New Year's Eve special ;)

"i love me some watermelon!"

Amen.

"Only one life, 'twill soon be past.
Only what's done for Christ will last.
And when i am dying, how happy i'll be
if the lamp of my life has been burned out for Thee."

Civilla Durfee Martin, 1904

Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.

All you may need He will provide, God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied, God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you.

God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way;
He will take care of you, God will take care of you.

Apple anyone?

Remember...

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

James 1: 2 - 4

Genesis 39: 20 -21

"Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.
But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison."

Anne R. Cousin, 1857

".. The bride eyes not her garment, but her dear bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory, but on my King of grace;
Not at the crown he giveth, but on his pierced hand:
The lamb is all the glory of Emmanuel's land."

And so He says...

21:2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

21:8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.

21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.

21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.

21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.

21:13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.

21:14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

21:16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

21:17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

21:19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

21:20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?

21:21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?

21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

Hari Raya ala '1Malaysia' ;)

Your Love Never Fails - jesusculture

Nothing can separate
Even if I ran away
Your love never fails

I know I still make mistakes
But You have new mercies for me everyday
Your love never fails

You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There maybe pain in the night but joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage
I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
Your love never fails

The wind is strong and the water's deep
But I'm not alone here in these open seas
Cause Your love never fails

The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I'd reach the other side
But Your love never fails

You make, all things, work together for my good.

Just because...

Just because we may not be able to immediately observe the consequences of our 'actions' over the internet does not mean that we are immune to them. Perhaps the false sense of disconnection that the internet ironically provides for us, in that we find ourselves involved but only from 'afar' when in actual fact there is no such thing really, fools us into a sense of false security - we think we can say what we want, however we want, whenever we want with no repercussions.

i'm all for freedom (and that of speech as well) but freedom does not equate to freedom from responsibility. There are more than enough examples of things said and done in the name of personal freedom, with many a time the internet being the main means of propagation, in which the result was nothing short of the contrary... fines, jail sentences, divorce proceedings, forced resignations... not to mention the devastation of the said individuals' lives and those related to them. Recent news of how people sharing their thoughts and activities on their facebook profiles leading to them being fired from their jobs or how people have 'fallen in love' online only to be swindled of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their 'relationship', really drives the point home.

It's even more poignant when children and adolescents use this very powerful tool of mass media to 'share' in what they think to be a very safe and secure environment when in actual fact they're only laying themselves bare and vulnerable to just as much if not more social pressure, peer influence, corporate propaganda and the like than if they were in the 'real world' (so to speak). It is even of more concern when in the majority of instances (especially without proper parental supervision - which is usually the case since parents are often less than aware of their children's activities online and don't always know how things work thereby shying away from the world wide web altogether) these 'kids' are not aware of these 'dangers' and the detriment it can cause to their personal psychological, social and sometimes even physical development and health. Insecurity, materialism, immorality and, believe it or not, ignorance can be bred further and deeper amongst these who are still finding out who they are and what they believe in - perhaps in the most impressionable stage of their lives.

It pains me personally to see and 'hear' the young and innocent amongst us making 'statements' and 'declarations' from what they think to be a very mature and perhaps even informed perspective when the reality is anything but. It screams fragility, naiveness and above all an overall 'lack' - of understanding, maturity, conviction... and to add insult to injury they parade it proudly.

How do we expect to develop a generation of men and women greater than what we are or will ever be?
Shouldn't that be our goal?
Perhaps, it's our fault and failure for letting our own ignorance and apathy breed their contempt for virtue, truth, knowledge, moral and principle?

As a new father myself, thinking in terms of 'one generation to another' and 'the legacy left behind' strikes a very strong and personal chord. My dream for my children cannot and should not be reduced to only comprise a string of achievements, academic pursuits, talents and skills but far more so, a developed and mature personhood, a deep and unswerving sense of conviction, an appreciation and appropriation of the higher virtues of charity and service and most of all a sure and set firm love and fear for God.

Yes, the internet plays a pivotal role in our lives and i expect it to for a long time more to come but far be it from me to not equip my own so that this powerful tool can be harnessed to their much benefit and not their detriment.

1st time in the pool ;)

Isaiah's first building blocks ;)

"Sempena" Fathers' Day...

i would highly recommend every new father and father to be to get a hold of this book and read it.
*Sorry i couldn't find a bigger picture*

i've been using it and i find it very comprehensive, relevant and helpful. It details what to expect of yourself, your wife and your baby from pregnancy right up to the first 12 months of life of your child. Authored by a medical doctor, it's reliable and sound.

Unlike most books that i've come across it doesn't just cover the medical-related issues (which are also addressed very well) but provides a very holistic guide including aspects of emotional development, psychology, relationship matters while providing very practical tips. And best of all it's tailored for men and fathers and therefore speaks in a 'language' that men can understand, relate to and appreciate.

So ya, to the budding fathers out there... trust me, this will help ;)

AFC worthy ;)

My wife prepared this and trust me, it tastes even more awesome than it looks! ;)

My "bao-bei"s ;)

Birthday wish ;)

Bath time ;)

Arrogance

Arrogance is not necessarily seen in the person who is correcting someone, but is grossly evident in someone who refuses correction.

Remember, remember...

Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

1 Corinthians 9: 24 - 27

Learning to 'fly solo' ;)

time for words...

It's been awhile i guess since i've 'said' anything on my blog.
It's all been pretty much 'picture-blogging' of late and i guess it's about time i 'broke the silence' ;)

i shall refrain from expressing my views with regards to some matters of national interest lately...

God hears my 'groanings' for this nation which i love... and i know He'll make all things beautiful in His time.

So i shall make a conscious effort to 'digress' ;)

Reading 'Systematic Theology' (i'm just beyond the half way mark) has shed light on just how much i don't know and perhaps took for granted with regards to the fundamentals of Christian doctrine and faith. i'm glad i'm equipping myself as best as i can (albeit not as quickly as i would like) and i find myself appreciating more and more the responsibility of not just understanding things better but putting things across sound and true.

i think we could all do a bit better with knowing more about what we think we know before we tell or teach others about what we think they should know.

Looking back, i'm thankful and humbly attribute all the glory to God, that the times that i was entrusted either with teaching, preaching or sharing or simply vocalising my point of view in discussion, that it did turn out 'sound and true'.
There's a new appreciation and respect i have for trusting the Holy Spirit for wisdom as well as understanding and also, perhaps more importantly, for His unction and stirring (i remember times when i only gained understanding of what i was saying as i was saying it).

The point is not just about being right per say.... but being accountable.
Because we will be held accountable eventually.... for every thought...word...deed (or even the lack of either thereof).
And those who teach, well, doubly so!

Thank God that His grace and mercy and love covers the multitude of our misgivings. He somehow turns what we said or did wrong... right.
Somehow He does.
And as we come before Him repentant and in full acknowledgement of our weaknesses with evidence of correcting the wrong we've done... He bestows grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy...and allows us to grow from faith to faith...glory to glory.

So let us beware lest our eyes turn haughty.
Lest we become 'puffed' up with knowledge (or so we think) and become the fool, disqualifying ourselves of His grace...of His mercy... of Him.



i've successfully digressed ;)


i'm in a somewhat 'cathartic' mood (yes, the word generally has a negative connotation to it ... but for the sake of sounding sophisticated why not? hehe).

Chinese New Year is around the corner and i'm looking forward to it even more than i did in the years past (well, to be fair, i only started officially celebrating last year..still) ;)

i think it has to do with how the dynamics are different this year... what with Isaiah and all.
i'm no longer just the new addition to the family.
i'm the new father.

And yes, husband and wife are the basic unit of a family but... with a child... well it feels more like it ;) and so yes, we're the 'new' family.

As it is, when we went back for Christmas and New Year... the 'feel' was different.

Everything seemed to be painted with the colour of 'family'.

Not just my in-laws but even my family seemed to relate to me somewhat 'differently' (and i mean that in a good way).... i'm no longer just the son/nephew/grandson... but the son/nephew/grandson who's a father and the leader of a budding new family.

Don't know quite how to put it into words... but i've definitely embarked on an entirely new 'phase' of life (if could loosely use the term).

i mean i knew in theory before i had a child of my own that when i do... things are going to change... a lot.
But just how much change... well, i think i'm only appreciating that of late (there's way more to come i'm sure).



again, i've successfully digressed ;)

First 'bites' ;)

if he looks a bit 'unhappy', it was only because we weren't feeding him as fast as he would have liked ;) he was practically holding our hands trying to force us to stuff his mouth! =)