God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.

Life is about changes and learning to enjoy the adventure of journeying in life with Him. I can't see what's ahead and have no way of controlling how things will go. I can only trust Him, that He makes all things beautiful in its time.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

LIVERPOOL are Champs

Football is really an incredible game. With a 3-nil scoreline at half-time, Liverpool equalised in a matter of 7 minutes in the second half. They proceeded to beat AC Milan at penalty shootout. This is such an exhilarating game. Everyone has practically written off the chances of Liverpool carrying the Champions League trophy but now it's time for them to eat back their words! This is a dream come true for all Liverpool fans. Indeed a glorious end to this season ... Will take some time before we will get over this! We'll let the UEFA authorities worry about whether we will play in CL next year.




You Will Never Walk Alone
When you walk through the storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm
There's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of the lark

Walk on, through the wind
Walk on, through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone


'No team had ever come back from a three-goal deficit in the final, but Liverpool did just that during a stunning sequence in the 50th Champions Cup final.'
Liverpool's Historical Moment

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Go Liverpool!

Arsenal won the FA Cup much to the distress of many ManU's fans. I know my friend's eyes almost popped in unbelief at the final scores. It was heartbreaking for them watch all the near misses of the many opportunites they had! A painful lost I'm sure when the team seemed to have controlled and dominated the game for most of the time. I suppose it didn't help for my friend, that I was wearing my favourite 'Manchaster Untitled' T-shirt when we were watching the match!

Kimi Räikkönen won the Monaco race ... YES, my favourite track too!! I hope they'll keep up the good work . Go McLaren-Mercedes!

Altogether it was a good weekend. A long weekend too.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Liverpool's meet with AC Milan this Thursday.

Friday, May 20, 2005

Happy 20-05-2005

Yes, it's a once in a lifetime event. I know I'm crazy. Get excited over silly things like this. I guess there's a child in me (think there should always be one in each of us). Simple things that makes me smile. The weather for example is another source of simple delight. I love the sky when it's cloudy or overcast and with a cool breeze. The bright blue, cloudless sky is lovely too if I'm overseas where the heat is not unbearable. I love it when it rains or more like pours in Malaysia. It's a lovely feeling to have water falling down all around me (I can be indoor, in a car or even outdoor, if dressed to get wet - *wink*). As you can see I can really go on and on about the weather, which is something that can affect my moods.

Try to keep life simple. Here's a list of my favourite things (in some sort of weird categories but not in any particular order).
A hug from a friend. An email from a loved one far away. Intimate conversation with like-minded friends. Listening to people share about their experiences, and observe how God is at work in their lives to bring them where they are.
Freshly brewed cup of coffee, taken black. A nice bowl of red bean soup (odd as it seems!). Smell of freshly baked bread (no Rotiboy, thank you. Too rich for me).
Feel of water surrounding me when I go for a swim or even when I wash my hair. Sound of water in motion, like a waterfall or a creek.
Sighting a full moon. A sky filled with stars. Taking walks in a botanical garden or bush walks, surrounded by flora and fauna.
An awesome time of worship (better with some head-banging music) that lets me shout and sing my heart out to God!
Read a good book... no specific genre because I like too many books. Even working with and around books makes me happy. Writing my blog. Watching a movie that inspires me through great acting skills, coupled with an excellent story and plot. It will be a plus if it also has superb special effects.
Watching football, especially when Liverpool wins. Even better, watching Manchaster United get defeated. The list goes on and on. :D

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Soul need to catch up

Do you ever feel that your life is moving at such a fast pace that your soul can barely catch up? Sometimes I believe we push ourselves to the limit in this respect because we equate busyness with productivity. At the end of the day, we're spent and our minds and bodies are completely exhausted, and that's the only time people feel good about themselves. I should stop speaking in the second person ... I guess for me, the busyness is helpful at times when I'm trying to avoid facing up to certain issues that are really bothering me within. I try to keep myself so busy so that I don't have to think of them or face up to them. This is especially when I don't have the courage or the energy to do so. But this cannot go on.

Having said that, I have often forced myself to take time off. I don't often get to do that as much as I'd like to in my daily schedule, not disciplined enough to do so. Life is usually so busy, with so many things I want to do and so many people I want to spend time with, etc. Thus what I do is take time off to enjoy seasons of doing nothing and just slowing down. This practice of taking time off to be alone with myself, I feel, is one of the best things that I've learned to do and has helped me keep sane. I learn to tune off and unplug, switch off my handphone, get away from my normal environment and even try to avoid getting online. Believe me, it requires a lot of discipline and sometimes may even experience withdrawals! Many people think it's a luxury they cannot afford but I tell myself it's something I can't afford not to do. It is absolutely crucial to allow my soul to slow down, spend time reflecting and I find my spirit rejuvenated. It has helped me gain new perspectives of the situations I'm going through, tune in to what God is saying and it's also an opportunity to remind myself that I'm not indispensable... the world continues to run just fine even when I stop! That may be a distressing thought but I think it is also a very liberating thought!

The past few weeks have been most stressful. The list of incidents, accidents, close calls, etc just seem endless. I think I've had more drama in my life the last month or so is more than what I've seen in the past one year or maybe even 2, added up together! I think my stress indicator score has gone off the roof, even my body is protesting. The latest is I lost my voice as a result of a throat infection. My family is appalled that I'm on another dose of antibiotics and commented that they've not seen me fully recovered in the past month or so! Sigh. As I see it, things can only get better....

Looking unto Him as my source of strength, protection, peace, grace... basically for everything I need.

Monday, May 16, 2005

Trademark of a Christian

I met up with a friend for lunch today. Someone who inspires me to love Jesus by firstly loving me for who I am. It is amazing to see how this elderly minister of God constantly affirms and loves those around him, especially people who serves us. Through this friendship I have been tremendously enriched and am grateful for such grace. This is a gift I cannot demand nor even imagine exist but only receive with humble thanks to God when He chooses to bestow upon me.

This friendship has confirmed my conviction that a trademark of a Christian is one who is Real and who Really loves people. Both of these do not come easily to me and nor do they come to anyone of us without a price. Many times God allows me to be broken that I may gaze upon Him and ponder on His love for me. My flesh, on the other hand, strives to find significance and satisfaction from self and my own achievements. It is hard and was never meant to be that way. The world does not, cannot, offer true peace, true love or true satisfaction. So I find I'm constantly disappointed and have to guard my heart against cynicism. I realise that it is only when I ponder upon His unconditional love for me and what He has done for me to demonstrate His love for me, that I can have true peace with myself and with Him; and true security and significance based on how I am valued in Christ. I know that as I allow God to deal with and heal me of my insecurities, self-rejection, perfectionist spirit, etc, He will set me free to be Real and Really love people for who they are. As a result of that, I pray others will catch a glimpse of Christ and get a taste of His grace through my life... may they see the treasures and glory of Christ, hidden in this broken, earthen vessel.

It's a journey, a long journey, that will probably take a lifetime but it's all worth it. I can't wait to see the finished work that will last for all eternity. Makes the pursuit of happiness for this life alone seem like a much lesser goal to live for. Yet I don't doubt for a moment that pursuing God and seeking Him with all my heart can only result in true happiness! Happiness is not the goal or else it will be just chasing after the wind or a mirage. My attitude is, and should be, to seek the Giver, and not just His gifts.


Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matt 6:33)

Sunday, May 15, 2005

Passion Cafe





Passion Cafe

This a testimony of a friend who dares to dream. Come and share this dream as the cafe officially opens on 23 May, 2005, from 3pm - 6pm.

Here's a sample of what they serve:
Nasi Lemak
Chinese Fried Rice
Pineapple Fried Rice
Kampung Fried Rice
Tumeric Fried Beehoon
Fried Kuey Teow / Mee Tom Yam
Fried Kuey Teow

Butter Dory
Angel Hair Parshroom Spaghetti
Turkey Carbo Maccaroni
Pesto Chicken Spaghetti
Spaghetti Bolognaise(option of spicing it up with chili)
Spicy Thai Spaghetti

Fish & Chips
Cajun Fish
Cordon Blue
Cajun Chicken
Lamb Pie

They also serve gourmet coffee, tea and other sensational drinks at a fraction of the price you pay at Coffee Bean and Starbucks. :)

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Love: No Regrets

Love is about giving of ourselves. It is giving without expecting any returns. It is the nature of love to give and serve the object of love. God is love and it is in His nature to give and serve. He came to be servant of all, that is Lover of all. Some people are afraid to love because they are afraid that love will cause them to lose themselves. God says he who loves his life will lose it, but he loses it will find it. Love must be expressed because unexpressed love has no value, like a cheque that's not signed.

In my life, I've had a few soul-friends - people who've touched me in the very core of my being and I know I'm never the same again. However God has arranged it in such a way that these bossom buddies of mine should enter my life only for a season. Somehow we've had to move on and simply be content with great memories. It's not easy. I've come to accept the transcient nature of relationships. People come into our lives and people go. That's a fact and I try not to expect things to be otherwise. I am learning how to hold friendships loosely. They say the older you get, the harder it is to make friends. I can imagine why, especially if we allow painful experience of the past to breed cynicism and fear in our hearts. We will then choose to remain apathetic and detached, seeking to 'protect' our hearts.

I believe there's a difference between holding friendships loosely and being detached. For me, being detached has to do with not letting our hearts get involved, care too much or care at all. However I seek to give myself fully to loving those around me for as long as I have them with me. At least when the time comes for us to part ways, I can say that I have no regrets because I did not withhold love. I hold them loosely in the sense I know that these friendships are not things for me to possess but rather I'm merely a steward of these friendships and friends.

We live only once and there's no knowing what tomorrow holds, thus I want to love with all my heart; passionately giving my all, my best.

Yes, people come and people go. My prayer is that we will leave each other better people as a result of the impact we've had on one another.

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Against All Odds

In my earlier post, I mentioned that I was not sure if I would be granted a student permit to begin my studies in June due to the fact that I've not received the official letter of acceptance from the College. Is it weird that despite both the College's attempts to send it to me via the post, it has simply not come? Well, not really, not for Malaysian postal system anyways. ;D

I saw this as an opportunity for God to work in this situation. I could have emailed the College to have it sent to me again via courier so that I could present it to the officers when they called me in. I didn't. My friend asked if I was putting out the fleece! Whatever it is, God came through against all odds. They granted me a student permit, with effect from 3 May 2005 (!) and I am required to enter Canada no later than 15 August 2005! So much for my idea of possibly delaying my departure to September. God has spoken loud and clear - go and don't tarry.

So far things have been amazingly smooth in the whole process. God's favour? Undeniably and I am truly grateful for that. Where does this lead to? Don't really know, for now. All I know and truly believe is that it will lead me closer to Him and His will for my life.

Perhaps I don't sound elated or as excited as I should be. I am excited but am also keenly aware that there are a lot of things I'm leaving behind. This is not easy. Never thought it would be. Right now, I'm feeling completely heart broken. Had to make some tough choices in aligning myself with this decision. It's taking the life out of me (one of my favourite expressions) ... for now but I know this is not a permanent state and will eventually get over it. :-p

Anyways this incident with the student permit, in a sense, has given me the one assurance I need - that He is already there, in the future. Amidst all the uncertainty I can be sure of this one thing, that He is with me. That's all that matters.

Then Moses said, "If You don't go with us personally, don't let us move a step from this place.
(Exodus 33:15)

Ps: Happy 05-05-05! Not auspicious or anything like that. Just me being naturally sensitive to numbers.