snapped strings October 3, 2008
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During cell group, while I was playing, my guitar string snapped! Hahaha.. First time in around a year of guitar-playing that a string snapped on me. Think it was growing too much mould, corroded too much or something. Good thing it was towards the end of the meeting already, altar call time.. but still had to play a chorus without it.
Hahaha.. it just went “twang” and I had one string less to play on with that hanging string getting in the way. Quite shocking for me at that moment. But just carried on playing lor. What to do..hahaha.. Well, when I asked after the meeting, apparently no one really noticed that the string snapped, even though the sound changed by quite a bit 
Chern yih taught me how to re-string the guitar. He apparently learnt it from youtube Hahaha.. But I still prefer my old strings! The new strings sound a bit strange now.. have to go and buy the same kind.
This is unrelated, but yay I’m growing. God is more interested in your character than your comfort. Hahaha.. yeah man.
in the box on the cch big day September 27, 2008
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I just want to say, GREAT JOB CCH big day team!!
Children’s church just had their children’s day event today at expo. It was really quite complicated for chorus board and the tv crew cos they had many different things incorporated into the whole thing. Many videos to flash, unfamilar songs (but by the end of it, we were very familiar with them ) Gosh, it was fun. Too bad I couldn’t be more zai. But it’s ok! I had Sihui behind me to help press buttons I forgot or was too confused to press! And my team is zai!
Man, was quite impressed with Jun jie! He managed to control the song lyrics so well, even though it’s his first time doing main board! Plus the super complicated song la. Jump Around. Hahaha.. It really jumped around man… He was really cool-headed to do it. And Simin! She was the cb IC! She was responsible for all of us for the event haha. Really great job..can be leader already 
hahaha.
I really think ministry’s helping me to grow, teaching me things, helping to set some of my mindsets straight. Even though it’s a ministry where mistakes have big consequences, at least when they’re made, it helps one to learn from them and to grow. There’s no condemnation, always very encouraging. I love my ministry.. need to learn how to be more sound-minded though. It’s quite cool to see the spirit of excellence in everything they do.
so exciting September 21, 2008
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These are exciting times man.. So many changes going on. In chorus board, we’re having different operating procedures almost every 2 weeks, because we’re changing things here and there…it’s just a phase, but we’re really going to transition to a whole new level. Everything’s going to change, from the programmes, to the equipment, it’s really teamwork that helps things go smoothly in service. It’s so cool…we’re going to see better stuff, all the way up to Asia Conference.
And I learnt how to use the cg machine!! It’s the machine in chorus board which controls the main LED monitor and the new graphics we see in service. It’s not very hard, I’m sure things will get lighter once more people learn how to use it. Spent 14 hours in church today hahaha.. not including travelling time. Cool man.. And now that cell group’s been changed to friday nights, my saturdays are free..which means I can serve on saturday too! So..I guess I’ll be stretched more hahaha.. and learn more stuff, grow more..
And I think this sem will be the best sem yet, because I’m just so motivated to study. I aim to be able to go for at least one or two days of the Asia Conference, and since the conference will be on the week before the exams, I’ve to study hard now to get most things settled. So I’ll digest pharmaco, patho, dfd and med chem way before the exams!
Haha I believe that things will naturally fall into place, if I put God first. I will get good grades, and have a better character/attitude. Plus I’ll discover my destiny on the way. How cool is that! It’s worth it. Hahaha.
60SOF cb September 6, 2008
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Chorus board is fun lah… I get to use cool equipment, do things with precision and with a zero tolerance for mistakes. Which makes things exciting all the time. Helped out with the 60 sec of fame event with sheila and tingting.
It’s less stressful to handle an event like that cos things are quite straightforward, even though the easyworship programme didn’t work, so we had to use conventional powerpoint. Easyworship is a programme we use to flash our slides, which is more user-friendly than normal powerpoint.
And serving in chorus board helps to expand my limited tech skills! And trains our problem-solving skills. We had to prepare some slides from scratch, so it was quite interesting. Searched through the database to find pictures and fonts which look nice. Sheila and tingting did most of the preparation. They’re so cool.. they created the 60 second timer using powerpoint! One slide for every second hahaha.. and just let it run. There’s always something new to learn.. especially now, with new equipment and protocol.
what do we want out of it? September 5, 2008
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In everything that we do, we should ask ourselves, what do we want out of it?
In our school life, what do we want out of it? Is it just to get ahead of everyone else? Do well in our tests and exams? Get a good honours degree so we can get better job prospects and a better pay? Or is there more that we can do during this period of time?
In our group of friends, what do we want out of it? Do we want people to help us book seats in the lecture theatres? A clique to hang out during lunch time or to study with so we won’t be lonely? Or do we want to serve them, encourage them when they feel stressed or worked up about tests, and care for their well-being?
In our Christian walk, what do we want out of it? A religion? An assurance that we’ll go to heaven? Something easy which doesn’t drastically change our way of life, the way we think and view things, or our routine? Or do we want something more?
In going to church, what do we want out of it? Do we want to listen to a sermon every week and not remember what was being preached after the service, but feel good anyway cos we fulfilled our “duty”? Do we want a pastor who preaches exactly what we want to hear, which doesn’t challenge us or ask us to do anything too “difficult”? Or do we want to open our hearts, and accept the message, even if we don’t like it? Do we want our lives to be radically changed and to be fruitful for the kingdom of God?
During praise and worship, what do we want out of it? Do we want to get it over with because it’s just part of the service? Do we jump because want to look like we’re doing the right thing? Or because we want to give our all and give God the praise He deserves, like King David in the bible, even if it means looking out of place or silly at times? When we lift our hands during worship, do we do it because everyone else is doing it? Or do we do it because we want a touch from God?
Do we sing songs just to feel good about it? Do we sing safe songs or old songs because we feel comfortable with them and we don’t want to associate with pop culture too much because it’s too “worldly”? Or do we sing to God, to glorify Him? Because the bible says to make a joyful noise unto the Lord, to sing a new song to Him? Do we have flashing lights and cool graphics because we have no where else to spend our money? Or do we have these things to reflect who God is, that He is a colourful and creative God?
Mark 2:22 says “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”
If we want to do something new with an old mindset, it’ll never work. If our mindset is old, how can God pour new ideas and new things into our lives?
When people tell us things which conflict with our own ideas, it’s easy to say “Oh the person is wrong, because this is the way I think, and it’s definitely correct” Or it may just mean that we need a mindset change. There might be certain assumptions which we make automatically about things, which we don’t even pause to consider whether those assumptions are right or not.
And people tend to trust their feelings when they do things. Sometimes, it’s good. Sometimes, it’s not. When I feel like eating jap food, and I go and eat it, I feel good, and that’s good. When I feel like studying, and I go study, that’s good.
But when I feel like the PAP is “brain-washing” the people, I don’t migrate to another country or attack them on my blog (I’m not saying they are, it’s just an analogy). I know that they’re doing a good job because Singapore is a progressive country with a low crime rate and a high literacy rate, so I won’t migrate. Just because I feel like changing church a million times because of various reasons (some of which are really good personal reasons by the way), I don’t, because I know from experience that I wasn’t fruitful in a lot of other churches I’ve been to and if I leave, I know the outcome. Know a man by his fruits, because God emphasises a lot on fruitfulness.
Criticism from others is inevitable when you want to do something for God. What matters is not the criticism. Because we seek God’s approval, and don’t do things just because people say that’s the “right” way to do things, or preach things just because it’s “safe”.
Dry steam August 25, 2008
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And on the 3rd week of school, I learnt something new today! There’s actually DRY STEAM!
Everyone was like “huh” when our indian lecturer talked about dry steam. Like what did he say? Dry steam? Sure or not? Isn’t steam water vapour? Should I believe him or not? Sounds so dodgy… so checked it up on the internet and here’s what it says:
Yes, you can have “dry” steam. A measure of the “wetness” of steam is
called quality. Quality varies from 0 to 1, with a quality of 0 being a
saturated liquid and 1 being a saturated vapor. When steam has a quality of
1, it is considered “dry” steam. If the quality falls between 0 and 1, it
is considered “wet” steam.
And
Look, if one takes the expression “dry steam” literally
it is impossible because “steam” means “water vapour”
so dry steam would be inconsistent.
But…there are nowadays industrial equipments that
use that expression meaning something else.
So “dry steam” describes a system that produces
a high temperature with “low moisture vapor”. This
vapor contains only 5-6% water and is much less
dense than the air we breathe..
And thanks for asking NEWTON!
from http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99656.htm
another birthday… August 19, 2008
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Ah I just grew a year older. 21st, not really dissimilar to others.
My cell surprised me last night. Jac asked me out for dinner at holland v. We went to essential brew, ordered food and were already eating when suddenly, they just popped up from behind and sang the birthday song. Shocking la. Then we ate and talked…
And harassed the waiter to take pictures for us. Interesting
Well, I shared a cab to church this morning, quite a cheap ride, only $12.50 hahaha. Fast, and only about a dollar more expensive than if I were to go by bus, train, bus. Went to school, had lab and tried not to inhale airborne B subtilis mixed with talcum powder. Think if it was pseudomonas aruginosa, we’d all have been at risk of blindness Cosplayed again, last time this week.
And spent most of the time during med chem lecture trying to copy notes…during the times I don’t drift off, stone, or doze off Super sleepy.. then went for nature and society lecture..and met zhon yun on the way hahaha..she went in for lecture with me after the break, cos we were going to touch on a part which was really quite controversial.. Don’t know whether to raise my hand and defend the faith halfway during the lecture…but didn’t have to do that hahaha. Maybe I’ll just clarify in the discussion forum. Then after lecture, I went home to sleep.
Yep that’s how I spent the day. Normal day, the only difference being people smsing, facebooking and shaking hands wishing me happy birthday. Presents so far being $40 Ed Hardy vouchers (hopefully more will come in, otherwise I think I’ll have to top up quite a bit to buy something hahaha), a black bag, and a strange shirt. Plus cakes.
And I’ll spend the rest of the night preparing song sheets for tmr’s meeting, practice the song, think of what to teach jennifer and chern yih, hopefully read through tmr’s lecture… YEP.
axel! August 18, 2008
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Did something interesting today. Cosplaying!
I’m supposed to be a character from the game Kingdom Hearts 2. Axel from organisation xiii. Hahaha.. Never played the game, don’t know what it is, but it’s the easiest to wear. First time cosplaying…took pictures with a lot of people, including strangers, and attracted quite a bit of attention outside the science LT. A bit strange, but hey if I never try, I’ll never know how it’s like.
present August 17, 2008
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My father asked me today what I wanted as my 21st birthday present. He offered to give me five thousand dollars, but I said I didn’t want it. Inside my heart, I thought, “I don’t want anything actually. I just want you to come to church.”
I should’ve said it aloud.
