God of the moon and stars

God of the moon and stars
God of the gay and singles' bars
God of the fragile hearts we are, I come to you
God of our history, God of the future that will be
What will you make of me, I come to you
God of the meek and mild,
God of the reckless and the wild
God of the unreconciled, I come to you
God of our life and death
God of our secrets unconfessed
God of our every breath, I come to you
God of the rich and poor
God of the princess and the whore
God of the ever open door, I come to you
God of the unborn child
God of the pure and undefiled
God of the pimp and paedophile, I come to you
God of the war and peace
God of the junkie and the priest
God of the greatest and the least, I come to you
God of the refugee
God of the prisoner and the free
God of our doubt and certainty, I come to you
God of our joy and grief
God of the lawyer and the thief
God of our faith and unbelief, I come to you
God of the wounds we bear
God of the deepest dreams we share
God of our unspoken prayer, I come to you
God of a world that's lost
God of the lonely cross
God who has come to us, I come to you
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerlT8FA7kc&list=RDzerlT8FA7kc&index=1

Give me all of you!

Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

This is Your marriage

When a pair of hands work and the other pair comes along, working in the same direction, unity in mind and heart for the same King, that is His marriage.

Not perfection yet, still clumsy but hearts always willing, always persevering.

Truth vs hypocrisy

The Zika virus scare manifests the deep-rooted fear and misconceptions of disability.

On one hand, we celebrate the achievements of people with disabilities and rightly so.

On the other hand, we are quick to dish out abortion to eliminate babies born with structural abnormalities.

A case of doublethink, if we dare to analyze it.

It is a tragedy when our value as a human being is merely economic, rather than recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of every human life.

We will grow old, grow weak and may have accidents in life that make us unable to contribute to our society.

What then?

Do we trash ourselves in this throw-away culture that we choose to create?

https://www.facebook.com/lovexenos/photos/a.781033775365144.1073741828.779736305494891/907069936094860/?type=3&theater

不做贼为何怕警察

A person who is always pushing for repealing of laws is the very one who is ever ready to break the law.

If we are law-abiding citizens, why should we be afraid of the law?

#不做贼为何怕警察

SHE HAD ATTEMPTED SUICIDE: 'NOW I STOP OTHERS FROM ENDING THEIR LIVES'

EVERY MONTH LAST YEAR, MORE THAN TWO YOUNG PEOPLE, AGED 10 TO 19, KILLED THEMSELVES. THIS IS THE HIGHEST IN THAT AGE GROUP IN THE LAST 15 YEARS. TNP SPEAKS TO A WOMAN WHO ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND NOW CHAMPIONS LIVING

About 15 years ago, Miss Serene Ho, 41, tried to end it all after going through a bad bout of depression.

Thankfully, someone was there to save her.

Now, the full-time Chinese tutor is on a mission to save others from doing the same.

"I want to get the message across that these feelings of depression and loss of confidence are temporary," says Miss Ho, who is a volunteer with suicide prevention centre Samaritans of Singapore (SOS).

Having read the news of the teen suicides in The New Paper last Sunday and reports of the debate on the topic in Parliament, Miss Ho decided to write to the media.

She talked about how she believes that the suicide law can deter survivors from trying to kill themselves again. (See report)

She also shared how her guilt and depression led her to try to take her own life.

Miss Ho suffers from brittle bone disease, in which a person has fragile bones that break easily.

The disease made it difficult for Miss Ho to live at home, so she spent most of her childhood at St. Andrew's Orthopaedic Hospital for Children.

NOT CLOSE

Miss Ho, who is the youngest in a family of three girls and a boy, tells The New Paper on Sunday: "You can understand why I am not close to my siblings or my father.

"My mother, who took care of most of my needs, became my best friend and confidante."

Her mother's kidney cancer was kept from her and she found out only after her mother's death, when she was 19.

"She was in and out of the hospital, and I thought her illness was not serious. The day after I visited her, she died. To think that day, I didn't stay long and even went for a movie after that.

"I was wracked with guilt," she recalls.

A few years later, she tried to be a social worker with the National Council of Social Service but did not make it.

"I failed the probation period twice, and they had to let me go. I became depressed and lost my self-esteem," she says.

"My relationship with my family was breaking down, and I had nowhere to turn. That was when I thought life was not worth living and tried to end it all.

"I could not sleep at night, and I had no one to talk to, so I would call SOS every night and tell them my sob story.

"Even with my training in social work at university, I missed all the signs that I was suicidal," she adds.

She decided to take action.

"I had depression then. There was no more meaning to my life," she says.

She remembers rolling her wheelchair to the side of the road "somewhere in Tampines", waiting for traffic to build up so she could throw herself at oncoming cars.She waited for about half an hour for the right moment.

"I don't know why I picked that location then. There were hardly any cars," she says, laughing now.

Still determined to end her pain, Miss Ho returned to her flat, which she shared with her older brother, and downed half the bottle of pills prescribed by a psychiatrist for her depression.

She says: "Instead of killing me, the pills made me very sick. I vomited, and my stomach hurt so much that I sought help from my brother's girlfriend.

"The amazing thing was we went to Changi General Hospital by public bus."

There, she had her stomach pumped and was in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a few days.

Miss Ho says: "It was after I had been moved from the ICU to the general ward that police officers visited. They told me that attempting suicide is a crime. They were not stern. Instead they were gentle and encouraged me to seek counselling.

"The tears I saw in my family's eyes also showed me that killing myself may end my misery but would cause pain to (my) family and friends.

"That was when I realised that suicide is a selfish act. The determination had limited my ability to see the big picture. I would have ended my pain if I were to die, but my act would have (caused) pain to others."

Religion also played a part in her recovery. Her friend from university, Mrs Abigail Lim, 41, took her to church.

ACCEPTANCE

Mrs Lim says: "Not only did she come to terms with her mother's death then, she also accepted her physical condition and became more understanding."

Miss Ho now tutors primary school pupils and secondary school students in Chinese and volunteers at SOS on an ad hoc basis.

She shares her story with others at events, some of which are organised by SOS.

She was involved in its latest campaign to distribute black plasters as part of its World Suicide Prevention Week campaign to raise awareness of youth suicide.

She says: "I want young people to know that once when you can get over the bad times, then life is worth living. I am proof.

"I tried to kill myself once and I failed. Now I am here to stop others from attempting to end their lives."

http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-news/she-had-attempted-suicide-now-i-stop-others-ending-their-lives

Helplines

If you have thoughts of ending your life or are in emotional distress, you can get help from:

Samaritans of Singapore 
(24-hour hotline)

1800-221-4444

Tinkle Friend

1800-2744-788


Singapore Association for Mental Health

1800-283-7019


Care Corner Counselling Centre (in Mandarin)

1800-3535-800

Mental Health Helpline

6389-2222

Amendments:

-"the part-time Chinese tutor"
Full-time tutor teaching all subjects, including Chinese.

-"youngest in a family of three girls"
four girls

-"she tried to be a social worker with the National Council of Social Service but did not make it.

"I failed the probation period twice"

Already a qualified social worker after graduating from NUS. Was doing indirect social work as an executive in NCSS for two years. Probations were for two voluntary welfare organizations.

-"I missed all the signs that I was suicidal,"

More of disregard my life

-The tears I saw in my sisters' eyes
To be exact, tears of father and siblings

"She shares her story with others at events, some of which are organised by SOS."

The event is just distributing plasters. No sharing of story with strangers during the event.

http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-news/attempting-suicide-illegal-rare-person-be-charged

However, Miss Serene Ho, who has attempted suicide, disagrees with Aware's stance.

She says when the police informed her that attempting suicide was a crime, it had a deterrent effect on her, adding that they had treated her with compassion and encouraged her to seek counselling.

Knowing that attempting suicide was a crime made her fearful and stopped her from trying again.

She was not charged.

Miss Ho, 41, says the criminalisation of suicide also sends a message that taking one's own life not only traumatises loved ones but also impedes the progress of Singapore.

She says: "Young people with so much ahead of them, ending their lives, would be depriving Singapore of the talent that would help shape the country's future. After all, Singapore's only resource is its people."

Liberals' greatest pretence

The liberals' greatest pretence is at showing they care for your life but in actual fact, they don't.

They 'care' when you serve their interests.

Suicide law can have deterrent effect on survivors

As one who had attempted suicide, it seems inconceivable that I would now be a Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) volunteer giving out black plasters as “conversation starters” for its World Suicide Prevention Week campaign.

Having nearly died, been saved and now healed, I want to get the message across that trials are temporary but life is worth living.

Like the student, Z, in the report “Aware says suicide laws ‘worsen distress’; calls for changes” (Sept 9), I suffered from depression. I attempted suicide because of unresolved grief at losing my mother.

Life’s major transitions left me feeling helpless and alone after her death. I found no purpose in living, so I overdosed. Only when I saw the pain I had inflicted on my family did I realise this life is not my own.

Police officers approached me after my suicide attempt. They were gentle and encouraged me to seek counselling. I worked towards mental wellness with my psychiatrist. Knowing that attempting suicide is a crime has had its deterrent effect on me.

Throughout the incident, I was treated with compassion.

Deterrence and punishment are not the only purposes of a law; the criminalisation of suicide sends a message to the society that suicide not only costs a life and traumatises loved ones but also impedes the progress of a nation.

I applaud the SOS’ efforts and faithful service all these years in preventing suicide. This is not one agency’s responsibility but requires the collective effort of each of us.

Trials bring out the courage in me to overcome life’s obstacles. My personal responsibility is to look after my physiological and psychological health first. Only when I function well can I serve the community, seeking to be a responsible citizen.

As a young nation, we cannot lose that resilient spirit the Prime Minister demonstrated at this year’s National Day Rally. I endeavour to do my part in looking out for those in distress, knowing that they, too, can lead a purposeful life when they see the light at the end of the tunnel.

http://m.todayonline.com/voices/suicide-law-can-have-deterrent-effect-survivors

Who has greater resilience?

It is no coincidence that people who face more obstacles in life have greater resilience.

We are made to overcome.

Start training our children today!

Where there is love, there is hope #howru

I have always marvelled at the job of a salesman.
It's tough, I know.
I have always been on the other side.
I'm not a sales personnel but today, I'm a volunteer distributing free plasters for the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) for World Suicide Prevention Day.
I thought I could finish distributing the 740 plasters within an hour.
I thought somehow my chair could attract some attention (which I normally prefer not to have) but half an hour into the distribution, oh oh, why are people not even interested in FREE stuff???
Thank God, somehow my busy niece could meet me for dinner today and so I enlisted her help.
Minutes ticked by.
Rejection, rejection and rejection.
God impressed upon me that priceless love even when freely given, is not easily accepted or appreciated.
I nearly teared.
I continued to put on my brightest smile while my heart started to sink.
Then I met you, my second angel.
You came up the escalator, smiling so brightly.
Tears flowed because you are the familiar face among the strangers.
Niece was somewhere behind me, bravely tasting life.
You came specially to help me, giving me such a pleasant surprise.
And I gained strength.
You said, "Don't give up!"
Yes!
The phrase 'giving up' is not in my vocabulary.
I have come so far and I won't give up.
My skin became thicker.
I smiled through the tears.
It pains my heart that despite so many youths out there, despite the friendly faces you try to show, you won't even take a free plaster.
Underneath that painted face, that healthy body, do you know there are so many people caring for you?
I became more generous with the plasters.
"Would you want to share with your friends?"
I'm thankful for those who came to take the plasters from me.
I'm thankful for you who gave me the thumbs up.
I'm speechless for those who offered me money, for those who gave me money before I could even respond.
I have $3 for the offering bag in church tomorrow.
I will say a prayer for the two of you.
And then our heroes arrived.
They are helping a charitable organization to do some fundraising.
These two men took some plasters from us and helped us to distribute!
Oh wow.
And so I met four angels.
God sent them such that I was able to distribute more than 730 plasters in 2 hours.
I could not have done it on my own within the time limit!
Would I do this again next year?
Yes.
I will be better prepared for rejections.
I will meet many more angels :D

Photo by Michelle Lim

  

Judge righteously

Today, I finally have a better understanding of why teens (adults too) say "Don't judge me" before we even say anything.

Best ending for the day: heart-to-heart talk with a teen.

Precious information to help us save another life.

And she affirms what I believe : we need to empower the young to help their peers in fighting against suicide and other issues.

Never underestimate youth power when guided by the power on high!

Robber of life: Victim mentality

A victim mentality is the killer of what we can achieve today and in the near future.

No matter what happened, forget (neglect/not care for) those things which are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead,

let us press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3)

Don't, no point in rewinding the past.

The use of the past is only for the glory of our Lord in making the us today.

Note: There is no denial of any hurt caused, voluntarily or involuntarily.

Shalom :)

A broken and a contrite heart

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51)

David knew also how acceptable true repentance is to God (v. 17): The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. See here,

(1.) What the good work is that is wrought in every true penitent-a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. It is a work wrought upon the heart; that is it that God looks at, and requires, in all religious exercises, particularly in the exercises of repentance. It is a sharp work wrought there, no less than the breaking of the heart; not in despair (as we say, when a man is undone, His heart is broken), but in necessary humiliation and sorrow for sin. It is a heart breaking with itself, and breaking from its sin; it is a heart pliable to the word of God, and patient under the rod of God, a heart subdued and brought into obedience; it is a heart that is tender, like Josiah's, and trembles at God's word. Oh that there were such a heart in us!

-Matthew Henry

Serenity Prayer

"Suffering can lead to serenity, if we respond to it with trust in a loving God who will make all things right.

We must remember: Love would not allow what Love could not restore."

And God is Love.

"God can triumph over any twist of plot the enemy of our souls scrawls across our pages, and He writes a much better story than we do."

Many years ago, you gave me this:

"God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference."

Recently I learnt that there is a second half of the Serenity Prayer:

"Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His Will;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.
Amen."

http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2016/09/17348/

Jesus Christ, the power and wisdom of God

The message of the cross is the power of God.

Jesus Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. We have the mind of Christ.

Let our speech and our preaching be in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, our faith be in the power of God.

We are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in us.

The Kingdom of God is not in words that are puffed up but in power.

The Kingdom of God is within us.

(1 Corinthians 1,2,3,4 and Luke 17)

Abortion a simplistic way to deal with Zika virus

This letter was sent to ST Forum but was not published.

Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases specialist, said that in all live births, the risk of birth defects is around 1 per cent. He believes that the risk of unborn babies having microcephaly here stands at this rate, similar to French Polynesia. The data on risk range of between 1 per cent and 13 percent is "horribly skewed" by Brazil, which reports a higher rate of microcephaly (Family of pregnant woman felt anxiety, then relief; 2 Sep). 

At a time when pregnant women and their families need the greatest support from the government, the medical specialists and the community, it is presumptuous to think that abortion is the only alternative to a national crisis (Zika a limited but difficult fight; 1 Sep).  

Microcephaly can be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental factors, such as Down Syndrome, exposure to drugs, alcohol or other toxins in the womb, rubella and a few other infections during pregnancy. Of the initial 4,180 suspected cases of microcephaly, only 270 cases have been confirmed by Brazil's Health Ministry as actual microcephaly. Of the 270 cases, medical researchers could only correlate six cases of microcephaly to the Zika virus. This means that 264 confirmed microcephaly cases did not even show a trace of Zika virus. The actual cause of Microcephaly cannot be ascertained. 

In its "Frequently Asked Questions on Zika and Pregnancy", the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the clinical advisory group (CAG) state that even if the pregnant woman is found to have Zika, there is no test to predict the future occurrence of microcephaly. There is currently not enough research to ascertain the effectiveness of amniotic fluid testing. A positive Zika test in amniotic fluid does not always mean that the foetus will have birth defects.

There are too many unknowns surrounding this virus, causing much confusion and fears.

But one fact is clear. Should we callously let the life of the most vulnerable family member be lost through all these uncertainties?

As a woman with a physical disability, I grieve that the life of a person with a disability is seen as not worthy to be saved. Whether it is 24 weeks or 28 weeks, nothing changes the fact that abortion kills. It has nothing to do with religion but everything to do with valuing the inherent worth of a human being.

I stand with pregnant women and their families. Let our love for our children triumph over any unwarranted fear.

More information:

1. http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/dont-write-off-babies-with-microcephaly

2. http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/low-risk-zika-related-birth-defects-say-doctors

3. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160624150813.htm

4. https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/study-casts-doubt-on-zika-as-culprit

5. http://ionsg.blogspot.sg/2016/08/zika-in-singapore-will-zika-fears.html

6. http://ionsg.blogspot.sg/2016/09/is-pregnant-woman-mum-to-be-or-mum.html

7. https://www.facebook.com/lovexenos/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

8. https://www.facebook.com/ChooseLifeSG/?fref=ts

Unsupported pregnancy:
DaySpring New Life Centre
64630182
https://www.facebook.com/dsnlc/?fref=ts

Pregnancy Crisis Service

6339 9770

https://www.facebook.com/Pregnancy-Crisis-Service-185774274807267/?fref=ts