* touched

A year ago, just before i left for ktn, i gave a small, childish, self-made bookmark to a few frens of mine in KL - coz i didn't know whether i'll be staying long in ktn.. or will i ever meet them again. .. etc..

so the bookmark was like a little memory i leave behind for them to behold. It was a very simple, barely 3x6cm bookmark, decorated with a little gold dust, cartoons i drew n short messages from my heart.

Recently i bumped into one of these frens.. had a short chat with him, and to my surprise, he told me, "I'm still keeping the bookmark you gave last year."

I smiled, "It was a cheap, simple bookmark... I didn't expect u to keep it for so long..."

Then came the next beautiful surprise. He took out his wallet, and out of it he took a small piece of paper, "It has always been with me, all the time."

"Woooowww!!!" I squealed & jumped up excitedly. I grabbed the paper from his hand. It was exactly the same bookmark i made for him. I was elated! First, I've never thought that he will keep the bookmark. Secondly, he kept it in his wallet!!! All the time! I had almost wanted to hug him, but being a "serious" person, I told myself, "Self-control.. self-control..."

Wow!! Tat night I couldn't sleep. smiled... all night long.. =)

The thing here isn't about a "he" or a "she", but rather the "act". Someone who appreciated & treasured a little simple gift from me, tat he/she kept it by his/her side all the time, in his very own personal space - WALLET!

I couldn't be more touched. :')

An Act of Love

*quoted from: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/12/27/worldupdates/2007-12-26T180712Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-311221-1&sec=Worldupdates

"We should always note that this is a distinctive characteristic of the Christian martyr -- it is exclusively an act of love, towards God and towards men, including the persecutors," he told crowds in a rainy St. Peter's Square.

"Christian martyrdom reminds us of the victory of love over hatred and death," he said.

St. Stephen was stoned to death by a mob in Jerusalem at a time when Christianity was first starting to spread. The Pope said such martyrdoms continued to this day.

"It is not rare even today that we receive news from various parts of the world of missionaries, priests, bishops, monks, nuns and lay people persecuted, imprisoned, tortured, deprived of their liberty or prevented from exercising it because they are disciples of Christ and apostles of the Gospel," he said.

The Pope did not give any examples, but it is less than two weeks since an Italian Catholic priest was stabbed in his church in Turkey, the latest in a spate of attacks on Christians in the predominantly Muslim country.

Another Italian priest in Turkey was shot dead in his church by a teenager in February, and in April three Christians had their throats cut at a Bible publishing house there.

On Wednesday, Hindu hardliners in India burned and damaged 12 churches, killing at least one person, in an outbreak of violence sparked by the reported injuring of a local Hindu leader by a Christian group.

Is Jesus coming to your house?

Once upon a time, according to an old story, several kinds of animals were living together in a stable. There were mice and sheep, a horse, a donkey, some cows, chickens, and even a rat. They considered themselves a family, and the stable was their home. Then one day a little mouse heard a rumour. He heard that someone was comint to their house. He was so excited that he jumped on top of the house and shouted, "Someone is coming to our house!" Everybody started asking, "Who is coming to our house?" The little mouse whispered, "Joseph and Mary are coming to our house, and Mary's going to have a baby."

This little story reminds us of one of life'ts most important questions. "Is Jesus coming to your hosue?" As you celebrate with Christmas festivities today, be sure to ask, "Is Jesus coming to our house?"

That's what Christmas is all about - the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. John says, "The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." A popular paraphrase, The Message, says it like this: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighbourhood." That's Christmas in a nutshell: Jesus is coming into our world, our neighbourhood, our home.

Let's make sure Jesus is coming to our house. It's the only way to really celebrate Christmas!

prayer: Lord Jesus, please come to our homes and into our hearts so that we can truly celebrate your coming. Help us also share with others the good news of your coming. In your precious name we pray, Amen.

How God showed his love

It happened in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. A group of prisoners had come back from a work detail at the end of the day. Before they were allowed to go to their barracks, there was a head count, and a count of the shovels they had used. One shovel was missing. The guard in charge shouted that the person responsible had better step forward, or everyone would die. When no one moved, the guards raised their loaded rifles, ready to shoot.

Just then one of the prisoners stepped forward and said, "I took it." The moment he said it, the guards began to beat him until he was dead. After the prisoner had died, the shovels were counted again. No shovel was missing! A fellow prisoner who told this story said he cried at the sight of such love.

But as powerful as that display of love is, it's just a dim reflection of God's love for us. It's merely an illustration of what John talks about when he says, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.. God... loved us so much he sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."

That's Christmas: God showing his love by sending his Son into a cold, cruel world to die for us. It's God shouting for all to hear,

"I LOVE YOU UNCONDITIONALLY!"

prayer: Father in heaven, thank you for your great love for us. Give us the grace to accept your love by believing in our Saviour. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

*adopted from Today.

it's christmas!

oh great! christmas is just around the corner! it's fun fun fun...

say.. wat comes first into your mind whenever the word "christmas" pop up into your mind? santa claus? reindeer? pine tree? gift exchange?

if it is so, then you ought to reshuffle your thinking about christmas. Christmas Day is actually a day which we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I repeat, Jesus' birth. there is nothing to do with santa claus or reindeer or pine tree.. etc... these are just icons commercialized by the business-minded people..

Tho' we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on this day (25 Dec), but his real birth date is unknown. So it's just a day for the world to come together in thanks giving, for God so loved us, he sent his only Son, Jesus to earth.. to appear in human form.. that whoever believes in him, shall have eternal life and not perish.

On this christmas, let's look up to heaven, close your eyes.. and smile.. and just be thankful.. =)

who hit my kancil!

hmmm... sob* sob* :'(

sumone hit my kancil's nose today! it was my fault tho', for parking at an illegal slot/corner, as i've went around the jusco parking areas so many times for almost half an hour, and the temptation to squeeze into the illegal slot was so strong. you know.. kancil.. the "squeeze-in" queen..

besides, i have always been doing this - illegal parking at shopping malls - one-u, jusco..

after my lunch at jusco tis afternoon, i was horrified to find my car plate broken into two! and there were 2 lil dents on my kancil's nose.. oiyo.. so saddening! n frustrating... which clumsy-hit-and-run-away did tis?!

anyway, i learned my lesson well. First, I aint driving to any shopping complex anymore (except for carrefour & tesco, haven't ban them yet).

Secondly, no more illegal parking. Even if i have to walk a half hour distancE!

Thirdly, take my dad's advice seriously.

HAIAYAAAAAAAA!!!! sob* sob*