Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

To all Malaysians and my friends,

Here's wishing you :-

SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA!

This is our country! Amen!

Good Effort.....

This evening I was sitting down watching my TV programs and I tuned in to the show "Coming Home" on Channel 709 Lifetime Channel.  I was teary eyed over the sacrifices of the US servicemen or armed forces personnel who had risked their lives for their country. It was a program where they bring back personnel from the front after serving for some time out there. The last one that hit me was the death of Mark A.Forrester a fighter pilot who was killed in Afghanistan active duty. The honor of the CO who traveled all the way to present the fallen pilot family with the service flag was indeed touching and moving. It not only ease the hurt felt by the family members of the fallen pilot but the healing starts within. It sends a great message as far as I was concerned. Sometimes, citation and words can get only that far when extending comfort but personal touch and olive leaf of gesture does help a long way. I was really impressed by that finesse shown by the CO of the fallen pilot. Truly a class act indeed.

Earlier today was the combined service between the Youth and Children Church ministry. This combined effort would be held every fourth Sunday of the month. It was exciting to have about 30 children, youths and adult at the service. It started out with the welcoming team of ushers who ushered the children and young people to the service area. At about 11.15am, combined service started after trying to get as many youths and children to get into service by that time. Sis.Grace started the service out with three children church songs before continuing with the youths praise & worship songs. Worship was good and the setting was right indeed. It was the start of a wonderful service. Just felt privileged and humbled that the youth leaders and I could be part of such a service. It wasn't easy planning for such a service simply because it has not been done before. Many wonderful hearts had made this happen.

The preparation was thought out much earlier during the discussion between youth leaders and the children ministry leaders some weeks ago and today it came to fruition. Well, it is always easier said than done but today, it proved that with much co-operation, encouragement and humbled hearts , it could be done. So ever thankful for that believe from the leaders who made this inaugural event a success. Their efforts were the ones that made this occasion beautiful. As I stood at the sides watching the unfolding of such an event, I just can't help feeling good knowing that the leaders had made a tremendous effort. Jui Shan then shared her message for the day after a continuation of what Jonathan Lim had shared last week. Simple but effective message for the day. Hannah then helped the youths to loosened up and enjoy some nifty moves for dance moves for a  Praise & Worship song.  Praise God for that! I am extremely proud too that there are good young leaders who are able to share the Word in their own special day. Youth leaders like Jonathan, Kenneth, Jessica, Aaron, Jenny and now, Jui Shan, who are more than able to share the passion of God's Word, are a delight to my heart whenever I think of the ministry's future movement. They are in good hands of God and his Angels indeed. The structure and the set-up had been good all along and I was merely there to guide and support the team in whatever capacity I could.

Most certainly, these leaders did not need much encouragement to do the right thing as they have seen for themselves what it meant to be an encourager to these young individuals and tender dear lives. Just glad to be a part of this greater movement to have the children grow to a better understanding of God. 

Gladness...

Last evening, SLing, SYuen and myself went over to a friend's house nearby for a barbecue dinner to celebrate the homecoming of our friend's daughter from London, UK. There was good spread of BBQ chicken wings, sambal chicken, fried mee and fried bee hoon plus BBQ tau kees. Dinner started much earlier than I had expected and after a quick clean up, I was having quite a spread of food. I was careful not to gorged myself too much on the food while sharing a good conversation was equally important. 

Later, we were joined by another couple who were our good friends too and the entire evening was lightened up. During one of the sharing of this friend's daughter experience in London, she shared about staying in a house with 10 different individuals in the house and how she managed to get along well with them. These are Malaysian students doing their respective courses in London. Incidentally, she mentioned that her housemates were Christians and how they like to have meals together, have CG fellowship and also getting along fine with this friend's daughter of ours. She further told us how she would go for CG fellowships, sing praise and worship songs but most important of all, how her housemates would pray for her whenever she would tell them of her problems in studies or with general stressful life as it was. When she explained it to us, SLing and I looked at each other and we smiled because we were so proud of her Christian housemates who had truly shown our friend's daughter what it meant to be a true Christian. The couple who came later to the dinner purposely asked if these Christian boys and girls had  "influenced" her to become a Christian and so on. Though it shocked me and SLing knowing such utterance from a couple we call friend, we never knew the wife was kinda insistence that my friend's daughter would not be influenced by these Christian boys and girls. What happened next was unexpected as my friend's daughter spoke that these Christian boys and girls really treated her well and they really took care of her while never once hinted or asked her to be a Christian. They just shared their consistent responsible life, shared their food, prayed for the food and prayed for my friend's daughter and just be a friend to her. I was so proud of these boys and girls. There is just too much wrong perception and distortion of what being Christian is all about when all is needed is just being who we really are in Christ. SLing and I were really blessed by what her friends had done. It just goes to prove my point further that sometimes, our lives are the only Bible some see in us and that we should always not pretend to be who we are not but just portray what God has done for our lives and share His goodness. That's all that matters! Simple good heart, good manners, humility and most important of all, love genuinely.

In my heart, I just thanked the Lord for the parents of these young men and women who had impacted the life of my friend's daughter. No matter how small that sharing of their lives, the seed of goodness had been sowed and life will be transformed. Funnily, when our friend's daughter shared her experience about these young men and women, she lighted up so much and you could see the joy in her immediately. Truly her life had been touched by these young lives.

That night as we walked towards our home, we can't help but smile that somewhere somehow lives are touched even as we slumbered in our beds at this side of the continent. Somehow, when young people do the things they do to propel God's will upon the lives of others, you can't help but marvel at their hearts. So, thank you , young people out there who would sometimes put many to shame with your perseverance and boldness. May God further empower the young people and raised them up at the fore front of the battle ahead. So bless indeed!  

Artful of fun....

They say that teaching small children are both challenging and tiring because they are so active and innocent. They are known to tire your brains out and even drain your energy with their constant "Wh" questions. In case , you do not know what I mean , it is the " why, what, when , where, who and how " questionaires!! I guess that when my good friend Tan BL put me up for teaching these young ones, I really felt the enormity of responsibilities upon my shoulder. It is that I've not being in Sunday school program for such a long time that I begin to have anxiety attacks!!! I tell you, I racked my brains for ideas and I just told the Lord that I will do my best. So, I came up with the art stuff idea. 

Honestly, I've always love art stuff and so, I just follow my heart and see what I could do with it. I am thankful that SLing was my assistant that day as she helped me to be with the children and with an hour or so to inspire the children with the Word of God and have meaning fun time, it was really quite a daunting task, actually. But yunno what, surprisingly, I truly enjoyed this experience. The children were superbly mannered though it was initially not easy to get them to speak but somehow, old uncle like me can still get them going. I am pleasantly happy to do what I like most, i.e art and share that fun with the children.

I think, the children ( Shaohanna, Elyon, Elysia, Dave , Caleb, Selina, Caitlin, Marcus, David and Kimberly ) are just truly wonderful kids indeed. I was conscious that these young ones needed good Godly foundation in their lives and I am just so blessed to be a part of that small contribution in shaping their lives. Moreover, I was given the honour to start off with the most important opening part of the 10 Commandments - #1 You shall have no other Gods before Me. ( Exodus 20: 3 ) I hope, the children had learned something from me as I learned from them too. Yeah, it was a good experience for me to be with the children. Who knows what I may do next? Afterall, aren't we all called to inspire these young ones and bring them closer to love our Father in heaven? Just for a moment, I am humbled and blessed indeed!~  

Rustic memories...

There are times I wish I had more time for my family and I do wish I strike the lottery just like any one else so that I can really take a good rest. Huh! Fat hopes, right? Probably this is the same wishful thinking of millions of Malaysians out there and also, a friend used to tell me whenever I shared this fat hopes with him, he would say, " Buy the ticket first-la! Then dream,ok? Don't buy,  how to dream, Ivan" I would always laughed my head off thinking of what he said and very true in every sense. Anyway, I decided that if  I wanted to be happy as I am , I might as well, get the best out of the days I have and splashed it like it's the last days of my life. That's exactly what I did - bringing family to great fun around Melaka, my own backyard town. 

I must say that I am very impressed with what I found out. There is so much things to do , experience and also, quite an ambiance to look forward to. It is much more than the ball ball chicken rice or the satay celup or even the cendol and the historical sites. It is the eccentric and eclectics of the smaller hidden jewels in the heart of  Melaka town. The straits born buildings, the people, the services, the run down buildings, the cafes, the taverns, the watering holes and the roads makes it all so interestingly crazy yet fun. Though I am born and bred as a Malaccan, I find it hard to drag myself to walk these streets I am so familiar with all my life but somehow, when you really take the initiative to learn about the rich culture and ways of life in those times, you get intrigued and fascinated by it all. Getting stuck in traffic jams, sticking out your hands and limbs to get a bowl of cendol plus haggling over the overly inflated  prices ain't my cup of tea, actually. I really do prefer the tranquil of home and plush servanthood of my reddish sofa set! Quite accustomed and blended in with the sofa set quite nicely over the years.

Coming back to my little adventure, I am no historian nor a story teller but these columns, carvings, paintings and even signages of the olden days brings a whole lot of nostalgic feelings. I remembered sitting in a rustic cafe sipping my Vietnamese coffee and I was transported back to my childhood days some 3 to 4 decades back. I smiled to myself as I caressed those fond memories only to be awakened by the gruffy voice and perplexed look of SLing who asked me if I was okay. Just maybe, I am a sentimental fool and what if I am a sentimental fool then - everything seemed so tranquil and relaxed as I continued to tear to the taste of the freshly baked blueberry muffin, my favourite fare, actually. "I could get used to such life,actually" - I told myself that! Coffee and muffin : great combo to mess  up your head with memories!

I must say that as I walked through the hallway of the cafe, I passed through the colourful glass lattice door and one sold timber door of the olden days. Wow! These were doors from my childhood days when I was staying in Tranquerah and Gajah Berang Road. Rustic, old and yet so colourful - like my life these days too!!! I kinda like that comparison as I felt that beautiful pieces like these are fading away -just waiting to be discovered. Many would not see the beauty of a plain door as that or a colourful glass piece of a door because there aren't many around anymore to savour and to feast the eyes on. I am glad that the proprietor actually took the trouble to not to restore them but left them as it is. Maybe a wash or two to clean up but other than it was classic. I like the rustic feel a lot. Had it not been SLing asking me to move on, I would have sat there for hours just enjoying the staircase carvings, metal work and even the back section tree stump table setting. As we moved on to a classic hotel settings, it was another piece of historical fun. What fun we had at that hotel. Artistically well maintained, clean, classic and culturally spot -on with ts decor lighting up the place so much.

Then it's night walk time and visiting one of boutique hotel was fun. Great news is that there are little goodies every where at the hotel and we whacked the goodies nicely before leaving the hotel. Simple fares goodies like small sugared biscuits, buah kana, small peanut cookies ( the ones that used to be sold at olden days grocery shop in a big glass container! ) and some peanuts fares in big jar certainly made our day indeed!

The best part of it all was that we did not have to travel far for some small pleasures in life. Sometimes. the better things are those things that is right before our very eyes. Yeah, I was told that I slept like a baby as I put my head on the pillows that night.. Maybe what they did not know was that I had an even wider smile in my heart.......There is always something new to discover each day, right? Let's inpsire , shall we? In the midst of our perspiration under the heat of the blistering sun?  

Night Out....

For many years, I am very aware of the fact that as you grow older, you seemed to find less time to do the things you've always wanted to do and there is just a bloody excuse for everything that made you busy to get away from spending time with your loved ones. As much as we rant and rave till the cows comes home, we never will be able make the time to be with our loved ones. It is always another assignment to do or another case that required our utmost attention, our reputation to protect, our business to take care and if we don't it'll collapsed without our intervention or even, an ultimatum or some brilliant idea that when you have enough money, you will be able to enjoy life as it is? Well, don't be "trapped" into these things as I have been all these years. Money is NEVER enough while time is ALWAYS too short either! By the time you have enough money, you'll probably be having aches all over and popping this pill and that pill to stabilise your body and time, well, it is always spent staring at the stupid square box called computers or TV!   

Well, I am proud to say that I took hold of the situation, took leave and make one conscientious effort to be with my wife. I believe , she truly deserved a good break and a good time with me. So, Saturday evening, I decided to have a"date" with my wife, SLing after sending our daughter off to a CF Camp. For many nights, I have thought of doing this but I've never gotten the time to do it and also, to spent some quality time with her. Over the years, it has always been work, the children, the unnecessary worrying, the stress,  the unwanted problems that came along or even ministry getting in the way of spending some good time together.

I surprised her that evening after coming back from ISOM class that we are going out for dinner. We dressed up , get ourselves ready and off we went to Olio Restaurant for a good evening of food and just chatting away. We went through the menu and I recommended a few selection to her and she ended up with Seafood Linguine Marinara while I have the Seared Chicken Breast with Cheese fare. We also shared out the Caesar's Salad. When the breads arrived together with the dip and Caesar's Salad, we were quite comical in eating the breads, vegetables and have a good laugh at each other. It was so fun together and we really cherished that moment. I guess, after being married for so many years, we finally got the chance to "entertain" ourselves. What an evening it was for us! I wanted it to be a night we would be "dating" ( two old fools indeed! )  all over again and it was truly fun. We talked, we laughed and we attacked the food!!! The food was really good and we truly enjoyed the food.

Then we took a ride to the Stadhuys area and managed to park the car there. From here, we went to HardRock Cafe just to have a chill out time for a while, looking at the merchandise and the ambiance. As usual, we both decided that the walk along the river would be a better sight. What a great decision we made as there was a good breeze and some of the shops were opened and it was a beautiful evening walk indeed. So rustic and so colonial at the same time. What a sight, indeed! As we walked along the river, though the river don't smell that good, it was just the good company and the talks along the way that helped the evening progressed nicely. We then ended up at the Victoria fountain and we sat there for a while. As we looked around and see the antics of the people, we are just so aware of ourselves that we have had the best night of our lives, together. We realised that it wasn't the fancy dinner nor the ambiance that made our evening fun. It was just the very simple things of life that made us clicked so well. The simple evening walks and the sitting down near the Victorian fountain made us alive again. The soft breeze of the evening, the sharing of thoughts, the head on the shoulders and sometimes, the silence made it all such a beautiful moment amidst the lights and the glitter surrounding the historical site. It is that simplicity of life and love that had sustained us all these years - just being there for each other, I guess.  We ended our night with a nightcap at Starbucks. It was sorta 3 in 1 experience - good food, rustic ambiance and modern experience! So, coffee was the order of the nightcap. As we sat comfortably at the plush sofa individual seat, we again enjoy people watching and there were so many youngsters! We joked that we now know where their parents money go to each night!!!

We saw friends in groups together. We saw older group of individuals together and we hardly saw people of our age in the cafe. Somehow, we kinda felt as though we are two "young at heart" old people in a trendy hip atmosphere! We LOVED it!!!!! At least, we can inspire others like us to freak out as well!!!!!!!! If they can get through by paying the bill for their coffee, they will make it or else, they'll probably grumble that a cup of coffee at Ah Siang coffee shop, mamak stall  or  even bhai tepi jalan coffee stall is so much cheaper in price than this joint!!!

Ah , well, once in a while, to spend and splurged a little is okay. It is like rewarding yourself for being sane all these years in marriage and keep your spouse sane too is equally important as sometimes, you drive each other insane, right? All in all, it was a good night, sorry..... a memorable night, actually. We may not be rich financially to do any extravagant things in life but these simplicities kept us alive and strong all these years. This I like ! So, I want to encourage each and everyone of you to spend time together and plan a good night out. It isn't the fanciful dinner or the extravagant of things - simple , rustic and great company matters to the heart! Agree?

OA Children...A Joy!

Last Saturday as it was my alternate Saturday off, I decided to go early to my bible study class that day. Moreover, SLing was teaching the OA children class and I wanted to see for myself what was done. So, as I walked up the staircase to the studying place, I could hear volunteer teachers teaching the children. As I went in, I could see OA children doing their studies enthusiastically under the watchful eyes of the teachers. There to greet me as I plonked on the soft and comfy cushion sofa was DL Tan, my schoolmate in school many many moons ago and also the coordinator of the OA Tuition Class project. What a wonderful man of God and what good works he had done. A humorous, happy-go-luck and a man with a heart of gold , he, alongside the other wonderful teachers have had a Herculean task in shaping these OA children to understand their studies. As he explained to me on some of the poor ones with very poor grades and so on, I could relate to his predicament. It wasn't an easy task, but the passion to see these OA children succeed in having basic education are applaudable indeed.  I could see that everyone was giving their best to these children. 

Looking back at these children, you could not help but wonder why are they is such a rut. Truly, there are some of the children who could clearly cope with their studies but generally, they have been by-passed and passed on from primary school to secondary school without a care being taken to look into their plight. I believe that some of them could nor grasped the simple basic of mathematics such as addition, subtraction, division and multiplication tables. Taking English with them is like talking gibberish to them or a completely new language to them. Thankfully, the teachers had tried their best to help these younger ones to grasp the language better and at least to get better grades in school. When DLTan told me that though these children's grades were among the lowest in their schools, they were at the bottom but mid-section of their class. I nearly fell off the cushion sofa when I heard this. There were actually far more worst students than them!!!! Can you imagine that? It caught me thinking that there is something very wrong with our education system today? It is so sickening to see children after children falling away in our society today. What will they do with no education and no hope....back to their original place again. Sometimes, I do think that there are people out there in our education system who are the actual real morons! 

Anyway, I am comforted in my heart that there are people like DL Tan and his team of teachers who are willing to invest their time, effort and heart in caring for these children. I am comforted that they genuinely care and do what they can for these OA children. It takes a lot of patience and sacrifice to teach these young ones and change their mindset to being victors in life as many would easily resigned themselves and be at exactly where they are in their community and back to the woods. During the end of their studies as they await for their lunch, I spoke to one of the boys on his activities after studies and so on. He told me that most times after studies are spent hunting and gathering food from the woods. However, I am told that most of the boys and girls are now studying hard and doing their chores at the same time. It was interesting to note that  15-16 year old boys goes out hunting and gathering food for the family. I was also informed that some of the girls were also quite bright and have great future. However, they have to go beyond their social stigma and make a change in their lives. As I sat down there to look at these children, I really wonder what is in store for them. Does society gives them a chance at all to excel ? Does anyone gives a two hoots about their lives? How would they do on an even field at school, at work and even in the social platform? Would they be proud enough to stand up and proclaim that they are proud to be an OA? Or would they just go back and be the way they have always been and wither away from the prying eyes of society?

As I sat there wondering all these things that came through my mind, my thoughts were smashed by the prayers administered by one girl who prayed for the food! My God, how sweet and wonderful were the prayers words that came out from the mouth of this girl! I was truly blessed indeed. For a moment, I was so touched in my heart as the prayers in BM were administered simply by the sheer innocence. Such innocence and true words that came out from the mouth of a child. As they ate their lunch with plastic spoons and some with their fingers, you could see the authentic and genuine gratitude of being fed. After the clean-up and so on, they gathered again to pray for journey mercy back to their settlement. Again, a much younger girl prayed and it was truly a wonderful prayer. I must say that it would put most of us, the adults, to shame, actually. Now, I truly understand the passion shown by DL Tan and his team! Salute!

The next time, if you are asked to put in your effort or support this cause, don't just lay down your bundles or fistful of ringgits into the cause, come and lent your expertise and be touched by the sweet innocent prayers of these children. As hard of a person as I am, I truly learnt a lesson well that day. It doesn't take a genius to understand that it starts with the heart............that heart for the Author of our lives!