First and only post in BM

Apa khabar, today's gonna be my last day in Switzerland... for awhile, so I've decided to celebrate my going home by attempting to write this post in Bahasa Malaysia, a language I haven't been using since Form 5.

So, seperti saya kata tadi, dah lama tak guna Bahasa Malaysia. Since I going to pulang ke Malaysia, saya rasa ini peluang baik untuk saya guna BM. Tambahan pula, macam ni baru nampak patriotik kan? Tapi benar-benar patriotik atau tidak aku no comment la.

Anyway, banyak excited to pulang ke Malaysia. Switzerland memang cantik dan indah, tapi Malaysia banyak indah juga, pergi mana pun nampak Indah Water. Furthermore, Malaysia macam-macam ada, Switzerland hanya ada lembu, cocolat, keju, bukit, air, rumput.. oh dan jam tangan juga. Ceh, Malaysia pun ada semua ini. As a matter in fact, Malaysia ada lebih banyak variety.

Tapi what aku rindu most is of course the makanan. Dekat Switzerland hanya dapat makanan lembu. Tiap-tiap hari makan rumput, tapi mat salleh tak mengaku mereka makan rumput, instead mereka panggil rumput sebagai "Salad". Kadang-kala ada makanan baik juga, tapi macam itu pepatah Inggeris lah "Satu Kali Dalam Bulan Biru" (Once in a Blue Moon).

Baiklah, sampai sini sajalah. Aku takut nanti ada orang kata aku sedang insult national language. Aku harap boleh get together sama sahabat-sahabat yang ku rindui. Dan jikalau kamu tak faham apa yang saya tulis, tak apalah, aku sendiri pun tak berapa faham. =)

Best Friends with the Opposite Sex?

I would like to know what you guys think about being best friends with the opposite sex.

I have never thought about this question as I have always assume that there were no problems in fostering close friendships with the opposite sex until I came across a few articles on Boundless in regard to this.

I started by reading an article serving as a reply to a reader's question entitled 'Stuck in the Just-Friends zone'. Its about the reader being close, emotional friends with this girl he likes, and somehow thats all there is... friendship between the both of them. The writer, John Thomas, replied by saying that having best buddies with the opposite sex isn't a good idea adding that Boundless has written about this issue extensively (Biblical Dating: An Introduction, Not Your Buddy, Biblical Dating: Just Friends) to name just a few. He went on to say that there's a difference between emotional friendship and masculine chivalry adding that emotional friendship should be between friends of the same sex. His reason for suggesting so is that masculine chivalry (for example walking a girl to her car) is something God uses to help her realise her need for a spouse whereas a guy 'being there' as a friend for her extensively might be enabling her lack of interest for a serious relationship.

I went on to read the other articles and they pretty much reinforce the point that Best Buddies of the Opposite Sex isn't recommended. They did elaborate though, clearly stating that most 'Best Buddies' scenarios are those where both parties are 'convinced' that they are merely close friends without having intention to take the friendship to the next level. However,

the simple reality (that most people are aware, whether they admit or not) is that in the vast majority of these types of relationships, one of the parties involved either began the "friendship" with romantic feelings for the other person or develops them along the way. Either way, that person is now hanging on to the "friendship" in the hope of getting something more despite the "clear words" from the other person that he or she wants nothing beyond friendship. In other words, its almost always that a close friendship with the opposite sex would result in one of the person developing feelings for another, there's no such thing as close opposite sex friends. And more often than not such friendships cause confusion and frustration.

The writer also explained his views from Bible verses,

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 admonishes us not to wrong or "defraud" our brother or sister by implying a marital level of commitment (through sexual involvement) when it does not exist. As I've discussed before, a broad (but sound) implication of this passage is that "defrauding" could include inappropriate emotional — as well as physical — intimacy.

Romans 13:8-14 calls us to love others, to work for their souls' good rather than looking to please ourselves. More specifically, verse 10 reminds us that "[l]ove does no harm to its neighbor.

Romans 14:1-15:7 offers a discourse on favoring weaker brothers and sisters above ourselves, valuing and encouraging that which is good in the souls of others.

I've taken bits and pieces from the articles in writing this post, to get more details on this click here, here, here and here.

Back to my question, what do you guys think about such friendships? Is it okay to be best friends with the opposite sex without the intention of courtship, or leave such emotional friendships until you're ready to be in a relationship? Oh and if Ps. Benjamin has mentioned anything in regard to this please please share.

Thanks =)

Miracle in Jerusalem

Miracle in Jerusalem
by Elisabeth Adams

This would have been the perfect Christmas post. The reason i'm posting it now is because I just came across the post, and its just such a lovely post. I can't help but fall in love with Jesus after reading it. Click on the link above for the full article.

I'm going to be copying the 2nd half part of the article here, the part that really touched me.

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Jesus kept Hanukkah. While studying the book of John recently, I learned that at this feast He told His listeners that He is the one whom God has dedicated. Dedicated for what? For God to live in. After all, Jesus' name is Emmanuel: "God with us." But for God to visit visibly was such a rare thing that almost everyone missed it. It wasn't a new thing for God to do, though. In fact, John spelled it out right at the beginning of his story about Jesus, saying "God came down and tabernacled among us." Tabernacled? When the children of Israel were on their big family camping trip in the wilderness, who came and pitched his tent next to them? God did. But who would have guessed that God could come so quietly? "How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given." I think of that while I am watching snow fall. It is so quiet that sometimes I almost feel as if I'm breathing that quietness in and out. But a lot can happen in that quiet: drifts form, dirt is covered by white, roads are blocked and great cities are brought to a standstill. Have you ever thought about how quiet light is? I did, while I was sitting there, watching my Hanukkah candle. If your eyes were closed, you'd never know it was there. John said, "The light came and the darkness didn't even know it was there." Didn't matter, did it? Light still pushes back the darkness: That's just part of light's nature. Jesus did the job. "It is finished," He said, and so it was, even though most of the world didn't even know He was there. In Israel, the Hanukkah dreidels are different. They say, "Nes gadol haya poh." "A great miracle happened here." Here, where the dimly burning wick of the Jewish nation was miraculously kept burning, here God came to be with us. Here the Light shone. Here our sins were covered once for all. All the indifference in the world cannot quench this lamp: the light is still shining. And already He is giving us eyes to see that light. Just as quietly as He came the first time, He comes to each of our hearts and knocks. "I want to be God — with you," He says. Pause. And calmly think of that. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Copyright 2007 Elisabeth Adams. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. This article was published on Boundless.org on December 20, 2007. Be blessed. Abba loves us. =)

Paved With Good Intentions

The title may be somewhat familiar to Singaporeans as it was an essay written back in 2000 by Colin Goh and Jocelyn Woo. I was visiting TalkingCock.com and I came across an ad for the movie Singapore Dreaming. Being curious, I did a search on it at Wikipedia. Apparently the movie was inspired by the essay 'Paved with good Intentions' and the heartfelt comments/confessions the writers received from readers which led them to produce and direct the movie.

Even more intrigued now, I googled the essay and found it on Colin Goh and Jocelyn Woo's personal blog. It was quite a long read for a blog post but it stirred something inside me. The essay like 2 different narratives of both authors' 'Singapore Dream', connected by their courtship and eventual marriage. In essence the essay distinguishes between the Singapore Dream' and the 'Singapore Plan'. The full essay can be read at conlinandyenyen.wordpress

For this post's sake here's a simple, incomplete summary,

Jocelyn Woo started her Singapore Dream as being a secondary school teacher, hoping to make a difference. Soon she got tired of the education culture of Singapore and decided to pursue a doctorate thinking that with a higher qualification people would listen to her and she could actually make a difference.

Colin Goh graduated in law from the University of London. While waiting to take his English bar exams he placed himself in a cartooning course thinking he should spend his last moments of freedom to indulge in his youthful passions. Soon he started working in a huge firm in Singapore. He was earning well, high above his peers and garnered respect in his family. Theoretically, he was living his dream, yet he was not happy. He thought if he was going to suffer, he may as well make his sufferings worthwhile - by earning more money. In order to do so, he also decided to further his studies by pursuing a Masters.

Eventually they both came to realise that what they've been doing so far was not living out their dreams but merely working and striving along a pathway of plans, which somehow seem to be pre-determined by the world. Each of us have dreams, perhaps for some it is to be successful in a certain career, to live in a big house, to have a successful marriage and happy family. In order to fulfill the dream, they go through a set of Plans that is to study hard, to work hard, to be the best in whatever they do. Eventually they may be successful in their career and perhaps even a happy marriage. Even then, their life is run by plans. Plans to maintain their success in career, their happiness in marriage. To others we may look like we're living out our dreams but in actual fact we're living on a set of plans either to achieve even more or to maintain our living standards.

By living in such plans we tend to overlook important fruits such as a heart of contentment, thanksgiving, grace, peace, joy, hope, love etc. that truly make our dreams come true. In the end its just a rat race of certificates and achievements as pastor preached.

I'd like to quote a few lines in the essay that I spoke to me.

' SM Lee was a lawyer. What better endorsement could a Singaporean have?'

(a paragraph later)

'...my parents telling me about SM Lee’s now seminal “If I were an undergraduate” speech, where he told JC students that were he a student now, he would not study law; ... SM Lee had switched from Coke to Pepsi. There was a New Dream.'
- Colin Goh

This shows that many of us tend to let the dreams/plans of the world set standards for us, yet the dreams/plans of this world is ever changing. True dreams come true when you follow God's calling on your life which is never changing.

'My experiences are not about bad principals or teachers in particular. It is about ways of being and seeing that represent to me, the Singapore legacy that I have inherited. The principals and teachers that I talked about are not to blame individually - it is just so difficult to be and to see otherwise in the busy-ness, routines, and duties of our everyday lives.'
- Jocelyn Woo

My service teacher used to tell me, everyone's a judge. You judge someone the moment you meet him/her and that we're being constantly judged by people in our everyday lives. Unconsciously our environment affects the way we 'judge' people. It is only in Christ knowing that we are righteous that we can see ourselves and others without a judgemental attitude, knowing that each and every is precious in Christ. It is grace that enables us to 'see otherwise' to truly love that lost soul.

'It suddenly hit me that I was not embarking on real change at all. I was merely rearranging the furniture. Like a good little boy, I had made all the pragmatic, sensible decisions… and it was about to push me into the abyss. I was still trying to achieve the Singaporean Dream, except overseas, and on a larger scale. Well, not exactly…'
- Colin Goh

I'm sure that some of us have thought that a change of environment would solve all the problems, like a new year would bring good changes. By doing so we're not just running away from our problems, we're bringing our problems along with us to that new environment. When we truly believe that the battle is not ours but the Lord's, that gives us strength to stand firm and face our problems head on. As quoted from Nashon's blog "If you really believed... that I am able... then why back out?"

'However, invariably once people attain success, they start to canonize the steps they took to achievement. This is how Dreams become Plans, and how one hegemony replaces another: the search for peace and liberty becomes get into a good school, then a good university, then a stable job, then buy property and stock. The problem is, then what?'
- Colin Goh

The essay ends by asking readers to consider the 2 stories and to select the one closer to theirs.

Story 1
You wake up everyday and work from Monday to Friday, and often, Saturday too. If you finish work early, you and your partner go to your parents’ place for dinner and see your child for a few hours. If you work late, you buy a packet of char kway teow from the hawker centre but eat it at home because it’s too warm to eat there. You’re not crazy about the job but you know that if you keep at it, you can afford a car in 3 years’ time, and in 5 years’ time, buy a condo close to the primary school you want to send your kid to. Your conversations with people are either for the purpose of networking, work, or for familial obligations you cannot avoid. On weekends, you play golf with your friends at your country club or watch a movie with your partner. Once a year, you go on a ten day vacation to New York, London, or Paris, and when your children are big enough, Disneyland.

Story 2
Alternatively, you wake up and you have no idea what is going to happen today, tomorrow, 6 months or a year later. Ironically, because of this uncertainty, all possibilities exist for you. You can be the Prime Minister of Singapore, you can make a movie, you can cook a meal you have never cooked before, eat at a place you have never eaten before, you can color your hair red, you can skip instead of walk, you can volunteer at the school you have always wanted to volunteer at, you can write a book, or you can have a baby even though you don’t have a maid. You have conversations with people who set your heart palpitating and your mind on fire. Your weekday is not so different from your weekend because everyday you are thinking, creating, and more important, imagining.

I believe that Living the Let Go Life just as Ps Prince preach is somewhat similar to the 2nd story. Although it wont be clouded by uncertainty, and we know that good things are about to happen. By living the let go life, it doesn't mean we don't study or work hard, the main difference is that we let the Holy Spirit lead our lives and knowing that we are under grace, hence living Christ centered lives that empowers us to do the things we've almost dreamt of. Our weekends and weekdays will truly be no different as we have the everlasting, peace and joy in us that we may be constantly thinking, creating and imagining for His glory!

If you've been with me this far, I sincerely thank you for your patience. I enjoy writing this post albeit being a little long, perhaps its because I'm preaching to myself. One thing's for sure though, and that is i'm truly bless to know i'm delivered from the rat race of life, knowing that I have a God who loves me this much.

Well, that's all for the next 3 weeks. Will have to start studying for my finals and I can't wait to be home.

My desires, His promises

When I found out that this year is going to be the year of manifested blessings, I felt that Abba is reminding me of His faithfulness, telling me that He has not forgotten every single prayer that I've been praying all these years. I have prayed many prayers and over the years some prayers have been answered while others not. As time passes by those seemingly unanswered prayers get swept under the rug or kept away in some forsaken closet somehow being deemed irrelevant or useless. I believe Abba is asking me to start believing again and to brace myself for the manifestations of those prayers as Abba makes my wildest dreams and desires come true.

There's so much to look for this year and Abba seems eager to bless us more than ever before!

Among the many desires in my heart, I have made a list of top 5 requests to Abba along with His promises.

Family Salvation

Acts 16:31
31So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Healing from Hyperhidrosis (evil infirmity that has been around since I was a kid, there's no natural cure for it, only Abba can)

1 Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we may die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.


To stand boldly in the face of adversities and circumstances. (most likely in the form of evil exams and assignments)

2 Chronicles 20:15
15… ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.’


Supernatural prosperity and favour for studies and internship.

Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
Deuteronomy 28:3–6

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favour You will surround him as with a shield.
Psalm 5:12


To have greater revelations of God's glory and love for me.

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3

These 5 requests along with the many others have already been answered Yes and Amen by Abba and it is only a matter of time till I see the manifestation. For those who have gotten weary waiting throughout the years, its time we started believing again =)