Sex and your body. Our body.

My Body is About Him

by Max Lucado

"Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you?" (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT). Paul wrote these words to counter the Corinthian sex obsession. "Run away from sexual sin!" reads the prior sentence. "No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body." (v.18 NLT).

What a salmon scripture! No message swims more up-stream than this one. You know the sexual anthem of our day: "I'll do what I want. It's my body." God's firm response? "No, it's not. It's mine."

Be quick to understand, God is not antisex. Dismiss any notion that God is antiaffection and anti-intercourse. After all, he developed the whole package. Sex was his idea. From his perspective, sex is nothing short of holy.

He views sexual intimacy the way I view our family Bible. Passed down from my father's side, the volume is one hundred years old and twelve inches thick. Replete with lithographs, scribblings, and a family tree, it is, in my estimation, beyond value. Hence, I use it carefully.

When I need a stepstool, I don't reach for the Bible. If the foot of my bed breaks, I don't use the family Bible as a prop. When we need old paper for wrapping, we don't rip a sheet out of this book. We reserve the heirloom for special times and keep it in a chosen place.

Regard sex the same way--as a holy gift to be opened in a special place at special times. The special place is marriage, and the time is with your spouse.

Casual sex, intimacy outside of marriage, pulls the Corinthian ploy. It pretends we can give the body and not affect the soul. We can't. We humans are so intricately psychosomatic that whatever touches the soma impacts the phyche as well. The me-centered phrase "as long as no one gets hurt" sounds noble, but the truth is, we don't know who gets hurt.

God-centered thinking rescues us from the sex we thought would make us happy. You may think your dalliances are harmless, and years may pass before the x-rays reveal the internal damage, but don't be fooled. Casual sex is a diet of chocolate--it tastes good for a while, but the imbalance can ruin you. Sex apart from God's plan wounds the soul.

Your body, God's temple. Respect it.

Sesamee, the blessed dog.

A month ago I picked up a stray puppy from the street, by faith that someone will eventually adopt her. I couldn't imagine what it'd be like if nobody adopts her. I named her Sesamee.

I tried planting some hints to my family members like, "Oh, by the way, I'm getting Toffee a new girlfriend... "

Trying to brainwash my family with, "She's a very cute dog, and she doesn't eat as much as Toffee... "

or even, "Oh, she doesn't bark that much..."

She was spayed, vaccinated and treated for her wounds, and the time came when she have stayed for a month in my clinic. Gosh, where shall i place her?

Someone told me to just return her where she was from - but what if she got hit by car? What if DBKL comes and get her? What is someone tortures her? She's such a nice dog! She's so lovely, gentle.. I can't bear the thoughts of releasing her back to where she originated.

Then I continued to pray...

Few days later my boss came enquiring, "You spread the words for ppl to adopt Sesamee is it?"

Besides my family, I couldn't think of anyone else. But I just nodded. "Someone wants to adopt her is it?"

"Yeah, my ex teacher, " so said my boss.

I had a short interview session with them, just to confirm that they're genuine dog lovers. And yah, after talking to them I knew that I have to give Sesamee to them. Try, at least.

Guess what? Today Sesamee came back for revisit! She's so much prettier now.. and she even learned "sit" and "hand". What good owner God has found for her! Look at her new collar. :D According to her new owner, she's happily running up and down the staircases, she's became the "baby" of the house. =D I'm so happy for her...

I knew that the owners are really God-sent. He answered my prayer, once again.

Really thank God for this miracle he's done for me and Sesamee. PRAISE GOD.

Durian lovers, it's durian season!

Durians cause high cholesterol (is it true), and it's heaty (according to the Chinese) and rich in carbo (bad for diabetics!), but still... it's the King of Fruits in Malaysia?

Some says coz of its "thorns", if it were to fight with any other fruits in Malaysia, others will perish while the durian triumphs. King huh.

While some would say because, most Malaysians love it! Just look at the number of durian stalls all around KL n PJ! Don't just look at the stalls, look at the number of people smothering them!

Last week I heard somebody said, RM10 - eat all you want. But guess what? I saw one just the other day... if you can read... look at the picture below.

RM5 - eat all you can!!!

ps. this stall is located at SS2.

Benny's update

There was a dog named Benny who had a very serious skin disease, he got himself bleeding everywhere. After two months of treatment, he was healed and was sent "home".


I was very reluctant to send him "home", and sad to see him go, coz I was sure that the "home" in my office would surely be a better home than anywhere else. I had been wondering, "How's he doing? Is he as timid as usual? How will he cope with his group mates?"


So many questions bombarded my little brain. Until finally, today I get to visit his "home". And there he was.. . sitting down, quite relaxed, all by himself. =)

I don't think he recognize me anymore. But that's fine. It's not about me, it's about him. :) As long as he's doing well, I'm glad. =)

He's still cute, in my eyes. ;-)

Another one is capturing my heart.

That's the end of the cell for tonight. Everyone headed to their very own cars. As I walked into my car, locked the doors, something attracted my view on my right. I turned to my right, and there I saw a dog, looked about 9 months, lying down on the floor staring at me.

I smiled at him. He wagged his tail.
I opened my door and gestured him. He ran to me, wagging his tail happily just like Sesamee!

Questions and arguments started churning in me. Should I bring him back? I can't tell for sure. I turned to Unc Ro's house, he's still standing at his doorstep waiting for me to leave.

Does this dog has an owner? No collar, very thin puppy. I looked around. The dog then ran elsewhere. I was hoping that he's going back to his house, but no... he jus lingered around the street, then came back to me.

Aarrgh... what do I do with him? I can't just leave him like that. I'll pray about it tonite.
Perhaps, if God wants me to bring him back, God will create more encounters for both of us.
P-R-A-Y!

Teoh Beng Hock. How did he die?

Teoh Beng Hock. I do not know him. But reading news about him, I find my heart clench and wrenched. Streams of questions haunted my tired brain. Furious storms raged my little heart.

I became indignant. Humiliated. Ashamed. Felt useless. I broke into tears. I cried, and cried, and cried. How could we have allowed this to happen? In our home???

I cried not because another man has died.

I cried because another man has sacrificed his life for Malaysia. I recalled all the movies - rosy business and many more. We're now living in one of those movies. And people are dying. For the cause of the nation.

I'm indignant because I used to believe my history books: that we're living a nation which practices democracy.

I'm humiliated because while others chose to give up on my nation, I gave them hope and faith- we will be a nation where justice and righteousness and transparency will rule.

I'm ashamed because such tragic things happen, under special circumstances.

I felt useless, because there is nothing I could do to prevent this from happening.

I'm left with only two weapons/armour in hand - prayer, and my vote in the coming election.

People out there - what weapons do you hold now in your hand?

Are your weapons working? Or they're merely decors?

I've been reading news and watching youtube and I came across this, it really touched my heart.

Frieds out there who're keeping your vote and eyes closed for whatever reason, may peace dwell in you as you read these news...

"I didn't realy care abt elections bt after Teoh Beng Hock's death, I'm resolved 2 work as a volunteer 4 Malaysia's next General Elections, hopefuly B4 2013. I'm not goin2 stand down. I'm not goin2 keep quiet jus bec Beng Hock is quiet now. He made d ultimate sacrifice 2 Msia. It's d least I can do now. Thanks, Barisan Nasional n MACC, for making me aware. Thanks, Najib, for waking me up. I'm not dreaming anymore. I am fully awake within the nightmare that is the reality of Malaysia now. Shukran. "(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyi4cPS6QZI)

"When people in positions of power can use the ISA to lock up anyone at will and when people miraculously end up dead after an enquiry, you know something is wrong with our country. This is not the first time and it will definitely not be the last until all of us stand up and say that we will not tolerate this kind of injustice anymore.

The only way that we can change how things work in Malaysia is by voting out the ruling coalition.

Today is a very sad dayAnd we will NEVER forget.. "(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y76c9r6djk&feature=related )

It's time to stop all these nonsense! Where is justice and trasnparency?!
Why do people hunt for mosquitoes when the elephants are right there trampling the villagers openly?
Are the villagers powerless and paralysed? I'm very indignant. So should the villagers too.

Goodness & Mercy: Still in prison...

They're very frustrated to see other dogs running freely..

and this particular dog (look at the bottom right corner, that's Garlic) was making the atmosphere in the entire kennel worse. He deliberately ran to these little monkeys, instigating the entire kennel gang!

Havoc!

Garlic was on parole, but he was back in "jail" a few minutes later.

Look at the poor spitz above G&M: looking so confused & blur, poor dog.

Goodness and Mercy imprisoned - a decent picture

There you go.. here's a more decent picture of the two lovely doggies. =) After much time of scolding and hushing and coaxing... duh... =) And this tranquility lasts only for a few seconds!

Goodness & Mercy misbehaving?

Do you believe me when I say Goodness and Mercy are one of the biggest yowler/complainer doggie ever? If you want to argue, or have any doubt, just look at the picture. A picture tells a thousand words. Just look at their mouths! =)

Caught in action. They'll never believe they're international stars now.

Goodness and Mercy imprisoned?

It was a beautiful morning. Despite the haze, I’m still amazed with God’s creation. The cool air, the serenity in my area, my beautiful/handsome Toffee… and I remembered Goodness and Mercy. Poor girls, I bet they’re all stressed up in the clinic. Hotel? More like prison.

Ahem, it was a busy day, in and out, nevertheless Goodness and Mercy still had time to come out, wee wee woo woo pee pee poo poo… they had ample of time, but I guess they must be so stressed they didn’t drink much water, and didn’t eat nothing! I suppose they’re momma poppa would be so worried if I let them know of this.

Never the less, I would not tell them. Hopefully they’ll feel better, more cheerful tomorrow, at least, please… start to eat, my dear ones… sigh, now I understand how parents feel when their children would only play and not eat.

Goodness and Mercy, eat eat eat tomorrow please…. I’m adamant. I will not give them any other food, than their very own dog biscuit (by the way, science plan is a good one war…)

Fussy fussy doggies.
I’ll try to post a picture of them in jail tomorrow. kekeke…

Love God's creation.

I was reading a beautiful (but complicated it seems, :P) entitled Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. Still reading, but I stumbled across this passage, which I totally agreed upon, and very much love to share. Here goes…

…And so the first step in the study of nature is reverent observation (agree!)… From Alp to insect, anything will do, provided that your attitude be right (agree!!)…Of this much we can be sure: if we love the creation, we will learn from it, In The Brothers Karamazov Dostoevski counsels,

“Love all God’s creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day.”

I remembered seeing two stray puppies running around the streets one day and how I cracked my brain, trying to figure what could I do to rehome them. Somebody told me, “I don’t understand you, why can’t you be like others? You want to be laughed at? You’re going to be a laughing stock. When you’re old are you going to live with 70 dogs in your house? How will people look at you?”

My question was, why can’t she see things through my eyes? Why must she see things through the judgemental, cruel society’s eyes?

All I know is, I’m not going to live life ordinary. It’s not going to be “just like others”.

I am myself.

FURminator deShedding Tool (Malaysia/Singapore)

FURminator deShedding Tool

It’s not a brush, it’s FURminator deShedding Tool!

The patented FURminator deShedding Tool quickly and easily removes (it doesn't cut, it removes) the loose, dead, undercoat hair that's the underlying source of a pet owners major complaint - shedding and the allergies and cleanliness problems associated with it. The unique stainless steel edge grabs the texture of the undercoat and removes it while gliding through and not damaging the topcoat.

- Reduces shedding up to 90%
- Guaranteed to reduce shedding better than any brush or comb
- Works great on all shedding dogs and cats (both long and short-haired)
- Brings out the pets natural oils, leaving a shiny and healthy topcoat
- Ergonomic rubber comfort grip

These are some information on Furminator, for your information. And to answer many of my readers questions, yes, I still have furminator, large and medium. I’m from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. So if you stay around here, you can save some cost on postage n handling. Singapore… so far I’ve got only one client from there.

Anyone interested to buy or get the furminator in Malaysia or Singapore, you can always contact me.

Cheers!

Another wedding...

It was a hot morning. I looked at my handphone clock: it's already 10.30am... I turned to pastor, hmm.. he still have some points to go. But I knew that I'm running late. The invitation card says 10am. I patiently waited until pastor finalized his sermon, then stepped out of church.

I rushed into my car, locked the doors, and took out my sifu of the day: GPS (Global positioning satellite??). Yes, I'm not gonna get lost a second time. This time the venue is Thean Hou Temple. Jalan? something something I've never heard of, but with sifu around, I'll be there soon. +glee+

Due to unfamiliarity with my sifu, I somehow got lost in a few roads, nevertheless, found my way there in 20 minutes, not bad at all,comparing to the 1 hour half las ttime at bukit bintang.

My fren is getting married!!! I was wondering, indians holding temple in Thean HouTemple? hmmm.. Anyway, when I saw Jovan ushering ppl in, I knew that I was at the right place. And my handsome fren Suren greeting ppl in the hall, yah... and there on the stage was the prince of the day, MAhen. \=)

As with all weddings, they're the perfect time for gathering of long lost frens. Met and had some talks with a few friends whom I've not seen for such a long time, victor (what a surprise to see him there!), rathna (I missed seeing her baby), kk (the MIA guy) and meeting new friends.

I was tired, very, but happy, very. On my way back, my sifu was not so kind to me, asked me to enter sprint highway, but i knew that i can get out through brickfields etc without having to pay the toll and drive the extra miles... but thank God, I finally got home, without my sifu's help. =)

Congratulations my dear fren, mahen. =) Have a blessed, blissful wedded life ahead. =)

God bless you and wife.

a better joke!

Just heard a story of a young boy staring at a plaque in a church. The pastor saw and walked over to the young boy and said, "Those are our young and brave soldiers who died in the service."
The young boy still staring at the plaque and asked, "Which service, the 8.30 am or the 10.30 am service?"

Uncle Paul - joke

we have heard lots of jokes before, bt this one is really a nice one. =)


'Hello?'
'Hi, honey.'
'This is Daddy.'
'Is Mommy near the phone?'
'No, Daddy. She's upstairs in the bedroom with Uncle Paul.'
After a brief pause, Daddy says,
'But honey, you haven't got an Uncle Paul.'
'Oh yes, I do, and he's upstairs in the room with Mommy right now.'
A Brief Pause,
'Uh, okay then, this is what I want you to do.'
'Put the phone down on the table, run upstairs.
And knock on the bedroom door and shout to Mommy,
"That Daddy's car just pulled into the driveway."

'Okay, Daddy, Just a minute..'
A few minutes later, the little girl comes back to the phone.
'I did it, Daddy.'
'And what happened, honey?'


'Well, Mommy got all scared, jumped out of bed with no clothes on and ran around screaming. Then she tripped over the rug, hit her head on the dresser. And now she isn't moving at all!'

'Oh my God! What about your Uncle Paul?'
'He jumped out of the bed with no clothes on, too. He was all scared and he jumped out of the back window and into the swimming pool.
But I guess he didn't know that you took out the water last week to clean it. He hit the bottom of the pool and I think he's dead.'
A Long Pause…..
Longer pause…..
Even Longer Pause…..
Then Daddy says, 'Swimming pool? '
'Is this 486-5731?'

A True Malaysian Hero

I learned about this from an email - hey, how could Malaysians not know that a successful Malaysian is interviewed by a famous international TV program? "sigh"..

Please watch this.. TVB made a documentary on CM Lim Guan Eng. It's very interesting that other countries all over the world are taking interest in Penang now under a new political party.

This clip is very inspiring to many, not just in Malaysia but also in other countries.
Hong Kong TV program about Penang – Penang people esp. should watch this!

Also, please distribute this to your friends & other family to watch.
Part 1, 2, 3 >> with English subtitles=========http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HA5HRSlYcYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmNwjX9TnGE; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaAvEFRQkqM

This is a must-watch. And don't keep it to yourself - circulate it to your friends. =)

Good metaphor - how to keep a fish fresh?

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The further the fisher men went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go further and stay longer.

However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan . How did they manage?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired and dull? Basically in our lives, sharks are new challenges to keep us active.. If you are steadily conquering challenges, you are happy.

"Your challenges keep you energized. Don't create success and revel in it in a state of inertia. You have the resources, skills and abilities to make a difference. Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go..! "

A Daddy Who Loves Me

Today's Truth
"I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:18 NIV).

Friend To Friend

One of my favorite retreat topics is from my book, Dreams of a Woman -- God's Plans for Fulfilling Your Dreams. In this book, I talk about five dreams every little girl has: to have a daddy who loves her, to be a bride, to be a mommy, to be beautiful, and to have a best friend.
In talking to women all across the country, I have seen eyes fill with tears when I talk about the dream of having a daddy who loves me, but the tears are not for me. They reveal the longing in their own hearts.

Butterfly Kisses (haaa… this is one of my favourite song! Loved its lyrics!), a song by Bob Carlisle that climbed the charts in 2000, received international recognition in both the Christian and secular music industries. The song was about the tender love between a father and his daughter, starting from her birth to her wedding day. Mr. Carlisle said, "I get a lot of mail from young girls who try to get me to marry their moms. That used to be a real chuckle because it's so cute, but then I realized they didn't want romance for mom. They want the father that is in that song, and that just kills me."

In the Old Testament, God has many names. He is Elohim -- the Creator, El Elyon -- God Most High, El Roi -- the God who sees, El Shaddai -- the All-Sufficient One, Adonai -- the Lord, Jehovah -- the Self-Existent One, Jehovah-Jireh --the Lord Will Provide, Jehovah -- Rapha -- the Lord that heals, Jehovah--Shalom -- the Lord is peace, Jehovah-Raah -- the Lord my Shepherd, and many more. His covenant name with the people of Israel was I AM. J.I. Packer, in his book, Knowing God, said, "He is: and it is because He is what He is that everything else is as it is."

In the New Testament, Jesus introduced a new name for God -- Father. It is the name that Jesus referred to more than any other and the name that He invites us to use to address the Creator of the Universe. Just stop and think about that for a moment. The God of the universe who created the heavens and the earth, who always has been and always will be, who is all knowing, all powerful, and present everywhere at once -- that same God invites you to call Him Daddy!

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He said:
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name....' (Matthews 6:6-9 NIV).

Packer went on to say: "For everything that Christ taught, everything that makes the New Testament new and better than the Old, everything that is distinctly Christian as opposed to merely Jewish, is summed up in the knowledge of the fatherhood of God." All other religions demand followers to worship created beings (Mohammad, Buddha), but Jehovah the Creator, the great I AM, invites us to crawl up in His lap, become His child, and call Him Abba, Daddy. He said, "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters" (2 Corinthians 6:18NIV).
This Father's Day, no matter what your situation may be with your earthly dad, always remember that you have a heavenly Father who loves you dearly and has your name written on the palm of His hand.

Let's Pray
Dear Lord, Thank You for being a father who loves me as His precious child. How amazing to think that the God who created the universe and all it contains, invites me to be His child and call Him Abba, Father. I do not take this invitation lightly, but cherish it with all my heart.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

Dog Massacre in China: 30,000 Dead and Counting

You can help us end bloodbaths like this and protect dogs in China from future culls
A death squad pursues a terrified dog.

Please help stop the slaughter.


A massive cull in the Chinese city of Hanzhong has claimed the lives of more than 30,000 dogs - and now we need your help to make sure that it never happens again.

The local government ordered the mass slaughter of all dogs as the result of a few cases of rabies deaths. Dog killing squads are stalking the streets, mercilessly beating dogs to death with sticks and rocks.

Friendly dogs - even healthy family pets - are being slaughtered right in front of their owners. Can you even begin to imagine how you'd feel if that happened to your dog?

IFAW has pleaded with government officials to stop the killing - and now we turn to you.

Please help us stop these cruel and massive slaughters once and for all.

Horrifying scenes of cruelty

Some of the pictures from culls like these are so horrifying that I can't even show them to you. And I hate having to describe this, but I think you need to know the truth about what's happening.

In one series of pictures, several small and fluffy white dogs - you can just tell they're used to snuggling on the laps of their loving owners - are trapped in a makeshift cage. One by one, the dogs are pulled out with a pair of long metal tongs, and brutally beaten with a stick. And then - even though it appears that some of the dogs may still be alive - they're tossed into a pit to be burned.

I can't even imagine the pain and terror these poor dogs endure when the fire is set.

So many dogs will suffer slow and painful deaths...we must stop this cruelty now!

What we're doing and how you can help

We have received so many messages in the past few days from animal lovers like you inside and outside China - pleading with us to step in and stop the slaughters like the one in Hanzhong City.

I assure you, IFAW is working to end these culls:

We've already contacted local authorities in Hanzhong City to urge them to end the slaughter. Now you can help by contacting the Chinese Ambassador in your country.

IFAW is creating an emergency rabies vaccination fund so that we can offer rural communities in China an alternative to mass slaughters like the one in Hanzhong. Please give generously to our emergency rabies vaccination fund.
We're working with the central government to pass animal welfare legislation in China that will ensure the humane treatment of all animals. IFAW has already helped major cities like Beijing establish dog regulations that mandate humane vaccination and population control.

We CAN stop culls like this

We recently joined with concerned animal lovers in China to stop a similar mass slaughter in the city of Heihe by pointing out that the killing of dogs that have rightful owners is a violation of the basic rights of a citizen - owned dogs and cats are considered the "personal property" of Chinese citizens, and should be protected under China's Constitution.

Plus, it has been proven that rabies can be effectively controlled by a well-managed vaccination program. In fact, a humane vaccination and neuter program in Chennai, India, has dramatically reduced rabies cases there by over 95%.

So we must act now to stop the killing! Please click here to contact the Chinese Ambassador in your country to call for an end to mass slaughters like this and to encourage China to pass legislation that protects all animals, including companion animals.

And then please donate what you can today to help us set up an emergency vaccination fund to help cities in China establish rabies prevention programs, help eliminate these mass dog culls once and for all, and to continue our mission to protect animals around the world from cruelty.

The slaughtered dogs of Hanzhong City deserved a better fate. Please help us ensure that dogs in other communities in China are protected from similar mass killings.

Thank you so much for your help,


Fred O'Regan
IFAW President

Disappointments?

i

The Cure for Disappointment

by Max Lucado

Don't ask God to do what you want. Ask God to do what is right.

When God doesn't do what we want, it's not easy. Never has been. Never will be. But faith is the conviction that God knows more than we do about this life and he will get us through it.

Disappointment is cured by revamped expectations.

I like that story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a singing parakeet. Seems he was a bachelor and his house was too quiet. The store owner had just the bird for him, so the man bought it. The next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. He went to the cage to feed the bird and noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one leg.

He felt cheated that he'd been sold a one-legged bird, so he called and complained.

"What do you want," the store owner responded, "a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?"

Good question for times of disappointment.

From

Let the Journey Begin:

God's Roadmap for New Beginnings

© (J Countryman 2009) Max Lucado

reverse mode ?

Oh Boy, don't i love this!! ;-) Habitat for Humanity - Sharon Jaynes

It was the incompetent and the inexperienced being led by the inept -- the day our Sunday School Class worked on the Habitat for Humanity house for an unsuspecting, extremely grateful Vietnamese family. Among the crew were two dentists, an investment banker, a lawyer, an engineer, two pastors, a receptionist, several homemakers and a marriage counselor. It's always good to have a marriage counselor on hand when a home improvement project is taking place.

The one-thousand square foot, vinyl siding house had already been framed by a team the week before. Today was sheetrock, or drywall day. The site supervisor's name was TA. That's all the information he gave -- just TA. TA became a Christian one Easter when he reluctantly agreed to go to church with his praying wife.

"I never went to church," he told my husband. "I was a mean man who worked seven days a week. But one Sunday I put on a suit and told my wife, 'I'm going to church with you today, but don't ask me to do it again. This is a onetime deal.' But Jesus saved my soul that day and I've been livin' for Him ever since."

That was TA. A country carpenter who had hammered more nails for Jesus than Noah and his son's put together. He grabbed his clipboard and began.

"Does anyone here know anything about dry wall?" he asked.

Jeff reluctantly raised his hand.

"OK, you'll be a team leader." TA checked the list and moved right along.

"But that was thirty years ago when I was in college," Jeff clarified.

"You'll be fine," TA said as he waved his hand. "Like riding a bike."

I could tell you many stories of the day filled with wacky work and lively laughter laced with caring community, but let me share just one.

Palmer was part of the sheetrock team. Like Rambo, he wielded his screw gun and popped those babies in the sheetrock like a hot knife through butter. Piece of cake. After several hours of neck craning, screw popping, dust in your eyes labor, Palmer took a fifteen minute break.

Re-energized, Rambo picked up his machine gun and once again attacked the ceiling. A lot of forgetting can go on in a fifteen minute break and for some reason the screws forgot how they were supposed to spin out of the gun and magically implant flush with the ceiling.

"That's strange," Palmer thought as he examined the screw protruding one inch from the ceiling.
He moved the gun over a couple of inches and tried again. "Maybe I just need to push harder" he mused. With all the force of a trained counselor, Palmer pressed the gun into the ceiling and pulled the trigger. Once again, the screw hung down one inch from the ceiling.

Like a tennis player who examines his racket after missing an easy lob, or an outfielder who stares at his glove after missing a simple fly ball, Palmer looked at the gun in frustration. "Something is definitely wrong with this gun," the mumbled. "I guess I need to push even harder." Palmer set his jaw, clinched the gun, and firmly pressed the screw gun into the ceiling. "I'm a man. I can do this. I'm going to make this work."

After a third attempt, a frustrated Palmer stared at a neatly placed row of three taunting stalactite screws protruding from the ceiling.

About that time, TA bounced through the room and casually commented to Rambo still holding his gun. "Hey Buddy, you might want to take that gun out of reverse."

A flush of embarrassment rose from the tip of Palmer's dusty shoes to the top of his sandy- blond head. He nonchalantly flipped the switch to forward and proceeded to shoot flush screws efficiently and effectively like nothing had ever happened.

Later, Palmer laughingly said, "Sometimes I'm not the brightest person in the world, but I wonder how many rows of protruding screws I would have shot into that ceiling before I stopped and even considered that the problem might be me?"

OK sisters, stop the cameras. Suddenly I saw myself staring up at those protruding screws with my baffled friend. "What's wrong with her," I complain about a friend who's let me down. "What's wrong with him," I complain about my husband who's not acting according to my plan. "What's wrong with them," I mumble about family members who are not living up to my expectations." In frustration, I continue repeating the same ineffective behavior, never stopping to consider the problem might be me.

Whether it's a string of jobs where you're always treated unfairly, a pileup of relationships that seem to repeatedly end poorly, or a series of marriages with spouses who've let you down...could the problem be...dare I say... you? We push harder. Press more firmly. Repeat the same ineffective behavior again and again.

May I quote TA? "Hey Buddy. It might help if you take it out of reverse."

May I translate TA the way I heard it? "Hey Buddy. You are the problem. You've got life in reverse. Turn and go in the opposite direction."

And you know what? That is the definition of repentance. To turn around and go in the opposite direction.

Palmer could have pushed that screw gun into the ceiling until its nose broke through the sheetrock. He could have forced those babies in -- even hammered them flush. Then he could have slathered a coat of sheetrock mud over the holes and applied a nice coat of paint. On the outside, it might have looked like the screws were properly installed. But the truth would come out eventually. The screw threads would have simply cut a hole in the material and the purpose for which they were created lost. There would be no grip of the screw threads into the drywall. No security in the construction. Just a nicely painted ceiling on the verge of collapse.

Oh friend, when it comes to a life that is not working, we can try harder, push harder, and even pound with emotional hammers to try and make it work. With a fresh coat of pretend-- a smiling face, spit-shined kids, and a well marked Bible, we might look OK -- even downright good. But underneath, the construction remains shaky at best.

But when trying harder is replaced with repentance, shaky is replaced by secure. If life isn't working for you, consult with the project manager -- Jesus Christ. Trying harder is not the answer. Pushing with more force won't get the job done well. Repeating the same ineffective behavior will only leave you frustrated. But relying on the power of the Holy Spirit working in us, God's love flowing through us, and Jesus Christ's redeeming grace surrounding us, well, that is the key to building God's ultimate habitat for all humanity.

Let's Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, sometimes I just don't get it. I try harder, but with the same results. I repeat the same ineffective behavior and then wonder why I don't have more victory in my life. Help me to stop trying harder in my own strength, but start depending more on Your power. Show me when I need to turn and go in the opposite direction, and give me the courage to do so.

In Jesus' Name, Amen

I can't stand wordpress.

I don't know what' taking it so long to upload the pages. Even to log in takes a minute. To upload a picture? Takes half an hour, or maybe a day or two.

What's going on? Something must be wrong, otherwise the whole-wide-world would have boycotted wordpress by now.

I'm on the verge of boycotting wordpress now.

Dark vs light - light is better!! -=D

Well, today is a special day – early in the morning I had a very very “dark” client which really turned me off. Later in the evening I received a house call request at Bukit Rahman Putra. On the way there I had a short conversation with God – complaining and pleading with God on the “dark” clients. “How do I handle them? They’re truly mood-spoilers. Help me o Lord…” I cried. I needed some "lights". Desperately.

I reached the Bukit Rahman Putra house. The owners of the dog were a pair of old couple in their 60s or 70s I guess… Never the less, I thank God the dog handling was quite simple – first, somehow, the fierce dog was very playful towards me. Secondly, the owner was so cooperative.

To make things better, they invited me into their house to fill in a form, and while doing so offered me 100plus. Of course, I don’t like cold drinks thus had to turn down the sweet offer. Then the uncle even offered me extra few ringgit for “yum cha”. But of course, I had to turn down the offer also – don’t want to take advantage of them.

When I was leaving, they even walked me out and watched me get into my car. I tried to start the engine… “kelek kelek…” Oops… I tried to think what could have gone wrong. I tried again. “kelek kelek.. kekkkKKK!!!” Oh gosh.. I really couldn’t think. Then the uncle walked out.

“Hey I think your starter rosak dee la…” I thought… battery gone chances is higher. How to check? I didn’t know… Uncle came out and opened the bonnet – yaiks!! The battery top was filled with salt – blue and white salts (wow.. now I remembered chemistry in my secondary school!)

“Waaahsehhh… you young people how do you drive one? Why never cek your car ar?”
“Why lea uncle?” I asked, innocent.
“Look at the battery! Waaa…. Bla bla bla bla…” and he gave me a long lecture on how to maintain the car. I simply grinned. “You wait ar…”

He went into his house, then threw out two wires attached to some pliers-like stuff (he calls that start jumper.. new vocab for me..) then went into his car. I waited outside his house.. a minute… five minutes… 15 minutes… and I got real curious…

“Uncle, what are you doing there ar?”
He turned towards me, “I’m taking out the battery from my car, then only can bring the battery over to your car to start off your car ma…”Wow!! I was so touched! He actually dismantled the battery from his car in order to help me! My heart melted. God.. thank you for sending me this angel.. You’ve “lit up” my “dark” day.

I smiled cheek to cheek. Seems to me that I have to “receive” something from this uncle today. First he offered the 100plus, I turned him down. Then he offered the “yum-cha” money, I turned him down. Now he offered his help, I needed it. =) He’s the angel of my day.

Praise God, finally my car got moving again, and uncle was at his lectures again… bla bla bla.. “Don’t stop your car ar… if you must stop, stop in a foreman’s shop ar.. bla bla bla…”

I smiled. God is just so good. ;-) Bless this old couple, O Lord.

The world is dark.. but light still exists. Praise God for tat. =)

Everyday in my work place I encounter people of all kinds of bad attitude, snobbish, arrogant, discriminative, rude, cruel, indifferent, demanding, selfish, ruthless, rich yet stingy etc etc etc. Many a times they turn my mood off. I guess seeing these kinds of people more and more I'll be a "cool" answering machine soon.

Despite all these darkness... I'm glad.. I do encounter very very nice people.. People who are genuine, sincere, persistent, hardworking, obedient (obey the vet's advice), caring, courteous, selfless, understanding, and many a times their kind words melt my heart, draw my eyes to tears.

I thank God for sending these angels to remind me that, no matter how dark the world is, there is still light shining thru. Jesus is the light of the world. How can I keep my eyes focused on the darkside?

From now on, I'll brush away the "dark" people, and remember the "light" people. And hence I'll be posting on the "light" people in my blog and forget about the "dark".

PRAISE GOD!!! =)

I missed the moments...

I missed the moments when i had the time to look around the place, decorate here and there... arrange this and that... undisturbed...
I missed the times of hugging the dogs n cats one by one... undisturbed...
I missed bringing my dogs for a long stroll in the field... without worries...
I missed the times when I could sit quietly and just read... undisturbed...
I missed the times when I could teach and train my dogs, one by one... undisturbed..

We're getting busier each day, and I lose my personal life at work more and more each day...
People (not animals) are driving me nuts...

telephone kept ringing (where's the operator?),
door bell kept ringing (where's the door man?),
people never stop talking (where's the answering machine?),
people never stop asking the same question again and again and you have to spend half an hour to teach them how to spell A-P-P-L-E... (where's the FAQ machine?)

The pressure is high. Had to entertain the super-attention-seeking people, had to watch, treat, inject, clean, and love the pets, had to had to had to had to... (where's the end of the list?)

I lost my personal time... Clients demand for our time, yet do not pay for it... not to mention any droplet of appreciation... they're ichiban at driving other people nuts... i pray tat i will not lose my character.

i'm exhausted, tired. Very very very exhausted. I need a break. A real, long break.

I missed the old times. I know that it's gone. But I will never giving up nor give in to the circumstance. There's got to be a change.

I'm seeking. Seeking for something.

An impossible God? (continued)

This is a continuation from my previous post.
--

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses’ training school, a message was sent that there was a car tat my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the verandah, was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the packaging strings, carefully undoing each knot.

We unfolded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some 40 pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly coloured, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas – that would make a batch of buns for the weekend.

Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the… could it really be? I grasped it eagerly and pulled it out. Yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle!

I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, “If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!”

Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully-dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted. Looking up at me, she asked, “Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she’ll know that Jesus really loves her?”

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God’s prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child – five months before – in answer to the believing prayer of a 10-year-old to bring it “that afternoon”.

--
Indeed, “before they call, I will answer!” (Isaiah 65:24). God is in the business of hearing, answering and even exceeding our prayers! We must get out of our rut of “business as usual” to engage in “unusual business” with God.

Pray, with faith, with no doubt.

An impossible God?

I read this, and found the same truth happened to me many a times. Too good not to share with you. here goes... ;-)

This inspiring story came through an email from Arnold Raubenheimer, a retired mission doctor and gynaecologist living in South Africa. This story was told to Arnold by another mission doctor serving in Africa:

One night, I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (there was no electricity to run an incubator), nor any special feeding facilities.

Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly, with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool the baby would be wrapped in. another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle.

She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. “And it was our last hot water bottle!” she exclaimed.

There was no use crying over spilled milk, so is no use crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drug stores down forest pathways.

“All right,” I said. “Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.”

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could easily die if it got chills. I also told them about the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

During the prayer time, one 10-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. “Please, God,” she prayed, “send us a water bottle. It’ll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.”

While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of a corollary, “And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she’ll know that You really love her?”

As often with children’s prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, “Amen?” I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything. The Bible says so. But there are limits, aren’t there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at the time, and I had never ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

-to be continued…-

Bamboo farmer - let us not lose heart

Oh... I've never know about bamboo's childhood story... i'm enlightened.

May 13, 2009
Lessons from the Bamboo Farmer
Sharon Jaynes
Today's Truth

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap a harvest if we do not grow weary" (Galatians 6:9 NASB).

Friend To Friend

For years, I told people that I was in labor for 23 hours. However, the truth is more like 23 years. Being a mother has been the most fulfilling, frustrating, exciting, exhausting, mind-boggling, hair-raising thrilling tiring, stimulating, soul-stirring, delightful, difficult, consuming, laborious, uplifting, inspiring, challenging, captivating, and rewarding job I've ever had. Did I mention difficult? I should have gotten a clue when I was told that having a child begins with a word called "labor."

I've had times when I felt like throwing up my hands in frustrations and saying, "I quit!" Is what I'm doing making any difference to anyone? I want result! Show me results! Then I think about the bamboo tree.

When the Chinese plant bamboo, first they plant the seeds, then water, and fertilize them. The first year, nothing happens. The second year they continue to water and fertilize the seeds, and still nothing happens. The farmer continues this process for a third and fourth year with no visual results. Then sometime during the fifth year, in a period of approximately six weeks, the Chinese bamboo grows ninety feet.

Did the bamboo grow ninety feet in six weeks or did it grow ninety feet in five years? The obvious answer is that it grew ninety feet in five years. If the grower hadn't applied water and fertilizer every year, there would be no bamboo.

It is the same way with raising children. We pour into their lives. We plant seeds of character, pull weeds with discipline, water with prayer, and fertilize with encouraging words. Then one day, if we are persistent and consistent, we will see beautiful results.
If you are in the midst of raising your children, or even a parent of grown children waiting to see the results, I want to encourage you to press on. Don't give up! Keep praying! Keep encouraging! Keep loving! And one day, when you least expect it, your child will one day "rise up and call you blessed."

Let's Pray

Dear Lord, sometimes I get really tired and frustrated as a mom. When I grow discouraged, will You help me to keep the goal before me...to raise a child who is a man or woman after God's own heart? Help me to remember that You, as my heavenly parent, never give up on me. Even when You don't see the results that You desire, You continue to love, nurture and teach me. Thank You for being my example of persistent and consistent love.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

For once... (and i hope for coming days too)...

For once.. Malaysia proves herself that the Law and Constitution still rules. We are still, at least for now.. a democratic nation! I'm happy. Happy.

Court rules Nizar is Perak MB; BN to appeal (Update 10)
KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional will appeal the High Court ruling on Monday that declared Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as the rightful Perak Mentri Besar, and not Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
The appeal would be filed on Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
In the meantime, he urged the people of Perak to remain calm while "the situation is resolved."
Pakatan Rakyat is however adamant that there is no "situation."
“This is a great day for the rakyat (people) because the Law and the Constitution are the true winners,” Nizar said in a statement.
“It is a historic day for all who love democracy and it will be remembered for years and years to come. Its positive effects for revitalising parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy is tremendous,” he said.
He said that everyone from both sides of the political divide would benefit from this ruling “because an independent judiciary is absolutely essential for the well-being of any country and its people.”
Nizar said that all previous decisions made by the Dr Zambry administration would be subject to review but not invalidated except for the tumultous May 7 sitting.
He also suspended the state legal adviser with immediate effect.
Nizar said that once he arrived in Ipoh, he would meet with his Pakatan exco at 11pm and a press conference could be expected after that.
Earlier, Zambry said he would apply for a stay pending appeal. This was immediately rejected by the court.
The court also ordered Zambry and the six executive councillors he had appointed to vacate their office.
An aide to Dr Zambry told the media that Perak Barisan Nasional will respect the court order and will vacate their offices at the state secretariat building immediately.
He added that Dr Zambry is on his way to Kuala Lumpur from Ipoh. Dr Zambry could not be reached for comment at press time.
Dr Zambry's private secretary Khairul Azwan Harun then asked the media to vacate the office, saying that their presence was "scaring off the staff."
By 5:30pm, several truckloads of Federal Reserve Unit personnel and police had arrived at the state secretariat building in Ipoh.
“Our presence is to maintain law and order,” said Perak CPO Deputy Comm Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah.
“We will not allow any illegal assembly or procession by either party,” he said.
Nizar left the KL courtroom saying he would seek an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, to get his consent to dissolve the Assembly and call for fresh state elections.
He would make his request for the audience at a state function at the Istana Kuala Kangsar Tuesday morning.
In his ruling Monday, Justice Abdul Aziz Abd Rahim said that a new mentri besar could not be appointed as the office had not been vacated.
He said a mentri besar can only be dismissed by a vote of no confidence, and upheld the Stephen Kalong Ningkan ruling.
He noted that the Perak State Legislative Assembly had not held a vote of no confidence.
In 1966, Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan was ousted when the state governor showed him a letter of no confidence issued by 21 out of 42 legislators and asked Ningkan to resign.
Ningkan refused, saying the letters were not tantamount to a vote of no confidence in the state legislative assembly. He was sacked by the governor but eventually reinstated by the Borneo High Court, which saw the necessity of a formal vote of no confidence.

i CANT stand it!

it's ok to be ignorant. Sometimes, it's even ok to be stupid.

To be ignorant, and insisting that you're correct when you don't have the facts makes people wonder of the level of your intelligence.

But to be ignorant, even after being supplied with the facts, even after being repeatedly informed by the professionals and still insisting that you're correct is INTOLERABLE@! Indescribable!

"are you sure? are you sure" with the annoying look, duh!! I need to hide away from these people.

the outcome...

I did get lost. First.. on my way to bukit bintang, I somehow landed in an absolute jungle - ampang. I could find no direction to bukit bintang. And signboards... were useless. All I could see was, Ampang Jaya, Pekan Ampang, pandan jaya (where's tat??!) . Hey... where's tat signboard to lead me out of this jungle?!! I was very demotivated, having trapped in my little vehicle, in the midst of a JAM.... one wrong turn, and i was stuck in the same place for half an hour.

Forget the torment, thank God all of a sudden I decided to make an illegal right turning - had all the cars honking and yelling (abit exaggerated here just to express my feelings) having to make way for this little vehicle crossing the double lanes. Anyway, then I decided to park my car and go home. No, not for ting's wedding. So I went to look for some good samaritans - and I found a couple!! They were so nice.. even drew a map to get me out of this jungle.

Praise God, I finally got out. Then i headed on to bukit bintang... and all of a sudden, Times Square was on my right. Cars and people were everywhere. Gosh.. I just got myself landed in another jungle!!! I know some of you locals reading this now may say - rusa masuk kampung. well tat's exactly the feeling i had then. It's not tat i've not been to bukit bintang, on foots I could find my way almost to every part of bkt bintang. with a driver, the roads in bkt bintang seemed to be so well organized, in order.

But tat's not the case when I was behind the wheels. Having decided few hours ago tat I would take this challenge on my own (rejecting an offer to drive me) I decided to depend on the map in my hand, and the signboards. Heck, all signboards there are useless!! And honestly, a GPS then would be so darn helpful. Anyway, i followed the road signs to jalan bukit bintang, jalan imbi.. and after a few rounds i realized tat i'd never get out of this maize. So i called my fren - who led me out of the maize amidst the jams in 45 minutes, phew!! I had wanted to turn back to jalan tun razak soOOOooo many times, but my fren was patient, kept assuring me, "you're almost there.. almost there.." when in fact I reached the destination in 30 minutes.

Not because i was far from the destination, but because of the JAMS. And I realized one thing - it's all one way street in bukit bintang!!! Wat a nightmare!!! I missed a few turnings, and i had to repeat the jam cycle once again. Oh, not forgetting I did alot of illegal turnings. Oh, cameras, please don't spot me!!

THank God, I finally arrived.

Bukit Bintang - one day I'm gonna conquer you! HARRRGGGHHH!!!!

And the way back home - it's another haul.

my boy friend is getting married...

Myboyfriend is getting married.. but the bride is not me. haha...

He's holding his wedding dinner tonite... and this is the first time i'm driving to that area, somewhere near Bukit bintang.

Spent few hours on the net trying to get a GPS map.. sadly found zero. But nevertheless... i did find a simple map relating from my home to tat restaurant.. well.. hopefully it's easy to find. Many a times the map seem easy... but truly, it's not as easy as I thought.

Keep tonite in my prayers!

Congratulations ting! hmm.. dun think he'll be reading this blog anyway. It's just an announcement to my readers out there. ;-)

silence...

silence.. will be the sound of my blog for these few days. Nothing to write? In fact, things are so overwhelming that typing them out for a few seconds will tire me down.

sigh... not writing. for now. =)

But for those curious ones... I'm happy, grateful and in a joyous mood now. Appreciative. Thankful.

Awed.

It's so dificult.

Human beings are a complex entity. Sometimes the reason why I prefer dogs and cats are they are so much more straight forward, if they love you, they tell you. If they hate you, they let you know so.

Knowing someone who's a straight-forward loud mouth may not be as dangerous compared to someone who's tolerant, and quiet. We may not know. We may never know. Sometimes our instincts spell things right. But even if you know, what good does it do unto you? Perhaps, it helps you prevent your fall. perhaps...

I watch the person treating her friend so nicely, so forgiving with all the jokes, but when the friend's away, she couldn't help complaining about the friend. In another term, it's backstabbing. I know, human nature, many "friends" do this.

Sometimes ppl who do not speak the truth face to face really sicks me off. Just live life simple, can't they? Well, things are not the same, if when you speak the truth at their faces, ISA's gonna come get you. But if you call yourselves "friends"?

But the scene is so hard to bear.


Dear Lord,

help me to not jump to conclusions and make quick judgments. Help me always to realize that I don't have all the facts when it comes to another person's attitude, actions and reactions.

Give me a gracious and loving spirit that always thinks the best of others and closed lips when I don't. In Jesus' Name i pray, Amen

Camping close to SiN

Wow.. i just visited this website.. and i couldn't help.. but it's too good.. i cant resist linking it here.

Read it, and be blessed. ;-)
http://ihaveplans4u.blogspot.com/2009/04/camping-too-close-to-sin.html

facts on bottled water - save the earth today, do it.

Do you use bottled waters? How often? Do you love the planet earth? Ever thought of living peacefully on earth with your grandchildren? peace? green?ever thought of doing your part in keepin it green? What should you ditch? Why is bottled water a big disaster to Earth? Learn the facts.

TODAY.

help, income tax month, e-filing? LHDN?!

oh yeah, this is the month of tax tax tax tax tax... i cant find the right word. perhaps, to declare and report your taxable income? Whatever. For those whose salary is lower than RM2500, don't worry.. you're exempted from this ordeal. To those with higher salary - sorry.. face the penalty of TAXATION!! (oops, is there such a word?) Whatever.

Gee.. guess i'm falling into the attitude of "Whatever". which really annoys myself too. Whatever.

So I've found a very good info ffrom a superb website by my fantastico radio station - MIX.FM!!!
yahoo.. they never fail me! I'm sharing some of the info from their website. Use it. Use it. Use it. Relieve yourselves from the torment of TAXATION! (yes, i just checked the dictionary - this word does exist. yahoooo.. i'm correct! )

DEDUCTION, RELIEF AND TAX REBATES FOR INDIVIDUAL

TYPE OF RELIEF
LIMIT
Individual
RM8,000
Disabled Individual (Additional0
RM6,000
Wife/Husband
RM3,000
Disabled Wife/Husband
RM3,500
Medical Expenses for own parents certified by medical practitioner
RM5,000
Cost of basic supporting equipment for disabled self, spouse, child or parent
RM5,000
Medical expenses for serious diseases (and full medical examination up to RM500) for self, wife and child
RM5,000
Fees expanded at a recognized institutions of higher learning
RM5,000
Purchase of books, journals or magazines and other similar publications (excluding newspapers and any prohibited publication)
RM1,000
Purchase of personal computer for Individual (once in 3 years allowed)
RM3,000
Net deposit in Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional for children
RM3,000
Purchase of sports equipment for any sports activity
RM300
Deduction for Children

Under 18 years
RM1,000
18 years/above and receiving full-time education at

School
RM1,000
Higher Educational Institute in Malaysia and outside Malaysia
RM4,000
Disabled Child
RM5,000
Disabled Child pursuing full-time education at Higher Educational Institute in Malaysia and outside Malaysia
RM9,000
EPF Contribution and life insurance premium
RM6,000
Education and Medical insurance premium
RM3,000

TYPE OF DEDUCTION
LIMIT
Gift of money to Government / Local Authority
NONE
Cash donation paid to approved institutions or organizations
Not exceed 7% of the Aggregate Income
Gift of money or cost of contribution for the approved sport activity or sports body
Gift of money or cost of contribution for any project of national interest approved by the Minister of Finance
Gifts of artifacts, manuscripts or paintings to the Government
NONE
Cash donation to public libraries and libraries of schools and institutions of higher education
RM20,000
Gift of money or in-kind for the provision of facilities in public places for the benefit of disabled persons
NONE
Cash contribution or medical equipments to any healthcare facility approved by the Ministry of Health
RM20,000
Gift of painting to the National Art Gallery or any state art gallery
NONE

TAX REBATE
LIMIT
CONDITION FOR REBATE
SELF
RM350
If Taxable Income does not exceed RM35,000
WIFE/HUSBAND
RM350
If Taxable Income does not exceed RM35,000 and husband/wife has no income/no total income
ZAKAT/FITRAH
NONE
Limit to amount of Total Tax Charged
FEES/LEVY
NONE
Paid by a holder of an Employment Pass, Visit Pass (Temporary Employment) or Work Pass

HBA - house buyers dilemma - prevent it!

Bravo to HBA (house buyer association) for this article!!! =)

And the best part about HBA is.. they're made up of voluntary lawyers!! oh... God bless them.. love you all!! :*)

---
House buyers, take note of differences in systems

WE at the HBA view with interest some housing project advertisements in the newspapers recently. They prominently state 10-90 as the mode of payment and went on to say, “Pay 10% and no payment until vacant possession.”

It would appear as if the mode of payment is similar to the Build-then-sell (BTS) 10-90 that HBA has been lobbying for and for which the Government is offering incentives to developers to adopt the system.

HBA feels that it is incumbent upon us to explain to potential house buyers the differences between the advertised 10-90 and the BTS 10-90 promoted by the Government under the amended Housing Act .

The advertised 10-90 system is actually a loan package deal whereby the buyer pays 10% upon signing the Sales and Purchase Agreement and the balance is progressively paid through the buyer’s housing loans. The loan is progressively disbursed to the developer as he builds the houses.

Hence the “… no payment until vacant possession” is not wholly true because, in actual fact, the buyer’s loan is used to progressively pay the developer. However, the interest payable for the progressive payments during the construction phase is shouldered by the developer.

In the BTS 10-90 system, the buyer pays 10% upon signing the SPA and does not make any more payment until the house is completed, with all the certifications obtained. Only then does the housing loan kick in and the buyer then pays the remaining 90%.

The vital difference between the advertised 10-90 system and the BTS 10-90 is that in the advertised 10-90 system, should the developer abandon the project, the buyer is left with a partially disbursed housing loan to settle.

The primary borrower is still the buyer and it is his sole responsibility to continue with the proper conduct of his loan from the financiers.

Banks have not been known to be sympathetic to victims of abandoned projects and the loans still have to be settled, house or no house. This is the predicament presently faced by tens of thousands of naïve and innocent buyers.

We would like to categorical­ly state that we are by no means implying that the advertised project is likely to be abandoned. This letter is only to inform potential buyers the differences between the advertised 10-90 and the BTS10-90 systems.

Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/8/focus/3637467&sec=focus

youtube: SPCA Adlan Laika Eng (Yasmin, autism, dog, malaysia)

A much, long-waited film. Thank you so-very-much, Yasmin for the production. God bless you, abundantly. =)

Please spread this little film.

Adlan was an extreme autistic who, for 7 years, behaved like he was trapped in a bubble, unable to communicate with the outside world, and vice versa.What finally brought him out of that state is shown in the commercial you see here.

Adlan was an extreme autistic who, for 7 years, behaved like he was trapped in a bubble, unable to communicate with the outside world, and vice versa.What finally brought him out of that state is shown in the commercial you see here.

The dog is the most misunderstood animal in this country. Its haters, I'm sad to say, are largely Malays who often don't even know the difference between "haram" and "najis", let alone the finer points and different degrees of najis.

With this little film, I urge my people to read more about the true Islamic rules concerning this beautiful creature of God, and to please refrain from being cruel to it.

Source: http://yasminthefilmmaker.blogspot.com/2009/02/please-spread-this-little-film.html

I knew of your coming-betrayal, yet I forgive you even before you repent.

"Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31 NIV emphasis added).

Friend to Friend

I'm so glad Jesus picked Peter to be one of His disciples. Time and time again we see him with his foot in his mouth, his pride in his pocket, and his temper on his sleeve. Satan knew Peter was going to have a big impact on the church at large, and he tried many times to get him off course. During the last supper, Jesus warned Peter that he was about to be tested..."Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31 emphasis added).

Peter puffed out his chest, lifted his head and said, "I am ready to go with you to prison and to death."

I imagine Jesus thought, Sure you are, buddy.

Just a few hours later, the sifting began. As Peter stood by the fire just outside where Jesus was being beaten and tried, a little servant girl asked if he was one of Jesus' followers.

"Woman, I don't know him," he said.

Then again...

"Man, I am not (one of his disciples)!" Peter replied.

And again...

"Man, I don't know what you're talking about!"

And just as the third denial slipped off Peter's lips, the rooster crowed to remind him of Jesus' words, "Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times."

Peter went outside and wept bitterly.

Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny him, and yet, before he even fell from grace, Jesus was picking him up. Yes, Peter was absolutely crushed at his weakness in denying Jesus three times. But then, the ray of God's love reminded him of Jesus' words... "When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

After Jesus' resurrection, he reminded Peter to invest what he had learned in other people. Three times Jesus asked, "Do you love me?" After each of Peter's affirmations, Jesus said, "Feed my lambs...take care of my sheep...feed my sheep." Peter did exactly what Jesus asked and spent the rest of his life investing in other people.
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Hush.. do you see what I see? Jesus foreknew Peter's betrayal, yet he mentioned or did NOTHING to condemn Peter. To add grace to mercy, he forgave Peter by saying this, "When you have turned back... strengthen your brothers"

What He was saying was, in our language, "When you're through with what you do, come back. "

Wow.. this was the first time this phrase touched me so greatly. Truly as Jesus said, "You wil be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes."

No wonder why so many people reads the Bible, and yet, never understand the simple words written within.

Forgiven Much - gwen smith

Source: Girlfriends in God
Forgiven Much - Gwen Smith

Today's Truth

"Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him." Psalm 32:2

Luke 7 introduces us to a woman who endured her shame publicly. She was guilty of something, though we are never told what. She is simply described as a woman "who had lived a sinful life." Though she is nameless to you and me, the people of her town surely knew her name. The Pharisees knew enough to condemn her with judgmental thoughts.
Her sin was public, not private. Yet, the public disgrace of this broken, sinful woman became the perfect canvas for Jesus Christ to paint a beautiful picture of extravagant grace.

"Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on the." (Luke 7:36-38, NIV).

Imagine what a scandalous moment this must have been. I'm sure the host was wondering how this uninvited woman managed to get into his home. We know his mind was racing, because the next few verses tell us.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."

Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." (Luke 7:39-48)

Imagine the freedom that flooded her soul when this woman looked up, through tear-filled eyes, into the face of grace for the very first time. Jesus looked beyond her reputation to her regret. Then He forgave her. Not because she had earned forgiveness, but because Jesus loved her.

She was forgiven much, so she loved Him much. Oh, how I can relate to this sinful woman. The love that resides in my heart is so great because the sins I've been forgiven of are so many.

Jesus still loves to extend grace, and I am so thankful. Grace! What none of us deserves, but each of us longs for. Philip Yancey in his book, What's So Amazing about Grace?, wrote:
Grace does not excuse sin, but it treasures the sinner. True grace is shocking, scandalous. It shakes our conventions with its insistence on getting close to sinners and touching them with mercy and hope. It forgives the unfaithful spouse, the racist, the child abuser. It loves today's AIDS-ridden addict as much as the tax collector of Jesus' day.
In his book 3:16, The Numbers of Hope, Max Lucado writes, "The heart of the human problem is the heart of the human. And God's treatment is prescribed in John 3:16." You have probably heard this verse since you were a child -- the verse scribbled on cardboard signs and held up at sporting events. The verse that gives hope to each and every one of us: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Why would He lay down His life for you, for me, and for all humanity? In one word: love. Perfect, unconditional, doesn't-matter-who-you-are-or-where-you've-been-or-what-you've-done love. God made a new and living way through the blood shed by Jesus Christ so our wounded hearts could be restored.

LET'S PRAY
Heavenly Father, You are above all and beyond all! You are mighty to save, gracious to forgive, and merciful to forget all that I've done wrong. I praise You for who You are, and thank You for the grace that is at work in my heart and in my life. Help me cast aside everything that keeps me from You today, Lord.

In Jesus' Name, I pray.

Amen.

Are you a stumbling block to others?

Yesterday I was watching ntv7 where an aged HK actress Helena was decribing the whereabouts of Vatican, and she mentioned things about her faith (Catholics). I watched excitedly as she explained the history behind the churches' buildings there, how they run things there, Mother Theresa and etc. But the show lost me when she raised an issue about her occupation, as an actress.

She remembered that years ago a friend of hers once asked her, "You're a Catholic, a believer of God and Jesus Christ, but you've played so many characters as sorcerers and many ghost movies which contradicts your faith, isn't that bad?"

She felt really bad when she heard this question, so she went to consult a priest/father (Paderi Feng). To my horror, this was his response.

Priest: Are you an actress?
Helena: Yes.
Priest: So, what does that have to do with your faith? You're just doing your job. Just do it!
And Helena was relieved.

Do you really think that what she did was right? She's an actress, but she CAN CHOOSE which type of movie to act in. Say, a pornography actress. If this pastor is confronted with the same question and gives the same response, I'll faint.

"Do not cause anyone to stumble..." Thus says the Holy Bible, 1Corinthians 10:32.

Remember, we are all created by God, and thus to God we shall return. Whether Christian or Catholics, we are all FIRST, the child of God. Second, whatever role you play on Earth, and that includes being an actress, you shall abide and remain in God's words.

I repeat, we are FIRST - a child of God. This means that whatever we do, especially in our daily day life and career, we should abide by God's words - the Holy Bible.

By acting as sorcerers and performing magics in movies, she has become a stumbling block to many of her viewers. And that, needs to be rectified.

To make things worse, the priest/paderi gave a response which was against what the Holy Bible says. He's merely trying to satisfy Helena, not God.

His response stirred a question in my heart: How close was His walk with God?

Of jerks and saints

I was driving home from work today along a main road. On nearing an intersection, I saw a car driving towards the main road. I had expected him to slow down, as the general rule of the traffic is, if you're joining a main road, you give way to those cars on the main road.

However, this guy did not slow down and zoomed on towards me. I was shocked, but I couldn't slow down nor brake coz I was already in the middle of the intersection. So I kept right to allow his car through.

We drove side-by-side for about 10 metres, when suddenly he started chipping into my lane. Initially I thought it was a careless swerve, but he continued his way towards my car, as if he's about to bang my side.

Quickly I braked and honked him. To my dismay, he retaliated with a honk and returned to his lane. What a jerk?!

Immediately the thought of Nick Vujicic came into my mind. And i thought, hey.. i've never seen this man frown. *smiled. I remembered the video of his talk in front of some college students in korea. He purposedly fell down, and I remembered clearly how he gathered his strength to push himself up again. *smiled.

Boy, the thought of such an inspirational man can easily lift me up.

I need to surround myself with inspiring people.