Returning to Adelaide soon!

Haha, i knw it's been a long time since i posted my last blog here.. Hmm, let's see, i've been back in s'pore for more than 2 mths now, really enjoy being in s'pore, the convenience, security, etc.. Really should not be taken for granted. Indeed I am blessed to be born in such a great country. I used to hate being in s'pore, dunno it's bcoz if NS or what.. but ever since i grew older, it's becoming more n more like home to me. However, there are the quirks in living in a developed nation such as s'pore.. Everything here is so modern, n life here is fast paced, it's ez to lose the meaning of life, n work can just be a mundane task that we complete everyday, then get home exhausted. I guess most of the working crowd in s'pore feels like this.. partly bcoz the working attitude here is quite hectic.

Besides enjoying time with friends and family, I must say, it's been quite an enriching experience working in IDA (infocomm development authority of s'pore). It's my 2nd time working there, & although last year i only worked there for a week, it gave me the confidence this year to return back n help in some survey conducted by the govt. Work hours r normal, 9am to 6pm, but sometimes, i do wish we could go home earlier to beat the rush hour crowd. Haha. Morning human traffic is the worst. Much squeezing into the trains everyday.. Haha. Kinda miss it when i am in adelaide, where there is never a lack of space on public transport. The office is nice, and i really enjoy working there, although the tasks I do are rather mundane and gets rather boring after some time.. Met a boss there who also graduated from EEE in the states. But he went there on an IDA scholarship. Wah, such a smart guy, he also went on the study an masters degree. Now, an assistant manager in ida, serving his bond.. Somehow I think God is showing me what I can do in future. That I will be able to work in an "office environment" although I may be an engineer by vocation. That was something I liked, being in an office, but yet doing something different.

I have 2 more years of studying to do, but God is always good, He always gives me a glimpse of my future, and I believe that God gives much more than we can ever imagine or expect! So i look forward to an exciting career, whever He decides to use me.. I am happy. Of course, SIA will still be my no.1 choice in career, bcoz of my interest in aeroplanes. Can't wait to see how my future will turn out, but I jus have to put my faith n trust in Him who provides, n i surely knw my future will be bright!

Returning back to adelaide in ard 20 days time.. I can say i have some mixed feelings, a bit sad of course, having to return to study, and leaving home, but i guess i'm used to it, and I do miss friends n fellowship in adelaide, which i do not have much of here, not to mention the cold weather! haha, it's so hot in s'pore smtimes.. but these days r rather nice n cool! I knw God has plans to grow me there, that's y i am studying there! N no matter how hard it is, I knw He will surely pull me thru, n give me enough grace to see me thru the tough times. 3rd year here i come! I knw it's not gonna be ez, but then again, who says university is ez? Haha, except for some geeks or nerds or supersmart students of coz.. :-p Adelaide here i come again!

Happy New Year!

The 12 days of Christmas : Hidden Meanings

People often think of the " The Twelve Days of Christmas" as the days preceeding the festival.
Actually, Christmas is the season of the Christian's year that lasts for days beginning on 25th Dec and ending on Jan 6th - the Day of Epiphany when the church celebrates the revelation of Christ as the light of the world and recalls the journey of the Magi.
Form 1558 until 1829 people in England were not allowed to practise their faith openly. During this era someone wrote "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as a kind of secret catechism that could be sung in public without the risk of persecution.
The song has two levels of interpretation: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the church
Each element in the carol is a code word for a religious reality.

1. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ

2. The two turtledoves are the old and new testaments

3. Three french hens stand for faith, hope and love

4. The four calling birds are the four gospels

5. The five gold rings recall the torah(Law) - the 1st five books of the old testament

6. The six geese a-laying stand for the six days of creation

7. Seven swans a-swimming represent the sevenfold gifts of the spirit

8. The eight maids a-milking are the eight beatitudes

9. Nine ladies dancing are the nine fruits of the spirit(Galatians 5)

10. Then ten lords a-leaping are the ten commandments

11. Eleven pipers piping stand for the 11 faithful disciples

12. Twleve drummers drumming symbolise the 12 points of belief in the Apostles's Creed

There you have it, the hidden meanings of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and the secret behind the song.

Read this and it gives new meaning to the song we sing at this time of the year

Seven Attitudes of the Great

1. Willingness - " If you are willing & obedient, you will eat the best from the land" - Isaiah 1:19

2. Confidence - "Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded" - Hebrews 10:35

3. Humility - "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. - 1 Peter 5:6

4. Thankfulness - " give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

5. Serving - " just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:28

6. Generosity - " A generous man devises generous things, & by generosity he shall stand" - Isaiah 32:8

7. Obedience - " God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land" - Psalm 68:6

Results out! Year 3 here I come...

The results came out today, as i checked online in the morning, i woke up early to check, and at 1st only 1 subject came out, i got just a pass, but I thanked God for it, coz it was the subject that I thought I almost couldn't make it in.. then a few minutes later, as i continued to check, 3 other subjects came out, i was very happy abt the results. All pass! Thank God for His faithfulness, I never doubted Him, and I always expected good things from Him, for if He has helped me thru the past 2 years, & He is the same God yesterday, today and forever, y won't He continue to bring me thru? I can truly say I did not worry about my exam results, even as my friends asked me why I returned home so early, and did not think abt what happened if i were to have a supp. But the fact is that I did Not think abt that. Y should I think negatively? I know I did my best, so i just left to God the rest.

Anyway, 4 out of my 5 subjects were out, and I was already very satisfied with them. A while later, the last result came out. I was indeed overjoyed by my grades. it seemed like the best I did so far, but then again, all glory goes to God, for without His grace, I wouldn't be where I am today. It is indeed different when we have Christ inside us, I could feel the peace that surpasses all understanding. The world says one thing, but nothing can be further from the truth, that God loves us so much, and He wants the best for us, and He IS going to give them to us.

Well, so year 2 is officially over and next year will be embraking on year 3! Can't wait to graduate, but I know that it's the process of going thru university that will make me a changed and better person. I look forward to a new expectation that 2007 will be an even better year, another year of favour, joy and surprises!

Last day of the semester

Yay, tmrw is officially the last day of the semester! Another sem has gone by again like that, and I must say it has been a challenging one.. Just managed to finish my prac today, which was about an audio system, so others were also testing our their circuit by putting music thru.. However, I actually heard a christian song, "above all" being played during one of the testing in another room. I couldn't see who the person was, but the music was very nice and indeed a reminder to me that God is with me, wherever i am. I was quite worried that i wasn't able to complete it by today, but somehow me and my partner did it. Thank God that's over! Another challenge is upon me as i have yet to complete my programming assignment.. But after today, I feel better again, as I knw that God's plan for me is for my best, and sometimes patience and faith is required for His work to be manifest in our lives. Test tmrw too, back to work! All the best everyone for their exam preparations and I look forward to going back home! :-)

Probably the last post b4 exams...

I was rather upset again yesterday about my failed pratical attempt to complete it.. while others were able to, me and my partner could not. On top of that I have many assignments which i just do not know how to do. It's not that I didn't study, I just don't knw y i can't do it.. I feel just so lousy, useless and stupid.. But somehow I still had the peace that everything will be all right, and even if it isn't, there is a reason for everything God is doing..

Today i woke up feeling better, and reading the daily bread devotional online showed me God knows what i am going thru.. a "fall" literally, but God comforted me about my future and my life.. I knw He is in charge. If anything should happen, I will always knw that it's for my good.. for His promises never fail.

Life being a christian sometimes dosen't seem easy or it might even seem unfair that others seem to be so "blessed" while we are going thru much trouble/problems, but I guess that's the journey we all must take, to become more Christ like, and soon we'll be back at home, where we all belong. So run the race that He set up b4 us with perseverence.

I won't be blogging much from today onwards, so taking this opportunity to wish everyone all the best for exams or catching up with assignments, etc. Even for those of us who r not studying, it's not ez too, but it's gd to know that God is always with us, and with Him nothing is impossible. The best is yet to come!!!

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut. 33:27).

With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you.

Holidays ending soon..

Argh, mid sem break is ending soon! 2 weeks really past so fast.. wish normal uni days were like that.. Hmm, did some work during the break, but also wasted time.. so in a way i guess having uni is better, at least have a certain schedule.. not to say i dun have discipline. Hee. jus that smtimes having a regieme is better than none.. but the holidays have been a gd time of rest and catching up with friends. Oh well, holidays ending, exams coming! a few more weeks left.. term 4 is realli short. Gambate everyone! All the best for the coming term 4 and preparation for exams!

OCF 50th Anniversary

Yeah! OCF just celebrated it's 50th anniversary! More than gold! Had a dinner and a gd time in the meeting place we usually go to for every friday's ocf session. Many ppl turned up, it was quite a formal event, and many generations of ocfers were present. Even the uncles and aunties from many many years ago! It's amazing to see how God has faithfully seen thru so many generations of ocfers and how His work is continually growing in ocf even in this year of 2006. Memories of past years ocfers must have been revived, and overall it was just great to see everyone from many countries and age gather together for a night of fun and reflection. I'm sure God will continue to bless ocf with yet another 50 years of growth and ministry. It has shaped and helped many overseas students to reach out to their home countries after being trained in ocf for many years. Can't wait to see or hear from the next anniversary, prob in the next 50 years! 100th Anniversary! That'll b so awesome. And i'm sure by then, i'll be one of those uncles, 70+ years of age, seeing how much further ocf has grown.. all for the glory of God and it's all possible only because of His grace and faithfulness.

Kairos 2006

Kairos is over! It's been a weekend of great learning and having fellowship with friends.. Should have went for it last year too, but somehow i didn't go.. It was rather tiring smtimes, but its' great to have everyone from OCF south aust to come together to learn about leadership.. learnt about the heart of a leader, how to deal with conflicts, spritual gifts, and many other interesting topics involving leadership.. It was a v moving and fun experience. Had many interactions and sharing.. and it's so true that every christian is called to be a leader.. As we are the people usually see for an example. Finally Kairos is over, but can't wait for another exciting one next year! :-)

It's been great to visit a new church too.. n i realised, thruout my many visits, dun judge a church building by it's over.. It might look rather old or boring or even run down on the outside, but inside it's a totally diff story! It's such a nice place for worship and everything is just so clean, new and modern. Praise God for His provision to the many churches here and ard the world! It's gd that I also learnt not to take church for granted.. few ppl in the world have a chance to go to one even, needless to say having a place for worship and teaching sessions. So we should really all be v happy and blessed to even be able to attend church every sunday! :-)

Edge Conference

Yesterday's Edge Conference closing service was a huge success, with thousands of ppl attending.. It's really great to see the house full, even the carparks were not large enough to contain the number of ppl! Yeah, and worship was great, better than any pop/rock concert that ppl pay hundreds of dollars for.. the hospitality is excellent, and the facilities nonetheless to say, very modern and furnished. The atmosphere was powerful, with excitement of God's love..

Church however, is not about the building, the 4 walls, neither is it about ppl in the church staying within the 4 walls, as my pastor was saying, we need to go out there and do things.. to express our actions with what we preach. When he said this, l felt that it is v true of many churches around the world, including those in s'pore.. Churches can preach all they want, but if we only become church GOers, ie, sunday chruch ppl, there is no connection with others in the world.. we get fed, but there is no growth outside church. So we need to become Monday church ppl too! Outside of sundays, we are the church ppl see, and how we act determines how they see christianity. But neither can we also be only monday church ppl, we can't just go out there and help, coz we'll lose focus of the why behind the what, and we'll be disconnected from the sourse. We have to still continue to go chruch on sundays to be renewed and refreshed.

We should not do things for others bcoz we wanna gain recognition, love, rewards, etc.. but bcoz we love to, and we are blessed to be a blessing, so reaching out to help others in need, the poor, broken, needy is what we ought to do.. but it's easier said than done obviously.. we r still humans, and we have selfish disires smtimes.. but i believe with the right attitude, and thru Christ, all things are possible! In short, yesterdays message was a reminder to all us all to do what they were preached on sundays.. To be able to share/spread the gospel thru our actions.. That is true christianity.. but of coz once again, in order to be blessed to be a blessing, we have to 1st recognise that we are indeed greatly blessed and highly favoured, and with our beautiful saviour backing us up in whatever we do, there is simply nothing we cannot accomplish!!! What marvellous, wonderful news is that!!

The Spider Web

During one of the many Reformation battles, a young soldier found himself and his army being soundly defeated by the enemy. He and his comrades hastily retreated from the battlefield in defeat, running away in fear of their very lives.

The enemy gave chase. The young man ran hard and fast, full of fear and desperation, and soon found himself cut off from his comrades. The soldier eventually came upon a rocky ledge containing a cave.

Knowing the enemy was close behind, and that he was exhausted from the chase, he chose to hide there. After he crawled in, he fell to his face in the darkness, desperately crying to God to save him and protect him from his enemies. He made a bargain with God. He promised that if God saved him, he would serve Him for the remainder of his days.

When he looked up from his despairing plea for help, he saw a spider beginning to weave its web at the entrance to the cave. As he watched the delicate threads being slowly drawn across the mouth of the cave, the young soldier pondered its irony.

He thought, "I asked God for protection and deliverance, and He sent me a spider instead. How can a spider save me?"

His heart was hardened, knowing the enemy would soon discover his hiding place and kill him. Soon he did hear the sound of his enemies, who were now scouring the area looking for those in hiding.

One soldier with a gun slowly walked up to the cave's entrance. As the young man crouched in the darkness, hoping to surprise the enemy in a last-minute desperate attempt to save his own life, he felt his heart pounding wildly out of control.

As the enemy cautiously moved forward to enter the cave, he came upon the spider's web, which by now was completely strung across the opening. He backed away and called out to a comrade, "There can't be anyone in here. They would have had to break this spider's web to enter the cave. Let's move on."

Years later, this young man, who made good his promise by becoming a preacher and evangelist, wrote about that ordeal.

What he observed has stood by me in times of trouble, especially during those times when everything seemed impossible:

"Where God is, a spider's web is as a stone wall. Where God is not, a stone wall is as a spider's web."

"For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things." - Luke 12:30

Sunny Sunday..

Yeah! one more week down, 1 more to go b4 the mid sem break.. Can't wait. It has been a bz semester, and with a few more weeks to go b4 the exams, things r really heating up! Haha. Well, thank God we still have the mid sem break to catch up with our studies, assigments, etc.. Walked back home from uni last week, the weather wasn't v gd.. as it just stopped raining or smthing, and as I walked, I didn't knw what made me turn around and guess what.. i saw a big beautiful rainbow!! Wow, It was like right b4 my eyes, and i quickly told my fren who was walking back with me. We took pics of them with our camera phones. Haha, the wonders of technology! Anyway, as i looked at the rainbow, i am reminded of God's covenant and promises to us.. It's such a beautiful phenomenon of nature but such a powerful promise from God too! It's just amazing and to be in awe, always, as I look at nature, God's creation around the world.. :-)

Hmm, Church was gd today too, with a prothetic message spoken to us.. edge church has really made me feel very warm, welcome and I have learnt so so much from the speakers.. Glad I made it my home church! Today's sermon was about DOUBLE fruitfulness in times of affliction and forgetting our past of hurts, disappointments, etc. The bible really has so much to tell us, so many interesting things, if only we are open to the word.. Worship is great too, just bought one of the church's cd album..the singers and songwriters are really gd.. God has indeed blessed them with the talents of songwriting and music making.. to impact others.

Just went to friend's b'day dinner yesterday too.. we went to an indian restaurant up north adelaide.. it was nice, ate food i nvr ate b4, but it was so ex! Coz of the minimum charge on weekends.. Pout. Haha. But it's an experience la.. $ can be earned back, but experiences are priceless. For everything else, there's mastercard.. :-P

God's Plan

Saw this article from a dayspring email, found it very encouraging and true.. so sharing it with all..

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

God has a plan for your life. He brought you into this world to fulfill that plan. It is the best plan that anyone could ever make for you. It is a plan that will bring Him the greatest glory and you the greatest good. From the beginning of this calendar year until its end, God is working out His plan.

As you follow God's plan for your life, you do so by faith. It is important to remember that He is the Guide and you are the follower. He does not need to bring you into His planning room as a consultant to help Him decide what is best for your life. God has called you to trust Him and to take the next step of obedience according to His will. God has said, "I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16 NKJV

Here are some ways that God is working out His plan:

He is your Shepherd—He is leading you.
He is your Provider—He is taking care of you.
He is your Strength—He is enabling you.
He is your Counselor—He is speaking to you.
He is your Shield—He is protecting you.
He is your Comfort—He is encouraging you.
He is your Father—He is blessing you.
He is your Deliverer —He has delivered you from sin and death

In relation to the above, Did u know that God has 8 names?

Jehovah Tsidkenu - “God is my Righteousness” Jer 23:6
Jehovah M’kaddesh – “God is my Sanctification” Lev 20:8
Jehovah Shalom – “God is my Peace” Judges 6:24
Jehovah Shammah –“God is present with me” Ezek. 48:35
Jehovah Rapha – “God is my Healer” Ex 15:26
Jehovah Jireh – “ God is my Provider” Gen 22:14
Jehovah Nissi – “God is my banner” Ex 17:15
Jehovah Rohi – “God is my Shepherd” Ps 23:1

Thanks all!

Had a gr8 pre birthday dinner yesterday, and although the no. of ppl I invited were few, but we had a gr8 time of fellowship and fun. I thank God for all my friends, that they are here not by coincidence, but to walk thru life here with me, and to guide me, strengthten me, and give me hope. Although I am far away from family, friends and loved ones back in s'pore, the friends i made here in adelaide gave me such a warm birthday feeling that I feel as though I am home. Thanks everyone for your presence, presents, cards, well wishes and thoughts, and for the marker writings still on my hand.. It really means a lot to me. I will never forget what all of you have done for me. It has truly been a memorable b'day, n it's not even here yet! Thanks for coming!!!

Yeah, it has been a gd weekend, although I didn't study much, and in the coming week, assignments and 2 tests looming ahead.. but I believe God will help me, as long as I do my best. Gambate everyone! And let us run the race together with perseverence! :-)

Double For Your Trouble!

I daily devotional i read every morning.. found this one particulary relating to what I am facing now in uni.. well, some sort. Haha.. Hope everyone who reads this will be inspired, knowing that our God is a God of restoration and abundance.

Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. - Zechariah 9:12

I am sure that you have heard of the expression, “When life throws lemons at you, make lemonade!” Well, I want you to know that when the devil throws lemons at you, God Himself will make lemonade for you! After all, the Bible says that God works all things together for your good. (Romans 8:28)

And He does it with style — He restores double for your trouble! Even if you have lost a husband or wife through a divorce, or a precious child through death, God can restore double to you, so that you end up having more than before, if not in quantity, then in quality!

Consider Job in the Old Testament. When Job lost everything, his friends told him to curse God and die. He refused and, instead, responded to God in faith, and “the Lord gave to Job twice as much as he had before”. (Job 42:10)

When David lost the child he had with Bathsheba, he stopped pleading and started worshipping God because He trusted in the mercies of God. Later on, God blessed David and Bathsheba with another son named Solomon, who became the wisest and richest king the world has ever known.

Today, God promises to restore double for your trouble — “Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” If He declared it, He will do it! So you cannot but have hope that things will be even better than before. That is why in the same verse, He calls you “prisoners of hope”. Hope in the biblical sense means a confident expectation of good things happening in your life. You are a prisoner of that! You can’t help but wake up feeling hopeful. You can’t help but expect good things to happen to you!

So when trouble comes from the devil, don’t give up and say, “It is hopeless!” Don’t worry or get angry. Worship God like David did and see that trouble as an opportunity for God to bless you with more than what you originally had. And because God has declared it, be confidently hopeful that you will get double for your trouble!

Busy week...

The busy week is coming to and end soon, but still with some undone assignments.. I totally don't know how complete them, but if i don't an IF is coming my way. Haha. Stupid subject. It's some programming subject.. so future computer scientists, i advise u not to take that course! I just had no choice as part of my engineering degree.. :-(. I am sure God can pull me thru!
Anyway, just came by a song, which i think is v meaningful.. i'm used to posting song lyrics on my blog, here and on msn, not bcoz i have nothing to write, but bcoz i truly believe the words of the songs can touch someone although she/he hasn't heard it before. The songwriters are amazing, but then again it's God who gave them the inspiration for the words.. This song, i'm forever yours, truly reminds us that we fully belong to God, and that He loves us so much more than we can ever comprehend.

I'm Forever Yours
---------------------

I give my all to You
Send me and I will go for You
To the ends of the earth
I'll follow after you
I want the world to know
Your love endures forever

Tell me and I'll obey
This is far greater than sacrifice
Trust in You and not myself
Will always lead to blessing
Lord have Your way in me
Not my will, Yours be done

Here I stand within Your presence
Longing for your touch
A thousand days cannot compare
To one day in Your courts

Hold me now and never let me go
My Jesus, my Precious Saviour
I'm forever Yours
I will worship You forever

Busy but rewarding Saturday

Just came back from a farewell party to an ocfer who has been in adelaide for 4 years and leaving back home to malaysia tmrw.. It's such a wonderful experience to see so many ppl turning up for the event, and how everyone bonding so well with each other.. It's amazing that each of us have so much of God's love we can't contain it sometimes.. Seeing William leave after so long, He has told me to continue to persevere on despite the difficulties and sometimes dissapointments.. He has definitely made me see the true meaning of growing and maturing in Christ.. I hope to be like him in future, where I can too, share the wonderful testimony of how OCF has grown and how it has helped me mature too.. In so many ways, I can't thank my friends enough, who have shown me the joy, peace and love that God has put into each and everyone of us.. it's a matter of if we want to let this love out, and care, reach out to our brothers or sisters. Tired from the evening. But it's great to see the love and concern of every1..

Had my church connect group this aftn too. It was also v fun and meaningful.. Really thankful for a more "exciting" semester.. with more social activities, where I can really connect with others.. I will never forget these things that happen here.. and it's so wonderful to be able to experience them.. Beginning to see a much of a more learning and bonding experience here in adelaide.. :-)

Not in good mood...

Last night was a bad day.. couldn't get anything done properly, screwed up a prac.. I feel so helpless and useless sometimes. Y is it that other students can find it so easy.. yet I find it a struggle to complete my degree.. Every single subject is making me push myself to my limits.. n i'm only in my 2nd year. Sometimes I wonder how I can ever make it thru my degree, if it's gonna get even tougher.. Next week's gonna b a terrible week, with 4 assignments due and a test on monday about the hardest subject an EEE student could ever take.. Yest night couldn't do much work and study, so I slept early, and this morning i felt much better.. And I realised once again how good God is, despite my time to despair and sadness.. He showed me 2 scriptures while I was reading devotionals online.. Which made me think and recall about His love for us, which I sometimes still doubt.

The title of the devotional was: ‘Lord, I Cannot, But You Can!’ It's so true.. I really cannot, but that's y i have to trust God and know that He can and he Will bring me thru.. It's not gonna be easy, but I know God has a plan and purpose to mature me here in adelaide.. And i'll do my best, but leave to God the rest! Thanks Lord, for making me see once again that I need not worry about things, and that U r in control of My life, so despite my dark surroundings and circumstances, I will trust in your unfailing love towards me. Thank you for giving me a loving and comforting family and friends.
Encouraging verses.. that meant a lot to me suddenly..


Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? —Jeremiah 32:27

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13

In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. —Psalm 94:19

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. - 1 Corinthians 1:27