Occasional Green Pastures and Quiet Waters

Project Aldir: Completion

2012-02-21T13:34:00.000+08:00

Finally, after all that while, I've completed Project Aldir. Here are some pictures of the final products:

Aldir_Urban

Aldir_Urban is Aldir's camouflage outfit for urban and dungeon combat. This urban camo cloak allows him to blend into the shadows of buildings and caves, taking deadly shots at his enemies.

This was one of the hardest to paint. The mottled camo pattern had to be properly disrupted while the armour's colour scheme had to fit the overall feel of things. I started off with an Astronomican Grey base, but later on painted the cloak Chaos Black, then dabbed on Codex Grey and Astronomican Grey. The armour pieces were originally Scorched Brown and Bestial Brown, but I still felt like it stood out too much. At the advice of my DM, I changed the colour scheme to Chaos Black and Codex Grey. A final touch of Devlan Mud to give some shading and tada!

Aldir_City

This is Aldir_City, which shows Aldir in his default adventuring outfit - a white cloak now muddied after all that travelling and fighting. If he ever fights openly, this will be how he looks like.

Bone White is never an easy colour to work with. It took many layers before the colour looked even, without the base layer peeping through. Like I mentioned previously, I tried to emulate Ezio's colour palette for this figure. Red Gore on a Chaos Black base for the fabric and Scorched Brown for the leather armour; Bestial Brown for straps and details.

The white looked too flat, so I decided to give it some shading with Devlan Mud. My brush slipped and painted outside the folds of the cloak, and I was like... okay... cover everything in Devlan Mud. haha. Turns out, it looks pretty good, gives the figure a weathered look.

While trying to glue the figure onto the base, I squeezed a little too hard because the nozzle was a little clogged with dried glue. The superglue squirted all over the bottom half of my figure, and I was like... shit. I tried to slot the figure in before the glue dried, and that's where I realised I had glued my right middle and ring finger together. I got quite the scare there, but fortunately the glue started hardening and flaking off. Phew...

So here's a picture of all three faces of Aldir doing a typical Power Rangers pose. Power RANGERS, get it? haha. Right, ignore me. All I need now is the fiery explosion background and I'm set.

Strange Tales Regarding Women

2012-02-20T19:25:00.000+08:00

A good friend of mine got into hot water with his girlfriend. Here's why:

She's angry at him because he's not angry at her for forgetting to call him.

I don't get it either.

Another friend of mine was chatting with a girl who had just broken up with her boyfriend. Here's why:

He doesn't like her pictures on Facebook, and doesn't drop sweet comments on her wall. Also, she doesn't like it that he can only meet her for breakfast before he goes to work. Why can't he meet her in the afternoon when she's free? (She's a student) She gets it that his family is poor and he has to support them, but can't she be his priority?

In the famous words of genius Stephen Hawking, women 'are a complete mystery'. Sometimes you just have to take the shit and move on. hehe.

Map Thursday

2012-01-26T23:58:00.002+08:00

Map of Rhywle

Map of the Bastulia and Elisices Regions

Before Bastulia and Elisices was Regne, and before Regne, the land was wild. The Llangerdaix sailed south, and settled around the Central Sea. Their legion quickly followed, and the Llangerdaix tamed the wild lands, building vast stone cities. Regne prospered under the rule of Dídac I, growing in knowledge and trade. The peace and prosperity, however, did not last long. As quickly as the Llangerdaix rose to power, they sundered the kingdom amongst themselves. Guifre du Roig joined arms with Lady Anaïs of Vel del Riu, and warred with Ӧscar of the Etxaberri Order. The Bruixot order decided to withdraw into the Torre, wanting nothing to do with the war. Yet, that did not stop many bruixot from joining either faction. Till today, the war rages on, as both Bastulia and Elisices wrestle for dominion.

Project Aldir: Progression

2012-01-21T00:02:00.001+08:00

13 Jan - I've finished cleaning the figurines, removing excess metal, and filing down moulding scars. Finding those studs left behind wasn't a very easy task. I really wanted to make sure that I didn't discover any while I was painting. [Turns out, I missed out one on a boot corner. Discovered it while painting the boot, sadly; had to file through the paint] Decided to give two of my figures a darker shade, so I went with Chaos Black as the foundation colour. Was about to start on the third figure when my friends turned up for dinner. Next time, I guess.

Three Faces of Aldir

18 Jan - Finally finished coating all the figurines. I'm planning of doing one with an urban camo design, so I used Astronomican Gray as the base coat for the final figure. Now things begin to get serious...

This is Aldir_Green, a figure I intend to use for playing in plains or forest terrains. Sporting a ghillie suit made out of Dark Grass, he's rising out from hiding to take a deadly shot at his quarry.

The most challenging part of this figure is not the painting, but more the customising of details. I spent quite a while deliberating on whether I should cover him in grass or foliage, and also how to fill the unstrung bow.
Initially, I had decided for the standing figure to be used for Aldir_Green, and this one for a 'sniper in the trees' concept. I got hesitant after a while and decided to scrap the foliage cover, and do a ghillie suit instead. I'm thinking of using the standing figure for something along the lines of Ezio or something... we'll see. hehe.

I gave quite some thought to how to fill in the missing details, like the bowstring and arrow. The guy who sold me the figures said the reason why they aren't there is that the manufacturers can't make them thin enough without compromising structure, and if the details are too thick, they look awkward. I was in the car thinking of what to use when a strand of hair got caught in between my fingers as I reached for the gear stick. Eureka! After about half an hour of scrounging around, I found that the fibres from this old floor brush worked really well as an arrow shaft after some modification. I'm also considering painting the shaft to match the those in the quiver.

Said brush

Having started painting the figures, one strange detail caught my attention. These fellas are supposed to be rangers, well known for stealth and tracking. Why on earth are they carrying weapons with reflective surfaces like the sword hilt and the gilding for the quiver? Wouldn't that be a dead give-away? Strange indeed...

That said, I do look forward to completing this set of figures.

Centring our Music on Christ

2012-01-10T20:50:00.000+08:00

Let's face it: It's either soul lifting 'relevant' songs with a band, or old dusty hymns with an equally old dusty organist. The youths want the cool music and think the old folks are stuck, the old folks criticise the young folks for being worldly. Is there any resolution? Does the Bible have anything to say about how music is to be used in church? Let's take a look!

First, let's take a look a what the Bible has to say about worship.

'I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, and acceptable, and perfect.'

-Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

Paul is appealing to the Roman church to live in response to the grace shown them by presenting their bodies as a sacrifice. Not one of atonement, since that's Jesus' department, but one of thanksgiving. Their holy living is then their spiritual worship.

'Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.'

-Hebrews 13:15-16 (ESV)

Starting in 12:1, the writer if Hebrews is encouraging the persecuted Jewish Christians to live upright lives, even amidst their suffering. The writer speaks in 13:15 about a continual sacrifice of praise to God, evidence of those who are His. This evident in the works they do and the way they care for those around them.
(Further reading, if you're feeling funky: Heb 10:5-10; 1Peter 2:9)

Here you see that when the Bible talks about worship, it's not the slow songs you sing, or that first 30mins of Sunday service, or just the service itself, for that matter; Rather, it's your whole life! Every single aspect of it is to be worship, living in response to the grace that we have been shown! It is not so much what we do, but what Jesus has done for us.

In that case, what happens every time we gather? Why do we do it?

'On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out from the land of Egypt, on that day they came to the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from Rephidim and came to the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The LORD called out to him from the mountain saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the Earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words you shall speak to the people of Israel.'

-Exodus 19:1-6 (ESV)

Here we have a picture of God's people gathering to hear God speak to them through Moses.

'After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne, before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

- Revelation 7:8-9 (ESV)

John describes to us a vision of the future where God's people are gathered before the throne, with Jesus as the sole focus of their praise.

'And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.'

-Hebrews 10:24-25

The writer of Hebrews writes to the Jewish Christians, reminding them to keep meeting to encourage one another to love and good works, despite the obvious dangers of meeting, because there is a more urgent matter: the Day is coming!

From the above passages, a trend for the spoken word becomes apparent - preaching, and song play a major role in Christian gatherings with the purpose of encouragement and praise, with Christ as the sole focus.
(For further reading, because you should: Deut 4:10; Hebrews 12:22-24)

So how can we be serving God and his people faithfully through our music?

Like how a church's preaching should be built around the Word and deeply rooted in it, so must their music. Likewise, the music should edify the congregation, help them grow and encourage each other, instead of being a means to itself.

We should ask ourselves these questions before we chose the songs for the service:

What does it tell us about God?
What does it tell us about Jesus?
What does it tell us about us?
Does it rightly express our response to God?
Does it help us exhort one another rightly?
Are the lyrics theologically correct?

Does the style of music matter? Actually, no, since the Bible doesn't prescribe what kind of styles can or cannot be used, but they should preferably be culturally appropriate. For example, if the entire church is made up of people >80 years, perhaps hymns wouldn't be so bad. Throw in an organ too, if you'd like. Should there be an appropriate reason for heavy metal gospel centred music, why not? The point is, the words should take precedence over the music.

In the end, what matters is that the Gospel is rightly portrayed, and that Jesus is rightly glorified and praised. Sing away!

______________________________________

Debunking some misunderstandings in regards to music ministry.

The song leader DOES NOT lead the people into a time of worship / into the presence of God.

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

-Hebrews 10:19-22 (ESV)

Jesus has already got that part sorted out. The song leader's job is to facilitate the congregation's praise of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit DOES NOT come to dwell amongst us through our songs, neither should the song leader 'usher' him in.

'And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying," Abba! Father!"'

-Galatians 4:6 (ESV)

'In him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believe in him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.'

-Ephesians 1:13-14 (ESV)

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit is already with you. He is the guarantee of our salvation, and is the driving force of our sanctification. No Spirit, no salvation. So don't act like the Spirit isn't already with us.

(for further reading, because you shouldn't trust me: Gal 5:19-26; John 3:1-8)

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Here are some places you can source for good, congregation friendly, theologically rich music:

Emu Music

Reformed Praise

Reason.mu

Sovereign Grace Music

Project Aldir

2012-01-08T10:58:00.000+08:00

For those of you who haven't heard, I play Dungeons and Dragons. Yes. You heard right. Truth be told, this is my first time ever playing, after hearing so much of it.

I played as Elf Ranger, Aldir Malvaneth, who ran around with a group of travellers whom he had met in a castle jail. I fought dismembered hands, and skeleton soldiers; I explored sewers and burnt villages. Then I changed class to a Sniper. That's where things got more serious. For my enemies. I've since got 12 kills to my name, all one hit kills.

For Christmas last year, I thought it'd be cool if I could get myself a figurine to help with the strategy aspect of gameplay. Put an order in at Comics Mart, MidValley for a set of Faramir's Rangers. They arrived the day I got back to KL, whoopity whoop.

Cleaned and drying. May as well pose while doing that.

I heard you need to clean the grease off the figures, so I soaked it in hot water.... once.... twice, then I brushed it with soap... then I got fed up and put a pot of water to boil and chucked them in. Still greasy. So I got desperate and raided the kitchen for cleaning agents.

In the corner of a cupboard somewhere, I found a bottle of stove cleaner. The label swore it removed tough stains. Well, whaddaya know?! I've got tough stains! Why not give it a try? Worked like magic! All that's left is to paint it, and I'll let you guys follow me in the process.

You'll never know what hit you.

Back to Life, Back to Reality

2012-01-07T13:06:00.000+08:00

And thus my term break draws to a close. I leave for KL after lunch, and it's back to ready myself for the return to the grinding stone. In retrospect, I think I've done quite a bit this break. I didn't do what I wanted to (like building a longbow), but I did get other things done.

I painted the doors in the house - all 8 of them. By the time I got to the sixth door, I felt like I could just collapse and sleep. If it wasn't for my grandma's encouragement (my parents think she spoils me), and my dad's coffee, I'd have left the doors half painted and went to sleep. Totally changed my perception of painting. I have to say, I've now got a new-found respect for painters.

I also finally decided to write a nice letter to both my host mom and teacher in Japan. It's been quite a while they've heard from me. Also included some curry paste and bak kut teh sachets which they quite seem to enjoy. I quite suck at keeping in touch, and if it wasn't for the incessant ~~nagging~~ reminders from my mother, I'd never have gotten around to it.

Last break, I joined this group of old folks at a nearby park for Taiji - just curious as to how tough this whole slo-mo old people's exercise actually is.

I got my feisty ass whooped in slo-mo. This thing is no joke, I tell you.

Can you do a front kick? Yes? Good. Now try doing it reeeeaaaaally slowly, like at 46 bpm (click here for a metronome).

The style I picked up is called Chen style (陈式), and is the parent form for Yang (杨), Wu(武), Wu(吴), and Sun(孙) style taiji. This style of taiji, although given it's prestige as a parent form, is one of the least practised style of all five schools. Unlike the other four schools, the Chen style alternates in rhythm - vigorous at some points, gentle at some points. Unique to this style is also fajin (发劲) - a quick power burst action, which is, I think, never seen in other styles.

Well, I never finished learning the set last break, so I rejoined them the moment I got back. I still haven't finished learning the set, having only learnt 24 out of the 83 moves, but I've made pretty decent progress.

Yeah. *Pats self on the back* Time to take my last nap before the term starts. Ciao.

Pokémon Theology

2012-01-06T18:24:00.000+08:00

Imho, I think, as Christians who uphold the belief that the Bible is the inspired word of God, we should start putting into practice what we believe.

Many times, we evangelicals are more than guilty of throwing out Bible verses to suit our fancy, quite like how one would use Pokémon in a battle. Little or no regard is paid to the surrounding context, and subsequently the application drawn from the text may not be what the text is talking about at all!

Pokémon Battle

If the Bible is truly the word of God, then there is definitely an intended message which is being communicated through the text. If there then is a intended message, then it would not do the text justice to rip sentences out of it to support whatever statements we are making, while disregarding whether our statements are in line with the message of the text or not.

We want to be working out the message from the confines of the context - how it makes sense in the paragraph, the chapter, the whole book, in the testament, across testaments.

Pokémon Theology in Action

Just recently, a friend's sister had fallen ill and an email was sent out to request that we pray for her. As the encouragement poured in, I couldn't help but notice that one of the replies said: "By His stripes, she is healed." (cf. Isa 53:5d)

Healing is needed, and so a verse with the word heal is used. Seems legit. A wild Growlithe appeared! Go, Squirtle! Squirtle used Water Gun! It's super effective!

____________________________________

Now, stop and consider the immediate context of the verse - v1-3 describes a 'man of sorrows', who in v4-9 is punished on our behalf, and in v10-12 is raised (v10), glorified (v12), and makes justification for many (v11). Already the usage of the verse seems quite out of place.

Taking a closer look at verse 5:

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his wounds we are healed.

This 'man of sorrows' fella is pierced and crushed for our sin, and that brought us peace. His wounds from the piercing and crushing brings us our peace, our healing, our justification. On this side of Biblical history, we know the 'man of sorrows' talked about here is Jesus, who died for our transgressions and iniquities, bringing us to peace with God - the healing we all need. It would be quite obvious now that nowhere in the text does it imply healing from illness, and it would then be erroneous to use that verse to claim healing.

Guess it's not very effective after all!

Dungeon Crawling

2012-01-05T14:54:00.001+08:00

Kids grow up and eventually leave the house. When we did, my parents decided to box our stuff up and chuck them... well... here and there. Prime areas are the now unused study room ('cos who studies anymore?), and the little space under the stairs I like to call the dungeon.

'The Dungeon'

The Study

My dad has always wanted to clear out the stuff, but my mom and grandma has erm... hoarding tendencies? Several hours into the dig, I find a whole load of junk - two boxes of tiles which don't even match any of the tiles in the rest of the house, a entire box of bags, toys from when I was two, and these treasures that I had quite forgotten about:

Waaay back when my dad was a wee young lad of 20, he was close friends with this couple in Kuantan. Eventually, he left the town and they migrated. Little did he know that when the old man passed away, his wife would drop by with an entire briefcase of first day covers which the old man collected.

Story has it, he loved them more than he did his family - spending what little money they had on these stamps instead of feeding his family.

Speaking of stamps, I'm sure I recall my dad having stamps from the communist China days. They must be lying around somewhere...

Deep in the recesses of the Dungeon, I found a scroll. Pretty cool, seeing how scrolls and dungeons usually go together. I think it must have been a gift from my uncle in Singapore. Rather tasteful Chinese calligraphy of a poem by renown Tang poet, Li Bai. Next step is to find a bit of wall worthy to hang it on.

《望庐山瀑布》

日照香炉生紫烟

遥看瀑布挂前川

飞流直下三千尺

疑是银河落九天

Viewing the Waterfall at Mt Lu

Sunlight streaming on the censer kindles a violet smoke

Far off I watch the waterfall plunge into the long river

Flying waters descending straight thirty thousand feet

Like the Milky Way plunging from the ninth height of heaven.

Ah... my old treasure trove. The childhood equivalent of oil deposits - everybody wanted that unique piece, and if you didn't have it, you'd do anything to get it, including a fist fight. God knows how many fights I've gotten into with my brother and sister over these little tiny pieces of leg godt.

By the way, ever stepped on one in the dark before? Haha...

Of all the treasure I've dug out so far, I think these are the best by far. A possible 1957 edition of Alexander Dumas' Three Musketeers, and 100 Nursery Rhymes which has now gone out of print. A quick search on the Great Internet reveals that there's only one copy of the nursery rhyme book available for sale. Whoa... pity my copy's wrecked beyond redemption.

Here's a picture of my favourite rhyme of all time.

I guess I can look forward to my final long break before I graduate to go treasure hunting again. I'm quite sure I'll be able to churn out more treasure.

Christmas Musings

2011-12-25T13:24:00.000+08:00

I've just got back from Christmas service. Today's sermon was rather interesting as the preacher used several examples which caught my attention.

The first example which got me all perked and attentive was this: "Santa is Satan. Just move the 'N' to the back and you have proof."
Now don't get me wrong. I still don't think that Santa has anything to do with Christmas, and that he may very well be one of Satan's many shiny distractions from the real reason for Christmas, BUT... anagrams just don't cut it as reasonable grounds for justifying that statement. It's like saying we shouldn't live, because it's spelt 'evil' backwards.

The other thing which got my attention was something a little more serious. Subtle, but serious indeed. The preacher, in trying to illustrate the significance of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, used this example:
"There was a drawbridge operator. One day his son got caught in the gears of the drawbridge while a ship was approaching. The bridge needed to be lifted so that the ship wouldn't crash into the bridge, but the operator's son was caught in the gears. The operator made the most painful choice: he sacrificed his son in the gears so that the ship and its passengers could go through safely."
Note: we are the passengers, god the Father is the operator, and God the Son is the son.
I don't know what this sounds like to you, but to me, it sounds like, in the words of Steve Chalke, cosmic child abuse - Poor, innocent, third party Jesus got crushed so that we could live. This analogy would be a very bad one, since it ignores the fact that the Father and the Son are the same Godhead. Therefore, I believe, that as evangelical Christians, we must be at all times consciously and intentionally trinitarian.

Childhood Friend

2011-10-08T01:05:00.000+08:00

A long time ago, I had a childhood friend. Acquaintance? I'd like to think friend.

It was in primary school, and she was my mom's colleague's niece, or something along those lines. She and her cousins used to come over and play with us. I remember going to a waterfall with them. I remember the guys changed in front of her. hahaha. Innocent childhood.

10 or more years later, I go for St. Matthew's Passion by Bach, and I swear I saw her walk by me, twice. I thought I'd go say hi, but I never did. Now I will have the rest of the night to wonder if it was really her. haha.

Graduation

2011-10-05T01:03:00.000+08:00

Everybody asks me what I shall be doing once I graduate. I look them in the eye and grin.

There are plenty of things I'd like to do when I graduate. There's a part of me which would like to take a year off to learn martial arts, like complete my Taiji Quan training, and perhaps learn to use a long staff. Maybe I'll also take up archery, and hopefully make my own bow.

There's also another part of me which would like to work my ass off to free myself from the shackles of this dastardly student loan. 30k shouldn't be that hard to pay off... famous last words. haha.

Then again, best not to count your chicks before they hatch. Better get through thesis first...

Aliens!

2011-09-15T02:36:00.001+08:00

Was watching this programme on TV which was introducing the idea that aliens had visited our ancestors and continue influencing modern culture through what we misinterpret as divine inspiration.

The host then went on to claim that Moses and the Israelites were visited by aliens which gave them the Law. I sniggered at that thought, then paused for a while.

'That must have been one heck of a consistent alien!'

Then it dawned on me. They taken God, kept his attributes, and gave him a make over. Now they don't have to worship him as he wants us to, but can pin anything on him. The Stonehenge, the Pyramids, Machu Pichu, Easter Island, Joan of Arc, Mohammed, Paul, Atlantis...

My Fantasy Life

2011-08-11T22:16:00.000+08:00

Every person has their own fantasy version of the life they want to live. I'm not any different.

A house like one of these, on a hill, far far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Maybe with a pond round the back and a vegetable garden up front.

This,

These,

And these running around too.

Just imagine, no jams, no smelly city air, all you need right there. The good honest earth between your toes, the crisp fresh air, and your faithful dog by your side. I'd give everything to live a life like that. Sigh...

Time with my Grandmother

2011-05-08T23:39:00.000+08:00

After the strangest Mother's day dinner ever (we were at a dai chao place by the roadside), I had a short talk with my grandmother about her past.

Turns out, she's led quite an adventure of a life. At the age of 9 months, she was given away to the Goh family in a village called Ho Kay Pi. That village was very small, consisting of only a few farming families. The house she once stayed in was called Zuii Bwei Lao. A very fancy name for a house of a farmer in the middle of no where.

I remember the stories she used to tell me from that village. There was one which always had me gripping my blanket in fear at night, staring at the shifting shadows on my bedroom wall as the lights from the neighbour sifted through the curtains. The Lang Wei(?) was a fearsome creature which lived in the mountains around Ho Ke Pi. It had flowing black hair and ran on all fours, feeding on unfortunate travelers with a wicked screech which could be heard across the vast expanse of forest. The only trick to escaping it was to run downhill so that its hair would fall into its face, blurring its vision.
There was another story about how a boy got burnt to death for not listening to his mother, but I guess that's a tale for some other time.

Turns out, good old grandma was married to my grandfather for eight years before she finally made that dangerous journey across the South China Sea to Malaya. She stayed with her in-laws at Liao Qi village for the whole time, while my grandfather was working in Malaya.
Grandma was supposed to join him after his first year there, but the matriarch insisted that she wait till after the Lunar New Year to have her photograph taken.
In those days, Grandma had to travel for a good whole day before a camera could be found. So by the time she had her picture taken and the paperwork filled out, the Malayan government had withdrawn their offer to allow her into the country. The next round of intakes was in eight years time, and so she waited, finally arriving in Melaka.

Such heritage... I wonder what stories I'd tell my grandkids?
I used to walk five minutes to the 7-11 round the corner to buy drinks.
You mean people still WALKED back then?!!!

Lol.

Irony

2011-04-25T14:09:00.000+08:00

If irony can be defined as when the spectator already knows something the characters in the story don't yet, then life must be one big ironical story.

God being the one in charge would know everything which would happen to us, while we still have no idea what's going on. Talk about irony...

Ever had that feeling?

2011-04-06T00:47:00.000+08:00

Know that feeling when you sorta kinda guess you've screwed up, and you're trying your best to ignore it, and then somebody tells you the stark cruel truth: you've screwed up?

Yeah... That's pretty much how I feel now.

I've spent three good hours figuring out where I screwed up, how I screwed up, and why I screwed up. It's quite cool finding out that my screwed up-ness may stem from childhood trauma, but it doesn't change the coldness of reality: I still screwed up, and nothing is ever going to change that.

There's still hope, you say? Yeah, right. Same probability the KL tower has of being the target of a terrorist attack. 'But it will work out for good...' you quote the Bible. That's easy for you to say, especially if you're God. You've arranged everything to your wisdom and for your pleasure. From the human perspective, this sucks. Big time.

The hardest part, knowing that God is indeed in control, and that all things do eventually work for the good of those who love him, is actually trusting God to work things out in his wisdom, as well as accepting the outcome even if it isn't what we want.

Makes you realise how powerless you actually are to do anything...

Funnily enough, there's great comfort knowing that God isn't apathetic to the shit we go through. Jesus being fully human while being fully God, experienced the same shit we are faced with. The same, if not worse troubles, the same, if not worse, temptations. By doing so, he understands how shitty it is to be human, and can have compassion on us.

Dinner, oh dinner

2011-04-03T22:15:00.000+08:00

Last night, I had dinner in Ampang with my friends. I hadn't seen them for a while, so I thought I should meet up with them.

After some thought, we decided to eat at a nearby German Deli. At first look, nothing spectacular, until I noticed the humongous halal sign desecrating the front of the shop. I was like...whuuut? A halal GERMAN deli? That's like saying a Christ-less church! Ok, well, the latter is actually quite possible, but let me reiterate my point: A HALAL GERMAN DELI!

No pork sausages, so strudel, so pork knuckles, no bacon, no ham, no beer. Nothing uniquely German, well save the sauerkraut. It completely defeats the purpose for its existence.

Not quite the end of the evening though.

Now, about two tables behind me, there was this large family with kids younger than three. No idea what they had fed the kids, but seeing how they were screaming at the top of their lungs in an enclosed space, I'm guessing it must have been Speed. Their parents didn't seem all too bothered to keep their kids quiet, so I thought I'd do them a favour and help them out.

I started screaming back. Heh.

Every time the kids started warming their vocal chords, I used my obviously superior ones. Eventually their parents got my drift and kept them quiet, but alas, my meal had come to an end, so I couldn't stay to gloat over my victory.

Problem, April Fool's Day?

2011-04-01T01:30:00.002+08:00

So it's April Fool's day, and we're still cooped in the same small room since two weeks ago, working on assignment after assignment, moving from deadline to deadline. Our final lab report is due later at 3pm in class, so I guess we'll be up the whole night for the third night in a row. No joking, no pranks, just serious journal hunting and assimilation of data.

April Fool's day celebration,

2011-03-31T01:51:00.000+08:00

Monday - I spent the whole day reading up on journals regarding suicide and assisted suicide. Ethics report on said topic due on Tuesday afternoon, 5pm.

Tuesday - It's 6am. I've been surviving on coffee, red bull, and chips. My part is done, so time for a nap. I wake up at 10am, thinking my brother's bicycle would have been ready. It isn't till 1pm. Delivered it to him all the way in Sungai Besi and walk into the last 5 minutes of tutorial like a boss. Go back to the Ministry House and deal with the referencing. 1632 hours, we leave the house, print the report and hand it in 5 minutes before deadline, like a boss.

That night, I sleep at 10pm.

Wednesday - Wake up at 10am. 12 hours of sleep. I think that pretty much compensates for the night before. I've got two hours before my lunch appointment with my pastor, so I go for a jog. hah. Realise how out whack I am. Lunch was insightful. Talked with my pastor about some issues I was trying to handle, as well as draw out my future plans. I drop by the Ministry House again to get some work done, but had to leave by six. Headed out to dinner with my childhood friends in town after choir practice. It was really good to see them again, though the crowd was a bit too big for quality conversation. Food wasn't so great either, but it's the company which counts =) Now back at the Ministry House. Looks like it's going to be another all-nighter.

I'm sure looking forward to the weekend this time...

Wager

2011-03-24T00:01:00.000+08:00

So the other day, my brother and I were betting on my sister's impending SPM results. I said she'd get 4 A's, while my brother wagered 3. And so we waited.

Come Wednesday morning, and I call her. She's still having breakfast, dreading having to collect her results. Meanwhile, a SPM result collection service via sms setup by the government was announced to have been overloaded.

At half past twelve I get a call. On the other end, I hear a loud dreadful wail.
" It's all your fault! You guys jinxed me!!"
Ah... I see she got her results, and looks like my brother won the bet.

Apa khabar, lama tak jumpa =)

2011-03-22T23:09:00.000+08:00

Hey there. It's been a while since I written in here. I've been running around doing a lot lately, so I hadn't had time to sit and properly put my thoughts into words.

This semester, I've taken up a few challenges: Working closely with church staff, I'm now teaching bible study at the university residence in addition to the usual Christian Fellowship bible studies. Also, I've continued on working at a local gymnastics centre for children. I'm still singing with the choir, so my week is quite fully packed with classes and extra-curricular activities. In fact, my weekend is now on Wednesday!

The new church that I had decided to settle down in has also been a great experience. Here, I've had the opportunity to interact with a wider spectrum of age groups. It's quite a change from the demography of people within my age bracket and parents of those kids which I grew up with. I've now got friends who are young married couples with no children yet, as well as young families. Very interesting indeed.

I've also moved from my old place. I now stay with an old couple who are really nice. Though the new place is a little farther from campus, I don't really mind. The environment is great, in fact, better than my old place. There's a park right outside, and lots of food joints in the surrounding area which fits the depth of my pocket. The nearest mall is just round the corner, so things are really convenient. My old place was big, but empty, which did get pretty depressing after a while. The people who frequented the place, well, let's just say we began to rub each other the wrong way. I guess moving out provided a welcome breath of fresh air.

My brother is now up in KL, having joined the Malaysian Army. He seems to quite enjoy himself there, completely dominating the sports arena. He only gets Sundays off, so sometimes I wake up a little earlier on Sunday to visit him. He likes his food, and so do I, so we go all over KL looking for good food.

The little princess of the family... well, isn't so little now. She's done with her high school and is waiting for her results. In the meantime, she's been up to plenty of nonsense. Did I tell you about the time she won an iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle at the opening of Mac City? She called me to literally scream the news into my poor ear. She's also taken up a part-time job waiting tables. I guess that's helped her appreciate the value of hard work.

My parents on the other hand, are trying to cope with the empty nest syndrome. In fact in the last month, they've been up to KL twice already! I'm sure my mother misses having her two boys fight the house down. I sure do hope they adjust to not having us around, especially once my sister decides on where to go next and eventually leaves the house.

The only person I really miss while miles away from home is my grandma. She's 91 this year and still insists on doing housework. She still can lug a full kettle of water off the stove and carry it across the kitchen! I miss her cooking, I miss watching her slowly lumbering about, I miss seeing her at the sewing machine patching together scraps of cloth to make blankets for us, I miss the silent ticking of her ancient wind-up clock in her room, I miss the calm look she bears in spite of all the years of suffering she had gone through, I miss the rough handbag she carries to church, I miss the sound of her voice. Oh grandma =)

By Faith Alone Shall You be Saved

2011-02-16T02:03:00.000+08:00

I've been looking at the issue of faith in the whole layout of salvation, and I'v seemed to hit a pothole of reasoning.

The Bible= Word of God, because the Bible says it's the Word of God. We get on to that circular reasoning through Jesus, because Jesus reveals the Father to us, and therefore is the 'Word of God'. He quotes scripture, which he calls the word of God, and the New Testament today is about him, so it's the Word of God.

Here's the problem: how do we know who Jesus is? The Bible tells us, and his claims and proofs of divinity are from the Bible. So when we say we put our trust in Jesus, when we put our faith in him like the Bible tells us to, how can we really know that we're putting our faith in the right place? How does this now differ from other religions where people equally trust their own deities to protect and provide for them? How can we be sure that our faith is not a blind one?

Do I have to look outside the Bible for answers? How now, brown cow?

Grumblemumble....

2011-01-25T23:46:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, I think I should just keep my mouth shut and move to a place where there are no people. Lots of people admire my gift of being able to talk, but little do they know that along with such oratory prowess comes the curse of stabbing many with my tongue.

Time and again, when I let loose what goes on in my head, people misunderstand, get hurt, or just don't find it as funny as it it did when I heard it in my own head. I've come to really hate that. Why can I never just shut up when I need to?

Maybe I'm just not matured enough to lead, not grown up enough to be considerate? Perhaps I should take a break and come back once I'm older, more matured?

Once Upon a Time - Gabriel Imomotimi Gbaingbain Okara

2011-01-23T09:34:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, son,
they used to laugh with their hearts
and laugh with their eyes:
but now they only laugh with their teeth,
while their ice-block-cold eyes
search behind my shadow.

There was a time indeed
they used to shake hands with their hearts:
but that’s gone, son.
Now they shake hands without hearts:
while their left hands search
my empty pockets.

‘Feel at home’! ‘Come again’:
they say, and when I come
again and feel
at home, once, twice,
there will be no thrice –
for then I find doors shut on me.

So I have learned many things, son.
I have learned to wear many faces
like dresses – homeface,
officeface, streetface, hostface,
cocktailface, with all their conforming smiles
like a fixed portrait smile.
And I have learned too
to laugh with only my teeth
and shake hands without my heart.
I have also learned to say, ‘Goodbye’,
when I mean ‘Good-riddance’;
to say ‘Glad to meet you’,
without being glad; and to say ‘It’s been
nice talking to you’, after being bored.

But believe me, son.
I want to be what I used to be
when I was like you. I want
to unlearn all these muting things.
Most of all, I want to relearn
how to laugh, for my laugh in the mirror
shows only my teeth like a snake’s bare fangs!

So show me, son,
how to laugh; show me how
I used to laugh and smile
once upon a time when I was like you.

Shaking the Dust off my Sandals

2011-01-19T22:31:00.000+08:00

If there was any consolation in staying behind to continue fighting and pleading, I would. Yet, every time I tried my best to show you your condition, you'd say I'm making you feel bad when I point out where we are going. I tried encouraging you, but you would only hear my criticism and ignore what I say when I thought you did a good job. To you, I am a thorn in your side. A necessary thorn, but sometimes a thorn can be tired of being a thorn when it can be a safety pin elsewhere.
My prayer for you is that you will continue to grow in love and discernment just as you grow in the knowledge of God's Word. Perhaps one day we will meet again and maybe then we could speak on the same wavelength. But for now, I'll have to take my leave.
There are people who need me more than you do, and are more willing to listen.

Parents These Days...

2010-12-13T11:09:00.000+08:00

I was at work on Sunday morning. Yes, you conservative, you heard right =) I WAS AT WORK ON A SUNDAY MORNING! But that's besides the point. If you already didn't know, I work in a gymnasium for children and am one of those in charge of teaching the kids basic artistic gymnastics.

Now, my workplace also hosts birthday parties for the little kids, and one of them had the party. There was a truckload of kids running all over the place screaming, crying and laughing. The kind of stuff that parents would go through except multiply that by like five, but only for three hours.

So my colleague, the birthday girl and I were playing with these little toy cars you can ride and peddle around with your feet.

We were nicely wheeling all around the floor when my colleague stopped the birthday girl.

"Stop! Police! Check license!"

The three year old toddler just stares confidently at my colleague and retorted.

"不用紧！我有钱！" (Trans - Don't worry! I've got money!)

Is the Pulpit Being Prostituted?

2010-12-05T12:03:00.000+08:00

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV)

Paul's warning to young Timothy is so real, even today. Where preachers stand up and claim to be teaching God's Word, then launch into a speech praising the traditions of one denomination. Where preachers claim to be bearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but are more interested in how much money they can fleece out of you. Where preachers claim to be standing under the authority of Scripture comes and exhorts practices in total opposition to that which is clearly stated in the Bible. Week after week, these men take their turn at the pulpit to violate it, defile it, doing whatever pleases their fancy. In what way does this not look like prostitution?

My soul cries for the younger generation of Christians. Week after week, year after year, they are fed lies and the passions of men. They become like the seed who are scattered everywhere but on fertile soil and are destroyed, even as they grow. I truly pray that in spite of the decay spreading from the pulpit, that the Holy Spirit continue to raise leaders who are after God's heart; Who will handle God's Word responsibly and faithfully, so that the world will not look at us and scoff: "Where is your God? Are you not just like us?"

I know what I should do, but...

2010-11-27T01:03:00.002+08:00

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 5:16-18

The Spirit and the flesh in a constant wrestle, with no breaks. The flesh wants one thing, the Spirit showing you the will of God, which is in total opposite to the flesh. Though I now am in the Spirit, sometimes the call of the flesh is so strong. The time and place just seems so right. I could just go ahead and find some way to justify my actions.

But can I?

In the face of the amazing grace which God has shown me? In spite of the death Jesus had to go through to secure my forgiveness?

Can I turn away from all that and follow my flesh? You in your seats may say 'absolutely not!' with great zeal, but have you any idea how hard it is to pry my heart away? Do you know how far away and faint the will of God seems to me now? Unconsciously, that's just how I want it. Far away from living under Christ's authority.

Yet, I know that I have a hope in my redeemer, Christ Jesus, for I do not have a High Priest who is unable to empathize with my weaknesses, but I have one who has been tempted in every way, just as I am—yet he did not sin. I know that I can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16).

One part of me screams out for gratification, the other silently pushes towards obedience. At the end of the day, only one side can win.

Pray that I will cling tightly on to that hope and not let go.

Commencement of Project Junior

2010-11-26T02:02:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted to have pets since I was a kid. No help finding out that my mother is mortally afraid of anything furry which poops.

I still vividly recall one morning when my brother and I had a little black puppy trail us home. Knowing that Mom didn't like animals, we sneaked it in through the kitchen door to feed it some scraps. As we were feeding it, who else but Mom had to enter the kitchen. The puppy took a look at her and I think it quite liked her because it bounded right up to her.

What happened next?

Mom leaped into the nearest chair and screamed the whole sky down. "Get that thing out of my kitchen!!!!!!!!"
Poor doggy had to go. haha.

Now that I don't necessarily stay with her anymore, I can finally get something furry which poops. Muahahahahaha.

Project Junior begins =)

Melty Heart

2010-11-22T02:33:00.000+08:00

Something really nice happened in church today. There was this visiting family who had 2 young daughters who were about five to six years old with them. I said 'hi' to one of them and waved.

Later on, somewhere halfway through greeting time, she popped out of nowhere and gave me a big hug.

*cue awwww*

Then, just as they were about to leave after service, she ran up to me and gave me another one.

*cue awwww*

The puddle that once was my heart has been dripping all the way from church to home. After this, I've got a legitimate reason to be heartless, since it's all over the floor. hehe.

Shimron’s Testimony of God’s Grace

2010-10-31T00:12:00.000+08:00

I grew up in a Christian family. My father was the pastor of the Reformed Baptist church in Melaka, while my mother was the MYF leader while she was growing up in the Methodist church. The bookshelves in my house were littered with Bible commentaries, Koine Greek and Hebrew lexicons, and a vast array of theological material. Names like John Stott, Peter Masters, Charles Spurgeon and J.I. Packer were household names to me. I faithfully attended every single camp my church organised, sometimes with a little coaxing from my parents, while at school, I zealously defended my faith. I tried very hard to be polite and well mannered, helping old ladies across the busy street, and I loved small cute animals. This was my pedigree. As far as me and my understanding of what being a Christian was all about, I was convinced that I was definitely a Christian, and a very good one too.

Despite my religious self-image, there were things which I thought about, and did which were strikingly different from whom I thought I was. I was comfortable telling the most outrageous lies; I’ve even made my mother cry out of rage. I hated my brother and sister with a fierce passion, and I thought I was always right. All these and more I denied and swept under the carpet. Thinking about them made me uncomfortable. I am a good boy. Good boy = Christian.

In 2007, I left for Japan. While I was there, I was placed in a host family whose mother was (and still is) highly critical of the Christian faith. During my stay there, she pressed me hard with arguments about Christianity frequently, hitting hard on the differences in my behaviour and my version of Christianity. Her questioning made me ask myself this: “What does it really mean to be a Christian?” I had no idea! My understanding of what a ‘Christian’ began to crack and slowly crumbled.

When I got back in 2008, I was reeling in confusion. My self-image as a ‘Christian’ has shattered completely, and my life was a mess. The things I did then only just served to widen the gap between my behaviour and my version of Christianity.

Yet, all was not lost. There was no sudden conversion, no flash of light, no voice from heaven, but God was at work in a series of events which led to my “ah-ha!” moment. After college, I spent some time deciding on which university to attend, and it was then when I had the time to speak to my dad about what it meant to trust in Jesus. Later on in HELP, I had the opportunity to attend a conference by the Gospel Growth Fellowship where I managed learn a little bit more. It was during a bible study series which I went through with my friends, Pastor Peter Kek and Aaron Liu when it all came together.

I realised that despite all my good ‘Christian’ work, I had been rebelling against my loving God who had created me. I had consciously rebelled against His plans on how to approach Him and told Him ‘Shut up and get lost! I decide how I want to come to you.’ This self-sufficient attitude of mine was exactly what the Bible defines as sin, and this sin is what God is going to judge us all for. No amount of ‘being Christian’ or ‘talking Christian’, even all the good I had done could pay for my rebellion and set me right with God.

The magnitude of my rebellion made God’s love so much more beautiful. This was what He did: He sent His own son to this world to take the punishment (death) on our part. Jesus took the full force of God’s justice on himself so that people like me could be forgiven. Even better, Jesus didn’t stay dead! God raised him from the dead and is He’s now God’s ruler of the world and will come back to hold us all accountable for our actions. But I know that when He comes back on that day, I will now be acceptable to Him, not on the basis of any of the good works that I’ve done but because Jesus has died in my place.

After so long, I have finally found the answer. Being a Christian is not about being good and living right so that I can go to heaven. It’s about trusting in Jesus’ sacrificial death for my complete forgiveness and then living under Jesus’ authority in response to the love He’s shown.

Question now is, where do YOU stand in your relationship with Jesus? =)

A Spark of Insight

2010-10-13T00:30:00.000+08:00

I was talking with my friends over dinner about relationships. One of them was sharing about how things took a wrong turn for him, but the way he put it, he had a lot to be thankful for.

This was where I realised what I had become - a jaded, cynical old man, cursing myself and the world.
Time and again, when someone piques my interest, old wounds rip open and the pain becomes so real, and I ask myself: 'Is it ever worth it?' I spit on the ground in contempt and settle down on my hard wooden bench, keeping to myself.
Not too long ago, being single was a curse to me. Today, I look back at my old self and chuckle cynically. 'Damn, I was such an idiot. Never again!'

How long will the walls I built stay? Perhaps there may be cracks. I don't know. Is it ever worth it? I have no idea either. After drinking wine mixed with gall for so long, it starts tasting good.
Cake, anyone?

The role doctrine plays in Christian living

2010-09-07T21:57:00.001+08:00

1. Doctrine isn't an end to itself.
You don't get saved because you know your doctrine well. You also don't study doctrine for the sake of pursuing more knowledge.
Doctrine, instead, helps us understand, love, and obey Jesus.

2. A real saving relationship with Christ involves doctrine.
A person in a real relationship with Jesus comes to him and LISTENS to him. It is pretty much impossible to separate doctrinal truth and relational passion. Having amassed a huge store of doctrine, but not having a change in heart is faith without works - dead. On the other hand, you can't tell Jesus: "I'll sit real close to you so I can feel your love. Whoa, don't say anything! Just shhh! I just wanna feel your presence."

3. Knowing right doctrine isn't enough; we need to put them into practice.
If your life doesn't match up to the doctrine you hold, then you're like the fool who built his house on the sand - your life is built on doctrine which you don't believe in, which will collapse when the reality of life hits you.

*Doctrine (Latin: doctrina) is a codification of beliefs or "a body of teachings" or "instructions", taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system.

For a more detailed look at the role of doctrine in a Christian's life, click here.

The Fine Prints of Dreams, by Ann Landers

2010-08-24T20:33:00.000+08:00

I have leveled with the girls - from Anchorage to Amarillo.

I tell them that all marriages are happy.

It's the living together afterwards that's tough.

I tell them that a good marriage is not a gift,

It's an achievement.

That marriage is not for kids. It takes guts and maturity.

It separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls.

I tell them that marriage is tested daily by the ability to compromise.

Its survival can depend on being smart enough to know what's worth fighting about.

Or making an issue of or even mentioning.

Marriage is giving - and more important, it's forgiving.

And it is almost always the wife who must do these things.

Then, as if that were not enough, she must be willing to forget what she forgave.

Often, that is the hardest part.

Oh, I have levelled alright.

If they don't get my message, Buster,

It's because the don't want to get it.

Rose-coloured glasses are never made in bifocals

Because nobody wants to read the small print in dreams.

MACC or MACC?

2010-08-19T10:16:00.000+08:00

Both also MACC. One is Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the other is Malaysian Association of Cleaning Contractors. Nicely done.

Politicking

2010-08-03T14:32:00.001+08:00

The mayor of a city in a developing country invited the mayor of another municipality over for dinner. The visitor was very impressed with the host's affluent lifestyle and asked him how he managed to live so well. "See that bridge?" the first mayor said, pointing to a distant structure. "Five percent."

The visiting mayor went home and six months later invited the first mayor over to his new mansion. The first mayor was astounded and asked his friend the secret to his sudden wealth. "See that bridge?" the second mayor said, gesturing out a nearby window.

"What bridge?" asked the visitor.
"100 percent."

- Suraiya, A., (July, 2002). Reader's Digest: Laughter, the Best Medicine, p. 35.

Who shall tell them?

2010-07-19T23:25:00.001+08:00

The word evangelism comes from the Koine Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (transliterated as "evangelion"). The Greek word εὐαγγέλιον originally meant a reward for good news given to the messenger (εὔ = "good", ἀγγέλλω = "I bring a message"; the word angel is of the same root) and later "good news". The term evangelical, which is widely used today also stems from this word. On the other hand, our modern word "Gospel" comes from the Old English word "Godspell". In Old English, "god" with a long "o" meant "good", and "spell" meant "word" (we carry this meaning also in our word "spelling"). So in other words, "Godspell" meant "good word", specifically the good tidings concerning Jesus Christ.

Understanding the etymology of the word Gospel and Evangelism shapes the way I understand how evangelism ought to be done. Evangelism involves proclaiming the good news concerning the atonement of sins made by Jesus Christ on the cross. The power of that Gospel message we believe in should be so compelling that we would want to share it with everyone and anyone - from your family members to the stranger on the street, since it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Rom 1:16). True, one's lifestyle does have to support the good news you carry, but living a righteous life while waiting for people to ask why you live as such does not constitute as evangelism.

So one may share the Gospel with a stranger on a bus and never see that person again, or one may share the Gospel with a close friend and continue to follow up on them so that they can witness the reality of the Gospel; Either way, it makes no difference - the seed of the Gospel has been planted, being used by the Holy Spirit to convict them; so long the Gospel is proclaimed.

Tribute

2010-07-07T17:04:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, lugging this cross of mine is difficult and disheartening. Yet, I thank God for so graciously providing support all along the way. Ever since I've caught this hunger for the Bible, my father has been patiently helping me along, encouraging me to read and to challenge myself. I have him to thank for helping me grasp the concept of worship, and issues concerning the law and gospel.
As I continued to realise my work in HELP, I had the privilege to have Pastor Kek and Aaron Liu to help train me to use Just for Starters. Though it was then when obstacles started cropping up, I am grateful for Just for Starters as it was one of the things which got me off my feet.
Some time passed, and I had the opportunity of attending a conference by Gospel Growth Fellowship after being pestered by Vanessa Ong. Fellow Worker's Conference allowed me to see the reality of things - there are young people who are interested about studying the Bible accurately and faithfully. This very much encouraged me to push on, and inspired me to encourage my friends in the university Christian fellowship to be as passionate in dealing with the Word of God.
I continue to struggle in encouraging people to turn back to proclaiming the gospel and things became difficult. I could not see where to work was going and sometimes the obstacles were just too overwhelming. Once again, I see God's grace and providence when I was invited to attend SMACC. There, I met people who were faithful and accurate in expositing Bible text who encouraged me and even stepped in to help out. People like Andrew Cheah, Marianne, Tim Nicholls, and Brian King have been a great help.
Every time I feel discouraged, I think back and see how time and again the Lord has been so kind, and I cannot help but praise His name.

I've Got the Cutest Friend in the World

2010-06-30T20:59:00.000+08:00

So I woke up late morning yesterday, and I checked my phone for any messages. I got one from a close friend, and boy was it urgent.

I know this is weird, but I just dreamt you committed suicide by drowning in a pool...and I am totally freaked OUT..Jesus loves you kay..and we do too..

This came in at like 6am. I have the cutest friends in the world, like seriously. Haha. They dream about you dying and they drop a line to make sure you're still kicking. Sure, it's a wee bit weird, but hey, now I know I've got at least one friend who loves me =) Love you too =)

lol.

Birthday Wishlist

2010-06-30T03:21:00.003+08:00

Here's what I ~~want~~ need for my birthday, so you don't have to crack your head to think of something (I'm so nice)

~~1. A pair of dinner shoes. My old pair just broke.~~
~~2. A moleskin notebook for recipes. Kooi Chin knows exactly which one =)~~
3. ~~Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, by Mark Denver~~
4. A TRUGrip Bible, just like the orange one sitting on the shelf at the SMACC bookstore.
5. ~~A new pen. I keep losing mine.~~
6. More Christians in HELP to be more passionate about studying the Word of God. =)
7. More people to hear the gospel in HELP
8. ~~Biblical Theology Dictionary~~
9. ~~The CF Committee to give the green light to the jump starting of the HELP CF Evangelism Training~~ and the idea of inviting my friends to share at CG (If it can happen before my birthday, all the better).
10. ~~Chocolate cake/ice cream, I'm not fussy =)~~ It's Royce! =)
11. ~~Not to kena 'tapau'~~
12. Permission to do EQUIP (click here for more info); It's not as heavy as seminary, kay...
13~~. That bowie knife sold in Gardens. The last I took a look, it was RM459.~~ Got a similar one for like 45 bucks.
14. ....

A Story of a Donkey

2010-06-29T02:22:00.001+08:00

Once upon a time, there was a Man and his beloved donkey. The man had to go on a long journey to a faraway land, so he left his donkey and went ahead. However, this man knew his donkey loved him, so he left instructions for the donkey to follow the paths he took and that they would eventually meet up.
The donkey set off on its journey to meet its master with great enthusiasm. The paths were dangerous, and the donkey was attacked by robbers and lied to by con-men. Despite it all, the donkey pressed on with the hope that it would one day see its master again.
Days became months and months grew into years. The donkey had grown fat and lazy. It decided to sit in the middle of the road to rest and enjoy itself, happily forgetting its goal. Hours passed, and the year was 1517. A man wandering along the road saw the resting donkey and found it to be a obstacle in the road and gave it a big, great shove. The donkey was jolted to its feet and suddenly recalled its duty, and hurried on to meet its master.
The donkey continued on its journey, and many times got lost. There were times when it was attacked by robbers, and there were also times when it got lazy and sat down again. Yet time and again, there was always somebody to give the donkey a kick to get it up and running again.

Today, the donkey is sitting in front of me. I have been pulling at the donkey for a while now. Bystanders deride my efforts and some even think I'm being cruel to the donkey. 'Let the poor beast lie!' they cry, 'why do you have to be so mean?' Some even curse me for insisting that the donkey has to move. 'Your idea of moving may be right for you, but it may not be true for the donkey, or me!' But I know that the donkey has work to do, and so I continue pulling. I get tired, and sometimes the weight of the donkey is overwhelming. Perhaps its time to start pushing? Whatever the cost, the donkey has to move. Its master is waiting.

SUKMA 2010 - Judo

2010-06-15T15:34:00.002+08:00

Batu Berendam, Melaka - The first day of the four day Judo event for SUKMA XIII comes to a close with controversy thick in the air.

The Melaka state team bagged gold for all the events for today - Nage no Kata and Juu no Kata despite claims of obvious mistakes in Nage no Kata, and the lack of refinement in Juu no Kata. The players were awarded their medals amidst the booing of the crowd, while the respective state coaches were locked in a heated argument with one of the judges who happens to also be the Melaka state coach.

Perhaps the other three days will be better.

Sigh...

Sommatimes...

2010-06-10T02:10:00.006+08:00

yeah. If you've seen my status update on Fb, you'd probably know what I'm hitting on. And yes, I know it's 2am and I have a paper at 8am, and I still have 4 chapters of social psych to read.

Back to my point. I seriously don't understand why Melakan athletes have to stay in a dorm while competing in Melaka. It makes as much sense as Jungian theories, which incidentally is a mish-mash of eastern and western philosophy and a healthy dose of mysticism whirred around in a blender and spread on a feeble cracker called neofreudian psychology.

Sure, I know the dorm is like really close to the competition site, but honestly speaking, I prefer my own bed. I also prefer not sharing my toilet with half a gazillion people whom I have never met in my life and don't really look forward to meeting. It doesn't help that I'm also going to be staying in the same building with very potential opponents who will be more than happy to choke me or dislocate my arms or floor me with a very complicated throw. In addition to the entire dorm absurdity, I still have the schema of dorms lurking behind me like a stray puppy I just so happened to pet. The last time I went for a competition, they placed us in dorms... and boy was the experience traumatising. I'm still undergoing counselling for PTSD.

I've got several hypotheses as to why we absolutely have to stay in the dorms:

1. The local sport authorities are afraid of misplacing us - Plausible, since according to the key-chain concept, putting all your items in one place reduces the chances of you losing each individual item, but significantly ups the chances of you losing all of your items in one shot. So since you can't lose the building... or can you?

2. They want to keep us out of trouble - haha. nice try. If experience has not taught you that there is a significant negative correlation between the number of hormonally charged adolescents within 100m of each other and the degree of trouble, go stick your head in the... nvm.

3. They don't want us to get lost - We're from Melaka, for goodness' sakes! We either know the way there, or can have our parents drive us there like any other typical Melakan kid. *ahem*

4. They want to foster the spirit of unity and esprit du corps - Teams playing for 3 dangerous and highly competitive sports - fencing, kabbadi (I foresee a separate post for this), and Judo, are going to be housed in one building. There will be people from all ethnic groups. They will be mostly comprised of adolescents. The only spirit they will be fostering is esprit du corpse, since only one group has the advantage of having weapons.

5. They don't want us to be late - Sober up! This is Malaysia, people will always be late. The only time you can actually be on time is when the organisers actually lie and set the starting time a week ahead.

6. They spent a bomb renovating the place and it would seem like such a waste if nobody stayed there - The most plausible, but then again, I have my doubts, since the dorms belong to some obscure university.

Still, any ethical researcher who wants to publish a journal must wait till the data either supports the hypothesis or otherwise before making any statements. We shall see, though I can't really say I'm so totally excited about testing these hypotheses out.

p/s: if I duly get arrested or assassinated because somebody found the content of this post either a threat to national security or a punishable crime of ingratitude, please tell Lydia* I love her, and that I know that the kid isn't mine but I couldn't be too bothered to care.

p/p/s: also let those people who got me know that they have a serious disability to tell the difference between harmless complaining and hate propaganda, and should go back to popping bubble wrap while drooling.

;)

*look up Ha! in the archives

Creed, by Steve Turner

2010-06-03T02:07:00.004+08:00

We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin.
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don't hurt anyone,
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your knowledge.

We believe in sex before during
and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.
We believe that sodomy's OK
We believe that taboos are taboo.

We believe that everything's getting better
despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated.
You can prove anything with evidence.

We believe there's something in horoscopes,
UFO's and bent spoons;
Jesus was a good man just like Buddha
Mohammed and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher although we think
his good morals were bad.

We believe that all religions are basically the same,
at least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of
creation sin heaven hell God and salvation.

We believe that after death comes The Nothing
because when you ask the dead what happens
they say Nothing.
If death is not the end, if the dead have lied,
then it's compulsory heaven for all
excepting perhaps Hitler, Stalin and Genghis Khan.

We believe in Masters and Johnson.
What's selected is average.
What's average is normal.
What's normal is good.

We believe in total disarmament.
We believe there are direct links between
warfare and bloodshed.
Americans should beat their guns into tractors
and the Russians would be sure to follow.

We believe that man is essentially good.
It's only his behaviour that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.

We believe that each man must find the truth
that is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly.
The universe will readjust. History will alter.
We believe that there is no absolute truth
excepting the truth that there is no absolute truth.

We believe in the rejection of creeds and the flowering of individual thought.

p/s: If chance be the father of all flesh, disaster is his rainbow in the sky. And when you hear state of emergencies, sniper kills 10, youths go looting, bomb blasts school, it's but the sound of Man worshiping his maker.

German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche wrote of a day where there will no longer be an objective truth, where chaos and bloodshed would reign supreme. That day has come.

Teach a man to fish~

2010-05-22T19:20:00.004+08:00

So after my trip to Pulau Besar, we were driving home when my dad asked us:

'So what have you learned from this fishing trip?'

He was met with silence, so he gave us the answers instead:

1. Never aim for the fish you can see - you'll never get it.

2. You usually get what you don't expect.

3. What kind of fish you get depends on where you fish,

4. ... on what bait you use.

5. Never aim for the fish that can be seen - everybody else will be aiming for it too.

After a while, I realised he wasn't talking about fish. Haha. Sneaky dad.
Still, the apex of the joke was still this:

6. Never bring your mother fishing - she'll scare away all the fish.

Very true, both literally and metaphorically.

lol.

Break-up letters you don't want to get

2010-05-09T22:38:00.003+08:00

I don't know if Jessica was laughing or crying when she got this. Lol. This is definitely something a teenage Leonard Cooper would write.

Boy, oh boy. I so don't want to be on the receiving end of this note.

lol.

p/s: My dad's just learned a new word - awesome. Haha.

The Prodigal Son Returns

2010-05-08T13:53:00.014+08:00

It felt like a very clichéd introduction to an Enid Blyton adventure story. It was the holidays again, and I sure was a pleased as punch (how one can be feeling optimistic like a bowl of cordial, I have no idea, but that's just English for you). I hadn't seen my family, especially my siblings for more than four months, and now that my brother was scheduled to be shipped of to the Army, I was pretty intent on spending time with him.

The first four days I spent back home was at a CF committee planning retreat, nothing much to write about there. Just nine people cramped around a table trying to make plans for the rest of the year.

The fun comes after that =) Yesterday was our Mother's Day celebration since we wanted to beat the Mother's Day crowd, the one which comes when the rest of Melaka suddenly thinks that eating out at a very expensive restaurant is the only way of displaying filial piety. One last big family event where everyone is around before good old Shimri is shipped off to Sungai Besi.

The Men

The Women

Shimri and I had been planning for a little fishing trip ever since I got back and got myself a nice little rod & reel. Due to last night's occasion, we had to delay it till today. At the same time, Mom thought that it would be a good idea to make it a family holiday, and with Mom being Mom, it was as good as her passing a royal decree.

We manged to actually get to the pier on time despite turning back to get Dad a pair of slippers (fancy him going to the beach in his loafers...that old man. lol) and Mom a pair of slippers which still had its soles attached. The boat ride to Pulau Besar is not cheap, I tell you, not cheap! It was RM14 per person for a two way ticket, about the price of my KL-Melaka bus fare.
Upon reaching the island, we started our little hike to Shimri's fishing spot. Cutting through a graveyard, and some jungle, we got to this brilliantly blue cove you could ever imagine. The photographs my sister took definitely does not do justice to the beauty of the place, seriously. It was just amazing.
Shimri and I plopped ourselves nicely on a big rock and started casting, while Mom and Shirinnah splashed around in the shallows. Dad tried reliving his childhood and went of gallivanting into the woods (He did discover an abandoned hotel, so I suppose he enjoyed himself).

The rest of the morning was divided between these activities:
1) Swimming out to free our lines (Shimri did most of that. I'm the sort who would rather pay him to do it. Hehe. But I did go in once, kay.)
2) Changing spots (We got fed-up of having to free our lines from the rocks every time we cast.)
3) Waiting...
4) More waiting...
5) And even more waiting
6) Throwing back tiny fish
Shimri and I would have stayed longer to fish, but Shirinnah said that she had unfinished homework (which was in that insanely ginormous bag she made us lug around), so we had to pack up at noon.
Trudging back to the pier is no fun task, especially when you've finished all your water and have been sitting in the sun all morning, while carrying an icebox with fish in it. It's worse when you have a pair of parents (especially Mom, who is mortally afraid of climbing rocks - up, down, across, you name it) who don't walk as fast as when they did when you were five. You have to wait for them. I suppose that's good training for patience and unconditional love. So what if they make the journey longer? It means you get to spend more time with them =)

The line got caught. Eventually we had to leave that spot 'cos Shimri dived in on time too many and scared all the fish away.

Shimri and his catch: Parrotfish and a fish with yellow stripes.

Mine: Don't know what it is, but it looks nice deep fried =)

No one can snatch them out of my Father's hand

2010-05-05T19:21:00.002+08:00

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27-30, ESV)

I've heard of people who tell me that salvation can be lost. I know disillusioned Christians who aren't so sure anymore. So how exactly affect our outlook on living as Christians if salvation can be lost? Let's take a look.

If salvation can be lost, how sure can you be that you are saved?

If salvation can be lost, what can we do to ensure that we don't lose it?

If salvation can be lost, what assurance do we have in the death of Jesus Christ?

If salvation could be lost, I think we would be working very hard to keep our salvation, without ever knowing whether what we are doing is ever good enough. How different would it make us from our musl!m cousins?

What does the Bible have to say about salvation?

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. (Eph 1:13-14, ESV)

What we see here is that when we are born again, we receive the promised indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that is God's guarantee that He who began a good work in us will complete it (Phil 1:6) In order for us to lose our salvation after receiving the promised Holy Spirit, God would have to break His promise or renege on His “guarantee,” which He cannot do. Therefore the believer is eternally secure because God is eternally faithful.

At the same time, what of people who claim to have believed in Jesus Christ then eventually turned away, even to the extent of denying the existence of God? Will they lose their salvation? At first glance, it would seem so.

What does the Bible have to say about this?

Jesus said that that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21-22). This shows that not everybody who professes to be a Christian, really is. 1 John 2:19 puts things into perspective for us: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. What we see here is that these people have not lost their salvation, but rather have not even been saved!

Now having see that we have an assurance in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the He will never let anything separate us from God, we don't have to live in fear of screwing up because of the hope we have: ... you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. We will be conformed to the image of Christ through sanctification (1 Corinthians 6:11, ESV). When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit breaks the bondage of sin and gives the believer a new heart and a desire to seek holiness. Therefore a true Christian will desire to be obedient to God and will be convicted by the Holy Spirit when they sin. They will never “live any way they want” because such behavior is impossible for someone who has been given a new nature.

How awesome is this assurance?!

Settling My Thoughts

2010-04-25T15:21:00.003+08:00

In the past month, not a day has passed where my nights aren't long and my mornings not dreary. There have been several incidents in which I have been forced to check myself and all that I have stood for. In retrospect, I really thank God for these events, difficult to accept as they were. They way I see it, these events have made me realise that my identity and security does not solely lie in those around me, but also, and most importantly, with the One who gave up His life for me.
Like the Proverbs quote: 'As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another (NIV).' Such events, uncomfortable as they are, are crucial in life to prepare us for what God has in store for us down the road. It may be difficult for me to look people in the eye for a while as I'm still recovering from the ordeal, but the future glitters with a bright hope of perfection in Jesus Christ. This phoenix will rise again, burning stronger and fiercer than ever before.
Disclaimer: Tact still sold separately. =)

I Feel Like Moses

2010-04-10T12:23:00.002+08:00

Just as Moses walked into the Pharoh's court in the Bible story, I walk into the room on the 8th floor of Wisma HELP to present my research. Ms Win Nee is like the pharoh, and the audience like his court magicians.

I am afraid of forgetting my lines, of screwing up my part. Still I am reminded of what God told Moses: "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

So now all that's left is for me to grow a nice beard, get some funky robes and a nice solid staff. And perhaps also go for lunch. =)

You Give Me Fever

2010-04-05T13:39:00.003+08:00

I now have three hot guys as friends. Literally, like 40 degrees Celsius hot. And boy do they get everybody's attention. lol.
Poor dudes. They're getting better, but still do pray for them. I don't really suppose they like staying hot. haha.

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-17T02:15:00.003+08:00

Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland looks pretty interesting. Burton's work hasn't disappointed me yet and I thought his past work has been pleasantly morbid. haha. I found the picture below on my friend's blog. A nice cross of Alice and Joker from the Dark Knight, fitting the twisted image of the current Alice movie. So, anyone up for it this weekend?

How Time Flies

2010-03-12T18:57:00.002+08:00

I was looking through my old photo albums and found these two pictures. The one on the left was taken by my uncle in Sungai Lembing during one of my first trips there. The other I took when I was up there for a family trip. Putting these two pictures side by side made realise how fast time had passed, and how much things have changed. The musty, old market place in the heart of the town had been rebuilt, and the skeletal remains of my grandfather's stall is gone, with a water tank in its place. The little kid has grown into a gangly young adult with a warped sense of humour. How time flies.
lol.

To What End, Then?

2010-02-28T23:23:00.002+08:00

We work day and night, striving for a better pay, toiling for a better job, breaking our backs for a first class honours. To what end?
Sometimes we work so hard because there's that perceived social expectation piled up on our backs.
"Aiyoo... Your son so smart, sure can get all A's one la!"
"You are a capable woman, I'm sure you'll be able to handle this project."
At other times, we do it for ourselves.
"I'm gonna study hard so that I can live comfortably in the future."
"I know I can do it!"
Sound familiar? Should this even be our motivation to why we work? Sure, working hard so that you have a comfortable life is not wrong, but what drives that thought might be. Have you ever thought about it?
In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But rather to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.
The money we worked so hard for will be spent, the stereo set we saved up for will eventually spoil, the First Class Honours we received will be nothing but a memory and a moth-eaten piece of paper.
Where then is our motivation to work? Should we all be sitting down and twiddling our thumbs? Oh, I wish. haha. Instead, we should be doing our best so that the name of God will be glorified through our behaviour and work. It isn't an easy thing to do, but that's why we have the grace of God and a community of awesome people to help us keep accountability.

How I Met Your Mother

2010-02-26T17:08:00.003+08:00

'Wait for it...'

Here's one for my housemate, Rowen, who absolutely worships Barney Stinson. Haha. Rowen also happens to be suffering from chronic dysania and a congenital deformity of the proximal interphalangial joint of his fifth finger, so we'll be raising funds to help him.

Now Who Said Researchers had No Sense of Humour?

2010-02-13T18:28:00.002+08:00

'From the above it can be concluded that EMS (Extra-marital Sex) may be viewed as either a cause or a consequence of marital problems, or as unrelated to them. Also, we can conclude that old, friendless, religious, conservative, unemployed mountain women and young, friendless, religious, conservative, unemployed mountain men are least likely to engage in EMS.' (Atwood & Seifer, 1997)
Funny, yet the message they convey is a sharp slap in the face of the Rogerian concept of Man. Are we all as good as we think ourselves to be? Definitely something to mull over. Here's something else to add to the rumination: Romans 3:10 - As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one.

Where to from here?

2010-02-08T02:16:00.002+08:00

Everyone has their own dreams. So dream of becoming rich, others want to be notable figures in society. My brother has always wanted to be a soldier and he's working hard to achieve that dream. I really admire his tenacity in holding on to his dream.
I on the other hand have changed ambitions like I change underwear. I started off wanting to become an archaeologist, then it was a hacker. In secondary school, I was bitten by the green bug and I thought I'd be a farmer. It wasn't difficult to envision myself standing in the middle of a field, under the bright sun, overlooking all my crops. Reality kicked in when I got a C for biology. haha. While waiting to leave for Japan, I filled up my time with cooking. Dish after dish, I slaved at the stove. While in Japan, I made up my mind that one day I would be a chef and open my very own restaurant.
Some how along the way, I ended up reading psychology. Its not that I don't like what I'm doing now, but it is pretty funny to see how I've changed over the years. Now as I have entered a phase of theological interest, I'm considering seminary as well. I understand full well that I don't necessarily have to graduate from seminary to serve, but it would be pretty helpful to have a more comprehensive understanding of scripture.
It would be rather interesting to see what I would end up as in the future. A cooking-gardening-ruin digging-pastor? Now that would be a thought. haha.
Then again, as Mom always says, one has to be realistic. I can't believe I'm actually quoting her. There will be a family to think about in the future. House mortgages, car loans, school fees, utility bills... How will I ever be able to support my family?
Then again, I find great comfort in what Jesus told his disciples:

'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'

Dawn Musings

2010-02-04T02:09:00.002+08:00

The pieces are in position, while several events have been set in motion. How will the previous events build up to affect the coming one? Only one person knows the answers, and if that person said anything more that what has already been said, there won't be any fun in life left. hehe.
The next piece shall be moved regardless. Risky, but a calculated risk nonetheless. Now all I have to do is wait for the time to come and start the dance. There will be a time where I will have to put my cards on the table, and that time draws nearer.
There will be questions to answered, and responsibilities to shoulder. I am fully aware I cannot dance this dance alone. I suck at dancing. Yet, there is great assurance knowing that my steps are guided by a Master. Whatever the outcome of the next number, it will still be a good dance in the end.
What are my justifications you ask? It takes two to dance. I took a step forward, a step back was taken. I stepped back, and a step forward was taken. I know I can't spin yet, and that the next number is a tango, but I suppose it can be sorted out.
Perhaps I am too optimistic, too reckless. Do I have my priorities on straight? Am I dancing as the Master instructs or am I dancing to my own rhythm? Maybe the next move is too soon? Shimron, the piece has been placed, there is no turning back.
Maybe it's time for me to call home. hahaha. But knowing the people at home, they'd most probably call when they read this, which isn't a bad thing all together.
After all, it was always about the 'Great Romance'(Dekker, 2004), wasn't it?

Hello, I is the Calling from Swiss Gardens

2010-01-29T17:07:00.002+08:00

I was rudely awoken from my afternoon nap by the jarring buzz of my phone on silent mode. A quick glance on the screen showed me an unknown caller. I hit 'answer'.
'Hello, my name is Ali. I is the calling from Swiss Gardens Hotel. Is this 012-xxxxxxx?'
Yeah...
'We are running a promotion... can I speak in Malay? Campur-campur?'
All right. What's this about?
'You sudah menang promotion to stay for four days three nights!'
Oh... That's interesting...
'Where are you staying at the moment sir?'
I'm staying in KL...
'Which part kat KL?
You know what? May I know where you're calling from?
'Err... Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang'
Give me a moment. I want to write that down. Where again?
'Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Klang. So are you free untuk cakap sekarang?'
Erm... I'm going to be busy in a bit, so can I call you back later?
'Cannot, sir. Since you win, kena do it by today.'
So Ali, can I have your full name please, so I can get back to your hotel.
'Erm... You can just call me Ali sir.'
Your full name please, nama penuh.
'Ali. Ali is ok, sir.'
You know what... You can give the prize to someone else. I'm not really interested. Have a nice day!

**********

Fellas like this just make my day. The entire thing from the start doesn't make sense, even to a seven year old. To start things off, I'm not a client of Swiss Gardens, save in Cherating. Even there, the rooms are booked under my mom's name. So how do I even win a competition I didn't enter?

Number two, which hotel would even hire a guy with such wonderful English to make calls to clients? Boleh campur-campur? Lol. Gimme a break.
Third point. So assume I'm a client. Shouldn't you then know where I stay and what my name is? Awesome PR department this hotel has... if Swiss Gardens even has a branch in Bandar Bukit Tinggi...
"Let's end with a bang!" (Cheong, 2010) What PR personnel doesn't want people to know his full name? And for Goodness' sake, of all names, Ali! What a generic name. Even if you want to scam people, put some effort into creativity please...
My 90 year old grandmother can tell grander lies than you and pull it off. Come on... Try harder next time, 'Ali'. You might want to consider taking PSY205...
lol.

SUKMA XIII Melaka

2010-01-25T21:26:00.004+08:00

My dear old coach just gave me a call from home sweet home. Home, which so happens to be hosting this year's SUKMA. He wants me to take part in the Judo -73kg event which will be in June.
Yayness. Something to look forward to amidst all these assignments and experiments. I suppose I'll have to double my jogging length and start on weights... and showing up more regularly at the Bangsar dojo... This means no more late nights, no more yamcha sessions from Monday to Thursday. Schedule hancur niih. At least, now this means I get the license to eat until I hit 70kg...hehehe. Who wants to join me for daily buffet?
Now with such little time to work, I better make the best of my daylight...
Once the dates are out, please oh please oh please do come and cheer the Melaka team on for my sake! Rowen(a) can go wear pony tails and balloons again and dance. hehe.

Letting Off Steam

2010-01-25T10:13:00.002+08:00

Don't bother reading this. I'm just trying let off some steam. Too many things in my head.
Is there any correlation between the age a child starts reading and later academic performance If so are there any journals supporting that notion or past research to show that it has been done before What on earth to do for Advanced Research Methods Why aren't any of my 201 group members showing up Oh well one just showed up and another They are 20 minutes late Yay now its time for my 203 meeting and there are only one fella has shown up while the other has overslept and the guy who's supposed to follow his has given up waiting and is driving here himself Awesome ERB for 203 is due on Wednesday while the title for our brochure is due Friday ERB for 201 is due this Friday as well Did I also mention I've asked Pastor Kek to do a study on Just for Starters with me Yeah So my Monday afternoon will be taken up I've gotten the photos already so I better send it in for printing while I get started on designing the stuff Speaking of designing I have to be thinking up of experiment designs for 201 Dear God please grant me the grace to hold my tongue when I'm angry and the love to love the unlovable It is such a assurance that even in such trying times His name will be glorified Are things getting any better I hope they are since I don't want to shoot myself in the foot.
There. Much better.
lol.

Second Week Into the Semester

2010-01-20T18:46:00.002+08:00

I just came out from my first official Winnie class. We had two quizzes, of which I'm thoroughly sure I flunked the first, and barely scraped pass the second. The next time round, I shall be ready for her!
So now that all the assignments have been explained, looks like I've got a awesome semester ahead.
PSY201 - one archival research, one experiment AND lab report which are to be presented in colloquium.
PSY203 - one brochure, one lab report.
PSY204 - one 1.2k word essay, one lab report which will ALSO be presented in colloquium.
This Chinese New Year won't count as a break, and I suppose it's time I say hi to my old friends sleepless nights and coffee again...
I suppose I could count PSY201 not having Mid-Terms ('cos Winnie hates them) a blessing.
So what to do for research? I kinda like the idea of exploring the correlation between the number of kitchen appliances and the frequency of sexual activity*... lol. I doubt Winnie, not to even mention ERB would pass the proposal for this. haha.

*Seriously. There's a research out there on that. Dr Albert brought it up in his class a couple of sems ago.

A Tough, Hypothetical Question

2010-01-18T14:21:00.003+08:00

I don't look for a girl to complete me, since in Christ, I'm already completed. My friends point out my faults to me. They also are there to share the good times and bad times. They also build me up to be more Christ-like.
What reasons are then left for me to enter into a relationship and eventually get married?
I know full well that your partner can provide that sense of intimacy and love which no friend can provide, but put that aside, and what do I have left?

God, grant me grace to withstand the temptation to rush things, patience to bide, and wisdom to do the right thing at the right time and not get swept away...

Between Scylla and Charybdis

2010-01-14T00:07:00.002+08:00

The Greek origins for the phrase between the devil and the deep blue sea. Yup, I just received news that Dr Bowman won't be taking our PSY201 class.
BUT

Ms Winnie is taking over. She's good and scary at the same time. Should I laugh for joy or cry?
Since with Ms Winnie joining the team, I'll be having two lecturers who are notorious for their work load. Thank God I didn't decide to take four classes this sem...
I'm sure I'll live.
lol.

First Day of Being a Sophomore

2010-01-12T18:14:00.004+08:00

I start of the new year with Dr Goh telling us our assignments are lecture independent, meaning he may not have covered the topic already, but we have to read up on it ourselves. Yay. Can you feel the joy and excitement?
That's not it. We've got colloquium this sem as well, and depending on how things go, maybe even two shots at it, one for PSY203 and one for PSY201. That means 2 lab reports, 2 ERB proposals and many many late nights.
What am I even ranting here for... I should already be out looking for journal articles...
With a schedule like this... how la... romantic relationships will have to be postponed till I'm 40...lol.
When the going gets tough, the tough turns to Jesus! I don't see any other way to get through this semester and yet retain my sanity.

'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

2010-01-06T11:15:00.002+08:00

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word;
Just to rest upon His promise,
And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”

Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to trust His cleansing blood;
And in simple faith to plunge me
’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just from sin and self to cease;
Just from Jesus simply taking
Life and rest, and joy and peace.

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
And I know that Thou art with me,
Wilt be with me to the end.

If I ever had a favourite song, it would be this. The way it reminds me of that assurance I have in my LORD and Saviour, and of the promise He made to all His children, nothing else has achieved. So simple, so child-like. Read Matthew 18:2-4.

Beyond the Sea...

2010-01-04T23:26:00.003+08:00

Somewhere, beyond the sea,

Somewhere, waiting for me,

My lover stands on golden sands

And watches the ships that go sailing;

Somewhere beyond the sea,
She's there watching for me.
If I could fly like birds on high,
Then straight to her arms I'd go sailing.

It's far beyond a star,
It's near beyond the moon,
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon.

We'll meet beyond the shore,
We'll kiss just as before.
Happy we'll be beyond the sea,
And never again I'll go sailing!

ha... as if there'd be anybody waiting for me. Still, no harm being perasan. Besides, it'd be a waste of a good song, too.

lol.

Glorifying God in Our Relationships: Part 2

2009-12-31T01:37:00.002+08:00

Ok, so I made a mistake with the date. It should be 2010. hehe.

The last time we covered Godly friendships and relationships, and this time round we will be increasing the seriousness level and move on to what the Bible has to say about courtship and marriage.

A definite must go for all those who eventually want to get married. Those who swear they won't are also welcome. hehe.

Time: 1400-1600

Date: 24 January 2010, Sunday

Venue: Puchong Grace Church.

2009-12-28T17:03:00.002+08:00

Listening to women can save your life! How many bungee jumpers would still be alive today if they had listened to their wives'/girlfriends' advice on choosing a safer hobby? I don't know either, but that's besides the point.
I too, would have saved myself a nice little splash of hot oil on my toes if I had listened to my mom. Bwahahahaouchahaha. Thank God there's a difference between heat and temperature. Next time, I shall skip the pain and listen.
lol.

Final Destination

2009-12-24T22:34:00.002+08:00

What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?

Psalms 89:48

From the 21st of December until the 24th, youths from all over Malaysia, and Singapore gathered for the 8th annual Reformed Baptist Youth Camp in El Sanctuary, Melaka. The theme of the camp was Life's Final Destination and the topic of Heaven and Hell was covered in 4 sessions.

Facts About Death

Luke 16:19-31

19"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

In this passage, we see a contrast of the two classes seen in the world: the rich and the poor, yet the conclusion for both classes is that they all still have to die.

Facts about death:

1. Death is certain - you don't know when you will die, but it is certain that you will die.

2. Death is common - all sorts of people die, and death respects no man.

3. Death is not the end - our body turns to dust, but the soul is judged and goes to either Heaven or Hell.

Are you prepared?

Hell is Real

Evidence of Hell:

1. Jesus' crucifixion.

Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross was so that our sins could be forgiven, and this is so that we would not have to be punished for it in Hell. If Hell wasn't real, Jesus would not have died.

2. Man's conscience.

Unconsciously, we know there is a hell. Looking at religions and traditional practices all around the world, the element of hell is prevalent.

3. Jesus taught that there is a Hell.

Matthew 5:21-22 (click here)

Matthew 10:28 (click here)

Matthew 13:40-42 (click here)

Misconceptions of Hell:

1. Annihilation - the soul is not punished, but destroyed.

What the Bible has to say: Souls of those did not know God and did not obey the gospel of Jesus Christ will be punished with everlasting destruction. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, click here)

2. Second chances - God being a merciful God, will give us a second chance.

What the Bible has to say: There is no crossing over once you're in Hell, no more redemption there. (Luke16:26, click here)

3. Purgatory - A Roman Catholic idea where believers who were not perfect are cleansed here before they can go to Heaven.

What the Bible has to say: Nothing. There is no scriptural support for this idea.

4. Good works will keep you from Hell - self-explanatory

What the Bible has to say: Our righteous acts are like filthy rags, so by God's standard, you still will be going to Hell. (Isaiah 64:6, click here)

What is Hell like?

It sure won't be a fun place 'cos Elvis and all the cool people will be there. It will be a place of anguish and torment. (Mark 9:48; Matthew 8:12, 13:42; Revelation 19:20)

Is There a Better Place?

Revelation 21:1-4 (click here)

What is Heaven?

By Biblical definition, there are three meanings:

1. The atmosphere.

2. Space, as in the galaxies and planets kind.

3. Heaven, where God is.

Why does Heaven Exist?

Heaven does not exist for our sake, not to make us happy, but primarily for God's glory, as Heaven is always equated to God in the Bible, as seen in Luke 15:21.

What does Heaven mean?

Heaven is not a place where you wear robes, sit on clouds and play harps all day. Going to Heaven means being with Jesus; in fact, in the entire New Testament, you read nothing of believers going to Heaven, but rather, going to be with God!

Implications:

Since Jesus=Heaven, therefore, going to Heaven is the comfort that one day, we will be with the Lord.

What is Heaven Like?

Perfect in all aspects. Our bodies will be risen up in Glory and in power, while relationships will be made perfect, so that there will no longer be a need for marriage. We will also be enjoying fellowship with God.

Who Will be in Heaven?

Not everyone is in Heaven, or will go. (John 14:5-7, click here)

The Passport and the Ticket

John 14:1-6 (click here)

I can't give you what the speaker said on this topic as I was out sick, but I shall give it to you as I understand it.

Mankind is fallen and will never attain Glory on their own, therefore we need the forgiveness of God, and this forgiveness is made available in Christ Jesus who says that He is the Way, the Truth and the Light, and that NO ONE comes to God except through Him. He is our passport and ticket to Heaven.

Yet, it does not mean we shall all commit suicide just so we can be with God. We are called to be the light and salt of this Earth, working God's glory in this sad and dreary World.

Note: All underlined text except for the titles are links to the Bible verses, so click on it for reference.

Pictures from a Promenade

2009-12-20T15:35:00.003+08:00

Interesting but good looking bunch of case studies... haha. Got NPD, OCD, ASPD, Oral fixation, DID, Jinjang PD...

Highlights of the evening. Pity we guys had to share...lol.

Balik Kampung

2009-12-20T14:48:00.002+08:00

Coming home after being away for a long time is a funny thing.
Things look the same, smell the same, feel the same.
Then you realise what's changed is you.
Still, nothing beats being back with the people whom you love and those who love you.
Esctacy... (^_^)

Presenza Mai Fu

2009-12-18T17:13:00.002+08:00

Presenza mai fù
di donna,
cara ed amabile,
soave più.

Handel would turn in his grave, but yeah, that's what I think. (^///^)

Oh, for an Evening of Bliss!

2009-12-18T02:04:00.002+08:00

What more can I say? Good food, relatively pleasant ambiance, pretty girls, perfect fellowship, and awesome music. Photos will be on their way when some kind soul uploads them on facebook.
I just love you guys to bits lar... What would life be if God didn't put you people in my life? It would be so darn hard to imagine.
Au Revoir till next semester then!

Motivation from the strangest of places...

2009-12-16T00:02:00.003+08:00

While paying for our parking at the autopay machine at Gardens, the screen suddenly flashed:

"Change is possible"

Motivational sial...

lol.

Time spent getting even would be better spent trying to get ahead.

2009-12-14T12:58:00.002+08:00

"Promise to give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others."
More nuggets from my old man. At times like this, I'm glad I've got family (^_^)
Momma told me the other day: whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Phil 4:8).
I know it's not easy, especially what is not noble etc is rubbing itself in your face and you have all the right to get angry, but there is an element of truth to Momma's advice. It saves you a lot of unnecessary headaches and stress.
Therefore, I hereby promise myself that I shall enjoy life and not let these things stress me out. Do what ever you like, fella. Ultimately, you're not the one in charge, but rather, my Dad is. My Dad's stronger than your dad.
lol.

Sound Advice

2009-12-12T18:21:00.004+08:00

So well, I guess its a good thing I listened to Momma. These old people do seem to have hidden nuggets of gold to dish out... hehe. Not literally, unfortunately...(T.T)
What Momma told me today sounded just like the Philosophy of Judo: if a a force comes your way, don't meet it head on, but rather send it its way.
After all, if your opponents are so eager to shoot themselves in the foot, why stop them?

( ﾟ∀ﾟ)ｱﾊﾊ八八ﾉヽﾉヽﾉヽﾉ＼ / ＼/ ＼

Lol.

Baka, Aho, Doji, Manuke, Otanko, Nasu, Kabocha!

2009-12-11T23:08:00.004+08:00

What a total bummer
If I get lucky I'll get chicken pox

...

This is not my idea of fun.

ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ

A Caroling We Go!

2009-12-09T16:16:00.005+08:00

This will be a good excuse to take a break from studying! We will be handing out FREEBIES as well, so do come and join us for this festive celebration!

You Whitewashed Tomb!

2009-12-07T23:12:00.003+08:00

It has been a long while since anyone has made me angry. Congratulations, you've managed to break that record; I'm sure you'll be proud of it.
In you frantic effort to impress, you put on a mask dripping with sugar, but when her back is turned, you spit venom at those around you.
I almost hit you tonight. I swear I could have given you a black eye and more. You didn't even bother to apologise, and even if you did, I've half the mind not to forgive you.
I seriously don't know what to do with you. I can't get rid of you, neither can I be your friend. Let rephrase the last bit: I don't intend to be your friend; it just costs too much.
I shall turn you into a flea, a harmless little flea. And then, I'll put that flea in a box, then I'll put that box inside of another box, and then I'll mail that box to myself. And when it arrives, *maniacal laugh* I'll smash it with a hammer! It's brrrrrilliant!
sigh...

Ha!

2009-12-04T23:32:00.002+08:00

Well, Mom & Dad, I dare bet a hundred USD you've read my last blog post and were wondering what I was talking about right? Well, I actually only dare bet since Momma has already called to ask. hahaha.
What do I do with parents like these two la... lol.
So you really want to know? I'll tell you la. I made Lydia pregnant.

Σ(ﾟДﾟ)

Haha.
Gotcha! I don't know anybody called Lydia to begin with.

Wait patiently, and I promise I'll let you know; and I assure you, you won't be the last people on earth to find out la. haha.

(-_^)d

2009-12-04T02:13:00.002+08:00

It's really funny how things happen when you least expect it to. I'm not talking about nasty stuff like pop quizzes or accidents, but rather... well... (^///^) haha.

Ganbare! (≧ロ≦)

I just really hope it isn't a delusion.

One Year...

2009-12-01T12:12:00.002+08:00

I can't believe it's already been almost one year since I've set foot in HELP. It seemed like yesterday when I first stepped into Wisma HELP for my orientation and first lecture. It seemed like just hours since I first met Joyceralda Lim & Co (Joyce, Esme, Jeremy, etc.). lol. It seemed like I stepped into the Ministry House just moment ago. It seemed like I've only spent minutes hanging with KC and the Sunshine band (KC, KM, HR, Kevin, Koo, Daryll, etc.).
And now the year's drawing to a close. Where did all that time in between go?
Jamming sessions at the Ministry House, Chilly Pan Mee sessions, doing assignments and studying in McD's, more makan-ing at Ming Tian, dinner at the Ministry House, indoor picnics, birthday surprises and parties, emo sessions...lol, cramped car rides to Subang, CF camp, captain ball, movie outings in between lectures, assignment attempts at Daryll's place, COD, carolling practice...
Time sure flies when you're having fun. I feel really blessed to be in such good company. Thanks, guys, it has been a good year. (^_^) I'll see y'all when I come back from the hols!

Just to prove my point

2009-11-30T16:15:00.002+08:00

Now you know why I don't have Tw*tter.

lol.

I've Got a Lame Joke Coming on!

2009-11-27T03:21:00.007+08:00

Listen to this one:

What did the Black Eyed Peas say to the Char Kuey Teow auntie?

"Mai ham, mai ham, mai ham! (don't want cockles)" hehe. Get it?

lol.

Effeuiller la Marguerite

2009-11-25T02:06:00.002+08:00

Nighttime, or to be politically correct, the wee hours of the morning, is the time for emoing. Hehe. I was looking up the "She loves me, she loves me not" game when I came across the French version of it:

Elle m'aime un peu, beaucoup, passionnément, à la folie, pas du tout.

It translates to 'She loves me a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all'. I love this. What are the chances of you ending on 'not at all'? 1/5. lol. You can't be thaaaat unlucky can you?
The Polish version, on the other hand, sounds like whoever came up with it is a Major Depressive Paranoid:

Kocha... lubi... szanuje... nie chce... nie dba... żartuje... w myśli... w mowie... w sercu... na ślubnym kobiercu

This means: she loves me... she likes me... she respects me... she doesn't want me... she doesn't care... she makes fun of me... in her mind... in her speech... in her heart... at the wedding carpet. Talk about being pessimistic, huh? Haha.

Walks in the Sunset

2009-11-24T23:36:00.003+08:00

夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏

This is a Chinese saying which says that the light of the setting sun is sublime, and that time is short.

As I was setting the stew to simmer, Joyce was staring out the kitchen gate. As I joined her by the gate, she mentioned how the weather was perfect for a walk.

Hearing that, I thought it would have been a good idea to actually go for one. The whole bunch of us have never really gone for a walk together before. So off we trudged, up the hill and round the housing estate, gawking at houses.

The evening sky was really nice. The way the setting sun lit up the clouds, it seemed as if a huge angel had shed its wings in the sky. The silence permeated the evening, giving us a sense of tranquility, well, at least until the next car arrived. Such awesome company, with the bonus of such awesome scenery. Life couldn't be any better. Well, maybe if it was followed by awesome food, like we the stew we had (haha...damn angkat bakul sendiri), life could be.

However, as the Chinese saying goes, the evening drew to an end. I think it was less than 30mins before the light dimmed and Esme started to feed the mosquitoes. Still, it was a walk to remember, pardon the pun. hehe.

Let's do it again. This time maybe with a beach. (^_^)

Evolution: Is it still Relevant?

2009-11-19T19:02:00.004+08:00

The following essay is the entire script for my persuasive speech that I will present on Monday (?). After hearing what Mr Franklin said in class today, and how this girl adamantly insisted that evolution has been proven, I've decided to put this up.

Is Evolution Still Relevant?

We have been bombarded with the idea of evolution ever since the moment we subscribed to Astro and turned on Discovery Channel, showing documentaries on how fossil records show evidence of evolution. “Let the facts speak for themselves!” They say. However, it is a fallacy to believe that facts speak for themselves—they are always interpreted according to a framework. The framework behind the evolutionists’ interpretation is naturalism—it is assumed that things made themselves.

Evolution is a deduction from this assumption, and it includes these unproven ideas: nothing gave rise to something at an alleged ‘big bang,’ non-living matter gave rise to life, single-celled organisms gave rise to many-celled organisms, invertebrates gave rise to vertebrates, ape-like creatures gave rise to man, non-intelligent and amoral matter gave rise to intelligence and morality, man’s yearnings gave rise to religions, etc.

Evolution, of the fish-to-philosopher type, requires that non-living chemicals organize themselves into a self-reproducing organism. All types of life are alleged to have descended, by natural, ongoing processes, from this ‘simple’ life form. The first self-reproducing organism would have made copies of itself. Evolution also requires that the copying is not always completely accurate—errors (mutations) occur. Any mutations which enable an organism to leave more self-reproducing offspring will be passed on through the generations. This ‘differential reproduction’ is called natural selection. In summary, evolutionists believe that the source of new genetic information is mutations sorted by natural selection—the neo-Darwinian theory.

However, there is a substantial flaw in this assumption. Mutations which increase genetic information would be the raw material necessary for evolution. To get from "amoeba" to "man" would require a massive net increase in information. There are many examples of supposed evolution given by proponents. Variation within a species (finch beak, for example), bacteria which acquire antibiotic resistance, people born with an extra chromosome, etc. However, none of the examples demonstrate the development of new information. Instead, they demonstrate either pre-programmed variation, multiple copies of existing information, or even loss of information (natural selection and adaptation involve loss of information). The total lack of any such evidence refutes evolutionary theory.

Another problem with the premise of evolution is that it requires life to spring out of a primordial chemical soup, otherwise known as spontaneous generation. Evolutionists admit that the chances of evolutionary progress are extremely low. Yet, they believe that given enough time, the apparently impossible becomes possible. If I flip a coin, I have a 50/50 chance of getting heads. To get five "heads" in a row is unlikely but possible. If I flipped the coin long enough, I would eventually get five in a row. If I flipped it for years nonstop, I might get 50 or even 100 in a row. But this is only because getting heads is an inherent possibility. What are the chances of me flipping a coin, and then seeing it sprout arms and legs, and go sit in a corner and read a magazine? No chance. Given billions of years, the chances would never increase. Great periods of time make the possible likely but never make the impossible possible. No matter how long it's given, non-life will not become alive.

Let me give you another example: an enzyme, which is the building block for the gene, which in turn is the building block for the cell, and that for the human being. The probability of it randomly occurring is 1 in 10^40,000, more than the number of atoms in the universe, which incidentally is 10^80.

Now the infinite monkey theorem states that a monkey hitting at keys of a typewriter for an infinite amount of time will almost surely produce something coherent, for example the complete works of Shakespeare. If there are as many monkeys as there are particles in the observable universe (10^80), and each types 1000 keystrokes per second for 100 times the life of the universe (10^20 seconds), the probability of the monkeys replicating even a short book approaches zero. That was for a short book. Now imagine the probability for the information from a pinhead sized piece of DNA, which incidentally is 4 billion gigabytes.

The phrase ‘missing link’ is commonly heard when talking about evolution. If living things had really evolved from other kinds of creatures, then there would have been many intermediate or transitional forms, with halfway structures, otherwise known as the ‘missing links’. However, the inability to imagine functional intermediates is a real problem. If a bat or bird evolved from a land animal, the transitional forms would have forelimbs that were neither good legs nor good wings. How would such things be selected? The fragile long limbs of hypothetical halfway stages of bats and pterosaurs would seem more like a hindrance than a help. Besides that, there are no fossil records what so ever of animals in the transitory stage, but overwhelming numbers fossils which show fully developed animals.

Broken boats cannot carry you across the water. Having seen how the scientific and mathematical evidence piles up against evolution, rendering it redundant, I think it is time we find another theory to replace it.

References

Ham, K., & Sarfati, J. (1999). Refuting evolution. Master Books.

Wikipedia. (2009). Infinite Monkey Theorem. Retrieved 15 November, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_monkey_theorem

Alcorn, R. (2008). Ten major flaws of evolution - revised. Retrieved from http://www.epm.org/artman2/publish/creation_evolution/Ten_Major_Flaws_of_Evolution_-_Revised.shtml

VipChannel. (2008). Debating-refuting-beating - darwin dawkins evolution theory. Video posted to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfE6pKCzSTU

O My Friend, I Weep for You

2009-11-15T14:28:00.007+08:00

A sound heart is life to the body,
But envy is rottenness to the bones.

Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent,

But who is able to stand before jealousy?

For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy as cruel as the grave.

For wrath kills a foolish man,

And envy slays a simple one.

You say you love, but I see not what you call love. Love is supposed to suffer long, be kind, does not envy; does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Instead, I see malice and envy dripping from your heart, hiding a poisoned dagger in your smile. Your kindness only lasts as long you think you can benefit from it, and when you have perceived otherwise, it stops. Is this true kindness?

I believe true love bears all things. Even when things don't go the way you really want it to be, you still love. What I see in you is obsession, a twisted longing, not love. I implore you, change your ways and put seek the Kingdom of God first! Before God gives you over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness.

(T.T)

The Mortal Instruments

2009-11-13T01:31:00.001+08:00

MPH was selling them at 20% off. I couldn't resist the sweet seduction of fiction, so I bought the first two books. When I went up to the counter to ask for the City of Bones, since it wasn't on display, the lady at the counter looked me in the eye and said:

" Second floor, all the way to the end, children's section."

My friends all burst out laughing. Ah, the embarrassment.

That aside, I'm now more than halfway done with City of Bones. So far, so good, except for the annoying gay romance which keeps popping out. Otherwise, the story has its fair share of demon slaying action, mystery, romance and saving the world. Something definitely worth buying if you aren't hyper homophobic.

Another Attempt at Haiku

2009-11-11T03:28:00.003+08:00

A raging river,

set.

Drowning all

around it.

A taut string,

pulled further.

Pling.

It snaps.

A still pond.

Stone

drops in.

Ripples spread;

Chaos.

A leaf in a torrent.

Sucked in

the vortex.

Pebble in the river.

Reluctant.

Forced along.

War, pride.

I'm right.

Still, sorrow stems

And people die.

Maybe I'm saying something, maybe I'm not. But this I will say: Being stuck in between warring factions is not fun. (*>.<*)

Don't Mind My Monologue

2009-11-08T00:42:00.002+08:00

Would it be right if my actions, which would benefit myself greatly, cause a close friend to grieve? If my actions would result in making another friend go against a statement made? Would it be right for me, if my actions may result in either the losing of a friendship or resulting in something more?
Should I then continue with this course of action?
Then again, do I really mean it? Am I just kidding myself again, like before?
Oh, where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? Only God alone understands the way to it and HE alone knows where it dwells.
In that case, can pinjam sikit ah?

Cold Water Shrimps @ Ikea

2009-11-07T15:44:00.002+08:00

Each and every of these succulent Pandalus borealis was stuffed with shrimp eggs. The zesty tang of the lemon complemented the sweetness of the shrimp flesh, nicely muting the usually fishy smell which come with seafood. The impressive texture of the shrimps definitely places it all the way up there with oysters.

"I bet this is going to be better than sex."

I hope my future wife doesn't mind.

lol.

Assignments Are Sapping My Creativity...

2009-11-04T23:07:00.002+08:00

You know what? I think I shall go to bed.
I stayed up till 3am on Tuesday/Wednesday at Daryll's place, kononnya do assignment. Ended up Kevin emoing in a corner, Koo and Chi Ken DotA-ing in the dining room, and Daryll sleeping in his room. Had to wake up at 8am to get to Uni before 10 so that Koo, who didn't bring his clothes, can go back to his dorm and bathe.
Screw the PDA. I'll do it tomorrow and just skip judo...again.

For The First Time in 20 Years, I Sound Profound.

2009-10-28T21:37:00.002+08:00

"Apple pie without cinnamon is like salvation through works alone. Its tantamount to blasphemy."

lol.

Taxi Driver Shocks Toilet Users

2009-10-26T17:25:00.005+08:00

Kepong (24 October) - I was on the way to Fidelis' baptism service when we got lost in Kepong. While trying to get back on the route, we stopped at a petrol kiosk to stretch our legs and relieve ourselves.
As I walked into the toilet, a Malay man in his 60's strolled out from the single cubicle with his fly open and his little brother peeping out for all and sundry to see. He calmly proceeded to the sink to sprinkle his little tinkle as if it were the most normal thing in the world. After drying himself, he walked out into his taxi and drove off, leaving the other toilet users in utter shock and disgust.

********************************************************************************

I know news articles should not have personal opinions, but I can't help but add: What the heck?! You think you're the only person in the toilet ke? I know you guys live by the idea that you own this land; That I'll allow, but walking around with your little brother saying 'hi' to everybody is NOT provided in the Constitution, man! Sheesh.... I need to Clorox my eyes man... I need counseling for my PTSD....

Tingkaps

2009-10-25T21:21:00.003+08:00

I just got back from dinner at Chilly Pan Mee at SS2. Those noodles are seriously addictive, even without the chilli flakes. But that's besides the point.
I spent the weekend at Serdang, where I saw Eunice with her laptop. Turns out she had it upgraded to Windows 7. Wondering what the difference was, I talked to Aarony about it. The difference was to awesome to put into words that I just had to get my lappy upgraded.
Now here I am, enjoying the sexiness of my laptop's new attitude. hehe. There can be only 3 things better than such smooth performance: God, food, and good music, in that order.
Tingkap Tujuh is just manisss. lol.

Ara~!

2009-10-21T02:15:00.002+08:00

I found a tray of my eggs smashed on Tuesday. I didn't burn my fingers, but the eggs got smashed anyway. The conclusion is that smashed eggs are just like spilt milk; Not point crying over it. I think I might still have one more tray left. I think.

Gut Feeling

2009-10-19T23:05:00.002+08:00

There's a few things I have to get off my mind so I can get some decent sleep tonight. You guys don't have to read this at all.

Number one. 2/3 of this semester is going to be trouble. Why? Here's why: PSY112 (Dev. Psych.) is supposed to be a 2hour class. The class ended in 1, in which we did only a recap of what we have learnt in PSY105 (Research Methods). Dev Psych will last for another 4 more weeks before Abnormal Psych starts in the last 1/3 of this sem. This then means a change in lecturers, but not for the better. Abnormal Psych will be taken by a new guy called Sandiyo. According to the seniors, he's a horrible lecturer. Shinjyaiso~

Next up, the student council is a brood of vipers. 'Nuff said. This is just my personal opinion since I really distrust and despise manipulative people.

I'm still bewitched, bothered, and bewildered. Are the jokes really jokes, or do they mean much more? Do I start planning my steps, or shall I wait a little while longer to see what happens? I need to know so I can really make the necessary sacrifices... I don't want to jump right in , only to burn my fingers and break all my eggs. An Jua Kuan?

There. With all that said. I finally can go to bed. YAWN.