Above all else

Nat came back from school with this (see left picture) the other day. The world has gone mad when it needs to invent a mechanical eraser that vibrates so that you don’t actually have to move your hand over the paper. Absolutely stark raving bonkers. I googled useless inventions and came up with these other zingers. They are all REAL products, mind you. - The solar powered torchlight (commitably insane yet incredibly widely sold) - The motorized ice-cream cone (rotates so you get to lick all sides of the ice cream) - The pizzafork (so you don’t have to use both a fork and a knife at the same time. Brilliant, yet useless.) - Laser-guided scissors (so you can cut in a straight line. Problem is, laser is attached to scissors, so if your hand shakes, the laser shakes too) - Phonefingers (for the truly OCD, to keep your iPod touchscreens grease-free) - The thumbthing (so you can read with one hand. I actually think I would use this!!! Chips in one hand, Douglas Adams in the other, fan...

Nat: OK, let's play Survivor! Dan: Haar?! I want to play computer Dad: No lah let's play Survivor, stop your computer for a while Daniel. Nat: OK first we must have the reward challenge. And the reward is... some kind of chocolate. It's always something to eat. Dad: OK. * Everyone plays reward challenge, which is to count how many 5s, 7s, and 35s there are on the multiplication table on the wall* Dad: Nat wins reward!! Dan: Now can I play computer? Dad: No. So Nat wins one chocolate from the fridge, but you must send 1 person to Exile Island. Nat: uh, OK. Surprise Bear! Dad: OK *chucks Surprise Bear onto the top of the bookshelf* Nat: Now it's time for the immunity challenge. Dad: OK, whoever finds 3 things starting with letter "R" wins! Nat and Dan: *running around wildly* AAAAHHHH! * Nat finds Ranger's Apprentice book, toy Rabbit and Rainbow Care Bear. Daniel finds Rainbow Dog, and Red Santa.* Dad: Nat wins immunity! Nat: Wait, you haven't done the...

We had Pastor Rick Seaward come over from Victory Family Centre to preach on Sunday. Lots of points made in his sermon, but I thought the funniest was the one he made about Joshua not making the same mistakes as Moses! You see, in Numbers 13, God told Moses to choose one leader from each of the tribes of Israel to explore the land of Canaan (Num 13:2). So Moses chose 12 men, and gathered "the whole assembly" to hear their report when they returned (Num 13:26). 10 of them came back and said there was no way the Israelites could enter the promised land, because the inhabitants were too powerful (Num 13:31-33). Only TWO men, Joshua and Caleb, believed God's promises and urged the Israelites to trust that God would deliver them (Num 14:7-9). And of course, the people rebelled and refused to believe God, as a result of which they were condemned to wander the desert for 40 years, until every man older than 20 years, except Joshua and Caleb, had died (Num 14:29-30). To be fair t...

We’ve been having an interesting study of the book of Ephesians for our office cell. Here’s a recap of some of the group’s learnings over the last couple of weeks. The first chunk of the book – roughly the first 3 chapters – deals with God choosing to give us His blessings and our salvation, the breaking of the barrier between the Jews and the Gentiles, and Paul’s calling to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. Many people often ask “What on earth am I here for?” and I think Ephesians 1-3 really helps to answer this fundamental question. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. But what are these good works for? To glorify Him! Ephesians 1:11 says that we were chosen according to his plan in order that we might be for the praise of his glory. Ephesians 3:10 (NKJV) reiterates that God’s intent for the church (i.e. all believers) is to make known the wisdom of God to the principalities and ...

Nat just finished her exams. We are grateful that she did well! But here's some perspective from her. Dad: Nat, we're very proud of you for doing well in your exams. But how do you feel? Are you happy with yourself? Proud? Wish you had done better? Wish you had been more careful? Nat: Well... I just think... is it really that important? Dad: ... ... ... I guess not. *Big hug*

I’m reading 2 Kings as part of my daily devotionals at the moment. I came across something I highlighted previously, and reviewing it now, it seems important to pen down what I have learned. 2 Kings 17 talks about Hoshea the last king of Israel, and the exile of the nation of Israel to Assyria, as a result of their rebellion against God. 2 Kings 17:15 says: “They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers and the warnings he had given them. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.” It’s worth noting that BECAUSE the Israelites followed worthless idols, they themselves became worthless. And so it is with us. When we follow worthless idols, which can include selfish ambition, vanity, mammon, and carried to an extreme, even our friends and family, we become as worthless as the things we pursue. And because we become worthless, God will remove us from his presence (2 Kings 17:18). 2 Kings 17 goes on to describe how the Assyrians sent settlers...