2010 in Review

Another year has gone by me. Another 365 days. Let me think back for a moment. What exactly has happened for the last 365 days since my last review for 2009? Many things. Many thoughts. Many decisions made.

2010 is the year I turned 30. It is also the year where I have been a Christian for 9 years. 9 years of spiritual journey with Christ. This journey has been rough because Christ has put me through many tests to allow me to learn certain things from Him. Being the sinner, I often let Him down again and again. I know that He is always here beside me, even at this moment while I am typing this post. He has always been here with me through the thick and thin of my life in Utah.

Yes, Utah. I have spent another year of my life here. Gone through yet another four seasonal change. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Time has always moved on in a twinkle of an eye, no matter whether I am enjoying or suffering in that moment. Time really waits for no man and because of this, I find this quote from the book, "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert very interesting.

"As far as we know, we are the only species on the planet who have been given the gift – or curse, perhaps – of awareness about our own mortality."

Death looks like a great enemy who separates us from our loved ones. Everyone will have to go through it and even Wikipedia records some famous people who died in 2010. As I remembered myself writing a review annually in this little blog of mine, I am not really weary of death because I have trusted in Christ Whom has promised a better life ahead beyond death. In fact, death is merely the door which will lead me to the eternal life with Christ in a brand new sinless world.

Sorry, folks but writing an annual review for me has always led me to talk a little bit on time. Once again, I need to remind myself not to waste my life but to make my life count for Christ. As I read up on my review for 2009, I can only regretfully said that I did not fulfill my new year resolution for 2010 again.

With the coming of 2011, I wish to work at reading my Bible more, learning how to trust in my LORD Jesus Christ more, motivating myself to obey Him more and being more patient in waiting upon Him more. T.O.W principle will be the focal point of my spiritual life in 2011. In order to be able to focus on T.O.W, I search through the Bible to identify a verse for each different component of the principle so that I can memorise and meditate upon them for the upcoming 365 days of 2011.

Trust

Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD ~Psalm 4:5

Obey

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men." ~Acts 5:29

Wait

My soul languishes for Your salvation; I wait for Your word. ~Psalm 119:81

As I look back on December 31 every year to write an annual review of my life, my LORD Jesus seems to be showing me that no matter how I desire something so much in my own life, it does not really matter. The very thing which I want, be it a relationship or some other things which seems so dear to me, is only temporal. It may bring me happiness but only for a short while. What seems to be eternal is Jesus' relationship with me. Maybe being able to see Him face to face at the end of my life will surpass all other things which I pursure in this life. I said, "Maybe" is because at some point or moment in my life, I really cannot see the joy without the very thing which I want in my life. I figure that trusting in Him daily will be the key to really understand what a joyous life really is from His perspective.

As we step into 2011, I hereby wish everyone a very blessed new year ahead, making most of your time to spend it with your loved ones and learning how to truly experience joy in your life, no matter whether you are single, married, divorced or widowed.

Have a fabulous new year ahead.

מבורך השנה החדשה

The Uniqueness of Snowflakes

Every snowflake is unique like you and me!
What an AWESOME God we serve!

Link

Brighton Power Loss

Heard that Brighton Resort will be back in Action later this morning... Let's go, Snowboarders & Skiers!

A Privilege Not a Right

Looking at President Obama's proposal to extend the US tax cut recently, it brings to my mind what truly is a privilege versus what is a right. In my opinion, tax cut is never a right because the government has all the right to tax its people so as to increase its own revenue to cover for expenses. Well, most of the time the expenses that the government claims to be bearing in the process of serving its people. Sticky situation but basically, we all know that the government’s revenue comes from its people whom it is taxing. Taxes can come in all forms, including bus fares, parking fees, etc (a good example is Singapore).

Therefore, it's always a right for the government to tax us and to be giving a tax cut is actually a privilege. Not a right and never will it ever be.

In a similar sense, I think that God sends His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins (John 3:16), to be cursed upon a tree (Galatians 3:13) so that we can all be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9) and reconciled to the Only Holy God of the Bible is a GREAT PRIVILEGE and not a right. Jesus Christ can actually leave us to be cursed in our own sins but He did not (Romans 5:8).

This is Amazing Love, my friends.

As you rejoice in having a little more cash from the upcoming tax cut to be spending on Christmas shopping this holiday season, please take a moment to think about the GREATEST PRIVILEGE which was already given to you. Because of this GREATEST PRIVILEGE, we have this special opportunity to truly know God the Father as He has revealed Himself in the special revelation of the person Jesus Christ as documented for us in the Bible. Christmas Day is all about commemorating about Christ and the only primary reason why we are commemorating about Christ is simply because He sacrificed Himself to be cursed on a tree for us, in order to save us from our sins (2 Corinthians 5:21).

I therefore truly implore whoever reads this on Christ's behalf, come now to be reconciled to God today (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Have a very blessed Christmas in Christ.

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who has seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

What Say You?

Over the course of the last few weeks, I realized that there is something which is very crucial when you are trying to communicate your point across. That is whether the people involved in the conversation is talking about the exact same thing. In other words, my American friends will put it in this manner, “Are we on the same page?”

There was this example of a friend who was telling me that another common friend at work was selling his snowboard when I thought he was referring to our common church friend. Both of us only realized that when I voiced out that our common friend in church cannot be wearing a US snowboard boots of size 8.5. This is just one of the many examples which I encountered over the course of the last few weeks.

I do think as we communicate a point across, we do need to be sure that we as the communicator and the listener are referring and thinking on the same subject / object. If not, the communication will not only break down but will also cause many unnecessary misunderstandings.

Hence as we being Christians seek to fulfill the Great Commission in presenting the Gospel to the people around us, let's be specific. Season your conversations with Jesus instead of merely God. Show the exact verses from the Bible instead of sharing your personal experiences with Jesus. Use the Word of Christ to bring out your points (2 Tim 2:15). Ask clarifying questions to ensure that your listeners get your point and all of us are on the same page. (“,)

gone snowboarding...

Need Prayers for GMO work

My Brothers / Sisters in Christ, I am writing this to ask that you may pray for me in my mission work in this Global Media Outreach. Please pray that I may have the wisdom from our Father to be able to share His Gospel and also His Doctrine clearly to those who seek Him through the internet. Please also pray for the seekers to be able to be moved by the Holy Spirit Himself, so that they can see Jesus as their Personal LORD and Savior. Thanks~...