@hhChoooo… who sneezed?!?!

I just got my DIVE GEAR yesterday!!!!

WHOO HOO!!!!

Feel like a kid again… Does it happen to you when as a kid you get a new toy and you just can’t wait to try it out!! Well… haha! The little boy inside got the better of me… so here’s me testing out my new gear! HAHAHA!! ….At home…

My New Mask and Snorkels!!!

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Putting it through the rigours of testing!!!!!

Looks like it works just fine!!!

Haha!! I’m BORED! Gotta go dive!…… SOON!!!!

I was browsing Galvin’s blog and came across his latest entry on suffering. As you may know, Galvin’s mom is warded in the hospital and we are keeping her in prayer. The entry was a response to pain and suffering in this world. And how is it that there is a good God if there is so much suffering.

I almost hijacked his blog to respond to the question on suffering, but instead decided to post something on pain and suffering here.

In my search for truth, inevitably the question of suffering will arise. However I have found for myself, that no Religion/Faith/Philosophy could answer the question of suffering, except Christianity. Here’s my understanding of pain and suffering.

The question of suffering can be reduced to just a few basic qns.

QN1: I don’t believe there is a God because there is evil and suffering in this world.
When such a question is asked, we have presupposed that there is such a thing as good and evil.
And so when we say that there is good and evil, there must be a moral law to determine what’s good and what’s evil.
Also when we say that there is a moral Law, there must be a moral law giver.
So if there is a moral law giver, who are we talking about? God. So in philosophy, such a question about evil and God sort of answers itself. Thus where evil and suffering exists, God exists too.

QN2: So now that there is a God, then why does God allow pain and suffering? Why can’t he create a perfect world where there is no pain and suffering?
To answer this question, we would have to look at the choices available to God in creation.
Creation of world A: World A is a world that God creates Robots. Where everything has no free will to choose. Solves the problem of sin, pain and suffering.
Creation of world B: World B is much like our present world, but when someone desires to hurt another, say, shoot a gun, the bullet merely turns into a flower and bounces off our body. A world where God constantly intervenes. This would be a world much like a fantasy world.
Creation of world C: No creation at all.
Creation of world D: Our world. Where there is freedom of will to choose, to love, to respond to God. The downside is that man can choose to turn from God.

So amongst these choices God chose D. Our World. The other worlds are not feasible for they are not in the character of God. God is a God of love. And love requires free will. God cannot force you and I to love him. Forced love is an oxymoron. Thus with the present world, with its fallen imperfection, gives God the best chance of a creation that can have a relationship with Him.
Some people might say that God would be better off not creating a world. To answer that, we use the analogy of a car, the car has great potential to bring great convenience to man, but the car in itself can also bring hurt and destruction, yet we do not, because of its potential to damage, kill lives, totally not use or build a car. In the same way this world. It has great potential to respond to God, and also a great potential to rebel against God. So God created World D

Qn3: Why is there pain?
All of us are way too familiar with pain. We prick our fingers on something sharp, and immediately we feel the sharp pain, we pull our fingers away. We eat something bad, it gives us a stomachache and we immediately know something is wrong. We step on a sharp object, and the pain tells us we hurt ourselves.
What is the point I am driving at?
Pain, or rather the senses we feel as pain is triggered off by our nerves sending message to the brain telling us that we have hurt ourselves. Its a protection mechanism. Do you know that for Leprosy sufferers, the nerve ends die and they do not feel pain. They may cut themselves and not know it, they may step on a nail and it lodges itself to the foot and they do not know it. Rats can gnaw at their fingers and toes and they can sleep through it! So pain has its purpose in our physical body. IT TELLS US SOMETHING IS WRONG. Similarly in this world, pain and suffering is telling us clearly that something in this world is wrong. You and I know it. And its telling us we are living in a fallen world. So again, we are pointed to God.

This is really a summary on the topic of pain. To read more on pain, you can pick up books like
“Where is God when it hurts?” by Philip Yancey
“Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis
or any books by Ravi Zacharias.

Hope this entry helps us to see that pain and suffering only tells us, there is God.

Lau Lang! (old person in hokkien.. Not old wolf!)

That’s one term I’ve gotten used to. Why? Most of the youth call me that…Been around the youth ministry long enough to have gone through 3-4 name changes in the ministry. First was TNS (Tertiary-NS ministry… so much for creativity in choice of name), then came YPM (Young Pple’s Ministry… This was eventually adopted as the generic name for the whole youth ministry) and then came CLAYS (Christ Living Among Yielded Saints… The longest surviving name) and finally now RAYs.

I’m starting to feel disconnected with the ministry. And the Lau Lang term no longer seems just a term of seniority in the ministry… Having led a group of “little boys and girls” in a CG (HEY! I remember the first name we had for that CG…. BPJ/CCK CG… Yes they meet in bukit panjang and Chua Chu Kang! HAHA! its gotta be me lah, I just can’t seem to give good names to CGs) and being the oldest in the group, of course its natural they call me that.

But now that I’ve entered the third decade of life, I’m starting to rethink the “lau lang” term.
These days…
I keep getting overtaken in races.
I cannot keep up in my regular exercise regimes.
Muscles aches take longer to recover.
I sleep early.
I fail IPPT.
Ok… that’s just unfit lah!

But I’ve never thought to hit this big 30 so soon! And recently, being called “Lau Lang” made me cringe a little. I’m getting old! (But hey, I think if I hit 40, I would be thinking likewise about wanting to be 30 again!) Like I always tell the folks in YPM, being the dinosaur there, I’m paving the way for them! haha!

But I think the scary part of this is…denial. You don’t want to grow old… You want to stay young, energetic… You don’t want to hear people remind you of your age!(Seriously, dun need to remind me lor. I can count! I can remember! I’m not THAT old!) You want people to tell you that you don’t look your age (look younger lah!). But I think the most difficult part of it all (or at least where I struggle in) is in being single. Peers my age are already married or with Kids (married or not.. haha)! I still cannot figure out where the root of the struggle is.. But as I think through… I think the sisters probably have a harder time dealing with age and singleness, yes? (somehow for guys, its the “age gracefully thingy” that sorta helps), any sister can fill me in on this?

Is it an acceptance issue? A surrender issue? Hormonal Imbalance issue(haha!)? Loneliness issue? Paternal instincts issue? Hey I’m clueless! Never thought turning the decade could leave you so much to think about (Are these mid life crisis issues?) I don’t think I’ll know. Just like I did not understand my teenage years, till my 20s, I now understand my 20’s better at 30. Likewise, I guess the answer would come only when i’m 40 (gulps!)

So like all good Covenant disciplemaking process would entail…we ask ourselves, “What does God say?”
The answer sounds cliche.. But for now, it would suffice for me…

Jim Elliot gave his life to the Auca Indians at age 30.
Jesus started his ministry at 30 and gave Himself as a sacrifice for our sins at 33.

Think I’ll start living life with death in mind

“Every man dies, but not every man lives”

I always wondered why I didn’t see much in the last dive trip!

THIS is the reason why!!
(Right-click and “save as”)

Bet you din know of such things…

1) The medical term for a sneeze is “sternutation”

2) Particles exiting the nasal passages have been clocked at more than 150 km/hour.

3) Our noses produce an estimated one to two pints of mucus a day. (WOW!)

4) The material spread by sneezing can travel 2-3 metres.

so please folks… as the title of my blog says…. Cover your mouth when you sneeze.. heh heh..

I’ve never really walked the Botanical Gardens before.

So I decided to make a trip there and just walk through the WHOLE park. IT WAS A LONG WALK!! Heh heh…

I’d say a jolly good workout. Thank God it was a cool afternoon…

Here are some of the shots of the Garden.

Don’t you think the patterns look real nice. Like a leaf on pasted on another!

The Symphonic Band Stand

Had to get wet to go into the caves

Sea of Red Heliconias

Sea of Yellow Heliconias

A whole Sea of Heliconias

This is one super old tree, got no idea what’s its name, but I’ll find out.

Borrowed this book from Seby some two weeks back. I was actually drawn to this book because I’ve read another of Mitch Albom’s books called Tuesday with Morrie, found it an easy read and that it was well written.

As I read the book, I couldn’t help but wonder what Albom’s concept of heaven is like. Its definitely not the heaven of the Bible. However, understanding the author’s real intent is really to show his readers that in the everyday mundane life, every action, influences another, and that we only see life’s purpose when we get to heaven.

I think the reason this book is so hugely popular is because many people ARE living mundane lives and they can probably identify with the main character. The fact that the main character finds a meaningful end in heaven motivates readers to latch to that hope that what they now will stand for something.

This is a sad truth that many in today’s world find themselves on this planet without meaningful relationships, meaningful work, meaningful anything. Thus books like these give people some glimmer of hope that they might, some day, find the meaning of their lives when they die. Well, I say, true meaning can only be found in God and IF you get to heaven (coz your decision here decides where you go.. there is a hell you know)… its not going to be just 5 people you’ll meet, heaven’s not that simple.

Conclusion: Good read, just for the fun of it. It’ll probably provoke you to want to find out what the heaven of the Bible is.

The breakthrough weekend was more than just a retreat for me.

For the last three weeks, God has been tugging at my heart and brought me to a point of desperation in my spiritual condition. I saw the filth and the wretchedness of my soul. And I wanted to change.

There at the breakthrough weekend, I surrendered it all, I made fresh commitments. An altar was erected. Offerings were placed. I believe with the most sincere heart, I truly surrendered it all to God.

This morning, I pondered over the erected altar, is the offering still there? Or have I taken it back? Have I given a false surrender?

So what is a false surrender?
Ever surrendered something to God, only to find yourself thinking, “if I surrender this to God, then he will bless me with something greater?” or “If I surrender it to Him, God will give it back” Many times I surrender something to God, I harbour other hopes or possibilities of how God will give back. Just like for Abraham when he was ready to sacrifice Isaac upon the altar…

I think we have the unfortunate problem of hindsight in this case. We know God stopped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac (Whom Abraham LOVED dearly-Gen 22:2). And God provided an alternative sacrifice. We then view surrender as a cause-effect situation. Whereby if I surrender, then God will…

I believe that if I begin to read between the text and put myself into the position of Abraham (sanctified imagination.. heh heh) then perhaps I can have a better understanding of what surrender truly entails…

You see, when God called to Abraham, he was told to sacrifice Isaac. What would be his thoughts and emotions? There must have been plenty of struggle. Isaac, I have to emphasize again, was LOVED DEARLY by Abraham. I believe that at the altar of sacrifice, when Abraham raised the knife. He died to all hopes of Isaac growing up, tending the flocks, growing to a strong man, marrying a wife, having grandbabies to carry. Should there be an alternate reality, Abraham would have obediently plunged the knife into Isaac. And walked back to the donkey and headed home. No more Isaac. Surrendered.

Back to my personal thoughts on false surrender.

I surrendered and placed my wishes and dreams upon the altar at breakthrough weekend, yet this morning, my thoughts harboured upon hopes that God would give it back to me in His own way. Then I realised that my surrender was incomplete. I have placed my hope on resurrecting a dream that was already at the altar. And this was what God said to me… “Son, when you surrendered your hope and dreams on the altar, stop hoping that I would give it back to you, instead place your hope on Me.

Went through some old emails that I wrote and which was kept in the archives of my mailbox, so happen to chance upon this email that dates way back in my uni days in Dec of 98′, I remember this…

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From: Kelvin Choo
To: Undisclosed Recipients

Hello all,

Peace and may God’s grace be shining upon you.

I hope that all is well with everyone. And I missed you guys in our regular meetings. Just want to wish all of you wonderful Christmas.

Here’s something I want to share.

I have a friend by the name of Casey. He is close friend of mine, and I got to know him through triathlon. He is a pretty good athlete. And he’s got such a passion for the sport of triathlon (for those who don’t know these are the crazy guys who swim, cycle and run). He’s quite a popular guy amongst his peers because he is always joking and laughing all the time. Though sometimes I would say the jokes are rather distasteful. Incidentally he is also a Christian (I would say not a very good example of salt and light of the world). And not quite as enthusiastic as a Christian as he should be an athlete.

His enthusiasm for the sport can be seen in the amount of reading he does regarding training. He consistently reads to equip himself with new training techniques. Hence it is not surprising that going into the sport for a mere short year, he has improved a lot and has done well in some of the races.

Being a close friend, I know him quite well. He was in fact training for an important race in the coming months. The Ironman Triathlon. I can say that it was really important to him. Most of the time he spoke of going to that race. In my opinion, I would say kinda obsessed with it even.

Anyway, recently, there was this camp that came up, (called the Bible Conference organized by the FES) so I actually invited him to go for it, it was a camp for Christians, him being one I decided to pull him to go along. After some difficult struggle of having to miss training, he finally relented and went for the camp. The camp was rather long (one full week) and after the camp I felt I gained much and felt that God has spoken to me, but for Casey, he something happened. I spoke to him and he told me that something is going to happen to him. He sounded very serious, I did not really know what he meant, and I just shrugged aside what he said. I wondered what he actually went through in the camp. He did not say much and kept to himself. He stopped training for a few days. And that was something very unusual.

Things didn’t seem right, so I called Casey up in his hostel room. No one picked up. I asked fellow triathletes if they had seen him. But no one did. Something must have gone wrong.

A few days after I last saw him, which was at the end of the camp. I received news that Casey was no more, he died. He no longer lives. He has become just a memory.

He was a dear friend and I will miss him…. Good bye friend…. Good bye Casey….

But what really happened to him during the camp, I guess I would be the only one to know. God touched his life, God spoke to him. And God changed him. I know because that was the final thing he said to me…

I know…. because I’m Casey.

God has changed my life. I’ve been given a new perspective to life, with a new passion, renewed faith and hope, He gave me renewed strength, courage to face up to difficulties and strongholds. God is real. I cannot deny Him. He has me set upon me a task, a really important task, and he calls me to a surrendered life. Gladly, Lord, I will follow you Lord. With all my heart and all my strength.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

I understand this now….

Have a blessed Christmas!

Casey

aka KC (Kelvin Choo)

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I’m just so un-IT savvy.

Been trying so very hard to figure this whole thing out… gosh…
Never been so do-do in the past, but now.. ok, I hope that I can figure this out soon and start posting things in this blog… else its just gonna sit here and rot…

how do you change the time of this thing?? its always 8 hrs behind singapore time…