Aaroink's Scribbles

Goodbye Blogger

2010-09-14T02:09:00.002+08:00

It's official. I have moved. Check out:

www.aaroink.com

I will not update this blog anymore. Please update your bookmarks. I will miss you terribly, blogger blog. You have served me for good long years. Adios!

Change Your World KL

2010-08-18T11:44:00.003+08:00

Another one of my recent design works. And the event is on the 4th September 2010. This is your chance to make a difference (and not just complain about your country everyday of your life).

To Part or Not to Part?

2010-08-15T15:56:00.016+08:00

Recently, as some of you know, I've resigned from my lecturing job at my university. It wasn't an easy decision but there're a few reasons behind the resignation. First, I started another clothing line and I need more time to run the business if I were to make it happen (Yes, we've shut down Testify Wear because my partners and I have different visions and goals for life and the company). Secondly, my three year bond with the university was finally over and I no longer owe them anything. Thirdly, I wanted a job where I can really just focus on teaching and improving myself as a Graphic Designer (with that job, I'm always assigned with tasks that are non-related to my field of work and I barely have time to explore and experiment due to the long working hours). And because of this, I was angry and bitter. I'm a very progressive person and I get upset when my job hinders me from doing what it takes to be a better designer.

Well, I thought that was finally the end of that chapter of my life and I can say adios to my university... and then came the phone call (these are the moments where Lady Gaga's song hits you with "Stop calling, stop calling, I don't want to think anymore")

Apparently, my boss called and he wanted to talk to me before I go. Very reluctantly, I went to his office. I was set to leave no matter what he said (or at least that's what I thought). Sat down in his office and he started asking the usual questions like, "Why are you leaving?" and "Anything wrong with the faculty?" or "Am I going to another university?" And then he started sharing some sort of heart to heart talk. I've never heard him talk like that since he's always been critical and sarcastic from the first day I met him.

"Well, I was like you too. A few months ago, I wanted to quit too. I was fed up. But then I'd be a hypocrite if I did that because I remember challenging you guys to not quit when there's difficulty at work. So I stayed on instead. What kind of example would I be, if I left?," he said almost in a humbling manner.

"Oh man, why can't you just scold me or something so I can leave completely?!" I screamed in my mind. For your information, my boss is a very proud and confident man and I've never heard him speak in a manner as such. He usually scoffs and hurls insults in a jokingly manner. But in moments like these, such prudent words and humility found its way to soften even the most hardened and resentful of hearts.

He asked me to consider a part time position instead. Make it a slow transition so that if anything goes wrong with the company, at least I still have a backup plan, he suggested.

I really don't think I could've left after that conscience-violating conversation.

Well, as of today, I am still working for my university as a part time lecturer. This seems like the best for both worlds. I get what I want (a stable income, ample time to prepare for my company, to teach and give back to society) and they get what they want (a good lecturer, according to their evaluation anyway, to teach the students).

Lesson learnt : People do notice if you've got substance. Make sure you are the real deal and don't ever, ever stop desiring to progress. And make sure you switch off your phone after resigning from your job (or switch to a new number, whichever works best).

"Show me someone who does a good job, and I will show you someone who is better than most and worthy of the company of kings." Proverbs 22:29

Incoherency is His Last Name (Part II)

2010-07-11T11:00:00.008+08:00

We were at the karaoke yesterday and it was a bachelor party for Ian. So, we all started picking our songs to sing, getting food from the buffet counter, talking, joking and making fun of ourselves. And then, some weird song started to play. Very naturally, someone would have to ask the million dollar question.

Chua : Shi shei dian de? (who picked this song?)
Chris : San dian (three o'clock)

... There was a short silence in the room before we all burst into laughter and me choking on my food. I nearly died. And I don't know from which: laughing or choking? And then came the fully legitimate justification. Chris was actually informing us that the karaoke sessions is only until 3pm! Don't you just love his comprehension of homonyms?!?!

PS : Chris, we still love you even though you cannot differentiate "dian" (pick) and "dian" (o'clock)! Haha!!!

Click here to read part I of Chris' amazing ability

Individium's Debut T-Shirt

2010-07-10T22:34:00.003+08:00

It's finally here! Individium is finally releasing its debut t-shirt! As you may or may not know, Individium is my new t-shirt clothing line launched just recently. The idea behind it is really to celebrate the different kinds of people all around the world, so you might just find a t-shirt that describes exactly who you are (more designs to come in the future, of course).

RM30 is an introductory price and there's only very limited stock! So, grab yours today!

P.S. : Yes, that's a picture of me and my girlfriend, Chrystin. And no, that's not a couple exclusive t-shirt. It just so happen that I wanted us to model for Individium's first tee =)

All Clogged Up

2010-04-20T20:50:00.007+08:00

For the past month, the kitchen pipe at my home was clogged up. Every time when we do the dishes, the pipe hole right on our floor will overflow with... dirty water (I shall not elaborate for the sake of the weak hearted reading this). So, very naturally, we have resorted to not use the sink at all and have come to ignore the problem completely. Until lately when I couldn't stand it anymore, that is.

I bought some unclogging solution from the hardware shop, poured it into the pipe, waited overnight for the solution to pierce through the stubborn (and gross) sludge and grime, the next day flushed down a whole pail of water into the pipe and voila! The sink is usable again! Water once again flowed gloriously from the sink to the pipes and to the drain (Imagine the scene in Lord of the Rings when Arwen summoned the river to stop the Nazgul).

I think I see a spiritual parallel there now, do you?

Sometimes when you grow older in life, things seem to clog you up. Your ever demanding job, never ending mortgages, dysfunctional relationships, worries of the future, parched spiritual life and unearthly church expectations. These stuff ring a bell? And what do we normally do? Like with the pipe, once clogged and when a mess takes place, we choose to ignore the important matters of life. We escape.

Well, escaping doesn't really do anyone any good, the same way resorting to not use my sink was a foolish act that wasted a lot of time, convenience and opportunities. All we need is just some "solution" (spiritually) to unclog these issues in our life so that we, like the free flowing water, can move on with our lives in freedom.

"The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It cuts all the way through, to where soul and spirit meet, to where joints and marrow come together. It judges the desires and thoughts of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

Faith: Trusting in Silence

2010-01-23T15:43:00.002+08:00

Ever wondered why God allows "terrible" things to happen to His people? I have.

Ever wondered why God doesn't answer your seemingly good, selfless and expectant prayers? I have.

Ever wondered why God seems so distant and far away no matter how much you try to please Him, read His Word, fast and pray, serve and do everything you can to get Him to come closer? I have.

Ever wondered why God doesn't show up at times when you need Him the most? I have.

But isn't that faith? To simply trust unwaveringly despite the deafening silence, knowing that He has the best interest in mind for you?

"Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! We also boast of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope.
This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us." Romans 5:1-5

By the way, this is my new design for a t-shirt. Do vote for me if you like the design or if the message speaks to you. (click on the link above).

When I Fall In Love

2010-01-17T16:55:00.003+08:00

It is official. I am single but not available anymore (that explains the long silence in this blog, haha)

Yes, yes, for those who don’t know yet, I have a girlfriend already (finally, after my whole life of bachelorhood). I think my old timer friends will laugh a laugh of relief (to know that I’m really straight) over this post as they have been attempting to figure out who I liked for all our high school and elementary school years to the extent of accusing me as gay for not liking any girls at all. I know, those periods of our lives were the hardest to stay single as the raging hormones do not really help the idea of singlehood. But I guess my resolve to stay true to my principles were much stronger.

My principles were pretty set and clear to me even at a young age. Call me old fashioned if you want, I don’t care (I prefer the term "mature"). If being old fashioned got me the awesomest girlfriend in the world, namely Chrystin (you can find her picture in my Facebook), I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

I’m no love expert, but for those who are still single, may these “principles” of mine help you find your awesomest future partner (which I know I did).

1. True love waits.
It sounds really cliché, I know. But you see, it’s true in every facet of a relationship.

I waited all my life before I got into a relationship. The reason? Simple. I wasn't sure if I wanted to get married then. Well, you can laugh if you want, but I think the goal of getting into a relationship is to STAY in a relationship. And that's through marriage. If you can't imagine getting married and popping up some kids, then forget it. Just stay single and don't go about breaking every girl's heart and along the way, yours too.

It took Chrystin more than half a year to decide whether she wants to be in a relationship with me. Six months of waiting (that's longer than waiting for your IPhone to arrive). Just imagine! But I thought it was good test because even after half a year I was still waiting and was sure I wanted to be with her. Finally we got together because she couldn't stand waiting anymore =)

This makes her very special to me. She's my ONE and ONLY girlfriend. And I plan to keep it that way. But you might ask, how can I be so sure? Well, if things don't work out, MAKE it work! It's a whole principle on its own, I'll probably talk about it sometime later.

2. The ball is in your hands, not God's.
I really don’t believe in the notion of soul mates. I think it is because of such foolish mindsets (popularized by some churches or the ever unscrupulous Hollywood) that leave people single all their lives waiting and hoping for Mr or Mrs Right to appear out of a bush or fall from the sky or something. The truth is God doesn't arrange soul mates for us! Don’t believe me? Open your Bibles and read for yourself of how God allows us to choose for ourselves a woman (or man) as future spouses! Just look up on the stories of Isaac and Rebekah or Jacob and Rachel. They (the hunks) chose for themselves if they wanted these chicks to be their wives! Even the Bible endorses us to choose (which means there’re MANY possibilities out there and NOT just ONE)! So, don't just count on God to do the courting for you lest you end up as a celibate for life.

3. Don’t look for The One. Be The One.
No one is perfect. Period.

Instead of looking for someone who is perfect (which is impossible), I hold a principle of being the right one for the other person. I don't quite remember where I heard this message but it did made a mark in my life to realize that love is never self seeking. It's always about loving the other person unconditionally. It's about changing your stubborn ways to please the other party. It's a beautiful picture when both parties seek to do the same thing of being the right one for the other person. When you enter a relationship with this mindset of being the “right” one for someone else, the way you look at the relationship changes completely, which leads to my next principle.

4. It’s more blessed to give than to receive.
When people ask me what is the right time to start a relationship, I’d answer when I start working. I would not get into any relationships when I’m still studying. Now, this is purely MY opinion. I never said this is the right measuring stick for the question, which I will attempt to explain now.

So many times I’ve heard of couples starting a relationship because as singles, they feel lonely, they want to feel loved, accepted and etc. What a HORRIBLE excuse to get yourself attached to someone whom you’ll soon discover as a complete stranger, opposite from who you think he/she is. The truth is even when you’re in a relationship, there are times when you’d feel even lonelier, even more unloved, rejected and etc. You can’t patch your emptiness with an imperfect human (chances are, he/she is also trying to do the same thing). Probably that’s why divorces and breakups are so rampant, because the other party failed to “meet” their needs. It’s about giving, not receiving. If you’re still stuck with the notion of just receiving in a relationship, then you’re really stuck with these two choices. Santa Claus or Jesus Christ. One’s your dad and the other… hm, the best choice ever?! =)

Anyway, that’s why I will only start a relationship when I have a job. That’s when I have the power to earn and to give as much as I like (when you’re a kid or a student, you use your parents’ money and that's not very impressive, dummy).

More than just giving material things, learning to give yourself wholly (which I am still learning to do so) is probably the most important thing to do for someone you love. Well, Jesus loved me and gave His life for me. If that's what it means to love (by giving), then I'd model after His perfect love.

I Weep for my Nation

2010-01-09T13:49:00.004+08:00

Following the news of churches being torched yesterday, I wasn't disgusted. I wasn't angry. I wasn't vengeful. Instead, my heart broke to hear of what has become of my beloved Malaysia, my country, my home.

I wept.

I don't know if it's the first time, but I wept for my country. I will never understand why God placed such impossible leaders to lead this nation. I will never understand why He would allow such grievous injustice and mockery of His name to prevail. I will never understand how the Christians in Malaysia could stay calm and pray in this seemingly hopeless situation.

But I too, will never understand the love, grace, peace and hope that follows.

A love for the unlovable, just as He embraced me.
A grace for the unfavorable, just as He accepted me.
A peace for the distressed, just as He comforted me.
A hope for the desperate, just as He sheltered me.

I know my God prevails. In the midst of this storm, there still is hope for my beloved country. Not in any man, government nor earthly security. But in God alone will I rejoice for I know vengeance is His, not mine.

"My hiding place, my safe refuge, my treasure, Lord you are..."

The Truth About the 21st Century

2009-10-12T20:19:00.001+08:00

While this is quite funny, I think this is quite an honest reflection of the world in this 21st century. What have we become? =)

Our communication - Wireless

Our dress - Topless

Our telephone - Cordless

Our cooking - Fireless

Our youth - Jobless

Our food - Fatless

Our labour - Effortless

Our conduct - Worthless

Our relation - Loveless

Our attitude - Careless

Our feelings - Heartless

Our politics - Shameless

Our education - Valueless

Our follies - Countless

Our arguments - Baseless

Our boss - Brainless

Our job - Thankless

Our salary - Very less!!!

The Stranger

2009-10-10T12:59:00.001+08:00

(Got this from my girl, thought it's worth reading. I absolutely love the twist in the end. =) Enjoy.)

A few years after I was born, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small Texas town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger...he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.

If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry the stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind..

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not allowed in our home... Not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the liberal use of alcohol. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a regular Basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes distinguished.
He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were sometimes blatant sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my parents, yet he was seldom rebuked.... And NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.
His name?...

We just call him 'TV.'

He has a wife now....We call her 'Computer.'

The Art of Driving, Drifting, Screaming, Spinning and Laughing at the Same Time

2009-09-17T21:52:00.021+08:00

You hear that saying all the time that when you're about to die, you see your whole life flashing through your mind in a split second. Well, not for me. I only saw spinning roads and car headlights.

As usual, I was driving back home from work using the Desaria road to avoid the toll. My colleague, Mr Chun Chow, was following behind me as I was introducing him to a nice place to eat near our place. I was quite hungry and I was driving at my usual speed (which can be quite fast) but I forgot it was raining (yes, sometimes I drive in autopilot mode without my brain even functioning). So, I was driving at my usual speed (I repeat, which can be quite fast), the road is wet and slippery, there is a sharp curve ahead, my mind was in autopilot... well, you can roughly guess what was going to happen next.

According to Mr Chun Chow, he thought I was drifting and he was quite impressed actually (I drive a Kancil, the smallest but cutest car in the world). Until he saw my car spinning, that is.

Alright, now just imagine the scene changing immediately (like in a movie) to me inside my car. The scene starts with a black screen and the lingering sound effect of an unbearable pitchy noise, with the camera slowly zooming out to what seems like a throat and finally showing the image of me screaming my lungs out, holding on to my steering wheel like a barnacle to the pillar of a jetty, with the car spinning in slow motion. And there and then, you are reminded of the merry-go-round that you used to ride when you were a child, only faster, say, like 70km/h.

I thought I was going to die.

And then the adrenaline-pumping merry-go-round session stopped. Only a few inches away, there was a drain which was big enough for my Kancil to drop into (the pitchy sound effect has not ended, I was still screaming). My car had turned 180 degrees, now facing the bewildered cars that were coming in my direction.

I made a u-turn, came out (I've stopped screaming by then) to check on my car and see if it's ok, went in again and laughed my lungs out, thinking "That was way too cool! Let's do it again!!!" and "Hallelujah! Thank God I'm alive!!!"

Over dinner, I requested Mr Chun Chow to record a video of me in action should I be caught doing that in public again.

I want to thank God for giving me such an amazing, undiscovered and life-saving talent. I want to thank my mother and father for teaching me how to step on the brakes with all my heart, mind, soul and strength when I want my car to stop whatever it's doing. I want to thank my driving instructor for never warning me that this might happen if I drive fast on slippery roads whilst making sharp curves or I never would have the privilege to experience this exhilarating joyride. I also want to take this opportunity to thank my beloved, horizontally challenged mechanic. Where would I be today without you and your constant nagging of changing my brake oils and tyres? As for all my friends out there, you know who you are. You rock.

The Dangers of Orderliness, Home Making and Ikea Brochures

2009-09-02T00:26:00.010+08:00

Click for a larger image

My new workstation. And yes, that's my new PC! Drooling? Ikea, please don't sue me. I am but your biggest fan.

One Malaysia

2009-08-28T01:42:00.002+08:00

Check this video out. It's produced by my friend. I thought it was amazing and timely for my post on our National Day which is just around the corner.

Honestly speaking, I love Malaysia. I am proud to be Malaysian. Yes, Malaysia has its flaws and weaknesses and I don't necessarily agree with many things going on here but it's my country, nevertheless.

I love Malaysia because I can wake up every morning and complaining about going to work or the crazy weather but not need to worry about having a bomb drop on my roof or doorstep.

I love Malaysia because me and my Malay or Indian friends can complain and laugh at our cultural differences and yet live peacefully in mutual understanding of our strengths as one nation and people.

I love Malaysia because I can complain about the expensive petrol prices, unreasonable toll or parking fees, bizarre scandals involving politicians, unruly government ruling or political situations but live to know that my country is still here to stay after 52 years of independence and still learning from its mistakes.

I love Malaysia. Not merely because of reasons. For no reasons can ever blot out the fact that this is my country, my nation, my home.

Happy 52nd Merdeka, everyone.

A Man's Gotta Do What a Man's Gotta Do

2009-08-24T15:10:00.000+08:00

People will grow old, but they will not necessarily grow up.

It is pathetic to see a man who is not leading his own life but pass the responsibility to a woman instead (be it girlfriend or wife). And by me saying that, I'm not saying boys should not listen to your mother (kids, listen to your mother or God will send crows to pluck your eyes out). I am by no means being chauvinistic but I believe that a man holds the appointment to be the leader of a household or his own life. When a man does not stand up for himself but make his woman do it, then it only means one thing.

He is still a boy, not a man.

He may have the appearance of a man, huge, burly and probably hairy, but really, deep inside is the stunted growth of a little boy. A little boy who does not have the maturity and ability to think, speak and act like an adult.

And one can only imagine the pain a woman has to go through when her man has only the mind of a twelve year old. It's no wonder that more and more women nowadays are stepping up to play the single mother role. Well, why wait and depend on a child trapped in a grown man's body? I wouldn't too, if I was in that situation.

So, to all the men out there, it's time to grow up.

An Ode to Lecturers

2009-08-19T00:31:00.004+08:00

Another new semester has just arrived. That means another new bunch of students in the form of a bunch of "cute" challenges (may not necessarily appear cute all the time though, sometimes you feel like strangling them).

And I think as a lecturer, I can be a very different person to different individuals. It's not that I'm always changing nor do I have split personalities, but different individuals would perceive me as a very different person simply because of their own circumstances.

To the hardworking and knowledge hungry ones, they'd love me like a walking creative juice dispenser constantly dropping pick-me-up ideas here and there.

To the slower and less competent ones, they'd dread me like an evil dictator with an intimidating hairstyle (and probably face).

To the lazy and complacent ones, they'd avoid me like I'm swine flu or some plaguing virus that saps every single ounce of fun out of them.

Well, whatever I am, my goal for every semester has always been the same. It's for them to learn and to make sure I raise them as competent and great designers. I was a student once and I loved my lecturers who poured out their lives for us, invested in us, believed in us and gave us their very best. And most importantly, thank God for the lecturers who did not strangle us.

A salute, to all the lecturers who have to face the "cute" challenges I face everyday.

Silence is Golden

2009-07-25T08:38:00.010+08:00

Have you ever heard of the expression "talked you to death?" Well, I never cared about such notions until lately. Some people really love to talk. They live to talk. The eat to talk. They sleep to talk. They fight to talk. They die to talk. They... well, you get the picture.

And it's not that bad. Really. Until you're caught in the conversation, that is. And I was caught in one. I was in the middle of a conversation that never seems to end. Every word that was uttered seemed to gnaw me of my consciousness and talk me to death. The boredom was inexplicable. The irk was indescribable. I was at the tip of exploding and shouting, "SHUT UP!!!" when I finally got a hold of myself and was reminded, "They're just human."

One has to wonder, "Do they bore themselves with their endless ramblings?"

Honestly speaking, I think I am a man of few words. People tell me that I don't talk much. I have gotten that remark quite a bit from acquantainces, friends and families. Why? Well, I only speak when it's necessary. And that gives weight to the words of my mouth. When I speak, people listen (and some tremble). Because they know that what I'm about to say is important or it makes sense. I hate saying things that do not add to the situation or conversation.

Do you?

"The wicked are trapped by their own words, but the godly escape such trouble." Proverbs 12:13

I think the Bible said it very well indeed. The more you talk, the more trouble you get yourself into. You have no idea how many times being silent and learning to listen has saved me from complicated situations. But fools being fools, will not restrain themselves from their folly and speak whatever that's in their minds without weighing the consequences. Are they're desperate for attention or are they just incapable to control their tongues? Beats me.

But one truth I learnt is this. There's more harm in talking than listening. Just stop talking and think about it. And if you are a talker like the ones I mentioned above (it helps to ask another's opinion about ourselves as we're blinded at times), I beseech you.

Stop the flow. That way, we'd save the world from unnecessary CO2 emission. And probably save yourself along the way.

Alice in the Wonderland

2009-06-25T21:59:00.011+08:00

OMG. I'm going to die. I've waited SOOO long for a remake of Alice in the Wonderland and finally it's going to hit the big screens next year!!! And I can imagine the awesome CGs because of today's technology! And to make it even more amazing, it's a remake by Tim Burton!!! I LOVE TIM BURTON!!! (Forgive me, for I am a designer)

I'm a huge fan of Alice in the Wonderland simply because of the rich imagination and fantasy behind it. When I first watched it, and now that I rewatch it, it still blows my mind away! This melancholic yet sanguine, depressing yet uplifting, dark yet colorful, weird yet witty, ironic yet practical story has a LOT of life lessons worth learning from.

Oh, enough talking. I need to go wipe my mouth from the salivation. Take a look at the pictures yourself and drool like I did!!!

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen

Anne Hathaway as the White Queen

Mia Wasikowska as Alice

Matt Lucas as Tweedledum and Tweedledee

Alice at the Garden Gate with the Talking Blossoms

Alice and the White Rabbit

Alice greeted by Tweedledum and Tweedledee when she arrives in Looking Glass Land

Vatican Humor

2009-05-30T15:22:00.000+08:00

After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb.

'Excuse me, Your Holiness,' says the driver, 'Would you please take your seat so we can leave?'

'Well, to tell you the truth,' says the Pope, 'they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today.'

'I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job! What if something should happen?' protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.

'Who's going to tell?' says the Pope with a smile?

Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 205 kph. (Remember, the Pope is German.)

'Please slow down, Your Holiness!' pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.

'Oh, dear God, I'm going to lose my license -- and my job!' moans the driver.

The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.

'I need to talk to the Chief,' he says to the dispatcher. The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 205 kph.

'So bust him,' says the Chief.

'I don't think we want to do that, he's really important,' said the cop.

The Chief exclaimed,' All the more reason!'

'No, I mean really important,' said the cop with a bit of persistence.

The Chief then asked, 'Who do you have there, the mayor?'

Cop: 'Bigger.'

Chief: ' A senator?'

Cop: 'Bigger.'

Chief: 'The Prime Minister?'

Cop: 'Bigger.'

Well,' said the Chief, 'Who is it?'

Cop: 'I think it's God!'

The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, 'What makes you think it's God?'

Cop: 'His chauffeur is the Pope!'

Leona Lewis - Here I Am

2009-05-15T01:36:00.003+08:00

This is a crazy world
These can be lonely times
It's hard to know who's on your side
Most of the time

Who can you really trust
Who do you really know
Is there anybody out there
Who can make you feel less alone
Some times you just can't make it on your own

If you need a place where you can run
If you need a shoulder to cry on
I'll always be your friend

When you need some shelter from the rain
When you need a healer for your pain
I will be there time and time again
When you need someone to love you
Here I am, hmmm

If you have broken dreams
Just lay them all on me
I'll be the one who understands
So take my hand

If there is emptyness
You know I'll do my best
To fill you up with all the love
That I can show someone
I promise you you'll never walk alone

Well if you need a place where you can run
If you need a shoulder to cry on
I'll always be your friend

When you need some shelter from the rain
When you need a healer for your pain
I will be there time and time again
When you need someone to love you
Here I am, oooo

Everybody needs somebody who
they can pour their heart and soul into

Well if you need a place where you can run
If you need a shoulder to cry on
I'll always be your friend

When you need some shelter from the rain
When you need a healer for your pain
I will be there time and time again
When you need someone to love you
Here I am, Here I am

Showing Off my Show Off Exhibition

2009-05-10T19:52:00.008+08:00

Click for a larger newspaper scan.

Just some pictures from the Show Off Exhibition. We were featured on New Straits Times! =)

For more pictures, click here for my Facebook album.

Also, if you are interested to read a little more, we are also featured on some of these websites :
1. New Straits Times Online
2. Malay Mail
3. Voize
4. What's Art
5. Life in KL

Childhood Dreams

2009-04-30T16:37:00.006+08:00

Remember when you were in primary school and there's one of those mysterious practices of filling in your top three ambitions (cita-cita) when you grow up in a piece of report-card like document? The one where your teacher would ask you what you want to be when you grow up and suggest some really ridiculous occupations? I remember most of my friends wrote occupations that're more 'popular' like policemen, firemen, scientists and etc which none of them are now. Guess what were my top three choices?

1. Artist
2. Designer
3. Boss (I know, my teacher had a good laughing therapy session then too)

I have always been able to draw and paint but with the recent art exhibition I have, I guess that pretty much makes me an 'official' artist. Or at least a rookie who's completely new in the business. I've always wanted to sell paintings and artworks. And I sold 4 during the exhibition! Woohoo!!! (For those who have not been there yet, get your backsides there now and do bring people who are interested in buying art)

I am a Graphic Designer by profession and I started designing since I was a kid for the church. Who knew such a simple 'ministry' and opportunity turned me into the designer I am today?

Well, technically speaking, I am an owner of my t-shirt company, Testify Wear and I am a boss. I run it together with two other business partners and although it's slow going, we're definitely growing.

It's amazing to see how all my three childhood dreams were somehow fulfilled. I don't know how it happened but it feels great to know that I am going where I always wanted to head to even since I was a child. It's good to dream and it's good to be able to chase after it.

Do you have a dream and are you running towards or further from it?

My Exhibition

2009-04-07T22:13:00.004+08:00

I will be having my art exhibition with a bunch of other artists end of this month. So, do come and see my works on display! If you are an art fan, come and enjoy the variety of art pieces from 12 different artists. If you are a relative or friend, come and show support!!! (Click on the image above for more information)

A Shitty Article

2009-03-25T12:01:00.005+08:00

Forgive me for the crude way of putting the title of this article, but I think the word 'feces' is probably too formal and polite for the normal, average Malaysian to understand. =) This everyday, familiar subject matter is coined to be my favourite table topic during dinners by many people although I do not understand why. By the way, I am very healthy...

A Story of Grace

2009-03-17T15:19:00.005+08:00

Recently, I've been commissioned by PC to design 6 posters for her wedding. She basically wanted to talk about how God has been gracious in bringing both her and Kelvin together. After many sleepless nights trying to finish the last minute work, here're the final outcomes (Click for larger, clearer images).

The Chinese drama

The Japanese Rock band

The Adventure movie

The Musical

The Romantic drama

The Independent movie

Senile Joke

2009-03-13T00:42:00.003+08:00

My dad is a contractor and he constantly has to be under the cruel Malaysian sun hence, his dark complexion. One day, while visiting some of my long lost older aunts, one of them who was very old and a little bit senile stared intently at my dad's dark skin tone. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. She slapped my dad's arms and reprimanded him saying,

"Haiyah!!! How come you never wear a cap when you're working under the sun?! Look at how tanned your arms are!!!"

...

The Giving Of Ourselves

2009-03-04T12:34:00.001+08:00

There once was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors.

"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves.

So it is with our lives. Those who choose to live in peace must help their neighbors to live in peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

It is possible to give away and become richer! It is also possible to hold on too tightly and lose everything. Yes, the liberal man shall be rich! By watering others, he waters himself.

- From the Bible,
Proverbs 11:24-25

A Time To Be Materialistic

2009-03-03T00:55:00.005+08:00

Well, ever since I moved into my new room, I am constantly on the lookout for red, black and white furniture and stuff to add to the theme of my room. Anyway, some of the things I still need to complete my room are these:

Altec Lansing's sleek VS4121BLK black computer speakers. I listen to music a lot and my current speakers are a bit too old already (the white parts have turned creamish grey).

Nice and contemporary red/white/black single/queen comforter set. I like things bigger. Personal kiasu issues.

Red thread curtains to cover up the weird dented shape part of my room at the window area.

Anyway, I guess I'd get my hands on any nice interior decors that are red/black/white that adds to the style, comfort and environment of my room. Oh well, materialism is an expensive virtue to have.

A Designer's Room

2009-02-24T09:21:00.011+08:00

My workstation

'Oink', my bedfellow whom I share my bed with

My room

Yes, it wasn't easy to find furnitures and objects that are red, black and white. Nevertheless, that does not stop me from painting my furnitures black for the new makeover of my room. I was tempted to paint my toilet bowl black too...

Kouseke Atari - 各自遠颺

2009-02-03T18:23:00.003+08:00

微風告知春天來訪
紛紛綻放的花朵香氣裡令人想起遠方的妳
The breeze brings the message of spring
The fragrance of flowers reminds me of you far away

如春日陽光守護下綻放的花朵
未來希望之光也會照耀我們吧
Like the blossom under the sunlight
I believe, our future would be shone by the light of hope

我們各自踏上各自所選擇的道路
在未來的某日綻放笑容直到重逢時
We fly apart from now on til someday,
we’ll gether again with smiles

黃昏告知秋天來訪
隨歲月被晚霞染紅的天空令人想起遙遠的往日
The eventide brings the message of autumn
The sky redden by yesterday reminds me of the old days

如秋日陽光守護下結成的果實
總有一天妳的夢想終會實現
Like the ripen fruits under the sunlight
Your dreams will come true in time

當初許下的約定是我們描繪的
想像中的未來日後將會染上何種顏色呢
How it would turned out
the dreams we illustrated that day?

踏上各自所選擇的道路在未來的某日綻放笑容
直到重逢時
We fly apart from now on ’til someday,
we’ll gether again with smiles

Oxymorons

2009-01-17T14:02:00.001+08:00

I'm stealing this from Arlene's post in Facebook. According to this website, "Malaysian Democracy" is considered an oxymoron! Haha! Check it out!!!

http://www.atlantamortgagegroup.com/oxymoronlist.htm

Questions for God

2009-01-14T15:49:00.007+08:00

(DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS NOT FOR THE WEAK IN FAITH AS THESE QUESTIONS MIGHT STUMBLE SOME)

In Isaiah 26:7, he said he'll make the paths of the righteous level (smooth). How come we still face endless hardships when the road is supposed to be smooth?

In Isaiah 59:1, the Bible said that God's ear is not too deaf to hear nor his hands too short to save. Then why does he not do anything immediately when the righteous call upon him day and night? What is causing the 'delay'? Doesn't the delay show the 'shortness of hand' and 'deafness of ear' when the cry was urgent?

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, he said he is faithful and he won't allow us to be tempted than more than what we can bear. How many times have we crossed the line and fallen when temptation comes? Didn't he say he's faithful and would not allow it?

In Psalm 20:8, the promise was those who trust in Him will be strong and firm and not stumble. Then why do we stumble and sin over and over again in life? Why are we still so weak even when we're supposed to have him as our strength and shield?

In Jeremiah 29:13, he said we'll find him when we seek him with all our heart. What is his measure of all our hearts? How do you define the measure of all our hearts? Why does he set such high standards for people to find him, in contrary to what he said in Isaiah 65:1?

In Acts 2:21, he said he'll save everyone who asks for his help. The question is when?

I Think I Should Go Kill My Self

2009-01-07T19:06:00.020+08:00

(DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CONDONE COMMITTING SUICIDE IN ANY WAY. DYING HERE IS SPOKEN METAPHORICALLY. PLEASE DO NOT GO AND KILL YOURSELF OR OTHERS AFTER READING THIS)

Lately, I've been reminded over and over again (I think God is hinting something and He's making it pretty obvious) of how I've been living my life. Selfish, self-centered, careless, inconsiderate, abrasive and most of the things I do or say are about me. There goes the big 'self' inside me puffing up, blinding and crippling me from being at peace because it's always proud, discontented, greedy and like a raging sea, it's never calm, never at peace.

And lately, there has been far too many incidences to remind me that I need to put an end to that part of my life. These unpleasant incidences are circumstances of this self's doing. It's obvious, I need to learn to kill my self. (Note : I didn't say kill myself as in commit suicide. I'm not suicidal. I'm saying I need to kill the 'selfish' side of me). I don't like the sound of that at all but, hey, no discipline is fun. It's painful but in the end, it always pays off.

"Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed." 1Peter 2:24

Ouch... what a harsh but timely reminder. And how blatantly can the Bible put it?

Die.

Don't you just love that word? The way it causes a tingle in your spine when it's mentioned? The way it makes us shudder at the very thought of death? Well, I want to learn to die to self (the sinful nature) and learn to live in Christ for righteousness. And to remind myself (and you, if you want), I've made a simple wallpaper to adorn my desktop so that every morning when I switch on my laptop at my office, I'm greeted by this reminder that I need to go and kill my self... again. Now, ain't that a beautiful way to start my mornings?

1280x800px (widescreen)

1024x768px

TW's on Facebook!!!

2008-12-31T15:19:00.003+08:00

Testify Wear's on Facebook!!! Go and get yourself fanned!!! (What I meant is be a fan, not fan yourself)

Click here to check it out!!!

Testify Wear's New Webbie

2008-12-29T21:50:00.012+08:00

Check out Testify Wear's new t-shirts and updates!!! It's time to buy New Year clothes, people!!! Oh, and if you own a blog or any website and you'd like to tell people about Testify Wear, you can include a small ad like the one on the left by adding this HTML snippet :

Must support local artists! And remember to spread the love!!!

A New Hobby

2008-12-27T22:44:00.006+08:00

Recently, I started a new hobby. Aquarium. Well, I guess I've not been in the presence of animals for far too long (back at home, I have six dogs). So, just trying to make myself feel at home I guess. Anyway, I only rear small fish simply because they're cheaper and easier to dispose of when they're dead (flush em down the toilet). I particularly like Cherry Barbs and Neon/Cardinal Tetras. Cherries are hyperactive and Neons are just pretty. My only problem now is who's gonna feed them when I'm going back to Kota Kinabalu for Chinese New Year?

Anyway, in this simple process of rearing fish, I get to play 'God'. I get to decide when they're fed, how their environment is shaped, who lives or who dies (sounds sadistic but yeah). As days go by, you get to feel how God feels just by observing these fishes. They're sometimes greedy, blind, dumb, helpless, dependent, stubborn, silly and the list goes on. And sometimes, as their owner I just have to wonder why they do the things they do and why do they not do it my way instead. It's so much simpler if they listen to me because I see the big picture! Where the food is, when's the water changing, when the light's gonna be switched on and etc.

I think God must feel the same way about us. I bet He must feel like screaming at us, "Listen to me! I'm the One in control, not you!" Well, we sure are a silly bunch of fish, running around trying to figure out life on our own, aren't we? Guess it's time to listen to the Master of this aquarium we're all in, eh?

The Day the Earth Stood Still

2008-12-15T10:26:00.007+08:00

(WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU'VE WATCHED THE MOVIE OR NOT PLANNING TO WATCH THE MOVIE AT ALL)

Despite the negative comments from friends and reviews, I stubbornly went ahead to watch this movie alone and guess what? I honestly thought it was a good show! (Yes, Keanu Reeves was disastrous as usual in acting with his expressionless face but oh well, it fits his character well) The movie stirred a lot of questions and emotions in me that I think it is worthy for everyone to ponder for a moment if we do call ourselves human or citizens of this planet.

1. We do not belong to this world.
Throughout the movie, I cringed at every action of the humans. All they wanted to do was to destroy in the name of protecting themselves from the 'alien'. Klaatu (Keanu Reeves) never intended to harm anyone but humans were just so paranoid throughout the whole time. And to make things worse, there was a bozo sitting behind me thinking out loud all the time saying, "So stupid, you think you really can defeat him meh? If he wants, he can blah blah blah!!!" and it went on throughout the entire movie during climaxes. Anyway, the real question was, "Who is the alien?" We? Or them? Well, from what I believe, we (humans) are all aliens. We do not belong to this planet. So don't get to attached to it. We're all given the chance now to prepare to go home, to heaven where we really belong. Would you be so paranoid as to not want to go back to your own home and stick to this 'foreign' planet and die a foreigner? Well, suit yourself, but I'm prepared to go home anytime death comes knocking on my door. The ball is in your hands.

"Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Philippians 3:19-21

2. Power word : Love
I can't help but amaze at the biblical parallels in the movie of how humans are made special in the whole universe. The aliens could not understand the one single different 'aspect' of humans. The ability to love. Yes, there may be undiscovered life forms all around our planet, more advanced, more civilized, more technological but the fact is this. We are the center of God's creation, the Creator of the universe. This simple fact humbles me to think that we were made God's special possession despite our weaknesses and frailties. And I think the reason why God made us His special possesion is so that we in turn, will make Him and Him alone our special possession!!!

"But now I tell the people of Israel this is my new agreement: 'The time will come when I, the Lord, will write my laws on their minds and hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people..." Hebrews 8:10

3. Listen to the Voice that matters
When Klaatu came and wanted to speak to the leaders of the earth, they refused to listen. He bore a very important message about the destruction of earth but concluded that any attempt to discuss peacefully with humans are futile. Today, there're just too many voices shouting at us with so many different messages and so called 'good news'. I think it is important that we hear that one message that matters the most. The voice that answers the question, "Why are you even alive?" And of course, along the way, many people, religious people and philosophers will come and tell you their 'answers' to this question. I believe no one can answer that question other than the Person who created life itself. God. Why not ask Him instead? Just look to the heavens and say this to Him, "God, if you're really somewhere up there, can you tell me why am I even here?"

Go on, do it. It's between you and Him. No one's watching (just make sure you do it in solitary or people will think you're out of your mind =) Who knows, you might get an answer to life's most important question promptly.

Christmas Time is Here!

2008-12-08T13:22:00.003+08:00

Come join us for this year's Christmas production "The Heavenly Gift!" Any questions, do ask me! Make this Christmas a heavenly one! Oh, and the admission is FREE!!! (the most important word) =P See ya there!!!

When He Speaks

2008-11-20T02:55:00.007+08:00

Audio Adrenaline - Speak To Me

I'm in a fix
Need something quick
My mind is numb
My stomach sick
Broken hearts
Hopeless things
I've seen what defiance brings
Cause the light of day
I've always known
Is in my heart
I'm not alone

Speak to me
Tell me all the things I need to know
I want to hear you now
Can you speak to me
I've opened up your word to free me
I want to hear you now

It's amazing
How I forget
Can't live my life
For lack of it
But the light of day
I've always known
It's in my heart
I'm not alone

Make your wisdom clear
The words I hold so dear
Bring the light into my dark
I hide them inside my heart

Have you ever heard God speak? Yeah, I'm asking you, you who's reading this. Many people have asked me, "How does God speak?" Well, it's simple, really. He just speaks. Duh. =) Then the next question you might ask is, "How come I've never heard Him speak?"

The reason we don't hear God speak is because we never chose to listen.

Hello? Read that previous sentence out loud again for me, will you? Ask yourself, how many times have you actually spent time, sat down with Him, talked with Him, laughed with Him, cried with Him and understood what He is trying to say to you? Chances are, we're too busy or too ignorant to do so. We simply rush in and out in our busy schedules packed with self-absorbed agendas and we simply choose to ignore His voice because it's not the top agenda in our never-ending to-do lists. At the end of the day, when things do not go our way, we shout at Him, "God, why is this happening to me?!"

Ironic, isn't it? We blame God for not telling us things when we were the ones who deliberately chose not to listen to Him.

Last Tuesday, during our prayer meeting in church, my body was there but my everything else was everywhere but there. I was tired and distracted. My mind tells me I should go home, rest and finish up the work I have piling up on my desk. I could see that from everyone else who was there too. Everyone was tired from a long day's work, ready to fall flat on a bed if there was any there. But deep down I know He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

In my brokenness, I whispered to Him, "God, here I am again. Shucks, I know. Yes, it's me again. =)"

I didn't ask Him to strengthen me nor refresh me like anyone else would've done. I didn't ask for Him to work miracles and signs and wonders to amaze me. I didn't ask Him to fill me with joy or love or peace so that I could last for that two hours of praying without passing out.

All I wanted that night was to hear Him speak, to hear the familiar voice that gives me courage to face all of my unknowns, the refreshing voice that brings so much fulfillment and life, the loving voice that makes a broken life whole, the firm voice that clears away all confusions, the reassuring voice that directs a straight path ahead and the same powerful voice that tells me that I can do everything through Him.

And you know what? His ears ain't too deaf nor is He too lazy to speak when we talk to Him. That's His promise, and He doesn't break promises. And when He spoke that night, I was liberated. It was like air inside a balloon bursting out, water gushing out of a broken dam, an intense force exploding out of a hand grenade. I was free to dance. Free to laugh. Free to cry. Free to love. Free to see Him face to face. Free to live. Free to be free!

Such freedom from the cares of life gained by merely listening to a voice that we so often ignore. How stupid are we to choose not to listen to the only voice that matters.

Maybe we should start opening our deafened ears wide to Him and shut our ears to the world that's constantly screaming lies at us. Maybe we should stop ignoring the voice of the Universe Maker, the voice that determines the course of the stars and tells the mighty sun where it should rise and set. Maybe we should stop merely hearing Him, but actually start listening to Him. Well, what if He has something important to tell us?

Maybe. Maybe we should.

Jesus and Computers

2008-11-13T00:09:00.002+08:00

Jesus and Satan were having an on-going argument about who was better on the computer. They had been going at it for days, and frankly God was tired of hearing all the bickering.

Finally fed up, God said, "THAT'S IT! I have had enough. I am going to set up a test that will run for two hours, and from those results, I will judge who does the better job."

So Satan and Jesus sat down at the keyboards and typed away.

They moused.

They faxed.

They e-mailed.

They e-mailed with attachments.

They downloaded.

They did spreadsheets!

They wrote reports.

They created labels and cards.

They created charts and graphs.

They did some genealogy reports .

They did every job known to man.

Jesus worked with heavenly efficiency and Satan was faster than hell.

Then, ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, rain poured, and, of course, the power went off... Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every curse word known in the underworld. Jesus just sighed.

Finally the electricity came back on, and each of them restarted their computers. Satan started searching frantically, screaming,

"It's gone! It's all GONE! I lost everything when the power went out!"

Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours of work. Satan observed this and became irate.

"Wait!" he screamed. "That's not fair! He cheated! How come he has all his work and I don't have any?"

God just shrugged and said,

"Jesus saves."

Definition: Environment

2008-10-19T17:25:00.008+08:00

I love designing movie posters. When Joel asked me if I was interested in this project, I immediately said yes (despite my busy schedule) because I knew it was going to be fun (and usually, the best works are produced when the brief is fun). Well, here you go, the poster design for this short film, 'Definition: Environment'

This is a short film done by Joel, a young but emerging world changer who has an eye for beauty through lenses (photography, filming, door peepholes and periscoping? Haha!!!). This short film made it to the Ecofilm Fest finalists and it will be screened on the 1st & 2nd of November 2008 at Aswara, KL. If you want to be inspired, make sure you make your way there then.

Joel, am so proud of you, rock on!!!

When Time Comes to an End

2008-10-07T16:06:00.001+08:00

Don’t you agree that life gets more complicated as you grow older? You see more troubles ahead but not the opportunities behind it. You see endless responsibilities and commitments but not the personal growth that follows. You meet more people, hangout more and hear more gossips but fail to make real friends who stick with you through thick and thin. You earn more, want more, accumulate more but fail to give thanks for the things you actually need most like food on your table and that roof to cover your head. You see more deaths and face grievous moments but not appreciate the fact that you’re alive and well.

But life goes on.

It has to. For our sakes, time has to move on relentlessly no matter where we are in life so that we do not stay in those ‘valley’ moments forever. Time sacrificially takes the blame often for being so ever inadequate and unmerciful even though everything moves on for our own good. Time has its way of healing even the deepest of wounds. It has a way of washing away the bitterest stains of hopelessness, discouragements, anger and guilt. It has a way of making the paths of the confused and desperate clear and simple. It has a way of making the dreams and hopes of the hopeful come to past. It has a way of making the weary and downcast lay down in green pastures of peace and restoration.

On this long road that time has brought us on, called life, it is so very important for us to always remember that we are mere humans, weak, frail and needy. We are not self-sufficient, not self-sustaining, not all-knowing and not all-powerful. So, it is alright to feel in need. So, sigh a sigh of relief, give yourself a break and tell yourself that you are human after all. We are creatures in need of Something that’s bigger, stronger and wiser. And who can be as such other than the Creator of time itself? The One who said He is the beginning and end of time. The One who made time to be both an adversary to us so that we can progress and move forward yet at the same time, a friend to us so that when we fall, time will always be there to pick us up from valleys and put us on mountaintops. The One who said time after time, no matter what may come our way, He’ll still be there for us. The same One who promised that tears, death, sorrow and pain shall be no more when He returns to put an end to time.

My dear friend, wherever you are on this road of life, as long as you hear the clock ticking and the next minute arriving, remember that life needs to go on and the green pastures are just a moment ahead beyond this seemingly endless valley.

“…and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the former things have passed away.” Revelations 21:4

Sovereignty

2008-09-24T13:29:00.003+08:00

Have you ever been healed of illnesses and infirmities?
Have you ever witnessed the lame walk?
Have you ever seen the blind receive sight?
Have you ever heard the mute speak and the deaf hear?

I have. Right before my very eyes. I saw the hand of God working in the lives of many and bringing hope to the hopeless and deliverance to the desperate. How great is my God? I don’t know the answer to that question. I don’t think my mind could ever fathom such a mystery like this being whom I and billions call “God”. I think there would never be a word in humanity worthy to be used to describe His sovereignty.

Such unparalleled power, love and grace. I am left speechless and dumbfounded in His presence...

“The blind will see, and the ears of the deaf will be healed. Those who were lame will leap around like deer; tongues once silent will begin to shout. Water will rush through the desert. Scorching sand will turn into a lake, and thirsty ground will flow with fountains. Grass will grow in wetlands... The people the Lord has rescued will come back singing as they enter Zion. Happiness will be a crown they will always wear. They will celebrate and shout because all sorrows and worries will be gone far away.” (Isaiah 35:5-7)

2 Things I Hated Today

2008-09-23T15:09:00.004+08:00

Firstly, I hate books. I am hopeless when it comes to books. I suck. I can't seem to stop handing over my innocent money to the bookseller for something which I read only for an hour or so and it ends up in the bookshelf, collecting dust for eternity. And to make things worse, there were so many books just now in the plaza of the campus, enough to crush an elephant to death. And I bought 4 books. Don't ask me why.

Secondly, I also hate Chris. Because he lent me RM50 to purchase the books instead of stopping me.

Grrrr...

Happy Birthday, PC!!!

2008-09-21T00:38:00.004+08:00

Tonight we celebrated PC's birthday in SNL and earlier on, Sharon asked me to share about the times when PC stood by me in my difficult moments. And here is my answer.

I still remember there was a period of my life when I was very very tired, lonely, disappointed and unfocused. I wanted to quit everything. Quit my job, quit serving God, quit relationships and quit on life itself! I wanted to disappear and disconnect from everything. It was just too much for me to bear.

And somehow, PC, being the super-all-knowing pastor that she is, knew about my situation and took me out for simple dinner (it was my 4 months late birthday dinner that she promised). That night, the dinner was delicious, not because of the food, but because just spending time and talking with her was like food for my soul. I was refreshed, reaffirmed, reignited and realigned. She affirmed me saying that where I am today is exactly where God wants me to be and I am in my rightful place if I live according to his calling and will. And more than that, she empowered me to do what God has gifted me to do according to my talents and I do not need to strife to meet anyone's standards but His alone. And just because of that simple but life-changing dinner, I am where I am today, assured and still walking closely according to His will and purpose for my life.

PC, thank you for believing in me and standing by me when I needed someone the most. Thank you for not judging me but loving me despite all my weaknesses and shortcomings. Thank you for dreaming together with me. Thank you for just being you.

Love you to bits. Happy birthday, PC. =)

Teachers and Students

2008-09-10T13:55:00.005+08:00

Teacher : Maria, go to the map and find North America.
Maria     : Here it is.
Teacher : Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
Class       : Maria.

Teacher : John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
John       : You told me to do it without using tables.

Teacher : Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
Glenn     : K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L'
Teacher : No, that's wrong
Glenn     : Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.

Teacher : Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
Donald   : H I J K L M N O.
Teacher : What are you talking about?
Donald   : Yesterday you said it's H to O.

Teacher : Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
Winnie : Me!

Teacher : Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
Glenn     : Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.

Teacher : Millie, give me a sentence starting with 'I.'
Millie     : I is..
Teacher : No, Millie....... Always say, 'I am.'
Millie     : All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'

Teacher : George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
Louis       : Because George still had the axe in his hand.

Teacher : Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
Simon    : No sir, I don't have to, my Mom is a good cook.

Teacher : Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
Clyde      : No, sir. It's the same dog.

Teacher : Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
Harold   : A teacher

Incoherency is His Last Name

2008-09-03T19:29:00.015+08:00

I was having a hard time removing my Malaysian road tax sticker from my windscreen (Malaysians, you know what I mean), scratching it like mad with my fingernails. So, I got Chris to help me to do it instead because I had to drive at that moment. He too had a hard time getting it off because he barely has nails. I was teasing him saying how I could do it in 5 minutes when he had to take forever.

Me      : Chris, quickly remove the sticker already!
Chris : Yeah, I'm trying here!!! You think easy ah, hah?!
Me      : Yeah...
Chris : Then you do lah!!!
Me      : Well, you're the architect...
Chris : But I'm not a sticker!!!

... There was a long silence in the car (Chin Hoe was sitting behind). I guess we were all thinking the same question in our minds, "Why does he have to be a sticker to remove a sticker?" We finally burst into laughter when we understood what he meant. He was trying to say that he wasn't the 'person who stuck' (aka 'sticker') the sticker there in the first place. Talk about tuning into the wrong frequencies and extreme incoherency!!!

PS : Chris, we still love you even though you're not a sticker! Haha!!!

My Merdeka Day

2008-09-01T14:13:00.004+08:00

It's been quite a while that I've played and spent so hard in one day. I had fun and was exhausted to the max (am getting really old now). It was a much anticipated day as this was planned some time ago for us to have a getaway with the Life Club people on Merdeka Day. So, here're some of the places we went to and the things we did for the whole day on our National Independence Day :

The Amazing Race at Sunway Lagoon
I've not been to Sunway Lagoon for quite some time now, say 3-4 years? But this time, it was fun because there was a plan. Bee Sean planned an 'Amazing Race' for us in Sunway Lagoon, whereby as a team, the people had to complete some tasks or play some games before they can move on to the next stations. I tell you, when Bee Sean plans, you'd better run and hide! Some of her initial plans include eating a meal in the spinning Tomahawk, walk across the suspension bridge with the whole groups legs' tied together with rafia strings and etc. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we were not able to carry out some of these activities. Phew...

Although in the earlier part, I was a station master and all I had to do was to wait for teams to come and instruct them, it was still quite fun and hilarious as you get to see different people's reactions playing the games. You get to hear girls shout like men and men scream like girls. The only part I did not enjoy was seeing butt cracks as swimsuits went lower and lower over time.

And at the later part, we went around playing the rides and games at the amusement and theme parks. We went on the water slides over and over and over again. And over and over again... and again. As if those were the only things available. Kenneth proved Jackee's theory of heavy-people-go-further-in-the-slides wrong when he ended up furthest in our mini slide race. Boy, was he proud! I also did enjoy the Human Knot we played in the manmade beach section. We had to untangle 15 people in a pool! A little embarassing (with all our shoutings and laughter and all the people staring at us) but it was fun!!! We had massages under waterfalls, waiting for huge pails of water to splash over us, shooting one another with mini water guns. It was crazy fun!!!

Dinner at The Chicken Rice Shop
We had a scrumptious dinner at The Chicken Rice Shop. I must admit, they serve good food and good portions too. It's not cheap, but it's nice. =) Poor Teri, Zachary and John ordered the Family meal which we (me, Jackee, Kenneth and Chris), all huge eaters struggle to finish! They all went away with bloated bellies. =)

Movies at TGV
Since there were not much movies to watch (I was not going to watch 'Babylon AD', although Vin Diesel is in it, neither do I want to watch 'Still No Money', a Singaporean movie), I suggested we watch the thriller 'The Strangers' with Liv Tyler and Scott Speedman in it. I warned them telling it's a thriller and it really looks disturbing. Everyone was fine except Kenneth. He was trying to convince me to watch 'The Mummy'. Can you believe it? In the end, he succumbed and had a horrific one and a half hour trying to finish the whole movie by crawling up his seat, covering his eyes and ears and the classic, screaming like a girl! I wanted to shock him in the scary parts by giving him a loud "BOO!" but I was worried he might poop in his pants, so I took pity and restrained myself (really hard) from the temptation of doing so. And after the show, after scaring ourselves silly, we had a great time trying to present our theories of the storyline and ending. I personally thought it was a great movie! It's not the scariest thriller I've seen but it's good enough to scare the wits out of me. =)

Well, I spent a lot in one day. But I only get to do so once in a looonnnggg time. So, I consider it money well spent. Happy Merdeka everyone!!!

Bujang No More

2008-08-28T12:53:00.004+08:00

Recently, one of my boys developed a craving and addiction for the infamous 'Nasi Bujang' ('nasi' means rice in Malay and 'bujang' means bachelor) served in Narnia (a mamak we coined with such a name due to its weird, Narnia-like architecture). I have no idea why they called the meal that. Probably because of the simplicity of the recipe and the price. It's just plain white rice and fried eggs which costs RM2.00. So, what's so addictive about it? Beats me! You tell me! There's absolutely nothing special about it! Chrystin even called it 'pathetic' and Jackee called it a 'last resort' only because he was broke.

However, he was horribly addicted to it, craving it every night for supper. Until last night, that is. The mamak hiked its price to RM2.50 (petrol, it's all your fault) each plate and it was a shock for everyone. RM2.50 for plain white rice and a fried egg?! No one in the right mind would pay that amount for such a poorly meal. We're cutting all ties with 'Nasi Bujang' (It's amazing how a measly amount of RM0.50 can cause such a huge impact)

I still remember a few hours ago before that I was teasing him saying, "You'd better put a stop to this addiction whilst you still can, before God does something." Well, God sure does have an interesting sense of humor. =)

What's Cooking at the Optician's?

2008-08-20T22:26:00.011+08:00

Yesterday, Chris and I went to watch Wall-E in IOI Mall. As the movie was about to reach the climax in the end, we heard this weird monotonous sound making an announcement to evacuate the building. Everyone in the cinema thought it was part of the show as we can't seem to hear anything because of the loud music and it was the scene where the spaceship was in danger. All of a sudden, the person making the announcement was either very annoyed or was panicking and she raised her voice, "IOI MALL IS ON FIRE! PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY!!!"

The response was immediate, everyone started running out. Except for Chris and I. We were still sitting there and we wanted to finish the show! For goodness sake, it was only another 10 minutes to the end! Surely a fire can wait 10 minutes till it burns to the cinema's doorstep! Anyway, we went out of the cinema reluctantly and we found out one of the optical stores was on fire. How on earth does an optical store catch fire?! Do they cook char kuay teow in there?! We had to leave as all the shops were closed down. There goes our money's worth, missing the ending of the show.

Today, we went there for a refund and we were allowed to watch the movie again... from the start. Hurrah... Double my money's worth, eh?

Books and Students

2008-08-16T10:00:00.004+08:00

I've been teaching my students how to sew and make books recently and I've been making books everyday this whole week to demonstrate to them how to do it. Can you imagine? Doing the same thing for the whole week? Just the thought of it makes me feel like puking. =) Anyway, it was fun and most of my students enjoyed the craft bit.

In this simple but complicated (ironic, isn't it?) process of making a book, I was observing my students and I noticed three types of people: those who complete the task with passion and fulfillment (at the end, seeing their first handmade book), those who barely made it through by just merely following and asking (most of the time they were confused and they didn't want to listen) and those who gave up along the way (failed to create a milestone of 'making my first book' in their lives).

This simple scenario has a parallel to our lives. In life, you'll pretty much see the same thing, these three types of people: People who live life with passion and purpose (knowing what kind of legacy they want to leave behind and how to do it), people who live in the borderline just to survive this period of life called 'today' (usually unfulfilled because they're always chasing for something to follow since they have no where to go) and lastly people who have given up on life (perceives this existence as futility and is indifferent towards anything holding the concept 'whatever lah' and worse, fails to see the meaning and purpose in life).

How have you been living your life? And when will we start to 'live'?

"Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, "Life is not pleasant anymore." Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

"If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." Romans 14:8

What if one day you had the opportunity to make books? Which type of person would you be? =)

Think.

Jesus Paid It All

2008-08-06T11:10:00.004+08:00

I was messaging Boon Jit and telling him how much I enjoyed God's presence during the Passion World Tour in Kl and how I was crying like a baby, remembering all that Jesus has done for me and my life. And you know what, he was doing exactly the same thing. Crying like a baby. I thought I was the only crybaby there. =)

Jesus, You paid it all for my life's ransom. I love You and I owe it all to You.

Be blessed by this beautiful song, it's one of my favourite hymns.

Kristian Stanhill - Jesus Paid It All

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small.
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

Chorus

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save,"
My lips starts to repeat...

Chorus

Oh praise the One,
Who paid my debt,
And raised His life,
Up from the dead.

"...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

What a Crazy Man I've Become

2008-08-04T11:41:00.005+08:00

Last night was the Passion World Tour and I am still speechless now (throat and feet still soring). I am just blown away by God's presence and what He is doing in our nation and the world. If you are reading this and you missed it somehow... I can't say enough what you're actually missing out. It's definitely one of those nights that changed my life and also the lives of thousands.

As I was hanging out with my boys after the whole tour at Ming Tien (I had 4 drinks, 100Plus, Coke, Water and Teh Tarik, in that order because I was thirsty from all the shouting, singing and jumping), I got to hear their thoughts and what was good about the night.

For me, what struck me that night was really the chorus in one of Charlie Hall's song, "Christ died, He rose, and He will come again..." I've been saying it all these times but it was only last night where it struck me hard that I serve a God that DIED BUT DID NOT STAY DEAD. I don't know of any other gods who died for me but rose again. Most of them died and stayed dead. That simply means Christ is as alive as you and me today. Imagine having an unstoppable force like Him (even death can't stop Him!) in every part of your life. Wow. What a life it would be.

However, I told my boys that I AM ASHAMED. I am deeply ashamed because I only managed to bring 9 of my students and around 5 other friends to this amazing opportunity to encounter God and to hear about His renown. I have around a hundred students and a HUGE network of friends, but I only brought 14 people. Imagine if I brought more people, then more would've heard, more would've seen, more would've felt and come to know the grace that He has for them. Please don't get me wrong, I am not measuring my 'performance' by the number of people I bring but I can't help to feel like, "Man, I wish so and so was here! Then he/she would've a chance to respond to His grace!" It just made me feel so selfish to experience His goodness alone and not share it with others. I guess it's just a conviction that God is birthing in my heart to make His renowned knowned in my generation.

But I was encouraged when my students told me they were amazed and touched by God's presence and the way we worship Him. All of them unanimously agreed they have never experienced Christianity like this before. Exciting, inspiring and actually crazy. One of them told me she saw the 'other high' or 'crazier' side of me but she was touched by my craze for Him and even indicated she would like to know more about this awesome God that I serve.

And you know what? That is exactly what I will do with the rest of my life. Totally lose myself and be absolutely crazy for Him and Him only so that others too will be infected with this life-transforming-craziness.

Let's all be crazy for Him, who's crazy about us first, yeah? =)

Psalm 23 (For the Work Place)

2008-07-26T14:29:00.002+08:00

Got this email from Jaslyn and I thought it was a funny yet encouraging reminder of my most beloved psalm (I can memorize the whole chapter, that's how much it speaks to me) contextualized to our work place. Be blessed!

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want. He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining.

He reminds me that He is my source and not my job. He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in all that I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I still will not stop, for He is with me! His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go. His Faithfulness and love is better than any bonus cheque.

His retirement plan beats any 401k there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!

The Paradox of Life

2008-07-21T00:57:00.001+08:00

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller building but shorter tempers, wider freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge but less judgment, more experts yet more problems, more medicine but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too little and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often.

We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things but not better things.

We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We’ve conquered the atom but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less. We plan more but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.

Remember, spend more time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn’t cost a cent. Remember, to say “I love you” to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breaths away.

This Is Better Than Dope!!!

2008-07-14T21:28:00.008+08:00

I Love My Nation

2008-07-09T01:33:00.005+08:00

It saddens me every time when I read the newspaper nowadays. It’s always about news of political instability, criticisms of the current government, rebellion of angered citizens and the scandals of politicians. I don’t know about you, but it saddens me more than it angers me because I am not in any position to judge someone else’s weaknesses.

It is easy for anyone to judge the current government and its ministers. My question is, “What have we done about it then?” Have you been adding to the noise (and worsen the situation) or are you doing something which actually contributes to the well being of this nation? If not, may I request you to kindly shut up? If our words do not build but is full of complaints, judgments, unconstructive criticisms and if we choose to tear and not build, be careful. God will judge every single one of our idle words.

“You can be sure that on the Judgment Day you will have to give account of every useless word you have ever spoken.” (Matthew 12:36-37)

And you may not be satisfied with the current leadership and government of this nation. You may even choose to rebel (directly or indirectly) and not accept the authority of the government. You may even feel angry or dissatisfied with the direction chosen by the leaders to lead the nation. Fine. But know this. It is God who allowed these ‘leaders’ to lead this nation. It is God who placed them in their rightful places. It is God who chose them to lead us. So when we choose to rebel and not obey them, we choose to rebel and disobey God.

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)

When we claim that we believe God is in control over everything, then he is in control of this nation. When we mock the leaders of this nation, we mock God for doing a lousy job in choosing the leaders. Are you saying God doesn’t know this will happen? Are you saying God doesn’t know why this is happening? Are you saying God should do a better job than this? Who are you to mock God's decision, who is Sovereign over all things?

As dissatisfied as some of us may be with the current political situation, we should not complaint about it because Christ did not utter a single word of complaint even when he was falsely and unfairly accused. We ought to learn to make peace by praying for our beloved nation (and if you have not prayed for the nation at all, it’s never too late to stop grumbling and making a difference by standing in the political gap). Have you started praying for this nation? If not, it's time to shut our flow of complaints. God hates a mouth that complaints. Your mouth was made for prayers and petitions, not curses and mockery.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Have you been a son or daughter of the Most High by making peace in this nation with your words, thoughts and actions? Be careful, my God loves this nation and He is against those who seek to tear it down in any possible way.

Whose side are you on? It's time to choose, my dear friend.

In the Midst of the great I AM

2008-07-07T16:54:00.003+08:00

As Loneliness was knocking on my door, he shamelessly brought along a few other uninvited guests into my solitary and gloomy room. Just to name some, he brought Despair, Self-pity, Dejection, Guilt and worse, he brought Hopelessness in. I didn’t ask for their company but sometimes it just couldn’t be helped. I allowed them to enter.

Somewhere along the journey, I’ve forgotten when was the last time I felt at peace and at ease with life. Has it been that long? I’m sure there were moments when I loved life. As hard as I tried to remember, my efforts came to a sad and bitter end of utter emptiness and confusion. To make things worse, I have this audience that Loneliness brought along, all staring straight at me, with their judgmental and condemning faces, refusing to leave no matter how I tried to shrug them away from my life. I’ve tried! Yes, I’ve tried! I struggled. I reasoned. I resisted. I begged.

Perhaps it was because I chose not to do that one thing which I should have done earlier. To ask for help. I’ve tried! Believe me, I tried! But I was not able to break free from the clutch of Pride. I was muted with his gag of self reliance. I hated the person of Pride. Yet at the same time, I loved the fakery and masks that he provides. He gave me so much temporal joy and shallow fulfillment of how others thought of me. Time and time again I’ve succumbed to listen to his resolutions, surely it couldn’t hurt this time. But finally, this same poison that Pride offered took a toll on my life.

......

“Will You still care? Will you still love? Just like the blind man, I’ll ask this same question. Are You willing?” I wept helplessly, begging, as I stretched out my tired hands towards heaven.

There was no thunder. Neither was there an earthquake, great noise, flames, whirlwinds and tempest. There was but a gentle whisper.

“Yes, I AM,” was His answer. So gracious, so soothing and so comforting were His words, yet so reassuring, so refreshing and so powerful was His grace.

And as he stepped in, the uninvited guests trembled. The shook and they scoured. They had to flee, yes, they just had to. There was not enough room for His glory. His presence was just too glorious yet it was filled with grace. Those pierced hands and scarred forehead were a testimony of how He conquered each one of them, how He defeated Loneliness, Despair, Self-Pity, Dejection, Guilt and Hopelessness at the Via Dolorosa and on Golgotha itself. It was those same hands that stretched out to reach for mine.

Unworthy, unclean and comdemned in His presence. I looked back at Pride and the rest as they fled. Everyone was gone in the midst of I AM.

In that moment of solitary, I hesitated. I was afraid. Afraid of picking myself up again. "What if I fall?" Afraid of causing sorrow to those around me. "What if they reject me?" Afraid of disappointing Him. "What if..."

“Yes, I AM willing.” He answered with a gentle, loving and affirming smile. Taking my worn out hands, like a shepherd who found His wandering sheep, like the father who embraced His prodigal son, He spoke again,

“I was, I am and I will be. But most importantly, I AM…”

“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I AM Jehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I AM Jehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land which I sware to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I AM Jehovah.” (Exodus 6:6-8)

Kungfu Panda

2008-06-12T14:44:00.000+08:00

(WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU'VE WATCHED THE MOVIE OR NOT PLANNING TO WATCH THE MOVIE AT ALL)

I had a date with Jackee to watch this movie. It was kind of awkward to have two bachelors (Chinese say ‘Ma Lat Lou’) watching a movie together. Kungfu Panda is one of the most amusing movies I’ve ever watched. I loved it from the start to the end. A must watch. And the best part is, there’re no sexual innuendos of any sort! I am surprised! A proper and decent movie with Jack Black as the main cast. Very rare indeed! Not to mention, they captured the Chinese culture and kung fu quite accurately here. I definitely loved the action and fighting scenes. I thought they were so well choreographed. So, for those who are reading this, I wouldn’t mind having the DVD as my Christmas gift this year. These are some of the few things I’ve learnt from the movie.

1. There’re no secret ingredients or shortcuts to success.
When Po opened the Dragon Scroll, there wasn’t anything in it. He thought the contents of the scroll would make him the Dragon Fighter. He only got the answer when his father told him that the secret recipe to his soup noodles was just a make believe. You make something special by believing it’s special! So, for him to be the Dragon Fighter, he must believe that he IS the Dragon Fighter! Sometimes we are like that in real life. We try to achieve success by becoming someone else, as famous as ‘that’ person, as smart as ‘this’ person, as capable as ‘him’, as good as ‘her’ and the list goes on and on. The fact is, we were called to be the best us! I was made to be the best Aaron Lam! You were made to be the best _________ (insert your name here)! God never made us to be someone else. He made us to be the best us in Christ and through Christ! And He never gives us shortcuts. He gives us even more challenges and trials in life so that we can be trained to be the best us! The same way Master Shifu trained Po to be the best him in loving food and kungfu, God trains us through such hardships for our own good! Remember now, everytime when you face hardships, you are undergoing a vigorous training to become a better, stronger, more capable you. And that’s another addition for things to give thanks for. Trouble.

2. Pride leads to a downfall
When Tai Lung was getting so good in kungfu, both him and Master Shifu thought he would be appointed as the Dragon Fighter. He was puffed up with pride because of his prowess and capability. However, when Master Oogway saw pride and darkness in his heart, he refused to give Tai Lung the title. Immediately, it led to the rebellion and imprisonment of Tai Lung. Most of us act like Tai Lung at times. When we’re good at something and when we master it, we are filled with pride and self-reliance. It’s good to master something but be careful though, to not let that make your heart be filled with pride. And make sure you never think that you don’t need your Creator, saying you’re good and you do not need extra ‘guidance.’ He could always strip off these things from your life since He is your Creator, the One who gave them to you. He is a God that lifts up the humble but brings down the proud. Have you been prideful lately? Watch out, downfall is knocking on your door.

3. Everyone has their strengths in a different measure
Po was relatively weak compared to the Furious Five but when he was fighting with Tai Lung, his biggest weakness (his fat), was also his biggest strength! Because of the thick layer of his fats, Tai Lung was unable to perform his paralyzing nerve attacks on him (when even the Furious Five were badly affected by that move)! His clumsiness also neutralized Tai Lung’s dexterity! I remember a chinese saying that goes like this, “You fight harshness with gentleness”. It’s a Yin and Yang relativity and opposition principle of life. You may think you are not as good or strong as someone else. But probably you’re only looking at the word ‘strength’ in a single perspective. Try looking at it in a broader perspective. Someone may be good at speaking and you may not. But you may be good at listening and he may not. Someone may be good at planning and you may not, but you may be good at executing and he may not. So you see, everyone has their own strengths. You just need to look at it from a different perspective depending on the situation.

4. Everyone has a destiny. There’re no accidents.
Po was destined to be the Dragon Fighter, not a noodle seller with his dad. And he found great fulfillment when he found that destiny and he wasn’t willing to part with it because he finally tasted what it meant to be ‘alive.’ Do you know what’s your destiny? Do you know what you were made for? You know, sometimes we can be doing a lot of great stuff and achieve a lot of fame, money, relationships, great successes and accomplishments, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee you fulfillment in life. Just look at the famous and successful people in Hollywood who live messed up and mediocre lives. The biggest question in life that everyone should ask themselves is, “What on earth am I here for?” And I believe that question can only be answered by one Person. Your Creator. If I was a chair, I wouldn’t know that my purpose was to be sat on by people. People could use me as a table to put stuff, flip me upside down and make me a dustbin and other good use of me BUT that wasn’t what I was made for! I’ll only know what I was made for when the one who created me told me directly I was meant to be sat on OR gave me a manual of how to make full use of me. Do you see that happening in your life? Doing a lot of other good but unnecessary stuff which you were not really made for? Are you living life to the fullest? Are you even ‘alive?’ And no, you are not an accident. God doesn’t make mistakes, that’s why He’s God. =)

Do Not Try This At Home

2008-05-19T19:44:00.006+08:00

I find this extremely amusing so I must blog about it. My ever funny housemate, Jackee, was having fever and I suggested he take Panadol Soluble instead of the normal tablets because it was very effective for me. So he bought some and he swallowed one.

In case, you didn't get that, let's rewind. He SWALLOWED a Panadol Soluble!!! You know, those extremely huge tablets meant to be dissolved in water instead? I am amazed by how he did it. He claims that it's still stuck in his throat, slowly dissolving! It completely made my day when he came to tell me, "Aaron, you didn't tell me I was supposed to put the tablet into water..." Man, which planet did you come from?! =)

Life lesson learnt here. Pay attention to Panadol Soluble's TV commercials which teach you to put the tablets in water and allow it to dissolve, so you can drink it without going through the trauma of swallowing something as big as a 50 cent coin!

The Purpose of Life

2008-05-14T09:34:00.005+08:00

I got this from an email from Chrystin and it's from one of the authors whom I respect a lot, a man who's actions speak louder than his words. This is an interview excerpt with Rick Warren, the author of The Purpose Driven Life (one book which changed my life and my perspective on life's purpose). I felt this simple interview had so many things to learn from and I am still digesting and chewing on the truths given here. Be blessed.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is a preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body, but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.

We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,'which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.

You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.

Supermom

2008-05-12T09:42:00.007+08:00

Yesterday was Mother’s Day and I called my mom to tell her this. “Mom, if there’s one word I can use to describe you, it’s “SUPER!!!”” And then I sang a short verse of Karyn White’s ‘Superwoman’ to my mom, telling her “You are my superwoman…” She laughed and was obviously beaming wherever she was.

REASONS WHY I THINK MY MOM IS A SUPERHERO

1. She cooks awesome meals. (I always tell her she should start a restaurant someday) And to do that, she has to go to the market to buy stuff which I can never understand what is what, which veggie is which, which part of the meat is which and etc. The appearance of her good looking sons and daughter proves that she uses fresh, high quality ingredients.

2. She does the laundry and hangs the clothes to dry. And now, she makes my dad do it everyday. It’s called effective job delegation.

3. She sends us to school, picks us up again when we’re done. And being, Asian, we have tuitions the whole day. She also finds the time to send us to tuition back and forth.

4. She is a nurse. So she had to go through horrendous night shifts from 9pm till the next morning, see all the gruesome, bloody operations and takes pictures for us to see. Not to mention that she’s the ‘doctor’ of the house, supplying us with an endless supply of medication and free consultations.

5. She cleans the house and makes sure its squeaky clean. And makes sure we clean our rooms. Even my sister’s room! Now that’s a miracle!!!

6. She teaches us whenever we don’t know how to do our homework. After all the ‘louder’, ‘high-pitched’ and heart-thumping teaching sessions, you wouldn’t even dare to not understand anything she taught.

7. In the midst of all these, she finds time to scold us to do whatever we have not done. Often, she multitasks when doing this. EG: Folding the clothes, watch TV, cooks dinner while scolding us about our messy rooms.

8. And often, all of these are done in a single day!!! And as she wakes up the next day, she will faithfully do these again!!!

See, that’s why my mom is super. Deep down, I know she is a superhero but I just can never find out where she hides that Superwoman suit of hers…

Happy Mother’s day, mom!!! You rock my world!!!

"A truly good wife is the most precious treasure a man can find! Her husband depends on her, and she never lets him down. She is good to him every day of her life, and with her own hands she gladly makes clothes. She is like a sailing ship that brings food from across the sea. She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family and for her servants. She knows how to buy land and how to plant a vineyard, and she always works hard. She knows when to buy or sell, and she stays busy until late at night. She spins her own cloth, and she helps the poor and the needy. Her family has warm clothing, and so she doesn't worry when it snows. She does her own sewing, and everything she wears is beautiful. Her husband is a well-known and respected leader in the city. She makes clothes to sell to the shop owners. She is strong and graceful, as well as cheerful about the future. Her words are sensible, and her advice is thoughtful. She takes good care of her family and is never lazy. Her children praise her, and with great pride her husband says, "There are many good women, but you are the best!" Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised. Show her respect, praise her in public for what she has done." Proverbs 31:10-31

Campus Weekend

2008-05-10T16:08:00.011+08:00

My story of how my campus life was impacted.

Last week, we had Campus Weekend and I was greatly blessed by it. It was so amazing to see students from different campuses contending to see the changes that God is going to bring to their campuses. It's even cooler to see the students coming together in unity to present these scenarios in forms of videos, singing, dramas, paintings and etc. These students are making a difference in their campuses by at least contending for a change, pray about it and expect God to move in their campuses.

How about you? Are you contending for a change in your campus? Are you living your campus life to the max? Or are you allowing it to pass you by like any other period of your life? It's time to rise up! It's time to live with a greater passion and purpose in life!!!

Using The "Bah" Word Accurately

2008-05-02T09:41:00.007+08:00

Got this from Emmanuel's blog and I thought Malaysians should be educated on how to use the word "Bah" from Sabah correctly. DISCLAIMER : This post is in Bahasa Melayu. So if you do not understand, I guess you'll need to buy a new dictionary. =)

PENGUNAAN "BAH" YANG BETUL
Mari kita tengok penggunaan "BAH" yang betul. Salah satu penggunaan kata yang membezakan Bahasa Melayu Sabah dengan Bahasa Melayu piawai, ialah kata tambah "-bah" yang sering diguna dalam percakapan. Kata tambah "-bah" mempunyai fungsi seperti berikut:

1)Kata penyudah untuk menguatkan ekspresi kata
Contoh ayat:
Ya bah. - Yalah.

2)Kata tambah pemula untuk memulakan percakapan. Selalunya digunakan pada permulaan kata.
Contoh ayat:
Bah, kamu pigi lah dulu - (Saya menjawab -Kamu pergilah dulu).

3)Memberi maksud sudah, atau penghabis kata. Pengganti dalam bahasa Melayu ialah "Baiklah", atau "Begitulah".
Contoh ayat:
BM Sabah: "Boy, nanti ko pigi beli beras di kadai sana." Boy menjawab, "Bah."
BM piawai: "Boy, nanti pergi beli beras di kedai."Boy menjawab, "Baiklah"

4)Untuk menegur atau menyapa orang. Lazimnya org sabah akan menyebut "Bah" bila berselisih dengan orang yang dikenali untuk tujuan menyapa orang tersebut.
Contoh-contoh ayat:
1."Ko orang KL bah kan?"
2."Sejuk bah ni air"
3."Awal lagi bah ni"

PENYALAHGUNAAN "BAH"
Masyarakat sabah memang sinonim dgn perkataan "BAH" yang begitu unik. Tetapi perkataan "BAH" ini sering disalah ertikan oleh masyarakat selain Sabah. Mari kita menghayati dan renungi penyalahgunaan "BAH" dalam ayat-ayat ini:

1. "apa kabar bah?"-kononnya mau tanya khabar. (Ini salah)
2. "suda makan ka bah?" (Aneh....)
3. "bila balik bah?" (Tdk btul jg ni)

Oleh itu, marilah bersama-sama menggunakan Bahasa Sabah dengan betul, jangan memalukan diri anda dengan kononnya menggunakan Bahasa Sabah tetapi sebenarnya salah.

Lagi... Bahasa Sabah And Bahasa Indon are TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.. yg terindon 2 ndak taulaa???

Life Lessons 101 : On Raining and Braking

2008-04-16T15:50:00.007+08:00

Man, what an interesting day. Yesterday was one of those days where I would look back, laugh my head off and at the same time be thankful for.

As I was driving to church for the monthly prayer meeting, it was raining like there's no tomorrow, as though God was having a shower with His water bills waived. So, most of the cars were moving really, really slowly. I was tailing this car, a Honda I think, and I was popping my eyes out, trying my best to see through the heavy rain. Lo and behold, things like these just have to happen at the ‘wrongest’ times, the driver in front braked her car and guess what? I stomped my brake with all my strength and might and my car skidded! "Screeeeecccchhhh! Thump!" I was quite sure I heard that heart-stopping noise and felt the bone-chilling vibration. "Was that Faye Wong screeching from my stereo? Was that thump my fart? Oh no, not an accident. Not now..." I thought to myself. And to make things more interesting, the accident happened right under a flyover, so I was covered from the rain! It really felt like I was in those 6pm Chinese drama series, where everything was so timely and perfectly planned.

"GOD, SOME HELP PLEASE?!" I screamed in my mind in frustration.

So, I went down to survey how bad the other car’s damage was. The other driver quickly rushed down too, panicking over the damage on her dad’s car, I assume. To both our surprise, there was not even a single scratch on both our cars! I triple checked my car and hers. We both looked at each other, wet from the splashing rain, dumbfounded and speechless. It was a really crazy yet funny scenario, like those manga comics where they drip a single cold sweat with those vertical lines in the background. No one knew what to do. (For your information, it’s the first time I’m involved in an accident, and I think it’s her first too. She’s has a “P” sticker on her windscreen.)

Within seconds, I blurted, "Anything?! Anything?! If nothing, then I'm so sorry yah?!" (I was speaking loudly because of the rain and those stupid cars honking behind us.) She was also blur like sotong, responded by agreeing, "Oh, okay, okay!" Then we both rushed back into our cars and moved on when all the other drivers behind were giving us all kinds of stares, due to our short "interference" which added the traffic jam.

Throughout the rest of the journey, I couldn’t help but laugh and think to myself, “What was that all about?!” Of course, I was thanking God like crazy for helping me out in those desperate times.

So, what’s the moral of the story, you ask? It’s simple, really.

Don’t get into accidents when it’s raining.

And if you do get into an accident, make sure you hit a driver that’s blur like sotong. Also, remember to ask God to help you out. After all, you are going to His prayer meeting, aren’t you? =)

“The LORD loves his people and protects those who belong to him.” Deuteronomy 33:3a

I Will Not Quit

2008-04-11T14:31:00.000+08:00

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 said. "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 the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, 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 said to 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 bring back this story.

Love Your Lecturer

2008-03-26T00:10:00.010+08:00

Sometimes I feel like strangling my students. Yes, I honestly do. Especially after you've told them the same thing over and over again and when you ask them if they understand, they'll answer "Yes" but as a matter of fact, they don't really understand. I remember when I was a student, I WAS THE ONE telling my lecturers what I wanted to do for my assignments because I was so sure and firm of my ideas backed up with extensive idea generation processes and research. And usually my lecturers wouldn't have much to say anymore but "As usual, approved. Go ahead with your ideas."

But this post's purpose is not to condescend students but to educate students to appreciate their lecturers. Being a lecturer is a hard task. Well, it's hard if you're a good lecturer like me (ahem) and most of my other colleagues. You'll need to prepare the teaching notes (which is an extremely taxing process as you'll need to gather materials and research on your own), prepare for the class progress (chart the direction of where the class is going for the semester, and not just one class but a few), meet the students for tutorials (in LUCT, you don't get tutors since they're so understaffed), make sure they do well in their studies (where some of them don't even bother if they pass or fail. One just has to wonder why do they even bother to waste money to come to university) and if you work in LUCT, you'll be required to attend those endless-compulsary-but-absolutely-unnecessary meetings. By the time those meetings are over and you are extremely exhausted, another student is there waiting to meet you for tutorials. If as a student, you think the idea generation process is hard, try imagining generating ideas with hundreds of students under your care. Talk about being drained of your creative juices. Oh, and you get to receive smses and phone calls at 3am in the morning too. Sounds like a cool job? You bet...

Well, what I'm trying to say here is, if you are a student, do yourself a favor. Learn to love your lecturer and make their life easier by being more hardworking and work smart. Lecturers ain't robots, they're humans too. A happy lecturer means a worthwhile education. A happy lecturer will go the extra mile to teach you invaluable things that will help you for the rest of your life.

It's time to learn to love your lecturer. Have you shown your lecturer that you love him or her lately? It's never too late to do so, you know. Let's start by being a little more disciplined, shall we? Oh, how I love my students, here comes another SMS...

My Saviour Lives

2008-03-23T14:21:00.004+08:00

It matters whom you follow in life.

Follow a liar and you'll end up telling only the untruth to please other's ears. Follow a lunatic and you'll end up living a deranged life, deceiving yourself in your self-made utopia. Follow yourself and you'll live a shallow, lonely, tiring and unfulfilled life puffed up with a load of wearisome pride. Well, you get the idea. It matters whom you follow in life. It affects not just your 'now' but your 'forever' too.

As for me, I choose to follow a risen saviour. A saviour who loves me with an undying love no matter how many times my limited love for Him has been trampled on the ground. A saviour who knows only how to give me the best things in life because He believes my life is significant. A saviour who died on a wretched cross to save humanity but rose again to life on the third day because He conquered death so that man may die no more.

I choose to serve a risen saviour because He didn't remain dead like the rest.

Happy Easter, everyone.

Sweet Sixteen (Plus Seven)

2008-03-17T22:06:00.004+08:00

That's right, I'm still sixteen (plus seven). I'm YOUNG after all. People say age is a very sensitive thing. To me, it ain't no sensitive stuff cos I'm still sixteen (plus seven).

This birthday is the longest I've ever celebrated so far. 3 days of celebration from the eve of my birthday, actual birthday and post-birthday. Talk about being a Kiasu Malaysian! (Anyway, I'm not the one celebrating my own birthday, it was done by other people whom I really appreciate their effort. I personally think they enjoyed torturing me too).

On Saturday (my birthday eve), as usual, we went for supper after SNL and somehow Chris was left behind to follow me and to instruct and persuade me to go to Murni's at SS2. I was a bit reluctant because it was so far, but from the way Chris puts it, I must go there. Ain't it obvious they're planning something there? So when we arrived there, Chris was unusually observant, looking around frantically for the people. And then finally he confessed he got a phone call saying the people ain't coming anymore because they were at Everyday. But a few minutes ago, I heard him whispering through the phone, "We're here already, where are u guys? OK, OK." I guess he's just not very good at keeping surprises. And apparently I was supposed to arrive late and find all the people there already, but because I'm so punctual, I arrived earlier than the surprisees. So they bought me a cake and sang birthday songs for me. I went home exhausted that night. On top of that, I had to help Peggy fix her computer and get my laundry done.

On Sunday (my actual birthday), after coming home from LG Retooling at church, Bee Sean called and asked if she could come over to pass my gift to me. She came over with Kenneth and we discussed about LG issues. And then she popped the question of having dinner, so I suggested we go to Dai Chau (aka as 'the shack') since it's nearby. So, she called everyone in Prima to go and they agreed. When we reached there, I called Chris and he said they all went somewhere else to eat. When Bee Sean heard this, she got angry and said "you me you gao chuo oh?!" I didn't think she was acting because it was so real. After a while of waiting, a whole bunch of them arrived bringing a lit birthday cake, singing their out of key Happy Birthday song. Bee Sean was surprised!!! She really thought they weren't coming anymore. And she was part of the surprise planning team!!! Haha, I was surprised because she was surprised. It was hilarious. Anyway, they bought me six slices of Secret Recipe cakes because Bee Sean said it's worth the money to buy more flavors.

After dinner, they brought me home and they made me sit in our ever faithful Giant Supermarket trolley. Like a king (or fool), they brought me around Vista Prima in the trolley and you can imagine the embarassment I was going through. Some of my students live there too, what if they see me? There goes my reputation as a lecturer down the drain. When they were done preparing in the house, I was once again brought up to my room and lo and behold, my bed was full of colorful balloons and this was the instruction: "Inside of these balloons are notes written by a lot of other people, and you're supposed to burst all of them to get the notes." It was a hard task for me burst them as I'm very 'lightweight' and it took my a while to burst all of them by sitting on them, squeezing them in between my armpit, legs or by biting it. It was a really good workout session. Balloons are great tools for losing weight, if you ask me.

After everything was done, they got everyone to share some kind and encouraging words about me. And since most of the people there were friends who are quiet new, most of them shared their first impression of me. A fierce-gangster-looking-but-friendly person. Sigh, what can I do? Gotta blame my ma for giving birth to such a fierce looking son. But it was just so encouraging to hear all the kind words and blessings that night and I was left feeling so blessed and fulfilled despite the exhaustion and embarassment they put me through.

And today (post-birthday), my students from the Graphic Design Diploma class brought me a cake during class and celebrated my birthday quickly. They were trying to suck up and see if I can give them an extension for their assignment which was due in two weeks. I'm still considering. If I got gifts, I guess it would speed up the consideration process...

I still have dinner and lunch appointments sometime within this week with some other people who still 'owe' me a meal.

Phew, it is a really long birthday celebration, if you ask me!!! Guys, thanks for making my birthday special!!! You make me feel sixteen!!!

I'll Carry You Out Every Morning Until Death Do Us Apart

2008-03-04T16:49:00.002+08:00

Jocelyn forwarded this to me and I thought this was worth your reading time. Enjoy. DISCLAIMER : I am NOT married and am still single and available.

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why? I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer, she had lost my heart to a lovely girl called Dew. I didn't love her anymore..I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I did'nt have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a months time and she did'nt want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife s divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest.. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realised she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily. Suddenly it hit me, .. she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, it was just like our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished. Then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realise that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart. Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote:

I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

The small details of our lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property , the money in the bank, blah..blah..blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

Homage That's Loud

2008-02-19T16:18:00.004+08:00

Flyleaf - All Around Me

My hands are searching for you
My arms are outstretched towards you
I feel you on my fingertips
My tongue dances behind my lips for you

This fire rising through my being
Burning I'm not used to seeing you

I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing

My hands float up above me
And you whisper you love me
And I begin to fade
Into our secret place

The music makes me sway
The angels singing say we are alone with you
I am alone and they are too with you

I'm alive, I'm alive

I can feel you all around me

Too liberal for you? Or is this the kind of worship that breaks out of the norm and purely from the heart? The kind that God is looking for when He said "But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him..."

Flyleaf is one of my favourite Christian rock bands. They may not sound nor look like the usual, stereotyped, square-headed Christians labelled by the world, but it certainly is evident when you listen carefully to the homage they bring to God in their songs. Now, who said that Christianity is boring and unexciting?

Conversations with God

2008-02-16T09:23:00.005+08:00

Sometimes the most profound lessons in life are the simplest ones. Listen to what this 12 year old kid has to say about his conversation with God. It's a very short and simple clip but enough to move me and millions others to tears. Be blessed.

Rest, Baby, Rest!

2008-02-15T15:59:00.000+08:00

“I don’t rest, period.”

That was the phrase that lingered in my head as I was reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell at the airport, waiting for my plane to go home for the Chinese New Year. Apparently, I was reading this portion of the book that the author made a statement saying people nowadays are so driven by works for a sense of fulfillment in their lives. They have such a wrong mindset of working non stop without resting. People actually feel guilty to rest, so, even when they rest, they fill it with agendas and purposes to make sure it’s ‘not idle rest.’ The word ‘not idle rest’ sounds pretty contradictory. It’s like saying I’m being actively inactive, operatively out of action, occupiedly vacant. Doesn’t sound right, does it?

And there’s that ever bright conviction spotlight flashing at me again. That was exactly what I was doing. Not resting ‘properly.’ Resting barely to make sure it’s ‘not idle rest.’ I was peacefully worrying my life away. I was resting restlessly.

Contradicting myself.

Contradicting the Word.

Contradicting God.

Ouch…

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation." Genesis 2:2-3

God made it clear in His first account of creation that He rested on the seventh day. He took time off to relax and just to enjoy His creation, with no agendas but just to be with them! Well, He’s not being purposeless, don’t get me wrong, but His agenda is to simply choose to not have one and to enjoy His creation with an undivided attention!

I must be quite a bozo to think that I can outwork God by not resting at all, working 7 days a week, juggling with all my different tasks, roles, expectations and responsibilities. God made it very clear that there must be a complete stop, not even just a simple slowing down but a total halt. A stop so that we can enjoy the life that we have, enjoy people, enjoy creation, reflect and see where He is leading us to in our journey called life. And God made this act of stopping completely HOLY.

“Hello?! Resting is actually holy? So I actually don’t have to feel guilty, ashamed and inadequate when I rest? So I don’t have worry about tomorrow? So, I…”

“Will the world stop if you rested?...” He interrupts before I flood the whole departure hall with my doubt-filled thoughts.

Ouch again…

Are you like me, always on the go, working unceasingly without ever completely stopping? Well now, it’s time to end this silly concept of work-yourself-to-salvation that is so stuck in our systems. It’s time to award yourself with this act that God calls holy by stopping and resting. Go out, get some sunshine, spend some time without thinking of agendas, unwind in the beauty of His creation and while you’re at it, turn on that ol’ Cliff Richards’ song that goes, “We’re all going on a summer holiday. No more working for a week or two. Fun and laughter on a summer holiday, no more worries for me or you for a week or two…”

"Can I Die Now Please?"

2008-01-31T16:54:00.000+08:00

Now, that’s a question you don’t hear much. Well, only if you listen carefully enough. If you don’t believe me (or if you don’t read newspapers), just go and google the word suicide and look at the alarming statistics of suicide cases nowadays. It’s almost absurd and unbelievable. One might just ask why people would even resort to such unspeakable solutions.

Last Monday, a student from Botswana committed suicide by hanging himself in the campus hostel. One of our African sisters was the first few to find his body hanging there to the ceiling fan. I cannot imagine the trauma and images that goes through her mind even now, I really can’t. We consoled her, encouraged her and stood together in prayer for her. But sometimes, for situations like these, it’s best to shut our big mouths and just be there for her.

A while ago, I still remember hanging out and chatting among ourselves and somewhere in the conversation, someone bluntly commented that certain people groups on the face of this earth should just die and be wiped out. There was a long silence until I broke out and lamented, “How could you even say that?!” with a certain measure of anger and despair for the coldness of his heart.

Incidences like these bother me. Do they bother you? Deaths bother me. A lot.

Simply because I know that death is not the end of life. Simply because I know there is an afterlife that awaits each and every one of us. Simply because I know that life is short and it ends at the most unexpected moments. A choke during our casual dinners, an accident during the family car ride, an unwarned earthquake, an endless slumber in very our beds and the list goes on. Life is short indeed! Our life on earth is like a stage play’s rehearsal. And sadly, many people think that this rehearsal is all that there is and many do not make it to the real stage play. Imagine what they’re missing out! Our actions and choices made here determine our eternity. And eternity is an infinitely long period of time. Oh, do try counting it, if you ever find enough time to do so.

Since our lives are so short and unpredictable, have you done what you’re supposed to do on earth? Have you accomplished what you’re purposefully designed to fulfill by the Designer of the heavens and earth? And since you’re created unique, have you done what ONLY you can do in this life?

Why not take some time, and ponder, “What do I need to do before death comes knocking at my door?” or specifically “What is the most important, eternity-changing thing or decision I must do or make before I bid this life farewell?”

I’ve found my reason. I’ve found my purpose for this existence. I’ve not traded it for a life of temporalities such as pleasure, riches, renown or success. These things are far too small compared to the vastness of what eternity brings. I’ve jumped into this car’s passenger seat with Him as the driver for the ride of my life and am enjoying this wondrous journey, full of purpose, abundant of grace and rich with hope for all my tomorrows. I’m secure enough to not fear if death is to come to me tonight and I’m assured enough to know that I have secured a place in paradise when the time comes. I’ve not let the things of this world sway me from the finish line and I’m confident I’ll finish this race victorious.

How about you, ol’ friend? What if tomorrow’s never comes? Are you ready for the life after this? Have you lived life to the fullest until you’re ready to say, “Can I die now please?”

"I Will Still Love You"

2008-01-21T17:28:00.000+08:00

Brooke Fraser - Hymn

If to distant lands I scatter
If I sail to farthest seas
Would you find and firm and gather?
Till I only dwell in Thee

If I flee from greenest pastures
Would you leave to look for me
Forfeit glory to come after
Till I only dwell in Thee

If my heart has one ambition
If my soul one goal to seek
This my solitary vision
Till I only dwell in Thee

That I only dwell in Thee
Till I only dwell in Thee

One by one they strayed further. One by one they stumbled along that long, rocky and wearisome road. Lost, uncared for and lonely. Feelings of condemnation, hopelessness and guilt ran through their broken hearts as they lingered in the thoughts of those glorious days when they were in greener pastures, next to a still stream of glassy, crystal clear water, in the shepherd’s loving embrace, far from the dry, parched deserts and waves of the unforgiving and raging seas.

There they were, lost in the midst of this empty and hollow world. Where or what should they go to from now? Riches? They’re as temporal as the bloom of a morning flower, here today but gone tomorrow. Pleasure? It’s a feeling as unreliable as a house built on sinking sand. The future? It’s as bleak as the darkened sky in the midst of a violent storm.

And it’s becoming heavy. Too heavy. The burden is wearing them down till they’re face down on the ground. Heaven knows they weren’t meant for such a heavy load. Sheep weren’t made for weights as such; the shepherd is, but not the sheep.

There in the midst of it all, stood a figure of a loving shepherd searching and longing for every single one of His lost sheep to return into His embrace once again. With welcoming arms wide stretched, crimson blood flowing from His wounds gotten in the course of a loving search, pierced and disfigured arms which reflect a sacrifice beyond measure, the tired but soothing smile on His face and a soft gentle whisper saying, “I’m still here… waiting. No matter what, I will still love you…”

O dearly beloved, how long will you continue to stray from Him? How long will you ignore His love that knows no bounds? Take haste and return. No longer shall you be orphaned but be called royalty, no longer shall you be naked by shamefulness but be clothed in glory, no longer shall you be confused but blind eyes shall be opened to see and deaf ears be opened to hear. Once again, you shall see the face of Love and the things of the earth shall be dimmed and nothing else shall matter anymore.

Will you? Will you forsake distant lands and farthest seas and return? And forget not, His gentle whisper. Heaven and earth may fade, but blot this not from your memory, that His love for you will still remain…

What Have We Become

2008-01-15T17:22:00.000+08:00

Casting Crowns – What This World Needs

What this world needs
Is not another one hit wonder with an axe to grind
Another two bit politician peddling lies
Another three ring circus society

What this world needs
Is not another sign waving super saint that's better than you
Another ear pleasing candy man afraid of the truth
Another prophet in an Armani suit

CHORUS
What this world needs is a Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love them
In their time of need
A Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love
That's what this world needs

What this world needs
Is for us to care more about the inside than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can't see
God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt

What this world needs
Is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance
Blending in so well that people can't see the difference
And it's the difference that sets the world free

CHORUS

PEOPLE TALKING
People aren’t confused by the Gospel,
They’re confused by us
Jesus is the only way to God
But we’re not the only way to Jesus
This world doesn’t need my tie or my hoodie
My denomination or my translation of the Bible
They just need Jesus
We can be passionate about what we believe
But we can’t strap ourselves to the Gospel
Because we’re slowing it down
Jesus is going to save the world
But maybe the best thing we can do
Is just to get out of the way

CHORUS

Jesus is our Savior, that's what this world needs
Fathers arms around you, that's what this world needs
That's what this world needs

Ouch, when I first heard this song, it gave me a two time slap in the face. The things and issues mentioned in the song are so true, and I am guilty of making Christianity a “religion”, a set of laws of do’s and don’t and a competition of “who’s holier than thou”. The beauty and simplicity of the Gospel is so watered down by our petty rituals and preferences compared to the life changing grace that Jesus taught.

I am indefinitely struck by the part of the song where it says, “People aren’t confused by the Gospel, they’re confused by us. Jesus is the only way to God, but we’re not the only way to Jesus.” Our job is not to discriminate and determine who’s right or wrong, but it is to tell people of Jesus regardless of denominations and groups, without confusing them with our own personal convictions and beliefs. That’s why I am through with denominations and sects a long time ago. My standard is the Bible, not what any denomination teaches without referring to the Bible. Sure, some of the things are taught in various denominations out of good intention, but when these “rituals” becomes a measuring rod for our faith, that’s when it becomes absolutely ridiculous and unbiblical. There is a clear distinction between faith and blind obedience. Let’s start by asking ourselves, why do we do what we do?

As far as I recall, the God I serve is a God who prioritizes on the relationship He has with me than my works for Him. Even my most righteous deeds are like filthy rags to Him (Isaiah 64:6), stained with guilt and sin. Unworthy, unclean and impure. So, what makes you think our own actions, rituals, teachings, practices and deeds can save us from eternal damnation?

Has anyone told you that you must do certain things to get saved other than accepting Jesus into your life? If that is so, beware and you better get back to the basics. Let’s go back to the Gospel in its remarkable simplicity centralizing on His Love and what He has done for us. Not what we have done for Him, mind you, but what He has done for us. Which one are you? “I ‘do’ things to become a Christian” or “I am a Christian, that’s why I ‘do’ things.” Let's get things straight, we don't do things to get saved. We do things because we are saved! We do things because we are compelled to do it since the Holy Spirit enables us to do so once we've accepted Jesus into our lives!!!

Look back at the chorus of the song and see what the world really needs. Probably that will change the way we look at “sinners” (the person I was before He snatched me out of the miry clay by His grace) the next time we talk and mingle around with them.

Thou art holier than them? Think again, friend, think again.

Materialism

2008-01-10T15:25:00.000+08:00

Let’s face it. Everyone has a certain measure of materialism in our lives. Including me. So, here’re some of my favourite movies and I’ve love to get them on DVDs. And also books by Max Lucado that I’ve been longing to get my hands on. Due to the lack of money, time, resources and etc, somehow, I still do not have them in my possession. And my birthday is coming soon, so I’m saving you from cracking your heads to shop for birthdays gifts. Any of these would be a great welcome to my personal collections. By the way, you don’t need special occasions to give gifts. =)

Movies
1. 300
2. A Series of Unfortunate Events
3. Blades of Glory
4. Cars
5. Click
6. Constantine
7. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
8. Enchanted
9. Final Fantasy : Advent Children
10. Finding Nemo
11. Flushed Away
12. Gladiator
13. Hairspray
14. Hellboy
15. Hero
16. I Am Legend
17. Ice Age 1 & 2
18. Kingdom of Heaven
19. Lord of the Rings 1, 2 & 3
20. Memoirs of a Geisha
21. Monsters Inc
22. Over the Hedge
23. Pan’s Labyrinth
24. Passion of the Christ
25. Ratatouille
26. Shrek 1, 2 & 3
27. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
28. The Chronicles of Narnia
29. The Day After Tomorrow
30. The Incredibles
31. The Last Samurai
32. The Prince of Egypt
33. The Simpsons Movie
34. The Terminal
35. V for Vendetta

Books
1. 3:16, Numbers of Hope (Max Lucado)
2. A Gentle Thunder (Max Lucado)
3. Cure for the Common Life (Max Lucado)
4. Facing Your Giants (Max Lucado)
5. He Chose the Nails (Max Lucado)
6. In the Grip of Grace (Max Lucado)
7. Safe in the Shepherd’s Arms (Max Lucado)

Giving Back to God What's Rightfully His

2008-01-07T13:37:00.000+08:00

You know, sometimes we have a bad habit of borrowing stuff from people and not returning it? I personally am guilty of it. And when we use it long enough, we assume it’s already ours and we do not need to return it to the owner anymore. Worse, some of us forget who's the actual owner we borrowed from! (So, if I have borrowed any CDs or books from you, please let me know so I can feel a little embarrassed about it and return them to you).

I guess it is the same when it comes to our lives. Sometimes we borrow things from God and we completely forgot that it actually belongs to Him. For example, the very life that we have now. Wasn’t He the One who borrowed us the air, water and earth to sustain our very existence? What about the things that we own, like our money? Wasn’t He the one who gave us the life to do so in the first place, gave us hands and feet, our senses (sight, touch, smell and etc), our minds (to think!) and so many other things so graciously given unto us free of charge? What about our relationships? Wasn’t He the One who gave us the ability to communicate, to love and to be loved in return? And I can go on and on talking about how everything we have belongs to God in the first place.

Let’s take the first borrowing-stuff-and-not-returning-to-the-owner scenario again. I personally wouldn’t find it hard to return the things I have borrowed from my friends to them because it wasn’t mine in the first place and it didn’t cost me a single cent. So to return it to them is the only proper thing to do.

Sometimes we find it so hard to “give” to God our money, time, energy, relationships, plans and etc. Well, let’s have a switch of mindset. Since all things belong to Him in the first place, then it is only proper to return to Him everything that rightfully belongs to Him!

So then, you must never think that you have made yourselves wealthy by your own power and strength. Remember that it is the LORD your God who gives you the power to become rich. He does this because he is still faithful today to the covenant that he made with your ancestors. (Deuteronomy 8:17-18)

Are you rich? Know that your wealth belongs to God. Are you successful? Know that your prosperity belong to God. Are you popular? Know that your fame belongs to God.

So, have you returned everything that you’ve borrowed from Him? It’s never too late to do so, you know?

Dream a Little Dream of Me

2008-01-03T09:36:00.000+08:00

I'm not a person who usually dreams a lot when I sleep. I know of people who dream every time they go to sleep like my ex-housemate, Irene. She would have the most bizarre and weirdest dreams ever. I'm serious, her dreams are just plain weird to the max, things that you would never imagine as a normal human being.

Anyway, I had a dream last night but I could only remember the last part of it. I was walking in the woods and when I looked down, I saw a lot of dead, gigantic milipides. As I was staring at them in horror, I felt something crawling up my leg. A foot-long milipede!!! I quickly brushed it off and as I was running off from that place, I felt something stuck in between my feet and slippers. There were huge and fat milipedes stuck in between them!!!

I woke up immediately. And I quickly looked at my legs to make sure they're still intact. Guess what I saw? Mr Mosquito happily sucking the blood out of my thin, hairy legs.

Another Year, Another Blessing

2007-12-31T15:12:00.000+08:00

On December 31, people usually look back into the past year and often it is filled with both the bitter and the sweet. Some have a more fruitful and purposeful year than others. Some just simply lived the year carelessly and allowed it to wander by just like that. It’s always a heavy feeling for me on this day when I have to let go of the year and embrace a new one. I usually miss the past year, of all the laughter and tears and at the same time, I am excited about the coming year, always full of the unknown and unexplored.

It’s always good to give thanks for the past year that He has so graciously given unto me and all of us. For the life to live through the harsh year, for the strength to pull me through my weaknesses, for the love to embrace when I needed to know if someone was there for me, and for the grace to lift me up when all else fails.

God has been superbly good to me and there’s not enough room for me to give thanks even if the sky was a blank canvas for all the things He has done for me. However, I would especially want to thank God for these people whom He has so graciously placed in my life and have impacted me, shaped me and molded me to be the person I am today.

My Family

My parents for simply being the coolest and best parents ever. Thank you for giving me all the freedom I need to find my calling, the discipline and for teaching me life’s most important lessons. Washing my dishes after my meals!!! Wini and Tim for living such a dramatic life. You guys are such an inspiration to me, and Wini, thank you for making God real in my life. Duncan and Wen Pin for supporting my studies when I needed it most. Thank you for your sacrifices and for believing in me.

My Spiritual Family - ECF

You make Saturdays at SNL the highlight of my week!!! I could not ask God for a better spiritual family. You guys are simply fantabulous! I am so proud to have brothers and sisters such as you guys! Rock on!!!

Pastor Tim

What a smart pastor for a smart person like me. =P Thank you for feeding me so much with the word of God and making me hungrier for even more of it!!! Thank you for imparting so much truth into this puny mind of mine. I love the data overloads, not to mention the ones from Asam House and Next Stop too.

Steven

Thank you being such an excellent dad, a spiritual father who is so understanding, loving kind, exemplary, good-looking and the list goes on non stop. Thank you for walking this journey of life and discipleship together with me. Thank you for speaking into my life despite the stupid decisions and mistakes I have made. Thank you for correcting me when I think that I know it all. And thank you for standing together with me in my struggles despite my weaknesses and shortcomings. You make me who I am today.

PC

You would be the greatest ‘PC’ I have ever known. No latest chipsets, RAMS, graphic cards could ever outrun you. Thank you for being such a huge inspiration for me. You make me dream bigger for God and the extension of His Kingdom. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for investing in me. Thank you for believing in me.

Bee Sean

In ministry, someone needs to be the fierce one and someone needs to be the gentle one. Thank you for being the fierce one. =) Thank you partnering with me to impact the campus generation despite my communication problems and egoistic nature. You make ministry so much more challenging in a good way. Thank you for making me appear relatively gentle whenever I’m near you. =)

Carolyn

I can never find someone who is as excited and enthusiastic about everything and anything as you! From food to boys, shoes to roaches, people to God, you always make the uninteresting seem interesting! Thank you for partnering with me to lead the students. Please come back soon as we need you dearly. You can find an American husband but you’re only allowed to import him back here, not stay there with him. =)

Max

You’re like my world changer model. Thank you for believing in what you do and for being the inspiration that makes me jump out of my comfort zone whenever I feel like giving in. Thank you for going great lengths for the Gospel and for people! Thank you for being my biting ‘bag’ when no one else allows me to bite them. You’re definitely a Godsend and I’ll never trade this companionship with anything else.

My Life Group Leaders

Jackee, Christian, Chrystin, Steven, Patience, Erina and Sammi. Just the mention of your names makes me thank God unstoppably. What fine gentlemen (and ladies) you guys have become!!! Thank you for serving and for tolerating with my unending requests and orders. To be a leader, is to be a servant. And you guys exemplify that loud in the lives of the students!!! Am honored to be working with you guys.

My Business Partners

Bernard and Vincent. Thank you for standing together with me in this dream of impacting the media. Testify Wear would still be a mere dream if there you guys never appeared in my life. Thank you for believing in what we do and I am expecting great things to come out from our company!!!

My Housemates

Jackee, Irene, Sammi, Chua, Max, Albert and the occasional homeless guy, Ivan. Thank you for bearing with me in the small house that we live in. Thank you for bringing so much joy, laughter and friendship into my life. You make my campus life so much more meaningful and memorable. Thank you for teaching me mandarin, correcting me when I get out of hand and for always paying your bills and rent on time. =)

Without these people, I’d have missed out a huge chunk of my life. These are the people who would go through the thicks and thins of life together with me, impacting me, encouraging me, pushing me and believing in the dreams that God has for my life. I deeply cherish their companionship and friendship. Without them, this world would be a very quiet place for me, pretty much like how Will Smith must’ve felt in ‘I Am Legend.’

Our Christmas Production Posters

2007-12-23T10:01:00.000+08:00

They're finally out! I was wanting to post it but our producer (Kareem) said he wanted to keep it a surprise until the production was over. It was a very interesting task and I had a great time designing these posters. They made me laugh while editing them (people thought I was out of my mind or something)! Anyway, if you don't know what are these, they're actually part of the deco for our Christmas production this year! We had talk show (something like Oprah Winfrey) at our church and we interviewed a few people who found the gift of hope in the most helpless times of their lives, specifically, a couple whose baby nearly died during the delivery, a young man who had a dysfunctional relationship with his father and a man who suffered chronic depression from his divorce. I must say, it was an awesome production! Many lives were touched, inspired and most importantly God's amazing deeds were made public!!! Stay tuned for the pictures of the production in my Multiply photo album soon (once I find the time, December is the busiest time of the year, you know)!!!

Click on the images for a larger resolution. And for those who requested for high resolution soft copies for prints, please email me again so I can send them to you.

Talk Show - Conversations with Cathryn

Drama Series - Desperate Husbands

Sports - Extreme Sports

Reality Show - Ballet Superstar

News - News at 8

Weather - Caroll, The Weather Girl

Click image for a larger version

Eye Swells, Future Partners and Love

2007-12-19T10:28:00.000+08:00

There goes the most annoying noise ever made by mankind. My alarm clock. I dragged myself out of bed as I slept quite late last night trying to finish up all my work. (I was chatting with Irene the other day and she said she was stressed with work and she asked me what am I working on currently. So I told her I had to finish up work from my lecturing job, managing my t-shirt company, planning and overseeing life group, Christmas parties around the corner, new year party around the corner, designs for the Christmas production, designs for a publication and other personal stuff. She said she was stressed for me, hearing all that I have to do before the new year comes). Anyway, back to my waking up story. I woke up and lo and behold, I couldn't open my right eye! Yay, another reason for not going to work! My eye was swollen and I don't really know why, probably because I didn't sleep well or I rubbed my eye profusely the night before due to itchy fingers or eyes, whichever makes sense. Anyway, the Chinese call this eye swollenness 'ngan choi', the consequences faced by a 'peeping tom' for his unusual behaviour. For your information, I didn't peep on anyone, and I'm not that desperate for the opposite sex yet.

Well, a few days ago, I was having dinner with Max (a world changer) and we were just catching up as he came back from Philippines for the holidays and somehow the topic of future partners just had to pop up. I was warning him that he can find a Filipino wife as long as he imports her back here to Malaysia and not stay there with her, haha. And funnily enough, he asked me a very 'deep' question. He asked, "What is the one criteria your future wife must have?"

I must admit, I have A LOT of criterias that my future wife must meet. I know, probably that's why I've been single all my life. But that really got me thinking. If I had to choose only one criteria what would it be?

Beauty? Nah, beauty fades. One day we'll wake up and find yourself lying next to a person with uncountable wrinkles on both our faces. Money? Nah, women spend and shop a lot, adding drastically to the inflation rates. In the end, you'll still need to work like a mule to support her. Personality? Nah, people are generally good at hiding their real nature. One day we'll be shocked by the real us and we'll question where's that awesome gentlemen/lady in us when we first met (my sister's a great example, my poor brother in law). And the list goes on and on and there will be flaws and conditions to each criteria, until I came to this criteria...

A woman who is godly.

Not a woman who is god, mind you, that's not what I meant. But a woman who follows God wholeheartedly. A woman who seeks to please and honor Him with everything she has. A woman that reflects Christ in every aspect of her life. I guess when there is a woman who has such a quality, then everything else shall follow. She'll be the most beautiful woman (not just externally but also internally, with a heart that loves unconditionally as she follows Christ's loving example). She'll be the richest woman (not just in monetary terms, but she'll have everything in abundance. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control as the Holy Spirit graciously bestows upon her. And best of all, she'll have it in such abundance till it overflows to those around her). She'll also be the unique woman (with a personality that models after God's awesome, great and indescribable character, what else can a guy ask for?!).

So, that's exactly the girl that I will look for. A woman who is godly. But love is not about taking. It's about giving. It means, if I was looking for a woman to fulfill my own needs (even if it's a good criteria) then it's a very selfish and wrong motive. That relationship would be a very shallow and unfulfilling one. It should be about me giving her all that I have. And since I've talked so much about finding a godly woman, the best way to find her is to be one myself. A godly man. Stop finding the 'right one'! Instead, be the 'right one' for someone!

Sounds naive? Yup. But worthwhile? Absolutely. I wouldn't place my heart and future on a platter, allowing any random girl to come into my life, take it and break it, and then suffer from all the trauma, vow to never fall in love again and have a lonely and bleak future. That's why I'm extremely choosy and patient when it comes to a future partner.

Are you single like me and waiting? Good. Hang in there and wait a little longer because true love waits. At the mean time, be that mr/mrs right for someone too.

"Charm can be deceiving, and beauty fades away, but a woman who honors the LORD deserves to be praised." (Proverbs 31:30)

I Am Legend

2007-12-15T00:13:00.000+08:00

(WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. DO NOT READ ON UNLESS YOU'VE WATCHED THE MOVIE OR NOT PLANNING TO WATCH THE MOVIE AT ALL)

A very slow but extremely thrilling movie. Yup, I know it sounds contradictory but ‘I Am Legend” is one of the slowest paced thriller movie I have ever watched. Everything is slow and calm until night time falls. That’s when it gets ugly. Really scary. I was so freaked out, I think I leaked a few drops in my pants. As I was walking out of the cinema, I overheard some Ah Beng and Ah Lian saying it was the worst show ever. I guess they were expecting the typical thriller type of movie, packed with action from the beginning to the end. But I personally thought it was an awesome movie and I learnt a great deal out of it. It does have a lot of points for one to ponder besides the bone chilling thrill. It made me put myself in Neville’s (Will Smith) shoes and wonder what would I do if that really happened. Anyway, these are some of the things I’ve learnt.

1. Man should never try to be God. The consequences are disastrous
In the movie, man tried to cure cancer. And of course, the attempt backfired and made every patient turn into blood-thirsty zombie-cum-vampire creatures. I’m not against medical advancement of humans curing cancer and all that, but I think diseases as such are there for a reason. We reap what we sow. They are the consequences of our actions. Tragic natural disasters that take away thousands of lives, fatal diseases that infect thousands every second, all these are the results of mankind’s selfish agendas and shortsightedness in foreseeing the consequences of our actions. And when we try to be God and solve or avoid the consequences of these problems, that’s when things get ugly simply because of our weaknesses. What weaknesses? I’ll just give one very obvious one. We cannot see nor determine what the future holds. That’s God’s job. Our job is to be obedient and live according to the plans He has for us. After all, who is man, a finite creation to go against God, an infinite being who has the ability to do everything as He desires? But this I know, if we are obedient to His will (and not try to be God over our lives), we will then live life to the fullest, simply because of the fact that He loves us and has great plans for us.

2. Sacrifice is needed for changes
Neville sacrificed his life to save humankind by preserving the last vial of blood that contains the cure for the disease. That’s the start of a change in the story of the movie although it wasn’t shown. Same goes for us, if we want a change in our lives, then sacrifices have to be made. Want to lose weight? Change your diet and lifestyle. Want to be smarter and more knowledgeable? Change your reading materials from comics to books that feed wholesome truths. Want to know God more? Change that rebellious, unwilling, doubtful and lazy attitude and start reading His Word, talk to Him and spend more time with His people! The more you are willing to let go, the more change you will see.

3. Everything happens for a reason
Anna was arguing with Neville that everything that happened was not a coincident and that was God’s way of allowing things to happen. She understood that God has a plan and is not just keeping quiet and watching man suffer. Isn’t that true? Everything happens for a reason. So there is no such thing as coincidences. You believe in science? I do too. I agree with Newton’s theory of relativity which says every motion (everything that happens) is caused by a force (something greater than the motion, like God, a creator who can do anything at all). So whatever you’re going through, know this, there is a purpose for your life. And it can only be traced back to that force, called God, our Creator.

4. Light will always prevail.
The creepy creatures in the movie cannot be exposed to light as that would mean an end to their dark, twisted and evil life. They may be strong and vicious, but just a simple ray of light is able to destroy them. And you know what? Light is always associated with God. Triumph, victory, strength, power and dominance are attributes of God. Though sometimes situations may seem bleak at times, but justice and truth shall prevail no matter what. So, is your life dimmed, unlit, blurred or even darkened? Or are you living in the light and in truth?

5. Appreciate the people around you no matter how annoying and different they are
There was no one literally around Neville except a German Shepherd in beginning of the movie because they all turned into those creepy creatures. He was so lonely that he had to make mannequins his friends. Don’t let that happen to you. Learn to love your neighbour while they’re still around. You’ll only get to see them in this life (unless both you and them are surely going to heaven, then yes, you get to see them for eternity) so make sure you honor, love and cherish every single second you get to spend with them.

Don't Spend Christmas Alone

2007-12-08T09:39:00.000+08:00

Click image for a larger version

You are invited to our Christmas production called "The Gift" and also our Christmas service! For more information, please refer to the invite above or ask me! Christmas is a meaningful time, so spend it meaningfully with us as we discover what's the meaning of Christmas with others through this live talk show we are hosting! See you there!!!

That Special Someone of My Heart

2007-12-01T12:45:00.000+08:00

It's already the first of December. And it's one of my most favourite months of the year. I've always loved this season where it's filled with the best things in life. Being surrounded by loved ones, giving gifts of love to one another, seeing the smiles of people in this cheerful time, reminiscing the good year that will end soon, preparing to welcome the new year ahead, a time of rest and reflections, and many more reasons make this month the meaningful to me.

As the years pass by, the meaning of Christmas deepens for me every time I think of that special Someone who loves me like no other. That Someone who gave up everything He had so that I can have everything. That Someone who loved me with the measure of His own life. That Someone who has great and awesome plans for me. That Someone who gave me a reason and meaning to life. That Someone who promised nothing will ever separate me and from His Love. That Someone who gave me the greatest gift anyone could have ever given me.

Thank you. Thank you for loving me. Happy birthday, Jesus, and I love you too.

Hatred Kills

2007-11-27T17:39:00.000+08:00

I watched The Kingdom with some of the boys last night and I thought it was an awesome show. One of the better shows for these past months. It was definitely way better than Bee Movie, for goodness sake. I will not make further comments about that movie, just don’t watch it.

I guess one of the movie’s central messages is the consequences of hatred. One’s hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness can utterly blind that person from seeing things in a more objective and holistic manner. On one hand, the Muslim extremists were brainwashed by their fanatical leader to wipe out the “infidels” in their land by blowing themselves up, injuring and killing innocent people in their wayward pursuit for their god’s glory. On the other hand, the Americans were driven by vengeance to find the ones behind the scheme because of the death of their own member. It was clear when both of the parties vowed and said they were going to “kill all of them.” So, who’s the extremist?

Anyway, it is a scary thought that hatred can lead us into doing things which are so wrong such as killing one another and you might say these incidents are happening more and more rampantly nowadays. Don’t believe me? Just flip through the newspaper and see how many of these reports are there. You might say these murderers or extremists deserve to be punished using the worst ways ever.

However, all of us ‘kill’ people almost everyday.

I repeat, ALL of us kill people almost everyday (for some of us, all the time!). Well, not using physical weapons such as bombs, guns or knives (We're way too sophisticated for that) but with the same weapon which the Muslim extremists and the Americans in the movie used.

Hatred.

There are people in our lives whom we totally hate or dislike. People whom you gnarl at just by the mention of their names. People whom you refuse or avoid contact with. People whom you ask God why do they even exist. We all, to a certain extend have such people in our vocabularies. And with the immense hatred that we have for them, we try to ‘kill’ them everyday with our sour faces, bitter gestures and our slandering words. A simple gossip can spark unrighteous flames unto a person’s reputation and esteem. Another simple bad setting-the-example gesture can lead others to treat him or her badly the same way we did. In our hearts, without us knowing it, we have already murdered that person in our hearts just like how the Bible puts it.

“Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them.” (1 John 3:15)

I was once in that same shoe of unforgiveness and hating others. I can tell u stories after stories of how I hated certain people in my life and I refused to speak a single word to them, spread slanderous things about them, treated them maliciously and the list goes on. And I remember very well, during those times I was bitter, chained in bondage of self-inflicted pain and not living in freedom at all. It was like poison. But I was the one gulping down the poison, hoping that the other person would die. Sounds silly, I know. All this went on for years until God stopped me from going deeper into this journey of self-destruction and taught me to forgive others unconditionally just like the way He forgave me so ever graciously.

What about you? Are you like the person I was before, caught up in this selfish agenda called hatred and ‘killing’ some people along the way? Well, don’t be. Don’t be an extremist that vows to “kill them all.” It’s not worth it. Trust me, it really isn’t. It’s never too late to reconcile and stop shoving the poison into your heart. And if you have shoved some poison into your heart, I know Someone who has the antidote that cures beyond measure and is more than willing to give us a new heart that chooses to love instead of hate.

So, next time, before you spread a single gossip about someone you dislike, do weigh the consequences of your actions or words. Remember, we will be required to give an account of all our actions to Him someday. You wouldn't want 'murder' to be recorded in your list of actions, do you?

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “ (Matthew 5:7)

Salvation: Guaranteed

2007-11-25T11:16:00.000+08:00

I've been wondering and thinking about all the great people who have ever existed. Whom among these people have influenced me greatly and have caused such a major change in the way I live my life.

There are many great people in the world, people who have caused a major impact in the various aspects of our human life. They've come up with great inventions that change the way we handle things, theories that change the way we reason, philosophies that change the way we live and etc. For example, Siddartha Gautama influenced the world with the concept of Nirvana (reaching a state of nothingness and bliss) by good deeds, Mohammad influenced the world with his religion of Islam, a religion of peace, love and submission to Allah, Charles Darwin influenced the world with his evolution theory (that we evolved from animals such as apes) and so on and so forth. All these famous, key people in history have without a shed of doubt made a significant change in many of our lives.

However, ALL of these people failed to address the utmost important thing in life. The GUARANTEE of salvation (freedom). None of them guarantees salvation, which means freedom and eternal life. That means our eternal lives are hanging dangerously on a really thin thread simply based on what they say about eternal life. Some say we will be judged by our deeds, some say God will be the judge, some say when we die we will be nothing at all and some say there is no such thing as an after life BUT none of them GUARANTEES an assurance of salvation!

There is one Man though, who GUARANTEES salvation. He GUARANTEES that whoever believes in Him and continues to follow Him shall be given the assurance of salvation and freedom. No matter what's our past, no matter who we are and no matter what we will be, He said "whosoever believes in Me shall not perish but HAVE eternal life." He defied all human philosophies, arguments, theories and He alone proved His claim with His own life, by ultimately dying on the cross to purchase and pay the ransom of salvation for everyone who believes in Him.

In Chemistry, He turned water into wine.

In Biology, He was born without the normal conception.

In Physics, He disapproved the Law of Gravity when He ascended into Heaven.

In Economics, He disapproved The Law of Diminishing Return by feeding 5000 men with two fishes & 5 loaves of bread.

In Medicine, He cured the sick and blind without administering a single dose of drugs.

In History, He is the Beginning and the End.

In Government, He said that He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace.

In Religion, He said no one comes to the Father except through Him.

And this man is called Jesus. And He said He knows you inside out though no one else may seem to understand you. He shaped you into the being that you are today. He knows you even before you were born. He knows what is the purpose of your life since He is the one who created you!

But do you know Him? So, who do you say He is?

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

Are you rich, but utterly poor?

2007-11-16T17:07:00.000+08:00

Some of us spend our whole lives trying to gain these pieces of papers called "money." We work hard till there's no day nor night, eat less, spend less and save more just so that we can have more money. Is money everything? Is there more to life than to earn more than thy neighbour? Well, you judge for yourself.

Money can buy a house but not a home

Money can buy a bed but not sleep

Money can buy a clock but not time

Money can buy a book but not knowledge

Money can buy food but not appetite

Money can buy a position but not respect

Money can buy blood but not life

Money can buy medicine but not health

Money can buy sex but not love

Money can buy insurance but not safety

"Do not store up riches for yourselves here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and robbers break in and steal. Instead, store up riches for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and robbers cannot break in and steal. For your heart will always be where your riches are.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

The Forgetfulness Test

2007-11-13T20:32:00.000+08:00

Brooke Fraser – Lord of Lords

Beholding your beauty is all that I long for
To worship You Jesus is my sole desire
For this very heart you have shaped for your pleasure
purposed to lift your name higher

Here in surrender in pure adoration
I enter your courts with an offering of praise
I am Your servant come to bring you glory
As is fit for the work of your hands

Now unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
All of creation resounds with the song
Worship and praise him the Lord of Lords

Spirit now living and dwelling within me
Keep my eyes fixed ever on Jesus' face
Let not the things of this world ever sway me
I'll run 'till I finish the race

Singing unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
All of creation resounds with the song
Worship and praise the Lord

Now unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
All of eternity echoes the song
Worship and praise him the Lord of Lords

Holy Lord
You are Holy
Jesus Christ is the Lord

Now unto the lamb who sits on the throne
Be glory and honor and praise
Call all the saints to join in the song
Worship and praise him the Lord of Lords

Tired and completely fed up. That’s exactly how I felt with everything that’s not going the way I wanted it to be. My company (the tshirt company, remember?) is not exactly progressing the way I planned for it to be and we’re kind of slacking behind due to many unforeseen circumstances and worse, we have to fork out huge sums of money to produce something which we aren’t seeing much fruits yet. Being the task-oriented person that I am, I am very disturbed with the extremely slow results. I want it quick and I want it now.

“Lord, You are the One who called me into this. I don’t know where You’re leading all of us, I’d love to know BUT I know that You are in control no matter what happens. If You want us to go through this season of testing, so be it. I will quietly obey and see what’s going to happen…” I prayed a quick prayer as I sought Him for solace after the long, tiring week.

And then came this song playing in my headphones, as if it was a speed dial response from God to speak into the dire situation I’m going through.

“For this very heart you have shaped for your pleasure purposed to lift your name higher.” I forgot that my heart should first be set right before Him for His pleasure and not for seeing the mere outcome of the products, of how good they will look, or how good they will sell but all these were mere objects made for one sole purpose, to lift His name higher.

“I am Your servant come to bring you glory as is fit for the work of your hands.” I forgot He’s the Boss and I’m the servant. He’s in control and not me. He sets the time to do things and not me. He determines the outcomes and not me. I was so blinded by the problems, I forgot to thank Him for allowing me to partner and to see the glory that is fit for the work of His hands!

“Spirit now living and dwelling within me. Keep my eyes fixed ever on Jesus' face.
Let not the things of this world ever sway me, I'll run 'till I finish the race.” I was so swayed by the things and ways of the whole production process, I was living on my own strength and expectations. I forgot the fact that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world! I’ve made my God too small in my own foolishness and cares of this temporal life. I’ve forgotten completely that this is a race that doesn’t finish until He comes back again, where everything will be made perfect and my purpose shall be made complete in Him and through Him!

And lastly, there’s that chorus that sang, “Singing unto the lamb who sits on the throne, be glory and honor and praise. All of creation resounds with the song, worship and praise the Lord.” I totally forgot that Jesus should be the one sitting on the throne of the company, not me, not my partners, not my suppliers but it is unto Him alone. I forgot that ALL glory, honor and praise should be rendered to Him in ALL situations since He is in control and all I have to do is to be still and know that HE is God.

I’ve forgotten so many things He has done for us and promised He would accomplish through us, that I am ashamed that I felt so frustrated with the unnecessary worries and cares I had this while. How silly of me to be bothered by such small and petty matters when I have such a big God, a loving Abba Father who only knows how to give what’s best for me.

"Praise the Lord, my soul, and never forget all the good he has done. He is the one who forgives all your sins, the one who heals all your diseases, the one who rescues your life from the pit, the one who crowns you with mercy and compassion, the one who fills your life with blessings so that you become young again like an eagle." (Psalm 103:2-5)

"But mommy, I'm scared..."

2007-11-10T11:52:00.000+08:00

Wow, time does pass amazingly fast! Especially when you’re working! It’s just like a blink of an eye when I first started lecturing and now the semester has ended! I have successfully taught and raised two batches of Graphic Design students and I’ve seen improvements from the start till now (well, this applies only to those who sincerely want to learn). And now, I have work piling up on every corner of my table. Now I have to SMS my neighboring colleague to borrow stuff because of the piling barrier. Thank God I’m not claustrophobic (fear of confined spaces), or I’d faint on my own desk while working and end up fainting again when I regain consciousness.

I was talking with one of my students yesterday and he was complaining about the bad outcomes of his final project due to his team mates’ incompetence. He was telling me that in the beginning, he didn’t want to have certain people in the group but due to a dim-witted emotion called “shyness”, he did not reject that person and allowed that person to be in the same group with him and caused the downfall of his entire project. Well, I told him he has to be firm and sure in his decisions and he should not be influenced by this stupid and worthless word called “shyness.” I told him during my time, if someone wanted to join my group and I didn’t want him or her to do so, I’d tell the person directly (in a gentle way of course) both for my good and his. Hello? I don’t want to risk my group project and put it on a thin line just because of one person. I’m not saying I don’t give chances either, but I know who wants to learn and who doesn’t.

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear but one of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Yup, God never gave us a spirit of timidity or fear. He gave us a spirit of power (the ability, competency, advancement that goes against the flow of the world), love (the ability to love the unlovable unconditionally) and self discipline (the ability to say yes and no which helps us embrace the truth and reject the wrong)! So why be afraid of temporal things? If He has indeed given us spirit of power, love and self discipline, why live in fear?! Why be afraid of mere humans when they are nothing but flesh and bones? Why be afraid of circumstances when He is able to do the impossible? Why be afraid of what the future holds when it is in His hands?

What “fearful” situations are you going through in your life currently? What are you going to do about it? Well, whatever you’re going through, know this truth and it’ll set you free. He NEVER gave you a choice to be afraid or live in fear.

So, I guess that leaves you no choice but to live in power, love and self-discipline, isn’t it? =)

Life as a Star

2007-11-01T22:37:00.000+08:00

What an interesting and flattering day. I was entering the Student Services office to purchase my bus card for the month of November and as I went in, the clerk who was at the desk smiled at me. She was busy talking on the phone and she told me to take a seat. After she was done with her phone call, I approached her desk to purchase the bus card.

Lady : [ Stares with a suspicious smile ]
Me      : Hi, I’d like to buy a bus card please.
Lady : To where?
Me      : Prima, Vista Prima.
Lady : [ Still staring with that look ]
Me      : [ Ignoring her and busy filling in my particulars ]
Lady : [ Finally, she asks ]
              Are you a movie actor?!
Me      : Huh? Er, no, I don’t think so…
Lady : Have you been in any movies or commercials?
Me      : Nope.
Lady : Are you sure? Hm. You look like a movie actor…
Me      : Wow, that’s a first.
Lady : Really? You mean I’m the first one to ask you that?

The moral of the story: Not every good looking guy is a movie actor or a star. =)

Christmas Time is Here

2007-10-29T16:36:00.000+08:00

I am in the mood for Christmas already! And Christmas is really not far away! One and a half more months and it is Christmas! Boy, how quickly time flies by. I’m definitely getting older since I’m getting backaches everyday now.

As I’m preparing for the caroling we’re going to do in Desaria to liven up that ‘quiet’ place with the Christmas mood, I stumbled upon some of the old Christmas stories I’ve prepared for the previous Christmases. One particularly caught my attention. It’s a letter from Jesus. I won’t post it just yet because that’s exactly what I will use for Life Group this week. Just wait till this weekend and it’ll be up in my blog.

Because of this, I am all the more reminded this year that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday celebration and He is the reason for the season. I’m so thankful for his birth as that signifies a gracious gift of love that was given by the Author of Love Himself so that man can be reconciled with Him again. What an awesome gift indeed!

Do remember that Christmas is about Him giving us the greatest gift anyone could ever give us. Christmas is also about giving to others just as how He has given us His one and only begotten Son. And while you’re at it, I don’t mind receiving gifts as well.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Transparent Tadpoles

2007-10-24T18:57:00.000+08:00

It has been raining a lot lately due to the monsoon season (or global warming). As I was waiting for my ever unpredictable bus to go home just now, I was staring intently at some of the muddy puddles at the sidewalk (people must think I'm crazy or something). But I saw a lot of small tadpoles swimming around the puddle apparently left by some irresponsible and croaky parents. Yeah, big deal, it's just tadpoles. What really caught my attention was, these 'tadpoles' were transparent! U can only see the eyes and intestines swimming! Most of its body is transparent and you can barely notice anything in the puddle until you really glare like I did. I wanted to catch one (if it was a new species, I'll name it aaronius tadpolius) but the bus came unpredictably on time today.

Whether it's mutation or God's marvelous creation, nature's wonder never fails to amaze me. It amazes me to think of such a creative God who can churn up with all kinds of unique and interesting ideas of the universe. Amazing.

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)

Well, if you are walking home in the drizzle, and if you see a puddle, do stare in. Who knows? God might just amaze you too.

First Steps in ECF Damansara

2007-10-24T11:21:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I stepped into the sanctuary of ECF Damansara for the first time and it was awesome! Everyone else's reaction were "Waaaahhhh"s and "Wooooo"s. The walls were mainly orange complemented with a grey ceiling and the floor was fully carpeted (very nice to step and sleep on). It was a nice setting and it looked so warm and homey, I wanted to move there! I am so excited to see how God will use this place to impact and touch the lives of those in Damansara!

Anyway, Ps Shawn was just reminding us again to ask God to speak the dream to us and lead us where He wants our dreams to bring us. As we all were listening to God, God just began to amaze me again by the vastness and greatness of the dream that He gave to me. It just dawned upon me now, we've officially launched the company with our first tshirt design printed out! It's already so overwhelmingly exciting and this is just the start! Me, Bernard and Vincent (my business and Kingdom partners) are learning so much from this whole process that God is leading us to!

Ps Tim exhorted us to reach out into the future to bless it just as Isaac did when He blessed Jacob and Esau, prophecying the future into reality. As I reached out to the future of our dream to bless it, God just began to drop thoughts and big visions of how the nations (mind you, it WILL go international by God's grace) will be blessed by our small company and it just blew my mind away! All I can think of was, "God, why did You even believe in us and choose us to do this? I am so honored to be part of this purpose that You've created me for."

And may I remind you again? IF IT IS GOD'S WILL, IT IS GOD'S BILL. If He is the One who calls any of us for His purpose, He will see to it that our purpose be fulfilled in His name.

My God, My Crutch

2007-10-21T15:55:00.000+08:00

I was sick since yesterday. I felt the usual weak limbs “garnished” with the internal body chilling and I knew it was a fever coming. I don’t mind getting flu or cough or sore throat or something, but fevers? It’s a big no-no. Usually if I get fevers it’d last for a few days to a week. Having fevers are the only time in my life when I feel crippled, weak and immobile.

Sometimes I wonder why God allows us to be sick. I wonder why he allows us to go through hard times and “unfortunate” thing to happen in our lives. Why do some people get AIDS because they were doing a good cause, donating blood? Those who are born with diseases and shortcomings probably because of their parents or other circumstances? What about those who are crippled and handicapped by birth? What about those who get into accidents and lose an arm or a leg? We all have long lists of questions about these situations, don’t we?

Well, as I asked myself why He allows me to be sick, the Holy Spirit led me to the Scriptures in the book of Job. If there was anyone who should be angry at God because of the unfortunate events in his life, it must be Job. Imagine ALL your sons and daughters, servants and those who are close to you killed in one single day! All your possession stripped and robbed from you by bandits. Painful sores breaking out all over your body and the worst kind of pain you could imagine. But did Job curse God and be angry at Him because He allowed such things to happen in His life? Nope, surprisingly, he didn’t.

“Job went and sat by the garbage dump and took a piece of broken pottery to scrape his sores. His wife said to him, "You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?" Job answered, "You are talking nonsense! When God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when he sends us trouble?" Even in all this suffering Job said nothing against God.” Job 2:8-10

Job had every single reason to complain against God. But his reply to the situation never fails to remind me to be thankful and faithful at all times, good or bad. And most of the time, “bad” situations may seem bad and troublesome to us at first, but God in His sovereignty and unimaginable creativity can turn it around for our good instead. In Job's case, God restored his fortunes in the end and he had twice as much as he had before! All because he trusted God even in the bad times.

Well, let's take my case as an example, I am a task oriented person. I am driven by works and activities. But when I am struck with fever, I am crippled with weaknesses and incapability to perform. It is in these moments that I am reminded I am but a mere mortal, weak, broken and frail! I am not so strong or independent and I need Him to sustain me! I am not so all-capable after all and I need a stronger God in my life. It is also in these times that I am forced to rest in Him, which I admit I don’t spend much time resting at all. Now I know why He allows me to be sick or experience unbearable hardships and trials once in a while. It is a simple reminder that I need God in my life. Period.

“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Someone once told me that to need God in their lives is like a crutch. It shows that you are so weak and crippled that you need to depend on something else to survive. But, come to think of it, don’t we all have our own crutches? Some depend on money, success, fame, relationships, drugs, entertainment and etc to make ourselves look strong. Aren’t these crutches as well? But if you ask me why I chose my God as my “crutch”, my answer is simple and easily understandable. He is an eternal and all-powerful “crutch.” Money, fame and success are very temporal and limited. They may be powerful, but only to a certain extent. Money can’t buy everything, but God owns everything. Fame can’t prevail all the time, but God is sovereign over all things. Success can’t accomplish everything, but to God, nothing is impossible.

Do you finally see why I chose Him as my “crutch?”

Now, why not take some time to ponder what kind of a crutch are you clinging your life onto? Are you sure your crutch is dependable? Choose your crutch wisely though because it will affect the rest of your life, and even eternity.

PS: A BIG thank you to Pa, Jocelyn, Garrett, Chris, Carissa, Marielle, Sarah, Lin Seay, Ben, Sheri and those who stood in faith together with me, prayed courageously for me, gave me medicine, bought hotdog buns for me, smsed me and encouraged me in the midst of my fever. That's what spiritual family is all about! Love you guys.

Dreams

2007-10-10T17:22:00.000+08:00

I'm just waiting for my bus to go home from work. And while waiting, am just inspired to do something purposeful. So here it is, another wallpaper from me echoing the Dreaming Together message by Pastor Shawn. May it be a reminder for us daily that God alone is able to give all of us dreams and purpose in life that are fulfilling and mindblowing!

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To download, click on the desired wallpaper size and a dialogue box will appear, click save to your computer.

Dreaming Together

2007-10-08T11:04:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was ECF Damansara’s first birthday bash! It was so awesome to see how the church grows every time I go there (which is very infrequent and it so happens that every time I go, they have free food! Not that I’m a food stalker or something but it seems like food love to stalk me!). It’s great to see new family members being added to the family, serving unswervingly to see the growth of this Dream and to love the people in Damansara! His House is beautiful indeed!

Pastor Shawn was sharing about dreams and it was a great reminder of how God is a God of dreams. He dreamt of the universe, of you and me (yes, He had you and me in mind above all else) and spoke everything into existence, creating everything in His awesome creativity and ‘art sense.’ And as we were created in His image, we too, are given the ability to dream, not just mere selfish individualistic dreams but dreams that are so big that we require people and God Himself to partner with us!

Do you have a dream?

And can I be absolutely frank? Some of you reading might be offended with what I’m about to say, but I will say it anyway. If you dream of getting rich and life a posh and carefree life, have a great job, or start a family with many children and wait for a blissful retirement, or buy a nice big house with a nice big wife, or a million dollar worth car, or have all the coolest gadgets in the world, or even own everything in the world for your pleasure, then, you have a small dream.

Hello? Small? What do you mean ‘small?’

Yes, your dream is very small indeed. So small that it only involves you, yourself and _____ (fill in your name here). Can’t you see it? All you’re dreaming of is a selfish ambition that seeks to please no one else but yourself! It’s time to break free! Dream big! Dream dreams that involve the lives of others! Dream dreams that make a difference in this world in this short and temporal lifetime that we have on this planet! Dreams dreams so big that will blow your mind away every time you think of them! Dream dreams that are impossible and only then will you achieve the impossible! And everything is ONLY possible with a God who is greater than impossibilities! If He is FOR us, who or what can be against us?

I designed a bookmark (under Testify Wear’s branding) for the people in the Damansara service to remind them the importance of Dreaming Together. The body copy goes like this, “Believing in a dream is the start of a journey. Dreams are beyond us, able to drive us to become more. Yet no dream should be so small that it can be accomplished by oneself. So let us share our dreams so that together, we can dream bigger, greater things. Our dreams await us!

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” (Joel 2:28)

Do you have a dream? Good! It’s time to dream bigger!

I am Aaron Lam Tain Zoe

2007-10-05T10:34:00.000+08:00

Aaron (High mountain, exalted one "Hebrew")
You are an inspiring leader whose originality, creativity and wisdom are applied to creating practical solutions to "unsolvable" problems. Humanitarian and idealistic your vision is to make the world a better place and you will work to this end. Hardworking and tenacious people admire you for your honesty and integrity. You are a loved and loyal friend and partner. Your have the potential to achieve enormous success in the world.

My reflection - I am a natural leader wherever you place me. Quite a loud (literally) 'D' person. I am very practical. My current company's vision is to change the world with a more positive mindset through t-shirts. I was once labelled as a "robot" for my disipline and diligence. God has called me to be the 'head' and not the 'tail'.

Lam
A strong leader with a powerful influence and executive ability you exude determination, discipline and effort. Financial success is very likely because of this. People follow you because you are inspirational and original yet still realistic. Your ambition, courage and drive means that you rarely give up on a goal and with your sound judgement, organisational skills and resourcefulness you are able to accomplish anything.

My reflection - I do have powerful influence (in terms of scolding people and yet they still follow me)! As mentioned, I am a "robot". I am quite a down to earth person, realistic and practical. I am a neat or organized freak (if you've worked with me before, you'd know)

Tain (River "Gaelic")
You are a deep thinker and student of life using your intuition and natural detective ability to seek truth and hidden knowledge. Peaceloving and compassionate you are nonetheless strong-willed and courageous in confronting challenges. Although your approach to life tends to be on a mental level it is important for you to see your ideas and concepts take form in the material world. Your talents and leadership skills give you great potential for a distinguished career.

My Reflection - I am a thinker (I think a lot) that's why I'm always tired mentally affecting my physical too. I dwelve quite deeply into apologetics and spirituality. I have a great job for a fresh graduate, I think.

Zoe (Life "Greek")
You have leadership ability and with your power of expression can be an influential speaker. Organisation or management would suit you. Your energy, intellect and creativity overcome any challenging situations and assure your future success. Certainly with your emotions under control there is nothing which you cannot achieve. Your faith and vitality means that love and prosperity are naturally attracted to you.

My Reflection - I'm quite well known for my public speaking and teaching skills. I am organized, not clean but organized. I think I can manage my emotions quite well though I bite people a bit too often. My God has plans to prosper me, that's for sure.

I got this link from Carol’s post and it is impressively accurate! Or at least I think so, would you agree? My parents must’ve done thorough research before choosing my name, haha, I hope! Check it out too at http://www.bostonuk.com/name_meanings.php

“A good name is more to be desired than great wealth, and to be respected is better than silver and gold.” (Proverbs 22:1)

Testify Wear

2007-09-28T15:16:00.000+08:00

I've been extremely busy these few weeks as we're anticipating for the launch of my company's first t-shirt. Yes, for those who are oblivious to this, I have my own company! It's called Testify Wear and it's an apparel line which sells t-shirts with positive and provocative messages. I have two other partners, namely Bernard and Vincent to run this company together with me and they're really Godsend as they're awesome partners. We're still working on the website and all the other extensions. Once we have it done, it will be widely advertised here in my blog, that's for sure.

So make sure you show some support yeah? Buy a few dozens if you must. Support local designers!!!

Lazy Bums Rule... Not!

2007-09-26T11:14:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I amaze myself. I can be so amazingly lazy that I am appalled and embarrassed at the measure of procrastination and carelessness I may project, not just once, but constantly! It is a daily battle, I admit and I realize if it wasn’t for His grace, I’d evolved into a full bum (a fat round one) by now.

And that’s just the way I see myself. People often say that I’m hardworking and have good time management. I wonder. Is it judged based on comparisons with other lazier individuals or just solely a fair judgement of me alone? Well, I don’t really know. What say you? How about we see what the Bible has to say about this laziness crisis?

“Lazy people should learn a lesson from the way ants live. They have no leader, chief, or ruler, but they store up their food during the summer, getting ready for winter. How long is the lazy man going to lie around? When is he ever going to get up? "I'll just take a short nap," he says; "I'll fold my hands and rest a while." But while he sleeps, poverty will attack him like an armed robber.” (Proverbs 6:6-11)

“Hard work will give you power; being lazy will make you a slave.” (Proverbs 12:24)

“A farmer too lazy to plow his fields at the right time will have nothing to harvest.” (Proverbs 20:4)

“Lazy people who refuse to work are only killing themselves; all they do is think about what they would like to have. The righteous, however, can give, and give generously.” (Proverbs 21:25-26)

“While we were with you, we used to tell you, "Whoever refuses to work is not allowed to eat." We say this because we hear that there are some people among you who live lazy lives and who do nothing except meddle in other people's business. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we command these people and warn them to lead orderly lives and work to earn their own living.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12)

I guess the Bible puts it pretty bluntly saying if you don’t work (be diligent), you don’t deserve to eat (get the best out of our circumstances). Our daily choice of being diligent and responsible with the work He has given us honors Him and pleases Him. How can He give us bigger and better things if we can’t be trusted and responsible with the smaller things He has already given us? However, I do not mean to purposely make ourselves look busy or something as we are also called to learn to rest in His presence, so that we do not get caught up with mere work but to work alongside with Him guiding and leading. He is the boss after all, you know. So, why bother trying to be boss over our situations when we have such an awesome Boss?

Let’s this be a reminder for all of us to consider the way of the ants, focused, prioritized and aggressive in carrying out its responsibilities just as an ant and not taking over God’s job and responsibilities. Ants faithfully collect their food and await God to send the winter so they can enjoy rest and eat the food they’ve been collecting so hard. Let us, likewise, be like the ants, faithfully doing the jobs that we have been given and await God for peace and the outcome of our labor.

Let Go. Let God.

(And if you are reading this, and if you’re tired of living your life alone (lost and confused at times) and you do not know this awesome Boss whom I highly recommend, why not give Him a chance to be part of your life? You’ll be hooked to His awesome goodness. And you won’t regret it, that I assure you.)