saturday night

Yep! It’s Saturday night and I’ve nothing much to do, to be honest I should be reading my econs stuff but really don’t feel like doing that tonight. I shall just chill. Think and invariably become emo? Nah, don’t think so. I’m actually quite sad that I’m still jobless but that shall change soon. Some updates:

School’s alright, nothing new except the content. Our Macro lecturer is really wonderful, Dr Liam Graham. He makes me wanna think about economics much much more.

Led my first bible study of the year on Friday and felt it was alright. The same night I led worship too… tiring? I think that night should have been one of the worst nights to be serving cause I felt I didn’t even deserve to be serving that night. For what I did I should have been condemned, but no. I’m not. Strange, 2 weeks ago when I led worship I was thoroughly prepared and felt confident but as it turned out I was a wreck. This week I was a wreck but as it turned out God used it to teach me to depend on Him, He makes things work. Including me. Serene came to me after worship to tell me that she always feels something special when I lead, I hope that something special is the Holy Spirit. Cause I think when I’m broken it’s easier to use me.

Long distance relationship is… painful? Very sometimes. Haha, but worth it. It’s on nights like this I wanna hug HuiShan let her smile light up my heart. But it’s ok, this pain will eventually pass. And it pushes me closer to God. But still right now, it’s painful. But I guess love is painful? I mean look at Jesus. To see us sin like we do each day breaks God’s heart alot alot. But I think now I understand what being hopeful really means, like how I look forward to the time me and HuiShan meet and embrace again, if we’re hopeful in Christ we should be looking forward to the day we see Him face to face. 

Winter is coming, with each falling leaf! I can feel it! Yes! I’m going to France next week with Chao, Desmond, XinYi and Meifang. Shall send you all post cards then! Yep yep. 

I know what I should do now. I shall go read the bible. I shall go spend time with the Saviour of the World.

WeiJie – Jia You man! Missing you here!

Missing you all here.

Today is Saturday night? Guess what I usually do on Saturday nights in Singapore? (:   

88 clarence gardens

My house!

1) Shoe rack! The smelliest place in the house. Luckily KhaiLin doesn’t share the same rack as us. She’s got more shoes than the rest of us combined!

2) Kitchen and the pride of our household! The cleanest, newest and best equipped kitchen London! Wahah, we rotate to cook. I cook on Tuesdays!

3) Toilet, shared between the 5 of us! A mad rush at night but still manageable!

4) My room! Small and cozy but well equipped right? Enough for a student like me! Simple, neat and cheap! (:

5) My shelf! I realised like most of my books are Christian books! Sorry but you need to tilt your head to see the pic in it’s proper way.

Well yep! Good day today! Cause it’s the end of the work week! Fridays are the best! Got OCF and I’m leading worship tonight. God use us!

Thanks for the songs Francine! Shan and I quite liek the song too but I didn’t know got male and female version one!

ucl ranks 7th in the world

Life in a university like this is more stressful as a 2nd year student. My macroeconomics lecturer is ultimate, he has successfully stirred my interest in macro. I think now I put more effort into macro than any other module. I read all the required readings and optional readings and some of the advance readings. I love how I can see it in the papers theory come to life!

I’ll try to put up photos for my house tomorrow k? So look forward to that! Am working really hard this year! To understand how the world economy works, to be a Christ serving cell leader, to work part-time for money, to learn how to apply biblical principles to everyday life, how to be a Christian in the full sense of that identity.

By the way my sg handphone is stil active. I can receive your SMSes at no charge to you or me. So you can SMS me to ask me to call you then I’ll call you! A few sorries

1) To Min, XianJie, WeiJie for not contacting you all yet. Watch out for my phone call!

2) To Grace for 2 missing COSes! I’ll do a summer summary!!!

3) To my dad.. (wonder if he reads this) cause you love me so so much, but I take it for granted and don’t try to understand you enough. I blame you for alot of things, but I know you’re making the effort.

something i’m horrible at is…

keeping in contact with friends. I always let my current activites eat me up and forget to chat up my old buddies! Bad lah!

Time to get a job.

just some thoughts

What is the Christian life? How do I live it? Sometimes I can’t tell if I’m sanctified. Am I? How do I apply what I read in the bible? How does the Holy Spirit fellowship with me? Why is there a need for prayer? Does it really matter?

Lord in Your time, guide me to be a true disciple of Christ. Amen.

back in london

Heyo! I’m back in London! And as such this blog shall be rejuvinated!

If you want to contact me:

64929527(a Singapore land line in UK, all calls Singapore charges!)

SMS me at 91736390(Singapore line, your SMS got no extra charges, I’ll SMS you back with my UK phone)

Mail me at :

88 Clarence Gardens

London NW1 3LP

Yep! Just skyped with HuiShan and feeling good and raring to go! Jia you!

psalms 73

Was reading Psalm 73 and found it very relevant. I mean how often as Christians we feel taking that step of faith and doing what God’s word encourages us to do puts us at the losing end. We think we lose out cause everyone else is taking the easy route while we God tells us to walk the seemingly more difficult route. But JianNi once told me we seldom realise that we actually don’t lose out; if only we’re able to see the whole picture (or in NIV Ps73:17, entered the scantuary of God). For me I’ll start with this practical step: start tearing parking coupons honestly. I pray that this Psalms speaks to you, it sure did to me.

Psalm 73 (The Message)

An Asaph Psalm

 1-5 No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, good to the good-hearted.
   But I nearly missed it,
      missed seeing his goodness.
   I was looking the other way,
      looking up to the people
   At the top,
      envying the wicked who have it made,
   Who have nothing to worry about,
      not a care in the whole wide world.

 6-10 Pretentious with arrogance,
      they wear the latest fashions in violence,
   Pampered and overfed,
      decked out in silk bows of silliness.
   They jeer, using words to kill;
      they bully their way with words.
   They’re full of hot air,
      loudmouths disturbing the peace.
   People actually listen to them—can you believe it?
      Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

 11-14 What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch?
      Nobody’s tending the store.
   The wicked get by with everything;
      they have it made, piling up riches.
   I’ve been stupid to play by the rules;
      what has it gotten me?
   A long run of bad luck, that’s what—
      a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

 15-20 If I’d have given in and talked like this,
      I would have betrayed your dear children.
   Still, when I tried to figure it out,
      all I got was a splitting headache . . .
   Until I entered the sanctuary of God.
      Then I saw the whole picture:
   The slippery road you’ve put them on,
      with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.
   In the blink of an eye, disaster!
      A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!
   We wake up and rub our eyes….Nothing.
      There’s nothing to them. And there never was.

 21-24 When I was beleaguered and bitter,
      totally consumed by envy,
   I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox
      in your very presence.
   I’m still in your presence,
      but you’ve taken my hand.
   You wisely and tenderly lead me,
      and then you bless me.

 25-28 You’re all I want in heaven!
      You’re all I want on earth!
   When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
      God is rock-firm and faithful.
   Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
      Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.
   But I’m in the very presence of God—
      oh, how refreshing it is!
   I’ve made Lord God my home.
      God, I’m telling the world what you do!

blog

Praying about whether I should keep this blog or change to a new blog. You know? When I started this blog it was so my friends in Singapore can be kept updated when I’m in UK. Now my friends in UK read it too! Thank God I can share my Christian experiences with so many friends through this blog. Yep.

Anyway I’m having the time of my life in Singapore. This is the life. Catching up with friends, slacking around, the sun, great weather, Singlish, proper food. Rox.

disong… it’s time to go home

 

sunk cost

Amaziah asked the man of God, “But what about the hundred talents I paid for these Israelite troops?”
      The man of God replied, “The LORD can give you much more than that.” (2Chronicles25:9)

The story goes like this. Our Godly king Amaziah decides to strengthen his military in view of impending conflicts and wars in an unpredictable time. Beyond his own troops from Judah he decides to hire some troops from Israel. All according to plan.

But then God sends him a message through a prophet: do not march into war with these Israelite troops for they have forsaken the LORD and the presence of the LORD has departed them. And so our king is hit with a dilemma, to release or not to release the Israelite troops? He considers the costs: 100 talents of silver!!! Back in those times 1 talent is equivalent to 26kg and 100 talents translates to $1,150,000 in today’s money terms. Imagine the amount of money involved! It’s the kind of money people take lifetimes to make. And God wants our king to literally throw $1,150,000 into the furnance by releasing the Israelite troops without utilising them one bit?!

So what was God’s answer?

$1,150,000? I can give you more than that.

Maybe we’re looking at situations like the way king Amaziah did. By how we’ve invested into something. Time, money, energy, love. So then what happens when God wants to take that something away? We focus on what we’ve lost, invested too much effort, too much of my essence to lose it now.

God’s answer?

Don’t look at the physical costs. Look at me. Look at what I can give you, more than you can ever imagine.

This reminded me of sunk costs in econs. In economics we look at costs and benefits in marginal terms so we don’t consider any sunk cost. Sunk costs are costs that have already been incurred. Like for eg. I’ve paid for a movie, it’s a sunk cost cause I can never recover the money paid out. So rationally when I consider whether or not to watch the movie, I should decide between the utility (’happiness’) of watching the movie against the opportunity of watching the movie (perhaps spending the time with friends?) only. If my decision includes the sunk cost (in this case the ticket price) that would be irrational because it’s already a sunk cost, nothing can change it and hence we shouldn’t consider it when making further decisions. AKA Don’t cry over spilt milk.

The concept of sunk cost implies irretrievable costs, just like king Amaziah’s 100 talents of silver. Indeed some things can never be changed. But God makes this mind blowing declaration: whatever your sunk cost is, if you depend on me, I can give you what covers and exceeds your incurred costs!

Forget the costs. Look at me.

Paul puts it a million times better than I ever can.

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead (Philippians3:13)