Sunday 27 May 2012
26th May 2012 @ 4PM

Doing sentry duty on Saturday sure sucks. I have to watch guard from 0400-2359. Being stranded in some part of the forest in a small guardhouse and just your buddy seems a sad way to spend your weekend. It does feel like I'm in the Hunger games where me and my buddy takes turn to keep watch and sleep. Of course there isn't any real danger of being hunted down or starving.


However, being here in the forest admiring nature isn't such a bad thing afterall. I'm witnessing some cool sounds such as the birds singing a catchy melody. If I had a guitar I would try to tab it out heh. I'm reminded of what I had read from Matt Redman's 'Facedown'. Something along the lines of creation also worshipping and making music to do so to praise its creator. Hm I shall re read the book.


Night hasn't fallen yet and it's sure going to be scary as there won't be any lights. If I'm fortuantem this means I can get to see some awesome starscape and fireflies heh.

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Turns out there weren't any fireflies and it wasn't as dark as I thought it would be. Wasn't pitch black. Singapore really has high levels of light pollution. Still, the sight of the starscape is simply amazing. A glimpse of eternity.

This post was meant to be posted on some weekday but I found out that it is impossible to blog on my Blackberry sad.
Decided to make it a habit to write on a book instead somewhat like a diary. This is good because firstly the army wants us to write reflections daily and it could be anything you want to write. (My bunkmate mentioned that his will contain mostly religious stuff, which is edifying heh). Secondly, Kairos is called to begin journalling things we learn everyday to share in cell. Thirdly, it helps keep my handwriting in check. Writing sentences after not doing so is very straining.


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I have decided to follow Jesus 
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back, no turning back 

When we sing these verses during musical worship, we feel moved by the powerful lyrics but do we know the origins of this hymn? Pastor Tim shared this during this week's Sunday's service when Andy led the song and afrer finding out the origin of this hymn, I cannot look at or sing the hymn in the same way.

There was this man who is a Christian and in the country he resides in, there were very few Christians. This is so as Christians at that time were heavily persecuted and to proclaim that you are a follower of Jesus meant instant death. As this man was interrrgogated, he boldy answered the questions that were thrown at him fully aware of the consequences of such answers. As he was being dragged away to be executed, he sung this hymn. Imagine being admist the crowd witnessing him singing this hymn while being dragged to his execution. You could surely see his passion and devotion in Christ. At times, we have to be grateful that we are in Singapore where it is safe.

Learning more about worship songs of how it came to be written and what it means really changes perspectives. Rather than just a catchy melody and words to sing , it becomes so powerful.

Sunday 20 May 2012
Got accepted into NUS Faculty of Science! Received the message and email from NUS on Friday and it definitely enhanced my mood even further since it was book out day too heh. Was kind of worried that NUS would send me the notification too late since the deadline of 1st of June is drawing closer. Multiple doors are being opened for me. To my relevation during BMT on what I really want to do in the future (teaching), to being offered by NUS FoS a discretionary interview when it is my third choice and I didn't really fill up the form for the discretionary interview and to me finally being offered the course. This is no coincidence. Can't wait till army is over so I can finally study. Never thought I would say this but I really want to study. NS really does make one's mind dull (true story)

Can't find out the reason why NS makes us undergo training on weekends only to give us back a day off on a weekday or whatever they deem fit. If they are able to give back a wasted weekend as a day off, can't they have that training on that day set aside for day off? After we have 2 years and really that's alot of time if not more than enough time to train a soldier. (I have seen how people who are going to ORD in 4-6 months time wasting their life away in camp doing....nothing). Then again, Justin made an excellent point. To other people unlike us, their weekends and their weekdays are not really much different. What they can do on their weekends, they can do on their weekdays so it doesn't really matter to them. Going to pass out and end my driving course in two weeks. Hopefully it will be different than the course and more admin time will be given heh.

Sunday 13 May 2012
 
The battle rages on
As storm and tempest roar
We cannot win this fight
Inside our rebel hearts
We're laying down our weapons now

We raise our white flag
We surrender
All to You
All for You

We raise our white flag
The war is over
Love has come
Your love has won

Here on this Holy ground
You made a way for peace
Laying your body down
You took our rightful place
This freedom song is marching on

We lift the cross
Lift it high lift it high

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Saturday 12 May 2012



Songs from today's encounter  

There is love
There is forgiveness 
There is love in times of need 
When life is cold there is a promise 
You will never go without... There is love

I think I may have missed out a song hm...
Loved the song set for today's encounter espeically the new song 'Love' that was introduced. Anyway today I felt like it was the best encounter I had for some reason. Wasn't afraid to sing out worship songs. Usually I have little confidence in singing especially when the key is too high. (The origin of this lack of confidence can be traced back to an incident in secondary two which led to me quitting choir)
There is a difference between worshippers just spectacting and participating (can't remember where I read this from). I felt so happy and alive singing out these songs that I wanted encounter time to be longer but of course sermon time has to come heh.

Singing is now considered one of my mustard seeds or five loaves and two fishes and I pray that God will work in this aspect. No longer will I feel afraid to sing for personal fear that my singing is not good enough and is inferior to others.

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I think this may be a little bit too late (two weeks in fact) but discretionary interview I had in NUS on that Saturday actually turned out great. It wasn't your typical interview as the questions asked were not really what you would expect. Albeit I was nervous I could feel my heart pounding when the interviewers asked me questions and I think I may have breached some interview etiquette when I sunconsciously hunch my shoulders forward as my hands were resting on the table. Felt that the interview was really informal heh and the interviewers were really nice. Apart of the one moment of brief silence cause I was trying to format my answer, overall I think it went OK. Hope that I do get admitted to NUS Science.Oh and UTown (apparently some residental area in NUS) IS SUPER COOL. Zhi finally showed me the epicness of UTown that I don't really mind signing up there. Thing is there is an interview (again?!) that you must undergo and you have to take additional modules.