About Sincerity

Mar 2, 2010

My thoughts on sincerity:

1) Sincerity is telling the truth in plain simple words.

2) Sincerity is knowing that each individual is worthy and talking to the person without paying attention to the person's status, beauty and skills.

3) Sincerity is helping a friend that is down and out.

4) Sincerity is when your words and your action matches.

5) Sincerity is when you communicate without any hidden agenda.

6) Sincerity is knowing that righteousness is from the Lord and being humble.

Scripture on sincerity:

Matthew 5

37But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.  -kjv

37Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. -niv

Matthew 5:33-37 is about taking oaths.  But, I think  Matthew 5:37  covers all types of communication process.

Add to the list if you will, my friends.

To stay or not to stay?

Jan 20, 2010

Husbands should live with their wives. Simple enough. Taken for granted by most people. I was faced with the idea of living separately with my wife once. That was 2007.

My wife was applying to USA to work as a nurse back then and I was undecided then whether to join her. Back then, there were a lot of uncertainties. Certainly, we did not know whether she could earn enough to support the family if she was working alone and the family joined her. She did not know where she will be dwelling, only told to her that she will be in Chicago. Safety issues plagued my mind also since I know the crime rate would be high in Chicago. The colder weather. The food. Whether I can adapt and get used to taking care of my son. So many things to adjust to should we move there. There's also the worry about what I can work as after many years of  looking after my son. I was too comfortable in Singapore to want a change.

I needed to seek counsel if I needed to make a decision. I asked my mentor. He said go. I asked some close friends. One of them said I should go if my wife is determined to go. Another said it depends on the situation. I asked a pastor from the Philippines. He shared with me his own family experience whereby his brother had problem with his wife after he worked abroad alone for many years. He said what's the use of gaining the whole world if one should lose his own soul. Other friends did not give any advice.

At the time that the visa was issued to our family, I was in an job interview which was turning out to be positive. Eventually, I decided not to go further with the interview. I decided to follow my wife to USA. The family should stick together

All the time, I could not find a verse that speaks about my situation. In the absence of that, I relied on Godly counsel from my friends, just go.

On hindsight, here's the verse that could apply to my situation:

1 Peter 3:7

7Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. -kjv

7Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. -niv

Both verses point to the same thing: Dwell or live with your wife.

A bad fall

Jan 8, 2010

My son stretched both his hands to the sides of his thighs through his pajamas and went further down leaning forward. He fell awkwardly, slamming his front teeth onto the floor and loud cries follow.

I went to look at him, dug out the food that he was eating  from his mouth. He was taking his lunch. Then I took the towel and pad at his front teeth. Blood was flowing profusely at the two front teeth and from the lascerations on his lower lip. I checked his teeth and it seemed that his left front teeth was shaky.  I called my wife to ask her about what to do. She's trained in health care and she should know better. She told me that as long as the bleeding stops, things will not be so urgent. I was wondering whether to send him to the A&E but things got better and blood is not flowing that much anymore.

It was  near the end of the year and we are switching  from state insurance to private insurance for him. So, I decided to wait for a few more days before we visit the dentist. The incident happened on Wednesday and we waited until the next Monday morning to see the dentist. At least with private insurance, the dentist is more accessible. We were also wondering whether to send him to the primary care doctor to examine his mouth but we decided to send him to the dentist first.

We were worried that there might be some broken teeth stuck in his gums and also about infection. He was in pain. Food has to be sliced into smaller pieces for him to eat. As the days went by, he was crying in pain whenever he took food. Thank God from the X-ray that was taken at the dentist, it showed that there were no broken teeth and that adult teeth was pushing its way out and there was no infection up till then. Thank God for His protection!