Let's face it. We humans are a bunch of whiners. We complain and whine at just about everything under the sun. Coffee too cold, salaries too low, bosses too hard, subordinates too slow etc etc. Ever heard of the classic "Life is hard" quote? Well, it goes on to say you gotta work your butt off to make it in this world. Stuff like that. Uncommon? No. We're all guilty of it. I am too, to be completely honest.
Awhile back I posted something about The Miracle of the Moment. This is something similar. Little miracles, the ones we miss almost everytime. The small ordinary day to day miracles that take place in our lives. The tiny, 'commonplace' ones that change our world and change our lives without us even knowing.
Have you ever considered the sunrise and the sunset? Little miracles. Beautiful. Expressions of a Creator's creativity.
Have you thought about the hundreds of things that happen at the same time when you do something as simple as breathe? Oxygenation of the blood and all. The preciseness of our human anatomy.
Have you ever marvelled at the fierce beauty of a storm or how a sky can turn red with an impending storm?
Or when you held a newborn baby in your arms? The miracle of life. To see this tiny little wonder.
Have you considered that if we were 1 meter closer to the sun, we'd be done in very well, or in other words, well-done? Or if we were 1 meter further from the sun, we'd all resemble interestingly shaped ice stalagmites?
Have you ever been on a beach at night and taken the time to watch the stars and listened to the waves lap against the shore?
Or thought about one of the greatest miracles of all; love? How people would willingly lay down their lives for their loved ones, and some even for strangers? Why? Because love is powerful.
Life is short. Yet we insist on rushing through it with our noses buried in what we do. And that's how we miss these little miracles. Some people don't believe in miracles. I do. They take place all around us everyday. Will we miss them today?
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
Heart
I read an article yesterday. Someone basically slammed the school uniforms we have in Malaysia. I suppose she means the government school ones. She said that they are too ‘sexy’, as the colour (white) makes the uniforms transparent.
She goes on to say that this ‘indecent clothing’ will encourage rape, premarital sex, illegitimate pregnancies and even prostitution.
Hmm..Interesting isn’t it? For the sake of discussion and debate, how does a transparent or translucent blouse encourage premarital sex? As far as I know, premarital sex is a consensual thing. Will swathing women in 3 layers of cloth help in any way? I kind of doubt it. After all, even if women are wrapped up like dumplings, we live in an age where pornography is so freely available. We would know what’s underneath those wrappings anyway.
And as for rape, well if a man is hell-bent on rape, it doesn’t really matter if the woman is wearing a bikini or a school uniform, does it? Don’t think it would make a difference.
So where am I going with this post? I’m trying to say that you cannot treat problems in such a way. You can dump more ‘controls’ and ‘rules’ and ‘laws’ and ‘regulations’ and it won’t change a single thing. Wrapping women up will not reduce a man’s lust, or a woman’s, as things go these days. What is going to prevent premarital sex and pregnancies is not more rules.
Problems need to be fixed at the core, which is right down in people’s hearts. No matter how many laws are imposed, if people believe something is right, they’ll keep doing it. It doesn’t matter if it’s stealing or murder. If they buy the story that it’s ok, they’ll do it.
Interestingly, this situation happened 2,000 years ago. Back in the time of Jesus. The Pharisees (lawmakers) at that time were rigid disciplinarians. They followed the law to the letter. And the gospel that Jesus came to bring was about freedom and forgiveness. But these Pharisees could not accept it. They were so caught up with the law that they failed to see the truth.
And indeed, 2,000 years later, we have those among us who are so blinded by laws and regulations that they fail to see the truth. Evil springs up from our hearts. And no amount of laws will improve morals. We are a decadent society. And rules really don’t hinder us from doing much.
Yes, I agree a change is needed. But it’s not a change of school uniforms to prevent rape. It’s not a ruling to ban gay marriages to prevent homosexuality. It’s not a punishment imposed on broken families and divorces. It’s not more rules. A change of heart is what the world needs. We don’t need more logic. We need more heart. We need pure hearts.
And this applies to everything. If we had a change of heart, would we not be more loving? Would we not be more against infidelity and adultery? Would we not be less angry and less stressed and less disappointed and depressed? We have a whole beautiful world created by the hands of God for us. And all we do is rush about, part of a massive rat race that chases all the smallest things in life.
Life does not consist of the things one possesses. That’s a quote out of the Bible. The reason God gave us a heart is s owe can feel. So we can live. So we can hear when He whispers that there’s more to life than this.
But I digress..Let us set our hearts right. Life is not a game of rules. There is freedom in doing the right thing, but rules alone will never ‘make’ us do the right thing. A righteous heart will. A pure heart will. Heart. That’s where it starts.
She goes on to say that this ‘indecent clothing’ will encourage rape, premarital sex, illegitimate pregnancies and even prostitution.
Hmm..Interesting isn’t it? For the sake of discussion and debate, how does a transparent or translucent blouse encourage premarital sex? As far as I know, premarital sex is a consensual thing. Will swathing women in 3 layers of cloth help in any way? I kind of doubt it. After all, even if women are wrapped up like dumplings, we live in an age where pornography is so freely available. We would know what’s underneath those wrappings anyway.
And as for rape, well if a man is hell-bent on rape, it doesn’t really matter if the woman is wearing a bikini or a school uniform, does it? Don’t think it would make a difference.
So where am I going with this post? I’m trying to say that you cannot treat problems in such a way. You can dump more ‘controls’ and ‘rules’ and ‘laws’ and ‘regulations’ and it won’t change a single thing. Wrapping women up will not reduce a man’s lust, or a woman’s, as things go these days. What is going to prevent premarital sex and pregnancies is not more rules.
Problems need to be fixed at the core, which is right down in people’s hearts. No matter how many laws are imposed, if people believe something is right, they’ll keep doing it. It doesn’t matter if it’s stealing or murder. If they buy the story that it’s ok, they’ll do it.
Interestingly, this situation happened 2,000 years ago. Back in the time of Jesus. The Pharisees (lawmakers) at that time were rigid disciplinarians. They followed the law to the letter. And the gospel that Jesus came to bring was about freedom and forgiveness. But these Pharisees could not accept it. They were so caught up with the law that they failed to see the truth.
And indeed, 2,000 years later, we have those among us who are so blinded by laws and regulations that they fail to see the truth. Evil springs up from our hearts. And no amount of laws will improve morals. We are a decadent society. And rules really don’t hinder us from doing much.
Yes, I agree a change is needed. But it’s not a change of school uniforms to prevent rape. It’s not a ruling to ban gay marriages to prevent homosexuality. It’s not a punishment imposed on broken families and divorces. It’s not more rules. A change of heart is what the world needs. We don’t need more logic. We need more heart. We need pure hearts.
And this applies to everything. If we had a change of heart, would we not be more loving? Would we not be more against infidelity and adultery? Would we not be less angry and less stressed and less disappointed and depressed? We have a whole beautiful world created by the hands of God for us. And all we do is rush about, part of a massive rat race that chases all the smallest things in life.
Life does not consist of the things one possesses. That’s a quote out of the Bible. The reason God gave us a heart is s owe can feel. So we can live. So we can hear when He whispers that there’s more to life than this.
But I digress..Let us set our hearts right. Life is not a game of rules. There is freedom in doing the right thing, but rules alone will never ‘make’ us do the right thing. A righteous heart will. A pure heart will. Heart. That’s where it starts.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Search
Been pretty busy at work and other activities lately and that's why this blog hasn't been updated as frequently as I'd like. But I did manage to find some time to have some chats with a friend and colleague over the past 2 weeks.
Interesting things we chatted about really. Life, and what its purpose is. Achievements? Hmm, happiness? Good job? Something she said struck a chord within me. She said these words:
"What's life really about if all we do is grow up, work, and then die? And then just a few people will be sad, for awhile, and then they'll forget us too. So meaningless!"
I couldn't help it. I had to agree. If that's all we do in life, that's pretty meaningless. I'm going to post a link here to a post on another friend's blog. A post about Modern Life. Take a read and see if there's more to life than that.
Modern Life
Interesting things we chatted about really. Life, and what its purpose is. Achievements? Hmm, happiness? Good job? Something she said struck a chord within me. She said these words:
"What's life really about if all we do is grow up, work, and then die? And then just a few people will be sad, for awhile, and then they'll forget us too. So meaningless!"
I couldn't help it. I had to agree. If that's all we do in life, that's pretty meaningless. I'm going to post a link here to a post on another friend's blog. A post about Modern Life. Take a read and see if there's more to life than that.
Modern Life
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Just Another Statistic
It's the classic story of Boy meets Girl. They fall in love. Head over heels. Ah, the joys of teenage love. Young hearts joined by the simple yet powerful bond of love and romance. The days are filled with smiles and laughter, flowers and gifts, small tokens of affection. Hours on the phone talking about nothing at all.
Somewhere down the line, He decides that She's the one for him. It couldn't have been a better 5 years. Or 7, whichever applies. And He decides is time to pick out a ring. He can't decide though. Men are terrible at shapes and designs, aren't they? It's part of their charm. Big, clumsy doofuses we are. So He gets Cindy from the office to help him out. And with her help, He picks out the perfect one. An exquisite little thing. Never mind the price. Love is blind after all.
And so He picks out the perfect place. Up on the hill where they've spent so many wonderful moments. Sunsets and sunrises. She's absolutely clueless. She thinks its just another night. And He springs her with the surprise. The whole I'm-down-on-one-knee-and-if-you-don't-say-yes-I'm-not-getting-up routine. Of course, She says yes. How could She not? He's the man of her dreams and She's never felt this way about anyone. She's spent entire nights dreaming of this moment.
The wedding is raucous, as most weddings are. Friends and family turn up in busloads to show their support. "They're a beautiful couple," the women say. And the men, being men, are probably slightly more interested in the food or the drink. Big, clumsy doofuses, remember?
It's the best day of their lives. Finally, all their dreams have come true.
Fast forward down the reel of time a little. 8 years and 2 kids down the road. What picture do we see now? He comes home tired. Work's been terrible the past year or two. Impossible deadlines, impossible superiors. Money's good but it doesn't feel like it's worth living that kind of life for it. She wants to talk. The kids need help. Little Sam just poo'ed. Babies have an incredibly accurate sense of knowing when to poo when you least need it. He brushes off her questions and pleads weariness. She sees a closed heart. Tempers flare. Just another day.
He's staring at the TV but he's not seeing the images. She's upstairs sobbing. "Why can't we talk anymore," she asked. And the only answer she could get was silence, heavy and ominous. A sign of impending doom. "Why can't we communicate?"
What happened to Boy and Girl? What happened to the years of blissful, ignorant love? So long ago, it seems, and yet just like yesterday. What happened? Life caught up, maybe? It's a cruel world out there when you grow up. Ever wondered why it's called the rat race?
Things don't get brighter. Things get worse. Yelling matches now. Daddy vs Mummy vs Kids. Long, cold, pointed silent matches too. He can't stand how She can be so insensitive and can't give Him what He needs. She can't understand why He doesn't open up. They can't understand what happened. Dark thought start to surface. Perhaps temptations. An affair or two. Just to get their minds off the problems. A blissful escapade into the wide open arms of ignorance and selfish desires. It's just a one night stand.
Finally, they decide to sign the papers. It's probably better this way, they think. It's not working out anymore. We tried. We failed. Better luck next time. Just another statistic.
----------------------------------------
Just another statistic, isn't it? People fall in and out of love all the time don't they? Marriage vows are frivolous, aren't they? Unrealistic. They don't provide for all the problems marriage brings, do they? They're just ritual verses. Tradition. Outdated. Repeated for the sake of repeating. Wrong. Dead wrong!
Do we know what commitment means anymore nowadays? Are relationships meant to be so fragile that a little testing and prodding can tear them apart? Gone are the days when the 'popular perception' was that marriage is forever. Till death do us part. Through the good days and bad days. Richer or poorer. What excuse do we have?
True, it's a fair enough argument that after some time, people don't get along anymore? Why? Communication. Or lack of it. Self-centredness. After awhile, we tend to forget that love is about giving, not receiving. Sure, it's easy to fall and love and be sweet and romantic when you're in love. But you know what's the greatest test of love? It's when you don't feel like you love him/her anymore. When you're plagued by uncertainty and doubt. When things aren't so straightforward. When you have no idea how you can make it through another day of the living hell.
What do we do then? In that very point of time. Most of us would give up, wouldn't we? It's certainly the easiest way out. Never mind the legal fees and the children. They're just accessories. Mummy and Daddy don't see eye to eye anymore.
There's still such a thing called unfailing love. Unconditional love. That's when you see her as the beautiful woman she is. Time and age will sap her physical beauty. She won't always look the way she did when she was 25 and you nearly broke your neck turning and twisting to look at her. It's when you see him to be the big, clumsy doofus you fell in love with underneath whatever he's changed into.
Unfailing love is when you can be the bigger man and sacrifice your own needs for hers, without hoping for something in return. Sure you're tired after a long day at work. Sure you don't feel like talking much. All you want is a break. But give that to her. Sacrifice it and talk to her. It'll make her day. It's not too late for small tokens of affection. For no reason at all. Just to show you care.
Love is a funny thing. It demands a lot. True love demands that you and I give. To give all that we have and all that we are to others. But its funny, in that no matter how much you try to out-bless God by blessing someone else, you can never out-bless God. You can never outgive Him. What am I trying to say here? I'm trying to say that although it may seem like a huge sacrifice to give and keep giving, it's always worth it. Cuz when we've come to a stage where we've learnt to give without hoping for anything in return, that's when we'll see the returns. And it's greater than we can imagine.
At the end of the day, relationships are never easy. Whether romantic or platonic. But it all boils down to a simple question; What kind of man do you want to be? What kind of woman do you want to be? What kind of friend/spouse do you want to be?
A lot of men and women of great renown and social standing miss the simple truth. They give in to pressure. Affairs, mistresses and scandals abound in our society today. That doesn't mean we don't have a choice. We can choose to be men and women of values and standards. It's all about our choices after all.
Learning to love and learning to be loved is not a duty. It's an awakening of our hearts to the beauty and love of God. As William Blake said, "And we are put on earth a little space, to learn to bear the beams of love."
No more statistics.
Somewhere down the line, He decides that She's the one for him. It couldn't have been a better 5 years. Or 7, whichever applies. And He decides is time to pick out a ring. He can't decide though. Men are terrible at shapes and designs, aren't they? It's part of their charm. Big, clumsy doofuses we are. So He gets Cindy from the office to help him out. And with her help, He picks out the perfect one. An exquisite little thing. Never mind the price. Love is blind after all.
And so He picks out the perfect place. Up on the hill where they've spent so many wonderful moments. Sunsets and sunrises. She's absolutely clueless. She thinks its just another night. And He springs her with the surprise. The whole I'm-down-on-one-knee-and-if-you-don't-say-yes-I'm-not-getting-up routine. Of course, She says yes. How could She not? He's the man of her dreams and She's never felt this way about anyone. She's spent entire nights dreaming of this moment.
The wedding is raucous, as most weddings are. Friends and family turn up in busloads to show their support. "They're a beautiful couple," the women say. And the men, being men, are probably slightly more interested in the food or the drink. Big, clumsy doofuses, remember?
It's the best day of their lives. Finally, all their dreams have come true.
Fast forward down the reel of time a little. 8 years and 2 kids down the road. What picture do we see now? He comes home tired. Work's been terrible the past year or two. Impossible deadlines, impossible superiors. Money's good but it doesn't feel like it's worth living that kind of life for it. She wants to talk. The kids need help. Little Sam just poo'ed. Babies have an incredibly accurate sense of knowing when to poo when you least need it. He brushes off her questions and pleads weariness. She sees a closed heart. Tempers flare. Just another day.
He's staring at the TV but he's not seeing the images. She's upstairs sobbing. "Why can't we talk anymore," she asked. And the only answer she could get was silence, heavy and ominous. A sign of impending doom. "Why can't we communicate?"
What happened to Boy and Girl? What happened to the years of blissful, ignorant love? So long ago, it seems, and yet just like yesterday. What happened? Life caught up, maybe? It's a cruel world out there when you grow up. Ever wondered why it's called the rat race?
Things don't get brighter. Things get worse. Yelling matches now. Daddy vs Mummy vs Kids. Long, cold, pointed silent matches too. He can't stand how She can be so insensitive and can't give Him what He needs. She can't understand why He doesn't open up. They can't understand what happened. Dark thought start to surface. Perhaps temptations. An affair or two. Just to get their minds off the problems. A blissful escapade into the wide open arms of ignorance and selfish desires. It's just a one night stand.
Finally, they decide to sign the papers. It's probably better this way, they think. It's not working out anymore. We tried. We failed. Better luck next time. Just another statistic.
----------------------------------------
Just another statistic, isn't it? People fall in and out of love all the time don't they? Marriage vows are frivolous, aren't they? Unrealistic. They don't provide for all the problems marriage brings, do they? They're just ritual verses. Tradition. Outdated. Repeated for the sake of repeating. Wrong. Dead wrong!
Do we know what commitment means anymore nowadays? Are relationships meant to be so fragile that a little testing and prodding can tear them apart? Gone are the days when the 'popular perception' was that marriage is forever. Till death do us part. Through the good days and bad days. Richer or poorer. What excuse do we have?
True, it's a fair enough argument that after some time, people don't get along anymore? Why? Communication. Or lack of it. Self-centredness. After awhile, we tend to forget that love is about giving, not receiving. Sure, it's easy to fall and love and be sweet and romantic when you're in love. But you know what's the greatest test of love? It's when you don't feel like you love him/her anymore. When you're plagued by uncertainty and doubt. When things aren't so straightforward. When you have no idea how you can make it through another day of the living hell.
What do we do then? In that very point of time. Most of us would give up, wouldn't we? It's certainly the easiest way out. Never mind the legal fees and the children. They're just accessories. Mummy and Daddy don't see eye to eye anymore.
There's still such a thing called unfailing love. Unconditional love. That's when you see her as the beautiful woman she is. Time and age will sap her physical beauty. She won't always look the way she did when she was 25 and you nearly broke your neck turning and twisting to look at her. It's when you see him to be the big, clumsy doofus you fell in love with underneath whatever he's changed into.
Unfailing love is when you can be the bigger man and sacrifice your own needs for hers, without hoping for something in return. Sure you're tired after a long day at work. Sure you don't feel like talking much. All you want is a break. But give that to her. Sacrifice it and talk to her. It'll make her day. It's not too late for small tokens of affection. For no reason at all. Just to show you care.
Love is a funny thing. It demands a lot. True love demands that you and I give. To give all that we have and all that we are to others. But its funny, in that no matter how much you try to out-bless God by blessing someone else, you can never out-bless God. You can never outgive Him. What am I trying to say here? I'm trying to say that although it may seem like a huge sacrifice to give and keep giving, it's always worth it. Cuz when we've come to a stage where we've learnt to give without hoping for anything in return, that's when we'll see the returns. And it's greater than we can imagine.
At the end of the day, relationships are never easy. Whether romantic or platonic. But it all boils down to a simple question; What kind of man do you want to be? What kind of woman do you want to be? What kind of friend/spouse do you want to be?
A lot of men and women of great renown and social standing miss the simple truth. They give in to pressure. Affairs, mistresses and scandals abound in our society today. That doesn't mean we don't have a choice. We can choose to be men and women of values and standards. It's all about our choices after all.
Learning to love and learning to be loved is not a duty. It's an awakening of our hearts to the beauty and love of God. As William Blake said, "And we are put on earth a little space, to learn to bear the beams of love."
No more statistics.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Miracle Of The Moment
Here's a song written and sung by a guy called Steven Curtis Chapman. I thought that it would be a good reminder to all of us to slow down sometimes and just count our blessings. We don't have to worry about the future or be broken cuz of our past. The only moment we can do anything about is the one right here right now. Let's cherish that. Let's forget about our troubles and struggles and resolve to be better people. Right here. Right now.
It’s time for letting go
All of our if only’s
‘Cause we don’t have a time machine
And even if we did
Would we really want to use it?
Would we really want to go change everything?
‘Cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
Chorus:
So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment
There’s only one who knows
What’s really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He’s out there waiting
To Him the future’s history
And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go
You gotta let it go
Listen to your heartbeat
We don't need to spend our entire lives planning for the future or carrying our regrets. We don't have to keep up with the rat race. Cuz when we do, we cease to see the beauty that's around us, and life becomes nothing more than a mundane routine, day in and day out. But lets lift our eyes above the mundane and look to the skies. Perhaps we'll see a little secret. A little hidden beauty. Small little miracles of the moment.
It’s time for letting go
All of our if only’s
‘Cause we don’t have a time machine
And even if we did
Would we really want to use it?
Would we really want to go change everything?
‘Cause we are who and where and what we are for now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
Chorus:
So breathe it in and breathe it out
Listen to your heartbeat
There’s a wonder in the here and now
It’s right there in front of you
And I don’t want you to miss
The miracle of the moment
There’s only one who knows
What’s really out there waiting
In all the moments yet to be
And all we need to know
Is He’s out there waiting
To Him the future’s history
And He has given us a treasure called right now
And this is the only moment we can do anything about
And if it brings you tears
Then taste them as they fall
And let them soften your heart
And if it brings you laughter
Then throw your head back
And let it go, let it go
You gotta let it go
Listen to your heartbeat
We don't need to spend our entire lives planning for the future or carrying our regrets. We don't have to keep up with the rat race. Cuz when we do, we cease to see the beauty that's around us, and life becomes nothing more than a mundane routine, day in and day out. But lets lift our eyes above the mundane and look to the skies. Perhaps we'll see a little secret. A little hidden beauty. Small little miracles of the moment.
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