Birthdays - God's Reminder That Life Is Truly Beautiful

Growing old! Turned 23 today... nothing much at all really - just a single soul in the history of humanity. What's so great about it?

Yet, there was a celebration! I recall myself saying (Its amazing what we can say sometimes) that "the moment you need not organize your own birthday celebration, is the moment that you should know you are doing something right in life". I don't quite know what I exactly did right in my life, but somehow I was surrounded by God, family and friends on my birthday!

God: What better day to have a birthday then on the Saturday before Easter, when I'm reminded of the reality of life, death and the love my God has for me. May I have the strength to die to myself and to live for Him.

Family: Being so far away from Singapore really started taking its toll. But who would have guessed that my parents were there waiting for me on Skype? May I never forget how blessed I am for a beautiful family and childhood, and strive to share that gift with whom I'm called to meet everyday.

Friends: Who would have guessed? I got many special deliveries from all over the world. Thanks BFF for the custom made bag. Thanks eating buddy for the "natural" gift. Thanks UNC peeps for the "diamonds". Thanks Singapore peeps for the best wishes. And thanks to meishi... for... this:



If love is in the details, then everything that came together today was a testament to the love I'm blessed with; and no matter what we feel, the world has lots of love and good! May my every action and thought contribute to this world bank of blessings, instead of soiling it with careless self-pity when challenges arise.

Ever grateful
23 yr old lil'boy

Loose Screws in a Ferrari

Yesterday, I went to church for my routine Sunday evening mass and something that the priest mentioned struck a chord in me. He mentioned that we all were created beautiful and almost flawless like a brand new Ferrari. But there was something that was wrong.. nothing much... just a small something. This little flaw in each of us is like a problem in the steering wheel - it tends to turn slightly off course if left alone. And life is like driving in this Ferrari of ours. It is going to be a beautiful drive, as long as we keep our hands constantly on the steering wheel.

My mom once shared with me what she had learn. She shared that a priest once explained that what Christians term 'original sin' really has an effect much like this: Imagine you have a perfectly smooth cylinder and you roll it down an inclined board. The cylinder will roll straight towards the ground. However, if you have a cone shaped vase and you roll it down that same board, it is going to head towards the ground because of gravity, but it is also going to swerve to the side. In many way, we all have a longing to understand and seek out a mysterious being - some people call God - but 'original sin' is an inbuilt weakness/imperfection that leads us off track. We don't have to worry that much because that 'gravity' towards the truth will always pull us towards the same place eventually. But every now and then, we need to pull ourselves back on track, only to sway again. Eventually we will find what we are looking for, each taking his/her own path of swerves and correction, but eventually we will find what we all are inertly called to find.

So as a Christian, I fully accept the idea of original sin as a weakness in humanity. But what I do not understand yet is why do Christians say Baptism has washed us of our original sin? Has it? If so, why do we still falter and sway?

Life now for me is taking a toll. Full of distractions from work. Just need to find some quiet time to pick myself back up again and, in trust, live.

The Cost of Truth

Building is too effortless
Living is too painless
Intelligence is too useless
Negligence is too careless
Daddy, why is my living so costless?

Education has taken on a whole new meaning in my life. Education is about finding one's passion and calling in life. Education provides the tools for discovery about one's self and the world. Education is a call to action, not sluggish pessimism and cynicism.

Hence, here is where I will keep my personal findings on issues that I think ordinary people should know. Many are disturbing and arguable. However, just as I feel a call to come face to face with the reality of our world today, my sincere hope is that the world does not simply shun from these issues, no matter how contradictory they may seem.

Truth is never easy to believe, for if it was, it would not be so valuable!