Loving Every Day!

Remember the Poor

2011-12-29T22:54:00.000+08:00

Galatians 2:10 "All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along."

During this festive period, while it is not wrong for us to celebrate and have some fun here and there, I think that it is very important for us to remember the poor.

Very often, when many of us think about this phrase "remember the poor", the first thought that comes to our minds would be something like we need to donate some money, visit some homes, help out at some centres, etc. Yes, these are all things that we can and should do.

But I would like to approach this "remember the poor" from another angle.

My sister-in-law just came back from a short-term mission trip to Batam. There, her team and her met many people who lived in poor conditions. There was this particular lady that she met who had problems making ends meet. In fact, everyday she would have to walk to a far away place just to get food for her family. When my sister-in-law asked the lady what her prayer requests were. Her simple answer was "please pray that I am able to attend church every week".

She didn't ask for food, nor other material things. She only asked to be able to go church every week. My sister-in-law was deeply touched, as were I and my wife when we heard the story.

Materially, we may be far better off than this lady from Batam. But spiritually, she is probably way richer than most of us here.

When I remember the poor now, I also remember that the poor may be happier and spiritually richer than me. And I hope to love and desire Jesus as much as they do.

Importance of Fathers

2011-12-22T22:23:00.001+08:00

The second chapter of the book is entitled 'The Journey of Fatherhood'. The role of a father in a child's life is crucial even in his early developmental years. Two things really spoke to me.

Firstly, at 18 months, my child or toddler does not just mimic my actions or words. He is able to imitate the tones, actions and attitudes of the most persuasive influences in his life - mum and dad. Hence, I need to be very conscious of my behavior and be a good role model for my child in every situation (I can do it, by the grace of God!).

Secondly, I need to communicate with my child using positive words. Even in times of correction, I should speak from the 'negative side of the virtue' rather than the 'negative side of the vice'. For instance, instead of asking "are you lying" which focuses on the vice, we can ask "are you telling daddy the whole truth" which focuses on the virtue.

I guess the above two principles apply to me especially as a teacher in a secondary school too. God, help me.

'Why' is more important than 'How'

2011-12-19T23:09:00.006+08:00

I'm reading through this book on parenting toddlers. The first chapter touched on the principle of 'why'.

Many parents (myself included) are often very fixated on the 'how' and the methods of doing things. We forgot the 'why' behind. And that causes us unnecessary stress.

For example, we are very frustrated at our toddler's behavior and we raised our voices at him. We then expect him to comply but he doesn't. In our anger, we become even louder and things still don't improve. We have missed out the 'why' part actually. If it is our intention to teach our toddler a lesson for poor behavior, there are other methods of correction besides raising voices. We can give him a time-out, put him in the cot, hold his hand firmly, etc.

Well, the fact is that the principle of 'why' applies to every aspects of life (and not just parenting). (:

Next time, ask 'why' first.

Every Day is part of the Journey

2011-12-19T17:02:00.008+08:00

Lately, I've been thinking about this.. there were perhaps a number of things that I had done in my youth which I kind of regret now.

Would my life be better now if I had not made some of the wrong choices/decisions? I was initially very tempted to say 'yes'. But upon further reflection and seeking the Lord about it, somehow I realized that the answer is likely to be 'no'.

Okay, of course, the kind of wrong choices/decisions are not the fatal kind like killing someone or getting killed.

Our past experiences shape us and mold our character. We have ups and downs, highs and lows in our lives all the time. Every day has the potential to be richly filled with learning experiences, loving memories and of course, discouraging setbacks.

It is never about the setbacks that stumble us. It is the way we deal with them that is important.

Every day is part of the journey - love it. That's why I'm retaining this blog title - Loving Every Day!

Just look at Isaac - He loves every day! =D

Review of Year 2008

2009-01-01T12:42:00.013+08:00

On looking back, 2008 has been a challenging, yet amazing year for me personally. Through it all, I can only say that God has been faithful and good. He has given me a certain level of successes at almost every front. I'm quite sure I could not do it, if not for His grace.

1. I was given full teaching load in school, together with other departmental and committee duties.
To RI basketballers: You guys have fought hard together in 2008 and achieved commendable results. And that has taught me more about the Rafflesian Spirit. Thanks, guys!

2. I continued to serve actively in church as a cell leader, imparting my life to the cell members under my charge.
To Kenneth, Jarrell, Kevin, Joel, Joash and Glenn: You guys have been great and teachable. Thanks for sticking together all these years. I've seen all of you grown both physically and spiritually. I am really privileged to be your cell leader.

3. I continued to be active in community work - serving as an adult volunteer at TOUCH Cyber-Wellness Centre almost every Sat.
To Yong Hong, Andy, Nicholas, Yongsin, Mukhlis, Vishnu and Jin Chai: Thanks for being part of us all this while. You guys made a difference to my life.

4. I had to plan my wedding together with my then-fiancee, Dawn.
Planning a wedding must be one of the biggest project anyone would undertake - especially if you intend to get married in Singapore. But thankfully, Dawn and I had a great team of helpers, led by my wedding coordinator, Wai Mun, who made almost everything run smoothly throughout my actual wedding day.

I'm thankful that 2008 didn't pass by just like that. My life has been touched by many people, and I too, had the chance to touch some lives.

I'm looking forward to the year ahead, 2009. It is going to be another extraordinary year for me, I'm sure of it. Not only I have God, but I now also have my wife, Dawn to face the challenges of life together with me. =)

2008-11-24T16:24:00.001+08:00

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2008-11-24T16:00:00.001+08:00

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2008-11-24T15:58:00.001+08:00

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2008-11-24T13:34:00.001+08:00

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Honeymoon in Korea Day 6

2008-11-24T06:17:00.001+08:00

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Honeymoon in Korea Day 6

2008-11-24T06:16:00.001+08:00

Greetings from Korea yet again. We're now at a ski resort in Muju. We won't be doing any ski-ing though. Just rested here last night.

The resort's design & architecture is really interesting & elaborate. (:

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Honeymoon in Korea Day 3

2008-11-21T20:51:00.001+08:00

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Honeymoon in Korea Day 3

2008-11-21T20:37:00.001+08:00

Finally, we found a place in Korea with free wireless Internet access. It's a Dunkin' Donuts outlet in Jeju Island.

It's been a great trip so far. Just that the weather for the first two days had been incredibly cold. Today it's much better. (:

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Life without Limbs...

2008-11-04T23:14:00.003+08:00

Nick Vujicic is back in Singapore.

Born limbless, Australian-born Nick faces far greater life struggles than most, but he breaches and overcomes these barriers with the power of God’s love. Today, Nick trots around the globe to bring his amazing testimony of hope, love and strength to millions worldwide. So get ready to be transformed by another of Nick’s inspiring message for us. (FCBC Website)

If you want to have a change of perspective of life, come and be inspired!

Sunday (9th Nov) 1:30pm @ Expo Max Pavilion

Car-check!

2008-10-04T18:49:00.001+08:00

Today, I finally did something that I've never done before. I learned from my dad how to do a car-check in 5 minutes.

It may sound strange. But in the past, I always relied on the helpers at petrol stations to help me check.

(to be continued...)

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Happy & Blessed Birthday, Junhao!

2008-09-22T19:31:00.002+08:00

Last Sunday (yesterday) was Junhao's birthday. I really thank God for Junhao - a good brother to me all this while.

He has being such an encouragement to me and my faith. And I know that I can count on him when I need help. That's what spiritual brothers and family are for. =)

Singapore Flyer

2008-09-22T19:17:00.004+08:00

Two Sundays ago, I brought my parents to the Singapore Flyer. It was a good time together, and I realized that I haven't been bringing them out like this for some time.

It was our first time on the flyer. To be honest, after a few minutes of rotating, the initial excitement died down quite fast.

But on a more positive note, I found myself taking some photographs from angles previously impossible. I caught a glimpse of F1 build-up, IR construction, floating platform, and yes, even IRONMAN (the competition).

F1, F1 and more F1!!!

2008-09-21T00:09:00.003+08:00

The F1 craze is here. Many shopping malls have race cars parked right ouside them. I found one outside CK Tangs.

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Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-class

2008-09-06T11:34:00.004+08:00

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I like WALL-E. I just watched it earlier this week.

Two things that I picked up.

1. Be more environmentally friendly. Do your part to reduce, reuse and recyle. Don't let our earth really end up like the one the movie - full of trash.

2. Exercise & keep fit. I don't want to be like the people inside. That's why I have Wii Fit! =)

Discipline

2008-09-04T10:23:00.006+08:00

Discipline - it's a dirty word to most people, especially youths. The general perception of it is usually negative.

For those on the receiving end, discipline often includes things like withdrawals of privileges, scoldings & even beatings.

I'll like to paint a perspective from the other end. As a teacher & cell leader in church myself, I have disciplined many young people before. When I see somebody doing something wrong (like latecoming), if I don't correct him, I'm encouraging him to continue doing this wrong thing & I'm not helping him build his character.

Take for example. A child of 5 years dashes across the road without his parents. The father can perhaps smack him on the hand and remind him not to do it again. The child may not understand completely, but the father is teaching him that the little pain he feels is nothing compared to when a car knocks him down. That's discipline.

There is a price to pay when you discipline someone. You risk rejections from that person. You risk relationships. But honestly, you only discipline someone whom you care. If you don't care about that person, you wouldn't bother correcting him. .

Of course, there're people who have abused their authority and disciplined out of anger and selfishness. I myself have being like that before - perhaps being too harsh and use hurtful words. I would like to apologise to those whom I have done that to, especially my students and my cell members. I am sorry.

Don't always view discipline as something negative. You only discipline those whom you care.

I Love Singapore!!

2008-08-06T14:09:00.005+08:00

Happy 43rd Birthday, Singapore!!!

This year, we celebrate our nation's 43rd birthday. I'm proud to be a Singaporean.

For such a small nation, our global influence and achievements are simply amazing. We have the world's best airport, the world's top airline, the world's busiest port, etc. We are also one of the best places in the world to do business.

However, all of the above will not last if we have a whole generation of Singaporeans constantly looking outwards and emigrating to other nations at every opportunity. They have forgotten how much blessings they or their forefathers have received from this land.

We have to raise up Singaporeans who are loyal to Singapore and are willing to stay in times of crisis. In this time and age, crisis may strike any time - be it in the form of natural or man-made disasters, or even economic recessions.

Love Singapore.

Singapore, my homeland, my inheritance

Hwa Chong Council Reunion

2008-08-06T12:54:00.005+08:00

Last Saturday night, the Hwa Chong Institution (College) 32nd Students' Council organized a really massive Council Reunion. Of my batch - which is the 25th Students' Council, 14 of us turned up.

The shared memories that we had was something that each of us will never forget. I'm really thankful that during my JC days, I didn't indulge in computer games or waste my time away. I was able to build lasting friendships (not to mention serving the school).

Hence, I'm very sad when I see many young people today building their lives in the virtual world all day long - WOW, Maple Story, Runescape, Lineage. They seemed to have forgetten that there is a real world out there.

Even now (almost 10 years since we've parted), I can still relate very well with the councillors of my batch. It's really amazing.

Dream. Team. Fight. Win.

2008-07-31T19:38:00.006+08:00

After months of training and preparation, and a month of intense competition, the RI 'C' Division Basketball team finally defeated Yuying Secondary in the South Zone Final and emerged as the new South Zone 'C' Division basketball champions!

The road ahead isn't going to be easy, we all know that. We're right now in the midst of the nationals round 1. We're up against Bukit Panjang, Dunman High and Presbyterian High.

We won our first game in nationals against Bukit Panjang today. 7 more games to the national's title. We can do it.

It is a dream that the RI basketball team is built around. We'll fight together and win it.

Doing things with great love?

2008-07-29T21:59:00.002+08:00

Last week, I read somewhere about what Mother Teresa once said.

"In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love."

It caused me to ponder for a moment to do some self-reflection.

I realised that I often do things with my very own self-interests in mind. I didn't do them out of a heart to love others. Not all the time anyway.

For instance, when I do discipline a student in school, I need to do it with the intent that I want him to change for the better, and not just to do it for the sake of doing.

My Newest Toy!!

2008-07-16T18:33:00.008+08:00

All my life, I had never own a video game console (like Nintendo, SEGA, PS, Xbox) before. My parents deemed them 'useless', and that they only serve as distractions from studies. But of course, I found entertainment in computer games like Dune 2, Command & Conquer, Warcraft, etc.

Earlier this month, I got myself a new toy. Nintendo Wii!!

I've tried out the Wii console many times prior to buying it. I really enjoyed the interactiveness of many of its games.

One of the main reasons why I wanted to have the Wii console is that I believe that it can be used to engage my whole family, especially the kids. It is family-oriented.

And Wii, unlike other consoles, allow young people to develop their psycho motor skills in a fresh and fun way. At least that's what I believe.

Just last week, when my niece and nephew came over, we had a good time playing Wii Sport and Mario Kart (even though they kept losing!).

My sister and brother-in-law had a great time too. It was really easy for them to pick up the games.

One last reason would be that I want to keep myself fit - hence, I'm looking out for WiiFit (a fun game that makes exercise fun)! Sadly, it's out of stocks in almost the whole of Singapore, as of now.

To be honest, in this time and age, we need to be creative and intentional about engaging families. I hope I'm on the right track in doing that.

My brother-in-law and my brother's daughter

RI Community Day 2008

2008-07-14T10:02:00.003+08:00

Earlier this year, RI dedicated 20th of March as RI Community Day. It was a day when all RI students collaborated with external VWOs (Volunteer Welfare Organizations) and serve the poor and needy.

RI Basketball worked with TOUCH Community Services in doing something very unique. We were featured in the TOUCH Newsletter.

It is truly more blessed to give than to receive!

Preacher's Magical Touch

2008-07-10T17:56:00.007+08:00

Earlier this Monday (7th July), there was this interview in the Life! section of Straits Times with my church's senior pastor, Pastor Lawrence Khong.

After reading the interview, I was even more thankful that he is the senior pastor of my church. The number of hats that he wears is amazing.

Just read the full interview below:

Pastor Lawrence Khong’s proudest contribution is setting up Touch Community Services, an award-winning non-profit organisation.

EVERYTHING about Lawrence Khong, from the many hats he wears, right down to his choice of shoes, screams unconventional.

This is a man who does not conform to normal expectations, and his red-rimmed spectacles, red Converse sneakers and stylishly gelled hair are testimony to that.

His appearance is not something you would expect of a 55-year-old, and certainly not of someone who is a senior pastor, social worker, magician, businessman and national athlete all rolled into one very energetic body.

When you compliment him on his trendy appearance, he replies with a boisterous laugh: “I’m just a lao hiao.”

The Hokkien term means old vainpot.

“We shouldn’t be afraid of who we are. Flamboyance is not wrong and it depends on how I use it. I can use it to flirt around and be immoral or I can use it to just add colour to an occasion.”

Still, it is hard to reconcile the image of a God-fearing man delivering a heartfelt sermon with that of an illusionist who has performed magic as shocking as “decapitating” his daughter and walking down into the audience, holding her head.

“The young people love it. It is our version of a horror movie,” he says with a twinkle in his eyes.

Pastor Khong may not be a household name but his resume is so long it can be an article in itself.

He is the senior pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC), which he started in 1986. One of the megachurches in Singapore, it has a congregation of about 10,000 and holds services at the Singapore Expo’s Max Pavilion.

He is the founder and chairman of Touch Community Services, a non-profit welfare organisation which has 18 centres in Singapore helping the under-privileged and the needy.

He is a magician and has performed in sell-out shows to more than 200,000 people in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and the United States.

He is a businessman, the creative brains behind his production house, Gateway Entertainment, which produces magic shows and makes drama feature films and television movies.

To top it off, he is also a national polo player who won a silver medal with his team at last year’s South-east Asia Games.

“I’m someone who cannot sit still,” he says. “When I was doing my master’s in theology, I would be working on three papers at the same time.”

He demonstrates his yen for multitasking by pretending to type furiously on the table, then suddenly turning his attention to something on his right and then thumbing an imaginary stack of papers.

He adds: “I can think of nothing worse than a beach holiday where I do nothing.

“When I go on a skiing trip, I find out what time the ski resort opens and I will be the first in line, and the whole day will be packed with activities.”

It goes without saying then that the past few months have been pure bliss, as he squeezes daily rehearsals into his already packed schedule.

From Saturday (July 12) till July 20, he and his 27-year-old daughter Priscilla will be performing in a magical theatre show called MagicBox at the Esplanade.

They have also teamed up for the popular magic musical, Magic Of Love, which debuted at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2001 and has since toured over 15 cities.

Pastor Khong, who has been performing magic since he was 13, has a wellrehearsed answer when asked if there is a disparity between his roles as a pastor and as a magician, since some Christians frown upon magic as it is deemed to be demonic.

He says: “Yes, I’ve always been asked this question. ‘Pastors are supposed to tell the truth, and here you are bluffing me’.

“Actually, the most honest person in this world is a magician because I tell you I am bluffing you and then proceed to deceive you. I’ve warned you.

“There are some people who deceive you without warning you at all.”

His kids can do magic, too.

THIS interview is conducted over two days, first at his office in Serangoon North, then over lunch at the Singapore Polo Club a few days later.

Charismatic and forthcoming, he is the sort of person whom you will never feel bored being around as he is, in the words of his wife Nina, “full of surprises”.

Dr Khong, 55, who gave up her medical practice six years ago to help him run his production house, says: “He’s not the kind to be contented with the status quo, doing the same thing day in, day out.”

Besides Priscilla, they have three other children, who can all perform magic: Anthony, 26, works in the IT industry; Michelle, 25, is pursuing a degree in architecture at the National University of Singapore and Daniel, 21, is doing national service. They live in a condominium in Serangoon.

Describing her husband as a very easy-going man who never sulks, Dr Khong adds: “Lawrence lives life on the cutting edge and brings a lot of fun into our family life.”

For example, when he turned 40, he decided that he wanted to learn how to ride a horse and promptly enrolled the entire family in riding school.

Six years ago, he developed a passion for snow skiing and, of course, everyone in the family ended up loving the sport too.

He brings a lot of fun to this interview too, as he has all sorts of tricks up his sleeve – literally.

One moment, he is telling you about the two horses he owns, Indio and Sandy, and then the next, he is coolly switching coins surreptitiously from one palm to the next as you watch on, open-mouthed.

He can be munching hungrily on a hot bun with his left hand, and before you realise what is happening, he is already producing one card after another using his right hand, seemingly from thin air.

“These are all tricks. Everyone can do what I do. It’s not like you need some spiritual powers,” he says almost nonchalantly.

Then, in a more serious tone, he adds that he sees the art of magic as “just a medium to communicate good messages of love and family”. He says: “This is why I feel very integrated. As a pastor, I want my members to value family. As a social worker, I realise that (the lack of love) is an issue behind most social problems.

“As a magician, if I can have a great piece of entertainment that makes money for me, puts me onto the path of success and yet allows me to do something very valuable for society, why not?”

That last part refers to Project Smile (Sharing Magic In Love Everywhere), a programme which he pioneered and conceptualised in 2002. It trains youths and adults in magic, and they then entertain the under-privileged in hospitals, day-care centres and homes.

That, along with his “gentle persistence, constant dialogue and explanation and growing success in the positive aspects”, has helped him gain more acceptance from his church members about his love for magic.

But he acknowledges that there are people who find that this is something they cannot reconcile with and have left to join other churches. “Given my profile, there will always be people who don’t like me."

“It’s okay. Don’t make life so difficult for yourself, go find something that you like. I’m not the only pastor in town.”

From riches to rags

THE son of a successful businessman and a housewife, he has a younger sister and a younger brother. Phyllis, 53, is an executive secretary and Kin Mun, 51, is a banker.

His father, a general commodities wholesaler who came from Guangdong province in China, has another family in Hong Kong with four children, but married the pastor’s mother when he came to Singapore before World War II broke out.

As a boy, Pastor Khong was naughty and had the worst conduct in class when he studied at Catholic High School. His mother had to transfer him to St Michael’s Primary when he was in Primary 4.

“I was one of those hyperactive kids. I would stand up in the middle of a lesson and walk around or I would suddenly push my classmate for no reason,” he recalls.

At home, he was always running into trouble and getting caned for things such as jumping down from the tallest cabinet.

“My mother used to say: ‘When I gave birth to you, I was in a lot of pain. Now, you’re still giving me so much pain’.”

When he was 10, his sheltered life was over. His father died, sparking a bitter fight over the inheritance from his family in Hong Kong. His mother was left with little and was forced to work as a seamstress.

Overnight, he went from being a pampered rich boy who travelled to school in a chauffeur-driven Mercedes-Benz to a poor kid who had to learn how to take the bus for the first time in his life.

Life became hard as his mother developed high blood pressure and started blaming him for it. She would say things such as “If I die tonight, it will be because of you”, prompting him to wake up in the middle of the night to check if she was still alive.

He also remembers how, when he was about to take his O levels, his frail mother told him: “The future of the whole family depends on your exam results. Our fate lies in your hands. If you fail, I will kill myself.”

He says: “I was an angry child back then and I was very angry with my mother.”

He says he has long since gotten over his anger and his 83-year-old mother now lives with his sister.

But at the time, he found support and peace in his church, Grace Baptist Church in Silat Road, which he joined in Secondary 1. He also found solace in magic – he had a pack of cards with him all the time – which he taught himself by reading books.

“I’m motivated by levels of difficulty. The more difficult the trick, the more I loved to do it,” he says. “Anyone can collect stamps. But how many people can make things disappear?”

Fortunately, he did very well in secondary school at St Joseph’s Institution and went on to National Junior College, where he met his wife, Nina. But he turned rebellious in the army and became a chain smoker, lighting up three packs a day. He also stopped going to church.

But he cleaned up his act when he had a spiritual awakening at vacation time during his first year as a business administration undergraduate in the University of Singapore.

He had followed Nina to a church camp in Port Dickson, Malaysia, where a boy drowned on the second day. That shook him up and he “felt a calling” to become a pastor.

Focused and goal-driven

AFTER graduating from university, he worked as an intern pastor in his church. And three weeks after he and Nina tied the knot, they left for Texas in the United States so that he could study for a master’s degree in the Dallas Theological Seminary.

About five years later, he returned to serve in his church, then set up FCBC. It has 10,000 members today and it was at one point the biggest church here, although other megachurches such as City Harvest Church, New Creation Church and Lighthouse Evangelism (Singapore) have since overtaken it.

Reverend Kong Hee, 44, of City Harvest Church, which has a congregation of 24,000, has worked with Pastor Khong on a couple of inter-church religious events.

“I know him to be someone who is passionate in whatever he does and he has helped many people through his community service,” says Reverend Kong.

Indeed, Pastor Khong’s most significant contribution – and one that he is most proud of – is setting up Touch Community Services in 1992.

With 132 full-time staff and 800 volunteers, the non-religious charitable group has helped more than 100,000 people through activities and programmes.

Among other things, it provides free meals, offers counselling services and conducts health screenings for children from low-income or single-parent families, people with special needs and the frail elderly.

He admits that with their Christian roots, he and his colleagues were greeted with suspicion initially. Now, he says they have established themselves as a genuine welfare group “with no strings attached”.

Touch won the Outstanding Non-Profit Organisation Award from the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre last year.

“I’m a very focused and goal-driven person. Some people see this as arrogance. So in the church, you either love or hate me,” he says.

“But this is me. The other day, Priscilla fell from a height during a rehearsal and the first thing I asked was: ‘Did you damage the prop?’”

Mr Eugene Seow, 52, executive director of Touch, says Pastor Khong is a leader who is open to new ideas and gives people the freedom to try out different things.

“He’s also a very transparent and honest person. He shares things about his personal life so that people can understand him better,” he adds.

One of the very personal things that he volunteers to Life! without any prompting is that Priscilla is a single mother, with a five-year-old son born out of wedlock.

“I’m not ashamed of talking about it. In fact, I told my church members when it happened,” he says.

But he says it broke his heart when he first knew that she was pregnant and he was so mad that he wanted her to leave the family home.

However, his wife talked to him and he forgave Priscilla. His grandson Isaac is now the apple of his eye and he sends the boy to school every day.

“I don’t hold grudges. Whatever you’ve done, whether you’ve taken drugs or committed a crime, if you say ‘I’m wrong, please help me’, I will bend backwards to help you,” he says with quiet resolve.

“This is my job. But if you continue to sleep around or beat up your wife, then I’ll say, leave my church. I will not help you, but I will help your wife to get a divorce.”

MAGICBOX

2008-06-08T23:39:00.006+08:00

For those who love magic shows, you must not miss MAGICBOX.

For those who love musicals, you must not miss MAGICBOX either.

MAGICBOX is both a musical with great music and dances, and a magicshow filled with amazing illusions. It will be at the Esplanade from 12th - 20th July.

Here's the sypnosis from the sistic website:

"Gateway Entertainment is proud to present Singapore’s beloved homegrown illusionists, Lawrence and Priscilla Khong in a brand new show – MAGICBOX at the iconic Esplanade Theatre. This highly anticipated production combines the world’s most incredible magic expertise with a heart-warming tale of love and family values in one spectacular show. Be dazzled by locally acclaimed talents, enchanting costumes, magnificent sets and skilfully composed music.

Featuring an international team of stellar magic consultants like Jim Steinmeyer, credited with "defining illusions" for David Copperfield, along with John Thompson, the legendary guru of magic, these masters will devise acts unique only to MAGICBOX. Directed by Loretta Chen, MAGICBOX with its many daring and never-before-seen magical illusions, promises to enchant, enthral and entertain from start to finish."

For more details, visit http://www.magicbox.com.sg/.

Don't miss one of the most exciting shows in town. I'm going for it.

A Tough Question..

2008-06-02T10:46:00.004+08:00

I saw this question posted on the tagboard early this morning: "there're some questions i wan to ask. if jesus is really god. and if he's a good one. why are there suffering?"

I believe that Jesus is good because I have seen how He has changed me from inside out since the day that I received Him into my heart. I have also seen how He has changed the lives of those around me - be it youths, adults or the elderly.

With Jesus as my fixed reference point in my life, I found myself able to make good choices - that bless both myself and the people around me.

Hence, my premise is that Jesus is God, and He is full of truth and grace. Obviously, my faith is that this premise is true. Everything works out from there.

As to why there's suffering in this world, I confess that I have no good answer to that. For me, according to my faith, I believe that God allows certain things to happen for His purposes - that I may not necessary understand.

In the end, it is a personal choice as to what you choose to believe. No on can force you. I have made my choice 5 years ago. And till date, I really have no regrets.

Geylang Chinese Methodist Church

2008-05-17T20:12:00.004+08:00

This will be the church building that I'll be using for my wedding at the end of the year. It's right next to Aljunied MRT.

It's really by the grace of God that I manage to rent that building.

A Tribute to All the Mothers out there..

2008-05-13T11:12:00.005+08:00

To all mothers out there:
HAPPY & BLESSED MOTHERS' DAY!!

Last Sunday was Mothers' Day. Coincidentally, the day before that, my school had a Parents-Teachers Meeting (PTM). I spoke to many parents and I could really see that all of them love their children a lot.

However, it's really not easy being a parent these days. The youths today are totally different from their parents' generation. YouTube, Wii, PSP, Xbox, MSN, DOTA are things that are unheard of to many parents.

Yet, the parents still do their best to love their children. And that involves disciplining them. It's really not easy to be a good parent.

I watched this video in church on Mothers' Day, and thought it was really a funny way of looking at how much our mothers love us (when they nag). I myself could identify with so many of the things mentioned in the song. :) I thank God for my mum.

History of Harvard

2008-04-16T21:51:00.010+08:00

A few days ago, I came across this article about American history. I found this particular portion interesting and decided to share it here. It's about the history of Harvard University - a place where the brightest gather.

When it was first founded, Harvard enforced 8 rules which included high moral and academic standards:

Before attending Harvard, the student must able to write and speak Latin and Greek.

The main goal of the student's life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life. Since only the Lord gives wisdom, every one should ask Him for wisdom in secret prayer.

Every one must read the scriptures twice a day, and be ready to show his knowledge of them.

Cursing is not allowed, and the student is to keep God and the love of His truth in his mind.

A student must attend all classes and must not disturb by words or movements.

No one is to leave the college without his teachers, and no one may go to another town without his parents or guardian.

Every student must be present in his teacher's room at 7 in the morning for reading of scripture and prayer. At 5 in the evening, he must appear before his teacher to give account of his own private reading of the Bible.

If any student breaks any of the laws of God or the school, he may be punished at the monthly public meeting.

I really can't accept this!

2008-04-02T22:59:00.007+08:00

About half an hour ago, I happened to tune in to the Chinese radio station, 93.3FM.

I almost couldn't believe my ears.

There was this on-air game show whereby the caller is supposed to call into the radio station and make a guess as to what the 4 secret digits are. If he can guess correctly, he will walk away with some prizes.

But the context of this 4 secret digits went like this: There's this female 93.3FM deejay who wore many layers of clothes. How much time does she need to strip to her sexy bikini underneath? There were many other suggestive remarks made by other deejays as well.

I really can't accept this!

93.3FM is one of the most popular radio station in Singapore (maybe it's the most). What kind of message are they trying to send to their listeners (especially the young ones)?!

The media have tremendous influence over our people - especially the younger ones. I really think that they have to be more responsible in the kind of messages they are sending out.

Otherwise, the future for Singapore looks pretty bleak.

Ordinary People doing Extraordinary Things

2008-04-02T00:36:00.003+08:00

Today in school, we had our Sec 1 level meeting with the parents. One thing that impressed upon me was what our Year Head shared at the end of the briefing.

It's that all teachers should believe that our students - no matter how ordinary they seemed - are capable of doing extraordinary things. Just like what the video below shows.

Do you believe it?

Good Friday

2008-03-21T11:19:00.012+08:00

Today is Good Friday.

For Christians like me, this day is the day that we remember our Lord Jesus for going to the cross. My heartful desires today is to enjoy God's presence, rather than God's blessings.

My heart's prayer:

"I just came again to tell You, Lord,
How happy I've been,
Since we found each other's friendship
And you took away my sin.
Don't know much of how to pray,
But I think about You everyday.
So, Jesus, this is Sze Kiang
Checking in today."

The above prayer was adapted from the following poem link: http://www.strangecosmos.com/content/item/105351.html. I found it through one of my spiritual nephews - Samuel's blog post. Tears swelled up in my eyes as I read the poem. Here it goes.

Checking In

A minister passing through his church
in the middle of the day,
Decided to pause by the altar
and see who had come to pray.

Just then the back door opened,
a man came down the aisle,
The minister frowned as he saw
the man hadn't shaved in a while.

His shirt was kinda shabby
and his coat was worn and frayed,
the man knelt, he bowed his head,
Then rose and walked away.

In the days that followed,
each noon time came this chap,
each time he knelt just for a moment,
A lunch pail in his lap.

Well, the minister's suspicions grew,
with robbery a main fear,
He decided to stop the man and ask him,
"What are you doing here?"

The old man said, he worked down the road.
Lunch was half an hour.
Lunchtime was his prayer time,
For finding strength and power.

"I stay only moments, see,
because the factory is so far away;
as I kneel here talking to the Lord,
This is kinda what I say:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS JIM
CHECKING IN TODAY."

The minister feeling foolish,
told Jim, that was fine.
He told the man he was welcome
To come and pray just anytime.

Time to go, Jim smiled, said "Thanks."
He hurried to the door.
The minister knelt at the altar,
he'd never done it before.

His cold heart melted, warmed with love,
and met with Jesus there.
As the tears flowed, in his heart,
he repeated old Jim's prayer:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I'VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER'S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
I DON'T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY, BUT I
THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN TODAY."

Past noon one day, the minister noticed
that old Jim hadn't come.
As more days passed without Jim,
he began to worry some.

At the factory, he asked about him,
learning he was ill.
The hospital staff was worried,
But he'd given them a thrill.

The week that Jim was with them,
Brought changes in the ward.
His smiles, a joy contagious.
Changed people, were his reward.

The head nurse couldn't understand
why Jim was so glad,
when no flowers, calls or cards came,
Not a visitor he had.

The minister stayed by his bed,
He voiced the nurse's concern:
No friends came to show they cared.
He had nowhere to turn.

Looking surprised, old Jim spoke
up and with a winsome smile;
"the nurse is wrong, she couldn't know,
that in here all the while everyday at noon
He's here, a dear friend of mine, you see,
He sits right down, takes my hand,
Leans over and says to me:

"I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, JIM,
HOW HAPPY I HAVE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND THIS FRIENDSHIP,
AND I TOOK AWAY YOUR SIN.
ALWAYS LOVE TO HEAR YOU PRAY,
I THINK ABOUT YOU EACH DAY,
AND SO JIM, THIS IS JESUS
CHECKING IN TODAY."

Malaysian Montage 2008

2008-03-11T23:03:00.003+08:00

Last week, the whole of the Sec 2 cohort in RI went for a 5-days 4-nights trip to Pahang, Malaysia. The name of this annual trip is known as Malaysia Montage.

It was a trip whereby the students were exposed to several things that they would not be able to find in Singapore.

The main thing that struck me was that you don't always need to have handphones, PCs, TVs, Internet, PSPs, etc to feel happy and satisfied. Many of the locals that we saw during our trip don't have most of the above-mentioned stuff. But they are still as contented and happy as they are.

Sometimes, we Singaporeans (whether young or old) do need to slow down and simplify our lifestyles.

Here are some of the photos of the trip.

Sze Kiang, PSLE

2008-03-09T23:14:00.007+08:00

Today, someone just shared something that inspired me. Hope that this will also inspire you.

Often, we go through life pursuing degrees, qualifications, etc. For instance, it certainly will look good if you have this to your name: Sze Kiang, MBA (Master of Business Administration).

I'm not saying that all this is not important. It's just that perhaps we can go for something even better, something long-lasting.

PSLE

Person that Shows Love and Encouragement

I'll be really glad to have that at the back of my name. I'm not there yet, but I'm definitely working on it.

MM 2008 - SuRvIvor Day 5

2008-03-07T21:29:00.002+08:00

After such an eventful night the day before, my group woke up early for some team-building activties. We gathered at the multi-purpose hall at the Lanjut Resort.

Mr. Gabriel Chan, with the help of the JC1 facilitators, conducted 2 activities. The first one was getting each cluster to come up with two structures (made of straws). One of them is a tower (to be as tall as possible) and the second one is a bridge.

The second activity was similar to table soccer. Both sides are to try to move a giant ball to the other side. The guys really gave all they had as they compete with one another.

After the above activities, we started making our way back to Singapore. It took us almost 5 hours in all. But it's really "Home Sweet Home"!

MM 2008 - SuRvIvor Day 4

2008-03-07T01:22:00.003+08:00

Time passes really fast when we're having a great time. As I'm writing this blog post, we have just ended the 4th day of the Malaysian Montage 2008.

We started the day by visiting the Water-craft museum. We saw many boats - either war-boats or fishing-boats that the Malays used to use in the past.

The second stop of the day was a place where Tun Abdul Razak used to reside. He was the 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia and was a former student of Raffles Institution! We learnt about top-spinning and some other traditional games that the royalty used to play.

In the afternoon, we were so glad to have the local Malays hosting us at their kampung. We were also able to experience a traditional Malay wedding (mock one of course) whereby one of our students, Jordaan Goh, was asked to act as the bridegroom. The bride was one of the local Malay girls.

At night, we had our SuRvIvor Finale. Each cluster was to come up with a performance and present it to everyone. We had lots of fun laughing at one another's skit. In the end, Cluster 7 won the Best Cheer award, whereas Cluster 8 (my cluster!) won the Best Performance award.

MM 2008 - SuRvIvor Day 3

2008-03-06T00:19:00.001+08:00

Our first stop of the day was the Deerland. It was like a zoo whereby there were many interesting animals like flying squirrels, deers, bears, hedgehogs, etc. Some of the students had really close encounters with them.

Within the Deerland itself, there was also a flying fox. Each cluster sent out two student representatives to compete. The winner would be the one who went through the flying fox in the most dramatic way.

Then we went on to the Elephant Sanctuary and learnt about the conservation of elephants. Many students had the opportunity to ride on the elephants.

Finally, for the last activity of the day, the students were asked to help clean up the Elephant Sanctuary, interview the staff over there, paint the fences, etc. This constituted part of their CIP.

Exhausted, we made our way to Lanjut Resorts. It took us almost 5 hours of travelling in the coach.

MM 2008 - SuRvIvor Day 2

2008-03-05T23:34:00.000+08:00

The day started with a sumptuous buffet breakfast. All of us were treated with free-flow fried mee, toast bread, eggs, coffee, tea, etc.

All of the students and teachers were split into two groups today. Each group will do a different set of activities and on the following day, the activities will be swapped. I was together with Group B throughout the day.

Our first stop was the Batik Factory. The lady in-charge gave us a brief 10-min introduction on what batik painting is all about. Subsequently, the students began to make their own batik-designed handkerchiefs. Just look at how creative each and every single student can be.

In the afternoon, we went on to the turtle sanctuary at Pahang. We learnt about how the people over there help prevent certain species of turtles from becoming extinct. It was a rather interesting process.

The agriculture park was our next stop. We found many interesting fruit trees like cross-breed durian trees (between Thai and Malaysian durians). We took a tour on the tractor and went around the park.

At night, we had a buffet dinner back at the hotel, which most of the boys really enjoyed after a rather eventful and tiring day.

MM 2008 - SuRvIvor Day 1

2008-03-03T22:56:00.003+08:00

We started our day with great excitement and anticipation. We left Raffles Institution early in the morning and crossed over to Malaysia via the Tuas Checkpoint. We stopped briefly at Yong Peng (a rest-point) and had some food.

In the afternoon, we visited the Dara tea plantation at Pahang. We were introduced to lowland tea-plants. And we also saw a live demonstration of the harvester machines.

Later on, we went on to Pandan Waterfalls. Many of the students have never seen a real waterfall before. It was indeed a great sight for most of us.

In the evening, we ended off the day with a simple BBQ dinner.

7-Up and 100 Plus

2008-02-26T22:04:00.006+08:00

Recently, someone shared with me that he particularly likes two kinds of drinks: 7-up and 100 plus.

The reason is very simple. Both drinks symbolizes positiveness.
100 plus = 100+ = 100 positive. 7-up means everything is good, and always pointing up.

Sadly, there's this nature in most of us - myself included - that sometimes just like to criticize and tend to look at the faults of others. We are like 100 minus and 7-down

Just remember this: in every relationship, either with friends or family, you always CAN.

Connect with others.

Accept others.

Nurture others.

You CAN!

An Extraordinary Valentine's Day

2008-02-20T15:40:00.003+08:00

Last Thursday was Valentine's Day. It was most unforgettable for me.

No, I didn't go somewhere super-romantic or super-posh, in case you're wondering.

I spent my Valentine's Day with my church family - the YCYPAO Cluster!

We had our choir rehearsal at TCT at Bukit Merah. We spent that evening giving praise to God, celebrating Valentine's Day with Him and the church family. What an experience!

I really thank God for my spiritual family!

Pulau Semakau... Where's that?!

2008-01-30T22:03:00.000+08:00

Today, together with some of my colleagues went on a Learning Journey to an island called Pulau Semakau.

I had never heard of this place before, except that it's some kind of landfill. I envisioned it to be a place filled with rubbish. Smelly place, of course, or so I thought.

Google Map of the Pulau Semakau...

But to my pleasant surprise, it was nothing like that.

Yes, Pulau Semakau is actually quite a nice place. Really. Look at my smiling face. :)

Basically, let me try to summarize Singapore's solid waste (or rubbish) management. Every day, waste collection companies will first collect waste from various places. Then these trash will be sorted into incinerable and non-incinerable. Those that are incinerable will be sent to the 4 incinerator plants in Singapore. They will be burnt and reduced to ashes.

Then all of these ashes, together with the non-incinerable trash will be ferried to Pulau Semakau. They will be used as landfill around a marked-out boundary, which will form some kind of reclaimed land. Eventually by 2040 (estimated), all of the empty spaces will be completely filled and Pulau Semakau will no longer be useful for landfill. And we will need to find other ways to dispose of our trash.

We have to prolong the lifespan of Pulau Semakau. Every one has to learn to practise the 3 Rs. Exercise personal responsibility.

Reduce!
Re-use!!
Recycle!!!

On a lighter note, the island is also used for recreational activities - like stars-gazing, sport fishing and inter-tidal walks (to see the sea animals like starfishes, etc). One couple even took their wedding photos there last year!

Today had really being an enriching day for me.

That's life...

2008-01-27T18:38:00.000+08:00

Just a day ago, I received news that one of my secondary school classmates, Eugene (not his real name) suffered a relapse. He was found to have cancer of the blood a few years. Thankfully, he was able to overcome the illness at that time.

Until now.

And so it happens that Eugene had a very good friend, Jason (not his real name again). I was in the same class as the two of them when I was Sec. 3 and Sec. 4.

Jason had passed away about 4 years ago. Cancer of the blood as well.

I really asked God "Why?". Eugene and Jason are both of the same age as me. Good academic results. Good people. Good characters.

My heart was really heavy when I went for service today. When I read Psalm 27, together with the rest of the church, it gave me great comfort. Though I still don't have an answer as to why things had to happen to Eugene and Jason, I believed that I will eventually see the goodness of God in this fallen world, and not just tragedies. I just need to wait.

13 I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

Life can be unpredictable. Are you cherishing every moment of your life as if it's the last?

There's something practical you can do for Eugene. If you're between 17 - 50 years old and are reasonably healthy, do go down and register yourself as a Bone Marrow donor. You just need to give a small amount of blood to be checked and fill up a simple form. Find out more at this website: The Bone Marrow Donor Programme. You can save lives.

'B' Div Basketball SZ Match 2

2008-01-26T00:00:00.000+08:00

RI played against Pei Cai Secondary today at CCAB.

Right from the start, we closed down their players with tough defense. We did full-court press for all 4 quarters. They could not find their rhythm throughout the whole game.

Final Scoreline: RI 65, Peicai 36

Thank God for the win! We're up against Henderson Sec next. If we win that game, we will be through to South-Zone 2nd round.

Come on, lads!

Do You THINK Before You Talk?

2008-01-24T21:47:00.000+08:00

One of the most difficult thing to control is the tongue. Most of us tend to talk without thinking. At least, that's true for me personally. I tend to talk too much and at the wrong time sometimes.

I shared this with my form class a few days ago.

"Do You THINK Before You Talk?"

Is it ...

True?

Helpful?

Inspiring?

Necessary?

Kind?

Hence, do try to THINK before you shoot your mouth off next time.

'B' Div Basketball SZ Match 1

2008-01-21T21:46:00.000+08:00

Last Friday, RI played against Guangyang Sec in the first 'B' Division South-Zone Basketball match at CCAB.

Right at the start, it was quite clear that we're the better team. Our guys are so much bigger than theirs. However, at the start, we seemed to be nervous and pretty soon, we were down 9-8. After a timeout call by the coach, we reorganised and stormed back into the game.

Eventually, we won by a scoreline of 69-24.

Good win. Two or three of our main guys were not in 100% condition that day due to sickness. Yet, we could play up the intensity of the game. The tempo was high and everybody worked hard.

This coming Friday, we're up against Peicai Sec. Their guys are tall and lanky. It's not going to be any easy game.

Go Raffles Go!! DTFW

Lasair: flame on!

2008-01-15T21:37:00.000+08:00

About two weeks ago, RI had its annual Sec 1 Orientation Camp.

The theme of the camp was Lasair: flame on!

Boys been boys, a camp will bring them closer together than any other activity. Thanks to Sec 1 Year Head, Mrs. Maas and the Peer Support Leaders (PSLs), this orientation camp was really fun and successful. The Sec 1 boys really got to bond with one another, first as a class, then as a batch.

I hope that the Sec 1s will enjoy their time in RI, and that their passion for learning will always be there.

Auspicium Melioris Aevi!!

It's been 7 years since I...

2008-01-13T19:02:00.000+08:00

Last Thursday night, I received a shock sms.

"You have a new NS Call Up. Please check http://www.ns.sg/ to find out more."

I had finish my National Service on 22nd May 2002. From then until now, I had been placed in a holding list and hadn't been call up for reservist. Until now.

My first reaction to this sms was fear and uncertainty. I had became a specialist (3rd sergeant) at the end of 2000. I became a BMTC (Basic Military Training Centre) Instructor after that. Hence, it's been 7 years since I 'chiong sua' (means fighting in the jungle) with Standard Battle Order (SBO).

SBO looks really familiar...

I went on to check the website. And things kind of got worse. I'm asked to go for Annual ICT (In-Camp Training) for 3 weeks (!?) in July.

My next reaction was predictably "God, why me?!?! 3 weeks?! So long..."

I was whining and grumbling for some time. Until my girlfriend, Dawn pointed out to me that there are several things to be thankful about in this situation.

I finally then calm down and became more rational. I thought about what Dawn said, and it really make sense.

1. I thank God for my ICT because it gives me an opportunity to lose weight! Isn't that one of my new year resolutions?
2. I thank God that SAF informed me 6 months in advance and hence, I can make adequate preparations, especially in school.
3. I thank God that the ICT timing doesn't clash with my Marriage Preparation Course (MPC) Classes.

Sometimes, seemingly negative situations just need a change in perspective.

Back to army! Preparation phase (now): Get back into fitness.

Are Your New Year Resolutions S.M.A.R.T.?

2008-01-09T17:51:00.000+08:00

One of the key reasons why people fail to achieve their new year resolutions is because their resolutions are not SMART.

Don't get offended. I don't mean SMART as in clever or something.

SMART means

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Realistic

Time-framed

We need our goals to be tangible, and not vague. Let me try setting some SMART new year resolutions..

1. I want to lose weight and hit below 70 kg by the end of the year!
At present state, I'm about 78 kg. This means that I have to cut down on fried food and fast food. I must exercise regularly. My aim is that I will go to the gym 3 times a week.

2. I want to go home for dinner 3 times a week (twice on weekday nights, and once on weekend nights).
I really want to spend more time with my family. Family ties are important to me.

3. I want to finish at least 4 Christian books by the end of the year.
In 2008, I want to enrich myself. When I read books, I really can tap into the wisdom of people who are far wiser than me.

We're in 2008!!

2008-01-01T11:12:00.000+08:00

I wish everyone a Happy & Blessed New Year! May this new year be filled with more blessings & joy than ever before.

Yesterday, Wai Mun Tribe had a very special thanksgiving event whereby we came together as a spiritual family and thank God for 2007. It was a time of fun, laughter and joy in the Lord. We played games like Winning 11 (thanks to Kenneth & Tzer Wern, my cell group won!), Bang and Bluff.

After games, we had a good time eating KFC, thanks to Elkan's cell who bought the food. Then we went to time of thanksgiving by individual cell groups. I realized that all of the cell groups gave thanks for the closer relationships between one another.

Nothing matters more than relationships with one another. I thank God that I'm closer to my spiritual family than ever before.

Subsequently, at night, we all went to Expo for our FCBC Countdown Party! It was really a night of excitement and fun. All the clappers, lightsabers, balloons and plastic balls. Most significantly, as a church, we entered the year 2008 together.

I'm just so excited about 2008!!

Kevin's BIG Day!!!

2007-12-29T19:18:00.000+08:00

Last night, I finally was able to baptize Kevin at TCT. He has been in my cell group for almost 2 years. I have seen him grow not just physically (yes, he's taller than me now), but also spiritually and emotionally. I really thank God for his faithfulness.

Here's his baptism testimony:

"Before I receive Christ into my life, I was a very quiet person. I did not like to talk to people and hence, I did not have many friends in school. The only people that I talked to were my own family, especially my sister and my mother. I could talk to them about anything. However, this did not last because when I was about 10 years old, my parents decided to have a divorce. My sister and I disliked our father and even called him names. And because of the divorce, I was very upset and started eating non-stop. I wanted to forget all the bad things through eating a lot. I grew fat rather quickly at that point in time. Then my mum’s friend began to bring me to her Catholic church. However I did not have a relationship with God, and I was still very much bothered by my parents’ divorce. No one seems to be able to understand what I was going through.

Subsequently, when I was about 11 years old, another of my mother’s friend brought my mother and I to FCBC. My mother went for the adult service, whereas I went to the Sunday school. I did not really know why but I decided to accept Jesus into my life when the pastor gave the altar call. Perhaps it was because deep down inside, I wanted God to help me take away the pain and hurts in my life. Coincidentally, my mother also received Christ on the same day. Thank God for it.

After receiving Christ, I began to realize the importance of living a true Christian life. I wanted to change my way of living and looking at things. However, I failed to do it initially. I went back to old ways and didn’t want to talk to anyone and kept over-eating. My cell leader, Nicodemus, told me many times about the things I need to change, however, I refused to listen and shut him out. Finally, towards the end of secondary one, there was once when I felt the Holy Spirit convict my heart to change after Nicodemus talked to me again.

Now, by the grace of God, I stopped my over-eating habits and I started to view life more positively. I also managed to break out of my old self and was able to interact more with others, especially my own cell brothers. I am faithful in attending church and cell activities weekly. In school, my results have improved significantly. However, I recognize that I still have to work on the way I treat my teachers.

My relationship with my mother and sister improved as well. I learned to care and love them better. For instance, I do the housework regularly. I am still in the process of learning how to forgive my dad. The good thing is that I definitely do not dislike him now as much as before. Thank God for all these breakthroughs in my life. Amen!"

Youth Christmas Party 2007

2007-12-26T15:05:00.000+08:00

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, my cell group and a few other cell groups came together to organise a simple party to celebrate Christmas. Thankfully, many of the youths rose to the occassion and helped make this party possible.

Special thanks to Jarrell, Joanne, Yixin, Ben, Melvin, Yingxin, Taishan, Claudia and Joel.

The program was rather simple:
Food, Games, Caroling, Skit, Testimonies Sharing, Message Sharing, Group Discussion and finally Birthday Celebration + Gift Exchange.

Though the party was not run as smoothly as I would have wished for, I am still very thankful for it. This is because I know that everyone has given their best, given the tight time constraints.

More importantly, during the party itself, I could feel God's presence & delight. And I'm quite sure others who were there felt the same too.

Do You Have Enough Rest?

2007-12-22T22:55:00.000+08:00

Today I just came back from a church camp. I managed to catch a cab home. But this cab was no ordinary cab. It was a new Eco-Cab.

During the church camp, Pastor Yeang Cherng actually talked about this new Eco-Cab. The thing about the Eco-Cab is this: it runs on gas, not diesel. Gas costs half of what diesel costs.

The catch is this, you can only refuel the Eco-Cab in Jurong Island (which is all the way in the west). When the gas runs dry and you cannot refuel in time, the Eco-Cab will need to run on its batteries. And it's very expensive to do it.

It's kind of analogous to life. For instance, when we work normally, we're using the gas in us. When we rest sufficiently, we can replenish our energy.

However, when we work very hard, and begin to work so hard that we have not time to rest, we will end up using our batteries. If our batteries are used extensively, it will cost us dearly to replenish our energy. This 'cost' may come in the form of burn-outs, sicknesses, losing relationships with our loved ones, etc.

Hebrews 4:11 (NIV)
"Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. "

Year 2008 = Year of Sabbath in FCBC!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-19T19:50:00.000+08:00

Today, someone from FM 98.5 called to interview me about the volunteering work that I do with TOUCH. One question in particular:

"What does Christmas mean to you personally?"

I told her that as a Christian, Christmas is a very special day whereby we remember and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It's really a time of thanksgiving to the Lord.

Christmas is also a season of giving. It is always more blessed to give than to receive. This year, I decided that I want to do something different. I want to celebrate Christmas with my family. I wanted to bless each of them with gifts and remind them the meaning of Christmas.

Hence, today, I went shopping with one of my spiritual sons, Kevin at Junction 8. I haven't shopped like that for so many years. I was so exhausted at the end of the shopping spree.

It's good to wish each other "Merry Christmas". But we must not just have "Merry" without the word "Christmas" accompanying it.

Will You Marry Me?

2007-12-17T14:12:00.000+08:00

Many people like to get married in the month of Dec. It's no surprise because it's the holidays (convenient for teachers) and there's the festive mood present. I attended 3 weddings this Dec, 1 in particular is my sister's. Yes, I'm so happy for her. =)

Pastor Adrian & Aunna's Wedding

Zheng Qiang (my primary school friend) & Serena's Wedding

Jianhao & My Sister's Wedding

Well, someone once told me that too many couples put all their energy into making their wedding day a great success, and they forgot to prepare well for their marriage. Wedding day is just for a day, but marriage is for a lifetime.

Wedding vows are extremely meaningful and important in a marriage. It's like a covenant that a couple made before God, promising to love and cherish each other, in riches or in poverty, in sickness or in health, till death do them part.

"Commitment" is what that will keep a marriage together.

I just want to bless all the newly wed couples with these 4 words - 死守婚约

More photos on my sister's wedding...

My Life as a Beloved Son

2007-12-15T17:01:00.000+08:00

I had quite a blessed and stable childhood. I was surrounded by my parents, grandparents, elder brother and elder sister. I was the youngest and hence, naturally, I was pretty much pampered by everyone in the family.

I knew that my parents love me. It's just that the way they love me might not be exactly the way that I wanted (when I was very young).

My grandparents really love me. My grandma would always leave the best food for me (even now too). My grandpa would always bring me out to play, especially at places like Chinatown.

To provide a better life for my family, my father actually worked overseas for many years. Every year, he would come back home about 6 times, each time staying a few days. As a result, I was not able to spend much time with him.

My mum has all along been a full-time housewife. She takes really good care of the house and she was the one who disciplined me whenever I misbehaved. I know that she love me because she really cares for me. There's a particular incident that I would never forget.

There was this time that we went McDonald's. I think I was about 6 years old or so. I accidentally spilled my coke. I was so upset and I cried. I was also afraid my mum would scold me for being clumsy. But she didn't. She comforted me and helped me clear up the mess and even got a new cup of coke for me. I was really surprised and I just knew that she love me.

Probably because we are more of the traditional Chinese family, my parents seldom spoke words of encouragement and praise to me when I was young. No matter how well I did for my exams, my parents would only say that it was expected of me.

As a result, as I grow up, I realised that I crave for people's approval often. Sometimes, when I don't watch it, even now, I sometimes also care too much for everybody's approval.

No, I'm not trying to complain about my parents. I truly believe that they love me in ways that they themselves experienced when they were young. I'm really thankful for them. It's just that they didn't know the importance of affirmation that teenagers and children need.

Now that I know. I really want to use words to affirm, encourage and praise others - especially my students.

Running the Race

2007-12-14T18:55:00.000+08:00

Around 2 weeks ago, I took part in the Standard Chartered Marathon 2007. I went for the 21 km category.

I completed the race in 2 hr 59 min 55 sec. 87% of the participants completed the race before me. But I'm really thankful for the race.

Honestly, right at the start of the event, I was feeling a little nervous. I haven't been training much for the race because of sickness. 21 km. I'm pretty sure it's going to be tough.

I ran the race with my cell group brothers, and my cell leader. Everyone followed my pace because I was the slowest runner. Everyone gave me support.

At the start, the race was pretty okay for me. I kept a slow but steady pace. However, I was only able to sustain it to the 16 km mark. Then, I suddenly have cramps on both of my thighs. I could only limp. But I told myself, either I will run, walk or crawl. I must finish the race. I won't give up.

The amazing thing was that when I told my cell brothers and cell leader to go on without me so that I can walk slowly, they insisted on waiting for me. I was really grateful and thankful them. In the end, I could limp a bit, run a bit and the cycle repeats itself all the way until I finish the race.

Yes. I pressed on and completed the grueling 21 km race. But not just that, I completed the race together with my spiritual family. It was not so lonely when we ran together after all.

You Love Me Just Because You Love Me

2007-11-30T23:23:00.000+08:00

I heard this song recently, and I can seem to get it off my head. It's a beautiful song and it sings about God's love. A short and simple song that truly expresses deep feelings.

You Love Me Just Because You Love Me

You love me just because You love me
You love me for eternity
All the time we have toge - ther
O Lord is just not e - nough

My first love
My heart’s de - sire
My life of wor - ship
Is on - ly You

Combined-Cell Chalet

2007-11-27T09:39:00.000+08:00

Over the last weekend, I had a combined cell group chalet at Aloha Changi. Besides the youths in our church, we also had quite a number of friends that came down for our BBQ and stayed over.

It was a good time of bonding. We played world-domination games like RISK, and others like Taboo and Bang (great card game).

We also celebrated Dun Lin's, Gavin's, Dennis', Kenneth Chong's and Jarrell's birthdays. =)

Amazing Life!!

2007-11-26T16:11:00.000+08:00

EXTRAORDINARY is what others see in Nick Vujicic. Born limbless, Nick faces far greater life struggles than most. Yet, today, he has blessed over 1,000,000 hearts worldwide with his remarkable life story. Come and be inspired by this 25-year-old Australian-born motivational speaker who has been a tremendous source of hope and strength to others. - FCBC Website

The Way of the Wild Heart

2007-11-19T20:54:00.000+08:00

I've just finished reading this book called "The Way of the Wild Heart: A Map for The Masculine Journey" by John Eldredge. Many of the things mentioned really spoke to my heart, as I thought about my growth as a man till date.

Here's a brief summary of the book, extracted from this website.

"This is a book about how a boy - and a man - becomes a man.

It's a guide to the process of masculine initiation - that ancient path every boy and man must take if they would become the man they long to be. The path whereby they come to know they are a man and are able to live and love from a deep, centered strength.

We live in a time where most men (and boys) are essentially fatherless. Whatever their circumstance, they have no man actually taking them through the many adventures, trials, battles, and experiences they need to shape a masculine heart within them. They find themselves on their own to figure life out, and that is a lonely place to be. Their fears, anger, boredom, and their many addictions all come out of this fatherless place within them--a fundamental uncertainty in the core of their being.

But there is a way."

According to John Eldredge, there're 6 stages to a man's growth. Omitting any of the stage may have consequences at the later part of life.

Stages Involved:
1. Beloved Son
2. Cowboy
3. Warrior
4. Lover
5. King
6. Sage

Beloved Son (0 to about 12 years old)
It's a time of wonder and exploration. It's also a time whereby he needs to know that he is loved, valued and adored by a father. His need for affirmation and love is of utmost importance at this stage.

Cowboy (13 to about early 20s)
It's a time of adventures and testing. The young man has a craving for something dangerous, fun and exciting. The question that he centres his life among is "Do I have what it takes?"

Warrior (early 20s to late 30s)
This is a time for the fighting spirit in man be awakened. There is a need to find a cause to fight for. It can be for the military or for the university degree that he so much wants. The inner resolution and many disciplines in life have to be acquired at this stage. He needs to live in courage and be ready to fight any time.

Lover (Overlap with previous stage)
This is a time whereby a man awakens to beauty in life. He finds himself getting intensely passionate about a girl. The romantic feelings in him begins to stir and stir. And not just this, the man begins to find a connection to his own heart.

King (early 40s to 60s)
Now, the man is in key leadership position. He 'rules' over a domain with authority, and that includes his family as well. He is at the most powerful stage of his life. And he is not alone. He leads a company of young warriors and is a living example of courage and compassion.

Sage (60s and beyond)
This is really a stage whereby gray hair and wrinkles are obvious. Along with it comes wisdom. The wealth of knowledge and experience of a sage is of great value to the younger kings and warriors. Though a sage may not say much, his presence and influence is great beyond measure.

More on RI Basketball KL Trip 2007..

2007-11-13T16:52:00.000+08:00

It's really amazing how unique each batch of basketball boys is. Every batch has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. However, together, they make up and define what RI Basketball Team is all about.

Yes, even if you are not part of the starting 12, the whole team will still be incomplete without your contributions.

Dream. Team. Fight. Win.

Don't give up dreaming, lads. We'll be there one day.

RI Basketball KL Trip 2007

2007-11-12T14:43:00.000+08:00

Last week, the basketball coach, Yeang Cherng and I brought 30 RI basketball boys down for some friendly matches at KL. Here's the link to some of the photos.

RI Basketball Trip 2007 Album

Enjoy the slide show!

Emotional Outburst...

2007-10-31T15:25:00.000+08:00

Today, I had an emotional outburst. No kidding.

I went for Higher Chinese 'O' level invigilation at Hwa Chong Institution (formely known as The Chinese High School). Well, I was assigned to invigilate class 4B for around 30 mins in all.

As I was standing in class 4B at the clock tower block, I was overwhelmed with emotions. 10 years ago, I was in this same exact classroom taking some of my 'O' level exams (I took the rest in the school hall).

How time flies. 10 years ago, I was a student. Now, I'm a teacher doing invigilation. I could almost feel tears in my eyes.

After doing invigilation, I managed to meet up with my ex-Sec. 4 Chinese teacher, Mr. Tan Yew Keng for lunch. It's really amazing how much he can still remember about my class. He taught me in 1997. And now, he can still remember who is my form teacher, and who are my other subject teachers.

He told me, "Shijiang, when you teach students, you need to teach them with your heart."

Yes, I will do my best and teach my students with my heart, and not just upload infomation into them.

"Above all, teach them moral values. Teach them character.", Mr. Tan went on.

I realised that I really believe in what he says (even before he told me today). I don't want to bring up students who are successful in society, but are filled with character flaws and have no integrity.

Come on, some of you may think that Mr. Tan is some super-old teacher or something. No. He's not. He's only in his late 30s.

I thank God for placing me in The Chinese High School when I was young. He allowed me to meet great teachers who have shaped my life - Mr. Tan and Miss Mok (my ex-form and Chemistry teacher).

And after speaking to Mr. Tan, it has further affirmed me that I need to continue to be firm & strict with my students in RI. I'm not teaching Physics. I'm teaching students. Future leaders who are going to shape the nation.

I must dare to be unpopular at times.

My Life Journey Part 5 - 98S33

2007-10-25T21:18:00.000+08:00

After considering VJC (20 min away from my home) and HCJC (45 min), I eventually settled for the more obvious choice. I decided to go to a place where all my friends are. I chose with my heart and not my mind.

Hwa Chong JC is a very different place from The Chinese High. One obvious reason would be that there are girls around. Having being in a boys' school for 4 years, surprisingly, I can still get along with my female classmates.

Being a more Science than Arts person, I chose double maths (C.Maths & F.Maths) and double science (Physics & Chemistry).

98S33. That's my class.

We had a Orientation Camp right at the start of school. It was organised by the Students' Council. The camp was fantastic. Though we were hit with mud and ketchup, dirty beyond reason, my class bonded together really well. And hence, we were quite close. We even had class outings within a short span of time.

After the camp, I made an important decision. I decided to serve the school as a Students' Councillor. To do that, I had to go for elections. My JC classmates helped me come up with simple tokens to get the students to vote for me. My ex-classmates from The Chinese High did a banner with me. My slogan was "No one is more willing to serve you than me."

Yes, I made it. I was elected. But I know that I wouldn't have made it if not for my JC classmates and ex-classmates. I'm really thankful for them. They have made a difference in my election campaign.

And hence, my life in JC totally changed after I was elected.

Always be thankful for your friends. Especially those that stood by you in times of need. You can also choose to stand by your friends when they need you. I think there's more joy in the latter case.

Do You Have a Life?

2007-10-23T10:07:00.000+08:00

About a week ago or two, my cell group brothers and I came together and played the "Game of Life". It's a rather interesting boardgame.

Features of the game:

1) You have to get a job.

2) You have to get married.

3) You have to buy a house.

Here are our photos..

My Life Journey Part 4 - The Hidden Side

2007-10-18T17:47:00.000+08:00

When I was in secondary school, I have a side of me that not many people know. Except my NPCC-mates.

I think it all started when I'm Sec 2. Every time, after NPCC training on Fridays or Saturdays, my squadmates and I would go to the usual MacDonald's at KAP (King Albert's Park - the biggest Mac in S'pore) to have dinner. Or if we're tight on money, we will go to the the hawker centre at Beauty World.

After dinner, many of us would automatically make our way to the arcade centre either at Bukit Timah Plaza (the preferred one) or Beauty World. Then we would spend tokens and time and money at the machines. For me, I liked to play fighting games.

Almost every time, without fail, I would spend all my pocketmoney at the machines. Yes, literally down to the last cent.

These are the games that got me crazy (and addicted).

Marvel Super Heroes

X-men VS Streetfighter

Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter

Marvel Super Heroes VS Capcom

Marvel Super Heroes VS Capcom 2

Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo

But seriously, I really don't know how much money and time I've wasted over arcade games. Every week, at least once or twice or even thrice, for a total of about 3 years.

Time is something that once you have wasted, it will never come back. I have wasted a significant part of my youth on arcade games.

Are you wasting your time doing something not worthwhile? Like addicted to online games such as Maple Story or DOTA?

Marina South Steamboat 14/10/07

2007-10-18T17:39:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, I went to Marina South for steamboat together with my cell group. Stephen's & Darren's cell & Weijie came along too. We had a really good time cooking all the crabs and prawns and other stuff. =)

Can You Identify with this ...?

2007-10-15T14:16:00.000+08:00

I found this on the internet. If you can identify with a significant number of this, you must be quite near my age. I wonder if youths today can even identify with any one at all. It just shows how much Singapore has changed.

I can identify with 40/50 things. What about you? =D

1. You grew up watching He-man, Transformers, Silver hawk and Mickey Mouse. Not to forget, Ninja turtles and Smurfs too. (That's me!)

2. You grew up brushing your teeth with a mug in Primary school during recess time. You will squat by a drain with all your classmates beside you, and brush your teeth with a coloured mug. The teachers said you must brush each side 10 times too.(That's me!)

3. You know what's Bin(1) Fen(1) Ba(1) San(1) is all about. (That's me!)

4. You know what SBC stands for. (That's me!)

5. You were there when the first chinese serial, the Awakening was shown on TV. (That's me!)

6. Internet? What the heck is that? (That's me!

7. You find your friends with pagers cool in Secondary school (handphones don't exist). (That's me!)

8. SBS buses used to be non-airconditioned. The bus seats are made of wood and the cushion is red! The big red bell gives a loud BEEEP! when pressed.There are colourful tickets for TIBS buses. The conductor will check for tickets by using a machine which punches a hole on the ticket. (That's me!)

9. Your favourite actor and actress is Huang Wenyong and Xiangyun. Next is Lee Nanxing and Zoe Tay and the Aiyoyo woman. (That's me!)

10. You've probably read Young Generation magazine. You know who's Vinny the little vampire and Acai the constable. (That's me!)

11. You were there when they first introduced MRT here. You went for the first ride with your parents and you would kneel on the seat to see the scenery. (Not me)

12. Movie tickets used to cost only $3.50. (That's me!)

13. Gals are fascinated by Strawberry Short Cake and Barbie Dolls. (That's me!)

14. You learn to laugh like The Count in Sesame Street.(Not me)

15. You longed to buy tibits called Kaka(20 cents per pack) and Ding Dang(50 cents per box), that had a toy in it and it changes every week not forgetting the 15 cents animal crackers and the ring pop, where the lollipop is the diamond on the ring. (That's me!)

16. You watched TV2 (also known as Channel 10) cartoons because Channel 5 never had enough cartoons for you. (That's me!)

17. All that you know about Cantonese is from the Hong Kong serials you watched on TV2.(Not me)

18. Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, The Three Investigators, Famous Five and Secret Seven are probably the thickest story books you ever thought you have read. Even SweetValley High and Malory Towers.(Not me)

19. Civics and Moral Education was “Hao3 Gong1 Min2”. (That's me!)

20. KFC used to be a high class restaurant that serve food in plates and let you use metal forks and knives. (That's me!)

21. The most vulgar thing you said was asshole and idiot and THE MOST EXTREME WAS 'super white'...you just couldn't bring yourself to say the hokkien relative.(Not me)

22. Catching was the IN thing and twist the magic word. (That's me!)

23. Your English workbooks was made of some damn poor quality paper that was smooth and yellow. (That's me!)

24. CDIS was your best friend. (That's me!)

25. The only computer lessons in school involved funny pixellised characters in 16 colours walking about trying to teach you maths. (That's me!)

26. Waterbottles were slinged around your neck and a must everywhere you go. (That's me!)

27. Boys loved to play soccer with small tennis balls in the basketball court or play something that uses tennis ball to hit other players known as “HUM TAM BOLA” during recess /after school. (That's me!)

28. Hopskotch, five stones,chateh and zero point were all the rage with the girls and boys too... (That's me!)

29. Science was fun with the balsam and the angsana being the most important plants of our lives. (That's me!)

30. Who can forget Ahmad, Bala, Sumei and John, eternalized in our minds from the textbooks. Even Mr Wally. (That's me!)

31. You did stupid exercises like seal crawl and frog jumps. (That's me!)

32. Every children's day and national day you either get pins or pens with 'Happy Children's Day 1993' or dumb files with 'Happy National Day 1994'. (That's me!)

33. In Primary six you had to play buddy for the younger kids like big sister and brother.(Not me)

34. Chinese teachers were always old, boring and damn fierce looking.(Not me)

35. Your form teacher taught you maths, science and english.(Not me)

36. The worksheets were made of brown rough paper of poor quality. (That's me!)

37. You went to school in slippers and a raincoat when it rained, and you find a dry spot in the school to sit down, dry your feet, and wear your dry and warm socks and shoes.(Not me)

38. Famous Chinese singers were only Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai. (That's me!)

39. School dismissal time was normally around 1 pm. (That's me!)

40. There would be spelling tests and mental sums to do almost everyday. (That's me!)

41. Your friends considered you lucky and rich if your parents gave you $3 or more for pocket money everyday. (That's me!)

42. During class gatherings, parents always tag along in case someone gets lost at Orchard Road.(Not me)

43. You freak out when the teacher tells you to line up according to height! and hold hands with the corresponding boy or girl.(Not me)

44. Handkerchiefs were a must for both genders. (That's me!)

45. Collecting notebooks and all kinds of stationery was a popular thing. (That's me!)

46. Autograph books were loaded with “Best Wishes”, “Forget Me Not”, and small poems like “Bird fly high, hard to catch. Friend like you, hard to forget”. (That's me!)

47. Class monitors and prefects loved to say “You talk somemore, I write your name ah!” (That's me!)

48. There were at least 40 people in one class. (That's me!)

49. Large, colourful schoolbags were carried. (That's me!)

50. You brought every single book to school, even though there was one thing called the timetable. (That's me!)

My Heart's Prayer

2007-10-12T07:22:00.001+08:00

Early in the morning, I came across this Christian song (by Planetshakers) that bears the following lyrics. Let this be my prayer to Jesus today.

"If You can use anything,
Won't You use me.

Take me and break me
And mould and make me.

You died for me,
So I'm living for You

I'm living for You,
I'm living for You."

My Life Journey Part 3 - The Chinese High

2007-10-08T19:55:00.000+08:00

I spent a significant part of my youth life at The Chinese High School. As mentioned before, what drew me to this school was its sheer size and good reputation. Every day, in order for me to travel to & fro the school, I need to spend at least 1.5 hours on the road. But I've never regretted it.

One of the main reasons was because I joined the National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) as CCA. When I first joined the CCA, it was because I felt that the uniform looked smart. I didn't think so much. I didn't know what I was in for.

My squadmates & I went through 3 years of really really tough training. When I was in Sec. 1, we had to gather at the monkey bar every day after school. Our NCOs (officers) would meet us there and made sure that each of us cross the monkey bar a few times. As a result, our hands were always filled with blisters. Eventually, these blisters hardened and became hard skin.

Besides physical training, foot drill was also an essential part of our training. It's really crazy, marching up and down in the hot sun, doing amazing numbers of push-ups and sit-ups. The record number of sit-ups my squad did was 500. Crazy right?

So, the question is why didn't I quit the CCA? After all, some of my squadmates did left us & I don't see the purpose in all that tough training at all. 2 reasons that I can think of. Friends. And pride.

Friends
My squadmates and I began to form a bond, mainly because of shared experiences (shared sufferings to be exact). My closest friends till date, besides my church-mates, are all from The Chinese NPCC unit 1994 - 1997.

People like Lenin, Jianzhuang, Jingrong, Tianshen, Kaiyang and Junqiang all left footprints in my life. Every one of them had been a tremendous blessing to me personally. Even now, we still keep in contact.

Of course, there're many other squadmates who had also influenced me but I have kind of lost contact with them - Kangliang, Liangbing, Shukun, Shane, Marcus, Zhong Hui, Weiwen, Gim Teck, Ah Phua, Yunxi, Danny, Dalian and Junchao.

Pride
Even at that age, I hate giving up halfway. I preferred to endure the tough training and show people that I can make it. There was a lot of pride in me, and that sometimes caused me to do foolish things in the latter part of my life.

At the end of 4 years, I attained the rank of Staff Sergeant and was the Publications Chairman in the Executive Committee. I had the badges as shown below. More importantly, I made many many good friends, who had been with me throughout my life journey.

Don't give up. Persevere on in the things that you really believe in. We need this in every stage of our life.

中秋节快乐

2007-09-25T15:25:00.000+08:00

Today is Mid-Autumn. 中秋节快乐

Last Sunday night, I had a little mooncake celebration with some of the PRC students who are currently studying at NUS. There were altogether 15 of us.

We had a great time of sharing, having fun, eating mooncakes, playing around with laterns and sparklers.

Because the group is not very big, we were able to give the PRC students a sense of feeling of family. It's really not easy to come all the way to Singapore and study on their own, when their own families are back in China. For them, they have to stay here for at least 10 years.

One of my close friends, Stephen shared these words that day:

举头望明月，
低头思故乡。

(It means when you look at the moon, you will think of your family. It's from a very famous Tang poem.)

He had been in Singapore for 8 years. Every year, during 中秋节, he will always think of his family back in Malaysia. This kind of feeling, people like me would never really understand. All my life, I had never been away from my family physically for more than 5 months.

Do learn to cherish your family. It's not perfect, but it's the only one you have.

Here are the photos!!

Photos all here!!

My Life Journey Part 2 - Those were the days...

2007-09-18T22:12:00.000+08:00

I found some of these old photos. Yes, the boy is me. =D

Childhood Games

2007-09-14T16:12:00.000+08:00

I suddenly thought of all the childhood games that I used to play: catching, five stones, "hantam bola", 1-leg, erasers flipping and hopscotch. I will go on to do a short introduction on each of them.

Catching
For this game, out of a group of children, 1 will be selected as the 'catcher'. Then this catcher will run around the whole place chasing after any of the other children. If he managed to catch any of his friend (by touching him), that friend will take over the 'catcher' role and everything will start all over again. It's really fun and everybody will run and hide and run and hide.

Five Stones
Come on guys. This is NOT a game just for girls. I played it too when I was young. Basically, there are 5 small bean bags, as shown in the photo on the left. The players will take turn to do all kinds of things with the bean bags. For more details, go to this website.

1-Leg
This is a real classic. The players will be divided into 2 groups. One group will have to cross a certain distance by running. The other group's players will each be constantly hopping around with only 1 leg. These 1-leggers will try to touch the other group's players. If anyone from the running group is being touched, they will be considered 'dead'. Heh..

Hantam Bola
My all-time favorite!! Players are divided into 2 groups. Each group will have a certain number of table tennis (not tennis) balls. Both groups are to throw the balls at one another. If a player is hit by the ball and the ball falls to the ground, his number of lives will deducted. If the player is hit, but yet, manages to hold on to the ball, the thrower will minus 1 life then.

Erasers flipping
I used to go crazy over this. Everyday, I would buy 1 eraser (those with flags). Then I would play against my friends with the erasers I bought. To put it simply, each player will take turns to flip his own eraser until 1 eraser lies on top of the other. The person's whose eraser is below will lose. (I was quite good at this!)

Hopscotch
Draw the hopscotch. Jump within the boxes drawn. Cannot skip any step unless the stone you throw lies on the squares. It's a great great game. But I wasn't really that agile and didn't excel in it. Hopscotch 101 is an interesting website that teaches how to play the game real well. =)

My Life Journey Part 1 - Primary School

2007-09-13T19:53:00.000+08:00

I'll be starting a new series of posts on my life story. I believe that everybody has a story to tell.

Me? I was born into a family of 7 - my grandparents, my parents, my elder brother, my elder sister and I in 1981.

My brother and sister are older than me by 7 years and 5 years respectively. Hence, they don't really interact much with me when I was young. The only thing that drew me and my brother together was the computer. He taught me how to hack games at the age of 10.

My primary school life at Maha Bodhi was mainly filled with memories of me and my friends. We played games like catching, five stones, "hantam bola", 1-leg, erasers flipping, hop-scotch, Chinese chess, etc. (Compared to now, kids are usually playing PSP, Gameboy, Nintendo DS, etc)

One of the key highlights of my primary school life came when I was in Primary 5. My Maths teacher, Mrs. Teo chose me to represent the school in a Maths compeititon in the Chinese High. Though I didn't win any award, I gained a lot of confidence because I felt that my teacher trusted me.

Futhermore, the compeition exposed me to the compounds of the Chinese High. It was really really huge with water and hills and many many classrooms. I was captivated by it and that propelled me to choose the Chinese High after the release of my PSLE results in 1993.

A simple action of my Maths teacher caused my life to be changed. It just goes to show we can never underestimate the long-lasting effects that a teacher's actions (or lack of actions) can bring to a student's life.

Fun Day @ MacRitchie Reservoir

2007-09-08T21:34:00.000+08:00

Today, I had a great time doing canoeing at MacRitchie Reservoir. The above photos showed how we looked after 1 hour of fun. Yes, I think it's quite exhaustive, but fun.

Evan Almighty

2007-09-03T09:24:00.000+08:00

Last Sat, I watched Evan Almighty on the big screen. Here's a short description of the comedy movie.

"A newly elected congressman, Evan, was tasked by God to make an ark. He risked his career, his family and basically, his life to get the ark done. And because of what he has done, he was able to save the lives of his family, colleagues and neighbours from a broken dam."

The whole movie is full of funny jokes. I can't stop laughing throughout almost the whole show. But beyond the laughter, I do feel that this show does have some lessons that we can learn from.

1. Courage
When Evan received the calling from God to build the ark, he devoted his life to it. Despite people (including his colleagues) laughing at him, he continued. At one point, even his beloved family left him. Yet he persevered on.

Courage - to do the right thing even if the people around you do not understand.

2. Love
Evan's family drew together to do this apparently 'silly' act of building the ark after God enlightened Evan's wife.

"When you prayed to God for greater intimacy within the family, do you think God will just give you the intimacy? Or do you think that God will give you an opportunity for this to happen?"

Evan's wife realised that this whole thing about building the ark can help bring the family closer together than even before. She brought the children back to Evan, and the 5 of them went on to build the ark together as a family. That is love.

3. Kindness
In the show, it was repeated a few times. How can we change the world? We can change the world by doing acts of kindness one at a time. Always be a blessing to those around you. Don't be calculative.

And when you do that, the atmosphere around you in the workplace, school or classroom will change positively. People will be smiling more and be more cheerful. Don't wait for someone to give on to you. Be that somebody who gives.

Happy Teachers' Day

2007-08-31T09:57:00.000+08:00

I must say. Today's Teachers' Day Concert in school has been really entertaining and enjoyable. It has put many wide smiles on the teachers. The two MCs were fantastic and hilarious. I think they can host TV shows in MediaCorp or something. Really talented.

Since this is a season of always being thankful, I would llike thank all the teachers that had taught me before, in all my 16 years of education. Special mention to the following wonderful teachers (without them, I would never have made it to become a teacher myself now):

Primary School (Maha Bodhi School)

Mrs. Teo (My Maths Teacher)
- For believing in me and giving me a chance to take part in the Inter-Schools Maths Olympiad Competition.

Mr. Shue (My Chinese Teacher)
- For teaching me so many life values, including the need for discipline.

Secondary School (The Chinese High School)

Mr. Peng (My Maths Teacher)
- For making Maths really interesting. He inspired me to perform well.

Ms. Mok Lai Koin (My Chemistry Teacher & Form Teacher)
- For being so strict with my class on the surface but actually was extremely caring about our needs.

Junior College (Hwa Chong JC)

Mr. Chan Kwok Leong (My Maths Teacher & Form Teacher)
- For supporting me to run for Students' Council and for making Maths easy to understand.

Mr. Ng Soon Kok (My Physics Teacher)
- For inspiring me to excel in Physics and fall in love with it. He's really really a nice and caring person.

University (NUS)

Prof. Ha Yajun
- For being constantly supportive throughout my Final Year Project (FYP) and giving me valuable assistance and advice.

Hi Sir, I'm from Fraud & Security..

2007-08-24T17:32:00.000+08:00

My handphone rang in the middle of the night last Thursday. It was an unknown number.

"Hi Sir, I'm from the Fraud & Security Department of a bank. We suspect that your credit cards had been stolen."

I was like ....

Then after talking to the guy, I realised what had happened. I actually had applied for a credit card 3 weeks ago. However, the credit card never came. Somehow along the way, someone stole my credit card and used it.

That someone used my credit and choked a bill of more than $3000.

I can't believe this happened to me. I lost something that I had never received in the first place. Gosh.

The Fraud & Security guy told me to make a police report. Yes, I reported the loss of something that I had never seen or touched before. Strange right?

Anyway, I was a bit like asking "Why me??" Honestly, I felt a bit resentful that this kind of thing can happen to me.

Last night, someone reminded me of 1 of the key attitudes that I wanted to have in the year 2007. And that is to be always thankful. Looking at this credit card case, I realised that I can learn to be positive about it.

I'm thankful that the Fraud & Security department of the bank notify me that some suspicious transactions had occurred.

I'm thankful that the bank froze the usage of the stolen credit card.

I'm thankful that I do not have to pay a single cent for the credit card bill.

See? There're indeed many things to be thankful about. If you're in a difficult situation, do try to be thankful. You will find more joy and gladness. It's a matter of perspective. =)

Getting Connected with Nature (with 1M)

2007-08-23T12:00:00.000+08:00

Raffles Institution Anthem

2007-08-20T20:45:00.000+08:00

When Stamford Raffles held the torch
That cast Promethean Flame
We faced the challenge of the day
To give our school a name
The eagle eye and gryphon strength
They led us to the fore
To reign supreme in ev'ry sphere
The sons of Singapore
Come heed the call Rafflesians all
And let our hearts be stirring
We'll do our best whate'er test
And keep our colours flying
Let comradeship and fervent hope
With one voice make us pray
Auspicium Melioris Aevi
With God to guide the way

Composed by E W Jesudason, Headmaster, Raffles Institution, 1963-1966

Well, I must confess. I still can't memorise the whole institution anthem yet. But I'm working towards it. The words of the song are really meaningful.

I really like the last two verses:

Auspicium Melioris Aevi: Our school motto which means Hope of a Better Age.

With God to guide the way: Wow!! Amazing!!

A Faith Goal Revisted..

2007-08-18T22:00:00.000+08:00

It's so easy to be caught up with so many things that I almost forgot something that I set out to do right at the very start of the year. It can be found in this post (2007 is a Year of Victory) way back in January 2007.

My faith goal in 2007: I want to complete 21km Standard Chartered Marathon Run this year.

I have to be realistic. At my present fitness, I can't do the 21km run. I need to train up myself physically.

And that means runs, runs and MORE runs!!

Last week, I had my first training. I ran 4km at the NUS track. It's a small but important step for me to get back into shape.

Yep, I hope to be able to train consistently for at least once or twice a week, given my busy schedule.

Why do I want to join this run?
1. I want to challenge myself.
2. A healthy and fit body gives me the alertness, strength and tenacity to press on in life, even when things are rough.
3. I want to train my mind to be determined. A lot of it depends on the mind when we go for long distances like 21km.

Who wants to join me? =)

Take the City Walk 2007

2007-08-10T19:46:00.000+08:00

One of the National Day events this year, Take the City Walk was organised by Touch Community Services (TCS). As an active volunteer in TCS, I participated in the walk two weeks. We took a nice walk around the city area early in the morning.

It's really a privilege because the city area has already being cornered off due to NDP 2007 and yet, we were allowed to walk. And on the day itself, God was very good to us. The weather was very good throughout the walk. However, the moment the walk ended officially, there was a heavy downpour!

Happy 42nd Birthday, Singapore!

2007-08-10T14:54:00.000+08:00

Yesterday marks the 42nd birthday of our beloved nation. I'm really proud & thankful of how the nation has come so far in a short span of 1 generation.

Someone shared this with me on National Day's eve.

1. We must honour the older generation of Singaporeans. They've worked so hard to build our nation up. Their insights are very valuable & important for us.

2. We must thank the present generation of Singaporeans. They've right now giving the best times of their lives to the nation. Their influence is essential in our continual prosperity.

3. We must be committed to nuture & love the next generation of Singaporeans. They may be young, but they hold the keys to our future success. Their imagination is what that will define tomorrow.

To sum it all,
We must honour those before us.

We must strengthen those around us.

We must empower those under us.

We must mentor those after us.

How Far Will You Go to Bless Someone?

2007-08-06T21:50:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I had this very interesting encounter. I was queueing up to pay my credit card bill at an AXS machine in Bukit Merah.

"Hello. Can you help me to the toilet? Very urgent." I heard someone asked me from behind.

I turned around and saw an uncle on a wheelchair. I recognized him. He always sell Sweepstake tickets in that area.

I was a bit flustered, to be honest. I didn't know how to respond initially. I half-wanted to just give some excuse and leave. But something stopped me. I almost forgot that I'm on this campaign to be a blessing to people around me. Now, it's the best chance for me to bless this uncle.

I put aside my credit card and plucked up my courage and started to push the uncle towards the toilet. Well.. it is then I realised that the only toilet that can accomodate the wheelchair lies on the other side of the road. I was a bit shocked because I had to wheel him across the road (there was a overheard bridge, but the lifts weren't working). Gosh.. This task kept getting harder.

Nonetheless, I pressed on. I slowly wheel the uncle cross the road. Thank God that there weren't that many vehicles at that time.

When I finally reached the toilet, I was half hoping that I can just push the uncle into the toilet and he can settle the rest himself.

Well, I was wrong of course. I went on to help him relieve himself. I'm not a nurse, I had never done it before and felt quite clumsy and embarrassed about it.

After that, I pushed the uncle all the way back to his original position, next to the AXS machine. Yes, I had to cross the road again. Thank God this time, a SBS bus captain helped me stopped part of the traffic so that I can wheel the uncle across.

Upon reflection, I felt that it's not just the uncle who is being blessed. Actually, I'm being blessed too. I realised that when I overcame my initial fears and discomforts and blessed him, my heart was kept soft.

Every time we see a need,and we ignore it, our hearts become hardened. I prefer to respond to the needs around me, as much as I can. I want to be tender-hearted always.

My Grandpa's Legacy

2007-08-02T20:14:00.000+08:00

My grandpa was cremated earlier in the afternoon. Together with many relatives and friends, my family and I were at the Bright Hill Crematorium to witness the cremation. Strangely enough, I don't feel very sad. I think it's because I know that he has already gone to a better place.

Many memories began to stir within me. I can remember the times that my grandpa took me out to play at Chinatown area when I was younger. I can also remember how often he brought me to the hawker centre near my house to eat my favorite Char Kway Tiao. I really miss him.

But was memories the only thing my grandpa left behind? No. My grandpa left behind a great and wonderful legacy - people. He had 1 wife, 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, 3 grandsons, 2 granddaughters, 2 granddaughters-in-law, 1 grandson-in-law, 1 great-grandson and 2 great-granddaughter.

He had brought up a great family - 17 people in all (including him). I am so proud of my grandpa.

救世主 - Savior

2007-08-01T09:29:00.000+08:00

As many would have already known, my grandfather, who had been staying with me all my life, had just passed away last Sunday. He had struggled for almost 5 months in the hospital.

It was the first time that someone so close to me left. There are mixed emotions in me. They include sadness, relieved, thankful and peaceful.

Sadness - simply because my grandpa is not around any more. And I miss him terribly at times.

Relieved - because my grandpa need not suffer any more. When he was at the hospital, he could neither drink, eat nor talk. He was actually in pain and discomfort.

Thankful - my church family had been supporting me throughout. Their presences at the wake every night really blessed my family and I. Furthermore, I actually had 3 pastors who came down and prayed for me.

Also, I'm thankful for colleagues at RI as well - Mr. Otto Fong, Mr. Joseph Chong, Mr. Ng Kwon Loong, Mr. Chong Han Guang and Miss Caroline Hoong. They helped me so much with my 4 sec 1 classes when I'm not around.

Last but not the least, I'm thankful for my secondary school friends who came down too. As well as some of my NIE teacher colleagues.

Peaceful - because I know that my grandpa is with the Lord. When he was at the hospital, I asked him who Jesus is.

救世主 (savior) - that was what he wrote (he couldn't talk).

My grandpa is in heaven now - which is really a much better place. I know I will meet him one day.

RI Basketball

2007-07-26T21:34:00.000+08:00

In RI, I'm also assigned to be one of the teachers in-charge of basketball. I'm really excited about the appointment because all my life, basketball has been one of my passions. Though I never really had any competitive experience, I played a lot of street basketball.

Just last Tuesday, I was down at the Delta Sports Hall supporting our team against Catholic High. It was tbe South Zone 'C' Div Finals. We were up against the defending champions & a really strong team. They have 3 players more than 1.8 m tall. And we're talking about 'C' Div here.

We started really well. We played tough defense. Whenever their tall guys got the ball near the basket, 2 or 3 of our players will swarm him & defend together. That really broke their momentum at the start of the game. By the end of half-time, the scoreline was really close.

In the 4th quarter, our lads began to suffer from serious cramps. 3 of our starters had to rest because of that. Nearing the final minute, our team drew within 2 points. However, we lost concentration & that allowed 2 easy baskets plus a free-throw for the opps.

Despite the loss, I'm really proud of our guys. Their defensive intensity throughout almost the whole game was amazing. They fought hard for every single point on the court. Yes, they may have lost the battle. But I believe they have the potential to win the war - to be 'C' Div National Champs.

Reason? We have a great team & a great coach.

NATIONALS, HERE WE COME!!

Life as a RI Teacher

2007-07-24T12:19:00.001+08:00

It's been 5 weeks. Time really flies.

I'm still trying to get used to being a full-time teacher in RI.

My Table in the Staff Room

Besides teaching, I have to learn to handle the responsibilities of a form-teacher. I have to take care of my form class and that goes beyond academic grades. I'm also concerned about their character.

Yesterday marked the start of the prefect nominations. Altogether, 5 students from my form class, 1M came looking for me today to talk about it. They all shared with me that they wanted to serve the school and help the other students.

I agree that serving the school and helping other students is important. However, I think being a prefect means much more.

"What do you wish to become at the end of 4 years if you're elected as a prefect? In terms of skills and character." I asked them.

None of them have actually thought about it. I told them to think about it and write a short reflection.

I believe that in all things, we should always being with the end in mind. That will guide us as we go along, and we won't be directionless or aimless. For example, if I want to become a prefect in RI, I should know at least roughly what I want to become at the end of Sec. 4. If along the way, I find myself not working towards the goal, I need to stop, reflect and react.

Do you begin with the end in mind?

Blessing in DIsguise

2007-07-20T18:33:00.000+08:00

As many of you would have known, my grandpa is still in the hospital.

The good news is that he should be discharged soon, in the next 1 or 2 weeks if nothing goes wrong.

However, it's not going to be easy taking care of him at home. He needs someone to take care of him almost constantly. And that person most likely is going to be my maid, Annisa.

The funny thing is, Annisa only joined my household 3 months ago. And initially when she first came, my mum and grandma were saying that Annisa does housework rather slowly and couldn't seem to be able to cope.

However, it turns out that she's quite a meticulous person. And she's bold as well. She actually went to the hospital to learn how to take care of my grandpa. She did very well too. The nurses over there were all quite impressed by her.

Now, she's rather confident in taking care of my grandpa. She even knows how to do simple injections and tube feeding. It's really quite amazing. I think she has the potential to become a real nurse next time because she already has some of the skill set.

She's really a blessing in disguise to my family. I want to thank God for her.

100K Campaign

2007-07-18T12:11:00.000+08:00

I haven't being blogging for the past week or so. I had been really busy going around giving people free gifts.

Yes, free gifts!

National Day is coming soon. As a gift to the nation, my church is on this 100K Campaign whereby collectively, we will bless 100, 000 people in Singapore.

Yes, 100, 000 people!

This blessing can come in terms of small gifts, acts of service or acts of kindness. In addition, we are also committed to pray for the needs of these people every night, for a period of 1 month. We believe that these prayers will be answered.

And there's absolutely nothing we want in return. Because we believe that "it is more blessed to give than to receive"!!

So far, I've blessed 10 people - ranging from my family members, to my friends, to my colleagues and even to total strangers. Though the target is 20, I would really want to make it a faith challenge and go for at least 30. =)

If any of you have any prayer requests, or other forms of needs, you are welcomed to approach me, either via MSN - yingmushijiang@msn.com or this blog's tagboard. I'll be glad to bless you.

Teachers' Investiture Ceremony 2007

2007-07-12T16:52:00.000+08:00

Today, I have officially become a full-fledge teacher. I was given the appointment by the Permanent Secretary (for Education) in Nayang Auditorium in NTU. It was a formal occassion and we all had to wear academic gowns. My parents were there to witness the ceremony as well.

How fast time flies. 1 year of teacher training passed just like that. The friends made, the colleagues that did endless projects with me. Well, to a certain extent, that phase of my life is over. I need to move on.

The challenge ahead for me lies: to be an excellent teacher, out to transform the lives of my students and mold their character to be good.

At this point, it is only appropriate that I have this teachers' pledge in my heart always, to remind myself why I want to be a teacher.

We, the teachers of Singapore,
pledge that:

We will be true to our mission to bring out
the best in our pupils.

We will be exemplary in the discharge of
our duties and responsibilities.

We will guide our pupils to be good and
useful citizens of Singapore.

We will continue to learn and pass on
the love of learning to our pupils.

We will win the trust, support and
co-operation of parents and the community
so as to enable us to achieve our mission.

There's No Place I'd Rather Be

2007-07-05T20:28:00.000+08:00

Yes, there's really no place I'd rather be. I'm every inch a true-breed Singapore Singaporean.

I went through the S'pore education, K1, K2, streamed in P3, streamed in P4, took PSLE, went on to 'O' levles and 'A' levels. Then I went on to NS. 2 and a half years later, I ORDed, and went on to do my university studies at NUS. And finally, I finished my post-grad diploma at NIE. 18 years of education!!

I love eating. I love eating char kway tiao, hokkien mee, mee goreng, mee siam, laksa, hainanese chicken rice, carrot cake, MacDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Long John Silver, bo bo cha cha, ice iachang, ice jelly, red ruby, cha siew bao, siew mai, dumplings, mooncakes, etc, etc etc........

I don't like the following stuff, but I have learnt to accept them: 7% GST, ERP, COE, Road Tax, Income Tax, housing loan, car loan, computer loan, tuition loan, kiasu mentality, Hello Kitty queue, etc. Yes, they're part of life in Singapore.

Though I've been to a few countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway, London, it's true. Nothing beats home. There's No Place I'd Rather Be, except Singapore.

Hossan Leong puts it best when he says "We live in Singapura, it's not perfect living, but at least it's interesting."

We Love Singapura - Original Version

We Love Singapura - MTV Version

Guys, let's respond to challenges!

2007-07-04T11:44:00.000+08:00

Recently, someone told me that if we want to grow in life (means in terms of maturity and character), we have to learn to move out of our comfort zone into the combat zone. When I heard that, I really agree with it.

One thing for sure, guys at every stage of life - be it adolescent, youth, young adult or mature men, thrive on challenges. When we are young, we like to challenge our peers in almost everything - be it studies, computer games (like DOTA, CS, Halo 2) or sports. When we are older, we like to challenge ourselves in our careers. We like to live in the combat zone!

When we guys overcome challenges in our lives, it gives us a certain sense of achievement. To be exact, it makes us feel validated. Each of us will believe that "I can make it". Somehow, this is part of the guys' make up. And it's terribly important to us.

Conversely, when we guys refuse to take up any challenges in life, we lose the fighting spirit in us. We lose the zest in life. We don't dare to take risks. Everything becomes a rountine. We just want to be comfortable right where we are. And when there's a turn of events (of which we can't control, like natural diasters) that shake us up, we would be paralysed and not being able to respond.

Personally, the latest challenge came early this year. I was given the opportunity to either apply for teaching in Raffles Institution or Hwa Chong Institution. Well, I graduated from Hwa Chong more than 10 years ago. It would of course be more comfortable for me to go back to my old school.

However, I need a challenge in life. I need to be uncomfortable so that I can grow. That's one of the reasons why I decided to apply for RI. And right now, I'm a teacher in the school. Though the culture is totally different from Hwa Chong, I really felt that I've learnt a lot, and am having a great time over there. =)

(Of course, we must make sure that the challenges that we take up are good challenges, and not bad ones.)

What is your Dream?

2007-06-27T23:25:00.000+08:00

I had just started teaching in RI. I'm teaching 4 classes of Secondary One students Physics. As a new teacher in the school, I really would want to know my students better. Hence, I have asked some of them this question "What is your dream?"

Some of them actually said they have no dreams. Or maybe they're too shy to share.

Personally, I believe that it is important to have dreams. The dreams that we have can shape our lives, develope our potential and guide us on the right path. We should know (at least partially) what we want to aim for in life.

There's this story about Charlie Brown that I'm reminded of.

One fine day, Charlie Brown decided to do archery. He took up his bow and arrows.

The strange thing is that, he did not have a target board. He just shot his arrows, and wherever an arrow landed, he would walk up to it and drew a circle around it, indicating a hit.

Lucy was observing him from the side. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Charlie Brown! That's not the way to do archery!?! You have to have a proper target board!" exclaimed Lucy.

"No Lucy, you don't understand. If you do archery MY way, you would never miss your target."

Well, when we aim at nothing, of course we will never miss. If we have no dreams or visions for ourselves, our lives would be pretty haphazard and purposeless.

My dream is to be able to speak into the lives of young people and transform their lives for the better.

So, what is your dream?

"We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true."
Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of America

Chalet @ Aloha Changi

2007-06-24T01:13:00.000+08:00

I just finished a 3 Days 2 Nights chalet cum church retreat at Aloha Changi. It was really a great time together with all the youths from 4 different cell groups. Everyone who went were tremendously blessed.

Yeah, and I would like to give thanks to the people who has blessed me personally during the stay.

Kelly Chia, Dun Lin and Stephen (the other 3 cell leaders)
Thanks for partnering me to put together this little retreat. Without you all, this wouldn't be possible.

Kenneth, Jarrell, Kevin, Glenn, Clement and Adlar
Your very presence is a great encouragement to me. And I know that each of you are really growing in maturity. It was really fun interacting with all of ya.

Yingxin, Venelyn and Yingzhi
Thanks for the kopi-talk. It was really interesting. I will help you all keep a look out. If next time, got those nerd nerd and honest type, I know who to intro. If got those handsome and humorous one.. also will intro. =)

Sherry, Felicia, Siokyit and Shermaine
Thanks for all the laughter that you all produced or induced throughout the chalet. Your joy was really contagious. (Btw, I'm really 26, not 36.... & I DONT act cute lah..)

Many others who came to the chalet
Really really thankful that you all make the effort to come down, even though some of you were really busy. Wonderful youths. Thank you. =)

Muar - A Place of Peace

2007-06-17T20:29:00.000+08:00

I just came back from a little retreat with my church family at Muar. It was really a great place, away from all the city lights and distracting stuff like computers, internet and handphone.

Yah, we just spend a day or two in almost total peace. Really thank God for that.

Muar is such a peaceful and simple town.

Anyway, on the second day, we decide to play some kind of 食字路口. We have to find places or food that can string together in words. We started with the word Muar.

Muar House

House of Joy

Zoysia (a kind of grass)

Xia-mi (shrimp)

Mi-lo

Lo-ti (Roti)

Tea with Ice

Ice Teh-O

Otah!!

Ta-mee (eat noodles)

Mee Siput

Muar House -> House of Joy -> Zoysia (means grass) -> Xia-mi (shrimp) -> Mi-lo -> Lo-ti (Roti) -> Tea with Ice -> Ice Teh-O -> Otah -> Ta-mee (eat noodles) -> Mee Siput