..my battle stance..

I am IU-ed

2012-02-11T20:46:00.002+08:00

I was SOO Enchanted by this IU clip, for reason that I am not sure I know, that I accidentally posted a wall on TLG fb page -____-

So.. I guess I better not post the clip on fb liao.

Here goes... somehow, dunno why, my fave clip of the year so far ^__^
Not that I am caught by k-wave. but they sure do have nice clips!

2012-02-11T00:34:00.002+08:00

lines of green lights..
how far can we run before we have to stop?
feigning ignorance..
how many times do we escape before our eyes betray us?

we never knew how to make this perfect,
approval is not something we are born with.
and the right timing never seem to arrive,
maybe the clock is dead to begin with.

what if we knew the answer all along?

Lovey Dovey

2012-02-10T00:25:00.002+08:00

This k-pop song is playing on radio lately. And I think it's quite catchy.
Dunno anything about this group tho.

the tigress is back

2012-02-08T22:12:00.003+08:00

it never fails to amaze me, how fast time flies.

it was freaking SIX years ago when I first went to japan with bun san, and met with some Singaporean friends, one of them being a tigress who turned out to be dian and fenny's school mate at NUS.

well she came across like a tigress because she was always on constant 'fight' with our tour guide who tried too much to impress her.

and it was more than TWO years ago since we last met, when she asked me to help her looking for a house.

then.. she asked me what's the agent commission she has to pay as condo buyer.
and i said.. we take commission from seller in condo transaction.
to which she replied, "you shouldn't have told me that."

lately she's on house hunting mode again. but I did not really meet up with her until today.
looks like she has mellowed a lot since six years ago.
interesting how people could change.
still bubbly but not as loud.

and quite amazing how in two years, she could up her budget from one million shared by two persons to 1.5 million on her own @_@
this oil trading job she's in is damn lucrative.
well good for you, my friend! :)

she asked me whether I am buying property, to which I replied in faith,
"yes I am looking to buy martin place residence". *faint*
but well.. is anything too hard for the Lord? ^_^

I told her honestly though, that I am not earning those astronomical figure that some top producers in the industry earn.
she thought for a while and then said,
"I think you could have done very, very well, if you were more pushy."

hah.. my funny friend and her ever amusing comments.

hope this time we find you the right home.

Relationship Prayer

2012-02-07T13:27:00.001+08:00

Good one from AllWorship

Lord, I am committed to traveling through life with the people that you have assigned for me to help and those to help me.
Give me the discernment and wisdom to successfully manage every relationship.
I invite you to develop my character to maintain these relationships.
And now, I celebrate you for getting the glory in every connection that I have.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Eben Haezer

2012-02-06T14:02:00.003+08:00

The words first appear on bible in 1 Samuel.
I thought it was such a great phrase.

It means stone of help.
'Thus far the Lord has helped us', said Samuel.

Read it few days ago.
And somehow ko Harun mentioned these words again when he prayed before sermon on Sunday.

Looking back, indeed the Lord has been my Eben Haezer.
And looking forward, I know He will still be my Eben Haezer.
Right to the last breath.. right to the last beat of my heart.

Leap Year!

2012-02-03T20:47:00.003+08:00

This is your chance, ladies!

Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore:
leap year

The dominant belief about leap year is that it is the only time that a woman may propose marriage to a man, rather than what was considered to be the natural order of things: the other way round. This was often called ‘The Ladies' Privilege’. At the time of writing, it is probably true to say that younger English people would not be aware of the belief if the media did not run features on the subject every fourth February. In previous times, when relationships between the sexes were more rigid and formal, there were a number of subsidiary beliefs surrounding the Ladies’ Privilege. Some said that it was only on Leap Year day, that is 29 February, that it was valid, while others believed that a man proposed to in this way could not refuse, except on substantial payment—a silk gown, or £ 100, and so on. Indeed, it was widely reported (erroneously) that there had been a Scottish Act of Parliament in the 13th century making this legally binding (see N&Q 7s:10 (1890), 188), or that it had passed into English Common Law (Courtship, Love and Matrimony (1606), quoted in N&Q 4s:8 (1871), 505). One story about the origin of the Ladies’ Privilege is set in Ireland: St Bridget met St Patrick one day and complained that women did not have the right to propose. He offered the opportunity once in every seven years, but she bargained him down to one in four (quoted in Word-Lore 3 (1928), 51-2).

Being a Fan

2012-01-30T23:32:00.004+08:00

Speaking of 'being a fan', Noriko Sakai was the one I invested in the most. Bought some CDs, photo books, posters, etc.
If my brother bought Na Xie Nian CD in his trip to taiwan, I bought noriko sakai's photo books and CDs.
Sadly.. I never got to meet her -__-

In any case, I guess the days of filling my bedroom walls with posters are over.
Nowadays.. I only wish I could meet and take picture with some of these ppl.

So I kinda hope I would meet someone this year hah.
Jesseca Liu being one of them.

To my surprise.. her fans DID plan a gathering with her this Sat @_@
I only found out about this fan group thingy on fb tonight.
Didn't even know that they exist.

At first I was like.. 'Wow... this is interesting!'

And then I saw the wall post on the fan t-shirt:

And this cap:

with the following caption: Isn't it awesome if we were to wear it together with our Fan Club Tee? Get one today!

And I was like... 'Oookayy....'

I'm imagining being among these fans wearing the blue tshirt and white cap on Sat.
Hmm...

I am afraid my days of 'being a fan' are over too.

Making 2012 counts

2012-01-27T21:59:00.002+08:00

No new year resolution yet for 2012.
I guess.. it's just not working for me- this resolution thingy, most of the time.
But goals.. yes. hope.. yes. dream.. yes. I got big ones for 2012.
And may every week of this year counts for all of us.
May none of the 52 weeks be insignificant.

It starts with basic thing tho. like health.
Today I went to consult a chiropractor who treated my back issues more than 12 yrs ago.
A bit of massage, nice cracking, and some invaluable pointers on correcting my postures, plus.. a cup of TWG tea.
And there you go.. $250.
-__- should've studied medicine.

Health makes a big leap in terms of my personal priority.
As far as worldly matter is concerned, I believe we should pay real attention to health this year :)

Anyway it's 27 Jan today, it's Fann Wong and Ruby Lin's birthday hah.
Almost 'met' fann wong when she appeared on CNY eve event at Chinatown.
Too bad this time I don't get to share the stage with her like 12 yrs ago.

But a good start nonetheless.
Maybe by chance I'll bump into Yeun Eun Hye ^^

2012-01-19T23:59:00.004+08:00

the only conclusion I have after all these years is this..

we.. guys, are kinda dumb when it comes to certain 'things'.
there are some gentlemen out there who qualify to be cast as disney prince but..
many of us are not.

and apparently some of us remain dumb for years.
a dumb, smiling, wanderer.

2012-01-19T17:42:00.002+08:00

Sigh.. what do you do when you are not even qualified as a writer yet and you already are suffering from acute writer's block??
-____-

Done with the traveling, done with some movies, still no effect....
my 'ten steps behind' is now turning into tens of thousand steps behind already :(

Maybe I need to read Gu Long again.

2012-01-17T01:37:00.002+08:00

Israel.

If it has to come faster,
I will need lil miracle from my Provider.

Talk Song

2012-01-14T21:37:00.007+08:00

I like song when it makes me cry.
I like music when it makes me dreamy.
In my commoner opinion, a good song has the capability to touch your heart musically and transport your mind lyrically.

Saw that 'Hello, Again' jpop song by Juju on animax. It took me less than 30 seconds to like it.
Just like the song ' Na xie nian' :)
while na xie nian's lyric transports me to the past, 'hello, again' music (or rather, video clip) brings out my tears.

Anyway, in the spirit of randomness, if you're wondering where all those HK singers are.. my cousin introduced G.E.M to us. apparently she's hot now.
at one point, on stage in the midst of concert, she told her fans that she was married. To Christ.

But since somehow I am not too fond of her songs (yet, I guess), let me share this song instead :D

Courageous

2012-01-14T01:18:00.002+08:00

In a way it was not comparable to other commercial movies in the sense of scripting, acting, etc.

But in a way, I suppose that's how it should be.
Not over the top.
Just like a sermon.. delivered in a movie format.
It gotta be believable.
Coz in reality our life can be quite ordinary most of the times.

I think the movie truly delivered their main message,
"turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers".

Fatherhood is not a role where 'good enough' is good enough.
a good point to ponder.

And it got me thinking this question (and you may too),
"if I die now, what will be my legacy?"

2012 verse x Family reunion

2012-01-13T11:12:00.003+08:00

A short and straight forward verse of the year for me this time ard.
It could have meant anything and everything tho.
But if there is something I really want this year, I think it would be to see my education consultancy business takes off and even better, soars.
Is there anything too hard for the Lord?

The dust has finally settled now that I am back from Medan.
No more hectic traveling for the next.. uhm.. 2 weeks?

The wedding at Medan was pretty much a big family reunion.
And I dunno about urs big family but for mine,
the golden rule is to speak 'just enough to be polite' and stay out of arguments or gossips.
And cold head is much needed.. I guess.
Looking at the elders, I do hope when I am an old man one day, I would be a wise and sensible one.

The wisest and most sensible elder I ever know in the entire big family was the one we met on our last day at Medan.
At 'Taman Eden' 'resting place'.
To my mum she was her beloved grand mother and mother at the same time.
To me.. she was my beloved 'pho thai' and 'a pho' at the same time.

1st blog of 2012

2012-01-02T11:57:00.002+08:00

Can't think of more innovative title heh.

11 days ago , this time, we were on our way to Taipei and we were thinking... Wow we will be traveling together for 11 days. Thats long!

But apparently it wasn't that long.
Not that I still have the resource to extend the trip.
It's time to be back in business, back in reality.
Later on the business thing.

The trip was good.
Probably it wasn't coincidence that my dad worked with Taiwanese for more than 10 yrs.
Probably it wasn't coincidence that Taiwan was our family 1st overseas tour.
And that this time, for 1st time in my life, met a pastor who prayed for us during our holiday trip.
We'll see :)

HK was a shopping paradise.
Good to return there with thicker wallet.
Thanks to rijo and our cousin for their companion.

And thanks to all the 6 other dragon balls who makes this trip fun and memorable.
I pray for the best of 2012 for all of you and hope we have chance for another trip in future.
Maybe israel? :D

On the work thingy..

As I kinda expected the opportunity cost was huge for this trip haha.
I missed one of the most straightforward deals ever.
It was a sure-close deal.
That was 7k ++ slipped off.
Haven't checked on the other potential deals lool.
Together with the cost of the trip of 2k ++,
I just had a 10k trip :D

But it's alright.
Maybe it's the blessing portion for others :)
I believe God has preserved for me my provision.
And for you as well.

Our church is proclaiming year of God's favor,
And JP is praying for year of unceasing fruitfullness.
Amen to that,
And more than anything,
Let Jesus be the centre of everything that matters for us this year.

The year of... Jesus.

fly me to the home

2011-12-13T19:47:00.000+08:00

It's almost customary to blog before flight for me :D
So here goes.. Blogging from JT 151, seat 7E.
On my right, seorang mbak manis berbusana batik.
On my left, cowo bule yg skilas ky Rooney tampangnya.

Alright, time to fly soon.
Finally year end holiday is officially underway.
Been a tough year surprisingly for me.
But if 2012 has 'perfect storm' waiting,
Then this is a perfect appetizer.

My God is faithful for u and me.
You can rely on that.

Tuhan Yesus baik :)

Feel like 80s

2011-12-11T21:22:00.003+08:00

Bleach, up to the point where Ichigo saved Rukia from Soul Society punishment,
was as good as any anime/manga I know.

Sigh.. I wonder if today's babies will ever have the chance to grow up reading great manga like the ones we used to read.

Ahh.. it's good to be born in the 80s... ^___^
Reliving this once again..

2011-12-11T00:01:00.002+08:00

I expected a resting month with little surprise but what do I know?

Another roller coaster ride for the soul.

But all is well. It is well with my soul.

This little boat will float still.
For the Lord is its captain.

the most expensive lesson

2011-12-06T22:50:00.002+08:00

Today we are taught the most expensive lesson yet in life.

Expensive in the sense that it was such a short lesson hah.
And probably for many people it wasn't compulsory.

But I suppose in the journey of an entrepreneur, it's a must.

Don't risk what you are not prepared to lose.
Do or do not.. there is no try.

120

2011-12-04T23:26:00.002+08:00

Averaging 10 posts per month for 2011 so far, not bad.

Everyone has been asking 'why' recently, I can only say 'wait'.

And I have also been asking God 'how' a lot, and I guess the answer is also 'wait'.

Had a mini batch 5 reunion on Saturday.
Thank you to vivy for organising it year after year.
And glad to meet up with some of these guys.. my very first friends when I came here 12 years ago.

Was surprised to meet Martin with his wife.
He is more difficult to meet than Shen Cia Yi.
So we were all pleasantly surprised when he appeared out of the blue.

Martin, Hady, and Abuy were probably my closer friends when we pioneered youth service at NUS.

Hady went on to NCC, Martin was MIA, and Abuy of course now is the beloved pastor of sunday school.

Let's see how we turn out 10 years from now :)
Maybe I will be a pastor too :P

Anyway.. just want to say thank you to friends who have been blessing to me by recommending or giving me business this year.
May God in abundance of His grace bless you ten folds and give you rest in the place where you dwell.
Amen.

Kampong Ties

2011-12-04T21:11:00.003+08:00

Okay.. this is not very 'man' to do.
To talk about 7pm drama on TV.

But this story is really moving :(
Maybe because I can really relate to the hardships that the two protagonists experienced.
The heartless people around them.
And the inexplicable difficulty after difficulty that seems to have no end.

The story began with the two women drawing divination lot at their kampong temple.

It ends with message about the Heavenly Father's heart.

the last of the 12

2011-12-02T10:48:00.002+08:00

It's officially here.
The month of retrospecting, of meditating and of being restful.

Things did not go as well as I hoped for, honestly, for the last couple of months.
But in God's eyes, I am sure everything is less serious and much better than what I perceive.

So I will learn not to take it too seriously either.
And just.. be at rest.

Life is funny, isn't it?

There was this movie that we so eagerly want to watch that we booked it like.. 2 weeks in advance?
And it's not even a box office or something.
And amazingly.. we missed the date in the end LOL.

There are things that you pursue frantically and often, you miss them in the end.
And there are things that naturally happen or come to you.

That's life.

At the end of the day though, as the wife of a successful businessman said,
"the persistent one will prevail".
That's her conclusion when it comes to business and success.

So the key is, I think,
how we maintain our persistence while being at rest in God's presence.

Home

2011-11-30T14:54:00.005+08:00

It rains every day here.

How I wish I am now comfortably sitting at one of our weird-colored sofa, with aircon blowing and conversation flowing with my family, in our home sweet home.

villa sunter mas.. feels like it's been ages!

Family is still.. the best treasure God gives us on earth.

Our house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy. ~Author Unknown

week of being villain

2011-11-26T21:50:00.004+08:00

So finally it's Sabbath.
How wonderful God is.. to have a 'resting day' as one of His Ten Commandments.
That goes to show how even when He gave Israelites the Law, He had them in mind.

Sabbath has been particularly meaningful this week because it has been such a stormy week.

It began on ascending mode from Monday to Tuesday and suddenly Wednesday came and Bang!

Every single mistake that I made was 'punished'.
Every time there was chance for important things to go wrong, it went wrong.
And being a broker or middle man, you just have to bite the bullet, take the punch and be the scapegoat for everyone at times.
Everyone demands explanation and result from you.
And no one would stand for you unless he gains something.

But God is close to the brokenhearted, isn't He?

The hardship endured at Bedok Residences bore fruits eventually.
And it was not even because of my hard work, God simply made it happen in the way only He knows how.

Also,
The constant terror aka Mr OI, calmed down eventually.
I let my colleague down big time on Wed, I don't know how that can be solved but I suppose I could only apologise and accept that I was the bad guy there.

But at the same times, I made friend with a nice couple who just invited me for dinner at Thaitanic after we had viewing today.
And I think it went pretty well with my friend's mom in law too. Which is great.
Even this OI, somehow I think we can be friends hah. Well, we are both born in 1981 for a start :D

Fwah... what a week.
And what an ending.
in my lowest point something from within urged me to sing the Desert Song.
In every season,
God i still God.

Indeed.

Adversity Quotient

2011-11-24T16:20:00.002+08:00

If you never heard of the words (I never heard about AQ before I went for Hori san talk),
http://www.peaklearning.com/about_aq_story.php

Interesting I must say..
and at such a timing.

This is probably, emotionally and mentally,
the toughest week I can remember from works point of view.
Never had I felt like quitting as much as I did yesterday.
I felt like just disappear into somewhere hah.

Oh.. and it's thanksgiving week. The irony.

But as we always know.. His grace is sufficient.
Heroes are born out of adversity, so they say.

As Walt Disney said,
"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you".

So.. here we go.
We don't quit, we don't cope, we overcome.

na xie nian de...

2011-11-17T00:25:00.005+08:00

the year 2000.
summer.

the year 2008.
summer.

Warming Up

2011-11-16T23:21:00.004+08:00

in the spirit of Mandopop,
I return to this song by Gary Cao

And our very own Ajay!!

And er.. juz incidentally found this song. dun even know who sing it but I think it's nice in a mellow way.

Time to stretch my vocal chord muscle, update my song vocabularies, and prepare for karaoke at Taipei!

na xie nian

2011-11-16T17:15:00.003+08:00

in a parallel universe,
^_________^

below translation belongs to this guys
http://top10pinyinlyrics.blogspot.com/2011/09/translation-of-hu-xia-na-xie-nian.html

又回到最初的起点
you hui dao zui chu de qi dian
Back to the starting point

记忆中你青涩的脸
ji yi zhong ni qing se de lian
In my memory, I see your young face

我们终于来到了这一天
wo men zhong yu lai dao le zhe yi tian
We have finally reached this day

桌垫下的老照片
zhuo dian xia de lao zhao pian
The old photographs under the table

无数回忆连结
wu shu hui yi lian jie
Linking to countless memories

今天男孩要赴女孩最后的约
jin tian nan hai yao fu nuu hai zui hou de yue
Today, a boy will keep his last date with the girl

*又回到最初的起点
you hui dao zui chu de qi dian
Back to the starting point

呆呆地站在镜子前
dai dai de zhan zai jing zi qian
Standing in front of the mirror dumbly

笨拙系上红色领带的结
ben zhuo ji shang hong se ling dai de jie
Clumsily tying a knot on a red tie

将头发梳成大人模样
jiang tou fa shu cheng da ren mo yang
Combed hair to appear as an adult

穿上一身帅气西装
chuan shang yi shen shuai qi xi zhuang
Wearing a handsome suit

等会儿见你一定比想像美
deng hui er jian ni yi ding bi xiang xiang mei
When I see you in a while, it’ll be better looking than you expected

好想再回到那些年的时光
hao xiang zai hui dao na xie nian de shi guang
Wish that (we) could go back to those years

回到教室座位前后　
hui dao jiao shi zuo wei qian hou
When we were sitting in the classroom, in front back position

故意讨你温柔的骂
gu yi tao ni wen rou de ma
(Doing something to get) purposely scolded from you gently

黑板上排列组合　
hei ban shang pai lie zu he
Pairing arrangement written on the blackboard

你舍得解开吗
ni she de jie kai ma
Are you willing to let go/ separate it?

谁与谁坐他又爱著她
shei yu shei zuo ta you ai zhe ta
Whoever sits with whoever, he who loved her

Chorus
那些年错过的大雨
na xie nian cuo guo de da yu
Those missed years of heavy rain

那些年错过的爱情
na xie nian cuo guo de ai qing
Those missed years of romance

好想拥抱你　
hao xiang yong bao ni
I really want to hug you

拥抱错过的勇气
yong bao cuo guo de yong qi
Embrace the wasted /missed courage

曾经想征服全世界
ceng jing xiang zheng fu quan shi jie
Wanted to conquer the world before

到最后回首才发现
dao zui hou hui shou cai fa xian
But looking back in the end, I realized

这世界滴滴点点全部都是你
zhe shi jie di di dian dian quan bu dou shi ni
Every little thing in this world is all you

那些年错过的大雨
na xie nian cuo guo de da yu
Those missed out days of heavy rain

那些年错过的爱情
na xie nian cuo guo de ai qing
Those missed out years of romance

好想告诉你　
hao xiang gao su ni
I really want to tell you

告诉你我没有忘记
gao su ni wo mei you wang ji
Tell you that I never forgot

那天晚上满天星星
na tian wan shang man tian xing xing
That night, when the sky was full of stars

平行时空下的约定
ping xing shi kong xia de yue ding
In parallel time and space, we made a promise

再一次相遇我会紧紧抱著你
zai yi ci xiang yu wo hui jin jin bao zhe ni
If we meet again, I’ll hug you tightly

紧紧抱著你
jin jin bao zhe ni
Hug you tightly

2011-11-14T16:49:00.003+08:00

in that awkward smile and moment,
and those few spoken words across the time,
was an inexplicable sense of familiarity,
a destiny as certain as december rain.

yet destiny is an invisible thread that
take a blind faith to see clearly.

isn't life..
interesting? ^___^

*ah it's my 111th post of the year!

God is my Keeper

2011-11-13T19:07:00.003+08:00

Had lunch with the 'makan grup' guys together with their wives, and kids.
So one thing that they ask each other is:
"did your baby ever fall from his/her bed?"

apparently, ALL of them had that experience.
you would think that if we all have accidentally dropped our mobile phones at least once, that's normal.
but babies??
well.. seems like they are no exception.

I myself fell in a way Jackie Chan would have been proud of when i was a kid.
yeah.. right through the stairs from our 3rd floor house.
when my mum picked me up, i couldn't or didn't cry.
If it wasn't for God, the fall could have paved way for my PHD aka permanent head damage.

And so it was with these babies.
so fragile and yet, they all fell from their bed.

According to my friend, it makes him feel relieved to know that all the other guys also had the same experience.
at least it means he wasn't that bad as a parent.

I suppose it's true that each infant has his/her personal guardian angel.
Okay so some kids did have accident that impacted them for life time.
My stunt I mentioned earlier seems to affect my backbone structure.
to that I can only say,
God is sovereign and He is perfectly good.

But I'm sure in the big picture of life,
we will realise in the end that He has indeed been our keeper.
A keeper who does not slumber nor sleep.
A keeper who does not fail nor fade.

There was a moment today when I screamed desperately to Him.
I was so, so.. desperate.
God knows why.
And yet, through it all, I can sit down now and testify to you,

YAHWEH, my Lord, is my faithful Keeper.

2011-11-11T00:30:00.002+08:00

Actually I wanted to post something melancholy before I sleep tonight.
But I think my sleepy head has upper hand over my mellow heart.

So.. I guess we do it another time.
Pretty proud of myself today.
Woke up relatively early (by my standard),
Swam at sengkang,
And er... Did some work.
Survey new condo at Bedok reservoir (no floating body detected),
And still got time to blog this crap.

Let me close now with a profound question.
How come Christopher lee always take my pie one????
Last time I like Fann Wong, you married her.
Then I now like Jesseca Liu,
You keep getting paired with her.
Wah lao... Sian ce pua.

Google oh Scooter

2011-11-08T14:32:00.002+08:00

now that it seems i am not getting called,
i will confess that i accidentally apply for job at google last week.

interesting position, based in Singapore OR JAKARTA!

well.. I was thinking to apply.
but not without cover letter.
I uploaded my CV, then trying to fill up the rest of info,
and poof.. dunno what happened, suddenly it was sent.

but since the CV was already there. I thot..
okay.. let's see.. if this incomplete application gets me an interview,
that's it then.
here's the eternal struggle between running your own business and learning at one of the most admirable companies in the world.

seems like that incomplete application ain't getting me a call.

Scoot would have been interesting too, with SIA being one of my dream companies.
But well.. we are at the wrong side of twenties.
not just wrong side, but offside ^__^

Open up your mind and see like me

2011-11-08T14:14:00.004+08:00

When a man follows his emotion, he is asked,
"are you a man?"

When a man follows his rationale, he is asked,
"are you human?"

Darned if you do, darned if you don't.
Darned if you say, darned if you don't.

"I guess what I be saying is there ain't no better reason.
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons.
It's what we aim to do, our name is our virtue"
- Jason Mraz, I am yours.

Problem Solving

2011-11-07T18:45:00.002+08:00

We all heard of the story of how husband and wife quarrels because of toothpaste.
And in Christianity, we also have a fair share of somewhat similar issues.
Like.. whether or not a Christian should be rich or poor?

Well.. I think they fall into similar category of problem.
Problem which biggest issue is that.. It shouldn't have been a problem in the first place.

The only solution to such problem is to realise that it is never a problem to begin with.

2011-11-06T22:24:00.002+08:00

Oh well.......:)

One Day Warrior

2011-11-05T01:14:00.003+08:00

Two good movies in the last 5 days.
When I am in dire need of inspiration, I need to watch some good movies.
Or read some good books.
Or do some traveling.

Obviously movie is the most instant one.

I wasn't a big fan of novels like Notebook or Dear John.
But One Day has interesting premise.
This guy was a mess for almost twenty years.
This girl, as one of the famous lines in the movie goes,
"made him decent.. and in return he made her very, very happy".

By the time Anne Hathaway's character died,
the guy had turned decent.
but deep inside, he was in bigger mess than before.
he had decent living, but he lost the spark of his life.

So that was 'One Day'.

'Warrior' is quite a different story.
It also takes on 'slow boil' approach (with 2 hours++ duration, it has plenty of time),
but it's pretty much a story of father and sons.
of brothers.
of family.

It has no fancy robot, no catchy dance or theme song, and no charismatic lead.
But it was gripping emotionally.
Ordinary premise, ordinary characters.
Just some unimpressive, flawed men fighting for worthy cause.

The heart of the matter is always the matter of the heart.
And since it's the matter of the heart, it is not about words.
I thought 'Warrior' wonderfully portrayed how the conflict between characters were resolved with many unspoken, meaningful gestures, rather than words.

And I appreciate how both leading characters communicate their pain to us simply through their face expression and again, silent gestures.

Tin Tin maybe the talk of the town this month.
But heart to heart, I don't think this movie is anywhere inferior.

2011-11-03T21:06:00.002+08:00

Poetic words have no point,
Even if they intoxicate your senses.
Hundred years old wine has no charm,
Even if it paralyzes your mind.

sharpness of words are measured by
Change that they brings.

Change will not happen,
Unless heart is enlightened.

everyone needs a good friend

2011-11-03T19:26:00.002+08:00

Everyone needs a good life partner.
If you don't have a good life partner,
you need a good child.
If you don't have a good child,
you need a good friend.

A good friend is like sky and earth.
With a good friend, you can stand tall underneath the sky.

A good child is like wind and rain.
When a mother has a good child, she can call upon wind and rain.

(These statements make more sense in Chinese).

- A woman's words.

Random Riddle

2011-11-03T16:59:00.003+08:00

He has that "template smile" all the time on his face.
And his church is famous for that rotating golden globe at the center of its stage.

Who is he?

I give you a hint.
It's not stephen tong :P

Love is not Rude

2011-11-02T19:27:00.002+08:00

I like what Pst Kong has been tweeting lately.
About not just being truthful but also tactful.

Right+Rude= Wrong.
That statement is so true.

In this information era where everyone seems to have opinion for everything,
let's remember that we don't always 'know',
and even when we know.. let's be tactful in what we say.

It's not that easy to be in someone else' shoes,
unless you are his socks.

Cool Colors

2011-11-02T13:08:00.002+08:00

Ahh...

Eits.. and not to forget: Lingua.
Somehow I used to like watching Amara a lott.

Nov.. Nov..

2011-11-01T20:24:00.002+08:00

I have many friends whose name begin with Nov..
And mostly were born in November.
But apparently I have more friends born in Sept/Oct?

Finally it's the thanksgiving month.
Oh God.. may I fix my eyes not on what I will eat and wear.

Rather.. may I fix my eyes on Your grace,
grace that satisfies me with goodness,
and clothes me with righteousness.

For everything I have yet to understand,
I thank you.. Jesus.

Painted Skin

2011-10-30T20:24:00.002+08:00

there is something melancholic about wuxia song, something special that resonates with the little child in me.

The man who sees God

2011-10-27T10:36:00.002+08:00

Was reading Numbers 12 and came across this verse,

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) (Numbers 12:3 NIV)

There is no one else in the bible who was commended in such a way.
This guy, through whom God turned the Egyptian and their gods upside down,
Through whom God split the sea.
The guy who.. In God's own words:

he said, "Listen to my words:
"When there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the Lord.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?" (Numbers 12:6-8 )

I imagined, in his humility, Moses did not rebuked Aaron and Miriam his older brother and sister for speaking against him.
But God.. He personally spoke up for Moses.
He personally showed up to stand by Moses and tell them,
'how dare you mess with my man?'
Moses wasn't angry, but God was.

Truly when God is for you,
What is there to fear?

And despite all these, the bible recorded Moses as the most humble man on earth.
That's really something.

2011-10-27T01:00:00.002+08:00

Literally, I have failed 1000 times in life. More than that actually.
That's pretty amazing.
Yet unfailingly, You hold me in Your hand. I am more than just forgiven.
That's even more amazing.

66 years later..

2011-10-25T15:03:00.002+08:00

If you read the article about court proceeding of ipad illegal sales in Indonesia,
I am sure you would have one comment.
'Malu2in..'.

Yeah.. the so-called expert called to testify in court were people who think ipad was a phone (coz it has sim card slot), with TV tuner inside (coz it can watch TV show).
They never even use ipad before.
Our country is quite pathetic really.
Once we had a president not to be trifled with.
Now we have a president you can always joke about.

But come to think of it..
Aren't we partly responsible for all these?
We.. the educated young people, who are ashamed of our countrymen.
We.. the educated young people, who can't bring ourselves to return to our country and do something about it.
It's a shame. Indeed.

Connected Dots

2011-10-25T13:50:00.002+08:00

Funny how this kind of thing happen so often in our walk with God.
For reasons I do not know.. God spoke of that word 'shelter.
For reasons I do not know.. that word led me to Psalm 62.
And somehow.. I ended up eating at Plaza Singapura.
Passing by the Orchard Presbyterian Church.
And lo and behold.. this verse is printed on their trademark (er.. billboard?).

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
(Psalm 62:5)

I don't know if it's for me.. or for you.
But Psalm 62 it is..
the Words of the week.

Blessings.

Impregnable, Unshakeable

2011-10-25T09:31:00.003+08:00

This morning, in between being awake and asleep..
I was reminded of a line from the song 'made me glad'.
My shelter, strong tower, my very present help in times of need.

God's loving presence suddenly just wrap me like a blanket.
In that warming moment, this word 'shelter'..
It struck me.

David could have said that God was his shelter in Psalm, because he knew exactly..
The feeling of being homeless, running away from every one you could count on.
No family, no one to rely on.
Anyone could have handed him over to Saul.

He could have said that God was his strong tower because he knew..
The feeling of being hunted down by enemies from all direction.
No fortress to protect him, no place to hide.
At times he had to pass through valleys with enemies waiting to ambush him.

Yet through it all..
Through barrages of arrows and swords and spears..
Even through the valley of shadow of death..
this is what the Lord said to him.. This is what he clung to
'“Power belongs to you, God,
and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”. (Psalm62)

Every hardship, every lost, every pain, every storm that we endure..
Is a reason for us to look up to Him and sing,

He's solid rock under my feet,
breathing room for my soul,
An impregnable castle:
I'm set for life.
- Psalm 62

2011-10-24T17:46:00.002+08:00

I am getting a bit obsessed with doing up my property wordpress site..
which of course.. doesn't really translate to sales so far heh.
But still.. I like it.
Singapore, KL, London, New York.. and soon.. Bangkok.
Global property consultant.
Hau lien! :P

Daijobu datte, nantoka naru!

2011-10-22T10:44:00.006+08:00

'Don't worry, it will work out somehow!'

That's the trademark quote from Asakura Yoh, a lazy and carefree protagonist from Shaman King.
Yeah.. I draw inspiration from anime or manga a lot.
Unfortunately, there isn't many good series to watch nowadays.

Yoh's statement is something I hold onto dearly.
And Darvin always remember this one too :D
Every time we discuss something difficult, he will bring up this principle.

I think that's another simple truth about life.

Somehow.. no matter how unlikely it seems,
things will work out.. somehow.

Weeks ago, we were on the verge of seeing a friend getting into marriage that could potentially ruin his life.
Bukan kawin ama nyi roro kidul sih....
But if you know the story, it was almost as amusing.

Maybe it's not wise to say too much about his story.
Simply put, everyone of us were desperate.

At that time I could only tell his sister..
don't give up on him. yet I didn't know what to do either.
Nothing but prayer.

But somehow.. in ways we couldn't understand,
he woke up to his sense days before his wedding.
Only God knows. I suppose that's the power of prayer =)
Or more accurately.. that's God for you.

There are many more difficult situations in life.
Yet the principle doesn't change.
Daijobu datte, nantoka naru!

Here it comes

2011-10-21T11:11:00.002+08:00

Disclaimer: I only blog this after I engaged the man directly hoho :D

Okay.. so here's my posting on an indo forum:

"Hi everyone,

Kita lagi mencari 1 orang lady housemate to share a master room in our apt.
You will be sharing with another Indonesian chinese lady professional.
Very near Novena MRT & Novena Square.
No owner, PUB sharing. Pte Apt. Spacious & renovated house.
$600 per month.

Japri lgsg aja ya kalo tertarik. Thank you =)"

And here comes an sms:

"Hi david terkait am private apt yg d novena,, kl untuk married man tp single stay d singapore boleh ga?"

Wah Piang Ee!!
Pengen selingkuh Mas?? @_@

Ato email gua yg ga jelas ya -__-
Oh well.. I always got amusing respond from this forum.

Show Some Balls

2011-10-21T09:37:00.002+08:00

I think internet encourages hypocrisy and cowardice.
(don't know if the above sentence is correct, too bombastic words for me).

You know.. things like twitter, online forums, etc..
it allows us to say things we would not have said in the real world.
Say.. I get pissed off by this auntie queuing in front of me.
Rather than telling her off, I go and tweet about her.
Or take some pic and stomp it.
But physically? I guai guai stand behind her.

Maybe we should consider physical engagement before virtual.
Not the other way around.

Rather than tweeting or wall-ing things like
"I don't understand why today's kids are bla bla bla".
We probably should tell the kid off straight away.

"The more tweet, the less truth;
the wise measure their tweets." - Prov 10:19 (the Tweet)

2011-10-20T23:53:00.002+08:00

Just to set the record straight..

I would not have traded that chapter for anything else.

It probably wasn't perfect but..
It couldn't have been better.

Sore bersama 7 Icons, uhuy!

2011-10-20T19:06:00.002+08:00

Erm..jadi di sore yg ga jelas ini gua memutuskan untuk..
akhirnya..
mencoba menonton klip nya 7 Icons.
Playboy.. playboy...

Gua baru tau kalo ternyata klip ini kategorinya Horor.
M18 with some gory scenes.
Luar biasa..
Secara marketing, mrk punya niche market.

Dan setelah ntn tujuh keajaiban dunia ini,
gua mengikuti sebuah link ke another girls band yg namanya..
Cherry Belle.
Tiba2.. si cherry belle ini terasa seperti the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sjalan dgn usia, emank mesti kurangin ntn adegan2 horor.

2011-10-19T18:42:00.001+08:00

I am quite sure this little matter began at City Bayview Hotel.

Fairy Tale with a Tail

2011-10-18T15:59:00.003+08:00

Here's a story of a senior I met at UPH.

I remember one day, this senior girl went up and lead worship with a guy, singing "Rindu Slalu" in chapel.
Somehow I was blown away. I thought.. woww.. that song was so touching.
Btw.. my modern Christian songs journey began with 'Saat Menyembah' album by Franky Sihombing.
Masi pake kaset, yg covernya item.
I digress.

Back to my senior.
From that day onwards, I admired her. And she somehow looked gorgeous with her trademark bandanna. Maybe I always liked bandanna to begin with.
And she was kind too. Type senior populer dah.

And one day, I had a shocking revelation.
That senior.. was actually the daughter of my mum's very close friend in Jambi.
We met many times when we were much smaller.. but I couldn't recall her. Obviously she wasn't that pretty at the age of 10 or 11.

Cut the story short..
After few months, I left UPH. And after few years, I heard from my mum that she got married to a guy who served in the same church with her.
Typical Christian love story :P

And fast forward a bit more, I was told she moved to US with her husband.
I didn't know how they did it but they seemed to settle well over there. Good for her. Seemed like an ideal life.

Except for one thing.

Today I was told she has divorced and returned home with her three kids.

Somehow, somewhere, somewhat.. this typical Christian marriage went wrong.
I don't understand.
Sigh..

I hope you are coping well and God would take care of your every need sis.

2011-10-18T00:18:00.002+08:00

Somehow, somewhere..
I will come alive.

Menutup Minggu

2011-10-17T01:00:00.002+08:00

Well.. it's good to be serving in His church.
And with some young singers too.
Just enjoyed it so much today.
Especially when for a moment, you are just lost in the sweetness of His presence.

Grateful! :)

Watched Real Steel with Andreas today.
I can only say.. AWESOME!
Oh man.. my manhood is challenged by Hugh Jackman's alpha male aura.
Jadi gatel pengen bertinju juga :D

We discussed how the script was so well written.
Simple, but hit all the right button.
No big words, no big dramas..
Moving nonetheless.

May next weekdays be purposeful.
May our motivation be pure and..
may we be passionate in everything we do.

uhuy... blessed by om Djo's sermon today.

Travel!!

2011-10-16T00:00:00.003+08:00

The last time I spent more than $1k for a trip was in 2006.
So.. I suppose, all things considered..
I am justified to go for this Taiwan trip.
5 years leh.. (self-justification)

Anyway.. excited for this trip.
I missed so many trips with these 'Blessed' friends.
Korea.. and HK/China one.
Sigh.. now I want to go Korea also got no allies.

If I can have it my way, really would love to explore Korea and UK.

But the most urgent one is probably Israel.
So.. pls friends.. pray for my business so I can go Israel next year.

There are reasons why these trips are important to me.

Gracious October

2011-10-10T02:14:00.004+08:00

Di bulan oktober ini ternyata saya dijadwal 3 kali pelayanan.
Sebenernya, mengingat tekad utk rajin bekerja slama 3 bulan dr Aug-Oct,
aga2 mikir juga.. mengingat kerja tu biasanya weekend.

tapi.. kl dipikir2 lg.. sangat mgkn ini bulan terakhir gua bs involved di pelayanan bcs, krn 1 dan laen hal.
jd gua malah sgt bersyukur buat jadwal yg extra ini.

dan jd inget plan bantu ngajar KOM yg keliatannya ga akan kesampean.
si nona mungil yang gua lupa namanya itu.. keliatannya terlalu sibuk.
blum follow up dr wkt itu dan yah..
kalo skrg baru di kontek pun.. gua uda ga bs commit.

kembali ke plynan singer td..
i am so privileged to be given chance to serve God in this ministry.
lepas dari jatuh bgn, rajin males, dan segala fluktuasi gua,
kemurahan Tuhan selalu lebih dr cukup utk gua.

terima kasih jg utk dian yg uda mnjadi teman sepelayanan yg sgt encouraging.
tentu saja gua becanda wkt gua bilang misi gua ikut p&w itu utk membantu dian :P
tapi.. sesungguhnya dian memang play big part.
dia jg yg somehow convinced gua utk audisi jd wl youth.

apapun yg terjadi.. di dalam hidup ini..
ku kan slalu katakan..
^____^ Tuhan Yesus baik
begitu lagu yg dinyanyiin koBambang td.

yeah.. diinget2 lg..
12 taon lalu.. pertama kali ada ati mao melayani..
gua bilang ke Tuhan.. gua pengen jd seorang worshiper.
dan diletakkanlah gua di gerja yg memuji dan menyembah ini :D

i will be forever thankful to this church..
this is where I took my baby steps, and grow.

Life Made Simple - the nuggets

2011-10-06T12:56:00.003+08:00

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become.

Everything else is secondary.

- Steve Jobs

The first twenty years of our lives was honeymoon, generally speaking.
Some people had their honeymoon cut short because of financial reason.
But many of us had the opportunity to go to college or uni.

I myself had 23 years of honeymoon. Well, almost 24 if you include my 10 months stay inside my mum's tummy.

The moment we graduate, suddenly we have countless options, and a new sense of responsibility.

I think 9 out of 10 fresh grads that I meet will tell me at least one of these things
- I am not ready
- I don't know what to do next
- I don't know what I want to do in life
or..
- I guess I will just apply as (insert the profession), what else can I do?

The simple truth is,
We all have options, though not all of us have option of being 'not ready'.

And deep down, we always know what we want to become.
It's the doubt, and fear of losing or risking something, that stop us from following our heart and intuition.

The noise outside is often against the voice inside.
So if you always go by 'majority vote', it's unlikely you'll ever follow your heart.

So.. do consider uncle Steve's words.

This life is too short for us to live somebody else' life.

And remember this simple truth,
Deep down.. you already know what you truly want to become. Period.

2011-10-03T01:34:00.002+08:00

How many turns, how many glances?
Before you know if it is incidental or..
Inevitable.

When do you find courage to try?
Is it when you are breathing near,
Or when you stare at thousand miles distance?

Just like that, another year pass.
Just like that, life takes another turn.

Mencari Putri

2011-10-02T11:16:00.003+08:00

Last night iot said to me,
'I regret we didn't do this during our time.'

Yeah.. I imagine it would have been awesome to do musical with iot and our other friends.
It was good tho to witness this generation that surpass the former generation.

This is how it should be.

Kudos to ppl like bombe, Iie and menthol who have faithfully served the youth of this church.
Is it no coincidence that they are all still not married?
Well.. 2 years later they may all have settled down.

But if it is not time to settle down yet, why not venture UP?
the adventure is UP there!!!! ;)

Back to musical..
Proud of my brother who have once again overcome his giants with such courage and bravado.
He truly slayed his dragons and brought the princess home. Your best performance yet!

Jend was a joy to watch.
Your passion and talent for acting is unquestionable.
The question is, 'where do you go from here?' :)

As for the putri...
From the first time I heard her sang Hosanna in audition till last night...
Her voice never fail to mesmerize.

Overall, I thought the team did a better job than 2 years ago.
Thank you for bringing us this wonderful musical!

2011 Sept End

2011-09-30T12:37:00.002+08:00

Thoughts on world seen from my eyes.

Travel: in 1999, we had family trip to Taiwan. the 1st and only time 4 of us go for overseas tour together. Moved to Singapore at the end of 1999. After 12 years, seems like I will revisit Taiwan again. A fitting closure to this chapter, I guess.

Gadgets: Finally got my ipad2!!! :D they are no longer just something for you to see and and hear. They can now 'see' and 'hear' you. Beware! Thou shalt not use ipad2 in toilet.

Football: Feel sorry for Mancini. He got fantastic players but no respect at Man City. Arsenal lost 8-2 to Man Utd last month. But still optimistic!

Gold & Silver: Simple. Buy it not so that you can sell it on high price. Only because you believe it preserves your wealth through good and bad times.

Just so that I remember ^^

Is 28 Days Natural?

2011-09-28T18:14:00.003+08:00

The book I am reading, 'What the Dog Saw', has a lot of interesting stories to learn from.

For example, one of the articles was inspired by this statement:
It is not 'natural' for women to menstruate every 28 days, or every month if you will.

Ok.. let me first clarify this. I am not, and have never been interested in such topic. I only found the article to be interesting. Just in case anyone doubt my gender conviction ^__^

According to some research, women in the past, or those currently living in relatively primitive tribal environment in Africa, would normally have significantly longer period for their menstruation.
It's the food we are eating (especially those KFC and McDs), and the environment we are living in, that expedite women's puberty age and shorten the menstrual period.

I thought it was peculiar because in Indonesian, we even call menstruation 'datang bulan', a reference to monthly nature of the event.

But apparently, the monthly occurrence is not really natural. It's 'usual'.
And I believe a lot of things nowadays, those we think are 'natural', are not really natural. It just becomes usual.

Though I must say that when it comes to marriage, things around me have not been usual lately.

We got a girl who just cancelled off her wedding.
She got everything ready- invitations, gowns, hotel, etc.
But for reason I can't publish here, she decided not to go ahead.
In any case, may God reserves for her a better future.

Now.. at the other part of the globe,
we got 1 bride-to-be who are doing everything and anything, ethical or unethical, to make sure that she got married. Gosh -__-
No.. we don't know this girl that well.
I wish I do. Coz I really want to ask her,
'how come like that one??!!'

the Unlikely Source

2011-09-27T17:06:00.004+08:00

Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach;
good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest.
Words kill, words give life;
they're either poison or fruit—you choose.
- Proverbs 18

Whenever someone says he or she is expert in NLP (Neuro Language Programming), or someone is speaking from 'Law of Attraction' books like 'the Secret',
I would instantly be alarmed.
While I agree with positive thinking and power of words, I tend to disagree with those teaching that seems to put man's words above God's sovereign will.

Having said that, I must admit that I found it somewhat inspiring listening to a lady who gave 4 hours talk to us yesterday.
She, of course, was believer of 'Law of Attraction' and all sort of new age teachings.

But I realised a lot of her words made sense.

Well.. a Christian who is absorbed in pessimistic thought and negative words is somewhat worse than a new age guy who live in principle of abundance.

I thought..
Darn!! How could these people, who do not know God, live in principle of abundance while we, God's children, live and talk as if we are always lacking in something.

She said that if we desire for rich and success, we should always live, believing as if we are already rich and successful.
I thought..
Wait a minute!! That's another piece taken from my bible. Jesus was the one who taught us, "whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours". (Mark 11:24).

That lady is a reminder to us that we, Christians, have all the reason to live in principle of abundance.
And what a much better life we have in Christ.
For the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want anything. (Psalm 23).

*Positive.. Positive.. Positive*

Old is Good

2011-09-25T23:59:00.004+08:00

I hope this doesn't come across as pathetic.

Well.. this weekend I got a pretty simple hope.
I said 'hope' but it was more like 'prayer'. -__-
I prayed that the climax of my weekend was not the Arsenal game last night (which we won, thankfully).
I could have torn my shirt and covered myself in ashes if we lost again.

Yeah.. I blogged about how pumped I was for September.
But somehow I find myself in need of inspiration now.

So to have Arsenal game as conclusion to my weekend would be.. just.. sad.

But God..
How we love it when these two words appear on Bible.

But God..
He just loves to give us that sweet little surprise.

We invited our friend who is getting married soon for a small bachelor night.
I expect some 'deep' talk but nothing too 'pleasant'.
Well I can't explain the reason why in this blog.
I wish we have that funny drug used in the movie Hangover, you see.
But of course, we don't.

Anyway.. as we talked, one of my friends pointed out that we have been friends for 11 yrs. We've been friends from the time we were all 'susah', or broke. Being students and all, we made friends not because of status. We had no 'networking' agenda either. We just became friends.

The friendship was pure and somehow, overtime, it was proven to be pure, still.

I totally enjoyed our talk tonight, realising how these guys have featured in more than one third of my life.
I am not a socializing type. So all the more.. I appreciate those few good friends I make in this place.

Old friends, as iot says, are truly like wine.
Warm and intoxicating =)

so.. there's indeed something better than Arsenal that happens this weekend =)

Abang yg satu ini..

2011-09-23T18:19:00.002+08:00

kalo bahasa org2 skarang..
'sesuatu banget' dahh.

I know we shouldn't want to be somebody else.
But COME ON...
how can you not be inspired by him??

And that voice.. I WANT!! -__-

Jesus be the center

2011-09-23T17:53:00.003+08:00

This song was sang at JPCC when we attended their Sunday Nite Service.
I didn't straight away connect with the song.
But my.. what a simple, deep worship song.
Totally blessed!

from my heart to the heaven,
Jesus be the center.
It's all about You.
Yes it's all about You.

Sidney's version

Life Made Simple

2011-09-22T22:27:00.007+08:00

Somehow your words stuck in my mind.
'Life is supposed to be made simple'.

I knew it all along. Or so I thought.
But really.. I didn't think much of it, until you said it.

The profoundness of truth is not so much in the statement.
It is very much in the revelation.

Well.. between a 20 yrs old and a 29 yrs old me (yeah I stop growing old at 29),
I sure have learned, unlearned and relearned a lot.

And I am sure I will still learn, unlearn, and relearn for the rest of my life.

But at least I am sure this will remain the truth:
Life is supposed to be made simple.

now and then.. I will try to jot down simple principles that would make a whole lot of difference in our lives.
So at least I can look back one day,
when things are getting tough and life seems complicated.

Look back and give myself a pat, telling myself;
'Life is supposed to be made simple'.

Finish Strong

2011-09-20T13:29:00.001+08:00

It matters HOW you are going to FINISH.

Are you going to finish STRONG?

The challenges in our lives are there to STRENGTHEN our CONVICTION.

They are NOT there to run us over.

Cow vs Horse

2011-09-12T17:21:00.003+08:00

I just read Merry Riana's blog.
You can find it HERE

Well.. honestly the cow and horse part did not really click with me but I kind of think that the terms are catchy. Hence this blog title.

But I do relate with her point about us always wanting to be in the elite 20% percentile, but not doing anything that separate ourselves from the common 80% percentile.

I am not so concerned with being in 80% group in terms of my asset.
True.. would love to own private jet, castle bla bla bla.
But if that does not happen, life can still happen.

But what about life as a whole?
If we always listen to advise from those in 80% percentile, we will inevitably follow their path, living the 'common life'.
Which is no disaster by the way.

It's simply the matter of what we really want.

We have a friend. She is the most open book, the most simple and easy going woman I know. And that is a compliment if you understand guys ;) She asked in one of our CG, "Can I ask God for a smooth life?"
That was a really good question, I suppose.

On one hand, she sort of 'know' that life is not suppose to be smooth. Trouble has to come soon or later. And yet.. if she were to pray earnestly, that's what she would ask for. So.. can she pray for smooth life?

Who are we to say 'No'?

But the thing is... you can't say you want to be a K-Pop superstar and you want a smooth, peaceful life at the same time. Fame and peace don't get along well.
There is price for everything. Something gotta give.

So coming back to 80-20 matter,
I love Merry Riana's thought on how we can start tapping on the 20% percentile group.
Like it or not, most of us belong to 80% percentile group now.
We go to common schools, get some jobs, get married, have kids, so on and so forth.

And there's even a 'timeline' for all these.
Who defines the timeline?
People around us.

So if we want to make that leap out of common life, maybe it begins with simple thing such as 'following your inner voice'.
In Holy Spirit, we got an excellent counselor.

Now and then, let's take the less traveled path.
Now and then, let's make that crazy decision that others can never understand.
Now and then, rather than receiving, let's give life a surprise instead.

TimeShake

2011-09-12T00:06:00.003+08:00

As we walk closer to 2012,
I feel that the shaking that Haggai 2 is talking about,
is getting more and more real.

Our stage of life does not matter.
Our age, race, and family background does not matter.
It applies to all of us.

Everything that is shakeable will be shaken.
Every worldly possession that you and I rely on will be shaken.
So that the unshakeable within us will remain.

It sounds abstract. But you'll see that it's unmistakably real.
Rely on Christ and Christ alone.

This is not time to be afraid.
For the righteousness shall live by faith.
But this is time to be wise.
For His people perish because of lack of knowledge.

And above all I pray that our love does not turn cold.
We may have hundreds of reason to be bitter and angry.
But let's surrender all unto Him.
And may His love keep us together.

Only by His Love.

Money & Wealth in the New Millenium- Take Aways

2011-09-11T21:51:00.002+08:00

The book has been very interesting so far.

For example: The writer spoke about how today's church focus so much about teaching how to discover our Destiny, which primarily has to do with our career calling, with a caveat on Fortune. Our true destiny, he argues, is actually to become conformed to the image of Jesus.

And here's another interesting point:

Most pulpit ministries are unable to meet the real needs of Christian businessmen because most of them do not understand the difference between priestly income and business income. the pastor's income is priestly in that God commands His people to provide a reasonable living for those in fulltime pulpit ministry whereas the business/working man's income, is earned by the sweat of his brow.

The businessman is battling it out for market share in the midst of a cursed financial system that he is trying desperately to understand. He does not need to hear about how to give more offerings to the church programs, but how to implement God's ways in his business affairs so he can earn enough money to give offerings from.

K-Pop & Illuminati

2011-09-11T12:52:00.002+08:00

Interesting observation on illuminati influence on K-Pop:

FOLLOW THIS LINK

And things can either be amazingly coincidental or timely.
Just when I was thinking about Korean entertainment industry for the last 2 days.

Bathsheba

2011-09-10T00:23:00.004+08:00

Four women are included in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:2-17). Bathsheba is the fourth of these women.

It took something special to be included in the genealogy. And apparently, Bathsheba is indeed.. special.

Bathsheba, as the story suggest, means: woman who bathe.
Well..
Not really.
It means 'daughter of oath' according to some interpretation.

Though I said before that Abigail was my favorite among King David's wives,
surely Bathsheba was the most 'dangerous' one.

Bathsheba was

- the beautiful grand-daughter of Ahitophel, shrewd military and political counselor of David. Ahitophel would later help Absalom in his rebel against David, presumably as a revenge for what David did to Uriah.
- the daughter of Eliam, a member of the elite warrior group called The Thirty.
- the wife of Uriah (means: Yahweh is my Light), who was also one of David's mighty men and a high-ranking professional soldier.

David wasn't simply messing with an 'unknown beautiful young girl who bathe near his palace'.
This was the grand-daughter and daughter of his closest aides.
And on top of that, wife of one of his most loyal and able warriors.
It's hard to believe he did not know who Bathsheba was.

Some suggest that Bathsheba may not have been that innocent to begin with.
It may be reading too much into the story.
But at least it is safe to assume that Bathsheba was a brilliant woman.
While we don't hear much about Abigail's actions after she became David's wife, the Scripture recorded Bathsheba's role in helping Solomon to secure the throne.

I don't know why I suddenly became interested to read more about this story.
But.. it's interesting to know.

2011-09-09T12:34:00.002+08:00

This is devastating.
Now I can sort of understand how Elijah only wanted to sleep and sleep and sleep for days without having the strength to do anything.

may God give us the courage to overcome this.

Rom 8:28.

A Grandma's Wisdom

2011-09-06T22:31:00.004+08:00

Everyone has compassion.
They will feel pity when they see poor people.

But tender heart is different.
It's inability to turn your back on someone in need.

Most of us will have pity but not doing anything.
But someone with tender heart is someone who will not be able to turn her back on the unfortunate without doing anything.

*I am so ashamed*

Two Types of Person

2011-09-05T19:07:00.003+08:00

When it comes to money,
it matter not whether you are believer or not.
it matter not whether you are a good person or not.

When it comes to money,
there is only two types of person.
the one that loves money.
and the one that does not.

Which type are we?

Psalm 34 (The Message)

2011-09-05T01:13:00.002+08:00

Take few minutes to imagine the setting in which David sang this song. Powerful! =)

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

Psalm 34
1 I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise.

2 I live and breathe God;
if things aren't going well, hear this and be happy:

3 Join me in spreading the news;
together let's get the word out.

4 God met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.

6 When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.

7 God's angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.

8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.

9 Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but God-seekers are full of God.

11 Come, children, listen closely;
I'll give you a lesson in God worship.

12 Who out there has a lust for life?
Can't wait each day to come upon beauty?

13 Guard your tongue from profanity,
and no more lying through your teeth.

14 Turn your back on sin; do something good.
Embrace peace—don't let it get away!

15 God keeps an eye on his friends,
his ears pick up every moan and groan.

16 God won't put up with rebels;
he'll cull them from the pack.

17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you'll find God right there;
if you're kicked in the gut, he'll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20 He's your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

21 The wicked commit slow suicide;
they waste their lives hating the good.

22 God pays for each slave's freedom;
no one who runs to him loses out.

Trace Back Time

2011-09-04T20:35:00.002+08:00

Sometimes it's interesting to trace back everything that was being said and done with relation to certain thing or person.

For example, we could probably search "Novena" on our email to list down every email that talk about our cellgroup, which my brother called Blessed Season 1, meeting at Novena.

And then you search certain name, like "Alex Ilery"? and you would probably chuckle now and then while looking at the pieces of the past. Like comment on fb, or email reply, or tagged photo.

You would come across some people who have deactivated their blog, or their fb account even. Maybe because it was too much of an emotional baggage to keep =)

And I occasionally find myself asking, "Did this person ever said that?"
Well.. the record said so.

It's proof that we have really short memory.
And unfortunately, our feeling is even less reliable.
that very feeling that first elevated us, was the one that eventually fail us.

It's scary if you want to think about it.

But as long as we live a life that extends trust and love,
there seems to be no other way than to take the risk when the time comes.
if we were to live life to the fullest, heart has to break at one point or another.

Pumped for September!

2011-09-03T00:03:00.002+08:00

Things are not particularly great at the moment.
And nearby where I sit, there is this ugly cockroach which isn't inspirational really.

Yeah, this the part when 'the ocean rises and thunder roars'.
But inexplicably, I am pumped with optimism.

Maybe because my soul is finding rest in Christ.
I am full aware of the magnitude of the problem ahead.
but I am glad that I never come close to knowing the limit of my God's power.

I know how bad things could turn out,
yet I praise my God for I could never measure His goodness to me.

I also know that it's almost certain that I will fall and fail,

yet.. this is my prayer:
that I may have power, together with all of you, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:18-19)

Hallelujah!!!

Money & Wealth in the New Millenium

2011-08-31T11:26:00.002+08:00

Currently reading:
Money & Wealth in the New Millenium by Norm Franz.

Here's the amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Money-Wealth-Millennium-Norm-Franz/dp/0971086303

Or you can check out the guy on video here:
http://www.amazon.com/Money-Wealth-Millennium-Norm-Franz/dp/0971086303

An interesting read especially for those who has interest in finance.
You will either dismiss this as utter rubbish,
or be greatly enlightened in the face of the end time financial shaking.

Either way, time will reveal the truth.
And time.. is not much.

A Writer?

2011-08-30T11:26:00.002+08:00

“It costs almost nothing to become a writer, and almost everything to be a good one.”
– Stephen Parolini

I must first confess that the above quote, and this post, is wholly inspired by someone else' blog, titled "Yet I am a writer, so I write".

People write for different reasons. I know some people who are immensely talented in writing like iot.. and yet I don't see his writing that much (maybe he just doesn't make them public).
And sometimes I wonder.. does he consider himself a writer?
Because if even he, with that kind of talent, doesn't consider himself a writer, I would be ashamed to call myself one.

And often.. I wonder if I should even continue to write.

Since I was small, I always loved to draw. When I was 3 or 4 yrs old, I used to force my dad to draw me a car or a swordsman (it's always either one of these) before he left for work. Somehow I can still picture those drawings in my mind now.
So I grew up loving, and eventually believing the dream that I will one day draw my own manga.

But just like singing, I realised one day that I had a pretty limited talent in these. It may cost me nothing to continue doing it, but it will cost me everything to be a good one. Anyway.. I stopped pursuing both eventually.

I picked up writing much later on.
I won writing competition in my 6th grade but I shamelessly copied a story from BOBO, so that doesn't count.

I only began to write more.. I think.. in Singapore.
yes.. I realised as well that I am not exceptionally gifted in writing too.

Yet.. when it comes to writing,
I can't imagine not being a writer..
I don't know what it takes to be called a writer,
but I know that if it takes almost everything to eventually be a good one,
so be it.

“I was trying to put myself in a bottle that would one day wash up on the beach for my children. If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. If I were a musician, I would have composed music. But I am a lecturer. So I lectured.”
Randy Pausch (the Last Lecture)

And so.. I write.

Thanks to you who blogged that inspirational piece =)

Suck Seed!

2011-08-28T01:18:00.001+08:00

kay.. now time to write song.. ^^

2011-08-24T02:14:00.002+08:00

I will look up to God in surrender,

To his will I will say "let it be done",

But I will spare nothing when it comes to believing,

Believing that my GOD.. He is Good and He is Able!

Impact 2011

2011-08-21T00:07:00.003+08:00

From time to time,
we will come to a point where
we have to choose between commitment and emotion.

and Pst Bill Wilson says,
"my commitment is stronger than my emotion".

I think we have all been impacted by this man.
in ways far exceeded anything I have encountered,
even the more glamorous 'asia conference' that I attended.

yet the most important message that he left for us,
is simply...
"Do Something Now!"

Sporaen Aneh!

2011-08-16T13:34:00.003+08:00

Sekalipun uda tinggal disini 11 taon,
gua tetep kadang dibuat terpana oleh kejeniusan orang2 singapore.
gua bingung.. ngga yg kaya ngga yg miskin. sama aja -__-

so today i call a guy who is selling his house. call him TanKiaSu.

our conversation kurang lbh bgini:

me: hi , i got buyer for ur house. can view tomorrow nite?

TKS: what's ur buyer profile ar? just for my info

me: oh she is indonesian, stayed here for a while and now want to buy.

TKS: why does she need to buy a house? (shows his Einstein IQ with this q)

me: well.. coz she stays here? and her family often come also.

TKS: at night usually they cant see the surrounding so they cant make decision immediately. they will need to come for 2nd time. can u do it in afternoon?

me: no she is working.

TKS: oh she is from working class ar? not businessman?

me: well her parents are businessman and they are paying for the house. they got no issue with the money.

TKS: so is her parents viewing or she viewing the house? tonite i got 1 viewing, indonesian businessman. if not businessman, i am not very keen.

wah lao eee!!!!
you got 1 house at jurong and u act like u own penthouse at Orchard Residences.

and the amazing thing is.. he isn't the only one like this.

my other owner, TanKeKhiang:

me: tomorrow got viewing

TKK: what's the tenants profile? local or foreigner?

me: local

TKK: I am not very sure about local. no foreigner ar?

me: well.. as long as they can pay it should not be a problem right.

TKK: I don't think local will pay this kind of price lah. I prefer foreigner.

!#$#!%%$@#%^
kek simm....

One Cesc Fabregas

2011-08-16T11:43:00.002+08:00

I must be crazy.

A guy just left Arsenal for his beloved club and it feels as if I was being ditched by my lover. Oh gosh..

For many years, while the other boast about their Ronaldo/Rooney, or their Messi..
we proudly say we've got Cesc!

Because he is such a great player and person.

Now that he's gone, it's as if we just lost our soul.
Even if for some crazy reason we got Ronaldo tomorrow,
I don't think we can ever replace Cesc's place in our heart.

Wosshh!!

2011-08-14T23:30:00.002+08:00

my impregnability is tested today.
but I am gonna say this out loud:
I have my faith rooted in the Rock of Ages and I will not be moved!

impregnable

2011-08-12T00:02:00.002+08:00

do you know what impregnable means?

it means.. according to my trainer:
cannot get pregnant!

Yah.. so that's what it means.

so i am now practicing my impregnability.
in chinese they say: "blade gun no enter".

not going to let any setback, any trouble, any disappointment..
stop me from running this race.
i'm gonna break loose from every single thing that hinders me
from running towards my calling.

today i thought about mediocrity.

contentment.. i thought, is no excuse for mediocrity.
for mediocrity itself.. has nothing to do with status, or wealth.
it's not about having much or little.

mediocrity is the state of purposelessness.
it is life without vision.

greatness.. is also not about having much or little.
it is everything to do with the fullness of God in my life.
when His vision becomes my vision, and His desire.. my desire.

Someone Else's Obituary

2011-08-11T10:57:00.001+08:00

I read this sometimes ago.
Today this article appeared again in my mailbox. A good one imo.
__________________

Our Church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.

Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work. Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, there was one name on everyone's list: "Let Someone Else do it."

Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; "Someone Else can work with that group."

It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference.

Someone Else was a wonderful person, sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else.

Now Someone Else is gone. We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did?

When you are asked to help this year, remember--we can't depend on Someone
Else anymore.

--Author Unknown
________________

The Amazing 3 Months

2011-08-01T11:30:00.002+08:00

We've got 5 months left before we welcome the interesting 2012!

Make Aug-Oct your finest months in the year. The amazing 3 months that surpass everything you've seen and done for the last 7 months.

I'm gonna give all I got in these 3 months.
And this is what I am gonna tell myself each day:

I know His favor goes before me, there beside me and right behind me.
Every single cell in my body is burning with desire for greatness.

Give yourself not 5 or even 4 months. You've got 3 months.
Coz November is the month we will have our thanksgiving for the amazing work God has done in and through us throughout 2011.
And December is the you-know-who's celebration month. It's joyful time with our loved one isn't it?

on mind power

2011-07-26T22:37:00.004+08:00

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." - the Alchemist.

the Alchemist is written by Paulo Coelho, a roman catholic supposedly, with some history of involvement with satanic group. (according to wiki)

one of the main figure in the story is a king named Melchizedek. sounds familar ya.

it's interesting how books like the Alchemist and the secret quotes bible in one way or another.

one of the most interesting verses in bible in this context would be genesis 11:6. having seen the men building tower of Babel, God said:
"and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."

another verse from Proverb was famously quoted by the book 'as a man thinketh', but as far as bible interpretation is concerned, the verse was simply misinterpreted.

in new testament we will see many quotes from Jesus' teachings that basically says that as long as you believe, you can ask for anything and it will be given to you.

it's a thin line between the truth and the lie.

one of the first truths we learn about devil from the bible is this:
he likes to quote God's Word.
he is a deceiver and he has been honing this technique for thousands of years.

on one hand, indeed it seems that God, in His sovereign will, has given us an incredible power of will.

whether we are believer or not, it seems that within us, there is this amazing power of mind that could make things happen.

but.. on the other hand, there is this famous saying from a famous superhero's uncle:
"with great power comes great responsibility".

while books like the Alchemist may correctly point out the power of mind that we possess, we have to ask another question which is truly the essence of the matter:

"what should we do with this power?"

in the context of our faith, what could have been God's purpose in giving us such power?

therein, i believe, lies the truth.

Transformers 3: Gift of the Boss

2011-07-15T01:00:00.004+08:00

Haven't reviewed movie for a while,
and haven't been watching many summer blockbusters either.

i did watch some entertaining Thai movies with ika in Jkt tho.
Thais are really good at making comedy and horror movies.
it helps as well that they got some good looking stars to work on.

Laddaland and Loser Lover that we watched on my last trip to Jakarta were quite interesting, and I love Blitz' seats to bits.
It is better than Cathay, and definitely much better than GV.

Transformers 3 was the last movie I caught here.
The special effects, actions, CGs, are near-perfect for summer blockbusters.
Not much morale of the story though.

Well.. if anything worth taking notes, it is the lesson NOT to praise your male boss in front of your boyfriend. And NEVER accept your boss' gift, especially if it's a super luxurious sports car. Not to mention that it's decepticon.

Coz it's equally unwise to praise your lady secretary in front of your girlfriend.
Accepting her gift? You must be looking for an 'exit strategy'.

2011-06-22T19:41:00.003+08:00

it is not intelligence,
nor wisdom,
nor beauty.

it is graciousness,
and compassion,
and kindness.

the true wonders in life

can we do a genetic engineering on that?
could DNA be responsible for that?

Threading the Dreamy Road

2011-06-21T22:05:00.001+08:00

Matron of Grace

2011-06-21T19:52:00.002+08:00

so there is this part in Dong Yi, period korean drama I've been watching,
where the king was under pressure to hand over a court lady Dong Yi, whom he favored, to the court ministers to be judged.
they have accused her of crime she didn't do, and they were out to kill her.

the king knew it.

so in his attempt to protect her, this is what he did.

he bestowed his grace upon her.

Dong Yi.. who was suppose to enter the palace as criminal..
entered the palace in royal robe instead.

once she was an ordinary court lady with no power,
now she was the king's bride, bestowed with his grace.

the evil ministers were enraged.
a scandalous grace!

she was now a Palace Matron.. and not just any palace matron,
she is a matron of grace.

when someone has received his majesty's grace,
she is no longer subject to judgment and punishment.
harming her equals to insulting his majesty himself.

the king's grace is above and beyond all authority.

what a scandalous, amazing grace.

2011-06-17T17:26:00.003+08:00

you know what..

if i choose to care and observe,
i would have been disappointed and let down in so many ways.

so.. i choose to learn to act blur.
it's one way or another, i can't stand in between.