Rabbit Rebound

Slow day at the office? Or bored looking at your text books? Try this out for laughs. Warning! Can be contagious! And also, try beating my high score. I've got a 16 21! :P

http://www.rabbitrebound.co.uk/

Why you should use Firefox...

To those of you who are still using IE to browse the web, here's a good reason to make the switch (to Firefox)...



And note that I've placed a link on the side bar on the right for you to conveniently download the latest version of Firefox. Click on it, and make the switch!

I am missing Angeline...

Angeline left for outreach almost two weeks ago. This means she will remain out of contact until the end of the outreach, which is sometime in the mid of June. Sigh. I'm missing her so much already. I'm still trying to adjust to my nights without her because before she left for outreach, we skyped almost every night.

However, Angeline has been really sweet. She planned ahead of time to send me a few time-delayed Hallmark e-cards, which drops itself in my inbox every few days. How thoughtful...

Anyhow, those of you who know her, please keep her in prayer. Pray that God will grant her success and favor with men, as well as protection from harm as she continues to bring the good news of our Lord to the lost.

Hua Jing, come back quick! I miss you!

Pics of Baby Rabbits

Here're some wabbit photos I've gathered over the weeks. Oreo, my rabbit, has been actively trying to build its regime of cute and cuddly furry little squigly thingys in its conquest to take over the world. Just kidding.. Anyway, I thought they looked cute and just wanna share it with you boys and girls. Have fun!

Here're some of the 1 week old photos:

This is Oreo:

These were taken when they were slightly more than 2 weeks old...

And here's when they were a little older...

Passion 06: Everything Glorious

For those of you who still don't know, I'm actually a Passion freak. I've been following their movement since sometime in 1999. Music wise, Passion made their first debut album sometime in 1998 entitled Passion: Live Worship from the 268 Generation. Although they started off singing many songs from other writers such as Delirious' Martin Smith (I Could Sing of Your Love Forever), David Ruis (Sweet Mercies), and Kelly Carpenter (Draw Me Close), they also had their own writers such as Chris Tomlin (We Fall Down) and Charlie Hall (Salvation), who eventually formed somewhat a permanent member of the Passion Worship Band. Some other noteworthy members are Nathan and Christy Nockels (who on their own are known as 'Watermark'), Matt Redman (Heart of Worship), Steve Fee and Candi Pearson. David Crowder joined in somewhat later and have somewhat redefine much of Passion's music.

Behind Passion stands founder Louis Giglio, whose vision in the beginning was to heed the call to see revival break out in college campuses all over America. Preachers such as John Piper and Beth Moore speaks often during their conferences, and their messages never fail to convict and inspire you at the same time.


April 4th 2006 marks the release of Passion's newest album entitled 'Everything Glorious'. This album features song from their recent Passion Conference held early Jan of this year. Do check out their website as they feature song clips from the album as well a host of other cool stuff.

Public Service Announcement

Today is the 17th of April. That leaves those of you who still have not got your taxes filed 13 more days to get it done if you're in Malaysia and Canada. If you're in the US, then you have roughly less than 24 hours, depending what time you're reading this post. Anyhow, just make sure you get it done...


Then he [Jesus] said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." -Matthew 22:21

And for you who do not need to worry about taxes, enjoy while it still lasts...

Of Easter and Wabbits...

Being a Christian, I know that Easter is not about furry bunnies and coloured or chocolate eggs. But this news article from the New York Post Online caught my eye. It reads:

February 3, 2006 -- What a wabbit!

German Giant, one of the biggest bunnies on the face of the planet, tips the scales at 17 pounds — almost seven pounds more than the average rabbit of his breed.

And he’s still growing, according to German breeder Hans Wagner (above), whose hair-raising angora hare was the highlight of a recent rabbit fair in Berlin.

On all paws, German Giant, named for the world’s largest rabbit breed, stands 17 inches tall. And standing on his hind feet, he’s more than three feet tall.

To find out how unusual Wagner’s wabbit is, The Post contacted Six Bells Rabbitry in Arvada, Colo.

“That’s a huge animal. That’s amazing,” said breeder Michelle Jones. “In the States, it’s hard to get them past 12 to 15 pounds.”

How did German Giant get so big?

“I don’t feed him an unusual diet,” said Wagner. “He goes through more than his brothers and sisters, but he eats the same food mix. His favorite food is actually lettuce. He can never get enough of it.”

Herr Hare is unusual in another way, he noted. “Unlike some other rabbits I’ve had, he’s really a gentle character — a gentle giant.”

And check out the photo:


Doesn't this look like a job for Wallace and Grommit?

For the true message of Easter, check this out. Have a Blessed Easter everyone...

Maundy Thursday Commemoration

Luke 22:7-23

The Last Supper

7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover."

9"Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked.

10He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, 11and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' 12He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there."

13They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

14When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

17After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

19And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

20In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 21But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table. 22The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." 23They began to question among themselves which of them it might be who would do this.

John 13:1-38

Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

1It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

2The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. 3Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

7Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

8"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet."
Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

9"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

10Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." 11For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. 13"You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal

18"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'

19"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me."

21After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me."

22His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means."

25Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, "Lord, who is it?"

26Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

"What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him, 28but no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the Feast, or to give something to the poor. 30As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial

31When he was gone, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. 32If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

36Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later."

37Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you."

38Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

Apologies

For those of you who checks in my blog daily, I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I've been getting this writer's block for quite some time now, and probably need to shake it off pretty soon. Anyway, I thank you for your faithful viewing, and before I lose my entire audience, I promise to have something up soon. Stay tuned...

Longing - Jeremy Camp

What can separate us
From the love of Jesus Christ
Nothing this world can even change
The thought I once was lost
But now been given grace
It's a mystery that I will not chase

You are all this heart is longing for
Jesus, you are all my soul is pleading for

What can seperate us
From the love of Jesus Christ
Nothing in this world can even change
The thought I once was lost
But now been given grace
It's a mystery I will not chase

I don't understand it
How you love the way you do
Even when I've fallen
You always lift me up to you

Trusting God..

The past couple of weeks proved to be tiring for me, as I found my patience and faith being tested and challenged thru various and separate incidences. From money-costing accidents to mind-boggling mistakes and screw ups that people do, each one of these situations stretched my faith in a different direction.

How did I fare? I'm not sure. For some, I don't think I've even managed to figure out what it means yet. For others, I've just decided to let it behind me. But one thing that I've learned through from all these , is that it's not how I've overcame these situations, but rather, how I trusted God thru it all.

I recalled last Thursday while waiting for my brother to come back from school so that we could go out for dinner. Suddenly, the phone rang, and in a few moments, mom came running out saying that we've got to rush to his school. "The teacher said that Kah Veen had an accident." I could only describe what came in to my mind at that point of time was fear. Fear that something terrible has occured. The only thing I could do then as I went to start-up the car was pray. And I prayed "Lord, I trust You with this. Please help him out." The journey to his school was painful, as no one really knew what happened. The teacher who called left no details of the 'accident'. When we finally arrived at the clinic (a kind teacher had taken him there), I dropped my parents off so that they could go in first while I parked the car. The moment I got the car parked, I rushed into the clinic's room, and all I could see was Kah Veen lying on the bed with gauze taped on his head. His shirt had blood splatters and tears filled his eyes as he tried to explain what happened to my parents.

Long story short, I found relieve as the story was unveiled. Apparently, a girl had taken a stone and tried to strike his leg by throwing at him. In that moment, my brother for some reason had decided to bend down and the stone struck him on his head. He went unconscious for a while and the teachers had taken him to the clinic as they feared he could have gotten a concussion of some sort.

That night, I took time to reflect back on the entire event. I was glad that I've managed to turn to God in the moment of doubt and anguish. And I'm even more glad that God has brought me thru it. A moment of pride for me? Not really. But I'm glad that the desire in me to trust God has grown. And praise God that He has helped to grow.

Abdul Rahman to be released!

Praise the Lord! We've been praying for Abdul Rahman this whole week, asking God to come and intervene, and today, according to CNN, Abdul will not be executed, but be released.

"The court dismissed today the case against Abdul Rahman for a lack of information and a lot of legal gaps in the case," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. AP said the official has been closely involved with the matter.

"The decision about his release will be taken possibly tomorrow," AP quoted the official as saying. "They don't have to keep him in jail while the attorney general is looking into the case."

Praise God for His mercies!

In My Life - The Beatles

"In My Life" - Beatles

There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more

Another birthday!

Huey Ching,
As God
Prepares you for a
Purposeful and meaningful
Year ahead,

Be grateful to Him
In everything that you do.
Remember
That it is ONLY thru
Him that your
Desires are made complete,
And know that, God loves
You very much!

Happy sweet 16th birthday, or did I mention that already?... :P

Weee.....

Pray for Abdul Rahman

CNN recently reports:

"Rahman, a father of two, was arrested and is on trial for rejecting Islam. The Afghan constitution, which is based on Sharia, or Islamic law, says that apostates can receive the death penalty."

May we be praying for brother Abdul Rahman, that God be strong in him even as he faces his enemies. May the love of Christ covers him, give him the grace to forgive, and the courage to run the race, fight the fight, and keep the faith...

May Vin's 21!

May Vin turns 21 today. Starting today May Vin is no longer a girl, at least, in the legal sense. And by becoming a woman, she now have special privilleges, like, voting for instance. In some countries, they now allow you to consume alcoholic beverages, though we know that May Vin dislikes beers anyway (don't you May Vin.. :P).


Well May Vin, may God bless you in all you do. Remember to keep Sydney neat and clean, and don't forget to send us some Hillsongs goodies (like the new United album 'United We Stand'... "hint hint"). Take care and have a wonderful birthday!

"Behold, I make all things new"

In the book of revelations, Jesus gave John a vision of what heaven would be like. But before that, He showed what must happen in His second coming. At the end of the tribulations, and when Satan and his armies are finally defeated and thrown into hell, Jesus let John see the holy city, the 'New Jerusalem'. Jesus said, "Behold, I make all things new" (Rev 21:5).

This verse reminds me alot of Pastor Tom's words. Pastor Tom was my mentor during my uni days in Lincoln. One of the things he said often was 'God is in the process of making all things right'. Although I caught his drift then, I now understand better what this means...

I had an interesting experience this afternoon. While stopping by to park for lunch in front of this restaurant, I accidentally kissed the bumper of the car infront of me. To my dismay, there were people in there too. I quickly came out, examined their bumper and mine, saw no damage, apologized to the two passengers, and happily proceeded to order my lunch. However, things didn't go quite as I wanted. It turned out that when the driver of the car I 'tapped' came back, he was not quite happy about the 'crack' on the side of the bumper. Oh, it was a crack alright, and he then proceeded to put the blame on me. Long story short, I argued about how it was illogical, and how I was adamant that it was not my fault, and I wanted to take this to the police, etc etc... in the end, that 'tap' cost me 120 hard-earned mullahs. I ranted to my boss, who was there with me about these 'blood suckers' over lunch, and remained restless for the rest of the day.

I thought through the incident, trying to find closure for myself. To some extent, I was ashamed of my behavior. I wished I could have obeyed Jesus' command of 'turning the other cheek' or 'give him your cloak as well', instead of acting like a stubborn-headed person who wanted to prove a point. But the more I dwell into my behavior, what I realized was that it wasn't about the money that I've got to give up. My frustation was more towards the fact that the world's unfair, and that injustice was rampant, and I couldn't bear the thought of these injustice being taken out on people that I love and care about. I didn't even dare imagine what would happen if my mom was to be caught in that situation. I felt, victimized.

But as I begin to think more about God, Pastor Tom's words came back to me. Tom's assertion of 'God is in the process of making all things right' begin to make more sense now. I suddenly received the assurance that God is not blind to all these. He's aware, and better still, He's in control. Relief then came, and when I talked this thru with Angeline, she prayed for me and peace was restored in my heart. I'm not so much angry with the person who 'took me for a ride', and in fact, I'm glad I don't even remember how he looks like, or what his car registration number is anymore. In all these, I've learned something even greater. I saw my true colours today, and that led me to know how much more desperately I need Christ in my life. And I'm thankful for that. I'm also thankful for people like Angeline who reminds me of Christ's love which triumphs over all, even over paying for broken bumpers that I didn't break (or at least, might not have broken)...

Happy Burpday Emily!

16 years ago today, Mrs Chan burped and Emily Chan was born. Today opens a new chapter for Emily, as she realize that she can now legally get special permission to get married (but please don't, we still love you very much.. :P), or maybe get her motorbike license (which is also a bad idea, since we are trying to keep the accident rates in Malaysia down). Anyways Emily, you have yourself a blessed birthday, and remember that God loves you and has many special plans for you!

p/s. I still want my cake!

Blogger's Block

I'm currently experiencing some blogger's block, which explains why I haven't updated anything in over a week. Will return once I get my stuff done and take time to clear the block.

You guys and gals have a great week ahead of you! Stay blessed and remember to keep on praying.

:P

The Simpsons - with live actors!

What if TV hit series 'The Simpsons' gets reenacted by real life actors? Maybe it would look something like this...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=49IDp76kjPw

Watch closely and figure out how baby Maggie got on the couch... :P

p/s.. It's Friday!!

5000 hits!

5000 hits.. yay!... and little did I realize that my blog is over one year old... wow... I guess time does really fly when you're having fun!

To all my faithful readers, thanks for reading, even when I know some entries can be (yawn) boring...

Anyway, have a great week! Anticipating for the next thousand hits to come by... :P

Check this out: http://www.kencollins.com/holy-04.htm

I'm pasting the article here for your convenience...

The Season of Lent

---

Theme:

Retreating Into the Wilderness with Jesus

Dates:

Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. Lent begins on 21 February 2007 and ends on 7 April 2007, which is the day before Easter.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Lent officially ends at sundown on 5 April (Holy Thursday), with the beginning of the mass of the Lord’s Supper.

Colors:

In most churches, the decorations are purple or blue, royal colors to prepare for the King. You can read more about color in worship

The East:

In Orthodox churches, this season is called the Great Lent. It begins on Clean Monday.

Special Days:

Ash Wednesday, 1 March 2006
The Annunciation, 25 March 2006

---

Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. The ancient church that wrote, collected, canonized, and propagated the New Testament also observed Lent, believing it to be a commandment from the apostles. (See The Apostolic Constitutions, Book V, Section III.)

If your church does not observe Lent, you can find out why.

You can read about fasting, which is a spiritual discipline that does not involve starvation or dehydration. You can also read Honest to God for an explanation of what we accomplish by observing Lent.

You can find out about Lenten fasting during medieval times. The link even includes a very interesting recipe!

The Western Church

Because Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, we skip over Sundays when we calculate the length of Lent. Therefore, in the Western Church, Lent always begins on Ash Wednesday, the seventh Wednesday before Easter.

In many countries, the last day before Lent (called Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, or Fasching) has become a last fling before the solemnity of Lent. For centuries, it was customary to fast by abstaining from meat during Lent, which is why some people call the festival Carnival, which is Latin for farewell to meat.

The Eastern Church

The Eastern Church does not skip over Sundays when calculating the length of the Great Lent. Therefore, the Great Lent always begins on Clean Monday, the seventh Monday before Easter, and ends on the Friday before Palm Sunday—using of course the eastern date for Easter. The Lenten fast is relaxed on the weekends in honor of the Sabbath (Saturday) and the Resurrection (Sunday). The Great Lent is followed by Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday, which are feast days, then the Lenten fast resumes on Monday of Holy Week. Technically, in the Eastern Church, Holy Week is a separate season from the Great Lent.

Special Days

The purpose of the liturgical calendar is to relive the major events in Jesus’ life in real time, which is why Lent is forty days long. If Jesus were born on 25 December, then His conception—thus also His incarnation—would have been nine months earlier, on about 25 March. That is when the angel Gabriel would have announced Jesus’ birth to Mary. Thus 25 March is known in the historic church as The Annunciation.

Roughly speaking, the western Church consists of Protestants, Catholics, and Anglicans. The eastern Church consists of the Eastern Orthodox churches, the Oriental Orthodox churches, and the eastern-rite churches affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.

You can download a printable version of this page to use as a hand-out or a bulletin insert.

Countdown...

I have 249 days or 8 months and 4 days excluding the end date

Or:

• 35 weeks (rounded down)
• 5,976 hours
• 358,560 minutes
• 21,513,600 seconds ...
  

...more!

I can't wait! But I must.... :P

Secret Garden

Bruce Springsteen's song - 'Secret Garden' tells the condition that not lies just in a woman's heart, but that of every human's soul. For those who are unfamiliar with the song, it goes like this:

She'll let you in her house
If you come knockin' late at night
She'll let you in her mouth
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She'll let you deep inside
But there's a secret garden she hides

She'll let you in her car
To go drivin' round
She'll let you into the parts of herself
That'll bring you down
She'll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vise
But into her secret garden, don't think twice

You've gone a million miles
How far'd you get
To that place where you can't remember
And you can't forget

She'll lead you down a path
There'll be tenderness in the air
She'll let you come just far enough
So you know she's really there
She'll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She's got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay
A million miles away

I believe that in everyone lies their own secret garden in their hearts. This secret garden holds our deepest and darkest secrets and desires, which we will guard all cost. We find it difficult to share it with even our closest friends or confidant. Most of the time, it is because of fear, the fear of rejection; other times, maybe we feel that no one could understand, comprehend, or appreciate it. So, we carry on in life, hiding this secret garden from everyone. In truth, we long to share it with someone, but yet we refrain because of fear.

Our secret garden can contain many different things. For some, it could be their sins - past and present, bad experiences and struggles, where shame is their motive for hiding it. It also can contain dreams and desires, some so bizzare or out-of-this-world, and thus we hide it because we fear others would belittle it. Some of us keep our 'secret love', usually a love for someone else in our secret garden because we feel that the love is forbidden (the person is attached/married to someone else) and we fear that we will be frowned upon or rejected if word gets out. Maybe we keep it secret because we want to protect the other person's heart, but yet, in the end, we feel left out and lonely. We could also be unaware of this secret garden altogether, which could be why sometimes we express or feel some unexplained emotions.

In Psalm 139, David describe his own secret garden. In verse 1, he begins: "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me." and goes on describing in detail how God is omniscient; where nothing is hidden from Him, even our secret garden. And thru Christ Jesus, God in knowing all that is within us, has chosen to not condemn us, but instead given us the Spirit of life. To me, this is the greatest news ever, because we can bring our weaknesses, joys, deepest secrets and desires, struggles, dreams and aspirations to God, and need not to feel ashamed or belittled.

Being Christians these days, it's often easy for us to 'play church'. We can attend church week after week, without growing, nor changing for the better. This however, is not God wants, because He desires that we die to ourselves everyday, and to arise with Him in our Spirits. And it doesn't matter what are struggles are because Christ, whom the bible describes as one that is familiar with our suffering and struggles, has made it possible for us to to become overcomers.

Isn't it great that we can come to God and share with Him our secret garden? And more than that, God is more than happy to be invited into it. No matter how our garden may look like, whether it's unkept, dead or may it even be blooming with flowers, God will still love us and in time, with us trusting Him more and more by surrendering ourselves to Him, He will transform that secret garden of ours into something that's so beautiful, that words will fail to describe it.

I guess that if we can't let God in to secret garden, it'll probably be harder to let anyone else in. God has made it easy for us to talk to Him thru prayer. In Revelations 3:20, Jesus said "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." May we welcome Him in today.

Off on a trip...

Going up to the mountains for the weekend. No entries until I come back. Have a great weekend ya'all... :P

Closures

In the journey of life, often there are events in our lives that we can't comprehend. There are times when our walk seems to be between reality and dreaming, but yet we carry on, often basing our journey on so-called "faith", or at times, "assumptions".

That's why I feel that closures are important in our lives. It acts as a checkpoint for us, telling us where we are, and often, where we need to go. For example, I consider that funerals are important, especially if the departed is someone close to us. Funerals acts as a closure for us, to inform us that this person has passed on, and that we now need to move on in our lives without the person.

Another example of closure is weddings. Weddings announce that the newly-weds are no longer in the "singles-market", and are now "off-hands" to anyone else who are still hoping for a chance with either of the couple.

However, what we often we miss out are closures in our own personal lives. Most of the time we either take things for granted, or make convenient assumptions. Here's a good example that most of us are often guilty of: Forgiveness.
Being humans, it's almost impossible to avoid friction or conflict with each other, unless of course we live on a desert island and have a basketball (Wilson) as our best friend. And the best (or worse) part of this is that, it takes very little to start a conflict. It could arise from a word, deed, OR a non-word (silence) or non-deed. We could either say or do something at the wrong time, or NOT say or do something at the right time. And in this world, people seem to be able to take offense so easily. The bible says here that when we've wronged someone, it is important for us to resolve that conflict before the sun goes down (less give the devil a foothold). However, I know many (including myself) too often not do anything about it (on the pretext of letting the person cool down) and just let time help all of us to forget about it. Usually we just avoid the person for a period of time. Then, when we come together again, if the person talks to us, we assumed that he/she has forgiven us.
This is why I believe closures are so important. Unless an active role has been initiated to resolve the issue, the issue remains as it is. Closures in forgiveness communicates the desire to reconcile and repent. I like the way John Ortberg puts it: 'Forgiving someone says:"I give up my right to hurt you back for what you've done to me."'But until it is done, the wronged stays wronged, and the unforgiven stays unforgiven.

We can even extend closures to relationships, and to be more precise, in dating/courtships. Some people take on relationships without knowing which boat they're on, and which port they're planning to embark. So, what we have is a bunch of people floating adrift in the sea of confusion, with no direction and just hoping for some kind of 'wind' to push them to the 'right' direction. This of course will just lead to more chaos. Closures in this example allows people to know what's going on, and how to move on whereever they may be.

I guess being non-expressive of our intent is generally an Asian characteristic, where we tend to be subtle about what we feel, especially if the 'feeling' can cost the loss of 'face' value. However, if we can master the art of balancing the art of communicating effectively while maintaining control of our cool, closures can definitely help us move on in our lives because it sets us free from the bondage of assumptions.

What do you think?

Monday Humor...

Somethings for you to read to past time on a hot humid Monday... Enjoy! :P


These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things
people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published
by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges
were actually taking place.

Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July 15.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.

Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
A: Gucci sweats and Reeboks.

Q: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget? Can you give us an example of something that you've
forgotten?

Q: How old is your son, the one living with you?
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.

Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke up that
morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.

Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo or the
occult?
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.

Q: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he
doesn't know about it until the next morning?
A: Did you actually pass the bar exam?

Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?

Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?

Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?

Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?

Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?

Q: Can you describe the individual?
A: He was about medium height and had a beard.
Q: Was this a male, or a female?

Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice
which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

Q: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
A: Oral.

Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.

Q: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the
autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law
somewhere.

"Heaven" - Live

"Heaven"

You don't need no friends
get back your faith again
you have the power to believe
another dissident
take back your evidence
it has no power to deceive

I'll believe it when I see it, for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive

I sit with them all night
everything they say is right
but in the morning they were wrong
I'll be right by your side
come hell or water high
down any road you choose to roam

I'll believe it when I see it for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive, yeah

darling, I believe, Oh Lord
sometimes it's hard to breathe, Lord
at the bottom of the sea, yeah yeah

I'll believe it when I see it for myself

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset and I perceive

I don't need no one to tell me about heaven
I look at my daughter, and I believe.
I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I can see the sunset
I don't need no one
Ohhhh
I don't need no one
I don't need no one
I don't need no one
To tell me about heaven
I believe
I believe it, yeah

A Christian's response to the recent Islamic caricatures

The following is an article by Pastor John Piper regarding the recent turmoil that has been caused by the Danish cartoons on Muhammad. Read on to see how we as Christians should respond...

Being Mocked: The Essence of Christ’s Work, Not Muhammad’s

February 8, 2006

What we saw this past week in the Islamic demonstrations over the Danish cartoons of Muhammad was another vivid depiction of the difference between Muhammad and Christ, and what it means to follow each. Not all Muslims approve the violence. But a deep lesson remains: The work of Muhammad is based on being honored and the work of Christ is based on being insulted. This produces two very different reactions to mockery.

If Christ had not been insulted, there would be no salvation. This was his saving work: to be insulted and die to rescue sinners from the wrath of God. Already in the Psalms the path of mockery was promised: “All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads” (Psalm 22:7). “He was despised and rejected by men . . . as one from whom men hide their faces . . . and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

When it actually happened it was worse than expected. “They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head. . . . And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they spit on him” (Matthew 27:28-30). His response to all this was patient endurance. This was the work he came to do. “Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

This was not true of Muhammad. And Muslims do not believe it is true of Jesus. Most Muslims have been taught that Jesus was not crucified. One Sunni Muslim writes, “Muslims believe that Allah saved the Messiah from the ignominy of crucifixion.”¹ Another adds, “We honor [Jesus] more than you [Christians] do. . . . We refuse to believe that God would permit him to suffer death on the cross.”² An essential Muslim impulse is to avoid the “ignominy” of the cross.

That’s the most basic difference between Christ and Muhammad and between a Muslim and a follower of Christ. For Christ, enduring the mockery of the cross was the essence of his mission. And for a true follower of Christ enduring suffering patiently for the glory of Christ is the essence of obedience. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matthew 5:11). During his life on earth Jesus was called a bastard (John 8:41), a drunkard (Matthew 11:19), a blasphemer (Matthew 26:65), a devil (Matthew 10:25); and he promised his followers the same: “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household” (Matthew 10:25).

The caricature and mockery of Christ has continued to this day. Martin Scorsese portrayed Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ as wracked with doubt and beset with sexual lust. Andres Serrano was funded by the National Endowment for the Arts to portray Jesus on a cross sunk in a bottle of urine. The Da Vinci Code portrays Jesus as a mere mortal who married and fathered children.

How should his followers respond? On the one hand, we are grieved and angered. On the other hand, we identify with Christ, and embrace his suffering, and rejoice in our afflictions, and say with the apostle Paul that vengeance belongs to the Lord, let us love our enemies and win them with the gospel. If Christ did his work by being insulted, we must do ours likewise.

When Muhammad was portrayed in twelve cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, the uproar across the Muslim world was intense and sometimes violent. Flags were burned, embassies were torched, and at least one Christian church was stoned. The cartoonists went into hiding in fear for their lives, like Salman Rushdie before them. What does this mean?

It means that a religion with no insulted Savior will not endure insults to win the scoffers. It means that this religion is destined to bear the impossible load of upholding the honor of one who did not die and rise again to make that possible. It means that Jesus Christ is still the only hope of peace with God and peace with man. And it means that his followers must be willing to “share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:10).

Footnotes

¹ Badru D. Kateregga and David W. Shenk, Islam and Christianity: A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue (Nairobi: Usima Press, 1980), p. 141.

² Quoted from The Muslim World in J. Dudley Woodberry, editor, Muslims and Christians on the Emmaus Road (Monrovia, CA: MARC, 1989), p. 164.

Photos from Hong Kong

What a trip it was, the best I'd say that I ever had. Why? Because the love of my life, Angeline, was there. And such good timing as we were able to see each other on Valentine's Day. Here're some of the photos that we took. If you think it's too mushy, please call 1-800-GO-FLY-KITE, and rant there. (Operators are standing by...) :P

She said "YES!!"

I kneeled before her, and asked her "With what you know of me now, and with what you foresee of us in the future, will you marry me?" She thought for a while, still surprised as she didn't see it coming. Then she replied "Yes, I will!"

I then put my hand in my bag, and grab a box, opened it for her and showed her the diamond ring that I've bought a month ago (with the help of mom.. Thanks mom!). I took the ring out, slip onto her finger, and it fits perfectly (Phew..). Then I turned my eyes and looked at her. She smiled, and radiance shone from her face.

This is the happiest day of my life.

"... and God will cause all things to work together for the good of those who loves Him, and have been called according to His purpose..." - Romans 8:28

Thank you Jesus.

Questions of Life Forum gone... sigh...

Just found out that the Question Of Life forum I started 2 months back have just been wiped out... without notice given... sigh...

Apparently, they'll close your account when they find it to be inactive for a week. I wished they would have informed me when they applied that policy. Well, what can I say? They didn't charge me for the forum, so I guess I can't really complain.

Sigh...

Delirious?'s comment of KL

Check this out:
http://www.delirious.co.uk/tourdiaries/world_06/kl.html

Love this part where Stu (Stuart) Garrard (Guitars, backing vocals) commented about Malaysia : "...So another new country. Another culture to taste for the first time. Another set of people to be humbled and inspired by. It's very emotional to sing History Maker to people who as Christians are in the minority and are up against so much..."

Gotta love them...

Pregnant!

To the surprise of our family, one of our member was found to be with child, not one but SIX! I was flabbergasted. How did this happen? Taking a deep breath, then I realized who the father was. And thinking further back, I guess they must have "done it" during those short moments they were together. I guess chaperoning can only go so far.

Anyway, the babies were safely delivered. Below are some of their photos. Oh yea, before I forget, I'm actually referring to my pet rabbit, Oreo, and the male culprit, Harriet. :P

Here's the new mommy, Oreo.

The culprit, i mean, new daddy - Harriet.

New kittens, and still nameless.

Now I know why they are called a 'litter' of kittens - they look like litter thrown all over.

Proud mommy of six.

What is love?

I thought this was cute...

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

"Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way."

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other."

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs."

"Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK."

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more."

"There are two kinds of love Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them."

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday."

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore."

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night."

"Love is when mommy gives daddy the best piece of chicken."

"Love is when mommy sees daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones."

"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her."

"Love cards like Valentine's cards say stuff on them that we'd like to say ourselves, but we wouldn't be caught dead saying."

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you."

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.

"God could have said magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but He didn't. That's love."

What are your definitions...?

"Better Than I" - David Campbell

Currently hooked on this song... check it out here.

"Better Than I" - David Campbell

I thought I did what's right
I thought I had the answers
I thought I chose the surest road
But that road brought me here

So I put up a fight
And told you how to help me
Now just when I have given up
The truth is coming clear

You know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
For you know better than I

If this has been a test
I cannot see the reason
But maybe knowing I don't know
Is part of getting through

I try to do what's best
And faith has made it easy
To see the best thing I can do
Is put my trust in you

You know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
For you know better than I

I saw one cloud and thought it was a sky
I saw a bird and thought that I could follow
But it was you who taught that bird to fly
If I let you reach me will you teach me

For You know better than I
You know the way
I've let go the need to know why
I'll take what answers you supply
You know better than I

Note to self

Note to self:
Don't ever again leave an uninsulated 9-volt battery in pant's pocket filled with coins...

(It can get very hot! Sooo not good for leg...)

On Forgiveness

Got this of one of the bible studies I attended with Ambrose when I was there last year in Brisbane.

"Forgiveness"

Forgiveness means resolving to live with the consequences of another person's sin. You don't forgive others for their sake; you do it for you sake.

12 Steps to Forgiveness

1. Ask the Lord to reveal to your mind the people you need to forgive.
2. Acknowledge the hurt and the hate.
3. Understand the significance of the Cross (Hebrews 10:10)
4. Decide you will bear the burden of each person's sin (Galations 6:1-2)
5. Decide to forgive.
6. Take your list to God and pray the following: "I forgive (name) for (list all the offenses and how they made you feel)."
7. Destroy the list.
8. Do not expect your decision to forgive will result in major changes in the other person.
9. try to understand the people you have forgiven, but don't rationalize their behavior.
10. Expect positive results of forgiveness in you.
11. Thank God for the lessons you have learned and the maturity you have gained as a result of the offenses and your decision to forgive the offenders (Romans 8:28-29)
12. Be sure to accept your part of the blame for the offenses you suffered

-Taken from "Victory over the Darkness" Chapter 11 (Pg 192-195)

On Prayer...

... and yet, we always leave prayer as the last resort...

Zeal for worship

"May our zeal in public worship never exceed our zeal in private worship" - Quoted by Beth Moore from her Passion 2005 sermon