Alpha? Yes, Alpha.

Personally, I think I had posted a pathetic point of view during my last entry. And after a long period of silence, here's what had been happening in my life. Yups... As per image of the entry, Alpha course is what I've been attending rather faithfully for the past few Mondays. This course is organised by the church's Light of Jesus Christ Covenant Community (LJCCC) and I was encouraged by Aunty Agnes Kong to attend the course (on the funny basis that I need not cook on Monday evenings). What really encourages me to continue going week after week is the desire to know more about my own faith and also to go back to the basic. Many-a-times, we tend to forget our basics, the foundation of the church based on the the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, etc. This course is acting as a refreshment for me in order to deepen my relationship with God. And indeed, I hope, it is working out well.

I was in Pace Bene, Papar, for the Alpha weekend away, where we listened to the DVD talk by Nicky Gumbel about the Holy Spirit. I guess the highlight of the whole weekend was the ministry time where we were being prayed over. It was really good and I saw changes, really obvious ones, on some of my fellow group members. The obvious joy that is bubbling inside them was so contagious that spending a few minutes talking to them made me joyful inside too. The mass was celebrated by a hilarious priest, Fr. Eric Jerome. He spoke with such fervent and so much of zeal in him. He used very hilarious and down-to-earth type of examples when it comes to explaining about human relationships and our relationship with God, etc. Not forgetting the hilarious Uncle Patrick from the community who kept telling me that I have four angels with me ever since we first met him during Inner Healing and Transformation Seminar last November (2008). My friend, Irene, told me that Uncle Patrick told her he saw four angels laughing with me after I was being prayed over by Uncle Daniel Kong during the seminar in Bundu Tuhan. And he mentioned he has 10 angels with him. Amen to this uncle!

Of course, I was revealed a specific call to serve during this session. In fact, it was a continuation from the previous seminars and talks and worship sessions I had. The need of intercessors in the ministry seems to have caught up with me. I've spoken to Aunty Lucia, one of the intercessors of the community regarding the recent calls, which I personally would say, made by God through the Holy Spirit during my prayer time, worship sessions, when I was being ministered to. The short sharing with her this morning regarding my dad's condition and then about my question on "the call to be an intercessor" gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. The fuzzy and warm feeling gave me 100% assurance and comfort at the moment she smiled and started telling me how she intercedes for people. Never had I shared so openly about this call, and tonight, I actually felt the need to get it published on my blog.

So far, ever since I stepped down from Lifeline leadership, this is the first time I actually journaled openly about this call to serve. Though still in the midst of discerning and also I still need to speak to certain "authorities" in ministry about this call, I would love those who read my blog to pray for me and with me about this. The more the merrier when it comes to prayers. I'm unsure if I'm ready to share my dear sister's burden on interceding for our ministry, but what Aunty Lucia shared really encourages me to try it out. She told me that the intercessor will pray for the ministry and "transfers" the burdens transferred from the individual/ministry's shoulder to our shoulders to Jesus' shoulders. And then we will feel light and all. In fact, I would conclude from Aunty Lucia's sharing that God is more than happy to take the burdens of ministry from the shoulders of intercessors and intercessors should not take the burdens and keep them on their shoulders. I'm bad at transfering word-by-word message, but I guess this is the gist of it.

Time for me to go back to my pending work. Before leaving, I would really encourage everyone to attend Alpha course in your church (I know that many churches around the world are offering Alpha courses, including in Catholic churches!) because no matter how much we know about our church teachings, Scriptures and we have personal relationship with God and all, it is never too much to listen and understand the very basic facts on Christianity. Furthermore, we won't know when we'll meet a person who might require us to explain the basics to them. Do not fear that Alpha course may take you off from your own ministry. I, for one, still think that I'm called to be committed to the ministry that I'm already in.

Thank You, Lord God, for sending Aunty Agnes and all others to invite me to Alpha. Thank You for opening my eyes to things I've never really seen previously. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for guiding me and slowly revealing to me more and more each day. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your willingness to die for us because You love us. AMEN!

Pathetic - An Adjective

Why suddenly this topic? Because of a random pathetic blog entry which I googled and found, though I regretted reading it the moment I finished it. It was pathetic, and I think I'm pathetic enough to blog about it because I actually like the word "pathetic" as a random adjective. I used to use this word frequently enough to probably kill cells of many people, recently lesser, but definitely still a killer word. Admit it or not, some blogs are just plain PATHETIC.

LOL!!!

The definition of PATHETIC in my dictionary is cases which are not sympathetic or pitiful enough but the writer or story-teller made it sound so sorrowful, mournful, pitiful to extract my less than normal empathy.

So to say, I used to be that pathetic person, mourning about what I don't have and what I wished I have. Seems like I was never alone. Perhaps I didn't really have internet access all year round last time that's why I thought I was the only one in the universe going through that kind of issues in uni. Oh well, today I may be able to say I probably have evolved much earlier than I thought I have.

Comparing to the author of the entry, I had a better life in uni. Points I gathered from his blog were these as compared to what I was/would be (mine in green, his in blue):

1. My Maggi, books, and I. (No matter how broke I was during uni, I never allowed myself Maggi during CNY reunion. I would try spending time with people who did not have chance to return home for CNY even I was packed with exams and assignments. FYI, my uni finals were always the month after CNY, so classes were on-going even at the eve of CNY. Sigh! To think I had friends from hometown calling me to enquire about CNY reunion which I didn't even know of because I was dang faraway, in the context of local uni.)
2. No money to spend. (I never had much to spend, but I managed to go through it by having bread instead of rice and Maggi to me is luxury and health-deteriorator.)
   
3. Winter, cold, nobody around, exams, non-oriental food, no extra money, no one to laugh with. Just me, my books, my chair, my table, my bed. (Ok, I have to admit I've never suffered winter cold and non-oriental food before. But what I had was crazy seaside weather that killed all umbrellas mercilessly, unhygienic non-chinese food and super heat. I quite liked the idea of studying far away from home because I get to focus instead of going home every weekend and not revising at home. I didn't have people to be with during mid-term holidays or study weeks because everybody, near or far, went back to respective places. I managed because I just couldn't mope about it forever! I had the me, myself and I syndrome. Haha! That's when I realize VCDs and movies are so precious to me! And the mass on Sundays...)
   
4. I have been trying to show my family and friends back home how well I'm coping, travelling around, exploring cooking, the great friends I made, the great life I'm living. How happy I was. I hid so much. The truth is, I was really trying to fight depression and homesickness. But still denied anything of that sort. (I did have a rough emotional path in uni, but somehow I had coped with it throughout uni. My parents allow me to be this far not because I'm strong enough but because I tried to adapt and change. I had depression in and out during that period of time too. I hid a lot too. But I had fun exploring and travelling. Those are the stories cherished by my loved ones. And I created more so that I can tell them more of my adventures in a foreign land - my mom until now still thinks I'm outside Malaysia at times!)
   
5. So saving up money to travel around seem to be a good idea. But coming back after the adventures doesn't seem to make anything better. (Definitely coming back from adventures made me feel 100% better because my mind was charged up for another stonethrow of stress from studies!)

I guess it wasn't easy for the owner of the blog entry to go through the phase he's going through now. I pray he'd be able to walk out of it and come to believe that these are just parts and parcels of life. I apologise if anyone is offended because of my usage of the term "pathetic" to the quoted texts. Maybe I've been there, done that, that's why I would say that. I've to admit I was a pathetic fella too... What's really important is to go through the hurdles even when it's like impossible. Whether or not life in uni sucks or exciting in our hearts depends very much on our own perspectives. If we choose to think it sucks and couldn't wait for it to end, we'll end up depressed. If we choose to live it to the fullest possible, then we would wish it would go on forever and ever because of the fun and things learned. I was a strong kid, everything also could be settled. But when I arrived in uni, I became weak, but in my weaknesses, I finally found an Anchor worth more than my strength and my pride. My anchor was Jesus, and is still Jesus.

May the Lord be with all those who are preparing to go away from home for studies and for my two "gals" who are currently in uni (kc n yy).

God bless!

Light of the Nations

"For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when he said: I have made you a light to the nations, so that my salvation may reach the remotest parts of the earth."
~ Acts 13:47 ~

Where exactly is the remotest parts of the earth? We can find the remotest parts of the physical earth on Wikipedia (click here for link). Physical remotest parts we can still reach on day, what about emotionally remote or spiritually remote? What does the verse speak to you today? For me, I see that our "mission" as renewed Christians is to be the light that shines bright for Christ, enough to bring the lost hearts back to His embrace. I see that the heart is the remotest part of the earth...

"In all truth I tell you, whoever believes in me will perform the same works as I do myself, and will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son."
~ John 14:12-13 ~

I believe what He (Jesus) is calling us to do is, as renewed Christians, to proclaim His Name in deeds and in words, so that God will be glorified by the works of our hands, words of our tongues. Are we a step closer to Him today? If we're two steps behind, look for His support today. Utter the prayer of confidence in Him (Jesus) who is our refuge and our stronghold when things doesn't turn out to be how it should be.

Believe today that you are exactly the one whom He called to be the light to the nations. And all we do is to praise His Name aloud. Alleluia to the Lord of all!

"Yahweh has made known his saving power, revealed his saving justice for the nations to see"
~ Psalm 57:2 ~

Pray for my Laptop

Hi readers, I'm back... With problems here and there... One of the obvious ones... I think my laptop is going blind soon~~~ His eyes (the screen) are blinking and showing signs of ageing. Oh my... Please pray he can go through the ordeal and be healed without needing repair etc. I need him to do teaching in class~~~

Please pray for the health of my laptop. The name of my laptop is 3LHP61S, Dell Inspiron 4150. He'll celebrate his 7th birthday in August this year...

Thanks!

First Day in KL

I'm in KL again, planning to visit my dad in Melaka by tonight. Now blogging using my bro's PC while he's gaming with his housemates somewhere in his house. As for me... I have good news but the news is not yet good enough to be announced. It's concerning my career pathway. Still in the process of negotiation. All I can say is God is my ultimate Provider and He will provide all I know... Listening to the song "To You" by Hillsong and also "Reaching for You"... I'm truly humbled by His grace in my life and how great His love for me that Jesus died for my sins.

It may sound a bit fanatic to some of you, but I saw Jesus speaking through one of my students when we discussed the meaning of being a Christian. The boy's name is David Tang, and when he spoke of the gist of being a Christian besides knowing the Word and the knowledge that Christ died for our sins... His face shone with peace... The gist is the experience of Jesus' love through the Holy Spirit, and how we have to seek forgiveness from Jesus always, pray always despite circumstances, because of His love. It is one moment that I never expect a Form 2 boy to be able to utter such wisdom in his words. And I truly cherish what he said, as though Jesus was telling me that this is exactly the experience that makes me able to acknowledge I'm a Christ-ian. Then as the days went by, I spoke to another student and he told me how he felt lost and away from God because of circumstances... Many-a-times, even young adults like me have the same problem to deal with... The moments of loss and confusion feeling as though the world is ending, and that's when I started doubting the love of God and His works in my life.

So I now choose to stand here and be amazed at His glory, looking at how the power of heaven reveals His purpose in lives, especially my own life, as I continue seeking His face in daily life. Love You so much, dear Lord!

MN Idol 2009

This year my school had the MN Idol 2009 in Putra Ballroom on 24 April 2009 morning from 8am - 12.30 pm. I enjoyed myself walking around talking to students, and taking photos and enjoying the music. Though we only have 200++ students, we do have untapped talents here... I'm impressed with the dance category (both groups were excellent, but I prefer Jazz fusion and originality of choreography). The band performances were great... Well, umm... Most of them, but the winner wasn't exactly as expected. Well, what can we do? It was voting system, as per American Idol. So basically who has more money, more influential to the crowd wins.

This year the categories included solo, group, instrumental solo, dance, and band. I didn't manage to take all of it, but these are some of them...

THE PERFORMANCES...

Clinton Liew's Solo Performance

Ripped Label Band Performance

Broken A & D Strings Band Performance

The Wonder Boys Dance Performance

The Beat Chess Band Performance

The Beat Sync Group Performance

The Chiz Family before the judges

The dance groups when announcing results

THE WINNERS and the kidz...

Backstage with the Wonder Boys (Winner for Dance Category)

Ng Shu Ci (Winner for Instrumental Solo). She played Canon in D. Lovely performance!

The Ferrero Rocher (Nazzeef and Fiona) - Winner for Group Category

The Talesweaver with Ms. Chong and myself (they didn't win the group category, but their willingness to participate amazed us all!)

THE LOVELY TEACHERS...

Ms. Chong and me

Ms. Zane and me

(L to R: Cik Siti, Pn. Noraineh, me, Pn. Marrlina, Ms. Wency)

That's it so far... Will update more later on. God bless & Pax et Bonum!

Satu Suara - Warisan Bangsa

Whoever who attended Lent Unplugged would know our theme song by Juwita Suwito. I had been thinking what to blog about since after Freedom Camp 2009. I wanted to blog about my experiences during the camp, but it is not the right time yet. So then as I chatted with my net friend, he showed the effort of Malaysian government to unite Malaysians via the song "Satu Suara", and it was then this song was brought to my notice once again. Yes, I pray that all churches in the world will be united as one voice in time to come. Amen! :)