Movie review - Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Currently listening: Carrie Underwood - There's a place for us

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe.
It's written in the stars that shine above,
A world where you and I belong, where faith and love will keep us strong,
Exactly who we are is just enough
There's a place for us, there's a place for us.

This holiday season, took Joyce's advice to catch the latest installment of the Chronicles of Narnia, one which I really enjoyed. Despite it being a midnight show, I guess it left a deep impact on me, due to several parts which I identified with. Would definitely consider watching a 2nd time..

The latest adventure whisked Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their mischievous and annoying cousin, Eustace Scrubb on an adventure onboard the Dawn Treader. Accompanying Caspian X (King of Narnia) and crew, they set off on a journey to rescue citizens from Lone Island who were sacrificed to the green mist, and defeat the evil originating from Dark Island before it grows and consumes Narnia.

Along the way, Lucy ripped a page from the Book of Incantations, and secretly read the torn page containing the spell to make her beautiful as her sister. She suddenly finds herself as Susan, and back on Earth at a party, together with Edmund and Peter. Realizing that Lucy is not around, she's bothered by her conscience and decides to be herself again. She sees Aslan through a mirror, who tells her that she mustn't lack self-value for she is beautiful just the way she is. Lucy wakes up, goes to Caspian and Edmund, who have also plagued by the green mist playing on their personal struggles: Edmund's self-doubt assuming the form of the White Witch which offered to make him a king with more power, as well as Caspian, with his fear of not living up to his father's expectations. It deals with the issue of one's self image and lack of security as a result of their perceived weaknesses.

At first, Eustace irritated everyone with his attitude, but it dramatically changes after he was cursed into being a dragon for greed and selfishness, as he attempted to steal some treasure from a volcanic island they landed on. Eventually with the support of his cousins, and even more of the warrior mouse Reepicheep, Eustace becomes a more generous and cooperative person, using his dragon form to the Dawn Treader crews' advantage, earning their respect. Hence, began the unlikeliest of friendships between warrior mouse and a brat, the former teaching the latter about honour, courage and loyalty. When Aslan changed him back to his original form, he realised that he could not do so by himself no matter how hard he tried, and the pain which he went through in the process was a good transformation process. I suppose it's something to be thankful for as God's grace is sufficient for us, even at times when we make mistakes.

Dark Island served as a reminder that whether we choose to admit it or not, deep inside of us lies our greatest fears, and temptations which might drive us to do undesirable things if we are not careful.

In the end, with the evil forces banished, Caspian along with Reepicheep, Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace, ventured in a small boat through a sea of lilies until they reach a wall of water that extends into the sky. There they meet Aslan, who tells them that beyond the wall of water, lies his country. Caspian asks Aslan whether his father is there, but Aslan said that the only way to know is to go there by himself though he may never return from there. Caspian decides not to go, as he cannot leave his kingdom which his father fought for until his death. Reepicheep gains Aslan's blessing to see his country, paddling a coracle up the waterfall to be never again seen in Narnia. Aslan then sends the children home, telling them that Edmund and Lucy will not return to Narnia because just like Peter and Susan,they are too old to return now and that they should learn to know him better by another name in their own world. However, Eustace, now a much nicer person from his time in Narnia, can return someday.

Post-15th MNC

Currently listening: Desperation Band - Counting on God

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Untitled from HIM Videos on Vimeo.

Convention is over, and so we bid farewell to Penang. The land of Char Kuey Teow and Asam Laksa, where we came and left via a 12-hour bumpy bus ride, was also the site of 4 days and 3 nights of intense teaching, preaching and also praise and worship with 1500 people. How was it? Well, the theme was on unity, something which is of utmost importance but also something difficult to achieve in our midst today, especially since humans are naturally wired to usually look after our own self-interests / preferences 1st.

Personally speaking, as someone who is going through quite a rough season at the moment, I came with expectations of receiving a spoken word that would directly address my circumstances. I have been blessed with previous experiences during conventions or whenever I had opportunities to interact with certain people (both Malaysia and Australia),when I will be reminded of certain things through the person praying / prophesying for me as I reflected on it, but this time there was none.

Nevertheless, God did not disappoint, instead choosing to work through the lessons we were being taught. I was actually not expecting much for the 2nd night and 3rd morning sessions, but as Pastor Simon and Pastor Moses preached the word, it felt as if it was cutting through certain attitudes of the heart which (being an extremely task-/result-oriented person) I needed to change (eg being patient with one another, the way I see others, proper conflict resolution - rather than just scolding people who don't listen when I'm not happy or avoid confronting the problem etc). It's hard, but in a way it's a blessing in disguise.

U3 Core Team (Ethan, Belinda, Dominic and me) went for bowling and a game of pool at Pelangi.

Lifegroup this week - nothing fancy. A potluck cookout where those who could, contributed some food for dinner, but in the midst of such simplicity, was able to see how God move in the hearts of people. Dominic shared about how from everyday life experiences (eg asking for 1, but ended up scoring 2 strikes though he was not good at bowling), he got reminded the need to bring forth a simple heart before God. Maureen (1 of our African sisters) was encouraging - against all odds, her research proposal got past a strict supervisor, and in the process, she managed to bring along another friend whose troubles were resolved thanks to her help.

Ethan took Pastor Jeff's suggestion to share our greatest fears during discussion group, which helped draw us together to understand each other more. As for me? I came to another humbling realisation that if I were to continue doing God's work using my own strength, it's going to be a very frustrating path ahead..

Wo Xin Wo Xing (A Walk of Faith)

A journey of mingled sensation
Ever thought of giving up in the midst of storms
There can be a victory amidst a life filled with tears
When we are willing to offer up our lives again and again

I will no longer dwell in self pity
For there's always sunshine after the storm
No matter how tough the way is, I will persevere on
Making the choice to run towards the Vision undoubtedly.

Chorus
A walk of faith
I have no doubt in my future
Facing everyday full of confidence
Taking on every challenge with total courage.

A walk of faith
This Vision is too great and life is too short
No time to pause and sigh
Let's lay down our burdens and march on.

Nostalgia

Something about my 1st year in Melbourne, which I came across while browsing through some old desktop files..

Class of 2010 - graduation dinner video

Video by Anna


A parody of 39 of us performed on that night, sung to Bruno Mars' 'Just the way you are'.

Countdown to 15th Hope Malaysia National Convention (4-7 Dec 2010)

Venue: Komtar Dome, Penang

Unstoppable

I enjoy Denzel Washington's movies, and watching his latest release with my shepherd did not disappoint (for me, at least). Frank Barnes (Washington) is a veteran railroad engineer and single father who struggles in juggling between work and maintaining a good relationship with his 2 daughters; Will Colson (Chris Pine) is his young conductor in the process of dealing with a marriage fallout as a result of a misunderstanding with his estranged wife and kids. Initially both did not like each other as Barnes was forced into early retirement to make way for Colson's recruitment, and Will finds it difficult to tolerate Barnes' dose of sarcasm and harsh treatment.

Nevertheless, amidst their efforts to stop a runaway train (thus putting their own lives at risk), a few things were evident in terms of human relationships; 2 people may not see eye to eye with one another, but if we could learn to see beyond each other's differences and work together towards a common purpose, we could actually discover that we have more in common than ever imagined. In the midst of a crisis, you learn to say "Hey come'on, look at the bigger picture. There are more serious things going on which need to be dealt with, compared to our personal problems, which at times actually do appear petty.." It also shows how at times, it takes courage to do the right thing, even if it meant the costly decision of losing your job..

Anyway, the flick started off slow and builds up towards a climactic conclusion, so hang on :) I read somewhere that they minimise the use of special effects and the actors do most of the stunts themselves, which was cool!

Currently listening: Keith Green - Make my life a prayer to you

Well I wanna thank You now
For being patient with me
Oh it's so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess I'll have to trust
And just believe what You say
Oh you're coming again
Coming to take me away

Seriously, if you ask me? I duno. Duno what to do, duno whom to talk to, duno what's next.

Because someone picked me up - 2

Currently listening: True Worshippers (Youth) - Jadi SepertiMu

"Ubah hatiku, seputih hatiMu
Setulus salibMu, kasihMu Tuhan
Biar mataku, seperti mataMu
Pancarkan kasihMu, ku mau jadi sepertiMu."

We watched a movie about Ron Clark, a dedicated teacher who left the comforts of his small town, to take up a teaching position in a problematic classroom at one of New York's troubled neighbourhood schools. I think most people (even myself) would have blown our tops having to deal with such hopeless kids who show no respect and go all out to drive you nuts. In other words, almost everybody has given up on them.

Nevertheless, able to see how this teacher was willing to go through great lengths and try all sorts of methods, even making a fool out of himself, in order to win the hearts of the students and help them achieve their full potential. Eventually by taking personal interest in them, he managed to bring forth change, and the worst class of the school ended up scoring the highest marks among other schools in the state for their exams.

God never gave up on us. Today, as Romans 5:8 put it that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, I'm especially thankful for those in my discussion group:
a) D*, for sharing how from being a stubborn person, what led to his decision to come to know God, and how his life was being transformed gradually in the process. Unexpectedly, he also apologised for being harsh to me in the past, when I initially tried to bring him to church.
b) C*, how despite her own nature of being a resentful person, God gave her the courage to take the 1st step to apologise (even though it's not entirely her fault) and forgive a good friend of hers, who had caused much personal hurt and grief. Could see that it was not an easy process, but it always starts from one person's willingness to let go.

Free time + People I'm grateful to

Currently listening: Rob Thomas - Little wonders (OST: Meet the Robinsons)

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1. Revisited some my earlier posts when I 1st blogging, and was thinking to myself, did I actually write them? Coz they sounded childish and rather immature.. Oh well..

2. At times I tend to end up comparing with others the things I do..and it can get frustrating when I struggle to comprehend certain people's mindset. Nevertheless, got reminded of Psalm 126:5-6 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.

3. Surgical elective concluded with a record number of surgeries witnessed and assisted (on my part as medical student) and a favourable report expressing confidence from my supervisor, which I'm thankful for.. She actually wrote at length about my strengths and areas for improvement. Monash doesn't pay her for my elective, and I felt a bit 'pai seh' when she invited me for her Hari Raya open house, so my way of thanking her and the department? A box of chocolates should do the trick :)

4. Dermatological posting was exciting - lasted only 4 days, but covered most of the skin conditions I would loved to have seen and diagnosed..

5. I requested several books from the main campus via intercampus loan. The people in Sunway initially refused since they only have 1 copy each, instead suggesting for the clinical school library to acquire the books over time. I'm thankful for our librarian here. No doubt it's a case by case basis, but she actually fought for the books on the basis that I'm a final year student. To my amazement, the books actually arrived within 2 days, guess I owed her one :)

Escapade to Sungai Lembing - small tin-mining village town

During the Raya holidays, me and a fellow ex-classmate decided to do something which I have not done before - conquer Bukit Panorama. In order to make it to the top of the hill to catch the sunrise, we departed for Sungai Lembing at 5.00am, a 40-minute drive from Kuantan (it was crazy, woke up at 4.30am during school holiday)..

Upon arrival, the small village town was quiet, but you already see coffeeshops selling breakfast open for business. It was pitch-black, you actually need a torchlight to ascend the hillsteps. It was an alternating trail of concrete steps and slippery slopes, as some parts of the steps have been washed away by rainwater and landslides, so it's pretty hazardous to come on a rainy day.

A fellow friend asked if I could actually make it to the top (since I don't frequently exercise :p), but if I could conquer 1000 steps in Kokoda, why not a 400-metre high hill? So I finally made it, and so too did many other people, but to our disappointment, the view of the sunrise was partially obstructed by clouds in the horizon.. oh well, might as well take a few photos. You can also see a bit of the morning fog in the valleys below.

After breakfast, since the old tin mines were sealed off due to collapse, we went over the hanging bridge to a small housing area. Here, one of the industries include making noodles which are somewhat used for 'wantan mee'.. then we ended the day at the local museum..

To check out more photos, click here.

Back at one

Currently listening: City Harvest - In your house

I remembered 4 years ago, around this same time back in my 1st year, I poured out wholeheartedly to my ex-shepherd in Melbourne, Jason how I was not prepared to go back to Malaysia. Not sure of what lies ahead, not sure of the many uncertainties coming my way. Looking back after more than 4 years on, could really reflect on God's grace through the ups and downs of many experiences I went through..

Funny that now, as I am nearing the end of my undergraduate studies, I find myself in the same spot I was over 4 years ago..

Mooncake LG

Mid-autumn festival is often celebrated among the Chinese as a time of family and friends reunion (as with Chinese New Year), where people will gather together to enjoy mooncakes and pomelo under the moon accompanied by lantern riddles, carry or light floating lanterns etc.

In short, there are 2 main school of thoughts of the story behind the festival. The 1st was the popular legend of Chang Er, how she being the wife of Houyi (an archer who shot down 9 out of 10 suns), consumed the pill of immortality given to her husband by the emperor. Some said that she did it the wrong way out of curiosity, whereas another version claimed that she took it to protect the people from her husband's tyranny, and ended up flying to the moon.

The 2nd, which was loosely based on historical events, proposed that rebels in China spread messages hidden in mooncakes for the people to overthrow the Mongol empire on a set date in conjunction with the festival, eventually establishing the Ming dynasty. Therefore, mooncake festival tends to be associated among Chinese with the issue of freedom.

Today as Christians when we talk about experiencing the true freedom in Christ, would like to give special thanks to Bel for sharing her testimony of her experience during her early years as a student, how God set her free from the bondage of her previous mindset:

"Hi, I’m Belinda and currently I’m pursuing my Masters (Biotechnology) in UTM. I give thanks to God for giving me the opportunity to share how God set me free from a stressful life studying during my undergraduate years, which eventually changed my life as well.

When I first came to UTM, I set a very clear goal to achieve a minimum cGPA of 3.5 and above in my subjects every semester, which I worked really hard for. Most of the time I will spend my time studying and making notes in my hostel room, regardless of whether it’s exam time or not. Regardless even if it’s just a minor class quiz, I will burn the midnight oil because to me, every mark scored matters. After my first semester, I was totally shocked as my result was the worst that I achieved throughout my undergraduate years, thanks to the Chemistry subject with a failure rate of 70%.

I started off my second semester working doubly hard to strive for better results. This semester was a bit different whereby sometimes during my own study time at night, a sister would come over and visit me frequently. She’s a fellow senior pursuing her Masters in research at that particular time. She introduced herself to me that she came from Hope Church. Usually she will share with me the word of God and before leaving, invite me to join their care group. I came from a Methodist background back in my hometown, and I don’t even know what in the world a care group is. I know that every Christian should go to church every week, so I joined my roommate to attend a Catholic Church every Saturday since I did not manage to find a Methodist church. To me, I have fulfilled my responsibility as a Christian by being a Sunday attendee. Hence, the invitation or sharing each time by this sister did not appeal to me at all because I did not see the reason why I need to join a care group or spend time knowing more about God. Mostly I will just ignore her presence and continue on with my studies. I couldn’t afford to waste even a small portion of my time. Time passed and as I received my 2nd semester results, I was expecting an improved result with the double effort that I’ve put in. However, things did not come out as I’ve expected. Once again, I failed to achieve the result that I wanted.

Despite the second failure, I told myself not to give up easily. I readjusted my study time and methods. Rather than study alone, I tried studying in groups. I went through all sorts of adjustments just to make sure I’m going to achieve what I intended. Slowly, I discovered that I’ve been living a stressful study life. I didn’t enjoy or find my life as a university student fulfilling. At times, I just wish I could do something else apart from staring at my books, but I couldn’t because it was like a form of bondage stuck to me. Again, I failed to attain the much coveted Dean’s list. This time I couldn’t take it anymore. I started to realize that something must be missing.

For once, I started to make a prayer to God which I never did throughout my life in UTM. I asked for His help and expressed my desire to know more about Him. I made a decision to look for a new church. In the same week after that prayer, while I was in a computer lab, I met up with my senior (one from a different course but same hometown). Unexpectedly, the 1st question of all things that came to our conversation was “Do you still attend church?” I was shocked for a moment as it is not your usual way of exchanging greetings. I replied to her that I am currently searching for a church. She invited me to join the church she attends, that is Hope church. At that moment, it finally struck me that God had being trying to bring me near to Him all this while, but I had been so ignorant and stubborn.

I started attending the Sunday Service and few months later, I joined the care group as well. This also meant that my time to study became significantly less. Nevertheless, I found much joy and inner peace within me, as some of the sisters’ testimonies during care group about how God helped them in their studies really encouraged me. Furthermore, I also received prayer support from my newfound family in Christ. I still remembered at times when I struggled to come for the care group due to busy assignments and tests, they always encouraged me, “When you choose to honor God, He will honor you back.” I choose to believe with a simple heart and never missed the care group throughout that semester. I continued studying as before, but now after I know more about God, I came to discover prayer as a powerful weapon that helped me through. Every time when I come back from the care group, I felt so close to God. My 3rd semester went past just like previous semesters, but no longer was I bound by my boring yet stressful time of study. It was a season where I was being set free in Christ! Hence, I learn to uphold my result unto God’s hand for I know He cares for me. God is good! My 3rd semester results turned out to be the best compared to the previous 2 semesters. Not only that, I managed to be included in the Dean’s list as well!

Deuteronomy 28:13 mentioned that “The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, NEVER at the bottom.“

Belinda Tiong
U3B"

Alpha course weekend away

Went down to KL to catch up with ex-CG friends from Hope KL. It so happened that SSC unit had a trip to a small village town of Broga in conjunction with their Alpha course, which I tagged along. We started off at 7am, and arrived at our destination around 9am for breakfast. It was then a time of exploring the OUTBAC compound, with fun outdoor activities such as kayaking, cycling, obstacle courses integrated along with teaching sessions on the topic of the Holy Spirit. Challenged myself to take on some of the activities, with mixed consequences..

It was a refreshing time to see new people in the Subang-Sunway group, and also an opportunity for me to refresh myself on the topic which I have not read up for a while, and might need to do some teaching on soon. I think it was great that as a group, we are able to honestly express our burdens / issues and pray for one another in the afternoon.

Night wrap-up with the campfire in the background was awesome, as each person shared what they learnt throughout the day; a new perspective on the topic being taught, a refreshing time of fellowship and team-building - helping one another overcome the obstacles. I don't really join them much nowadays, but as someone who is graduating soon, I could only remind everyone to treasure their time as a group while they are still students, to support and encourage each other, to grow in service, practise what they have learnt, and make a difference wherever they are.

And we shall cap things off with a song - with of course some accompanied background music :) Check out the rest of the photo album here.

Come what may

Synopsis:
Caleb Hogan wants to transfer to Patrick Henry College (PHC) to compete on the Moot Court team. His mother, Judith, who is a high profile constitutional lawyer, opposes his decision because Patrick Henry College teaches from a biblical worldview. To her, nothing is absolute and as a lawyer, it is the ability to be able to manipulate the grey areas in your favour that matters. Since Caleb insists that the PHC Moot Court team, champions for 2 consecutive years will provide him with the best training for working in her law firm, Judith agrees to pay for education for only 1 term, subject to the condition that he wins the Moot Court National Championship.

The Moot Court topic is soon announced as a case weighing a young girl's right to have an abortion, against her parents' right to know about it. Caleb believes that the team will be most successful by arguing for a small exception to the apparent "right to abortion" by showing substantial parental interests, not because he supports abortion but because he insists that attempting to overturn Roe vs Wade will provoke a negative emotional response from the liberal judges, 1 of whom was a former well-known Supreme Court judge. His partner, Rachel however, argues that they should make the case to go all out and overturn it, thus completely denying the right to an abortion. Caleb admits of being under pressure to win the debate competition at all costs, even through some form of compromise, if he intends to continue studying at the college.

Meanwhile, Judith is offered a case to argue in the Supreme Court on behalf of an abortion clinic who violated a state's parental notification laws. Against the wishes of her husband Don, a biology teacher, and her son Caleb, Judith takes the case to boost her reputation and asks Rachel to work as an intern at her law firm to help her prepare, which she refused. As the Moot Court championship tournament draws near, Caleb is faced with a growing rift forming between his parents, an escalating argument with his debate partner and the future of his education and his family at stake.

In the end, it's a matter of principle. It all comes down to taking a stand, whatever the cost. Caleb learnt that not everything is about winning and losing, and that despite being a losing finalist when he challenged the Supreme court judge panel by presenting an unpopular argument, his decision drew applause from the audience, and eventually lead to Judith realising her shortcomings. Both parents reconciled, so did Rachel and him.

And to add another lesson? Every life is precious..
Currently listening: 讚美之泉 - 展開清晨的翅膀 (Stream of Praise - Wings of the dawn)

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主耶和華你已經鑒察了我
(Father you know all of my heart all my life)
我坐下 我起來 你都已曉得
(You know my ways, when I sit down and when I rise)
我行路 我躺臥 你都細察
(There's not a word, not a thought you do not know)
你也深知我一切所行
(My heart is glad to be known by you)

我舌頭上的話 你沒有一句不知道
(My heart cannot express the wonder of your love)
你在我前後環繞著我 按手在我身上
(How high and deep and wide, and flowing from above)
這樣的奇妙 是我不能測透
(My God is always there, he's faithful to the end)
你的至高 你的尊貴 是我永遠不能所及
(He will hide me under his wing, in his shelter I will be safe)

我可以往哪裡去躲避你的靈
(Where can I go? Where can I run to hide away?)
我可以往哪裡去逃 可躲避你的面
(As high as the sky, deep as the sea, your hands will guide me)
我若展開清晨的翅膀飛到地極
(No matter where, no matter what my life goes through)
就在那裡 你的雙手也必引導我
(Father above, my heart is glad to be known by you)

Kite runner

Currently listening: 4Him - Be thou my vision

As we celebrated our 53rd National Day, our lifegroup came together and drove to Pasir Gudang on a hot day for an outing at Muzium Layang-layang. I believe that everybody had fun, amazing to see the excitement on everybody running off to fly their kites after the workshop and museum visit, and also to pray for our nation. We also spent some time making kites as a group, where like it or not, really need to learn to be patient and accept each other's different styles of doing things.

Winner of the kite-making activity depends on 2 criteria: creativity and flyability. Ethan's group decided to apply the basic method of designing the kite - the tried and tested diamond shape. Some of us actually went for the 'Wau Bulan' design.. Most of us, even himself wondered whether it will work out, whether his 3 diamond-shaped kites glued to each other to form a 3-storey structure will actually lift off. In the end, as he sprinted across the field with a string in hand, tugging the kite behind him against the wind, it turned out to be the one which soared the highest, and helped remind us to continue believing in things which seem impossible / yet to be seen happening.

Dominic and Jing Jing shared a relevant point - today as the times are becoming more developed and technologically advanced, the way we do things might change, so will the mindset of people, but the principles of God's word remain the same. It is a truth which has been proven to work for many generations. Therefore, as we soar higher like the kite, let us continue to remain grounded in God's word and not go astray, like the kite attached to the string of its maker.

Overall, it was an tiring but fun day. Happy 53rd birthday Malaysia :)

Photo reference: http://maplewood.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/floods-hill/

Walking out from your situation

Currently listening: True Worshippers - Take us higher

There was this story about an elderly lady from Taiwan (you can Google her story) who recently received an award from her country's government for her philantropic acts, and she was also inducted into the annual list of Time's 100 most influential people in the world. According to her, she sees her actions as nothing extraordinary, she donates money to needy people because she does not need that much for her daily expenses. But her life growing up is anything but straight forward.

While still a 13-year old child, her pregnant mum was admitted to a hospital for breech in labour requiring surgery. Nevertheless, doctors at the hospital refused to operate unless they are able to cough up the funds to pay for the operation. Therefore, the father had painstakingly to go to the market and streets to beg and borrow money for this purpose, which was not easy. However, at the end of the day, she witnessed her mother passed away in front of her, minutes before her father turned up with the money.

There are 3 responses which could come out of people from this situation. Firstly, she could be a person filled with hatred and bitterness, whose actions are unpleasant and difficult for others to tolerate/love. Some people see this incident as a license/passport, giving them the right to act in whatever way they please. Why? Because to them, the world owes them, it has robbed them of something precious. Many times, a person's seemingly annoying behaviour can be traced to their background.

The 2nd response, is trying to prove oneself to others. People in the world we live in today are practical. As the incident above would show, money is very important. These people will make themselves work very hard to overcome their weaknesses and circumstances (eg poverty). Now there is nothing wrong with working hard, but when it comes to the extent of doing so at all costs, it will lead to a proud and self-centred attitude. Such people build a wall around their lives, that they find it difficult to accept other people's weaknesses or receive constructive criticism from others. They always think that they are the ones who can do better than others.

The final response, is to walk out from your situation. What is past, is past, no point harping over it or wallowing in self pity. This lady went through a devastating experience as a child. Because of it, she had to quit school and work as a vegetable seller with her dad to help support her siblings, and there she has been until today. She stepped out from her tragedy and was able to be a blessing by giving to those around her in need. Today, her donations have helped built schools/colleges and fund projects among charitable organisations. An ordinary person, who brought forth an extraordinary change.

Today ask ourselves, is there any part of us which, because of what we had gone through in the past, cause us to be prejudiced or find it difficult to tolerate other people's antics? If so, quieten down yourself.. lay it down, and walk out.

I needed to.

Seizing the opportunity to give praise

Currently listening: Give thanks

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Something unexpected happened last evening.. while waiting for the bus in a secluded part of downtown in front of the post office, not 1 or 2, BUT 10 buses bypassed me (2 were not heading to my intended destination, 8 just refused to stop despite my frantic waving).. so I ended up waiting for 40 minutes alone in the middle of nowhere before deciding to hop into a taxi. I was 30 minutes late for prayer meeting. Nevertheless, the thought which came was that I can choose to lose my temper, or even to give thanks in all circumstances.. and it sets the tone for tonight's sharing during prayer meeting.

Ethan told me about his many postgraduate scholarship applications being rejected, despite him being a top 1st class honours student and ex-national vice president of a powerful international organisation. In such a case, he exceeded the requirements and is a qualified leader, what else would the scholarship committee want? But it helped him to organise his finances to live within his means, and to see with thanksgiving that if God had granted him the scholarship, would he be able to remain humble and faithful? If something good can help fulfil your needs, then there is no reason for our Heavenly father to withhold it, since his resources are unlimited.

Luke 17:11-19 - Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Lepers, being people with skin disease at that time, are a group of people who were isolated from society, they can be seen living together among themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation, but they view each other as being in an equal position. Today in a church, we are a melting pot consisting of various kinds of people (different growth stages and maturity, different styles of doing things), but our position in God is the same, we are in the same boat, and should not despise / compare one another.

If you have a chronic illness which leads you to a point of desperation, won't you run towards somebody who can help you? The lepers did, as a group in fact, carrying not only physical deformities from their disease, but also the emotional wound of being unable to live normal lives among the mainstream society. They were united in 1 voice to cry out for help. When people have serious needs, and realise their own lackings, they tend to be more willing to listen and obey the person offering help. Prayer without obedience is useless. However, many times we only come before God when we have needs, often we forget about Him when things are going on smoothly. When we don't get what we ask for, we accuse God of being unfair / unreal. In such a case, God being a God who answers prayers, probably already has.

After being healed, where did 9 out of 10 lepers go? Maybe they were enjoying their newfound freedom, or sharing the excitement with their loved ones.. whatever the case, only a single leper sees the priority to seize the opportunity to come back and praise Jesus. When we accomplish something, let us not sit on the success, but be quick to give all the glory to God, otherwise there is a tendency to think that we ourselves deserve credit for the achievement.

In conclusion, the biggest miracle is not what the eyes can see - performing magic acts, or raising the dead to life. The greatest miracles are found in each person, when one life impacts another - a reason for all the angels in heaven to rejoice.

A rainy morning at the breast clinic

Day 5 of my elective in general surgery. Honestly, can't really say that I would look forward to becoming a surgeon. It requires good and precise hand technique / skills, involves standing for a long time, and a sound knowledge of anatomy. Need to be on my toes also in reading up because today the specialist asked me, "What is a teratoma?" Patchy as my O&G/paediatric knowledge might be, I was fortunate to have guessed it to be a tumour of the germ-cell lining, but felt bad coz the houseman who answered 'benign ovarian cancer' later got told off, "How come medical student can answer better than you?".

I'm actually beginning to enjoy myself (in 1st week that is), especially since I got to see and do many things, from scrubbing in for assisting in surgeries, to helping houseman in the wards, to examining breast lumps in patients. I told my consultant that the 4-5 patients I helped clerked, examined and diagnosed today in my 1st time ever in the breast clinic exceeded the exposure I gained during my 3rd year surgical posting. Now I really know what a fibroadenoma, galactocoele, lymph nodes etc feels like. My consultant told me that if I wanted more exposure / experience in certain areas I can request for it and she will see what she can do about it. (Actually I do wonder whether she can teach me how to do an appendicectomy as a houseman :p lolz)

p/s: From time to time you will see Chinese patients who exaggerate the minor complaints they have, though it is not serious. Today there was one whom insisted to be seen and given follow up by the consultant (although she does not need another review), whom reminded the nurse - at the next appointment, she does not want to see this patient.

Enduring hardship and uncertainty

James 1:2-5,12 - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

I scrubbed in and assisted in his subtotal colectomy of a 74 year old patient who had multiple polyps in his duodenum and colon, which shows moderate to severe dysplastic changes. There were 4 of us, the consultant, the medical officer, the houseman, and me. Considering the limited space I had to move around, it can be rather tedious manoeuvering myself to help hold the retractor and do some suction.. got some backache due to muscle spasm as a result of maintaining awkward postures for some time.. of course, got to hear the consultant ridiculing the houseman as the worst person so far to have assisted her during surgery (Moral: need to be sensitive to anticipate the next steps during the operation and be proactive). Surgery was prolonged as the surgeon accidentally cut 1 of the colic arteries, and patient bled into the peritoneal cavity. By the time we were done, super tired - 4 HOURS standing, wah really can die wan leh :p!!! As I prepared to head back to the ward, the consultant laughed at the sight of me being drenched in sweat despite of the air-conditioned operating theatres..

As the season of exam and assignment deadlines in UTM and Monash approaches, it is interesting to listen to people share what they are going through at the moment, and of course uphold our challenges as a lifegroup unto God's hands.

In the past, ever given up in doing something, say telling yourself that you've had enough? 4 years ago in Australia, I remembered starting off being enthusiastic in learning guitar. I was supposed to start off practising the basic finger grip (ie chords), but I got overexcited trying to show off and started strumming away at different songs. When Jason, my ex-shepherd found out, he scolded and banned me from further playing any songs before I got the basics right. After that, I became upset and didn't want to learn guitar anymore. So I did not touch any guitar, until 2 years later when I came to JB.

My current shepherd shared of his previous architecture field expedition to Gunung Mulu in Sarawak, where his classmates and him joined a team for hiking. It was not an easy journey trail, and with 3 checkpoints to reach, many of his friends already decided to turn back at the 1st checkpoint, given the rocky terrain, concern that they might not make it back in time, and many of them suffering bruises and fatigue. Based on his fitness level, he also felt that it was something which could not be done. However, the guide who was with him encouraged him to move on, so they chatted on many things along the way, at times the guide would offer him some water from his giant water bottle. Without realising it, they made it to the last checkpoint.

Even Apostle Paul admitted that he is not perfect yet, but he continues to run towards the prize. Things can appear difficult when viewed the 1st time around, but as you overcome them one by one, slowly it becomes a reference point which you can look back and say "I have persevered.", things will gradually be able to move forward at a faster pace. It builds our character to learn to trust in God through various defining moments, coz it is human nature that we don't like not knowing what lies ahead. Also, just because some things do not seem to be happening at the moment, we need to continue putting in effort, not stop right there coz many times it is not a one-off thing (eg many times, prayers don't get answered instantly, especially if not accompanied by action). Never give up.

Hebrews 12:1-2 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

p/s: Happy blessed birthday to Chan, indeed as we look back at birthdays as milestones of how much we have grown, thank you for your partnership in this vision, and helping me to evaluate myself in learning to love, accept and forgive others. Despite his nature, able to see how God is at work changing his life since knowing him in 2008, as he does his best in transport arrangement, babysitting, Sunday school, to staying back to work as a part time teacher while waiting to pursue his Masters, and now making a difference in someone's life.

Rain drops on my window pane

Currently listening: 齊為此地呼求 (Cry out for the land)
by: 讚美之泉 (Stream of Praise)

Started my 1st day of general surgery elective. Observed a thyroidectomy and mastectomy (breast excision). Consultant was nice enough to allow me a rare opportunity to scrub in to assist a hernia repair. God is good.

Forgot to bring umbrella, so got drenched in the afternoon thunderstorm, exhausted and not feeling so well. God is still good.

Still waiting to see how my accommodation issue will play out. Parents not happy. It's ok. God is still good. In such times, help me to see that all things work for the good of those who love you.

It has been 17 years of God's faithfulness in Hope JB. Time flies, since I 1st set foot 2.5 years ago, as someone who barely knew how to speak Mandarin.. Encouraged being reminded of pastor's testimony, from failing high school, to miraculously getting through bible college in Australia.. to his decision to come back to Malaysia, how God honoured such a seemingly insignificant beginning and was able to mightily used a seemingly useless person, with no special talents. God is good.

Was telling a junior of mine a few days ago about my EBCP assignment crisis a few years back, when 2 days before the deadline, I discovered that my article had some problems and could not be used.. On the eve of the deadline, I had to make a decision whether to go for church prayer meeting or stay home and work on my assignment (still could not complete my Medline search on the previous night), but I made the decision to go, so I prayed that I shall give my best without compromise. That was my 1st year in Hope JB, and also the time I learnt that God will honour those who honour Him. On the morning of the Friday deadline, my work turned out to be more productive in those 2 hours, as compared to the previous 2 days. Although I was contented with a 'pass' as I handed up my assignment, I was blessed with a near perfect score, something which was beyond my imagination.. God is good.

As it rains..

A pretty wet week to end my emergency department rotation.

I learnt that in emergency medicine, you cannot forget your anatomy and physiology.

Chinese patients can be difficult to please. Was asked to look for the patient card for a patient, and my mispronunciation of the patient's name earned me a sarcastic jeer from his wife, "You are Chinese, but don't know how to pronounce people's name properly.."

1 elderly patient with bladder cancer was brought in for body weakness, diagnosed with urinary tract infection. He was supposed to have an appointment with the oncologist at Hospital B*, but the wife thought that he was wrongly sent to Hospital A* where I am posted. The patient was discharged with antibiotics, and the initial plan was for him and his wife to go to Hospital B by taxi, but he complained of being weak and in too much pain to walk. The MO told her directly that there is nothing left for them to do, and despite repeated pleas, they cannot afford to use the hospital's limited number of ambulances to transfer the patient to Hospital B. The option of hiring a private ambulance service was deemed not worth the cost. Eventually, when nobody was looking, I took her aside and explained nicely to her that there is nothing we can do, since it is a policy set in place, clearly delineated.. She promised not to tell the doctors that I lent her my handphone to call her relatives to come and transfer her husband (I know I'm not supposed to, but it's something off the record as I see the need - of course I won't do it to everybody). I think she felt touched lor, as she replied in Cantonese "Thank you ar doctor, you are really a kind person." I think it's a sad case, as she can be heard cursing over the phone of how increasingly cruel and heartless the doctors in government hospitals are becoming, all simply because of a lack of empathy as people are just interested in getting their jobs done.

A baby was discharged from the neonatal ward with a poor prognosis of anencephaly (or some brain problem lar). The next morning, the parents awoke to find their child not responsive, and was most probably no more. They made a police report, and by right the police were supposed to arrange for a post-mortem and some kind of burial permit at the mortuary. It was not done. Before coming to the emergency department, the father brought the dead baby to the ward, going berserk when nobody bothered to explain to him what to do. When it was finally settled, I think it's ridiculous and disrespectful to observe undertakers from some casket company harassing and negotiating the cost of burial from the parents, trying to earn a living at a time when people are in grief.

More decisions..

Currently listening: 赞美之泉 - 认定你 (Stream of Praise - I will trust in You)

Basically I have just under 2 weeks left before the end of my tenancy at my current apartment unit, and with my housemate moving out, will have to decide whether to continue my present tenancy (either I find somebody to take up the other room, or end up paying RM1500 instead of RM900 currently). In addition, with the 3 September deadline looming, have to decide whether to re-examine the option of postponing my graduation and take up a BMedSc research degree in order to remain as a student (last year, financial support was an issue, and this year, I haven't even approached anybody about available projects, what more the money required for the fees, as I will be enrolled as an Australian student).

In view of these major decisions, my shepherd challenged me to (in addition to the NECF 40-day fast and pray) fast for a full 48 hours (no food, only drink plain water) and spend some time seeking God. Initially found it to be a struggle, since I need to be involved with presentations and assessments at the hospital, and on 1 of the days I was not feeling well.

Nevertheless, it was 2 days of breakthrough. For the 1st day, as mentioned in the previous post, God reminded me from a previous sermon by brother Elijah that joy is not a feeling (like happiness), to be joyful is a decision, whether or not things are going according to our plans - as long as we give our best.

For the 2nd day, God reminded me of the theme of trusting Him. Many times we have our own ideas or plans which we intend to carry out (sometimes we say it's for God), or even things we like and hold on to, but it is human nature to do things relying on our own understanding, or to end up being self-centred. However, today we know that God sees the bigger picture, his ways and thoughts are higher than ours. For example, would Mary have ever imagined of herself being chosen to give birth to Jesus? Or Paul, who ended up travelling across Asia and Europe preaching to the Gentiles? Because God loves us, He knows what is best for us.

Since I was in charge of games, was actually wondering how to come up with one which fits the theme. It was a pleasant surprise that after much thinking, the idea came instantly during lunch prayer, and that night's lifegroup flow from the introduction, to the games, to the praise and worship all fell into place and set up nicely for the message later by God's grace.

Today I received a text message from the accommodation office saying that the landlady rejected my request for a rental reduction. No doubt that the stress of the situation is there, but at the same time there exists an inner peace, one that compels me to praise Him, despite the current situation.

Finally, as I had my dinner after 48 hours last night, what I figured was impossible at 1st (I do find it difficult to resist food :p) was achieved by God's grace.

Joy of the Lord

..is our strength. (Nehemiah 8:10)
..comes not from whether things going our way, but from a close, loving relationship walking with Him.
..comes from encountering His presence.

Currently listening: Planetshakers - Rejoice in You

Today is the day you made, and I will sing for joy, and I will be glad in it.
Today promises are true, Your mercies are renewed, so I will rejoice in it.

More little life blessings

One was an encounter with 1 of my fellow juniors at the clinical school, followed by receipt of an sms of thanks. Another was someone who felt touched and approached to me in church to thank me for encouraging him during church camp 2 months ago. Both reminded me of the importance of imparting the right principles and sharing what God places in your heart.

Was concerned with my dad when I found out about his cataract. No doubt it was mild, but his vision plays a very important role, especially as a pilot. Nevertheless, thank God and I was able to see how such an incident brought us a bit closer and enabled us both to chat longer with each other on the phone, since at times it can be difficult to find stuff to talk about between both of us..

I lost my 8GB pink Kingston USB on campus, and though its not so much the price of the pendrive, but it was an unpleasant experience due to the many important stuff it contains, and the current hassle of saving documents.. Nevertheless, God knows and provides for my needs, as during last weekend's dermatology seminar quiz, I won a prize, and it was a brand new pendrive sponsored by the drug company. Although it's only 2GB in storage capacity, it's enough for my current usage.

When you fail to discipline those you love

Adapted from reference: Shanghai daily
*Name and place deidentified*
There was a guy whom was born in China as the only child to his parents. From a young age, his parents spoilt him a lot. He was quite clever, but never wanted to do any homework. If his teacher tried to be a bit more strict with him, his parents would come to school the next day. At the age of 8, people ask why his parents would carry him around on a pole, when other children are able to walk. At the age of 13, his father died of liver disease. His mother would not let him do any work at home, and eventually passed away when he was 18 due to illness from overworking. After the death of his mother, he sold all his possessions and went to live with his cousin. He was recommended to work at a construction site, but quit the job because he could not stand the heat. He took up another job as a waiter, but was fired because he wanted other people to serve him. He later went to live in a village and begged for food from the villagers, but the food / raw materials offered by the villagers were often left untouched at his doorstep, because he was too lazy to cook it, or in the case of cooked food, wanted people to spoonfeed him. He never learnt how to do his laundry, and when his clothes become dirty, he would just throw it away and get a new one. When winter arrived, he would burn the items in the house to stay warm, even his own bed. This cycle of eating and sleeping repeated itself until one day his cousin who came to visit him with food found him starved to death, at the age of 23.

Emergency and Trauma Department blues

Currently listening: Owl City - Vanilla Twilight

I followed an ambulance to the scene of a motor vehicle accident, and the guy had a fractured clavicle (collarbone). I was trying to set a IV drip, then suddenly the stretcher which the patient was lying on was not locked properly in place, and suddenly slid backward as the ambulance accelerated. Lost my balance and almost went flying. The IV branula? Bunged..

Patient came in at the middle of the night. Highly suspected dengue from the blood results. Set IV drip for him, and he was awaiting ward admission. Later he became frustrated as his phone ran out of battery and there were barely staff around to offer him a phone charger. He told a staff member that he was going outside to use the public phone to call his wife, and.. later ended up absconding (ie ran away from the hospital)

We were stunned to have a patient had epigastric pain the day before, so she took 2 panadols for the pain every hour from the evening before until this night. Paracetamol poisoning, required gastric lavage and activated charcoal (black powder mixed with water, looks like ur oil spill). As the nurses were pumping the charcoal into the patient's stomach, 1 of the nurses mentioned, "The patient looks nauseated, later I have a feeling the ceiling is going to become black due to projectile vomiting." The vomiting did come, except that the patient end up turning towards me at bedside. There goes my white coat. The nurse cheekily remarked, "I told you :p"

There are 4 ECG machines in the yellow zone for use (2 among the beds, 1 at a nearby clinical consult table, 1 in the observation ward). 3 were spoilt, leaving only one, and the specialist grumbling away on how to meet the standard of their performance indicator, ECG needs to be done within 10 minutes to rule out myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Young man wheeled in unconscious, but vital signs were stable, nothing seems broken. Apparently he broke into somebody's house and molested a girl, so the villagers beat him up. When he came in, the nurse tapped him on the shoulder. No response. Another member of staff decided to give him several tight slaps on the face. No response. Poured a bottle of saline onto his face. No response. I mistakenly thought a Ryles tube was required, so I inserted it, only to realise it was meant to stimulate the gag reflex and wake the patient up in a pretty crude way. No response. They then poured hydrogen peroxide on the patient's abrasion wound (OUCH.. you can see the wound site bubbling away). No response, quite horrified when they joked of pouring it down the Ryles tube. Later, I asked where did the patient go? Answer I received, "Oh, mereka pergi mandikan dia (they went to give him a bath)." *swt*

Baby day 2 of life, transferred all the way from Batam (island under Indonesia) by ferry, then from the jetty to the hospital by ambulance, diagnosed with gastrochisis (bowel outside the abdomen). Called paeds surgical, no choice but to inform the parents that a central directive from KL forbids them from accepting and operating on their child due to difficulty following up foreigner patients - ie have to go private..

Slept 2 out of 36 hours post-on call

With all I am

Currently listening: Hillsong - This is my desire

Giving our best
In John 3:16, God demonstrated the perfect example of love through giving. For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son. Today it is not about how much we have, but what matters is the heart, ie how much we are willing to give, that will make a difference. We may not have a lot of skills / limited resources, and hence might not see a lot of results, but give your best and God will honour it.

Luke 21:1-4 - As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

It is easy to talk about giving when people are in a comfortable environment, but in times of poverty / limitations like the poor widow, or even like in John 6:8-13 when the boy only have 5 loaves and 2 fish, when you offer all you have, God can work wonders. At least 5000 men (excluding women and children) did not go home hungry that evening. He is our Father who desires to be close to us, and will definitely give us what we need. However, the principle is always to lay down yourself, and seek 1st His kingdom.

Currently, the pastor of the largest church in the world (>800,000 members), is in South Korea, but if you read what he went through a few decades ago, he experienced a time of crisis when he ran out of money to fund his church building, and construction came to a halt. He ended up having to sell his house and belongings to fund the project. Many nights would be spent weeping in frustration at the construction site and crying out why God allowed this apparent tragedy to happen. Nevertheless, Korean people last time were not very well-to-do, so they would donate seemingly random items. A member of the relatively small congregation gave a fork, which puzzled this pastor, what can be done with a fork? Little did he know, this gesture caught the eye of a businessman, who gave generously. Another incident involved a beggar who walked past the construction site one night as a group of them were praying, and when heard about what was going on, decided to give his broken bowl which he used to beg for money. It was all he had. What can be done with a broken bowl? A missionary who happened to be in the area heard about it and asked if he could bring the bowl back to his home country. Back home, he shared about this incident with his congregation, and in ways nobody could understand, they managed to collect a large amount of money, sufficient to resume to construction project.

To the ordinary spectator, a fork or broken bowl might amount to nothing, but whatever the challenge, Psalm 23 mentions that the Lord is my shepherd - we will have no fear or lackings, peace and security will continue to be with us, coz God is at work with us. He can make the impossible possible.

Walking the extra mile
1 Corinthians 4:15-17 (Timothy sent to teach)
1st mile: The act of sharing / teaching
2nd mile: Passion / attitude of love and care (many guardians, but few fathers)

2 Timothy 1:16-18 (member of Ephesus church)
1st mile: Acceptance of Paul's chains (ie not ashamed of people)
2nd mile: Took effort to search for Paul all over Rome during visit

2 Corinthians 8:2 (Macedonian church)
1st mile: To give
2nd mile: Generosity in extreme trial and poverty

According to the law in ancient times, a Roman soldier on a journey can force any Jews he encountered along the way to carry his bagpack for him up to a mile's distance. In the same way today, we might be required to do something we dislike. What does the world teach? Complain. Protest (this is discrimination / injustice, your human rights have been trampled upon).

What does Jesus say? When people make you walk a mile, you walk with him 2 miles. Easy to say, but when it comes to taking action is another matter. In ministry/serving today, let us not be too calculative in what we do, although we might seem to be doing more than others. However, in the same way as you love your parents, you would be willing to do your best for them, what more God? He does not look at your skill, talent etc, but at your heart.

More love

The object of this massive tribute died as he had always lived - a private man without wealth, without property, without official title or office. Mahatma Gandhi was not a commander of great armies nor ruler of vast lands. He could boast no scientific achievements or artistic gift. Yet men, governments and dignitaries from all over the world have joined hands today to pay homage to this little brown man in the loincloth who led his country to freedom. Pope Pius, the Archbishop of Canterbury, President Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, The Foreign Minister of Russia, the President of France... are among the millions here and abroad who have lamented his passing. In the words of General George C. Marshall, the American Secretary of State, "Mahatma Gandhi had become the spokesman for the conscience of mankind, a man who made humility and simple truth more powerful than empires." And Albert Einstein added, "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth."

"Whenever I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they may seem invincible, but in the end, they always fail. Think of it: always."

Watched 2 movies during consecutive prayer meetings. 'Tuesdays with Morrie' portrayed a famous sports journalist, who while being caught up with his hectic lifestyle, learnt lessons on living from his dying ex-professor. It's interesting to see how people get caught up pursuing all sorts of things in life, that when conversation on end of life arises, many see it as a taboo, coz they simply have yet to found the true purpose of what they are living for (ie things which really matter)..

'Gandhi' portrayed the life of one of India's most respected icons in history. As a young lawyer trained in England, Mohandas K. Gandhi's exploits 1st became well-known when he led a non-violent protest for the rights of Indians in South Africa. He would later return to his homeland, and developed compassion for many of his people (especially in rural areas) who lived miserably in oppressive conditions under British rule. It's amazing how despite various challenges and difficulties, which include imprisonment from time to time, colonial oppression, racial tensions, he continued to live a simple and humble life, uniting all his countrymen and advocating non-violence as a measure to obtain independence. His perseverance finally paid off after many years, when he was already old, as the British finally granted independence to India.

1 thing we can learn is that Gandhi is a man of principles, as seen through his life where he lived out the values he held on to. If as 1 person he is able to make a difference by living out such a life, what more Christians (since we call ourselves God's children)?

We see a lot of problems among ourselves today when it comes to relationships, both internally and externally, especially when we fail to practise what we preach, accept other people's weaknesses, or tend to become upset when our rights are trampled upon. It's a reminder (for myself as well) that love, acceptance and forgiveness (even towards those who are annoying or don't deserve it) starts from building our close relationship with God. If God so loved the world, can we afford not to?

Sets the theme for this quarter bible conference, doesn't it?
Title: A Loving Church
Date: 13-15 August 2010
Venue: Hope Place, Skudai Parade

Currently listening: 愛可以再更多一點點 (More Love)
by: 讚美之泉 (Stream of Praise)

我可以擁有全世界 卻沒有愛
(I could have the whole world and yet still have no love)
我可以明白所有事 卻還是空白
(I could understand all things but feel empty inside)
我可以用信心移山 卻還是孤單
(I could move the mountains by faith yet seem so alone)
這世界沒有了愛 一切仍是黑白
(Without love, this world would be empty, just black and white)

Bridge
不要埋藏在心裡 把愛說出來
(Don’t hide it inside your heart, say it out in truth)
不要默默在一旁 把愛活出來
(Don’t hide it in the corner, let your love shine through)

Chorus
喔愛 可以再更多一點點
(Oh come, let’s all try to pour out more love)
不怕被傷害 把靈魂鎖起來
(Just put your fears aside, let your compassion rise)
愛 可以再更多一點點
(Come, let’s all try to pour out more love)
從天父來的愛 把懼怕挪開
(The love that’s from the Father will cast away all fears)
發現幸福在轉角與你相遇
(You’ll find His joy abounding reaching for you)
一瞬間 這世界變得好美
(With God’s love, this world is so beautiful)