Clarence's birthday Celebration @ The Verve

Bride War

Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson go head-to-head in the hilarious new comedy "Bride Wars". Liv (Hudson) and Emma (Hathaway), best friends since childhood, are always there for each other, through good times and bad. They even become engaged to be married within a few hours of one another. Together they plan their respective weddings, each to take place at New York's ultimate bridal destination and their lifelong dream location, the Plaza Hotel. But a clerical error and subsequent clash in wedding dates pits the two brides - neither of whom will step aside - against each other, in a competition that quickly escalates into all-out war.



Funniest quote:Your wedding will be huge, just like your ass at prom
The funniest prank played: Emma mixing Liv's hair dye to blue
Sweetest moment: Emma giving up her dream wedding dress to Liv

My Jesus Saved My Life

Was on my way to work and this caption at the rear of the bus in front of me, " My Doctor Saved My Life." caught my eyes. Wanna change it to ,"My Jesus saved my life." :)

"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." - Mark 2:17

I have a dream

Recently a friend shared with me that God gave her a vision as she asked God to lead her hand to draw...The images just come. Right there. On the piece of paper in front of her, the masterpiece of God which He used to comfort her at that moment. Also, a sister once shared with me that she wanted to be a guitarist and she took a picture of herself with the guitar even before she knew how to play, to spur herself on. Later on, she indeed became the guitarist of her CG and is now church planting.

When Martin Luther Jr said that he had a dream, did an image form in his head? I believe it did. A vision where the blacks get uplifted to come to equality with the whites. The Americans too, have a dream and they are looking to Obama to help them fulfill their dream, to bring them out of the impending war situation. Isn't a dream powerful? It ignites the wick in us and fan it into flames. In the book, 'Habitudes - Images that form leadership habits and attitudes', the author says,"We live in a culture rich wth images. We grew up with photographs, TV, movies, video, MTV and DVDs. We can't escape the power of the visual image - and most of us don't want to."

"Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion."- Pastor of Willow Creek Church

Before we discard that so-call vision we have as something that will never be actualised, let's relook at it with a child-like faith instead of letting the skepticism cloud it. Water it, grow it so that it blossoms. Our dreams is what fuels our passion. Ask God for a vision! You never know what He might just show you :)

Cg Reunion dinner & Clarence's Birthday

Food preparation....

Reunion dinner - A WIDEspread...

The Birthday boy...

Chinese New Year Eve

This morning, I went with my mum and sister to pay respects to my dad. This is the second time I went there after 8 years as I am always not around on Sundays, off to service. My mum was surprised that I was at home today and I was glad to spend this time together. Feeling kind of emotional as I recall the memories of the past... start remembering the kind of person my father was and the times we spent together. It's amazing I can still remember some of the things quite vividly though it's been a long time. My mother was telling me that I must have the heart for my dad and must visit him every year so that he knows that I remember him. I am touched by her faithfulness in bringing the food, paper money there yearly without fail. I can't help but wonder whether it is enough just to remember him in my heart. What else can be done other than that... I guess we just have to treasure the people around us a bit more each day instead of letting familiarity breeds contempt. It does not have to start only when we have lost something, that we learn to cherish what we have.

My dad...
My dad, a quiet and passive man but very patient and easy-going. He is unassuming and is thoughtful in little ways. Though not expressive, he shows his love through his actions. A simple man, yet not insignificant as he draws others to him when he does not draw attention to himself. Easily contented and does not take himself too seriously. Laughs easily. Giving. Soft-hearted. A father's heart...

Name above all names

Often, when people ask..., "What's your name?", they are also asking who you are. Our name is tied to our identity and for some, their names represents a large part of who they are or the person they aspire to be. The greatest name mentioned in the bible is Jesus. In His name, the sick is healed, water is turned to wine and 5 loaves of bread can feed thousands. As I claimed the name of Jesus today during worship, I experienced an empowerment, that comes from the truth that Jesus is the name above all names. He is greater than all my troubles, my worries, my insecurities, my dissappointments etc. And because of that, I can experience true freedom. I can overcome all negativity. In the name of Jesus I shall pray...

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God

In the name of Jesus, I pray that:
You bless me in my work and multiply my influence
You help me in my studies and give me wisdom and efficiency
You guide me as I seek of your will in my life
You bless the important relationships in my life
You bless me with good health, peace of mind, joy in my heart & strength to carry on

You are faithful

You Are Faithful (Acoustic) - Hillsong

First Guitar Lesson with Mr Yap

Winners of Inaugural Singapore Blog Awards

Check out these blogs:

Best Blog Shop- http://www.exampaper.com.sg/
Best Design Blog –http://ahshuiworld.blogspot.com/
Best Youth Blog-http://hiroyuki-world.blogspot.com/
Most Entertaining Blog-http://ahshuiworld.blogspot.com/
Best Photo Blog-http://travelerfolio.com/
Best Individual Blog-http://janechin.blogspot.com/
Most Insightful Blogs-http://blog.omy.sg/mobeizao

Back To Student Life Week 1

I had my first lessons this weekend. Back to student life week 1...so how does it feel? One word. Drained. Not that work is easy but to sit through the lessons in the same place with the same people and expected to be mentally engaged almost the whole time from 9-630pm. Well, that's tiring. That aside, I made 2 new friends. They are both non-singaporeans, wives of foreign expats migrated to stay in Singapore. It was interesting that God provided a common topic for us to talk about despite our differences. Dreams. We are interested in dreams and shared our dreams to one another. We planned to jot down significant dreams & relate them to our life events ...

So, what did I learn from the lessons? Here's 1 thing...

In Freud's Structural model, he talks about our Ego-Defence Mechanisms which means our automatic forms of response to fearful situations, to protect ourselves from anxiety. Let me try to illustrate each mechanism with examples...

Hypothetical example:
Situation: My assignment is due tomorrow. My partner and I have not finished it
Possible responses:
(1) Regression - Ok..let me see if I can get my parent to help me with this...
(2) Introjection - My partner is busy. It's ok, I will miss my sleep tonight to finish it
(3) Identification - It's all right, my partner will support me together in this assignment
(4) Compensation - Let me treat myself to a nice bar of chocolate first before I continue
(5) Obsessive-compulsive - If I can't hand in, I'll be seen as a failure. I'll call my lecturer to say that my partner has not done anything at all
(6) Somatization - Oh no, I feel that I am going to faint...
(7) Splitting - If I do not hand in my assignment on time, I will fail. I cannot afford that
(8) Repression - Is the deadline for the assignment tmr? I can't remember...
(9) Denial - It's ok, there is still 24 hours more to finish it...
(10) Reaction formation - I am worried but I am not going to let my partner know. I'll be cool
(11) Projection - I must call my partner now to tell her how urgent this is...
(12) Displacement - Hey my partner is not helping at all, I am doing all the work!! ('_')"
(13)Rationalization - Ok, let me get my mind straight... we'll do our best to finish it
(14) Sublimation - If I do my assignment well, it's going to change my life! We can do it :)

So, What will my response be? No idea. Maybe (3), (4) or (13). And (15) Pray to God for maximum effectiveness and strength :)

Personality Quiz

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a
Self-Improving Self-Knowing Believer

A Time For Everything

Ecclesiastes 3 - A Time for Everything
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
.....
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
He has also set eternity in the hearts of men

Have you ever experienced a time in your life when the world just comes to a standstill. For that brief few seconds or even longer, there is nothing in your mind at all. The momentum of your everyday activity is challenged by something out of the norm of your expectations. Your system automatically tries to get the body to function back to normal. The facts set in and an internal conversation begins, mainly with whys. Why did this happen? Why did God allow it? God, why?
God whispers in your ear. Everything is all right, I am here. I am in control. There is a time for everything and in my timing, I have made all things beautiful. Look to me for HOPE. God waits patiently for a response from us.

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” - Charles R.Swindoll

God, How am I doing?

From John Eldredge's blog: http://www.ransomedheartblog.com/john/

Saying No
I’m finding I have to say “no” a lot these days. And I’m wondering, why is it so hard? I mean, I realize there’s only so much of me to go around. I understand the need for “margin” in my life. And I try to walk with God, ask him where he’s leading as I make decisions. I’ve got a pretty strong sense of what I’m supposed to be about, and that helps me know what I’m not supposed to be about. But even still, I find myself flinching, sometimes freezing inside when I have to come to a decision and the decision is “No.” No, I can’t help you. No, I can’t come. No, I don’t have time to hang out. No, I can’t take this call. Why is it so hard to say no? Is it because I grew up in an alcoholic home, learned to carry unhealthy burdens, felt obligated to take care of others? Is it because I want people to like me, and I’m afraid they’re going to think, “Eldredge is a jerk?” Is it because I fear I’ll miss the will of God, that he is in this or that request and I’m afraid I’ll blow right past something he is in? Its probably D) all of the above. But as I reflect a bit more on the internal workings of this, I think the common thread is that I want to be thought well of. And it makes me realize how crucial it is to get my validation from God. It’s hard to navigate all the needs and demands in a broken world. Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you,” meaning, there is always going to be more need than you can meet. It’s hard to navigate my own motives. The enemy is a constant accuser. There is just no way out of this mess except to place the verdict on my life in God’s hands, and to draw from him the validation or correction on how I’m living. If I have a settled confidence in his opinion, then I’m free to live. If I lose sight of that, o man, it makes a mess of things. “God, how am I doing?” I need to take my bearings here. It’s the only true north.

How many times have we felt the same way as John does? When demands in our lives keep increasing and there is still one of us and 24/7 is all we have, there are inevitably times we have to say "No" to others. The guilt that comes sometimes trap us, letting us to believe that we are not up to the mark and that we do not care enough. I have realised that it is so important for God to be our only source of validation. Not the approval of others but the approval of God.

Before I continue with the activities and life's concern, maybe it's time to step back and ask, "God, how am I doing?"

Leading self and others

The following is extracted from Pastor Jeff's blog. Indeed, in order to lead others, we must first lead ourselves well. When we are connected to the vine, we will bear much fruits and apart from God, we can do nothing.

Question: Why Lead With Diligence?

Leading Self

1) Because Leaders Must Guard Our Relationship with God Closely

Luke 21:37-3837: Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple, and each evening he went out to spend the night on the hill called the Mount of Olives, 38and all the people came early in the morning to hear him at the temple.

2) Because Leaders Must Be Watchful Of Our Character

Proverbs 4:23:Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

3) Because Leaders Must Lead By Example

1 Timothy 4:16:Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

4) Because Leaders Must Be Self-Motivated

Acts 22:4-5 (The Message)4-5"I went after anyone connected with this 'Way,' went at them hammer and tongs, ready to kill for God. I rounded up men and women right and left and had them thrown in prison. You can ask the Chief Priest or anyone in the High Council to verify this; they all knew me well. Then I went off to our brothers in Damascus, armed with official documents authorizing me to hunt down the followers of Jesus there, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem for sentencing.

Acts 26:11Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

Leading Others

1) Because Leaders Must Be Change Agents

1 Samuel 17:32: David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

2) Because Leaders Must Disciple People

1 Corinthians 11:1: Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

3) Because Leaders Must Energise Others Around Them

1 Samuel 17:11: On hearing the Philistine's words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.1 Samuel 17:52Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron.

4) Because Leaders Must Carry The Vision

Habakkuk 2:2:Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

5) Because Leaders Must Be Learners

Ezra 7:10: For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Facts about sheep - Psalm 23

Today I learnt some facts about sheep from my pastor:

Fact 1: Sheep fear they do not have enough to eat. They regurgitate their food and store them up

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. " - Psalm 23:1

Fact 2: Sheep are afraid of water because they are poor swimmers (Pastor: "Look at their legs and you will know.")

"he leads me beside quiet waters" - Psalm 23:2

Fact 3: Sheep needs the shepherd to restore them to their original position when they are turned over. Their legs will become numb and wobbly

"he restores my soul." - Psalm 23:3

Tiramisu @ Jean's Place

Went to Jean's place to make Tiramisu cake for the first time, as spontaneously suggested cos Lennon was supposed to bake it for the CG. Well, he did better by teaching us how to do it online. With his step by step instructions online, we managed to make our very first Tiramisu cake and it tastes really delicious! :) It inspires Tracy to want to learn to bake other cakes :P Good job bro!

The look of satisfaction ... we made it!

Oscar - Jean's dog, the center of attention :)

Jean hard at work, putting the cocoa powder. Final step to the receipe. Still looking good :)

Trying to whisk 5 egg whites by hand till it's fluffy. Yup, by HAND!

Mission accomplished! Look at how thick it is !!

Winning smile... 'This is the last one...After this, I am going to relax."

Proverbs 22:6

"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." - Proverbs 22:6

I look at him as he wear his socks, one by one, slowly but carefully in a certain manner. After that, he did the same with his shoes. I asked him, 'Who taught you how to wear your socks and shoes?" He answered, ' My mother.' I smiled to myself.

There are many things which we have learnt at different points in our childhood days like wearing shoes, tying shoelace, making milo, cooking maggi mee. I can't quite recall when exactly did I first learn that skill but somehow, somewhere I picked it up. Now we do them effortlessly (almost). How we picked up a skill determines how we use it in our later years.

As a young christian, we feed on spiritual milk and when we grow up, we feed on solid food. When are the times we first learnt about the basic foundations of the WOG and from who?

"For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 1:5-8

The bible talks about making the effort to grow and in increasing measure. When we are not deliberate in our growth, we find it difficult to capture the essence of the quality we want to grow in. If we want to grow in the area of love and yet we do not seek ways to do so, we might grow in this area through random chances and not in depth. At times we do not even know how and when certain of our values are birthed. However, if we read up on it, ask people, make sense of our experiences...we are then able to get a clearer understanding of love and derive our values of it, which continues to grow in increasing measure.

Your 5 minutes with Someone

I had an enjoyable 5 minutes phone conversation with someone at work today. She is a teacher of one of my children from the Home. My child has not been attending school and she called to find out what happened. After knowing that the child has not returned back to the Home, she asked for her address, wanting to pay her a home visit. I later realised that the teacher is supposedly on MC today but she went back to school to cover her colleague's duties. I asked her why she wasn't at home resting and what she answered surprised me...


Her: I am covering my collegue's duty as she is not around...Have u been to our school?
Me: Yes, I have been to your school
Her: That must be why u enrolled her (the child) into this school right?
Me: When I came to the school, I find the teachers very friendly and the students helpful
Her: This is why I love the school so much and why I return even though I am sick (passionately)
Me: ok...
Her: How is she (the child) feeling about the school?

I was impressed by her dedication to the school and the students, that she feels strongly for the students. It may be a short 5 minutes but it left a deep impression in me. Makes me wonder about the 5 minutes we spend with others daily, in our work, when we are outside etc. There are many people we will only meet once in our lives and how much influence do we have in that meet-up? In The Tipping Point, Gladwell talks about the 3 kinds of people: The Connectors, Maverns and Salesmen. "Sprinkled among every walk of life, in other words, are a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. They are Connectors."

When Jesus came to earth, he met many people, spoke to them and influence them deeply. Despite his short 3 years of ministry, he was able to impact many people and touch their lives. I am sure for each 5 minutes he give to each person he met, he shared his heart and added much value to them.

6 Things to Grow in 2009

I was reading a blog entry and stumble upon 41 things that ministers should do... Find it refreshing and true. Narrowed it down to 6 things I would like to grow in the year 2009. Here goes...

1. Learn from other people. Look out for those who have continued to grow, develop and learn. Be a lifelong learner. Read. Ask others questions. When you are with other people, look for the opportunity to ask good questions. Resist the temptation to spend the bulk of your conversations talking on and on about your church.

16. Cultivate and nurture your friendships. Friends are so important. Good friends have a way of replenishing a person’s soul. Sometimes, my days are very, very stressful. I have found that a brief phone call to a friend or lunch with a friend can be refreshing, like a mini-vacation in the middle of the day.

17. Remember that there is no substitute for face-to-face communication. Yes, e-mail, text messaging, and other forms of communication are all helpful. Yet, they do not take the place of actual conversation with people who are right in front of us. I once heard of a family who spent an evening together — sort of. Throughout the evening, they e-mailed one another. Hmmm. I’m just not sure that is an adequate substitute for real conversation.

25. Each weekend, take time to review the previous week. Pray about the previous week and the upcoming week. Review all of your to do lists, your project lists, and your calendar. (David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done, has been very helpful to me in this regard.)

26. Take care of your body. The whole person needs care and preventive maintenance. It is amazing how some of us can be so attentive to our souls and then ignore or even mistreat our bodies. We are whole persons.

28. Develop at least some friends outside your congregation. This is one of the most important things that I have learned in the last twenty years of ministry. These friendships have nurtured and encouraged me in many ways.

(Taken from http://godhungry.org)