Gender Analyzer

Insert blog into Gender Analyzer and extract result:

We think http://solideohonoria.blogspot.com/ is written by a man (65%).

Books for 100th post!

To celebrate the blog's 100th post, Desiring God Ministries are giving away books for free!

So kind...

Abandoned Student Profile Picture '09

And here's a picture that didn't make it into the college magazine:

Mopping up the Mess

My friendship crises are mostly passed its denouement ["haw haw haw"] and into its end stage. If you'll indulge me a little longer...

Like the proverbial janitor, I'm mopping up the mess. Part of this is involves looking at the unsettling things that have floated up to the surface.

Among them were my animate idols. The revelation of some friendships was shocking. It wasn't just the friends who turned out to be parasites who let me down. The good friends who whole-hearted offered help fell short of being an adequate support. I couldn't lay my burdens on any one person. This meant that of my loving friends, I went to one for sympathy, another for practical advice, one for wisdom, another for hugs, one for reality checks, another for comic relief, etc. I'm very thankful that God's generously surrounded me with true friends who love me so deeply. But I often felt very lonely. The friendship safety net wasn't strong enough for such a fall. As excellent and godly friends as they are, I relied on them more than I should. They are only humans, limited in understanding, time and power. It's a grave mistake and unfair to expect friends to be the "you" in Psalm 139. Only God can and should provide true comfort and satisfaction.

Another ugly thing that surfaced was my reaction. When I feel like a victim, I pretend that it's excuseable to do ungodly things: slander, whinge, be embittered, wallow in self-pity, love justice more than mercy, withhold forgiveness, be judge. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay", thus sayeth Honoria.

Trials show up what (still) needs to go. Oh, that God would take every thought captive (a la 2 Cor 10:5)!

Abandoned Student Profile '09

For a year I planned to submit this profile to our college student magazine / yearbook / prayer list / ministry employment classifieds / dating catalogue. But I relented last minute. 

Time to leave the salt shaker! To go where to places with a lower concentration of salt.

Salt is used to enhance taste, preservation, cleansing and healing. But most crucially, many people are dying of hyponatremia, in many states and countries.

On the other hand, a high concentration of salt can cause high blood pressure and cardiac complications, fragile bones, coma and death! Also, salinisation could devastate crop growth, reduce biodiversity and damage infrastructure.

"You are the salt of the earth!" (Matthew 5:13)

Time to leave the salt shaker?

Bacon Explosion

This made me laugh and laugh and laugh.

Warning: contents may be offensive to vegetarians & vegans, Jews & Muslims and cardiologists.

Phoenix Talons & Ginseng

Warren chatted cheerfully about my sister (his colleague) and his family's migration from South Africa, as I sat numbly in the spearmint green dental chair, open mouthed, open to the possibility of a painful or good extraction. You wouldn't have guessed by his light manner, but he's the best in the biz. But still, one cheek twitch from me, one instrument slip and I'd be a goner.

My top wisdom teeth had come through straight and were even being useful. Good wizzies can stay.

However, my two lower wisdom decided to grow diagonally, steadfastly head-butting the dignified molars in front, who stayed straight. A dormant dental danger. They crowded the joynt. They posed an infection risk. They had to go.

Warren started on the left one to loosen it up, his wrist tendons in perfect tension. But they put up a fight. Teeth can't dig in their heels, so they grow little hooks at the end the root to protest against extraction. His lovely assistant sent for a special instrument from CSSD. As he waited, he went to work, gripping the right tooth driving it in a circular motion with just a little tilt...

*Crack!*

That was on purpose.

The right one had to came out in pieces because of the 3 roots, a long, thick, curved root, and two shorter roots, one with a wiley hook. I dub thee: Phoenix Talon.

I meant to say "WoW! Thanks!!" to express appreciation, but it came out sounding like "OoO! Anfh!!" because of the utensils and anesthetics in my mouth.

Warren: 1
Wizzies: 0


The left tooth lost its nerve and conceded defeat. It came one in one piece minutes after the right. Lefty also had a thick root, and two others, but the little hook on it was less gripping. It shall be known as Ginseng (pictured).

South Africa had trained Warren well, with its high HIV infection rate and its frantic working schedule. Even formidable Phoenix Talon and great Ginseng took less than an hour.

The dental nurse gushed with genuine admiration. "He makes it look so easy!! He got it out without cutting bone, even though yours were really bad!" she beamed.

And because of that, my cheeks didn't puff up any more than usual. Also, I didn't lose any sleep. Within days I came off pain-killers and was onto exam study.

Thank you, Warren!