Montez Le Vent Sauvage

Only a person who risks is free

2011-01-15T13:18:00.002+08:00

Bumped into this as I was traversing my day. I found it absolutely beautiful and believe it's something that's worth being shared. :)

To laugh is to risk being a fool,
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental,
To reach out to another is to risk involvement,
To express feelings is to risk exposing your true self.
To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd
is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.
To hope is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.

The person who risks nothing,
Does nothing,
Has nothing and IS nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
Bit they simply cannot learn,
Feel, change, grow, love or live.

Risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing

The little plant that could?

2010-08-05T23:01:00.001+08:00

If I could put my words into thoughts it would be that, Yes I’ve screwed, Yes I’m forgive and reconciled with God, However at the same time, People don’t forget or are as quick to forgive for my prior trespasses. I think the greatest thing that hurts at this point of time, Is that when a person talks about religion or asks me about it, and I reply “I’m a Christian”, The reply “That you don’t seem like a Christian cuts the most”. Most people cant pinpoint by finger How a Christian should be, But most can spot when a person is truly not living his life out as one.
I can’t blame others for this. However honestly, whenever it happens, I always ask myself if it is worth it to reconcile myself with God? Is it acceptable? Or is it merely a Sham? A short lived Parade of conscience until my next undeniable fall into either inequity or doubt?.
Quick question, Without constant sunlight, The fruits die, But it isn't impossible to regrow them is it?

2010-08-01T11:48:00.002+08:00

The holidays are always a great time to get to do the things that you usually don't have the liberty of doing, or things that you've always wanted to but could never get around the time to doing. Like learning a new soft skill, picking up and instrument, Sleeping til 2 in the afternoon, or gaming the whole night away. Yes all those little things that never fail to put a silly smile on your face.
You have just got to love the holidays!

Bitter Irony

2010-06-14T00:59:00.002+08:00

At times life is trully ironic.
Just talking to a friend about life, about perceptions and realities can just shake our entire world to a certain degree.
Honestly I was thinking about myself around 2 years back, and I was imagining the conversation that my Former self and my Current self would have.
It would have been terribly ironic to find out, that the very person I eventually became was the very person I tried my hardest not to become.
I experienced the world in a whole new way, and kept God at an arm's length away.
Was he there?
He was always there...
Did I have issues that I couldn't deal with?
In abundance...
God was nearly always on my mind. But I had learnt the simple art of just tuning him out.
Blasphemous as it may be...
I don't really regret it. I was able to percieve life as I knew it from an entirely different angle. I was able to look at the other side of the world that most christians would gasp and be horrified at.
However the most important thing that I realised is that, You have to be real to yourself.... and at the same time to God.
Playing a facade does not help anything other then your ego.
I took the path less travelled, and to that I'm eternally greatful, For I would not have the insight I have attained, Discarding naivety.
However this leg of the journey was incredibly interesting,
The road is still long and winding,
However the destination is sure,
And to Him a trust, My faith is in him,
To be the lamp upon my feet.

Optimism...

2010-03-02T02:02:00.001+08:00

Maybe... just maybe in this lifetime...
I will finally find that which I seek..
.....
....
...
..
.
I hope..

Dubai Trip - Day 1

2009-12-27T18:30:00.002+08:00

It being my semester holidays, from my stint in psychology, I finally decided to take a vacation and visit my mum. Passport was renewed, tickets were booked, and I was soon midair on the way down to the Middle East, a place I hadnt been in over 10 years. Finally touching down after a pleasant 7 hour flight, I finally reached Abu Dhabi International, The smaller equally prosperous cousin of the Bankrupt Dubai.
My first surprise of the night was that Maxis did not have international roaming out here, or that my assumption being that my package was post-paid and roaming would be automatically covered was non-withstanding. So this morning it was off to the mobile shop to get a prepaid sim. It cost a bomb, The simcard it self was DHS 75. With credit of $ 10 contained within. The irony is that we bitch and whine over telcos in Malaysia.
Truthfully the 4 hour time difference is a nice touch. Since Malaysia is 4 hours ahead, Even if I theoretically wake up mid day, Its still early morning over here. Thats a nice touch, however I can imagine the havoc its going to wreck when i get back to KL.
I feel as I'm going to start perusing the local cafes. With only 2 weeks, Theres much to explore and to discover. Sadly withouth bringing a proper camera along, I'm resigned to taking camera shots. Oh well thats better then nothing right.

Post - Boxing Day

2009-12-27T18:24:00.003+08:00

It's been months since I've actually last pasted in an entry. Frankly, I wouldnt even apologise for such. =)
Why I'm even beginning this post, Im hesitant even unsure of. But I guess everybody, myself included needs a place where I can jot down my thoughts as a rhetoric, so I may reflect on particular moments and thoughts well down the road. This is probably the umpteenth such post and can be guaranteed wouldnt be the last, as I have a knack for putting things off. However I guess its always better to atleast attempt to ride a bike rather then fully give up hope on it.
Til another time -

The Vintage Boomerang...

2009-08-09T02:24:00.004+08:00

It's been a pretty hectic past week. With my finals fast approaching. Currently its clocking under 24 hours. So during the times when I'm taking a break from Economics and Statistic's I stumbled upon "Old Time Radio" shows. These are shows that we're broadcast from the early 1930's and 1940's. While listening to them I actually found them pretty entertaining.
Its actually a wonder that before the television was a common household item. Families used to gather around the radio in the evening to listen to these broadcasts which we're in the form of series. Much like your common day drama shows. They we're filled with sound effects and multiple actors, and even canned laughter as a connotation of a joke. While these old time radio shows eventually died out, with the emergence of television shows, It's made a return. Not on the radio, but on the internet in the form of a Podcast. Podcasts are more towards the spread of information rather then blunt comedy and action that we're pretty common place aeons ago. Below are some links to a few old time radio websites if your interested in checking them up. I find them a good time killed which exercises the imagination. Hope you enjoy it.

Old Time Radio
Radio Lovers
Archie Comic's Old Time Radio

A Poem....

2009-07-27T20:49:00.002+08:00

Hears a poem I heard not too long ago in church. It's probably in circulation around the internet for quite awhile. But personally I think it's a pretty powerful one and one that humbles the reader in understanding the plight of others, And the key message is one of the most important that anyone, Christian or non should learn. Do not judge, For that was the only nature of God that was withheld from us.

Pray that you don't find fault with the man, who limps or
stumbles along the road, unless you have worn the shoes
he wears, or struggled beneath his load.
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurts , thought hidden
from view, or the burden he bears, placed upon your back
might make you stumble too.

Don't be harsh with the man who sins, or pelt him with
your words or stone , unless you are sure yes doubly sure
that you have no sins of your own. For you know perhaps
if a tempter’s voice should whisper as soft and sweet to your
ears as it did to his when he went astray, it could cause you
to stagger too.

Don't sneer at the man who's down today, unless you have
felt the blow that caused him to fall, or felt the shame that
only the fallen know. You may be strong, but still the blows
that were his if dealt to you in the same way, at the same
time, might cause you to stagger too...

Judge not unless you are ready to be judged

Game Day...

2009-07-18T14:27:00.003+08:00

It's that day finally that millions of Malaysians have been waiting for (might be a slight exaggeration). Its finally Game Day at Bukit Jalil National Stadium, where the Malaysia XI team will be pitting off against Manchester United. Fans have been waiting for months for this day. sadly to see just how badly Malaysia will be walloped by the EPL team. Im half tempted to take the train to the stadium just to see if we might possibly mimic the fan procession to the stadium, singing the Manutd anthem and waving flags in the air, Possibly minusing the rowdiness of course. But I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully Malaysia can beat the 2 - 1 aggregate that Chelsea set when they played malaysia recently.
MALAYSIA BOLEH!

Life....

2009-07-17T02:11:00.002+08:00

There are so many times I worry about what it has in store for me,
Especially surprisingly when it comes to the area that I would live.
I've always felt a deep connection with Wangsa Maju. Maybe it's because I've been playing truant here since high school days. Or that I've solidified the bond with most of my core friends around this area. What ever the case, I've decided to leave this aspect into the hands of God. There might be a chance of me moving from here to Petaling Jaya / Subang Jaya.
All of this is in the preliminary stages. Will it happen? I haven't a clue? Am I worried about it like I used to be? Nope.
If I were to move there and without a car what decision would I make regarding church? Even that I haven't a clue. But I'm not going to be prematurely worried, But I'm Just believing that God has my best interests in mind what ever the outcome may be. =)

Random Observations..

2009-07-08T09:24:00.002+08:00

Now this is an extremely early post! One of the few times I've ever posted something up as early as 9a.m. But on the way to college something piqued my interest. While taking the usual route to college by switching to the RapidKL feeder bus from Bangsar LRT station, upon the bus I was a tad surprised that on the inner section of the bus was a "PAS" sticker. The slogan upon it was "PAS For All" in it's usual predominat white letters and green background. Honestly are public transportation vehicles allowed to be politically alligned? While politics in hand is at the discretion of the driver, Something as public as a bus I feel should not act as political billboards. The irony would be that RapidKL is government owned and by placing a PAS sticker that driver would be supporting the opposition? Is that remotely defined as treason by a public servant? :)

Of Thrillers and MoonWalks

2009-07-07T23:04:00.003+08:00

I guess by now, Nearly everybody knows of the passing away of Michael Jackson. It was a bit of a shock that he passed away merely at the age of 50 years old. Old Michael used to be one of my favourite singers when I was younger, Really young. I think I was 5 years old when I begged my parents to get the "Dangerous" Album on cassette. It was one of my favourites.
While I was saddened at the departure of Michael I realized one thing. That the illegal CD circle was extremely quick to capitalize on his demise. By the following day, there were DVD's in nearly all the shops containing his entire musical works, Concerts, tours ,and even biographies. It's pretty amazing that practically 99% of what you can find in the shops now we're never stocked before. And all of a sudden they're in abundance. I guess to some people, It is a natural response. To stock up on memorabilia merely because at a later time it would be harder to find. I do find it interesting though. Well since one of my housemates is planning on buying the entire works of Michael Jackson, I guess I sorta have my share as well ;)
While not really making fun of the dead, I remembered this video. Made me laugh ages ago!

Swedish Tuesdays

2009-07-01T02:56:00.003+08:00

Today wasn't too bad! The muscle aching from gym finally subsided and after class a bunch of us went down to Ikea for lunch. Ikea is just one of those places where it is so awesome to window shop,and the temptation of buying something that you absolutely don't even need is high. Thats the problem about walking through "Home Lifestyle" shops. You can think up of a million different things and additions your room needs. But once getting it, you wouldn't actually use. So I just practically covered my eye's and headed towards the cafeteria for lunch, which was the main reason we ended up in Ikea anyways. After a generous serving of "Swedish Meatballs & Fries" I wrapped up lunch with a "Daim Cake". Honestly I've heard ravings about the Daim cake. It was pretty decent, But nothing really much to rave about. If it had been chocked full with more Daim, That would have been a different matter all together. Total damage? Around Rm16, inclusive of drinks. Was pretty satisfied with it

Can A Man change his Stars?

2009-06-23T19:28:00.002+08:00

This was a question posed by that all too feel good movie "A Knights Tale" which I watched only too recently after grabbing Clarence's external HDD. While I have watched the movie before, It was refreshing to watch it again. Laughs aside, It was inspiring to say the least to watch one man's journey to persevere social stigma and to literally "change his stars". After much pondering, I eventually decided to emabark on my own quest to change my stars. 90 days, with day 1 starting yesterday would be the eventual goal with me reshuffling every aspect of my life (atleast hopefully) from every aspect, Physically,Mentally,Emotionally, and Spiritually. With sheer determination, ...cough... "discipline" and prayer of course. I hope to see a brand new me in 90 days.
After a grueling gym session yesterday night, It left my body feeling like I had been run over by a truck. My arms are currently numbed by generous amounts of "Deep Heat" slathered all over. I'll always remember that Advert poster of Nike's "This Is Love campaign" because when ever i feel the sting and when ever I feel like giving up. I remember the true purpose that I even started on the whole journey. "This Is Love".

Designer Church

2009-06-01T03:09:00.001+08:00

Designer Church
by Suzanne Hadley

I walk into the sanctuary, scanning the room for the 20- somethings I know. A group of about 30 of us sit on the left- hand side halfway back. I slide comfortably into a padded chair, located within a three-row radius of where I always sit, and chirp hello to acquaintances seated nearby.

Worship has already started. I look fashionable in my new black boots and headscarf — my eyes dart around to see if anyone has noticed. I make my first attempt to engage in the singing. I watch the worship leader in his corduroy pants and Gap sweater — olive green with a cream stripe. He's reaching the upper limit of gen-X, but his attire is reminiscent of the guys I went to college with.

Why not? Our church is all about reaching the next generation. And I'm all for that. It's one of the reasons I started attending this church. Everything I see on stage is comfortable yet appealing to my desire to be "with it." My church doesn't seem bound by tradition or legalism. I'm proud of the pastor's willingness to call us to prayer "at the Spirit's leading" or allow a ballet dance as part of worship. Yes, we're nothing if not forward-thinking.

I find a deep sense of identity in my church. From its interlocking chairs to its professional band of rockers, my church expresses my personality — in the same way my boots or headband make me stand out. My church is an extension of my personal philosophy — open minded, artistic, progressive.

Ultimate Expression

We all long to be fully expressed and known. Paul addressed this in 1 Corinthians 13:12: "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Perfect expression is what man was created for.

Why else would we be so obsessed with being individuals? From cars to friends to cell phone rings, the things we make a part of our worlds contribute to our sense of self. The type of church I attend says something about me. If I go to a conservative church, I like structure and tradition. If I attend a charismatic church, I prefer experiential worship. If I attend a small church, I have a heart for being a part of something intimate with the promise of growth. But is choosing a church based on personal style and preference biblical? I'll admit it. My tendency is to look for a church that makes me feel good — a church that "fits me." It's the same way I choose other things in my life — my clothes, my apartment, my furniture. But should that be the way I choose my church?

The Church Next Door

In the community of early Christians there wasn't much choosing going on. The relatively small number of people who believed Jesus Christ was the risen Messiah, were considered part of one body. The church was divided into smaller groups based on geographic location. City churches, such as Corinth, Laodicia and Thessalonica were further split into smaller communities, which met in homes.

If I were a Christian in the first century, I would go to Doris' house down the street to worship, and that's where I would serve and have community. I would have nothing to compare it to, so I probably wouldn't give much thought to the pastor's preaching style or the brand of worship. My church would be a group of Christians, and, as such, reflect me — a Christian.

There are benefits to choosing a church that's close by. A church within walking distance is going to be a convenient place to serve and invite those in my neighborhood. But in many cities, there may be dozens of churches within a 5- minute drive. So what other criteria are important to consider when choosing a church?

The New Testament says a lot about the early church, but you don't read about style or preference being considerations for attending. Instead of a "What can my church do for me?" perspective, we find the opposite attitude: "What are my responsibilities to the church?"

It has been very helpful in my own church search to examine the practices of early Christians and their approach to worship. Here are a few characteristics I found in Scripture about the early church I used to form my own biblical criteria for choosing a church.

The early church promoted sound doctrine.

Whether a church teaches correct theology should be a primary concern when choosing a church home. Paul warned in 2 Timothy 4:3, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear."

Sadly, this verse does a pretty good job describing the culture we live in. Many people prefer attending a church where the messages are comfortable and the pastor sticks to "safe" topics that don't offend. But Scripture is clear that one of the church's top priorities should be to preach the truth and protect itself from the poison of false teachings.

While it's important that the pastor be an individual of high character who upholds the Word of God, the church also needs to provide a structure of accountability through elders. Speaking of the ideal elder, Titus 1:9 says, "He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." A group of strong, godly leaders can protect the body from a false gospel.

The early church prayed for persecuted Christians.

Acts 12:5 says, "So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him." A culture of prayer and concern for fellow Christians marks the ministry of the early church. They were outwardly focused and tuned in to the needs of those around them. They provided a crucial prayer ministry for those facing hardship.

Today thousands of Christians in countries like China, India and Pakistan are facing severe persecution, and churches basking in the religious freedom of the United States are in a perfect position to pray fervently for these endangered brothers and sisters. Whether they do says a lot about their priorities.

The church grew as a result of personal evangelism.

Acts 2:46-47 tells an exciting story: "Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Growth is a high priority for most churches. Pastors and leaders look for ways to present bigger services and provide better programs that will attract those outside the church.

The majority of growth in the early church took place in homes. One-on-one relationships are far more powerful for evangelism than corporate programs (just look at the disciples). A church should be supporting and encouraging its members to engage in personal evangelism.

The church regularly commissioned its members to go out and serve.

One primary responsibility of the early church was to send people out for ministry to other areas. In Acts 15, the church sent Paul and Barnabas to share the good news in Phoenicia and Samaria. Not everyone in the church was in a position to go, but they were in the position to send in the power of the Holy Spirit.

While growth can be a sign of a healthy church, the goal is not to keep everyone inside a bubble. The church should act as a home base for those going out, and members should actively participate in supporting missionaries financially and through prayer.

A variety of spiritual gifts were in regular use.

Paul lists a variety of church-building gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:28. The list includes teaching, administration and service. In the same chapter, he points out the temptation to elevate the more visible gifts, such as teaching, above lesser gifts, such as service. We know exactly what Paul means: The gifted teacher with the witty stories will receive more attention than the quiet retiree who comes into church an hour early every Sunday to turn on the coffee pot.

Paul emphasized that no gift should be belittled or treated as less important, because all spiritual gifts are essential to the church. A body of believers should encourage every person, no matter how seemingly insignificant, to use his gifts, and should not give an excessive amount of honor, or special treatment, to those whose gifts are more noticeable.

The body demonstrated submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

This one seems obvious, but a church that is consistently seeking out the agenda of Christ above its own is rare. And this goes beyond correct theology.

"For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior," Ephesians 5:23 says. Just as the submission of a wife to her husband is difficult, the church yielding to Christ also takes daily effort. A church must constantly be checking its motives and bringing itself under Christ's authority.

More Than an Accessory

All of the characteristics of the early church required commitment — living and breathing God's Word in community. It takes time to establish a solid prayer ministry or build relationships with missionaries. As part of a generation that often abandons something the moment it goes out of style or ceases to interest us, we face the temptation to leave a church simply because it doesn't perfectly reflect us.

I have seen friends jump from church to church, searching for the "perfect fit." When we adopt a consumer's mentality about Christ's body, we risk missing a rich reward. Galatians 6:9 says, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

It's important to not lose sight of the original purpose of the church: to be a light to the world. The early church did what it was called to do. It was Christ's hands and feet on earth.

My church may reflect my personality and preferences, but does it allow me to exercise my spiritual gifts? The programs may be spectacular, but am I being spurred on to personal evangelism? The worship may be professional, but is my heart honoring God? After all, it is His church, not mine.

After you've done your best to choose a church that follows a biblical model, then it's valid to consider personal preference. Does the church share your passions? Does its vision resonate with your heart's desire? Does it encourage you to serve at your stage in life?

When I slip into my chair each Sunday, I have a longing to be expressed and known. But self-expression is fleeting and changes on a whim. (Next season my boots won't be in fashion, and I'll likely move on to the next thing.)

True self-expression will take place only as I seek to reflect Christ in every area of my life and commit to investing in a community of believers. Christ's body is not something to be molded into my image. It's a place where I can be molded into His. I want Christ's body to be more than an accessory — I want it to be my heart.

What About Tattoos? -Pr.Kong Hee

2009-05-27T02:18:00.004+08:00

Tattoos have become a mark of the 21st century. According to the August 4, 2008, issue of U.S. News & World Report, more than one quarter of those under the age of 30 adorn their skin with at least one. No longer is tattoo something reserved only for gang members, convicts, delinquents or social outcasts. In fact, many of the preachers’ kids of the largest churches in Australia, America and Europe have them on their bodies. And these PKs are by no means rebellious or unspiritual. Most of them are doing excellent jobs leading youth, music and creative ministries. Some are even deliberately using their tattoos as a bridge to connect with the unchurched in outreach efforts. However, for most people, a tattoo is simply a means of stylistic expression. Many middle-aged women may not tattoo patterns and designs, but they go to their aestheticians to tattoo their eyebrows, eyeliners and lip colors.

So, is tattooing a sin? Are Christians allowed to have them?

Those who argue against it often quote Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.” The word for “tattoo” in its original Hebrew is qa-aqa, which appears only this one time in the entire Scripture. Proper hermeneutic requires us to read any Bible passage with the actual context in mind. Practically all Bible commentaries agree that the context of Leviticus 19 is God prohibiting the Israelites from adopting the religious practices of the pagan nations surrounding them. Adam Clarke’s Commentary of the Old Testament says that the pagans were carrying “marks on the body in honor of the object of their worship … for superstitious purposes … in honor of different idols.” Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible says that the practice “had religious significance among Israel’s pagan neighbors.” But what if there is no religious, superstitious or idolatrous implication? Is a believer allowed to tattoo then?

Technically, if one takes the view that Leviticus 19 prohibits tattooing for all people in all circumstances, then for consistency’s sake, one must also abide by all the letters of the law here. That includes no shaving around the sides of the head, and the mandatory keeping of beards for all men (v27), which is a near impossibility for any serving in the military today. That also includes not wearing clothes made of different fabrics (v19). Should we then also continue with slavery and the keeping of mistresses, both accepted practices during the ancient days of Leviticus (v20)? Should we continue the Old Testament dietary restrictions like no eating of pork, shrimp, crab or shellfish? What about headscarves for women? Do we need to enforce that on all Christian women today? Most of us will agree that the answers to all the above are an emphatic no.

Next, is God Himself abhorrent to tattoos? God says in Isaiah 49:16, “See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. Your walls are continually before Me.” The word “inscribe” in Hebrew means “to engrave.” The scholars of The Living Bible simply translate that as “I have tattooed your name upon my palm.” When John saw a vision of God’s chosen 144,000, they were “sealed” and “written” with the Father’s name on their foreheads (Rev. 7:3; 14:1). Those words in the original Greek mean to “mark,” “stamp” and “engrave.” The book of Revelation also talks about false worshipers receiving the mark of the beast, which were called stigmata among the Greeks. To this Paul refers when he says, “I bear in my body the marks (stigmata) of the Lord Jesus” (Gal. 6:17). Whether the prophet Isaiah and the apostles John and Paul are speaking metaphorically or otherwise, one thing is for sure, body markings are not always repugnant to God. As such, we must be careful not to paint them as evil or sinful in a broad, general stroke.

Theologians, like Tom Beaudoin, have done studies on youths who pierce or tattoo their bodies. They discovered that youths do that when they have had profound experiential encounters. Things that impact them deeply, like when they fall in love, get their hearts broken, graduate, start a new job, achieve something they are proud of, or lose a loved one through death. To the youths and young adults of the 21st century, tattooing (and body piercing) are often not something vain or rebellious, but more like a rite of passage. It is their way of expressing the spiritual in the physical, even at the expense of experiencing some bodily pain.

For most people, tattooing today is simply a means of personal and stylistic expression, much like clothing, makeup, hairstyle, body-toning and fashion accessorizing. There is nothing religious, superstitious and rebellious to the wearer; it is simply for aesthetic value.

Because tattooing is designed to last forever, and removal is painful and expensive, you should enter into it only after much consideration. Ask yourself the following:

* Am I at a legally acceptable age to get a tattoo?
* If I live with my parents, would they support my decision?
* Would I still want this tattoo when I get older?
* Am I really comfortable having it even if people may “unfairly judge” me?
* If my tattoo is visible to others, is it appropriate for my line of work?

Ultimately, tattooing is a personal choice that, more often than not, reflects neither a rebellious nature nor a religious inclination. It is clearly written in the Bible that God looks beyond the surface and sees the heart of a person. We must be careful not to judge a believer with tattoos as loving God less than the one without.

-Original article take from http://www.konghee.com

Update...

2009-05-27T02:06:00.002+08:00

It's been ages since I've touched this blog, let alone view it. I could blame it on the business of life, but laziness would aptly cover it. It's been an insane couple of month. Lessons have been learnt, perspectives have changed, priorities shifted, aspirations muddled even. But all is good and well with the Lord in control. Church camp ended a few weeks ago, and the much needed answer to a prayer was finally given. Im glad that I made it to the camp. It was life impacting to say the least, but it's been a daily battle living out what was absorbed back in KL from there on out.
I recently popped into City Harvest Church KL during a few of their sermons with Ps.Kong Hee at the helm, It was enlightening and inspiring to say the least. Googled him up a bit, and found a personal website with his own blog complete with posts, devotionals, ect..... It shed some light on topics that are usually highly debated among christian circles on the area of tattooing. I'll post up the article soon enough. Mind you it wont take half a year, even as I'm prone to that :)

Barely a week til.....

2008-12-23T01:57:00.003+08:00

Woo! There's barely a week left in the year. 2008 is drawing to a close and 2009 is impending. I anticipate the year with mixed feelings, The anticipation of the new and unprecedented, In the unknown. At the same time a tingle in my spine with the knowing that in another 365 I would be a totally different person, different perceptions, different priorities.
I just came back from Beer & Margarita's at Chili's KLCC with some of my closest friends. Sadly one of them would be flying of to the States in January. While I'll miss him, "Hey, Life will continue" So I just wish him all the best. :)
It seems only proper that before the end of the year I re-evaluate my year as a mirror. Begin to give thanks for everything encountered, Set up new resolutions for the incoming year, and decide to keep them.
There is plenty to be grateful for at the end of the year. Where can I even begin? I guess the only place where I can start off at is the point of salvation withing my life. So to that I'm eternally grateful!
My entire schedule is going to whacked this last quarter of the year. Christmas + Justin's Wedding. Its going to be awesome. Cant wait!

Checking In

2008-12-15T23:12:00.003+08:00

It's been pretty long since I've last updated my blog. Too long perhaps, until maybe I've even kissed goodbye to eloquence of stringing words into structured sentences. Honestly, I've missed writing. I've wanted to just grab a pen some days and jot down my thoughts and feelings at particular moments of time. At times I did, yet at times I haven't. It goes with regard that non we're even published, But truth be told they we're not much of a worthy read to begin with.
It's been a long year, Ups and downs, emotional highs and lows. Truly a year that will be unforgettable in the lessons that it taught me. A near of meeting new friends, saying goodbye to old ones. Celebrating a joyous occasion with a loved one, but at the next instance to lose him. To come to grips with the expectancy and responsibility of adulthood while fully embracing God's call and destiny within my life. Yes 2008 will be an unforgettable year indeed. A year of truly moving out of my comfort zone while leaving my sentimentalism at the doorstep.
Two of the biggest steps of faith this year were, Stepping up into the position of a House Leader of a Discipleship Home, by starting a brand new house. This has proven not easy and a challenge, there have been hiccups along the way but I'm believing in God to establish it.
Secondly, would be me becoming a Cell Leader of F46. This is utterly mind blowing, I never would have envisioned me leading a cell group of 11 people. But it is so.
Both of these areas being called to lead in are utterly mind blowing, But there are a few verses that I'm holding on to sustain me through all of this. And I'm believing that everyone beneath me shall be blessed, both in my cell group and in the house that I'm leading. "At the end of Man's strength, There begins God's" and I'm also believing that "If He appoints he will anoint"
So 2009 is going to be an interesting year indeed. The greatest lesson that I have learnt in 2008 was that "I could strive to do the best in all that I do in the natural, But at the end of the day I failed to feel even a glimmer of satisfaction, As I realized without doing the Lord's work, all my work was in vain" and believe me that is depressing. This post is pretty long, But I don't even expect people to read it, But it feel's good to get it all off my chest! Ahhh.... The joys of writing!

Solace

2008-10-07T19:44:00.002+08:00

Such is the sweetness of solace,
Along an empty corridor,
In the heart of an empty college,
Sitting alone under a dim bulb
Enjoying the pleasure of being allowed to think
Undisturbed
Rethinking the way I've been living life
Taking the time to count my blessings
Acknowledging my role in His Kingdom
And surrendering my all to Him
Allowing Him to flow over me
Drenching me in His grace and compassion
Being stirred continuously with an open heart
Oh how sweet the experience
Such a moment is rare is my self-crafted hectic life
A long awaited encounter that was needed
Yet finally found
With my greatest Love
all along an empty corridor

Frailty of Life

2008-10-07T00:31:00.002+08:00

Life is indeed fleeting and very fragile.To take it for granted is one of the biggest mistakes that can be made. This year in particular I've had the privilege/deprivation of experiencing sudden blows to family and friends.
The latest that I've heard is that one of my high school mates, That I've been pretty close with during my school days has been admitted into hospital due to third level cancer. Bare in mind I just heard this like a mere hour ago. Upon further questioning I found out that he has been diagnosed with "Groin Cancer" and that the cancerous cells have further spread to his lungs.
Honestly my heart cries out for him. I cannot even begin to imagine what he or his family is going through at this very moment. My friend had always been an extremely active person. Busying himself with sports, extra-curricular activities and church events. The last thing imaginable on anyone's mind would be the possibility that he has cancer. It's just got me all thinking about the frailty of life, And how illness and even death can strike at any moment without a warning sign what so ever. It ignores age,cast, and creed. They're not biased and judgemental, But void of emotion. Such so, That at times we wonder why do bad things happen to good people.
But to me, ultimately that is beyond the point. I try to imagine myself in his shoes,
21 years old, The world my ripe oyster. My own set of hopes and dreams, Goals set and achievements to meet. And I try to envision if I was told I'd have only two weeks to live. How would I react? What would I do? Would I mope? Would I sink into depression? Would I race out to try and accomplish all of the goals in the shortest time possible? Would I be angry at God?
And honestly...
I cant think of how I would react. I wish I could say with surety that I would react well and enjoy the last two weeks of what I had without an ounce of bitterness. I wish I could just laugh it off as God's will. I wish I could cast my dreams into that ocean that so many unfulfilled dreams get thrown without being fulfilled. I wish I could accept the circumstances that had bestowed me with a smile on my face. I wish I could thank all my friends and family for they're support personally from the bottom of my heart.
But honestly.....
I haven't a clue on how I would react,
As I cant even begin to imagine how I would deal with such a circumstance if it had fallen upon me. I can only pray that I would be able to manage in such a condition.

Bro, My prayers are with you and your family,
I will be praying for you every step of the way,
The strength that you have shown through these past few days only prove your immovable faith.
I pray for a speedy recovery and that together, We'll see all your hopes and dreams achieved. Get well bro, I love you man!

Friendship

2008-07-30T00:59:00.002+08:00

There is blessing
In the sunshine,
Blessing in the rain,
Blessings in the lessons
That sometimes
Bring us pain.
There is blessing
In the giving and
In the things we lend,
But perhaps the
Dearest blessing is
In discovering a friend.

This goes out to all the people that I'm blessed to call friends, And all the friends I've yet to meet but would be blessed in meeting them upon encounter.

Playstation 2 component incites African war

2008-07-25T14:44:00.002+08:00

Console war reaches past the couch and into the Congo, claims report.

By Ben Silverman

Has the video game industry dug up its very own blood diamond?

According to a report by activist site Toward Freedom, for the past decade the search for a rare metal necessary in the manufacturing of Sony's Playstation 2 game console has fueled a brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

At the center of the conflict is the unrefined metallic ore, coltan. After processing, coltan turns into a powder called tantalum, which is used extensively in a wealth of western electronic devices including cell phones, computers and, of course, game consoles.

Allegedly, the demand for coltan prompted Rwandan military groups and western mining companies to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the rare metal, often by forcing prisoners-of-war and even children to work in the country's coltan mines.

"Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms," said Ex-British Parliament Member Oona King.

So where's the connection to Sony? According to Toward Freedom, during the 2000 launch of the PS2, the electronics giant was having trouble meeting consumer demand. To pump out more units, Sony required a significant increase in the production of electric capacitors, which are primarily made with tantalum. This helped drive the world price of the powder from $49/pound to a whopping $275/pound, resulting in the frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.

Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.

But according to researcher David Barouski, they're hardly off the hook.

"SONY's PlayStation 2 launch...was a big part of the huge increase in demand for coltan that began in early 1999," he explained. "SONY and other companies like it, have the benefit of plausible deniability, because the coltan ore trades hands so many times from when it is mined to when SONY gets a processed product, that a company often has no idea where the original coltan ore came from, and frankly don't care to know. But statistical analysis shows it to be nearly inconceivable that SONY made all its PlayStations without using Congolese coltan."

Currently, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all-time, having sold through over 140 million units.

Resolutions

2008-07-23T20:11:00.002+08:00

Its not the New Year...
But this long term break is an awesome point to start a few new resolutions to achieve before the end of the Holidays.
My Goals...
1) To see myself in better physical form before Langkawi with increased stamina and endurance for the race.
2) To be considerably more fit by the time college rolls on Late August.
3) Finish reading a few books that I've been procrastinating on reading.
4) To get my new house in order and ensure constant cleanliness on all parties.
5) Inculcate the habit of Jogging on a daily basis.
6) Be able to set aside a specified for prayer and intercession on a daily basis.
7) Kick my relationship with JC to even higher heights. To emulate Enoch.

So thats for my goals....... What have a I planned so far to get them done?

1) Cut down all food to Fruits and Plain water for the rest of the month.
2) Jogging twice a day, Early morning and evening.
3) Look into my house mates and guide them.
4) Set aside a few hours of the day for QT.
5) Pick up the toolbox and continue with minor room modifications and around the house.

The Holidays have just started,
The Resolutions have been crafted,
Lets see how far I can withing a month!
=)

Schools Out..

2008-07-23T00:48:00.003+08:00

And finally,
The exams have come to an end and the Semester break has started. The exams we're all a cinch with the exception of Maths for me. But I'll navigate through everything thankfully! :)
Its gonna be a long month of holidays, Am I looking forward to it? I have mixed feelings honestly.
At least during the break I can get some of the things that I've procrastinated on doing in order.... finally....
Catch up on some light reading...
and maybe play Devil May Cry 4 on my Pc... woohooo
I cant wait til August where I'll be going down to Penang and Langkawi, A fellow ex house mate would be getting married annd shoppinggg! As the MegaSales would have started!!!
My mum would be down aswell for her holidays as she was timing them alongside my term break. So that's pretty awesome in itself.
But Im soooooo gonna miss college and all my friends... But oh well!
Let the holidays begin eh?~

Last 3 days of the Semester...

2008-07-19T01:43:00.002+08:00

Finally the dreaded day has arrived,
Today is the first day of my exams,
My first paper would be starting at 10am which would be English, Followed by my Maths paper at 2pm. Honestly I'm all flustered with my maths paper. I've been (stressing, worrying, panicking) about this paper all week. Compared to all my other papers, This would be the paper that If I am not too careful, I just might fail. I would need to get top marks during my finals to be able to pull through this. For the past week, All i've been revising on is my maths and nothing else. Havent even touched any of my other subjects yet. Which is a bad thing. My following papers are on Monday and Tuesday respectively. My current Maths result is a far cry from my other subjects!
I've already obtained a flat 50 on my IT paper and a 47 for my English, Which would mean I wouldnt even need to go for my IT final paper for I have already passed it, While I would only need 3 marks in English to pass. Even my Study Skills results are close to forty. I would need to obtain 28 marks for my Maths to pass. Thats 28/40 on 5 questions.
Oh! May I pass through this, May I pass through this indeed!

Its the Finals finally....

2008-07-13T01:04:00.004+08:00

It's finally that time again. The finals week has officially arrived. And how fast it came, Why only two weeks ago we had our last quiz of the semester and now its already the ultimatum.
As anticipated, It will definitely be an interesting week in college, As we finally round up our syllabus and start with express revision. As a matter of fact I vaguely remember we still have one more presentation to finish up this week. before our papers kick off on Saturday. I'm really glad that I took the time on Friday and Saturday to sufficiently rest up by sleeping. For burning the midnight oil looks about in order. Oh it's so gonna be a really busy week. But hey we're going to rewarded with a whole month off.... Sadly I dislike really long holidays, But looks like I'll be traveling a bit. So I wouldn't be stuck at home bored all the time!
I would like to wish all my mates, All the best....
Let's get through this for Langkawi waits!!!
cant wait for Penang aswell!
:)

It's Saturday Again!

2008-07-06T13:29:00.002+08:00

Saturdays are shopping days!!! :)
Well actually they're my kick free, lay back and relax day (In the morning at least), My self declared Sabbath day your might even call it.
So I met up with one of my old friends from college, And we went over to KLCC for lunch at our favourite haunt "Sushi King".
It was pretty cool hanging out with him, Since the last we went out together was near to 3 months ago. Always our planned group meetings would somehow be foiled last minute by a no-show at the end. So we decided to just go out the both of us. As coordinating time with 5 guys is honestly a good excuse to down a handsome amount of panadol.
After the lunch, I found out there was a Sale going on at Isetan and nearly all goods were going on sale from 50%-70%. Needless to say, I bought two shirts from SEED and a pair of distressed jeans.I still have few more items to buy. Just need to find the time to hunt for them. My wishlist still isn't complete yet.
Whoever said shopping was therapeutic,
Was ever so right!
:)

My not so fabulous haircut

2008-07-06T13:09:00.003+08:00

I finally went to get a haircut, as my hair was beyond the manageable level. Actually one of the last comments from one of my friends did the trick. And I quote "You hair makes you look like you've been up all night drinking because your wife left you or something."
And that did the trick. I booked an appointment with my hair stylist and the rest was history...
The only thing now is I'm kinda speechless about my new hair. Usually the girl that cuts my hair is really good and she's been making good calls on how I should cut it. The diversity aspect she provides is what keeps bringing me back for more. Yeah but anyways. I just told her I wanted something different...
And 40 minutes later..........
I emerge with a haircut that I look like some emo punk...
So now I look like some guy who's wife that has left him, turned emo, and is resorting to blades on his wrists to ease the pain..... Just gre

Midweek Musing

2008-07-02T20:27:00.004+08:00

Today was a pretty decent day,
College was alright...
Left ultra early this morning to meet some of the guys to play basketball at college in the morning
There's nothing better then getting your blood pumping throughout your body, nice and early in the morning. We played from around 7am till about 9am since, I had a class at 9.30am
All of us more or less brought a change of clothes and took a shower in college.
So the problem of sweating our asses off was solved in that matter.
English class today was pretty interesting as we watched Family Guy: The Movie through the projector. While a lot of people more or less loved it, I kinda found it pretty mundane.
Don't get me wrong, I used to love watching Family Guy. But I felt the movie was a sub par parody of Star Wars. Even a LOTR spoof would have probably been more worth it. But oh well, who knows if it'll be made in the future.
I'm thinking that this sport's gathering thing should be made a weekly morning event.
Let see how it goes eh? Would be pretty awesome though!

Sleep.........

2008-07-01T01:27:00.005+08:00

"Its nearing 2.a.m and I'm bleary...
It seem's ages since I've stayed up late,
Yet it was only yesterday I was enjoying the Euro Cup finals downstairs
amid the throngs of people in attendance cheering on they're beloved teams..
It has been 48 hours since I've had a decent wink of sleep
Yet it beckons slowly
It's serenading call enchanting
Mesmerized I proceed like a lamb into the slaughter
Onward to my trusty pillow to count
the frolicking wooly sheep jump over stiles
Its Time for bed,
Long awaited and at last
Darkness has never been this enticing!
Good Night everyone........

Tagged...

2008-06-26T02:23:00.002+08:00

Responding to a tag by Catherine,
I hardly ever do this (...Try Never...)
But It's like 2.30a.m, I've just finished my slides for tomorrow's presentation, And I'm listening to David Cook's album "Analog Heart". So since I'm in the mood.... What the heck right?

1. What was your second post in June the first year you blogged until now?
June 2006, Update on life and the lyrics to a new hillsongs song

Hey guyz, It's been a really long time since my last post. Don't get me wrong, There have been tons of stuff to write about. But recently i have been so boggled down with workload that I practically have no time at all. Literally I feel like I'm raging against time. There's been so many activities conducted by our church for the new freshies at TARC. Ive made ton's of new friends and my schedule is even more hectic then ever. Before RM50 of credit could last me a month. Now its ending within 2 weeks....... Arghhh! Slowly going broke..

2. What was the thing on your mind the most in August the first year you started blogging?
Was really into reading about apologetics, Lee Strobel in particular

But what about hell? Why would a loving God create a horrible place of eternal suffering?
This is a very difficult question theologians have argued over for centuries. But I believe the Bible teaches hell is a place where non-believers go after death. For those who are offended by the idea of hell, I ask, "What is God supposed to do with people who've spent their entire lives denying and rejecting their Creator?" In the end, God has to separate these people forever from himself. And why would they want to be in heaven anyway? Heaven is about worshiping God and experiencing him to the fullest. Our heaven would be their hell.

3. What were the things you had on your blog during December the first year you started blogging? (for example icons, chatboxes, what kind of links you had on your page)

Honestly my page was pretty bare, At that time I wasn't really much of a blogger, Still aren't though. But as I recall my blog was threadbare and simple. Black and gold layout with my display picture on it of me in a cap.

4. Randomly pick a post in February (from any year of your blogging life)

Once upon a time there were two kids who learned the hard way how much birds like breadcrumbs. While wandering in the forest, they almost got eaten by a candy-loving witch! But thankfully there was an oven handy, and before the witch could make Hanselburgers, Gretel toasted her golden-brown.

5. Weirdest comment left at your blog post / blog's guestbook / chat box

Honestly cant remember, Don't have logs going back so far.

6. What colours has your blog used as a background?
Green & Yellow (2005-2006)
Black (2006-2008)

7. Most interesting Valentine's post?
Year 2008

Havent blogged of Valentines Day as of yet.

9. Who do you tag to do this blog?

Bleh~ Tag huh?
How about ......nobody.....
wooohooo am I gonna get conked on the head in 24 hours like those chainmail warnings?
We shall see.....We shall see indeed!
:)

Rush Prelims

2008-06-25T23:45:00.002+08:00

Today in college we had the Rush "Amazing Race" preliminaries as per say. It was held in the college grounds, in teams of two. There was a total of 11 teams participating in the event. And the whole afternoon consisted of us running up and down the corridors trying to complete the tasks on hand. It was mad, We were hassling people for they're reciepts at McDonalds, Looking for random people with a specific shirt along the corridoors, Free throwing basketballs at the court, Drank a nasty concoction of Orange Juice with Wasabi and chilli padi in it, Dancing infront of the Main Entrance with two bottles of Twister Orange juice to some funky Elvis music for a minute while being recorded. And the last..... Doing some weird push ups variation in the middle of a class coridoor. All in all it was a blast, And me and my teammate had tons of fun, We were fooling around with another team of friends aswell....
Now for results........ WE GOT SECOND PLACE......yup you heard me right... We got second place..... from behind that is......
We missed 3 important clues as we kept running by them... soooooo...... It was like that :)
Anyways, I would say this would be a preparation for our Langkawi Rush trip..
I will be going for it... Got the go ahead from my mum already... Pulled together a team... And now we just need to wait til August for the games to begin.....
"Those tickets to HongKong are mine!!!"
*evil smirk*

To Langkawi or Not?

2008-06-23T21:17:00.003+08:00

So anyways theres a trip in our department by a club called (..havent a clue...) titled RUSH!
And they're hosting an Amazing Raze trip to Langkawi during our semester break for 4 days 3 nights. You'd have to sign up in teams of 3 unless your cool with just being chucked into a random team.
So to cut things short its like RM450 for transport, lodging, food, a tour around the island, and the amazing race game itself. For a 4 days and 3 nights, Thats a pretty sweet bargain.

I'm still weighing my options, And I might go with a few of my friends, as we'd be forming our own teams for the event. I can anticipate it would be loads of fun. Yet at the same time I would have to counter check with my mum, as she'd be coming down for her annual vacation. She gave me the liberty of choosing a spot for vacation. But I guess I would rather just hang around KL with her spending time with her........... and ofcourse the vacation money would be better spent on "Shopping". I still have quite a few things on my wishlish I hope to get before the end of the year~. Cant wait til the Mega Sale in August. Perfect timing!!!!! Woohooo.....
Anyways rather then daydreaming about my holidays I should be focusing my energy on my Finals which is in 3 weeks time. Time to kick up my effort to an all time high. I just love this season. And it ain't sarcasm =)

Asterix & Obelix

2008-06-22T20:55:00.003+08:00

I have finally completed my collection of Asterix & Obelix. And this is a cause for celebration... (for me at least ).
For the uninitiated, The series follows the exploits of a village of ancient Gauls as they resist Roman occupation. They do so by means of a magic potion, brewed by their druid, which gives the recipient superhuman strength. This is often used for comic effect, as in a recurring sequence where the villagers sally forth from their village to rout the attacking Romans so easily as to consider it great sport. In many cases, this resistance leads the main characters to travel to various European countries (but also Egypt, America, India and other non-European locations) in every other book, while the remaining are set in and around their village.

The entire series is laced with humour and caricature, and in my opinion is one of the best comics to have emerged from Europe in the 1950's. If any of you are intrested in checking the comics out, I'm more then willing to borrow them out! Sharing is caring after all *cough* or so they say....

Now,
I best get back to reading them up. Absolutely love them....

Flying High

2008-06-22T01:06:00.002+08:00

Drum roll please~
I have finally started my fitness regime, After a quick bout of shopping, I returned proudly flashing my new pair of 15kg dumb bells. (And yes I can carry them otherwise I wouldn't have bought them in the first place)
With the enthusiasm of new equipment I proceeded to warm up by jogging followed by 40 reps of squats, weight lunges, and crunches.
While walking back to my old place at Menara Alpha,
I seemed to be pulling a fair bit of attention from the opposite sex.
My oh my..... Filled with pride over the few nanomillimeters shaved off my tummy,
While proceeding to stroke my thinner waistline,
I realised....
.
.
.
.
My fly was undone
.
.
.
.
And that explains the attention...
Talk about a killjoy to end the night huh?

:(

Maison de décalage

2008-06-18T01:59:00.003+08:00

I've finally gotten around procrastinating and have more or less moved out. Around 90% of my possessions are now in my new room. And in the next few days, all of my new house mates would be shifted in. It's about time too. For our rental has been on gauge since last week for an empty house. Praise the Lord, that our house has full occupancy now. We had a dramatic late entry from a person. All cool though.
Now, I only need to find a tenant for the medium room in my prior house at Menara Alpha, or in the following month my rental cost would be RM660. I'm believing that someone would snap up my room for I'm not pushed into a new direction to be forced into a loss.
Tomorrow night, I'll be having dinner with all of my new house mates. As some of them are not acquainted with the rest. I'm looking forward to it! :)
Would need to start working on the more technical aspects of the house such as drilling, and setting up appliances, infrastructure...ect
It's going to be tiring, But hey! I'm pumped with anticipation for it. Must be the testosterone within me.
I'm calling it a night! My eyes are bloodshot, I'm beat, and I have tutorials in the morning! Cant wait til tomorrow~ =)

Happy Fathers Day

2008-06-16T00:27:00.002+08:00

Dear Dad,
Its been four months since we parted. So much has changed. KL has changed drastically,

Cost of living has gone up, The price of petroleum, the shortage of rice and cooking oil. Eating in Wangsa Maju price wise is equivalent of eating in Damansara already. I really miss your cooking. It's really hard to find even a half decent curry around here.

I've become loads more independent. Not having you around to help me pick up after myself does that :)

I was thinking about our last trip to Thailand a few months back.

I really had a great time with you. It was real fun navigating the hustle and bustle of stalls selling all sorts of goods and trinkets. I guess it was one of those rare occasions where just the two of us would go out together. And I just want to let you know I treasured every moment of it.

You'd be much happier to know I've been improving in college, I obtained 2 High Distinctions so far in my subjects for Midterms. Still awaiting the results for another paper. I'm still working towards my goal of being a counselor. You have no idea how much it meant to me that you supported my decision.

Mum's doing fine, She's still down in U.A.E working. She misses you as well.... I can tell :)

I'm in the midst of moving house, Moving across the road to a new condominium called Metroview . I'll be a house leader there apparently. Surprised eh? So was I.
You wouldn't believe it.. But Jason's getting married to his fiance. Yup it was like only yesterday you used to see him coming back home from school in his uniform. You'd be glad to know he's grown into a fine young man. And you wouldn't recognize that young prat Daniel anymore... haha
He's changed for the better loads. They've both taken after they're parents. Responsible, God fearing young men.

So many of my friends are getting married this year. It's pretty awesome. Do you remember Justin? He's getting married in December. Can you believe he asked me to be his Best Man?
I was kinda caught off guard, ha ha. I wish you could be here to see it. I've never played a part in anybodies wedding before, Especially in such an important role as this.

I do hope all is well with you up there. I do think about you often. I'm not really sad.
But I think of all the joy we shared together, and those Father and Son moments that I treasure dearly. Do say Hi to God for me up there. The Holy Spirit has been so awesome to me. I'm sure you'd be glad to know that he's taking very well care of me down here, until at times I feel spoiled. I guess thats just how Father's are at times right? :)
Even my Father in Heaven is as such.

I just wanted to wish you a very "Happy Fathers Day". With all my love and gratitude,
Without you I wouldn't be half the man I am today. I love you Dad!

Gaudia

2008-06-14T13:21:00.003+08:00

Midterms are over, And it looks like I nailed at least 2 High Distinctions for my mids. Which is pretty awesome. What better way to celebrate then to hook up with one of my best buddies that drove down all the way from Damansara. It's been awhile since we've really went out to just chill, and it was a blast. We drove down to Ampang and had a customary rite of passage "Yong Tau Foo" for dinner, And then over to Baskin&Robbins for dessert
Honestly it was the first time I was trying they're peanut butter and chocolate ice cream. And indeed it was love at first taste. I loved the taste of peanut butter mingled with rich chocolate ice cream and wavered with chocolate ribbons. And the huge chunks of peanut butter were a plus point in addition. The Rum & Raisin was totally overshadowed by that entree. I'm looking forward to my next trip down to B&R already.
Alright, taste bud orgasms aside, We got to talking about deeper stuff and talked about his approaching wedding in December. And to my utter surprise he asked me if I would be willing to be his "Best Man" for his wedding. Honestly I was caught off guard. Imagine being bestowed with such an honor on your friend's biggest day. I think I'm dead chuffed. Really looking forward to the months ahead and especially December.
:)

25/5/08

2008-05-25T01:38:00.003+08:00

At times I do not know what I face,
Even as I gaze at the light through the dark tunnel I know that I will eventually make it out,
The light serves as a reminder that my way will be illuminated, and guidance would never be too far away. Your light from afar awakens my deepest dreams and longings, that I once thought was dead, Your blow breathes life within me.
With reckless abandon I run after you as my shackles attempt to restrict me,
But nothing can prevent me from meeting you face to face,
Losing a limb in the pursuit of chasing after you would be a small price to pay.
For even the darkest of nights is forced to fade at the appearance of the Sun,
And every problem and hindrance is forced to bow before your might.
I am merely a finite being, lacking in capacity to even comprehend your majesty,
Reveal to me, Speak into me your thoughts,
That I may know what is right and pleasing in your eyes,
What you have entrusted to me I shall be faithful with,
What ever I face I take as refining and I know you shall bring me into completion,
The end product you have in mind would be even beyond my wildest dreams,
And I would go through all the pain and heartache again just to see it brought into completion.
Oh Teach my eyes to recognize You,
Teach my lips to glorify You,
Guide my feet so I can find You,
Wherever You are,
Be my way, I'm lost without you,
Be my light, shining through my every breath,
My every move, till every thought is You

New Beginnings~

2008-05-09T00:02:00.004+08:00

Would it be presumptuous to say that you knew something was coming. After all, my life had been getting comfy lately. blessing after blessing, favour, grace, you name it! I've experienced it. The last blessing I received which was two days ago, I knew there would be a string attached, How did I know you ask? I didn't to be honest. But I could just feel, That with all the more that I received , oh how much more the responsibility that would be bestowed upon me. It was not a mere coincidence, that on the same day I received it, I got the phone call that evening. The more and more I look at it, It's all part of God's grand scheme of events, How one thing leads to another, almost nonchalantly , like how a wisp of smoke meanders lazily in the air not seeming to be precise in its direction but always heading towards the sky. That's what I love about God, And its his unique characteristic, no two things you seem to face in life seem connected to each other, But with constant pondering, you will eventually see where the dots connect and you will understand and come to appreciate it.
So the from the point of the call onwards, everything is still in the planning stages. Do I believe that I'm ready to lead other people? I honestly don't know, But if my spiritual leaders believe I'm ready, Then so be it. I shall submit under my authority with joy, and with anticipation of doing my utmost to bless the lives under me and to see them grow bigger and deeper in the faith. Is it going to be challenging? I shan't be naive and say it isn't. I've felt within my heart from the beginning of the year that it would be a year to rise up,move in a new direction, move in a new groove which even which is different from the rest. Am I up to the challenge? I believe I am. It will be something totally new. But hey! Rome wasn't built in a day! ;)

1st of May is MayDay

2008-05-02T00:34:00.004+08:00

These next few weeks are going to be mad. As a matter of fact the madness has already begun, Exams are creeping around the corner and a solitary grimness is in the air. Assignments and presentations are soon due. And as a matter of fact, My first test is today. Having Thursday off as it was Labour Day, Wasn't much of a consolidation. With required revision of texts for the next two tests the following weeks, Our presentation due, And 3 articles that need to be drafted for the department by Wednesday, I can more less kiss my weekend and the following week goodbye!.

As Church Camp is on Sunday, I'm still trying to re-organize my timetable with my lecturers, If I were to attend I would miss out on all my lectures for the week as the camp would be held from Sunday til Tuesday. I'm taking a step of faith, regardless. That I'm believing that I can sub my classes, And the days that I missed out would not affect me in my studies. I'm believing and praying for a revolution within my life during the camp, As the first day of camp would spark the end of my 64 day full fast. Its pretty mad seeing God's grace and favour upon my life that I've been able to last for so long on his grace alone. I'm believing that I have made a difference in the spirit through this act of faith, And recently I've been feeling this unquenchable thirst for more of God till it just breaks me. I've been moving into a new phase, a new direction into something new once again. It feel as if I'm wondering in the desert, And honestly its just so frustration. But I'm walking ahead with faith that I will eventually find that elusive oasis in the middle.
How would I sum up my current life? Life's Awesome (and no that isn't an attempt at sarcasm)
I'm learning to Learning to depend on God, Learning to worship him in all circumstances, Learning to submit and to seek God even more, Learning to manage my time even more, Learning to manage stress and frustration, Learning to care for people under me spiritually, Learning how to be a watchman, Learning to love others as myself, Learning to practice grace, compassion, and mercy.(phew! long list eh?) So its pretty awesome. Though sometimes I just reach back home totally burned out. I know these are all life lessons that will define me in the future. I give thanks to God for them, I accept them with joy and thanksgiving knowing that he wont let me face anything that I cant overcome. So yeah.... Life's Awesome!

A sigh of Praise

2008-04-26T01:51:00.006+08:00

The short one week holiday is coming to a close. Would it even to be right to call it a holiday? per say maybe. The only difference during the so called holidays was that I was able to sleep later and wake up later. But I still set my alarm clock daily. It would have been awesome to say the holidays passed without incident, But it wasn't the case. My beloved PC, that was built from scratch officially kicked the bucket on Tuesday. Taking along with it all the myriad of files and documents and photo's which I had accumulated over the past 3 years. Now I'm more less the kind of person that takes things in stride. So was I unhappy about it? Honestly yeah. An hour later was I still upset about it? Not really I was more worried about how I was to complete my homework as I have 6 assignments and 2 presentations due the following week. I'm usually a pretty laid back person. But with all of this due, It sent my mind and sadly my stress level past hyper drive mode. I'll be brutally honest to the extent that before last year I hadn't the slightest inclination of what stress was like. And this year has been a year of learning to deal with stress and finding peace in the most dire consequences. Dire is a pretty strong word, But you get my drift. I've always been the type of person who wouldn't dwell much on the present but look forward to what the future held. Or as an optimist would quote, To look past my current level but to visualize my potential maximised. So what did I do from there? I went out and bought myself a laptop. Bought a small nifty but power packed machine. Pleasant on the eyes yet awe inspiringly powerful to boot. Am I happy with it? Well I'm contented with it as it does it's job and helps me get my presentations and assignments done in time. Some people my say I splurged more then I should have for the laptop, But I'm a firm believer that if you want something that will last and serve you faithfully for years you better be prepared to invest some cash. It wasn't too expensive at RM4.1K. A 13" screen with a 2MB auto face recognition camera built in, Intel T7300 2.0GHz 800MHz bus Duo core processor, 160GB 7200rpm HDD, Nvidia 8400MS Graphics Card, 4GB Ram, Biometric thumb reader for security and a touch screen pad with neon lights for my hot keys. I am thankful for getting it, And God's awesome for allowing me to get one.
I do hope that I can recover all the photo's from my old hard drive, They have high sentimental value to me. To lose those photo's would be as to lose part of my life. I have already lost every single photo of my childhood and have lost every single family photo we had. So to lose the last photos of my dad while on our trip to Thailand and my 21st Birthday when my Mum was down would grieve me to no end. I do hope they'll be fine . I'd go as far as to pay top buck to some lab for the recovery of it. You cant place a price on sentimental value. Regardless, At the end of the day I'll bless the Lord with all my soul and all that is within me.

Looking for One person

2008-04-08T02:20:00.004+08:00

Im here looking for once person.... I love to see crowds burn but I know it can shape history if I could find just one person...... You hear people say often that if we could a thousand people united in prayer we could do it and get it fixed! Yeah maybe.... Maybe the prayer of one faithful usually would do it.
Anyone can burn in a crowd... I want to find a person who can burn by themselves. Anyone can burn in a movement. I wanna find the one person that would pray when theres no
prayer meeting called, That would get up in the middle of the night to pray when there's no crisis. The one person that gets their personal victory when noone else is looking. That defeats their lions and bears so that one day when they have their day against Goliath they have all the confidence in the world and it isnt arrogance.
Where does the water of the last outpouring go to?
In the natural when it rains in the mountains..... where does the water go? We talk about these mountain top experiences, where these explosive invasions from God happen.. And man don't I love it. But where do these waters go? They go down into the valleys! They go down to your lowest point...
God had concealed the rain for the last outpouring in the soil that you are standing on. The darkest moment in a persons life is the greatest moment to find promotion if they would simply turn the attitude of their heart from the dread of the moment to the impossibilty that God would abandon you to a season of dryness. In Psalm 84 It says they go through the
Valley of Weeping this place of dryness and barrenness. But listen to this! They turn it into a spring. They take the crusty soil their standing on and they realise "Wait a minute! God would not abandon me to dryness" He has put me into a place where I have to press past what is obvious to find what he has hidden for me, not from me.
He has hidden refreshing within reach. It is always within reach, Its always a step beyond convenience. It's a change of heart that says He would not abandon me to dryness. He is the God of extravagance and of abundance
And a simple turning of the heart that says I know that I'm standing on pregnant soil , I do not care how dry it is. This crusty soil that I stand on. And the bible says that person takes that valley of weeping and breaks through the crust of that soil and suddenly the water from the last outpouring starts to bubble up.It says as that spring starts bubbling up the clouds come.
A valley that was dry. A people that were crying out for a great outpouring couldn't get till they discovered the water they were standing on. They couldn't get it til they turned their heart to realise he is good all the time. He wouldnt put me in a place where there
is not refreshing available for me now. I will change the attitude of my heart. And I will stop the moaning and groaning and stop calling it intercession.

Extracted and compressed from a sermon by Bill Johnson

Facing a difficult situation?

2008-03-27T23:21:00.003+08:00

At time's I just like posting up articles mainly to instigate though and act as encouragement to others. I know its from a chain letter, But I truly agree with the content. So I hope it does edify some of you and apologies for being a bore ;)

Don't give up.....
One day I decided to quit...
I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life.
I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.
"God", I asked, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"
His answer surprised me...
"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
"Yes", I replied.
"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them.
I gave them light.
I gave them water.
The fern quickly grew from the earth.
Its brilliant green covered the floor.
Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.
In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.
But I would not quit.
In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would
not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared
to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6
months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.
I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."
He asked me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots".
"I would not quit on the bamboo.
I will never quit on you."
"Don't compare yourself to others."
He said.
"The bamboo had a different Purpose than the fern.
Yet they both make the forest beautiful."
"Your time will come", God said to me.
"You will rise high"
"How high should I rise?"
I asked.
"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.
"As high as it can?" I questioned.
"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."
I left the forest and brought back this story.
I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.
Never, Never, Never Give up.
For the Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.
Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is,
tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

Families torn by citizenship for fallen

2008-03-24T19:06:00.000+08:00

By HELEN O'NEILL, AP Special Correspondent Sun Mar 23, 11:37 PM ET taken from Yahoo News.

A young, ambitious immigrant from Guatemala who dreamed of becoming an architect. A Nigerian medic. A soldier from China who boasted he would one day become an American general. An Indian native whose headstone displays the first Khanda, emblem of the Sikh faith, to appear in Arlington National Cemetery.These were among more than 100 foreign-born members of the U.S. military who earned American citizenship by dying in Iraq.

Jose Gutierrez was one of the first to fall, killed by friendly fire in the dust of Umm Qasr in the opening hours of the invasion.

In death, the young Marine was showered with honors his family could only have dreamed of in life. His sister was flown in from Guatemala for his memorial service, where a Roman Catholic cardinal presided and top military officials saluted his flag-draped coffin.

And yet, his foster mother agonized as she accompanied his body back for burial in Guatemala City: Why did Jose have to die for America in order to truly belong?

Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles, who oversaw Gutierrez's service, put it differently.

"There is something terribly wrong with our immigration policies if it takes death on the battlefield in order to earn citizenship," Mahony wrote to President Bush in April 2003. He urged the president to grant immediate citizenship to all immigrants who sign up for military service in wartime.

"They should not have to wait until they are brought home in a casket," Mahony said.

But as the war continues, more and more immigrants are becoming citizens in death — and more and more families are grappling with deeply conflicting feelings about exactly what the honor means.

Gutierrez's citizenship certificate — dated to his death on March 21, 2003, — was presented during a memorial service in Lomita, Calif., to Nora Mosquera, who took in the orphaned teen after he had trekked through Central America, hopping freight trains through Mexico before illegally sneaking into the U.S.

"On the one hand I felt that citizenship was too late for him," Mosquera said. "But I also felt grateful and very proud of him. I knew it would open doors for us as a family."

"What use is a piece of paper?" cried Fredelinda Pena after another emotional naturalization ceremony, this one in New York City where her brother's framed citizenship certificate was handed to his distraught mother. Next to her, the infant daughter he had never met dozed in his fiancee's arms.

Cpl. Juan Alcantara, 22, a native of the Dominican Republic, was killed Aug. 6, 2007, by an explosive in Baqouba. He was buried by a cardinal and eulogized by a congressman but to his sister, those tributes seemed as hollow as citizenship.

"He can't take the oath from a coffin," she sobbed.

There are tens of thousands of foreign-born members in the U.S. armed forces. Many have been naturalized, but more than 20,000 are not U.S. citizens.

"Green card soldiers," they are often called, and early in the war, Bush signed an executive order making them eligible to apply for citizenship as soon as they enlist. Previously, legal residents in the military had to wait three years.

Since Bush's order, nearly 37,000 soldiers have been naturalized. And 109 who lost their lives have been granted posthumous citizenship.

They are buried with purple hearts and other decorations, and their names are engraved on tombstones in Arlington as well as in Mexico and India and Guatemala.

Among them:

• Marine Cpl. Armando Ariel Gonzalez, 25, who fled Cuba on a raft with his father and brother in 1995 and dreamed of becoming an American firefighter. He was crushed by a refueling tank in southern Iraq on April 14, 2003.

• Army Spc. Justin Onwordi, a 28-year-old Nigerian medic whose heart seemed as big as his smiling 6-foot-4 frame and who left behind a wife and baby boy. He died when his vehicle was blown up in Baghdad on Aug. 2, 2004.

• Army Pfc. Ming Sun, 20, of China who loved the U.S. military so much he planned to make a career out of it, boasting that he would rise to the rank of general. He was killed in a firefight in Ramadi on Jan. 9, 2007.

• Army Spc. Uday Singh, 21, of India, killed when his patrol was attacked in Habbaniyah on Dec. 1, 2003. Singh was the first Sikh to die in battle as a U.S. soldier, and it is his headstone at Arlington that displays the Khanda.

• Marine Lance Cpl. Patrick O'Day from Scotland, buried in the California rain as bagpipes played and his 19-year-old pregnant wife told mourners how honored her 20-year-old husband had felt to fight for the country he loved.

"He left us in the most honorable way a man could," Shauna O'Day said at the March 2003 Santa Rosa service. "I'm proud to say my husband is a Marine. I'm proud to say my husband fought for our country. I'm proud to say he is a hero, my hero."

Not all surviving family members feel so sure. Some parents blame themselves for bringing their child to the U.S. in the first place. Others face confusion and resentment when they try to bury their child back home.

At Lance Cpl. Juan Lopez's July 4, 2004, funeral in the central Mexican town of San Luis de la Paz, Mexican soldiers demanded that the U.S. Marine honor guard surrender their arms, even though the rifles were ceremonial. Earlier, the Mexican Defense Department had denied the Marines' request to conduct the traditional 21-gun salute, saying foreign troops were not permitted to bear arms on Mexican soil.

And so mourners, many deeply opposed to the war, witnessed an extraordinary 45-minute standoff that disrupted the funeral even as Lopez's weeping widow was handed his posthumous citizenship by a U.S. embassy official.

The same swirl of conflicting emotions and messages often overshadows the military funerals of posthumous citizens in the U.S.

Smuggled across the Mexican border in his mother's arms when he was 2 months old, Jose Garibay was just 21 when he died in Nasiriyah. The Costa Mesa police department made him an honorary police officer, something he had hoped one day to become. America made him a citizen.

But his mother, Simona Garibay, couldn't conceal her bewilderment and pain. It seemed, she said in interviews after the funeral, that more value was being placed on her son's death than on his life.

Immigrant advocates have similar mixed feelings about military service. Non-citizens cannot become officers or serve in high-security jobs, they note, and yet the benefits of citizenship are regularly pitched by recruiters, and some recruitment programs specifically target colleges and high schools with predominantly Latino students.

"Immigrants are lured into service and then used as political pawns or cannon fodder," said Dan Kesselbrenner, executive director of the National Immigration Project, a program of the National Lawyers Guild. "It is sad thing to see people so desperate to get status in this country that they are prepared to die for it."

Others question whether non-citizens should even be permitted to serve. Mark Krikorian of the conservative Center for Immigration Studies, argues that defending America should be the job of Americans, not non-citizens whose loyalty might be suspect. In granting special benefits, including fast-track citizenship, Krikorian says, there is a danger that soldiering will eventually become yet another job that Americans won't do.

And yet, immigrants have always fought — and died — in America's wars.

During the Cvil War, the Union army recruited Irish and German immigrants off the boat. Alfred Rascon, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, received the Medal of Honor for acts of bravery during the Vietnam war. In the 1990s, Gen. John Shalikashvili, born in Poland after his family fled the occupied Republic of Georgia, became chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

After the Iraq invasion, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico fielded hundreds of requests from Mexicans offering to fight in exchange for citizenship. They mistakenly believed that Bush's order also applied to nonresidents.

The right to become an American is not automatic for those who die in combat. Families must formally apply for citizenship within two years of the soldier's death, and not all choose to do so.

"He's Italian, better to leave it like that," Saveria Romeo says of her 23-year-old son, Army Staff Sgt. Vincenzo Romeo, who was born in Calabria, died in Iraq and is buried in New Jersey. A miniature Italian flag marks his grave, next to an American one.

"What good would it do?" she says. "It won't bring back my son."

But it would allow her to apply for citizenship for herself, a benefit only recently offered to surviving parents and spouses. Until 2003 posthumous citizenship was granted only through an act of Congress and was purely symbolic. There were no benefits for next of kin.

Romeo says she has no desire to apply. She says she couldn't bear to benefit in any way from her son's death. And besides, she feels Italian, not American.

Fernando Suarez del Solar just feels angry — angry at what he considers the futility of a war that claimed his only son, angry at the military recruiters he says courted young Jesus relentlessly even when the family still lived in Tijuana.

His son was just 13, Suarez del Solar said, when he was first dazzled by Marine recruiters in a California mall. For the next two years Jesus begged the family to emigrate and eventually they did, settling in Escondido, Calif., where the teen signed up for the Marines before he left high school.

Lance Cpl. Jesus Suarez Del Solar was 20 when he was killed by a bomb in the first week of the war. He left behind a wife and baby and parents so bitter about his death that they eventually divorced.

Today, his 52-year-old father has become an outspoken peace activist who travels the country organizing anti-war marches, giving speeches and working with counter-recruitment groups to dissuade young Latinos from joining the U.S. military.

"There is nothing in my life now but saving these young people," he says. "It is just something I feel have to do."

But first he had to journey to Iraq. He had to see for himself the dusty stretch of wasteland where his son became an American. In tears, he planted a small wooden cross. And he prayed for his son — and for all the other immigrants who became citizens in death.

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T00:28:00.007+08:00

It's that time of the year again and Easter is around the corner. So first and foremost I would like to wish everyone a "Blessed Easter". To me I've honestly never really thought a big deal about easter. I'm like yeah, I know JC died and rose again on this day, So thats why we celebrate it and stuff. But I'd like to think that I'm the kind of person that celebrates his resurrection on a daily basis, And I do not have to wait for a certain allocated day to ring out my praises for his mighty deeds. It could kinda flow into the "valentine's day" debate huh!?
But anyways, I got into thinking. I've always associated Easter with chocolate eggs. I mean I used to look forward to easter merely because of the eggs I'd receive from my parents, friends, ...ect. Even at school we'd have pretty awesome activities like chocolate egg hunts and all that razz and jazz. I used to believe in the Easter Bunny. Now don't laugh yet! I believed in the Tooth Fairy and Santa Clause and that Monster under my bed. But like most kids, I outgrew it with age.In all honesty the actual reason I stopped believing in all of them was because they stopped delivering gifts to me once I shifted to Malaysia... Those buggers....
One day I found out why the Easter Bunny stopped delivering chocolate eggs to me!

Poor rabbit got in a hit and run

Anyways, Much later I found out what the true meaning of Easter was. Prior to contrary belief. It isnt all about the chocolate eggs!

So what is Easter then?

Celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians all over the world will celebrate the reason that they are Christians, and the fulfillment of God's promise to save them from the sin that came in through Adam. The means was Jesus Christ, whom God sent to live on earth as man, die a criminal's death in atonement for that sin, and rise again, to release mankind from eternal bondage.

What does that mean to me?

That mate! Means you have your rear end covered and you literally have a "Get out of Jail Free card" from your past life and Sin.

Getting saved is as easy as counting to five. All it takes is acknowledging that
1) God loves Me
2) I have Sinned
3) Solution = Jesus Christ
4) Decision = Recieve Jesus

So like yeah. Easter is celebration of rebirth and renewal. So why don't you check out the true meaning of Easter, And in the spirit of things give it a shot. Happy Easter Everyone!

God of Miracles

2008-03-19T02:12:00.003+08:00

Just how awesome and kick ass is my God?
Well one of the people I've been praying for that I met in the hospital has had a miracle and has been rid of HIV and TB. Saying he was healed would be a technical frazzle since medically, It cannot be cured. Circumstances don't bind my God, But he binds circumstances. It's pretty awesome to see how far this guy has come.
When I first met him in the General Hospital, He could hardly move, I initially thought that he was paralyzed. Since he couldn't even lift up a spoon I offered to feed him. He's come a long way since then. He's healed up nicely, FULLY CURED.
From when he first entered the hospital, He had a reputation for having a temper amongst the nurses. But now when ever I visit him, He's all smiles. It's pretty awesome seeing a person totally given an overhaul from God. For its true! Christ not only gives salvation, but restoration, joy , peace.... and the list just goes on and on. I'm really happy for him. And I believe this will be my first of many more testimonies of healing and miracles as I continue to go around for hospital visitations.

The Irony of irony

2008-03-18T00:56:00.003+08:00

In regards to my last post (If you read it). I was actually rambling about how into cooking I was. So today just like any usual day, I headed to college, Before entering I was stopped by this persistent camera crew in search for a ~~sucker~~ raw talent. I couldn't shake them off, So i finally agreed to answer a few questions they asked on camera. The crew was from the curry powder mill Baba's and I knew they asked me because I was Indian! So I'd definitely enjoy curry. It was a smart presumption if not blatantly obvious for that fact. Anyways they proceeded to ask me If I could cook and stuff, Which I replied with a dishonest "No" to merely get rid of them. Sadly this piqued they're interest and they started bombarding me with a few other questions. Finally they invited me to a cook off to head on head with other amateur cooks, Which I agreed to. Hey, who wouldn't love cooking if all the utensils and ingredients would be provided, I mean the only daunting thing is that its in front of a live audience. But its like a once in a lifetime opportunity, The door knocked! I opened it. Soooo...... I should be on TV soon enough facing off with other "amateur" cooks, so called amateur cooks la!. But hey! I think its good exposure, So bring it on. I should be on TV soon enough during BABA's time slot. Grinning like the idiot I am with curry powder flying around my head like shining halo. Oh well, Thats showbiz for you eh. Now wheres my paycheck?

Cook or Kook?

2008-03-17T02:18:00.005+08:00

These past few months have stirred up my interest for cooking. How did it all start? Probably when I used to stay with my dad and he used to whip up meals with ease. I used to stand at the doorway of the kitchen and watch him work around the kitchen making meals. He used to cook for us. And he was a marvelous cook. Anyone who had tried his food, would have agreed with me. His curries were divine. They're something that I miss. The colors and smells of the kitchen, The myriad of assorted dishes and curries he would whip up for just a meal for two of us was remarkable. And he used to spoil me in this area, As he would always cook up something I liked to please me. Wether it was a simple vegetable stir fry to an awesome crab curry. Honestly, looking back at it. Seeing him cook in the kitchen is something that I miss. My dad always took pride in cooking, He was a tried and true perfectionist. Never settling for second best in whatever he prepared. His love for cooking I believe he eventually passed to me. And now I scour the kitchen, attempting to replicate the dishes that I love.
I've so far been able to make a few curries. Probably chicken curry is my best so far. But Ive still far to reach to even coming close to his standards. But thats ok ! I still have an entire lifetime to perfect my curries.

Anyone who's read Jamie Olivers book's know that his colorfully illustrated books have been made in a way to make you "semangat" to cook. Pouring through his books, one cannot help but feel pumped up to cook. I've even been downloading Gordan Ramsay's cooking series from the internet. They like teach you how to cook dishes from scratch. And they're like pretty awesome in appearance and presentation. They teach you from the basic skills down to the pro techniques used in the kitchen. I've been filled with so many ideas on what to whip up and for what occasions. I cant wait to try all of this out. Now if only I could find more guinea pigs~

The Forthnightly

2008-03-16T00:53:00.002+08:00

Phew!
Life is getting more and more hectic
It seems that every week that passes by I'm learning more and more things.
Every day that passes by, challenges me to change my past perspectives and outlooks
Crafting new dreams and envisioning a deeper and a greater future.
If i could sum up the past 3 months. I would use the word "defining"
The transition isn't complete, But I am learning along the way. childhood Dreams have died
Hopes and visions have died along with it. Take note that I'm not blogging from a pessimistic
point of view, But one of optimism. That for ones new self to emerge, The death of your old self needs to take
place.
My internal furniture is being re-arranged. Mind soul and body is being re crafted.
I'm seeing myself move into areas I wouldn't have thought possible years back.
even certain decisions which I decide, I'm looking at viewpoints which I would never have considered
months back. I'm start University this coming Monday. Its going to be an absolutely new chapter. New people,
Different perspectives and view points, a medley of fresh lecturers. Its going to be an interesting time.
I'm absolutely looking forward to 2008. I'm looking forward to seeing myself progress spiritually and naturally
even more then before, In new areas. I'm hoping in due time I'll be given the opportunity to pour out my life
and build up my own disciples. But probably that might be a long time away, For I know I still have a lot
of remolding in my life to do. But hey! I'm ready for it. So bring it on.
All I can say is God is leading me down a path. It's not been an easy path and it wont get any easier as time
goes by. But the fact remains I've made a covenant with God. And I'll willingly surrender myself to his will
regardless of the price or the pain that needs to be borne. For the fact remains and the ultimatum is....
"His grace is sufficient for Me"

Declaration of War

2008-03-16T00:29:00.003+08:00

One of the songs in Disciple's Scars Remain portray my exact sentiments. Below You'll find the lyrics.

Disciple - Game On

When the lights go up and the game is on
Are you ready for me? Cause I'm ready for you
When the bell rings out and the fight is on
Are you ready for me? Cause I'm ready for you

It's time for us to start throwing down
Take a look and see who's standing now

Didn't even know that you and I were cross
Until a sneak attack from the weak side
Unaware that we were in a fight
I guess that's part of the problem, but guess what

Say what you want to say about me
Throw up what you want to throw up at me
But when you mess with those that are around me
That's when you and I will have a problem

I'm not afraid of loving my enemies
Turning the other cheek
Blessing those that would curse me
I honestly want peace with you
But when you come against my country
When you come against my family
You try to destroy my people
I can't just stand by
There's no way that I can stand by
This time, I will not stand by
I am coming, and if I come, then pain is coming with me
I'm coming, and pain will be with me

And thus let the battle begin. I'm stepping out on faith even bordering on insanity to some. But I believe that Faith defies logic and wisdom. So game on! The gloves are off! And the end of all things will be publicized.

Lifehouse Everything Skit

2008-03-01T01:21:00.002+08:00

This is so beautiful I just have to post it. I might be like the last dude on the planet to have viewed it, But it doesn't matter, Because the impact of watching it was as great. Ive watched this for a total of four times tonight alone. And it doesn't stop the fact that I'm brought to tears each and every time I view it. If you haven't heard of this skit before, I highly encourage you to view it. If you've seen it before. I encourage you to view it again, Because I believe that the message contained within it is priceless and incredibly powerful to sledgehammer you multiple times. Just as long as your heart is open. My prayer is that it will speak to you as deeply as it spoke to me, And shed some light on the depths of Gods love for you, no matter how minuscule of a portrayal it is.

Lifehouse - Everything skit

Crossroads!

2008-02-29T16:14:00.004+08:00

I feel as if I've reached a cross road in my life. Ive come to a junction and theres traffic all around. Making a decision is not a necessity but a prerequisite for my future. I know that what i choose from here on out, will play a significant impact on my future and how I develop fully as a man. I have to willingly shake off the shackles of adolescence and take my first step in embracing manhood. Not merely because of my age factor, for age is never the determinant of one's maturity. But because I feel the time has come for me to finally accept full responsibility as an adult. The choices I make will determine the path of my life. And all deviances, the consequences I will bare. Responsibility, not only for my own actions, but also accountability for the people around me. To see the people around me that I care and love grow greater not only interpersonally but spiritually as well. Credibility, That as the saying goes "A Man's word is his Life" and that would be applicable to me. That if I promise or say anything, people around me would know that it is something that would definitely be gotten done, and not something promised for the sake of it.
I know my office in God's kingdom, I know my callings and my giftings, They've been repeated time and time again. As great as they are I can never ever reach them with my own abilities and my limited capabilities. But by his grace everything is possible, And I pray as I work on his works and build up the ministries he has called me into, His hand will guide and mould me, and establish me beyond anything I could have ever dreamed of. The key is faithfulness and perseverance, and I will hold both close to my heart. And I believe even as I'm at this crossroad, I've already begun to take the first few steps down a path. A path with trials and testings, but of immense joy. And as I walk down this path, Oh I know I'm not alone. But theres a person walking with me every step of the way. And in that I find my solace.
For life's too short to moan and complain. But walk in your promises, giving it your utmost. And everything will be alright!

so this is me...just checking in

2008-02-15T12:36:00.001+08:00

I read this on another persons blog actually. I found this really inspirational and even had a few tears flowing as I finished reading it. Hope its a blessing to you as much as it was to me.

-----

A minister passing through his church in the middle of the day, Decided to pause by the altar and see who had come to pray. Just then the back door opened, a man came down the aisle, The minister frowned as he saw the man hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kind a shabby and his coat was worn and frayed, the man knelt, he bowed his head, then rose and walked away. In the days that followed, each noontime came this chap, each time he knelt just for a moment, a lunch pail in his lap. Well, the minister's suspicions grew, with robbery a main fear, He decided to stop the man and ask him,

"What are you doing here?" The old man said, he worked down the road. Lunch was half an hour. Lunchtime was his prayer time, For finding strength and power. "I stay only
moments, see, because the factory is so far away; as I kneel here talking to the Lord, this is kind a what I say:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM
CHECKING IN TODAY."

The minister feeling foolish, told Jim, that was fine. He told the man he was welcome to come and pray just anytime. Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks."

He hurried to the door The minister knelt at the altar, he'd never done it before. His cold heart melted, warmed with love, and met with Jesus there. As the tears flowed, in his heart, he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
I DON'T
KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT
I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed that old Jim hadn't come. As more days passed without Jim, he began to worry some. At the factory, he asked about him, learning he was ill.

The hospital staff was worried, But he'd given them a thrill. The week that Jim was with them, Brought changes in the ward. His smiles, a joy contagious. Changed people, were his reward. The head nurse couldn't understand why Jim was so glad, when no flowers, calls or cards came, Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed, He voiced the nurse's concern: No friends came to show they cared. He had nowhere to turn. Looking surprised, old Jim spoke up and with a
winsome smile;

"The nurse is wrong, she couldn't know, that in here all the while everyday at noon He's here,
a dear friend of mine, you see, He sits right down, takes my hand, Leans over and says to me:

"I JUST
CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP,
AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,
AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS
CHECKING IN TODAY."

May God hold you in the palm of His hand and Angels watch over you.

But for those of us who are already His, He not only holds us in the palm of His hand, but has
engraved our names there, and we are continually in His sight (Isaiah 49:16)

-----

Pass this page on to your friends & loved ones. If you aren't ashamed.
Jesus said, " If you are ashamed of me," I will be ashamed of you before my
Father."

If you are not ashamed, pass this on. But only if you mean it. Yes, I do
love God. He is my source of existence and Savior.
He keeps me functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I will be nothing
Without him, I am nothing but with Him "I can
do all things through Christ that strengthens me." Phil 4:13
This is too good not to share -

So this is me ... Just Checking In

Musings

2008-02-11T22:48:00.000+08:00

I have so much to write!
But I don't feel that I should. Theres like a whirlpool of emotions and thoughts within me.
Its like I'm on a roller coaster in the pitch black. I'm not scared! I'm undaunted and fearless.
I have full faith in the seatbelt thats keeping me strapped down into my chair. Even though the loops seem scary and sickening at times. The seatbelt holds me down, keeps me safe, and makes sure I'll reach my final destination.
I believe that my life is in the hands of my Saviour. Eventhough the path of my life might not have been straight, and the future certainly looks uncertain in the natural, I'll refuse to look that way for God himself has personally promised me so much more. I'll look back to his promises of old and his stirring of the spirit within my life to guide me and sustain me as I march into my future with faith that he will lead me. I'll declare the promises of Psalm 27

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
2 When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
3 Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.

I've learnt that God never takes you from somewhere and leaves you some place and make you deal with it on your on. He's never that cruel. He has a plan, a purpose, a training for you. That you can only appreciate as time goes by, It is never apparent in the near future.
Loads of people tell me they have dreams, that God told me this and said this to me and such, bla...bla...bla.
What hit me was, Just because you have a dream, It doesn't mean it'll come to pass. Each dream is bigger then you. And each dream has a price. The fulfilment of them will cost you everything thing and more. Dreams are free, Seeing them fulfilled will cost me everything.
I could rant and moan about my life, But why should I?
I've decided that,
I'm going to serve him
I'm going to worship him,
I'm going to be rooted in the house of God
I'm going to never stop praising him
That temptation is irrelevant.
If even the world says that failure is not an option, then serving Jesus Christ, being there in his house and being involved in a ministry is not an option! It's mandatory! Its my duty! Its the least I could even do.

For at the end of the day, I know I do not have to worry for I have full faith that I'll make it through.
I praise you that I am not who man says I am, But who you say I am Lord. And at the end of the day thats all that matters.
I have no reason to mourn, But to dance in Joy and sing your praises with all of my heart!
And that I shall do.

In tragedy does one appreciate the light more

2008-02-07T01:42:00.000+08:00

This is a pretty long over due post. My father recently passed away on the 29th of January, 2008. Sadly, a mere two days after his birthday. Its been a tough period of transition. One that was assisted thoroughly with the spirit. I got a call on Tuesday evening, while I was having my dinner from my dad's cellphone number from one of my aunty's, saying my dad was very ill. And it would be best to come as soon as possible. Knowing the kind of person my dad is, I know he wouldn't lend his phone to others, especially to call me. Expecting the worst, the entire journey towards my dads house was teary eyed and filled with prayer. Seeing a small crowd around the porch of the house I more less knew what happened , and went to my dads room. I found him lying down on his bed, eyes partially open and teeth showing. It was a horrible sight. And for nights I couldn't sleep.
I remember just standing there over him, the despair, the sadness, the anguish, just consuming me. I remember asking everyone to leave the room except for Daniel and Jason. And I got down on my knee's in prayer, in tears crying out for my dad. The Lord is amazing. Even as I was sobbing and praying scripture and promises over my father. Personal promises, promises for my family, I could feel my faith rise up. The peace and calmness of God taking over me. The entire period, The spirit of the Lord was upon me, constantly guiding me, safeguarding my heart and emotions with his peace and joy. My dad may not have passed explicatively as a christian . But I know that I know that I know, That I do not have to worry about it, Or where his soul is. I had that overwhelming comfort an joy withing me.
I wish I could have said the funeral went on without a hitch, But that would be wishful thinking merely but gazing at the mere volume of relatives I have. My mum came down immediately from the U.A.E. when I called her and informed of dad's passing. I'm really thankful she came down. For those that do not know, My parents are divorced. So wasn't really expecting her to come down. But she said she came down to support me during this time. Which I'm really grateful for.
Anyways, back to the funeral. My entire family now knows I'm christian which is more less great. Both my mum's side and my dad's side. Couldnt be happier for that. The Holy Spirit was with me the entire time. I didnt even shed a tear during the entire funeral except when I had to light the casket containing my dad's body on fire. One reason being it was cruel that I had to light the casket but wasn't able to look at it directly.

I would especially like to thank all my friends for the kind words of support and encouragement, and all the prayers that went out towards my family. You have no idea how much you all mean to me. To my friends that went the extra mile for me during this period, Words cannot convey the depth of gratitude I feel. From just being there with me, The constant messages and phone calls at all hours of the day, The messaging of scripture, the amount of advice given on how to legally proceed with my dads estate. I love you guys.
To all of you that came for the funeral, I would like to sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. The magnitude of the people that came, made me speechless. And the flowers that you guys sent was beautiful :)
I'm overjoyed that I'm routed into so deeply within this spiritual family. And all the effort to go out of your way to cheer me up. I'm grateful for, and thankful for. I Love You Guys! And all glory to God, for without him I wouldn't have even been able to lift up my cheek off the ground. Love him loads.

It feels like your so far

2008-01-24T02:57:00.000+08:00

Lord, It feels like your so far
I know it isn't true and your presence is constantly around me
But this feeling I've been feeling lately
This feeling which could be best described as walking down a lonely and strange road at night
Lord, You know the simplicity of my heart
My desires, my dreams
I don't ask for much Lord
All I want is you! More and more of you!
Might that be my mistake Lord?
That I'm actually asking for the greatest thing ever?
That I might be biting off more then I can chew Lord by requesting for you?
At the end oh Lord, It doesn't matter!
I'll pursue you to the end of my days
I'll choose to pay the price by following you regardless of the opinions of people
I've learnt the hard way that family and friends are not forever
It doesn't matter actually
Because they're all still human
Your promises of old I still hold dear O Lord
You promised me repeatedly way back when I was younger
That You would never leave me nor forsake me
I can remember that day as if it was only yesterday
And the comfort you brought within this turbulent heart of mine
You know I give you praise O Lord
You know I Love you O Lord
Without You I have absolutely nothing.
But with you I have the entire world within my palm
Nothing can compare with you O Lord
Nothing can stand against me when your with me
Ive seen the blessings and grace that abound from your hands.
And I will sing with Joy forever
For the Lord has been so good to me
He has sheltered and nurtured me and brought me into greener plains.
Lord may not your presence just be an occasional thing
But I want to be with you daily
Til the end of my days
I'll consider my day a failure if I dont experience you daily
Let not our encounters be restricted to church or any other
But may I walk with your hovering presence above me always
Change me from the inside out O Lord. May I have the ability to please you Lord.
For I Love You

And its Wednesday Morning!

2008-01-22T23:42:00.000+08:00

Its really been a hectic past week. Exams have been raging on, personal to-do list has piled up, the house has turned chaotic with the influx of so many "immigrants" hanging around til the wee hours of the morning. Gods been moving mightily in my midst. The heaviness of his presence is constantly around me. Don't get me wrong!, its an awesome feeling. But the more and more a being so holy and righteous as God pours down on me, my failures and shortcomings are even more apparent to myself. Its like a purple uv light shining across a white sheet, The dirt and stains become apparent.

It would be safe to say im walking out of my comfort zone, And i've never hung out with God this close before. He constantly tells me "You Are, You Will Be, You Are" and unsurprisingly my response is always "How, How, and How?". How does a person like me warrant the grace and favor that he shows me? I dont recall doing anything exceptionally well that could lead me to all of this. Just as a child is nurtured and brought up til it can look after itself, The driving force behind it is love. It doesn't deserve it. But parents pour out so much hope, love and ambition on they're children.

But Hey, thats exactly like God! Then again isn't he like the first father of anything ever. Adam was his kid! And in the book of Genesis you could see how fond God was of him. C'mon! He made him in his image even.
So thats exactly how God is towards us aswell. A loving parent that has an inexhaustible source of love, full of hope on you, and has ambition on you (After all he knows all your capabilities and strengths because he made you :) ). And what can our response be to all of this? Its like all of a sudden we're the children of a multi-billionaire!. We inherit his company and all of the perks associated with it. Its utterly mindblowing. I guess that would be the closest example I could think of.

The proper response from here on out would be, "Hey! I dont deserve all this, But if he has entrusted me with all of this, He must think im capable enough, So I'll do the best I can"
Ask any kid of a multibillionaire who has inherited a company (If you happen to know anyone).
What would he do from there? The most probable answer you would get is to make it grow. And in that we should do the same.

Happily Ever After

2008-01-22T10:21:00.000+08:00

Happily Ever After
by George Halitzka

Once upon a time there were two kids who learned the hard way how much birds like breadcrumbs. While wandering in the forest, they almost got eaten by a candy-loving witch! But thankfully there was an oven handy, and before the witch could make Hanselburgers, Gretel toasted her golden-brown.

Then there was the princess who fled from her mirror-gazing stepmother — seems the old bat wanted Snowy-Girl's heart on a plate. There were complications involving seven midget miners, and she almost got poisoned by a magic apple, but everything turned out OK thanks to True Love's Kiss.

Once there was a person who answered to your name and looked strangely like you. You weren't asking for much — just a nice Prince or Princess to marry, a small castle in the suburbs, and a steady source of gold coins. Unfortunately, you soon realized that True Love is an elusive commodity, and Happy Endings are hard to find.

Sometimes, life has a way of discouraging belief in fairy tales. Just ask Heather.1

Heather

Heather was an average girl in high school. Neither pretty nor ugly; popular nor outcast; genius nor moron; she coasted along in the middle of her class. English was her favorite subject and she despised Chemistry. She managed to kiss a couple boys and went to some school dances without falling hard for anybody.

Heather had ambitions of helping people towards a better life. So after graduation, she headed to Ohio State for her Social Work degree. Meanwhile, she started dating a Computer Science major named Harris. He was a little scared of the "C"-word, but with some prodding, Heather got him talking about marriage and kids by graduation. She was expecting a rock for Christmas.

Heather started pitching resumes for her first job ... and that's when life suddenly shifted into reverse.

Student loans and credit cards forced her to move back in with her folks. OK, so she wasn't the first. After a couple months of driving three hours to see him, Harris told her he wasn't ready to settle down and broke it off. The market for social workers with a mere bachelor's degree was saturated. Heather finally got work as a substitute teacher, which made no use of her degree — and no dent in her debts.

So at age 26, Heather found herself dodging spitballs in a dead-end job with no dating prospects in sight, making minimum payments on three Visas with 20 percent interest, living in the same bedroom where she dreamed of changing the world 10 years ago, and wondering how all her wishes — wishes for good things, God-pleasing things — dried up so fast.

When the Grimm Brothers were writing happy endings, they obviously forgot about Heather. Maybe God did, too.

The Book

Let's suppose God is telling a tale of grace in the world. By some estimates the Bible is more than 50 percent stories, so that sounds about right. Everything that's ever going to happen is written in The Future History of the World on God's shelf.

Now, imagine you get a volume in the story. (After all, Psalm 139 says God planned your life before you were a gleam in your Daddy's eye.) Your life is a book, and it's open on God's desk right now.

Picture him chuckling over page 482 as he skims your next chapter. "Wait till he sees what I have in store for him!" God says, and wipes his eyes with laughter.

You can't contain yourself any more. "So what's it say?" you ask the Almighty. "Where am I headed, and how am I going to pay off my loans working at Best Buy? Didn't you make me to do more than sell plasma TVs?"

But God just gives you an enigmatic smile and puts your volume back on his shelf.

How fair is that? You want to solve the hunger problem in Africa, pastor a mid-sized church, and be a stellar specimen of fatherhood — preferably all in the same day! But your current chapter's going on forever and it's a long way from a page-turner and you'd like to end it any time now with a cool cliffhanger. Maybe one that involves meeting a prince instead of frogs. You figure God may have a reason for not turning the page ... it's just that an explanation would be nice! Can't God give you that much?

Well, he hasn't left you up the creek without a kayak. If you check out the pattern found in every story, you might get some hints about why your page won't turn. Try looking again at a fairy tale you've heard before; one about a guy named Joseph. It's written in Genesis (and happens to be true).

This narrative has all the character development, plot twists, and happy endings anyone could ever want! It also might have a couple insights into your story. So let's begin our tale of Joe the Dreamer:

Once upon a time, in the faraway land of Canaan, there lived a boy with a Technicolor® Dream Coat....

The Main Character

When Cinderella meets her Prince, she's already perfect. Beautiful and kind. She hasn't a fault in the world. In some versions of the story, she actually does her sisters' hair for the Ball, then helps them pick out dresses while they treat her like dirt.

Cinderella's obviously a great catch for the next prince who comes along — and she cooks and cleans, too! But how'd she get that way? Look at her strength of character; the servanthood and self-sacrifice!

(I think I'm gonna be ill.)

Unfortunately, you and I aren't in danger of being Cinderella — we have that "sinful" thing down too well. Everybody knows the Good Guys win, and we ain't them.

That's where we come to Joseph. Remember, he was God's gift to mankind; he was going to save thousands from starvation. The problem was that he knew it. Dahddy loved him best, and he had these crazy dreams that he proclaimed to the whole family.

Joe finally crossed the line one day when he told his 11 brothers they would bow down to him. Dahddy told him to eat humble pie, but anyone who thought that was the end of it hadn't met Joe's ego.

A few weeks later, his brothers were hard at work in the fields while the Favorite lounged in his room, hoping for more power trips in his sleep. Dahddy sent Joe to check up on his brothers. Unfortunately, they saw him coming and realized revenge was at hand! They swiped his coat, sold him into slavery, and told everybody he'd become lion food.

Now remember, Joe is the hero! He's going to save the known world with his leadership abilities. But unlike Cinderella, he's not ready for prime time. Imagine what would happen if, instead of spending years in slavery and prison, he went straight to Pharaoh's palace!

"Joseph, I hear you can interpret dreams," says Pharaoh.

"That's right, Your Majesty!" brags Joseph. "In fact, I had one about the moon and stars all bowing down to me — "

"OK, but I was hoping you could interpret mine. See, it's about some skinny wheat and fat cows — "

"Hold it! Before I do anything, I want a hundred grand in small bills and a statue in my honor."

"Uh, maybe later ... hey, didn't I hear you did this stuff in God's power?"

"Never mind him ... listen; is there someplace I can sign autographs when I'm done?"

Take a lesson from Joe: While you're waiting for a happy ending, focus on what God wants to change in the life of the main character. (That would be you.) Maybe like Joe, you have some humble pie to choke down. Maybe you need to manage money better or mature in relationships. I have no idea — but odds are, your story involves some character development. Might as well get it out of the way now.

The Other Characters

Remember Puss, the cat with the boots? He sets out to acquire (by various devious means) a fortune and a hot princess for his master. Sure enough, Puss succeeds! But I wonder if he regrets his actions by the end. Sure, Puss gets his name is in the title — but the story's about his owner striking it rich.

Our friend Joe had a misconception about his story, kind of like Puss. He thought life was his personal power trip. Instead, it had more to do with saving the known world from starvation. (And did I mention glorifying God?)

So watch what happens after Joe eats multiple helpings of Crow. He's been in prison for years, but finally Pharaoh calls him into the throne room. And strangely, Joe doesn't offer to sign autographs!

The Big Cheese says, "I hear you can interpret dreams."

Joe says, "Well, I can't do anything by myself — but dreams are one of God's specialties." (Watch Humble Joe give God all the credit, because even though he's the main character in his corner of Holy Writ, it's really about Someone else.)

Pharaoh explains his dream, and Joe warns him about the looming famine. Now, instead of requesting a royal pardon and a government job, Joe simply makes a suggestion:

"You should find a smart guy and put him in charge of storing food for the next seven years. That way, nobody'll go hungry." (Watch Humble Joe look out for the people around him, even if it doesn't involve anybody bowing down to him.)

Pharaoh says, "What a great idea! You do it," and he makes Joe Vice-Pharaoh.

So what's the point? Once you're second in command of a large middle eastern country, you need to look out for other people. No! You need to start thinking about the characters who populate your story now.

If you backtrack a few chapters to Genesis 39, you'll find Joe was shaping up long before he hit the big time. He did so much to serve Potiphar that Potiphar put Joe — his slave — in charge of everything. Later, Joe didn't crawl in bed with Potiphar's seductive wife (even though she practically begged him to do it). After Potiphar's wife had Joe thrown in jail for turning her down, he interpreted dreams from two prisoners, the Baker and Cupbearer ... although they didn't do a thing for him.2 What a guy!

For a while, Joe was living proof that no good deed goes unpunished. But he didn't stop focusing on God and the people around him. Being the main character didn't make the story all about him.

The Plot

Think about Jack for a minute — you know, the guy with the overgrown beanstalk? He goes to sell a cow and comes home with magic beans. Mommy is so mad she throws them out the window. Then a beanstalk grows overnight, and here's the most important part of the story:

Jack climbs it.

The key moment is not when he reclaims the Giant's treasures (which once belonged to Jack's father). Not even when he chops down the beanstalk. It's the moment he starts climbing.

Why? Well, think about this — what if Jack had been a wuss and said, "A Giant? No thanks; I'll just hide under my bed!"

Sometimes, the key to finding your happy ending, the plot God had written for you all along, is taking a chance. It's called "faith."

The enemy of God's best isn't always evil — sometimes it's "good enough." Does having a "backup plan" when you choose a college major sound familiar? How about dating "Mr. Right Now" instead of hanging on for Mr. Right? It's good to know God might be — well, He probably is — almost certainly — calling you to do something. It's another ballgame to do it, because that might involve taking a chance on the "F" word!

(What was your dirty mind thinking? I mean "Faith"!)

Picture Joe hanging out in the dungeon, sleeping with rats and dining on — uh, maybe rats. Suddenly, word comes down from the palace — Joe has an audience with the Bossman! Pharaoh says "Help me out with this dream, willya?"

"Finally!" Joe says. "My time has come! But what if...." And that's when he starts worrying.

Joe knows Pharaoh is not a nice guy. (The Baker from chapter 40 lost his head!) He probably hasn't interpreted a dream in two years. What if he can't figure out what this one means? What if he's wrong? "Who am I to interpret anything for the most powerful man in the world?" he thinks. "And I had this delusion that God might speak through me ... ARGH!"

It's not in the Bible, but I'm guessing that's how Joe felt. (Wouldn't you?) So maybe this is what ran through his head next: "Waitasec ... what about God's track record?"

His Great-Granddaddy Abraham had a baby when he was long past his prime, because God promised to make him a great nation. Grandpa Isaac got a wonderful wife named Rebekah through the power of God. Dahddy Jacob liked to tell that story about seeing an angelic ladder to heaven.

In Joe's own life, God (1) kept him from being killed by his brothers all those years ago, (2) made him the head honcho in Potiphar's house, and (3) put him in charge of the other prisoners in jail, too! Who knew? Maybe God was gonna come through again!

So as he stands in the presence of Pharaoh, Joe grits his teeth, swallows the lump clogging his entire throat, and says, "Your Majesty, God will interpret your dream."

Next time it's put up or shut up time in your life, remember God's track record. What's He done in history? What's He done in your history? If you have faith like Joseph, if you risk that much for God, you might — I don't know — move mountains or something!

(Wait ... isn't that in the Bible?)

The Happy Ending

So here's the bottom line: If you develop your character, minister to the people around you, and develop your story by taking faith-risks, you're guaranteed a happy ending! Right?

Uhhh ... maybe.

God promises that He rewards those who earnestly seek him; you can take it to the bank. But His rewards don't always look like quite what we had in mind.

My friend Dan's mom developed cancer two years ago. Shortly before her diagnosis, God had been seriously deepening her relationship with him! She was leading a group in her church, studying the Bible more, experiencing God in fresh ways. It seemed like God was getting ready to move in her life!

Then she died a few months later. What happened?

Well, until the day she passed away, Dan's Mom told everyone God was getting ready to move in her life. But it was going to hurt ... because He was moving her Home.

If you wonder why God hasn't turned your page, I'm not suggesting you're about to die. But I do suggest you read the story of Joseph. See what it can teach you about preparing for your plot to continue; for the next chapter you're longing for! God revels in answering the prayers of dust mites like you and me. Often, your happy ending is around the corner — you just need to prepare for it first.

But you need to be ready for His will to look different from your dreams. There might be less romance or more pain; you may never find your dream job or dream girl. You might get married and be all ready for kids to arrive — only to find out you can never be a Mommy.

"That's not fair!" you say. "Joe got to be second in command of Egypt and rescued thousands from starvation. He married and made babies; lived long and prospered!" True enough — and maybe you'll be so blessed, too!

But in Genesis 50, remember that something horrible still happened to Joe. He died.

That's the problem with happy endings: We forget about the sudden stop at the end. It never figures into fairy tales.

I'm not sure Joe was thinking about his disappointments when he walked into God's presence, though. I'm not sure you will be, either. When you finally stroll into the Lord's study to see Him finishing your manuscript, I think a big smile's going to break across his face. He'll be so glad to see you, maybe He'll show you the last words He's written.

For the first time, God's plan for your life will be clearly revealed. You'll walk over to your book with bated breath, gaze in wonder at the golden letters that spell out your name on the cover. Then perhaps you'll open to the last page, knowing that a very special ending is waiting. This is what you'll read:

"And he (or she) lived happily ever after."

Amazingly, God will have meant those words with all His heart as He wrote them. And strangely enough ... I think you will, too.

The End

* * *

Demystifying the Bean

2008-01-04T00:51:00.000+08:00

by Matt Dahl

You could tell they were new. Green. Never been there before. The look of wanting to be a part of what was happening and “in.” But not really being. You could tell by the way they stood, with their hands sort-of in their pockets but sort-of-not. They just didn’t look — right.

“Can I get you something?” the clerk asked.

You could tell by the clever way he articulated each word, carefully crafted to sound casual and “used to all of this,” trying to blend in.

“Um, no. Thanks. Just looking.”

He could tell too. From behind the Machine, the center of it all, he knew they were out of their element. The kid. Especially the kid. Couldn’t be more than 18 or so, at the most. The girl with him . . . both really had no clue. Even as he worked, he could tell they were stuck. Too embarrassed to order. Too embarrassed to leave. Stuck they were. In limbo. He bailed them out.

“Have you got a minute? Come on over here. Just over to the side here, where we can talk. It’s slow for now. Let me show you what I do here.”

They came. Hesitatingly. Nor really sure. Was it safe? They had never really been in a shop like this before, much less being behind the Machine. Or at least near its side, with the operator. The Barista. He laughed at their faces when they looked at it all. The steam wands, the grinders, the steaming pitchers, the pour pitchers. The wipe rag. The coffee grounds on the bar. The bottles of syrup. The chocolate. The smell of it. That wonderful aroma. The noise. The look of sensory overload. The look of a first timer. The look of newbys at a coffee bar.

He kicked into his spiel. The one about what it was he was doing. They just sort of nodded assent at the questions he nudged them with.

“Do you like coffee? You know how they make drip coffee, right? They pour hot water over the grounds and it drips out the bottom, hence the name, right? The coffee we serve here is different. Its called espresso. I knew you knew that. Not eXpresso, but eSpresso. Don’t say eXpresso. It makes you look like you don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, okay?”

As he got an order, he continued to talk while he made the drink. Grinding the coffee, steaming the milk. Tamping the hand tamper, a quick twist and another tap. Slamming the portafilter filled with the coffee grounds home. Punching the button, and watching the slow lazy pour of the shot. Not over-extracted. Not too much. Not too fast. One ounce per. He rolled the chocolate sauce in, then the shot. Then came the cascade of velvety milk. He put it on the counter and called it out.

“Tall single skinny whipless mocha on a leash!”

The order left with a guy in a suit. Followed by others, in varying order, in everything from Levis to leather; bikers to businesswomen. He explained what the orders meant as he made the drinks. The tall part is a 12 ounce drink. The short is an 8 ounce. The grande is the 16. A venti is 20. Venti’s 20 in Italian. The single or double, or triple, is for how many shots of espresso. Skinny means skim milk. Whipless means no whipped cream. Mocha means it has chocolate. On a Leash means that it’s “to go.” A brevecappuccino means adding foamed milk to the espresso. A latte means adding steamed milk, with more liquid. If you add a flavored syrup, it’s a flavored latte. On the orders and comments went. means using steamed Half & Half instead of milk. A

By now they were looking more relaxed. More than that. They were enjoying it. They were part of the scene. Not just onlookers anymore. Now they knew what the lingo meant. Now they knew.

But not everything. They still had to order. For the first time. They still had to do that. They looked from the clerk back to him. Indecision was the key to flexibility.

“What’s good?” they asked.

“Do you like chocolate and caramel? How about vanilla?”

The girl nodded and grinned at the chocolate part. He thought the vanilla was okay, but not great.

“Let me make you a Milky Way,” he said to her. “It’s real chocolate and caramel sauce. As for you, how about a Vanilla Silk Latte. It’s vanilla with a hint of caramel syrup. Sort of a 2-to-1 ratio.”

They nodded, and the Machine sprang back to life. Hissing steam in the milk. The grinder roaring. The tamper banging. The smooth golden brown Crema on the espresso. The pouring liquid. The whipped cream gliding and climbing onto the Milky Way. He handed them the drinks on the counter. They picked them up and tasted. Sort-of. Hesitantly.

“Careful. Those are really hot”, he warned. The McDonald’s warning. They nodded, as they sipped more. And more. And smiled. Big.

He asked the kid why he had come into the coffee bar in the first place.

“It’s the place to be. You know. Starbucks and all. Everyone talks about it. It’s where people like to hang out, get a buzz, and all. My brother is in college and he goes to one all the time to meet friends, hang out, talk, listen to music and to stay awake for class. It was awesome the way he talked about it. I wanted to be part of that too. I was kinda intrigued, and then when we saw this place, we just decided to come in.”

“This coffee house thing is pretty cool, you know,” he said to him later. “I mean, like to have all this here. Who thought this up, anyway?”

“Well, here in the U.S., it started in the Pacific Northwest. Might have been the rainy weather. The “aficionados” of coffee started roasting their own, and a coffee cart opened in Seattle. They blossomed from there, and today there are hundreds of carts and shops around Seattle. An old gas station was converted into an espresso drive-through, called “Espresso Lanes,” and the drive-through espresso stand came to being. But in Europe, it goes back a lot longer than that. Hundreds of year, even.”

“You mean like Italy?”

Sure. Coffee houses became popular almost 450 years ago, when two opened in Constantinople. They were so successful that in a few years the city was full of them. They were known as “schools of wisdom” as they were frequented by the cultured and well-educated. In 1645, coffee houses appeared in Venice, where coffee was off-loaded from ships from Yemen. And by 1759 there were 205 shops in Venice alone. In Vienna the first coffee house was the Blue Flask. It opened in 1687. Lloyd’s of London started as Edward Lloyd’s coffee house and became a center for business transactions. By 1850 Paris was one large coffee house, with over 3000 in the city.”

“You’re kidding! 3000 in one city?”

“Sure. In Italy today, there are over 200,000 coffee bars. In a country as big as Vermont.”

“No way!”

“Better believe it. And what you liked about this place is what drew students to coffee houses when they first opened hundreds of years ago. The stimulating effect of the coffee, as well as the opportunity to discuss ideas, made coffee houses a hotbed of political and social unrest. Imagine that: coffee houses were places to discuss social issues, meet artists, and draw up contracts. The spreading and stimulation of politics, culture and the economy of Europe was in coffee houses. You might have heard of the phrase “Penny University.” That comes from the idea that you could go to a coffee house, buy coffee for a penny, then learn from all that was being discussed and taught.”

“But students weren’t the only coffee house occupants. Voltaire, one of the leaders of the Age of Reason, reportedly drank 50 cups of coffee a day. Pope Clement VIII was a coffee lover and baptized it in holy water, giving it his blessing. There’s a lot of history in this coffee house that you didn’t see when you came in.”

Before they left, the kid asked him the question that had been bugging him for an hour. “Do you drink a lot coffee too? You know, being in here and working with it all the time? I mean, do you still like it?”

Of course. I don’t drink it all the time, but at least several a day. My favorite is a Double Short Cappuccino, extra hot. What do you think? Do you like the coffee house? How does it compare to what your brother talked about?”

“I love it! It’s great, even on the surface. I mean, it’s cool and all. And knowing how to order and how it’s made is even better. But knowing where it came from, and how exciting it is to be a student in a coffee house and “continuing the coffee revolution tradition” is just awesome! This is a perfect thing to do a research paper on in school. Of course I’ll have to come in all the time to research it. I wonder if my class could come here from some group research . . . ?

Blessed Quietness

2008-01-02T12:11:00.000+08:00

The irony of having no internet connection, Is that all of a sudden you have more time then you thought on your hands. What better time then to spend it reading or just chilling with the Almighty. Free time is honestly a boon and should be used wisely. Then theres always the inside joke associated with busy (BUSY = Bound Under Satans Yoke). But anyways hope you enjoy whats below.

Blessed Quietness

Joys are flowing like a river
Since the Comforter has come.
He abides with us forever,
Makes the trusting heart his home.

Blessed quietness, holy quietness,
What assurance in my soul!
On the stormy sea He speaks peace to me,
How the billows cease to roll!

Blessed Quietness
Manie Payne Ferguson (1850-?)

But when the Father sends the Counselor as my representative—and by the Counselor I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I myself have told you. I am leaving you a gift—peace of mind and heart.…

John 14:26-27 NLT

Finding peace

On the stormy sea of Galilee, Jesus commanded the winds and waves, "Peace, be still" (Mark 4:39), and immediately there was calm. And later in the upper room, as Jesus told His disciples that He would leave them, He promised them the Holy Spirit and peace.

Manie Payne, born in Carlow, Ireland, was a Christian, but she did not know peace. She struggled with her sinful nature until she began to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This is the "blessed quietness" that she wrote about. Once that occurred, she was so happy she could hardly contain herself. Indeed, joy was flowing like a river in her life.

Later she married T.P. Ferguson and founded Peniel Missions, with branches in Egypt, China, and the west coast of the United States.

New Year Update

2008-01-02T11:53:00.000+08:00

We've finally broken into the New Year. Its finally 2008. Im so excited and full of anticipation for this year. I can already anticipate its going to be a busy year, But what can I say? Im pumped for it. On New Years Eve we had a thanksgiving and rededication service at church, And at the end of it we had a few performances lined up. We had the Acapella team come out and perform, followed by a medley by our first of its kind (In our church atleast)... The classical music assemble. Which was led by Timothy and Kathleen on the violins and Moses on the cello, With Charissa and Stacy backing up on keyboards respectively. There is only one word to describe they're performance! It was totally mind blowing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I do hope they'll perform more on stage.
Then last but not least we had our Red Tie Skit, then followed by a 4 minute video that Daniel compiled in a rush of all of our activities for The Christmas Projekt 07.

It brought a great ending to the end of kick ass year, And we can only expect even more greater stuff in the months to come. One thing I have to sing praise regarding the Xmas Projekt, was at the end of it there was a huge sense of camaraderie. The Projekt broke boundaries within the church between the sections involved and through co-laboring and support it was a huge success. Plans are already being made for the "Red Tie Club" to be our theme of 2008.
And another event is planned to be had during the Easter week. Regardless to say, The visitations to the hospitals and orphanages that were ongoing throughout the entire project duration will continuously be ongoing, As we have seen the grace and feedback in what we have striven through so far. As repetitive as it sounds, Im believing 2008 to be an awesome year with plenty in stall for us
, Lets not only join our hands, but hearts together to see 2008 not pass us by.

On another personal update. We disconnected our internet line due to switching owners, So while waiting the registration to be complete, We wont have any internet access. So needless to sat, Updates would be slow and I'd prolly have to pop into a cybercafe (such as this instance) to even make a decent post.

Anyways , Hope all of you have a Blessed New Year, And be the utmost you can be!

Second Xmas Update

2007-12-28T02:12:00.000+08:00

Christmas is over. And thats a really sad thing. This Christmas was a total blast. I was involved in so many things until the only times I was home was to sleep and to shower. At the end of the entire 2month project I feel a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that what ever we have striven for in the remainder of 2007 is merely the starting point for our works and ministries of 2008. The Projekt has surpassed its floating period , But is in no ways over yet. Plans are being made to see what ever started doesn't end here but is continuous through out 2008. I think its like totally awesome and this is merely a stepping stone for the future. We baked 7000 over cookies within a week, We performed "The Red Tie Club", We visited and brought joy to Orphanages. We went to the hospitals and saw lives touched and sickness/illnesses healed, We had carolling in our community restaurants and hawker courts. There were tons more activities, But these were the major ones I involved myself with. For more information on what we did, And for pictures please do check the Christmas Projekt link on the left.

Really looking forward to 2008. I will not water down the fact that It'll be a challenging and demanding year for me. But "His Strenght is made perfect in my weakness" . And I will be looking towards his hand to guide me as I officially break into the Young Adult realm as I turn 21 Years old.

First Xmas Update

2007-12-27T23:33:00.000+08:00

Yeah Christmas has officially ended. And sadly I was thoroughly over my head , So forgive me If I didn't update as much as I would like to have. The beauty below is my Christmas Present from me parents. More like a collab gift because the monetary input was from myself, my mum, and me dad. Its a dream. Brand new with 4GB of space at RM850. I got the ceramic white version because it matches perfectly with my ceramic white Sony cybershot camera. Go figure eh!

I Celebrate The Day

2007-12-19T02:04:00.001+08:00

And with this Christmas wish is missed
The point I could convey
If only I could find the words to say to let You know how much You've touched my life
Because here is where You're finding me, in the exact same place as New Year's eve
And from a lack of my persistency
We're less than half as close as I want to be

And the first time
That You opened Your eyes did You realize that You would be my Savior
And the first breath that left Your lips
Did You know that it would change this world forever

And so this Christmas I'll compare the things I felt in prior years
To what this midnight made so clear
That You have come to meet me here

To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me
In the hope that what You did
That you were born so I might live
To look back and think that
This baby would one day save me

And I, I celebrate the day
That You were born to die
So I could one day pray for You to save my life

-Relient K

Its Beginnning to look like Christmas

2007-12-19T00:31:00.000+08:00

Oh yeah its that time of the year once again, Where everyone no matter where they are from, no matter what they're religious backgrounds or beliefs, seem to succumb into the allure of Christmas. What is there not to love about commercialisms brand of Christmas in your typical shopping mall? The frosty coated windows, The mannequins all dressed up in the seasons best get up, The ever so green yet ever so artificial Christmas tree's laden with decorations, The department store Santa's that masquerade around the complex handing out free trinkets and goodies. The seasonal delights such as the infamous roasted turkey , roasted chestnuts with a generous mug of homemade eggnog and an apple cider.
Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. The seduction to just curl up in an armchair sipping on a mug of steaming hot chocolate and enjoying the ambiance. Or talking in a stroll while listening to Christmas carols played over the loudspeakers lull people into the celebratory mood. Yet aside from that view of the traditional Christmas that nearly everyone knows and and celebrates, There is a deeper meaning and purpose which is the reason Christmas is celebrated in the first place, Yet sadly it is nearly always conveniently forgotten in the build up an hype of the holiday. Its actually pretty sad. That in the anticipation and build up of a magnificent holiday the true meaning is forgotten in the process and in turn becomes as tool of consumerism. Dont get me wrong. I do love Christmas, Just maybe not for the same reasons as some. And thats to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Behold a silly tender Babe, in freezing winter night;
In homely manger trembling lies, alas a piteous sight:
The inns are full, no man will yield this little Pilgrim bed,
But forced He is with silly beasts, in crib to shroud His head.
Despise Him not for lying there, first what He is enquire:
An orient pearl is often found, in depth of dirty mire;
Weigh not His crib, His wooden dish, nor beasts that by Him feed:
Weigh not His mother's poor attire, nor Joseph's simple weed.
This stable is a Prince's court, the crib His chair of state:
The beasts are parcel of His pomp, the wooden dish His plate.
The persons in that poor attire, His royal liveries wear,
The Prince Himself is come from heaven, this pomp is prized there.
With joy approach, O Christian wight, do homage to thy King,
And highly prize this humble pomp, which He from heaven doth bring
-Robert Southwell

Below are photos I snapped during my last visit to Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur. I do hope you enjoy them

The Signal

2007-12-14T09:36:00.000+08:00

I feel it coming on again: fear, crawling under my skin.
That quiet, unspoken, never-admitted feeling...
That haunting, ever-nagging, turn-your-back-and-run panic...
Fear: not of spiders or big dogs or the pull of the ocean,
But fear of my ability, people's reactions, the future, mistakes.
O Lord, help me to face my fears and turn them around.
Be my anchor; stand by me until I--
Stop fearing that I might lose in love...
But fear instead that I might never love at all.
Stop fearing that there are others "better" then me...
But fear instead that I will never discover my true potential.
Stop fearing that I might not meet others expectations...
But fear instead that I might never know Yours.
Stop fearing what lies ahead tomorrow, next week, next month, next year...
But fear instead that I might never experience life's drama today.
Stop fearing hurt and sorrow and tears...
But fear instead that I might never try.
Stop fearing that others will laugh at me...
But fear instead that I might never learn to laugh at myself.
O Lord, help me to anchor my life on your hope
Instead of my fear.
O Lord, I know that an adventurous lief can never be fear-free...
But at least help my fears to be my souls signal for rallying
Instead of running.

Now this is Advertising

2007-12-10T12:21:00.000+08:00

Ya know, People are getting even more and more creative nowadays. Just take for example this room advertisement I saw downstairs. It certainly was an attention puller. Certainly creative, But at the end of the day might serve as a warning sign against moving into that house. I mean like who would want to move in with housemates that probably have that mostly on theyre minds through out the entire time.

I gotta hand it to them it is creative

A closer look at it

Who Said I can't cook

2007-12-05T15:24:00.000+08:00

Anyways since i'm more less on a roll. I cooked lunch today. Kept it really simple, Stir fried some cabbage with spice and sausages with savoury crispy shrimp. And yeah it was pretty good. All of this thanks to my new rice cooker. I finally got one *dances around*

Not too bad eh. Yeah they are freaking simple and a toddler can whip it up, But all great chefs had humble beginnings . So who said Vick can't cook? By next week I'll start on curries.

Breakfast after Breaking fast

2007-12-05T11:08:00.000+08:00

After 22 days of fasting without eating, (I havent turned anorexic yet , which I presume is a good thing) What better way to inaugurate the morning after with a good old homemade breakfast. So I ran down to the local bakery and grabbed myself a loaf of bread and some peanut butter.

And the end result was decent concoction of french toast lasciviously slathered with peanut butter. I guess its true cooking at home is pretty much better then eating out. But Hey! Satisfaction is a pretty good appetizer and dessert.

New Addition to the Harem

2007-12-04T02:47:00.000+08:00

Just as the title suggests we literally have a new addition to our house harem of musical instruments, Joseph's new Yamaha CPX - 700.

A Beauty she definitely is . Cost a pretty penny too. He paid RM2K for this beauty.

Check out the Solid Mahogany Body, A common yet classic colour with a nice finish

A nice medium Nato Neck and Ebony Fingerboard.

All in all its a pretty awesome guitar, And the online reviews of it all positively scream praise. So its not a bad way to spend ones money and it is a semi-accoustic guitar at the end of the day. It joins our collected house instruments and boosts it to a grand total of 14 Instruments.
7 Accoustic Guitars , 1 Classical Guitar , 1 Electric Guitar, 3 Bass Guitars, and 2 Keyboards.
We regularly joke all we need is a drumset to complete the collection.

This is a few of the instruments. Quite a few were not included in the picture

And people wonder why our house is nicknamed "The House of Jazz" . Go Figure!

Total Revamp

2007-12-03T02:35:00.000+08:00

Man! I haven't touched this blog in almost a year.
Mainly because I moved it over to another site, But I feel it within my heart to start continuing with this site. After a total revamp and makeover, and a few nifty spruces here and there, Im proud to reannounce the relaunch of this blog. My prayer is that this blog would encourage, relate , and inspire people in they're journey of life. Here's to many more years to come. And hopefully better quality posts and content. Be blessed and Keep The Fire.

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven

WWJD

2006-12-25T15:01:00.000+08:00

"Have you seen kids wearing bracelets with the initials WWJD—"What Would Jesus Do?" The story behind those bracelets begins a century ago, when a minister named Charles Sheldon wrote a novel titled In His Steps. One Sunday morning at First Church, Pastor Henry Maxwell is preaching a sermon about how to follow Christ's example of sacrificial love.

The service is suddenly interrupted when a tramp stands up. He's been out of work for a year, he says, yet not one person in town has helped him find another job. Twisting his shabby hat in his hands, the tramps says, "I was wondering if what you call following Jesus is the same thing as what he taught.…I get puzzled when I see so many Christians living in luxury and remember how my wife died in a tenement.…what would Jesus do?" At that point, to the congregation's horror, the tramp collapses and dies.

The following Sunday, the minister makes a stunning proposal: He's looking for volunteers willing to pledge themselves for an entire year to do nothing without first asking, "What would Jesus do?" Some fifty people make the pledge, and a remarkable series of events begins.

Some of these people pay a high price for their obedience. But they also learn the joy of following faithfully in his footsteps.

A few years ago, a Holland, Michigan, youth leader was so inspired by this classic story that she had bracelets made bearing the letters WWJD and gave them to the kids in her church. The idea caught fire, and today millions wear them.

The Chocolate Theory

2006-12-11T03:29:00.000+08:00

You know, Sometimes ordinary days can end in such magnificient notes! Today was really one of such days! It was totally unexpected, yet enormously edifying, and a relief. To see at times difficulties faced bye one are often not faced alone. Since yesterday night I was riddled with guilt, a huge sense of worthlessness, and shame! On how could I have sunk so low on the peak of God's immense presence in my life! I felt like God's grace was fully wasted on me! And it could have went on to another more deserving person! Why be riddled with the troubles of a deviant son that strays often, when you could have one that would always be faithful, always be loyal! I admit I dont want to be a fake christian! I person that isnt real! Anybody who says that after being a christian, your life is trouble-free is a liar! It just isnt true! Yet I don't rule out the possibility of it ever happening! I mean coz God works in mysterious ways right! So there I was mulling around thinking about how much I've let God down! A disgrace in his sight,hardly worthy to be called one of his own! I realised though, that this is never the way that God looks at us! He may be dissapointed at us for a second! But its the next part he cares about! Do we look past our problems and our shortcomings and replace him above all else knowing that he is above all circumstances? Or do we sulk in a corner constantly remembering our own shortcomings, weaknesses, and inadequacy! A friend so aptly put it " You know, God's the type that all he wants is for you to ask for forgiveness once! Thats all and then he's forgotten about it! He doesnt want you to keep on remembering it and to keep on asking for forgiveness in the same are? He'd be like 'Cmon la.....Get over it and get on with life"
Because in the end of the day! All that counts is how you finished the race! You could be like Solomon who had a Beautiful start, Was going on strong in mid race, and then fell in the last part and didnt finish the race"
Or maybe like David "that started the race well, got into deepshit halfway through, yet came back to God and finished the race well"
Last example is Abraham "slow start, slow middle, but with faith in God, and awesome finish"
So maybe your life is like that! You got tons of shit in it! Don't we all? We're all screwed up somehow aint we? The thing is it doesnt really matter on how we started the race! How we go through it! But it's all about how we end it! Thats the most important part!
Truthfully, one of my fears was, If a man such as David that was described as after God's own heart, could fall so greatly! What more me?
I learnt the chocolate theory today! Which is really intresting and true! Alright, its based on girls, dont kill me for it!
"So a girl starts dieting to reach her ideal weight! She's made a pact with herself to only eat healthily and in moderation at all times. So far so good! But one day she see's this irresistable slab of chocolate lying around the house! It look so good! and everyone knows a girls best friend is chocolate! So she looks around and see's nobody is there! And eats it up! Yeah it taste's so good! Yet as soon as she finishes it! She remembers her diet pact! And she starts feeling really bad. She's guilty and upset! She knows it was wrong! But it seemed alright! But deep down she hates it! So then she goes along her diet again, going pretty far this time nearly reaching her goal when she encounters another chocolate! Her self restraint is low and she consumes it! Thus starts another guilt cycle that end up making her feel worthless and like shit! This is called the chocolate cycle that many people face in many diffrent aspects and areas! They cant be confined to a certain area! But thats how a majority of people in life face it! Ignorance is bliss. It's always easier to live in denial, then to accept the painful truths and realities! The chocolate theory does have a solution. When your going through your diet and you face your chocolate, before indulging in it! Stop to consider the last time this happend! How did you feel? If you ended up feeling worthless and like shit! Do you seriously want to go through it again? There are some things in life that cannot be reversed amd mistakes forged we often have to bear with us til the end of our days! Im thankful that so far the mistakes that I have made have not hurt anybody but myself unless unintentionally! Ive close friends that have made mistakes that involved other people that not only hurt yourself, but the others included. And those kinda stuff you are responsible for and will haunt for times to come.

It's trully remarkable how God works! And sometimes how people you never envisioned of ever being friends with is your friend! Diffrent backgrounds,culture,churches dont matter! Its just your vision of living your life fully in God's grace that does matter! Im blessed that I have friend that I can relate on a higher level to. These are not superficial relationships. But really deep unique ones! I'll admit this morning I was feeling really low, and even felt like I wanted to stop coming to church! Because I felt God's grace was wasted on me! But by the end of today, It was an exceptional experience of God's hand! How he placed things together for today and how they turned out! I found answers, reassurance, and edification through it all. At the end of the day I just want to live my life the greatest possible according to God's plan and never back down! There'll never be another Vighnath in this world again! Because he specifically crafted me as I am because he wanted somebody as how I am. I'd just like to thank Banggla for always having my back and being my pillar of support and trust. And Pandi for really opening up to me during this conversation! This has really opened up my eyes and greatly edified me in more ways then you could ever imagine!
Cheers bros~

Bomb Phunque's

2006-12-02T03:17:00.001+08:00

Its a chilly saturday night , The beginning of December has just begun! At 3 am , Ive seriously no idea why I am still awake! I should be asleep! Ive got piles of homework and revision to finish up!
It may be December, and the holiday spirit may be floating through the air, yet Life's taken a hectic turn for me! Too many stuff put off til last minute haunts my thoughts daily! My finals are in a months time! College "officially" finishes in two weeks time. Everyone will be parting way! Other then those resitting papers! Will I still be here next sem? Ive no idea truthfully! But I wont look pass the eventual possibility! November was awesome! Yet hectic! My calendar was incredibly full! Tons of events took place, Met up with old friends, Made tons of new ones. So many people have changed during the third semester! Ive changed I even believe! More or less my friends are all still siao have sombered down a lot! Must be because of the impending exams! Ive got exactly 4 days to finish up 6 critical reviews and a 4500 word essay! Thats bloody insane! I had trouble writing even a 500 word essay....Let alone a 1000 word essay! Now ive to pour my heart and soul into writting a 4500 word essay!

Recently Ive really been worn out! Seems my whole life is lived in college now! Wake up at 6am leave before 7am , Then come back home by 8pm! Its a really depressing life... The only company I have is my comrade in arms / fellow prisoners chained in together with me! Its visible the timing has taken a toll upon them too! As everyone seems to turn moody and less tolerable nearer the end of the week! Just a few more weeks mahnn! (Then I'll be cooped up at home studying................I hope.....)
Its two more weeks til the PlanetShakers conference! Looking forward to it I guess! Just been feeling numb I guess! Gonna be serving this time around during the conference! Time to go there wiith a heart to server then to be served this time around! Atleast thats in my opinion! The conference will span from 13-15 December and on the 16th December! I got a freaking exam! Yeah seriously! The horrors!!!
We'll be having a sectional christmas on the 20th if im not mistaken! Im supposed to be Emceeing! I was like oooook! why was I picked!
Oh well!
My eyes are getting tinier and tiner with each word im punching in......
*Yawns* Better call it a night!

*excuse the typos ....really too tired*

Bearing up to persecution

2006-11-05T15:17:00.001+08:00

Bearing up to persecution

But I know the Lord will surely help those they persecute; he will maintain the rights of the poor.

Psalm 140:12 NLT

Praising God in suffering

"Young Charles Simeon had reason to question Psalm 140:12. A recent graduate of Cambridge, he had been installed as rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity in that college town, much to the dismay of the liberal-thinking parishioners, who couldn't abide the evangelical preaching of this Bible-loving cleric. When the old-time members locked their pew doors to keep out other worshippers, Simeon put seats in the aisles. Then members came early and threw out the aisle seats.

Nicknamed Sims, Simeon was hooted at when he walked in the town. "I was the object of much contempt and derision," he admits. One day he took a walk, asking God to guide him to "some text which should sustain me." Opening his New Testament, he read about Simon of Cyrene, who bore the cross of Jesus. Simeon found this to be great encouragement indeed, partly because he thought they might have given Simon of Cyrene the nickname of Sims, too! "To have the cross laid upon me that I might bear it after Jesus. What a privilege! Now I would leap and sing joy, as one whom Jesus was honoring with a participation in his sufferings."

If you're facing times of persecution and feel that you're misunderstood, learn a lesson from Sims and start praising God.

Unless the Lord builds the house

2006-11-02T19:18:00.000+08:00

"Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good."

"Psalm 127:1 NLT"

"Benjamin Franklin is best known for his inventions (lightning rod) and his aphorisms ("early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise"). But he was also a key figure when the thirteen colonies were giving birth to a new nation in America.

At the age of 81, Franklin was the oldest representative at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Weeks after the convention began, representatives were still haggling about the relative voting power of large states and small states. Then Franklin stood up and said,

"In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciously answered.…Have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men.…We have been assured, sir, that 'except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it,' and without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel."

The verse from Psalm 127 had its effect. A compromise was soon worked out, and a Constitution ratified by the states the following year.

How will you be remembered?

2006-11-01T11:16:00.000+08:00

"For Solomon has abandoned me…

1 Kings 11:33 NLT"

Final epitaphs

"How would you like to be remembered after your death? Have you considered what the epitaph on your gravestone might read?

One headstone in Ribbesford, England, marking the grave of a woman named Anna Wallace, reads: "The children of Israel wanted bread, and the Lord sent them manna. Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife, and the Devil sent him Anna."

Not the final words Anna expected, I'm sure. But as always, those she left behind got the last word.

You have to cringe and wonder when you see the gravestone of a man from Plymouth, Massachusetts, named John McMahon. It says: "He Was a Failure As a Husband and Father." How would you like that as your legacy?

But the saddest epitaph of all isn't found on a tombstone; it's found is the pages of Scripture. When faced with the task of memorializing the wise king Solomon, God had some sobering words. "Solomon has abandoned me and worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians…He has not followed my ways and done what is pleasing in my sight. He had not obeyed my laws and regulations as his father, David, did." Solomon was buried in the city of David, and in spite of all the good things he did, he will forever be remembered as the king who turned his back on God.

We would all do well do ask ourselves a simple question: If God were to write my obituary, what would he record?

Going In Blind

2006-10-10T17:33:00.000+08:00

I recieved this in one of my street team emails. Found it particularly inspirational so thought I'd like to share it!

Sonny’s message about the Single "Going In Blind":

The lyrical inspiration of "Going In Blind" came late the last night of our studio session in Knoxville. We had finished one song and had a rough music sketch of another. We thought we were finished and would be heading home early in the morning until one of those moments happened. Our inspiration walked through the door. A good friend and neighbor of our producer Travis Wyrick stopped by the studio, for what I have no idea. I was on the phone at the time and she was probably there no more than a minute. I think she said hello to the guys, smiled at me and then left. I walked back into the studio and the guys were continuing a conversation we had a few days earlier. Travis was telling us about his friends who had lost their child to a crime so evil I couldn't even begin to explain. That's how it started; none of us had an "Explanation". All of us in the room were husbands, fathers, men of faith and spiritual guys who overall believe in the "Power of Good". At that moment, not one of us could come up with an explanation. We were speechless and quiet. How do you tell this woman that everything is going to be alright? How do I tell her God has everything in control and truly believe it myself? Telling her I understand would make me a liar! Don't get me wrong, I believe in God. I believe in this faith that has saved my life and I would willingly lay my life down for what I believe is the truth. Just don't ask me to do the same for one of my babies. I don't think I could.

Everything you believe in and everything you know to be true can be tested in one single second, the second your child is taken away from you. What do you say to that person? I wish I could say everything is going to be alright. I want to tell you that God has everything in control. And like you, I want to understand. What an amazing person this woman is to have walked past me and smiled even though I had no idea what she has been through. One smile of love is more encouraging than a million words. I have been encouraged to walk this fine line of life even though at times I might not know exactly where I am going. Even though the road gets rough, if we walk them in LOVE, we might actually get to where we need to be.

- Sonny

P.O.D

Return To Dust

2006-09-30T01:48:00.001+08:00

I've been fooled.
I'm in hypnosis.
I'm a living lie.
Deceit has control.
I've blinded myself to see what I wanted as something holy,
But now I shed my skin and I strip the flesh.
Sanctification.

I'm being released from a condition
That sees my will as His decision.
From ash, dirt, and stone
He created the Human Race.
After years of searching amongst them,
I finally found my place.

In desire to rule, I find entrapment.
And in surrender, control.

I'm being released from a condition
That sees my will as His decision.
From ash, dirt, and stone
He created the Human Race.
After years of searching amongst them,
I finally found my place.

I swallow my pride, though it hurts as it slides down.
The pain will subside, but the call cannot be drowned.
Death to flesh and death to this place.
Freed from care and from disgrace.

Necessary Bloodshed

2006-09-30T01:46:00.000+08:00

Lord, what more than little good has Your death done?
Lord, why did you give Your Son?
Surely You did it for more than this.

The world lives on in ignorance, filth, and arrogance.
Man wreaks havoc on his inheritance.
Surely You gave Your life.
Surely You gave Your blood,
And Your flesh for more than this.

Lord, what more than little good has Your death done?
Lord, why did you give Your Son?
Surely You did it for more than this.

Your covenant lies highly rejected.
Sadly, it is seldomly accepted.
Yes, to me it means everything,
But to most it means nothing.
Surely You gave Your life.
Surely You gave Your blood,
And Your flesh for more than this.
Surely You died for more than this.

The reason is I.
The reason is one.
You'd suffer and die all over again
For one single person.
And if that one should reject You,
That is the very essence of You:
To give the chance to choose.

Ennui Avec d'es Femmes

2006-09-24T01:05:00.000+08:00

Im sick of all this crap with girls and they misunderstanding all your intentions!
This isnt the first time its happening and I doubt it would be the last! Oh send me back to primary school where you could be
friends with both sexes and be unable to be accused of ulterior motives. It kinda makes me sick that if you treat someone
nicely they think you have something for them. When that is so far far away from it. I find it hillarious at times.
I read an article on can women and men really be good friends without any romantic involvements? Eventhough the answer was No.
I know a lot of people won't agree with the answer! But it really seems true! Atleast when you hang out with your guy friends
they don't presume you gay or something bvy hanging out with them. To any girl reading this out there! Get a life! Sometimes
guys try to befriend you because theyre generally intrested in getting to know you better and a friend. Because you may have
an intresting personality! Grow up, Geta life, and get on with life, If you think all guys around are romantically intrested
in you! You wish! Geez~

Shine Down

2006-09-21T00:20:00.000+08:00

Destiny
Questioning the connection with some
Divinity
Is there something for me?
I’m stretching out my faith

I have tasted all the things this world has offered me
It has left me thirsty for something this world cannot see

Shine down on me
If You’re the one who loved me before the stars were made
Shine down on me
If You’re the one who gave it all to dethrone my shame

I’m empty
All of my successes have left with
Depravity
Now that all else has failed
I’m stretching out my faith

At the pinnacle it was impossible to see
In the deepest of this darkness it comes clear to me

As Your Voice Fades

2006-09-14T15:31:00.000+08:00

Somebody please tell me
What am I suppose to do?
You've died and I'm here
Thinking that I hear your voice
But it's somebody else
It's always somebody else

Why did you die?
Don't leave me please
I beg you God tonight bring me peace
I'll never sleep without
The dreams of you alive here with me
Alive here with me

The brightness left your eyes
As I held your face
Don't tell me it's the right time
And your last words will sustain me
Until my end
Until I see you again

While words evade me
I'll wait to remember you
And what you had meant to me
Could never be forgotten

The chains of death
Are falling , but my heart still bleeds
It longs for the day
When we will be as one,

Suri Cruise

2006-09-07T03:12:00.001+08:00

Yes people! Its official. Suri Cruise does exist and is not merely the figment of multiple people's imagination! After a few months of being hushed up photoes are up of her. Normally I wouldnt give a toss about celebrity gossip and stuff! But while cruising Yahoo I saw her photo. She's gorgeous.

Here she is. She's so adorable. I could only go Awwwww!

*ahem* Well this is a shot of the family 2gether

Yeah they look happy.

Sadly Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are not even married yet! Bah~ celebrities....
But I hope they do get soon.. The world has enough broken kids! We dont need another one.... Yeah! Suri is sooooo cute!!!!

Waiting for the World to Fall

2006-09-06T20:26:00.000+08:00

I'm afraid it's been too long to try to find the reasons why
I let my world close in around a smaller patch of fading sky
But now I've grown beyond the walls to where I've never been
And it's still winter in my wonderland

I'm waiting for the world to fall
I'm waiting for the scene to change
I'm waiting when the colors come
I'm waiting to let my world come undone

I close my eyes and try to see the world unbroken underneath
The farther off and already it just might make the life I lead
A little more than make-believe when all my skies are painted blue
And the clouds don't ever change the shape of who I am to You

I'm waiting for the world to fall
I'm waiting for the scene to change
I'm waiting when the colors come
I'm waiting to let my world come undone

When I catch the light of falling stars my view is changing me
My view is changing me

I'm waiting

Back In Motion

2006-09-06T03:19:00.000+08:00

*sighs* College is back in session. My term break is officially over. What better day to start college then on Monday?! Its great to be back in college and meet up will all my buddies and stuff you know. Its just the assignments that "not looking forward to" would be an understatement. But so far so good. We only got two assignments waiting for our return this week. We gotta give a presentation for our junior students. Half thinking of crapping my way through it. And a 300 word essay. It gives me a headache just thinking about it. I remember in secondary school it was hard enough to get me to write a 300 word essay, and now ive got to write a 3000 WORD ESSAY! Its a pretty hectic note to start college! But Ive a feeling It'll be sweet! Today was suddenly blessed Rm500 from my Dad. And thats something really rare! I normally get like Rm50 outta him.. Now this huge lump sum. Awesome! Will be saving it =)
This friday will be Akshays B'day Bash! Idiots turning 18years old. An Early Happy Bday to Akshay if ya reading this bro~
Its gonna be a pretty awesome party. We booked a place at Bangle's Fine Indian Cuisine Restaurant in Jalan Ampang, The food there is really good! The last time we went the food was divine. So was the bill! It came around Rm200++ . The best thing was we got a 15% discount from the Manager.. Some distant relative bla bla.... The idiotic thing was we got charged 15% service tax. So whats the point of the discount for then?!.

So anyways It'll be around 15 of us for the dinner party. And Akshay's dad booked us a service appartment at the Holiday Inn, Jalan Ampang. So only 6 of us will be overnighting for the "After-Party" there. Yeah! That includes me. Should have an awesome time. Will post the pics of the party up on Saturday~ Til then.....

What Christians Believe

2006-08-23T03:37:00.000+08:00

A pretty intresting artic I grabbed from ChristianityToday.com. Hope it helps

An atheist turned believer answers your questions about Christ, evolution, evil, suffering and more.

an interview by Chris Lutes

Lee Strobel was 14 when he decided God didn't exist. The loss of what little faith he had took place after a biology teacher introduced him to evolution.

In the years that followed his "conversion" to atheism, Lee studied journalism at the University of Missouri, received legal training at Yale Law School, and eventually became an award-winning legal editor for the Chicago Tribune. Somewhere along the way, he married his high school sweetheart, Leslie, who eventually became a Christian. Lee was not only stunned by her newfound beliefs, but also fascinated by the way faith had changed her life for the good. He decided it was time to take another look at God and Christianity.

Like a good journalist, he carefully investigated the facts behind faith and eventually found himself bowing before the Creator he once rejected. And to help others check out the facts of faith for themselves, Lee has written The Case for Faith and The Case for Christ (Zondervan).

Now the teaching pastor at California's Saddleback Valley Community Church, Lee said he'd gladly try to answer some of the toughest questions we could toss his way. Keep reading for his answers.

Why do Christians insist Jesus is the only way to heaven?
Because Jesus said he was the only way. He said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).

Now anybody could make that claim, but Jesus backed it up by living a perfect life, by performing miracles in front of skeptics and cynics, and, ultimately, by being raised from the dead.

But Christianity sounds so narrow and exclusive. There are so many sincere followers of other religions. Why would God reject them?
Imagine two student clubs everybody would love to join. To get into the one club, you've got to do a bunch of good things. You've got to be an honor student, a nice guy and a great athlete. If you can't meet the club's high standards, you don't get in.

Then there's the other club. No matter who you are—great grades or bad grades, incredible athlete or horrible athlete—this club is wide open to you. And your dues have been paid in full by the club leader! That club is an example of Christianity.

Does the second "club" sound narrow to you? Actually, I think other religions are a lot more exclusive, because you must live up to all kinds of rules, and even then, you still can't know if you've done enough. But Christianity says, "Jesus has met the requirements. The dues have been paid. Come on in!"

So, you don't have to do anything to get to heaven but repent of your sins. That means God will let in murderers and rapists, which doesn't seem fair to those who have lived a good, moral life.
It may seem unfair because we don't completely understand sin. We might think we're nowhere near as bad as Timothy McVeigh or Adolf Hitler. We can't imagine how anybody like that could ever be forgiven. After all, we haven't killed anybody. Most of us haven't even committed a crime. But the Bible says our sin—any sin or wrongdoing—separates us from God. We all fall short of God's holy standards. We all need forgiveness so this separation can be ended and we can have a relationship with God.

When Jesus was asked "What is the greatest law?" he didn't say "Do not murder." He said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matthew 22:37). We're all guilty of breaking God's greatest law of not loving God with complete devotion.

We may think it's too easy to get into heaven. All you have to do is "repent." But think about what that means. We must truly regret our sins. We must admit we can't do anything to get to heaven, but accept God's forgiveness. For stubborn, proud humans, that's very hard to do.

Even more than that, though, we must understand salvation is not cheap. It's very costly. Imagine that I give you a new Corvette. You then say, "Wow, what a great free gift!" And I say, "Yes, it is free to you, but it cost me a lot of money!"

That's kind of like what Jesus did for us. He offered us a free gift of forgiveness so we could have eternal life. But it cost him everything—his very life. That's the price tag of eternal life.
Let's switch gears. Evolution keeps many people from even considering Christianity. Why should we believe God is the Creator when it seems that science backs evolution?
I understand why this is a problem for many students. In high school, evolution pretty much destroyed the little bit of faith I had. If evolution explained where life came from, then who needed God? Why believe in him? Evolution became the issue that pushed me toward atheism.

When I started looking into Christianity, I discovered evolution had its share of flaws. For instance, when Darwin looked through a microscope at a one-cell organism, he believed he was looking at a simple, noncomplex creature. It didn't take much of a leap for him to believe that this simple cell could have easily developed from a bunch of dead chemicals—given the right conditions and enough time. But modern science tells us the most basic single-cell organism is so incredibly complex that our biggest supercomputers cannot duplicate what it does. We know the leap from non-living chemicals to the first basic life form is so huge that scientists don't have any credible theory to explain how it could have happened on its own.
So why are intelligent scientists still clinging to Darwin's theory?
I think it's because they believe there's no God. If you start with that premise, you simply can't admit that anything but evolution is true. But the reality is, many scientists aren't clinging to evolution. For example, Dr. Walter Bradley, co-author of Mystery of Life's Origin, concluded that life could not have happened without "outside help"—without an intelligent designer. Even The New York Times recently had a front-page article about the intelligent design movement. The article stressed that growing numbers of scientists, not all of them Christians, are finding that the design of nature and of the universe points powerfully toward the existence of an intelligent Creator.

Why is there evil and suffering?
Questions about evil and suffering are often very personal. It's hard to believe in a loving God when your parents are getting divorced, when your mother is dying from cancer, when your brother is paralyzed in a car accident. As important as rational answers can be, hurting people need something more. They need someone who will simply love them—someone who will show them God's love.

Now for others, the problems of pain and evil really do pose an intellectual barrier between them and God. And to these people, I'd say, first off, that God made the decision to create people who could freely love him—because love is the greatest value in the universe. And you can't have authentic love without choice. Take a doll that's programmed to say, "I love you!" That's not real love. Love demands the ability to love or not to love. It demands what Christians call "free will." This allows the potential for evil, where people could decide to be abusive and cruel rather than loving.

The first two humans made the choice to not love God completely. They turned their backs on him and chose evil over good. So evil was introduced into the world, and it continues to negatively affect everything and everybody.

Here's the amazing thing, though. While God allows evil and suffering, he manages to use them for good. My friend's mom was not a Christian when she got cancer. It awakened her to her own mortality, and caused her to realize her need for God. She became a Christian. Before she died, she said, "If it took cancer for me to find God, then I say thank God for cancer."

It may seem radical to say, but God can bring good out of bad. He can use the most terrible circumstances to draw us to himself, and to sharpen our character and make us better people. The best example of this is Jesus Christ, who endured the worst evil and suffering ever.

Yet God took that evil and turned it into something wonderful, throwing open the door of heaven!

But what about hell? Why would a loving God create a horrible place of eternal suffering?
This is a very difficult question theologians have argued over for centuries. But I believe the Bible teaches hell is a place where non-believers go after death. For those who are offended by the idea of hell, I ask, "What is God supposed to do with people who've spent their entire lives denying and rejecting their Creator?" In the end, God has to separate these people forever from himself. And why would they want to be in heaven anyway? Heaven is about worshiping God and experiencing him to the fullest. Our heaven would be their hell.

The main thing to understand about hell is that it means eternal separation from God. We can end that separation by accepting Jesus' death on the cross as payment for our sins. That's our doorway into heaven.
Everything you're saying depends on whether or not the Bible is true. How do we know it's true?
When I was an atheist, I had many questions about whether or not the Bible was true. So I researched it. I concluded that the Bible is a dependable record of history. And recent archaeological discoveries give more evidence that supports events, people and places mentioned in the Bible.

When I worked on The Case for Faith, I talked to Dr. Norman Geisler, a brilliant Bible scholar. He pointed out many instances where skeptical archaeologists have been forced to revise their thinking because recent archaeological discoveries have supported what the Old Testament and New Testament say. Archaeology can't prove all Scriptures are true, but it certainly has helped establish the Bible as a reliable historical work. When you combine that with the Bible's incredible fulfillment of ancient prophecies against all mathematical odds, there's little reason to doubt its reliability. Because of that, it's not hard for me to take the next step and say it really is what it claims to be—the unique Word of God.

What's the most important thing I can do to make my beliefs more real?
I'd encourage you to ask God that question. Come to him with an open and honest heart and say, "God, I don't want to just know a bunch of facts about you, I want to know you and experience you. I want our relationship to grow deep and strong. I want you to lead my life and give me the courage to follow you wherever you direct me."

When I gave my life to Christ, I'd done a lot of research into the Bible. I finally became convinced it was true—that Jesus was the Son of God, and he died for my sins. But that knowledge would have meant nothing if I hadn't acted on it—if I hadn't personally trusted Christ to forgive my sins and change my life.

God has made a monumental difference in my life. I've gone from being an immoral atheist to someone who wants to love God and love others. I'm certainly not perfect. But I have been changed—and that change is probably the greatest evidence I have that God is real and Christianity is true.

Copyright © 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.

Untitled

2006-07-21T15:01:00.000+08:00

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about life. About my hope's and dreams. And what i will become in the future. I think every kid has gone through that phase and come up with what they want to do with theyre lives. Ive more or less chosen what I "so called" would like to do with my life in future. But my pondering's were far more deeper then that. As most of you know im 19 years old. With less then half a year away from turning 20. Now I kind of understand why adults are less then enthusiastic when theyre birthdays arrive. It's a time to evaluate the past year's good and bad's and to plan more goal's and changes in the year to come. Well for me it took some time to realise that this was the end of my teenage years and the Beginning life of a Young Adult. My desire's for the years to come are'nt so great compared to other peoples maybe. But it's my hearts desire to become a mighty man of God. I want to be that pillar in my cellgroup and section. That will encourage and build them up. I want to be the person that no matter what time of day or place, people will call me up to pray alongside them or pray for them. In the future I would love to be a cell leader. To equip people and send them burning aforth. To stir theyre fire until its equally as bright or brighter still. I want to be a blessing to my friends and my brothers and sisters in christ. I want to support them up and stand by theyre side's no matter what! I want to act as a shield or Mediator, to absorb what ever blows upon them before it reaches them!

I thank God for the numerous prophecy's over my life. I thank God that I WILL become a mighty man of God! God's gift over my life is really awesome. God is so ironic. The gift of exhortation is a blessing. Ive had so many opportunities to help friends in need, and even strangers, and yet the joy of knowing much later that you really helped them out during theyre problems is uplifting. I thank God for my broken childhood. I wouldnt change a thing. It really took me a long time for God's word to sink in that I wasn't alone in life. I always had him nomatter what. God's hand has always been in my life. From the emotionally devastating break-up of my parents to my birth, when i nearly died. I only survived through it all through God's amazing grace. I wouldnt change a single thing that has happend in my life. If I did, I wouldnt be the same person anymore. I know that in going through my time of trial, He will deliver me!. It's pretty disheartening I admit that I realised there was nobody I could ever rely on! Parents , friends, and such. I could only rely on God and his promises. I know when i face tough time's it will never last. And i give thanks for it. For i know that these are time of training upon my life. I read a cool article about Steel the other day. That it has to be refined over and over again in blazing searing heat til it will become strong. That is what God does with us. He tempers us with trials to make us stronger and stronger so we can fulfil his will upon our lives. Just like how David was refined through trials in the old testament. So shall we. It takes a broken life to minister to another! Only a person that can true'lly relate can efficiently understand what problems another is facing can patch up that life. Im glad for all the trials that I've gone through! Im anticipating all the future trials. Because I always know I have my back covered. I know I will make it out alive. One of the greatest things ive ever heard is "Most people when faced with problems will ask God to remove it from theyre lives, Ive learned that when facing problems in life, I wont ask god to remove them! But I will ask God to give me a stronger back to endure them and to look forward to His promises"

Rage Against The Clock

2006-06-15T02:32:00.000+08:00

Hey guyz, It's been a really long time since my last post. Don't get me wrong, There have been tons of stuff to write about. But recently i have been so boggled down with workload that I practically have no time at all. Literally I feel like I'm raging against time. There's been so many activities conducted by our church for the new freshies at TARC. Ive made ton's of new friends and my schedule is even more hectic then ever. Before RM50 of credit could last me a month. Now its ending within 2 weeks....... Arghhh! Slowly going broke....
So many new developments in my life......I recently got an electric guitar...Will have a specific post for that when i find time......And also I have just started Language classes. What language is up for guesses! And NO I'm not taking up English classes.. In my humble opinion I assume im well versed in English I dare say! Im not bad right....... I got 4 new music albums.... Will have another post on them too.. Haha... Anyway's I'll just post the lyrics to one of my new favourite song's here then proceed to sign off...... Its going to be three over here....
This was taken from Hillsong's United Live - United We Stand (2006) Album

From The Inside Out

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love you from the inside out

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out

Adios Nubletz~

Dont You Just Love The Holidays

2006-05-20T02:07:00.000+08:00

Okay okay! Technically I'm not on holiday yet. But for nearly everyone who sat for the Law exam at HELP, this signified the end of the course for most. And the kick-in of the holidays. Frankly speaking the Law paper was tough!. Maybe that's an understatement, because everyone I know seems to be planning to resit the Law paper next year. A few of the lecturers claimed it was one of the hardest paper's they had seen in years. Well anyway the worst is over. And its time to kick back and relax for a short while then get back on the books. Today was pure awesomeness. Right after the paper , Me and a few of my buddies went to KLCC for dinner and a movie. We watched "Over the Hedges" and yes it was an awesome movie. You guys should really check it out. It was money well spent. The really cool thing about my group is that we're a mixed bunch. We got a few Indians , Chinese , Malays, Sabahan's, and a Filipino among us.. A really unique diverse bunch. So after the movie there we are crapping about which character portrays who the most we wanted to get a drink. Being only 12.30p.m the night still seemed young. We actually wanted to watch "The Da Vinci Code" at 12.20 but found out the only seats were right at the front. I still shudder from the experience of watching King Kong while sitting at the very front of the cinema. As the Mighty Kong would stroll among the screen I would have to keep looking left and right and the occasional craning of my neck to catch a proper glance. Seriously this gave me a bad neck pain. And no way will you catch me at the front ever again!!!. So anyway we found out a lot of cool movies are coming out. Movies were planning to watch other then the "Da Vincci Code" are , Cars, Fast & Furious : Tokyo Drift (The trailer looked bloody awesome), Xmen: The Last Stand, Pirates of the Caribbean, and a new Steven Spielberg production movie (forgot the name...But its an animation of a house that eats people...How cute! ).
So anyways after the movie we decided to go for a drink and one of my genius friends wanted to go to TBR for a drink. So when we arrived, we noticed there were quite a lot of rempits there. It seemed they were talking about us. One of my friends wanted to take a chair and smash that guys head. But I told them it wasn't worth it. So we left and went to BRJ where we were in the midst of a more pleasant crowd. It was a really fun day for all of us. We were actually talking about the upcoming prom the college was holding. Initially I didn't feel like going. I actually got two offers from different girls asking me if I wanted to accompany them to the prom. I gave them both indefinite answers. My friends think I'm crazy cause one of them is pretty hot. But what's the point of going out on a special night without that special person =X . So actually didn't feel like going , But then a friend of mine gave a 15 minute speech on how you should enjoy life in college, once in a lifetime opportunity..We'll all be seperated after A-level's....bla bla you get idea. I guess I was inspired after the speech and also the fact that a friend of mine offered to pay for half my ticket helped....Wooo rm120 u know the ticket. So I'm going to the prom, Don't know what the heck to wear, Or the dilemna of which girl to take? , I'm actually thinking of just telling them a stupid reason and flying solo for the event. Maybe that's the best solution. =)
These next few months will be great. In a weeks time, my friend's mum will be leaving to Hong Kong for 2 weeks. So we're already planning a party at his place. His place is at Hartamas and yes its awesome. Leme knoe if u wanna come =) . And a friend's birthday is coming up, He plans to throw a party at fine restaurant! Heard of Bangles anyone? And then rent a condominium opposite of KLCC for a night, for the after party.. Free flow liquor and in the midst of friends. Let the good times roll. Also got a wedding to attend the following week, Friend's sister getting married. We planned a Bak Kut Teh trip to Klang also. And maybe a trip down to Labuan to enjoy the semester break. Like I said let the good times roll!.

Of Car's and Kereta's

2006-05-10T20:11:00.000+08:00

Everyone who has known me long enough knows that I have a soft spot for cars. Even though I don't go around ooh ahh'ing at every single Muscle car around, I do have my favorites. Take Toyota Celica for example I used to be so obsessed with it that I was calculating the average salary I needed to be earning to pay for that piece of beautiful machinery . I nearly calculated my future education around it too!. Also I have a deep infatuation with Alfa Romeo's. This Italian car manufacturer is one of the most reputed in the region, producing fine muscle machines that would practically satisfy any European motorhead. To me Alfa's are elegant, tough , attitude packed, and masculine. What more could any guy want in a car.

The Alfa Romeo 8c Concept car

Oh and the new Shelby concept cars are out of this world. This baby is the new benchmark for concept cars. And not only the exterior is to rant about. Stainless steel coat polished to perfection

Also check out the interior of this beauty

This car totally rocks. If You guy's like concept cars you should check out also the
Mazda Kabura

or the Ford Reflex

Mitsubishi Concept X

And KIA KCV iii

Sadly most of these cars we won't be able to see for a very very long time! Maybe between 5-10 years hopefully. I hate this part about concept cars ! =(

Kuala Lumpur Nights

2006-05-08T17:29:00.000+08:00

Hey all, Just came back home after a tiring day, unlike most people, Sundays are pretty hectic for me,Busy with church and all. Two services plus a Vision Day today, and im pretty drained. But seriously there's nothing more awesome then when I look outside my window when I reach home. The night scenery is really breathtaking from the 15th floor condominium im staying at. I can see the whole city from here. And it's a truly beautiful sight to behold. I don't believe at love at first sight. But that doesn't count with scenery. It's totally awesome to just get lost in thought while enjoying the view. As they say Kuala Lumpur never sleeps. But its cool to see it during night when its on a lie down. All the lights glowing in darkness and blinking makes it all the more mysterious and intriguing. Hope you like the pictures. Just snapped them on a whim.

I personally love this shot. I just love the view. This is a shot from my window.

Taken from my balcony.

Check out the carpark at night....You can even see part of the town in it!

Newayz will post up more photo's in the future...If I find them worth posting

Showers of Clarity

2006-05-05T16:21:00.000+08:00

I just came back from a long walk in the rain. Its raining pretty heavily in Menara Alpha at this time.
I love the rain, to me its very soothing and calming.While most people associate rain with sorrow. Rain represents joy to me. Theres nothing more i love after a physical and emotional draining day then to walk in the rain. I love the feeling of being drenched from head to toe, The feeling of water dripping off my hair, and the soothing pitter-patter of rain upon the ground.
Rain always seemed to wash my worries and cares away. No matter how down i was, it always seemed to pick me up. The quiet solace i often find while trudging through the rain always helped me enjoy the finer points of life.
I'd use the opportunity to count my blessings, and even just to talk and praise god. To me i guess rain represents a pureness
and serenity i would like to achieve. Its a personal time for me to reflect on the joys in my life and to forget the rest.
Some people occasionally warn me about walking in the rain. Like "You'll get sick" or "You'll die of pheumonia" but truthfully
as i walk in the rain those are the last of my worries. Well since it's still raining here, I think i just might go take another walk in the rain.

Take some time to enjoy the rain =)

Diminished Returns

2006-05-05T05:46:00.000+08:00

I only realised that when you make an important decision in life. Something tries to dissuade you from it! Take today for example. For the past few days i made the decision to give up drinking alcahol, I only started drinking earlier this year, socially. If there was a party or something i'd drink a can a two or a few shots of liquor. It was always great fun drinking wid my good friends. We'd be talkin up til early morning about all the funny stuff in our lives or the latest developments and stuff.. It was unwinding to just chill with your friends. I always told myself i would only drink socially and not to ever get drunk. Always seemed to work out fine. I'd be the so called referee to oversee the rest. But the rest could always hold theyre drinks down. But recently at a friend's birthday party, just before he alighted overseas i had a bit too much to drink.It seemed like nothing but whenever i closed my eyes my head would throb like mad. I overnighted at my friends place that night. I severely regretted what happend that night. I always told myself i'd drink socially but never over my limits. That night i tested my limit and regretted it. Nothing bad happend, but i fekt like i let myself down and others too.

So a few weeks later i decided to give up drinking. Next thing you know (Today) i get a phone call from my friend that a college bud is crashing over at his house today so pop over to his place and visit. Its around 10.30pm when i arrive, and horrifically he brought two whole crates of beer with him. Thats a total of 48 cans!!! SO there i am, sitting in the midst of 5 other friends feeling like an idiot coming at this hour. Im persuaded to take a can at my protest. But it was only common courtesy. Flash-forward 4 cans of beer later. Im still very sober.And angry at myself for getting in this situation. Though i admit it was fun. But i guess this is a fun i cant afford.

The Mighty Reds

2006-04-30T00:16:00.000+08:00

How the Mighty Reds have fallen. The dissapointing show they put against Chelsea really put a dent in my spirit. Chelsea thrashed the Reds 3 - 0 at Stamford Bridge. The Red's missed two golden opportunities. Yet i agree the better team won today. Happily The Red's celebrated theyre Reserves winning the league. The finals against the Liverpool reserves is a win either way. Go reserve team.....
Nothing could have ended the day worse then United loseing 3 - 0 and Rooney carried off as Chelsea clinch the title. Worst part is Man U is drawn wid Liverpool for second place right now!

Edmunds Birthday

2006-04-29T01:58:00.000+08:00

Yesterday night was Edmund's birthday. Congratulations Edmund! A whole group of us jammed up at a local mamak to celebrate the occasion with him.
Heres the birthday boy

The cake we got!

The attendee's. Im snapping the shutter =)

Edmunds Groupies =p

The cake was good before that Oaf stuck his face into it~

Edmund, Me , Caleb

Justin , Chee Heng , Me

Justin , Edmund and Chee Heng posing for a shot. never expected Chee Heng to come

All in all it was great. we had fun celebrating our ex-housemate's birthday with him. Happy 23rd Birthday Bro~

Revamping the blog

2006-04-27T12:13:00.000+08:00

The blog will more or less be simple for awhile as i revamp the coding... I recently screwed everything up and had to revert it back to basics. Until i get the coding right It'll be like this. Exams are looming and the pre-exam stress is kicking in. Hope i get it all done in time!