Youtube Videos + God makes us happy?

I finally uploaded my first YouTube video. Pretty exciting stuff. I have repeatedly tried to upload Switchfoot live in Sinagapore concert performances, but its keeps stopping at 95%. Ugh pisses me alot. I guess this would help me avoid legal issues from EMI or something haha.

If you want Singapore Switchfoot videos i got two. (24 and Awakening). But i was pretty new with the camera, so the zooming in and out can be abit irritating lol.

Anyway I think I was waiting for something or what I dunno it was after church I think... This busker at White Sands was playing my favourite song (Knockin' On Heaven's Door). So I videoed him. Later he did Let It Be, another beautiful song. You can also see this video on my Facebook





Sometimes I wish I have the time to stop and watch buskers for extended periods of time. Some of them are really talented like this one.

I have 3 or 4 or more videos that I feel like uploading. I might go back to my old craze of doing stop-motion videos too haha.

Since we are at the topic of videos, heres a really funny one i saw recently! Old people are sexy.



The first one was pretty bad, like a Methodist church Holy Communion done wrong.. But the rest just cracks me up! The Ridin' Dirty one is actually quite impressive.

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Does God wants us to be happy? LG session made me think about this. Jesus said stuff like love your neighbour or obey God, but not stuff like "Be happy dude".

I mean, God even says we'll have suffering and hurt. Sometimes, obeying God feels like a chore, like loving not-so-lovable people or serving in Church. Does that make me happy?

But then again, the Bible never said God did not want us to be happy. (The old twist the statement around argument technique lol)

I guess if we live our lives out like how God would want us to, joy would come in as, for the lack of better word, side-effect. Loving others obviously makes one happy, despite the repercussions that come with it. Serving God is also something that gives me great joy too.

God promises to bless us in the Bible. There's no hard and fast rule that one of the blessings He'll give is happiness, but definitely true "clean" (not sin-induced) happiness should come from God. Besides He also blesses us with other cool stuff. If being alive, with sufficient food to eat, a roof over our heads, basic human rights like education and even luxurious stuff does not at least make us content, let alone happy, we need to look back and count our blessings.

And the joy that one gets when earnestly worshiping God... whats that? Its not just some "happiness"...Its much much more than that. Its something I can't really explain in words.

Radical life-changing decision + Ottos + forced memes

Persuasive dog is persuasive

Forced meme aside, i have decided to make a decision that could change my life forever.

This decision will forever alter people's perception of me. It marks end of an old beginning and a new beginning of an end. It heralds the transition of getting past yet another phase in my life, especially now in my impressionable teenage and almost-post-adolescent years.

In fact, this could change the world.


I have decided to be a proper male now.
I will leave my hair short.

It all started when my MUM (like wth) pulled a surprise attack on me, strapped me unto a chair, and did the unthinkable:

She cut my fringe straight.

This is outright child abuse.

After hours of wimping about my lost dignity and wallowing in self-pity, I persuaded my mum to at least cut my fringe properly. Now its a freaking bang. Still sucks, but at least its not a bloody coconut.

But i came to realize: My hair is not growing the way i hoped it would. I kinda wanted a mat-style headbanger curly rocker hair, but instead i was getting a post-modern emo look. I guess long hair doesn't work on me. Come to think of it, my "best" hairstyle in secondary school was an ah-beng japanese style trimmed short thinned hair. Okay, i dun really know how to describe it, but its short and thinned.

I will get my hair cut by a REPUTABLE hairdresser/barber on Wednesday.


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To break the monotony of yet another long winded post by me, i shall put another forced meme here.



Because of teh internets, Mudkips are now THE coolest pokemon in the world since the big fatass sloth-like one. And its underlying innuendo is much worst than Squirtle. Don't ask.

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An Aussie family missionary band came into PMC today and led worship/songs for Ympact. I liked the whole "live performance" style format that they used: We (the youth congregration) "watched the band perform" rather than the usual "sing along with the worship leader" thing. They're called the Otto band or something like that, cos' thats they're surname.

They are kind of like an Aussie version of Corrine May. Not outrightly "Christian music" yet not to subtle. Just sub Corrine's pianos with acoustic guitars, and ang moh singer instead of English-ed Singaporean voice. The lyrical style is kinda the same, except the Ottos are more "direct" and "Christianish" than Corrine, i.e. less subtle.

And everyone agrees they sound like Colbie Caillet. White ang mohs girls with acoustic guitars. What did u expect?

All this time during corporate worship I/we have been singing songs that praise God. That is, we sing songs about His glory, His majesty, His awesomeness, and calling Him to work in our lives. Also, I have been inuanded by many a sermon proclaiming the glory of God, His majesty and His awesomeness etc etc.

Yet I seem to have a dislike of writing Christian songs. For some reason I just can't write them. I kinda realised, pardon my language, that I don't like sucking up to the Big Guy above.

I guess I forgot one important attribute of God:
He is our loving Father.
He saves us because he loves us.
He is the loving shepherd that tenderly cares for us.

The Ottos' songs were like love songs. In fact, you can take their songs in an entirely different context if you didn't know they were singing about God, and imagine that they were singing a love songs to another lover and not God. I know. I just read through some of their lyrics.

Here's a sample of their songs.

Its Alright

It's alright
He's by my side
And He'll take good care of me
It's alright
He's on my side
And He knows my every need
He said,
Oh you of litte faith
See the sparrows in the sky
Unencumbered by the cares of the world
I feed even them
Clothe the lilies in the field
How much more to me are you worth that these
I gave my Son for you
It's alright
I'm by your side and I'll take good care of you
It's alright
I'm on your side
And I know all that you go through

If you go to church and listen to Christian songs, you'll proberlly hear the standard stuff:
"All majesty to the God of creation"
"We worship You"
"Falling before the wonder of Your name"

Yet the Ottos were singing songs that were like...love songs. Its as if God is an intimate lover.

Its important to adknowledge the majesty of God, his attributes of Holiness, Powerfulness, Sovereignty and Worthiness-to-be-praised-and-worshiped.

But I guess, sometimes we have to remember that God also came down as Jesus Christ. He loved the people around Him that He fed them, ate with them, talked to them, fratenize with them, healed them. He loved us so much he actually died a horrible death for us. A king who came down to our level? Thats much food for thought.

I guess i got inspiration to write different kind of "Christiainish" songs now. But i kinda fail as a songwriter lol.

BTW i got Melissa Otto's CD, featuring some of the songs played during service. If you want to hear it just ask nicely and say please. :) I also got the DVD.



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Yet another long winded post by Ben? I'm sorry. Heres another forced meme to make it up to those who bothered to read through this post or those who just scrolled down in boredom.


This.... is......Breakdaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaance!!!!

Ben's first proper blog post + secular music + watermelons

Blogs are for ppl to talk about their daily lives. I don't have a life so i don't blog. But what the heck.

Came to school late. I slept only for about 3 hours, because i stayed up lated to write a boring essay about secular vs Christian music to One Voice. Got scolded by a senior for sacarsm. do'h. Sincerely sorry.

I'm too lazy to talk about the article. Here is just some main points taken from the ongoing discussion:
-Everything is permissible but not everything is benificial. Cor 6:12 (this is a verse in the Bible)
-Be wary of being "demonically" influenced music, especially shock metal.
-Nothing wrong with secular music as long as it does not harm you or others

http://www.av1611.org/crock/pod.html

Here is an article about the band P.O.D, who are Christians (but not playing in the Christian music industry). But its soooo funny. The author was ranting and rating about minor points about POD. He even mis-interpret some of their quotes. But there is some truth.

But come on: Little Nicky movie is satanic? Jimi Hendrix "bloodshot eyes and messing up song sets" were demonic attacks? (its drugs lah. Thats how he died.. Theres a book warning of the danger of confusing epilepsy and scientific diseases with demonic possesion). Calvin Klein? My cousin says: This guy needs a girlfriend.

Yeah its true that POD should not support satanic bands, use occultic symbols, talk bad about conservative Christians yet promote other "filthy (his words not mine)" bands. But bottom line, they are humans who make mistakes and sins. They are not in the Christian music industry, so its okay if they feel they want to leave God out in some of their songs.

My dad asked me why they can't remove their tattoos. And he's an expert on tattoos himself... surely he knows that those tattoos, even with the best surgery, will leave uglier scars all over their bodies? "then cover them," he said. Okay, i too think that they should not brazenly display their tattoos. But you can't hide your past, just like how born agains like Neville Tan(sic?) or Glenn Lim should not hide their past. Different issue altogether.


Okay lets blog about my day.

Went to school late because of afore-mentioned article. Tried my best not to sleep in school (only had a good 3 hours rest) but for some reason i only slept 15mins in biochem.
Bad enough. 15mins overshot. Will try harder tommorrow. keep it down to *close eyes, lean down, but still awake when teacher says something important*, and then to no need of sleep at all.

Anyway as usual didnt understand anything. ate lunch and dinner. Went to management of enterprise quiz. It was hard. Went home and blogged.

See? my days are boring. So lets blogged about something else

My dad is growing watermelons!!!!!

THEY ARE LIKE SO CUTE LAH!!!!!! they are as small as marbles! But many of them died for the cause :(

But theres this survivor which is growing. Can't wait to eat him. muahaha

My brother suggested writing a blog for the watermelons.

HUH!?!?! coming from my brother its shocking.

Will consider it. Probably after tests.

Peace