Some Psalms

The word of God is life to all those who find them:

Psalm 147:10 – 11
His pleasure is not in the strength of his horse,
Nor his delight in the legs of a man;
The Lord delights in those who fear him,
Who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Psalm 146: 7-9
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
And gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
The Lord gives sight to the blind,
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
The Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the alien
And sustains the fatherless and the widow,
But he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Psalm 138: 6-8
Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
But the proud he knows from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You preserve my life;
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
With your right hand you save me.
The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;
Your love, O Lord, endures forever –
Do not abandon the works of your hands.

Salt

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Matthew 5:13
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The beautiful thing about salt – in and of itself, it really stings. Just grab a pinch of salt and throw it on your tongue and you will understand what I mean. You will be greeted by the aweful stinging intensity of the salt.

With that said, being a food scientist and a fond lover of food and cooking, I cannot help but preach about the benefits of salt. Though in and of itself, it can be quite repulsive, when it is combined with other foods such as meats and vegetables, it serves to bring out the flavour of the food. What used to be plain and tasteless suddenly becomes a delicious dish. With all the modern condiments and sauces, we tend to forget how powerful salt actually is. It has been the principle condiment in many cultures for thousands of years.

Therefore, when God says that we are the salt of the earth, it really is a compliment. It basically means that we are people who will bring out the best in all those around us. We are sent to wherever we are schooling, working, training and to our families for a reason – to bring out the beauty in them.

Well, sometimes, we can be quite repulsive and stubborn, but I believe that if we persevere, we will achieve what God has intended for us to achieve.

Not forgetting other uses of salt:

1) As a preservative
2) To treat injuries

Something to think about eh?

My short holiday

Just got back from my three day holiday drive to Malaysia... It was a drive to Port Dickson and KL (for shopping)... On the way back, we dropped by Malacca for a fantastic peranakan lunch and heavenly chendol...

I must say... It felt much longer than three days... Maybe it was because I was doing something completely different from my usual routine.... For the past three months, my weekdays have been dedicated to work and taekwondo and my weekends to taekwondo and church... Pleasant as that may be... It can get a little draining and monotonous after awhile... But the holiday... introduced a completely new rhythm to my life... For one, I haven’t had 10 hours of sleep for ages... I haven’t NOT exercised for three days in a row for months... I haven’t eaten so much sinful and absolutely delicious food for years... Lastly, and most importantly, I haven’t travelled overseas on a trip that didn’t require me to look out for small kids in such a LONG time...

Finally, on a trip where I am the youngest and people are looking out for me... Can’t imagine how comfortable it feels not having to be on my guard all the time... It is just blissful...

Really need to thank my sister and her boyfriend for involving me on this trip... Haven’t had so much fun in ages...

Denise's Movie Reviews

Inception
It has been some time since I spent so many brain cells on a movie. Nonetheless, any movie that can make you think so much is a movie worth watching. But I guess I had better warned you before you enter the cinema expecting this to be some feel good chick flick or perhaps some feel good messiah style Matrix movie.

This is not a feel good movie!! In fact, you might feel a little unnerved from watching it. Nonetheless, as I have mentioned earlier, it would make you think. And in a world where everything moves in predictable fashions, it is good to be shocked and surprised once in a while. (Which is probably why Lady Gaga sells – another topic for another day).

Surreal. Yes, the best word to describe a movie about dreams – surreal. At some points of the movie, you will find yourself pondering if the lead (Leonardo) is in a dream or in reality. Even his reality holds some dream like qualities. Nonetheless, this is the theme that carries through in the entire movie.

Finally a script that is so brilliant that it keeps you lifted off the ground, in some state of confusion and anxiety. This of course has the effect of keeping you at the edge of your seat and keeping your mind working at all times. A tactic that is, if I might add, absolutely intelligent. (Just a minor side track, perhaps, this may be why a certain level of confusion and anxiety is healthy in any given relationship – Some food for thought.)

Definitely the best movie I have watched this year. It was almost as unnerving as ‘Dr. Parnassus Imaginarium ‘but intelligent enough to sedate all uneasy feeling by directing all the energy to your brain to figure out exactly what is going on.

Of course, I would not even endeavour to compare it with ‘Eclipse’ which belongs in a totally different class of movies.

Watch inception and have a fresh understanding of what creativity actually means.

The sorcerer’s apprentice
Definitely a feel good movie – the sort of film you would take your date for on your first date. Good, healthy, feel good, happy movie. But I guess, just calling it a feel good movie does not quite do it justice does it?

At some levels this movie really spoke to me in a far more matured and intelligent way. I guess it speaks to the ‘loser’ in all of us. How the hero of the film was the classic ‘loser’ with no real talents besides being unnaturally great passion for Physics. How this hero eventually realises that he was ‘the one’ and how he got the girl of his dreams.

Besides all that, it is also safe to say that the movie has a really hearty sense of humour that will keep you laughing till the end of the film. Definitely a good movie to lift your spirits after a hard day of work/school.

Despicable Me
Officially my favourite animated film of all time... After Ice age... and maybe Shrek... Ok, I have too many favourites. The thing is, this movie really exceeded all my expectations. It is clever, witty, humorous and so bloody enjoyable.

It is a movie for both children and adults and... all those in between...

In fact, it is nearly impossible for you to not enjoy the movie... unless of course, you are the rare few born without a sense of humour.

This is a must watch!!

PS. Watch out for the minions – they are SOOOOO cute!!!

Corrupt speech

I have been blessed with a cubicle that is comfortable and reasonably large. It gives me the privacy and security I need to work well. Also, it gives me sufficient ‘wall’ space to pin up my favorite bible verses.

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Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth,
But that which is good to the use of edifying
That it may minister grace unto the hearers.
(Ephesians 4:29)

Whenever I am tempted to complain, or to speak harshly to my colleagues, I just have to look at this verse. It says very clearly that words that should proceed out of our mouths should only be for the use of:

1) Edifying – instruct or benefit
2) Minister grace

Nowhere in this verse does it say, use your words to:

1) Point out the flaws of others
2) Complain
3) Speak maliciously about others
4) Make jokes about others

Well, I am not perfect. And I do complain sometimes. But at least now I know that these are my moments of infirmities. God does not condemn me for these infirmities. I am only human and humans are imperfect.

However, God would really rather prefer that I not complain and become fault finding and narrow minded but rather, gracious, thankful and helpful.

Give thought to your ways

A wicked man puts up a bold front,
But an upright man gives thought to his ways.
(Proverbs 21:29)

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I often reflect on this verse when I am being confronted with opposition. I admit that I am a rather proud person, and most of the time, I do feel that I am right. However, before doing or saying anything that I might regret later, I'ld rather take some time to think about the following possibilities:

"What if I am really wrong? What if neither of us are wrong? What if we are both right? Should I fight this out? Or is it better to just walk away?"

NO ONE is always right. Spend some time considering that you might be wrong. Perhaps, that would be your judgement alot better. And more importantly, it is the mark of humility, to always think in the shoes of the other party - Even if he happens to be your opposition. His actions might be wrong; they might be hurtful, but you must consider the possibility that these hurtful actions are a result of some deeply rooted misconceptions. Always attempt to dig deeper. See beyond the surface.

Thanks God!!

Received quite a pleasant surprise yesterday...I don't understand how it actually happened but when I went back, people were so much nicer to me. It's like, they actually appreciate my presence... But I didn't do anything for them the past two months!!!

Perhaps, in my absence, they have forgotten what a pain in the neck I could be... Always complaining, always crying, always ordering them around, always unable to tolerate kicks but still kicking people hard... Really quite a nuisance...

Well, whatever happened, I am truly grateful... Perhaps God really did work his magic... When I rested, he worked.. =)

Thanks God!! Really... I do not deserve any of this... Thanks for making me feel accepted and part of the team...