Holy, Holy, Holy, Is the LORD Almighty!

I must say that I have never before thirsted for the Word of God as much as I now do. It is a thirst that drives me to think about nothing else but His Word; it is a thirst that stirs up a desire to devour and at the same time savour every little bit and pieces that I can put my hands on. It tempts and calls out to me like a refreshing oasis in the middle of a dessert of busyness. Just when all the hustle and bustle of life is sucking every bit of moisture out of me, there it stands, calling for me to take a deep and long drink from the never ending source of living water. How amazing! How satisfying!

At one point or another, we are all guilty of referring to the contents of the Bible as mere 'stories'. Bible stories, we call them. It somehow connotes the idea that the contents of the Holy Book is a little less than real history, just like how we would never call the Pearl Harbour incident or the Holocaust a 'story'. But the more I sink myself in the texts and words of the Book, the more I realise that every single bit of the book is as real as my being, and as sure as the rising and the setting of the sun. How amazing! How awesome!

Studying the writing and the contents of the best-selling Book of all time drives me to realise the greatness and awesomeness of the One who put it together. Oh, just how brilliant He is! How real! How beautiful! And most of all... how Holy! I cannot help but to stand in awe of Him. Did you know that the use of the title 'LORD' (all in caps) in the Bible we now have is the representation of the Name of the God, Lord of the whole universe, YHWH? His Name is so holy that the Jews did not see themselves worthy of even using the Name. Such holiness that strikes me with indescribable awe! Yet we so ignorantly use the LORD's Name in vain, treating it like nothing more than another exclamation. Shame on those of us who have ever done that!

I am just so utterly amazed by the LORD, by His words, and by His works that are seen spanning across time and history!

Isaiah 6:3 says,

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD almighty;

the whole earth is filled with His glory."

Fundamental Right?

So, as election is drawing nearer, there have been talks about human rights, and things that the people have to fight for. Being where the action is, I have way too many doses of stuff like these. Among others is the freedom/right to bear arms. Apparently, here at Liberty, people advocate the freedom to bear arms. In fact, according to many, it is a fundamental right and freedom that has to fought for and preserved.

One of my lecturers shared in class that she shuddered at the thought that any of her hundreds of students in the class can easily carry a gun in their backpack. Yet, on the other hand, she is a strong advocate of the freedom to bear arms. She said that she did not like to be told, what she can or cannot own. So, it boils down to the very American word: freedom.

This whole issue is totally foreign to me. Being born in Malaysia, I never had to ask such a question. After all, I have not even seen a real gun up close, except the ones held in a policeman's holster. However, I am very curious what non-Americans (Christians, especially) think about this issue. Will you guys please do me a favour and take the poll posted on the right? I want to see some numbers.

Please feel free to leave your written comments here. Thank you!

*The poll is open for everyone to take.

Life in a Container

I recently submitted an English essay paper entitled "Redefining Privacy". My teacher asked me why did I choose this topic, and my answer was that I am seriously deprived of privacy.

Life in a container? If you have seen the pictures of my dorm, you will definitely know what I mean. Yes, I am paying $2900 every semester to live in a container! The small little box that houses three persons is where I call home at least for the next four years.

The container has 23 rooms with 3 girls in each room. So, there are about 70 girls in the little container. What can be more of an encroachment on one's privacy than this?! I think I am starting to be claustrophobic. I cannot stand being in my room with the doors and windows closed, and I have to keep them open all the time.

But the worst thing is not the size of the room, but those who are in it. I am not complaining about my roommates, mind you. But I have had my own room for at least 8 years, and now I have to share a room with two other persons. It sure takes some adjustment. Being in the same container with 70 other girls is not much of a help either.

Every now and then, someone will come into the room. And somehow, I am just obliged to talk to them, however much I do not feel like talking. I cannot lock my door as I would have done if I were in my own home. Then someone will come in and ask if they can watch my roommate's TV. Of course, again, we are obliged to say yes. I mean, I do not have an option, do I? I do not know what is wrong (or right) with my room, but people just love to 'hang out' here. They will come with their stuff and everything and almost spend the night in my room.

I am not a hermit, of that I am sure. But I suppose you can call me a loner. I love having time to myself. I love 'hanging out' with myself. While I do not mind having other human beings around once in a while, but I do need space and time for myself to be alone, which is something that I am seriously lacking.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to learn to live with it, at least for the next few years. As Melissa said, "The Lord has placed us here for His purpose."