Life & Faith

I have never been one for figures. In school, Mathematics was one subject I never could get my head around despite my best efforts. I put it down to being born without a “chip” found in most brains. However, I do not think that I am alone in having difficulty trying to come to terms […]

  Q: What can we do as parents to help our teenager remain sexually pure? A: Children should be introduced to age-appropriate sex education and the purpose of marriage while they’re still young. Start by creating an environment where your child feels comfortable and safe to talk about his or her life interests and concerns. […]

  These days, with so many things demanding our attention and energy, giving our focused attention to what we are doing is often a challenge. We seem to be torn in so many directions that being able to multi-task is one of the prerequisites for life today. Yet can we really be good at doing […]

  Two postings in the newspaper’s ‘Obituaries’ section caught my eye the other day. The first was for a woman in her 90s. It carried a list of her clan of 35 family members, nine of whom were great-grandchildren. Some may view this with a sense of satisfaction on her behalf – that she lived […]

At our lives’ end, how will we account for the time given to us? The Psalmist reminds us to number our days, “that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom”.   By the time you read this edition of Methodist Message, some of you would be winding down your work and activities for the year. […]

Sometimes the most insightful discoveries come at the most unexpected times. Like what happened as I was doing my weekly ironing recently. I had been puzzling over a counselling session the day before. The couple in their late thirties looked comfortable with each other. They exchanged warm smiles throughout the interview, unlike couples who are […]

A renowned couple therapist once stated that most problems faced by couples are not resolvable. This was baffling, given that it was said by someone whose career was in helping couples with their problems. Was this a statement of resignation, which came after years of facing the stark reality of seeing numerous failed relationships in spite of going for counselling? Or was it meant to be a ploy to boost the sales of his book or his model of therapy?

  The week’s news is sadly all too familiar. Suicide bombings killing dozens, hate crimes targeting places of worship and an attack on a tourist site – mass murders, all in the name of ethnic or religious cleansing. By their frequency, these horrendous acts have reached a point of banality and no longer draw a […]

However, churches do not serve only as ‘petrol stations’ or entertainment hubs where we go to fill up or be uplifted. They are also places of mutual ministry.A recent conversation over lunch with a colleague led to the topic of which church we were attending. My colleague sheepishly confessed that she had not been attending church for […]

  Be a parent who sticks with your son or daughter no matter what they’re going through. Remind them that you love him or her regardless of whether things are good or bad.   As a parent, you’ve invested your life in your child. You brought them to church, taught them everything you know about the […]

  What is your reaction when a wedding invitation arrives in your mailbox? Some see it as a chore to have to dress up to the nines or to give ‘ang pows’ that draw various hues of responses – red faces from the disappointed wedding couple when the “token” amount is just too little, or blue […]

Lightning rods or conductors don’t often draw our attention. They sit on top of every building and even on some trees marked for preservation at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. They are a protective device that seeks to channel the huge heat and electrical energy surge of a lightning strike to the ground safely. Nowhere is […]