iced lemon tea

There’s a group’s friendster account, and a member wonders who’s behind that account, that he spent an effort to put one.

My parents watching the magical fountain show here in Singapore didn’t marvel on how magnificently in sync the lights, water, sound and fire were - rather their inquisitive mind focused on how the team behind it does that.

My friend and I sitting on a ferry going to manila is in awe watching the movements of the wave and how the law of physics perfectly fits in to such a common sight.

There are those people who can’t help but look on things from a different perspective. That makes them a bit different from the mainstream, who are so engulf with the commonality of things around us that they doesn’t care anymore the whys and hows of the universe. This makes those common things a bit special - that in fact, its not that common at all, it’s complexity is far beyond what our superficial observation can comprehend.

Life is like that. At one glance, it is nothing but a cycle of birth and death. All was born naked, and so will leave this world empty handed. In between, there might be problems and encouragement. But all the same, life will puff off like a vapor.

We do live a borrowed life. It’s not ours. And what will matter in the end is not how we lived on this earth, rather on where will we spend eternity (i can hear you saying, "oh, there you are again!" hehehe) But eternity is real. Where will we wake up after we die, certainly matters. There’s no bridge between heaven and hell, this two eternal places are eternally separated. Cetainly, there’s no crossing in the after life.

Why i am here? Why i have life? Why do I breathe? Why I have 70 years to live if it was meant for nothing? Why I have a wonderful and so complex body system if it was meant to be destroyed after all?

The Bible is certain that ALL men (yes, including me) have sinned. The Bible is also certain that because sin can only be paid by death (because God is so holy), all men are therefore forever condemned in hell. No amount of good works can ever undone the wrong we’ve done. Deep within, we are rotten by sin. Oh how hard it is to accept the fact that we don’t have the capacity to do good. We do still cheat, we do still lie. We do still kill people thru character assassination.

But the same Bible who never lie, told us that God’s only Son died for our stead. Yes, the death penalty requirement has been satisfied at the Cross. We only have to believe. You may ask, is that it? Yes, Man have only to acknowledge the sacrifice of Jesus and he can enter heaven for eternity.

Others find it to simple and easy. But am telling you, unless God would enable you to believe, you won’t believe. If by chance you find yourself believing, that’s because you’re convicted of Sin and God worked in you.

  Life is indeed too short. Where will you spend eternity? I’ve made my choice; I hope you’ll make yours. E-mail me: rteja79@yahoo.com

Trust and confidence are sometimes used synonymously. But a second look of the terms with the corresponding application to our daily life, one can see a very thin dividing line between the two. The word TRUST is so subtle that, in sociology, it is always a subject of passionate debate.

Trust is a choice, a voluntary action to place resources (physical, financial, intellectual, or temporal) at the disposal of the trustee with no real commitment from the trustee. Therefore, it can’t be measured. It comes from within. It’s a decision you have to make. It is an internal state.

Confidence, on the other hand, is measurable. It measures up the ability of one person to perform. I could trust my brother with low level of confidence that he could meet up my expectations. I could even trust him with no confidence at all. Trust comes off from me automatically to people I care. It’s not that I believe they won’t fail. But that, I believe they could fail and yet they would remain honest to tell me they’ve failed so as to still have my trust. I may lose my confidence towards them, yes. I may doubt their capacity and ability to perform their commitment. But as long as they will not lie or withhold vital information from me, they still have my trust.

Trust is anchored mainly on character, not on ability. You only have to be true. You don’t have to conceal information to avoid conflict. You don’t have to lie to look good. You don’t want to tell the world you don’t need people when deep within, you crave for them. A perfect person is a myth. Intimacy begins when you stop pretending to be perfect and start being real with your friends, family or your partner. Don’t be afraid to show off your weakness and wrongs. To believe that affection would last and harmony would stay by avoiding conflicts is just one of the many self-destructive myths.

I recently observed that it seems like I have a short term memory problem. But I have a very good long term memory that could even go into details. In building relationships, trust is very essential to me. You don’t have to be perfect – and that includes all aspect of your life. You don’t have to pretend. It’s easier for me to embrace people’s admitted wrongs – no matter how worse - than accepting later that you defrauded me. I often tell my friends and new-found friends that they might find me foolish in choosing people at times, but definitely am not stupid.

I don’t do background check, and certainly what you were doesn’t matter to me. But what you are as time goes by, from the moment I’ve accepted you as a friend, are pieces of puzzle that eventually would put your position in my life the real you.

You are either real or a fraud. You can be assured that what you say will be taken as true as it is from day one, that’s trust. But if you’re a fraud, be warned, for whatever you say doesn’t leave off easily as it comes in. It will stay there and will be a building block of your own integrity and will surely find you out.