Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2009
Reflect.
2008 was a great year with much to be remembered. :)
Too many experiences to talk about now! Lol, shall add more tomorrow or something.
Anyway, it was nothing like being touched by God above it all.
2009 is yet another gift from God.
What will our gift for Him be this year?
to change the world.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Treat No Trick
From: http://www.ipman-movie.com/
Awoke at seven today and got Batam OCIP stuff ready. Went for Open House briefing with Rich, thereafter cabbing to SAFRA to help out with transporting of weapons.
SAFRA doesn't open at 10.30am on Mondays!!! Arrrhghghghgh!!! Only 2pm...
But there was a turn of events! While munching our breakfast at the coffee shop opposite, Mr Low called and asked if we wanted to catch a movie, HIS TREAT! xD (yes!)
We chose IP Man cos Yes Man started.... T.T It's the only "Man"- show that I've missed this year!! NOooooooooooooooooooo.....wasted. Iron Man, Batman, Yes Man, IP Man
Anyways, IP Man (Eep Man) was the BEST Kungfu Movie I've watched so far. Nothing more impressive than his moves and words.
One golden takeaway goes something like this:
There are no men who fear women, only men who respect them.
Go watch it yourself and get the whole story! :D
I came back home around 5 plus, got ready. tried to do a bit of rostering, and off I went for St. Thomas gathering. :)
Heart-shaped onion!
Lol, sorry guys, I was the last to arrive. :p We settled down at Carl's Juniors at Dhoby, ate Superstar Combo and went to Ben and Jerry's for a chat.
Sheena was so kind to have bought and brought us a cake! Yum yum...
My goodness, I had a really uneasy time taking John's one to ten. Haha! Cicakman! Had a great time with them. :)
John hearts.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.
Phoenix un-glam. :p
Sheena, Rachel, Sharleen.
O.o
Thank you God.
to change the world.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Confused
Art's another form of expression for me. Just some late night scribbles.
A picture explains a thousand words I guess...
Sigh.
Anyway, I've started on my second canvas.
Today's monthly shoot was a bit of a horror. :( 555. I sprained my right shoulder at the third detail. Crap. Warm ups are really important.
Well, it's not the end, even if so, I did what I could.
I'll do better. :)
I'll be transporting weapons tomorrow. Hmmm... If they could just be left at Safra, it would be GREAT! O wells.
I'm tired out.
to change the world.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Happy Birthday Jesus
24th
God gives, and God takes away. Another soul has gone back to rest in the peace of the Lord. I saw Aaron, didn't realise that he was related to Dominic till today. It was a rainy day today. I could feel the sense of gloom in the atmosphere even though it being Christmas Eve.
Hahaha, I finally got up earlier than usual today, instead of seeing numbers like 11 and 12, sometimes 1. The afternoon was spent in slumber on my nice and cozy bed.
Got a chance to meet up with my Godbro Clayton and my sister's Godparents. Their food was WOOOH! Super deliciously delicious! Played some UNO and together with my Godbro, my sister had to draw 30! HAHA! :p There was a deck which had (x2) and (x?), we wanted to try that but were out of time.
I went back home and sang some Christmas carols before leaving for midnight mass. :)
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25th
Happy Birthday Jesus! :D
Merry Christmas to everyone!! :)
I enjoyed the midnight mass this year especially that lovely song- Happy Birthday Jesus. It gave me a pleasant surprise cos I thought the choir'd just sing the usual carols in an extraordinary way. I can't remember the lyrics now but it was meaningful...
No matter how different the decorations of 2008 may be, no matter how many new Christmas carols that are added to the list, the true meaning of Christmas never changes.
There is redemption and salvation for Jesus has come. :)
Make way for Him.
In your hearts.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Seems like everyone's watching the Little Nyonya? Hahaha even my grand aunties! It's a nice show with lots of morals although I find the drama quite funny. And by the way, I'm a BABA! xD Lol, just figured that out. It's the male of the nyonya.
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26th
Things are just not what it seems. The way good is presented to people may be in the wrong way. Thanks for listening, but I guess nothing much can be done except to gain their trust still. Seventeen years it has been.
Anyway, I had quite a bit of inspiration today. :) I've started on my second canvas.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
27th
I'm back at the lanes. :D heheh, it's time to SCORE! Back with 561.
There's more to come. :) I'll do better.
I just thought about a quote yesterday as well:
"You change when you want to see the change."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Northpoint seems refurbished. Hmmm.. Rofl.
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I went to Ngee Ann City too. My, the tree was grand as usual...
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to change the world.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
December-January
Yupp, John's right. I should be studying already. I don't know what's with me these days, just numbed or something. My mum's been trying to pace me cos she doesn't want me to regret in the future and say something like "Sigh, I should have spent my time doing homework instead. What was I doing?"
I'll make the changes.
As for yesterday, it was quite an accomplishing day for me. I served a wedding service in the morning, went to school, handed in a consent form, bused down to Toa Payoh, collect my camera memory card from my friend...THEN...
I did the thing that I would never do again alone.
I went to 3 places and did Christmas shopping for all my family members. T.T so many of them.
I bet even girls won't have this capability. They'd NEVER shop alone, as far as I know. o.O
O wells. It was some time alone anyway. The other two places were Hougang Mall and Compass Point. Entering and exiting shops without buying anything was a pain in the brain. Thankfully I got it done but HEADACHE AH!!
Mellow sunshine that was at Hougang Mall.
Santa eventually came back home at 7.30pm. *kong~~~*
to change the world.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Letters
http://blog.beliefnet.com/MarthaWilliamson/writing%20a%20letter.jpg
Sometimes, if things are just too hard to say upfront, one can use letters to communicate. I guess that's what I'd do to communicate with my grandma. What's sadder than a mute trying so hard to communicate with his loved ones?
I tell you what.
A fully healthy person not trying to communicate with his loved ones.
How much time do we actually spend with them...?
to change the world.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
One: Part 1
Two days ago when I was at Amplify Fridays, some thoughts dawned on me. I have been thinking about 'one' for a while...
Wholeness
Luke 17:11-19
Jesus Heals Ten Men (taken from GOOD NEWS BIBLE)
As Jesus made his way to Jerusalem, he went along the border between Samaria and Galilee. He was going into a village when he was met by ten men suffering from a dreaded skin disease. They stood at a distance and shouted, "Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!"
Jesus saw them and said to them, "Go and let the priests examine you."
On the way they were made clean. When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself to the ground at Jesus' feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. Jesus spoke up, "There were ten who were healed; where are the other nine? Why is this foreigner the only one who came back to give thanks to God?" And Jesus said to him, "Get up and go; your faith has made you well."
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
10 of them were healed but only one experienced liberation. There was gratitude in him towards the healer instead. He was able to recognise that it was an encounter with God. That one man was made whole. He wasn't half healed, not a fraction. He didn't get half the deal or less. He got it all. He was one- a whole.
Wholeness is when you give more than you receive. Conversely, brokenness is when you receive more than you give. Emotionally broken people always seem to require support from people. There will never be enough support a human can give to these people because what they lack is not a human void in them, but a spiritual void. They need God to fill that portion of their heart. They need healing.
Spiritually whole people see others as more important than themselves. That's when one will give and love as Jesus did. Giving, even till death on the cross.
It was said that the first step to live a life of being one, a whole life, is to cultivate an attitude of gratitude.
When someone gives you something, do you go "chey!" and take it/put it aside? Even if it is something simple? How grateful will you be? If they hear you saying "chey!", how do you think they will react? How much more willing will they be to give you something else in the future?
Good stuff cannot stick on ungrateful people as it comes their way. They fall off from them. Good stuff like family, friendships, health, life, etc. God never fails to give us good. It is not a matter of how much good He gives us that makes our lives good, but whether we are able to see the good in our lives. If we are grateful for the blessings that He has given us, how much more likely will God bless us even more?
Amidst our suffering that we may face, there is something to be thankful for. Somehow or other, they will make us stronger, and more refined.
It is when we are grateful, will we be whole, be one.
to change the world.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The Proposal
5 hours was about how long I took to do this. I decided to put my thoughts and feelings into this painting instead. It's my first painting on canvas using acrylic.
to change the world.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Dunk'd
Yesterday
There was an altar servers meet-up today at the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd. We had an informal dialogue session with Arch-Bishop and had lunch with him. The four of us.
Hmmm.. It was a quiet and short time there.
We saw Kenneth, Jasper and Phyllis along the way. :)
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
The day the Earth stood still wasn't as fantastic as the Matrix trilogy, but it still had meaning in it. The take from it was something like: It is only at the precipice, the brink of destruction, that people start to change. When people are faced with a crisis, do they then really take action and solve their problem. But many times, people just don't feel the 'pinch'. Global crisis that face us today would be terrorism, global warming, euthanasia, child soldiers, prostitution, materialism, etc.
The facts are there, anywhere. They are a click of the mouse away. How do we perceive these problems? Or are they even problems to us?
"It is better to remove the stone from your shoe, than to limp comfortably."
Unconsciously or consciously, many of us are already limping comfortably. Don't we want to walk with pride and normality? We must not let abnormality enter the realms of normality. My mum used to say "what is common may not be good, and what is good, may not be common." Muster up that courage to stand up for what is right.
During YISS, Father William Goh mentioned that in the last century or so, people battled fiercely with sin. But in today's society, many even question the concept of sin and more things are marked 'alright' in their vocabulary of sin.
The most guaranteed way to define good from the absence of it, is to get to know Him better and make Him the centre of our lives.
What would Jesus do?
"Woe to those who know but do not preach." and like what a friend of mine would say, "it's not fair if you don't share." We live in a community. Hence, we must grow in faith together. Bring others closer to God.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hahaha yet another barbecue. Shooting Club!
Santa-rina. My senior Melissa.
Val and Andrew- "Thank you, thank you."
Heee.
We only started the fire at around 9.30pm -.- the previous batch of charcoal were dampened on the inside cos of the condensation of the air con! Urghhhh! However hard we tried, there was no way we could 'fire' it up, until a new lot came.
Some of us got dunked into the pool too! Hahaha happy birthday Sin Yean. :) Ismail, Pok, Rich, Sin Yean, and me. We've been dunk'd!
Today
I'm looking forward to Amplify Friday's last session of 2008! Wooh!! :D Anyone else who would want to come, it is at Catholic Spirituality Centre near Punggol Park. 7.30pm! :) see you there!
to change the world.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Seashore
Today
If someone asks you to wait for them at the sea shore at 5pm, but only turns up 5 minutes later, I think you won't regard that 5 minutes as late. Alright, let's extend that time to 15 minutes. Yeah you can wait for 15 minutes. Hmmm... What about an hour? You would be wondering, "Where on earth has XXX gone to? What's taking XXX so long??" For me, I'll still wait, but I'll pace up and down like crazy after sitting for half an hour. No doubt, the longer you wait, the more frustration sinks in, unless you are someone who has lots and lots of patience and are faithful to that flimsy piece of instruction they gave you.
What would you do if it means to wait for 2 years? How much commitment will that take?
Imagine also that there is a mall in the vicinity that is full of energy and life. It has an arcade, a cinema, rows and rows of shops selling the latest fashion, an ice-skating rink, the best selling food stalls, a sports hall nearby, and so on. You think to yourself, "It would be such an exhilarating experience for me even if I just go there for a short while. Anyway, XXX won't come anytime soon." Aren't you tempted to go there to take a look already?
It would depend largely on how you define XXX's role in your life that would determine the decision you make. A stranger, an acquaintance, a friend, a close friend, a best friend, an admirer, or a soul mate?
(By the way, don't bring in cellphones into the picture)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I wasn't dreaming. Is the opposite of dreamland, reality? I know that it would be something beautiful. But I would want something beautiful to be beautified by building it on something already beautiful. What can I do and what can I say...? Hmmm... I'll offer it all up in prayer, as I would.
E_m N_i C_i_s_u_m_
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It's 8 more days to Christmas. :)
Not winter festival.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Yesterday
Altar Servers BBQ! I restrained myself from eating much because my throat's sore again! T.T It would heal soon though. :) Had a great time there BBQ-ing the satays (5 for $10 V.S. 10 cents/stick) and TLC chicken wings! I didn't have much time to really catch up with my bros there. :/ It was just a short while. I couldn't stay, gotta help out with the house work.
Lastly, thank you Raphael and Arielle! :D
to change the world.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
My Lord and my God!
That was what YISS was all about! It was a chance for God to manifest in those who could or chose to take that step to go for this empowering camp. My, if it were only feasible, I would recommend all youth to join this and experience God! And if you didn't notice, I said ALL.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Have you ever wondered what the meaning of your life is about? There are those who say that it is to repay their parents, others for personal glory, others for their future generations. But if you think about it, imagine you have reached a ripe old age, where do you think you will go? Is it so simple that you just go back to the earth? Scientifically, we all will since our bodies are made up of complex carbon compounds. There are some things science cannot prove...
I am sure you have read this e-mail before:
Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good ?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn't. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?
(Student was silent )
Professor : You can't answer, can you ? Let's start again, Young Fella. Is GOD Good?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this World?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ? And GOD did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?
(Student did not answer)
Professor : Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness?
All these terrible things exist! in the World, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So, who Created them ?
(Student ha d no answer)
Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you. Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD?
Student : No , sir.
Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD , Tasted your GOD , Smelt your GOD ?
Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empi! rical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol,
Science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith.
Professor : Yes, Faith. And that is the Problem Science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat?
Professor : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as Cold?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No, sir. There isn't..
(The Lecture Theatre became very quiet with this turn of events )
Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat, a Little Heat or No Heat. But we don't have anything called Cold. We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as Cold. Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat. We cannot Measure Cold. Heat is Energy. Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.
(There was Pin-Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )
Student : What about Darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as Darkness?
Professor : Yes. What is Night if there isn't Darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the Absence of Something. You can have Low Light, Normal Light, Bright Light, Flashing Light . . . But if you have No Light constantly, you have nothing and its called Darkness, isn't it? In reality, Darkness isn't. If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you?
Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality. You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD. You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can't even explain a Thought. It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing. Death is Not the Opposite of Life: just the Absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your Students that they evolved from a Monkey?
Professor : If you are referring! to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shook his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument was going )
Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and Cannot even prove that this Process is an On-Going Endeavor, Are you not teaching your Opinion, sir? Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher?
(The Class was in Uproar )
Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever seen the Professor's Brain?
(The Class broke out into Laughter )
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard! the Professor's Brain, Felt it, touched or Smelt it? . . . No one appears to have done so. So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that You have No Brain, Sir. With all due respect, Sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, Sir?
(The Room was Silent. The Professor stared at the Student, his face unfathomable)
Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith, son.
Student : That is it Sir . . . Exactly ! The Link between Man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that Keeps Things Alive and Moving.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Accept it, that there is a God, not out there, but within. :)
Anyone who has went for YISS has had a unique experience. I think God somehow read my mind, that I would doubt Him a little because I was put in the group named after St. Thomas. (Doubting Thomas). I believed that there was this God and all but when it came to the part where we were introduced to the 9 Charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit, I became rather doubtful. I simply could not understand how people could speak in tongues, how people could prophecize, how people could be healed, etc. For instance, I thought that the praying in tongues was to find some random words and 'humtam' into that random prayer. I also thought that it was due to imagination that someone prophecizes. My scientific facet got the better of me as I wanted to find a logical reasoning for these occurances to happen. In other words, I was trying to prove the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.
But one thing for sure was that I did not want to lie to myself and be a hypocrite, saying that I believe, when deep down me I had doubts.
During Quiet Time, I went to my quiet spot near the pond where I could see the sunset. I looked around me and saw little things moving about, the trees stood still but their leaves rustled once in a while when wind blew. I felt confused inside me. I could not understand what was natural and what was supernatural. Sometimes, the supernatural things that happened in my life seem to have an explanation and it soon becomes what you call 'man-made'.
I prayed... I did not know what gift I wanted. All I prayed for was the hunger for the Lord. I remembered once hearing of this sentence- "Seek not the consolations of God, but the God of consolations." I decided to flip through the pages of the Bible to find some inspiration or some word from God. Matthew 14:22-32, Jesus walks on water. I felt that I was in the same position as St Peter at that moment. St. Peter had faith in God but along the way while walking on the water to Jesus, he got scared and had doubts in him. Perhaps what I needed most at that time was courage, to take that leap of faith forward and cross the water.
Soon came the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. I did not know what to expect and less did I know what would happen to me.
As we prayed for the Holy Spirit to show Himself to us and sang hymns, I started to experience a hot sensation on my shoulders, back, and upper arms. It began to become very hot. But I wasn't on fire and burning though. I am also sure that the facils did not increase the temperature of the air-conditioners. It just felt hot, like a fire, a gentle one.
The intecessory team were all praying over us during that time.
My legs began to feel weak, and I just fell. I fell on my knees. It was as if my legs gave way literally. Tears welled up in my eyes with each hymn I sang with my heart. It just kept flowing, ceaselessly. Then I collapsed totally on the floor. I cried like I never did before. I was just sorry for doubting God and I was just in awe and wonder at Him. I imagined Him hold me on His palm. I cried so much... I could also feel a pressure on me, but no one was pushing me down or anything. It didn't hurt. Instead, it was something comforting. Someone came to me saying that she had a vision of God carrying me, saying, "It's okay... I love you. You are mine. You are mine. You are mine..." It was as if God Himself was speaking to me! I spoke in tongues.
Praise the Lord! :)
After all that I have written on this post, I am certain that many would be wondering if this is just another one of my crap. But I assure you, it isn't. Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe- St. Augustine.
Calling all youth out there!! Let the Lord touch you in ways indescribable. Come for YISS. :)
John 20:29
Blessed are those who do not see, and yet believe.
I have also made my commitment. That is to read a chapter of the Bible everyday and do a short reflection about it. If I don't, give me a slap.
I will run this race for you, my God.
Amen.
to change the world.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Reduced to a Memory
Sigh.
I woke up at 4.50am one day just to wait and catch the sunrise. I took the video down. It was magnificent. The shimmering sun's rays that cut through the gaps of clouds and the sun itself, climbing up the mountain.
There was much more also.
Why...?
Sigh.
At least I still have the other days I guess. :) So much fun there.
These are the links to the videos that my friends and I made.
S.H.ADES ROCKS! :D
Enjoy :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLkir3ZV3hM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksEj3rkL9ZU
YISS
Yet another great experience to come in 11.5 hours time. :) YISS 2008.
No time to blog about ABC and China!!! T.T
------------------------------
Time for liberation.
to change the world.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
3am
I don't give a damn about you
No nothing can change my mind
Don't think about you at night
[Chorus:]
I'm calling you at 3am and I'm
I don't give a damn what you do
How long does it take to see
[Chorus:]
I'm calling you at 3am and I'm
[Chorus:]
I'm calling you at 3am and I'm
to change the world.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Arch-Bishop Cup 2008
29 November 2008, Saturday
The sun was at it's best potential today as it beat down on us like nobody's business! Tssssss......... I just couldn't run as fast as I would with the heat. There was too much confusion as well. Usually I'd play forward and not mid. I had to run up and down. But I guess it also goes for the rest of SAAS. I'm sure we did our best that day and that's what we should be proud of. :) We won the first match against Holy Family but lost the second one to OLPS. Thank God we were all safe and sound nevertheless.
The birds in the sky seemed to be acting strangely... Circled around the clouds in a pattern. Weird.
And I didn't know that there was Pepper Lunch at Tampines mall! SO WORTH IT! Like almost half-price!
Finally, the joke of the day was.... "ROLF" on someone's jersey. ROFL!
Roll-on-laughing-floor.
to change the world.
|
i am, christopher lye
21 on 15 March 2012
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