Running The Race....

Accepting Myself

2011-10-26T00:18:00.000-07:00

I've resigned and accepted myself, for who I am. The ability to appreciate the depth of issues of life no matter how much restlessness and depression it might cost me to have. My only hope is to run to God and to rest in His sovereignity.

No matter what may befall me, what is important at the end of the day, is that my faith in Him will not waver. LORD, strengthen my faith!

Gibb's Rules

2011-09-27T05:53:00.000-07:00

Rule #1: Never let suspects stay together.

Rule #1: Never screw over your partner.

Rule #2: Always wear gloves at a crime scene.

Rule #3: Don't believe what you're told. Double check.

Rule #3: Never be unreachable. (*Most likely one of Mike Franks' "Golden Rules" (see below) as opposed to Gibbs, because Gibbs has been known to intentionally be unreachable.*)

Rule #4: The best way to keep a secret? Keep it to yourself. Second best? Tell one other person - if you must. There is no third best.

Rule #5: You don't waste good.

Rule #6: Never apologize. It's a sign of weakness.

Rule #7: Always be specific when you lie.

Rule #8: Never take anything for granted.

Rule #9: Never go anywhere without a knife.

Sometimes listed as "Never leave home without a knife."

Rule #10: Never get personally involved in a case.

Said by the SecNav to be Rule #1 in Washington politics, in Nature of the Beast, Season 9, Episode 1.

Rule #11: When the job is done, walk away.

Rule #12: Never date a co-worker.

Rule #13: Never, ever involve a lawyer.

Rule #15: Always work as a team.

Rule #16: If someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.

Rule #18: It's better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.

Rule #22: Never, ever bother Gibbs in interrogation.

Rule #23: Never mess with a Marine's coffee... if you want to live.

Rule #27: There are two ways to follow someone. (1) First way, they never notice you. (2) Second way, they onlynotice you.

Rule #35: Always watch the watchers.

Rule #36: If you feel like you are being played, you probably are.

Rule #38: Your case, your lead.

Rule #39: There is no such thing as coincidence.

Rule #40: If it seems someone is out to get you, they are.

Rule #44: First things first, hide the women and children.

Rule #45: Clean up the mess that you make.

Also stated as, "Never leave behind loose ends."

Rule #51: Sometimes - you're wrong.

Surrender?

2011-09-06T19:03:00.000-07:00

LORD, must I surrender everything that I hold dear?

My passions, my identity, myself?

What will I have LORD?

I'm so lost

I don't know what will happen to me

But I know Your thoughts are greater than mine

Help me to give it all up

And let Your fire consume it

Until there's nothing left of me

Take it all....

I Wonder

2011-09-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

I feel so lost

Wondering what is happening to me

Words cannot put it

On how I feel

God

When will You deliver me

Deliver me from this

And let me be free

The Long and Winding Road

2011-03-13T12:34:00.001-07:00

One of the best songs ever written. This version is awesome. Enjoy....

Random Post....

2011-03-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's a day since I've turned 22. I'm getting older day by day. Yesterday was just a milestone after I grew older after 365 days. Am of utmost graditute for my parents for raising me up in being who I am today. God-fearing, non-rebellious(not major), trained to do housework since young(awfully proud of it) and just being myself.

Despite the initial joy of turning 22, getting all the wonderful wishes from my friends, gifts and an ambush in the afternoon, the euphoria soon settled down and here I am, facing the harsh questions of life again.

I don't enjoy being so complicated-minded. Even my best noticed that I tend to complicate simple matters. God knows how she managed to put up with my weirdness(depends on how you put it).

Whilst driving to work, I almost got overwhelmed by my anxiety enemy. Wished I had Dopamine to just shut my mind down a bit to calm myself down. Despite being surrounded by loving family and friends, with wonderful pastors on call 24/7 and being loved by the most wonderful girl ever, deep down there is this emptiness within me.

I feel so lonely deep down. It's like the eerie type of loneliness, a deep longing. I thought the girl I loved could fill it, knowledge, hobbies but no, I was wrong. I chased after so many things to satisfy me. I pursued knowledge, things to stimulate my mind to find it but no, it's not there.

Since young, I've been restless within. Not easy being like this as a kid but that's what I go through. Then I could not explain it but now I can. Only God can....

So I started seeking. Reading the Bible, pray, be silent. The former two are easy, but when it comes to the latter, in my opinion bench-pressing is way easier.

They said God speaks to a silent soul. Great. How does a restless soul be restful after being restless within for more than half his life?

"Nos fecisti ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te."

Oh well, continue seeking is the answer. In the meantime, I can't complain because God has been good to me in many areas. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by awesome people. I shall continue seeking Him and do my best with what I have now while hoping and waiting upon Him.

L'Chaim

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

2010-12-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

“I am part of the “Fellowship of the Unashamed.” I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I’ve stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I’ve reached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He’ll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear.

I'm Proud Being Rogue

2010-11-09T01:24:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 01, 2010

[Gabriel Latner]

The Cambridge Union Society held a debate on the motion that "Israel is a rogue state" on October 21st.

The Balfour Street blog describes what happened:

In the end, the proposition was defeated, but the event didn't proceed without an unusual twist. It seems one of the members of the side in favor of the proposition, a student who was apparently selected at random (or not at random), decided to argue the point from a decidedly pro-Israel perspective.

The debater, Gabriel Latner, gave a copy of his speech to Mondoweiss with the request that it not be edited. I am reproducing it here, only by adding paragraph spacing and slight grammatical corrections where it seemed appropriate. The square bracket comments were his written afterwards.

This is a war of ideals, and the other speakers here tonight are rightfully, idealists. I'm not. I'm a realist. I'm here to win. I have a single goal this evening – to have at least a plurality of you walk out of the 'Aye' door. I face a singular challenge – most, if not all, of you have already made up your minds.

This issue is too polarizing for the vast majority of you not to already have a set opinion. I'd be willing to bet that half of you strongly support the motion, and half of you strongly oppose it. I want to win, and we're destined for a tie. I'm tempted to do what my fellow speakers are going to do – simply rehash every bad thing the Israeli government has ever done in an attempt to satisfy those of you who agree with them. And perhaps they'll even guilt one of you rare undecided into voting for the proposition, or more accurately, against Israel. It would be so easy to twist the meaning and significance of international 'laws' to make Israel look like a criminal state. But that's been done to death. It would be easier still to play to your sympathy, with personalised stories of Palestinian suffering. And they can give very eloquent speeches on those issues. But the truth is, that treating people badly, whether they're your citizens or an occupied nation, does not make a state' rogue'. If it did, Canada, the US, and Australia would all be rogue states based on how they treat their indigenous populations. Britain's treatment of the Irish would easily qualify them to wear this sobriquet. These arguments, while emotionally satisfying, lack intellectual rigour.

More importantly, I just don't think we can win with those arguments. It won't change the numbers. Half of you will agree with them, half of you won't. So I'm going to try something different, something a little unorthodox. I'm going to try and convince the die-hard Zionists and Israel supporters here tonight, to vote for the proposition. By the end of my speech – I will have presented 5 pro-Israel arguments that show Israel is, if not a 'rogue state' than at least 'rogueish'.

Let me be clear. I will not be arguing that Israel is 'bad'. I will not be arguing that it doesn't deserve to exist. I won't be arguing that it behaves worse than every other country. I will only be arguing that Israel is 'rogue'.

The word 'rogue' has come to have exceptionally damning connotations. But the word itself is value-neutral. The OED defines rogue as 'Aberrant, anomalous; misplaced, occurring (esp. in isolation) at an unexpected place or time ', while a dictionary from a far greater institution gives this definition 'behaving in ways that are not expected or not normal, often in a destructive way '. These definitions, and others, centre on the idea of anomaly – the unexpected or uncommon. Using this definition, a rogue state is one that acts in an unexpected, uncommon or aberrant manner. A state that behaves exactly like Israel.

The first argument is statistical. The fact that Israel is a Jewish state alone makes it anomalous enough to be dubbed a rogue state: There are 195 countries in the world. Some are Christian, some Muslim, some are secular. Israel is the only country in the world that is Jewish. Or, to speak mathmo for a moment, the chance of any randomly chosen state being Jewish is 0.0051% . In comparison the chance of a UK lotto ticket winning at least £10 is 0.017% - more than twice as likely. Israel's Jewishness is a statistical abberation.

The second argument concerns Israel's humanitarianism, in particular,Israel's response to a refugee crisis. Not the Palestinian refugee crisis – for I am sure that the other speakers will cover that – but the issue of Darfurian refugees. Everyone knows that what happened, and is still happening in Darfur, is genocide, whether or not the UN and the Arab League will call it such. [I actually hoped that Mr Massih would be able speak about this - he's actually somewhat of an expert on the Crisis in Darfur, in fact it's his expertise that has called him away to represent the former Dictator of Sudan while he is being investigated by the ICC.] There has been a mass exodus from Darfur as the oppressed seek safety. They have not had much luck. Many have gone north to Egypt – where they are treated despicably. The brave make a run through the desert in a bid to make it to Israel. Not only do they face the natural threats of the Sinai, they are also used for target practice by the Egyptian soldiers patrolling the border. Why would they take the risk? Because in Israel they are treated with compassion – they are treated as the refugees that they are – and perhaps Israel's cultural memory of genocide is to blame. The Israeli government has even gone so far as to grant several hundred Darfurian refugees Citizenship. This alone sets Israel apart from the rest of the world.

But the real point of distinction is this: The IDF sends out soldiers and medics to patrol the Egyptian border. They are sent looking for refugees attempting to cross into Israel. Not to send them back into Egypt, but to save them from dehydration, heat exhaustion, and Egyptian bullets. Compare that to the US's reaction to illegal immigration across their border with Mexico. The American government has arrested private individuals for giving water to border crossers who were dying of thirst – and here the Israeli government is sending out its soldiers to save illegal immigrants. To call that sort of behavior anomalous is an understatement.

My Third argument is that the Israeli government engages in an activity which the rest of the world shuns -- it negotiates with terrorists. Forget the late PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, a man who died with blood all over his hands – they're in the process of negotiating with terrorists as we speak. Yasser Abed Rabbo is one of the lead PLO negotiators that has been sent to the peace talks with Israel. Abed Rabbo also used to be a leader of the PFLP- an organisation of 'freedom fighters' that, under Abed Rabbo's leadership, engaged in such freedom promoting activities as killing 22 Israeli high school students. And the Israeli government is sending delegates to sit at a table with this man, and talk about peace. And the world applauds. You would never see the Spanish government in peace talks with the leaders of the ETA – the British government would never negotiate with Thomas Murphy. And if President Obama were to sit down and talk about peace with Osama Bin Laden, the world would view this as insanity. But Israel can do the exact same thing – and earn international praise in the process. That is the dictionary definition of rogue – behaving in a way that is unexpected, or not normal.

Another part of dictionary definition is behaviour or activity 'occuring at an unexpected place or time'. When you compare Israel to its regional neighbours, it becomes clear just how roguish Israel is. And here is the fourth argument: Israel has a better human rights record than any of its neighbours. At no point in history, has there ever been a liberal democratic state in the Middle East- except for Israel. Of all the countries in the Middle East, Israel is the only one where the LGBT community enjoys even a small measure of equality. In Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and Syria, homosexual conduct is punishable by flogging, imprisonment, or both. But homosexuals there get off pretty lightly compared to their counterparts in Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, who are put to death. Israeli homosexuals can adopt, openly serve in the army, enter civil unions, and are protected by exceptionally strongly worded ant-discrimination legislation. Beats a death sentence. In fact, it beats America.

Israel's protection of its citizens' civil liberties has earned international recognition. Freedom House is an NGO that releases an annual report on democracy and civil liberties in each of the 195 countries in the world. It ranks each country as 'Free' 'Partly Free' or 'Not Free'. In the Middle East, Israel is the only country that has earned designation as a 'free' country. Not surprising given the level of freedom afforded to citizens in say, Lebanon- a country designated 'partly free', where there are laws against reporters criticizing not only the Lebanese government, but the Syrian regime as well. [I'm hoping Ms Booth will speak about this, given her experience working as a 'journalist' for Iran,] Iran is a country given the rating of 'not free', putting it alongside China, Zimbabwe, North Korea, and Myanmar. In Iran, [as Ms Booth I hoped would have said in her speech], there is a special 'Press Court' which prosecutes journalists for such heinous offences as criticizing the ayatollah, reporting on stories damaging the 'foundations of the Islamic republic' , using 'suspicious (i.e. western) sources', or insulting islam. Iran is the world leader in terms of jailed journalists, with 39 reporters (that we know of) in prison as of 2009. They also kicked out almost every Western journalist during the 2009 election. [I don't know if Ms Booth was affected by that] I guess we can't really expect more from a theocracy. Which is what most countries in the Middle East are. Theocracies and Autocracies. But Israel is the sole, the only, the rogue, democracy. Out of every country in the Middle East, only in Israel do anti-government protests and reporting go unquashed and uncensored.

I have one final argument – the last nail in the opposition's coffin- and its sitting right across the aisle. Mr Ran Gidor's presence here is the all evidence any of us should need to confidently call Israel a rogue state. For those of you who have never heard of him, Mr Gidor is a political counsellor attached to Israel's embassy in London. He's the guy the Israeli government sent to represent them to the UN. He knows what he's doing. And he's here tonight. And it's incredible. Consider, for a moment, what his presence here means. The Israeli government has signed off,to allow one of their senior diplomatic representatives to participate in a debate on their very legitimacy. That's remarkable. Do you think for a minute, that any other country would do the same? If the Yale University Debating Society were to have a debate where the motion was 'This house believes Britain is a racist, totalitarian state that has done irrevocable harm to the peoples of the world', that Britain would allow any of its officials to participate? No. Would China participate in a debate about the status of Taiwan? Never. And there is no chance in hell that an American government official would ever be permitted to argue in a debate concerning its treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. But Israel has sent Mr Ran Gidor to argue tonight against [a 'journalist' come reality TV star, and myself,] a 19 year old law student who is entirely unqualified to speak on the issue at hand.

Every government in the world should be laughing at Israel right now- because it forgot rule number one. You never add credence to crackpots by engaging with them. It's the same reason you won't see Stephen Hawking or Richard Dawkins debate David Icke. But Israel is doing precisely that. Once again, behaving in a way that is unexpected, or not normal. Behaving like a rogue state.

That's five arguments that have been directed at the supporters of Israel. But I have a minute or two left. And here's an argument for all of you – Israel willfully and forcefully disregards international law. In 1981 Israel destroyed OSIRAK – Sadam Hussein's nuclear bomb lab. Every government in the world knew that Hussein was building a bomb. And they did nothing. Except for Israel. Yes, in doing so they broke international law and custom. But they also saved us all from a nuclear Iraq. That rogue action should earn Israel a place of respect in the eyes of all freedom loving peoples. But it hasn't. But tonight, while you listen to us prattle on, I want you to remember something; while you're here, Khomeini's Iran is working towards the Bomb. And if you're honest with yourself, you know that Israel is the only country that can, and will, do something about it. Israel will, out of necessity act in a way that is the not the norm, and you'd better hope that they do it in a destructive manner. Any sane person would rather a rogue Israel than a Nuclear Iran. [Except Ms Booth]

This kid is going places.

(Please not the views in this article are not those of any organization I respresent, nor are they neccessarily mine and are purely those of the authors)

The return of Hawaii Five-O

2010-10-29T04:03:00.000-07:00

Soon we'll be able to watch the remake of Hawaii Five-O. So far I've managed to watch 2 episodes of it so far and all I can say is so far so good....

Here's a glimpse of the cast of the remake version. Until then, here's a video of the music for the intro, one of the best songs to jam with. Book 'em Danno!

The Playground of My Mind

2010-10-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

I walked through a field
A beautiful meadow
Green green grass
And beautiful fluttering butterflies

I walked by the sea
Listening to the gulls cries
As the waves hit the sands
And the girls laughed with joy

I walked across the mountains
Marvelling at creation
Breathing in the cool mountain air
As an edelweiss greeted me

But then....

The looming clouds broke apart
Into a fearsome storm
Lightnings crashed around me
And burst into flashing terrors

I ran and ran and ran
But the cloud overtook me
In vain I pulled at my hair
Crying desperately for relief

I want my relief
To deliver me from this agony
Woe woe woe
Is this state of mind

Random Rantings

2010-09-24T00:30:00.000-07:00

1, I'm sick of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2, God why art Thou so silent???????????????????
3, I'm sick of life's Rat Race
4, Can we ban automobiles and user bicycles as our main transportation?????????
5, The LDP's got to be the stinkiest highway ever!!!!!!!!!!

Auld Lang Syne

2010-09-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

The silence is deafening
My spirit lies shattered
Heavy is my heart
As I stared up the ceilling

Deep down
The melody doesn't make any sense
The lyrics are foreign to me
Sorrow O Sorrow....

The harp lies broken
Ivory keys uprooted
The cymbals rust away
As the sheets lay strewn

I said my last goodbye
As the horizon vanishes
The sun sets
Beneath the sound of silence

Tikvah :-)

2010-08-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

Yay!!!! Hope.... Just found out that University of Nottingham Malaysia offered a BA in International Relations. I will find out more, apply and see whether I'll get in or not. It's up to God to open the door for me. Maybe, this time I'll be able to fulfill my ambition?

Dancing IDF Patrol

2010-08-17T02:16:00.001-07:00

This video is just pure fun....

A Love Story, From A Long Time Ago

2010-08-16T01:32:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time
There was a young man
Who just got his law degree
A flamboyant young man
Who broke every rule, that a lawyer couldn't imagine transgressing

Once upon a time
There was a young woman
A quiet young woman
With an observant and witty heart
Gifted with a flair for languages and matters of the heart

One hailed from the city
The other from the countryside
One from a busy place
The other from a quiet idlelyistic place
Love however, transcends geography

It was a visit in the countryside
By the aspiring lawyer
That led to them crossing paths
Despite the first impression he gave
The animosity and prejudice didn't last long

Soon she was smitten by his intellect
He was attracted by her gift for words and her ambition
Which was abhorrent for women then
How Love sparked and crashed
As they went against all the acceptable norm

Sadly for them, their love was frown upon by society
Where it's important to marry for material good
Which guarantees a steady future
Whilst their love is purely love
Which was what love is supposed to be

Sadly for them, it didn't work out
Soon the cruel hands of societal prejudice
And fierce opposition towards their love
Dealt a cruel blow to their hearts
Though they ran away
They relented....

Apart they have to be
Time passes
He became a successful lawyer, judge and eventually a politician
She went on to become a well-loved and famous author
But deep down, that emptiness and pain lingers on....

The Search

2010-08-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

I'm still searching and thinking hard on which course to take next. Overseas will be too expensive, but the thing is they have the courses which I want to take. Whilst here, it's all based on needs and not interests. Why can't we have the nice courses?

Israel is the Real Victim

2010-08-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

The international outrage and condemnation on the IDF’s raid on the Mavi Marmara and other ‘terror ships’ is pure nonsensical. Once again, anti-Semites took the opportunity to launch a direct attack on Israel, all in the name of humanity. This is by far the most obvious manifestation of anti-Semitism by ‘humanitarians’.

First of all, I got no problems with humanitarians. I admit it is really noble to fight for the oppressed. But what I really can’t tolerate is sheer hipocracy. Action speaks louder than words.

If one would notice, any Israeli operation against terrorists in the West Bank or Gaza Strip would be met by a barrage of international outrage, demonstrations and condemnation in the UN General Assembly. If the same happens in other countries, the world is silent.

Personally, I’m all out for peace. To narrow it down, this includes peace and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. I believe that God created Mankind in His image so it’ll be wrong if we discriminate against others of different race.

Now back again, in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, the one who wants peace is Israel. In comparison, the Palestinians want nothing more than the destruction of Israel.

This can be seen in the 2005 Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government showed it’s sincerity to want to have peace with it’s Arab neighbours by forcefully evicting their own settlers from Gaza with IDF and police force. Despite the heart wrenching move and fierce opposition from the settlers, Israel went ahead with that unpopular move for the sake of peace.

In contrast, once the Palestinians returned, they continued their war against Israel. Instead of rebuilding their lives with their new-found land, they used it as a platform to launch rockets inside Israel and continue their acts of terrorism.

This shows that no matter what is being done, the Arabs still want to see the destruction of Israel. To them, peace is equivalent to the total destruction of Israel. With this kind of mindset, it is impossible, I repeat, downright impossible to achieve peace.

Since 2005, a lot has happened. The kidnapping of Gilad Shalit by Hamas militants and held in the very place where Israel withdrew, the aggression by Hezbollah that led to the outbreak of Operation Summer Rain and countless rocket attacks by militants on Israeli targets that led to Operation Cast Lead.

The irony of all these is, despite the numerous Palestinian aggression since they first appeared, like the numerous airline hijackings in the 70s, the Olympic attack in Munich in 72’, the world still sided with the Palestinians despite their obvious intentions.

To add insult to injury, Turkey, which openly supports terrorist groups since Erdogan took over, sponsored and blessed the voyage of the ‘Peace Flotilia’. The real intention of this fleet, is to provoke an Israeli action that will lead to world condemnation(which unfortunately succeeded).

As these words were typed, Israel faces an international inquiry for defending itself. It’s is sad to see a nation which stands at the forefront in the war against terrorism being subjected to oppression by so called peace-lovers.

My exhortation to the world is this:

If you truly desire peace, don’t just fight for the Palestinians. Fight also for the right of the Kurds for a land, who are the largest population in the world without a home. Show your displeasure against Sudan’s genocidal war in Darfur. Take the same amount of action that you took for the Palestinians and direct it against the Iranian governments crackdown on the Green Revolution.

In short, the world is clearly biased against Israel. Dictatorial regimes get away whilst Israel, the only democratic country in the Middle-East, receives the bad end. The aggressor becomes the victim whilst the victim becomes the aggressor.

To know the truth, study history and get your facts right.

Verse of the Day

2010-08-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

"For the vision is yet for the appointed time;
It hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
For it will certainly come, it will not delay.

Habakkuk 2:3

A Year Ago....

2010-08-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a year
Since that fateful afternoon
Hot and humid
Yet a quiet and beautiful afternoon it was

The river was flowing smoothly
The tree covered us from the sun
And blessed us with it's pollens
As we stood on the bridge

Quietness fills the air
As we didn't know what to talk about
Rather
I was mesmerised by you

When we looked into each other's eyes
We connected instantly
Time didn't work on us then
As we admired each other

The walk we took
How memorable it was
The slow stroll
As we admired the flowers and the cats

Exactly a year since that afternoon
Many things has happened then
Beautiful and ugly
Pleasant and painful

Yet those things never affected my love for you
My love for you despite it all
Is now stronger than ever
Because since that day
I've decided deep down
That I want to spend my entire life with you.

The Anchor

2010-07-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Life is like the oceans
With calm winds and peaceful waters
It is a delight sailing through it
As the albatrosses glide overhead

Pleasant it may be
There will be rough storms
Furious winds and raging tempests
Tossing us to and fro

The only thing that will keep the ship still
Despite the rough beatings
And the fury of the storm
Is an anchor

In life, that Anchor is Jesus Christ....

Results of Pruning

2010-07-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

The photo tells it all....

Not Easy

2010-07-21T01:26:00.000-07:00

Pruning is painful
It's not pleasant
Just when you thought things are well
The unpleasant happen

Defeated, broken, depressed
You can only turn to God
The Vine dresser of our soul
For comfort

It is when you're broken
That you'll know how strong your faith is
How 'tough' you are
Which for me ain't so

A long Road ahead for me
I'm not matured enough
To travel this Road
With full confidence

Dying To Self

2010-07-06T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here’s another shocker to all my friends, my acquaintances and myself. I’m saying goodbye to Rock Music. Yes, Rock Music, including The Beatles and The Beach Boys.

It’s a very hard decision for me, especially to renounce The Beach Boys. These two bands are part of my memory, was forever engraved in my heart and soul. As these words are being typed, I can hear the echoes of their songs being played in the back of my mind.

Sadly, I must renounce them. Due to their musical background and influences, plus their own confessions and actions, I had no choice but to renounce them.

Here are few quotes from them itself:

“We probably seem to be anti-religious… none of us believes in God.” (Hit Parader, Jan 1970, p.15) -Paul McCartney

“Christianity will go, it will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. I’m right and will be proved right… .We’re more popular than Jesus now.” (San Francisco Chronicle, April 13, 1966, p.26) -John Lennon

“Jesus El Pifico, a garlic-eating, stinking little yellow, greasy fascist b****** Catholic Spaniard.” (A Spaniard in the Works, p.14). -John Lennon

Now here’s an excerpt from an interview with Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.

Did drugs and particularly psychedelic drugs in particular help you search your soul? A little bit. I realized I was deaf in my right ear, which made me search my left ear, and then when I started searching my soul I found out all kinds of things about myself that were really interesting. Like that I had more strength than I thought I had, and I was stronger than I thought I really was. I can take anything, I’m strong enough inside. I can take any kind of bad vibe or anything.

Did drugs help your music or hurt it?

It helped it. Drugs helped it a lot—they made me concentrate more, psychedelic drugs.

“Cabin Essence,” “Wind Chimes” and “Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow” off of the reworked Smile record are about as psychedelic as anything the Beatles ever recorded. What role did your drug use play in creating these tunes when you first wrote them in the 1960s?

We smoked pot and hash when originally creating those songs [in the late 1960s]. It helped us get into the songs. I wouldn’t do it now.

So you no longer use drugs as part of the creative process?

Ah…nah. Nah. It was just that one time in my life and that’s all.

Is there any one track off of Smile that is the most important track on the record to you?

For me, I would have to say “Surf’s Up” would have to be the most important one. It’s a very special song that Leonard Bernstein liked and the lyrics [in collaboration with lyricist Van Dyke Parks] are poetic and ingenious, it’s really one heck of a great song. We wrote the song in sections, three different sections. One day we wrote the verses, another day we wrote the bridges and then finished it on a third day. I know what you mean; it’s a timeless, ageless song.

You once said during the Pet Sounds era and also into your first attempt at the Smile album in the 1960s that you were trying to do “witchcraft music,” that you were trying to do witchcraft.

No, that’s not true. I was not trying to do witchcraft or witchcraft music; I was just trying to do something different and innovative.

http://www.offbeat.com/2005/05/01/brian-wilson/

“We were doing witchcraft, trying to make witchcraft music.” —Brian Wilson quoted in Nick Kent’s The Dark Stuff (pg.27.)

Asked about his belief in God, here’s what he has to say….

Are you thinking about God these days?

I think about God, yes, and I wonder if there is a God. And if there is a God, will God please help me through my hard trips.

http://www.offbeat.com/2005/05/01/brian-wilson/

It grieves me to find out that The Beach Boys are also Satanic in nature. Using drugs to write songs? What difference are they then to The Beatles? Plus, using drugs is commonly used by people to have demonic inspiration and influence.

It’s scary how Satan used music to deadly effect. I’m not the only one caught in this bondage. Whether it’s ‘old school’ 60s Rock n Roll or modern Punk or Heavy Metal, Rock itself is bad because of it’s origins and message encouraging rebellion and drug use.

I may be hated after this article is posted, even by some of my friends. But I don’t care anymore. What matters the most for me now is that I gain Christ, even if it means I loose everything here on Earth.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. -Romans 12:2

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. -James 4:4

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, -Philippians 3:8

Good Riddance To The Beatles

2010-07-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

Today I’ve decided to renounce The Beatles. I can’t ignore the fact that they’re Satanists. It’s not something that I can just sweep under the carpet and say “It’s ok”. For too long have they occupy a place in my heart where it belongs to God.

From now on, I won’t compromise on the colour codes of morality; white, black and grey. White is white and black is black. There is no such thing as ‘grey area’ when it comes to making a stand. Better being hot or cold than being lukewarm. Though it’s hard, especially when I had to break my CD, it’s worth it. For God it is worth it, more than having all that this galaxy could offer.

No compromise….

Camp Wish

2010-06-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

My wish for this camp
Is that God will show Himself to me
I want to see Him
To see His Glory

My wish for this camp
Is for God to give me the breakthrough
Because my spiritual walk is so dry now
Touch me O LORD

My wish for this camp
Is for God to deliver me from my struggles
To break the bondage once and for all
And to set me free

This is my wish....

OUCH!

2010-05-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

You know what's the most tragic thing is life? It's being purposeless and God being silent when you need Him.

Right now, I'm experiencing both at once. I just have to persevere and find out what my purpose in life is, and wait for the breakthrough.

Life at 21 do gets 'exciting'

Persevere, persevere, persevere....

My Running Shoes

2010-05-09T03:38:00.000-07:00

At last, my running shoes. My very first. Thanks mum and dad :-)

Woman

2010-05-07T00:51:00.000-07:00

God did not make the woman from a bone in Adam's skull, so that she would lord over him; God did not take a bone from his feet so that she would be stepped on; but God took a bone from his rib, near his heart so that she would be LOVED.

Song In The Night

2010-05-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

My Soul is downcast
My Spirit is weak

Everything seems wrong
I felt like screaming out

Why is God silent?
Where art Thou when I needed Thee?

I'm travelling in the darkest parts of the forest
In the darkest of nights

With no moonlight to guide me
And the terrors of the night calling out to me

Will I loose faith?
Or will I buckle up my faith?
And sing a song
In the darkest night of my Soul

Desperation

2010-05-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

What can I do?
My future is uncertain

What can I do?
When I can't take the naggings anymore

What can I do?
When I cry out to God
And didn't get any answers

What can I do?
My life is in a mess
And everything seems to be going wrong now

What can I do?
I don't know how much longer will I be sane

My life seems so defeated
I'm so lonely

I read Your Word
I prayed to You
And yet, You didn't answer
Why are You so silent?

Silence isn't golden, silence is killing my Soul....

Jogging With God

2010-04-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

I've found a new hobby, jogging. It's a miracle that a lazy bum like me will fall in love with this activity. I guess for me, life begins at 21....

What I like about jogging is that unlike the 100m dash, which I'm a huge fan of (due to no stamina required) and to feel the wind beating against your face as you 'fly' across whatever terrain you're running on, it requires endurance and coordination.

Whilst I jog, I not only have to control my breathing, hence the 'goldfish mouth':-p and also to control my footsteps. I must always remind myself not to stomp my foot because this is when I'll loose a lot of energy.

Jogging is also good because it builds up my stamina, which I must admit, I'm woefully lacking. Just imagine that you can only play for a while with the kids and drop 'dead' in less than half an hour :-s

But above all, I get to enjoy God's Creation whilst jogging. As I run past the forests, I get to marvel at how unique each of His Creation is. Last night, everything was so quiet except for the passing vehicles. My mind was at peace and at rest whilst I jog. You can say that when I jog, it's the only time that my mind is at ease.

As long as I live, I'll jog and jog and jog, just like how I run the Race of Life. Can't wait to go 'Home' :-)

PS: I need good jogging shoes....

For You

2010-04-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Life, the exsistense of this universe
All held into one by Thee

The Alpha and Omega
Beginning and the End

Transcendent, Omnipresent
Thou art everywhere

With Love You created everything
According to Thy creativity

Who can fathom Thy mind
Deep and unsearchable

For all things are created by You
And for You

'All things have been created through Him and for Him.' Colossians 1:16

Legacy

2010-04-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

Even though they are no more, well at least two of them, The Beatles still live on. Here is two of my favourite Beatles song....

'All My Loving', brings back the fond memories....

"Please Please Me', another favourite

'She Loves You'

'I Feel Fine'

Long live The Beatles, err no.... Long Live The Swinging Sixties!!!!

Wouldn't It Be Nice

2010-04-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

Right now, I feel like this song....

Wouldn't it be nice if we were older
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong

You know its gonna make it that much better
When we can say goodnight and stay together

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new
And after having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through

The happy times together we've been spending
I wish that every kiss was never ending
Oh Wouldn't it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true (run, run, run)
Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do
We could be married (we could be married)
And then we'd be happy (then we'd be happy)

Wouldn't it be nice (ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba)

You know it seems the more we talk about it
It only makes it worse to live without it
But lets talk about it
Oh, wouldn't it be nice

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

good night my baby
sleep tight my baby

Oh wouldn't it be nice, don't you think so? ;-)

Sadness of My Heart

2010-04-07T03:44:00.002-07:00

My heart is so sad
And bitter now

As I stood at the bridge
Where we shared our sweet memories

My heart is torn in two
As I contemplated

So many things in my mind
I'm at rock bottom

I can't share it with you
Because I'm not able to talk to you

I can only do my best
To lift my head up

And sing a song
Even though it is dark.

Time Travel Or Faith

2010-04-05T02:56:00.000-07:00

Right now, I wish I could travel through time, travel 4 or 5 years into the future to see whether we'd make it or not, to see what we'll do during our courtship. The picnics, the book fairs, or even the walk by the beach.

I wish I could travel 10 years into the future, to see how our marriage will look like, where we'd end up buying a house, how our library will look like, our kids or even the pranks I'll play on you ;-)

But if I do that, what's the point of putting my faith in God right? Where will the excitement be and what's the worth of waiting upon God's time, right?

Silence is golden, silence for 4 years. When will I break apart inside???? Help me O God....

Shattered

2010-03-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Teach me O Lord
To wait upon Thy timing
To be patient
As I wait upon Thee

Painful this may be
I'm willing to wait
No matter how long
Because I know it will be well

Heal our broken hearts
As we offer them to You
Have Your way with us
As we surrender to You

I pray O Lord
That whatever may happen
No matter where our paths may go
That in the end
You will lead me back to her door.

FREEDOM!!!!

2010-03-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Just came back from Encounter Camp on Wednesday. One word to sum it all up. AWESOME!

God really moved mightily in this camp. The desperation within our hearts, our hunger has caused this outpouring by God.

For me personally, it was a bittersweet moment. Before this, I thought I couldn't come for this camp due to so many things happening at home. However, I've seen His goodness as I was allowed to go 2 days before the camp as everything was cleared. Talking about miracles. Here's one :-)

Personally, I felt God opened the door for me because I was desperate. My life, especially my spiritual walk, was in a heap load of mess. I was desperate for God to touch me and cleanse me.

Thank God I got what I wanted. At first He opened the door for me and then He touched me!

In short, the camp was AWESOME! I just pray that every Sunday, the service will be like this :-)

My 21st Birthday

2010-03-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, I was officially an adult. Age has caught up with me. Not to mention that I'm beginning to have a tummy too ;-) I'm old....

My parents and the Tans, plus the ever noisy Pan Mee Gang, threw a party for me. Little did I know that my mum ordered a fruit cake for the occasion, plus heaps of nasi lemak and cold drinks.

This was my first birthday party after ages. And the noisiest. It was also my first time being 'painted' with cream all over my face.

I got a chain from Aunty Fer. She told me to wear it all the time and don't keep taking it out and wearing it again so yeah, I've been wearing it ever since she gave it to me. My Hamster gave me 'To Kill A Mockingbird' :-) I'm waiting to finish my other books so I can start reading it.

After that, my mum took me for Cone Pizza at Selayang Mall, where another surprise was waiting. Little did I know for my birthday present, my sister bought me an.... iPod Shuffle! Little would I imagine myself owning one!

I thank God for all that He's done for me. I'm 21 because of His Grace and protection. Blessed am I indeed :-)

My New Toy!!!!

2010-03-06T04:27:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, I went to Bentley's flagship store at The Curve with Shammah. Initially, we planned to go to KLCC to take his Blackberry which was sent for repairs but due to heavy rains, we've decided to make a big turn and head towards Bentley's.

It was my first time being at Bentley's new flagship store and boy, the place is huge. The place is just full of musical instruments and equipments. Thank God there's ample space to move around without knocking things down.

We went straight to the drums and percussions department. A Tama Superstar caught my eyes as I walked towards the drumsticks part, scanning for my dream drumstick....

I caught a glimpse of it after scanning around. My dream drumsticks: The Pro-Mark Ringo Starr Artist Signature Series TX5ALW. Though it costs RM 40, I just bought it without haste. Shammah bought himself a Pro-Mark 2B.

Here are the pictures of my new 'toy'....

I'm going to have fun man............

God Only Knows

2010-03-04T07:40:00.000-08:00

I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I'd be without you

God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I'd be without you

God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on, believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me

God only knows what I'd be without you... (fade)

What I Am Doing Now

2010-01-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

What am I doing now? Well let's see. I'm still bashing myself for being such a 'genius' in continuing my studies and wasted 7 months. Why continue your course when you know you don't want to be a journalist? Smart aleck....

Right now I got 2 weeks to decide what I really want to do. Since my dad's willing to send me to Australia to study, I better think real hard of what I want to do. Zoology, International Relations, History or Middle-Eastern Studies.

Oh God, grant me the wisdom to choose the right course. I don't want to make another costly and dumb mistake again.

Also, since I had spare time, I could read the Bible or other books whenever I'm free, lie down on my mattress and do a lot of thinking ;-)

I also had the 'priviledge' to finally watch 'Chuck' ;-) Man he's just one cool nerd. Come on, of all the spy movies, this has got to be the one with the most entertainment value. Literally.

Just close your eyes and imagine. Your brain currently stores a 'Top Secret' files which your friend, who works with the CIA, sent it to your email's inbox on your birthday. You opened it and the next thing you know, it's all uploaded into your brain as you stood in front of your computer, 'digesting' all the images from night to morning.

And the best part, 2 agents are assigned to protect you. One, a pro-Republican ex-Marine 'I'll shoot you' sarcastic cold-hearted(or not) NSA agent. The other one is a smoking hot 170cm ++ drop-dead gorgeous CIA agent.

James Bond and Jason Bourne, thinking why did Chuck end up with the hottest girl. Wondered why their (including Jack Bauer of '24') initial is J.B?

"Yes, I got the hot girl" :-p

My Personality

2010-01-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm a 'flamingo penguin'. Wait a second, is that a new discovery in zoology? NOT! It's a nickname for 'Phlegmatic Sanguine', which is my personality.

Strengths of a Phlegmatic
The Introvert The Watcher The Pessimist

The Phlegmatic's Emotions
Low-key personality
Easygoing and relaxed
Calm, cool and collected
Patient well balanced
Consistent life
Quiet but witty
Sympathetic and kind
Keeps emotions hidden
Happily reconciled to life
All-purpose person

The Phlegmatic As A Parent
Makes a good parent
Takes time for the children
Is not in a hurry
Can take the good with the bad
Doesn't get upset easily

The Phlegmatic At Work
Competent and steady
Peaceful and agreeable
Has administrative ability
Mediates problems
Avoids conflicts
Good under pressure
Finds the easy way

The Phlegmatic As a Friend
Easy to get along with
Pleasant and enjoyable
Inoffensive
Good listener
Dry sense of humor
Enjoys watching people
Has many friends
Has compassion and concern

And So, It Began....

2010-01-16T03:21:00.000-08:00

Today Selayang LYPG started our first prayer gathering for 2010. After being officially launched near the end of last year, at last we've started our weekly gatherings.

The main purpose of LYPG is for youths to gather together and with a main focus: to pray for our nation. No more "God bless me in my studies", "God give me a girlfriend" yada yada yada but "God, have mercy on Malaysia."

Amidst all the unrest and the burning and vandalising of churches last week, I pray that this will be a wake up call to those who are still asleep. The time has come for Christians to rise up and seek God's face and ask Him what is His will and purpose for us.

So my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, sacrifice your Saturday mornings and join us to pray as one Body. Forget about waking up late or catching up on morning cartoons.

Join the youths in KL/PJ, Selayang, Kluang(where it all started), Malacca, Kuantan, Penang and every corner in Malaysia. Be alert and pray without ceasing. Prepare our hearts for God's plan and purpose.

God, may Your will be done in our lives. And so, it began....

Overcoming Anxiety

2010-01-11T23:06:00.000-08:00

I got this online from Warren Mueller. I hope he'll allow me to post this.

Anxiety (Worry)
Life is full of many concerns stemming from the absence of certainty and control over our future. While we can never be completely free from worry, the Bible shows us how to minimize worry and anxiety in our lives. Philippians 4:6-7 says do not worry about anything, but with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God and then the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Pray About Life's Worries
Believers are commanded to pray about life's worries. These prayers are to be more than requests for favorable answers. They are to include thanksgiving and praise along with the needs. Praying in this way reminds us of the many blessings God continually gives us whether we ask or not. This reminds us of God's great love for us and that He knows and does what is best for us.

A Sense of Security in Jesus
Worry is proportional to our sense of security. When life is going as planned and we feel safe in our life routines, then worries subside. Likewise, worry increases when we feel threatened, insecure or are overly focused on and committed to some result. 1 Peter 5:7 says cast your cares upon Jesus because He cares for you. The practice of believers is to take our worries to Jesus in prayer and leave them with Him. This reinforces our dependence on, and faith in Jesus.

Recognize a Wrong Focus
Worries increase when we become focused on the things of this world. Jesus said the treasures of this world are subject to decay and can be taken away but heavenly treasures are secure (Matthew 6:19). Therefore, set your priorities on God and not on money (Matthew 6:24). Man worries about such things as having food and clothes but is given life by God. God provides life, without which the concerns of life are meaningless.

Worry can cause ulcers and mental problems that can have destructive health effects that shorten life. No amount of worry will add even one hour to one's life (Matthew 6:27). Therefore, why worry? The Bible teaches that we should deal with each day's problems when they occur and not be obsessed with future concerns that may not happen (Matthew 6:34).

Focus on Jesus
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus visits the house of the sisters Martha and Mary. Martha was busy with many details regarding making Jesus and his disciples comfortable. Mary, on the other hand, was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to what he said. Martha complained to Jesus that Mary should be busy helping but Jesus told Martha that "…you are worried and anxious about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:41-42)

What is this one thing that freed Mary from the business and worries experienced by her sister? Mary chose to focus on Jesus, listen to Him and ignore the immediate demands of hospitality. I do not believe that Mary was being irresponsible, rather she wanted to experience and learn from Jesus first and later, when He was done speaking, she would fulfill her duties. Mary had her priorities straight. Put God first and He will free us from worries and take care of the rest of our concerns.

By Warren Mueller, taken from Truth Seeker - Straight Talk From The Bible.

I Have Decided

2010-01-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

I have decided not to delete my old blogs. I guess I'm sentimental that's why :-p I can't bear to see all my effort being erased with just a click.

More Than Wonderful

2010-01-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

This is another Christian song that I grew up with. Enjoy

He promised us that He would be a counselor
A Mighty God and the Prince of Peace
He promised us that He would be a Father
And that He would love us with a love that would not cease.

Well, I tried Him and I found His promises are true
He’s everything He said that He would be.
The finest words I know could not begin to tell
Just what Jesus really means to me.

For He’s more wonderful than my mind can concieve
He’s more wonderful than my heart can believe
He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dreams.
He’s everything that my soul ever longed for
Everything He’s promised and so much more
More than amazing, more than marvelous
More than miraculous could ever be
He’s more than wonderful, that’s what Jesus is to me.

I stand amazed when I think that the King of glory
Should come to dwell within the heart of man
I marvel just to know He really loves me
When I think of who He is, and who I am.

For He’s more wonderful than my mind can conceive
He’s more wonderful than my heart can believe
He goes beyond my highest hopes and fondest dreams.
He’s everything that my soul ever longed for
Everything He’s promised and so much more
More than amazing, more than marvelous,
More than miraculous could ever be
He’s more than wonderful, that’s what Jesus is to me.

Everything Will Be Alright

2010-01-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

I'm getting there now. Just need to focus upon Him and let Him deal with it. As humans and in this Flesh, we will encounter the unpleasantness of Life. The only way to deal with it is to carry it to the Lord and lay it at His feet.

It's Eskrima/Kali, Not Krav Maga!!!!!

2010-01-11T05:46:00.000-08:00

Ok it's confirmed. After stumbling upon some videos on YouTube, I 'discovered' that the martial art employed by Jason Bourne is Eskrima/Kali, the Filipino stick/sword martial art and my second favourite martial art, after the Israeli Krav Maga.

Can't believe that it's just under my nose. Little did it cross my mind that whilst I was writing about Eskrima/Kali for my Journalism 2 assignment, this martial art is the one employed by Jason Bourne.

From what I remember from my assignment(where's the soft copy?), Eskrima/Kali originated in the Phillipines. No one knows who invented this form of fighting, unlike Krav Maga(Imi Lichtenfeld)and Jeet Kune Do(Bruce Lee).

Anyway, the basic skills of this martial art is traditionally simplified, making it easier to be taught en mass to villagers and allowing them to master it in a short while. It is usually employed to defend against foreign invaders and other villagers.

Historically, it is believed that Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan in 1521 by natives, using Eskrima/Kali.

It is widely believed to be effective against knife attacks, hence Eskrima/Kali and Krav Maga being highly popular nowadays to provide some measure of defence against armed muggers.

If its possible, I'm so going to purchase Imi Lichtenfeld's book and a Eskrima/Kali book :-p

Anyway here's two videos of Eskrima/Kali being employed in the Bourne Trilogy. Enjoy :-)

Past and Future

2010-01-10T03:58:00.000-08:00

Got this from my old blog. Well they're still out there in cyberspace. Guess I can't bear to delete these two old blogs of mine. Sigh, so nostalgic....

Anyway, here's this fun 'game' that I played. Copy and paste the questions on your blog, then answer them.

10 years ago I…

Got my first pair of glasses when I was in the 4th grade. Wore it because I read too much,even with dim light. Suffered from ‘inferiority complex’. Find it hard to communicate with people.

5 years ago I…

Was a rebel. Even though a Christian I wasn’t living up to my name. Constantly fooling around in school and being not serious in studying.

3 years ago I…
Began to reflect about life’s purpose. Began to get serious with my relationship with Jesus. Suddenly, life is full of hope after all!

1 year ago I…

Still in college taking my Diploma in Mass Comm(Journalism). Looked forward to the new year with the expectation that God will do something new and change me. Was disappointed when nothing happened but instead, I faced so much trouble and discouragement. Almost gave up on God.

So far this year I…
Realised that God is slowly changing me to be a totally different person. Giving up my life’s ‘idol’ and yearning for more of Him. Committed my life fully to Him and am determined to use the breath that God gave me count. Got the desire for the persecuted Christians of Iran. Maybe I’m going to be a missionary?

Yesterday I…
Read the Bible and planned for Saturday’s YF. Panicked over what to do. Prepared my message for today and wrote them down in my notebook. Kept flipping the Scriptures to ensure it’s in line and not quoted out of context. Can’t wait for college to start.

Today I…

Went to church for worship practice. Shared what I’ve been thinking for the past 2 weeks. Thank God nothing went wrong. I actually love doing this. Leading youths? Serving God is not easy but it indeed is satisfying and it brings joy.

Tomorrow I…
Will be going to church to praise and worship Him! Play the drums and listen to what God has installed for us. And take a well deserved sleep.

Next year I…
Might be working in the secular world, preferably with a defense company or wherever God lead me to be.

3 years from now I…

Will be in the missions field, probably in Iran or wherever God calls me to be. Or maybe commit to leading youths and counselling them. Found my life partner and together we serve the LORD wherever He calls us to. Or remain single? Leave it to God.

5 years from now I…
Will still be serving Him faithfully wherever He calls me to be. I don’t know about the future but I’m sure all’s well in God’s hands.

10 years from now I…
Will still serve Him and look back at all the things God has done for me. Will continue to run the Race and never look back.
Now it’s your turn! Copy the time limits and write your own answers and predictions

February 28,2009

Edelweiss

2010-01-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

My favourite flower, a symbol of a true soldier.

And the song, which brings back my childhood memories....

New Year's Resolution 2010

2009-12-29T06:21:00.000-08:00

After thinking for quite a while during my quiet time, here's my New Year's Resolution for 2010....

1,Grow closer to God (hear from God*priority*)
2,Learn to totally surrender my problems (especially my out-of-the-blue worrying and anxiety disorder)
3,Build myself up to be a better man (Robbie Williams song? ;-))
4,Lead the youths to greater heights (God help me)
5,Get a part time job so that I can gain valuable experience and have at least a steady income
6,Spend January fasting and praying (no Mafia Wars and computer games and cut down on entertainment)
7,Start and finish all the books that I have (is it possible to complete 'War and Peace' in a year?)
8,Improve my drumming (very important)
9,Gain weight (another 5 kg will be good, 10 even better)
10,*still thinking*

Blessed Christmas 2009

2009-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

All I want for Christmas is for Santa to lose weight, turn Rudolph into venison and Frosty to melt amidst the failure of Copenhagen. Come on, all I want for Christmas is Jesus Christ and for the world to know the true meaning of Christmas.

If I still fail to persuade, let Linus explain it....

Blessed Christmas everyone :-)

Laying It At The Altar

2009-12-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

I'm learning to lay it down at the Altar
All my worries and anxieties
I shall lay it on the Altar
And turn my back from it

May I also learn
Not to look back
And be tempted to take it back
And dwell in it's gloom

Instead
May I learn to fully trust Him
To fight my battle
And to deal with it once and for all

May the Fire of God
Fall from the Heavens
And consume my burdens
Till it's no more

How Fast Time Flies

2009-12-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

In less than a month it will be the New Year. So many things happened this year. Last year's Christmas is still so fresh in my mind, as though it happened just yesterday.

2009 is one of the best year in my life. I experienced being on the top of a 'spiritual mountain', I was just so happy and didn't experience any worries, even for a day during that period of time. How I miss those times.

2009 is also the year when love came into my life. I fell in love with this wonderful, God-given girl that until know, I'm still pinching myself. I don't know how to describe how I feel.

Anyway, it's been a blessed year indeed. I pray that 2010 will be even better. May God come through for me and deliver me from my struggles.

Pouring Out Your Complaint

2009-12-08T06:15:00.000-08:00

By Martin Luther

Thou must learn to pray and not sit alone or lie about, hanging your head and shaking it, brooding over your thoughts, worrying about how you can escape and looking at nothing but yourself and your sad and pitiful condition. Get up you lazy villain, then fall upon your knees, lift up your eyes and hands towards heaven, take a Psalm or The Lord's Prayer, and pour out your trouble with tears before God, lamenting and calling upon him.

The lifting up of hands, prayer and the mentioning of trouble are sacrifices most pleasing to God. He desires it, and it is His will, that you should pour out your trouble before Him, and not let it lie upon yourself, dragging it about with you and being chafed and tortured by it, so that in the end you make two, or even ten or a hundred calamities out of one. He wills that you should be too weak to bear and overcome such trouble, in order that you may learn to find strength in Him, and that He may be praised through His strength in you.Behold, this is how Christians are made!

Despair

2009-11-24T03:34:00.000-08:00

Walking through a dark valley
Where the darkness is overwhelming
The atmosphere spells Hades
Smoke permeates the air that I breath

I feel so lonely
And so desperate
Everything seems so wrong now
The valley seems never-ending

Worry and anxiety pollutes my mind
My heart is choked by its deadly venom
No matter how hard I fight it and triumph over it
It creeps back and seems to be able to overwhelm me

My heart is filled with the despair of hopelessness
Everything seems just so wrong right now
My future is uncertain
I don't know what am I doing right now

I pray to God that His Light will shine forth
To illuminate the dark valley
To pierce the intense darkness
And offer a beacon of Hope.

Why's????

2009-11-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

Why am I like this?
Why do I get anxious and worried for no reason?
True what King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes
"God made us simple, but we make ourselves complicated" :-s

What can I do but to let God take care of it.
Wonder how long will it take me to be at peace.

O may God's Word sink in the depths of my heart and mind
May the peace of God reign.

The Blessing Song

2009-11-01T05:42:00.000-08:00

I grew up listening to this song and it's among my all time favourite Christian song. I even have it in my handphone! I've decided to share this song with who ever is reading this post. May God's Blessings be with you wherever you go :-)

The Blessing Song
by Dennis Jernigan

May the Lord answer you in the day of your trouble!
May the name of the Lord be your strong mighty tower!
May He grant you your heart's deepest dreams and desires!
May He answer each time you call!

May He pour out the blessing of heaven!
May you cast your cares on Him and daily fall!
May you live to see your children's children!
May Lord Jesus be your All in All!

May the Lord Jesus Christ satisfy beyond all measure!
May His Word light your path!
May His Peace guard your heart!
May your days be filled with gladness, joy and peace through any sadness
Filled with love that will not depart!

May your strength be renewed like the eagle!
As you run the race may joy flood every part!
May your memories all be sweet in each parting!
May the peace of Christ rule your heart!

May His word be to you health and life, joy and treasure.
May your home be a light.
May the Lord guard your ways.
May the Lord be your shepherd.
May His goodness and mercy follow after you all your days!

May His mercies be new every morning!
May His grace and Holy Spirit help you stand!
May you live your life to die for the gospel!
May you hold to His unchanging hand!

May the Lord answer you in the day of your trouble!
May the name of the Lord be your strong mighty tower!

I Shall Arise With God's Help

2009-11-01T04:42:00.000-08:00

Right now, everything seems to be just wrong. I'm so confused and insecure over my future. I'm not sure how everything will turn out but I know that my future is bright. With God's help I shall discover what I'm really good at, who I am and what I'm capable of. I'm so blessed to have my family who understands and loves me, church leaders who encourages me, crazy Fish to brighten my life and cheer me up, my dear Miss Austen who loves me despite my setbacks and who is always there for me, FishNose who encourages me, the crazy Pan Mee gang whom I can always count on and Jesus Himself who is always there for me.

Rise again shall I, and a blessing shall I be to others.

The Wait

2009-10-25T01:53:00.003-07:00

Long is the time we must wait
All we can do now is to remind ourselves
That we have a future together
All we have to do is to hold on to it

As the winds of time passes by
As our love lays dormant
Restricted by our common sense
And God-given wisdom

Like the wine that is stored in an oak barrel
As time have its way with it
Until the time comes for it to be drank
So shall our love be like

I shall wait for you no matter what
For you, I shall wait
May Patience have her way with me
And Wisdom to remind me

Wait for thee shall I
Until the day when Winter gives way to Spring
Like the frost that melts in the sun
So shall my love awake at the sight of thee

I look forward to that day
When I see you on the hill
With your mesmerizing smile that melts my heart
Run to you with all my might shall I

Into your embrace shall I run into
To look into your soft shinning eyes
And to feel your heartbeat
And say "I love you"

Until all these happens
I shall trust God with our love
And let Wisdom guide my every move
As I wait for thee.

Big Fish

2009-10-12T08:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Sharma, illegally known as Shammah aka Fish's 21st birthday. His birthday was on last Monday but we could not celebrate it with him due to the fact that its a weekday DUH! Anyway, we bought him a card and a nice pair of drumsticks. His reaction was....

We love you Fish! No more Small Fry dee. Now Big Fish :-p
From: The Pan Mee Gang

HELP !

2009-10-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

I just don't know what to do now. I've felt like I've bumped into a wall. I'm now in a very sticky situation right now. I don't really know what I want to for a living. And the best part? I'm planning to discontinue my advanced diploma class due to the fact that its no use continuing it since I don't want to be a journalist. Oh well I can just pray to God for wisdom on what to do next or which job to take.

A Beautiful Day

2009-10-08T21:28:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time
On a lovely summer afternoon
Two lovers met in a forest
By the clear running stream

Enjoying each other's company
They talked and talked as if they haven't met in years
Listening to each other's voice
And the sound of the stream

And then they paused
As they stared at each other
Time froze at that moment
Everything suddenly became silent

Staring into each other's eyes
Their feelings towards each other became evident
After all they've been through
They are still together, stronger than ever

A Settled Heart and Mind

2009-10-07T08:03:00.000-07:00

I used to have anxieties over unanswered questions, even questions that are of no importance. I don't know how you may look at it but to me, these 'insignificant' questions will bug me for days, months or even years. There are no cure to this issue since its hard for me to not think of it and put that matter to rest.

However during today's prayer meeting, I made my 'peace' with God. The verse from Romans 11:33-36 just hit me like an arrow. It was then that the statement that God has all the answers and it is He who can only fill the void in your soul hit me as truth. From now onwards, I'll counter my anxieties with God and God alone. :-)

O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!

"For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been His counselor?"

"Or who has given a gift to him,
to receive a gift in return?"

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36

Guess the philosophies of God are way better than Man's. Most definately. See how messed up some philosophies is?

Missing You

2009-10-06T06:19:00.000-07:00

If only you know how quiet my life is now
If only you know how much I miss you
How I can't wait for December to come
So that we may be able to get back to those old times

Today's 2 months since that beautiful afternoon
When our eyes locked for the first time
When time just freeze
As we admired each other

I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

Silence Is Golden

2009-10-04T09:06:00.001-07:00

I love this song, another great hit from the Swinging Sixties....

Gratitude

2009-10-04T08:33:00.000-07:00

Oh Lord my God
My heart leaps for joy
For I am saved by You
When Thoust shed Thy Blood on Calvary

Oh Lord my God
My lips will always sing Thy praises
For all that Thou did for me
Although I do not deserve them

Oh Lord my God
As long as I live, I will always worship You
For Thou art worthy to be praised
There is none like You O God

Oh Lord my God
The mighty Lion of Judah
Thou Art a wonder to behold
Yet Thou too Art gentle and loving

Oh Lord my God
My sweet Jesus
Redeemer of Mankind
I'm forever captured and dazed by Thy love.

Launch of Selayang LYPG

2009-10-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, on the 3rd of October 2009, marked the launch of Selayang Local Youth Prayer Gathering(LYPG). After a year since the beginning of the local youth prayer movement or widely known as the Malaysian Youth Prayer Gathering(MYPG), at last, we in Selayang have our own LYPG.

For our very first LYPG and its 'launching' ceremony, we have some youths and young adults who attends the KL/PJ LYPG who came to FGA Selayang to show their support and to pray with us. Besides them, the youths from Saving Grace also attended. So, the beginning of Selayang LYPG comprises the youths from FGA Selayang and Saving Grace, plus those from KL/PJ LYPG who attended.

The LYPG started with Yoshua, the chap who was there at the very beginning of the first MYPG in Kluang, and considered the leader of this movement, sharing with us the history of how this youth prayer movement started out. True to his style, his speeches is full of his famous 'constipated looks' while he speaks.

After that, we broke into groups to decide on the 5 memorandums that we want to submit to God, the 5 main areas that we want to focus on. Due to the various issues and points submitted, we decided to break it down into 5 categories, namely Individual, Family, Church, Community and Nation.

Individual
-that God will be so real in our lives
-that we will have an intimate relationship with God, to hear Him everyday in our lives

Family
-For God to mend those with broken families, for reconciliation

Church
-One heart and mind among the members, from the young to the old
-To be the salt and light in our community, that God will show us how

Community
-For crime rates to go down, police will solve crimes quicker and effectively

Nation
-For righteousness and justice to rule this land
-Wisdom for our leaders
-That politicians will stop politicking and work together regardless of which party they belong to ie. no partisanship
-For greater transparency and accountability in all levels of society

Then, Unc Nie, as the adviser, prayed according to the memorandum that we 'sent' to God. After that, we sealed our 'pact' with 3 youths each from FGA Selayang and Saving Grace putting our hands together like football players do before a match. Joining us were Yoshua and Kenneth, who prayed and committed this unto the Lord.

With that, our very own LYPG was launched. May this be the beginning of greater things to come. The Lord's will be done :-)

Letter To The President

2009-09-29T05:51:00.000-07:00

This is the letter that I've posted in my old blog, way back in January.

To President Barack Obama,

First of all, I would like to congratulate you for taking office as the 44th President of the United States of America. Like millions of citizens of the free world, I stayed up late on the 20th of January 2009 to watch your inaguration, a historical and profound moment which will linger in our minds as long as we live. Words cannot express how I felt and how proud I am at the sight of you taking the oath and accepting the responsibilities and burdens of a nation plagued by economic crisis and war.

At last, America has came out of racial discrimination and elected you as leader and I hope that you can leave up to your promises of bringing hope and change. However, please be reminded that no man can achieve much without the LORD’s help. As a fellow brother-in-Christ, remember always the verse from Phillipians 4:13, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me.’

I am happy that you have put your priority in getting the economy up and running and stimulating the economy so that America will be back to it’s good old-self. I am glad that you have taken the initiative to combat global warming and pledged to fund additional research into alternative energy, which will be good for America and the world, both environmentally and politically.

I am also glad that you’ve offered a new way forward to the Muslim world, based on mutual interest and respect. I am glad that you’re willing to extend your hand of friendship to those who are willing to unclench their fist. I agree that based on mutual understanding and respect that friendships and alliances can be forged.

However, some of your foreign policies scares me. Forgive me if I’ve offended you in anyway but I must tell you that some of your foreign policies will bring harm to America and the free world in the not-too distant future. If you don’t mind let me continue.

First of all, your willingness to engage in a dialogue with Hamas and Hezbollah. I understand that your intention is good in that you are willing to sit down and talk to them and to solve the Middle-Eastern conflict diplomatically. However Mr President, please be reminded that Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist groups and that you should not break the number 1 rule: Never negotiate with terrorists.

I understand that, as a peace loving people, diplomacy should be used instead of violence and that compassion and love should come before hatred. However, realism and common sense should come before ideals and dreams. Please remember that Hamas are responsible for numerous suicide bombings inside Israel and Hezbollah is responsible for the 1983 suicide bombing on the Marine barracks in Lebanon and the 1992 Jewish Centre bombing in Argentina, attacks which claimed lives and maimed many.

As a Christian, I know and agree that we should forgive and love our enemies. However, this doesn’t mean that we should negotiate and give in to their ridiculously and silly ideologies of hatred and destruction. As we should not sit-by while a fire engulfes a house, so we shall not sit by whilst they continue their murderous rampage. Sometimes, fire cannot be fought with water. It must be fought with sand, special chemicals or even fire.

As such, treat terrorist groups with caution. Terrorism is meant to bring governments and innocent civillians to their knees with violence to give in to any demands to groups which advocates it to achieve their hideous and diabolic goal.
As for engaging in dialogue with Iran, I am happy that you have taken this step. As Iran is my favourite country in the Middle-East after Israel, I am glad that you have opened the door with diplomacy. However, tread with caution, not because of the people, but because of the madmen that runs this country.

Remember to use ‘firm diplomacy’ and do not give in to any demands which will compromise American security and affect the stability of the Middle-East. Please be reminded Mr President that the leadership of this nation openly wished to export terror and destabilise peace and freedom of those nations around her.

I also want to express my alarm that you’ve expressed support for the Saudi Initiative, which calls for Israel to give up the West Bank and Gaza Strip, which they already have in 2005, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, for full diplomatic recognition from the Arab world. Although I understand why you support it because of the peace it will bring, remember a few facts first.

First of all, after returning the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the Palestinians in 2005 and expelling their fellow Jews in return for peace, nothing much has happened. Instead of using their new-found land and peace to rebuild their lives, groups like Hamas have used the land returned to them to fire rockets into Israel, thus disrupting the lives of both Israelis and innocent Palestinian civillians. Imagine if East Jerusalem is returned to them. I can’t bear to imagine what wil happen if it becomes a reality.

Secondly, returning the Golan Heights to Syria which is, like Iran, openly hostile to Israel, will no doubt bring dire consequences to Israel. Remember Mr President, that prior to 1967, Syrian artillery based on the Golan Heights fired on Israeli farmers and fishing boats in the Galilee. If returned to them, the countless lives lost in capturing it in 1967 and recapturing it in 1973 will be in vain and that the sacrifice of Eli Cohen will be in vain.

Remember from history Mr President, that Britain and France signed the death warrant of Europe when they signed the Munich Accord with Adolf Hitler prior to World War 2 which effectively gave most of Europe to a madman. Instead of ‘Peace in our time’ as expressed by Neville Chamberlaine, it lead to events of 1st September 1939, the fall of France in 1940, the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 and 41, Tobruk and El Alamain in North Africa, Sicily in 43, Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge in 44 and ultimately Berlin in 1945. Not only that, the whole world suffered from 1939-1945 because of a false ‘peace’ agreement.

Mr President, I believe that the United States of America came into being in 1776 to provide support to the State of Israel which came into being in 1948 which I believe, not because of human actions but in accordance to the Scripture. Continue Mr President, to offer support and encouragement to Israel. But, treat the Arabs and Persians well and show them love too, for they too are humans, created by God.

Mr President,

In this time of uncertainty, I pray that you will continue to seek God for wisdom and understanding and not to rely on your own knowledge and insight but rely upon our God who is the source of wisdom and understanding. May you have the courage of King David and the Wisdom of King Solomon. Fear Him and Honour Him. Keep strong in the Faith and finish the Race that is set before you.

Before I end, I want to bless you and your family. May our LORD Jesus Christ protect you and your family from all harm. Send my regards and love to your beloved wife Michelle and your wonderful daughters, Malia and Sasha.

With Love and Blessings,
Josiah Ching Yi-Xiang 
31st January 2009

Judging by the way I wrote, I'm obviously a Republican. However I believe that he should be given a chance to rule since he was elected by the people. Whether he will lead America to greater heights or not, let God and History judge.

Day of Atonement-2009AD

2009-09-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

Today, Jews all over the world celebrate Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. This is the holiest and most solemn of the Jewish holidays. This holiday is observed with an intensive prayer and fast throughout the whole day, with most of the day time spent in synagogues.

The aim for one on this day is to seek God and ask Him for forgiveness of his/her transgressions, both towards God and others. In the evenings, they have a public and private petitions and confessions of guilt. When the day ends, one is considered self-absolved by God.

However, with it's enemies hell-bent on destroying her, Israel has been put on a high alert. Learning from the lessons of 1973, when the Arab armies consisting of Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Iraq attacked her on Yom Kippur and caught the Israelis off-guard. Although they eventually managed to hold and then defeat the combined Arab armies, they do not want to repeat the mistakes of that fateful day and thus, Israel has been put on high alert for this year's Yom Kippur.

A scene from the Yom Kippur War, 1973

The reason? The heighten tension in the Middle-East, with the Iran-Syria Alliance, plus the constant threat of their proxy, the terrorists groups like Hamas, Hezbollah etc at her doorsteps. Add to the ambitious Iranian nuclear program and the recent announcement of the existence of Iran's second nuclear enrichment site.

However, there is another reason that keeps Israelis, Jews, Zionists, Christian Zionists and pro-Israelis very worried. The current president of the United States of America, President Barack Obama, has proved to be non-supportive of Israel and has made a lot of decisions that are very anti-Israel.

Adding to that, many nations just sit by while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, continued his anti-Semitic rant and denied the Holocaust had ever happened during the recent UN General Assembly. This shows that many nation's apathy towards Israel.

For today, let us pray for the peace and security of the State of Israel. Let us also pray for her enemies, for the poor people who are deceived and brainwashed by their leaders. Pray also for their leaders that God will open their eyes to see the Light.

Pray for:

Israel

Iran

Syria

And the leaders:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad(Iran)

Bashar Al-Assad(Syria)

Barack Obama(United States of America)

Benjamin Netanyahu(Israel)

May the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ Bless you and keep you.

Back Home....

2009-09-24T23:52:00.000-07:00

It's been an awesome 4 days at thePlan09. I don't know how to describe it but all I can say is 'God is good'. The vision of a 'Malaysian Youths Missions Movement' has been set and we can all now move forward. By the grace of God, our goal of proclaiming to every tongue, every tribe, every people and every land of how great our God is is beginning to gain momentum now.

During this camp, I not only made new friends, but my passion for my nation Malaysia and the Iranians have been reignited. For too long have I been giving God excuses for not moving forward, for using my weaknesses as an excuse and for not looking at Him for strength.

No more excuses for me now. I'm going to move forward and be a part of God's plan for this nation. Say goodbye to excuses and look to God now.

I'm so glad that I've attended this camp. Prior to this, I've been wrestling in my thoughts whether to go for this conference or not due to my timidity and fear of people but eventually, I decided to go. I thank God that I made that decision to GO.

During the conference, there are also missionaries from the various missionary agencies present. The back of the Main Hall where we held our meetings looked like a cultural event. Near the entrance, there is a makeshift map where participants write their name's on a sticker and stick it on a stone and put it on the country which they have a heart for.

Here are some of the pictures from the conference:

The world map near the entrance of the Main Hall.

The Krygik tent set up by Interserve missionaries to Krygystan. It was here that I tasted Krygik yogurt and tea, and taste Arab and Iranian bread and Iranian dates.

>
The Seven Commandments

My stone....

Me with the kefiyyah.

The girls praying. Obviously they didn't know that this picture was taken ;-)

The boys in my Talk Group.

'Missions exists because worship doesn't'-thePlan09

Another Camp

2009-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well here I go again. Another camp in Malacca tomorrow. Called ThePlan 09. The focus of this camp is on missions and how you can reach out to non-believers. Then on the second day, the Malaysian Youth Prayer Gathering will be held there. Yay!!!! Monday will be my first Malaysian Youth Prayer Gathering after hearing about it more than a year ago. I can't wait to experience what God will be doing during this 4 days.

After this camp, I pray that I will be able to apply what I've learned. I pray that the workshops will open my eyes and help me to know more about missions. After this, I can't wait to see and experience what God will be doing here for our nation, then after we experienced Revival, next stop for me....Iran.

Gosh I can't wait. Tomorrow, here I come!!!!

Map of Malaysia

Map of Iran

A Poem To My Friend

2009-09-10T07:54:00.001-07:00

Everyday I thank the Lord for thee
For bringing thee into my life
For showing me how to love
And for loving me

It's so funny how we started this journey
With weird stares and misconceptions
With me only staring and wondering
About this 'girl-next-door'

Whilst you thought I was haughty and cold
I thought and still think
That you are a very interesting person
O what a differing first impression

As time goes by
Little by little
I discovered that you are more than my first impression
A sapphire you are, waiting to be discovered

As we get to know more of each other
We discovered that we share a lot of similar values and interests
However it was your character that drew me to you
It is you that drew me to you

From then on
There wasn't anything that stopped us
As we began our journey together
On the road that is set before us

Along the way
Romance came into the picture
As we fell for each other
The only thing that moved is the rhythm of our hearts

However, this just isn't the time
As God knocked wisdom into the picture
We had to stop
And let God have His time

Though we must breakup
I thank God that we weren't affected much
Though there were tears shed and hearts broken
We eventually commit it to God and let Him heal us

I'm so thankful that you're in my life
That you love me for who I am
No matter what happens
I promise you that no circumstances will change my love for thee

May our friendship grow stronger day after day
Through the calm seas and raging tempests
May time reveal the sweetness of it
Like the wine that gets better and better as time goes by

So my dear Sunshine
Take my hand as we journey on together
With our sights set upon our Saviour
Trusting Him to lead us in our journey

A Breath Of Relief

2009-09-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

I thank God that I can breath a sigh of relief now.
Thank God for His abounding Grace and His healing hands that healed our broken hearts.

I thank God that we are able to not let this breakup affect us
That we can still laugh and chat just like old times

I thank you God for everything
For your love towards us

Thank you God for healing us
For that I can breath a sigh of relief.

A Really Good Quote

2009-09-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

"Life is nothing but the occasional burst of laughter rising above the interminable wail of grief."

I'll leave it for you all to digest the meaning of this phrase :-)

A Song To My Best Friend

2009-09-01T03:11:00.000-07:00

To my beloved BFF, this song is for you only. Another of 'our songs'.

Moving On and Trusting God

2009-09-01T02:50:00.000-07:00

I am broken hearted now, but I know that eventually all will be well. I just need to trust God to mend this heart of mine, which is scared and deeply wounded. I need to learn to totally surrender all to Him and to trust in Him completely.

I'm still feeling so selfish that I could have stopped when I could but I didn't. I'm guilty by breaking her heart and leaving her heart-broken. Although I know that God has forgiven me after I confessed to Him, I'm still having this guilt-feeling over me.

Right now all I can do is to completely trust in the LORD to heal our hearts. I just hope that we could continue as best friends, just like old times. Though I don't know what the future may hold for us, I know that whatever God's plan is, His is the best.

I thank God for bringing her, who is really a God-sent, into my life. She impacted me in such a way that is beyond my comprehension. She showed me what and how it is like to be in love. I thank God that she love me for who I am and being so understanding.

My best friend, my hat's off to you. Thank you for touching my life. I still love you as your best friend.

Camps....Camps....And Camps

2009-08-19T04:28:00.001-07:00

It will be less than a day to our annual Youth Camp. Oh how I look forward for tomorrow. Last year, God moved in such a mighty way that was beyond our comprehension. This year, the youths and I are expecting more of God's Glory to fall on us. Yes....May this wave be even stronger and bigger than the previous one.

The theme for this year's camp is Faithful In Doing God's Heart and Mind 2. This year, we'll continue where we left off last year. Due to the mighty move of God, our schedules were a little 'sidetracked' but hey, God moved. That's the most important aspect of a church camp, seeing God move in such a mighty way.

This year, the youths and I will be expecting more from our LORD, to experience Him in such a tangible way that none of us might comprehend. We want to see God sweep us with the glory of His presence in such a way that we'll all be slain due to the weight of His glory. Fall on us O LORD.

A month after our Youth Camp, I'll be heading off for a 4 days 3 nights conference called ThePlan09, organized by the Malaysian Youth Prayer Gathering (MYPG)with the support of various churches and para-church organizations in Malaysia, including Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and Overseas Missions (OM). Since I want to be a missionary to Iran, I'm looking forward to this conference, to broaden my views and horizons regarding missions. Iran, here I come!!!!

But first, Youth Camp is tomorrow....Yay!!!!

God Only Knows....

2009-08-19T04:13:00.001-07:00

God only knows....
Where will our journey leads to.

God only knows....
What the future holds for us.

God only knows....
How did we end up where we are now.

God only knows....
What goes on in our thoughts right now.

God only knows....
The rhythm of our hearts as we think of each other.

God only knows....
That we would set our sights on each other one day.

God only knows....
Whether we'll be together one day.

God only knows....

God only knows....

God only knows....

Right now the only thing in my mind is....
God only knows....
What I'll be without you.

Tagged by Carissa

2009-08-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 100 Truths about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

WHAT WAS YOUR:
* Last beverage: H2O.
* Last phone call: Miss call from my mum :-p
* Last text message: "Later Mr Higgins :-)" -Carissa
* Last song you listened to: Can't remember
* Last time you cried: Forgotten

HAVE YOU EVER:
* Dated someone twice: Nope
* Been cheated on: Nope
* Kissed someone & regretted it: Nope
* Lost someone special: My grandfather.
* Been depressed: YEP
* Been drunk and threw up: Nope

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLOURS:
* Orange
* Orange
* Orange

THIS YEAR HAVE YOU (2009):
* Made a new friend: Definately ;-)
* Fallen out of love: NOPE.
* Laughed until you cried: YES!
* Met someone who changed you: Absolutely. We became BFF in a very very short time. We shared a lot of characteristics and values in common and once we started talking, its hard to stop. She also made me realize and know what it means to be a friend and she also brought sunshine into my life :-)
* Found out who your true friends were: Yes, and it feels great to know! Hi BFF :-) And howdy Fish :-p
* Found out someone was talking about you: Ooh,yeah!
* Kissed anyone on your friend's list: Nope
* How many people on your friends list do you know in real life: Quite a number
* How many kids do you want? : What is that?
* Do you have any pets: Ooh yeah. 2 turtles and a few fishes :-)
* Do you want to change your name: What???? No way!!!! I got a Hebrew name and it's cool. Read יאשיהו

* What did you do for your last birthday: An 'ambush' by the Selayang-ers during YF. Got a boxer,clock and a card from them. Plus a t-shirt from Peter. 'Forced' to sing a song, so I sang 'All My Loving' from The Beatles :-)
* What time did you wake up today: 9.15
* What were you doing at midnight last night: Reading a poem and wondering why the author's so good and sms-ing my BFF :-)
* Name something you CANNOT wait for: College life to be over. It's agonizing :-(
* Last time you saw your Mother: seconds ago
* What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: My bad social skills
* What are you listening to right now: The aquarium pump
* Have you ever talked to a person named Tom: No
* What's getting on your nerves right now: Assignments. Well I'm just going to relax now and don't care about it :-p
* Most visited webpage: MY BLOG, BFF's blog, Facebook, Wikipedia
* Whats your real name: Josiah Ching Yi-Xiang
* Nicknames: Mr Higgins,Ringo Starr,Fishbait,Encyclopedia,Terrorist,Jew
* Relationship Status: Single and NOT available
* Zodiac sign: Yoda
* Male or female?: Male
* Primary School?: SJK(C) Selayang Baru
* Secondary School?: SMK Kepong
* High school/college?: West Point(How I wish!!!!) No, its TARC
* Hair colour: Black
* Long or short: Short
* Height: 180++
* Do you have a crush on someone?: "I no crush nobody"
* What do you like about yourself?: My "brown eyes,black hair and megawatt smile" and my ability to store random facts in my brain.
* Piercings: No
* Tattoos: No Way!
* Righty or left: Neither

FIRSTS :
* First surgery: When I was 13
* First piercing: No piercings
* First sport you joined: Does eating and reading counts?
* First vacation: too long ago to remember
* First pair of trainers: Forgotten

RIGHT NOW:
* Eating: Fish porridge
* Drinking: H2O
* I'm about to: SMS-ing my BFF
* Listening to: Nothing now
* Waiting on: For my BFF to reply my SMS :P

YOUR FUTURE:
* Want kids?: If I get married
* Get Married?: See how it goes
* Career?: Missionary,

WHICH IS BETTER:
* Lips or eyes: Eyes!
* Hugs or kisses: Both?
* Shorter or taller: Slightly shorter
* Older or Younger: Depends
* Romantic or spontaneous: Romantic in a spontaneous way.
* Nice stomach or nice arms: Nice brains?
* Sensitive or loud: 50/50. Balance is the key.
* Hook-up or relationship: Relationship.
* Trouble maker or hesitant: I don't know!

HAVE YOU EVER:
* Kissed a stranger: Nope
* Drank hard liquor: Yep
* Lost glasses/contacts: Nope
* Sex on first date: NEVER!!! EVER!!!
* Broken someone's heart: Nope
* Been arrested: Nope
* Turned someone down: Nope
* Cried when someone died: Nope. I've never experienced loss or grief.
* Fallen for a friend?: Yep. It's history already

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
* Yourself: Sometimes.
* Miracles: How can I not?
* Love at first sight: Nope
* Heaven: YES!!
* Santa Claus: EWW... Idiotic looking fat guy
* Kiss on the first date: Nope. I'm very old-fashioned and I've got good principles.
* Angels: Yes. They are created by God to serve mankind

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
* Had more than 1 girlfriend/boyfriend at a time: Nope
* Did you sing today?: Oh yes. Sang a couple of Beach Boys :-p
* Ever cheated on somebody?: No
* If you could go back in time, how far would you go?: The time God created everything, Jesus' time and the 60s
* If you could pick a day from last year and relive it, what would it be?: Last year's Youth Camp, when God moved mightily
* Are you afraid of falling in love?: No

There are 99 Questions overall and this was numbered 100 : finally...i thought this would never end...=.=

I TAG YOU.
Yes, you! The one reading this right now.

The Beach Boys Live Concerts

2009-08-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

I've managed to download these videos from YouTube. Some of this videos are rare footages of the Beach Boys concert in 1964. I just wish I could time travel back in time....

Dedicated to my BFF :-) I know you love this song.

A Beautiful But Weird Friendship

2009-08-04T05:07:00.001-07:00

-Dedicated to my BFF :-) -

We met at the appointed time
By the stream that creeps
Through the ancient woods
That is near my abode

The trees greeted us as we met by the bridge
Their leaves dancing with the wind
Their pollen falling on our clothes and hair
Showering us with their delight

We talked and talked on the bridge
Laughing away and giggling
Enjoying every single moment
Listening to the sound of the stream

As we talked about each other's past
We could not help but notice each other's hair
Thick and coal black
Peppered with minute little yellow pollens

Then a wolf howled
It's howl permeating the lovely atmosphere
But we were not terrified
Instead, we admired one of God's creation

Then we decided to take a walk
A journey together
On a path filled with flowers by the roadside
Lovely little things of red and dark purple

As we admired the flowers
A pair of emerald-eyes stared at us
From among the flowers
Its feline gaze following our every move

I could not resist the urge to pat it
While you just stood back and looked
Uncertain whether to approach
As I stepped forward towards it

However it walked away from me
It's tail held upwards
As it departs from our presence
Leaving us behind

Fun our time together may be
However time passes so fast
It was time I walk you back to town
Though reluctant we were

As we made our way back
We encountered a horse carriage
It's horses pulling it's burden
With it's lone driver behind it

As we walked back to the stream
We paused on the bridge
And continued our conversation
As the leaves danced in delight

Whilst we were engrossed in our conversation
I noticed how beautiful your hair is
Whilst you noticed my brown eyes
As we stared at each other

Soon it was time
Before we embarked on our last walk
We cleared the pollens from each other
To ensure we looked tidy

As we walked back towards the town
We both thought how wonderful today was
Though short
It was indeed a beautiful moment

Soon we reached the town gates
There we parted and go our own ways
Waving and smiling
We bade each other farewell

As I walked home alone
The only thing that goes through my mind is
This is the beginning of our story
Our friendship journey

This is not the end
Instead
This is the beginning of our weird but beautiful friendship

Of Crushes and Oldies

2009-07-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

It's official. I'm in love. I'm head over heels in love. For the past 3 months, I've been having sleepless nights thinking of my love. Her long curly hair, her mesmerizing eyes, her beautiful voice. Yes, I'm in love, with....Taylor Swift!

Ohhh.............Isn't she lovely?

I never thought that I would fall for her songs. Usually, I'm more of an oldie, listening to songs by....

Elvis Presley. He doesn't like to be called 'The King'. Once at a concert, a bunch of his female fans unveiled a banner with the words 'Elvis, You're the King'. Seeing this he promptly replied 'No, Jesus is the King'. How cool eh?

The Beatles. This four lads from Liverpool swept the world with their music and add much colour to the Swinging Sixties.

The Beach Boys. How can you not love their songs. 'Well East Coast girls are hip I really dig those styles they wear. And the Southern Girls with the way they talk they knock me out when I'm down there....'

Finally, a black and white photograph of Taylor Swift. Man, don't you just love her?

Of Bacon Cheese Burgers and Fries

2009-07-18T04:48:00.000-07:00

Since last Wednesday, I've been thinking of Bacon Cheese Burger and Fries. It seems so random that of among my all my favourite food( ALL food seems to be my favourite, maybe except for the plain white beancurd YUCKS!), Bacon Cheese Burger and Fries came into my mind.

Well, Bacon Cheese Burger and Fries popped back into my mind again this afternoon when I was walking with Carissa to the sundry shop near our church. We were talking about what to buy when suddenly Bacon Cheese Burger and Fries came into my mind(AGAIN). Immediately Carl's Jr came into my mind and I told Carissa that I could consume 2 of these blokes :-)

Hopefully I can get a bite of Bacon Cheese Burgers, oops Burger and Fries soon. Thank you Carissa for talking about food. Now Bacon Cheese Burger and Fries is playing in my head. Bacon Cheese Burgers........Bacon Cheese Burgers........Bacon Cheese Burgers........Oh stop it Higgins

1st Post For Higgins

2009-07-16T05:19:00.000-07:00

As the title suggests, this will be my first blogspot post. I've decided at last to delete my good old blogdrive account due to the fact that it's not so user friendly. Right now I don't know what to post but I'll just copy and paste a few of my favourite posts from my old blog. I'll just paste my favourite articles from this year's.

So....sit back and listen to Professor Henry Higgins and his ole' rantings. God Bless you :-)