Playing God again

So by now, everyone would have read the article in Friday’s Straits Times, entitled, “Freezing eggs could reverse falling birth rate”.

Friday, 16th March 2012, Straits Times

There are so many things that are wrong with this idea that I don’t even know where to begin! Yes, on the surface, this makes sense. But the Bible warns us TWICE that :

“There is a way that seems right to a man. But its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25.

It seems ok, it seems logical, it seems to provide the best of both worlds to young ambitious ladies. But is it? What is the price to pay?

As I read through the article, I notice that it very positive things to say about the proposal – naturally. It briefly mentioned the cons : the “hassle” of harvesting the eggs and the financial outlay. No one said anything really bad about it except to say that “the best way is for women to conceive naturally at a young age.”

Hmmm????

What about the side effects of artificially stimulating the ovaries to produce enough eggs to harvest and freeze? Ovarian cancer anyone? And what will happen to the eggs if the women choose not to have babies in the end?

Isn’t it a sad state of affairs that we have become so materialistic and consumer minded that a life is only to be had when convenient and to be thrown away when it isn’t? Are our careers, the pursuit of financial success so much more important?

Of course we can always justify to ourselves and everyone around us about how this child would be really, really wanted and not just an accident, etc, etc, etc…But really? Who are we kidding? We want it all on our terms don’t we?

We want to play God so that our lives are easy and pleasant. But we are not God. There is a price to pay for choosing to play God. Remember :

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:7-8

Have we wasted our education?

Straits Times, 14 March 2012

I was reading this article  and this sentence caught my eye, “The truth is that Singapore cannot afford to forgo what trained manpower it has built with considerable state investment.”

Yep! That is the truth of the matter. The government has to do all it can to either entice the women to stay on or return to in the workforce because it has invested waaay too much money in us – educating us for a minimum of 6 years to 16 years (from Primary 1 to a 4 year University programme) through our highly subsidized education.

I am not blaming it at all. It has to do what it can to get the country up to speed to compete for jobs and business in an increasing competitive world stage. But I am afraid society at large think that way too. Hands up those who have been told that they have wasted their education by being a SAHM?

Has the government and our parents wasted their money on us who have chosen to raise our children rather than farm them out? Are women better employed at the workplace than at home nurturing and loving their children?

Obviously I don’t agree

I have written before and will say it again as a reminder to all of us (me included). What we do has eternal ramifications. Just because it can’t be tabulated in financial terms does not negate our value at home. Being a SAHM is not for those who can’t make it in the “real” world. I will tell you that it takes grit, determination and lots of dying to self to make it as a fulltime SAHM. And who says you don’t need to be an educated mom to handle the demands of SAHM-dom?

The working world is alluring and glamourous and usually financially rewarding. More power to those who are able to juggle work and motherhood and enjoy both. But for the rest of us who are unable or choose not to, think of this season at home as that – a season. When our children are no longer so dependent on us, we can venture out to the workplace once again. Sure, some of us can return to the workforce earlier than others and our season at home varies. But we are most certainly not wasting the country’s or our parent’s money and resourses by being educated to the best of our abilities and then choosing to stay home for our family’s well being.

Election Fever

The elections are over and the ruling party, PAP,* has been returned to power although it has lost 1 GRC* and 1 SMC*. It has been an interesting 9 days of campaigning in Singapore where many people voted for the first time in their lives. I am one of them

What’s interesting to me is watching how people are suddenly coming out of the woodworks to declare their political leanings when previously there were none.

You can’t help but notice how angry the people are with the PAP. And how much of an entitlement mentality people seemed to have**, probably due to how paternalistic the government had been over the years.

Well, I am no political commentator and I do not wish to discuss politics on this blog. But I do want to comment on the tone and attitude people have over others who have not chosen as they have.

It is sad to hear that friends have been unfriended because of differences in political leanings. Then there is the name calling.

Why so childish? Can’t we agree to disagree?

As Christians, don’t we believe that God is in control? Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are authorised by God.” (emphasis mine).

Read that last part of verse 1 carefully – and the authorities that exist are authorised by God”.

Yes, it isn’t by fluke that these people have been elected into parliament. We may not like their faces or their attitudes but God has put them there. What?! What if they are incompetent people? What if they mess up the country’s coffers???

God is in control.

Does that mean how we voted is futile? A pointless exercise? NOPE!

We are to do our part. We are to heed God’s call on what we need to do. But His ways are higher than our ways – thankfully! We shouldn’t have voted based on emotions and if we have done so, repent (oops! Has this become a bad word now? ).

Let me repeat, God is in control.

As I posted on my Facebook status – God is in control. We should be gracious with each other’s decisions and not resort to name calling. 

God did not make a mistake. And if we did, He is bigger than that.

* PAP – People’s Action Party. GRC – Group Representative Constituency. SMC – Single Member Constituency.

** I still can’t get over how PM Lee had to apologise for the flash floods in Orchard Road. Can I blame him for the horribly hot and humid weather the past 2 days that has caused my eczema to flare up real bad???

Of Chinese mothers, $20K preschool fees and overnight queues

Recent provocative articles about parents striving to help their children get a head start in life have been published by the newspapers. There was Amy Chua’s Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior which appeared on WSJ.com, and before that an article about parents queueing up to get onto the waitlist of a reputedly top-notch preschool. And even further back there was a report about parents who are willing to spend up to $20,000 per year for a premium pre-school education!

Why lump all 3 articles together? Because all 3 articles are focused on one thing – how to get your child/ren to be THE BEST. This striving to be the best, to spend all that you can – time and money – just to get your child to the top of the rat race can’t be healthy in the long run.

No wonder children are seen as a burden, a liability.

My question is : where is God in the picture? Is this what He has called us to do? To be?

The preoccupation with education seems to be an Asian thing. I, myself, have been drummed since young that I needed to do well in school. But thankfully my parents were not of the Amy Chua mould But really academic excellence is not the end all and be all of life.

Yes, we want to be the best that we can be. And we should be, for the glory of God. Yes, I know that society demands paper qualifications before it allows you into prestigious industries like law and medicine. But surely that can’t be all that life amounts to?

The Bible asks, ”For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26.

Are we selling our children’s and our souls for excellence?

Getting A Drink Is Considered A Chore?!

Did anyone read the Sunday Times article, Do your kids do chores? It made me roll my eyes so much they nearly fell out!

Here is an excerpt :

Housewife Tio Hui Siang, 54, has given up asking son Jonathan Tan, 15, to help out around the house. When he wants a cup of Milo, he just asks for it, and mum makes it for him at once……

And this one made me laugh,

However, a poll of 250 youths by LifeStyle shows that contrary to the image of slacker teens not lifting a finger around the home, the majority do help out with chores.

Those surveyed were aged from 13 to 20 and they were asked what chores they did from a list of 10, which included mopping or sweeping the floor, making the bed and washing the dishes.

A total of 170 said they did chores. Another 35 said they do them occasionally, while 45 youths said they do not help around the home at all.

The most popular chores included getting their own drink, getting their own meals, frying an egg and making the bed.

More can be found here -
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_359699.html

Why did I laugh?

Since when can getting oneself a drink be considered a chore? Might as well call brushing one’s teeth a chore too! Or peeing! Is it only me who thinks that that is ridiculous?

Obviously our children do chores around the house. In fact, I am constantly thinking of more chores they can help me out with. And here you have youths who say they do help out and list getting a drink as a chore. Makes mockery of the chores children around the world do!

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Articles for Christian SAHMs are found at Building Up Moms.