CHEW ON IT


Read this from somewhere, and I thought it is oh-so-true.
Have been storing it in my personal folder for months.
Thought it would be a pretty useful thing to share.

Anyway, just as the topic suggests; chew on it. Slowly.


*********


I believe -
That we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I believe -
That no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.

I believe -
That true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
The same goes for true love.

I believe -
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.

I believe -
That it is a process for everyone
to become the person they want to be.

I believe -
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I believe -
That you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe -
That we are responsible for what we do,
no matter how we feel.

I believe -
That either you control your attitude
or it controls you.

I believe -
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first,
the passion fades;
and there had better be something else to take its place.

I believe -
Courage is doing what has to be done
when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I believe -
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe -
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing
and still have the best time.

I believe -
That sometimes the people whom you expect
to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe -
That sometimes when I'm angry, I have the right to be angry;
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel or rude.

I believe -
That just because someone doesn't love you
the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe -
That maturity has more to do
with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them,
and less to do with the number of birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe -
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you need to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe -
That no matter how badly your heart is broken or crushed,
the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe -
That our background and circumstances
may influence who we are,
but we are ultimately responsible for who we become.

I believe -
That just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.

I believe -
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I believe -
That two people can look at the exact same thing
and see something totally different.

I believe -
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours
by people who don't even know you.

I believe -
That even when you think you have no more to give,
when a friend cries out to you,
you will somehow, somewhere find the strength to help.

I believe -
That credentials on the wall
do not make you a decent human being.

I believe -
That the people you care about most in life
are, most often than not, taken from you too soon.

I was at a park earlier this afternoon. Beautiful day. Beautiful weather. Beautiful people. Beautiful kids.

And it was only about 4 hours later then did I learn something precious.

IT VERSION OF PSALM 23


The Lord is my Programmer, I shall not crash.
He installs His softwares on the hard disk of my heart; all His commands are user-friendly.

His directory guides me to the right choices for His Name's sake.
Even though I scroll through the problems of life, I will fear no bugs, for He is my Backup.

His passwords protect me.
He prepares a menu before me in the presence of my enemies.
His help is only a keystroke away.

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,
and my file will be merged with His and saved forever.
Amen

Hokkien man trying to take a photo

HOKKIEN MAN TRYING TO TAKE A PHOTO

Crazy. Take a photo also so jialat.

And would I, as a member of the public, feel compelled and enticed to purchase an Olympus camera?

Over my sexy dead body.


Take a photo also machiam want to die liao. HAha

Dick Lee's Singing

BORED, DEFINITELY


I know it spells desperately of boredom when you're up to blogging 3 entries in a single day.

It has only been the 4th day of my 3-months-long vacation, and already, I'm bored to death. It feels so strange, having nothing to do day after day. It's as though my life is stagnating like still waters. I want to do something and be useful!!! But I can't look for a job, given that I've camps for SCAMP for almost 2 weeks in the month of June, as well as school attachment in late June - July. The only feasible idea is to take up more tuition assignments. Gosh, pray that the tuition agency calls me up soon.


Anyway, I was reading the Strait Times earlier, when a particular article caught my eyes. Turns out that Ms. M.S. has been awarded some prestigious award. And yes, I agree that she totally deserves it too. The passion and love that she has, it's rare to personally feel and witness something so real and genuine. And man, has she changed. She looks sooo different since the last time I saw her during the training sessions, which is like, a year ago.

Reading the article reminded me of that love, that main motivation, which seemed to have faded after being subjected to the passage of time. It's not just a weekly routine, an obligation, or even a duty. Rather, it's about helping others; especially when they're so unfairly stigmatized by society and cut off from the world.
It's about reaching out and touching those who are shunned, to let them know that they're still loved and cared for.
It's about bringing hope and love into their darkness, when they feel so overwhelmed by the facts of life.
It's about being a friend and offering a listening ear, when they have no one to share their burdens with. When they need to get something off their chest. When they just need to talk.
It's about giving them a much-needed human touch, something which even any normal person on the streets hanker so hungrily after.
It's about offering support and rendering encouragements when things look grim.
It's about making their lives more bearable and happier.
It's about letting them know that they're being treated as an equal.



Oh yes, that main reason.

It's not a duty or a ritual or a routine or an obligation. It should NOT be something which I drag my feet to.


Recharge me.
Teach me to love them as You do.

TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN


Was sifting through my folder of pictures, when I stumbled upon some old pictures from secondary school days.

Gosh... It's been 5 long years. Perhaps it's time for the word "old" to begin to sink into my thick and dense skull.


Can you spot the 16-years-old sweet little Princess??? =)
(click to enlarge).

1 Litre Of Tears Episode 1 Part 1/4

This is One Litre of Tears, a non-fictional drama which plot is based on the diaries written by a Japanese girl who was struck with a cruel, slow-progressive, and incurable disease called Spinocerebellar Degeneration at the tender age of 15. She died at the age of 25 in 1988.

SICK


Examinations, for me, have officially ended as of yesterday. Had to sit for my last 2 papers on Monday - both of which are my core modules - and if you ask me, being tested on the contents of 2 core modules in a single day sure sucks big time.

While I'm generally blessed with good health and have never been so unlucky as to be sick on the days of examinations, I am not spared from "pre-examinations syndromes" and "post-examinations traumas". They are such a sickeningly familiar phenomenon to me that by now, I have coined my own terms of endearment for them.

On the actual day, before the commencement of any paper, I would feel terribly nauseant, with malevolent butterflies fluttering nervously in my stomach. Sometimes, I have to keep from vomiting by swallowing back the surging slime that's threateningly rising up in the back of my throat. Gross.
These are my pre-examinations syndrome.

And after the examination period is over, I would be almost immediately down with either a flu or cough - normally on next day. These are the post-examinations traumas. Tsk-tsk.

So now, I'm currently nursing a runny nose and the occasional "ahhh-chuuooo". And it ain't any fun.


Sometimes, weird schools of ideas just float randomly into my mind uninvited. Frankly, I'm still so amazed that a local tertiary institute has accepted me. Up till now, I could hardly believe it and part of me honestly suspects that an unwitting administrative error has resulted in my unlikely admission. After all, despite that my overall G.P.A at the end of the 3 years of tertiary education at TP was slightly more than acceptable, I'm still definitely not the creme of the crop, and neither am I anywhere near the top 10%, let alone 5%, of my poly cohort.

Sometimes, I think that this is a mistake. And the seat that I take up in the Lecture Theaters and Tutorial Classes comes with the sacrifice of an otherwise more deserving - and not to mention, more promising and brighter - student.


If you ask me, I believe firmly with all my heart that it's His Blessing and Grace. It's definitely not by my own might or human intellect that brought me through, but by the mighty move of His Hand. And am I humbled? Of course. Who am I, that You care?

I remember being in a service, when the preacher challenged us not to be afraid to ask of Him, and to believe in Him, for the greatest (with the right intention of heart, of course. Not robbing a bank or whatnots), because He never fails to deliver if it's in His Will.

It's just like a light bulb in my mind being switched on. Stirred in the Spirit, I posed the same question to myself, "Has He ever failed or disappointed me?".

I thought hard. I furrowed my eyebrows and cracked my brains. Despite having accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour on Easter Day 3 years ago (not so long, but not so short either), my mind drew a blank. And I realized too, for the past 1000 days, not once has He failed me or broke my heart. Instead, He replaced my sorrows with joy, wiped away my tears with love, picked up the little pieces, and restored the brokenness. He gave me a new mindset that's constantly being molded into perfection (how nice. It's just like having free anti-virus updates), and a new lifestyle with a different perspective that would have been beyond my wildest dream.

And it's not just with academic matters only. There are so many other things as well. Sure, there are times when I've been kept waiting. And of course, there exists things that, up till now, I am mystified by. These are the secret things of God as stated in Deuteronomy 29: 29. And at times when you can't see the Hand of God, you just have to simply trust in His Heart. And yes, I have tasted Him and I have found Him good. Almost too good to be true, in fact.


And above all, He is faithful - at times when I am not. Not once has He ever given up. He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. His Mercy endures forever.


He is patient, He is kind, He is gentle, and most importantly, He is love.