Well, no, it's not like I'm going to quit this blog for good. I've just been thinking about what to do and what to post here. There's been a lot of things floating about in my mind lately, and I have yet to blog them down, being bogged down in preparations for my college project.

In the past, I've relied on writing articles formulated with out my thoughts (which tend to be more wooden than posts reflecting what I have been thinking) to keep this blog's readership. (You better feel gratified that I'm trying hard to maintain your attention! Hehe)

Anyways, I am looking for that balance between posts containing my thoughts on a certain subject and that of posts containing results of a thorough study.

The problem is, "thought" posts are much more enthusiastically written by me than that of "research" posts.
The downside is, my "thought" posts tend to be less logically/biblically sound than that of my "reseach" ones. (Yup, I noticed there. I sure hope you did too!)

Another thing is, I'm always too lazy to do serious research on just about anything. I'm sad to say I rely on my thoughts too often. (Or should I say my logical reasoning? I don't know!)

Back to the future of this blog. I noticed that the period in which I blogged the most was the one in which I was reading/listening/learning the most. I certainly have to get back on track with my "theological studies" (as I call it). The good news is, I get a few months of freedom before going back to college to continue my studies. I intend to make the most use of it.

To note another thing, since I began my blog I haven't narrowed down on what to focus on. Right now, I'm plodding through theology, apologetics, philosophy, ethics (maybe in the same field of apologetics or philosophy, but it's scope deserves an entire category in its own right) and other stuff.

I also am writing about other things- mainly, my "miscellaneous" thoughts. You can find them here. As I have written about in a post quite a while ago, my parents are not too fond of my taking up these subjects. I can't blame them, actually. Anti-intellectualism has been grounded in them from the start, so there's nothing much I can do except obey them (I do that, by the way, happily and willingly). Thankfully, God has allowed them to be very liberal in this regard.

To illustrate, I've now stopped attending a church in which my parents were not too happy with. (Their issues with it  was mainly doctrinal. But it was mainly that of us going to one church. I happily and willingly complied with their request.) However, they have allowed me to attend it once in a while. That, I think, I am very happy with.

In the end, a lot of uncertainty hangs over me in this area. I am not sure how this will turn out. My dream job is still to be a teacher teaching apologetics, philosophy and theology. Well, I'm not sure what's going to happen. But I will do my best to make sure what I want becomes realized.

But in the end, it is still God's providence that decides what happens in my life. That, I think, is one thing that I'm certain about.

Yes, since this is my blog, I get to advertise stuff here!




"Greetings One And All"

Our Family Carnival is happening! Friday, 26th May, in the hall of Acts Church, 2nd Floor of the Summit Hotel. It's going to be a full day of fun. Beginning at 11:30am and lasting until 7:30pm. Tonnes of events for the whole family to participate in, as listed below:


David M. Sanborn, co-creator and star of the multi-million dollar hit musical, Judah Ben-Hur, will be performing his one-man show about King David, SONG of the SHEPHERD.

“With his impersonations of Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Goliath), Keanu Reeves, Sylvester Stallone, Gene Kelly, Sean Connery, Jim Carrey and more than a dozen others, you’ll see why this one-man show has already won the hearts of some 50,000 people on four continents – and why critics call it “passionate, hilarious…truly breathtaking.”

(Dan Duis, WCTN-Radio)

What critics have said about Sanborn:

“Sanborn performed a very entertaining one-man show, singing & playing several roles wonderfully.”

- MTV (on MTVAsia.com)

“This man is someone to watch out for: his powerful voice and acting skills were apparent to all.”

- TODAY

Here are some things that will be there:-

• Coloring Contest for those 7 years and below. Just bring something flat and hard to color your picture on and your coloring materials.

• Talent show! An opportunity to flaunt what you’ve got or watch what others have that you wish you had! Sign up or just show up to cheer.

And on top of all this, there will be tables selling anything you could want! From food, to books, to toys, to knick-knacks, to anything else you can think of! Tables are rented out at RM60 each so hurry and get one so you can sell, sell, sell.

Wanna participate in our Coloring Contest, Talent Showcase, Games? Wanna rent a table and sell your treasures? Just click on the last link that says Registration, print out the registration form, fill it out, and send it in to us! The other two links give you the poster and the program of the day. Click on and get more details from the links!

So come on down and join us for a day of relaxation, fun, and family together-ness! Bring everyone you know!

See you there!

• Registration Form (For Tables)

Coupons (for buying and selling, as well as for the games and talent time) will be sold at the venue or alternatively, you can buy them from our authorised dealers (hehe) listed below.
The coupons will cost you RM 10 each for ten ringgit's worth of purchasing. For each coupon booklet, you will be given a lucky draw number. If you're lucky, prizes await you!

For more information, you can contact anyone of the organizing committee:-

Elselyn - 03-80707001
E-mail - elselynjtan@hotmail.com

Aron - 03-80707001
E-mail -colorblindlama@gmail.com

Jay -0122895591
E-mail – da_jalman@yahoo.com

Jern-yi - 012-2197485
E-mail - silky80@hotmail.com

Daniel – 017-3569168
E-mail –lycaphim@hotmail.com

Eunice –03-79562396
E-mail –youknees@hotmail.com

One last note: Please support us!

This event is still in the stages of fine tuning and last minute preparations. Thus, some changes might occur in the meanwhile.

Unfortunately for me, when I'm going through a hard time, it is then I truly acknowledge how much I need God. It is then I truly understand that I am a sinner and have sinned. Do I blame him for my troubles? I sure hope I never would, and I have yet to, thankfully.

Of course I have asked some questions about the problem of evil (I would say they are go straight to whether God exists or not. Thankfully, again, I have that sorted out).

I find (like many others sure have) that suffering and troubles, when inflicted on us, always bring out piety in the religious. I do my best to learn from them. Unfortunately (again), I have that tendency to lapse into complacency once my troubles are past. I always pray that will not happen.

What gives me comfort during these times is the knowledge of God's sovereignty and his providence. Another thing is that of prayer and the hope that all will be well (if it is his well). Yet, I do not jump toward fatalism during my hardships. Instead I pray for God's intervention and, if possible, take an action.

On God's assurance of our salvation and his love to us:

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)

On God's sovereignty and providence:

Declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,' calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it. (Isaiah 46:10-11)


Does God bring good out of evil? I think, ultimately, that is certainly true. Yet at the present I don't believe that most of our sufferings are blessings in disguise. They are, rather, exactly that: sufferings.

What do we ought to do, then? Obeying God's word is one important thing (most evil comes from disobeying his commandments, obviously). Do our best to counter it.

And that's about as much as I can think of...hehe.

And if you're analytical enough, you'd know by now I'm going through a very,very hard time. It's basically about my family (my parents, to be exact). Pray for me and for the rest of us.

Soli Deo Gloria!

If this is an apologetic, then it is a rather plain one. I consider it, rather, a simple observation.

I suppose you've heard of the saying, "It's the simplest things in life that we enjoy". Of course, we don't just enjoy simple things. I do have a lot of sophisticated tastes. But I guess it is, in the end, the simple things that matter the most. From experience, I can say so. And from retrospective reflection, I can testify as well.

I suppose one thing simple thing I just love is beautiful scenery. I just can't get enough of it. But what I enjoy the most about scenery is not its aesthetic value. But, rather, the thoughts it spawns. The thought of being there, actually looking around you (Well, now you know I tend to look at pictures of scenery rather than being there).

Of course, the experience of being in a beautiful place and doing the exact same thing is no less the same. I would like to add that such an experience (in addition to having a strong emotional value) is quite spiritual in nature. To elaborate a little, I (and, I'm sure, others as well) look at a beautiful countryside, I do not think about how it was formed- how it was thousands, millions of years ago and how natural forces shaped it to what it is today.

Instead, I think about it as it is. How beautiful it is. Then my thoughts wander to God, and how beautiful his creation is. Yes, a rather common phrase, a common happening. Yet even if such an experience is merely psychological, it would perhaps be a case of shirking the obvious question. Why think of God when we think "beautiful scenery"? I suppose for some, their presuppositions would certainly compel them to leave off the question as irrelevant. Again, maybe so. Yet, it is still something so strong- this sense of teleology, of design, that we see in nature. Something about beauty that brings us back to God. And not, instead, to natural mechanisms.

Why are we reminded of "someone's" marvelous creation? The question to ask is not who that someone is (although it is important). But rather, why do we think of this "someone". Why do so many people associate such grandeur, such beauty to this thing?

I suppose such questions ought to be answered. And for many, they have been. Yet, it is not the answer that many would like to have. Indeed, even though people do marvel about creation, they end up positing something that doesn't seem to marvel. Something that we hardly (if ever) think of when we reflect on things like scenery.

Evil seems to be the biggest suppressor of people fully acknowledging God. Beauty seems to be its greatest releaser. It is easy to think the former has nothing to do with God and the latter everything. Yet it does. It is something allowed by God. And I daresay that either way, we are either going away from or coming to someone or something. Who that someone, that something is, I would say obvious to every single one of us- whether we acknowledge its existence or not.

For my- and your- convienience. Hehe.

Apologetics

A Plea To Charismatics
Emergent's Response To Critics- A Reply
Reason As Part Of The Defense Of The Christian Faith
Where Reformed Meets Charismatic
A Definition Of Marriage Which I Find Amusing
Is Transsexuality Justified?
God's Sovereignity & Evil
A Discussion Of Pluralism
Using The Problem Of Evil To Your Advantage
The Creation Wars: Creation Or Intelligent Design?
About, Mainly, Scenery
Why Non-Matrimonial Partnership Is No Better Than Marriage
When We Doubt


Theology

A Bit On Eschatology
John Piper On Cessationism
On Critiquing Preachers
J.P. Holding On Calvinism (Fragmented Replies) [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]
An Exegesis Of Mark 16:17-20
Ten Theses Against Egalitarians
Is Theology Futile? [1],[2],[3],[4]
Theology For Teens [1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6]


Culture

Views On Video Games [1], [2], [3], [4]
World Women's Day


Movie Reviews

Good Night & Good Luck
Memoirs Of A Geisha
Pride & Prejudice
Syriana
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy

From now on, all my movie reviews can be found here.


Misc. Thoughts

My First Post
About God
Where Have All The Churches Gone?
Phil Johnson vs. Michael Spencer
A Rant About My Parents
Food For My Thought (Will Many Be Saved?)
Thoughts On Profanity
Our Place In The Universe
Salvation In The Movies


Of course, not all my posts are listed here. Only the ones that I consider are worth your time. =)