On rebuilding 03

The book of Ephesians is littered with architectural motifs, which makes it a pleasant surprise for a read in this season. And it has cued me to realise that any rebuilding project needs a focal point. And any construction needs a rock hard foundation. A wall unanchored will crumble like a cookie, nevermind an entire building. So what am I really setting into the center of this rebuilding project? Christ alone shall be my cornerstone. 

On hindsight 02

So hindsight is no teacher at all — all it really does is inject you with regret over earnestly made decisions. And we make those calls with the best data that we have at any time. But is that enough? Is the best available data we can get our hands on sufficient? I guess not. I guess in all our insufficiency, we need loads more data and that data needs to come from God. It comes from God through prayer and hearing His Word. And that kind of intel is not hindsight. It is foresight. And the song says "Be thou my vision / O Lord of my heart / Nought be all else to me / save that Thou art".

On hope 02

When an innocent expectation is murdered on the grassy knoll of one's backyard, one ought to re-enter ones home, look the blood on one's hands square in its so-called face, and ask oneself: Who is it that ought to have died? Because with each passing hour, I've become more convinced that it is my self that should have been there facing the sharp tip of the plunging sword. Martyrdom is easy. Dying to self is hard. And the Word says "If anyone were to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me". 

On hope 01

Is it possible to hope without expectation? Right now, I can do one of two things: I can hope for an unlikely outcome, but the expectation of not seeing it come to pass will be heartbreaking; or I could take this hope to the backyard, drive a sword through it and come back in with my expectations tidily managed and be superficially a lot happier. Or maybe there's a third way. Maybe that third way is to hope without expectation, to keep looking up at heaven without looking around for a change. 

On rebuilding 02

Some buildings were shoddily built to begin with. And so, when one has to choose between corrective reconstruction or a complete tear-down and rebuild, it might very well make sense to raze the whole thing down to start all over again. Starting overs aren't necessarily bad. You get to fit the new specs to requirements and manage everyone's idea of what this building does. We need to know these things. And sometimes, we need to tear down before we can build up. 

On grieving 10

Thehalflight, sorting through all the stones in this rubble reminds me of how much and how long you've been gone. I wish you were here to see how life is, how 2014 could be for us all. Thetoffee just went last night - that era is almost all gone now. They're even talking about selling Theoldhouse. You wouldn't like that, I know. But if you were around, they wouldn't be saying it. 

On rebuilding 01

Sometimes, buildings need rebuilding. Some buildings need to be torn down and built up from scratch. Some need to be rehabilitated back into semblance of its intended structure. Thelilsis has flown a bug my way to rebuild this piece of half-rubble. And it's a new year. There is perhaps no better time than now to go all Nehemian on an under-constructed and abandoned good intention. Let's hack into this.