Why I don't use "fuck"

So I saw this on Facebook, and thought it was a nice poster! As a disclaimer, among most people whom I don't care that much about, or have more important issues I care about, I ignore its usage.

So why don't I use vulgar words?
1. Well one of the reasons is that it shows the limitations of the user's vocabulary. And changes the original meaning of the word.
2. But more importantly, it doesn't say much / or communicate what's happening. Using more expressive words, like 'owwww' or this is gone! or this is terrible! or someone is something something. (I.e. saying what is wrong is probably more communicative.)
3. In addition as we communicate it better during a bad time, we are more likely to process the situation better, and hence respond rather than merely react to the situation. (i.e. combine your smart brain with your emotions!)
4. It is rude. It shows the level of respect you have for the other party.

Note:
It is arguable that it creates some sense of camaraderie among people who use the same word as often. However, it also encourages this habit reacting without thinking to persist. 

Other notes:
Click on picture for source of poster.

Albert Outler

once prayed, "Lord, protect us from the mindless love that deceives and the loveless truth that kills."

Being a boss

"There are as many opportunities in a down market as there are in an up market, but if you find yourself blaming the externalities all the time - well I can't set up a business yet because of the economy or because of the weather or because I have a job - then you're not thinking like an entrepreneur," says Reed.

"An entrepreneur accepts that the world is the way that it is and goes about changing it rather than waiting for someone to make it easy for them."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19542914

Being like Job

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
Matthew 6:33

It was difficult to presevere on, when all around you is negativity, when the point is such a question mark, when it meant giving up time for family, friends, leisure, or even work!

I still don't know the point exactly sometimes. Or what He wants to do with this selfish soul.

Nevertheless I see hints of the reward here and there.


If a leaf

can be so complex:

what more the Creator of all of the world?

C.S. Lewis - on the Problem of Pain [and hell]

A bad man, happy, is a man without the least inkling that his actions do not ‘answer’, that they are not in accord with the laws of the universe. 

 A perception of this truth lies at the back of the universal human feeling that bad men ought to suffer. It is no use turning up our noses at this feeling, as if it where wholly base. On it’s mildest level it appeals to everyone’s sense of justice. Once when my brother and I, as very small boys, were drawing pictures at the same table, I jerked his elbow and caused him to make an irrelevant line across the middle of his work; the matter was amicably settled by my allowing him to draw a line of equal length across mine. That is, I was ‘put in his place’, made to see my negligence from the other end. On a sterner level the same idea appears as ‘retributive punishment’, or ‘giving a man what he deserves’. Some enlightened people would like to banish all conceptions of retribution or desert from their theory of punishment and place its value wholly in the deterrence of others or the reform of the criminal himself. They do not see that by so doing they render all punishment unjust. What can be more immoral than to inflict suffering on me for the sake of deterring others if I do not deserve it? And if I do deserver it, you are admitting the claims of ‘retribution’. And what can be more outrageous than to catch me and submit me to a disagreeable process of moral improvement without my consent, unless (once more) I deserve it?

 –from The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis - From Dreaming to Waking

“This is how I distinguish dreaming and waking. When I am awake I can, in some degree, account for and study my dream. The dragon that pursued me last night can be fitted into my waking world. I know that there are such things as dreams; I know I had eaten an indigestible dinner; I know that a man of my reading might be expected to dream of dragons. But while in the nightmare I could not have fitted in my waking experience. The waking world is judged more real because it can thus contain the dreaming world; the dreaming world is judged less real because it cannot contain the waking one. For the same reason I can certain that in passing from the scientific points of view to the theological, I have passed from dream to waking. Christian theology can fit in science, art, morality, and the sub-Christian religions. The scientific point of view cannot fit in any of these things, not even science itself. I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” 

—from “Is Theology Poetry?” (The Weight of Glory)

On communication - desire over rationality

Blaise Pascal said, “Men despise religion. They hate it and are afraid it may be true. The cure for this is first to show that religion is not contrary to reason, but worthy of reverence and respect. Next make it attractive, make good men wish it were true, and then show that it is” (Pensees 12).

While reading "They Don’t Believe Because Your God Isn’t Desirable"

Vision

Look not just to the short term, but also the long term, and most importantly, the infinite term.

At the end of this journey, I hope to be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Exams

Totally failed on the blogging challenge thing.
Sigh.
Maybe next time.

My 'exam-mode' just kicked in a few hours ago.
I'm so doomed in terms of grades.

Corporate Valuation definitely hurt my core courses. Now I regret taking it.

Nevertheless, PRESS ON!
Consider it all 'sunk cost', and just focus on what can be done.

And I thought last sem was bad enough

I remember thinking that last sem was unsustainable.
This semester, my lifestyle is even more unsustainable.

Next semester must change.

Checkpoint

I sometimes can't believe how much, and how little, I've changed.

Blessed with discomfort and anger and tears and foolishness

Today, I was going through Psalms 4 with a friend. One thing I remember from it was the author's call for the people around him to 'be angry, and do not sin'. The author was surrounded by people who were sinning, namely with lies, such as the lies about how the world is no good. He tells them to be angry and yet do not sin.

I have a great tendency to just ignore when people treat life as independent of God's presence. - When they say that life is about taking care of relationships that matter, I agree. However, the most important relationship that matters is the one with the author of life. Yet, this is the one which is most neglected because we "cannot" 'see' or 'hear' Him. It is also because a relationship with God is different kind from a relationship with a human being. But this difference is unavoidable, given that hellooo, God is a wayyy higher being than us. What do you expect? A dog-human relationship is definitely different from a human-human relationship, what more a human-God relationship.

Ok. I'm just to fulfil my blogging challenge quota. Hence the very short paragraph. Haha.
One group meeting and one lecture to understand!

Psalms 4 also reminded me of benediction below.

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and to the poor.

Bomb Flower Whatever

There are three people. And there is a box.

The Bomb-believer believes that there is a bomb in the box that will explode when the box opens. So he finds a place of protection.
The Flower-believer believes that there is a flower in the box. So this believer goes near the box.
The Whatever-believer doesn't care about what's in the box. So this believer ignores the box.

Concerned, the bomb-believer calls the other believers to come into the place of protection. They did not want to go over. He explains to the other believers why it is very likely that there is a bomb in the box to the other two. The flower-believer doesn't want to listen. Saying that the bomb-believer is terrible, for saying everyone will die, except the bomb-believer. The flower-believer asserts that everyone can go on believing whatever they want. As for the Whatever-believer, he just shuts his ears, because he doesn't want to bother with what's in the box.

The bomb-believer could not get the rest to listen.
Finally, the flower-believer opens the box.

If there is a flower in the box, the flower-believer gets the flower! All is good!

But
If there is a bomb in the box, both the flower-believer and the whatever-believer dies.
Only the bomb-believer, who is in the place of protection, lives.

---

The truth is the truth, whether you believe it or not. 

The choice is yours.
When the possible consequences are so great, do you want to risk ignoring the box?

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

7-day blogging challenge

I shall attempt to blog something everyday for 7 days. At least something short.
Until the end of my corporate valuation assignment.

Work sometimes make me feel robotic. It makes me feel like I have no time to be human.

Reading good books, games, and movies, and definitely even facebook won't help as much.

Hopefully this forced reflection / blogging time will help to guard against that this week, as the final assignment deadline rolls around.

So much easier to ignore

It's so much easier to just ignore, and not bother, when someone does something wrong.
It's a lot easier to let it be, focus on something else, and not risk the camaraderie.

But that is superficial.
When deep down, I know that it isn't right,
When deep down, I'm cowardly to not try changing it.

Hate isn't the opposite of love.
Ignorance is.

Acting like how that person is doesn't matter is the opposite of love.

Of course, there are important matters, and less important matters.
But are you sure that this issue isn't important?

A relationship is only as deep as the level of honesty.

**

It's so much easier to ignore God and all that spiritual 'fluff' too.
But I find myself being very dishonest and superficial with myself whenever I do that, when my thoughts are focused on people and things around. All of which, will eventually die.

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8

Hunger Games

A decent movie I think.
Although friends said that the book has a lot more depth and emotion than the movie, which focused more on the action (no surprise there!).
It has the theme of sacrifice and love, as well as the oppression/big-brother government.

What struck me was the evil-ness of the Capital.
I thought that the setting just wasn't realistic. I can imagine worlds with magic (harry potter! LOTR!) and weird worlds. But a nation where the large population accepts killing as a game show? Surely people will never do that.

And then I thought about the oppression in the Middle-east, and in the past, China, and North Korea, and the Roman Colloseum.. And realized that some degree of it is already working.
And while I grumble about study/work, people, and slight annoyance unfairness within group work, I am childish compared to being oppressed as a woman in the Middle East, or excessive work/bullying/unfairness in North Korea.



Perspective.

All the same

still feeling regretful and pessimistic at this time.
sigh.

Begin with the end in mind

Stumbled upon this, a helpful reminder.

Nurse reveals the top 5 regrets people make on their deathbed | Caroline Nettle 's Empower Network... For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives. People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality

I came back to this blog to read one of my favourite quotes.
I must caveat that joy and happiness are two different things.

**

I disagree with the popular statement "Love others, and others will love you".
I think that because God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. And love isn't just a feeling, it entails actions for nurturing the relationship.

1 John 4:9-11 says "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

**

Thankful and hopeful.

**

I liked an excerpt from "You Never Marry the Right Person"

The reason that marriage is so painful and yet wonderful is because it is a reflection of the Gospel, which is painful and wonderful at once. The Gospel is—we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to believe, and at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us. Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God’s saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us. The merciful commitment strengthens us to see the truth about ourselves and repent. The conviction and repentance moves us to cling to and rest in God’s mercy and grace.

**

Oh yea, hello blog!