My Pandamian e-book!

I just started an e-book this afternoon! It's on Pandamian. It's the brainchild of three guys from my Navigators fellowship - Yipeng, Cedric, and Joash. Extremely talented and I can see this becoming something big!

I've titled my book tentatively as Heartbled Muse. This is a collection of the poems and/or songs I write. I've blogged a few of them here, but I did not tag them well and so it's difficult for me to track them. With Pandamian, it's much easier with a 'Table of Content' function. More importantly the nature of the website emphasizes on personal authorship, so it helps copyright my work. A default blogspot can't protect your work at all.

Check my book out!
http://daphdaphne.pandamian.com/

It'll be exciting to see my e-book grow as I write more!

And nope, I wasn't paid to publicize Pandamian. Just doing this to support a really good idea started by ingenious undergrads from my university, especially when they are people I know/friends!

Power of Words

Words can do a whole lot, yet often we don't have to be responsible for them since we can direct them to specific people without actually explicitly mentioning them in our words.

Which can be used wisely and graciously. Or maliciously.

No wonder God says that the human tongue is restless and evil, fully of fatal venom: "People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God."

Words can affirm people and keep peace. Words can also sow lies, and cause self-delusion, division and pain - just look at how popular media prescribes romance and how women should look like for one, and the social, emotional and spiritual consequences in the lives of people we know.

Yesterday I could really feel it in the bus on my way home. It was as Satan had the strings on the people in the bus, manipulating them and swinging them here and there in their emotions so easily.

First there was this 50s-looking man publicly insulting this other 50s-looking man whose shoulder touched his because they both had shoulders broader than their own seat gave space for. He accused the 'offender' for being deliberately obtuse and inconsiderate, and rashly concluded on the spot, announcing that such a person could only be really blind even though he had eyes. In colloquial Chinese, to call someone blind is insulting because it implies that the person is stupid enough to not know the obvious.

He insulted the man once, twice, thrice, repeating his insults in the form of questions. "Can't you see that your shoulder is touching me? Are you blind or what?"

Everyone looked to see what was happening. The man who was insulted retaliated by replying his insults but inaudibly. Imagine the hurt that have been caused just because of one angry, irresponsible, selfish remark.

And then this group of big-sized teenage boys kept spewing vulgarities at the bus exit door that was getting faulty and wouldn't close properly. They also insulted the bus driver because of the faulty door (???). Illogical and irrelevant person to blame if you ask me.

What was it that Satan was doing when he got these boys to scold the door? Surely it wasn't to do anything to the door, but to frustrate the people around them. The boys knew we were listening, and abused this ambiguity as a chance to curse in public.

And the people sure were frustrated. They turned around at noises in a seemingly annoyed manner, and I could feel the bottom of my heart burning in this overcrowded bus too. The spirit of anger was at work in the bus, and thinking of this excerpt that I meditated on for the day, I resisted the temptation to be angry and annoyed as well.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

John 1:10-13

Children of God walk in the light of clear conscience and blamelessness because Jesus has taken our punishment on himself to cancel the debt of unholiness and impurity we incur on ourselves. In the angry darkness that filled the bus, I saw light in me that shone, the light of Christ. Us of supernatural birth...can people see it? Will they be attracted by it and have the courage to expose themselves to the light and have it inside themselves one day?

30 days: day twentyeight

day twentyeight – a picture of something you’re afraid of

YUCK. I couldn't bear to look at the photos of real roaches that I googled, thankfully this photo was peeking out of my hand (I was covering the other disgusting photos).

30 days: day twentysix

day twentysix – a picture of something that means a lot to you

The guitar pick Spencer lent to me

It means a lot to me because he offered his pick to me, and he had been carefully keeping it in his wallet, never forgetting where he left it. (Spencer's the younger of my two younger brothers.)

It means a lot to me because it reminds me of the care and support Spencer has for me, and him being an extremely reliable and dependable person whom you can trust as a friend in need.

I don't know if he gave the pick to me or if it's on loan, but I'm definitely wanting to return to him sometime!

30 days: day twentyfive

day twentyfive – a picture of your day

by Anna Avanceña

from Cuisine Paradise

Frozen yogurt with mochi and pomegranate on top :)

by Fred

Yep, that pretty much sums up my day today! Had a great time over lunch followed by two desserts. Followed by Subway about an hour later since it was the nicest place to study at the mall I was at while waiting for friends. I was supposed to go play cage soccer with them, but I really needed the time to study! Good thing I had a productive 2 hours :)

Hope your day has been good too!

30 days: day twentyfour

day twentyfour – a picture of something you wish you could change

from eMedicine.com

If there's one thing I could change, it would be my feet. I have mallet toes so they look like kitty paws to me. This means I get blisters on the middle joints of my toes if my shoes are too flat or tight since they form the peak of how each of my toes arch. If I do really intense footwork during sports (as I regularly did especially back in secondary school playing netball), my nails bleed at where my cuticles are and my socks occasionally get stained with a small spot of blood. Few times the cuticle will tear, and once or twice the nail will break from there.

My feet underpronate so I don't use the ball of my feet when I walk, run, or stand, which accumulates stress on my spine right now and will probably mean chronic backache when I'm older. Also, my first toes grow diagonally as if I'm wearing pointed shoes, which also means less shock absorption when I walk and putting stress on my spine.

I think it was only in recent years that I realized my feet are the way they are today is because I used to wear shoes that are too small as most Asians (girls especially) seem to do seemingly in some belief that bigger feet are less appealing. Perhaps it is a reminiscent of the lotus-foot tradition? Shoes and flip flops that just fit you and cuts off just at the heel is too small, not just nice!!! And my mom grew up as a village kid who wore her shoes out as much as possible even if it meant squeezing into them. That probably also influenced her judgment on what she saw was the 'right size' for us.

But I like my feet! Because God made them :) And without my awesome feet, I wouldn't be walking, running, jumping, skipping, and doing silly stuff, unlike people who cannot do these things because they cannot walk with their feet (if they still do have them).

30 days: day twentythree

day twentythree – a picture of your favorite book

Bruxy Cavey's The End of Religion:
Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus (2007, NavPress)

Mindblowing in many ways, and very challenging and encouraging. It helped transform my view on what it meant to obey Jesus to love one another, and in my frustrations and disappointment with the Christian religion.

When Jesus reiterated God's ancient command to "love one another", it means that if we do not love it is to miss his mark of perfection. When we just want to have nothing to do with someone we don't like or someone who impinges on our own desire for a comfortable socio-spiritual life, it is sin. Even if it is acceptable by social conventions. Because we have deliberately chosen not to love that person though Jesus has done otherwise for that person by dying for him/her and blessing him/her whether he/she believes in him or not.

"Rule-based relationships encourage minimum morality. I drive a bit over 100km/h on the highway that connects my home and office. Interestingly, although the speed limit is 100km/h (62mph), I still exceed it. Still, I only exceed it by what I believe I can get away with. In the back of my mind, especially when I'm rushing to an appointment that I define as important, is the question, How fast can I really go and still be ignored by the police? I have to admit that the focus of my attention is not on loving other drivers by traveling at a safe and courteous speed but the rule of the law and just how far I can bend it. Law tends to cultivate a what-can-I-get-away-with mentality. This in turn encourages egocentric morality - living a certain way so we don't have to pay the fine or go to to jail. Law is enough to keep a society in line, but it is not enough to change the world." (p. 191,emphasis his)

And in view of the futility of law in truly loving interpersonal relationships or relationships with God:

"My Wiccan friends have a saying that sums up their code of ethics: Harm none, and do what you want. In other words, as long as your actions are not harmful to others, then you are free to act according to your own desires, whatever they may be. This sentiment is a great first step, but it isn't exactly "loving". Love is other-centered and action-oriented. According to Jesus, it isn't good enough NOT to do bad, we must look for opportunities to actively do good! We must look for opportunities to express the practical care and loving concern to others that we would want expressed to us. This is a radical reorientation of morality for many people, religious and not. To put the emphasis of one's morality on not harming anyone, as many religions do, is to help people graduate to the morality of a stone. A rock doesn't hurt anyone - it just sits there, doing nothing. But we are made to love." (pp. 188-9, emphasis his)

take my clothes

Giving away clothes in good condition! Leftovers will be donated. PLEASE! Contact me, and don't be shy about it! You're doing me a favor!

I've been giving clothes away to charities or communities in need routinely, passing clothes to friends who are going on humanitarian trips, and taking care to wear new clothes or clothes that I really like when I go on humanitarian and mission trips so that I could have them all washed, dried, and folded nicely before giving them away to the community that I'm involved with in that country. (Thank you Jing for this ingeniously wonderful idea!)

When it comes to handmedowns, I choose as much as I can to give people stuff that I think they will really like, because I really like it too.

If I like it, why am I giving it away then? That's the point, isn't it? Jesus was the one who said "it's more blessed to give than to receive".

So, trust me then you're not my garbage can, if you take my clothes you will be doing me a great favor in helping me re-evaluate my spending habits and my view on outer appearance.

Muchas gracias!!

These are just a few of the clothes that I want to give away (I think I have up to 50 over to give away). They are not the best of the lot, just clothes that I have pretty clear pictures to show. Some of my clothes are new, or seldom worn, so they never even get to be on photos.

Beads and diamante sewed onto the white band.
Black organza with black inner lining, elastic at bottom.
Firsthand worn about five times.

Floral printed cotton top, empire cut.
I wore it with a white tube underneath.
Firsthand worn thrice.

Zara TRF Lime Green 100% Cotton top, made in Turkey.
I have this top in Mandarin Orange as well.

Real vintage handmedown from my mom.
This top is almost 30 years old, but is still white! Good cotton-polyester material :D
Frills run along the top half, elastic band at bottom.

Another handmedown from my mom, originally a maternity dress.
This is over 20 years old.
Brown cotton-spandex.

Striped organza top with white inner lining and yellow crochet top.
It has a cute yellow button behind at the top.
Firsthand worn about 5 times.

Light grey 100% Cotton shirt-dress.
Excellent cotton quality.

Firsthand worn in between seldom and kind-of-regularly.

Salmon pink Empire cut top, with light brown beads sewn on the lace butterfly.
Complements tan skin tones and rosy complexions.
Firsthand worn quite regularly in the past.

30 days: day twentytwo

day twentytwo – a picture of something you wish you were better at

via weheartit

Play and sing the guitar at the same time well :) I'm getting better at it!

The True Church

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.
(Acts 5:42)

THE TRUE CHURCH

The place in which a church meets varies. The use of big buildings, complex organizations, involved programs, huge budgets that provide for schools, hospitals, orphanages and other social activities are only possible in financially strong unrestricted societies.



Although the Lord has blessed these activities in many places in the world, we must recognize that they are not essential to the existence of the church. In some countries these activities are forbidden by the government, while in others, the local economic situation makes them impossible. Still the church can thrive, because it is not dependent on these things. Serious problems have arisen when Christians have become confused on this point.
 


A number of years ago, for example, some Vietnamese leaders thought that their lack of funds for such things was the cause of the slow growth of Christianity there. On one occasion, the following conversation was overheard:

"Do you have communists in your part of the country?" the observer asked. "Most assuredly. They are there," the leader replied.
 
“Are they growing in numbers and influence?" he then asked. The leader hesitated momentarily, then admitted sadly, “Yes, they are growing very fast." 



“Can you show me their meeting places and schools or introduce me to their leaders?" the observer continued. "Certainly not," the leader said in disgust. "If they are known, they will be arrested." 



"You mean they are secret, without buildings or property and still they grow in number?" the observer asked in amazement. "Yes, you could say that," the leader responded. 



"Then it must be that their growing influence does not depend on such things. If they can be wrong in their beliefs and still grow without money and buildings, why do you think the church of Jesus Christ needs these things?" the man concluded.



If God provides these things, then use them for His glory. If He does not, remember that the New Testament church had none of these things, but they turned their world upside down (Acts 17:6). The early Christians did not confuse the church’s functions with methods. If they had done so, the church would have died in the bondage of Jewish legalism. The early churches were not encumbered by the presence of buildings, nor hindered by the lack of them. They met in public places, when they were permitted to do so, but when they were not, they went from house to house.

RESPONSE


I will no longer confuse the forms of the church with the biblical functions of the church.



PRAYER


Thank you Lord for those who use their homes as centers for Your worship
and declaration of the good news of Your love.


Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS) - A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks
© 2010 Open Doors International. Used by permission

30 days: day twenty

day twenty – a picture of somewhere you’d love to travel

Somewhere up north to catch the Aurora Borealis. Either that, or a nebula maybe? Haha, looking at the picture alone makes me feel afraid, I can only watch from an extremely far distance if not I'd probably burn to death or get shocked to death.

Orion Nebula

Inside the Eagle Nebula

taken from Kitt Peak in AZ where I visited!!

"The heavens declare the glory of God,
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech,
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard,
their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the earth."

Psalm 19