Eyes wide open

Psalm 119:81-88 (Kaph) - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+119%3A81-88             The great reminder of this passage for me is how steadfastly the psalmist holds onto God’s Word. “Though I am like a wineskin in the smoke, I do not forget Your decrees. … They almost wiped me from the earth, but I have not forsaken Your precepts.” God’s precepts are a hugely important part of His Word to us: revelations of His character and attributes, through the laws He puts in place. And unlike everything else we know in the Universe, the only knowledge & wisdom that endures forever is God’s Word: everything else is a mirage of value in light of eternity. God’s Word               Some verses ahead in Psalm 119:105, the psalmist writes “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path” . Every step taken, every breath inspired, every choi...

I think a lot of us in Malaysia, who have lived here all our lives, don't really think about what it means to be at home in our culture . We blow our trumpets at our friends across the border about our mamak nights, good food, manglish, exclusively Malaysian jokes, multilingual communication (not 4 separate languages, but all 4 mushed sensibly together in a sentence), and just the general pretty-chill atmosphere of Malaysians among other Malaysians in Malaysia.  A culture has so many quirky, beautiful and undoubtedly unique customs & nuances. That's what makes it a separate culture: distinct from the cultures around us. It inevitably follows, then, that cultures can be exclusive, without even meaning to be. That's the reason culture shock is so real: I'm anticipating a bit of a shock when I move overseas to study. Seeing such different-looking faces around me, different accents, different thought processes & considerations (If you've watched Arrival, y...