God always has the last laugh....

Saw this on facebook...really good joke

God is sitting in Heaven when a scientist says to Him, "Lord, we don't need you anymore. Science has finally figured out a way to create life out of nothing.
In other words, we can now do what you did in the 'beginning'."

"Oh, is that so? Tell me..." replies God."Well", says the scientist, "we can take dirt and form it into the likeness of you and breathe life into it, thus creating man."

"Well, that's interesting. Show Me. "So the scientist bends down to the earth and starts to mold the soil."Oh no, no, no..." interrupts God, "Get your own dirt."

Making sense of what's happening in Myanmar

Most of you would be familiar with the short uprising of the monks in Myanmar. Following the episodes closely in the papers everyday, I have many times been moved to the point of tears by the courage of the monks and the cruelty of Myanmar's leaders. These monks have risked their lives for the greater good and I admire them for it, immensely.

However, I have been having trouble reconciling this in a religious light. I thought to myself, as I was watching the violence on television, what happened to the souls of the dead?

In Christianity, we believe that all who do not obey the call of God are doomed to eternity in hell. My first instinctive thought was to regret that we are not able to go to Myanmar and preach to these monks; save the souls of these courageous and good-hearted people who, apart from having devoted their lives to the service of a god they believe in, have grasped the concept of an after-life enough to sacrifice themselves for the well being of Myanmar's citizens. That's something we Christians should strive for.

But then I got to thinking, how great would our preaching to them be? If one of these monks were to accept Christianity, would he be as zealous in his religion as he is now? I don't think it's about the personality. Otherwise we would have as many monks as we have Christian preachers. Somehow, it seems that there is a flaw in our religion, or perhaps in the way we practise it.

In Buddhism, to give up one's secular life for monkhood is revered. Look at how the Thais and the Burmese treat men of the cloth. In the Christian society, however, we don't exactly foster devotion to God. In fact, we don't foster devotion to much. It seems that there really isn't as much meaning in Christianity as there is in the devotion of the monks.

I'm not really sure how to make sense of my thoughts, and I hope to invite others to share their thoughts on this subject. It would help my faith, and perhaps the faith of others out there.

The Plain Truth About Money

Tiny children are often fascinated with money because it is shiny and small enough to go into their mouths. Then, kids reach the point when they understand that money has the power to buy things. That is a new reason for them to like money. Later, in their teenage years their thinking can be dominated by a desire to possess money in order to impress others or to buy things that dad and mom won't buy for them. As adults, well, a lot of adults are still fond of money.

Money in and of itself possesses no moral qualities. Money is neither righteous nor unrighteous. Money is an inanimate object, a means or tool to help humans obtain something else. It is one's attitude toward money or riches that counts. In order to help us keep a handle on our attitude, we offer the following six truthful statements about money. May they serve as a reminder and warning to all of us.

(1) Money cannot buy love. Way back in the 1960s the Beatles were singing, "I don't care too much for money, 'cause money can't buy me love." It was true then, and it is still true now. Money may impress folks and attract them to a money-possessing person, but money cannot buy genuine love. Young people, are you listening?

(2) Money doesn't grow on trees. How many times did we hear our parents tell us that when we wanted something that we could not afford? Because it is true that money does not grow on trees and we cannot have it at the snap of our fingers, then we need to be good stewards with the funds that God has placed in our hands (1 Corinthians 4:2). Our Lord says, "Owe no man anything" (Romans 13:8). Christians ought not to use credit cards to the extent that they get themselves into debt that they cannot pay off.

(3) Money is not the root of all evil, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). The love of money is covetousness, and covetousness is idolatry (Colossians 3:5). Such a love affair with material riches has ruined friendships, marriages, and even congregations. How sad.

(4) Money never has and never will save a soul. Money can be used to help support the preaching of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:8, 9). It is also an instrument that assists us in edifying the faithful, but still, money cannot save souls.

(5) Money will not accompany us when we leave this world. Regardless of how much money one has, the money stays behind—you can't take it with you. "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Timothy 6:7).

(6) Money is not success, and success is not possessing money. Oh, if we could only help folks, including ourselves at times, see this point! Some rich people will go to hell. Some poor folks will go to heaven. One's eternal destiny is not determined by his/her financial status. You want success, you say? Then listen carefully to what the Lord once told Joshua: "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success" (Joshua 1:8). THAT is true success.

Let each of us resolve to accept the truth about money, and in the process beware of "the deceitfulness of riches" (Mark 4:19). —Roger D. Campbell

Daily Rules for you to consider

Daily Rules

1. Wake Up!! Decide to have a good day. "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2.Dress Up!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7

3.Shut Up!! Say nice things and learn to listen. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. "He who guards his lips guards his soul." Proverbs 13:3

4 .Stand Up!!... For what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything.. "Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good..." Galatians 6:9-10

5.Look Up!!... To the Lord. "I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me." Phillippians 4:13 6. Reach Up!!... For something higher. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, And He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

7.Lift Up!!... Your Prayers. "Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING." Philippians 4:6

Planting our Garden

How To Plant Your Garden
First, you come to the garden alone, While the dew is still on the roses....

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING ,
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE(Let Us):
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3.Lettuce be patient
4.Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS(Turn Up):
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME(Time):
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.
THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

GOD BLESS!

How we get to heaven

Each morning when I get to work, the first thing I do is check my e-mail inbox. It’s interesting the things that arrive in my mailbox each day. There are the business-related mails, the personal correspondences, the chain letters, and of course not forgetting the ever-present spam. But occasionally, I receive a gem that brightens up my day. Here’s one I’d like to share with you and I hope it brightens your day too.

How we get to heaven
Adapted from an article by JOHNNY C. GO, SJ
Most of you would be familiar with the scene from the first Harry Potter movie (or book) in which Harry and all his schoolmates are made to put on an old, ragged-looking hat called the “Sorting Hat”.

The hat is a magical one and possesses the ability to look inside its wearer’s head and access his or her inner thoughts. It is this hat that decides which “house” students enter in their new magic school Hogwarts – whether they are grouped with the wise Ravenclaws, or the humble Hufflepuffs, the sly Slytherins or the courageous Gryffindors.

In a way, the Day of Judgement is probably going to be something similar. We’ll on stand nervously in lines, in much the same frame of mind as a pupil on a first day of school (though perhaps a great deal more afraid). We’ll all worry about where we might be sorted to – heaven or hell. And we’ll all dread what the “Sorting Hat” will see when he takes a look into our head.

Of course, the “Sorting Hat” in this scenario will be none other than our excellent, omniscient Father in Heaven. And most likely God will poke about inside our heads and our hearts to see where we’ll fit in better.

But if you recall again how the hat sorted Harry Potter into Gryffindor, you will notice one very important thing. The ultimate choice of where to put Harry Potter was not actually made by the hat, but rather by Potter himself who inwardly pleaded with the hat not to put him in Slytherin. It was a CHOICE.

I’m not saying that there will be people on that day itself who will be pleading with God not to put them in heaven. And of course, it isn’t as easy as telling God we choose to go to heaven. Instead of thinking of that all-important choice as a one-time decision on the Judgement Day, we need to think of that choice as a daily one.

Our choice of whether or not we want to go to heaven will be the sum total of every single choice we make every single day of our lives. Every time we choose to wake up early to attend a service on Sunday morning, we are telling God that we choose to go to heaven. On the flipside, each time we choose to sleep in, it is the equivalent of telling God that we’d rather enjoy our pleasures now and don’t mind suffering for them later.

Daily choices
This article was especially insightful for me because it brought me to the realisation that every choice we make in life counts towards our striving towards the goal. It isn’t enough just to attend services every Sunday, be nice to people around me and read my Bible daily. Instead, I now realise that every single decision I make has to reflect that I have put my God first.

Perhaps that doesn’t sound too difficult on paper. But the more I think about it, the more I realise that a lot of the decisions I make on a daily basis are not very well thought out. Instead, I find myself labouring a lot over things that ultimately aren’t going to matter much in the end.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. – John 6:27

That pretty much sums up how we spend our lives, I think. I wake up early every morning to work out because this preserves my earthly body. I spend the next ten hours at a desk labouring for the bread that feeds that same earthly body. After work, I come home too tired to do much else that is very important. Of the 16 hours I spend awake each day, I think only about two hours are spent on God. If I sum that up, the total isn’t a good tally for the heavenward side.

I could always argue that looking after my body and my health is a commandment of the Bible. People always use 1 Corinthians 6:19 to argue that since our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, we must not harm it but should instead take care of it. But the subsequent verse says that the body is to be used to glorify God.

And I could argue that it is also a commandment in the Bible to work (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12). But although the Bible says that Paul worked for his own bread, the Bible also tells us that he made many mission trips and we can definitely infer that Paul spent a large part of his life devoted to God and the only reason he worked was so that he could continue spreading the word – which is definitely not the reason I am working though I think it should be.

The golden mean
Obviously, the answer to my quandary is to seek moderation. That’s easier said than done though. Since joining the working force in May last year, I have been struggling with this balance. Trying to fit my work goals and my personal goals and my spiritual goals into one page has been an uphill job and I don’t think that I have gotten any better at it despite over half a year of trying.

I’m still seeking the right road, trying to make the right choices myself. So this article is by no means a sharing of wise words: being so young I profess to have none. Perhaps I’m voicing out something that other people my age are experiencing as they make an effort to feel their way around and carve their place out in this materialistic world.

Focus

Last week I did an exercise with the students in my class (I am teaching the upper primary class in Lim Ah Pin). They were given a sheet of paper to tally how many hours they spent on Saturday playing, watching TV, reading, doing their homework and chores, praying, reading the Bible and other activities.

Most of the students spent less than an hour out of the 15 waking hours doing something for God. In fact, most of them spent less than half an hour. They only made it past an hour when I added chores as something you do for God (because it's part of honouring their parents I think).

But I think often we older youth are all the more guilty of spending less and less time on God. On Saturdays, I spend about four hours cleaning. Another four hours or so reading or doing things that I didn't have time to do during the week (like filing my bank correspondence or writing letters). This month, I have also spent a lot of time preparing for my classes, on average about five hours. So I guess that is good. And thanks to Jon, there is usually something on at church on Saturday that I take part in. So far, I think my weekends are pretty balanced.

Lately, however, the weekdays have been merging into an endless work blur. My editor recently said to me, "Joan, after a while work and life just merge into one." I protested at that, but I realise it has become true. Apart from the occasional run in the morning, the time I try to allot to Bible study (but usually fail) and my eating and showers, there seems to be no time to do anything else. I've been working longer and longer hours as the workload increases.

To that end, I am now making a resolution to spend less time at work. To try harder to make the work-life balance an actual balance instead of a permanently upended scale. And I suppose for those who are studying, it becomes a study-life balance. Count the hours and see whether it's worth it. Because ultimately, there is no earth-heaven balance. It's eternity.

I was testing the children in my Sunday school class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.

I asked them, "If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage saleand gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?"

"NO!" the children answered.

"If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?"

Again, the answer was, "NO!"

By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun!

"Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my husband,would that get me into Heaven?"I asked them again.

Again, they all answered, "NO!"

I was just bursting with pride for them.

"Well," I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"

A five-year-old boy shouted out,"YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!"

Just for laughs =)

Lessons we can learn

EACH PERSON WHO ENTERS OUR LIFE HAS A UNIQUE LESSON TO TEACH US.
And it is only through these lessons that we learn about life, people, relationships and God.

WHEN SOMEONE LIES TO YOU, it teaches you that things are not always as they seem.The truth is often far beneath the surface. Look masks people wear if you want to know their heart.And remove your own masks to let people know yours.

WHEN SOMEONE STEALS FROM YOU, it teaches you that nothing is forever. Always appreciate what you have, for you never know when you might lose it. And never, ever take your friends and family for granted because today is the only guarantee you have.

WHEN SOMEONE INFLICTS AN INJURY UPON YOU, it teaches you that the human state is a fragile one. Protect and take care of your body as best you can, it's the only thing you are sure to have forever.

WHEN SOMEONE MOCKS YOU, it teaches you that no two people are alike. When you encounter people who are different from you, don't judge them by how they look or act; instead base your opinion on the contents of their heart.

WHEN SOMEONE BREAKS YOUR HEART, it teaches you that loving someone does not always mean that person will love you back. But don't turn your back on love because when you find the right person, the joy that one person brings will make up for all the past hurts put together. A hundredfold!

WHEN SOMEONE HOLDS A GRUDGE AGAINST YOU, it teaches you that everyone makes mistakes. When you are wronged, the most virtuous thing you can do is forgive the offender without pretense. Forgiving those who have hurt us is the most difficult and courageous thing Man can do.

WHEN A LOVED ONE IS UNFAITHFUL TO YOU, it teaches you that resisting temptation is Man's greatest challenge. Be vigilant in your existance against all temptation. By doing so you will be rewarded with an enduring sense of satisfaction far greater than the temporary pleasure by which you were tempted.

WHEN SOMEONE CHEATS ON YOU, it teaches you that greed is the root of all evil. Aspire to make your dreams come true, no matter how lofty they may be. Do not feel guilty about our success, but never let an obsession with achieving your goals lead you to engage in malevolent activities.

WHEN SOMEONE RIDICULES YOU, it teaches you that nobody is perfect. Accept people for their merits and be tolerant of their flaws. Do not ever reject someone for imperfections over which they have no control. Man's capacity to love is the greatest gift he has. At the root of all kindness is love.

EACH ACT OF LOVE ALSO TEACHES US A LESSON.

WHEN SOMEONE LOVES US, it teaches us that love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness and acceptance can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one less evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused. When you enter someone's life, whether by plan, chance or coincidence, CONSIDER WHAT YOUR LESSON WILL BE. Will you teach love or a harsh lesson of reality? When you die will your life have resulted in more loving or hurting? More comfort or pain? More joy or sadness?Each one of us has power over the balance of love in the world. Use it wisely. Don't miss an opportunity to nudge the world's scale in the right direction. "A man can't stop people from having a bad opinion about him but he can stop them from being right."

Dear Lord

(A not-so-young man's new year's prayer)

Dear Lord,
I don't know if I should be saying this but Happy New Year. I know You are eternal and not bound by time and all that but I also know that You ask Your children to share their joys with You.

Honestly, I am not all that joyful. I'm all alone this year, my friends have all gone home to their respective home towns (and home countries) and the few who remained wanted to go home after dinner and so I all I did was walk around the city alone. It was quite pathetic but I guess I just didn't want to feel alone. This is after all, my first new year away from family and friends.

The city was teeming with revellers partying the night away. Cars were jammed throughout and honking loudly; some because they were stuck, others because it was the new year. The noise was deafening. Of course, there were the drunkards, the fights and those who popped one too many pills. The police had to patrol just in case. I was glad that at least I did not have to drink myself silly to celebrate anything.

But in my soberness I saw the homeless, those who huddled in dark corners with what little clothes and dignity they had, while the throngs walked past. I thank You Lord, so much, that You have blessed me so richly. For although for this one short period I am alone, I have a bed, and warmth. My heart aches at the thought of those who have to suffer the cold and ask for change. While the rest of the city celebrates, their backs rest on chilly stone and they brave the wind (and it is windy tonight!). It is awful to be homeless. To be homeless in a cold country is worse. To be homeless in a cold country during the festive season is unfathomable. Bless them dear Lord. Please bless them.

Today at service I heard about resolutions and the preacher noted well that resolutions almost always involve only ourselves, in a sense that no one else is part of the resolution making process and hence we are only accountable to ourselves. Which is why they are so hard to keep; no one keeps tabs on us, we don't answer to anyone for failure. No one else is going to make sure we loose weight, or spend less or work harder.

And then he went on to speak of covenants, promises we keep not to ourselves but to others. He spoke of Your covenant with the Israelites in the Old Testament and the new promise of salvation in Christ. And he noted how in a covenant, both parties must keep to their end of the promise for the covenant to be upheld. And he asked us to review how we are keeping our part of the commitment to be faithful Christians, how we fared the past year, and how we will perform in the next.

Well, I did not make any resolutions this year. No point; I know from experience that five minutes after the clock strikes 12 the first one will go with a Cadbury bar and 1 month later I still would not have jogged but still be buying fruit and nut bars. So I didn't bother.

But I did think about the past year and the coming year, and how You fit into the picture, as the preacher suggested. I have many things to be happy for. I had an immensely enjoyable (albeit hectic) year at my university college in KL, mainly because I found friends there who truly accept me and love me. And I made it to the uni I wanted to go to. For these blessings, I am truly thankful.

My grandfather passed on this year, that was sad for so many of us, but I accept that it was his time, and that we have to move on.

But as always, I have things in the future to be worried about. As this year marks my 20th year of existence on Earth, I draw ever closer to the harsh and very real responsibilities of adulthood, and ever further from the ideals and childish things of youth. I don't know if I'm ready to be an adult, honestly. Or if I want to for that matter. I still am not fully certain what to do with my life. On the lower end of worries (though they are no less problematic for me), I'm finding my social life here not exactly as simple and manageable as I had hoped. My exams are coming near. I am stressed. I ask that You help me and guide me through all this.

As for my performance as a Christian, well, I have somethings to be proud off, and some things to be, well, not proud off.

I think I've tried making a positive change in others over the past year, especially the youth in Klang and Malaysia. I tried some rousing speeches that I think they did make a difference; but as far as I know, not a lasting one. Talk is cheap. Maybe I should have done more and talked less?

I started a group blog, with lofty aspirations and dreams that this time, yes, this time I've got on to something. But even as my administrative partner and I tried to recruit others to the team and strategise more on how to draw readers, we got caught up with our own lives, more so myself than her. The writers we had seemed to need huge invitations sent to their doorsteps to get any posts, and soon I lost momentum and shortly after that enthusiasm.

But, well, I went to church often last year, I guess I prayed here and there, I was quite nice to most people; I guess I was ok as a human being. But year after year, it's just ok, and that just doesn't cut it. I know You expect more of me than ok. Church became almost routine, that can't be ok. Prayers were lifeless, faithless, that can't be ok. You were moving more and more out of my life rather than into it. That's surely not ok.

I lost interest in so many things that I should not have lost interest in, I became more and more nonchalant about my faith and spirituality. I should have been looking for more to do but I rested on what I did, and, more often than not, was defeated by what I had failed in doing. I was, slowly but surely, becoming what I always saw in other youth as a terrible thing. I became the indifferent, passive, do-the-minimum, unloving person I spoke against. I joined those I could not beat.

But coming here has made me open my eyes to a different congregation and how they live their lives and worship, to a different society and it's cultures, and to a way of life that relies on me (and only me) to be accountable to my conscience and to You, no longer under the eyes of other Christians or parents. It's harder to go to church but I still try hard to make it. It's a (much) smaller congregation but I am trying to cope.

But Lord, let the next year be one where I go the extra mile. Let it not be 'ok' but 'great'. Let it be one where You lead the way, where my trust is in You, fully. Help me to be a better person and Christian. Help me glorify You in my life by doing more charity, showing more love to other and thinking less of myself, by being more patient, by being a better example to others. Help me learn more about my faith, and take an active interest in the religion I profess. I know I can be better. I know I've said all this countless times before, but give me one more chance this time. I cannot be perfect, I will fail in some ways, I know that, but I will try.

Lord, be next to me, show me the way. Light up the steps in front of me, but more than that guide me to the path beyond because it is that which I fear the most, the uncertainty of the future.

And by the way, I'd really like to pray for world peace too, but this time I will start with giving more to the homeless. Help me do that, Lord.

Help me keep my part of the promise. Because I know You will.

Dear Lord, Happy New Year.
In His Name, Amen.

***
Happy New Year to the Sparks team all all readers! :) May you have a blessed year ahead.