Busy, busy, busy (Part 2)

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10

It's been 10 days now since I last blogged. Assignments, projects, and studies are all combining into one, so you can feel the heat and tense atmosphere surrounding the campus. At this point, I must say again that time reeeaalllyyy flies. I've already been here for 1 month. Getting use to campus life and the food. It has also been raining these days (normally during the evening). Showers of rain came pouring down, drenching those who are still doing outdoor sports and outside their hostels. It is actually quite troublesome for the students who want to go take their dinner. It's really a pity for those without their umbrellas.

My campus also had it's sports day today, in which many other universities joined. It is a big event for my uni as we are the host for the games. Early this morning, buses from the upper region universities of West Malaysia came into the campus. There were lots of new faces. Food stalls were set up, selling a variety of dessert and food. I think the temperature outside now is about 33 deg. cel. As expected, many people rather stay in their comfy apartments and hang around in the library area.

I'm also currently attending a Methodist Christian Youth fellowship and the church service held at a chapel in Bedong. There are students from my batch joining too. The main church is much further away from my campus. The fellowship consists of the students of AIMST and we are joining the Youth Fellowship at the main church in September.

Overall, my time here is quite tight and my blogging has to wait (on hiatus, maybe).

Till then, please continue to pray for me and take care.

God bless. Jesus loves you.

My 18th Birthday!

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

As the clock (clocktower) stroked 12 midnight to signify the beginning of the 8th day in July, my group of friends sang the birthday song to me at the cafeteria. After the song, the whole cafeteria was boomed by claps and shouting from my seniors and fellow classmates. As you can see, students here normally celebrate their birthdays at the cafeteria and there are usually lots of students hanging out or studying there. So we will share the birthday celebration together. We then had a simple supper to celebrate. It was really touching and was one of the joyous moments in my life. At that moment, I then thought about how time flies so fast. I celebrated my birthday last year back in my hometown when I'm getting ready to sit for my exam. And now, I'm here in Kedah this year with a new group of friends. It's like it had just happened yesterday. I am 18 now and had just gone through 17 years of my life. I received a present and lots of wishes from my friends. Thank you guys! I love your present and thank you for everything!

Again, before my lecture started this morning, some friends of mine 'announced' my birthday to the lecturer. So, as expected, the whole class (approx. 140 students) sang a birthday song to me (previously, we also sang to our birthday boys and girls). Frankly speaking, it was quite a shy moment but it's an unforgettable experience. It's wonderful to see everybody happy and glad. It was really a beautiful moment.

In all, thank God for everything and please continue to pray for me that God will continue to guide me according to His Will and strengthen my Faith in Him through Jesus Christ in the days to come.

Till then, take care and God bless. Jesus loves you.

Back to uni.

Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:11)

There's no other better word to describe except that time sure flies. In a blink of an eye, my 5 days in Bangkok are over. So I'm back to my uni now and getting my hands on the assignments and homeworks (and also classes) which I missed during the past few days. In the last posts, I mentioned that I'll try to update more on my campus life in Thailand. But the problem is that to use wireless internet connection in my hotel back in Bangkok, I got to pay for it. To use the internet in the computer room, users have to pay 150 baht per hour (and that's the promo. price. If you are guessing, it's around RM15.) I think it's the same for wireless internet users (those who want to online in their own room). It's quite expensive so I decided not to spend that money.

Once again, I have to delay the posts regarding my Thailand trip and campus life. Anyways, to add some preview about my Thai trip, the food was great, the prices are reasonable, the people are friendly (particularly those who are involved in the tourism industry), and the best part were the places that I visited. I went to the temples, palace, museums, beach, and more. The scenery is beautiful and there are lots of things to buy. In all, Bangkok is a place where you can go visit. It's really worth it (lots of experience).



Till then, I may and may not post for a while now. Please continue to pray for me and take care.



God bless. Jesus loves you.

Till next time

'The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.' (Isaiah 58:11)

I may delay the post(s) about my university as the classes have started and works are starting to mount up. If I can online (or find) through wireless-Internet connection or any other Internet source (port) later at Thailand, I'll then try to upload more things regarding my Uni and my vacation tour (put emphasis on the word 'try').

So till then, please continue to pray for me and God bless. Jesus loves you.

Status: Uni. student

AIMST University, Semeling campus

As I'm writing this, I'm in the Uni's library, going to take my lunch soon and have classes at 3 later. Well, there's actually internet connection in every room in the hostels but I don't know the reason I cannot connect to my laptop, so that have to wait for a while. So I got to be fast and brief in telling you what is actually going on right here now, in AIMST University, Kedah.

First of all, I'm currently staying alone in my room in one the apartments (as you can see, a whole block of hostel has around 10 apartments, and an apartment has three rooms, so each room in my apartment is currently occupied by two other students.) with two other friends(a senior and a same-batch freind). The rooms are quite clean (this is in my apartment and I'm not sure about the others). The washroom too.

And now, the food. Three meals are provided everyday and water dispensers are available around the campus. The meals are divided (it is not divided all the time) into categories, Indian, Chinese, vege. and non-vege. It's taste is good enough to fill up my stomach. There is a laudry room too and places where students can hangout to watch ASTRO.



The Semeling campus (I'm in it now) covers a large piece of land and just to walk from one faculty to another will take you around 3 minutes. Whereas from the hostel to the sports complex, it'll take you around 5-10 minutes, depending on how fast you walk. The sports complex in the campus includes a gym, badminton courts, a football field, a olympic-sized swimming pool and a few more. For joggers, you can jog around the whole campus, it's quite refreshing.



There are about 120+ students in my batch of different races (Chinese, Indian, and Malay) and a few International students. There are different Christian groups here(Catholics, Adventist, Methodist etc.). I found a group of Methodist Christians from Sarawak and I'm going to join their fellowship at a church near my campus soon(either this week or the following week). Praise God!

The Admin. Building: the place where the staffs and great hall are

Library: Good source of knowledge, the hostels and the student centre(blocked by the library) are behind

Medical faculty: the Dentistry, Engineering, and IT faculty looks like this one, it's situated opposite the medical faculty(beside the library), I'll upload the photos in one of the next few posts

Badminton courts in the sports complex, i'll update some pics. for the other sports facilities later in my next few posts

This is just a brief description about my campus and I'll try to update about it with some more pictures if I can spare some time.

Till then, please continue to pray for me and God bless. Jesus loves you.

Note: I'll be going to Thailand(family trip) in a week's time, so I'll try to update something about that too.

Happy Father's Day!!

They crucified Him. - Matthew 27:35

Time flies. It's just less than 33 hours till my departure to Kedah, the Rice bowl of Malaysia. Currently busy packing. This may be my last post back in Kuching. Please pray for me that God will continue to lead me, that I will abide to His Will and strengthen my Faith in Him through Jesus Christ. By the way, today is another big day! It's Father's Day!! There's not much happening for today cause my family and I were also busy so we just had a simple dinner to remember this day.

I read the Daily Bread and read about this Admiral who ordered the waterways to be sprayed with a type of chemical to push back and make it harder for North Vietnamese to ambush Navy river patrol boats at point-blank range. One of his sons was also in the army like him. His son later died of cancer in 1988. His father, the admiral believed that the chemical killed his son. What a heartbreaking story of a father who made a decision that resulted in great suffering for his own son!

How much greater was the heartbreak of God the Father when He provided salvation for us! He made a decision that resulted in immeasurable agony for His only own Son. Think of how God must have felt as He watched His Son suffer the mockery of the crow, the lashes of the whip, the pain of the nails through His hands and feet, the inexpressible weight and humiliation of our sins, and the indescribable agony of isolation and abandonment.

Father, forgive us for adding to Your pain by our lack of gratitude. Please help us to live in a way that will honor Your Son, who defeated sin and death- for us.

The truest measure of God's love is that He loves without measure.

Till then,

God bless. Jesus loves you.

Food, food, food! (Warning to readers who are hungry: your salivary gland may produce lots of saliva in your mouth, not to be gross, but true)

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

During the last few months (till late of last year), I went to some great restaurants with some of the tastiest food I’ve ever tried (ate) and a few types of food from hawker stalls (and also dinner) with some unforgettable tastes. To that, I would like to share some photos on the food that I’ve tasted and felt that you should go and have a try too (can try do some self-cooking too):

KL food, just the right taste

Don't miss out Nippon Tei, a Japanese restaurant in KLCC, the food (dishes) prices are resonable and worth your money.

Dragon-I, one of the leading restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. These food are some of the best I've ever tried.

The renowned Penang laksa. It tastes a little....mmmm(thinking on how to describe it)...asam flavour

'All You Can Eat' steamboat at my church camp.

Mixed Grilled Dish at Westwood Continental

This is like a sushi, just that it has more ingredients and wrapped up like an ice-cream. Not bad, should have a try.

Among all of these food, none of them can compare to....

my mom's special homemade laksa (at this time, I think it is either you have swallowed your saliva or your mouth is filled with it, frankly speaking, me too). It is the best among the best. So I guess that the "Food of the Year" award goes to my mom. Praise God!

Sometimes, when I thought that I’ve no lunch (or only a dish or so) for the day since it seemed that there is a shortage of some food supplies, God always makes a way for my family. He is our Provider. Once, when we thought that our night’s dinner is going to be ‘poor’ (everyone is busy and so, my mom doesn’t have much time to cook too much food), my neighbour (my aunt) called for my mom and gave her a few dishes of delicious food. Later on, another aunt of mine came to my house and gave some more food for us. We were very grateful and thank God for it. In the Bible, Jesus said: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn: yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:22-26). “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34)

In 1 Corinthians, the Word of God tells us that we should give glory to God in whatever we do: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31). 1 Corinthians 10 also tells us about the Believer’s freedom. “Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience. For, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience sake – the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience? If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?” (1 Corinthians 10:25-30)

Let’s continue to give thanks and give glory to God in everything and whatever we do. Amen.

God bless. Jesus loves you.

Friday the 13th: faith vs. superstition

But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:7)

Ever heard that Friday the 13th is considered as an unlucky day? Acccording to Wikipedia, 'an estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States are affected by a fear of this day. Some people are so paralyzed by fear that they avoid their normal routines in doing business, taking flights or even getting out of bed. "It's been estimated that [US]$800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day". Despite this, representatives for both Delta and Continental Airlines say that their airlines don't suffer from any noticeable drop in travel on those Fridays."


As Christians, whatever the situation is, we should be firm and strong (through prayer too) in our faith (in Jesus Christ) and not go astray from the Word of God.


Below is a passage that I found through Google:

According to traditional lore, Friday the 13th is unlucky.

The Christian interpretation has it that Friday is unlucky because it is the day of Christ's crucifixion. The 13 comes in with the number of apostles, plus Jesus, present at the Last Supper.

Following the deleterious dinner, Judas Iscariot, one of Christ's disciples, betrayed him with a kiss and handed him over to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver.


Believers shouldn't worry in any respect, said Bishop Michael Pfeifer, head of the San Angelo Diocese, which oversees Abilene's Catholic churches.

"Yes, there were 13 at the Last Supper, which would include Christ," Pfeifer said. "(But) the number 13 as being unlucky is never mentioned in the Bible and has nothing to do with our faith."

Indeed, Friday the 13th may not be as traditionally unlucky as one might expect.

The dire day doesn't merit a mention in E. Cobham Brewer's voluminous 1898 edition of the Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, according to About.com. One does find entries for "Friday, an Unlucky Day" and "Thirteen Unlucky."


"When the date of ill fate finally does make an appearance in later editions of the text, it is without extravagant claims as to the superstition's historicity or longevity," according to the Web site. "The very brevity of the entry is instructive: 'A particularly unlucky Friday. See Thirteen' -- implying that the extra dollop of misfortune attributed to Friday the 13th can be accounted for in terms of an accrual, so to speak, of bad omens."

"Superstition" comes from a Latin root "superstes," meaning "standing over," or "set above." Originally, the word meant something akin to "standing still in apprehension or awe," according to About.com.


In any case, it refers to an "irrational or nonscientific belief in the existence of certain powers" operating in the world "with positive or ill effects," according to the Web site.

Other origins range from Friday the 13th being the day the leader of the supposedly heretical Templar knights was executed to far more ancient vectors.


But Judas' betrayal in the Gospels created an indelible mark on both his name and the circumstances surrounding his transgression. The crucifixion of Christ on the Friday that followed simply melded the two aspects together into, some believe, a seriously unlucky day.


But in the life of the early Church community, there is no mention of 13 being used "in any negative way," Pfeifer said.


Christian faith is based on trust in God and has nothing to do with numbers, he said.


"Superstition is based on imaginary, or perhaps even evil tendencies that are linked sometimes even to the satanic, and the two do not go together," Pfeifer said.


But a person of faith "has nothing to fear from any number," he said.

Not all things 13 have negative connotations, Pfeifer said.


"Interestingly, check the number 13 and see how often it had a positive influence in our own country -- 13 colonies -- and look up how the 13 was applied to other important points of our American history," he said.


And if one is willing to consider Good Friday, the date of Christ's crucifixion, to be an evil day, then it's hard to make sense of another belief, which says that getting a haircut on Friday the 13th will prevent headaches throughout the year.


Father Philip Lemasters, an Orthodox priest in Abilene, said faith has to do "with a personal God, with a capital 'G,'" and "explores our relationship with that God."


Such faith involves every dimension of who we are -- how we live, what we believe, how we treat others, and the ultimate purpose and destiny of our life, he said.


Superstition, conversely, seems much more one-dimensional to Lemasters, involving "at most the belief in impersonal forces or an odd assortment of laws."

Pachelbel's Canon

Pang Ing, aka. Max asked me to go watch this short video on youtube.com(I think this is the video he meant, cause there are plenty of this kind, so I randomly clicked on one). I went and had a look and was taken aback. Why? Watch this video:

If you happen to not know, this is the infamous piece of music, 'Canon in D' (originally composed by Johann Pachelbel during the Baroque period). It is usually played by violinists and pianists, but this time, it is played by an electric guitarist. Try to leave some comment about his playing style.

So, which one is the best among the best? I uploaded two other videos, an orchestra version and another style played by a pianist. This is it:

The piano version. The score is 'Canon in D/C'(composer: Pachelbel), Arranged by George Winston. It is a modified version, that is, from D major to C major, one tone lower.

This is the orchestra version, played by violinists and several musical instrument(viola and others). I reckon that Canon in D was actually meant to be played by String instruments cause it is the most suitable among the other musical instrument.

If you have watched these three videos, feel free to leave a comment about their playing styles to see which of them is the best.

God bless.

Friends

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)

About two weeks ago, my friends and I had a dinner at Westwood Continental. The food there are mostly western, so you can expect that it’ll cost a little more from your pocket. But still, the BIG word is TRYOUT. The main purpose is to taste the food so that maybe, we can recommend it to other people. Anyways, it was great to hangout with my friends as it is a good chance for fellowship and to know each other better. For now, let the pictures do the talking.

Drinks of different flavours

This is steak (beef), if I ain't wrong

I think this is grilled pork

If I can recall properly, this is chicken grilled dish

Mixed Grilled Dish (combination of chicken, pork, and beef) - I tasted it and gave a rating of 8.0/10

From top right (clockwise-order) : Jerwin, Ruth, Billy, and me

What's left after we 'devour' our food hungrily

Right to left: Louis, Ruth, Billy, Jerwin, Me, and Pang Ing

Two months ago, my schoolmate phoned me up and asked me if I had time to meet up with some long-time-no-see ex-schoolmates. I agreed and we decided to have lunch together at the ‘renowned’ Kentucky Fried Chicken in Saberkas (I made it in the form of hyperbole). Again, let this picture tell you what took place that day.

From left to right: Me, Yun Seh, Pei Zam, and Jun Yi

And so, what does God’s Word tell us about friendship?

“Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:
There was a man alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
Yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless –
A miserable business!
Two are better than one,
Because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to pick him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:7-12)

Friends are the ones that are willing to lend a hand and care for each other needs (with loving hearts) without any negative feelings or purposes.

However, in the book of James, the Word of God tells us about friendship with the world: “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” “ (James 4:4-6)

God ask us to flee (get away) from the worldly pleasures and the sinful nature of this world. We should instead purify our hearts and put our focus on Jesus (believe in Him). From (James verses 7-10), the Word of God says: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.”

About our friendship with one another, God’s Word tells us that: “Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgement on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbour?” (James 4:11-12)

May we have the Word of God in our hearts and abide to His Will and continue to persevere in our Faith in Him.

Till then, God bless. Jesus loves you.