Slumber Night quips......

Comdr: When you grow up, what do you want to be?

11year old : Eat & sleep in the toilet!

Comdr: When you grow up, what do you want to be?

11 year old : Dunno [ **looking sheepishly ** ]

Comdr: Join in the activity, now!

6 year old : I don't want. They squeezed my hand so tight!

11 year old : Throw me! Throw me in the pool!

Comdr: Aiyah, you are so heavy now! [ Clutching back and feeling the pain! ]

7 year old : Don't eat the green and orange spiral pasta, they are vegetables!

Comdr: Eat it or you'll have to starve!

11 year old : Haiyah! Contact me-lar if you want to know....... My handphone number is XXX - XXXXXX! Aiyoo, so easy. Like that also cannot remember-meh?

8 year old and 10 year old : Repeat! Repeat! [ As though they could remember the number! **eyes rolling**! ]

Comdr: what shall we do with naughty children?

8 year old : Throw them to the crocodiles!

7 year old whispering to another 7 year old : Let's get together and pull.....pants down! [** Snickering and laughing together** ]

6 year old: Comdr, why is there so much food to eat?

Comdr: Don't ever lean over this wall or else you will fall off the building.

6 year old & 7 year old : Cool, then we can see if we have wings to fly and turn into Ben 10.......

Comdr: Whose wet clothes and underwear are these?

6 year old : Haiyah, they are my clothes. They were dry when I had them. So, when they are wet, I left them on the floor.

Comdr: Why do you like to join RK camps?

11 year old: Because of the gifts! [ **Grinning from ear to ear!** ]

Comdr: Is the pasta good?

7 year old : Yes, at least it is not sour!

8 year old : Comdr, I can't sleep last night. You snore so loud. Your nose blocked-ah?

9 year old : Aiyah, wrong answer again! I am eating the waffles!

7 year old : Stop taking my sausages! [ **Putting saliva on the sausage**! ]

Winner With God - Proverbs 16:3

It's that ripe time of the year again, folks! Yup, it the time whereby children in the ages of 4-11 year olds "terrorised and traumatised" their outpost commanders in the Royal Rangers Melaka # 1 - Ranger Kids Slumber Night 2011! Of course , I was joking as usual. In all honesty, there is really no better place I would rather be than to spend time with these tiny tots especially the young Ranger Kids. I am always very blessed with these kids because they make you laugh, cry and feel young at the same time. I have come to realise that these young ones are pretty comical, cunning but pleasant at the same time. I am very blessed when I get to spend time with these children as they are so innocent in their speech and actions. However, like all good leaders, we had to corrected some traits that needed some stern warning and some hard eye-balling. Overall, the children were a real delight.

We gathered at about 8.00am at our church sanctuary and by the way the luggages arrived as the children checked-in for the camp, I thought some of them are running away from their home with their humongously big luggages! Anyway, old habits die hard for these parents in terms of packing clothes and food stuff for their children! Anyway, it doesn't seemed to bother me as the parents are the one who are going to wash all those extra clothes knowing how these young children stuff their clothes in the bags later! Anyway, upon our arrival at our camp accommodation - Tanjung Samudera Condo in Pantai Kundor, Melaka, there were lots of "ooohs" and "aaahhs" from the children. As we took the lift to the 15th floor and alighted from the lift where our accommodation was for the day, the children were greeted with a strong gentle breeze and a breathtaking view of Pantai Kundor town plus the surrounding areas. It was clearly a great sight. From then on, fun filled our days as the children played games after games and resting only for lunch and more food. Comdr. Stefanie and team played games with the children while Comdr. Errol & Comdr. Jessica churned out the pasta meals, tea break goodies and the BBQ meal. It all started out with Crazy Golf Competition under the charge of Comdr. Steven and supervised by the younger commanders like Comdr. Bryan Lee, Stephen Raj, Comdr. John Ng, Comdr. Stefanie, AR Josephine, AR Jocelyn, AR SYuen and AR Julien. After a competitive round of golfing, it was time to chow down some food and "MammaMia Pasta" was the order of the day! It was a sumptuous and delicious meal when you see the children lining up for second helpings!

As the adrenaline-filled and pumped up kids were filled in their bellies, Comdr. Errol & Comdr. Jessica carried out the Siesta Session 2 - Origami. It was fun seeing these children dishing out their talents at this simple art. The very purpose of this activity was to incalculate and expand their artistry talent & to build their confidence. Of late, we noted that these young children lacked the fighting spirit in them. We also noted that they just give up too easily when things don't go right for them while thinking out of the box was something alien to them. So, Comdr. Errol & Jessica decided to do something about it and the easiest way was the origami way which teaches creativity, patience and delicate handling. It was really a fun time.

Then it's off to the beach for telematches -thrown in with a galore of thrill, spills, laughter and joy. After the telematches, it was off to the double swimming pool available at the condominium. What joyful ruckus they made and I laughed my heart out seeing the antics of these young ones. With BBQ chicken wings, sausages, tau kee and fish ball in a royale platter awaiting the children, they ate heartily and there wasn't a sound in the air as they gobbled down the food. As always, I have been given the privilege to share the Word and I spoke on the Camp Scripture - Proverbs 16:3. It was a heartening experience for me to be able to bring the Word to the children.

To cap off a good night, SLing took out our aromatic waffles batter to feed these delightful children. With generous splash of peanut butter, jam and Nuttela chocolate spread, some children had evidence of these goodness combination at the corner of their mouths! That night, as the children lay down to sleep, it was nice to note that they had a fruitful and fun day with each other and with the commanders. I am eternally grateful to the up and coming commanders who are truly the heroes of this camp. The great effort, passion and love shown by Comdr.Stefanie, Bryan, John, Stephen Raj, Josephine, Jocelyn, SYuen, Julien are really applaudable and deserve praise. They did very well and this ministry, Royal Rangers Melaka # 1 truly is blessed to have them. People used to say to me that these young commanders had good senior commanders to teach them but I say, they are what they are because they love God and the children & that's all that matters to me. Their hearts and their passion are right and these are the most important elements as far as I am concerned. I am equally blessed to have Comdr. Errol, Jessica, Jason and Comdr Steven as my family in this ministry. Their dedication, their love and their commitment.... I have no words to describe them. It is always a joy and honour working alongside these leaders.

So, to the parents out, I just want to say that this ministry is all about Him and moulding your child to be a better person. CHANGE and MOULD are what we want to do with your child and what we do BEST. I am so blessed when I see naughty/difficult/pampered or even indescribable children come into this ministry because I know, once, they have experienced the Rangers way, they will know the way! Yes, I am proud and blessed when I see children whom had passed this way, transformed body, mind and soul. It is a challenge indeed but a challenge I cherished a lot because the children are just so worth it -every ounce of my strength , my time and my intelligence! YES, we truly love this ministry- always have and always will!

YES, we will always be Winners with God!~

A birdkeeper once told me...

Honestly, I have enjoyed fatherhood in so many ways and when the children were younger but as they grow older, the joy seemed to be turning into one unexplainable ball of messy misinterpretation after another with countless twist of pain, joy and fun all mixed in a concoction of roller coaster feeling. I guess, in many ways, everyone needs to grow up and it is how fast we adapt to our children's growing up and changes that really matters. As parents, we have to adapt and keep abreast with the situation around us or we will be labelled as "not seeing the matters from the young people's point of view." I must say in all honesty that I have been able to adapt to those changes but it's the children's mindset that boggles my marbles a bit. In fact, there are times I even question myself if these children are mine in the first place! (** eyes rolling** and with a hint of deep sarcasm! ) You can never know what goes through their heads, their direction in life and even what would they want to be when they grow up. I bet you this - 40% pilot, 15% doctor, 15% lawyer, 10% engineer, 10% teacher and 10% unknown/don't bother where they end up to be. Anyway, that's part of growing up and some have explained it as the X, Y & Z generation! The only generation I know is the daily survival generation. So, like I said, we all have to start to learn somewhere, right? I may still not understand this generation X,Y & Z thing but I am sure, we all have to work hard somehow and get our life going down the road call LIFE!

I am utterly shocked and quite disgusted actually when I see young children being overly-sheltered, overly-protected and even being reprimanded in a soft tone even when the child stabs another with a sharpened pencil end! I tell you this, we have to learn to buck up or else our children's generation are going down the dumps. I am not saying that you have to enlist yourself to a military boot camp of discipline and military style execution of life but let's be practical. Keeping them in line with discipline and getting them grow up with good values are important. Yup, you may never know where they will end up when they are all grown up but the least you can do is equipped them with good values of life, be humble , be respectful, be resilient to the test of time in circumstances that may come their way and teach them to rely on God!

I have learnt too that letting the children go when they grow older is a must-do thing. We cannot hold onto/cling tightly on their dear life even when we grow old someday. We have to do the right thing by giving then space to breathe, work out their messy lives , lead their lives and allow them to grow in His time. Who knows - they may be better without our help and constant hawk-eyed parenting technique. Grow- they must and grow-they will if we , as parents allow them that space. By all means, instill good values of respect for people and being humble. Those values don't go wrong or awry. I have just let one of the birds in my nest to fly. I wait in anticipation for a successful flight and I pray in all earnesty for humbling encounters as he takes the life flight. I pray that he would turn from a bird to an eagle who would soar in the skies and yet be humbled before the Lord. That is all that I asked for. Yup, a bird keeper once said that..........

Smoked Ham Aglio Olio de Ivan......

This is my modified dinner meal for the family today. I call my food creation "Smoked Ham Aglio Olio de Ivan". Yup, it looked nice, tasted nice ( my family says so though needs more fresh herbs concoction ) and it is something I can do. Really simple to make it for the whole family to enjoy. If you are not a fan of the "kerbau pendek", you can always substitute it with prawns, smoked salmon or even beef slices or even tear up some soft goat cheese. All you need is a handful of pasta, olive oil, a bunch of parsley, parmesan cheese and garlic ( I used smoked garlic as they are the ones that are best in flavours! ) Once it is ready, garnish with more parmesan cheese and sprinkled parsley generously! Enjoy trying out the dish!~

Dynamic Duo....

Spending time with my nephew and niece had been the most wonderful thing I have ever felt after having missed seeing them since CNY. From the pleasant welcome from Jade & Wei as we stepped into their home, my family and I were greeted with the diminutive tiny tots in Ryan & Ashley. Wow! How much they have grown and I was very happy to see them. Cuddling them in my arms was like clutching emeralds and rubies in my hands. Yup, that's how precious these tiny fellas are to my family. Ryan is so talkative nowadays while Ashley had most certainly grown up a lot and shedding her babylike look. She looked sterner than the headmistress of a boarding school but when she smiles, she is just so adorable. What can I say except that spending time with the family and with these two dynamic duo would be truly an experience.
Ryan's speech had improved tremendously and so are his songs list. Yup, the songs from the kindy ones-lar. You can't expect him to sing Bruno Mars or Jason Martz ,right? Anyway, he is quite cute when he sings his favourite song " Ten Little Indians " [ not the type of song sang in Comedy Court ,ok? ] Then I "kacau" him with my version of " Row, Row, Row Your Boat" and he just smiled and say " Nooooooooooooo" I am glad that he is really learning a lot of things and he is actually very smart beyond his years. Yeah! Quite a smarty pants but a little bit temperamental at times! But it is always fun playing around with him or just sitting down to chat with him. Like they say, kids says the smartest things when they are asked questions they don't really know. By now, I am used to " Sorry, Ah John" ( Yup, the name sticks to me like a super glue now! ), "Ah John's one" or even " Thank you, Ah John". BTW, his favourite meal is butter and jam bread and Ah John's bread ( Gardenia Butterscotch bread! ) It was fun being with Ryan and Ashley even though we have to do it indoors as it was one minute rain followed by a sweltering heat from the sun and then back to showers of crazy proportions. Anyway, what can I say - I am just glad to have been able to spend time with these kiddos!
Ashley is really one cool babe. She walks on her toes, bouncing from one end to another and she's one fierce babe! As always, she peered at me like I am a last day inmate when I first arrived. Later, as the engine starts to warm up, she warmed up to me. Can't blame her coz' she was quite sticky to her mom, Jade and kakak which is a good thing. So, this tiny tot needs warming up before she warms up to you. Boy, she can be very fierce especially when it comes to having her turn at things with her brother. However, when she smiles, man, her smile warms your heart immediately. She is also very witty and very chatty at times. Her favourite line is "Kor, kor" calling out to her brother. Though still very much learning to speak but her speech is audible and quite clear. That's not just her advantage. She also packs an appetite for food. She'll eat anything and it was really fun seeing her eat whatever is given to her. But when she cries, hmmmmmmmnnnnnnn, everyone has to close their ears as they can be quite piercing! What a kid! Truly two beautiful kids with two different personalities. One is a perfectionist ( Ryan ) the other one "lepak" ( Ashley ) a bit! Two contrast but existing is perfect harmony and headaches! Hahahahahahhahahahaaaaaaaa.......................................
All in all, my family and I had a great time with the kids and the family in Seremban. Looking forward to spending more time with them lest they forget how I look!~

Gosh!..

Someone asked me the other day, " I am just curious, isn't it a good thing that the Bibles had been released?" I nodded my head and I answered, " It is good and gracious act but the motives & the conditions imposed are not! " My friend was puzzled and I took the trouble to explain to him on the matter. Is it right to have serial numbers on your scared religious book and defaced it with the words " For Christians Only" or even "For Non-Muslims" only? To me, it only shows fear and retardation of mentality of the highest level from the people who sits of the chair of so-call authority. I have explained this quite clearly in my last article and I find it rather distasteful to come up with such notion of serialising and stamping such words on my Bible. I am equally perplexed that our society can stomach such an act of trespassing into someone's faith and freedom of practising religion which had been safeguarded by the Constitution of this very country of ours. This is your country too, yunno. If we ever have any doubt of this, then we failed as citizens of this country who had been upholding the very tenets of our Rukunegara. Afterall, the very 1st verse itself is so relevant but blatantly blinded by pure racist and the real enemy of our country who sits behind a table and dictate what can be done and what cannot be done to suit one's inner pride and unjust biasness. Let us be reminded that " Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan" is the very fist verse of the Rukunegara which I hold very dearly to my heart. I would also like to ask these learned scholars, professors and experts of religious matter this question: So, if the name of God is such a controversy to all you, highly learned people, we might as well stop singing the "Negaraku" or even the Selangor state song for that matter or any other state song that has God's name on it as we are not allowed to use God's name in BM. So, tell me how do we sing patriotically [ as we are always being deemed as unpatrotic ! ] when it comes to State Assembly openings or even during school assemblies or even during so-called our Sukan Malaysia? Please, don't tell me you have different sets of ruling and laws for spoken and written languages? Sheezh! That would be the an eye opener and jackass story of the year!

Would you be elated or jumping with joy if your holy books or the book of your religious foundation are serialised with numbers and stamped with the words " For Muslim Only", " For Christians Only " For Buddhist Only", " For Sikhs Only" or " For Hindus Only"? Please, answer truthfully from your heart and don't follow the herd mentality that we have in our country! We always tell ourselves - what can one person do to stand up in truth, right? Well, in the first place, you have to stand up first to be accounted before you can be counted. I am not afraid to offend or to make a nuisance because we have been living very fearfully without a valid reason at all. We allowed ourselves to be constantly blinded by such blatant disregard for respect of other people's religious rights. It is so saddening that I can have tea and makan with people of all walks of life and of various religious faith at one table but it is not the same with my Government. Why are policies made to make and bring so much hardship to the people who just wants to have some peace and quiet in worshipping God? Of course, you have to be on alert for deviant teachings but think again, deviant teaching comes not from the Word of God but from the very flesh or carnal ways of these so-called religious teachers. My Bible says that by the fruits they bear , you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. I am sure, you can differentiate between the truth and the lie,right? If you can't , then you are as blind as a bat in religious matters and time to dust off the dust of your religious book and start some serious connection with God!

I am also very upset/pissed with the people who sits in our religious councils and assemblies who are so "mouse"-like when it comes to this. By all means, PRAY but it must also comes with action. ( No, not taking up arms and start a revolution-lar! No bloodshed is needed! ) Using a catchy phrase from one of my colleagues, please-lar.......please-lar...... please-lar........ Protect the rights of religious freedom in this country of ours. Our children and our children's children need this assurance of freedom from religious harassment and restriction in the subtle way. We cannot expect other people to stand up for our faith. Instead, we have to stand up for our own faith, say and do what is right in His eyes. Like I said so many times, I am not super -religious or even trying to show off my religious stand or whatsoever. I am just like another man on the street but the difference is that I believe very much in the God I serve who had been merciful and showered grace in my life daily. Not dictated by pen-pushing idiots sitting behind a desk call authority and dictating to some herd mentality and practising "fear tactics" among our citizens.

Please, support religious freedom in your faith and have respect in the religious faith of others too. This land of ours is built by sacrifices made by our fore fathers of every race, creed and color. We have existed in harmony, love and togetherness all these years. Why should we get religious fanatics, religious freaks /teachers and unsound religious scholars to derail this harmony that we have toiled over the years? I say it again and I will say it again, to create turmoil and despair , these people are tops/champions in their own devious plans and when chaos comes, they would be the very first in line for a flight out of this nation - just like our politicians too. Leaving us, the poor citizens fending for ourselves and picking up the pieces of this nation. Think about it. We have many examples in our neighbouring countries regime whose leaders shout slogans of fighting for this & that ; only to find them on the next flight to Hawaii or some South American country to so-called "re-group" with loadful of looting they have done from the National Treasury! I believe in God - always have and definitely not humans! God bless each and everyone of you!~

What....

I am really amazed with the surrounding controversy on the BM Bibles which had been held "captive" in Kuching and the ones in Port Klang. To me, it is simply "double standards" when it comes to our authorities. So, it is okay to release the ones in Kuching but not the ones in Port Klang? Bah! So much for 1Malaysia! It is no wonder that many sees this slogan as just another political gimmick with no real substance to its actual meaning. To embrace the truest meaning of this slogan, get rid of this childish mentality when it comes to our religion first and also the very stigma of being fearful towards other religion. Like I said so many times, religion is dead, actually. If I may, being a Christian, it is not about Christianity as a religion. It is simply about how we live our lives daily - that is Christianity. What is the use of us professing this or that religion if we continue to cheat, lie and steal through our teeth. Fair, nobody is perfect, you may say except God but then again, we continually have people who plays the role of enforcer, judge and executioner when it comes to issues of such kind. It is sad and even more saddening when one doesn't understand the meaning of living in the Word and living it daily in our lives. I am very sure no religion in this world teaches us to rob, steal, rape and plunder our body, other people body, soul and our nation, right? Or even plant bombs here and there to massacre thousands, behead people or even let flow the tap of blood from bodies of the young, the old or even children.
I've said it many times and I will say it again - religion is not the matter. It is the people who interprets it and those who had driven themselves to the road fanaticism that is causing so much havoc, distrust and even willingness to take up arms, to brutalise, bring harm and even kill another life. My question is simply this : What glory is there if the religion we embrace and we shout so much about is brought to the brink of immorality, senseless thoughts, inconsiderate ways or even brutal killing? How is our "religion" made attractive to others by that way? How is God glorified by such actions? This is the question that our so-call authorities and even our so-called religious scholars, teachers, pastors or even gurus should digress before opening their mouths for their sermon of the day.

I am particularly irked because I have seen "learned" teachers of the religious words professing condemnation after condemnation with such ease without measuring the weight of what they say. Are they convicted enough by the Spirit ( which one is another question ! ) or working under the pretense of the Spirit working by their flesh only? I want to say ,we, the public are equally responsible and gullible for this type of "scare tactics" mentality. We, weakly and selfishly, give in week after week of such sermons and get ourselves squeezed, weakened and scared of this religion and that religion when in actual fact, there is absolutely nothing to fear if we know where we stand with GOD and how we had lived our lives! Afterall, we all have to be accountable to our lives one day when He meets up with us , right?

Look, the Al-Kitab or the Bible holds no power as a book if you do not know the Word in the Bible or even practise/lived by what is being written/said in the Bible. I would be very afraid and even shivers with fear if I am living contrary to what is said in the Word of the Bible. That is the real power of the Bible! That is why the Bible had been said to be sacred and a powerful book not because it is just a Christian sacred book but simply because the nuggets of God 's wisdom and wise/correct daily living are inscribed in His Word through the Bible or the Al-Kitab as it is known in BM for a true Christian. Do not at all think that the Bible can change anyone literary. ( Please, spare me the blades and the knives! ) The book itself doesn't change you. If you are a Christian and if you read the Bible like it is just another religious book, then, the Bible will not change you one bit at all. In fact, you are just like another dead Christian for all I care! It is the Word inside that will stir and change you if you are connected to God in spirit and in truth. Just like any other religious book, an evil person or an opportunist or a con artist or even a religious faker can always pick verses from the religious books for their own selfish end and make it look as though it is the Word itself. That is the dangers that lurks the minds of the evil ones.

I speak from my heart because I own an Al-Kitab and I own 3 other Bibles which I had acquired over the years and when I was a young Christian. I can safely say that I am still learning to be a good Christian, though I falter at times. I am thankful that I am able to speak to my fellow Christians in Sabah and Sarawak with the help of the Al-Kitab. What is so wrong with that? So, once again, is there a need to fear other religion if we are rooted in our own religion? My answer is simple : NO FEAR~! For my skeptics, I have this to tell you, my uncle is a Muslim convert. My close friends and work colleagues are Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist and Christians. I also have Sikh friends. My family members are Buddhist. My former students in Sabah are Muslims and Christians. So, am I swayed by any of them? I don't even have to answer that~

Bottomline : Give the Bibles back to the rightful owners!~ Make this world a better place to live than turning it into a battlefield of bodies and flowing streams of blood from innocent lives. That's my message today!