M.A.D.

What is M.A.D.? When I was in college, the CF has a theme "Are You M.A.D.?" Basically stands for "Are You Making A Difference?" It was a challenge to Christian youths to stand out and make a difference, be a lighthouse, salt of the earth. As Christians, we represent Christ to the unbelievers. Jesus made a difference in His day and so should we. Our life should be different because of Him who now live in us. Thus, our attitude, our character, our speech, our actions, everything should stand out of the crowd to inspire and bring hope to the hopeless.

What is M.A.D.? It is a challenge to make a difference if you have not. Sometimes we feel insignificant, unworthy and incapable to make any difference. Rebuke that in the name of Jesus!! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us! If God is for us, who can be against us? We were called for a very special purpose. No matter what ministries we are called into, our main purpose is to touch lives - lives are what matters most to God. Not technicality, not red tapes, not methods, but LIVES!!

So are you M.A.D.? I vowed to devote my life to make a difference. Everyday. I pray that I will be God's hands and feet here on earth to touch those He love. This is my sacrifice of praise to Him. No matter where we are now we can make a difference by being faithful to our task, by doing our best to serve others as well as God, by doing what is right over what is the majority, by standing for what we believe, by being a good friend, by honouring our Sabbath day, by honouring the authorities and our parents, by caring and loving others, by so many other ways. We can shine for Jesus! It was by His grace that we are here today. Let's honour God together by telling other's about Him with the way we live!

So are you M.A.D.?

Approved in Every Way

Approved in Every Way

(Ps. Wah Lok, FGT)

I want to be your servant Lord

To serve you each and everyday

I want to give my best to You

Approved in every way

Make my life a living sacrifice

The way You want me to be

To serve you with all my heart

Whatever the cost to me

Take me, break me, mold me Lord

As the potter shapes the clay

Pleasing You in all I do

Approved in every way

I'll stand before your righteous throne

To hear "Thou good and faithful one"

"Well done" from my Master's lips

Approved in every way

May this be our prayer.... Lord, that whatever the cost, we will seek to live for You the way You want us to live. That we may seek to please You and not men.

Picture speaks a Thousand words

This week has been quite a happening weekend. Thus, to put it into words would be too much, or just too boring. But I'm partially glad that it's been so happening. What would life be without the small joys and troubles that come along the way - making life colourful. We just gotta open our eyes to see it.. it IS right before us. Yet we choose to look elsewhere for our very own definition on how life should be - thus getting depressed and disappointed. God has given it to us on a silver platter. Life comes with both bitter sweet.

Oh right, the updates:

Thursday

So last week Sunny tore his ligament while playing basketball. Don't ask how. Apparently he jumped and it fell out of place. So comes another car from Nilai (yet another year) to Seremban Columbia Hospital. This seems to be an annual thing. The hospital visits, I mean, not Sunny tearing ligaments.

Despite the pain, Sunny is still laughing. His name suites him, doesn't it? Along with him, comes ol' faithful Ken (I just talked nice about you la Ken) and Shanti (the driver this round).

Thank God for Dr. Thong right? So hope you get better Sunny, so that you can walk and slam dunk again.




Friday

And here we have two ACS brothers (not biological). They would tell me it's called "heng tai" or something or rather. My cantonese is improving exponentially because of these two. Half of the nonsense they utter out I don't even understand. But I'm learning.. slowly but surely. One day I will be able to speak fluently too... without breaks... with right pronunciations.

Oh yes, this is lunch... and I do so prefer side view

Saturday

We actually gathered some IMU students for dinner at Central but only a few turned up. No matter my dear cousins Andrew and Elaine were back from the kiasu land. Good socialling night. Something I seldom do at such a .... ermm... I don't have a word for it. But it's indeed interesting, refreshing....

Saw fantastic four after that. And I have a small question. The movie and the vcd doesn't tie in... Hmmm.... That is strange. There was this part (in the vcd) where Reed tried to kiss Susan (after their date at the Planeterium) and she went invisible. I didn't see that in the cinema.

Oh Elaine trying to act cute. Fortunately Elaine barely weigh anything, so the horse is quite safe. But there were some adults staring at us. (at the arcade next to T1 cinema, waiting for show time)

Oh yes since i remember:

HAPPY 18th BDAY FLORANCE CHONG
It's today!

the passion

The passion burns within
Like the beating of your heart
Like the heat of burning coal
Like the warmth of winter's fire
Like the radiance of a full moon

Passion without words
Just tears
Passion without face
Just an inspiring spirit
Passion without sound
Just a familiar song

Passion...
Seen through actions
Seen through deeds
Seen through living
Seen through communing

Seen
Recognised
Desired

Genting

Yesterday my family (with adopted sister Yeh Ying) took a day trip to Genting to visit Winne. It's been a long time since we took a family trip. Was really relaxing. Sure not everything went so smoothly but it was still good. It's how we see it. For some pictures (which is available on my Multiply site) click here.

For the first time I went against my long-fear against rides and took some of them without thinking. Almost went on Space shot too, but after staring at how high the thing goes, I decided otherwise. Don't need to have that kinda adrenaline rush. But despite everything, I enjoyed myself. It's been a long time since.....

Night Out

As promised here are the pictures of this evening's dinner. For the first time I allowed myself to mix business with pleasure. But I guess it's all as well. I had begun to realised that business, after all, isn't just business. Life is meant to live as a whole, not in parts. Everything we do makes us who we are. There are no parts. God accepts us as a whole, not as parts. That is why he asks for our whole heart. Lord, take mine whole. The picture below is uniquely a combination of colleague and students. Well I am giving them tutorial classes so in a sense, wouldn't you say? Oh by the way, guys, if you're taking the time to read this, i had to edit the picture. All I did was changed a bit of brightness and color contrast. No worries. I did not add any moustache on anyone or anything like that.

I suppose I'm gonna promote the eatery too. Photo was take at a new restaurant-like place off Seremban Garden (apparently called Forest heights) at the new commercial blocks near the twin roundabout. A little isolated but I wouldnt say desolated. The owner took a couple of short courses a Etica, thus the connection. However, the food is interesting enough to try. The environment friendly enough and delightful. Find out for yourself, eh? Oh yes name of restaurant.... it escapes me... it starts with 'T' and directly translated from chinese would be "Good good food"

Ah yes more pictures... the newspaper act.. is what Hazel calls 'sampat-ness'. Apparently it's cause I can't read the chinese characters. Here's to bananas. Nah we don't wear pajamas.















A little bit of sepia effect to add to the taste. Gives it a 'feel' doesn't it? Like it? Sorry guys, I was too lazy to edit the colors. It is a PDA after all.. color quality aint the top priority in specs.

Ah now, ah Heng and his handphone is most irritating. Otherwise our lady here would have been time traveled back into the 70s with that kinda background.

That was about the time my PDA ran out of battery. So much for the guys enthusiasm for 'Mummy Maze'... which was quite commendable actually. I was impressed. Elaine if you ever come across this... he beat you flat girl. One last post... my colleague Bee Ling. Some of you have already met her at the Reuben Morgan concert at EFC the other night. She has the softest, nicest heart I have ever come across. If you wanna talk about going the extra mile here's a perfect example. I could use her in Aspirers up and coming trainings.

There's something to learn from people around us everyday. There will never be a day where we learn nothing. If we just open up our eyes and hearts... we'll see. If people stopped learning, we'll stop growing. I guess we grow from learning. And learning truly never ends.

So guys, here are the pics. Leave me a note so I know you've seen the pics. I decided to post it tonight itself. Might forget another day. So how do you like your faces splattered all over the Internet? I'm suiciding here. The hours have gone far beyond reasonable and thus ruin my morning.. yet again. No regrets though. (Except that I still have not done much about my research project)

Cheers people. We'll have another round soon. Enjoy!~

p/s: Lian, I still have not tried the resizing thing.. Honestly I still am not that clear.

Piano Skeleton

Just a quick one. Piano is finally tuned. I promise I will practice my chords that I may serve in banging the pianos in cell. If it helps even the least I want to try. And I could use it to worship God myself. Anyway the baby grand in my home is what you called ancient. Has been around for generations (no not my family's). It is literally antique, says the piano tuner. A fragile little thing that could snap and fall apart one day. But it withstand the times!! Good old' piano. I managed to catch a snapshot of its inerts. I've never seen it before. This is how a piano really looks like inside!! Wow to the amount of work. No wonder it's a masterpiece - one greatly admired. I'm talking bout pianos in general now.

Rain rain

It's raining it's pouring
The old man is snoring
Went to bad and he bump his head
And he couldn't get up in the morning

On Sunday, we prayed for rain... That the damps will fill and the draught will end. On Sunday evening, rain poured like it never have for a long time. And it went on to Monday... Tuesday.. and everday!! It rained and it poured!! Praise the LORD!! The damp is filling... the damp is filling. Despite the inconvenience, it is worth it if we can have water again. And thus, monsoon season has arrived. either kinda late or too early.. this year.

On other news... my dogs has been howling very weirdly these few nights. I don't mean wolf cry. It's really weird. I think maybe Coco misses her puppies (all sold) but I'm not entirely sure. I certainly don't see anything outside that she might be ... ahem.. howling or doing whatever she's doing. Maybe it's crying in sadness.. Yea maybe. But then she didnt act that way in the evening. She's perfectly normal. I mean this is not her first time, she should know by now. Hmmm....

Ancient of Days

Am actually back blogging. I was at Nang Hong cos Li Lin wanted to get a recorder. Lo and behold I stared at the lock to the recorder showcase. I have never seen anything like it. It is so old that no one ever uses them anymore. It's ancient! It belongs in the museum of machines or something. I didnt get to take a picture of the key which was quite something as well.Oh yes, there was an old check printing machine as well. I remember seeing my mom used it when I was a kid. And I saw it again. It's really cool... Seeing how technology has grown to what it is now. Also scary when you realised how close we're getting to the end times. Was all foretold.At night I was hooked on watching Sister At. Even though rotten tomatoes rated it otherwise, its an amazing show. And the music.. woh...Know why? Cos it shows of a women who stick through and made a difference because she believed. The nuns and all weren't all that good to show about what Christians really are. Kinda putting down. But I guess that's how the world sees it.

Enclosed, naive...

Whoopi Goldberg.. my new role model. No not her!!! But what she stood for in the film. She stood as someone willing to make a difference. She was faithful to friends, she believed in helping the students go beyond what they thought they could. She made a difference wherever she went. Because she believed in the good in people. I keep thinking of my students and what I wanted to be - a teacher who cared, who took the time to know her students... so that she could make a difference. That's all I want. My decisions all centered around that simple theme. My heart for the young.

I don't know if I'm doing that. One thing I know is that I'm not doing as much as I'd like to be. I see my colleague and think she's doing more. Sometimes I wonder if God picked correctly. Seeing the person I am, I laugh to myself, at myself. Who am I kidding? My heart's desire is to make a difference among the younger generation.. well i'm still young too. But I want to be a light, be the salt. I don't know if I can. I doubt I'm worthy enough. But I wanna do what I can.

Lord use me to do thy bidding. I am Yours. Bound by vow I surrender to You. Use me to lead and serve Your children. To call them back into Your arms. Your hands, scarred for them, still reaching out to them, in everlasting love.

*How do you resize the pic?

Seremban has started her water rationing today. We'll be experience alternate days water cut according to the zones mentioned above (courtesy of thestar). The rationing started today with Zone1 where we'll have water today and none tomorrow and so on. Read more here

We've already bought big tumblers (price shot up by the way) and filled to the brim with water to stock up for dry days. Drinking waters, bathing water, washing up water. So STOCK UP NOW Seremban folks! We're going through tough and smelly times.

Rain poured from heaven yesterday and today. We prayed for God to send rain to fill our damps. Let's believe that God will provide water. Let's continue to pray for His hands of provision to send rain everyday till the damp is once again well pass the safe zone. Let's believe.

Misery

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How I need to hear from God

Some days, some moments, some nights... I feel my heart break.. So much care I've given to hold it together. So many ttimes I've prayed that God you remove this thorn. Heal this wound. The pain never really goes away. The scar remains forever. And there is no reason... None that God is giving now.

Lord I cant stand this misery. There is yet any explanation. Speak to me Lord, that I may hear your voice. Still the raging storm. Calm the troubled waters. Silent the roaring winds. Help me sleep in peace through it all. I am Yours.

My puppy

It was sad and shocking at the same time to come down for breakfast and given the news of the death of one of the puppies. Of the long history my family has delivered puppies, never has a single one died at over a month old. The rest were born dead. So how could this happen? The cause was quickly studied and analyzed.

If my maid had warned us earlier about the puppies purging, we would have treated it then. If only we had spent more time with them, we'd have noticed. ARGH!! It's so frustrating to heart breaking to look at the puppies body covered with hovering flies. What's with the flies? How long was it dead? It's bad enough that we've had the worst cleaner in the history of maids. But to have a body hovering with flies and God-knows what else! Horrifying! Mortifying! I mean they are the cutest puppy on earth. Yes! according to me.

On other news, my ex lady boss called me. It being the first company I officially worked in, I still have some sentiment for them. The conversation went something like this:
"Where are you working now?"
"Seremban lor"
"Eh not Serdang?"
"No ah, I said I'm coming back to Seremban what"
"So happy ah?"
"OK lah"
"Want to come back not?"
"Errrr no lor... "
"Why la?"
"I'm serious bout what I said when I resigned lor"

And so I am.

The Crossroad

My life as it is, hangs in the air. Breathlessly awaiting, awaiting....

Standing at a crossroad, looking down both lanes, wondering which to take. The end is the same but which shall i take? Neither smooth yet they are not the same. But which shall I walk down? Choices choices. So many choices. If only GOd told me directly I need not choose. Yet I wonder if God did that would i have listened? questions questions. so many questions.

How do you decide? How do you choose? I can safely say this will be one of the most important decisions i'm going to make in my life. And i want badly to do it right. I want desperately. But I just can't be 100% sure. Besides, I dont got much guts. Just plenty of passion....

Lord, grant me the wisdom to know Your Will. Grant me the assurance that You will indeed lead. Guide me Lord and I will follow. Show me Lord and I will go. Surely Your goodness and mercies will follow me all the days of my life. Speak to me God and let me hear Your sweet voice. Tell me Lord. Shut the wrong doors that I may know. Into Your hands I commit myself.

Please pray for me. That God will just.... i dunno la.. I need to know.

(the picture is from some church's promo on something. i think it's really cool)

A new sight

I figured blogspot would be a whole lot more flexible as compared to multiply. and i was right. Unfortunately I was stared in the face with HTML coding. man.... here's to self-learning. "Just pick it up yourself la," my dear cousin Andrew said. Argh! If learning computer-related subjects was not so demanding. I know I know... i studied it in college. I didn't say i liked it.

It took time to customize. Time which was not so much on my side. But I wanted so much for it to be beautiful and complete. So many a times have i watched in admiration at other beautifully designed blogs or sites and wonder why I never took the time to learn when i had the chance (like in college). So now the pain of creating this will (hopefully) pay off. Fingers crossed

Evaluating the time I have, i doubt i can complete it before migrating. I always thought that we should complete the home before you move in. But I guess you can always move in before finishing the furnishing - which would take time.

A work of art
Standing tall in it's beauty
For all to see and admire
From far and wide
But what determines beauty?
Who decides?

I guess only the artist knows
He who paints the end result
Painted the journey
The bitter sweet moments
Only the painter knows