When should i Test God

I started this morning with Isaiah 7, and in v.12 I learnt that there are times in our lives that we ought to test God.

Considering the fact that Jesus, during the dessert-days, said that we shall not test God, I'd think twice these days about seeing myself testing God.

Yet the old testament is filled with different people testing God isn't it? From Moses and the burning bush, Elijah and the prophets of baal, and Gideon with the dew, I guess there are many more examples as well.

Question is, when is testing God valid?
I'd like to think that when an element of faith is at stake, and where faith is to be increased, testing God may seem quite scary. Scary not because of the result, but how my responses should be with those results.
On the other extreme, we may be testing God daily in our lives...
Eg. When waiting for public transport, we'd say: God please, 1 taxi or get the bus here soon. I'll promise to be holy and do my quiet time longer tomorrow. Or things like our jobs or praying for health...

I will think through what test do I want God to prove to me, for the increment of my faith...soon!

Learning to learn

2011, a new year for me and it's been 3-days after turning 28.

Started to realize that I needed some new good habits to replace the old ones. And there are indeed some habits that I should start cultivating for the benefit of longevity and joyfulness.

Habits are: (not in order of priority)
1. Write down lessons learnt in life
2. Spend time with wife an-hour a day
3. Recording my finances
4. Pray and connect with God
5. Have a 5-10min exercise
6. Read my bible.

God willing.. I need to do these daily!

Lessons I learnt from my CNY 2009 Trip

I learnt a few good lessons in this trip. In particular:
1) Learning about how people change as they grew older
2) Learning to be human in a socially degenerative society

I didn't have much opportunity to blog in China. Well, thanks to the government, www.blogger.com is totally blocked for access. Thankfully, you can still reach www.blogspot.com to view what others have to say on the net.

About people growing old, I realized that people REALLY changes. Not that it's something worth 'banging-all-our-hope-for' (in the most crude sense of the word), but people DO change.

Many quotes 'a leopard will never change its' spots', 'what you see is what you get', while those being true to a certain degree, I did realize that in my family, people really changed.

This year, I noticed a different aura at home while I was having my Chinese New Year Holidays. Mum no longer nags at me nor my siblings. She does her house-work, keeping herself busy throughout the day, but she never complains. Dad is getting more absent-minded, a sign of moving over the hill. Brother responds and takes more initiative at home, a sign of maturity. Young sis gets more rebellious, a sign of teen-hood and adolescent at its prime...
For several moments, I hate to admit. I was bowled-over... (pardon my use of boombastic word.. am forcing myself to improve my vocab these days.)

Yet in all of these, I began to enjoy what I call 'the living the moment life experience'. Not that I have not been living in one, but I don't know if you've ever felt like life moves on too fast, and before we realized, we're at the other end of the journey where we have to start the painful process of growing up again? That feeling crept up gradually inside me and I was caught totally un-aware.

At the junction of the crossroad, I am now caught with responsibilities and decisions which will determine what my future will be. In some sense, I am afraid I will commit an err that I will regret during a mid-life crisis, on the other-hand, a calm re-assuring hand rests upon my feeble heart to assure me that in all things, God works in favor with those who puts His statutes above theirs and lives in His obedience.

(which reminds me... I have already learnt the lesson in making mistakes!)

I will share more after bathing on the second significant lesson I got from my trip. Especially during the trip back home (Singapore).