The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)

Woke up this morn and remembered what I learnt yesterday . Want to capture it before it leaves..

The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)

Essentially what he did was help someone (a Jew) who looked down on him, and he gave and loved not expecting anything in return and not because anyone was looking.

Who had been the Jew¡¯s neighbour?

¡°The one who had mercy on him.¡±

And the speaker said.. the question is not who is my neighbour, or who is worthy to be my neighbour.. as though we should pick and choose who we should love. But rather, who are you a neighbour to? For God desires that we love every human being, as He does (regardless of race, Jew, Samaritan). Not expecting anything in return, and not just the cute and likeable ones or those who are good to us.

We love them not because of who they are, but because of who we are, children of God, saved and loved. Because of who our Father is.

¡°Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind¡¯¡­ ¡®Love your neighbor as yourself.¡¯

These few months, we have been reading Exodus, and Leviticus. And amidst all the OT dos and donts, something I read before comes repeatedly to me.

¡°The laws were meant to promote and protect life.¡± The laws given to the Israelites would bring blessing to them.

Psalm 19 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

So I pondered.. why does He care whether we love one another.. even saying in another part of the Bible, equating loving our neighbour to loving Him. You are awesome, Lord!

How would loving our neighbour promote and protect life..? God is love. That means love is such a integral and characteristic part of Him. We are created in His image. And we are lovingly created. I suspect, that when we love our neighbour, we fulfill one of the very basic purposes for which we were created. We were created to love one another. That is our destiny. So when we actually do it, there is something very right about it that brings blessing to our lives.

Love is an overused word in todays world. Many equate it to an emotion, a feeling. But the way God loves, is not a mere emotion. Feelings/emotions can change. God¡¯s love doesnt.

Heres how the love of the Samaritan was manifested. (Luke 10: 25)

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coin and gave them to the innkeeper. ¡®Look after him,¡¯ he said, ¡®and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.¡¯

Heres how God loves us.

Romans 5: 8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Not emotionless, but not just a mere emotion.

Love one another, with more than just emotions.

CNY

Guess wat, I have 3 weeks hols.. 21st Jan to 13th Feb. only for my project,. Cos they all live 2-8 hours by car away from the city. Haha, me live 4 hrs away by plane.. China officially only has about 10 days hols.

Anyways, was asking the Lord to plan my hols.. rite now the rough plan looks like this.. 4 days in the first week in dali with a friend, gng back w her to her home for New year! 2nd week in Kunming w a visiting fren.. gng to explore and eat in more parts of KM.. haha.. they say there are plum blossoms here and camellias there.. then, after the 7th still no plans yet till 13th.. hmm maybe ano tour?! Hmm, have clinic on the 9th tho.. (started helping in a clinic one afternoon a week).. hmm, we¡¯ll see.

*pic: at the bulk sale market*

Earth.. Heaven.

My conversation with Him.. Alvin left when he was only 27, Lord.. why so young.. so many things he has not done.. or gone through.. ¡°life¡± as we call it.. he had just graduated not so long ago.. there is a feeling of.. regret?

And God reminded me, Jesus was crucified when he was young too, at 33. and He resurrected and went back to heaven soon after that..

sometimes, we can make so much of our time on earth, we see our next 50 years as so important, what we want to do, what we want to play, to enjoy, before we die.. we may even say, Lord, I don¡¯t have time for You, I want to go enjoy myself for the next 50 years.. to experience ¡°life¡±.. but I dont think God sees it like this.. and how foolish we may see ourselves when we look back one day..

If earth was really so enjoyable and so fun, Jesus would not have been crucified at age 33, he could have stayed and played for a few more decades before going to the cross at age 60 or 80.. the difference between heaven and earth is beyond our imaginations.. Jesus did not stay longer than He needed to.. not for a holiday.

the real enjoyment begins after you leave earth.. the real fun is in heaven.. and it lasts for an eternity.. but only if you know the Lord.. the One who created the heavens and the earth..

may we understand Your truth Lord, please give us wise hearts..

Suddenly

My brother-in Christ has left us. Suddenly. 2 month ago I heard he went for a sudden heart operation.. it was alright now.. or so I thought.. Yesterday, a friend told me Alvin has passed away.. in his sleep.. a month after the op..

27, fit, strong, good-natured, kind, courageous.. filled with God¡¯s love for others.. he is a really good spirit who brought cheer to all who knew him..

Fellow brother in Dentistry, later who joined my church.. He went to China with Eugene and me on our first training trip.. we called him Ah-boy..

I first remember him during orientation.. all the juniors were to perform an item.. He played the guitar and sang a Chinese song about God.. handsome young fellow.. later found out he was my junior from VJC as well, and a good friend of Dorine..

I¡¯m not going to tell a long story about how good a brother and how good a spirit he was, jus that he was.

I would never have guessed the last time I saw him would have been the last.. until we meet again in heaven. (that by God¡¯s grace I will be in heaven at the end of this life..)

Its really a downer to be away in moments like these. Though I know he is in a better place and all.. I guess the empty sadness is that you are missed, Alvin. I dare not imagine how your family is taking this, and there are so many who love you, in your church family and your friends. May the comfort of God and His grace and love fill the place you leave behind. Last night, I thought, how tragic that you left us when you are still so young, when there was still so much for you to do/experience, career, marriage, children , and many who would have been blessed by you.. then I thot.. is that really so good? Heaven is way better than all these, at the side of the Father.. so all that is left, Alvin.. are those who miss you..

We miss you. I miss you. Hope to see you again next time.

Plum blossoms

About this time of the year, plum blossoms start blooming on trees in parks, in open areas near shopping centres.. they are the prettiest things ever! Delicate, lovely, pink, against a brilliant blue sky.. They look good enough to eat..

ps. you can see a bee on a flower if you look carefully..

popcorn

*farmers eat popcorn for breakfast pic*

photo is how a villager in Nujiang would typically make popcorn.. using dried corn, take a few kernels.. toss it back n forth in the ashes near the fire while u boil water for.. tea (?) if done well, the corn will expand into a fluffy white mass, twice its size, with a 'pop' sound..

we were told the farmers will wake up in the morn, pop a few for breakfast n go to work. how different it is from our popcorn experience back home.. slightly surreal feeling.. both eating popcorn.. but so different in circumstance..

movie!

i watched my first movie e other day.. 'the promise'. free tickets! haha. went w 2 others.. pretty movie, nicely shot.. no comments on slightly corny storyline tho.. keke.. still enjoyable..

wat can i say.. cinema experience: similar to going cineleisure.

Slang

some ways on how to understand n be understood.. keke.. (can’t type Chinese.. try to figure it out..)

Bus à gong1 che1

Tie hair à zha1 tou2 fa3

Chat à chui1 niu2

To boil water à shao1 shui3

Hot water à re2 shui3

I have an idea/opinion/suggestion/opposition à wo3 you3 yi2 ge4 xiang3 fa3

How interesting/funny/cute/strange/weird à hen2 you3 yi4 si4

Yummy.. haha

Fried bamboo worms.. actually dey have no taste.. maybe add salt wld be nicer.. fried bee larvae were tastier.. like chicken flavour twisties.. fried seems to be e best way to eat these.. stewed or boiled has a buggy taste.. :p

Why a city on a hill can't be hidden

Flying fish

Sigh.. another booboo today.. clipped my specs on my shirt this morning after washing up.. and somehow.. my only pair of specs managed to fall into the deep abyss of the ‘toilet bowl’(the hole in the ground sort).. yikes! (key: booboo music).. there goes the afternoon... in search of a spectacle shop I’d trust..

Thanks God though.. found one near my home in the end.. my new friend there even invited me to go find her at the shop for lunch during Chinese New Year if I’m free.. hee.

Made 2 pairs! Slightly cheaper than SG. They read a pair of my SG specs(broken frame) and their prescription was the same as the SG’s one, when I compared... That was reassuring.. J

Rented Meteor Garden 1 and spent the whole of Monday watching it! Dat’s q scary mann.. slept at 5 on Sunday morn.! wats worse.. I’ve actually watched it in SG before! Whahah… but it was fun lah.. keke..

The day I was almost a seagull

Went for afternoon service on Sunday, ended about 3 plus. Was hungry cos I hadn’t eaten lunch. Decided to go walk about Green Lake on this lovely sunny afternoon.

Are you hungry? My friend asked..
yup, but it’s no problem, I’ll just eat one of the roadside food, I said.

“Oh, look! There’s some bread there”. (small anpan looking bread joined together)
“How much is this?.. $1?.. Okie, please give me one”

my friend pulls me aside hurriedly.. *whisper* “This bread is for feeding seagulls..”

whaha.. booboo.. I feel like someone who jus drank the lemon dish for washing hands.. whahah.. BTW, I didn’t buy the bread in the end okie..

Side note: there are supposed to be seagulls at Green Lake this time of e year, but due to many people on that Sunday, they were all frightened away.

Words of wisdom : A bird and a fish may fall in love.. but where would they build their nest..?