Dobrý Den Praha!
Merry Christmas everyone! Hope the day has been a good reminder of what Christ came to do for us 2000 years ago.
I'm typing this from our hostel in Prague (or Praha as the locals call it). It is truly an amazing city. It's so steeped in history, so rich in culture, and it's quite a magical place! The main city is in a valley and is overlooked by the awe-inspiring Prague Castle on a hill. The architecture is quite a sight to behold, and the food (very important component of our holiday) has been pretty good so far!
Apes, Huimin and I arrived late on Christmas Eve and spent most of today touring the Old Town (Staré Město) and New Town (Nové Město). It was -3 degrees celcius today, a slight improvement from -5 the day before (like it makes a difference, we're still freezing our butts off!), but all in all, it was worth braving the cold to wander the streets of this Bohemian gem of a city.
Will put up some photos soon!
Pure Sex
Brr. It's 2 degrees in York right now. Using April's Mac while she's off to work. She'll be working for the whole of this week, which leaves me a lot of time to read all those books I've been wanting to during the term, but never got to due to my hectic schedule.
SMUCF is having a series of talks on 'Love, Sex and Marriage' when the school term starts. In preparation for that, I've been reading a book by Australian evangelicals Tony Payne & Phillip Jensen entitled 'Pure Sex'. Nothing pornographic about it! It talks about sex the way God meant it to be, and what the Bible has to say about making sense of our sexuality, as well as how we should express and enjoy it.
Here's a short excerpt from the book:
'What do we really want from sex?
It could just be that the answer is nudity.
Is it possible that what we really want from a relationship is not just physical nakedness and pleasure, but of deep personal nakedness as well? A partner before whom we can be totally open; someone who can accept us and love us and desire us as we are; a relationship of honesty and love, where satisfying sex springs not only from a deep acceptance of each other, but an ongoing desire to please the other person. Is not this what we dream of? We long for a situation in which we are completely at one with another person, and where each partner is as much (or more) concerned with the other person's pleasure as their own, where the excitement and pleasure the other person is receiving gives us pleasure as well. Each one serving and pleasuring the other; each one worshipping the other's body. We would want this sort of relationship to go on or a long time, and to grow in intamacy and mutual pleasure, as each learns how to please the other even more.
The strange thing is that the Bible- that black-leather bound book which is usually regarded as anti-sex, or at best barely tolerant of it- espouses just this vision of sexuality. In the ancient texts of Christiantiy, there is a view of sex that is gloriously optimistic and inspiring, and yet at the same time very down-to-earth and realistic. It is a view that has much to attract us, and yet which also may seem strange to us at some points, so different is it from the attitudes and values that dominate our culture.
In this chapter we will try briefly to clear away some of the misconceptions and myths, and outline in basic terms what these biblical writings from two millenia (and more) ago have to say about sex'
(Pure Sex, Tony Payne & Phillip D Jensen, Chapter 2, Pg 18)The book goes on to do just that. Go pick it up if you can folks!
'Pure Sex' by
Tony Payne and Phillip D JensenClick on the bold links for more information!
Bring on Bohemia
Exams are over and I must say it has been a very eventful term. It's really by God's grace that I've been able to manage commitments in the Christian Fellowship, studies and still have time to spend with the people I love.
The SMUCF December Bible Retreat was a time of good teaching, a lot of food (Punggol Nasi Lemak, Punggol Seafood Chilli Crab, Teochew Porridge...mmmm), and a good time to hang out with the CFers. Good thing Fu Khai brought all those board games man. It was raining a lot so we had to stay indoors most of the time.
The topic for the retreat was 'The Holy Spirit'. In Christian circles, there are various interpretations as to what the role of the Holy Spirit is and how God speaks to us. Some interpretations more biblically sound than others. Does God talk to us through a still small voice in our head? Does it mean we're not filled with the Holy Spirit if we don't speak in tongues? Is being filled with the Spirit a warm fuzzy feeling? All these questions, and more, were answered. I'll try to upload the videos on the SMUCF website, as soon as I figure out how to compress 7.3GB worth of video. =/
The past week has been spent meeting up with friends, many of whom I have neglected as a result of the busy school term. The urgency to meet up is even greater as I'll be leaving for York this Saturday night. Pretty excited about it. Looking forward to just taking time off to get out of the country to rest and reflect on the past few months. Brought plenty of books to keep me busy while Apes goes off to work in the day.
We'll be traveling to Prague over Christmas with Huimin, so that should be a lot of fun! Christmas markets, the history, the city covered in snow, can't wait! The only thing I'm not looking forward to? It's -5 degrees in Prague now, and I'm not a big fan of cold weather. Would rather bake in the sweltering heat. =/
Oh well. Bring on Bohemia!
Do You Have Affluenza?
Read this off Investopedia.com:
"Term Of The Day: Affluenza
------------------------------------------------------------
A social condition arising from the desire to be more wealthy,
successful or to "keep up with the Joneses". Affluenza is
symptomatic of a culture that holds up financial success as
one of the highest achievements. People said to be affected
by affluenza typically find that the very economic success
they have been so vigorously chasing ends up leaving them
feeling unfulfilled, and wishing for yet more wealth.
Investopedia Says:
------------------------------------------------------------
Affluenza is arguably present in the United States, where the
culture is one that prides itself on possessions and financial
success. Mainstream media outlets, such as television broadcasts,
tend to show how pervasive the idea has become.
While affluenza cannot be quantified easily, those wishing to
avoid the condition should look to be the master of, not a slave
to, the things they have or wish to obtain."
Do you suffer from Affluenza?
Money makes a good servant, but is a terrible master. I pray we won't succumb to this destructive disease.
