Words To Nourish The Mind

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This is the final to the four-part series that has been inspired by my Bible read through (reading the bible from beginning to end).  As I read the book of Ecclesiastes, I was reminded of the book review I did earlier on Dealing with Disappointment. They both ask the big question: “Is life just one big disappointment?” Even if you are not a believer, I think this discussion will be equally thought-provoking and hold deep resonance with most, if not everyone. I wanted to close the series with a personal thought from my own journey to find meaning and purpose, as life can seem pretty pointless and mundane at times. The cycle of life and death in broad terms typically includes schooling, job, family, house, car, holidays, retirement and ultimately death. It makes life appear like a shopping list rather than a gift; it may be treated as the way we see it. Prior to finding Christ, I have found living to be somewhat of a burden that we call life, characterised by brok...

This is a four-part series that has been inspired by my Bible read through (reading the bible from beginning to end).  As I read the book of Ecclesiastes, I was reminded of the book review I did earlier on Dealing with Disappointment. They both ask the big question: “Is life just one big disappointment?” Even if you are not a believer, I think this discussion will be equally thought-provoking and hold deep resonance with most, if not everyone. The whole notion of this life quite literally reinforces the sentiments of everything we do is meaningless. This could be especially obvious in the workplace, quite often we carry out tasks that just seem like a pointless exercise, bearing little or no impact to the overall outcomes of the organisation. This reminded me what a police officer said in a documentary: ‘we could spend hours and hours gathering evidence and all for the courts to give them a small fine, maybe some community service and then to do the same next ...

This is a four-part series that has been inspired by my Bible read through (reading the bible from beginning to end).  As I read the book of Ecclesiastes, I was reminded of the book review I did earlier on Dealing with Disappointment. They both ask the big question: “Is life just one big disappointment?” Even if you are not a believer, I think this discussion will be equally thought-provoking and hold deep resonance with most, if not everyone. What is wrong cannot be made right. What is missing cannot be recovered. Ecclesiastes1:15. If we look at the suffering and the injustices in the world and the pain that humans can cause with one another, it doesn’t seem to ever truly go away; we can only do our best to move forward in the best way we can.  The voids in our life can be large. From the lack of parental love and guidance to the loss of a loved one, the emptiness cannot be recovered in the way that we desire it to be. But what is the answer? In Ecclesi...

This is a four-part series that has been inspired by my Bible read through (reading the bible from beginning to end).  As I read the book of Ecclesiastes, I was reminded of the book review I did earlier on Dealing with Disappointment. They both ask the big question: “Is life just one big disappointment?” Even if you are not a believer, I think this discussion will be equally thought-provoking and hold deep resonance with most, if not everyone. Everything is meaningless, says the Teacher, ‘completely meaningless!’ What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Ecclesiastes 1:2-3. You can feel like going through the motions of living but not really be living at all. We are given the precious thing called life but yet life can feel lifeless, if we buy into the hype of cultural and social norms. For example, we live in an increasingly consumer-driven world where we are largely led to believe that stuff equals happiness; but does it and at what cost? Sure,...

This week is the concluding part of the three-part series on cutting through the clutter to gain clarity. In the last two posts; I talked about physical clutter and how that is just a physical manifestation of chaos in the mind – Patrice Washington. Embracing minimalism in our lives can be difficult to do in a world that constantly feeds us with information and messages of so-called wants that are somehow packaged as needs. Our best life is often lived when we are out and about not stuck in the same stuff that prohibits us from truly living.  Being mindful and conscious of the choices we make from how we spend our time to how we spend our money pays dividends in the long run, as we are no longer influenced by dogma. For this to happen one must take the time to explore a different world, with a different lens or perhaps even a different message. When we pursue information, it not only informs the mind but nourishes the soul to seek the question that we all as...

‘People who live far below their means enjoy a freedom that people busy upgrading their lifestyles can’t fathom.’– Naval Ravikant. Most of us spend a good proportion of our lives consistently chasing the next best thing, filling life and space with mostly meaningless stuff that quickly goes out of fashion. It also gives life to the belief that stuff = happiness. For me this couldn’t be further from the truth; but I did once buy into this lie, along with most of the population. Until we receive a true awakening that there has to be more to life than chasing stuff and possessions – life may feel meaningless. We strive for better and newer, we will become ever more enslaved to always wanting more because one is never satisfied through the means of possessions. I suspect the rise of social media and seeing others’ lives through a filter can only exacerbate this perceived need or want. Living beyond your means seems to be the norm but should it be? I am making a conscious...

‘Clutter is the physical manifestation of chaos in the mind’ – Patrice Washington It is a tradition in the Chinese culture that we clear out the clutter in our houses and give them a deep clean before the New Year. I don’t consider myself as a hoarder but I still managed to accumulate a load of stuff that to some degree prevented me from enjoying my space because the house felt disorganised and busy.  It was hard to part with stuff especially if things hold a sentimental value so a happy compromise is streamlining my memories to fit into one or two boxes that are more manageable than a house full of stuff. In clearing out my stuff I found some books that I had double copies of so I started a book group with my friend and hopefully this will encourage me to read my hoard rather leaving it to gather dust. I also donated stuff to charity and made use of some forgotten / pre-loved things that incidentally I needed but couldn’t find or had forgotten about.  It ...

As the year draws to a close, I started to reflect on what was in the year just about to pass and what could be for the year ahead. Typically everyone gets very upbeat during the holiday break, only to go back to same old, same old in January. I am not immune to this either so I was deep in thought. It is estimated that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the end of the first month. Incidentally, I listened to a message by North Point Community Church by Andy Stanley. I share the below excerpt which struck a chord with me and follows on from my previous book review on disappointment:  ‘Dissatisfaction with what we have and what we can afford can lead to discontentment. We live in a culture that tells us newer and shinier is better. So, what do you do when you’re no longer content with what you wear, drive, or live in?’  I suspect the above is true for most, if not all of us. We are constantly surrounded by commercials and culture so that it’s almost ingrained ...

This is the concluding part of a book review on the book, “Dealing with Disappointment” by John Hindley.  Life is, in fact, a disappointment, and has been starting from when sin entered the world. It re-created what God created which was a perfect world that is fully connected to God through worship and obedience. The unity was broken by sin and now we gravitate more towards earthly things rather than God himself. The things of this world only give us temporary comforts; hence most people are never fully satisfied. This couldn't be further from the gift that Christ wants to give us, which is an eternal life that fills us up with love, comfort and purpose enduring all seasons of life. The answer to life’s disappointment is God as He is love, love that endures all when nothing else will. Being loving and being loved won’t stop the disappointments but it means we don’t have to escape, as discussed in the previous post. Perhaps, it might stop us from buying stuff tha...

I have been reviewing the book; Dealing with Disappointment by John Hindley.  I continue it today with part 2. A common thread that has been running throughout the book is that life on this earth does seem to be one huge disappointment. We are constantly chasing the next big thing, whether it is a promotion or a better house. Somehow what we have now is not good enough and striving for things in life is portrayed as the answer to our disappointments. And to some degree, this may be true. It's always nice to have nice things as it gives us a feel-good factor, but for how long? The real question is how true is this? From my own experience and the book, it probably not very true because more often than not, once we get the upgrade in life, we may get an instant high but that buzz seems to be superficial and empty at the same time. We just have to look back in the last couple of years to realise that there is at least an element of truth into this from the disappo...

This book was a relatively easy read with the simple idea that leaves you to question: is life just one big disappointment?  In many ways it does seem so; the author delves into different areas of disappointment in our lives. I suspect most if not all are relatable to everyone. Firstly, the author says we actually should be disappointed by life, as things are not as good as they should be. We live in a frustrated and frustrating world; the frustration is because of the fallen world when sin entered humanity. We all carry this divinely inbuilt sense that the world should and could be better. The book goes on to say that on the other hand, we are sometimes too disappointed with life.  We expect satisfaction from other areas of lives to overcompensate for this.  When this satisfaction is denied, it starts an over-disappointed cycle. For example, I came across a thread where the mum wrote in and expressed disappointment in her children’s grades, which led her to ques...

I loved learning about the story of Reformation Day. The significance centres on how the Bible became accessible for everyone to read - historically the general public wasn’t allowed to read it, only priests or those considered anointed within the church were allowed to read it. The priests read the Bible in Latin, so for most people, it wasn’t even possible to read it. God’s word was entrusted into the hands of those in power, who were deemed qualified to understand it.  What the priests were teaching, was not actually in line with what the Bible said, as one monk, called Martin Luther found out. He started to read the Bible for himself out of pure frustration.  According to the teachings of the priests, believing in God seem to be just to be an endless set of rules and it left him feeling as if he could never be good enough for God. Little did he know at the time, he was about to birth a revolution that quite literally changed the world. This set him on a path of ...

The demands of modern life are never-ending and it often feels like a constant juggling of work, appointments, events, chores, grocery shop etc. In the midst of all this, we are beeping, tweeting, clicking and messaging. The list is virtually endless - I find myself drained and exhausted by the end of most weeks and just to do it all again on Monday. I typically run out of steam on Sunday, even the simplest tasks seems to be an effort or a chore – I felt I was in a crash and burn cycle, something had to give. I sat in on a woman’s ministry talk for working mothers on how we can manage the different demands or roles of work, home and life in general. I was left feeling quite perplexed as to why I am struggling so much.  On the surface, I seem to be doing everything right, from food preparation in advance to the delegation. The main premises of the talk was to think about your family values or priorities, asking yourself what is important to my family and use our time to ref...

Exploring the world keeps me alive. Exploring the world inspires my soul. Exploring the world ignites my spirit. Exploring the world educates my mind. Exploring the world gives me a sense of peace. Exploring the world gives me an appreciation of adventure. That is the magic of getting lost into the wanderlust Beauty of the world. Exploring the world keeps my focus on: The present and not the past. The possibilities and not the pain. The healing and not the hurt. The wisdom and not the wounds. The moments and not the memories. That is the power of seeing the world through a different lens. A breeze of fresh air can clear your soul. A quiet lake can refresh your spirit. The smell of wildflowers can connect your senses. A small act of kindness can restore your faith. Seeing the beauty of the world doesn’t change your story But it does pave the way for a new one. And that is the power of seeing the world through a different lens. To s...

The constant noise and distractions, make it difficult to embrace life. The busyness is drowning out the love, peace and joy that I have yet to notice. The softness of His touch and the gentleness in His spirit patiently awaits. The human mind can never be satisfied And is always hungry for more and the thirst has yet to be quenched. I am in search of something that fills my voids. The stuff of the world gave me a temporary high But soon depleted, leaving me to wander alone. I am running on empty, As I have yet to find my why. I can hear the delicate breeze of life that tells me I am alive or am I? The strife has become embedded in my DNA, It made it hard not to cave in. I saw the problems and not the possibilities, The bareness and not the beauty, The lifelessness and not the Light. I desired for a solitude that allows me to escape. I am so shattered in my spirit that I failed to see the glimmer of Light, Which entered my soul, ...

In a world of suffering, it is hard not to live in A space of suppression. In a world of injustice, it is hard not to respond in anger. In a world of unrest, it is hard not to reside in isolation. In a world of darkness, it is easy to lose hope. In a world of heartache, it is easy to feel bitter. In a world of brokenness, it is impossible not to inherit pain. Acceptance of these things doesn’t make them right But it does make us free. Life can be unfair, But it is still good.  Whenever there are obstacles there are also opportunities. We just need to remember the lessons and not the scars. Because yesterday’s scars are today’s strength. When we choose to respond with love and peace, Change will start to happen because To reflect a different message to the next generation. We first have to lead by example. Maybe when there are no perfect endings, It’s time for a new beginning.   Life’s defeat can also be life’s inspiration. ...

Saying Hello to My Pain The earth sits in darkness plighted by a fallen world, So brutal that it bruised the core of my soul. I am held captive by the sheer pain that dwells in me, Evoking grievances that reside around me. I am drowning in an ocean of bitterness that meets the depths of my sadness. I am on a moving sphere of victimhood, Created purely to endure the living nightmare that we call life. I am restless in my soul and distressed in my spirit. I am lost, having yet to be found, putting me into a blind state of panic. That twisted my faith in mankind.                                                              Little by little, bit by bit my living ...