The Gash on the Hillside

Today is a dark day. Ted Haggart, outspoken American evangelical leader confessed to sexual immorality after being exposed by a male escort and accused of buying drugs and sexual services. I own one of his highly recommended books, and would never expect him to fall like this.

Thinking about this incident is like looking up at a cliff where once there stood a spacious look-out which is now reduced to a gash on the hillside.

There are a number of lessons one can learn through this incident:

One, you will never know how near the edge of the cliff you can go before the ground gives way below you. Two, some may gladly help you over the edge.

Conclusion: Don't go there.

Remembering Usoof

Today, 3 Nov 2006, is the third anniversary of our brother Usoof leaving us for his permanent home.

How time flies! How we miss Usoof -- his maintenance-free hairstyle, his inimitable laughter and outrageous sense of humour, and his kind words that always rise to the occasion. His memory will always warm our hearts. The thought that Usoof will never give up in any situation will keep us going when the going gets tough. His faith that God will not fail us will always lift up our hearts.

Meanwhile, we have to keep on living, moving on with our lives, as Jennifer, Eliza and Joseph are doing, so courageously, so faithfully. May we cheer them and one another on.

Usoof has never set foot inside our new church home, but he will always be there in our hearts. Bless you, buddy!

How do you eat an elephant?

Answer: One piece at a time!

Want to pick up a new hobby but finding it too time-consuming to learn?

Want to pursue your dream study course or career choice but feel it is too daunting to even start?

Want to start a blog but droppped the idea because everyone says you can't keep it up?

Want to build a solid spiritual life but don't feel you have it in you?

The question is probably not whether you can, or have the time or potential to do it. It's probably that you feel you can't accomplish it within a timeframe you can visualize. But that's the whole thing --- you don't have to!

We want to achieve everything at once! It doesn't work that way! We build it up one piece at a time! Water dripping onto a rock can, over time, bore a deep hole through it, a fraction of a millimeter at a time.

Our hospital (St Andrew's Community Hospital) was officially opened by the Minister of Health this morning. I can still remember the many changes of plans over the past 8 years, the number of times church members asked me whether the project would ever get off the ground, the starts and stops even after the official ground-breaking in 2003, not to mention the huge financial challenge of raising the money. But we kept doggedly at it, with the help of God and many good people, one challenge at a time. The building took shape, brick upon brick, one at a time. Today, the hardware and processes are in place. We just have to keep nurturing the "heart-ware", tending the soul of the hospital, again, one piece at a time.

Imagine what you can accomplish if you have the determination, the planning and the patience to chip at it, one fragment at a time.

Done imagining? Now go do it!

Marriage Vows

As a Deputy Registrar of Marriage and Licensed Solemnizer appointed by Singapore's Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, I regularly conduct marriage ceremonies for young couples.

I want to thank my friends Keng Boon and Huey Fang whose marriage I solemnized yesterday in a civic ceremony at the Singapore Arts Museum Auditorium for the encouragement they brought me:

You touched me not only with your faithful and earnest attendance at the foundations for Christian Marriage course but even more with your determination to memorize your vows (which you also executed perfectly!). Clearly, amidst tears of joy, you meant every word you said, and are firmly resolved for your marriage to last a lifetime, as God intended it when he created marriage. May His blessings accompany you and His grace be sufficient for you throughout all your days!

Right is cool!

After reading an article in the Straits Times yesterday about Ronald Susilo and Li Jiawei, I felt inspired to write this letter to the Forum:

I want to applaud national badminton player Ronald Susilo for his response to the matter of he and his fiancée, national table tennis player Li Jiawei, not having moved into their Kembangan condomium yet (Straits Times, Sports, 17 October 2006): It’s not right to move in when we’re not married.” As role models for many young people, Ronnie and Jiawei, thank you for reaffirming that right is cool. Now that said, let’s leave their private lives alone so that they can get on with the Asian Games.

Hope it gets published as I really want to encourage them, and share the inspiration that his quote brought me!

Tuning up

Spent some time tweaking the look of my new blog. Checked out and commented on Leng, Xianjie and Desiree's blogs -- inspiring works of self-expression!

Still trying to get the hang of blogging , but it's turning out to be a great way of staying in touch.

Fire-tufted Barbet

We saw this gorgeous Fire-tufted Barbet at Fraser's Hill in West Malaysia when Leng and I took a short break there last week. We had heard from some fellow birders that they saw one the day before, and I secretly prayed that I would see one too, knowing how exotically beautiful this bird is with its black and red feathers at the base of its beak and the curious black strip halfway down the beak. My prayer was answered that same afternoon during our walk along Jalan Mager, a quiet, shady street at the edge of the town, when Leng sat down for a breather, looked up, saw a flash of green and there it was!

What an Artist our Creator God is, and what humor he must have in creating this beautiful bird! Enjoy!

Tak's first blog entry

Hello everyone! This is my first ever blog entry. I hope through this blog to share my thoughts, hopes and dreams with anyone who is interested. A vision shared is a vision doubled!