My Journal

Microsoft planning to unify all apps (ie. Outlook client) into the web. I felt it, told people about it at work, also because I got sick of them having problem with Outlook clients and not knowing how to use it, so that they will just use the web version instead, easier and more user friendly to use. Now I googled and found the proof, rather than just my "I think MS is retiring Outlook client."

On the deeper thinking of King David's sin. Many have believed this, that it was a heinous crime what David did to Uriah. Took his wife, killed him by the sword of another. Though the context is not as evil as it sounds, David had nonetheless sinned likewise. He broke the trust of a brother. He disobeyed the 10 commandments. But that is as deep as most would prefer to go. They may recognize but they do not truly see that there are also idolatry (not just of self) and destruction of Godly things (not about the commandments). On idolatry, David put women on the pedestal, one which would somewhat be inherited by Solomon as well. They worshipped...women, beauty. Both are blessings of God, yet not to be taken as idols. On destruction, David's desire in what God created to be beautiful was so strong that he failed to see past a woman's quality, value and dignity. Many in the Old Testament don't. I'm not advocating for feminism here, but such discrimination on women is the unfortunate cause of feminism. There is a paradox on how we treat beauty and sex, the aesthetic of God. We either do it sinfully, or do it with the signature Soli Deo Gloria. Some do it with shame because they deny that they believe God is perverse (destroying beautiful things of God in self desire), some do it shamelessly because they worshipped the beautiful things of God, while there are the few, who do it in God's full glory. The last one, is what many missed and have become fools in their own arguments.

On Copyright: I've stood against the notion of intellectual property, because for it to be a property, it must be able to be lost. Intellectual property does not have such property, it can be copied, but not lost. They would argue that there is a "POTENTIAL" lost of profit, that is completely irrelevant. Compared to China, the Americans love their moral high ground on copyright matters. But are they really ethical? Or just greedy? Or just greedy and self-righteous? For example, Michael Keller uses his father's Tim Keller Facebook account to post tweets without identifying himself, so that everyone would think that it's Tim Keller's and treated as if it's from Tim Keller. Despite the little disclaimer "my son posts here as well...", they think they could just get away from misleading people. Question is, why wouldn't Michael Keller posts his on his own? Because he's not famous enough?

This past Sunday School, while touching on Works (Chapter 16 of WCF), I checked with the pastor if Catholicism would refute the fact that all our good works are ONLY to the merit of God, the Holy Spirit. @21:00. It expanded to a long discussion from everyone including the pastor own mother who usually do not talk much about Roman Catholic beliefs on the subject. There was also a discussion of whether mortal sin = unforgivable sin (eternal sin), which is not. A quick search today in Roman Catholics theology: Mortal sin: Intentional sin vs. Venial sin: less intentional, weaker sin. Mortal sin requires special treatment rather than just simple confession for Catholicism. I think C was right about missing church as a mortal sin in RC.

On that same Sunday, Phil then confronted Nadia and I on which of us played the piano, because he remembered the white piano in our house. Because of the gifts of good works being mentioned in Sunday School, he thought I could play. Which is a coincident when we realized that that day, we had no pianists, and Phil wasn't even aware of it. So after talking to Phil again after service and promised and did talk to the pastor about me playing the piano. This coming Sunday, I would be, as I hinted in my suggestion, auditioned by the pastor by playing a few pieces. Now come to think of it, I should tell the pastor to only place me as back up pianist, as I cannot just play like the other two, whose rehearsal need is less than 5 minutes contrasting my 1 - 2 day minimum. With fear and trembling in a good way I told the pastor and Phil. Hope they don't take it the wrong way, it's not about anxiety. It's from Philippians 2:12, when I came across it during the Sunday School using verse references in the WCF version that I downloaded on my phone (no internet during Sunday School basement). The WCF with verse references is incredibly helpful, I wish those verses were added to the discussions.