Been thinking about…

Still remember the comic strip Snoopy?  One of the last strips I read from our Sunday paper showed Snoopy the dog sitting on top of his doghouse with a typewriter, writing about his life. He titled his story . . .

The Dog Who Never Did Anything

Snoopy remembers it this way, “You stay home now,” they said, “and be a good dog.”

So he stayed home and was a good dog.

Then he decided to be even a better dog. So he barked at everyone who went by. And he even chased the neighbor’s cats.

“What’s happened to you?” they said. “You used to be such a good dog.”

So he stopped barking and chasing cats, and everyone said, “You’re a good dog.”

The moral, as Snoopy typed it, is “Don’t do anything and you’ll be a good dog.”

As I turned the smile around in my mind, I noticed a quirk of the English language. Snoopy and God have something in common. They are related not only by alphabet (dog and god), but by what “creatures in the middle” expect of them. The idea intrigued me enough to try another version.

The God Who Never Did Anything

“You give me what I want now,” they said, “and be a good God.”

So He gave them what they wanted and He was a good God.

Then He decided to be an even better God.

He started knocking over the furniture of other gods, and He used pain to help people in ways they could not understand.

“What’s happened to You?” they said.

“You used to be such a good God.”

So He stopped knocking over the furniture of other gods, and He stopped using pain in ways that were beyond people’s ability to understand.

And everyone said, “You’re a good God.”

The moral, as angels might see it, “Stop acting like God and people will think You’re good.”

The God We Want

Many of us imagine God as we want Him to be. To our wishes we add expectation. We expect Him to encourage us when we are afraid, to comfort us when we’re hurt, to forgive us when we fail, and to give us what we think we need when we think we need it.

Yet, along the way, we keep stumbling into the awareness that the King of Heaven is more apt to come to us in His own style, time, and mystery. He is seldom as we imagine Him to be. He is more like the God who reveals Himself in the pages of His own history.

There He comes to us in the unexpected surprises of joy, in the unwanted nights of our misery, and in the solitary sounds of our own loneliness. He comes to us in the unexpected joys of Adam, in the numbed grief of Eve, in the inconsolable tears of the childless Hannah, in the murderous anger of Moses, and in the madness of a powerful Nebuchadnezzar.

But me? Until He responds, I’d rather have it my way. In the moments of my dissatisfaction, I don’t want to have to wait for what I want. I want it now. Now. I’ll pray. I’ll pay. I’ll bargain. I’ll crawl on my knees. But I want God to prove that He is good—right now.

The God Who Has Been Good

Even in our “maturity” we can be like 2- and 3-year-olds pulling at the pant leg of heaven. Our Father isn’t surprised. He knows how to raise physical, emotional, and spiritual toddlers. He knows how to run with us in our youth, and how to walk with us at 74, 84, and 94.

And for those who go further, He is still there, hearing once again our whimpers in the night, and reaching down with the affection of an adoring mother who carefully lifts her children from their crib to herself.

No, He has not always been the kind of parent we wanted Him to be. Yes, He has been good on His terms rather than on ours. He has not answered our prayers in the way we asked. Seldom has He allowed anything to play out according to our own expectations or childish demands. Yet His determination to lead us in the paths of His own choosing is what has made Him so good.

The God Who Will Be Good

The promise of tomorrow comes with the wrinkled snapshots of yesterday. Even though our memories are not as sharp as we’d like them to be, and even though the happy times are mixed with regret, our albums contain memories of a God who keeps reminding us that He is better than our expectations. He is better than our demands. He is better than anything this life has to offer.

If He allowed a relationship to be lost, He stayed with us to remind us that we weren’t made for one another as much as we were made for Him. As our bodies give way to time, they become painful reminders that we were not made for these bodies. We were made for the One who said from the top of a thundering, burning mountain—to a people huddled in the middle of a life-threatening wilderness—“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me.”

This is the God who, because He is good, refuses to “stay home and do nothing.”

Father,thank You for being God on Your terms rather than ours. May Your name be hallowed as we wait on You. May Your kingdom be reflected in our patience. May Your will be done in our disappointments. Please, give us this day our daily bread.

Watashi no Nihon-go kurasu

Yesterday was my last Japanese language class at Japan School for the first half of the year. The school will go on a summer break and the next class will resume in early September. I have always enjoy my Japanese language classes in Japan School. One of the reason is it is good to be taught by teachers who do it for free (yes, it is a community service by the Japanese teachers) and although it is just one hour once a week, the interaction is great. The classes are definately not sufficient for those who plan to go for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test but hey, it is better than nothing at all

Last week, Hideki sensei (the most handsome one in the school haha!) and Toko sensei taught us the Japan School’s Bon Odori dance which they performed at the Bon Odori Festival last Saturday. I didnt manage to go but might do it next year. After the dance practise, the sensei(s) took our photos for remembrance. The photo session was really funny and we had a good time laughing.

This is a serious one with Hideki sensei and Toko sensei standing behind. Note everyone was smiling their best and try to look prim and proper. Haha! Cant stand this photo.

Hideki sensei took this photo, saying " Please don’t stand so straight, everyone!". So, this we decided to pose a little.

Hideki sensei decided I can get the most cheeky student award.

May Ling and I were beginning to enjoy posing like idiots for the photo session

Minnasan, mata kugatsu aimasu ne! Natsu yasumi ga tanoshii yo.

Eh…how come the photos are look cut into half? Aiii…I m bad with blogs. Hontouni sumimasen!!!!

My first evangelical entry

I decided to check out David Chong’s blog today and saw something which I would like to share here. I have always feel inspired when I read about a great evangelical activity or an article which really speaks out to this needy world. I might get a copy of John Piper’s Desiring God after this (still waiting for bookstore sale, eh!!)

Dave’s blog on Quest For Joy, enjoy the reading :-

Six Biblical Truths

Did you know that God commands us to be glad?
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

1) God created us for his glory
"Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth,… whom I created for my glory" (Isaiah 43:6-7)

God made us to magnify his greatness - the way telescopes magnify stars. He created us to put his goodness and truth and beauty and wisdom and justice on display. The greatest display of God’s glory comes from deep delight in all that he is. This means that God gets the praise and we get the pleasure. God created us so that he is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

2) Every human should live for God’s glory
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

If God made us for his glory, it is clear that we should live for his glory. Our duty comes from his design. So our first obligation is to show God’s value by being satisfied with all that he is for us. This is the essence of loving God (Matthew 22:37) and trusting him (1 John 5:3-4) and being thankful to him (Psalm 100:2-4) It is the root of all true obedience, especially loving others (Colossians 1:4-5).

3) All of us have failed to glorify God as we should
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

What does it mean to "fall short of the glory of God?" It means that none of us has trusted and treasured God the way we should. We have not been satisfied with his greatness and walked in his ways. We have sought our satisfaction in other things, and treated them as more valuable than God, which is the essence of idolatry (Romans 1:21-23). Since sin came into the world we have all been deeply resistant to having God as our all-satisfying treasure (Ephesians 2:3). This is an appalling offense to the greatness of God (Jeremiah 2:12-13).

4) All of us are subject to God’s just condemnation
"The wages of sin is death…" (Romans 6:23).

We have all belittled the glory of God. How? By preferring other things above him. By our ingratitude, distrust and disobedience. So God is just in shutting us out from the enjoyment of his glory forever. "They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

The word "hell" is used in the New Testament twelve times - eleven times by Jesus himself. It is not a myth created by dismal and angry preachers. It is a solemn warning from the Son of God who died to deliver sinners from its curse. We ignore it at great risk.

If the Bible stopped here in its analysis of the human condition, we would be doomed to a hopeless future. However, this is not where it stops…

5) God sent his only son Jesus to provide eternal life and joy
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…" (1 Timothy 1:15)

The good news is that Christ died for sinners like us. And he rose physically from the dead to validate the saving power of his death and to open the gates of eternal life and joy (1 Corinthians 15:20). This means God can acquit guilty sinners and still be just (Romans 3:25-26). "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). Coming home to God is where all deep and lasting satisfaction is found.

6) The benefits purchased by the death of Christ belong to those who repent and trust him
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out" (Acts 3:19). "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31).

"Repent" means to turn from all the deceitful promises of sin. "Faith" means being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Jesus. "He who believes in me," Jesus says, "shall never thirst" (John 6:35). We do not earn our salvation. We cannot merit it (Romans 4:4-5). It is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a free gift (Romans 3:24). We will have it if we cherish it above all things (Matthew 13:44). When we do that, God’s aim in creation is accomplished: He is glorified in us and we are satisfied in him - forever.

Does this make sense to you?
Do you desire the kind of gladness that comes from being satisfied with all that God is for you in Jesus? If so, then God is at work in your life.

What should you do?
Turn from the deceitful promises of sin. Call upon Jesus to save you from the guilt and punishment and bondage. "All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). Start banking your hope on all that God is for you in Jesus. Break the power of sin’s promises by faith in the superior satisfaction of God’s promises. Begin reading the Bible to find his precious and very great promises, which can set you free (2 Peter 1:3-4). Find a Bible-believing church and begin to worship and grow together with other people who treasure Christ above all things (Philippians 3:7).

The best news in the world is that there is no necessary conflict between our happiness and God’s holiness. Being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus magnifies him as a great Treasure.

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11)

By John Piper. ©Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 888.346.4700.

My apologies to some if I didnt change the bible verses to KJV. I m doing this during lunchtime, thus dont have enough time to change them one by one. However, I hope everyone is inspired by this article as much as I m!

My beloved friends, have you found the greatest satisfaction in life? I have found mine and hope you will someday too

Do you know your hymns well?

Got this from a friend this morning. Pretty funny :-

Dentist’s Hymn………………..Crown Him with Many Crowns

Weatherman’s Hymn………………There Shall Be Showers of Blessings

Contractor’s Hymn………………….The Church’s One Foundation

The Tailor’s Hymn………………….Holy, Holy, Holy (i dont get this, really!)

The Golfer’s Hymn………………… There’s a Green Hill Far Away

The Politician’s Hymn…………….Standing on the Promises

Optometrist’s Hymn………………..Open My Eyes That I Might See

The IRS Agent’s Hymn…………….I Surrender All —>hahaha!! reminds me of someone.

The Gossip’s Hymn…………………Pass It On

The Electrician’s Hymn…………..Send The Light

The Shopper’s Hymn………………Sweet Bye and Bye

The Realtor’s Hymn………………… I’ve Got a Mansion, Just Over the Hilltop

The Massage Therapists Hymn…. He Touched Me

The Doctor’s Hymn………………….. The Great Physician

AND for those who speed on the highway - a few hymns:

45mph………………..God Will Take Care of You —> this is our church camp most sung hymn

65mph………………..Nearer My God To Thee

85mph………………..This World Is Not My Home

95mph………………..Lord, I’m Coming Home

100mph……………….Precious Memories

Give me a sense of humor, Lord,

Give me the grace to see a joke,

To get some humor out of life,

And pass it on to other folk.

Hope everyone has a good Monday

In Memory of Mee See

For a start, I m loss for words to write a tribute to Mee See. It could be that I m still tired from all the travelling, or maybe because the news of her death still seems unbelievable to me.

I came back to office on Tuesday morning from my Sarawak trip and an hour later, my HR head came over to announce the news that Mee See passed away the very same morning at 9:15am. The same day, 4 of us drove up to Ipoh to pay our last respects to her.

As Intan’s 4WD headed up north on the north-south highway, my thoughts are with Mee See. There were so many mixed feelings, everyone of us in the car were quiet, loss for words. I look out of the car window and realised that the sceneries look so familiar. It felt as if I m heading back to Penang but actually we are going to Ipoh to see Mee See for the last time.

I worked closely with Mee See on our Staff Retreat. I remember her as a very very lively person. She is always full of energy and one thing I will always remember is that I laughed alot with her when she is around for SR meetings. She is such a funny person in her own ways. Lasal just love teasing her with his "trademark" jokes. Mee See also someone who is loved by everyone in KK Office. And from our correspondence on the SR, I came to know that she is a no-nonsense person. Somehow, I kinda regret I didnt keep the funny emails we used to exchange with each other on the SR issues.

When Mee See was diagnosed with cancer 4 months ago, the news shocked us all. It affected some of us deeply. The news made me think of what I really want to do for long-term. We prayed for her, we gave her our best wishes and hopes but God loves her more and took her Home with Him. Our hearts went out to Franke, her husband whom she got married to in February 2006. It was a sad moment, when he told us those last days they spent together. I went all tearful when I saw her favourite things on her coffin :- WWF cap, WWF Kinabatangan book, Panda soft toy and her Australian widget plush.

This entry is specially dedicated to Mee See, the collegue and a friend who is full of energy and passion on her conservation work. The girl who is always laughing and making witty jokes. The fellow SR committee member who is fun loving and a gung-ho spirit to make the SR a success. Someone whom all of us have fond memories with. This is how we will always remember Mee See May your soul rest in peace with the Lord.

The Right Hands

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. 
A basketball in Michael Jordan’s hands is worth about $33 million.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.
A baseball in Alex Rodriguez’s hands is worth $25 million.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands. 
A tennis racket in Maria Shapovaro’s hands usually means a Wimbledon title.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.
A rod in Moses’ hands will part the mighty sea.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid’s toy.
A sling shot in David’s hand is a mighty weapon.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

Two fish and five loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.
Two fish and five loaves of bread in God’s hands will feed thousands.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.
Nails in Jesus Christ’s hands will produce salvation for the entire world.
It depends whose hands it’s in.

So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God’s hands because…

As you see now it depends whose hands it’s in.

This is for Anne :)

A friend is leaving for U.K for good. And we had a long good bye chat a few days before she left. Talked about growing up, how we have changed, how we have came a long way, journey we have taken, decisions we have chosed, new friends we had made, old friends whom we still keep in touch. Basically about life. At the young age of 27, it seems like there is nothing much to talk about but surprisingly there are lotsa stuff to recall and chat about — why not? We have lived a quarter of a century!

She asked me about my plans in future. I tried to imagine and think far ahead….I couldnt see anything concrite. But one thing for sure, no matter what it is, it will be for the Lord. I asked " How about u?" She replied confidently, she will climb the corporate ladder, and then get married to her British partner, stay in a white picket fences house in an English countryside, have kids and retire early. Goodness! I didnt know she can be so idealistic about life. But then again, what is wrong with being idealistic once in a while. It gives you some sort of hope, sometimes it drives u to achieve that dream.

And like any other girl talks, we talked about relationship. It is funny how we view it in such different way. My dear friend asked a question of how she knows if her partner is the one. And I didnt really give her a good answer her that night. So, Anne..here it is You know he is the one if he loves you no matter how you look like as years go by, he loves you for who you are and not what you are, he would tell you if he misses you, he would respect your decisions no matter what the circumstances will be, he would love taking care of you, you would be the first person he would love to see after a hard day at work, you would be the voice he would love to hear over the phone when he is away at some place far away. You would be in his prayers everynight. And most of all he would be someone who loves God. Yes, Anne…I know the last 2 dont apply to you but I hope one day it will. Haha! Just thought it would be nice if Jeremy prays for you ma…like I always pray for you

It is so strange…I know Anne for such a long time…yet only this year we actually know each other better. And even more strange is that sometimes we met some ppl for a short period of time but it feels as if we know them for a long time. But the strangest part is that sometimes it is the same person whom u thought u know very well, when it comes to a different situation, becomes someone whom u realised you dont really know that well after all. [I m talking gibberish again :P]

To the friend who I wish to see you achieve what you dream of, since you are not a christian, I wont send u off with a hymn lah…hahaha… Here is a inspiring song that I really, really like. It is my all time fave song lah. It is Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson (must listen to the Napster live version, eh! Her voice is so powerful against the acoustic guitar)

Chorus :- I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly,
                  I’ll do what it takes till I touch the sky,
                  And I’ll make a wish, take a chance,
                  Make a change, and break away.
                  Out of the darkness and into the sun,
                  But I won’t forget all the ones that I love.
                  I’ll take a risk, take a chance,
                 Make a change, and break away.

              I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly,
                 Tho its not easy to tell you goodbye.
                 Gotta take a risk, take a chance,
                 Make a change, and break away.
                Out of the darkness and into the sun,
                But I won’t forget the place I come from.
                I’ve gotta take a risk, take a chance,
              Make a change, and break away.

              Break away, break away

Anne-chan, U.K no iro iro koto wo ganbatte ne… itsumo ogenki de Sayonara.

WWF Canoe Challenge 2006

Last Sunday (02/07/06), if you were at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, you would probably saw a herd of ppl canoeing their lives away for a good cause for environmental projects! Yes, it is the annual WWF Canoe Race where this year we have 10 teams from different companies who recognise the importance of a greener planet!

I woke up at 5:30am that morning(my earliest this year), it was my first Canoe Challenge participation (as a volunteer only) and arrived at the site at 6:30am. After distributing the goodies and etc,etc, I joined the rest to cheer for our team! We all went back tired, tanned from the sun but overall had fun. Maybe next year, I should volunteer as a rower instead

The WWF Canoe Team during the briefing.

Taking a break with Yen Ling after a hot, hot day.

What do Superman and Jesus have in common?

Ever since young, I have never really fancy Superman…I have always prefer the swinging from building to building Spiderman instead. However, in the spirit of the newly released movie Superman Returns, I came across this from a website :-

Your job as a ministry?? Hmm…

If you are a christian who is into missionary and evangelism, you would probably heard of the 10/40 window which extends from West Africa across Asia. But 9-5 window? Well, it is something new — at least to me.

2 weeks ago, I decided to start a Morning Devotion group in my office since there are handful of us Christians working there. And the response I got is that they prefer it once a week rather than everyday. So, we have decided it on Friday. Then, later I realised that I dont really have any suitable materials to share with the group. I casually pray about it (as in didnt really put alot of time praying on this matter) and last week, I received an email inviting me to attend this 9-5 Window seminar at Glad Tidings Church.

I was kinda sceptical at first because there are so many of these modern neo-evangelism movement and it is held at a charismatic church. Well, for a start I really enjoyed the worship session. All the songs sang on that day were from my OCF days!! Haha! It really brought back alot of good old memories where I was so motivated to serve God that time. And the seminar was an eye-opener.

Os Hillman (the speaker) talked about how faith can transformed the workplace and how christians who spends 60-70% of their waking hours in office, like the rest of the ppl, can use their work as a ministry rather than just a "job" . It emphasis on living for a greater cause rather than just a normal day-to-day work. I personally think it was a great seminar where it educates Christians to view their job from a Godly perspective. I came out from the seminar, thinking how can I make the best of my current job so that I can be a blessings to my collegues around me. It shall be a good experiment to start tomorrow

So, I m ending this entry with a verse from the Bible :-

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phillipians 4:13

Ganbatte ne!