Luke 23:34

Seasonally, I go to this online chat/drawing game site (it's like an online Pictionary) to have a little fun challenging myself at drawing (as, at my own initiative, I usually draw the same old boring animals). I meet a lot of strange people there, not surprisingly - nice people, rude people, rule-abiding people, rebellious people, polite people, foul-mouthed people, etc.. I've learned to either ignore or leave a room when something less appropriate happens.

Today, as I stepped into a room, I "overheard" a conversation between some people who were talking about someone very casually, very ordinarily. I didn't think much of it at first but as they went on, a word caught my eye. One of them mentioned the name "god". It sparked my interest so I read on and they proceeded to talk about someone whom one of them had met and this person was a mess and has been a mess since his son died.

Here's the case: I knew there were a couple of players on the site that had nicknames involving the word "god" and I assumed, at first, that one of them was the subject of this conversation. But as I continued to read, they were not talking about "a" god, they were talking about God and this son they referred to was God's Son, Jesus Christ.

I had no idea how to respond, so I listened incredulously as they as they not only referred to God as a human-like being, but as someone who was so messed up, so broken over the death of his Son that he had to go to a person for counseling. I can hardly remember what else was mentioned and personally, I am glad I don't remember, because a one-time experience of that conversation was enough to boggle the mind.

I may not remember the details, but I remember what I felt and thought during the time. I was... stupefied. I just couldn't, and still can't, comprehend that I had just sat through a conversation where people talked about my God and were reducing Him to a torn, messed up man who acted like he had no hope in this world. I couldn't comprehend how they casually joked and teased about God and they laughed! They laughed.

I was stunned, literally.. and I was crying, inside, because my God, whom I know is sovereign and all-powerful, the Creator of everything, was being ridiculed by His own creation. Not just rejected, but ridiculed.

I was burned up, I was annoyed, I wanted to shout at them, rebuke them and teach them a thing or two. But someone wise once said, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing". It dawned on me that these people (and they are not alone) do not know God, they do not realise what they do. I don't know whether they acted purposely or out of ignorance, but either way, shouting at them wouldn't have done any good. So I left the room. If Jesus, in the position He was put, had the grace to ask God to forgive those who mistreated Him, I figured I need to learn to be as forgiving as He.

One thing I do know for sure at the end of the day is I know who my God is and what He isn't is a hopeless, crushed man who seeks other people for sympathy, counseling and therapy. He does not talk to men and mourn over the loss of His Son because His Son, Jesus Christ, is risen and living. I know God is self-existent and He does not need us, but He loves us. He does not seek hope, He is hope. And incredibly, despite His sovereignty and power, He is also the grace who loves us and saves us.

Let there be a REVIVAL!!

This is who I am - one of God's crew. Anybody wanna make somethin' outta it, they gotta talk to The Boss. 'Cuz no one's gotta say who I gotta be besides The Boss.

This is God's grace:

It SAVES us
It JUSTIFIES us
It BLESSES us
It EMPOWERS us
It is SUFFICIENT
It is SURPASSING
It is FREE

Nothing in this world is free, you say? It's okay, God is not of the world.

He is God.

Real World

Merr is back =)

The "prayer warrior" has not been the best prayer warrior I must say, it's seriously time to replenish my spiritual life.

My world can become so unreal sometimes. My imagination has an ability to transform stories and worlds into movies I watch, books I read, then I got to bring myself back to earth. You got it, I'm rather aloof. Only realized it when my English teacher once wrote that I can be a little aloof at times.

I can release everything I'm thinking, feeling or even everything I'm not thinking or feeling into my virtual world, it's so convenient. My imagination is like a TV set playing endless shows that I like to watch, and guess what? I'm the director.

That's cool. But it's not the real world. It's amazing how many ways in so many areas my life and thoughts and decisions can be split.

Isn't the human brain the greatest?

My discipler

"I don't simply scold people one.. but I simply whack people =)"

Sharon's the first person in ECF who has irritated me so with her persistence and ways not-understandable to me.

She's also the first in ECF I verbally fought with.

She's the one whose eyes I fear gazing on my work because she is bound to say something.

She's the one who scolded me for being unfocused.

However,

Sharon's also the very first person I ever used the word "jie jie" on.. before that, I didn't even know what it meant.

She's the first I worked in a ministry (ppt) with in ECF.

She ministered to me during Victory Weekend, she took me in and persisted with me as her disciple, she's been so gracious as to tolerate my arrogance and pride.

She taught me humility, focus, efficiency, leadership, patience...

In her own ways, she makes me feel special.

If to be a disciple means to follow and imitate, then I'm glad she's my discipler.

God, thank You for disciplers.

(disclaimer: not that no one else has impacted my life, but note the topic - this post is about my discipler)

MP3

I have NO idea how this came up, but it was during a discussion about language and nicknames.. and THIS is how our conversation turned out:

Carol Yong says (1:55 PM):
and you,..can be.
Carol Yong says (1:55 PM):
PING PONG!
Merr-Peng !ping says (1:55 PM):
.......
Merr-Peng !ping says (1:56 PM):
IM ALREADY MERR PENG WHAT MORE DO U WANYT
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
teeheeeheeeee
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
hahahahha
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
MERR PENG PING PONG!
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
mp3
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
:Dhahaha
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
hahahahahahahahaha
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
hahahahahahahha
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
stroke of genius, tht
Carol Yong says (1:56 PM):
hahahahha
Merr-Peng !ping says (1:57 PM):
YOR
Merr-Peng !ping says (1:57 PM):
MP3
Merr-Peng !ping says (1:57 PM):
U ARE SO LAME
Merr-Peng !ping says (1:57 PM):
U ARE SO LAME
Merr-Peng !ping says (1:57 PM):
SO LAME
Carol Yong says (1:57 PM):
i am such a genius
Carol Yong says (1:57 PM):
MP3!!!

LAME JOKE 3rd DEGREE!