus anyways? So the idea is that to stop slavery, you first have to change people's hearts their actions will follow suit. And we can learn from this by allowing God to change peoples hearts, and that will affect their actions, instead of just telling people not to sin.

THANKS FOR READING THIS LONG MESSAGE. IT TOOK ME 1.5 hours to write. Hope you all have a good time at uni.

look at my name! ISAA C:

GRACE'S BIRTHDAY ON THE 14TH!!!!!!!!!!!

also, when you answer the questions, please copy the question and paste it on top of the paragraph with the answer so that it is more clear and seperated.

Little Things

Hello everyone! Just something that hit me and I thought I'd share. It's really kind of trivial-like so don't expect too much haha!

Anyway, it started off with me enrolling for my units these coming 2 semesters. The process was a lot longer and more complicated than it ought to be but to cut a long (and unnecessarily so) story short, I simply listed a bunch of units just so I wouldn't be fined for late enrollment and all that jazz.

A month after, Allocate Plus (Monash has it. I don't know what the other universities call em :D) was opening up so I realised that I couldn't slack anymore and had to get serious about choosing proper units to err shape my future haha. After like 2 hours of viewing, reviewing and comparing units...wouldn't you know. After constant changes and re-enrollment of units, I ended up with exactly the same units that I started out with.

Okay I know it seems really silly and maybe I'm reading too much into it but at that moment I suddenly laughed when I thought like hey that's so ironic! And then I thought of how God provides for us, and His timing and stuff. Like even way before things happen or the need for anything arises, He has and is paving the way for those things to happen. And He really does know what's best for us.

I was suddenly inspired to post this after such a big um lapse of time from that moment of 'epiphany'  to now because...
frankly I'm not looking forward to 2009 at all! I know I'm in 2009...but not exactly cos right now, it's like I'm in this timeless holiday zone lol. So I guess in a sense, my life starts when I hit the big Down Under again. And there's just going to be so many changes. So many new things. Like how my parents will be staying back here in Malaysia in my little brother while us 3 older kids stick around in Wantirna South. This totally has it's pros, but it has it's cons too. It's something new alright. And then of course I think I told 1 or 2 people that I'll be cell-leading next year for CF which is something completely new to me and exciting, but terrifying too. And then there's the job-thing, something I really want to do but terrified too cos I've never worked before (I know right I'm such a brat HAHA) and then there's learning how to drive at age 19...and worst of all uni. I hate uni actually. Like really. It makes me depressed lol.

So all these things are just making me so uncertain and apprehensive about 2009. And there are times when I think about it and I just feel like 'God, am I really going to go through with all this? It's impossible...I want out...blablabla' and then after which it will hit me once more that hey hello I'm like talking to God and asking redundant questions. Duh He'll walk me through! I've definitely seen that in 2008. Definitely, and I know He'll do it again.
So anyway today I had another one of those moments and I was writing this somewhere so I thought I'd share this with you guys too in case anyone is feeling not so good about this coming year. He has encouraged me yet again and hopefully this will encourage you somewhat too? :)
He'll really be there. Honest :D

I really love our LG. Okay I'm not sure if we're still calling it that but it'll always feel like la. Haha :)

re: ellejay

thanks for sharing your epiphany jen :) two praise points to make:

firstly, it is soo true that this year is overwhelming! the subjects are big and im feeling the tug already. but it is so essential that we as christians still smile at the world because OUR GOD IS IN CONTROL AND HE SETS AHEAD OF US THE PATH THAT IS BEST FOR US:)

nathan brown once shared with me that as christians, christ bore our sins and shame on the cross, so we should not have any reason to be ashamed of anything or afraid of anything. in the same vein, if anyone has a reason to smile, that person is a christian because that person is the only person who knows that God is in control :) and when we acknowledge that he is in control and we smile at the world in light of that fact, those around us can only wonder, why the calmness?

SHARE THE REASON WITH A SMILE :)

secondly, thanks for remembering the epiphany so that it could be shared :p hahaha

Because I have been MIA for far too long.

Ok, Ok. I know it's late but it's here.

I don't really know what I'm going to write about. I just know I'm going to write.So be forewarned.

I was thinking about writing about that last chapter in the 'Pray Big' book but I can't for the life of me remember what it was on. And it doesn't help that I left it on my shelf back in Melbourne.

"Payper lama, tut tut tut tut tut tut, sao tao po chi. Ow nus-payper, payper lama..."

Sorry, I couldn't resist. The truck that collects old newspapers just wheezed-by my area and all the dogs in the neighborhood started howling. I realise that I haven't heard that in a while.

Well, on to more significant things.

It has always amazed me how God is with you anywhere you are. Whether you are stuck in K.L. traffic, wanting to artfully murder the person in front of you, or at some H.K. cafe at Glen Waverley paying for an overpriced bowl of hor fan (kuew teow or the white flat noodles); He is there.

And just knowing that, even when I don't feel it, is enough. It makes me pray when I am aware that God is here-wherever that here maybe. And I don't always hear something. I don't always feel something. But believing that he's around makes all the difference.

Something about his omnipresence makes me want to smile. It's like I can feel comfortable with him around. We can just be quiet and not feel obligated to do or say a certain something.

So yes, today, I will choose to enjoy, treasure, and just bask in God's presence. :)


p.s. I miss you guys! And I will pay for overpriced hor fan in Melbourne just to spend time with you! :D

Happy New Year!

To everyone, A Blessed New Year 2009!

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself: "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." (Lamentations 3:19-24)

The Final Chapter

Hey ya'll

So we've done the bbq and we've done the movie night and we've done the taboo and also the cardmaking (which has yet to be completed) :D

Great job!!

As for the last chapter of this book, I think that as a person, I've learnt alot about prayer from a book as straightforward and simple as this. I hope you all have had the same experiences.

So finally, after tackling issues such as praying for each other, ourselves, children, unbelievers, help, big things, little things, together, spouses and just plain beginnings... how do we pray when we in fact can't pray or dont know how to??

Life can be overwhelming and ridiculously occupying at times, to the point that we just want to tuck ourselves and bed and wake up, hopefully, to a day that was the opposite of our current circumstantial states.

When we are up, praying is a joy and thanksgiving is so easy to do. Conversely, when we are down in the bunkers hiding and fighting to move just an inch without being shot, praying seems like an enormous chore.

But the Lord promises us His Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us, and most importantly pray on our behalf when we do not know how to pray.

Have you been in a situation where you could not pray and relied on the Holy Spirit to pray on your behalf?

What was that prayer like?

In retrospect and also on learning from this chapter, how much more are you going to rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for you?

Campus location

Hi guys.
So i went to the course adviser today and i found out that i can't transfer to Clayton anymore. I know some of you might not think that it is that big a deal, but it is to me. I was still not sure whether i wanted to go to Clayton or not, but it was sortof decided for me because i did not know the closing date was so early.

The advantage of going to Clayton was that it is closer. In addition, Alan, Winnie and Daniel and some of my Uni friends are going to Clayton, so that is like another kick in the nuts.

The only advantage i can see from going to Caulfield is just increasing the Christian influence in my small impacts on other peoples lives.

I think God may have placed me in Caulfield on purpose when i prayed that his will be done. It is really strange because i don't feel angry as much, but more sad and overwhelmed since i am so used to going through life with Alan. Usually i would get angry, but i feel that it must be God's choice, so i just feel sad instead. To help you guys know the feeling, it is like going from primary to secondary school, or secondary to uni. You know that there is going to be big change, and your just don't want it to happen. Especially when you know that a best friendship is going to become just a good friendship. But change is inevitable, and at least i know we will still keep in contact.

So please pray for me for:
- Strength to carry me through ( i am quite a hard person, but i just don't enjoy this bad feeling)
- Wisdom/guidance to know whether i should go to Clayton in two years time
- For God's will to be done in my life, and hopefully that he will show me his plan

Random stuff...

I just realised that i spend a great deal of time thinking, often staring at one of 3 objects on my table whilst doing so - either the flower on the left, the calender picture, or the smily ball. Day before yesterday, i was just wondering, why people calculate the percentage of the exams that they need to pass? is it for security reasons or to make themselves feel better? Personally i don't see the point in calculating the percentage, cuz i just want to try my hardest and give it my best shot. I agree, it is a tad comforting to know that u may prob only need about 35% on the exam to pass the subject, but i still like knowing that i gave it my best shot.

Lifted

HAY-LOW!
Just want to share a bit on how I've been encouraged this exam season! (that I am still in boo)

One of the ways is...the encouraging SMSes I've received! Seriously. So so gamdong-ing (touching :D).
Like for me, honestly like I've already wished people all the best, praying for them, etc...I wouldn't actually SMS them to encourage them again, you know? Maybe I'm just mean haha.

But anyway, like last Friday I was really pretty nervous about starting 1 of 4 papers. Then I received 2 SMSes from 2 people (well duh two people HAHAHA) and it was really unexpected and I felt so like...some nice feeling la.
And last night and this morning I received another 2! I really felt so so so...nice feeling again.

And it's really timely too. Cos actually every single time I receive these SMSes it was like. Just when or after I'm feeling very very down and fed up and depressed (but mild version :D) and you get the gist?
Looking back now and seeing it as a whole (or let's be more cliche. The 'big picture'), God's hand in this is really so obvious. I really get very down during exams okay. It's like my end of the world everytime it rolls around. I don't understand it either since I'm from Malaysia : The Land of Many Unnecessary Exams.
But anyhow it even gets to points where I feel like skipping papers, not studying at all, dropping out, and I can even understand how Singaporean students can actually commit suicide over exams. Of course, I will never never have the guts to do any of the afore mentioned, so no worries there ;) (sometimes I shudder to imagine the things I would do if I didn't know our good great God)...and if I continue talking about this it'll become a post-in-a-post so I shall stop.

Anyway, I'm getting (gotten?) off the tangent and blogging as though this was my blog lol.
Apologies!
And yeap just wanted to share the encouraging-ness I've experience these past few days and thank you to wonderful people and thank You to wonderful God :)
Fight on, people!

swearing

who thinks swearing is a sin?

This is not a direct quote, but Jonno thinks swearing is alright. I am not exactly sure of what you said, but is it correct to assume that you think swearing by yourself is alright, but swearing at others is wrong? Jonno, could you please reply to correct what i just wrote?

Anyways, what does everyone think? Who here swears, and when?

I swear, cos when i was in primary school, my friends just taught me too and i did not know better. Now it is a habit.

In Corinthians 13:4, it says love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

So does this mean swearing is a sin? or are things rude only when other people are present?
For example, it is not rude for me to be naked by myself, but it is when other people are around.

SO please, tell me your thoughts.