where do I begin?

The holiday week has passed... where shall I begin?

Had bday lunch wif ol' Vanz today. Great. The simple life indeed. Thankful ought we to be. He's getting his A's results soon... I'm sure he'll do well.

'O's are out tomoro. That explains why there were so many people at the temples near SimLim. We had a hunch it was much more crowded than usual... Tonnes of people praying and putting sticks non-stop...

Yesterday had 1st JC friends outing for me in a long time now. Ninger is still the same. May has some facial changes and a fringe. Oh yes, and we got to know 2 of her friends too. Toh is... well.. trying hard to be an Ah-beng but failed miserably. Saw some of the Chron staff too.

Before that I spent 4 hours on a photo hunt for assignment. Walked from Chinatown, along River Valley Rd all the way to Orchard Rd. I dare say I've taken quite a few good ones, but there was 1 that I'm really pleased with. Fits my theme nicely.

During the late supper with Ninger, Toh and pok there was the usual lamenting and job salary talking. Material-aspirants versus idealists. And interestingly enuff someone asked how does it feel to be dead. Have you ever considered how it is to be dead? How it would feel like when you're being buried/cremated?

Someone said it'll probably feel terrible as you're being burnt. But I told them death is like sleep, only difference that you know it was just sleep when you wake up. So losing consciousness is death unless you regain consciousness after that. Quite straightforward eh?

But death also means physical departure from our bodies. And though we lose consciousness when we die (ie: eternal sleep) but in a flash will come Judgement Day indeed, when our consciences will be brought to trial to answer for our failings. And after that, eternal damnation in Hell or eternal rejoicing in Heaven depending on our decision to follow Christ while physically alive.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: - Hebrews 9:27

So based on the 2 paragraphs above, we don't simply lose consciousness forever when we die. Like as in vanishing into nothing, as if we never existed. Try as you may like, as many scientists have, human consciousness is not equivalent with the brain, the heart, or the senses, or any combination of those. Frankenstein? Sci-Fi. AI? it could potentially be as destructive as real humans if configured so, but they will never have a consciousness like a human being.

So after the physical death, is either eternal rejoicing or eternal suffering. Our hope in Christ that we may seek the former.

Do you believe in the afterlife? Or you don't care about what you can't be sure of?

Is the current state of the human mind such that we only believe what we can see? That we don't care about the afterlife?

That is secularism - being trapped "in time".

What point is there of living, if the reason for living is to die?

Several paths for you to take from here:

1. I'm having fun experiences, doing things, chasing goals. Life is all about having experiences.
2. We can never find out, so let's just continue on with 1.
3. I'm too busy doing 1. now, so let me think about it when I'm older.
4. I don't want to think about it. It gets in my way of doing 1.
5. Surrender your present life to Christ, who will see you through now and for the eternal life that is promised

and you will realise what it means to have a hope from beyond this world.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. - Matthew 11:30

Amen