ThunderStorm

Tong Ling Fei  is such a hoot. Better than Hakuouki, and has an added tinge of fourth-wall humour. Props to the subber TheLoneRogueWolf for the added meta-humour.

It is indeed a real Good Friday. I finally see where movie directors get their inspiration from. Major burn.

This verse really spoke to me today. So often when we get hurt by someone else, we get all riled up by the speck we see in another's eye, failing to see the plank in ours. Just as much as someone has hurt us, we ourselves have hurt others too. And if we keep running away to avoid our confrontation with God, we are choosing to uphold our pride over mending the relationship (and we know the saying where pride comes before a fall). Where can we go where God is not there? Nowhere. God loved us so much that He would forgive our sins if we would come to Him, humbly admit to committing those sins and turn away from them. It's not as easy as it sounds in reality, but we have the Holy Spirit's guidance and prompting in our conscience that encourages us to do so. Contrary to what the world says, God urges us to confront Him at His Word daily.

These past weeks have been a major throwback to Mulan's training montage. My assignments have been brutal but I hope I'm taking them in stride. I think I've been binge-eating comfort food as a result. (Am I the only one who occasionally nibbles on crumbs of sugar, salt and cheese?) Anyway, back on the topic of leadership. Behind the success of a great team is a noble captain, one who leads by example and assumes full responsibility for the team's development and performance, never blame-shifting when things go wrong. Although Shang was exasperated by the team's initial lack of skill, he rolled with the punches and successfully got his team physically and mentally fit to complete the mission. On a sidenote, while I am happy that Disney's Mulan (2020) is in the makes, I am nervous about the removal of some characters and introduction of new ones. So does this invalidate the Disney canon of Mulan (1998)? I hope not.

So I kinda broke down in tears rather unexpectedly in front of my classmates today. I think I had been feeling rather stressed by the consecutive project  deadlines and had been repressing much anxiety. They all rallied together to comfort and encourage me. I feel really grateful and blessed that these kind souls, despite being all foreign students in a strange land with their own clashes in personalities, put aside their differences and extended such grace and empathy to someone in a completely different background from them. May God bless their hearts and satisfy their spiritual thirst for meaning in this world.

Dear you, :( I'm sorry that you feel like life is meaningless. It is never a straight path but is one filled with twists and turns, highs and lows. If you keep looking for the end of the road, you may miss all the roses alongside the path. Remember to appreciate the people and things you have at present before they are gone. Remember that not everyone in this world has access to food, water, clothes, shelter and the internet. If you believe that saving others is a worthy cause, then it means that you value the God-given sanctity of life. Value yours and the power you hold to empower someone else. Don't give up. With lots of love, Future you

These are some strategies I use to help me have a restful sleep. You can test them out and see if they work for you.

This post is for those who struggle with internal and external critics who destroy your self-confidence and create anxiety in you, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

Every year, when there is a new release of the latest season of PR, I would try to dip my toes back into the series to get in touch with my roots. This year is no different. While I still have mixed feelings about PR changing hands of parent companies every time, I hope that each season brings something positive and memorable to the series. After watching Beast Morphers episode 1, I thought that the plot borrowed elements from RPM (computer viruses vs a government agency), In Space (frozen rangers), and Ninja Storm & SPD (3 v 2 dynamic), some of my favourite series, which worries me that the producers might be setting up really high expectations for old-time fans. I hope that the writers put a different spin on those plots and keep it fresh for the younger fans without dumbing down complex life issues. Anyway, I still look back fondly on PR and am filled with gratitude that the series challenged my past assumptions of (inner and outer) beauty and continued to empower ...

In my recent foray into literature, I was introduced by a lecturer to the works of Geoffrey Hill. In articles, Hill was stated as the greatest modern poet alive. Sad to say, he passed away in 2016. R.I.P. When I read some of his poetry, I immediately felt the soul of a kindred spirit. Hill was known to be a man who struggled with depression and the lack of confidence in penning down his thoughts. He seemed like a perfectionist who would not be satisfied with his poetry until he found the precise words to pen down. His fear of making mistakes prevented him from publishing more poetry in his youth, but for some untold reason, he was unshackled from his fear in his later years and plenty of poems were published. What discovery did he make that enabled him to blossom? Was it a renewed purpose and faith in God? I hope so. However, it is regrettable that his poems make it difficult to infer Hill's stance regarding his personal beliefs. In his interviews, he seemed more interested i...

Just recently, I was asked which person in history, dead or alive, I would most like to meet and why. These are my top 5 choices: Jesus Christ (At the second coming. And that means living in God's eternal kingdom a.k.a. heaven/paradise. And finally getting answers to all of life's questions.) Paul/Saul (The reformed persecutor of Christians in the bible who wrote majority of the New Testament books. One of the greatest redemption stories yet.) Joseph, son of Jacob (A dreamer who was despised and sold to Egypt by his brothers, he chose to obey God and forgive them. God rose him through the ranks from prisoner to governor.) Moses (First-hand witness to the parting of the Red Sea and all the other miracles performed by God.) Leonardo da Vinci (One of the greatest minds of the Renaissance era. A talented polymath who inspired me to learn and explore as much as I can. If only I could speak his language. Can't wait till he hears that a turtle was named after him.) ...

Here's a common way of thinking: I'm upset/hurt/angry/humiliated/etc., and it must be someone else's fault, and if I can't pin the blame on someone, it's on me or on God [assuming you believe in (a) higher being/power(s)]. However, the bible teaches us that God is righteous and just, and is in control of all circumstances, good or evil. He does not sin, neither does He tempt us to do wrong. When we choose to do wrong, we assert our own free will to do what we please, and humans therefore suffer as a consequence of our own, or someone else's wrongdoing. While negative events sometimes occur for seemingly no reason at all (like natural disasters, unexpected deaths, losses, etc.), God allows them to happen to develop and strengthen our character and faith in Him, yet at the same time He does not give us trials so great that we cannot bear them. God hears the inner cries of our soul and spirit, but will we allow Him to take control of every part of our lives...