Singlehood

An open letter to my friends who are single

Dear friends, I know what it’s like to be single. Now that I’m on the other side, I need to tell you that it’s not all a bed of roses. I need to tell you that there are good and...

Family

How to honour your dad when it’s hard to love him

Some of us have a wonderful relationship with our dads. Your childhood might have been filled with warm memories of him and you’re deeply assured of his love for you. Some of us, however, have a...

Dating

When how you love is shaped by Korean dramas, don’t expect a happy ending

“Valentine’s Day is coming. Again.” My friends were lamenting about their lack of plans for that most dreaded event of the year for singles. I answered almost immediately, “Well, we could...

Family

You have an audience with your relatives once a year. Don’t waste it

Chinese New Year, in the recent few years, has become a season of poignant reflection for me. It was during Chinese New Year that I saw my grandmother and grandfather for the last time, in 2011 and...

Family

Ready to louhei? Toss to the JOY of family

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: CHINESE NEW YEAR EDITION On the seventh day of Chinese New Year, we put down our calorie-filled jars and pause for a salad – yusheng or louhei – salad, the Chinese way. The...

Relationships

The most unequal yoke of all

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) A yoke is an contraption...

Church Life

Solving the muddle of the Holy Huddle

Quick, count how many Christian friends you have. Now count how many non-Christian friends you have. Chances are, the former outnumber the latter. Christians often use the concept of “in but not of...

Singlehood

Give me marriage or give me death, I told God

When I was 27, I left everything I had and knew in Singapore to pursue God’s calling for me as a missionary in Japan. On the morning of my 28th birthday, I sat in a cafe in Tokyo, and wrote in my...

Relationships

The quest for true love

“I love the bak chor mee here!”  “I think I’m in love!” “God loves you!” Any of these phrases familiar to you? Thanks to pop culture, loose usage of the word “love” has cheapened...