"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
Ephesians 5:18
I often wondered why was this verse included in the bible because the Spirit dwells in us when we first believed and is the stamp of our deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. In that case, how do we be filled with the Spirit? Is that not already in us? In that case, could this verse mean our living styles? Live as if we have the Spirit in us, which means living holy lives. Lives that are pleasing to our Lord.
I looked up in the dictionary what debauchery means. This is what I found. Webster Dictionary gives this interesting meaning of "debauchery".
-Excessive indulgence of the appetites; especially, excessive indulgence of lust; intemperance; sensuality; habitual lewdness.
I've never seen a drunkard before. I often wondered what goes through his mind. Is he conscious? Does he realised what he's doing? I wouldnt want to try it myself. It'll be Hell let loose. But during the Lady Trent Ball, a friend of mine gave me this opportunity to witness a drunkard so graciously. I didnt know what made him drink so much or so quickly. Just right after meals, he was already floaty. He somehow kept clinging on the wall for support and start mumbling to himself. I thought he was just upset. Soon, he was on the floor doing back flips which he failed and fell heavily on the floor. Fortunately it was carpetted.
We got worried and wanted to get him home. Oh man, it was so difficult to get him to sit still. He was all over the place. He began mumbling. He was fortunate enough to have a large group of guys surrounding him and holding him in case he rushes out to the road and get killed! He began telling secrets of the universe and giving warnings that the moon is coming. The guys were kind enough to entertain him. It was so difficult to get him to sleep because he kept vomitting. Cabs came by him and wouldnt take him in case if he vomits in the car.
As I watched him fumbling and mumbling about that night, I see a very different person. I thought I saw the child in him. He was less protective and was more open up. The only regret I had that night was why didnt I ask for his pin number? He would have given me willingly, I'm sure! I see a friend loosening up. No worries on his face, he was all vulnerable. Perhaps that is why the Bible reminded us to be filled with the Spirit and not wine. He had bits of memories here and there about that night. He remembered blue shades and a red toy car. The child in him emerged that night when he saw a red toy car. He refused to let that go and hung on to it till he fell asleep.
I wondered what would have happened if it was a girl who got tipsy and drunk. A person becomes very vulnerable when she is drunk. What would she do? That was probably why girls should never go drinking by themselves. Anything could happen. Such is the power of alcohol.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Monday, March 20, 2006
Make ups and what nots
When God created us, He made us in his image. We were prefect and untainted with sin..well, at least until Adam sinned. It's interesting to note that He didnt make us with make ups. (Like duh..!) In that case, why oh why do girls bother to go through so much hassle with make ups and what nots on their faces and hair?! It really baffles me. I do not need reminding that I'm not made a male but still, if God actually thinks that we are beautiful with make ups, He would obviously made us with them, wouldnt He?
With such opening, it's obvious why. There's a Lady Trent Ball coming up this Saturday for all Chemical Engineering Student in a hotel in city. As of today, everyone was pretty geared up for the event. The amount of time we spent walking around city in search of a suitable dress and shawl was too embarassing to tell. It's simply ridiculous. And we obviously envy the guys who need not go through as much hassle as the ladies. All they really need was just a suit or a tux, and then matched with a bow tie or just tie. How difficult can that be? A little too biased perhaps....
The hair setting, make ups, shoes, dresses, shawls...oh man, I could easily collapse under the heaps of worries for these. All for that three-hours-perhaps of dinner..Oh yeah, not forgetting the days where you starve yourself and cross your finger hoping that that bump on your stomach would keep a low profile if not disappearing all together. The hair plucking and make up trials to see which colour of eye shadow suits your dress, the foundation colours, the what nots and all others...All these preparations lead to a climax of appearing in front of other coursemates in the galore of dresses and accesories you have to assesorize yourself. The amount of time and money spent of these is simply ridiculous. I heartfully believe that if those amount of time is spent instead on my design project, I would really be more progressive and productive!
Now, how worthwhile is that? Which brought to mind the temporal nature of so many things on earth. Why are we so concerned for such temporal and superficial matters? To blend in, perhaps. You wouldnt want to stick out like a sore thumb in the dinner, you want to be presentable, you want to blend in..Looking at this matter from a different perspective. Being a follower of Him is the same. When everyone blends in with everyone, they believe what the world believes. They dont want to be different because by being dfferent, they would stick out like a sore thumb in the crowd. But, by blending in, they are losing out in the highly divine privellege that is only offered by our Lord.
The gift of salvation! The bible clearly states that in this, there is no Jews or Gentiles, circumcised or uncircumcised, all is the same in His eyes. Everyone's entitled to this gift. The price that comes with it is a different matter all together, but would definitely be worth paying for!
But the ball did go very well. I had a spectacular time there, enjoying every moment of it, from the time we got into the cab and heads to the venue to the random-pulling of people for photo shots, the dinner wasnt all that great but the dance that came after was enjoyable. I see some rigid classmates loosening up on the dance floor though drinking was another option with the same effects. It was hilarious but enjoyable seeing everyone dancing. Before long, everyone was on the dance floor and showing off what they've got, even yours truly who hasnt got any! But all in all, the private function went really well.
Bottoms up, everyone!
With such opening, it's obvious why. There's a Lady Trent Ball coming up this Saturday for all Chemical Engineering Student in a hotel in city. As of today, everyone was pretty geared up for the event. The amount of time we spent walking around city in search of a suitable dress and shawl was too embarassing to tell. It's simply ridiculous. And we obviously envy the guys who need not go through as much hassle as the ladies. All they really need was just a suit or a tux, and then matched with a bow tie or just tie. How difficult can that be? A little too biased perhaps....
The hair setting, make ups, shoes, dresses, shawls...oh man, I could easily collapse under the heaps of worries for these. All for that three-hours-perhaps of dinner..Oh yeah, not forgetting the days where you starve yourself and cross your finger hoping that that bump on your stomach would keep a low profile if not disappearing all together. The hair plucking and make up trials to see which colour of eye shadow suits your dress, the foundation colours, the what nots and all others...All these preparations lead to a climax of appearing in front of other coursemates in the galore of dresses and accesories you have to assesorize yourself. The amount of time and money spent of these is simply ridiculous. I heartfully believe that if those amount of time is spent instead on my design project, I would really be more progressive and productive!
Now, how worthwhile is that? Which brought to mind the temporal nature of so many things on earth. Why are we so concerned for such temporal and superficial matters? To blend in, perhaps. You wouldnt want to stick out like a sore thumb in the dinner, you want to be presentable, you want to blend in..Looking at this matter from a different perspective. Being a follower of Him is the same. When everyone blends in with everyone, they believe what the world believes. They dont want to be different because by being dfferent, they would stick out like a sore thumb in the crowd. But, by blending in, they are losing out in the highly divine privellege that is only offered by our Lord.
The gift of salvation! The bible clearly states that in this, there is no Jews or Gentiles, circumcised or uncircumcised, all is the same in His eyes. Everyone's entitled to this gift. The price that comes with it is a different matter all together, but would definitely be worth paying for!
But the ball did go very well. I had a spectacular time there, enjoying every moment of it, from the time we got into the cab and heads to the venue to the random-pulling of people for photo shots, the dinner wasnt all that great but the dance that came after was enjoyable. I see some rigid classmates loosening up on the dance floor though drinking was another option with the same effects. It was hilarious but enjoyable seeing everyone dancing. Before long, everyone was on the dance floor and showing off what they've got, even yours truly who hasnt got any! But all in all, the private function went really well.
Bottoms up, everyone!
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Royal Ascot
I was in Ascot, Berkshire last weekend. I took part in HOST and a lovely family, the Hosegood invited me over for a weekend in their home. I knew little about Ascot except that it home the famous horse racing tracks and that's where the Queen goes occasionally for royal horse racing. The first signboard that greeted me when I reached Ascot train station is "Royal Ascot". Now, how royal can it be?
That greeting was a tip at the iceberg of how posh and royal Ascot really is. I soon reached the Hosegood's residence. It was a lovely bungalow with huge space around it. The house, needless to say, is humongous. I was getting excited and imagined how wonderful the weekend was going to be. That kind family that invited me over was a small family, consisted of Neville and Ceppy and three lovely children, Theo John, Esther Elizabeth and Lydia Charlotte.
The kids were very well-mannered, friendly with strangers and fun to be with. I had a good time mingling among them. What struck me was the way how conversation was carried out in the house. English people are really a very well mannered lot. It was just the way they were brought up. They treated me like one of their own and living like the English was quite an experience although it was only for a weekend.They brought me out to Winchester, the former capital of England and Windsor. I had a good look around Eton too.
The only thing I knew about the Hosegood prior to my arrival was that they are Christians. I was nonetheless excited and was really looking forward to a English-Christian-family lifestyle. How different it turned out to be. They attend the Anglican church, the church of England. If you learn your history well, you'll remember the bits on bishops and parish. I knew very little on this. I was thrown off course initially because of my lask of understanding on the organisation and roles of bishops on each parish and the whole complicated matter that comes in the package with it. Apparently, their stands were very different from what I hold on to. Not the bits on the life and death and resurraction of Christ. That we believe and are convinced that He indeed died and rose for us. It was the part of women leadership and headship. (I knew the countless times I discussed this with my fellow brethren in church and school!) And yes, we went right into that just hours after arriving. It was a session of sharing and comparing views. We both showed verses from the Bible from which our stands stand. It was a lively session of discussion. The conclusion was rather an anti-climax one. We agreed that as long as our core belief is in the Lord, everything else may not weigh that heavily. Although I beg to differ, but I did not press on. Ceppy stressed on the part of suppression of women roles in church. That very thought had once crossed my mind too years ago. But I am very convinced that both man and woman are created differently with distinct functions. Just as the the church is made up of many parts, not one part can function well without the other. Therefore, the roles of women are equally important although different and in silence.
I wasnt sure if I brought that point across clearly but perhaps there was really a reason that I was invited by this family. This arrangement was not coincidental, I' m sure. It was probably for me to see the other group of believers. I suppose, I came back with a better understanding of how a country is divided into parishes and that each parish is headed by a bishop and a whole hierarchy of positions. Apart from this seemingly organised order, there is a whole lot of complications, especially when bishops stand in between God and you.
But oh well....I'm sure answers will come one day....
That greeting was a tip at the iceberg of how posh and royal Ascot really is. I soon reached the Hosegood's residence. It was a lovely bungalow with huge space around it. The house, needless to say, is humongous. I was getting excited and imagined how wonderful the weekend was going to be. That kind family that invited me over was a small family, consisted of Neville and Ceppy and three lovely children, Theo John, Esther Elizabeth and Lydia Charlotte.
The kids were very well-mannered, friendly with strangers and fun to be with. I had a good time mingling among them. What struck me was the way how conversation was carried out in the house. English people are really a very well mannered lot. It was just the way they were brought up. They treated me like one of their own and living like the English was quite an experience although it was only for a weekend.They brought me out to Winchester, the former capital of England and Windsor. I had a good look around Eton too.
The only thing I knew about the Hosegood prior to my arrival was that they are Christians. I was nonetheless excited and was really looking forward to a English-Christian-family lifestyle. How different it turned out to be. They attend the Anglican church, the church of England. If you learn your history well, you'll remember the bits on bishops and parish. I knew very little on this. I was thrown off course initially because of my lask of understanding on the organisation and roles of bishops on each parish and the whole complicated matter that comes in the package with it. Apparently, their stands were very different from what I hold on to. Not the bits on the life and death and resurraction of Christ. That we believe and are convinced that He indeed died and rose for us. It was the part of women leadership and headship. (I knew the countless times I discussed this with my fellow brethren in church and school!) And yes, we went right into that just hours after arriving. It was a session of sharing and comparing views. We both showed verses from the Bible from which our stands stand. It was a lively session of discussion. The conclusion was rather an anti-climax one. We agreed that as long as our core belief is in the Lord, everything else may not weigh that heavily. Although I beg to differ, but I did not press on. Ceppy stressed on the part of suppression of women roles in church. That very thought had once crossed my mind too years ago. But I am very convinced that both man and woman are created differently with distinct functions. Just as the the church is made up of many parts, not one part can function well without the other. Therefore, the roles of women are equally important although different and in silence.
I wasnt sure if I brought that point across clearly but perhaps there was really a reason that I was invited by this family. This arrangement was not coincidental, I' m sure. It was probably for me to see the other group of believers. I suppose, I came back with a better understanding of how a country is divided into parishes and that each parish is headed by a bishop and a whole hierarchy of positions. Apart from this seemingly organised order, there is a whole lot of complications, especially when bishops stand in between God and you.
But oh well....I'm sure answers will come one day....
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Empowered by God
The sad, traumatic incident I wrote in my last entry was probably not as horrifying as I first imagined. Last week in church, Mr Reed posted an email written by Fiona, the poor young lady who was raped by the ruthless men in Gambia. In her letter, she wrote of both her and baby Elizabeth's current condition. They are doing fine. Elizabeth was born 2 months prematurely but despite complications, she is coping well. Enclosed in the letter was a picture of Fiona with Elizabeth in her arms. The tone of the letter was amazingly serene. There was not an anguish or avenging tone in that letter. I'm amzed at the peace that surrounds Fiona. Truly, the peace of the Lord transcends all understanding. I know not how it happens but Fiona is an excellent example that it is truly possible and NOTHING is impossible with our Lord. Fiona's husband, Dave is returning to Gambia next week and Fiona intends to go back to the mission field soon too.
I know not how Dave is coping with the pain but the power of the Lord is more persuasive than any individual's grudge. My prayer is that both Dave and Fiona might have the strength to complete the unfinished work they set out to do in Gambia and I pray for little Elizabeth to grow up healthily and strongly as she comes to know our Lord as her personal Saviour.
I'm wondering how would Fiona explain if Elizabeth would ever ask. I couldnt even imagine the complications that might ensue. Perhaps there would come a day when the answers to all these questions are no longer needed or important.
I know not how Dave is coping with the pain but the power of the Lord is more persuasive than any individual's grudge. My prayer is that both Dave and Fiona might have the strength to complete the unfinished work they set out to do in Gambia and I pray for little Elizabeth to grow up healthily and strongly as she comes to know our Lord as her personal Saviour.
I'm wondering how would Fiona explain if Elizabeth would ever ask. I couldnt even imagine the complications that might ensue. Perhaps there would come a day when the answers to all these questions are no longer needed or important.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)