Monday, February 28, 2005

Two Important Questions

1. If you were to die today, are you sure that you are going to Heaven?
2. If God were to ask you, "Why should I let you into My Heaven?" what would you say?



Well, these are 2 important questions that were asked to me by one of my Christian friends (Sienny for exactly) a few months ago.

After going through 6 weeks EE training in GPBB. Now it's my turn to ask someone else these two questions... hehehhe...

Well there are a few concept that I learnt from this training:
Heaven (eternal life) is a free gift IT IS NOT EARNED or DESERVED Therefore, no amount of personal effort, good works, or religious deeds can earn a place in heaven for you.
WHY is it that no one can earn his way to heaven?
Because man is a sinner. And because of this, man can't save himself.

Then... how to gain eternal life and has a life which is purposeful?
Isn't it such a waste to live without any purpose?
Hehhe are you interested to know?

Friday, February 25, 2005

Last Day of Lunar New Year Period

23 February(2 days ago for exactly) is the 15th day of Lunar New Year. It is also refered to as Chap Goh Mei.

The term is taken from the Hokkien dialect and literally means the fifteenth day of the first month.

It is the occasion of the first full moon of the New Year.

The occasion is marked by feasting and various festivities. In Southeast Asia it is known as the Chinese Valentine's Day, when young unmarried women gather to toss tangerines into the sea, in a hope that their future spouse will pick it up - a custom that originated in Penang, Malaysia.(Very wierd tradition hehehe) In the past, this is also the only day that unmarried ladies can be seen with their partners.

In Taiwan it is celebrated as the Lantern Festival. The Lantern Festival is a Buddhist holiday and is often compared to Halloween. As children go trick-or-treating at night on Halloween. During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying bright lanterns. In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, for only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones; in modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs. For example, lanterns are now often made in shapes of animals.

lantern_festival

Those who do not carry lanterns often enjoy watching informal lantern parades. Other popular activities at this festival include eating tang yuan, a sweet rice dumpling soup, and guessing lantern riddles.

You can check wikipedia for details article.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

What is Courtship Actually?

WHAT IS COURTSHIP?
By Christy Shipe

You've heard a lot about it, but what exactly is it? Many of you have written in with this same question, wondering about courtship and how it is different from dating.

Courtship means different things to different people. According to the dictionary, courtship is "the wooing of one person by another; the period during which such wooing takes place." Simply put, courtship is the process of winning another person's romantic love.

Courtship begins by expressing a romantic interest in another person. Then you form a relationship with each other, and as your courtship progresses, you fall in love. If all goes well, the courtship ends in a happy marriage.

The same could be said of dating. You express romantic interest, form a relationship, fall in love, and get married.

The main difference between courtship and dating is that courtship always means that you are in some form of a serious relationship. But dating can mean something far more casual. For example, just because you go out on a date with someone doesn't mean you're serious about them or even like them that much. Maybe you just decided to go out on one date for fun or to see what happens.

So, while courtship always means a serious relationship, dating can mean either a serious or a casual relationship.

In the last several years, the term "courtship" has become more and more popular among Christian circles to describe various methods of engaging in a serious romantic relationship. For some Christians, courtship means an approach to marriage that is almost the same thing as an arranged marriage. Your parents pick your future mate and there is hardly any one-on-one contact before marriage. For others, it means the same thing as a serious dating relationship. You decide to court someone when you are thinking about perhaps marrying that person.

Still others use the term "courtship" to describe a set of biblical principles that Christians should follow in their approach to romance. These principles usually include: 1) Seeking and receiving the approval of parents before entering into a romantic relationship; 2) Waiting to start a serious relationship until you are at the age where you could consider getting married; 3) Entering into the relationship with the purpose of pursuing the idea of marriage, not just going out for fun with no serious intentions; and 4) Setting high standards for physical purity.

I think that the four principles listed above are important for every Christian to follow. Whether you want to call it courtship or dating doesn't matter. The principles are what's important.

ff4

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

It's Just Another Day

Hii good afternoon.
It's another sleepy day for me.

Yesterday I went to Hongbao River with Yimmy, Ruby, Cimit , Asen , Bear, Eko, Bayu and Momon.

We take pictures in front of the big rooster family.. heheh yeah this year is the year of rooster.
However there are not much things there for sure. Only the 12 chinese zodiac, the 8 deities, some attraction (most suitable for kids).

Then at night I couldn't sleep.

Today I woke up earliest compared to my normal working days.. Do you know why?
I got another seminar yeah another seminar in Raffless. (Thank God I only have seminar once in a while or else I need to wake up this early every morning).

Hehhe today I went to Microsoft Technet Seminar about securing Windows server 2003.
The session is divided into 2. From 8.30 - 10.15 and then we had break for tea followed by the next session till 13.00.
I meet Jo and Ifan(I just know him today).

During the first session I almost fall asleep.. gee too bad. The second session is actually quite useful and interesting hehhe..

After that I had lunch and went back to office. I had prata for lunch.
Do you know what does prata made of?
Hmmm may be some flour.

I just read a website which gives the list of food which contains amino acid tryptophan that is sleep inducing :

Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk
Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts
Seafood
Meats
Poultry
Whole grains
Beans
Rice
Hummus
Lentils
Hazelnuts, Peanuts
Eggs
Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds

It seems it is very difficult to prevent this kind of food for lunch as most of our lunch are made from that... :S.

The website also mentioned something useful for me.
Food that keep you awakes. I guess everybody knows the answer.......................................
Food that contains caffeine.

Yes, caffeine-containing foods top the list of foods that wake you up.
Coffee, colas and tea rank highest in caffeine content.

Too bad I have some sensitivity to all kind of caffeine. Not an allergy or something severe, it's just that I am very sensitive to it.
If I drink coffee in the afternoon I will not be able to sleep at night. The effect of caffeine in me can stay for more than 6 hours.
FYI I only drink coffee during exam heheh I don't even drink coffee during my normal day in office.
I remember one day when I drank coffee in the morning ard 10 am, and guess what I can't sleep till 1 am.
So no more cofee for me..

Heheheh
Happy working everyone.

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Don't Take Your Life for Granted......

Hehehe yeah A very good advice from my pastor..
Don't take other people life and your life for granted.

A little bit background about my pastor:
She has gone through some kind of stomach surgery for 12 times.. ckckck I just can't imagine how she can survive till now.
There was one time where her condition was very bad she need to be on some kind of drugs 24 hour to reduce the pain.
Thank God she is now perfectly well. :)

Sometimes in life we take people surround us for granted. We are so used to their kindness, patience, and existence. We don't feel the need to really love them fully.
Only when the people has gone we suddenly realised that something has missing in our lives and start to regret about the things we haven't done for them etc etc.

This is happens to me as well.
When my father passed away I suddenly realised that I really love him so much. I really take granted all his love, effort to pay for my university loan etc.
Well sometimes you don't know what you got till it's gone.

From today onwards I will not take my life and other people life for granted..
Yeah....
God bless

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

The Powerful of Words

A few words that we say to others everyday may change other people lives. Do you believe that?

There is an article that I read from Food For Thought that gives a very good story about this.
Here is the article.

Arnold Palmer, a famous professional golfer, was once invited to speak to a convention of blind golfers. He asked them how they were able to know what direction to hit the ball.
One blind golfer explained that the caddie went on ahead of him with a little bell, which he would ring as he stood near the hole. The blind golfer would then hit toward the sound of the bell.

Arnold asked how well it worked and the blind golfer said it worked so well he was willing to take on Palmer for a round of golf! Just to make it interesting, he was willing to bet Palmer $10,000 he could beat him. That just blew Palmer's mind! Ten thousand dollars!

Palmer was a bit hesitant, so this blind golfer pushed him by saying, "what's the matter, are you afraid to play a blind golfer?" So the deal was struck. Palmer said, "When do we tee off?"

........................................And the blind golfer said, "Tonight at 11:30PM!

Just a few words can make something better or worse.

In the country church of a small village, an altar boy serving at Sunday Mass accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. The village priest dismissed the altar boy in a gruff voice, thinking the boy wasn't taking his role seriously, "Leave the altar." The altar boy grew up to be Tito, the Communist leader.

In the cathedral of a large city, an altar boy serving the Bishop at Sunday Mass accidentally dropped the cruet of wine. With a warm twinkle in his eyes, the Bishop gently whispered, "Someday you will be a priest." That boy grew up to become the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

Think of the fantastic power of words. This is not to say that the entire life pattern for these men was set by the incident at the altar. Much more goes into making a life. But it is true that life can turn on a hinge of words spoken. With the words we speak, we can add to the burden of life or lift the cares from the shoulders of another. Handicapping often occurs because we have allowed other to dictate our future or, by our own words, have hindered those to whom we speak. The blind golfer had worked to overcome his handicap and, in fact, turned it to an advantage.


How about lifting someone's burden this fall with a kind, encouraging word? Who knows whom you may be talking, or who they may become because of it!

Monday, February 14, 2005

Happy Valentines Day

Hi just want to wish you all a happy Valentine's day :)
Whether you are single or attached, may you get to spend it with your love ones.
valentinesday

Sunday, February 13, 2005

I Wished

Hi..

Have you ever hate yourself?
Hmm this is very difficult to explain. But sometimes I really don't like myself.
Sounds very bad ah.
I mean .. sometimes I wish I didn't do something that I already did. Or sometimes I wish I do something that I didn't do.

I really hate this kind of feeling :S.

Friday, February 11, 2005

CNY Holiday

Happy Chinese New Year all...

Finally my Chinese New Year holiday is over.
Chinese New Year falls on 9-10 February 2005. This year is the year of rooster.
In Singapore most companies have at least 2 1/2 days break for Chinese New Year.
Some of my friends even have extended holiday until the following week.

Here is how I spent my Chinese New Year holiday.
8 Feb 2005
I still need to work in office for half day.
At 7.30 pm I went to my church friend's house at Barker Road.
The house is very big. I am surprised. Three storey house with 9 bedrooms and 9 attached bathrooms. With gardens and parking lot.
What a surprise to find this kind of house in Singapore.
Before I joined the choir at Aldersgate I tend to have a perception that Singaporean are not friendly.
Actually some of them are very friendly indeed.
My church friend who invited me are hmm quite an old couple. They had 1 son and 1 daughter. The wife join the choir as well(that's how I know her). And the husband is one of the leaders at church. Last time he got cancer and still in process of recovery (But he looks OK to me.. I mean no sign of sickness at all, only has a little bold hair. That's all). They take me as their god daughter hehehe...
We had steam boat and yu sheng.
Having dinner with them remind me of my own family back home.
During chinese new year we usually had family dinner at my grandma house. Unfortunatelly, now almost 1/2 of my cousins are not in Indonesia anymore. Some in Singapore, Aussie, and Portland. Really miss the good old days.. But we still keep in touch through emails, blogs, MSN etc etc.
Anyway during the dinner, I made a lot of new friends.
After dinner, we play cards taiqi... and play with the dog. Yeah they have a very cute dog named Brownie. Very cute, spoilt and being pampered so much... ckckck..
I went back quite late. I reached home around 12.30 am , take a bath and then have a good rest.

9 Feb 2005
I had KFC for lunch hehehe... Only fast food were opened in West Mall. The rest of the shops were closed. At night I went to Great World City to watch movie with Emmy,Ruby, Cimit and Dewe. We plan to watch Constantin at 9.40.
End up, only the front seat are available. So we took the 12.40 am ticket. Gee... watch Constantine at midnight hehehhe.
Well the movie is end up very wierd.. I really don't know what's the meaning of the story... it's about heaven and hell mixed together :S.. I have no idea what is it about. Not only me.. the rest also don't understand as well.. So the problem doesn't lies with me but with the movie hehehe.
Even tough the movie is bad, we had a great time.
It's been quite sometime that I haven't had chance to go out with them.
I spent the night at Emmy's place in Tiong Bahru.

10 Feb 2005
I only sleep for a few hours. I wake up around 9 am. Everybody were still sleeping except Ruby(Emmy's sister).
Had a slice of bread as breakfast, changed and then we went to my place for lunch.
We cooked spaghetti with lamb minced meat. Not bad at all. After lunch, Cimit and Dewe went back home. I joined them for dinner at around 6.30 in Bukit Panjang.
And then chat chat chat. After dinner went to Cimit's place in Cashew Heights. Tour around the house, watch American Idol, and then chat again.

I took the last bus home. Very sleepy during the way back home. And ..................
I miss the bus stop :S... Gee.. end up I stop near the interchange and have to walk again for about 15 minutes... So stupid of me.

Reaching home around 12.30. Ravindi has slept. I took a bath and went to bed.

And today. Here I am at office..
Heheheh a very long story indeed.
Look forward to next holiday... heheh :)