Bishop

You became a bishop

I was on your side

when I became one like you

we could never meet again

I then realised

How foolish

was I

© Joel Yap

RM1.8million Facebook pages

Just read in the papers today that the Malaysian Tourism Ministry had spent over RM1.8million to setup and maintain 6 Facebook pages! Actually I learned about the news yesterday. And my first reaction was like..... Well my first reaction isn't important.

So much money?! Come on, Facebook is free. Even my niece, in her tender age of 8 knows how to setup an account for herself, by herself. Why couldn't the Ministry make use of its tech-savvy MP's? And if they're willing, I'm sure many youths can jolly well do a good job too. For free.

6 Facebook pages for more than 1.8 million Ringgit?! Why do I always hear such jokes happening in Malaysia? This is what you get when you let clowns run the country- jokes. Worse still, clowns who do not fear the rakyat. Spend our money like we would neither know nor care. By the way, if any form of corruption were to come to light this time, no need to worry also lah, sure got happy endings anyway. At most, those found guilty would just be transferred or demoted. Nobody's gonna get sacked. Our government is so gracious. Somehow when rulers rule badly, they just get their powers diminished, not taken away. Our government doesn't fire its kakitangan. How nice.
Malaysia boleh!

By the way, since we have such expensive Ministry of Tourism Facebook pages, we mustn't let them go to waste. Might as well access everyday. I think I'd better set one as my browser's homepage lah. Don't waste OUR RM1.8million!

Thinking about Marriage

LOVE IS PATIENT, love is kind. And I believe we need to show love to not only our spouse. Therefore love should not be a word reserved for the context of marriage. For restricting "love" to marriage is nothing more than robbing it of its greater meaning. Thus the title for today- "Thinking about Marriage" as that is one of the things I had been thinking about lately indeed.

It is hard to deny that my age is catching up though I do not wish to speak like an old man because I really am not one yet! What I am trying to say is that I am no longer as young as I like to be anymore. Already passed the stage whereby all I ever had to worry about was "what to play next?" and there were people to make sure I ate and grew well. Have already transitioned out of childhood and started taking on responsibilities little by little every year. During my secondary schooling years, mom gave me weekly pocket money. And if I ever missed a day at school, the money for that day would be deducted in my allowances for the next week. One of mother's ways of making sure I did not miss school intentionally. By the time I started driving, dad gave me my allowances every fortnight. I had to budget more carefully because it is not too nice to say, "Can I have some money please?" to mom and dad when the cash ran out, even though they would probably give it. Ever since being able to drive, I took more control over my life.

Now I live in Singapore, for the purpose of pursuing my studies to become a nurse. I have a BMW, that is Bus+MRT+Walk. If you get the joke, you get it; if you don't, no need to worry about it.
Anyway, I am out of home. Receiving monthly allowances and paying rent. More responsibilities. And I am surrounded by girls, thanks to enrolling into a female-abundant course, by the way. Sometimes it is difficult not to wish to think about marriage. Okay, maybe most people my age have not started thinking about marriage yet; but they certainly think about courtship. For some, desperately. Nevertheless I do not expect fairy tale-like courtships with girls around me. Physical attractions, that leads to puppy love followed by broken hearts, are just nothing but a waste of time. And money.

What I am thinking about looking for is a woman whom I can spend my life and share my life with, together until we age and die. For as long as my breath shall last, I wish to love and protect her. I look forward to a practical, romantic friendship that lasts.

One problem, no girl lah! Hahaha... Talk so much for what? Never go and find the person to share that relationship with! So, I had been sort of scanning around for "suitable candidates" whilst continue thinking about marriage and what would married life be like. Not forgetting getting on with daily life as per normal. By the way, I do not insist on getting married. Can and will be fine either way.

With every look at the potential people I might like to "explore courtship" with, and asking God "Who is the right woman?" it all boils down to this question, "Will I be the right man for my right woman?" and I dare not set one eye on any of those girls anymore. Am I even ready for marriage yet? There are nice girls around, very few attract me and even fewer make me think of marriage. However, so what if I had found my potential spouse, or not. Am I ready for marriage? Everytime I think about what would life look like after the wedding, I think about how am I maturing to be worthy of marriage.

Love is patient.

Acts 2:44-46

 "All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts..." Acts 2:44-46

This is the fellowship of Jesus' believers after His death on earth and ascent to heaven. See the faith and enthusiasm they had, sharing everything together!

I'm sure times were tough back then. If one did not work, he and his family did not eat. Many of the believers of Jesus were probably of, if not among the lower classes of society. Yet they were willing to look beyond their own needs to feed each other. I mean, the most logical thing to do through the history of mankind, even in today's time, especially in today's time, is to look out for ourselves first.

In the financially polarised society during the Roman rule, many of the local Jews in Israel were likely poor and had not many possessions. So poor that even two copper coins were all the widow at the temple had to live on. (See Luke 21: 3,4) However, of course, there were the wealthy as well.

In a nutshell, little is much to he who owns little; and much is little to he who owns plenty. Some of Jesus' early believers sold their possessions and shared everything they had, helped the poor, worshipped, fellowshipped and dined together everyday. Be it that they(the believers) owned little or plenty, everyone was equal, everybody shared. What a beautiful thing to do, and what an unimaginable sight. Unimaginable especially when people are just so caught up with materialism. Piling up as much possessions as they can. I struggle as well.

I could only imagine or hope to be blessed with a just few close friends to share meals and stuff with. We could confide in each other, remind one another of the Lord's second coming and help give encouragement to run this race. Fellowship is important. What about being relevant to the world while not conforming to its values? Money is important too. Yet money comes and go away. How many of your friends today value friendship with you more than their money? How many of you are able to really share. This is a good fight, this is not an easy battle to win, without Christians staying united as well as plugged in to Christ's strength.

I could only imagine if I had friends to share resources with; without taking advantage of each other's vulnerability.