Luke 16:19-31

I was looking at this passage after I received the news that one of my colleagues passed away suddenly in a car accident…

The Rich Man and Lazarus

 19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

 22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,^[c] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

 25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

 27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

 29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

 30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

 31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

I am very sad because I do not know where her soul is right now. Although I do acknowledge that my Father is sovereign and this accident has happened according to His Will, I just cannot accept the fact right now…

Park City Marathon, UT - 23 Aug 08

The Results

The Medal

5 days to Park City Marathon!

"Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." - Hebrews 12:1

To God Be the Glory

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

Taken from: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/t/o/togodbe.htm

The LOVE of GOD

The love of God is greater far

Than tongue or pen can ever tell;

It goes beyond the highest star,

And reaches to the lowest hell;

The guilty pair, bowed down with care,

God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled,

And pardoned from his sin.

Refrain:

Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!

How measureless and strong!

It shall forevermore endure—

The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,

And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,

When men who here refuse to pray,

On rocks and hills and mountains call,

God’s love so sure, shall still endure,

All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—

The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above

Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Taken from: http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/The_Love_of_God/

Wonderful GRACE of JESUS

Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin;

How shall my tongue describe it, where shall its praise begin?

Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free,

For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!

Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching to all the lost,

By it I have been pardoned, saved to the uttermost;

Chains have been torn asunder, giving me liberty,

For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!

Wonderful grace of Jesus, reaching the most defiled,

By its transforming power, making him God’s dear child.

Purchasing peace and heaven for all eternity;

And the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me!

REFRAIN:

Wonderful the matchless grace of Jesus,

Deeper than the mighty rolling sea;

Higher than the mountain, sparkling like a fountain,

All-sufficient grace for even me;

Broader than the scope of my transgressions,

Greater far than all my sin and shame;

O magnify the precious name of Jesus, praise His name!

—Haldor Lillenas (1885-1959)

When the roll is called up...

When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,

And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

Refrain
When the roll, is called up yonder,

When the roll, is called up yonder,

When the roll, is called up yonder,

When the roll is called up yonder I’ll be there.

On that bright and cloudless morning

when the dead in Christ shall rise,

And the glory of His resurrection share;

When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,

Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;

Then when all of life is over,

and our work on earth is done,

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.

All that I Need...

All that I need is my faith in Jesus...

All that I need is my home above...

All that I need is my Father's Mercy...

All that I need is my Savior's Love...

Thank You, LORD for saving my soul...

Thank You, LORD for making me whole...

Thank You, LORD for giving to me...

YOUR SALVATION...

so rich and free...!

It was indeed a GREAT evening to be able to attend my Boise church music concert.

IMPRESSIVE music... AMEN...

My Ideal Vacation Place

The Jordan River in Israel

If my posts are profound to you...

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:4 ~

Containment Action: Ask a true Christian to share with you about his / her FATHER.

Preventive Action: Pray to ask the only one true GOD of the bible to open your eyes to see HIM.

If you do not know how to pray, you can email me at edsoh98@gmail.com

I Need to PRAY more.

I need to pray more. Really pray more. I went to church’s prayer meeting on Tuesday evening which was also my Boise church’s midweek service. I really thank my Father for opening my eyes to His Word once again. Pst was preaching from a number of verses which identifies the Holy Spirit as our Counselor, our advocate, our defender, our helper and our comforter in times of troubles and needs.

Allow me to share with you all on the verses which were mentioned that night.

John 14:16 - 17 -> “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

-=The Holy Spirit is my Counselor.=-

Luke 2:25 -> “Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”

-=The Holy Spirit is here to console me in times of troubles and needs.=-

John 15:26 -> “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.”

-=The Holy Spirit is here to tell me about the Father.=-

John 16:7 -> “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

-=The Holy Spirit is always here within me and beside me to carry me through the tough stages of life.=-

1 Corinthians 14:3 -> “But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.”

-=The Holy Spirit is my comforter.=-

The FATHER allows trouble to come into my life so that I can look to HIM and HE may glorify and magnify HIS NAME when I pray to HIM.

Many times I do feel lonely here in US but I still thank HIM when there is nobody to accompany me simply because it is only when I am the loneliest with no one beside me, then can I truly experience HIM and want to go close to HIM.

One last verse to share.

1 John 2:1 -> “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

-=The Holy Spirit is my defender.=-

Alright, Brother Soh here needs to continue to trust and obey the FATHER and he knows that HE will definitely not disappoint him.

Why?

Because of this:
"The Lord God is a sun and a shield, the Lord gives grace and glory, no good thing he withhold from those who walk up rightly." Psalm 84:11

May our FATHER continue to bless all those whom HE has elected and opened the minds to see the light of HIS gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God!

Only the FATHER’s kingdom will reign. AMEN…

Tell Laura I love HER...

Laura and Tommy were lovers

He wanted to give her everything

Flowers, presents and most of all, a wedding ring

He saw a sign for a stock car race

A thousand dollar prize it read

He couldn't get Laura on the phone

So to her mother Tommy said

Tell Laura I love her, tell Laura I need her

Tell Laura I may be late

I've something to do, that cannot wait

He drove his car to the racing grounds

He was the youngest driver there

The crowed roared as they started the race'

Round the track they drove at a deadly pace

No one knows what happened that day

How his car overturned in flames

But as they pulled him from the twisted wreck

With his dying breath, they heard him say

Tell Laura I love her, tell Laura I need her

Tell Laura not to cry

My love for her will never die

And in the chapel where Laura prays

For Tommy who passed away

It was just for Laura he lived and died

Alone in the chapel she can hear him cry

Tell Laura I love her, tell Laura I need her

Tell Laura not to cry

My love for her will never die

Tell Laura I love her.....

有鱼就不要虾... 哈哈！

Marriage Passbook

Jocelyn married William this day. At the end of the wedding party, Jocelyn's mother gave her a newly opened bank saving passbook. With $1000 deposit amount. Mother: 'Jocelyn, take this passbook. Keep it as a record of your marriage life. When there's something happy and memorable happened in your new life, put some money in. Write down what it's about next to the line. The more memorable the event is, the more money you can put in. I've done the first one for you today. Do the others with William. When you look back after years, you can know how much happiness you've had.'

Jocelyn shared this with William when getting home. They both thought it was a great idea and were anxious to know when the second deposit can be made. This was what they did after certain time: - 7 Feb: $100, first birthday celebration for William after marriage - 1 Mar: $300, salary raise for Jocelyn - 20 Mar: $200, vacation trip to Bali - 15 Apr: $2000, Jocelyn got pregnant - 1 Jun: $1000, William got promoted . . . . ..... and so on...

However, after years, they started fighting and arguing for trivial things. They didn't talk much. They regretted that they had married the most nasty people in the world.... no more love... Kind of typical nowadays, huh?

One day Jocelyn talked to her Mother: 'Mom, we can't stand it anymore. We agree to divorce. I can't imagine how I decided to marry this guy!!!' Mother: 'Sure, girl, that's no big deal. Just do whatever you want if you really can't stand it. But before that, do one thing first. Remember the saving passbook I gave you on your wedding day? Take out all money and spend it first. You shouldn't keep any record of such a poor marriage.'

Jocelyn thought it was true. So she went to the bank, waiting at the queue and planning to cancel the account. While she was waiting, she took a look at the passbook record. She looked, and looked, and looked. Then the memory of all the previous joy and happiness just came up her mind.

Her eyes were then filled with tears. She left and went home. When she was home, she handed the passbook to William, asked him to spend the money before getting divorce. The next day, William gave the passbook back to Jocelyn. She found a new deposit of $5000. And a line next to the record: 'This is the day I notice how much I've loved you thru out all these years. How much happieness you've brought me.' They hugged and cried, putting the passbook back to the safe. Do you know how much money they had saved when they retired? I did not ask. I believe the money did not matter any more after they had gone through all the good years in their life.

Trust and Obey

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;For the favor He shows,

for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Let's hear it!

When can I go HOME?

One of those Self-Cooked Dinner...

Park City Marathon Elevation Chart

Hey COME ON, I am not ALONE

As I listened to this song, “What Child this is”, I am touched with tears. I can feel the Father is ministering to me through this song. And I read Pst Chip Ingram’s blog – Living on the Edge which once again reminded me on surrendering my all to HIM. A verse shared by him which encourages me…

"The Lord God is a sun and a shield, the Lord gives grace and glory, no good thing he withhold from those who walk up rightly." Psalm 84:11

I was just thinking back on that joyful day when I accepted Christ in TPBC. The angels must be singing and cheering just like that night when Christ was born. Man can now live forevermore because of Christ. AMEN!!!

The bible says that only Christ understands what we are going through because He Himself has been there done that.

Incidentally, it is also Pst Chip Ingram who taught me that the very 1st step to begin a lasting relationship is to walk in love like my Father. Be imitators of Christ. Alas, I have failed even this 1st step and still wondering in looking for the RIGHT person. You will never find the RIGHT person, cs. You NEED to become the RIGHT person.

As I was showering just now, I realized this as if the Holy Spirit was speaking to me since many months when I am in US. Finally, I realized this… Trust in my Father and surrender to HIM today…

what CHILD is this

What Child is this who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The babe, the son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh;
Come peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise, the song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The babe, the son of Mary!

Root Beer with float on the ROCKS.

I Am Resolved - my favourite hymn

I Am Resolved - Let's Hear it!

Life in US all this while

I think it has been a really long while since I have updated this blog with my own words, thoughts and life experience sharing. Honestly speaking, I went through a really unique experience in US. A really unique one which I will never ever forget for the rest of my life. It is true… Maybe not for eternity when I am with my Father again but definitely when I am in this School of Life.

I need to record what I am going through right now so that I can know what to share with my brothers and sisters back in Singapore. Too much information to share can sometimes lead me not to know where to begin.

General revelation of my Father is what I am seeing all this while in US. Large Canyons, beautiful lakes, rivers and huge rocks. It is revelation after revelation after revelation of the Father’s work. I do not know what words to use to describe His Master Piece and yet many times I confess that I still argue with Him on why He is putting me through the challenges in life here on earth.

Now while in the car on my way to Idaho Falls, I took out my laptop to write this entry. Not much of my reflection which I admit that I have not been doing for a long while but it is more like an update of my life here in US although very few people back home is really interested in.

It is really sad that I covet for my ‘EVE’ and failed to see my Father in many ways. Why am I still coveting when I already have my Father? Why? Why? Why? I do not know. After missing weddings after weddings after weddings back home, I think I am a 'cursed' man. Simply 'cursed'. By the time I am back home, I will have lost all my talking points with my friends because they have all entered a new phase of life and talking about how to love their wives more, family planning and raising kids. Haha.

Supposedly, I am commissioned to lead a victorious life in Christ but I am not and I also am finding out the reason behind this. I think I should spend more time in God’s Word since I have failed to feed on His Word daily and I am indeed missing out on my daily nutrition. (Mat 4:4) Oh man, my brothers & sisters in Christ back home, pls kindly pray for me to have more time with our LORD here. Pls do not merely say it in your MSN that God is with me. It is no use to me and all of us know this in our hearts, don’t we?. Pls do something more practical (in my opinion) which is to pray for me, ok? Thank you.

The second night when I first moved into my Boise APT, I broke down in front of the LORD. I do not know if I am too lonely or what. I just feel that I am too lost without someone talking to me. One of my primary love language is Quality Time but now is I have no one (no physical person) with me at the moment to spend quality time with me.

Dear LORD, I am sorry that I covet for my ‘EVE’. I pray for your forgiveness and let me take on the rest of my journey in this life with YOU alone, facing the challenges ahead to earn for YOUR crown in my Heavenly home. AMEN.

Gian Luca's Picnic

Now that the picnic is over, it's time to drive 5.5 hours back to Boise, Idaho... Oh man...

My Beloved Colleagues & Bosses! :)

Fortune Cookies in US

History of Fortune Cookies

1st Dinner Cooked in River Quarry

我的葵花宝典

Trust Me

Lyrics by Candice Lee
Music by Sebastian Kwan
Arrangement & Vocal Parts by Wu Zhi Zhen
Main Vocal by Samuel Kwan

Aladdin scaled down the walls

Of the Arabian palace

To the top tower of Jasmine’s room

On a magic carpet he offered his hand

But as she was afraid

To take this strange ride

And to step out of her palace walls

He asked the princess he adores

Chorus:

Trust me, do you trust me?

I can free you from these walls

And show you a whole new world

If you trust me, do you trust me?

I can open up your eyes

To see the indescribable

If you just take my hand, & trust me

The King of kings is waiting at my balcony

Patiently knocking on my door

On His carpet embroidered

With love & faith

He offers His hand

But as I am afraid

To step out of my comfort zone

He asks the children He adores

The Story of How This Song Came About:

I was inspired by Steven Curtis Chapman, a Christian song writer who uses history and brilliant imageries to describe the experiences of his relationship with God. Being a fan of Aladdin, I tried to think of a connection. I realized in my relationship with God, trust (or faith) is one thing that I find very difficult to have at times. In fact, besides love, I think this is the most important ingredient for all relationship. Without trust, a relationship cannot be taken to a deeper level just like without the magic carpet, Aladdin cannot show Jasmine his world. I knew it was something God was constantly drilling into me. I could see from my experiences that this was a lesson God wants me to learn. Some day, I hope to be able to say that I have a faith that can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

Ok, cs still finds it important to continue to trust His Father after close to 7 years of following HIM. Need to listen to this song for at least 100 times daily!

Weekend At Beautiful Boise.

Spent my Sat to change out my car at Enterprise and drove down to McCall to visit Payette Lake with four other colleagues (Pictures can be accessed on the sidebar of this blog). It was a nice trip overall and the drive was rather short as it was only about 2 hours. Boise is really a beautiful place and I think I like it better in Boise than Utah. Somehow, it gives me a better feeling emotionally.

But alas, I was slapped with a US$75 fine for speeding at 80 mph on a 65 mph road. Furthermore, the officer banned me from driving my car as I did not bring my international driving permit out. In the end, my colleague has to take over the driving. Just for interest sake, this is how the summon looks like:

And I will have to pay it through mail using Money Order which looks like this:

Oh man, this is yet one of those typical stories of cs.

For Sun, I managed to find a new church in Boise, ID which is recommended by my Utah Pastor. I really thank God for watching over me and never fail to bring godly people around me. Pray for me that I will be able to establish good relationships with the congregation, Pst Jeff and Pst Chris. The church pictures can be found on the sidebar of this blog.

The adventures of cs in Boise, ID continues…

My 1st Day in Beautiful Boise

Reached Boise this late morning at about 1045am, drew out my car from Enterprise and after some prayers for directions and small hiccups with a 75c parking ticket, I found my hotel in Boise where I will camp for the next seven days. Sweet…because the hotel is really fantastic… will upload the pictures in my online photo site tomorrow.

Called up my mum and drove out to explore Boise, my workplace for the next four months and also my colleagues’ apartments. When I was driving along Highway 21 which is also along Boise River, I was thinking of a crazy idea to jog along Highway 21! Looks like my unfinished Phase 3 Bangerter Highway project may be done on Highway 21 instead. The day ended with a posh dinner with the four other colleagues who are here in Boise.

In my opinion, Boise is really beautiful with many mountains and rivers. I pray that as I begin my four months stint over here, I will be able to experience God in a very special way. :P

From Lehi, Utah to Boise, Idaho

As those of you who happen to know me in Lehi, Utah, I somehow always have many stories to tell people around me. This time round, my new chapter of life will begin in Boise, Idaho starting tomorrow after 11am (Boise Time). Now I am packing my last bit of stuffs to bring with me to Boise and also checking carefully that I do not leave any stuffs behind.

Moving out of Liberty Hills and going to a new working environment with new faces will definitely continue to keep my life in US on a very high note. Now I will have to start everything from scratch again and attain new knowledge. I pray that my Heavenly Father will continue to guide me throughout these four months and also enlighten me on some critical issues in my life over at Boise, Idaho.

To add on to the adventure, I am going for this coming August 23, 2008 Park City Marathon in Utah. Therefore, I will need to spend some four to five hours driving back to Utah on that day for the marathon. Come to think of it now, I must admit that it is a pretty crazy plan, haha. Anyway, I have applied leave for it and arranged my accommodation in Utah. The final thing is to continue to pray for journey mercy and successful completion of the run. I am glad that the last eight miles of the run will be entirely downhill. Praise the LORD. :)

Ok, I mentioned about stories right but I haven’t started on my story-telling yet. The story is this. Just this evening, I went for my Utah church prayer meeting session. Upon reaching the church building, I realized the door is locked with a note informing of the new temporary meeting place for the church service starting on June 1, 2008 as the church is moving out of the current place due to high rental fees. I thank God for the contact number printed on that note because somehow I just wanted to inform my church friends that I am leaving for Boise tomorrow and will not be back in Utah for a period of four months. The reason behind this is I have been missing church services for the past two weeks due to my trips to Grand Canyon and Portland.

The Pastor’s wife answered the phone and directed me to their meeting place for the evening which is at another church pastor’s house. I managed to drive over there safely and we have a good time with the LORD studying on Gideon defeating the Midianites in Judges 7. We ended off praying for each other and also for my upcoming trip to Boise. AMEN!

Furthermore, Pastor also introduced a church in Boise, Idaho which is called Fellowship Baptist Church (www.fellowshipwithhim.org). This is simply amazing! I was still trying to research on which church to attend and also praying for God’s direction. Who knows that God has already planned out for me? Only God knows and can explain!! ~hehe~

Therefore, this coming Sunday I will be able to worship my amazing Father again at a new place and when you hear the song, “Jingle Bells” on the street, I will be back in Utah! ~haha~ “Get that turkey ready, dude.” :P

Of course, when I stepped into the office again…. This will be the song which I want to sing:

Mary’s Boy Child

Long time ago in Bethlehem

So the Holy Bible say

Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ

Was born on Christmas Day

Hark, now hear the angels sing

"A New King's born today

And man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day."

Joseph and his wife Mary

Came to Bethlehem that night

They found no place to bear her Child

Not a single room in sight

Trumpets sound and angels sing

Listen to what they say

That man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day

By and by they found a little nook

In a stable all forlorn

And in a manger cold and dark

Mary's little Boy was born

Hark, now hear the angels sing,

"A New King's born today

And man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day."

Trumpets sound and angels sing

Listen to what they say

That man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day

猴比猴，笑死人?!

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;

redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;

I trust in the LORD.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

for you saw my affliction

and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not handed me over to the enemy

but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and my body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish

and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction, [a]

and my bones grow weak.

11 Because of all my enemies,

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;

I am a dread to my friends—

those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;

I have become like broken pottery.

13 For I hear the slander of many;

there is terror on every side;

they conspire against me

and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, O LORD;

I say, "You are my God."

15 My times are in your hands;

deliver me from my enemies

and from those who pursue me.

16 Let your face shine on your servant;

save me in your unfailing love.

17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,

for I have cried out to you;

but let the wicked be put to shame

and lie silent in the grave. [b]

18 Let their lying lips be silenced,

for with pride and contempt

they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How great is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you,

which you bestow in the sight of men

on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from the intrigues of men;

in your dwelling you keep them safe

from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD,

for he showed his wonderful love to me

when I was in a besieged city.

22 In my alarm I said,

"I am cut off from your sight!"

Yet you heard my cry for mercy

when I called to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all his saints!

The LORD preserves the faithful,

but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD

Matters of the HEART

I once wrote an entry on my blog with regards to the heart issue back in 2007. (Refer to: http://edsoh.blogspot.com/2007/07/its-heart-that-really-matters.html) In that moment in time, I was really targeting my own heart issues with my Heavenly Father. For this entry, my target of attention is falling on everyone of us, including my family and loved ones. Hence, if you are reading this entry thinking if I have found my Proverbs 31 girl, the answer is negative.

Ok, matters of the heart. What’s up with the heart? The reason is very simple. It is because THOU has said that, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Therefore, I have to indeed make sure that my heart is always with Jesus so that I can boldly proclaim to everyone around me that my greatest treasure in this life is I have a relationship with Jesus.

These days I am telling Jesus that I love Him in my prayers. No longer am I only praying for things to my own benefit but I feel that I should really express my love for Him. It’s like telling your girlfriend how pretty she is, how beautiful is her latest hairdo, her perfume smell and many things about her. I am beginning to sense that He needs my attention and my expression of love towards Him for His inexhaustible Grace towards me daily and of how He is constantly watching over me.

Rom 8:32 is a magnificent verse. Mediating on that verse has made me realize that He is the one in control of my love life. If it is truly according to His will that I will stay on being single all my life, I have to give thanks to Him because He is the ONE who knows what is good for me. All I need to do is to surrender my will to Him. It is at this very moment that I am sinning against Him if I stay on being infatuated with a non-Christian girl. I truly need to wake up from this infatuation. As I looked back, if I really desire to go into a relationship, I would have courted the girl whom I met then back during my poly days and today I think she won’t be engaged to be married to another guy in Feb 2009. I guess that at least I have the capability to fight for the beauty whom I desire. However, I became a Christian along the way and knowing the importance of NOT going into an unequally yoked relationship, I gave up pursuing her totally. (Refer to: http://edsoh.blogspot.com/2007/01/blog-post_116990609623656287.html)

Sorry, found that I side-tracked as I was mentioning on focusing my heart on Jesus. Throughout close to seven years of my Christian life, I observed that for those who have set their hearts on searching for the ONE TRUE GOD, they always managed to find Jesus. I am not sure how did Jesus do it but true enough, it has happened many times as I journey with Him all these years. Brother Yun from China is a great example. He even published a book on his salvation story and how he ministered to many people around him.

In conclusion, I encourage all those of you out there to pursue the true meaning of your life, asking what is that one thing which motivates you to go to work everyday, what is that very thing which is missing in your life and so on so forth. Go out and search for the answers. Ask your own heart sincerely if you are really interested to discover if there is really a God in this world. If you are, I am pretty sure that you will find Jesus. This is because He has provided us with His Wonderful Counselor whom has been knocking at the door of your heart all this while, waiting just for you to open it and coming in to have meals with you (Rev 3:20). Are you ready to meet Him? If you are, I am sure that we will spend eternity together with Him! Cheers…

Park City Marathon in Utah

http://www.pcmarathon.com/

Who is a Proverbs 31 girl?

According to Proverbs, the ideal wife is:
A woman who is virtuous
10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
A woman who is trustworthy
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
A woman who is loving
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
A woman who is industrious
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
A woman who is resourceful
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
A woman who is responsible
15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
A woman who is entrepreneurial
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
A woman who is healthy
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
A woman who is financially astute
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
A woman who is skilled
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
A woman who is charitable
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
A woman who is prudent
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
A woman who is fashionable
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
A woman who is married to a respectable husband
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
A woman who is productive
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
A woman who is self-confident
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
A woman who is wise
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
A woman who is managerial
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
A woman who is praiseworthy as a wife and mother
28-29 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
A woman who is reverent
30-31 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Above text is adapted from: http://www.proverbs31-woman.com/

cs: I wonder if such a woman ever exist but I think for the time being, this will be my specification limits and nothing less. Father, I pray that this will not be like a 100% yield wafer thing though. So...

BBQing in Extended Winter Season

http://picasaweb.google.com/edsoh98/CShiftGathering15Apr

Proverbs 31

Sayings of King Lemuel
The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle his mother taught him:
"O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,
do not spend your strength on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel—
not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;
let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

It’s my BIRTHDAY!

I thank God for my shift colleagues celebrating my birthday after our shift hours. The cake was a nice OREO chocolate cake with an impressive “Happy Birthday to Chee Seng” on it. Wow! ~haha~

No candles to reveal my age but actually everyone knows it. And we celebrated it at my desk in the office. My housemate topped it up with a sexy bum pic. HAHA…

Thank God and my fun-loving shift colleagues.
YOU ALL are the BEST!

p/s: Oops, sorry for missing out someone on the cake though...