Updates

Cravings : Steak and kidney pie (I just love pies)

Ok so I've been slacking off with my blog posts again. I guess 2 camps, a working trip to kedah (on which I drove alone) and a busy Christmas can really do that to you....bad excuses I know...have actually been wanting to blog quite a few times...but I'm always too lazy to sit down and start writing. Laziness is going to be the bane of me one day.

So Christmas was excellent, the performance went of smoothly and to top it off two people accepted Christ! Thank God! With Christmas being that time of the year, I was busy running around and catching up with various people...sadly because of that I didn't get to spend as much times as I would have liked with some groups of friends...sorry guys..will try to make it up to you. I also noticed I've been very slack this Christmas...didn't wish many people I should have Merry Christmas...to be honest wishing people sort of just slipped my mind unless it was in person that is.

Other interesting things about me is that I've suddenly had this facination/obession with Harry Potter getting together with Hermione Granger. Up to the extent that I've actually bought books 1 to 5 and will probably be getting the 6th one soon. Yeah yeah...I know that the books actually point to Hermione and Ron pairing...but I just find the Harry-Hermione one more appealing. This probably has got to do with the fanfics I've been reading on the subject. (As a side note...there are some pretty good fanfic writers out there.) Now to some of you this may be surprising, as some of you may know I never even read a single Harry Potter book before this, let alone watched a movie. I actually kept away from it all...even though I am a pretty avid fantasy reader. I had my reasons too. But I blame this change of heart on the recent Harry Potter movie. Went to watch it with friends as a way of hanging out and I guess that just started the thoughts rolling. Oh well...guess I will have to wait till the last book is out to see the author's version of how the love life at Hogwarts is gonna turn out.

Refuge

Craving: Pai Kuat Mi (Pork Chop Noodles)

This is really a crazy month for me. Camp after camp..followed by a work engagement up in Sg. Petani. Turns out I'll be driving alone...tomorrow which is really kinda sad and boring coz' driving 4+ hours by yourself is really no fun. Also means I'm gonna have to miss out on watching the choir in Malacca...so I guess no chicken rice balls for me. On the other hand I'm sure some of the girls should be pretty relieved that I won't be going...that way they gonna get to concentrate when they sing "It's a baby, in a manger...." instead of trying not to laugh...hahaha.

I'm currently covered in mosquito bites, a by product of the recently concluded YF camp. For those who don't know...I'm probably the best mosquito repellent you are going to find any where....cause if I'm near...they'll just skip you and come for me....those bloody blood suckers! *shakes fist* So that can really be irritating...dang itchy..it's been 3 days since camp..and still I'm itching! Other then the mozzies, the camp was fun..enjoyed myself treamendously..proabably was the most relaxing camp I've been to in awhile...kudos to the Student Comm for doing such a good job...you guys really are a blessing to the YF and it really is amazing to see HIM working through you all this way.

On another note...a friend of mine of 7 years accepted Christ sometime during the year...although I only found this out recently...so I'm really happy! She's also coming to church this weekend, so hopefully she won't get a culture shock during the TLC worship....since she used to attend a charismatic church and all. God is also moving alot in my life. Someone close to me heard the gospel and actually initiated the conversation...not with me but with someone else...and it truly is a miracle cause that is probably the last thing I would expect. To top it off..this month itself I have seen old friends and finding out that they have accepted and are now actively serving is even more of a joy...sorta shows..that God will always move even if you don't.

Double Vision

Craving : Real Food!!!!

Phew! What an amazing 6 days it has been. I've just gotten back from Teenstreet Malaysia today, and what an experience it has been. I've been able to see God work in the lives of so many youth and got to meet so many great and wonderful people. Dan and Suzie Potter along with Curt and Nikki really brought a new way of challenging the youth with their dance and drama, and I think many of us who were there are able to better remember the teachings with the concept of the Kingdom code.

Going as a coach, I was excited and nervous. This was the first Teenstreet in Malaysia and I really wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that my NET or care group during the camp was going to be a pretty diverse one. I was going to have only 5 youths under me, 2 of which came from my church. The other 3, came from different churches and I had never met them before. I was so afraid they wouldn't get along together, but turns out...I was wrong and most of the group gelled pretty well. I have to confess there were many times when I felt unsure of myself and it just felt like I wasn't getting through and the youths weren't sharing, when suddenly one of them would say something that totally blew me away. I may not have seen it then, so blinded I was by own worries and rely on my own abilities that I wasn't seeing God working in their lives. Looking back now, I can fully appriciate and see the little victories in each of their lives. So Peter, Jian Sheung, Eu Jin, John, Bryan...I'm praying for you guys. Thanks for being an awesome NET!

The past 6 days have also been a time of soul searching for me. There has been so much that I have had to deal with. I went as a coach expecting to faciliate the youths, and found myself being challenged and being forced to deal with issues myself. I've had to re-examine my life and my walk, questioning if I really have been heeding God's call and if I truly have been allowing God to work though me. I have begun to see the importance of having a NET of my own, a group of my Christian peers which will keep me accountable to them. Hardest of all has been the issues I have had to confront in my own personal life. Sometimes what God asks of us is not easy, and I have had to make a couple of those decisions over the past days, and I tell you it is hard. It is not easy letting go, trusting God to be in charge, especially when it comes to friendships. Because you never know when God says, "hey...I don't think you should be so close anymore" or "I think it would serve my purposes better for you to go seperate ways" or something along those lines. It's painful, I would be lying if I said it wasn't, but maybe God had already being giving me signs.....and I just didn't want to take it. That been said...I guess I am once again learning about unconditional love....and about caring for people eventhough they don't respond, or they don't care about it. He really is an awesome God...and following Him is not easy...I can only pray that I can keep to the narrow path...by HIS strength.

So much to do, so little time

Craving : Foie-gras (Goose Liver)

It's been a really crazy past couple of weeks. Haven't had the mood to blog, or rather have just been too tired to blog. There were a couple of times last week when I actually posted something up. But I removed them later in the day. Somethings I felt shouldn't be put online anymore...Crazy last week though...waking up to headaches and going to sleep to headaches really sucks...guess there just wasn't enough rest. So much to do in so little time...teenstreet is coming up and I'm just finishing reading the coach's manual. I'm really excited about it and yet I am abit afraid and nervous. I'm afraid that I'll go there and try to do things with my own strength and not rely on God. I'm afraid that I'll lead those under me astray...I'm afraid my focus will be wrong. But at the end of the day, all I can do I guess is just pray about it and let God take charge. Other than that I'm looking forward to teenstreet and meeting new people. After that there is YF camp...which I'm looking forward to(Kudos to the student comm for doing a great job)...followed by work in sungai petani which I'm not so looking forward to. To make things worse...My 'niece' and my favourite penguin are also coming back from australia for hols and I don't know if I am going to get the chance to see them..:(. Hopefully things will all work out.

On another note..my heart had been pretty troubled for a few weeks now, especially during last week and early this week. Relationships can really get to u at times u know...and I was at my wits end. So I went to God in prayer and just committed it all to Him, asking him to grant me peace. (I'm not too proud that I went to Him only as a last resort). And I didn't notice it at first...but it hit me yesterday, that he put alot of my fears and anxiety to rest..granting me the peace that I wanted. It was really so awesome...and I truly thank Him for that! You are the best Lord! Thank you for loving me although I fail you so very often.