I was driving back home after breakfast this morning, when I turned in to the sleepy quiet road leading to my house. "Sleepy and quiet" because there usually isn't alot of fast traffic, until...
As I made that turn, I had to straddle between 2 lanes because there were cars parked along the left hand side as this was a residential estate. Little did I realised that there was an on coming taxi. I quickly pulled my car left and stepped on the brakes to avoid a collision. Before I could wave that I was sorry, I noticed that the taxi driver did not even try to slow down (even though I was at fault) and instead directed all his energy and attention to show me the "perfect finger". I am convinced that he was not interested in avoiding an accident, showing his middle finger to me was more important. It is as if the finger was a magic wand, "waving it" will magically prevent any collision.
If this were true, I wonder it will heal the world and save mankind? Maybe, just maybe, it may even help the world turn the corner during this global financial crisis!
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
The longing to be home...
It has been 2 weeks since I left home for a series of learning visits to US hospitals, attended a summit and a congress. At the end of the first week in the US, I learnt that my wife had been admitted to the hospital for dengue fever.
Even though I had an eventful time in the US, this time the longing to be home has never been stronger. The thought that I am really needed at home but am miles apart from my family was a difficult feeling to describe. My heart was really hurt when I called back one day, only to realised that my wife's platelet count had continued on the decline to 23k, my daughter Mel missed her mother so much that she cried for 3 hours and my eldest daughter told my wife that she felt like an orphan. That was when an early flight back to Singapore was confirmed and now I am on my way home.
While catching an internal flight earlier, I was really worried when my flight which was scheduled at 2.40pm was delayed to 5.30pm, then changed to 4.00pm due to changing weather conditions. The thought that I will arrive home later than scheduled on Saturday was not an outcome that I desire. Thank God, I made it through that flight and am now awaiting SQ flight to Singapore.
Yes, it will be Saturday morning when I arrived in Singapore. Perfect time for me to catch my usual breakfast with wife at the mee kiah stall at Serangoon. At the same time, I can almost imagine my 3 kids swooning over me at the door.
Glad to be home soon...what a wonderful life!!
Even though I had an eventful time in the US, this time the longing to be home has never been stronger. The thought that I am really needed at home but am miles apart from my family was a difficult feeling to describe. My heart was really hurt when I called back one day, only to realised that my wife's platelet count had continued on the decline to 23k, my daughter Mel missed her mother so much that she cried for 3 hours and my eldest daughter told my wife that she felt like an orphan. That was when an early flight back to Singapore was confirmed and now I am on my way home.
While catching an internal flight earlier, I was really worried when my flight which was scheduled at 2.40pm was delayed to 5.30pm, then changed to 4.00pm due to changing weather conditions. The thought that I will arrive home later than scheduled on Saturday was not an outcome that I desire. Thank God, I made it through that flight and am now awaiting SQ flight to Singapore.
Yes, it will be Saturday morning when I arrived in Singapore. Perfect time for me to catch my usual breakfast with wife at the mee kiah stall at Serangoon. At the same time, I can almost imagine my 3 kids swooning over me at the door.
Glad to be home soon...what a wonderful life!!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
That's why people don't stay healthy...
I received this random email and found it very funny. Funny because people do engage in such kinds of reasoning (hopefully rarely) and irrational exuberance...enjoy!
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; isthis true? !
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't wastethem on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heartwill not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the lifeof your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay andcorn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than anefficientmechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eatchicken.. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafyvegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended dailyallowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, thatmeans they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of thegoodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. Ifyou have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetableoil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables bebadfor you? !
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around themiddle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You shouldonly be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best!feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ! 'Round' is a shape!Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had aboutfood and diets. And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the gravewith the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - bodythoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'AND..... For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health.It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritionalstudies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks thanAmericans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks thanAmericans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacksthan Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks thanAmericans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats andsuffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English Being American is apparently what kills you.
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; isthis true? !
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't wastethem on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heartwill not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the lifeof your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay andcorn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than anefficientmechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eatchicken.. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafyvegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended dailyallowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, thatmeans they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of thegoodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. Ifyou have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetableoil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables bebadfor you? !
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around themiddle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You shouldonly be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best!feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! ! 'Round' is a shape!Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had aboutfood and diets. And remember: 'Life should NOT be a journey to the gravewith the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - bodythoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'AND..... For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health.It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritionalstudies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks thanAmericans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks thanAmericans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacksthan Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks thanAmericans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats andsuffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English Being American is apparently what kills you.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Craving for Chinese Food...
I have been in the US for the last week, without a tinge of chinese food in my belly. My only comfort came from the Myojo Maggie chicken curry noodles that my wife lovingly prepared for me before my trip. In fact, this "scarce" commodity became a source of envy amongst my colleagues, especially when prepared piping hot with my portable cooker!
The steak, salmon, ribs, chicken, fish cooked in the loviest western, italian style topped with generous portions of salad and other toppings just don't cut it. I figured with the salad that I have consumed, I must have eaten a whole year worth of vegetables in my diet. Fortunately, the company of colleagues and conversations were fantastic and made the time "bearable."
Today is the end of our learning trip, and the beginning of my attendance at the American Colleage of Healthcare Executive Congress at Chicago. At $88/ per night stay at the Central Loop hotel in downtown Chicago, my room is basic and the airconditioning produces a humming noise. I certainly hope that the sound will go away but what I desire even more is what I will be having for dinner - hot chinese food - I hope :-)
I look forward to coming home. I miss my family and the familiar creature comfort that I am beginning to look forward to. Wish me luck in my search for chinese food...
The steak, salmon, ribs, chicken, fish cooked in the loviest western, italian style topped with generous portions of salad and other toppings just don't cut it. I figured with the salad that I have consumed, I must have eaten a whole year worth of vegetables in my diet. Fortunately, the company of colleagues and conversations were fantastic and made the time "bearable."
Today is the end of our learning trip, and the beginning of my attendance at the American Colleage of Healthcare Executive Congress at Chicago. At $88/ per night stay at the Central Loop hotel in downtown Chicago, my room is basic and the airconditioning produces a humming noise. I certainly hope that the sound will go away but what I desire even more is what I will be having for dinner - hot chinese food - I hope :-)
I look forward to coming home. I miss my family and the familiar creature comfort that I am beginning to look forward to. Wish me luck in my search for chinese food...
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Blessings and curses - what we need to know
When we read Deuteronomy 28, we can develop mixed feelings when we are not careful.
The chapter starts with God's blessings and used 14 verses to describe the different blessings when we follow his word. However, the rest of the 54 verses in the chapter describe the curses for disobedience. Have you ever asked yourself why the "imbalance"? Shouldn't more "airtime" be used for Blessings and lesser for "Curses"?
The answer lies with the fact that as believers, we are no longer living in the old covenant (time of Deuteronomy) but under the new covenant. The new has come and the old has passed away. Living under the new covenant means that the blessings of the old covenant we will continue to enjoy, and at the same time we are redeemed from the curses under the old covenant!
So, when we read Deuteronomy chapter 28 again under this new understanding, the "curses" as they are written are curses that we are already redeemed from, i.e. now inverted as blessings. For example, verse 43 says "The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail." For the new covenant believer, we can be assured that we will NOT sink lower and lower, that we will NOT be the tail, and that we will be in a position to lend..." In fact, when we apply God's blessings from verses 1 to 14 to this situation, we will even flourish because God will bless everything that we put our hands to.
Taken in context, Deuteronomy 28 is in fact a very encouraging chapter to believers - actually what the people need especially during this time of unprecedented global financial crisis.
I hope this revelation will be a timely blessing for others as well. The chapter is quoted below for easy reference.
Deuteronomy 28
Blessings for Obedience
1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
Curses for Disobedience
15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.
18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.
20 The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. 23 The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24 The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed.
25 The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. 26 Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27 The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. 28 The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29 At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.
30 You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. 31 Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. 33 A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. 34 The sights you see will drive you mad. 35 The LORD will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
36 The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your fathers. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. 37 You will become a thing of horror and an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations where the LORD will drive you.
38 You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. 39 You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. 40 You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. 42 Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.
43 The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail.
45 All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. 46 They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. 52 They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the LORD your God is giving you.
53 Because of the suffering that your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the LORD your God has given you. 54 Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, 55 and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities. 56 The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter 57 the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For she intends to eat them secretly during the siege and in the distress that your enemy will inflict on you in your cities.
58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God- 59 the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The LORD will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God. 63 Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.
64 Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. 65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. 66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. 67 In the morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening, "If only it were morning!"-because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. 68 The LORD will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.
The chapter starts with God's blessings and used 14 verses to describe the different blessings when we follow his word. However, the rest of the 54 verses in the chapter describe the curses for disobedience. Have you ever asked yourself why the "imbalance"? Shouldn't more "airtime" be used for Blessings and lesser for "Curses"?
The answer lies with the fact that as believers, we are no longer living in the old covenant (time of Deuteronomy) but under the new covenant. The new has come and the old has passed away. Living under the new covenant means that the blessings of the old covenant we will continue to enjoy, and at the same time we are redeemed from the curses under the old covenant!
So, when we read Deuteronomy chapter 28 again under this new understanding, the "curses" as they are written are curses that we are already redeemed from, i.e. now inverted as blessings. For example, verse 43 says "The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail." For the new covenant believer, we can be assured that we will NOT sink lower and lower, that we will NOT be the tail, and that we will be in a position to lend..." In fact, when we apply God's blessings from verses 1 to 14 to this situation, we will even flourish because God will bless everything that we put our hands to.
Taken in context, Deuteronomy 28 is in fact a very encouraging chapter to believers - actually what the people need especially during this time of unprecedented global financial crisis.
I hope this revelation will be a timely blessing for others as well. The chapter is quoted below for easy reference.
Deuteronomy 28
Blessings for Obedience
1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.
6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.
7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.
8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.
9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.
12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.
Curses for Disobedience
15 However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.
18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
19 You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.
20 The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him. 21 The LORD will plague you with diseases until he has destroyed you from the land you are entering to possess. 22 The LORD will strike you with wasting disease, with fever and inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew, which will plague you until you perish. 23 The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron. 24 The LORD will turn the rain of your country into dust and powder; it will come down from the skies until you are destroyed.
25 The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies. You will come at them from one direction but flee from them in seven, and you will become a thing of horror to all the kingdoms on earth. 26 Your carcasses will be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and there will be no one to frighten them away. 27 The LORD will afflict you with the boils of Egypt and with tumors, festering sores and the itch, from which you cannot be cured. 28 The LORD will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind. 29 At midday you will grope about like a blind man in the dark. You will be unsuccessful in everything you do; day after day you will be oppressed and robbed, with no one to rescue you.
30 You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit. 31 Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand. 33 A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days. 34 The sights you see will drive you mad. 35 The LORD will afflict your knees and legs with painful boils that cannot be cured, spreading from the soles of your feet to the top of your head.
36 The LORD will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your fathers. There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone. 37 You will become a thing of horror and an object of scorn and ridicule to all the nations where the LORD will drive you.
38 You will sow much seed in the field but you will harvest little, because locusts will devour it. 39 You will plant vineyards and cultivate them but you will not drink the wine or gather the grapes, because worms will eat them. 40 You will have olive trees throughout your country but you will not use the oil, because the olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters but you will not keep them, because they will go into captivity. 42 Swarms of locusts will take over all your trees and the crops of your land.
43 The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. 44 He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail.
45 All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you. 46 They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. 47 Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, 48 therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. He will put an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.
49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the ends of the earth, like an eagle swooping down, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation without respect for the old or pity for the young. 51 They will devour the young of your livestock and the crops of your land until you are destroyed. They will leave you no grain, new wine or oil, nor any calves of your herds or lambs of your flocks until you are ruined. 52 They will lay siege to all the cities throughout your land until the high fortified walls in which you trust fall down. They will besiege all the cities throughout the land the LORD your God is giving you.
53 Because of the suffering that your enemy will inflict on you during the siege, you will eat the fruit of the womb, the flesh of the sons and daughters the LORD your God has given you. 54 Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children, 55 and he will not give to one of them any of the flesh of his children that he is eating. It will be all he has left because of the suffering your enemy will inflict on you during the siege of all your cities. 56 The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—will begrudge the husband she loves and her own son or daughter 57 the afterbirth from her womb and the children she bears. For she intends to eat them secretly during the siege and in the distress that your enemy will inflict on you in your cities.
58 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God- 59 the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses. 60 He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. 61 The LORD will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. 62 You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God. 63 Just as it pleased the LORD to make you prosper and increase in number, so it will please him to ruin and destroy you. You will be uprooted from the land you are entering to possess.
64 Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. 65 Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the LORD will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. 66 You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. 67 In the morning you will say, "If only it were evening!" and in the evening, "If only it were morning!"-because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. 68 The LORD will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.
Creatures of Habit
.jpg)
.jpg)
Every weekend, I look forward to having breakfast with my wife. Not just any breakfast, but breakfast at a noodle stall at a corner coffee shop at Serangoon garden. And, every week, I will have the same, "Mee Kiah Tah" (small noodles, dry with chilli) and my regular "kopi-C" (coffee with evaporated milk).There is nothing special about the taste of the food and drink but the routineness of the taste, experience, familiarity with the people allow me to feel comfortable as if I am at home, and yet have a sense of being away. Here is where I have some of the best conversations with my wife and time of reflection.
My children too have become familiar with the routine. I try not to bring them on a Saturday because that's my time with my wife. But on Sunday, they join us and they enjoy it too.
We are all creatures of habit, and an occasion sense of routine is good for the soul.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
What we should know about stress...
Got this article from in my Facebook inbox
"What do hopelessness, helplessness and stress have to do with rats, astronauts and you? Did you know that right after splashdown, one of the most difficult phases of space flight, NASA doctors found significant changes in the Apollo astronauts' immune systems?
Researchers have also found that rats, given electric shocks from which they cannot escape, give up and become helpless. When placed in a box where they can escape the shocks just by moving to the other side, these rats don't even try. They also develop stomach ulcers and abnormal brain chemistry. And, it's not because of the shocks. Another group of rats received the same amount of electricity, but they could turn the current off by pressing a bar. They remained healthy.
There is no longer any question about it. Many, many studies have verified that the health of our immune systems is linked to our stress levels and our attitudes about life in general.
Now a certain amount of stress is good for us and can give us more energy and greater concentration. But too much stress causes it to break down. When my wife, Diane, was battling cancer 20+ years ago, she put a lot of energy into building up her immune system. She monitored her thoughts as carefully as she controlled her diet. If you're concerned about living a long and healthy life, or if you're fighting a serious illness, developing a sense of control about your life can be as important as anything else you do. Some say you are what you eat. But it looks more and more like you are also what you think and feel."
Lou Tice The Pacific Institute www.thepacificinstitute.com
"What do hopelessness, helplessness and stress have to do with rats, astronauts and you? Did you know that right after splashdown, one of the most difficult phases of space flight, NASA doctors found significant changes in the Apollo astronauts' immune systems?
Researchers have also found that rats, given electric shocks from which they cannot escape, give up and become helpless. When placed in a box where they can escape the shocks just by moving to the other side, these rats don't even try. They also develop stomach ulcers and abnormal brain chemistry. And, it's not because of the shocks. Another group of rats received the same amount of electricity, but they could turn the current off by pressing a bar. They remained healthy.
There is no longer any question about it. Many, many studies have verified that the health of our immune systems is linked to our stress levels and our attitudes about life in general.
Now a certain amount of stress is good for us and can give us more energy and greater concentration. But too much stress causes it to break down. When my wife, Diane, was battling cancer 20+ years ago, she put a lot of energy into building up her immune system. She monitored her thoughts as carefully as she controlled her diet. If you're concerned about living a long and healthy life, or if you're fighting a serious illness, developing a sense of control about your life can be as important as anything else you do. Some say you are what you eat. But it looks more and more like you are also what you think and feel."
Lou Tice The Pacific Institute www.thepacificinstitute.com
The Market - Is there one?
This is a chart that came in one of the random emails that I received.Over the last few days, the dow plunged and the ST went into the 1500 range. Will Dow breach the 5000 level? If the GE (one of the most revered company in the world) is showing this kind of chart, the bottom of the market I guess is anybody's guess (no pun intended).
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday, March 2, 2009
Daniel Craig, poor guy...
I recently updated my profile picture on facebook using a photo that my wife took of me when I changed into my tuxedo for the HRM Award.Then came a comment, "wow.. look a bit like daniel craig...... the bow tie..."
Totally oblivious about who is Daniel Craig and how he might be so unfortunate to look like me, I googled him and found this photo of him holding a toy gun. Given that I held a real gun before in my last life as a police officer, I think the remark could have been more accurate "Wow... daniel craig look a bit like you...... the bow tie..." :-))))))))
Somehow, this still does not sound right? What do you think?
Another Rainbow Sighting...
On my way home today, I had another rainbow sighting! God is reminding Singaporeans that things are going to be all right... perhaps after lightning struck the Merlion (our national symbol)yesterday.Sunday, March 1, 2009
Patient communication, how much is too much, how little is too little?
As I was driving home this saturday, I received an sms from a good friend. I resisted reading the sms till I reached home but my heart sank when his message read "who is the best doctor for pancreatic cancer?"
After trading a few sms's, I found out that it is his mom who had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at a private hospital. I volunteered to hook him up with a colleague on Monday for a second opinion and map the course for treatment.
Personally, I could identify with his situation because some 15 years or so back, my father too was diagnosed with cancer. I remembered at that time I was getting ready to come home when I received the call from my mom. She told me that father had just seen the doctor and after the CT scan, the doctor said it was cancer and he needed surgery. My world fell apart before my eyes - I was devastated. At that time, I did not know much about cancer except that most people die from it. To know that one of the most precious person in my life was diagnosed with cancer was not something I was emotionally prepared to accept.
As I was approaching home, I remembered that I should take a hold of myself and be stable so that I do not worry my father. When I saw my father, I told him that there is nothing medical science cannot handle these days, and for all you know, it may not be cancer afterall. I could see a sense of relief when he heard that maybe, just maybe it was not cancer. It was clear to me and the rest of my family that my father could not take the news that he had cancer well. His emotional tailspin would affect his will to fight and affect his chances for recovery.
Rightly, or wrongly (turns out to be right) we decided to hide his cancer diagnosis from him.
I made an appointment to speak with his attending doctor at a private hospital and explained to him to keep the diagnosis from my dad. He agreed after my appeal. We explained to my dad that his condition (we no longer used any association to cancer eg. oncology, carcinoma, etc) will still require surgery and he agreed to go to it. Fortunately for him, a clean line could be achieved with the cancerous part of his body and it was assessed that he did not need either chemo or radiation theraphy after surgery. With this, our storyline could continue.
Looking back, limiting communication with my father about the cancer diagnosis is the right thing, and we feel gave him the spirit to take the treatment well and to recover. Today, he is in remission and I thank God that he has remained strong and healthy.
Depending on the situation/ condition, perhaps it would have made better sense to communicate with my father about his cancer diagnosis so that the appropriate interventions be carried out. In life we will never know, but my experience taught me the importance of involving the whole family in a united effort to fight a hideous disease that is still plaguing the world.
Now I wonder for my friend who is in the thick of this... I pray that his mom will pull through this journey.
After trading a few sms's, I found out that it is his mom who had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at a private hospital. I volunteered to hook him up with a colleague on Monday for a second opinion and map the course for treatment.
Personally, I could identify with his situation because some 15 years or so back, my father too was diagnosed with cancer. I remembered at that time I was getting ready to come home when I received the call from my mom. She told me that father had just seen the doctor and after the CT scan, the doctor said it was cancer and he needed surgery. My world fell apart before my eyes - I was devastated. At that time, I did not know much about cancer except that most people die from it. To know that one of the most precious person in my life was diagnosed with cancer was not something I was emotionally prepared to accept.
As I was approaching home, I remembered that I should take a hold of myself and be stable so that I do not worry my father. When I saw my father, I told him that there is nothing medical science cannot handle these days, and for all you know, it may not be cancer afterall. I could see a sense of relief when he heard that maybe, just maybe it was not cancer. It was clear to me and the rest of my family that my father could not take the news that he had cancer well. His emotional tailspin would affect his will to fight and affect his chances for recovery.
Rightly, or wrongly (turns out to be right) we decided to hide his cancer diagnosis from him.
I made an appointment to speak with his attending doctor at a private hospital and explained to him to keep the diagnosis from my dad. He agreed after my appeal. We explained to my dad that his condition (we no longer used any association to cancer eg. oncology, carcinoma, etc) will still require surgery and he agreed to go to it. Fortunately for him, a clean line could be achieved with the cancerous part of his body and it was assessed that he did not need either chemo or radiation theraphy after surgery. With this, our storyline could continue.
Looking back, limiting communication with my father about the cancer diagnosis is the right thing, and we feel gave him the spirit to take the treatment well and to recover. Today, he is in remission and I thank God that he has remained strong and healthy.
Depending on the situation/ condition, perhaps it would have made better sense to communicate with my father about his cancer diagnosis so that the appropriate interventions be carried out. In life we will never know, but my experience taught me the importance of involving the whole family in a united effort to fight a hideous disease that is still plaguing the world.
Now I wonder for my friend who is in the thick of this... I pray that his mom will pull through this journey.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
