time for words...

It's been awhile i guess since i've 'said' anything on my blog.
It's all been pretty much 'picture-blogging' of late and i guess it's about time i 'broke the silence' ;)

i shall refrain from expressing my views with regards to some matters of national interest lately...

God hears my 'groanings' for this nation which i love... and i know He'll make all things beautiful in His time.

So i shall make a conscious effort to 'digress' ;)

Reading 'Systematic Theology' (i'm just beyond the half way mark) has shed light on just how much i don't know and perhaps took for granted with regards to the fundamentals of Christian doctrine and faith. i'm glad i'm equipping myself as best as i can (albeit not as quickly as i would like) and i find myself appreciating more and more the responsibility of not just understanding things better but putting things across sound and true.

i think we could all do a bit better with knowing more about what we think we know before we tell or teach others about what we think they should know.

Looking back, i'm thankful and humbly attribute all the glory to God, that the times that i was entrusted either with teaching, preaching or sharing or simply vocalising my point of view in discussion, that it did turn out 'sound and true'.
There's a new appreciation and respect i have for trusting the Holy Spirit for wisdom as well as understanding and also, perhaps more importantly, for His unction and stirring (i remember times when i only gained understanding of what i was saying as i was saying it).

The point is not just about being right per say.... but being accountable.
Because we will be held accountable eventually.... for every thought...word...deed (or even the lack of either thereof).
And those who teach, well, doubly so!

Thank God that His grace and mercy and love covers the multitude of our misgivings. He somehow turns what we said or did wrong... right.
Somehow He does.
And as we come before Him repentant and in full acknowledgement of our weaknesses with evidence of correcting the wrong we've done... He bestows grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy...and allows us to grow from faith to faith...glory to glory.

So let us beware lest our eyes turn haughty.
Lest we become 'puffed' up with knowledge (or so we think) and become the fool, disqualifying ourselves of His grace...of His mercy... of Him.



i've successfully digressed ;)


i'm in a somewhat 'cathartic' mood (yes, the word generally has a negative connotation to it ... but for the sake of sounding sophisticated why not? hehe).

Chinese New Year is around the corner and i'm looking forward to it even more than i did in the years past (well, to be fair, i only started officially celebrating last year..still) ;)

i think it has to do with how the dynamics are different this year... what with Isaiah and all.
i'm no longer just the new addition to the family.
i'm the new father.

And yes, husband and wife are the basic unit of a family but... with a child... well it feels more like it ;) and so yes, we're the 'new' family.

As it is, when we went back for Christmas and New Year... the 'feel' was different.

Everything seemed to be painted with the colour of 'family'.

Not just my in-laws but even my family seemed to relate to me somewhat 'differently' (and i mean that in a good way).... i'm no longer just the son/nephew/grandson... but the son/nephew/grandson who's a father and the leader of a budding new family.

Don't know quite how to put it into words... but i've definitely embarked on an entirely new 'phase' of life (if could loosely use the term).

i mean i knew in theory before i had a child of my own that when i do... things are going to change... a lot.
But just how much change... well, i think i'm only appreciating that of late (there's way more to come i'm sure).



again, i've successfully digressed ;)