Eva Yang

What is Soma?

By JP

Soma simplistically put refers to our physical body. Now we know what it is, how can we look after our soma?  

There are many different ways we can look after our physical bodies. I think the main ways that come to mind are nutrition and exercise. These are the most basic and simplest things to know and the hardest to do or maintain. We all know we should eat healthy and exercise, which will go a long way to look after our bodies. However, our busy lifestyles, lack of prioritizing, changing weather, getting sick, injuries and the money involved all contribute to the barriers of realistically maintaining a healthy life style regarding our physical bodies. 

Nowadays, with the internet and AI, there is so much information about how we can eat healthy and what that means for different people in their stage of life. The same can be said for exercise too! There’s so much information and how do you know what will work for you and how can you maintain it?

To make things easier, I asked our trusted Chatgpt for the most minimalist routine for maximum benefit and below is the summary it spat out. It won’t be anything new for most people, however I would like to highlight some possible methods.

Movement

I am not sure about your situation but a 30 minute daily walk can seem a bit long. I don’t know many people who have 30minutes to spare in one slot to for a walk. So one idea instead of doing this walk in one shot, another idea would be to break it up. Some options are 15 minutes in the morning and 15minutes in the afternoon or after dinner, or 10minutes after breakfast, lunch and dinner or even doing 20minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night, some might prefer to do it outside or if weather is a problem, walk at the gym or on a treadmill. In that way, you could watch your favourite TV show whilst walking and that way kill 2 birds with one stone. Another idea people have is to do walking meetings if that is a viable option for you.  

Strength

Regarding this, the research does that for people over 35 years old, who do strength training, regardless if it is body weight or heavier weights, some of the benefits include helping to preserve muscle, boosting metabolism, helping with daily life functioning, burns fat and decreases chances of injury. As I turned 36 this year, I’m actually looking more into this so that when I get older, my body will be stronger and hopefully able to stay independent longer.

Food

This is the hardest one I think by far. The recommended plate of food includes: ½ vegetables, ¼ protein (ie chicken/tofu/eggs) and ¼ whole grains or starch (brown rice, oats, sweet potato). There are just so many barriers and temptations to keep eating healthy. There’s the mental aspect and your relationship with food. When it is an unhealthy relationship hinders many people from maintaining a healthy diet. I think the most important step is to have a positive relationship with food and acknowledging when ‘you are not eating healthily’ to be able to reframe it in a positive way and to get back to eating the healthy foods as soon as you can. It’s also important to remember to encourage yourself in eating health foods. You will have a better chance at maintaining a healthy diet.  

Drink/Hydrate

This is the easiest one for me at least. Make sure you fill up a drink bottle of water. Keep hydrated throughout the day with water. You can enjoy your sugary drinks and alcohol every now and then, although personally I find it easier to drink water in Asian countries because the temptation of cheap drinks in the west makes it easier to enjoy drinking sugary drinks. I recognize for some people this might be difficult for people to reduce their intake of their favourite drink that might be sugary or an alcohol drink. Again, like with food, the relationship with your favourite drink is important in moderation.

Sleep

The recommended amount hours of sleep for an adult is between 7-9 hours a night which I would say for the average person is difficult for many various reasons. Some might be young kids, others might have to work overtime, most people would stay up scrolling social media or watching Netflix/TV or some might have health issues causing them to find it difficult to sleep for that long. It’s important if this is a problem for you to make sure you take the time to address this. Sleep is a superpower in terms of health for our bodies. With a rested body we are more patient, kinder and more optimistic in addition to be more energetic.

Others

Sunlight is an important way for us to look after our bodies. I think Covid really taught me that. Sunlight helps our bodies, our minds and also helps us to sleep better at night! Other ways to help our bodies include to stretch if you can and stand more. I know of a few people investing in a standing table and they boast about how much it has helped them. Other things to consider is for those who are injured or sick to really take the time to recover and your body will thank you for it. Your physical body is important as we only get one in this life. Let’s look after it so we can love God, love others and love ourselves. Let’s honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Which one of these is the hardest/easiest for you to maintain a healthy body?   

What’s one thing you can do today to look after your soma?

How we honour God with our soma? What is soma?

Looking after our bodies which are the temple of the Holy Spirit What are some ways we can do this?

Communication

By JP

Communication is something we do every day even without thinking about it. Each day we communicate with ourselves, our family members, our work colleagues, the people we help and the people serving us whether in the supermarket or delivery person.

The way we communicate is so interesting to me. God has created so many different ways for us to communicate. We can communicate verbally, speaking fast or slow or loud or soft. We can use our non-verbal, our body language, we can tell someone is angry or upset just by looking at someone’s face or body positioning. One fascinating thing to me is we cannot NOT communicate. Even if we do not want to communicate, we show it through our body language, it could include: crossing our arms, being silent, avoiding eye contact, turning away, having earphones in, not smiling or looking approachable.

Some of the aspects I have learned about communication include: 

Clarifying and paraphrasing

A lot of times, people say things and it can be interpreted many different ways and so we need to clarify and not assume. Paraphrasing helps both parties to make sure the communication is clear and both parties are talking about the same thing. 

Open attitude and stating facts

This one I learned from the book ‘Non-violent Communication’. A parent can say ‘I see three shirts on the floor’ in a neutral tone instead of saying ‘your room is so messy’ and the teenager receiving this message can react very differently. Likewise, being curious and stating facts can help the communication seem more neutral and easier to receive.

Staying calm and using an appropriate tone

I remember a pastor mentioning people will remember our tone and calmness. When we are able to use the right tone and be calm, it can help avoid many quarrels and misunderstandings. We can use our tone to be a non-anxious presence to bring calmness along with safety and sense of security too.

Timing conversations

This refers to making conversations are done at appropriate times. Trying to do hard conversation at night time when both parties are tired is not ideal or appropriate for the best outcome. I have found that making a time when both parties are rested and ready to listen to each other helps makes communication much smoother especially when both parties are coming in with the intent to listen to each other and to see each other’s points of views. 

Validating feelings

This one is a big one in terms of helping validate people’s experience. I think in the last 5-10 years, it has become very common in terms of trying to teach this but it can still be hard to do all the time. Helping validate people’s feelings helps people feel heard, valued and important. This encourages people to share more as along as it is done respectfully and with a caring attitude. It’s not just a skill so you can get your own way

I think about the way God the father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit communicate with us. He communicates with each of us in his personal way. God is not some distant God who leaves us to guess what he is saying to us (Acts 17:27). He relates to us. I think of when Adam and Eve first sinned, the first two questions God asks in verses (Genesis 2:9,11), ‘Where are you?’ and ‘Who told you that you were naked?’. God knows what we’ve done, but my interpretation of this is God wants to connect with us. In my mind, he is curious and loving in these questions, not accusing them. God lovingly reaches out to Adam and Eve relationally, asking questions. We see the heart God, Adam and Eve messed up and they wanted to hide and avoid God, God is the one who came seeking after them.

In many ways, our mission as Christians is to communicate the love of God, the gospel, the good news of the kingdom to those who haven’t heard or even those who have heard that they might see and experience the heart of God and turn back to him.  

In the bible, God the father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit all communicate in many different ways and with different emotions. Sometimes God was angry with the Israelites and other times he was patiently talking with them. Other times Jesus has compassion (Matthew 15:32) and other times he communicated angrily (Matthew 21:13). The Holy Spirit communicates with people in so many different ways, sometimes it is through prayer and the bible, to Muslims in the Middle East through dreams and visions, to other people through movies and music, to others, God communicates through audible voice or other people and in some cases, the Holy Spirit talks to us directly.

What are the ways you feel easiest to hear God the father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit communicating with you? What are the ways that you feel God the father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit inviting you to commune with him?

Letting Our Light Shine through our Behaviour

By JP

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16

When I think about behaviour, I naturally think about actions—what a person is doing. But beyond the visible, behaviour is a window into the unseen: our thoughts, emotions, motivations, and beliefs. In psychology and counselling, we often explore behaviour-6 by asking questions like:

• What is the reason behind this behaviour?
• What need does it fulfil?
• What does this action help someone achieve?

These questions help us move beyond surface-level observations and into deeper understanding. Why do people do what they do? And even more importantly, why do we do what we do?

The Power of Habits and Intentional Living

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on habits—how to cultivate good ones and replace unhealthy ones. Sometimes, I catch myself engaging in behaviours I know are unhelpful or even detrimental. Why do I keep doing them? Are they simply automatic? Or is there a deeper longing behind them?

Recently, I considered doing a social media fast because I realized I was spending far too much time mindlessly scrolling. A friend, however, suggested a different approach: instead of just abstaining, I should reflect—What am I seeking when I reach for my phone?

• Is it boredom?
• A dopamine hit?
• A form of escape?

This simple shift in perspective changed my approach. It wasn’t just about breaking a habit but about understanding its root cause. Often, our behaviours serve as symptoms of something deeper—perhaps unmet emotional needs, stress, or even a misplaced longing for connection.

I realise not all behaviours carry moral significance. Some are simply neutral—like how we fold our clothes or how we arrange books on a shelf. These actions don’t necessarily reveal much about our character. However, other behaviours—such as how we treat others, how we react under pressure, or the choices we make in difficult situations—can reveal what is truly in our hearts.

Jesus made this clear when He said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Our actions, words, and even habits are often an expression of what is happening internally. This is why true transformation isn’t just about behaviour modification—it’s about heart renewal.

Jesus: The Perfect Example of Purposeful Living

When we look at Jesus, we see that His behaviours were never random or impulsive. Everything He did—whether forgiving sins, healing the sick, or challenging the Pharisees—was intentional and reflected the heart of the Father.

• His actions were rooted in love. Even when correcting or rebuking, He did so with compassion.
• He lived in obedience to God’s will. He didn’t act based on emotions or convenience but in alignment with divine purpose**e.
• He remained consistent in His character. Whether in times of celebration or suffering, His behaviour reflected the same grace and truth.

As followers of Christ, we are called to mirror this intentionality. Our actions should not be driven by habit alone but by a deep desire to glorify God in all we do.

Identity First, Behaviour Second

There’s a common belief that behaviour shapes identity. For example, someone who wants to be fit and healthy may start exercising regularly, and over time, their actions reinforce their identity as a disciplined and health-conscious person.

However, from a Christian perspective, transformation begins the other way around—from the inside out. Instead of merely adjusting our behaviour to fit a new identity, we need to allow God to transform our hearts, and from that transformation, our behaviour naturally changes and with long lasting effect showing a deep transformation.

Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Our identity in Christ—being children of God, redeemed and made new—should be the foundation from which our actions flow. Rather than striving to behave in a certain way to become more Christian, we let God work within us, and our behaviours begin to reflect His love, grace, and righteousness.

A Challenge to Reflect

Perhaps the challenge for us today is not just to examine what we do but to ask ourselves why we do it.

• Do our behaviours bring us closer to God, or do they distract us?
• Are we living in a way that allows others to see Christ through us?
• Do our habits reflect intentional choices, or are they just mindless routines?

Let us strive to live with purpose, allowing our actions to shine as a testimony of God’s love and grace. May we be intentional in our0 choices, mindful of our habits, and always seeking to glorify God in everything we do.

APPEARANCE: Looks can be deceiving

By Sharon Khoo

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7

What happens or comes to your mind when you meet someone? You will first notice their outward appearance right? How they appear in terms of their face, hair, physical state, dressing or mood. Whether they look happy, sad, tired or some other emotion.

That’s normal and what we naturally do when we meet anyone.

We check ourselves out in the mirror to make sure we are looking decent and fine before we step out of our home. But sometimes, on certain bad days, we might not even bear to take a look at ourselves, let alone care about our appearance in the mirror.

And when this happens, what do we do? Well, some of us would mask our true appearance. We hide under our made-up hair, fancy make up, a favorite cap, nice clothes or even force on a (fake) smile. Just to tell others or ourselves that we look or feel ok, even when we’re not. There are then some of us who would prefer to stay real, and let the truth about how we’re feeling or doing on the inside come out on our outside – like not caring anymore about what we wear or how we look, and just letting it be laid bare, moody vibes, being bed ridden, no make-up, bad hair day, zits and all (I know I have done this before)!

As the old saying goes, and like this picture and God Himself says in the bible verse above, looks can be deceiving; never judge a book by its cover (or appearance).

In the picture, the outward appearance of the tattooed man is causing the other men & lady to judge him wrongly even though he is actually telling Christ that his heart is His. This reiterates what God already knows and said in 1 Samuel 16:7 – God looks at the heart, not the outward appearance, as man sees.

God looks past our external façade, to what is deeper and behind the surface of our selves – our heart.

Why? Because that’s what matters. To Him and to us. In the 5 Circles, Appearance appears as a sector in the Physical circle. It is like the entrance or doorway into the sectors and circles deeper and below it: Mood, Love (Mind & Heart circles), and Spirit circle.

Whether it is yourself, your client, a family member or stranger, you can sometimes tell how a person’s mood is from their dressing, posture, facial or outward appearance. For example, a disheveled, worn out, unsmiling or tired appearance could indicate a sad, anxious, angry or low mood, where the person’s heart and spirit is definitely affected.

Or, conversely, someone smiling, and wearing colourful clothes could be in a joyful or positive mood.

And then, we can also have the situation with the picture above – someone appearing like a tough gangster or risqué individual on the outside, being earnestly in need of God on the inside of his mind, heart and spirit, where we don’t tangibly see it.

God doesn’t want us to judge anyone by their cover, looks or appearance, because its what’s inside the person that counts.

I’m reminded of a few clients I know, whom God brought my way to teach me about looking past their appearances, and into their heart. One of them was going through gender transitioning from being a female/tomboy to male. Covered in tattoos & piercings, looking very much like a guy almost from head to toe, my heart broke for her, as we built trust over time and she told me her story of what had been going on in her life as a child till her present state, which had ultimately caused her to choose to have her current physical appearance, and gender transitioning. Though she initially intimidated me (like that picture above) because of her outward appearance, I began to see what God saw – her heart and inner state of a precious and broken child in desperate need of safety, acceptance, love, trust, God’s healing and deliverance.

God knows the importance of looking past appearances, into the heart. To truly see, know, understand and love a person. 

His dear Son, our precious Saviour, identified with us all before we were at our worst –

Jesus was described in His appearance, mind, heart and spirit sectors as this, in Isaiah 53: 2-3:

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.”

To me, it’s almost as if God is saying “You would think that as the Almighty God, I should have made my Son like Me – gloriously glamorous, perfect everyday in His outward and inward state. But, the truth is, in your human eyes, my Son was not attractive nor desirable in His appearance. He was familiar with moods of sadness, grief and depression, from all the rejection, pain and suffering he bore from mankind. And in his heart and spirit, Jesus was despised, unloved and made to feel no worth or esteem. Crushed. … So He could be with you and you in Him, whenever you were ever feeling at your worst.”

Have you come across or known someone who has ever felt or been this way before?

… Jesus understands & identifies. Appearance, Mood, Mind, Heart & Spirit. God sees and knows.

And He bore it for us, with us. So that in our worst state possible, we wouldn’t be alone.

I’m grateful that for all our sakes, God never judges us based on our outward appearance, but our heart. And when our heart, mind and spirit is at home with Him, through Christ (like being at home position on the combi-shape), we will find what we need – acceptance, hope, salvation, empathy and understanding… the list goes on.

God wants our hearts, mood-mind and spirit to be at home with Christ. So that we can truly reflect Him in our outward appearance too.  Just like David whom God appointed to be king, we might even have favour with God. Because of our heart’s right posture with God, and the spiritual state of where it is at – not our outward appearance.

When the inside circles are right with God, the outer appearance and countenance of a person will reflect it. Likewise when it is not reflecting it.

Regardless of how we appear (and God still cares for this part of ourselves; He knows it can affect our mood, thoughts, heart and spirit), what’s more important to God is our heart.

Minding our heart, mind and spirit (which make up the ‘inner man’) is a part of our sanctification process. And as we also know, this process is a really long journey. Both for ourselves and anyone we serve and love, like our family members or clients.

So, while we are still on this long road, taking it one gracious step with Him at a time,

my question to you as a fellow brother or sister in Christ, is:

“How’s the appearance or state of your heart looking like today?

What might God be wanting to say to you about looking past your or someone’s outer appearance, and reflecting His heart?”

… God bless you.

And, from a heartfelt place of love and truth, God & I just want you to know, however you think you appear, You already are gorgeous to Him too!

TASK

By JP

If you were seeing a doctor, would you like one with a great attitude but lacks knowledge and not very skillful? Or would you prefer to see a doctor with a terrible attitude but has great knowledge and is very skillful? Of course, ideally it would be great to see a doctor who has a great attitude, skill and knowledge. Even better than that would be to see a doctor that has been transformed by Jesus Christ along with incredible attitude, skills and knowledge. In TASK, T-A-S-K refers to the Transformation, Attitude, Skill and Knowledge.

Sometimes I think that S (skill) and K (knowledge) is something I feel easier to work on. It’s more tangible, measurable and something I have more control over. I can set goals, monitor and see how I have increased my skills and knowledge. I can attend courses, read articles and maybe even find opportunities for me to practice some skills to help increase my knowledge and skills. Better yet I might even have opportunities to teach to solidify and grow my skills and knowledge. There’s always more knowledge to learn and new skills to attain.

• What skills and knowledge are you hoping to increase in 2025?
• What skills and knowledge have you learnt in the last few years?  

With A (attitude) I feel it’s more difficult to see how I have grown in these. My attitude can fluctuate and change in different circumstances along with my energy levels, my emotions and thoughts. Some days my attitude towards people or circumstances are kind, patient and God-centred and other days they are not so kind, not very patient and self-centred. The thing I find about attitude is that it is not as linear or easy to track compared to skills and knowledge. Generally with skills and knowledge, once you learn it, you might need to refresh every now and then, however with attitude, it needs a daily refreshing. How have my attitudes been God-centred or self-centred when I interact with my family, my colleagues, strangers, friends? Were there situations today that I was self-centred in my attitudes? I find that sometimes doing a daily check helps keep my attitude God-centred or at least aware of when I am God-centred and self-centred.

Daily Attitude check

1. How was my attitude towards people today (Including God, self, family, friends, colleagues and strangers)
2. How was my attitude towards today’s circumstances?
3. God, reveal to me if there were any selfish attitudes or attitudes that were not pleasing to you to today that I may confess, and refresh me with your spirit to have a God-centred attitude towards people or situations.

As with T (transformation), it’s similar to attitude in that it’s difficult to track and see where, when and what God has done in our lives unless we check it. By transformation, I am referring to the combination of our openness, surrender to God as well as God’s work in us. Similar to attitude, I find that since transformation is the work of God, our openness and surrender to him, it’s been helpful for me to evaluate my transformation by asking these three questions.

Regarding our transformation, we can do a daily reflection or dialogue with God and ask him these three questions

Daily Transformation reflection

When did I turn away from you (God) today?

Where were you (God) at work today?

When did I turn towards you (God) today?