an update to my year.. so far

To everyone out there who is still faithfully coming back to my blog now and then, and repetitively disappointed, here's a short post to show that the blogged is not abandoned, and has definitely not become a piece of "netsam" (if u get what I mean).

I know its only the start, but the year of 2008 is indeed an eventful one. Many unexpected events have taken place. More responsibilities and commitments. More opportunities for showing the love and compassion God has shown me to others, and more chances to grow in wisdom and knowledge!

I guess I asked for it. He was just answering my prayers of wanting to love and serve others more, as well as to grow in wisdom. Thats how God works I guess. He the potter and not Santa Claus. You get what you want through a painful process and not instantly, like "BAM" and you become like Mother Teresa or Albert Einstein.

Wow this is gonna be a real busy year for me. But no matter how difficult things will be, I thank God for everything because I know that at the end of it, I'll surely grow into a stronger person for his kingdom! And the best thing is that his love never fails and he is faithful forever and ever (no matter how undeserving you may be). He will guide you all the way as long as you allow Him to! Praise the Lord!


To Him be All Glory Now and Forever.

Clinical Chemistry Attachment Stint @ *GH

Hi guys!

IN case you STILL don't know, I'm currently working in the groundbreaking biomedical industry! Its like a dream come true for me since I have aspired to be a medical technologist since sec 4. And it has finally happened! A 20 week attachment stint with the biggest hospital in Singapore (I'm not mentioning names here for confidentiality issues), which seems to be providing me a guaranteed opening for a biomedical career!

Working in the clinical lab is really exciting because it is the busiest place around! (especially in a 24h routine lab where I work in.) Here, we do, general tests like basic chemistry tests (Na, K, Cl) and renal, liver, and thyroid function tests, as well as more specialized ones like tumor markers, hormones and even haemotological tests like ferritin and serum folate/ B12.

In the clinical lab, machines are man's best friends. All we have to do is sort out the samples, label and send them to their respective stations, and the people there will load the samples, press some buttons and unload after the machine has finished with the sample processing. In my workplace, patient blood specimens are stored for 3 days, after which they are discarded under strict ISO14k EMS guidlines (read up LMQA ISO14k notes). Sounds simple but thats just a brief overview of the workflow.

Immunoassays are used as the diagnostic method in most, if not all, clinical lab machines. Thus it is fundamental to understand this important principle.

Immunoassay Formats

Assays can be either heterogenous or homogenous.

Heterogenous assays require separation from a bound and unbound label and use chemoluminescence (measured by a photomultiplier in the analyzer) as the measurement method.

Homogenous assays, on the other hand, does not require separation (washing step), and uses photometry (measured by a spectrophotometer) as a common measurement method. Homogeneous assay requires the light-producing reaction to be affected in some way by binding of the ligand to its receptor. Antibody binding leads to a change in the signal measurable from a label or matter in competition for binding first the substance being measured.

So.. Which is better??

Homogeneous assays are desirable because of their simple mix-and-measure nature. This can be achieved when the key binding event (mix) modulates signal generation (measure) without the need for separating bound and unbound ligands.

However, it is far simpler to design heterogeneous assays in which labeled binding pair complexes are separated from unbound labeled reactants. Most chemiluminescent reactions can be adapted to this assay format, by labeling either with a chemiluminescent compound or with an enzyme and using a chemiluminescent substrate. Most commercially developed immunoassays are of this type.

Diagrams (click to enlarge)
Homogenous Assay of Thyroxine



Heterogenous Immunoassay of Prolactin



(University of Glasgow, 1996)


Thats all folks! Have an exciting 17 weeks ahead!

27th January 2007- Tribute to Ps Aaron

From Pastor to friend to brother- The closest Pastor one can ever have

It was a day to be remembered for all. The day where no one expected to come- at least not so soon. One of his last sentences was, "I missed my mark."

Much preparation has been made for this day. I guess I missed the pre-parade segment. But at least I didn't miss the excitement of the actual party.

6.30pm, I arrived in CCR. I was half-an hour late, even though my father "chauffered" me due to the light rain. On retrospect, the rain seemed like drops of tears from heaven, as if God was also weeping with all of us..

As I entered the 3rd floor, I found that all the food was ready, the people hungry but just something or somebody was missing. Who else but the one this whole event was planned for? It was a thanksgiving dinner for our beloved youth pastor- Pastor Aaron.

I began catching up with my fellow brothers-in-christ and suddenly, a wave of restlessness spread among the people. Before I could say anything, I heard someone whispering, "Shh! He'll be here any moment!" I looked at the doorway and saw the doorway blocked by a huge sheet of paper with a nicely-drawn picture of a ferocious tiger displaying its array of razor-sharp teeth.

After what seemed like hours, but actually minutes, of waiting, we finally saw the shadow of a pair of legs behind the sheet of paper. A curious pair of eyes peeped through the tiny slit in the middle of the canine's snaring mouth. Before we knew it, "SPLAAAAT" and the man of the night has broken his way through our "solid" defence of a piece of paper. It was too fast even for the camera-men to jam the shuttlers. The man was poised for danger.. but nothing came. And as the sound of cheering, laughing and clapping filled the air, a smile which grew wider and wider through time flashed across his face. It was certainly a hilarious yet unique way to kick-start the party.

An opening prayer was said before we started feasting. And after that we had a great choir performance by some youth members, who formed the choir group in January... 2007. Meaningful lyrics. Forgot the actual words but it said that no matter how the paths of fellow christians may diverge on Earth, someday they will still converge up in Heaven. A video presentation with most members sharing about their experiences and thanksgiving speeches to Bro Aaron was then screened. Some were funny, some creative and some outright serious. My belonged to the last group. Doesn't matter I guess.. As long as it came from the heart.

Finally, an open time of sharing preceeded, where the time was opened to anybody who wanted to share an testimonies of the things he has.. or rather God has done through him. Many heartwarming things were said. And some sharings almost moved me to tears. To my surprise, I found that Aaron wasn't just a brother to me, but to all alike. He was always there for everyone, instinctively and proactively. If everyone were to give an account of what he has done for them, I guess we can start with the next day's youth service in no time. He was an example of well-formed love. Love that is patient, kind, not easily angered, not self-seeking, not boastful and love that keeps no record of wrongs. And no one could deny that they couldn't see Jesus in him. I thought: If this is just a fraction of God's love, then how amazing His love actually is! And how much thankful should we be for his love, which is higher than the highest mountains and deeper the the deepest seas!

Just when I thought the party was over, the climax of the event came. Aaron was invited onto the stage to say "a few" words. Some of us, especially the sisters were already tearing or with eyes swollen. An emotional Aaron began to speak. He began by recounting his NS days were he would look at his watch after his 2.4km run, with disappointment.. because he missed his mark.

And that, he said, was what he was feeling at that very moment.

He continued on to explain how hopeless the ministry was when he first stepped in. A desert of spiritual dryness among the people.. A dying ministry.. A great deception.. by none other than the Prince of Hades himself. Satan has sowed the greatest lie of all time in most of the older youths, that Hearts on Fire will never make it big. It will forever be that "insignificant youth ministry" opposite a grand mega church. It suddenly dawned upon me that this was so true! As I searched through the archives of the things I had said about my church, I realize that I always used words like "a very small church" or "you won't know one la, even if I tell you" or "that one lo, opposite lighthouse church". I never or rarely said "Chapel of Christ the Redeemer" with pride. Looks like its a subtle attitude that indirectly but potently suppresses our morales and spiritual motivation. And it has to, and will go.

Aaron went on to share how he struggled with this issues, including the really emotional parts which left him immobilized in speech. The humility he demonstrated far-surpasses any other I've ever seen. He never hides his emotions and is frank with us even to specific issues he is struggling with. Yup, even though he is our Pastor. Right at that moment, he was struggling to open his mouth, but the words just won't come out. Tears streamed from his eyes instead. Soon he was sobbing like I've never seen before. I dare not and couldn't bear to look furthur. I turned away and found many others whipping out tissues or rubbing their eyes. But I couldn't stop the sounds of my dear weeping brother from entering my ears. I felt the tears welling and cilliary muscles twitching... And before long, thankfully, he moved on to a more light-hearted issue and everybody began to cheer up. "Phew.." I heaved a sigh of relief. I didn't mind crying, just that there must at least be some people crying with me! =P

After the whole event, I personally thanked Aaron for his love and concern for me, his prayers and his encouragements. If not for his prayers, my wounds may not have healed so quickly. Yep.. the ones caused by the lovebite from an exceptionally passionate Siberian Husky, that landed me in CGH with 4 nice stitches for Christmas.

As I walked home, I thanked God for such a blessing in my life. No doubt an angel in disguise. I reflected and asked God how I could be used like him, to show care and concern, so as to bless those around me. God revealed to me that I should reach out to those closest to me first- my family! He directed me to hold regular bible study together as a family so we can grow in Christ together, keep each other accountable and bridge better relationships! Praise the Lord for a christian family! Not forgetting my granny, whom I really should cherish and talk to more often. Hopefully I can persuade her to find some christian friends to minister to her. His grace is sufficient for me!

The most important lesson through this is to never take people for granted. I must admit that it is only recently that I started cherishing Aaron. Then I realise that I had been taking my parents, as well as many important people around me for granted too. Only when they are gone will I see their importance. And like in this case, it is a little too late. It is, however, comforting to know that God has a plan for him, in his best interests. Also, its not his obituary so he's still always a call, email or sms away. Just that we won't get to see each other so often anymore. Hopefully Disciple Group wil resume. Or will the responnsibilty be handed over to us instead? That will be another story for another day..

Brother Aaron, just want you to know that u didn't miss the mark. You've done God proud by reaching out to almost each one of us (a great feat indeed!), strengthening the very foundations of Hearts on Fire. This will certainly have far-reaching effects on a ministry which was once dry, but now with renewed hope and vigour in Christ our Saviour.

Praise the Lord, you are such a blessing to all of us at Hearts on Fire!

2nd October 2006- Confessing our Sins

Run to God
By Kenneth Copeland

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
–(1 John 1:9)

It's wonderful to know you've been set free from the law of sin and death. It's glorious to know you never again have to submit to the slavery of sin. But what do you do when, in spite of those wonderful, glorious truths, you still miss the mark? What do you do when you stumble and fall into sin?

Run to your Father and repent!

That sounds simple. But oddly enough we often do just the opposite. Instead of running to God, we let fear and guilt drive us further and further from Him. We start thinking things like, "Well, I've missed it now. I might as well forget the rest of it and live like the devil."

Don't make that mistake. Don't let Satan talk you into sinning in one area of your life just because you missed it in another. When you get off track with God, just confess it and get right back on.

"But, Brother Copeland, I feel so guilty when I tell God what I've done that it's hard for me to make myself do it." I know. I used to feel that way too. Then, one day, God said to me, "Kenneth, when you confessed that sin wasn't when I found out about it. I knew about it all the time! When you confessed it is when you got rid of it, when you were cleansed of its effects in your life."

When you make a mistake, when you miss the mark, remember, you have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1). Run to Him! He knows what you are going through. You don't need to be afraid. He didn't tear you apart for the sins you committed before you made Him Lord of your life, did He? Then how much more merciful and loving do you think He'll be now that you're His own? Now that you're reaching out for Him and have a heart for Him?

Don't run from God. Run to Him. Receive His forgiveness. Receive His cleansing. No matter how badly you've sinned, He's eager to forgive and to cleanse you of all unrighteousness.

_____________________________________________

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 11:1-5, 2 Samuel 12:1-13"

1. 2 Samuel 11:1-5

11:1
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
11:2
One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
11:3
and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"
11:4
Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
11:5
The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant."


2. 2 Samuel 12:1-13

12:1
The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
12:2
The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,
12:3
but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
12:4
"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
12:5
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
12:6
He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."
12:7
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
12:8
I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.
12:9
Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
12:10
Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
12:11
"This is what the Lord says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.
12:12
You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"
12:13
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
New International Version

Why worry when you can Meditate?

Why worry when you can meditate?
by John Fischer

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2)

I’m a chronic worrier. I come from a long line of worriers. A good deal of my conscious time is taken up with the act of worrying. According to Rick Warren, this means I would be good at meditation.

Meditation is focused thinking. It is not just for monks and clerics. David said that he loved to meditate day and night on the Word of God. Now this was also while he was running a kingdom, fighting a perpetual enemy on the battlefield, and at times, running for his life. He didn’t have a lot of time to sit with his legs crossed and go “Ommmmmm.” That kind of meditation is meant to clear the mind of all thoughts. Biblical meditation is thinking focused on a particular aspect of God, a part of God’s Word, or a reminder of what he has done for you.

Worry is focused thinking as well. It’s focused on what I can’t answer or solve about my situation. Worry, at least for me, is returning over and over again to a place where I am stuck. I must somehow negatively feed on that little flutter of panic each time I follow a path of worry to the same hopeless conclusion. These are thoughts that accompany me throughout the day. I don’t sit down to worry. Worry is nagging negativity.

It would stand to reason that if I can do this kind of professional worrying while I go about my tasks for the day, then I could choose to meditate on God’s Word instead. Worry is usually all about what you can’t do anything about anyway. It’s never productive. Imagine all that attention turned to God and his truth.

I have the feeling that if I learned to turn my chronic worrying into meditation, when I did actually sit down to do something about those things I’m tempted to worry about, I might be in a much better frame of mind to find a solution.

Try it today. If you catch yourself worrying, turn your thoughts instead to God and his Word. Take a portion of Scripture and turn it over and over in your mind. Remember what God has done for you. Be thankful.

Why worry when you can meditate?

23th August 2006- Patience to "Want nothing".

No Consolation Prize
By Kenneth Copeland

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

I talk a lot about faith. But there's another force that goes along with it that's just as important. It's patience, the ability to stand fast on the Word of God even when your victory seems slow in coming.

Patience is not automatic. It won't go to work unless you let it go to work. So many people don't understand that. They somehow think faith and patience will go to work for them without their help. They just let the devil tear their lives apart and then they say silly things like, "Well, I guess God sent that trial to strengthen my faith."

Don't you ever get caught saying that!

In the first place, James says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God" (James 1:13). And in the second place, that trial isn't going to make your faith stronger. In fact, it'll destroy it if you'll let it.

If I were to give you a set of weights, would that set of weights make you any stronger? No. As a matter of fact, if you dropped one of them on your foot, you could end up painfully weaker. It's what you do with them that counts, right?

Well, the same thing is true when you run into some kind of trying circumstance the devil's brought your way. If you just lay down and let it run over you, it will damage you. But if you'll let patience have her perfect work, if you'll remain consistently constant, trusting in and relying confidently on the Word of God, you'll end up perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

"Wanting nothing." That phrase alone should convince you that patience is no consolation prize. It's a first-rate power that will put the promises of God within your reach. It's a force that will make a winner out of you.

______________________________________________

Scripture Reading (Genesis 26:15-22):

26:15
So all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth.
26:16
Then Abimelech said to Isaac, "Move away from us; you have become too powerful for us."
26:17
So Isaac moved away from there and encamped in the Valley of Gerar and settled there.
26:18
Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham, which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham died, and he gave them the same names his father had given them.
26:19
Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there.
26:20
But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's herdsmen and said, "The water is ours!" So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him.
26:21
Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah.
26:22
He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, "Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land."
New International Version

13th August 2006- One Heart, one spirit, one mind!

Heart to Heart
By Gloria Copeland

Isn't it exciting to realize that you can hold the thoughts and feelings and purposes of God's very own heart in your heart? Isn't it thrilling to know the Creator of heaven and earth wants to be one spirit with you and transmit His thoughts to your mind?

First Corinthians 6:17 says that when you were joined to the Lord you became one spirit with Him. He came into union with you so that He can talk to you heart to heart. God wants you in this harmony with Him so that His thoughts can become your actions. He wants you to walk so closely with Him that you never lack power to overcome the evil of this world. He wants you to be so in tune with His Spirit that you are able to feel His heart of compassion toward those around you who are hurting or bowed down with sickness and pain. He wants to be one with you, so He can reach out through your hands and fulfill His purposes in the earth.

Make a fresh commitment today to walk in union with your God. Give your attention to His Spirit in your inner man. Determine to yield to His voice and not to the voices of the world or the flesh!

Allow the mind of Christ to flow through you!
_____________________________________________

Scripture Reading (1 Corinthians 2):

1 When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- 10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: 16 "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" 16 But we have the mind of Christ.
New International Version
_____________________________________________