Thursday, July 24, 2008
heaven and rewards
basically my friend posted a blog entry about rewards in heaven (what kind? how will we be rewarded? by having big mansions? crowns? and how would that motivate/effect us here on earth?)
so i decided to do a search and list the bible verses in New Testament... (according to my own discretion regarding the relationships between heaven and rewards) (quoted from NIV)
Matt 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 5:12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matt 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matt 6:1 [ Giving to the Needy ] "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
Matt 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matt 9:21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
Luke 6:23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.
Luke 10:20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Luke 12:33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.
1 Peter 1:4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you,
i did a search on the word "heaven" in NIV and NASB and 278 entries showed up. according to my judgment, there are only about 12 that are sort of relevant to rewards. that's a very small percentage compare to what the New Testament talks about heaven. so it seems to me that rewards and heavens is not a hot topic that Jesus or the disciples focused on. heaven... it's more about other matters. and even when it talks about being rewarded in heaven, it has more to do with how much a person sacrifices (in various ways) for God/Jesus, not so much related to our material giving...
but i think the most obvious bible verses that taught us the concept of heaven and rewards are those highlighted in red.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
wild parrots
wild parrots website
Sunday, July 20, 2008
my voice within
it was really weird to "see" Julie Andrews in person (since she is such a familiar face from The Sound of Music and Princess Diary... and voice...). I had thought that she went thru a vocal cords surgery and couldn't sing anymore but she did. although her voice was hoarse and she couldn't reach very high notes anymore, her presence and expressions are still excellent. She is also an excellent story teller.
and for the 2nd half of the concert, it's kinda a typical children's story with this educational focus on music and also knowing who you are. the songs are nice but not memorable (seriously, i can't sing any of the songs back to you from the show... unlike littler mermaid or something). but the story did resonate something within me.
i guess because the main character, Simeon, is simple minstrel. for the purpose of finding something that would allow him to justify marrying the princess, he went on this journey hoping to perfecting his craft and write music that is beyond the simple tunes he used to sing. along the way, he learned many things but ultimately the noises of the city beat him down and made him very discouraged about his dream. he then decided to sell his lute and return to the village in order to say goodbye to the love of his life. but on the journey back, he encountered three animals that reminded him of his passion for music and eventually for him to find his voice again. and as in all fairy tales, his music was so wonderful, it did earn him the right to marry the princess. he then continued to compose wonderful music for the rest of his life. and thus--Simeon's gift (to the world, i suppose)
i guess since i have composed some songs before (i think those were mainly therapeutic for my own sake). the songs and lyrics just flowed out of me. it never took a long time for me to compose anything in the past. but in the past year or so, i've stopped. partly because i am searching again of why i compose and to whom do i compose my songs for. (or maybe i am coping with my stresses in different ways?) i think also because i am doing this ethnomusicology program. with all the learning and reading, i hesitate in composing because i don't feel that my songs are really reaching many people (of course my friends and family have been encouraging about this and i do appreciate all your support). but i do know that music IS a gift and i should utilize it.
i am not sure which part of the journey i am on right now... maybe just keep walking
Saturday, July 12, 2008
ouch
i used a little shuffle. i was digging the first hole for the first plant. dug and dug and dug without wearing gloves (since it was easier. the gloves were too big). suddenly i noticed that some skin on my palm had come off.
now it really hurts.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Ice cream!
after dinner on saturday, we went to Fosselman's ice cream co in Alhambra. and this is the kind of stuff that i was hoping to find many months ago when a craving for really good home made chocolate ice cream like the kind you find at daily scoop that was walking distance from where i used to live in sg.
above picture is my chocolate raspberry cream on a sugar cone (with my little sis in the background and picture taken by my thai-american bro, nat.) (awesome pic, nat!)
the price is not bad and there were lots of people going thru the store even at 9:30pm (when we arrived). i will be going back again (probably need to jog for like an hour before i go again). and if you are ever in the neighborhood, i highly recommend trying out their yummy ice cream.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
EAST graduation photos are up!
There are some pretty nice shots there.
It doesn't allow me to post the exact link to the photos so you have to go to
http://www.east.edu.sg
then click on "photos" in order to see them.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
travels--HK to Shanghai
i learned a few things...
- bring your own cup (they provide hot water only)
- bring your own food (they are slow in selling the train food and i thought it looked pretty oily)
- people were pretty friendly to one another
- men can snore very loudly at night
- it was a long journey (duh!)
after arriving to shanghai, i spent the next few days with jw's family. (jw is a friend from my previous church.) i was very touched by their hospitality and how well 6 people can be cramped into a 2-bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment without any conflicts.
because it was 'dragon boat festival', there was an extended holiday for that weekend. i think we went for a very avg chinese kind of weekend stroll in the public parks. it was interesting to see all the families with their young children (maybe pre-elementary school age) with their parents and grand parents.
i think the timing for my trip is pretty providential. before the trip, i already heard that my 3rd aunt's husband was hospitalized. but i think we all didn't think he would stay in the hospital for over a month. i got to visit him in the hospital and prayed along with the family for quick recovery. (thank God that he's gone home from the hospital but need to continue to pray for his full recovery) and because it was 'dragon boat festival', i also had a reunion dinner with my extended family. i've not had a chance to meet some of these relatives who's been living in shanghai all these years. it was good to finally meet them. i also had brief moments to catch up with those cousins that i'm more familiar with (thank God for family!)
hmm... this is getting pretty long.
for shanghai pix, you can go here.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
change of plans
got an email from YM saying that she wont be able to go back to LZ as planned so i am cutting that part of the trip and come back to HK earlier.
when i was leaving sg and going to tw, i asked some people to pray for the people that i will meet, the things that i will see, hear and feel... that all will be what God intended. i think basically it called for an open mind and not insisting on doing this or that... (like going to the awesome party world K tv in taiwan... which i didnt get a chance to...
basically i met these people...
- my old classmates from wesley (some of them)
- uncles and aunties from our old church
- my cousin, his wife, and a wonderful lady who works at ORTV
- office staff and associate missionary of CMI
- one EAST alumna/good friend
- spent time with my godma and her family
- a lady who is in charge of this humanitarian org who also stayed at where i stayed during the first few days
i was glad that it's also an accumulation of the blessings, and grace i've received during the sg trip. somehow... i was able to talk thru many issues that i am facing and hope to seek some adjustments after i go back home. through conversations, i realized that i am totally passionate about going into ethnomusicology and the vision of seeing nations worship in their own language, music, cultural ways. through the gifts and grace and blessings i received, i feel refreshed and am able to return to the Word... maybe the most important thing is the reminder to have a thankful heart.
there are 2 more weeks in my trip. i look forward to more people, sights, sounds, or whatever God has in mind for me.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
in taiwan
well... just wrote an email to my family. kinda lazy to re-write stuff so just post it here and share with you all. (edited of course)
============
Dear Family
I arrived Taiwan around 3pm this afternoon. i transited thru HK and was delayed because the weather was not good. there was someone on the plane who also needed medical attention... it was a very long day...
i am at starbucks right now (one place that i heard that i can get wifi connection... i thought it's free but i need to pay money... )
just walked through the area around the our old home. first time around, i didn't even know that i was passing by the little lane. i went around the whole block and eventually came back to lane 85 (amazing i still remember..) but nothing is recognizable. maybe only the distance of walking from here to there. it's a very strange feeling
well, i am staying at this guest apartment near our old home... that's why i walked by the old home...
=========
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
saying goodbye again
it is a weird feeling that i had just said my farewells 8 months ago. although there are always changes in sg, it's still familar to me. and the people... i thoroughly enjoyed my time with every single person here. i really feel that there's not enough time no matter how much time we've spent together during this trip.
before i left the US, someone from GMCI emailed and wish me a good trip... to be refreshed. i think i definitely need it. after meeting with different people, venting, processing through all the adjustments, struggles, frustrations of my 8 months back in the US, i do realize many blind spots in my life in the past 8 months. hopefully i will be able to make some changes and adjust better... for my sanity, spirituality... and just the plain fact of continue to enjoy a relationship with the Lord ... serving Him out of joy and willingness.
i will head north tomorrow and go to taiwan for a few days. i am not sure what to expect and who are all the people that i'll meet. but at the end dof last night's meeting with my "ah-teh", i asked her to pray that i will just hear, see, and feel whatever God has in mind for me no matter where i continue to travel during this trip.
everybody asks me when i will come visit sg again. i am not sure... but hopefully i will be better at keeping in touch with everyone here... more emails. more chats. more prayers...
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
my mistake but then... sigh...
the day started off bright and breeze. since i've not really exercised, i went out for a short walk/jog. came back all sweaty but felt really good. was checking my emails and everything... then a friend called my mobile phone. since the value on the SIM card is getting low, every time the phone call ends, a msg comes on to tell me how much money i have left on the card. strangely... i had added S$25 unto the card last night but the value never changed. so i called the phone company and asked about it.
then... i realize...
earlier in the morning i was also having a SMS conversation with an old EAST friend who works for OMF. she wanted to meet up but i didn't have any more dinner time slots left... plus she will be busy helping with a friend's wedding prep next week.
we ate, talked, and had a good time... faxed the receipt then i left. after about 1 hour, i got a call from the phone company... they said the person who benefited from my mistake has only S$9 left on his/her card. i can only get that S$9 back.
sigh... can't believe i made this kind of mistake... i think my brain is not working too well these days...
Friday, May 16, 2008
in Singapore now
arrived Singapore yesterday around noon (by now it's the day before yesterday...) the whole flight and transit went smoothly.
it seems hotter and more humid than my body remembered. and maybe because i didnt sleep much on the plane, i've been feeling pretty sleepy by the afternoon.
food has been pretty awesome but meeting up with friends is even better.
looking at my schedule, it's filling up quickly. even 2 weeks seem pretty sure for me to have ample time to really catch up.
i am staying at friend's home and they only have internet access for hotmail and yahoo related sites. so i might not be able to check my gmail much or other sites that i am used to... but i just signed up for the free wireless access in certain places (i think it's some kind of experimental thing from sg gov).
well, need to go to sleep (even though my jetlag is keeping me right awake at 2:20am...)
hopefully i can update more frequently later.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
20 years
we spent about 4 hours sitting in their dining room just chatting time away. both of them are young mothers and so they have many things to share and exchange. i just sit there and marvel at how our appearance doesn't seem to have change too much. but... 20 years have gone by. for me, since i've not kept in touch with most of them, i feel that i need to start all over with our relationships. it is like our knowledge of one another only confined to those 3 years living together at school. but so much has happened since then... for those who have kept in touch through out the years, they know how this person got to know her husband and where they have been and what they've done in their studies and work. those 20 years they experienced are like blank tapes to me. same goes for what had taken place in my life... my experiences, the people, the places i've been.
i think i am still processing through what had taken place yesterday afternoon... but looking forward to be re-acquainted with old friends... in our new lives...
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
my mom came home
thankfully my little sister was around and was able to stay with us for 2 nights for the initial adjustments. my mom basically stays downstairs and sleep on a reclining chair (since she can't lay flat on a regular bed and was never able to really sleep comfortably even on the hospital bed that is able to rise her head level)
i am just exhausted from staying overnight at the hospital. although i was able to take breaks during the day while Joy from the office went to look after my mom, i just didn't get to sleep much. or even if i sleep, it's never deep because my mom needs my help with this and that or the nurses would come in and out to give her medz or check this or that...
well, i am glad that my mom seems to be getting better everyday and believe that she'll continue to get better. but keep praying for us...
i am also very behind on my reading for this assignment that i need to turn in.
(oh... my little sis also did an awesome job helping to clean up the house these few days... a lot of clutters were removed so my mom can move around the house more easily with the walker. somehow it just makes me feel much better without the clutter... thanks again sis!)
Thursday, March 27, 2008
pray pray pray...
Thanks again for your prayers!
USA CMI Prayer petitions
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
on the road to recovery...
親愛的代禱同工:
再一次謝謝大家為我媽媽手術代幬。我現在在她的病房,今晚陪她
Dear Prayer partners,
Thank you again for praying for my mom's surgery. I am currently in her room in the hospital. I'll stay here with her tonight. Although she doesn't really look like someone who's gone thru a major surgery, there is still a good distance until her full recovery. Just now, she suddenly felt a lot of pain. After praying with her, she felt a little better and so she asked me to send out this emergency prayer letter. Please do continue to keep her in your prayers until her full recovery.
Blessings,
Pauline 凱萍
Friday, March 21, 2008
update on my mom
just a little update and please continue to keep my mom in your prayers.
tues--took another MRI and X-rays of her lower back
wed--went back to the neuro-surgeon and he affirmed that her problem is mainly due to her pinched nerve in her neck.
thurs--she fell in the afternoon after her nap because her legs were weak. thankfully the neighbor came over and helped me pull her up. she was emotionally very tired and thankfully uncle Morley and aunt Sophie came to visit. they talked and she was slightly better.
friday (today)...
she got up around 4am and went back to sleep around 7am then woke up again around 10:30. i fed her breakfast, gave her insulin shot (as usual)... THEN... she said she was blacking out (the middle area from her view looked light blue and the rest is grey). i took her blood sugar level and it was 85 (kinda low but ok). tried to take her blood pressure but couldn't get it. she started to feel numb in both arms and dizzy. not having any more solutions, we called 911 and the ambulance came.
we got to the hospital and they did a series of tests on her. we got there about 12pm and by 7pm, we were transferred to a normal hospital room for her to stay overnight until her doctors decide to release her from the hospital.
the good news is... by the end of today, the neuro-surgeon's office called and said they got approval from both the insurance company and the hospital that accepts the insurance for an operation on next tuesday (Mar 25).
the bad news is... from the examinations at the hospital today, they found some problems with her lung (i couldn't understand what the nurse was saying over the phone)
so... i've cancelled my trip overseas (there will be more chances in the future). my dad went yesterday and will be away for three weeks. thankfully my younger sis can help some since she's cut down her work. well, thankful also for having uncle Morley, aunt Sophie around. thankful for support from our office staff, Joy... and of course talking to people about it also relieves me.
honestly, it was really scary this morning when the paramedics came (although they were really nice and helpful.. also very quick). being in the hospital all day was tiring... i also need strength and prayers.
thanks y'all





