on the gift of life

Heard two amazing testimonies this week, thought I share it with you guys to strengthen you all in your faith and to give glory to God :

1) One of my friends is now working as a volunteer helper in the earthquake-hit mountainous regions in Pakistan. He left about 2 weeks back, when the quakes first hit the region, to bring food, medication and blankets to the disaster victims. After the 1st week, he stayed on to help an doctor he encountered while working in the field, as the rest of his team had to come back to Singapore. I received an sms from him yesterday, saying that  the doctor and himself managed to help pull out 6 survivors from the ruins up in the mountains.

Totally amazing, as I would have expected minimal survival chance for the victims, due to lack of food and water, and exposure to the harsh climate. but thanks and praise be to God, for these 6 lives that are preserved. Indeed not a single hair will fall from our head if our God has not allowed it. I'm praying that these 6 will be healed in spirit and in body, as they are continued to be cared for by my friend and his doctor friend.

2) In prayer meeting in church, a couple went up onstage to share their testimony of blessing and journey in how they coped with the birth of their 2nd baby, who was born prematurely ( at 23-week old, if I remember correctly). Indeed, it was a trying time for the husband and wife, as they struggle first with the decision of whether to keep the baby, and subsequently with the process of watching their baby fighting for life. It's a heart wrenching tale, even for bystanders like me to hear of the ordeals, the struggles, the wrestlings of this couple. Of course, when the couple related their tale, they did it with a smile on stage. But if we really were to go through what the couple actually experienced, then I think many of us would have the same doubts and fears, and shed uncountable tears (as the couple openly confessed - even the husband).

I was struck by what the husband shared, as he recounted how he broke down before the Lord at home, after the delivery of the baby. He cried before the Lord, saying that it's all too intense for him. Then he heard a voice telling him, " Do you believe that I, God, can give healing?"

He responded by saying," Yes,  Lord, I know for a fact you are able to heal."

Then the voice replied back, "So what do you think I am trying to teach you here?"

After this, the husband began to process through all that has happened, and was happening. He knows that the Lord can heal, so this was not that the Lord was teaching him about His healing. After struggling and asking the Lord, he came to realize what the Lord was teaching him through the whole episode was about surrender. He must surrender the life of his baby daughter up to the Lord, knowing that if God takes his daughter away from him, it is for the best and for God's design. O what a deep abyss this husband must have felt yawning in the depths of his soul, when he came to this realization. Yet thanks be to God that he made the decision to surrender. He told his wife about the whole episode, and together as a couple, they decided to surrender the issue to God.

And after that decision to surrender, somehow the journey of the couple just changed from bleakness to something that's more bearable. Moreover, our God is a faithful God, and He indeed honors us if we turn over our lives to Him. So with gladness and joy, we hear that the baby is now a whopping 4.1kg, as compared to the teeny weeny weight of around 600 grammes when she is just born. All the complications that came with being a prematurely new-born is slowly (but surely) being healed and removed, by the grace and mercy of God. Hallelujah!  Make me wanna dance a jig...

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What I've come to realized is that no matter how much technology man can boast, life is still something that cannot be created or controlled by man. It is a gift of God, precious precious beyond means or measure. Therefore, do not squander your life away, not living as if you were dead (or awaiting death ). Live life to the fullest measure giving glory and honor to God, as if everyday is your last (for no man knows when he breathes his last). Yet have the fullest confidence that whatever happens, God permits it, allows it, is in His design and for the best.

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The Afters - You
From the album I Wish We All Could Win

My heart is as frail as a dove
And my spirit is as weak as a rose
See my sorrow, feel my pain
You’re my refuge, You’re my reason
My strength in this beautiful place
That’s where I find God
That’s where I find God

Chorus:
Oh, You’re in my heart, You’re in my soul
You are my Heaven, You’re my home
You’re my best friend, You’re my true love
You’re my treasure, You’re my God

I watch as the mountains fall down
And the rivers part at Your feet
Your creation sings Your praise
Even winds obey and angels bow down
At Your beautiful voice
That’s where I find God

Chorus:

You’re in my heart, You’re in my soul
You are my Heaven, You’re my home
You’re my best friend, You’re my true love
You’re my treasure, You’re my hope
You are my peace, You are my joy
You are my savior, You are my God
You’re my God

http://www.theafters.com/

The Legend of Zorro

Rating:	★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

hmm, Sequel to the first Zorro flick. Much blander, smacks of Zorro with midlife crisis. The most interesting character for me was Tornado, Zorro's equine mount. A horse that drinks and smokes pipes! :D

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thelegendofzorro/

The Greatest Action Story Ever Told

Parody of what happens when Terminator goes back to save Jesus. So corny, it's not offensive. Only in America... :D

One

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/274697
Music is the universal language.

Cool animation, great 3D movements.

on swimming, reading and lazing at MacDonald's

yesterday morning's weather  was a fabulous time for swimming - bright, sunny and hot. But didn't want to go to my usual haunt at Woodlands swimming pool, so switched to Yishun swimming pool instead. man, dunno whether psychological effects or what, but found it was harder to get warmed-up at first. Thankfully the weather was still brigbht and sunny, until i finished my 14 laps. There were a couple of swimmers that irritated me, because they were swimming breadth-wise across the rectangular pool instead of length-wise. I'm a length pool swimmer, and it irks me having to stop halfway while some people swims across my path.

But after a while the people left, cos' the sky darkened and it looked like it was gonna to rain. well, i din go all the way there to yishun to swim for only 25 mins. so i stuck out at one end of the pool, and waited. 10 mins passed before that big patch of cloud which was blocking the sun got blown away, so i managed to get in a few more lazy laps. Then i stuck out in the pool doing the lazy man's suntan - no need sunblock lotion, just use the pool water to keep the heat out and rays out. think i made a lot of vitamin D, enough to last me through the week.

after that went to town, to visit my old haunt at Borders. ah, missed the smell of books. Saw Terry Pratchett's new book  out on the new arrivals section - yippie! Hoped the NLB would stock it soon. Then saw another book . it's actually an old book, written in the 1970s. But after mania, the crowd just can't seems to get enough of conspiracy theories around Jesus. So is now in its reprint and updated edition.  Flipped through a few sections, the same old stuff akin in .  Reading too much about church history lately, thinked i'm O.D.-ed on this subject liao. better take a break...

So I went to Library@Orchard to read comics. They have the Gatchaman series in English, think it was the Canadian version. For those old fogies who can still remember it, it was on Channel 8 in the '80s, titled as <旋风小飞侠>. I still can remembered the catch phrase -  “来去无踪影，旋风小飞侠！”  but they sure have super eyesight in Canada - the words all were around font size 1.5. After that, sat through 10 volumes of <将太的寿司 - 全国大赛篇>. just cracked me up, the usual corny lines employed by the characters in coookery manga. especially the judges when they taste the cuisines -  very exageerated emotions. But some of the stories were genuinely moving. I felt myself tearing at some of the stories.  hmmm...

Just now had a great talk-cock session with my two friends at Civic centre. the weather was cool, not too sunny. we couldn't get a place at Yat Jun's in Causeway Point, because all the people in Woodlands decided to have kopi at that time.  So we adjourned to the outdoor section of MacDonald's at Civic Centre. It was not too bad, only marred by the fact that there lotsa smokers at the outdoor section. Ah well, I didn't have too much problem with that. I can stand cigarette smoke, as long the puffer don't blow their smoke into my face. My other two friends din have such a high tolerance as me though. Thank God it was pretty windy, so the were fresh air-condition circulating through out. rare occasion man, where my friends can actually come to to "the place where birds don't lay eggs" place and chit chat.

woooo, verbal diarrohea again. Gotta stop writing, before I'm being accused of writings epics again.

P.S. No, the cute boys in the goggles and the baby chair is not me. And much as I may look as if I enjoy wearing yellow and red, I'm not the funny clown guy in the third picture...

 

トリック 3 (Trick3)

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

One of the quirkier J-pop dramas seen in a while. On Channel U (Singapore airtime 7pm - 8pm). Quite old already (2003 production), but still funny!

http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/trick/

on walking, cycling and talking cock...

yea, went for a long walk this wednesday. mum complaining i'm growing fatter liao*. took a look in the mirror, yea, jowls getting more prominent -if i suck in air and hold it in my mouth, think can hold at least three hard-boiled eggs in there**. matter of time before i get double chin. ergo, went for my long trek from my home to the top of Bukit Timah Hill. took me a long 3 hours. shucks, think my stamina really going down. shouldn't had taken that long. better go trekking more often. at least they have almost finished the road expansion project along Bukit Timah road. Pet peeve is that there's always plenty cars stuck in the stretch along Hume Park apartments. Thankfully I did not have to breathe in too much fresh carbon monoxide this time. but it was drizzling that afternoon, so made me extra ravenous after the climb up to the top of Bukit Timah hill. went down to the kopi tiam stretch opposite Beauty world shopping centre, and ordered myself a roti-prata "kosong" + "plaster", and 1 teh tarik. aaahhh, the simple pleasure i dervied from that tea-break, it's indescribable.  but i guess i undid what calories I lost from that 3 hour trek by that slow 30 minute break...

so i decided i'll go cycling instead yesterday morning instead. Took my dad's "lao pok chia", and it died-ed on me halfway. the rear tyre just keeps letting off air. so in the end, I have to walk about an hour back home, pushing the old bicycle. I think people who saw me must be thinking why didn't I just ride the bike. well, it's kinda difficult when the metal rim of the rear tyre is resting flat on the ground. plus i had a very slow motion fall just before the tyre totally died-ed. I wasn't hurt, but i did wake up after that.  so no more bicycle sojourns for me till i go and scrounge some money and fix up that tyre. My friend tells me it's probably the inner rubber tubing that needs to be fixed. ah well, let the mechanic uncle tell me la...

then yesterday evening during cell-group session, had a very long ice-breakers' game. Long because it was kinda free-format, as in you can ask any 2 questions and then pick the person's name out from a bag. So we got some normal questions ("favorite color, movie actor, fruit") and some really weird ones ("Describe your first kiss/ things you won't want to do but have to do it anyway/ favorite peeve that irritates you"). Mine was super philosophical. they are 1) If i can change anything in my life, what would it be? and 2) If i can have a power to benefit people in this world, what would it be. Think I was kinda stoned by the time the questions reached me - cos' it took a long time, then had a heavy dinner plus laughed too hard just before my turn.^

so i guess just anyhow answered, and replied 1) i'll like to be shorter, so that it's easier to meet girls, and 2) can't go for Midas^^ touch, since already proven don't work, nor can go healing touch that cures people of dandruff (too mundane and specific la), so i go for healing touch la. Think some of the girls actually gave me the look when I gave my answers, like "I don't believe he's giving those answers - why isn't he taking this seriously?"^^^

see, that's the difference between guys and gers. Actually, shouldn't be making such a sweeping statement. Should be more of my delivery la - can't tell good jokes. But i think just my style la - the "talk cock, sing song, play mahjong". ice breaker mah, must lighten up the atmosphere a bit - din want it to be too austere. but it is a stumbling block la, when people think I am not serious all the time. Guess i gotta work harder on my timing then.

ok, enuff verbal diarrhea for one posting. back to ironing my shirt for tomorrow's service!

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* well, more of my younger bro told me of what my mum told him. yea, nuttin like what your younger siblings tell you what your parents are calling you behind you that makes the message hits home the hardest i.e.e loss of elder sibling's authority and dignity. Parents to be, take this tip down .

** metaphorically speaking, not gonna demonstrate it - unless you pay me $50.

^ all thanks to someone who keeps making funny hand gestures about babies...

^^ Do you pronounce it "MEE-das" or "MY-das"?

^^^ actually i think what they are more concerned with is "Argh?! how can he say that in front of newcomers?? I'm totaly scandalised - and I even introduced him as the ACGL?!?!"

A Hatful of Sky

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Childrens Books
Author:	Terry Pratchett

(From the inner leaf)
A real witch can ride a broomstick, cast spells and make a proper shamble out of anything.

Eleven-year-old Tiffany Aching can't.

A real witch never casually steps out of her body, leaving it empty.

Tiffany does.

Ands there's something just waiting for a handy body to take over. Something ancient and horrible, which can't die.

Now she's got to fight back and learn to be a real witch realyy quickly, with the help of arch-witch Mistress Weatherwax and the truly amazing MIss Level...

'Crivens! And us!,

Oh, yes. And the NAc MAc Feegle - the rowdiest, toughest, smelliest bunch of fairies ever to be thrown out of Fairyland for bing drunk at two in the afternoon. Theyu'll fight anything.

And even they might not be enough...

on my first Passover feast

went for a Passover feast on Thursday night at a Bible college. Really interesting and fun! SAng "Hava Nagila" for the first time - a real joyful song, when sung at the top of ya voice.  As the person who took us through the Passover feast, the whole process whets up the appetite (both physical and spiritual). I'm surprised that some Passover feast actually can go on for up till 6-8 hours. Guess one can never stop telling of God's goodness during this time of festivity.

http://www.hebrewsongs.com/song-havanagila.htm

http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/kitveyet/hagigey/shibushim-2.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haggadah

The Annotated Pratchett File, v9.0

http://www.ie.lspace.org/books/apf/index.html
For die-hard fans of Terry Prachett

on This Man and Who Am I

Jeremy Camp - This Man
From the album Restored

In only a moment truth was seen, revealed this mystery
The crown that showed no dignity, He wore
And the king was placed for all the world to show disgrace
But only beauty flowed from this place

Chorus:
Would you take the place of this Man
Would you take the nails from His hands
Would you take the place of this Man
Would you take the nails from His hands

He held the weight of impurity
The father would not see the reasons had finally come to be to show
The depth of His grace flowed with every sin erased
He knew that this was why He came

Chorus:

And we just don’t know
The blood and water flowed
And in it all He showed just how much He cared
And the veil was torn so we could have this open door
And all these things have finally been complete

Chorus

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Casting Crowns - Who Am I
From the album Casting Crowns

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart

Not because of who I am
But because of what You've done
Not because of what I've done
But because of who You're

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading
Here today and gone tomorrow
A wave tossed in the ocean
A vapor in the wind
Still You hear me when I'm calling
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
And You've told me who I am
I am Yours, I am Yours

Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me

I am Yours
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
'Cause I am Yours
I am Yours

---------------------------------------------

“ Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise. Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. ”- Proverbs 19:20-21

The Wee Free Men

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Childrens Books
Author:	Terry Pratchett

"Ach, me crivens! Why do the people classify this tale as be a wee bairn's tale? no justice et all, oh waily waily waily!" that just be a typical Nac Mac Feegle talking, yes, blue tattoo-ed, red haired, sheep-stealing* and six-inches tall. not they are not pixies, or fairies of the nicer sort. They are Pictsies, drinks hard liquor, steals anything that's not nailed down and basically terrorizes most creature on the Chalk. So why are they helping 9-year old Tiffany Aching to get back her brother from the Queen of Fairies? Read on and find out.

Featuring Discworld beloved witches Granny Weatherwax and Nany Ogg**. Also debuting the world first legalistic toad, that speaks!

"Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird! Nae master! We willnae be fooled again!"

"ship-stealing", says the Feegles.

** you probably get turned into a frog for saying that in their faces...
---------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.ie.lspace.org/books/apf/the-wee-free-men.html

Nanaca Crash

http://www.yonkis.com/mediaflash/crash.htm
If you got some time to spare...

The Rice Table

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Restaurants
Cuisine:	Asian
Location:	Orchard Road, Cuppage Road, Suntec City

Just went to Suntec branch for fabulous dinner buffet. A must-eat for Indonesian cusine lovers! Good ambience, plus great food.
------------------------------------------
Location:

INTERNATIONAL BUILDING
360, Orchard Road, #02-09/10,
S'pore 238869
Ph : 6835 3782 ; Fax : 6835 3783

CUPPAGE TERRCE
43/45, Cuppage Road,
S'pore 229463
Ph : 6735 9117 ; Fax : 6735 9127

SUNTEC CITY MALL
3, Temasek Boulevard, #02-28
S'pore 038983 ((Tower 2, Nr Sky Garden)
Ph : 6333 0248 ; Fax : 6333 0249
----------------------------------------------------
More info:
http://www.singaporemirror.com.sg/co_ricetable.htm

on catching up with friends

yesterday evening had a fantastic time catching up with some friends from university days. Went to Rice table at Suntec for dinner buffet. The food same standard as the branch at International Building (Besides Shaw towers). Ichiban indonesian fare ala buffet style.

Besides the great food, the company was fantastic as well. It's amazing how fast time flies. It's like 8 years since we met each other in our first year in university. We have all gone through a lot since then - marriage la, promotion la, job, change la, life-partners changes la, squabbles both friendly and unfriendly la. Yet somehow we still manage to keep together. ah, guess thats what you call 知己 (bosom friends).

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垃圾車 - 五月天 
     曲︰阿信
     詞︰阿信
     編︰五月天

     雖然你脾氣壞　對待朋友又差
     凸槌又更愛牽拖
     佳在你遇到我　不愛計較的我
     算你壞人有好命

     我走路你坐車　你吃飯我洗碗
     你被欺負我拚命
     若為了爽到你　可以艱苦到我
     因為　咱緣分不可散

   ＊有你　我才未孤單　有你的陪伴
     我才有靠山　你若不爽
     我是你的垃圾車　每天　聽你的心聲

   ＃有你　我才未孤單　有你的陪伴
     我才有靠山　你若歡喜
     我是你的垃圾車　每天　聽你唱歌

     愛情有影傷肝　想到我就會驚
     親像熱天洗溫泉
     頭暈目暗的我　愛到整身軀汗
     我　歡喜又擱甘願　給你快活

     重唱　＊,＃,＊,＃

     聽你唱歌

 

on Children's day and returning to our first love...

woo hoo, blessed Children's day, people! May your wrinkles be less from worrying, and more from smiling, and be like a little child in the kingdom of Jesus. :D

 Well, Jesus always had a special place in his heart for little children (look at Matthew 18:4-6, Mark 9:36-38 and Luke 9:47-49). In Mathew 19:13-15 (NIV), it is written:

¹³Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁴Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." ¹⁵When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.*

May you be like a little child also, in Jesus' sight. :>

Last night in CG went through the 4th day message of the 24/7 message series. What particularly struck me is when Pastor Ed repeats Jesus' admonition to His church in Revelations 2, "you have forsaken your first love" i.e. to love God**. Many a times, not only have I forsaken my first love, I have not remembered Him at all. Not that I had never loved Him before; just that I have allowed my love to be cooled and become lukewarm.

Most of you will probably wonder, is that love at all in the first place? Seriously, I cannot honestly say that warm fuzzy feeling I get when I know God's presence is so real and alive in my life.^ I mean feelings and emotions are so inadequate and so inaccurate when it come to measuring love for God. I do know He knows my heart, and whether I have ever really loved Him, my God would know best.

As to why I go through the inconsistencies in my relationship and walk with God, I must admit that everytime there's a downwards slide, it's always initiated on my part. Either I've grown complacent and become not alert for the things that are creeping into my lives; or I've grown proud and arrogant, thinking that the giants which I've overcome in my live can never ever hurt me again. Wrong on both counts, and displeasing in the sight of the Lord - especially the latter, when you think you know more than God.

But praise and glory be to God, for He will never forsake me, nor burn with an everlasting anger against my inequities.# Of course one He have let you know what is wrong in your life by the grace and mercy of His Holy Spirit, you better turn from your old ways la. No matter how "jia lat, jia lat" it may seems, He will not ask you to do what you cannot do one.  ##

argh, running late for my dinner appointment, continue the rest of my thoughts in another post...

Here's a song to end it off: 

Jesus Loves the Little Children

Written By: Unknown
Copyright Unknown

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Whether you're rich or whether you're poor
It matters not to Him
He remembers where you're going
Not where you've been

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

If your heart is troubled
Don't worry, don't you fret
He knows that you have heard His call
And he won't forget

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

All around the world tonight
His children rest assured
That He will watch and He will keep us
Safe and secure

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They're all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

from http://www.kididdles.com/mouseum/j007.html

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* taken from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2019:12-15;&version=31;

** See Matthew 22:36-38.

^Could be just beans, a prelude to bad indigestion....

# sorry, waxing lyrical here. Pardon my show-off-ishness.

## 1 Corinthians 10:13 : "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it". (highlighted words my own)