Glee Cast - You Can't Always Get What You Want (HD) [FULL SONG]

This song reminds me of a conversation with a friend on my birthday eve. Haha. I discovered this song as I was watching Episode 01 of House M.D.

Returning to Our Origin

As every other teacher is busy with the upcoming mid-year examination, I am occupied with coordinating the upcoming Holy Spirit Weekend for both the upper and lower forms, and the CF Camp, and the St. Simon's Day Mass Celebration, and everything else under the sun.

It is fun to be working as both an administrator at some level, and also a teacher. I probably am the worst teacher on earth, as proven by the "no-incentive-for-me-because-my-students-said-i-am-not-a-good-teacher" condition on my evaluation, but I just don't care anymore. I detest office politics, and I know that this doesn't help the non-profitable organization which I am currently working in. I enjoy liaising with people, and am happy when I see people receiving one thing or another.

It's a constant struggle for me at the moment, as I'm not perfect when everybody expects me to know what they want. And it is worse when people do not cooperate but complaining constantly about stuffs. For the past few weeks, my weekends are all taken away. How "wonderful" that is!!! And of course, this becomes extremely lonely, as I go against the flow of the world. I finally understand how tough it is for the salmons to swim against the current from the ocean back to where they were born just to lay eggs and die. I think it must have taken them so much energy and effort to just continue swimming to the origin. Us, as human, are we doing the same thing? Returning to where we really belong to? Or do we continue swimming in the vast ocean, hoping our original home will come to us like a droplet of raindrop?

As we live our lives, have we ever thought that there are more than just this? If you do, I'd like to invite you to ponder further. Is there more life than this? Are you willing to swim against the current to where your origin is?

Kuching Alpha Conference 2010

I had the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Nicky Gumbel, Pippa, his wife, Tim Hughes, Al Gordon and Jamie Haith from Holy Trinity Brompton Church. It was really a great experience to hear from the pioneer of Alpha course, Rev. Nicky Gumbel, and also his team members. The above photo was taken with Nicky Gumbel and Pippa. Nicky is a very good and funny speaker, and his wife is a very gentle and demure lady. It was really a blessing to have the chance to know them. Besides them, we were also blessed to have Tim Hughes as our worship director during the two-day conference. Jamie and Al also gave good sessions.

Not only I got the opportunity to see these people who work full time to spread the Good News through Alpha, I also found joy in meeting new people, and a priest, Fr. Simon Poh from St. Joseph's Cathedral. I met him years ago when I went to Kuching for YCS Encounter 3 in Dec 1998. That was almost 12 years ago! All the photos were uploaded to my Facebook. I will try to upload them here. Currently the internet is crawling slowly at its own pace. Argh!

The whole conference really opens a new arena for me to consider - the evangelizing part of our faith as Christians. Alpha is a non-threatening evangelistic tool, and indeed, we are witnessing the conversion in so many individuals around us. It was a blessing from God, truly, for me to attend this conference, and my eyes are opened to the possibility of spiritual renewal through Alpha. Do I want to serve in this area? I would love to speak to youth (be it teens or young adults), but am I called? I may be called. But... Am I invited?

I'm going through a desert phase in my spiritual life right now. But I know that Jesus, the Living Water is building clouds over my desert, so that He can rain down His Spirit unto me after this phase. I'm not ashamed that I am going through phases like such, because I'm made of flesh and I do have struggles. Many times I see people pretending they are alright when they are not. They seem spiritually high, but they are not even managing their lives properly.

I may be deafened by the noises around me for a moment, but I believe that I will eventually walk towards the voice of Jesus, like how Paul, whose eyes were blinded, was healed and converted.

Like what I shared with a student yesterday, it's all about the willingness to receive from Jesus. If there's nobody who was willing to offer his five loaves and two fishes to Jesus, would there be a great miracle to feed 5000 men? I am willing to allow Him to work through me. So I pray that He will use me the way He finds me deem fit. He knows what I can do best, though sometimes we think we know ourselves better.

And you out there, do you want to offer yourselves willingly to Jesus so that He can do His wonders in you and through you?

Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go by Lucille O'Neal

This is THE life story of Lucille O'Neal, a mother of four, grandmother of 14, of her life from the day she was born into the O'Neal family to this point of being the mother of NBA Star. Not only that, this book tells of her struggles in life, being a wife to a husband who barely communicated with her inner needs and desires, being a mother at the age of 17, being a woman who was grounded in faith and yet committed a sin with a heavy outcome. Looking at these situations, she could have just given up hope and stopped struggling to survive, rather than what Lucille chose to do - to keep on living, even when she was against all odds.

One thing which struck me was what Lucille remembered of her pastor, Rev. Hartsfield. "Lucille, walk like you have somewhere to go." This is something which we can learn from. I'm also born with the tall genes which cause me to be taller than many of my peers, here in Asia. It's no fun being a tall lady, where generally, men are shorter in this region. I had my share of inability to accept and love who I am, though not to the extend of Lucille, still, I could imagine how it felt to be "out of place" during our teenage years. I'm very much encouraged by her light-hearted way of sharing her life to all, with the hope of encouraging others. I also noticed that Lucille took note of the social ills occurring in the States especially, and how she is hoping for a change in the culture of young adults and younger parents, and their attitude towards their children.

I may not have experienced, and probably will not experience half the things Lucille had gone through in her 56 years on earth at the moment, but I'm truly inspired by her will of never giving up, and being a good mother to her children, silently enduring the non-communicative lifestyle as a wife to a military husband. As much as I'm inspired by her life and her want of being free again, I still have the firm stand that once married, should try to work out the marriage. Perhaps 10 years ago, it may not be so possible. Now, with the increasing awareness of the high divorce rate around the world, there is also an increase of marriage counselor, both in church and outside church, to assist married couple with domestic issues which may lead to divorce.

The 40 bible verses in the epilogue of the book are a plus point to this book. They serve as comforter, for the Word is always our Comforter. I'd definitely recommend this book to all women, and men too!

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed as my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising."

Worship the Lord

What are we created for, my friends?

To please others, to make others "feel good" and that's it? Or is there anything more than just being a people-pleaser. I read it somewhere that when we try to please everyone, everyone else is pleased, except ourselves. So, what are you doing right now? Trying so hard to please others, or trying harder to please God?

I was browsing through blogs, and am encouraged that people are moving closer to God, and some are doing very well in their careers. These were the people whom I called friends. Now that they are doing really well in whatever they are doing, I'm glad I was a part of their lives in the past. People indeed move on, and unfortunately, I'm no longer a part of their new lives. I, too, moved on. Though this path I have chosen is a bit lonely, but I know well that my Lord is guiding me.

Yet, here I am, telling you a story on my blog. We are created to worship the Lord. Nothing else but that. Stop pleasing people if you are doing so in order to be accepted. By the power of the Cross, we have been redeemed. Jesus chose to die for us all, in order we're accepted into the Kingdom of God when it is time. What else do we need?

Joe Loy - Hope

This is a nice new song by Joe Loy, a local artiste. This is the theme song for the Alpha Kuching Conference this coming 16-17 April 2010 in Trinity Methodist Church, Kuching. I can't wait to hear it live and worship together with everyone else!

Joe Loy - Hope

P/S: I can't embed it, so please click link to go to the youtube video. Thanks!

Reflection for Blessed Good Friday

Lent Day 38: The Book of James

God says, by faith you are already saved from an eternity without Me. You are justified before Me by faith in My Son, not by living well.

As My child, you will inherit a place in the kingdom, a seat at My table, a dance card for the party. That's My gift to you. It's guaranteed.

When you were justified before Me by faith and guaranteed heaven as My gift, My Spirit made you alive to Me with the life of My Son. He regenerated you. He gave you a new heart, a new and potentially consuming desire to love Me and others at any cost to yourself.

Justification makes you My child.

Regeneration provides the power to live like My child.

And because justification is always accompanied by regeneration, every justified person's way of relating will evidence the presence of divine life though that evidence may be visible only to Me.

When your faith leads to a consuming desire to love Me and others at any cost, when your faith is accompanied by a consistent pattern of good works, your life in this world will not be wasted, and your life in the next world will be uniquely blessed.


(from 66 Love Letters: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story by Dr. Larry Crabb, ©2009.)