Crazy Paper Chase

It's that mad season again. SPM results are out.

If anything, the stories are getting worse. Kiasuism is alive and well!

Instead of being thankful for all the As they get, some students are disappointed by the single B etched on their result slips. Instead of feeling happy for all the As they get, they grumble about how some of the As are actually A2s, not A1s.

Their tales of 'woe' and frustration are faithfully chronicled in local dailies. Kiasu parents will be backing their equally kiasu children up. Actually, my theory is that kiasu parents are the reason why kiasu children exist.

All the while, only one phrase runs through my mind - "What the hell is wrong with these people???!!!"

It says something about the condition of their hearts and minds when they start complaining about some tiny little thing. So what if you get a measly B among all those As? Will one B really ruin your life forever? (And if you answer 'yes', then you seriously need professional help, the kind where you pay to lie down on a couch and spill your troubles).

So what if you get a less-than-perfect result slip? It really doesn't determine how good you are at applying all your knowledge. All it proves is that you're good at memorizing and regurgitating all the stuff you read (I won't even use the word 'learnt').

Wake up, people! There's more to life than how many As you get. It's not the end of the world even if you don't get a single A.

Greedy people, people hungry for recognition, are never going to be satisfied with what they have. They'll just grow more and more miserable and selfish.

I'm not denouncing the drive to do better. I'm not attacking good students. I'm just saying that there's a line between 'excellency' and 'kiasuism'. There's nothing wrong with wanting to get good results, but it's definitely terrifying if you're greedy, kiasu, and you cannot appreciate what you have.

Remember that even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat.

Until I Went Into The Sanctuary of God

Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked...When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. ~ Psalm 73:1-3, 16-17

The psalmist, Asaph, wrote of being envious of worldly men. They did not follow God's law, and yet they were prosperous. How could this be?

Often, we find ourselves envying non-Christians for their wealth, or power, or beauty, or popularity...the list goes on and on.

Some Christians feel a twinge when others call them 'stupid' for not bribing their way, or resorting to dishonest means to get what they want. Some are labelled 'weird' for hanging out with "uncool", "unpopular" outcasts. The world tries its best to bend us to fit its mold; it laughs at us when we don't conform. The world is scornful of us, of Jesus' gentle commands.

And if we aren't careful enough about the company we keep, we will begin to see things the way the world does. We will be conformed to the image of this fallen world.

The NIV version of verses 16 and 17 read thus: When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

Until and unless we enter the sanctuary of God, where His presence dwells, and learn to fellowship with Him, we will always feel a dissatisfaction within us about the way Jesus has called us to live, and we will long for the things of this world.

We must, like Asaph, go into the sanctuary of God and let His Spirit transform us into the image of the Lord Jesus, until we see this world through God's eyes. Only then will we truly understand, and find the grace and strength we need to live the way our Heavenly Father has called us to.

A Student's Prayer

Found this while browsing online:

Now I sit me down in school,
where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God,
finds mention of Him very odd.
If Scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow,
becomes a federal matter now.
Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
that's no offense, it's the freedom scene.
The law is specific, the law is precise,
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.
For praying in a public hall,
might offend someone with no faith at all.
In silence, alone, we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the State.
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.
They've outlawed guns; but FIRST the Bible,
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the unwed daddy, our Senior King.
It's "inappropriate" to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such "judgements" do not belong.
We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No Word of God must reach this crowd.
It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns, the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot, MY SOUL PLEASE TAKE.

Verbal Diarrhoea

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. - Proverbs 10:19

Most women, and some men, suffer from this disease of Verbal Diarrhoea. They cannot seem to shut up at all, and are quite capable of chattering from the start until the end of a 2-hour journey, with no break in between!

Regardless of whether they have listeners, or whether they are irritating the heck out of their (unwilling) listeners, they just pour forth a ceaseless stream of meaningless talk.

This plethora of words always yields absolutely nothing useful. They simply talk about anything and everything pointless.

And when you put two or more people together who suffer Verbal Diarrhoea, you will go deaf. They will begin to gossip about every single person under the sun. It's even worse if they're related, because the Unending Topic will be about each and every member of the family. Old stories will be conjured up out of the depths of their memories.

Woe to the person within sight or earshot related to these pests (yes, that's what these people are - pests!!!) as they will be unfortunate enough to be made to listen to the veritable verbiage, or, worse - and inevitably! - become the subject-matter of gossip.

Fools, these people, irritants, nuisances, annoying pests!

When I come into contact with these people during gatherings, or have the misfortune to be stuck with one in a car, I start to boil. I develop this incredible urge to ask them to shut up. Of course, I haven't been irritated enough to indulge myself, as they are all older than I am (usually "aunties" with nothing better to do) and manners prevail.

It's mind-numbing how idiotic some people are.

Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough : Revised

Sappy pop song aside, it's quite true. 'Love' is not enough to make a marriage work.

Feelings are just feelings, and if you make the mistake of starting a relationship based purely or largely on feelings, you're going to end up with a mess. Because, like it or not, feelings fade.

'Love' is a decision to commit. It's a choice to stick with the person even when the initial feelings are gone, to make it work.

So how are you going to make a relationship or marriage work when you have nothing in common?

I'm not talking about minor differences - I know that no two persons are exactly alike.

I'm talking about huge differences; a major discordance when it comes to preferences and inclinations. I'm talking about both parties not being on the same wavelength; when conversation becomes a chore because you have to think of something to say, otherwise it just falls into an awkward silence, and the conversation morphs into something even worse - small talk.

Be bound like that, until death? I don't think so.