My Beloved Colleagues & Bosses! :)

Fortune Cookies in US

History of Fortune Cookies

1st Dinner Cooked in River Quarry

我的葵花宝典

Trust Me

Lyrics by Candice Lee
Music by Sebastian Kwan
Arrangement & Vocal Parts by Wu Zhi Zhen
Main Vocal by Samuel Kwan

Aladdin scaled down the walls

Of the Arabian palace

To the top tower of Jasmine’s room

On a magic carpet he offered his hand

But as she was afraid

To take this strange ride

And to step out of her palace walls

He asked the princess he adores

Chorus:

Trust me, do you trust me?

I can free you from these walls

And show you a whole new world

If you trust me, do you trust me?

I can open up your eyes

To see the indescribable

If you just take my hand, & trust me

The King of kings is waiting at my balcony

Patiently knocking on my door

On His carpet embroidered

With love & faith

He offers His hand

But as I am afraid

To step out of my comfort zone

He asks the children He adores

The Story of How This Song Came About:

I was inspired by Steven Curtis Chapman, a Christian song writer who uses history and brilliant imageries to describe the experiences of his relationship with God. Being a fan of Aladdin, I tried to think of a connection. I realized in my relationship with God, trust (or faith) is one thing that I find very difficult to have at times. In fact, besides love, I think this is the most important ingredient for all relationship. Without trust, a relationship cannot be taken to a deeper level just like without the magic carpet, Aladdin cannot show Jasmine his world. I knew it was something God was constantly drilling into me. I could see from my experiences that this was a lesson God wants me to learn. Some day, I hope to be able to say that I have a faith that can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).

Ok, cs still finds it important to continue to trust His Father after close to 7 years of following HIM. Need to listen to this song for at least 100 times daily!

Weekend At Beautiful Boise.

Spent my Sat to change out my car at Enterprise and drove down to McCall to visit Payette Lake with four other colleagues (Pictures can be accessed on the sidebar of this blog). It was a nice trip overall and the drive was rather short as it was only about 2 hours. Boise is really a beautiful place and I think I like it better in Boise than Utah. Somehow, it gives me a better feeling emotionally.

But alas, I was slapped with a US$75 fine for speeding at 80 mph on a 65 mph road. Furthermore, the officer banned me from driving my car as I did not bring my international driving permit out. In the end, my colleague has to take over the driving. Just for interest sake, this is how the summon looks like:

And I will have to pay it through mail using Money Order which looks like this:

Oh man, this is yet one of those typical stories of cs.

For Sun, I managed to find a new church in Boise, ID which is recommended by my Utah Pastor. I really thank God for watching over me and never fail to bring godly people around me. Pray for me that I will be able to establish good relationships with the congregation, Pst Jeff and Pst Chris. The church pictures can be found on the sidebar of this blog.

The adventures of cs in Boise, ID continues…

My 1st Day in Beautiful Boise

Reached Boise this late morning at about 1045am, drew out my car from Enterprise and after some prayers for directions and small hiccups with a 75c parking ticket, I found my hotel in Boise where I will camp for the next seven days. Sweet…because the hotel is really fantastic… will upload the pictures in my online photo site tomorrow.

Called up my mum and drove out to explore Boise, my workplace for the next four months and also my colleagues’ apartments. When I was driving along Highway 21 which is also along Boise River, I was thinking of a crazy idea to jog along Highway 21! Looks like my unfinished Phase 3 Bangerter Highway project may be done on Highway 21 instead. The day ended with a posh dinner with the four other colleagues who are here in Boise.

In my opinion, Boise is really beautiful with many mountains and rivers. I pray that as I begin my four months stint over here, I will be able to experience God in a very special way. :P

From Lehi, Utah to Boise, Idaho

As those of you who happen to know me in Lehi, Utah, I somehow always have many stories to tell people around me. This time round, my new chapter of life will begin in Boise, Idaho starting tomorrow after 11am (Boise Time). Now I am packing my last bit of stuffs to bring with me to Boise and also checking carefully that I do not leave any stuffs behind.

Moving out of Liberty Hills and going to a new working environment with new faces will definitely continue to keep my life in US on a very high note. Now I will have to start everything from scratch again and attain new knowledge. I pray that my Heavenly Father will continue to guide me throughout these four months and also enlighten me on some critical issues in my life over at Boise, Idaho.

To add on to the adventure, I am going for this coming August 23, 2008 Park City Marathon in Utah. Therefore, I will need to spend some four to five hours driving back to Utah on that day for the marathon. Come to think of it now, I must admit that it is a pretty crazy plan, haha. Anyway, I have applied leave for it and arranged my accommodation in Utah. The final thing is to continue to pray for journey mercy and successful completion of the run. I am glad that the last eight miles of the run will be entirely downhill. Praise the LORD. :)

Ok, I mentioned about stories right but I haven’t started on my story-telling yet. The story is this. Just this evening, I went for my Utah church prayer meeting session. Upon reaching the church building, I realized the door is locked with a note informing of the new temporary meeting place for the church service starting on June 1, 2008 as the church is moving out of the current place due to high rental fees. I thank God for the contact number printed on that note because somehow I just wanted to inform my church friends that I am leaving for Boise tomorrow and will not be back in Utah for a period of four months. The reason behind this is I have been missing church services for the past two weeks due to my trips to Grand Canyon and Portland.

The Pastor’s wife answered the phone and directed me to their meeting place for the evening which is at another church pastor’s house. I managed to drive over there safely and we have a good time with the LORD studying on Gideon defeating the Midianites in Judges 7. We ended off praying for each other and also for my upcoming trip to Boise. AMEN!

Furthermore, Pastor also introduced a church in Boise, Idaho which is called Fellowship Baptist Church (www.fellowshipwithhim.org). This is simply amazing! I was still trying to research on which church to attend and also praying for God’s direction. Who knows that God has already planned out for me? Only God knows and can explain!! ~hehe~

Therefore, this coming Sunday I will be able to worship my amazing Father again at a new place and when you hear the song, “Jingle Bells” on the street, I will be back in Utah! ~haha~ “Get that turkey ready, dude.” :P

Of course, when I stepped into the office again…. This will be the song which I want to sing:

Mary’s Boy Child

Long time ago in Bethlehem

So the Holy Bible say

Mary's Boy Child, Jesus Christ

Was born on Christmas Day

Hark, now hear the angels sing

"A New King's born today

And man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day."

Joseph and his wife Mary

Came to Bethlehem that night

They found no place to bear her Child

Not a single room in sight

Trumpets sound and angels sing

Listen to what they say

That man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day

By and by they found a little nook

In a stable all forlorn

And in a manger cold and dark

Mary's little Boy was born

Hark, now hear the angels sing,

"A New King's born today

And man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day."

Trumpets sound and angels sing

Listen to what they say

That man will live forevermore

Because of Christmas Day

猴比猴，笑死人?!

Psalm 31

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

deliver me in your righteousness.

2 Turn your ear to me,

come quickly to my rescue;

be my rock of refuge,

a strong fortress to save me.

3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,

for the sake of your name lead and guide me.

4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,

for you are my refuge.

5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;

redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;

I trust in the LORD.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

for you saw my affliction

and knew the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not handed me over to the enemy

but have set my feet in a spacious place.

9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and my body with grief.

10 My life is consumed by anguish

and my years by groaning;

my strength fails because of my affliction, [a]

and my bones grow weak.

11 Because of all my enemies,

I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;

I am a dread to my friends—

those who see me on the street flee from me.

12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;

I have become like broken pottery.

13 For I hear the slander of many;

there is terror on every side;

they conspire against me

and plot to take my life.

14 But I trust in you, O LORD;

I say, "You are my God."

15 My times are in your hands;

deliver me from my enemies

and from those who pursue me.

16 Let your face shine on your servant;

save me in your unfailing love.

17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,

for I have cried out to you;

but let the wicked be put to shame

and lie silent in the grave. [b]

18 Let their lying lips be silenced,

for with pride and contempt

they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

19 How great is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you,

which you bestow in the sight of men

on those who take refuge in you.

20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them

from the intrigues of men;

in your dwelling you keep them safe

from accusing tongues.

21 Praise be to the LORD,

for he showed his wonderful love to me

when I was in a besieged city.

22 In my alarm I said,

"I am cut off from your sight!"

Yet you heard my cry for mercy

when I called to you for help.

23 Love the LORD, all his saints!

The LORD preserves the faithful,

but the proud he pays back in full.

24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD

Matters of the HEART

I once wrote an entry on my blog with regards to the heart issue back in 2007. (Refer to: http://edsoh.blogspot.com/2007/07/its-heart-that-really-matters.html) In that moment in time, I was really targeting my own heart issues with my Heavenly Father. For this entry, my target of attention is falling on everyone of us, including my family and loved ones. Hence, if you are reading this entry thinking if I have found my Proverbs 31 girl, the answer is negative.

Ok, matters of the heart. What’s up with the heart? The reason is very simple. It is because THOU has said that, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Therefore, I have to indeed make sure that my heart is always with Jesus so that I can boldly proclaim to everyone around me that my greatest treasure in this life is I have a relationship with Jesus.

These days I am telling Jesus that I love Him in my prayers. No longer am I only praying for things to my own benefit but I feel that I should really express my love for Him. It’s like telling your girlfriend how pretty she is, how beautiful is her latest hairdo, her perfume smell and many things about her. I am beginning to sense that He needs my attention and my expression of love towards Him for His inexhaustible Grace towards me daily and of how He is constantly watching over me.

Rom 8:32 is a magnificent verse. Mediating on that verse has made me realize that He is the one in control of my love life. If it is truly according to His will that I will stay on being single all my life, I have to give thanks to Him because He is the ONE who knows what is good for me. All I need to do is to surrender my will to Him. It is at this very moment that I am sinning against Him if I stay on being infatuated with a non-Christian girl. I truly need to wake up from this infatuation. As I looked back, if I really desire to go into a relationship, I would have courted the girl whom I met then back during my poly days and today I think she won’t be engaged to be married to another guy in Feb 2009. I guess that at least I have the capability to fight for the beauty whom I desire. However, I became a Christian along the way and knowing the importance of NOT going into an unequally yoked relationship, I gave up pursuing her totally. (Refer to: http://edsoh.blogspot.com/2007/01/blog-post_116990609623656287.html)

Sorry, found that I side-tracked as I was mentioning on focusing my heart on Jesus. Throughout close to seven years of my Christian life, I observed that for those who have set their hearts on searching for the ONE TRUE GOD, they always managed to find Jesus. I am not sure how did Jesus do it but true enough, it has happened many times as I journey with Him all these years. Brother Yun from China is a great example. He even published a book on his salvation story and how he ministered to many people around him.

In conclusion, I encourage all those of you out there to pursue the true meaning of your life, asking what is that one thing which motivates you to go to work everyday, what is that very thing which is missing in your life and so on so forth. Go out and search for the answers. Ask your own heart sincerely if you are really interested to discover if there is really a God in this world. If you are, I am pretty sure that you will find Jesus. This is because He has provided us with His Wonderful Counselor whom has been knocking at the door of your heart all this while, waiting just for you to open it and coming in to have meals with you (Rev 3:20). Are you ready to meet Him? If you are, I am sure that we will spend eternity together with Him! Cheers…

Park City Marathon in Utah

http://www.pcmarathon.com/

Who is a Proverbs 31 girl?

According to Proverbs, the ideal wife is:
A woman who is virtuous
10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
A woman who is trustworthy
11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
A woman who is loving
12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
A woman who is industrious
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
A woman who is resourceful
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
A woman who is responsible
15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.
A woman who is entrepreneurial
16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
A woman who is healthy
17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
A woman who is financially astute
18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
A woman who is skilled
19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
A woman who is charitable
20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
A woman who is prudent
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
A woman who is fashionable
22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
A woman who is married to a respectable husband
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
A woman who is productive
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.
A woman who is self-confident
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.
A woman who is wise
26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
A woman who is managerial
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
A woman who is praiseworthy as a wife and mother
28-29 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all."
A woman who is reverent
30-31 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Above text is adapted from: http://www.proverbs31-woman.com/

cs: I wonder if such a woman ever exist but I think for the time being, this will be my specification limits and nothing less. Father, I pray that this will not be like a 100% yield wafer thing though. So...

BBQing in Extended Winter Season

http://picasaweb.google.com/edsoh98/CShiftGathering15Apr

Proverbs 31

Sayings of King Lemuel
The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle his mother taught him:
"O my son, O son of my womb,
O son of my vows,
do not spend your strength on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.
"It is not for kings, O Lemuel—
not for kings to drink wine,
not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Give beer to those who are perishing,
wine to those who are in anguish;
let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

It’s my BIRTHDAY!

I thank God for my shift colleagues celebrating my birthday after our shift hours. The cake was a nice OREO chocolate cake with an impressive “Happy Birthday to Chee Seng” on it. Wow! ~haha~

No candles to reveal my age but actually everyone knows it. And we celebrated it at my desk in the office. My housemate topped it up with a sexy bum pic. HAHA…

Thank God and my fun-loving shift colleagues.
YOU ALL are the BEST!

p/s: Oops, sorry for missing out someone on the cake though...

Boast only in the Cross of Christ

I thank God for the numerous blessings which He has poured upon me. Even at my saddest moments of my life, I will want to fall back on His Word which offers a hope for me. I was mediating upon Psalm 84 and the last two verses are His assuring words to me.

Let’s do a review on Psalm 84.

Psalm 84
For the director of music. According to gittith. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,

O LORD Almighty!

2 My soul yearns, even faints,

for the courts of the LORD;

my heart and my flesh cry out

for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,

and the swallow a nest for herself,

where she may have her young —

a place near your altar,

O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;

they are ever praising you.

Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,

who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,

they make it a place of springs;

the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength,

till each appears before God in Zion.

8 Hear my prayer,

O LORD God Almighty; listen to me,

O God of Jacob. Selah

9 Look upon our shield,

O God; look with favor on your anointed one.

10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere;

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

the LORD bestows favor and honor;

no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

12 O LORD Almighty,

blessed is the man who trusts in you.

“May I never boast except in the Cross of our LORD Jesus Christ through which the world is crucified to me, and I to the world.” ~ Galatians 6:14

Breakfast, Dinner, Supper?

Normally, we will address our meals are breakfast, lunch and dinner but this church mate of mine; he mentioned that in his hometown, they address it as breakfast, dinner and supper. Hence when Pst is inviting us over to his place for lunch today, it is actually dinner to him. Confusing, right? Haha.

Today, Utah celebrates Easter Day. It is the glorious day which whom our LORD and Savior, Christ Jesus resurrected from the dead. It is also the day which the empty tomb proves that our Savior lives forevermore. AMEN!

My church had a simple Easter Day Breakfast fellowship, followed by a choir performance and an Easter message. Pst was preaching from Luke 24. It is amazing that the Gospel is ever alive today as it still speaks intensely to me. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. (Gal 6:14)

To end off the day, I had a wonderful lunch at Pst’s place and played with his dog for a while. I am thankful for my gracious God for Easter Day and also to Him who has provided both lunch and dinner for me. (Dinner was at my neighbor’s place, hahaha)

Let's thank God for Easter!

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” Isaiah 53:3

“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.” John 1:11

“But to all who believed and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

“He has made us accepted in the beloved.” Eph. 1:6

“While suffering He uttered no threats.” 1 Peter 2:23

“Jesus Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

“Like a lamb that is led to slaughter.” Isaiah 53:7

“If He would render Himself as a guilt offering.” Isaiah 53:10

“Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22

“In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” Eph. 1:7

“By oppression and judgment He was taken away.” Isaiah 53:8

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Romans 8:1-2

“Cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due.” Isaiah 53:8

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Matthew 46:46

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has already passed out of death into life.” John 5:24

God’s Grace taught me HUMILITY

I just realized today from the bible study in church that praying for God to teach me humility is a pretty scary thing. The reason is He will definitely humble you and you never know what kind of situations you are going to get into to learn humility…

This week in Utah, I started working on my morning shift since last Wednesday. My humility lesson started then. The very first day of my shift was the most tiring day for me because after shift, I got to attend our department area meeting and furthermore got to go for a department dinner gathering to welcome incoming new colleagues. The worst part is I actually lost my way (yup, again!) to the dining place and took like 1.5 hours just to get there. Thank God that He still led me there safely in the midst of all the calling while driving and holding on to the steering wheel with one hand to go through a roundabout. I was definitely protected by God that I was not booked by the traffic police!

Thursday is the second day of my shift and once again, this was God’s second humility lesson for me. My colleague who drove me to work has misplaced her car keys in another colleague’s car but this colleague has left the office. Hence without a decent transportation, we got no choice but to wait for this colleague to come back office to pass back our car keys. All in all, we spent at least 2 hours waiting in the office. I had to be humble and exercise my patience in the midst of all the waiting. And this was also the moment when I realized that God is answering my prayers to be humble.

Knowing that God is teaching me makes me so glad and I finally know that I have to fix my eyes on my LORD Jesus Christ. Therefore when the third day of my shift came and it was yet another night going without my own personal time, I did not mind at all. The past two nights’ (Thursday & Friday) dinner were in fact provided by God. In addition, I truly learnt His glorious lesson of humility when I volunteered to wash the dishes. All this washing has also brought to my mind John 13 when LORD Jesus washed the feet of His disciples.

The God of the bible is not only the Savior of my soul but He is One whom I can cast all my anxiety upon because I know that He cares for me. Pretty scary to pray for humility but I thank Him for teaching me a great lesson. Now it’s time for me to start praying for a girlfriend but I do not know what things He is going to put me through again so that I can become the right person for my girl.

The adventures of cs in Utah continues…

自废武功

Time flies and I have already spent three weeks in Utah. I am beginning to get used to the life over here and also the American culture as I relate to my fellow counterparts. Today is special because this will be my only free Saturday as I will be going on shift from this Wednesday onwards. My shift spans from Wednesdays to Saturdays with a pivotal Wednesday pattern.

All in all, I have no major problems living over here. Thank God for His constant protection and providence all this while. In other words, I have enough to eat, enough to wear and have a fantastic bed for my beauty sleep every night. The weather over here is still very cold with a temperature range of -2 degree Celsius to 11 degree Celsius. I have to wear at least two layers everyday and it can be quite tiring at times when you have to take off your jacket when the room is relatively warm, especially when you are in your office. However, the shift timing which starts at 6am everyday is going to be one thing which I think I will struggle for the next few weeks…

Arriving in Utah to undergo job training leads me to think and reflect on how should I go about fulfilling all the requirements and what is exactly my own expectation of all this training? One thing which I told myself before I even leave Singapore last month is I will need to unlearn all which I have picked up from my previous company and relearn the new culture, the new management and the new environment in this new company. Unlearn and relearn.

I have asked for prayers from my church to pray for God to grant me humility. I felt that this is so important because many times even though I am already very familiar with the tool or software, I will still need to stay open to new ideas, new concepts and new viewpoint from others in order to enhance my learning. I need to stay humble in order to interact and share new ideas on resolving issues as an engineer who not only work well as an individual but more crucially to learn how to work as a team which will go on to achieve the higher goals. Basically, I need to ask God to remove all my prior knowledge on the tools, concepts and software in order that I am able to absorb all these new ideas and viewpoints to enhance my training experience here.

Recently, I almost offended a colleague of mine due to a harsh comment which I have uttered to her. I thank God that eventually I managed to clear the air with her. This brings to my mind again on the importance of being humble and also to focus on how to work well as a team. You are not on your own because you will never make it on your own. You definitely need to work as a team in order to advance forward.

Utah is a state where majority of the LDS church resides. In relating to them, I feel a strong sense of need to preach the Gospel to them in the most accurate manner granted by God. A similar statement spoken by our managing director was, “Our greatest enemies are not our fellow colleagues in our company. Our greatest enemies are our competitors.” Using this statement, I will like to encourage all fellow true believers of Christ that our greatest enemies are not our fellow brothers and sisters who are from LDS but there is only one greatest enemy and he is Satan!” Therefore, let us unlearn all our biased views of the LDS church, relearn the True Gospel of Christ and pray for them to come into the knowledge of the One and only True God of the Bible.

1st Week in Utah

It is indeed a very exciting new chapter of my life as I reached Utah, U.S.A as of last Wednesday, 13 Feb 2008 (Utah Time). Many things have happened to me. From being in awe of my nice apartment to figuring what groceries to buy. From being lost on the roads in my rental car to changing a burst tire at a petrol kiosk…

Wow, it has been a week staying here in Utah and how should I update regarding my life here leh? It is quite tough so I need to gather my thoughts and keep them as organized as my company HQ FAB here in Utah. Haha…

Ok, first thing is my apartment here in Utah. It is SUPER NICE and I simply do not believe that I am staying in such nice apartment. Arriving here in Utah last Wed (Utah Time), all of us are greeted by a heavy snowstorm which has not been seen at all for the last 15 years in Utah! Thank God we managed to reach our respective apartment after some 6 to 7 hours on the road. All I felt at that time was I am cold and thirsty…

On the next day due to the heavy snowstorm, the only road to my company HQ was closed, so in the end we did not manage to go back to go through the company orientation. All we did was having our breakfast on the bus and then headed to Wal Mart and a SuperChina mart to do our groceries shopping. And that was my 2nd day in Utah.

3rd day in Utah was going for my driving lessons and collecting my rental car. Driving in Utah certainly needs orientation as it is a left-handed drive and whenever the instructor wanted me to turn left or right, the car wiper would be on as the signal lever is on my left instead while the right lever is the wiper control. In addition, keeping to the right lane also needs time to adapt to me. There was even once when I turned into the wrong lane at night where there was heavy opposing traffic. Thank God that He has kept me safe. I also experienced a burst tire and have to settle down at a nearby petrol kiosk to change it with my spare tire before I can drive home. This coming Sat, I will be going back to the rental office to change for another car.

4th day in Utah, there was an intercultural class in company where we are taught on how to interact with our U.S counterparts and also about the LDS culture in Utah. It was a great time of discussion as we observed the differences in an Asian context versus an American context. The LDS discussion was also very interesting as I learnt more about the beginnings of Mormonism and a brief history of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. At least under the leadership of the LDS church, Utah state has the highest percentage of educated residents (High school or higher) and the lowest percentage of crime rate in the whole of U.S. I think this is something which put us to shame, isn’t it?

5th day in Utah, I managed to find a church where I can worship and fellowship with fellow brothers and sisters of the Universal Church. Jordan Valley Baptist Church is a small Christ-centered family church. My colleague and I entered the church finding the congregation having Sunday school (which was in fact their Adult bible study session). The service was refreshing as they sang old hymns with the worship team playing violins and pianos. There were only hymn books and all of us would just turn to the desired hymn for the lyrics with music scores.

I truly give thanks to God for His protection and providence as I begin a new chapter of my life here in Utah. I pray that may He teach me new lessons from His word as I go through my short stint here in the midst of mountains and valleys. God bless! =)

My Utah Affair begins...

My Apartment Photos in Utah:

The Utah Food Story:

My Church in Utah:
Oficial Website: http://www.jordanvalleybaptist.org/index.html

Who is a CHRISTIAN?

A Christian is accepted…
A Christian is a child of God. [John 1:12]
A Christian is Jesus’ chosen friend. [John 15:15)
A Christian is holy and accepted by God (justified). [Rom 5:1]
A Christian is united to the Lord and is one in spirit with Him. [1 Cor 3:16]
A Christian has been bought with a price. He / She belong to God. [1 Cor 6:19-20]
A Christian is a part of Christ’s Body, a part of His Family. [1 Cor 12:27]
A Christian is a saint, a holy one. [Eph 1:1]
A Christian has been adopted as God’s child. [Eph 1:5]
A Christian has been bought back (redeemed) and forgiven of all his / her sins. [Col 1:14]
A Christian is complete in Christ. [Col 2:10]

A Christian is secure…
A Christian is free forever from punishment. [Rom 8:12]
A Christian is sure that all things work together for good. [Rom 8:28]
A Christian is free from any condemning charges against him / her. [Rom 8:31]
A Christian cannot be separated from the love of God. [Rom 8:35]
A Christian is hidden with Christ in God. [Col 3:3]
A Christian is sure that the good work that God has started in him / her will be finished. [Phil 1:6]
A Christian is a citizen of heaven with the rest of God’s family. [Eph 2:19]
A Christian can find grace and mercy in times of need. [Heb 4:16]
A Christian is born of God and the evil one cannot touch him / her. [1 John 5:18]

A Christian is significant…
A Christian is the salt and light for everyone around him / her. [Matt 5:13-14]
A Christian is a part of the true vine, joined to Christ and able to produce lots of fruits. [John 15:1,5]
A Christian is handpicked by Jesus to bear fruit. [John 15:16]
A Christian is a Spirit-empowered witness of Christ. [Acts 1:8]
A Christian is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. [1 Cor 3:16 / 1 Cor 6:19]
A Christian is at peace with God and He has given him / her the work of making peace between Himself and other people. [2 Cor 5:17]
A Christian is seated with Christ in heaven. [Eph 2:6]
A Christian is God’s co-worker. [2 Cor 6:1]
A Christian is God’s building project, His handiwork, created to do His work. [Eph 2:10]
A Christian is able to do all things through Christ who gives him / her strength! [Phil 4:13]

The World without ENGINEERS

创世记 ~第二十二章~

22:1
这 些 事 以 后 ， 神 要 试 验 亚 伯 拉 罕 ， 就 呼 叫 他 说 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 ， 他 说 ， 我 在 这 里 。

22:2
神 说 ， 你 带 着 你 的 儿 子 ， 就 是 你 独 生 的 儿 子 ， 你 所 爱 的 以 撒 ， 往 摩 利 亚 地 去 ， 在 我 所 要 指 示 你 的 山 上 ， 把 他 献 为 燔 祭 。

22:3
亚 伯 拉 罕 清 早 起 来 ， 备 上 驴 ， 带 着 两 个 仆 人 和 他 儿 子 以 撒 ， 也 劈 好 了 燔 祭 的 柴 ， 就 起 身 往 神 所 指 示 他 的 地 方 去 了 。

22:4
到 了 第 三 日 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 举 目 远 远 地 看 见 那 地 方 。

22:5
亚 伯 拉 罕 对 他 的 仆 人 说 ， 你 们 和 驴 在 此 等 候 ， 我 与 童 子 往 那 里 去 拜 一 拜 ， 就 回 到 你 们 这 里 来 。

22:6
亚 伯 拉 罕 把 燔 祭 的 柴 放 在 他 儿 子 以 撒 身 上 ， 自 己 手 里 拿 着 火 与 刀 。 于 是 二 人 同 行 。

22:7
以 撒 对 他 父 亲 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ， 父 亲 哪 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ， 我 儿 ， 我 在 这 里 。 以 撒 说 ， 请 看 ， 火 与 柴 都 有 了 ， 但 燔 祭 的 羊 羔 在 哪 里 呢 ？

22:8
亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ， 我 儿 ， 神 必 自 己 预 备 作 燔 祭 的 羊 羔 。 于 是 二 人 同 行 。

22:9
他 们 到 了 神 所 指 示 的 地 方 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 在 那 里 筑 坛 ， 把 柴 摆 好 ， 捆 绑 他 的 儿 子 以 撒 ， 放 在 坛 的 柴 上 。

22:10
亚 伯 拉 罕 就 伸 手 拿 刀 ， 要 杀 他 的 儿 子 。

22:11
耶 和 华 的 使 者 从 天 上 呼 叫 他 说 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 ， 他 说 ， 我 在 这 里 。

22:12
天 使 说 ， 你 不 可 在 这 童 子 身 上 下 手 。 一 点 不 可 害 他 。 现 在 我 知 道 你 是 敬 畏 神 的 了 。 因 为 你 没 有 将 你 的 儿 子 ， 就 是 你 独 生 的 儿 子 ， 留 下 不 给 我 。

22:13
亚 伯 拉 罕 举 目 观 看 ， 不 料 ， 有 一 只 公 羊 ， 两 角 扣 在 稠 密 的 小 树 中 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 就 取 了 那 只 公 羊 来 ， 献 为 燔 祭 ， 代 替 他 的 儿 子 。

22:14
亚 伯 拉 罕 给 那 地 方 起 名 叫 耶 和 华 以 勒 （ 意 思 就 是 耶 和 华 必 预 备 ） ， 直 到 今 日 人 还 说 ， 在 耶 和 华 的 山 上 必 有 预 备 。

22:15
耶 和 华 的 使 者 第 二 次 从 天 上 呼 叫 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ，

22:16
耶 和 华 说 ， 你 既 行 了 这 事 ， 不 留 下 你 的 儿 子 ， 就 是 你 独 生 的 儿 子 ， 我 便 指 着 自 己 起 誓 说 ，

22:17
论 福 ， 我 必 赐 大 福 给 你 。 论 子 孙 ， 我 必 叫 你 的 子 孙 多 起 来 ， 如 同 天 上 的 星 ， 海 边 的 沙 。 你 子 孙 必 得 着 仇 敌 的 城 门 ，

22:18
并 且 地 上 万 国 都 必 因 你 的 后 裔 得 福 ， 因 为 你 听 从 了 我 的 话 。

22:19
于 是 亚 伯 拉 罕 回 到 他 仆 人 那 里 ， 他 们 一 同 起 身 往 别 是 巴 去 ， 亚 伯 拉 罕 就 住 在 别 是 巴 。

22:20
这 事 以 后 ， 有 人 告 诉 亚 伯 拉 罕 说 ， 密 迦 给 你 兄 弟 拿 鹤 生 了 几 个 儿 子 ，

22:21
长 子 是 乌 斯 ， 他 的 兄 弟 是 布 斯 和 亚 兰 的 父 亲 基 母 利 ，

22:22
并 基 薛 ， 哈 琐 ， 必 达 ， 益 拉 ， 彼 土 利 （ 彼 土 利 生 利 百 加 ） 。

22:23
这 八 个 人 都 是 密 迦 给 亚 伯 拉 罕 的 兄 弟 拿 鹤 生 的 。

22:24
拿 鹤 的 妾 名 叫 流 玛 ， 生 了 提 八 ， 迦 含 ， 他 辖 ， 和 玛 迦 。

From EAST to WEST

How do I feel about my upcoming trip to US? A… I don’t really feel very excited at all honestly. Although my accommodation there is very luxurious and there are many nice places to go (as recommended by my friends), somehow I do not feel much excitement.

Oh no, is there something wrong with me? I hope not because the feeling that I am experiencing now is quite similar to that in 2005 when I was preparing for my trip to Shanghai, China.

Most of my documentation are done up and a few things left to settle is to pack my luggage, prepare USDs and suspend my handphone line. This week will be a good break for me as I laze at home to read up on Salt Lake City, semiconductor books to boost up my passion for the Great Empire of Electronics (haha…) and also good Christian books to boost up my faith in the LORD, Jesus Christ.

Chinese New Year is around the corner and I have just cleared my collection of dust particles for the whole year in my room. I have also reorganized the arrangement of things in my room for a refreshing change as I welcome yet another new chapter in my life. I hope my relatives will not be bugging me on whether I have found my lifelong soul mate this Chinese New Year. I certainly need to think of some reasons for this so as to handle the situations well.

Be leaving my homeland, Singapore in about a week’s time, I pray for the well-being of New Covenant cell. I also pray for the health and safety of my family members while I am away in a far away place on the other side of the globe.

There is a time difference of 15 hours and the weather is super cold over there. As I battle the harshness of winter, may the Holy Spirit continue to remind me that my soul is warmed by the love of my Savior, Christ Jesus. Amen.

Catfish Effect

Father Lord, pls help me to be the Catfish in New Covenant cell. I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

LOVE vs INFATUATION Test

There are twelve different tests to differentiate between LOVE or INFATUATION, namely:

1. Time
2. Knowledge
3. Focus
4. Singularity
5. Security
6. Work
7. Solve Problems
8. Distance
9. Physical Attraction & Involvement
10. Affection
11. Stability
12. Delayed Gratification

And... if I confirm that it is love, then is my love for that girl centered on Christ?

Arches Utah across the valley

Auld Lang Syne

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stoup!
And surely I’ll be mine!
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
and pou’d the gowans fine;
But we’ve wander’d mony a weary fit,
sin’ auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl’d in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar’d
sin’ auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gies a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll tak a right guid-willie-waught,
for auld lang syne.

Quotes for me to live out 2008

The Cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us. – John Stott

The gospel cannot be preached and heard enough, for it cannot be grasped well enough… Moreover, our greatest task is to keep you faithful to this article and to bequeath this treasure to you when we die. – Martin Luther

Oh, the havoc that is wrought, and the tragedy, the misery and the wretchedness that are to be found in the world, simply because people do not know how to handle their own feelings! – D. Martin Lloyd – Jones

Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary
- Jennie Evelyn Hussey

Men are opposed to God in their sin, and God is opposed to men in his holiness. – J. I. Packer

The debt was so great, that while men alone owed it, only God could pay it. – Anselm

The garden of Gethsemane is one of the most sacred and solemn scenes in the entire Bible. – Sinclair Ferguson

We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate, but our attempt twill be futile, as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands. – John R. W. Stott

This cry represents the most agonizing protest ever uttered on this planet. It burst forth in a moment of unparalleled pain. It is the scream of the damned – for us. – R. C. Sproul

The God on whom we reply knows what suffering is all about not merely in the way that God knows everything, but by experience. – D. A. Carson

Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to your cross I cling.
– Augustine Toplady

How easily we fall into the trap of assuming that we remain justified only so long as there are grounds in our character for justification. – Sinclair Ferguson

All the love and the acceptance which perfect obedience could have obtained of God, belong to you – Because Christ was perfectly obedient on your behalf. – Charles Spurgeon

The traveler through the Bible landscape misses his way as soon as he loses sight of the hill called Calvary. – J. I. Packer

The Spirit does not take his pupils beyond the cross, but ever more deeply into it. – J. Knox Chamblin

Thank You, LORD YHWH for 2007

This year was a full year of working life for me. No major changes as compared to 2006 (Went from student to army to working life). I was working for the whole year, was working on New Year's Day 2007, eve of Chinese New Year and 1st day of Chinese New Year and even Christmas Day itself. Worked for the whole year but thanks be to God that I will be able to make it for watchnight service this year as I need not work on New Year’s Day 2008.

As per my usual feeling upon reaching 31 Dec every year, I always feel that the past one year has gone by in a flash. Time flies and who knows, it is going to be 2008. Looking back, it was indeed a year, once again with some of my new year resolutions fulfilled while the others unfinished. Nevertheless, it is time to put those unfinished new year resolutions onto this coming New Year 2008.

What are those new year resolutions which are fulfilled for me? Number one in the list according to priority is my baptism. Thanks to my great Savior, Jesus that I have finally been granted the permission by my parents to declare my faith publicly. It was amazing that they were present to witness the event too. Amen! After going through water baptism, I feel a great sense of gratitude towards my Heavenly Father. The moment of me being raised up from the water after fully immersed has enlightened my mind spiritually to be united to my Lord Jesus. I want to always remember this special moment in my mind for the rest of my life here on earth. This feeling is very unique and I am unable to explain it myself. I strongly encourage those whom has not taken this step of obedience to pray and consider it seriously for this coming year as it will definitely be a very unique experience.

Number two new year resolution which has been fulfilled this year is the completion of my 1st marathon in my life. A great distance of 42.195 KM and I must say that it is quite an achievement for me. Running a marathon is definitely not easy and preparation cannot be neglected at all. I regretted that I have not delegated much time in preparation but thank God that I can manage to complete it eventually and received the much coveted T-shirt.

The new year resolution which was unfinished this year was the promise which I have made to God - that is to be completely pure in areas of sexual sins in preparation for my baptism at the end of the year. 2007 has passed by and going on to 2008, I will like to rededicate myself to God once again and resolve to make this promise to Him praying for His Grace to stay completely pure sexually for the whole New Year ahead. This is one area of my spiritual life which I hope to see changes and maybe this is also the main reason why I am still single today.

A brand new year resolution for 2008 is to devote myself in studying God’s word more diligently. I am still praying to God in asking for specific areas of my spiritual life to develop, of one which I am determined to see changes is staying pure for Him. Devoting time to study God’s word truly also need lots of personal perservance on my part. Remembering what Rev David Wong has mentioned in our church retreat back in June, it is indeed very critical to persist in obeying God’s word. A brief recap of our church retreat where we studied on Mark 13, Rev David Wong mentioned about these six steps of obedience before the actual bible study itself.

The Six Steps of Obedience:
I hear
I understand
I remember
I decide
I do
I persist in doing (the real test of obedience)

It was a very memorable experience when we had our church retreat in Melaka Water City Resort. I think TPBC members will always remember this special experience and encounter with God, right? Ultimately in my opinion, the more I understand where my Lord Jesus is coming from where He mentions about not even a hint of sexual immorality (Eph 5:3), not to worry (Matt 6:24), not to serve Money (Matt 6:25), etc, it gives me the motivation to persist in obeying His word. After going through water baptism, I begin to realize about the truths in the Bible. Amazingly as I connect them with the attributes of my Lord YHWH, my eyes are opened to see that my Lord is asking me to obey His truths simply because He wants to protect me from harm. It is as simple as what is mentioned in Genesis – it is all for our good.

Let me continue to fall deeper in love with Jesus in this coming New Year 2008. Let me continue to be touched by His finished work on the cross on a daily basis and be so passionate for Him that my family and the people whom I meet will also be touched by Him. All praises go only to Christ alone.

May Christ Jesus guide your way in 2008.

Have a blessed new year ahead.

Getting Baptised...

Analyzing My 1st Marathon

My Testimony for Christ Jesus

Before I trusted Christ
Before Christ came into my life, I was a perfectionist. I took things very hard and in whatever I did, I would always want to win. From primary school to secondary school days, I always aim to go the “best” class. In addition, I always go all out to win my friends in all things that we do. For example, exam marks, physically etc. In my life, everything that I do was for I, myself and me. This is also the reason why I cannot face failure at all.

How I came to know and trust Christ
I did not accept Christ the very first time that I hear of the gospel. In fact the gospel (good news of Christ coming to save us) was shared to me a total of three times by three different persons.

The very first time was during a casual meeting of a stranger who came to share to the gospel with me in the street. He was in fact doing what we call “Street Evangelism”. However, like most people I did not respond to the gospel but I did pray that particular prayer in Four Spiritual Laws (4SL) to accept Christ into our lives with him. This is because I did not want to disappoint him. He did invite me to his church but I rejected him after a few phone calls.

The second time happened just after one of my close friend, Stephen accepted Christ and was baptized recently. He specially bought a bible for me (This is the same bible which I am still using today) during a time when I was feeling down and moody because I was just declared out of course in my BMT (Basic Military Training). He also shared Christ with me and told me different analogies. One of it was about the pilot and his commander. One day, the pilot flew into the enemy’s territory and his plane crashed. Will he trust his commander to send soldiers to save him out of the territory? Or the commander will leave him in the lurch? The pilot was us, the commander was God and the enemy’s territory was this world. Of course, the pilot has the faith that his commander will save him out of the danger. This should be the same faith that we should have in our God. However, I still did not accept Christ into my life.

The third time happened because this time round, I took up my first step to find out more about God. I contacted my secondary school friend, Albert through ICQ and confided in him about the problems that I faced. That time, I was recovering from heat stroke suffered during my SOC (standard obstacle course) in BMT. I was feeling totally defeated and disappointed in myself because I was put out of course and I could go to neither SISPEC (School of Infantry Specialists) or OCS (Officer Cadet School). I was taking things too hard as I saw that I was losing out to my friends.

After confiding with Albert, he brought me to his church (The People Bible’s Church) worship service. He also shared the Four Spiritual Laws (4SL) with me. I felt that God was leading me to Him through all these three experiences I have with the gospel. He has been planning all the circumstances which I faced! At that moment, I prayed with Albert that same prayer which I had prayed before and accepted Christ into my life. The rest is history.

Now that I have received Christ
With Christ in my life now, I have learned to take things easy. My name has also been detached from the term “Perfectionist”. I became a person who can carry things up and put things down. (Chinese Saying). I am able to face failures now and I do not feel awkward discussing Christ with my friends. I also realized the importance of turning from self to God. Jesus has not only been my most trustworthy friend all these years but most importantly, He is the only one True Living God who has saved me from my bondage of sins. Amen.

Marathon Aftermath

Thinking back on my 1st marathon which I have finished on Sunday, I remembered very vividly that as I was running through East Coast Park, it was very agonizing. The spirit was really low because all I see ahead is a long stream of guys and girls running ahead with no end in sight. Furthermore, where is the U turn point? It seems so far ahead.

I started to despair and thoughts came flooding my mind. Why do I want to run a marathon? Waking up at 3am on a Sunday morning just to torture myself? However, I know that I have to press on because the race has started and I am now in the race itself. I need to run with perseverance because I know that if I am able to reach the finish line, the much coveted t-shirt will be mine (see previous post).

Before the race, I have prayed for my church brothers and myself that God may see us through the entire 42.195 km. Thank God that in spite of my lack of sufficient training and preparation for the race, He sustained me through the 1st 21 km without my legs cramping at all after the 15 km mark. Amazing!

The real test came at the East Coast Park area. We are required to run the whole stretch of East Coast Park and by the time, I have reached the place, the sun is already up and shining. It was indeed tough. Pushing myself to go on at this moment now is my mind which is constantly filled with the image of the coveted t-shirt.

Run to walk and walk to run is the subsequent moving pattern for me to cover the whole distance required of the East Coast Park area. Reaching Fort Rd, I started to see my spirit up again as I know that it is about 9 km back to the finish line. Hence, it’s time for me to start a slow jog back all the way.

Of course all is not so smooth as my legs are starting to cramp by then and even brisk walking is beginning to arouse my nerves to cause pain. Have to endure and press on all the way to the end. Thank God for all the various supporters of runspiration to give me the additional encouragements which were much needed.

In the end, I managed a net time of 6 hrs 16 min to reach the finish line. Here is the entire torturing route which I have taken -> 42.195 KM

Starbucks Christmas Open House

My 1st Marathon

Finally, I made it to the finish line after struggling for some 6 hours plus. Need to really train hard for the next marathon. Cannot slack anymore and I am not kidding!

UMC Family Day @ Sentosa

The Road to Baptism

It has been a total of six years for me from the day I accepted Christ back then on 21 Oct 2001 till now. This coming 23 Dec 2007, I will be on the road to baptism into the Christian faith with my church, The People’s Bible Church (TPBC) located at Lorong Ah Soo.

My initial plan at first was to get baptized in Dec last year but after proposing the idea to my mum, she told me to work for one year first before making this major decision. One year has passed on and today I brought out my baptism proposal to her once again and on her part, she has agreed to it verbally. She promised to witness my baptism but she will have to inform my dad on my behalf first. Hence, I am still wondering how my dad will respond to this idea.

Recently, many things have happened in my life and sometimes as I think back, I was like, “WOW! These are all major things, man!” Some of these major things will be shared personally within my cell group as I think they should not really be revealed in this public blog after all for confidential reasons.

Of course, one of these major things is my baptism which is also the highlight of this post. Reflecting upon my spiritual life prior to my baptism on 23rd of the next month causes me much shame that I feel unworthy to face my LORD and Savior, Jesus. My spiritual life is a series of ups and downs. From the day which I have made the decision to get baptized, I have learnt to be more intentional in my spiritual life. Getting to know Jesus better has become one of my top priority in life. There are also times where I know that I have let Him down and the sense of guilt which comes from my sins against Him is so unbearable.

In the letter to the Ephesians, apostle Paul mentioned about spiritual warfare in the last chapter, thus I do believe that before my baptism next month, I may also face some form of spiritual warfare. Truly, I do hope that the Holy Spirit which is in me can continue to grant me strength, courage and discipline to obey Christ totally. Every temptation that comes my way is also a test from my LORD. I am sure that He will be pleased if I am able to pass His every test to me.

I guess to be able to align my soul with the Holy Spirit requires me to study His Word diligently. This will help me to know Jesus better and only the Holy Spirit is capable of rejuvenating my soul to respond to Him. In my own sinful nature and makeup, I know that I will not be able to respond to Him at all. Therefore, I know that I am only saved by His Grace. Without this amazing grace, I am dead in my transgressions.

Pray with me as I attend the three baptism and membership classes with my church that I will be teachable and patient. Furthermore, if you have some spare time on 23 Dec 2007 morning, feel free to drop by to witness my baptism.

God Bless.