Journeying in Life...

It's Sunday night

2009-07-12T22:46:00.002+08:00

We all love the weekends... but how do you feel on Sunday night? Many of us do not feel that fantastic coz Monday is ALMOST here. I just finished washing Ryan's bottles, preparing his milk, ironing clothes, doing some tidying up, packing things for work tomorrow, kept clothes, etc... boy what a busy Sunday night. And I still have another load of clothes in the washing machine.
It's easy to get caught up just in the cycle of our busy lives. So what I do at the end of each week, is to ask myself, what have I achieved this week? Of course, when I ask myself that question, I measure achievement according to what I consider important in life. So, what have you achieved this week?

New Strings

2009-07-05T14:43:00.003+08:00

My guitar has new strings... yummy! It's always nice to have new strings. The last time I changed my strings was 2 years ago! Yes! It's been that long. I spent a bit of money getting some really good strings. Now that the strings are changed, it sounds really really good! Wow! It's not so dull, but bright and punchy!
That got me thinking... what are the strings in my life that might need to be changed or serviced? Yes, perhaps a vision, or a dream, or a desire, or a relationship, or an area of knowledge. They need to be taken care of, if not they'll be dull and they won't be as effective.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's....

2009-06-28T11:35:00.004+08:00

We recently spotted something... looks familiar?

Michael Jackson...

2009-06-27T23:18:00.004+08:00

The TV is on... one of the rare times that it's on in my house :) And there's a Michael Jackson concert on. It's suppose to be a tribute to him. Unless you've missed the news, you'll know he passed away very recently. I was on the way to work when I got the news via sms. I checked out the news on a news portal via 3G and yes, he had passed away (along with Farah Fawcett, but that seems to be a less talked about news).
Anyway, back to the concert. It's amazing to see how devoted and crazy his fans are. They are screaming and just delirious. It's amazing. He's of course doing an amazing performance. It's just insane! (The way people are reacting in his concert). Such was his influence.
There's also sms dedications scrolling across the page on the TV. People just pouring out their thoughts and feeling for MJ. They're paying tribute to him. What an impact he had.
My wife has just stumbled upon a recording of the 911 called made to get him to the hospital. Fancy that.
Malaysia also has a drink called Michael Jackson, or MJ - soya bean milk with black/grass jelly. The ultimate honor in Malaysia!
I can still remember many of his hits. He was an entertainer. He was a star. Yes, he had his problems. Many have written about it. I don't profess to know them in detail. I never knew the man well. But was he a star, yes. No doubt.
I guess many will miss him...

6 bulbs

2009-06-27T23:08:00.002+08:00

This week I changed 7 bulbs... and I still have one that's not working. Arrgghhhhhhhh!!!
You know, that when one bulb goes out, it was still ok for us.. But when more bulbs went out, the room slowly got darker and darker until the point I realize that it's half the brightness it used to be. That's when you go and buy bulbs and replace them!
I guess that when we neglect things in our life we don't feel it at first, until things start to change drastically. Sometimes they can be as easy to fix as buying some light bulbs and changing the faulty ones. Sometimes, it's harder to recover.

Relationships, relationships!

2009-06-21T09:15:00.004+08:00

Yesterday morning I had the chance to go to HELP University College to share a little about relationships. It's always a great topic to share with young people because it's interesting to them and there's a lot to talk about in relationships.
You know, dating is an important part of a young person's life, when they are ready. Being ready and healthy enough, increases their chances of having a good relationships. If someone is dependent on the other for completeness, then the relationship may become unhealthy. Oh my, so much to say to explain those statements, oh nevermind!
But important thing is that learning about relationships help us to be more effective and healthy in them. They become a contributor to the overall purpose of our life, rather than a contaminator :)

Ryan and the Family

2009-06-21T09:08:00.003+08:00

Updates: Ryan is continuing to grow well. He just had a runny nose and now he's recovering. Not really that bad, so we're thankful. Dad is also recovering from a runny nose and sore throat. Must be all the running around recently. :)
Here's a pic from about 2-3 weeks ago which I think is really cute! (Oh no, I'm using girl language -cute! arrgghh!)

Delay of the blogger

2009-06-21T09:04:00.002+08:00

Yes yes, it's been some time. I guess this is going to be pattern for a while yet. Being so busy, I just have to accept this.
Talking about busy, I just recently had the chance to share about this. I think the important thing is not whether we are busy or not. The important thing is, what are we busy with? Are we busy with things that are worth it or not? Are we busy investing in things that will last or will not last. Are we investing in things that are perishable or imperishable.
Are we investing in things that will just last for a short while, or at the most this lifetime? Or are we investing in things that will last beyond this lifetime. IF we have eternity in view, then it makes sense that we start investing in eternity and the life we will have after this life.
What are you investing your life in?

Time...

2009-05-30T07:54:00.005+08:00

Some time since I last posted. Time flies like the USS Enterprise on warp speed when you're busy!
Ryan is now 2.5 months. My, has he changed! He's doing a lot more and is more stable. Here's a picture or two to keep everyone updated.

Baby and Me

2009-05-14T22:54:00.002+08:00

Been busy with the baby at home. So many things to do :) It's probably going to be like that for awhile longer before things get better. So blog updates are much less at the moment.
I'm also feeling tired more these days... I keep telling myself it'll get better!

One after another...

2009-04-26T21:20:00.003+08:00

Some of you would know that I have been recovering for a flu. Well, not one, but I got the flu 3 weeks ago, then again a week ago. Yesterday night I had indigestion which is probably a mild case of food poisoning. I had fever, gastric problems, etc.
This month has not been good in terms of my physical health.
As I was pondering over it just now, I was starting to grumble and be frustrated because of the back-to-back illnesses. However, I started to look at the bright side and the things that I could thank God for. That changed my perspective. Despite me feeling lousy, I realized there is so much to be grateful for. As I began to ponder, I was filled with gratitude and peace.
That said, I do hope I recover quickly!

Adjustments

2009-04-15T19:13:00.002+08:00

It's been a wild time adjusting to having a little one in the home. You no more have the same amount of control over your time. You've got to factor in numerous other things that may happen. Of course, there's also the attention that you want to give to the little one. On top of all that, don't forget to spend time with the wife too. Still figuring it out step by step.
One of the consequences of all this is the lack of sleep. Yes, you've got to reapportion time, so you might lose some sleep. In the midst of all that adjustment, I've fallen ill twice! Yeah, think it's because of the lack of sleep and stress. The first time, I knew it was because of the late nights and tough assignments that I had to deliver as part of a certification I was doing over a few days.
This time, (just yesterday) I think it was just the busy weekend plus lack of sleep.
Moving forward, I'm going to try to sleep more :) Maybe I need that to protect my health a bit more.
At this time, there are more and more ways that I'm looking for to maximise my time. I don't stroll through supermarkets anymore. It's a brisk walk through it! I can feel my heart rate increase. Good exercise! I also don't usually wash my car anymore. I get someone else to do it. Though I still touch up the wash and sometimes do whatever maintenance on it that is required.
Oh well, this is life! Pray for me to recover from my current sore throat soon! It's quite bad!

True Success

2009-04-12T15:53:00.002+08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to talk to more than 50 young people. What do you tell a bunch of students on the night before Easter? Well, I decided to talk about what Success is. What is true success. We went through what normally people would consider success. One by one, as we went through the usual measures, we found that those measures don't really lead to fulfillment. Whether it is money, fame, success, position, power, career, etc, there have been many cases of people not being fulfilled. Therefore, there must be something we're missing. I'm not only saying this because I'm a Christian, but outside Christianity, people are looking for the thing that will fulfill them in their life. People are searching for an answer.
I believe that each of us was created for a reason. We were uniquely created for a specific reason. If we can find that specific reason we were created and do it, then we'll be fulfilled. We'll be like the key that fits into the lock. It will finally click.
What were you created for?
Perhaps the only person who truly truly knows, is the person who created us. Maybe you should ask Him. Once you know what you're created for and you're working towards it, I can guarantee, you'll find fulfillment and TRUE SUCCESS...

Recovery & Growing Leaders

2009-04-08T23:07:00.005+08:00

I'm still recovering from sore throat, cough, etc. When is it going to go away?!? I bet many of you all feel that way when you are ill, too. I find that my lifestyle has changed quite a lot since baby Ryan came. I have less time to myself, so I have to be efficient in squeezing out time anywhere I can. I was sharing with Shawn that during lunch I had no choice but to prepare what i want to share on Saturday at VIBE Easter. Stress. Halfway through and still got to finish it. Less time for everything, but got to work around things. But still, it's a great experience.
I've also been really glad at the young leaders that work in the campus ministry in church. I'm so glad for all of them because they've been able to do things well, even when I'm not there. They've got drive, initiative, maturity, creativity and courage to serve others the best way they can! I'm so proud of all of them. They didn't get here overnight, it was a slow process of growth. They are also still growing, but it fills my heart with joy to see how far they have come. What's next?
I guess that's one my strong beliefs in leadership. Always train, grow and disciple people who will not only follow you, but learn from you. My aim is to develop people so that they become leaders in their own right. Then, give them a purpose they believe it, give them a system that works... and zoom, they will be able to have success. It's a constant process of course. One step, leading to another, then to another.
My eyes are tired, and as a ill person, it's good to go to bed early. Time to shower (haven't shower since this morning!), take my medicine and zzzz!

Life Message

2009-04-05T11:22:00.004+08:00

On Saturday, despite me feeling a bit unwell, I dragged my body to church to help out in a session. In this session, students were asked to share a short 10 minute message. One of their messages was what we call a life message. This is something like sharing what God has done in your life which is a recurring theme. It was a really good session. I thoroughly enjoyed it. As people began to share their message, it was a wonderful experience to just hear what God has done in their lives. Everyone has a unique experience. Wow!
We helped to sharpen their message and helped to craft it better so that it came out clearer and more compelling. I'd like to thank all of them. I was blessed at the end of the session. My body may have been weary, but my spirit was refreshed!
What you experience in your life now, is an amazing testimony of what God can do in your life. So share it!
Now time for me to rest and recover from my flu...

Updates: Poll

2009-04-05T11:05:00.003+08:00

Poll has closed and according to the results a majority of you felt that Ryan looks like daddy!
Actually, Daddy thinks it looks a bit like mummy. :) Yes, he looks like he has some of mummy's features! Anyway, stay tuned, I'll soon post my baby pictures for comparison! (when I get round to it!)

Meanwhile, we've been busy. Daddy has been on an intensive 4-day course and is feeling under the weather after that course. Cough cough! Mummy also had to get used to the whole routine and had a mild fever for a few days. Baby also has seen pediatrician plus given us a few anxious moments along the way.

I was so tired and unwell that on Friday, despite my best efforts, I had a bad migraine so I couldn't make it to church. I don't think I could have driven to church. It's been a long time since I've had a migraine like that. I don't usually get them. Very rarely and it's likely caused by lack of sleep and stressful situations.

Also, things around the house have needed fixing. The hook holding up the lamp in our house broke, and we had to get a replacement hook and fix it. The door lock of the master bedroom needed to be replaced because it was locked and there was no key. The main door knob came undone and we needed to screw it back into place. The slow cooker was spoilt and needed to be sent back for repairs (thankfully under warranty).
Rumour has it the rice cooker is also starting to misbehave. We'll see. Confirmed problems include the bidet starting to leak in the toilet. It's been temporarily shut off. I'm also delayed in fixing my laptop battery and helping to extract a hard disk from an old mac.

As you can see, things all happen and have been keeping daddy (and mummy) busy. I'm trying to get some rest to recover quickly from this cough/cold. Throughout all this, however, daddy is happy to have Jia Huey and Ryan around and starting to do well. Yup, I'm just happy there are doing ok. Nothing worries a husband/father more than when either his wife or child is not well or struggling. Also, as I faced those struggles, I just have to have a quiet steady assurance that God is in control, and I put my hope and anchor in him. I feel so secure having that.

Daddy, my hands aren't long enough for a throw-in

2009-03-26T21:13:00.001+08:00

Here's a cute pic of Ryan trying to practice throw-ins in football (soccer for some of you). Nope, it'll take a while before he can master it. His hands are still too short.

Ryan is home!

2009-03-24T19:10:00.001+08:00

Thank God, he's been discharged and now back home with daddy and mummy... yaay!

Ryan is still in hospital

2009-03-23T16:00:00.003+08:00

He's getting better but not fully cleared up yet! Oh well... daddy and mummy just have to be patient.
Meanwhile, here's another photo for those who haven't voted in our poll :)

Ryan is back in the hospital...

2009-03-22T20:38:00.002+08:00

Yup jaundice! Sitting in the hospital with mummy now. Pray he gets well soon! Meanwhile, to entertain daddy and mummy, please answer the poll!

Poll: Who does Ryan look like?

2009-03-20T18:50:00.006+08:00

Here's the first few photos... who does he look like? Mum or Dad? Answer the poll on the right side bar :)

Ryan has arrived...

2009-03-19T22:04:00.000+08:00

Ryan is coming tomorrow...

2009-03-17T23:43:00.000+08:00

Yes, he's coming tomorrow... watch this space for exclusive photos.

When is baby Ryan coming?

2009-03-16T22:36:00.001+08:00

We've been waiting for baby Ryan to come out soon. When? when? when? You know, we can just sit around and wait and do nothing. We could put everything on hold and not do anything and just wait for it to happen.
However, we've not done that. Instead, we've lived our lives normally (as normally as we can, that is!). I've gotten a certificate in talent management during the time we've been a waiting. We're still serving in church - leading worship, preparing materials, being at the meetings, meeting people among other things. I'm still working and many other things.
I guess I could apply that lesson to life too. Many of us are waiting for something. Some of us are waiting to meet Mr/Miss Right, finish your degree, start working, get that promotion, get to a certain point in your career, get married, get rich or that baby to come out (haha). Whatever you are waiting for, don't let the waiting period be wasted. Use that waiting period to the maximum.
What if the thing arrives and it's not what you expected it to be? So just live life to the fullest at every opportunity!

Jam and Kaya

2009-03-15T10:36:00.003+08:00

What does jam and kaya have to do with students? (or me for that matter?)
Besides eating it, it can be used as a powerful illustration of what happens in relationships. (You're going, what???)

Yes, when we get into a relationship, a little of us gets gets mixed up with the other person. The deeper, more intimate and more physical we are in the relationship, the more we mix. Sexual relationships make us mix around so much, that the we form a strong bond because our hearts and souls get entangled. Who we are as a person becomes meshed and entwined with the other person that though we separate, there is a part of us left with the other person and the other way around.

That's easily illustrated with two separate slices of bread. One slice with kaya and one slice with jam. When you put them together, it's almost impossible to separate the jam and kaya anymore. When you take them apart, it's all meshed together.

What does that mean for you in relatonships?