~You'LL NeVer WaLk AloNe~

when you walk through a storm

hold your head up high

and don't be afraid of the dark

at the end of the storm

is a golden sky

and the sweet silver song of a lark

walk on through the wind

walk on through the rain

tho' your dreams be tossed and blown

walk on, walk on

with hope in your heart

and you'll never walk alone

you'll never walk alone

"never will I leave you, never will I forsake you"

hebrews 13:5

~ PaTch AdaMs~

"If you treat a disease, you'll either win or lose. But if you treat a person, you will always win no matter what happened."

Hunter "Patch" Adams

i got this quote while watching patch adams and i wonder if we actually practise this. anyway, if you haven't watch this movie i'll give you a brief synopsis of the movie (caution: spoilers ahead).

***********

the film tells the story of hunter "patch" adams, a medical doctor who became famous for his unconventional approach to medicine. after a suicide attempt, adams seeks psychiatric help and is institutionalized. during this time he was inspired to become a medical doctor, and discovers that he is able to forget his own problems by helping others. two years later, he enrolls at a medical uni and is the oldest first year student. he questions the school's approach to medical care, and clashes with the school's dean because of his belief in the necessity of personal interaction with patients. because of this and other incidents, he is dismissed from the school, although he is later reinstated.

adams later develops an idea for a medical clinic built around his philosophy of doctor-patient interaction. together with some old friends, he renovates an old cottage. when they get the clinic running they treat walk-in patients without money or medical insurance. he was dismissed from the school for a second time because he ran the clinic and practiced medicine without a license. he must attend a hearing where it is decided whether he can graduate. patch is able to convince the jury in a final speech that he did his best to help the people that came to him. in the end the jury accepts Patch's medical methods and does not prevent him from graduating.

**********

well, that's what the movie is all about but he made the above quote which really strucks me. even though he was referring to medical conditions, but it can also applies to our daily lives. how many times have we actually look beyond a person's profession and social status? remember that everyone has a name be it from the garbage collector or the doctor or the prime minister. since when we actually segregate people via social profession? since when we segmentize people via social status? what makes one profession more distinguished than the other? aren't doctors and ministers suppose to serve the people? if you are guilty of this, then i am the chief of it all.

in the days of Jesus, he sat with the prostitutes and he dine with tax collectors. he spends most of his time with the poor and the homeless healing their sicknesses and easing their pain. however, he looked at them beyond just a prostitute or tax collectors. he sees a person behind every profession and social status. do we? let's remind ourselves that whatever profession we are in, we do not held ourselves more highly than the others.

when we sit in a plane, we are sitting with various people from all walks of life. you have some distinguished gentlemen sitting in the first class and some highly paid executives in the business class to those normal salaried people sitting in the economical class. however, if the plane is going to crash it makes all those irrelevant because all of us is going to die anyway no matter where we sit in the plane (or socially).

"do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you."

romans 12:3

~ John 3:16 ~

ahh..... john 3:16 the most famous verse in the bible where you'll probably come across it hundreds of times especially if you are in your local church evangelism team. it is also the verse that most non christians knew about (i hope i'm right here) because you'll probably see it in WWF... nope, nothing about animals. it's about wrestling, where a bunch of would-be-oscar-winners punch, kick and throw each other to win the match. surprisingly, they hardly got any injury most of the time, not even bruises. you've probably knew austin 3:16 or something like that if you are a WWF follower some time ago. and of course you'll see it in some baseball game or american football where they put their hero's name in-front of that verse like rob 3:16 or tim 3:16. to these people, i don't think john 3:16 means anything to them.

what about me? what do i think about this verse? well... this verse tells me about the love of God for us that He even willing to sacrifice His only Son so that who ever believes in Him will have everlasting life. it's like a key to heaven for me and for everyone else. however, i actually miss the most important message of this verse all my life until now. believing in God to go to heaven is actually a secondary message of this verse. the primary meaning contains in "for God so loved the world..."

i actually realise this when my wife got pregnant (a lot of enlightenments from pregnancy eh??) when i knew that my wife is pregnant, apart from excitement and joy it comes with the realisation that i have a greater responsibility now. i need to take good care of my wife and our baby. taking good care is actually an understatement. i must protect them like i guard my life, probably more than that. i somehow tell myself that i must ensure that this baby will come out strong and healthy. nothing will harm this baby from this time forth... even if it means sacrificing my life to ensure the safety of this baby. why??? because it's MY BABY! half of my genes are in it!

then it dawns upon me that God loves his Son just as much as we loves ours. perhaps even more than any earthly father would love their children. look at it this way... would you sacrifice your son to save me? not in a million years even if i'm your family members!!! but God did it. He sacrifice His only Son so that we will have everlasting life. it brings new meaning to the word "sooooooo loved" to me right now. this verse actually "quantify" the love that God has for me.

how about you? have you think much about this verse? or it's just a verse in the bible? if you haven't think much about it or you focus more on the "eternal life" part than on the "so loved" part, then perhaps it's about time you think about it.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

~ the MiRacLe of liFe ~

ever wonder what is the greatest miracle of life? in my entire 30 years of living, i have experienced many miracles but this is by far the greatest and it started on the 3rd day of CNY this year (07). i was greeted with the greatest news that i've ever heard in my life... and that's I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER SOON!!!

i couldn't believe it but it is true! we took 2 home pregnancy tests and finally a confirmation by the specialist. i began to read books about pregnancy and search the web on anything about pregnancy. the more i read about it, the more i am amazed by how the entire mechanism work. as i read on and look at the pics, i was reminded of the BIG BANG theory by prof. stephen hawkings and the THEORY OF EVOLUTION by charles darwin. how can these people ever come up with such a story?

if the BIG BANG theory is true, then it will sounds like this... you don't need a book to explain all about it. it's just this.... simple but accurate... "God spoke and BANG!!! it happens." ~ got this from a car sticker =) ~

if you are a non-believer, just think about it. does the entire world and its mechanics just work starting with a bang? why don't you try this at home. spread out a canvas on an easel and think about the most beautiful sunset you'eve ever seen. then pour all the colours into a plastic bag and shake them well. stand 10 feet away from the canvas and with all your might throw the bag of colours onto that canvas. as you do all these, keep thinking about the sunset scenery and hope that it will appear on that canvas once the bag hits it. beautiful sunset you see??? it takes the careful hands of a painter.

the development of a human zygote to fetus and finally a baby is what i call "the greatest miracles of life". the formation of the embryo is just so amazing that it must be a work of Someone higher. there's no evolution of monkeys to homo sapiens here... it's the evolution of life, a wondrous and amazing journey.

"i praise You because i am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Your works are wonderful, i know that full well."

Psalm 139:14