Missed out Friday's entry on what I learnt about worship from the PDL book. I found out that I had a misunderstanding about what worship really is because the other day, my friend Alex just asked me about worship. And the way I explained it to him was that worship is slow and easy songs, while praise refers to the fast songs. Worship is never about the style of song! Worship is about the Person in the song - God.

As for today, which is also yesterday's reading (Hee, I missed another day for PDL, plus one more day to the 40++ days..), it's about how Noah made God smile. If you all have heard the story of Noah before, you all might wonder what's so interesting about this man's life. But come think of it, there are certain things that we can learn from this man. He was really a fool for God, the fool of the century if I may add. Imagine building a big boat when all around you is dry land. People must think he's mad, crazy, out of his mind. But because Noah did what God told him and became the fool for God, this made God smile; it pleased God.

Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. This is basically what Noah did. He trusted God. I wish I can be somewhat nearer towards this end, and not try to run life my own way.

posted by lil piggie at 4:54 PM

Life is only as colourful as the stories you tell

- from the newspaper advert for Big Fish.

posted by lil piggie at 2:16 PM

So to be a dancer didn't seem anything out of the ordinary to Totto-chan.

That's what struck me when I read Totto-chan just now. It's so amazing that when you're young nothing seems impossible. There are so many possibilities in doing things. But as we grow older, we are obscured in our sight at seeing these possibilities because we start to consider so many things. I guess if I was to live my life with Totto-chan's unrequitable possibilities, I would be happier, would be able to go further in life.

posted by lil piggie at 6:58 PM

Life on earth is a temporary assignment.

At death, we will not leave home - we will go home.

posted by lil piggie at 7:13 AM

Day 5: Seeing Life from God's View

(in my own words, what I get out from the book)

Life on earth is a Test.
God tests us not for the fun of it. Everything that happens in our life has a reason to it. Even something so insignificant as not having enough coins to buy a MacDonald's ice cream.

Life on earth is a Trust.
Nothing here is ever our own. Don't even consider anything that you earn, nomatter how much sweat and blood you put into it, as you own. God has given them to us to take care. It's His Trust to us. He entrusts the things that we have, even our money to us. So, we need to take care of the way we use things because they are not ours, even our own body. So, must take care of your own body as well.

posted by lil piggie at 8:36 PM

There is more to life than just here and now.

Everytime I think about death, I shudder. I don't like to think about it because it feels very much like the end of everything else I ever know. Hm, somewhere from inside me, I hear this: Only at the end, then you will begin to know. Strange. But now the book is teaching me to learn how to see death differently, in a way I guess I have never much come to term with even as a Christian - eternity. There is no death, only another life after death. Well, I don't buy reincarnation that I learnt when I was young (my father was a Buddhist), so I guess the concept of eternity seems to elude me still. Hope to accept it though. Otherwise, there goes half (maybe even all!) the theology I hold so true to my heart.

posted by lil piggie at 7:00 AM

What drives your life? Hm.. guilt, fear, anger, resentment, other people's expectations..? Once upon a time, I was very much driven by expectations, especially that of my mother's. Losing my father at a young age drove me to strive for excellence for the sake of making my mother happy. Yea, sure she was, still am, that I'm in Uni now. But am I?

So what should drive my life now?

The book only says the benefits of having a purpose driven life:
-gives meaning to life
-simplifies your life
-focuses your life
-motivates your life
-prepares you for eternity

posted by lil piggie at 7:49 PM

It's confirmed that I shall not be able to finish this book in 40 days. *Laugh*. Yesterday, I just managed to go through Day 2. Something happened though. I was amazed by what Albert Einstein quoted on that day: God doesn't play dice. Then this morning itself, I got a letter from a dear sister talking about things that don't occur by chance. Hm, talk about coincidence. Surely this is not one of them, if coincidences exist!

So honestly, nothing happen by chance.

posted by lil piggie at 3:38 PM

Just got this book entitled The Purpose Driven Life from sister Irene (She's the best!) last Thursday. I'm very eager to get started, and since it's a daily basis, I thought that I might as well blog down my reflections here (a new blog, yeah!). Though there is a 40-day covenant at the beginning of the book (signed by sister Steffy!), I think I will finish it only in 40 plus plus days. *Grin*

What I generally like about this book is the non-Christiany quotes. I know that Bible verses are powerful, but sometimes the jargons are just now well understood by other people. Let me type out an excerpt from the book:

The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for many thousands of years. That's because we typically begin at the wrong starting point - ourselves. We ask self-centered questions like What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, my dreams for my future?

Yea, so true. How many times have I asked myself those type of questions? Truth is, I'll never know what I'm made to be, for I'm not the creator of myself. Rather, God is my Creator, and He knows best what I'm built for. There's a bible verse that speaks of losing your life in order to find life, but I like Jim Elliot's quote more: He is no fool, who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.

So, onto this journey of discovering my life purpose. Hopefully I will not stumble on it, but I shall be able to see it coming, embrace it and be lost in it.

~~~*~~~

I want to add this special sms that I receive on 13 Feb (yea, one day before V's day, but I still want to put it down in this entry). Just in case I cleared my handphone message box by mistake:

Love is an emotion that is dear to the heart. Love is what makes all pain and sorrow worth its while. Love is at its glory when souls meet. Thanks for sharing your soul with me. Thanks for the love that had brightened many dark nights. Let love warm your heart and soul. Happy Valentine dear. Love u..,

And I love you, too. :)

posted by lil piggie at 11:23 PM