simple steak

Some steak, served with cheesy potatoes and fresh tomatoes

Surprisingly simple but delicious!

smack 'em good

Boss: Hi there Smacky! Would you like to buy some cookies?
Smacky: No. Get out.
Boss: But everyone likes cookies.
Smacky: Don't you get it? I'm grouchy and I like it that way.

And then it's time to smite those saccharine sweeties!!

You guys have gotten me SOO addicted to this game...hahahah...

go ahead, metamorphise into the new

I'm changing my mind about certain things...

I'm changing my mind about someone...

But am I really?

God, is it lonely at the top?

To believe in God is to believe in the salvation of the world. The paradox of our time is that those who believe in God do not believe in the salvation of the world, and those who believe in the future of the world do not believe in God.

Christians believe in “the end of the world”, they expect the final catastrophe, the punishment of others.

Atheists in their turn…refuse to believe in God because Christians believe in Him and take no interest in the world…

Which is the more culpable ignorance?

…I often say to myself that, in our religion, God must feel very much alone: for is there anyone besides God who believes in the salvation of the world? God seeks among us sons and daughters who resemble Him enough, who love the world enough so that He could send them into the world to save it.

- Louis Evely, In the Christian Spirit

I thought this quotation was pretty meaningful considering how I feel the focus of the church sometimes seems to be skewed so much towards winning souls for the world hereafter, that it neglects the pressing needs of the world today.

Is God's salvation and His ultimate victory over sin, sorrow, suffering, hatred and corruption, limited to the end-times, when God supposedly restores everything to perfection?

Or did God intend His saving grace and His redemptive work to be alive even today, moving to re-create this world into the world that He had planned it to be?

Have not Christians already been called to be the very agents of God's salvation "to the ends of the earth" - to flavour the world with our "saltiness", and to bring "light" to its darkest nooks and crannies?

I'm reminded of the delightful skit we did about a month back in church...the one in which I was the letters "U" and "O" haha... ;)

We are the CHURCH...
The BODY OF CHRIST...
Created to MAKE A DIFFERENCE...
To make a difference IN THIS WORLD...
We GATHER TO WORSHIP...
And we SCATTER TO MINISTER...

ENFJ?

I'm in the mood for personality tests. Here's one that's based on the Jung-Myers-Briggs typology (Keith...meh lei keh??)

Your Type is ENFJ

Extroverted	Intuitive	Feeling	Judging
Strength of the preferences %
56	12	62	44

According to D. Keirsey, I am an Idealist Teacher:-

• Idealist Teachers are abstract in their thought and speech, cooperative in their style of achieving goals, and directive and extraverted in their interpersonal relations.


• Teachers expect the very best of those around them, and this expectation, usually expressed as enthusiastic encouragement, motivates action in others and the desire to live up to their expectations. Teachers have the charming characteristic of taking for granted that their expectations will be met, their implicit commands obeyed, never doubting that people will want to do what they suggest. And, more often than not, people do, because this type has extraordinary charisma.


• The Teachers are found in no more than 2 or 3 percent of the population. They like to have things settled and arranged. They prefer to plan both work and social engagements ahead of time and tend to be absolutely reliable in honoring these commitments.


• An experienced Teacher group leader can dream up, effortlessly, and almost endlessly, activities for groups to engage in, and stimulating roles for members of the group to play. In some Teachers, inspired by the responsiveness of their students or followers, this can amount to genius which other types find hard to emulate.


• Teachers value harmonious human relations about all else, can handle people with charm and concern, and are usually popular wherever they are. But Teachers are not so much social as educational leaders, interested primarily in the personal growth and development of others, and less in attending to their social needs.

ENFJ type description by D. Keirsey

According to J. Butt:-

• ENFJs are the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship.


• ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.


• ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear.

ENFJ type description by J. Butt

Famous ENFJs:-

• David, King of Israel (woo hoo!)


• Sean Connery


• Abraham Lincoln


• Johnny Depp


• Oprah Winfrey


• Abraham Maslow

baked dory fillet

Baked dory fillet, served with baked potatoes and carrots

Just a little something that was inspired by a simple Jamie Oliver recipe for baked carrots. Simply threw some fish, carrots and taters on a large aluminium foil; sprinkled salt, black pepper and dill for taste; drizzled some oil; wrapped up aluminium foil tightly and baked it in the ovenette for about 30 minutes. Took the package out of the oven, tore open the foil, sprinkled some cheddar cheese and sat watching it melt. Bon appetit!

what's your theological worldview?

You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this. Emergent/Postmodern 79% Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 68% Neo orthodox 64% Classical Liberal 39% Charismatic/Pentecostal 39% Reformed Evangelical 32% Modern Liberal 32% Fundamentalist 32% Roman Catholic 21% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

eat your vegetables

JV: been so busy i'm drowning here man
how ru
AT: hahah.. tell me about it..
it's horrible
i don't even have a second to breathe a sigh of relief... it's like i'm constipated with work.. but can't get it out.. GIMME SOME FIBER!!!
JV: gotta ease that constipation man...haha
eat some vege
spinach or something
AT: haha..
JV: hahahaa

Complaining about being busy has its merits sometimes. Chances are that you'll find another person equally as busy. Interesting conversations are sure to follow! =)

u know i am so cool...

...I hung out with Jackie Chan, Mallika Sherawat, Stanley Tong and Paula Malai Ali over the last couple of days. It was no big deal, really. Jackie, Mali and Stanley were in town promoting their new movie, The Myth. As for Paula...oh, I was surprised to see her at the private function for the opening of Tod's at KLCC...that foxy lady. She told me over coffee few weeks back that she was going to be travelling to the Bahamas with hubby dearest. Was raving about how excited she was and all. Well, it turns out the trip was cancelled...awwww, just too bad hon =p

Ok ok...haha...I'd better stop before ppl start wondering if they should continue hanging out with me since I'm oh-so-cool =) But yeah, I did bump into the aforesaid individuals over the last few days. Yes, there was this promo thing happening in 1 Utama for The Myth, and Jackie, Mallika and Stanley were there to officiate it, as well as do some PR. And if you were wondering, NO, I didn't go to 1U specifically to catch a glimpse of them, as much as there were hundreds of folks gathered around the New Wing Oval craning their necks and snapping pictures. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

And unfortunately, I don't have regular coffee sessions with Paula Malai Ali. The Bahamas trip? Oh, you'd better ask her yourself. Our paths crossed as she was making her way to a private function organised in conjunction with the opening of Tod's (for the uninitiated, it's a luxury fashion label) at KLCC. Boy, did she look hot. Too bad I wasn't let through the velvet rope to hobnob with her and the other celebrities (which also included quite a number of "broken-wristed" guys with very ecclectic fashion taste) though...the invite is probably late in the mail again.

nasty stuff

Yesterday, for the very first time, I cooked something that tasted so bad that I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

=(

AYLC 2005

A rough sketch of our vision for the PJGH YF, churned out during our strategic brain-storming session at the AYLC 2005. There's still a lot of work to be done though, and it calls for a deeper sense of commitment among those of us who are involved with the youth.

Pray with us, as we seek the Lord's direction going forward.

state of emergency

BBC has reported that the Malaysian Government has apparently declared a state of emergency earlier this afternoon, after the API hit unprecedented levels of 531 and 529 in Kuala Selangor and Port Klang respectively.

"Government officials said the state of emergency would extend inland to the entire Klang Valley, covering the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur."

The local media has yet to carry any official declaration from the Government but ChannelNewsAsia has also reported similar news.

Update: The Government has issued an official decree declaring a state of emergency ONLY in Kuala Selangor and Port Klang. All work places are to remain closed indefinitely, except for essential services, food shops and supermarkets. The Prime Minister has stressed that the emergency did not mean a curfew, and the Selangor Government will continue to administer the affected areas.

460

Just got an update from the National Meteorological Department that the Air Pollutant Index (API) level in Kuala Lumpur city centre has soared to 460, clearly in the Hazardous category, which is represented by APIs of 300 and above.

It IS really THAT bad out there and I wish I had a camera to record this. Peering outside through the thick smog, the Petronas Twin Towers, situated less than 500 metres away from my office building, is hardly visible.

Only Port Klang has it worse off so far, with an API of 480. Terrible.

Dang those Sumatran fires...when will they ever learn??

backstroke of the west

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

a love so amazing

Were the whole realm of nature mine
That were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

o mighty cross

O mighty cross!
O Christ so pure
Love held Him there
Such shame endured
His sacrifice on Calvary
Has made the mighty cross
A tree of life to me!

museum exhibits a creationist viewpoint

"At first glance, with its research-quality replicas and lush dioramas of prehistoric Earth, the Museum of Earth History, which opened in April in this Victorian spa town, may seem like any other facility devoted to dinosaurs and fossils. But with exhibits aligned with the Bible's six days of creation, it also is emblematic of the increasing volume in the national debate over how evolution should be taught in public schools and the emboldening of those who oppose or question evolution."

Link

friday lunch @ Saisaki

IAMSOFULLOFOHSOGOODSASHIMI...

What was supposed to be a little Friday drive out for lunch, had us ending up at the buffet table at Saisaki. I must say that the spread was pretty good for RM40.

Piled up on mainly on the sashimi, soft shell crab, unagi, and the oysters. The sushi, tempura and sukiyaki were also good but one has gotta eat "smart" at buffets ;) Needless to say, we gave the el cheapo stomach fillers such as the fried rice and noodles a miss...ha!

Iced green tea paired with green tea ice-cream brought our lunch to a lovely ending =)

bridging past and present

I'm not that big a fan of "worship" music but Stuart Townend really rocks! Was just listening to a Stuart Townend worship album entitled "The Mandate", which I had borrowed from Yoke Ling on Sunday. Found myself listening to a lot of old favourites such as Give Thanks, In Christ Alone, and All My Days (Beautiful Saviour) (ok ok...not so "old" after all).

I've also got a new tune stuck in my head now, which I really hope we can sing in church sometime soon.

See, what a morning, gloriously bright,
With the dawning of hope in Jerusalem;
Folded the grave-clothes, tomb filled with light,
As the angels announce Christ is risen!
See God's salvation plan,
Wrought in love, borne in pain, paid in sacrifice
Fulfilled in Christ the Man,
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

See Mary weeping, "Where is He laid?"
As in sorrow she turns from the empty tomb;
Hears a voice speaking, calling her name;
It's the Master, the Lord raised to life again!
The voice that spans the years,
Speaking life, stirring hope, bringing peace to us,
Will sound till He appears,
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

One with the Father, Ancient of Days,
Through the Spirit who clothes faith with certainty,
Honour and blessing, glory and praise
To the King crowned with power and authority!
And we are raised with Him,
Death is dead, love has won, Christ has conquered;
And we shall reign with Him,
For He lives, Christ is risen from the dead!

See What A Morning (Resurrection Hymn) - written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty

shrimp and french beans tossed with spaghetti and a tomyam cream base

Shrimp and french beans tossed with spaghetti and a tomyam cream base

It's almost lunch time...I can't wait! ;)

prawn & petai sambal, steamed eggplant, steamed egg

It's a flurry of activities in the kitchen as I fix my Sunday dinner again! Yesterday's features...


Prawn and petai sambal


Steamed eggplant with garlic and soy sauce


The whole ensemble

the sky is broken

You fall on me
Like a torrent
Yet like a gentle caress
Your presence is overwhelming
Your cadence so soothing
Today I look outside my window
Hoping to see you again
Hoping that maybe today
You fall on me.

spicy beef stew with noodles

I fixed a beef stew for dinner Sunday night. Thought it could have been better so I did a remix version yesterday, added some noodles for carbs and lo and behold...


Spicy beef stew with noodles

Hassle-free gourmet! Simply season the beef overnight with some black pepper, cumin, cloves and salt. Then simmer with chopped potatoes, onions and carrots. Smash up a clove of garlic and throw it in the pot along with some star anise for additional depth of flavour.

So good you can even have on its own!

Yum!

i have found my love

Hang on, hang on to the vine
Stay on, soon you'll be divine
If you start to cry, look up to the sky
Something's coming up ahead
To turn your tears to dew instead.

wherrrre's Wally?

This is mind-blowing stuff.

Search-engine powerhouse, Google has come out with an interface that allows anyone (meaning you and I) to scan the whole globe via satellite.


The Google Earth interface.

Google Earth, as the project is called, is still under beta testing, but already impresses with clear images of cities and major landmarks across the world. A colleague of mine spotted his family's house in Perth...and his neighbour's car!


Paris. Spot the Eiffel Tower.

Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya also appear on Google Earth, albeit in lower resolution. It's probably an incomplete scanning process which should be fixed in the near future. But hey, I spotted my residential area. Check it out...


Home sweet home.

the love of God albeit in MORE than 10 words

I could more easily contain Niagara Falls in a tea cup than I can comprehend the wild, uncomprehensible love of God.

- Brennan Manning

i'm leaving on a jetplane

It's 4.50 a.m. on a Friday morning and I am NOT in bed.

Here I am in a very empty KLIA waiting to board a flight to Kuching for a last minute meeting that cropped up. The taxi this morning came 15 minutes earlier so I've got some extra time to spare.

So what do I do then? I blog.

I have got my derrier firmly propped up on a decently comfortable chair. In front of me...a black Dell system that runs a version of Internet Explorer that looks strangely ancient. Surprisingly, it works.

Quite a disappointment considering the expectations I had on the MAS Golden Lounge. Well, I haven't the time to check out the coffeee and grub, but I guess I've gotten accustomed to the flat screen panels and ultra fast broadband connections in Changi.

It looks to be a pretty hectic day with this trip, dinner plans, the little prayer meet tonight, followed by the horror flick session. Ahhh...don't we love Fridays.

I foresee myself walking (perhaps "wandering" is the word?) around in semi-comatose mode for most of the day.

of fellowship with the undevout

"He who is alone with his sins is utterly alone. It may be that Christians, not withstanding corporate worship, common prayer, and all their fellowship in service, may still be left to their loneliness. The final breakthrough to fellowship does not occur because, though they have fellowship with one another as believers and as devout people, they do not fellowship as the undevout, as sinners. The pious fellowship permits no one to be a sinner. So everyone must conceal his sin from himself and from their fellowship. We dare not be sinners. Many Christians are unthinkably horrified when a real sinner is suddenly discovered among the righteous. So we remain alone with our sin, living in lies and hypocrisy. The fact is that we are sinners!"

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Confess your sins to one another... [James 5:16]

my family

I just love this picture.

Taken on 31 May 2005 @ Century Pines Resort, Cameron Highlands.

Camp PJGH 2005 definitely left many fond memories.

great balls of fire

I am a happy man =)

I had my lunchtime hunger pangs sated by juicy morsels of beef balls, courtesy of this famous beef ball noodles place in Lebuh Ampang. Funny that I still don't know the name of this place. It's a proper shop alright, but I just never take notice of its name.

So if you wanna go there some time, just call me.

are we having fun yet?

Throbbing headache.
Runny nose.
Sandpaper throat.

I am sick.

coming soonest

revenge of the nerds

Star Wars nerds are the funniest!

This is an ACTUAL “Out-of-Office” autoreply by one such individual in Singapore. His identity shall remain undisclosed.

Stupid have I become. Forgot to write Out of Office message I have. Hmm..?

I am seduced by the nerd side of the Force, please excuse me from 21st May to 30th May.

Meanwhile, I have to rescue the Chancellor from General Stupidous. Then beat the crap out of the traitor Dumb Vader and BBQ him to save the universe in whatever order possible. Judo Master Yogurt will deal with the Emperor and then try to save Pad Me with Senator Fail Again-ah. This universe is messed up or what?

epilogue to an exam

Yes yes...the killer exams are over!!!

It really is a huge load lifted off my back after months of attempting to study amidst so many "distractions"...some valid and some...urm, maybe a little questionable...hehe. So when the proctor told me (did I fail to mention that I was the ONLY candidate yesterday?) to put down my writing instruments at 5pm yesterday, I couldn't be more pleased to comply.

So how did it go? Let's just say that about a quarter through my morning session paper (there was also an afternoon session), I just decided to "let go, and let God" ;) It was tough and I just wasn't as prepared as I would have liked to be. My attempts to cram in too much over the last few days didn't really help either. There was just this huge cumulonimbus of concepts and formulas in my head. Not too good eh?

But all's not lost. I'm actually very grateful for this whole experience, which brings me to thank everyone who prayed for me and who extended words of encouragement. I'm trying not to get too sentimental here, but it's really comforting to know that people are remembering you in their prayers.

I must also share some thoughts that have come to mind over the last week or so, flowing from church camp; that we serve a God who is so much bigger than the "god" we make Him out to be. We sometimes think we can place Him in our little pigeon holes when He is far greater than that.

We serve a God who is larger than life itself. I shared this with BK on Sunday in response to the morning worship service, that I was reminded that we worship a God who is bigger than the death of the 5 missionaries who perished in Ecuador. In similar vein, but on probably much lesser scale of importance, He is also One who is bigger than my CFA exams.

I have to confess that I've never been a good loser. Well, I try to be, but I know that losing is just not ingrained in me, especially when it comes to exams. This time I have been humbled...really. I have come stripped of my abilities knowing I can only walk this road holding the Hand that leads me.

And so I held it...tightly.

For He never fails.

***

Phil 3:7-8, 13-14

our heart

Now playing in my head...

Our heart, our desire,
Is to see the nations worship.
Our cry, our prayer,
Is to sing Your praise
To the ends of the earth;
That with one mighty voice
Every tribe and tongue rejoices.
Our heart, our desire,
Is to see the nations worship You.

Heavenly Father, Your mercy showers
Down upon Your people,
Every race upon this earth;
May Your Spirit pierce the darkness,
Break the chains of death upon us.
Let us rise in honest worship,
To declare Your matchless worth!

- "Our Heart", John Chisum & George Searcy

if you can't beat 'em, join 'em

I thought this was pretty funny.

kingdom of heaven

Our faith was strong in th' Orient,
It ruled in all of Asia,
In Moorish lands and Africa.
But now for us these lands are gone
'Twould even grieve the hardest stone...
Four sisters of our Church you find,
They're of the patriarchic kind:
Constantinople, Alexandria,
Jerusalem, Antiochia.
But they've been forfeited and sacked
And soon the head will be attacked.

- taken from "The Ship of Fools", written by Sebastian Brant

I thought King Baldwin IV (picture above) was rather cool behind that silver mask. I was trying to spot one particular scene that I had come across in the trailer where he faces Saladin in a showdown, and he sort of cocks his head to one side knowingly. Didn't see it in the movie...rats =p

Oh yeah...I'm of course talking about Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven ("KoH"), certainly one of the movies that I had been anticipating this year. I wasn't expecting it to pass the scissors of our parochial censorship board, so it was quite a pleasant surprise when I found out that the movie was on its way to our Malaysian silver screens.

Anyway, I had the privilege of catching KoH last night, with a pretty big rombongan too...16 of us in total! Surprisingly, everyone was early for the (I had to think awhile to verify this) VERY FIRST TIME!

KoH is reminiscent of a typical Ridley Scott epic. Felt it didn't quite live up to the standards of Gladiator but I still thought the movie was special in its own way. The sets were pretty impressive and Saladin's assault on Kerak did bring back memories of the seige of Minas Tirith back in LOTR: Return of the King =)

Still, watching KoH inevitably brings out the skeletons from the closets of Christian-Muslim relations. There will always be questions hanging over the validity of the reasons behind the Crusades, whether or not they were seen to be unnecessary aggression in the name of extending God's kingdom and converting nations to Christianity, or whether they were a necessary defence against the advancing Muslim armies in the Middle East and Eastern Europe regions.

One of the more provocative questions raised by the KoH is the relationship between God's will and human agency, and whether the former can be discerned in the latter. In the movie, both Christian and Muslim sides claimed to be fighting for God. Calls for bloodshed were attributed to fulfilling "God's will". The phrase "God wants it!!" still rings in my head. Bearing their respective crosses and crescent moons were people fighting alike; in the service of something they held dear, a purpose much greater than themselves that even warranted the giving of their lives in martyrdom.

But were their actions all within God's will?

Christianity Today ran quite an extensive coverage on KoH two weeks back. Pretty good stuff, I should add. One of the articles [1] depicted a frank conversation between a Christian and a Muslim about the possible impact of KoH on Christian-Muslim relations. In one part, the Christian writer asked his Muslim friend, Haq, whether he thought KoH would actually aggravate relationships between Christians and Muslims. I like Haq's response. He said,

"No, I don't. The movie shows how complex people's motives are, that that may express their conviction in religious terms, but they're doing so with base political and economic motives. You say you're doing something for God when you're really doing it for yourself. I think this movie will force people to see that what they thought was an act of religious faith on their part was not really religious at all."

A scene from the movie also comes to mind where Guy de Lusignan insists that God wants the Christians to massacre the Muslim legions. King Baldwin IV refuses to comply in light of the delicate truce hanging between the Christians and Muslims, and goes to the extent of hanging Templar Knights who have disobeyed his orders to restrain from conflict. Balian (the Orlando Bloom character) thinks the harsh punishment to be odd since "they are dying for doing what the pope would tell them to do." He gets a reply from one of his acquaintances, "Yes, but not Christ, I think."

It was the lines like these that endeared me to the movie for its promotion of some of the values that we as Christians treasure. They certainly provided the saving grace to a beautifully crafted movie otherwise distracted by religious and political idealogies.

References

[1] Steven Gertz, "Whose Side Is God On?", Christianity Today, posted 10 May 2005.

(Note: The article has since been removed from the Christianity Today site, but I've got a hardcopy if anyone's interested)

=(

Receiving the BAD NEWS...

The screening's on the 3rd of June and that's in the thick of my CFA study leave. Exams are on the 6th too...boohoo.

=)

Receiving the GOOD NEWS...

I just got a corporate invite to watch EpIII...woohoo!!

third time lucky?

I hear tickets are already on sale for shows on the 18th to the 20th.

Go! Go! Go! =)

giving an account

What was supposed to be a casual Mothers' Day conversation with mum on Sunday turned into something I totally did not expect. To cut a long story short, we actually had quite a long conversation about comparative religions, more specifically Buddhism and Christianity. I knew mum was fairly open, but I had NO IDEA that she was THIS open to hearing about what I believe in as a Christian.

Through our messy conversation, I sort of managed to present the Gospel to mum, although I know her thoughts were probably so cluttered with what other people have been teaching her about Buddhism etc. While mum might have been confused then, what struck me was her response.

She asked, "How come you've never told me this before?"

I was stunned for a moment. I had shared the Gospel with mum...once...maybe vaguely twice. But those occasions happened so long ago. She had been pretty closed up to the Christian message then, but I had no idea that she had become more open over the years.

Pondering over Sunday's telephone conversation made me realise that we are sometimes too quick to assume a particular reaction from people even before we share the Gospel of Christ to them. It is so often that we refrain from saying the things that we ought to say, in the fear that our family members or friends would either react in a certain way, perceive us in a certain light, or maybe even wonder how we could even believe in something so shallow. "I don't do religion, thank you very much."

In stifling our voices, I wonder how many people have missed out on the opportunity to hear the good news? How many people have we rubbed shoulders with today? Last week? Last month? Last year? I guess the numbers can be pretty astounding.

What if we happened to be the last opportunity for that particular person to hear about Christ? In such a situation, I really don't know how I would be able to give an account to God when I see Him face to face.

coming sooner

the week

has been quiet and relatively uneventful. The past few days have been pretty much routine, which is not entirely a bad thing with my exams drawing closer.

Yes...CFA. I've been trying to squeeze some studying into my daily schedules with varying degrees of success. Strangely, I get most of my studying done on the LRT. I just plop myself on a seat, take out my notes, and get myself lost in them. My mind turns oblivous to my surroundings, save for the occasional bz-bahdee who just has strain his/her neck over my shoulder to see what I'm reading. Please, just look away. It's rude.

Poh poh will be in Shanghai for 4 months so I did some cooking during the week. Whipped up a lazy man's beef stew on Monday, which I had with noodles and blanched choy sum over 3 nights. It was alright, but I thought perhaps it was lacking a certain spice. Well, I try not to be too choosy. As long as it fills me up, I'm fine and dandy.

The weekend is just around the corner, and a long one at that too since we've got Monday off as well. I really should take this opportunity to read up on Financial Statement Analysis.

But not tonight.

Tonight, I shall finish the last 5 episodes of Clone Wars. The force is strong indeed.

psalm 19:1

copa IBA 2005

Our worthy runner-ups =)


Heart-stopping moments abounded.


Han Jung & Gadiy.


Keith and I monkeying around at the F&B counter.


Mr Andersonnn...


Cher Ru, Amelia and Juen Nin.

For more pictures from Copa IBA 2005, click here.

i'm looking inwards today

I repent of enthroning myself while making You my footstool.
I repent of the pursuit of things presumptuously mine.
I repent of thoughts that I know betray spoken words.

I repent of this flagrant masquerade.
I repent of trading You for a cheap substitute.

You created nothing
That gives me more pleasure than You
You won't give me something
That gives me more pleasure than You.

- You Created, Caedmon's Call

wedding dress

I am a whore I do confess
But I put You on just like a wedding dress
And I run down the aisle.

I'm a prodigal with no way home
But I put You on just like a ring of gold
And I run down the aisle.

I run down the aisle to You.

- Wedding Dress, Derek Webb

Such words do not require me to say anything more.

Michael Jackson reinvented?

I am a reluctant participant in this, but he does have a hold on me now.

=p

i smell a rat

I must be starting to lose my ability to wake up at 6.00 a.m. every work morning. Waking up half an hour late for the past two days is NOT GOOD. It's a wonder how much traffic builds up on the roads within the span of 30 minutes.

After rushing through getting washed up this morning, I was all ready to go. And then I saw it - a murky green blob of dense liquid on the floor. Fresh rat poo! Rats! (pun intended) The little beastie was around somewhere. I thought I heard a little squeak coming from among a stack of boxes in a corner. Aiyah...no time to take care of that. I'm already late! Thoughts of building traffic in USJ and Bandar Sunway filled my mind.

As I was sitting down to put on my socks, I heard another squeak. This time, there was no mistaking it. There from among the boxes, a little critter emerged slowly. Ever so nonchalantly creeping closer, and closer to the door. Never in my life have I ever seen a rat move so slowly. They normally dart around so quickly. Anyway, I was not going to let this rat stay in my house one more moment. Playtime was over. It was either the door, or war.

Now this rat was REALLY slow. It was either full from gorging on some unknown food source, or maybe it was being extra cautious because of my presence. Whatever the case, I couldn't wait for Mickey (let's give my new "pet" a name now, shall we?) to take his 2 minute waltz to the front door, and so I got up to give him some "encouragement". That proved to be a bad decision, because he turned around unexpectedly and darted under the sofa. Shoot!!

I looked around desperately and found the trusty rotan (bamboo cane) that my poh poh (grandmother) reserves for application on my naughty little cousins when they come over. I grabbed it and swished frantically it under the sofa, hoping to chase Mickey out. It didn't work. I pulled the sofa aside, expecting to see Mickey cowering in fear of his impending doom. He wasn't there! Rats!!

Mickey had given me the slip. That sneaky rat. As I type this, he's probably helping himself to the onions in the kitchen. But oh yeah...onions...yessssssssssss...juicy fresh onionsssssss…

I hope he starts tearing to death.

K.M.G.W.J.

Up and down the hill we fly
To the land of gaudy lights
With a Merc-Benz as our ride
Don't we just love Friday nights?

H.E.L.E.N.

;)

looking for a church?

Check this out, an online quiz to determine which Christian tradition suits you best. Here are my results:-

1. Baptist (non-Calvinistic) / Plymouth Brethren / Fundamentalist - 100%
2. Pentecostal / Charismatic / Assemblies of God - 87%
3. Baptist (Reformed / Particular / Calvinistic) - 86%
4. Anabaptist (Mennonite / Quaker etc.) - 85%
5. Congregational / United Church of Christ - 70%
6. Seventh-Day Adventist - 70%
7. Methodist / Wesleyan / Nazarene - 68%
8. Lutheran - 67%
9. Church of Christ / Campbellite - 66%
10. Presbyterian / Reformed - 66%
11. Anglican / Episcopal / Church of England - 65%
12. Eastern Orthodox - 61%
13. Roman Catholic - 40%

Our E&D would be so proud...haha! I found it interesting however, to see that I've got a strong leaning towards the Pentecostal / Charismatic / AoG churches ;)

Contradictory? Maybe.

Or perhaps we aren't that different after all?

monkey me

Oh, watch him recoil!
Oh, see such turmoil!
As I bounce with glee,
Outside Aunt Happy's.

=)

longdrawn 3

Come watch the debut of A Mantle The Sea, a PJGH homegrown band!

happy birthday Danny! (30 March 2005)

Was Keith doing a Para Para Sakura? Danny looks puzzled =)


The delicate art of eating chicken.


Tucking into yummy roast chicken that tasted strangely like char siew.


Going hysterical over my piece of pullet.


We decided to be "good Christians" this time around, so we got Danny a Bible ;)

an introduction to emergent

I was at CPK's place for a church camp committee meeting on Saturday. Over satay and pizza, I posed this question to him, "How would you describe the Emergent movement in a simple concise sentence?"

Seeking clarity as to what Emergent is all about is a pretty futile attempt. Brian McLaren, the author of the book A New Kind of Christian, resists calling Emergent a "movement". "Right now, Emergent is a conversation, not a movement," he says. "We don't have a program. We don't have a model. I think we must begin as a conversation, then grow as a friendship, and see if a movement comes of it." [1]

Despite its seeming lack of structure (at least not one that we normally associate with), Emergent does seem to thrive in exactly what is missing. The absence of formal boundaries does make way for open, honest conversations between fellow believers and friends about the various issues pertaining to the Christian church today.

I had the privilege of participating in one such "conversation" last Saturday at Bangsar Lutheran Church. After breakfast at Taman Tun post-Kiara, we found ourselves drawn to the informal meeting that we had heard about over the grapevine...dirty, sweaty bodies and all. Hopefully they'll welcome us in, just as Jesus welcomed even the lepers...heheh

After a brief welcoming address by Sivin Kit, the man I understand to be the main contact for Emergent Malaysia, this guy, Kia Meng shared his story and the lessons about his faith that he had picked up along the way. Later, we broke into smaller groups of 3 - 4 to share our respective stories, with the question "What Does it Mean to be a Christian in Malaysia Today?" providing some direction.

Looking around, it certainly looked like many interesting conversations were happening in the various groups. Keith and I were in the same group, together an Ipoh lass going by the name, Wan Ching (Ipoh gals seem to be EVERYWHERE these days!). Coincidently, we all share the commonality of being involved in youth ministry. With that common ground, we shared our concern in seeing the youth in our churches growing up all groomed to be "cultural Christians" (not a term that anyone mentioned that day, but one that I feel encapsulates the idea of being moulded by our surroundings and circumstances), yet not engaging in a real relationship with God.

We also heard some of the other groups share their stories at the end of the session. I think the general consensus was that the world is changing i.e. "the modern, colonial world is coming undone and a new postmodern, postcolonial world is emerging". [2] The challenge today is for the gospel of Christ to remain relevant to a generation that carries very different beliefs and values, and which requires different approaches, as compared to the generation that lived say, 20 years ago.

To quote McLaren, "Can I still call myself a Christian if I don't buy the whole package of what many call Christianity today, which includes a lot of modernity and has little to do with authentic Christianity?" [3]

Still, the waters should be tread carefully. I'd better be praying about this.

***

References

[1] Andy Crouch, "The Emergent Mystique", Christianity Today, November 2004, Vol. 48, No. 11, p. 36.

[2] Emergent Village, http://www.emergentvillage.com.

[3] Glenn T. Stanton, "The Postmodern Moment", Christianity Today, June 2002, Vol. 46, No. 7, p. 53.

climbing up the walls pt. 2

We had sleepy eyes, half-wishing we were still in our comfortable beds at home.

On Saturday, we ventured up Bukit Kiara again, this time armed with a camera as planned last week. After the great time we had the week before in enjoying the sights, talking and just hanging out, we decided to go again despite the Kinabalu trip in June having been called off.


The meandering joggers' path.


After deciding to be a little more adventurous, we attempted a dirt trail off the main joggers' path.


The trail led us to the summit of Bukit Kiara, with quite a good view of the KL skyline.


Unfortunately, the trail was "protected" by vicious mozzies that attacked us in swarms...no kidding! Check out Keith's hand.


Ugly welts on my leg.

that's why He came

For every broken heart in need of mending
For every lonely child who needs befriending
For every time the innocent will ever need defending
That's why He came.

For every dream that life has torn and tattered
For every hope this world has dashed and shattered
For every soul that needs to know he matters
That's why He came.

That's why He came
For all the lost and lonely
That's why He came
For all the questions only love explains
And so that when we need Him
We can call upon His name
That's why He came!

To do the perfect will of God, His Father
To face His death just like a lamb to slaughter
So He could pour out life like living water
That's why He came.

To be our Cornerstone and our Foundation
To be the open Door to our salvation
To be our Saviour and our Celebration
That's why He came.

To bring His light into our darkness
And His healing to our pain
To bring us hope when it seems hopeless
That's why Jesus came.

- That's Why He Came, Chris Machen

cross of love

Blood and sorrow flow
From the languid brow of Jesus dying
And tears from heaven's eyes
Are the anguished drops of a Father crying
Oh, why?

This must be a cross of love
For God to bruise His only Son
Jesus, what a sacrifice to reach us
It had to be a cross of love!

Emblem of His pain
Oh splintered wood of my transgressions
I'll never comprehend
Of an act so great gave love expression
Oh, why?

And the people jeered at Him
And mocked His holy name
For they knew not who He was
Or why it was it came
Some had come to offer help
To soothe a mother's pain
But as she watched her wounded Son
The comfort never came
Oh, why?

- Cross of Love, Greg Nelson / Bob Farrell

walking on

Walk with me quiet, walk with me slow
With watered down coffee and words of gold
I can feel the edges of these things
When I hear You speak to me, so walk with me.

Walk with me empty, walk with me strong
The hush of our voices when the day seems so long
It is like a balm, it is like a jewel
It unravels all I thought I'd knew.

directions please?

I stand at a crossroad not knowing which path to take.

Lead me.

climbing up the walls

Training for Mt Kinabalu has finally kicked off! After weeks of procastination, my Columbias finally got a chance to play servant to my feet.

Did Bukit Kiara with Keith on Saturday. We had originally planned an early hike up there to enjoy the fresh air and all. But as usual, circumstances have their way of changing even the most fervent of plans. After the excuses of late nights, uncertainty of directions and keys going mysteriously missing, we finally set off only at around 9.00 a.m..

The hike up Kiara was pleasant. The slope was gentle and the trees lining the path provided shade from the rising sun. We also caught a few glimpses of the local inhabitants in the area...a frisky red-tipped squirrel and a whole family of monkeys! No tigers or giraffes in sight, unfortunately. Too bad.

Since Kiara didn't exactly leave us with burning, aching muscles, we decided to head to PB's to do some stair-climbing. Yeah, the challenging stuff. We zoomed up the 17 stories of the Perdana Condominium fairly quickly, even with some breath to spare. Not too bad...or so we thought. The second time up was markedly slower, and well, ummm...we had to stop after the third =p

Still being the first week training and all, it was good fun. Sure, my quads, hamstrings and calves are still sore, but the age old adage "No pain, no gain" still has some credit to it.

Hey, I'm already looking forward to this Saturday! Let's go!

seeking purpose

To fear of one day echoing the words of Isaiah, "I have laboured to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.".

To wonder if my lips can be moved to speak the words once spoken by Christ Himself as He struggled with His Father's will, "My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Thy name.".

And so my search continues...

...for a Purpose-Driven Life.

Thus ends Week ONE of my journey.

I covet your prayers.

a trip back in time

Kuala Lipis is an endearing town that grows on you. There is something appealing about walking through the little alleys that criss-cross the ancient colonial buildings lining the roads. Life does almost fall into a standstill here.

This is a little late 'cos I had some strange problems in accessing Photobucket over the last 2 weeks. Anyway, here are some pics that I took last month while I was back in Kuala Lipis for grandpa's funeral.

You won't find any pics from the funeral though ;)


Only in Kuala Lipis.


One of my exceedingly adorable grand-nephews!


Time passes by slowly here.


Do things get less appealing with old age? I think not.


A moment created. A moment captured.

smell the color 9

I was just listening to some old CDs late last night before turning in, and I got to this song by Chris Rice. Thought I'd share this 'cos I thought it touches on the questions some of us have in relation to knowing and relating to God (especially for those in the Plymouth Brethren circle ;) ).

***

I would take no for an answer
Just to know I heard You speak
And I'm wondering why I've never
Seen the signs they claim they see
A lot of special revelations
Meant for everybody but me
Maybe I don't truly know You
Maybe I just simply believe.

Cause I can sniff, I can see, I can count up pretty high
But these faculties aren't getting me any closer to the sky
But my heart's faith keeps pounding so I know I'm doing fine
But sometimes finding You is just like trying to
Smell the colour 9.

Now I've never felt the presence
But I know You're always near
And I've never heard the calling
But somehow You've led me right here
So I'm not looking for burning bushes
Or some Divine graffiti to appear
I'm just begging You for Your wisdom
And I believe You're putting some here.

9's not a colour
And even if it was you can't smell a colour, no
That's my point exactly.

- Smell the Color 9, Chris Rice

the week so far

I shifted back to my poh poh's place on Monday. And I really felt like a nomad this time. Leaving Kota Kemuning, the car was almost packed to the brim with my stuff...clothes, books, shoes and all. Even as I write, everything's still strewn all over my room right now. Didn't have the time to unpack and sort them out properly. I probably will have to get down to it soon. Hmmm...this weekend? Or maybe the next? =p

On another note, my work load has spiked this week as time draws closer to the targeted submission date for one of my IPO clients. So many documents to review, so many numbers to crunch, so little time.

The late nights are back.

a play with words

Was just listening to the album 40 Acres by yes...Caedmon's Call AGAIN (haha!) and I came across this really cool rendition of John 3:16.

***

For You so loved the unlovable
That You gave the ineffable
That who so believes the unbelievable
Will gain the unattainable.

- from the song, There You Go by Caedmon's Call

***

Compare it with the "original version".

***

For God so loved the world
That He gave His only begotten Son
That whoever believes in Him
Shall not perish but have eternal life.

- John 3:16, New American Standard Bible

***

There you go (pun not intended), the message of the Christian faith in a nutshell. Funny how we seem to make it so complicated at times. It's a message...

...of love shown
...of grace extended
...of hope given

nerddd!!

Is that snide comment by your (former) best friend still lingering in your head?

Yes. Surely you remember THAT day.

You remember his/her twisted face yelling out to you. The N-word.

How it still resonates in the deepest nooks of your cranial chamber.

So, are you ready for a really honest examination of your deepest thoughts?

Find out today how you stack up on the Nerd-o-meter!



***

The stuff you come across at Phye Beng's page ;)

fiery felines

I have shifted to Mozilla Firefox!

Despite all the complains and gripes that I used to have about Firefox previously, I decided to give it a second shot. And you know what? I think I like it! Quite a turnaround actually. The last time I uninstalled it only half-an-hour into using it. But that was some time ago. People change...hehe

Some HTML formatting on my blog didn't really turn up right on Firefox though. But I'm hoping things will improve in time.

No pop-ups...wooohoooo!!

Thy mercy

Thy mercy my God, is the theme of my song
The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last
Hath won my affection, and bound my soul fast.

wai gong's weekend

I am back! Yes, I am back in KL after an extended weekend in ummm...KL? Kuala Lipis that is; a little town somewhere in Pahang, on the banks of the Jelai river. Some of you might already be aware that my maternal grandpa passed away a few days ago. It wasn't because of illness or disease but more of just plain old age. He was 96 according to the Roman calendar. However, I discovered that Chinese being Chinese, there is actually a system that accords "bonus years" upon fulfillment of certain criteria and that actually resulted in my grandpa being 102 years old!

Anyway, RED was the order of the occassion. There were RED funeral lanterns. There were RED pieces of paper with fancy Chinese calligraphy. There were red ribbons, banners and sashes. We wore RED shirts.

There was a band. There was an impromptu dance (NO, I did NOT join in...haha). There was an "eight seasons" drum routine (great stuff!). There were fireworks. There was a procession in town.

And this was a funeral.

There are just so many thoughts swimming in my head right now that putting everything down would just take up too much space. So I'll spare you the details. If you're interested to know more, just ask. And I'll tell.

I just wish I had DiGi reception in Kuala Lipis. There were just so many thoughts and prayer points that I had wanted to convey. Being only ONE of FOUR Christians in a family spanning FIVE generations and over 100 members, it got pretty daunting at times.

And oh yeah, Romans 5:8 stood out for me during the weekend.

ode to the restless boat

I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me-
A boat with a furled sail at rest at a harbour.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me, and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life
And I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire-
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.

- Edgar Lee Masters

***

I often seem to come across little mirrors here and there that closely reflect the thoughts and ponderings of my wayward mind, be it from hymns, poems, various passages from books etc. Sure saves a lot of time in penning down my thoughts =)

praise Him!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Sing, O Earth, His wonderful love proclaim!
Hail Him! Hail Him! Highest archangels in glory;
Strength and honour give to His holy Name!
Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,
In His arms He carries them all day long.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
For our sins He suffered, and bled and died.
He our Rock, our hope of eternal salvation,
Hail Him! Hail Him! Jesus the Crucified.
Sound His praises! Jesus who bore our sorrows,
Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!

Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer!
Heav'nly portals loud with hosannas ring!
Jesus, Saviour reigneth forever and ever.
Crown Him! Crown Him! Prophet, and Priest and King!
Christ is coming, over the world victorious!
Pow'r and glory unto the Lord belong.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Tell of His excellent greatness.
Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song!

- Fanny Crosby

the rooster crows

Chinese New Year will hit the yellow-skinned community in Malaysia like a train in two days. It will be a barrage of noise, food, relatives and cash (kaching!) all swirled into a multi-sensoral experience that will leave you dazed at the end of the 15-day-long festivities.

Personally, I'm just looking forward to the 5-day break, also thanks to the Awal Muharram holiday that will be replaced on the 11th. Yah yah, I know some of you are off for the whole week. Don't gloat! =p Oh yah, and yee sang too! With lots of raw salmon soaked in brandy!!

Patriots!

Looks like Super Bowl this year concluded without any "wardrobe malfunctions"...hehe