An E-mail from Christine...

Hello!!! Guess wat?????? Yesterday, I met up with my godsister (frm another church) for lunch. N she surprised me with a gift. When I saw the packaging, i knew instantly that it must be another cute thing. Well, she knows me so well so she prob knew what to buy. Niway, the point is, when I opened the gift, GUESS WAT I SAW??????? ITS A LOOK ALIKE ABIMELECH!!!! It was so farnee that I burst out laughing and laughing.. Yups, my godsister tot I was crazy n she went like, "its only a soft toy.." So I had to explain to her everything.. Niway, mine is not that big and this little giraffe is holding a cup. I tot u might like to see it so I took 2 pictures of it.. Isnt it just adorable?? What should i name it? Blessings, -Christine- "HIS grace is sufficient for me, HIS strength is made perfect in weakness..."

...and the winner of the Abimelech Look-alike contest goes to....

And He Has A Name...

Finally! HWIYTBN has a name! Ricky decided to call his cow-dog soft toy, Dow Bones. Why? That's because Dog + Cow = Dow. And since dogs love bones... you have Dow Bones! Personally, I kinda like calling him HWIYTBN though (pronouced as "Hweet-Been". But anyhow, we welcome Dow Bones to the family!

Unfolding The Rose...

A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact...It wasn't long before he realized how impossible it was to do so. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem...

It is only a tiny rosebud,

A flower of God's design;

But I cannot unfold the petals

With these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers

Is not known to such as I.

GOD opens this flower so sweetly,

When in my hands they fade and die.

If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

This flower of God's design,

Then how can I think I have wisdom

To unfold this life of mine?

So I'll trust in Him for His leading

Each moment of every day.

I will look to him for His guidance

Each step of the pilgrim way.

The pathway that lies before me,

Only my Heavenly Father knows.

I'll trust Him to unfold the moments,

Just as He unfolds the rose.

New Steering Lock...

As Seen on TV! The All New ABIME-LOCK!

I Have A Dream...

Recently, I had the privilege of having dinner with a close friend of mine. Though we are years apart, 24 years to be exact, we get along pretty well. We are both in Pr. Chris' MAG and I'm so blessed to have known such a wonderful brother. Though, we have this love-hate relationship and those in our MAG would undyingly profess about what I've said is true. Chee Wai's a dear friend. I love him very much even though he says I look like a bulldog and he always gives me this "young-people-these-days" look on his face when I try to reason myself out of an argument with him on some technological advancement of handphones and computers. Whatever it maybe, I love Chee Wai dearly. *smilez* So, as I was saying, I had dinner at Chee Wai's house in Tropicana. We had a wonderful time of just sharing and praying for one another. I believed that it was indeed a divine appointment because some things that he said really has impacted me and he had posted some serious questions in my life that I have been pondering about for the past one week which I'd like very much to share with you today. 1) Being the best that you can be... Many times, we focus on how much we get (in terms of salary, benefits, etc) rather than how we could better ourselves. Instead of focusing on being the best that we can be, we begin to focus on what we would get right now. Our employers treat us bad, our pay is not good enough, I'm doing a three-person job, I should be paid more because I can do this and that and the list goes on... This really serves as a reminder for me to focus on what is really important. It's about me! Being the best in the trade that I'm in. Your employer might mistreat you for the first year, for the second year but for the third year, they can't neglect you. The reason is you are too good in your field and they can't bear to lose you to another company. But if you spent your time focusing on what you should be getting instead of being the best you can be, you have missed out on what is truly important. So make a decision today. Be the best that you can be in whatever area that you are in. Your work, your studies, your relationship. Don't worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Right now, focus on today for that is what that really matters! 2) Dreams remain dreams until you wake up and make it real... Many of us have dreams. Dreams of a big house, a successful career, a loving partner, an unquenchable thirst of doing something great with our lives. But all these remain as dreams until we wake up from it and start to make it happen. John Maxwell said, "the bookends of success are starting and finishing". Many of us start well but few of us finish well. Oscar Wilde, the author of classics like "Dorian Gray" and "The Decay of Lying", died a miserable man wandering around Europe without a sense of purpose or destiny after spending years in prison. Success is not judged by how great you start but how well you finish as well. Today, if you have a dream of becoming somebody, start now! Don't wait for tomorrow may never come! If you have a burning desire to do something great, do it! Or it might just be a dream and might never happen... I wanna leave these thoughts with you. I wanna challenge you to take your life seriously. You only have one life to live and one life to give the best that you can ever be. It's not about what might happen in the future but what decisions you make today. The only adequate preparation for the tomorrow is the right use of today. So spend your day wisely and by making today a masterpiece, you make a legacy of your future...

Today Matters...

I've just started reading this book, "Today Matters" by John C. Maxwell. Though I'm still in the first few chapters of the book, I'd like to share something insightful that has impacted the way I think about the importance of daily living. How often do you have a great day? How would you rate your day today? If given a scale of 1 to 10, how would you have scored today? Even so, would you even know how to score it? What are your ratings based on? What determines that your day has been great? How you feel? What you have checked on your to-do list? How much time you have spent with your loved ones? What really defines a successful day? Everyone wants a good day but not many people know what a good day looks like -- much less how to create one. Even fewer people understand how the way you live today impacts your tomorrow. Why is that? The root of the problem is that most people misunderstand success. There are three things we do. 1. We Overexaggerate Yesterday We some times live in our past. Our successes and failures seems bigger to us in hindsight than thy really were. Almost any opportunity that went unpursued looks golden now that it's too late to go after it. "If only I had done this... If only I have done that". "I could have been the best in that field if I had just been given that promotion." We can't relive yesterday and yesterday is already done. John Maxwell keeps a sign on his desk that helps him maintain a right perspective concerning yesterday. It simply read. "Yesterday Ended Last Night". 2. We Overestimate Tomorrow How do you see tomorrow? What do you expect? Are things better or worse for you? Answer the following questions related to your expectations for the coming 2-3 years:-

• Do you expect your income to go up or down?
• Do you expect your net worth to increase or decrease?
• Do you expect to have more or fewer opportunities?
• Do you expect your marriage/relationshop to get better or worse?
• Do you expect to have more or fewer friendships?
• Do you expect your faith to be stronger or weaker?
• Do you expect to be in better or worse physical condition?

If you are like me, your answers would reflect that you expect the days ahead to be better. Is our expectation based on anything other than a vague hope that your life will get better? In fact, for most people, if your day is bad, you would think that tomorrow would be better. Hoping for a good future without investing in today is like a farmer waiting for a crop without ever planting any seed. 3. We Underestimate Today Today is the only time we have within our grasp, yet many people let it slip through their fingers. They recognise neither today's value nor it's potential. It may sound trite, but today is the only time you have. It's too late for yesterday. And you can't depend on tomorrow. That's why today matters. I'll leave you here to think through and reflect through on what John Maxwell said in his book (I've paraphrased most of it, but I'm sure you'll get the picture). Sometimes we worry about tomorrow, yet have a sense of hope that maybe tomorrow would yield a better day for me or we fret over things that we have done yesterday and we regretted on past actions. Like John Maxwell said, we can't relive yesterday and we can't hope on tomorrow for it may never come. Today, this moment and now is what really matters. You have the ability and strength to do your best today, why not make it happen?

The Lifebuilder's Creed

By Dale Witherington

Today is the most important day of my life.

Yeseterday with its successes and victories,

struggles and failures is gone forever.

The past is past.

Done.

Finished.

I cannot relive it.

I cannot go back and change it.

But I will learn from it and improve my Today.

Today. This moment. NOW.

It is God's gift to me and it is all that I have.

Tomorrow will all its joys and sorrows,

triumphs and troubles isn't here yet.

Indeed, tomorrow may never come.

Therefore, I will not worry about tomorrow.

today is what God has entrusted to me.

It is all that I have. I will do my best in it.

I will demonstrate the best of me in it;

my character, giftedness, and abilities;

to my family and friends, clients and associates.

I will identify those things that are most important

to do Today,

and those things I will do until they are done.

And when this day is done

I will look back with satisfaction at that

which I have accomplished.

Then, and only then, will I plan my tomorrow,

Looking to improve upon Today, with God's help.

Then I shall go to sleep in peace... content.

Source : Today Matters by John Maxwell

He Who Is Yet To Be Named...

"He Who Is Yet To Be Named"

On this faithful day, Abimelech has a new friend! Yup, Ricky has a soft toy in his car (sissy!)! At the moment, besides, Elvis in his car, he now has a cute little dog. [EDIT] Okay, it might be a cow afterall. Yup, we haven't really found a suitable name for it. But you can start giving suggestions!

Relaxing in the Car

Abimelech and "He Who Is Yet To Be Named"

The band of brothers, Ricky, James, Andrew and myself went to DJ for our favourite pork chop rice in the evening. Yum! Yum! It's one of de best pork chop rice in town! If you are free, give me a call and we can have dinner there.

The Famous DJ Pork Chop Rice

After dinner, the band of brothers decided to visit Amy's mother in Sunway Medical Centre who had her gall blader removed. If you are reading this, pray for speedy recovery as she recuperates in the ward. We gave them a surprise when we marched in...

Hmm.. those T-shirts look familiar!

Auntie Kam Foong and Amy

Alphabets...

I thought this is way cool...

Source : http://www.pbase.com/abbarich/the_alphabet

Malaysia...

• NATIONAL FLOWER: Bunga Raya (Hibiscus).
• NATIONAL CAR: Proton.
• 2nd NATIONAL CAR: Perodua Kancil.
• 3rd NATIONAL CAR: Perodua Tikus it's suppose to be half the size of the Kancil, but somehow Malaysian drivers will still be able to squeeze in 6 or 7 passengers.
• NATIONAL BEHAVIOR AT CAR SHOWROOMS: First walk towards the car you are interested in. Then walk around the car in circles, tapping and knocking every part of the chassis with your knuckles. Then say something like "Body not very solid..." After that approach the front left tire, give it a few hard kicks to "test" the tire. Next walk to the rear right side and press the body of the car down a few times, while exclaiming "wah, asorbar not bad". Now you are ready for a "test drive" Get into the car and give the steering wheel a few turns. Flash the lights, sound the horn, recline the seats, open up every compartment etc. Do all these tests while you're pretending to read the brochure.Finished? Final test: get out of the car and slam the door a few times to check for "solid sound". If satisfied, approach salesman and ask "How much loan can take?"
• NATIONAL RICE COOKER: National Rice Cooker 99% of Malaysian households use a National Rice Cooker, the other 1% don't eat rice.
• NATIONAL BREAKFAST (ON THE WAY TO WORK): Nasi Lemak Who cooks and eats nasi lemak at home for breakfast?
• NATIONAL BREAKFAST (AT HOME): Maggi Mee. Also the national lunch and dinner if you're an outstation student, bachelor, neglected husband, lazy fella, etc.
• NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR HAIR LOSS: Maggi Mee.
• NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE: Traffic Jam.
• NATIONAL CONDOM: None. Most Malaysians still feel embarrassed buying condoms. So they rushed in to a Seven Eleven, hurriedly grab the nearest pack, any pack, pay and leave before the cashier can even blink an eye. If it's not available, Malaysians optimistically apply the other birth control method. (See below)
• NATIONAL FRUIT FOR INDUCING MENSTRUATION: Pineapple.
• NATIONAL APHRODISIAC DRINK: Stout. Many swear by it. But after a few pints they start swearing at everything.
• NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (MEN): Food Poisoning.
• NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (WOMEN): Menstrual Pain.
• NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY WOMEN WHEN REFUSING SEX: Headache, kids not asleep, maid not asleep, mother-in-law around, early appointment, food not digested yet, air conditioner not cold enough, air conditioner too cold, nail polish not dry yet, forgot to take the pill, sleepy, stomach cramps, menstruation, haven't remove makeup, haven't shower, no water supply, going to watch "Santa Barbara", depress, no mood, etc.
• NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY MEN WHEN REFUSING SEX: None.
• NATIONAL SECRET SEXUAL DESIRE OF MALAYSIAN MEN: Transvestites Every heterosexual male Malaysian seem to have a secret desire for a "bapok". On a Saturday night, they flocked to all those places where the transvestites hang out. They ogle at them, tease them, pay for their "services", etc. They never fail to honk in excitement when they see one on the road. And the Saturday night outings to these places are always in a group of three or four male friends. It's a kind of Malaysian male bonding. Yes. Male bonding by seeking out men dressed up as women. It's no wonder that drag shows such as "Paper Dolls" are ever so popular in Malaysia.
• NATIONAL CURE FOR HEADACHES: Panadol the "cure all" for Malaysians. If it fails we have another secret weapon; Tiger Balm.
• NATIONAL CURE FOR DIZZINESS: Minyak Angin Cap Kapak
• NATIONAL CAUSE OF DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES): Happy Hours
• NATIONAL INSTANT CURE FOR DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES): The sight of a police road block.

Courtesy of Asianjoke.com

Am I Teachable?

1. I am willing to listen more than talk.
2. I admit when I am mistaken.
3. I observe before acting on a situation.
4. I am able to agree to disagree.
5. I desire information more than answers.
6. I enjoy asking questions.
7. I am open to suggestions and new ideas.
8. I feel comfortable asking for advice or directions.
9. I am a patient and willing student.
10. I enjoy reading for information that is practical and applicable.
11. I seek out new perspectives on the questions of life.
12. I can appreciate criticism without being deeply wounded.

Sleepless in BU10...

Last night, right after worship rehearsal in church, we went for mamak at William's. Julia, Paul and I were heading back home from Taman Mayang. Suddenly, my housemate, Ricky called. He told me that I should not come home tonight because the power line across our street caught fire and sparks were flying everywhere. I dropped Julia back and I got Paul to accompany me back to my house to see what was the problem. My house did not have any electricity and my housemates were enjoying a nice tub of ice cream from the fridge with just a candlelight on the table. So I thought I'd stay over at my sister's place for the night. I got my stuff and decided to drop Paul back home. When I was at BU4, I saw the TNB people fixing a powerline there as well. Apparently, the same thing happened on the same street where Paul lived! But thank God, Paul's house was not affected. The TNB people were quite efficient, it took them about 5 minutes to get the houses near Paul's back with power. Oh well, I thought to myself, since they were fixing it here, I'm sure they'll fix ours in no time! So I called my sister to tell her that I won't be staying over and I headed home. Bad mistake... The power came back around 4am. I could hardly sleep the whole night! Was tossing and turning in bed. *Yawn* *Wink* *Wink* *Stretch*

Thank You...

I just wanna say a big Thank You to everyone of you who reads my blog.

Thank You for all your encouraging words each time when we meet.

And each time we talk about my blog and Abimelech.

At the very beginning, I thought that this was a joke.

But now I know that everything happens for a reason!

Each time I hear those encouraging words, the more I wanna write.

Each time someone writes a comment, the more I wanna write.

I'll continue earnestly to write as much as can and wherever I am.

Thanks guys! Thanks for reading!

My New Office...

The day that I feared the most has finally arrived... By 4 weeks time, I will have a new office. One without cubicles or partitions. Without multiple phone lines and fax machines. Without a pantry or a waiting area. Without conference rooms. Without a receptionist area. My office in KL is finally coming to an end. I will be working from home in a months time. We used to have like 15 of us in the office but as I write this, there's 7 of us left. And most of us are consultants so we are hardly in the office. Last week, only 2 were in the office. I guess that's probably why the management has decided to shut the office down and get everyone to work from home. I was at One Utama today, just testing out how it would feel like to work at Coffee Bean or at Freo Smoothies (Jeh, you still owe me a T-shirt, dude!). My first experience was not all that wonderful after all. The broadband service at Freo was down, so I had to use another network which was too far away and I kept getting dropped from their network. But thank God, I managed to finish my work for the day. There was only one question, "Hmmm... what happens if I need to go for a 'big' one? Where do I keep my notebook?". I never did get an answer... I hope things would be smooth sailing from now on...

Having Restedness in Your Heart...

During IDMC, God spoke to me about this passage through Rev. Edmund Chan.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better, and it will not be taken away from her."

- Luke 10:38-42

Why did Jesus say that Martha was worried and upset about many things but only one thing that was needed? And why Mary chose that better part? My early understanding of the scripture would be that Martha was too busy serving and didn't spend time with Jesus. While Mary was smarter, she sat at the feet of Jesus, listening to him.

Why would Martha interrupt Jesus when Jesus was speaking to the crowd and ask him to tell the sister (who was at Jesus' feet) that she should come and help her with the preparation? She could have just quietly pulled Mary aside and asked her to go to the kitchen with her and help her finish the work. Instead, she made such a big commotion out of it.

Martha was distracted and had a wanting to be at the feet of Jesus but at the same time having the responsibility of serving the guests. Her heart was not settled and her heart was disturbed. "Martha, Martha", the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."

What is that "one thing" that Jesus was talking about? It is about having a sense of restedness in our hearts! There is always a season and time for everything in our lives. Martha was distracted and her heart was not at rest. In his book, Build to Last, Rev. Edmund Chan clearly defines that we are, "running on empty. Often it takes a crisis, usually a painful one, for people to realise their emptiness. We live in a highly disoriented world that is profuoundly confused. We have confused achievements for authenticity. Credentials for credibility. Conceit for confidence. And the applause of men for the approval of God. When such weary pilgrims stop long enough to examine their unexamine lives, they find that they have been running on empty for too long -- so long that chronic fatigue is accepted as a way of life, and chronic busyness, as a status symbol. The vain reasoning is that an imprtant person is surely a busy person; therefore if I am busy, I must be improtant. And the busier I am, the more important I feel. Through all this, the soul is paradoxically restless and purposeless; under-nourished and empty."

We live in a performance-driven world where it's all about the good grades we get, the targets we meet, the goals we achieve. And sadly, this has been intertwined with the way we live our lives. Even in the context of church, we feel "needed" when we are involved in various ministries. We feel less important when we are just regular churchgoers. We have a desire to "perform". I tell you, the person who is truly rested in his heart is the best person to be. It's not about how busy you are, how much you are doing for the Lord. Mary has chosen the better, and it will not be taken away from her because she found a sense of restedness in her heart, knowing that she has a season for everything. However, this does not mean that we drop everything we do!

Let us reverse the situation of the Martha and Mary story a little. Imagine Martha is happily working in the kitchen. She knows that Jesus is outside preaching to the crowd in her living room. And she prepares the food with joy and peace in her heart. But on the other hand, Mary stops Jesus from his preaching and says to him, "Lord, don't you care that my sister is busy working and not sitting at your feet listening to you? Tell her to come and sit at your feet like I am doing!". What would Jesus' response be to Mary?

I believe it would have been, "Mary, Mary," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Martha has chosen the better, and it will not be taken away from her." There is a season and time for everything. And we should always find a sense of restedness in our hearts. You can be serving in church, while others are worshipping. But the Lord is pleased with you, because you chose the better part and it shall not be taken away from you!

This has been a revelation for me. When I first heard this, I told the Lord, "Lord, forgive me. Help me to remain small and secure in You. Give me a sense of restedness in my heart." You see, a man with a sense of restedness in his heart, is a person who is really attractive. One of the reasons is that you want to be close to him. You would feel refresh when you are beside him. What is also known as the "With Him" principle. Jesus called the twelve disciples to be with him. Jesus has a sense of restedness because He knew that He was doing the will of the Father. Crowds are drawn to Him not just because of His teachings but because of who He is!

I trust that God is teaching me day by day to be more humble and broken for His glory. If you were to ask me what was one thing that I have learnt from this conference. I would say, finding a sense of restedness in my heart. To find myself small and secure in the Lord. Ultimately, it's not about how good you sing, how good you pray, how spiritual you are, how well you speak in tongues (read my post on "His Imprint, Our Expression"), It's about having a sense of restedness in your heart. God might use you for His glory but it's not about YOU. It's about Jesus and His finished work! Sometimes, I tell people, "Oh, I'm being mentored by so-and-so" and there is always a sense of pride that takes over. But I asked God for forgiveness. I told the Lord that I would gladly have someone mentor me who is not known in church. I do not want to be caught in this celebrity status thingy. I just want to be small and secure in Jesus. However, I thank God for my mentor and I thank God that he has made a difference in my life. Thanks Pr. Chris!

My prayer for you is that you would find a sense of restedness in your heart. Having the full knowledge that Christ has died for your sins, past, present and future. I pray that the Lord would help you to be small and secure in Him. That you have chosen the better, and it will not be taken away from you. Continue to press on and make His glory known!

Packed for Disaster...

I arrived at the Singapore Airport early to make sure that my bass amp would be able to enter the aircraft safely. The officer at the check-in counter had a worried look on his face. "You do not have a box?". I said, "No". He was touching my bass amp and checking it as though he was about to devour it. "Hmm... I'm sorry but we can't let you carry this onto the plane. You will need to have a box or we might not be able to check it in for you either. We can't guarantee that you would have it in one piece." He did suggest that I go find a box so that I could place the amp inside. I found a post office nearby but they did not have any boxes big enough. I had to make do with what they have. Bought myself some tape and I started "packing" it.

A front view of my finished work...

How it looks from the rear...

Man, I thought to myself, this is gonna hurt. Prepare for a rough ride, baby! I was so anxious the whole time, and I was practically praying the whole journey. Praying that it would be returned to me in one piece and that it would still be functioning the time I get home. I was also praying that I won't get taxed by the customs for bringing home an electrical item. Touch down! My heart was beating faster and faster. I rushed to the baggage reclaim area as fast as I could. Waited for over 20 minutes before the conveyor belt starting moving. Dup! Dup! Dup! my heart was beating... as bag after bag dropped onto the conveyor belt, my heart was beating faster and faster. And finally! I saw my baby, thank God it was still intact... I rejoiced too soon... my heart sank when I suddenly realised that my lil' baby amp was about to experience a painful 2 feet fall when the baggage was dropped onto the conveyor belt. "BOOM!!!!" Immediately, I prayed to God and asked that everything was gonna be okay. The only thought I had in my mind was, I needed to get home as quickly as I could, plug my bass into it and start testing to make sure that it's working fine. But that was not the last of my problems, I was walking out of the terminal when the customs officer stopped me and asked me what I was carrying. My heart was beating to a faster rhythm now. "Err, ini alat muzik", I told the customs officer that it was a musical instrument. He looked at it and asked me how much it cost and where I got it. I told him it's used for guitars and he said, "Oh... okay, go on ahead"... Phew!!! I thought I was in for it already. But praise the Lord! When I reached home, I chucked my bags aside and brought my baby up to my room, plug in the power supply and plugged my bass into my amp. Switched on the power and plucked a few notes on my bass. No sound! By now, sweat was rolling down my forehead. Oh no, I thought to myself. It's broken. I looked bass volume and it's at full blast. Sigh, after all the trouble! Suddenly, I realised that there was something I did not check. I turned the bass amp around and there it was! The switch that says "Speaker On/Off". I flick the switch to it's on position and Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus! There was SOUND!!!! Muahahaha! Praise the Lord! Thank God that everything was okay. Looks like I was anxious over nothing. =) The Abimelechs unites! Haha, got them together to take a photoshoot. Don't they look lovely together? Awww... Ah Whim Ba Wek! Ah Whim Ba Wek!

The Abimelechs Unite!

Intentional Disciplemaking Conference...

The 3-day Intentional Disciplemaking Conference is finally over. I have no idea where to begin as there was so much that I've learnt and so little time to digest everything. The conference was EXCELLENT! I believe that I have emerge from the conference, a changed man. Last year, God spoke to me and gave me a destination. I knew that the most important thing was how I added value to my journey. For instance, if I wanted to be a basketball star, I gotta start by playing basketball. And because of that, I have spent the last year, trying to find avenues for me so that I could add value to my journey. Finally, God answers. I have finally found the direction in my journey towards my destination. One thing that I have learned during the conference would be life transformation. That God alone is the only one who can transform lives. This is a valuable lesson for me. Maybe in time, after I have done some reflection, I would share more. Right now, I have only one simple prayer...

"Oh Lord, help me so that I would remain small and secure in You. Amen."

... and guess what I found while roaming the streets of Singapore?!

An Abimelech Phone Holder!!! Muahahaha!

Baby Blues...

I got a new Bass Amp! Yippie! It's a SWR Baby Baby Blue Bass Amp. The Baby Baby Blue is a 160-Watt Tube Amp with a 1x10" driver plus tweeter. This little fella, though only measures up to 19" tall is pretty heavy! It weights about 39 pounds (approx 17.5kg). However, this is much much better than my existing Trace Elliott 715 which is a ginormous which requires two people to carry it. I was first attracted to its size but when I plugged in a bass to try... GOSH! It has the most incredible sound! Yup, though little, it's packed with a punch! Like cilipadi! Now, I've gotta figure out how to carry this baby back to KL!

Front Panel of the SWR Baby Baby Blue

Talking about babies, I had such a great time yesterday. I met up with my colleague and had breakfast with him. We had one of the best Bak Kut Tehs in Singapore and met up with his baby, Kristen. Ooooooo... She's soooo adorable! And when she saw me, she just couldn't resist! In fact, she was so comfortable, she just rested on my shoulder. Awww... I think I'm in love!

Baby Kristen and Me

As I was saying, I had Bak Kut Teh and it's really different from the ones we have in Klang. This Bak Kut Teh is more like Pepper Soup with Pork Ribs. And they had this Giant Pork Knuckles which were to die for! I'll do anything to go back there again the next trip! I also had some sugar cane with lemon. Strange, isn't it? Lemon with sugar cane? Well, it's the first for me. Man, who said Singapore food ain't great! I love it, man!

Pepper Bak Kut Teh

Giant Pork Knuckles

Sugar Cane with Lemon

I visited New Creation Church at Suntec City this morning, arrived late, so I could not go into their main sanctuary. We were directed to the overflow room which was nothing spectacular. The sermon was about the resurrection on Jesus. Though Pr. Joseph Prince was not speaking, the speaker that day really sounded like him, even the actions and jokes he makes. Man, they do train their pastors well. Even when the Senior Pastor is not around, they have an almost exact replica of him speaking on the pulpit! What really surprised me was when the service ended. I was shocked to see so many people lining up for church. This was the first time for me. If only people in DUMC were as fervent and as hungry for the Word of God and not sluggishly get off the bed and sluggishly get into the car and sluggishly drive to church. Gosh, this people at New Creation actually lines up hours before the service starts! I really admire their hunger for God's word.

People Lining Up for Church

I'll be attending the Intentional Disciple Making Conference in Orchard Hotel by Covenant Evangelical Free Church tomorrow with Rev. Edmund Chan. I'm so excited as I really have very high expectations about this conference. There are about 100 DUMCers going for this conference. I would want to bring back to KL what I would be learning and put it to practice. I want my MAG to be blessed! Well, it's getting late and I've gotta get up early tomorrow, see you soon guys! God bless and thanks for reading! Two more baby pictures for you...

Young & Dangerous

Oops, I did it again!

A Man Named Merdeka...

Since I'm in such a poetic mood right now, I'd like to share something I found on Mei's website, Teh Tarik Corner. I thought this was cool. She wrote it 7 years ago...

A Man Named Malaysia

Malaysia stands before his cake today

Candle light flickering off his eyes

Pondering a wish, what would he say

A wish to make before the candles die

Searching, from his window he looks out

Accomplished, the toast of South East Asia

The world's tallest tower to shout

And the crown of the Commonwealth next year

He dared venture to fields unknown

Look East, then MSC, next globalisation

So now, a million Protons he owns

And even a rep at the United Nations

Splendid golf courses for a world class tee

Tropical gardens and sunshine beaches

High rises, Penang Bridge and LRTs

The glitz, the fame and all that he wishes

All his dreams he seemed to have achieved

As he reaches his prime age of forty

Wealth, recognition, peace he receives

Yet in him he knows there's uncertainty

Who knows what lies beyond the bend?

Nations plummet, new world rises

What will the next gush of wind send?

For this man named Malaysia

His birthday candles burned down low

Puddles of wax melting at the base

Forty years more, what would he have to show

More of the same or another flavour of the day

His fervent prayers seem a little hollow

And the further he sees, the dimmer the vision

Twenty-twenty, he has everyone to follow

Yet he wonders, could there be a greater Mission?

He shrugs off the questions and braves a smile

The guests are waiting, the children anticipating

Forty years, he pats himself, yes, those are many miles

He squares his shoulders and again begins wishing

Today as you see Malaysia make his wish

Let me ask "Do you have one for him?"

Search your heart and to your children teach

Love Malaysia, he's lovelier than he seems

Wish him prosperity, wish him peace

Wish him blessings, wish him harmony

But much more than all of these

I wish we could all stand in unity

To love and to pray

To bless and to heal

To look to that day

When our Father to him is revealed

He closes his eyes and in a breath he blows

Watched by children with their cheeks aglow

What did you wish they ask and tug at this sleeves

I wished for you, he replies, and takes his leave.

My Visit to City Harvest...

Finally! I got a chance to visit City Harvest Church. A world-class titanium-clad, column-free sanctuary, latest audio visual systems and a 14,000 member strong church . I've been planning to visit for so long and finally I got the chance to! I was so excited since I've heard so much about it. They had a rooftop garden with a baptismal pool. And I was so fascinated with their toilets! Here are some pictures that I took.

The Roof Garden

The Baptismal Pool

Machine Where You Can Pay Your Tithes

The Infamous CHC Toilet

The Column-Free Sanctuary

All these were so fascinating and exciting! I was caught taking pictures in the sanctuary and was warned by the ushers to stop taking pictures when the service started. Oops. *shy* *shy*... But above everything else, I really enjoyed the service. The worship was excellent and though I only knew two songs, the worship was just so powerful. I could just sense God's presence moving in the congregation. You know, in CHC, everybody clapped at the right beat! Hallelujah! You don't get to see that in DUMC. And yes, it's really annoying when people start clapping on the wrong beat. I was sitting at the top and I could see that everyone was jumping and praising God and just lifting up their hands and worshipping the Almighty. This is what I call a worshipping church! The main highlight for me was really Rev. Kong Hee. I never did like him and he never did give me a good impression of him when we first met many years ago. I thought that he was rather rude and darn straight forward with his comments. However, over the years, I can honestly say that I have started to develop this respect for him. I was really in awe today as I saw the humility that this man has. He spoke about prayer and how God can answer our prayers. I am deeply convicted and challenged to pray more now and I was just worshipping God and speaking in tongues the whole time. Here is what he said about "How God can answer your prayers":-

• Desire it
• Decide upon it
• Ask for it
• Receive it
• Speak it
• See it
• Act on it

Rev. Kong Hee spoke about Elijah and how God used him to turn the whole of Judah back to worshipping God instead of idols in one day. Even Paul took 3 years to reach out to Asia Minor and Jonah took 3 months. But Elijah took one day... Praying leads to fruitfulness. If you are barren in your job, your friendships, etc, PRAY! and PRAY again! Never stop praying. Pray through till you get a breakthrough... For once, I must say, that I love CHC! I'll definitely go back to CHC again if I am in Singapore.

Another day at Intentia...

How sad, how tragic,

Yet another day in this training room.

It challenges my senses and logic,

As to why I did not hit him with a broom.

But thank God, it's almost over,

My dreams and desire are coming true.

I'll put this behind me forever and ever,

Never looking glum or blue.

Next week I'll be on vacation,

Travelling around Singapore day and night,

Shopping and eating, oh, wished it was my vocation,

Shouting "Hallelujah!" with all my might.

Gosh, I'm surprise that I could write,

It sounds funny but it really rhymes.

Oops, time is running out as our schedule is tight,

Gotta listen and probably yawn a couple of times.

See you soon my dear friends,

Listening to the final chapter.

As we tie up the odds and ends,

If I have the chance, I'll blog more later...

-Yahkid-

A Day at Intentia...

Oh Intentia, Oh Intentia...

How beautiful is thy name,

Reflects only its glory and fame.

Thou doest not understand;

Thou doest not comprehend.

Oh Intentia, Oh Intentia...

This training is a drag;

My wish is to pack my bag.

But alas! Thy work is not done,

And definitely not any fun.

Oh Intentia! Oh Intentia...

My eyes are failing,

My ears are failing.

Yawn! and Yawn! again,

The world is drifting and I feel no pain.

Oh Intenti.. oh.. Inten...zZZzzzZZZZzzz

*snore* *snore*