twenty more: June 2008

Saturday, June 28, 2008

My morning escapade

I woke up at 8 (A.M. ok) to go to NECF to pass a set of keys to Ps. Ann which i accidentally took.

Now, those who know me would know that i'm not exactly the perkiest person in the morning. Especially after only 4 hours of sleep last night (i have no one to blame for that except myself and Bill Watterson), waking up at EIGHT this morning was one of those 'wrestling' mornings for me (me wrestling with the morning). Papa drove me to NECF because he said i was too groggy to drive. He was in one of his moods again.

But this is the ultimatum:

We reach NECF, and Ps. Ann wasn't there yet. So being the nice, kind, helpful, kay-po that i am...i thought i'd open the office for her.

I open the door with the key and the alarm goes off.

Ps. Ann arrived a good 15, excruciating minutes later.

Sigh. These things only happen to me.

Ahh well...a few good things about being up this early are i get to eat toast, and watching the lakeland live revival, live. Those with cancer are healed, the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, people are being saved and healed everywhere, not just there but people catch the fire and bring it to their churches, to malls, restaurants...there are even testimonies of those declared dead being raised to life!

All glory to God!!

"There's something like a revival happening around here"

Its so amazing, please go watch. You can use my account:
Username : envyno
Password : psalm91

LORD, send revival to Malaysia!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

"'When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him?' asked the psalmist.
An excellent question, as well as a reminder to a point of view I easily forget. We are, we humans, a mere pinch of dust scattered across the surface of a nondescript planet. At the heart of all reality is God, an unimaginable source of both power and love. In the face of such reality we can grovel in humanoid humility or we can, like the psalmist, look up instead of down, to conclude,
'O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your Name in all the earth!' "

Philip Yancey, Prayer

Monday, June 23, 2008

influenc-ing/es

Influence '08 was a conference for young adults, the just-started-working, and the going-to-work-soon batch, the same generation what went for Parousia 2000 and Parousia 2001. (yea, so why not call it "Parousia : all grown up"?...well, thats just my opinion, i'm not very original :) )
But strangely, i didn't recognize many people there from the former Parousia conferences (not that i knew everyone at the former Parousia conferences also la)

Anyhoos...it was a very good conference, and i would go next year should there be another. I especially liked the speakers Micheal Tang (because he looks like Gandalf-Gandalf is from LOTR, Lisa, not Harry Potter!) and Benny Ng (even though he's from Singapore, no offense to Singaporeans :))

Micheal (cehh...like i know him, haha) said "Consistency is the key to successful branding". See? CONSISTENCY.
What is our brand as Christians?
"...they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.." (Rev12:11)
"...but the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law" (Gal 5:22-23)
"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:15)

I think to echo what the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy would be to sum what was shared throughout the conference (at least what i gathered la)
"Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." (1 Tim 6:17)

~To not store up for ourselves temporary things, things that 'moth and rust can destroy'-things the world offers, but to store for ourselves treasures in heaven, where 'moth and rust cannot destroy', our eternal inheritance as children of the Living God, Who provides all things for us on earth and for eternity.

*smiles all round*

One Thing - Hillsongs

One thing I desire
One thing I seek
To gaze upon Your beauty
And Your majesty
God of my salvation
Lifter of my head
Teach me how to live oh Lord
In Your righteousness

So I pray to You
So I pray to You

Lord Your name
Is higher than the heavens
Lord Your name
Is higher than all created things
Higher than hope
Higher than dreams
The name of the Lord

In the day of trouble
You cover me
In the secret place of refuge
Lord I will sing

I will seek Your face
Call upon Your name Jesus
All I want is You
Jesus

Saturday, June 21, 2008

A little bit of influence

Its 3.51 a.m. I blog very often these days, don't i?

Yesterday was our second twenties bible-study-gathering-meeting at Yim's. It was such a good time of just...being with peers and discussing things that really matter in life, like God, and our relationship with Him.

It was good, because so often we talk alot of nonsense (i know thats bad grammar...its late la). Like Mark says "its pretty amazing how we can sit at mamak for 3 hours and talk about shit". He wasn't being vulgar, we really have sat at mamak for 3 hours talking about shit. haha. yea i know, wow.

So yesterday we discussed busy-ness (not business...hahaha). And it really was a very good discussion. Kudos, Hats Off! to Lisa for initiating this.
The discussion also made me realize, that i'm not really very busy...in fact (we had to scale our busy-ness level at this point from one to ten) and to be honest with myself, i had to give myself a 1.5.

Today was Influence Conference night one at GTPJ. (tomorrow will be Day 2, starting 8 a.m., gosh i hope i can wake up!). Today's talk was good, On God's concept of success, or something like that. Benny Ong (he was the speaker tonight) is a 62 year old, 5'7 man who doesn't look 62 at all.
His secret? Prayer and exercise, my friends. Prayer and exercise.

Before i blogger off, I would like to say...a big congrats to all my peeps out there who applied for and got into local uni. This is the time of your lives. Woo Hoo!

G'nite chickies.

Friday, June 20, 2008

on Love and Consistency

J said today (when asked what he'd like to buy in Chow Yang pasar malam)
"I would like to buy true love, world peace and (i can't remember the other thing)"

I am the most inconsistent person. I struggle with routine, mostly. I don't know why...but i find it SO hard to just do the same things everyday.

And perhaps the hardest thing to do, is meeting daily with the invisible God. (who is only invisible because our eyes are so distracted everyday by all the things around us that we fail to see Him right before us).
Even though i know that He waits for me everyday to meet with Him and just be with each other, as one would with his lover, I still sometimes fail to keep my appointments with Him.

So anyway, back to what J said; true love isn't sold in pasar malam...but i know where one could get true love:

Love that never fails, that isn't unfaithful even when we, Hosea's wives, are. Love that waits for us to commune, to sup with Him everyday. Love that gathers us as a hen gathers her young and takes away our fears. A consistent, unwavering, unconditional, steadfast and strong; a fortress where we find refuge from our cruelest enemies, yet at the same time a soft, gentle balm for our wounded hearts. A Love that conquered death and covers a multitude of sins.

This Love,

My Jesus I love You, because You first loved me.

Psalm 25

Of David.

To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

in You I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.

No one whose hope is in You
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse.

Show me Your ways, O LORD,
teach me Your paths;

guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Savior,
and my hope is in You all day long.

Remember, O LORD, Your great mercy and love,
for they are from of old.

Remember not the sins of my youth
and my rebellious ways;
according to Your love remember me,
for You are good, O LORD.

Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore He instructs sinners in His ways.

He guides the humble in what is right
and teaches them His way.

All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of His covenant.

For the sake of Your name, O LORD,
forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD ?
He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.

He will spend his days in prosperity,
and His descendants will inherit the land.

The LORD confides in those who fear Him;
He makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever on the LORD,
for only He will release my feet from the snare.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart have multiplied;
free me from my anguish.

Look upon my affliction and my distress
and take away all my sins.

See how my enemies have increased
and how fiercely they hate me!

Guard my life and rescue me;
let me not be put to shame,
for I take refuge in You.

May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope is in You.

==================================

Jesus, remained seated on the ground, drawing in the sand with His finger, as the crowd jeered and taunted, questioning Him, waiting for Him to pass judgement as what the law states, He who claimed to be the One sent by God. The adulterous woman, the sinner must be stoned. And each one already had a stone in their hands, waiting to put to death this outcast, this immoral woman, who was found in bed with a man who was not her husband. She has sinned, she must be put to death. then Jesus straightened up and looked at them, knowing their hearts, loving them, just as He loved the woman at His feet. And said to them "if any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" this was why He came, because none is without sin. and when the crowd had gone away stoneless, Jesus looked at her with His face full of compassion, loving her, just as He loved the crowd, asked her "woman, has no one condemned you?" what more is there to say? "no sir", she replied and He said, "then neither do i condemn you, go now, and leave your life of sin"

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Today

In a fit of desperation, I have SPLurged (s, p and l emphasized to get a SPL-leh, spitting sort of sound)...RM199.90 on a pair of jeans from Pull&Bear.

Didn't go to work today, work up with severe headache and went back to sleep. I need to find a night job. Woke at 3 (don'tjudgemeiwasn'tfeelingwellok) and went downstairs. Headache came back because slept too much.

Watched Left Behind:World At War. Good ah! Everyone should watch. Watched Juno and The Truman Show last night also. Everyone should watch those too, very nice. :)
Decided during the commercials (Left Behind was on AXN) that i'd go on my jeans-hunt today. Took a loan from Papa and went.

Spent a whole hour in Levi's. The lights kept going off (they were fixing the lights or something), which was scary. Went through a whole pile of jeans, but still couldn't find The One.

Walked around one u, bumped into Adelynn who was there looking for a belt to go with her dress. We wasted no time on mindless window shopping, each had a mission and it was already 9.30 pm. The stored close at 10. We went separate ways.

Walked into Pull and Bear. Found The One. In my whole life, I've only found The One pair of jeans 3 times (this being the third, and the most expensive). Jeans are my staple diet.

First time : Unexpectedly, and unintentionally, in Mahkota Parade, Melaka. Giordano, Dark Blue, straight cut, rather high waist (the 90s were just over la, low waist wasn't in yet, and boot cut didn't come back until the next year). 2000, RM 109.00 Lasted 5 and a half years.
How it ended : Cool-looking tear at the knee area grew larger and larger until you could see my whole knee. Then another hole grew on my second knee and you could see both my knees. Have cut them into shorts.

Second time : This one was a steal! Bought in One Utama, Bandar Utama. G&H (they stole the Abercrombie moose), Light Blue, with sequins sown on back pockets, Low-er waist, Boot-ish cut, loose. 2006, RM45. Didn't last very long..maybe thats why its so cheap.
How it ended : A hole ripped right across one leg. Have stitched it up, but it will never look the same again. Am planning to cut them up as well.

Third time : Most expensive, One Utama, Bandar Utama. Pull and Bear. Light Blue, 99% cotton, 1% spandex, low waist, boot-cut. 2008, RM 199.90. Blew a hole right through my soul.

After buying them jeans, i walked out of the shop with my mind in a mess: Have to ikat perut from now on. I am SO broke. How am I going to survive the next few weeks? And then i walked into Bata and bought a pair of shoes for RM29.90. Buy now, figure out how to survive later.

Thanks, Chris for paying for my drink just now.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact.

But I am prouder - infinitely prouder - to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. The one has the potentiality of death; the other embodies creation and life. And while the hordes of death are mighty, the battalions of life are mightier still. It is my hope that my son, when I am gone, will remember me not from the battle field but in the home repeating with him our simple daily prayer, 'Our Father who art in Heaven.'
- Douglas Macarthur

Friday, June 13, 2008

Hugs for Dumpy

Today is Dumpy the 16th. hehehe

Dumpy has a dimple. Dumpy the Dimpled.

Happy Sweet Sixteeth, Dumpy!

*hugs for Dumpy :)

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Time Flies by when you're sick

Through You the blind will see
Through You the mute will sing
Through You the dead will rise
Through You all hearts will praise
Through You the darkness flees
Through You my heart screams I am free

I am free to run
I am free to dance
I am free to live for You
I am free

=====================

I have been sickly lately. Got hit by one of those viruses. Am going to be staying off mamak, or more specifically cheese naan (urrggh...the thought of it still makes me nauseas). Have been vomiting for the past 4 days. That bit kinda sucks.

But it's been a good...ermm..how should i say....hiatus?
A gap.
A gap in my time frame, i forgot what day it is today cos i've been in bed the past four days. Have been talking to God because, really there's nothing much to do when one is sick and has no energy. TV doesn't provide any entertainment or comfort, couldn't read much, can't type, so i talk to God. And i do appreciate the time.

And i appreciate my papa: He sat by me and prayed for me and read the Word to me, told me it'll be okay, that it'll be over soon, took food and meds up to my room and downstairs constantly, took care of me, even though he was tired. I love my papa.

So i thank God for this time of being sick. I haven't been sick in a long time, and i haven't been this sick ever. Nie's right, the hols HAVE been very happening for me. :)

Above all, i thank the Lord for making me well again. Only by the blood of Jesus.

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.