You probably experienced "Inception" without even knowing it.

Hello, to you, nobody in particular.

So if you have not already watched the movie "Inception" you are missing out on one good movie and I would go so far as to guess that you are probably caught in a dream within a dream that is within a dream and it's time to wake up and watch the movie.

Personally, there are two concepts in the movie that I find really interesting. First, is the idea of being completely sentient and "conscious" in a dream. I don't know if people can actually be dreaming and have a consciousness that is not separate from their "awake"-self. Usually when I dream, some of my awake-memories become part of the consciousness of my dream-self but then there are also the dream-memories. For example, if I have a particular dream where I am a superhero, I just know that I am superhero. I am aware that I can fly and I have powers because of my dream-memories. The movie presents the concept of people using technology to go inside a dream with their awake-memories intact and thus are able to be in full consciousness whilst unconscious (sleeping). Paradoxical, I know. That's why it's so interesting.

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about is the second interesting concept and that is the idea of the shared dream. Through the device they use in the movie (that thing in the briefcase), the characters enter the same dream and in essence experience a shared fantasy - a collective illusion. Everyone is aware that they are in a dream world and they undergo experiences in the dream as a collective group. They all know that the dream world is fake, but while they are in the dream, the dream becomes their reality for the time that they are in it.

In the past few months, me and some of my NTU Caregroup mates have come to the conclusion that many people go through an "Inception" experience and they might not even realize it. We believe that people often experience the second concept: Experiencing a shared imaginary reality.

You have probably experienced this. No? Ask yourself, when was the last time you experienced an imaginary "reality" with a group of other people? If you think you have never experienced such a thing, let me ask you another question. When was the last time you played a game?

One game that is trending right now for some reason that is beyond me is Monopoly Deal. Ever heard of it? Monopoly Deal is a card game and players win the game by being the first person to complete a certain number of property sets. In essence, everyone is pretending to be a wealthy person who goes around buying property. They collect imaginary rent from imaginary properties and gain imaginary moolah. They even have imaginary birthdays!

What about chess? A two-player game where the objective of each kingdom is to defeat the other kingdom by chasing the other king around a "battlefield". For the moment that the two players play the game, they experience the imaginary reality that they are the strategists of the white or black kingdoms in a never-ending battle. Ever since the game was created, the black and white armies have fought numerous battles and until now, as people continue to play the game, the battle continues. Oh, poor black and white kingdoms.

Just today, along with some of my NTU CG mates, we were owners of a deep sea treasure hunting company in a game called "Key Largo" and later on, Musketeers in the service of the King of France in a game called "Mousquetaires du Roy". On some days I am a Sheriff, Deputy, Outlaw or Renegade in the wild west themed game "BANG!".

If you ever played a board game, computer game, card game, or even some physical games (Freeze and Melt, Dog & Bone, etc.) then you have had a kind of "Inception" experience where you go through a imagined, pretend, make-believe, or what have you reality. Although the degree of a person's immersion into an imagined reality varies from game to game (or even person to person), it is the essence of experiencing a collective, imaginary reality that comes close to the "Inception" experience.

Have you had an "Inception" today?

Walk As If...

Probably already a new favorite New Creation Church phrase. "Walk as if..."

Whatever you are trusting God for, if His Word says you already have it, already paid for by Jesus' finished work then walk as if you have it.

Some sharing from Pastor Joseph Prince's sermon on 31st October 2010...

Pastor Prince shared from Mark 11:24 (NKJV) - Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Believing comes first and then the receiving. I didn't not realize that there was such a drastic difference when put into that perspective. Personally, it was more of ask and believe and you will have. I missed out the full phrase: "believe that you receive". Even when you do not have it yet, believe that you receive.

Do not go by feelings but go by faith. Most of the time when we ask, we tend to try and feel out whether we have already received. For example, when we believe for a healing, after we pray, we start feeling our body for that pain or symptom and if the feeling is still there, it's easy to believe that we have not received. But the verse says "believe that you receive" - feelings has nothing to do with it. God lives in the realm of faith, not feelings.

Feelings are good, feelings can be enjoyed but do not be led by feelings. Go by faith.

In God's perspective, we already have what we ask because He is able to see beyond our present situation. That is why He was able to call Abraham a father of many nations because God saw him already receiving the blessing even though at that moment, Abraham and Sarah were without child.

We are in faith when we begin to see things as how God sees it. We proclaim in faith when we proclaim what is true from God's perspective, not what the natural circumstances are saying.

Walk as if you already have what you pray for because in God's eyes, you already have it.

A Walk to Remember (nothing to do with the movie of the same name, though that is one that I highly recommend watching if you have not yet done so...)

At first I was thinking of making a comeback by posting up a short story that I submitted for my creative writing module but after today's Arrow Service I felt that my short story can come another time.

I guess this comes at a time when I had a bit of reflection. I thought back of when I started sharing what I received from hearing the preaching of the word, and why I stopped. The reasons are few, (laziness, FaceBook and Twitter, to name a few). But I feel that it's time to get it started again. *play Black Eyed Peas' "Let's Get It Started Now" in the background*

It's time to remind myself again that the best way to remember something, is to share it. As I share it, I will begin to walk in it, and I really want this walk of life to be one that I will enjoy and will be worth the remembering.

For any friends who happen to read this and are not familiar with my-this-kind-of blog post, I encourage you to sit in and "listen" if you have the time. If there's anything that you do not understand, feel free to ask me about it, if not in person, then through the numerous ways of communication that is now available to us. =)

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I've heard it a countless-zillion times before: Speak out what you believe and you will see what you speak out. It's not something new to many of us but as of now I realize that I have not been really applying it.

We are King-Priests, a Royal-Priesthood, these terms have become familiar that I have forgotten what it really means. It has remained as head knowledge all these years. I do not want it to be that way anymore.

TODAY IS THE DAY OF CHANGE! *speaking out as I type* I will walk in everything that Jesus' death paid for me to have, for everything that Daddy God wants me to enjoy and I know that Jesus came to give me life and life more abundantly. Even when challenges come, setbacks, disappointments, I know that He causes all of it to work together for my good. My days are going to get brighter and brighter!

(The following sharing will be a mash up of whatever I have written today from Pastor Benjamin's sharing. They may or not be verbatim. There are also Bible verse references here and there so it would be good to have your Bible, iBible, or online Bible handy to see the verses for yourself.)

It is what you speak in your life that changes it. The authority of speaking comes from remembering your identity in Christ. You are a child of God and as a child of God, you are a royal-priesthood.

Royalty. (See Ecclesiastes 8:4) Kings do not beg, they simply speak. When you speak, know that you have the whole of Heaven backing up your words. So be careful what you speak! Choose to speak good and not just refrain from speaking negatively.

Priesthood. (See Leviticus 27:11-14) In ancient times, the priest was the one who gives a value to things by their word. If they say that something is of good value, then no one can say otherwise. God's Word says that you are His beloved! Do not let possessions, circumstances, or what other people say set your value. As a priest, set and speak a value over yourself based on God's Word.

1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light"

Understand your identity and it will give you authority.

Know that your world will follow your word.

Speak into your situations, your relationships, your family, your studies, your work. As you speak, be conscious of God in your life.

What you say is very important (see James 3:2-8). In verse 8 it says that no man can tame the tongue but praise Jesus that he has already tamed it for us. Only through knowing that we have Jesus that we can begin to tame the tongue. He knows what we go through (see Hebrews 4:14-16) and can relate to what we go through and he already has a word for whatever situation we are facing, go and search it out in the Word!

"Your success and usefulness in this world will be measured by your and your tenacity to hold fast to that confession." - F.F. Bosworth

When you begin to speak out, remember that Jesus is involved. Simply by knowing that it is through Jesus' finished work that we can receive whatever we confess, that is faith. Faith cannot be apart from Jesus.

Begin to apply this practically. Come up with a list of confessions that are in line with God's Word. Write it down if you have to, speak over yourself everyday!

Believe with me that through Him, I will be able to really apply all this and if it is something that you want for your life too, then I will believe together with you. Let's learn to speak good into our lives, amen?

I Might Be Weird But...

... reading the course description for one of the modules that I got has put me in a state of exticipation!

"This course introduces creative writing through the practices of writing, reading and collaborative critical response. We will work with poetry, fiction and multimedia texts (which include performance writing, graphic novels, artist books and electronic word art). Each unit is designed to foster skills in language and creativity that can be applied beyond the given genre and beyond the classroom. In particular, we will work towards greater understanding and control of language's material presence, its referential power, and the relationships between content, form and reception. Students will be introduced to a range of composition processes intended to stimulate frequent and adventurous writing, and will be encouraged to make disciplined and inventive use of the revision process. They will also develop their abilities to create and participate in a fertile writing community."

School starts tomorrow!