The Importance Of Being Earnest

I am very very very excited, because I am now part of a theatre company Candlelight Production (stroll down and you'll see the details and the photos of some behind-the-scenes shots from our first cast and crew get-together, the 'Cucumber Social').

This new show is called "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST" - The Complete Bunbury Experience.

It's Oscar Wilde's classic, but combined with a whole 19th century experience for the audience - ballroom dancing, croquet, cucumber sandwiches... It promises to be a lot of fun and we're all pretty excited about it.

August 16th - Sept 1st
Memorial Hall in Hawthorn, Melbourne.

Book it in! Tickets go on sale soon - you can book it through the website, or contact me personally. For those of you not in Australia, I am so sorry that you'll miss out (unless you want to fly to Melbourne to see this wonderful production. Trust me, it'll be worth it hehe).

watch www.myspace.com/candlelight_productions for more info
or email your contact details to info@candlelightproductions.com.au to be
kept in the loop.

Biblical Prophecies Fulfilled

We are living in the days when Biblical prophecy is like reading the newspaper. Everyday prophecies are being fulfilled left, right and centre.

Few of these prophecies include:

(1)Israel becoming a nation (1948)
(2)Jerusalem recaptured (1967)
(3)The world is heading towards a cashless society
(4)Global climate change
(5)Instability, lawlessness (immorality and violence)
(6)Heading towards one word-religion & one-world-government
(7)The Gospel being preached around the world.

These are just a few signs fulfilling Biblical prophecies. Those who are spiritually minded can read the signs of the times because their mind has been exercised with spiritual things. Believe it or not! We are living in exciting times! This is the best time to be alive. The prophets of old and the apostles would have loved to be around now.

Remember, the Bible says, "those who know their God will do great exploits" (Daniel 11:32). Those who make themselves available, they will experience the supernatural power and ability of God flowing through them (Psalm 110:2-3). This is the great commission (not omission) regarding winning souls for God.

What Is the Meaning Of The Pirates?

I watched the Pirates 1 & 2 on DVDs last week, and then the latest one in the cinema on Monday. After watching it, I asked myself, were there spiritual implications or religious ideas of the films?

After thinking through it, I understood that there were a number of spiritual issues portrayed in the movies, such as hell, fear of death, fear of judgment, and eternal life. The movies talk about the different ways that people 'imperil' their souls (both explicit and subtly implied). Hell & publishment were portrayed as a fate worse than death. One insight is that it's extremely important for us to guard our immortal soul because, eventually, we will give account for it. I reckon these movies represent a great opportunity to ask about the state of people's souls, and what our response should be to God's tremendous gift.

I am reminded to take care of my soul, respond to God's gift of eternal life and His amazing grace and unconditional love. There is no possession in this world valuable enough to warrant risking my soul. Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" It's true that nothing physical on earth will make the final journey with us anyway.

What do you think?

The Trouble With Paris

During Living Room, we have watched the four-week DVD on "The Trouble With Paris", which talks about popular culture, consumerism, hyper-reality, reality and God's reality.

Media, marketing and advertising have a lot of impact upon our lives, dreams, values and expectations. So how are we supposed to live out our faith in a world like this? Some good questions are explored in this DVD, which keep me thinking. Eg: where do I find contentment and happiness, in a society where hyper-reality is often portrayed as the ideal? How do we as Christians express our faith in a meaningful and relevant way? How is Christianity related to a consumer world?

Miss Saigon

I went and saw Miss Saigon on Saturday. It was simply excellent. The music, singing, acting, stage settings, props, costumes were all first-class. I like this musical production even better than Beauty & the Beast and Phantom of the Opera.

The production is set in the background of the Vietnam war during the final days of the American occupation of Saigon, Vietnam. MISS SAIGON is a romantic love story between a young Vietnamese woman who is working in a Saigon nightclub, and American GI. The American Army fled Saigon a few years later, so the soldier have returned to America and believing MISS SAIGON is dead. He was depressed for a whole year, and finally moved on to marry an American woman. When told that MISS SAIGON has borne him a son, and is alive and living in Bangkok, the soldier and his wife go to Bangkok. MISS SAIGON is desperate for her son to have a future in America with his father and is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to achieve this hope. The story ends tragically, but beautifully as well.

I highly recommend anyone to see it.

Marketing

George Silverman, author & marketing expert said, "Marketing is not something you do to people, it’s something you do for people. Marketing is the service of helping people make the best possible decision."

I find this quote meaningful. I love it and what it stands for. As a marketer, I love to help others to make best possible decisions. I believe that the term "marketing" isn’t just for marketers. It’s a part of our everyday lives. We are all marketers on some level; whether we are selling our ideas to our school or work board, local church or in front of a group at our office, the truth is, virtually every interaction we have has an element of marketing. The only marketing that works effectively is that which helps people make informed decisions.

What do you think?