The People You Meet Along The Way

People are like a box of chocolate...
You never know what you're gonna get.
Hur hur hur.
Cilok from Forest Gump.
People make life an interesting trail to walk on, don't you think?

Recently, I've had the privilege to meet several international exchange student in USM.
Interesting bunch.
Last night, I took time to bring out one of the student, one of the last few who's still in Penang before leaving Malaysia for good.

This dude, Kimo, hails from Finland, the land of Santa Claus.



He is one interesting guy with many stories to tell.
I had the chance to meet him through floorball.
Come, let me just share share a few stories with you people that will make you go "WAHHhh.. Uu Nia Boh??" (I just hope he doesn't mind.. Hehe) :

Girls, this dude was a Military Police in Finland.
Seriously.
He went through Finland's National service (the real deal, not macam Malaysia punya NS.. Come back with a tummy pulak!~).
He had to go through things like staying in the forest for 3 weeks during the winter season, and that's like minus 20-30!!
Once, he had to complete a course as long as 70km while carrying a backpack that weigh about 30kg in 24 hours.
Talk about mental power.
He ran the Penang Bridge full-marathon (42km) and I'm pretty sure it was a breeze to him.

Wait.. Still got some more stories...

You think he's all manly and macho only right...
Check this out.
This dude can cook as well!
Back home in Finland, he cooks his own dish..
He even makes his own bread!! *Pengsan*

But this is the ultimate bomb weiii...
It'll put all musicians to shame.
He actually made his own guitar straight out of a tree!!!!
And it's an ELECTRIC Guitar!!!
It took him about a year to actually finish it but he did it.
He was 15!
*Pengsan sampai hidung berdarah*

People are interesting.
You just need to spend a little more time with them to juice out those interesting stories.
Hehehe.
I'm glad I had the chance to take him out before he flies back to Finland on Sunday.
I always wonder what do these people, people who drop by Malaysia, bring back to their homeland.
Memories?
Impressions?
Cultures?
Relationships?

Do they bring back the impact that we made in their lives?
Wait...
Did we make an impact in the first place?

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Amazing Grace

I love the old tunes of hymnals.
The simplicity of its tune hamonized with its beautifully written words never cease to stir something within me.
Call me old-fashioned but it's something I've learnt to appreciate.
Amazing Grace is without a doubt one of the most gripping and most beloved hymnals ever composed in the Christian circle.
The lyrics are soaked with passion and meaning - poetically written.
But it's the story behind those words that makes it all the more powerful, the story of a man named John Newton (Read for more background).

Coincidently, I chanced upon this video on Youtube.

"I believe God wanted that song written just the way it was written just so that we would be reminded that as Christian, whether black or white, free or bond, in His eyes we are all connected,
we are connected,
and we are connected by God's Amazing Grace"
(Wintley Phipps)

Amazing Grace.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.


We are all wretched.
We are lost.
It is only by His grace alone we are saved.

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One Thing

I'm currently reading John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life". I find Piper's materials extremely rejuvenating, fresh and thought provoking to say the least. Yea, I guess you can say I'm lured by the "Pied Piper"... Hur hur hur. Lame.

Anywayyyyyy....

I believe most of us, in one way or another, want to make a difference in this world. Big or small, it doesn't really matter. We long to "stand in between the gap, between the living and the dead". We want to be M.A.D! But what should be the driving force behind this longing? Here's an excerpt I'd like to share, which I think is really captivating and motivating.

"You don't have to know a lot of things for your life to make a lasting difference in the world. But you do have to know the few great things that matter, perhaps just one, and then be willing to live for them and die for them. The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing. If you want your life to count, if you want the ripple effect of the pebbles you drop to become waves that reach the ends of the earth and roll on into eternity, you don't need to have a high IQ. You don't have to have good looks or riches or come from a fine family or a fine school. Instead you have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things - or one great all-embracing thing - and be set on fire by them." (Piper, 2003)

Beautifully written and saturated by a powerful content.
What is this "one great all-embracing thing" Piper's talking about?
Earlier in the second chapter he reveals,

"God created me - and you - to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion - namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life."

I'm at that point in my life where I'm seeking for direction. Right up until now, I still don't know where I'm heading. My career, education, relationship, family - my life. Everything seems so... scattered. Where should I put my feet in? Where should I NOT put my feet in? Or do I just take the plunge? Where am I called to? So many questions left unanswered... As much as I want to make a difference, I don't know where to start. Then it dawned upon me... All we need, I need, is this passion... "a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life".

A passion to make Him famous.

I guess there's a difference between purpose and calling.
As Believers, our purpose are pretty much all the same. We live to glorify Him because Christ was crucified.
Calling? Now, that's a whole different story.
It usually requires a whole lot of waiting.
I'm willing to wait but in the meantime, I'll let the purpose of my being consume me...
I want to be set on fire by them.

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Miracle Mile

Hey all,

A friend of mine just started a running club! We're currently looking for members!
Interested? Come visit us at themiraclemiler.wordpress.com!

:)

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The Action Word

Through the course of life experiences and the passage of relationship with people, I’ve tasted both the sting of getting hurt and hurting others in return.
Both aren’t a very pleasant experience.

I have become rather picky when it comes to choosing the right words, be it when I write or when I speak.
Words carry a whole lot of weight when it comes to relationship.
No, I’m not merely talking about boy-girl relationship (BGR) but something prior to that; friendship.
They say that words without actions are meaningless.
And this is reinstated in the saying that “Love is an Action word”.
An action can only be realized once a conscious decision has been made.
In fact, if you think about it, relationship/friendship sparks off with one single decision,
“Should I talk to him/her or should I just seat at my corner and pretend reading this magazine?”
A thought provoked by the present circumstance which leads to a decisive moment that may affect your future outcome.

I’m here not to talk about the stories that I’ve heard – how people have mistreated others with words and actions – but I’m here to talk about me, how I myself have hurt the people around me.

Few years back, I had the privilege to forge a friendship with a person whom until this day I regard as my mentor.
Somehow along the way and through the many circumstances that we had to go through, I decided to “put on hold” that friendship.
A very individualistic decision to be made but I did it anyway, hurting the other person in return.

Not too long ago, I had a very good friend, a comrade.
We were practically inseparable.
But like all relationships, the one biggest threat that could destroy a cord would be this creature call Jealousy.
Jealousy got to me.
As if history could not repeat itself, I took a step back, a conscious decision I made once again.
My friend of course couldn’t understand why and what happened.
In the process, we both got hurt.

I've made tremendous amount of mistakes when it comes to handling friendships.
For some, I was still able to mend but for others, it weren’t as fortunate.
I learnt things the hard way and worst still, I had to learn it numerous times over.
Actions speak louder than words and whether you do the action or not, it still sticks out like a sore thumb.
The current generation say “I love you” rather loosely these days.
Again, this is something I myself am guilty of.
Many times we utter these three words without realizing the weight behind it.
The tragic thing is that, these three words have caused more hurt and pain rather than the sense of security, comfort and peace.
More often than not, people utter “I Love You” out of emotional high.
Some say it to please their partners while others to please themselves.
In any case, it is all said out of selfishness.
This is an interesting quote taken from the movie “The Last Kiss” which in a way to me, depicts the selfishness of someone who says all the “I love you” in the world, but yet do nothing.

“Stop talking about love.
Every ***hole in the world says he loves somebody.
It means nothing.
It still doesn't mean anything.
What you feel only matters to you.
It's what you do to the people you say you love, that's what matters.
It's the only thing that counts

It hit me.
I know myself and I can tell you that I am a selfish being.
Those decisions that I made, which practically ruined the friendships that were precious to me , personified that selfishness.
We react to this thing call "feeling" in regardless of how others' themselves feel.
We say but we don't do.

Undeniably, love is still what keeps a friendship going and growing.
Relationship/friendship relies on love.
But what is love?
We can never clearly define it, can we?
However, what we do know is what we are suppose to do and not suppose to do when we say we LOVE;

Love is always patient, kind, never envious, not arrogant with pride, not conceited, never rude, never selfish, never get annoyed, never resentful, never glad with sin, holds on to the truth, bears up everything, believes the best in all, always hope, never fall (1 Cor. 13: 4-7).

Sadly, all of these, I’ve had at some point in my life went against it (do what I wasn’t suppose to do and not doing what I’m supposed to do) and the consequences of which were indelible scars, not just for me, but for the other person whom I’ve hurt.
A painful lesson to be learnt the hard way.

Why am I writing this?

Because I see (hear) the trend these days where people, especially couples, who say to one another
“I love you” in all it's romantic sense.
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that it’s wrong nor am I restricting any of you to say it.
I only hope that you understand the weight behind these three words which you utter.

If you don’t, then don’t say it.
You may end up hurting someone instead.

Instead, why not save it for the day you walk down the aisle, it’ll be more worthwhile rather than losing the essence of its value in the course of your relationship.

p.s. Girls, next time you want your bf to say “I love you” to you every night, better think twice first lar. Hehe..

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A Cord of Three Strands

"Two are better than one, becase 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 help 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: 9-12

One of the worries that I had when I decided to stay back in Penang was to find a group of friends in whom I can rely on.
My support group; a group of people in whom I can hang loose, share my thoughts and struggles, vent out my weekly frustration, and to learn and grow from in every aspects of life.
I knew that leaving USM would mean moving on from PKA, a familiar territory where I've gotten comfortable with in my 3 years as a student.
And to have something so precious and significant taken from you, it wasn't easy looking another place of abode that would and could satisfy me.
Support is crucial to me, to us.

For the past 1 month or so, I've had the privilege to be part of Gateway City Church's first Young Adult CG (mind you, it's not Cell Group.. It's Connect Group. Get that right :P).
It's been great!
I mean besides the makan-makan session of snacks, chocolate fondue and all, it has been a great source of spiritual food for me as well.
By the end of each meeting, let me assure you that all my brain juice has been sucked out completely.
No more brain juice left.
Buttttttttt it's all good.
We wrestle, we laugh, we share, we debate.
Syeok wei.

To have a support group is essential, a commandment to follow even.
I'm not just saying in the Biblical context, even in our daily lives.
For instance, last night's training, we had to run the usual 15 laps.
My whole line were practically people who just ran the Penang Bridge marathon on Sunday and were still in pain.
Together, we made sure we completed that 15 excruciating laps.
And we did.
While resting after the run, one of them said to me,
"If it's not for you guys, I would have just walked that 15 rounds".

It's true.
If we lack the support that we so desperately need as human beings,
we will end up walking that long stretch alone.
Good friends will walk with us,
But great friends will run with us even when we are in pain.

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Walkin' Like A Crab!

I didn't want to blog about this until I'm sure that I've done it...
COMPLETED IT.

Do what?

The Penang Bridge International Marathon

Believe it or not, I was one of the 10 of thousands participants running on Penang bridge yesterday morning.
I was never a long distant runner and endurance has never been my asset but since I knew it was something that would definitely challenge me mentality, I decided to go for it.

It was my first Penang Bridge run and my first 25km run.
I missed the one two years back.
And hearing from people who've participated before, the run sounded almost impossible.
I was both fearful and excited.

The race was scheduled on EARLY Sunday morning (the time differs according to the race event).
I wanted to have a good rest on Saturday to keep my body fatigue-free for the run but unfortunately, of all weekends, I just had to work on this particular Saturday.
What luck.
In any case, tried sleeping after work but couldn't.
Too excited kot.
Brain was actively visualising the route and terrain..
Queensbay... Bridge... Toll... Bridge.. Queensbay.. Slope.. Downhil.. Slope...
Tension? Excitement? Adrenaline?
Whatever it is, it kept me awake until 2.30am and by then, we had to leave for the run already.
Matilahhh..

Kuan Yang and I decided to run together so that we can motivate each other by taking turns to lead one another.
And of course, to make sure we balik in one piece lar..
Our primary objectives?

1. Run non-stop until the other end of the bridge
2. Finish the race within the time limit
3. Don't kena panggil to masuk the ambulance or the "sweeper" bus

Those were our personal objectives.
The task or the mission handed to us by our coach, however, was to finish the race within 2 1/2 hours.
Feasible?
Well, let me take you through the course of the run.

The starting point

Our race - the men's open 25km half-marathon - started at 4.30am sharp.
The gun went off but people were still taking their own sweet time to wave at the cameras' and all.
Cis.
After about 5mins or so, baru the mass cleared up and we could start our run.
For the first 1 hour plus, we were doing great, as expected.
My strategy was to maintain a constant pace from Queensbay to the bridge as a "warm-up" and that's about 2-3km I think.
Once I hit the bridge, I alternate my pace between fast and slow.
I did this right up until just before we hit the slope on the bridge.
At the slope, we went constant.

On the slope

That whole stretch on the slope was about a good 10-15 minutes run.
Contrary to what most would think, for me, the coming down was actually worst than the going up.
The coming down was the starting point that killed my right ankle and knees.
Anyway, we breezed through the downhill at a faster pace and by the time we reached the other end and U-turned back at the toll plaza, it was about 1 hour 15 minutes or so.
And then the pain started to escalate.
First, it was my right ankle that gave way.
So Kuan Yang and I decided to do the walk-run-walk-run technique.

BAD IDEA.

The moment we stopped, the pain just came swarming in, breaking me down mentally.
Then I thought of Lance Armstrong.. Haha.

"Pain is temporary... Quitting lasts forever..."

And with that, I pushed myself a bit more.
What I decided to do was to put my weight more on my left leg since my right ankle was about to give way.
It worked for a good 10-15 minutes with our walk-run pace.
Then the second problem came.
Since I was putting most of my weight on my left leg, I started to feel the cramp busting my left calf.

Crap.

This time, even I can't fool myself with Lance Armstrong's inspiring quote.
So we decided, to walk all the way up the slope on the bridge and only start walk-run again once we hit downhill.
But by then, it was really hard to pick up again.
We still did manage to walk-run a little but whenever I felt my left leg jolted with the sudden tightening of muscle, I had to walk again.
Just before we turned off from the bridge, it was Kuan Yang's turn to feel the cramp
In the end, we decided to "speed" walk back.
Sigh.
We just made sure we both mati-mati got to crawl back also must finish the race.

And yea,
WE DID IT!

Though not in the best possible time but still, we accomplished it.
We completed the race within the time limit but we failed to meet the time challenged to us by our coach, which I must say, was more disappointing.
Personally, I am not satisfied at all.
Super super not satisfied... Grrrrr...
My time was bad.
Wayyyy off what I aimed for.
Sigh.
29th November 2009, you can be sure to see me on the bridge again.
In any case, I'm glad I did the run.
No regrets. Somehow it was rather therapeutic.

The moment we ran past the finishing line, KY and I headed straight for the free cold Milo.
Ahhhhh.. Milo has never tasted so good before.
After gulping down uncountable cups of Milo, we headed back to my place to have our much earned rest.

The winners?

The winner of the half-marathon (25km) men's open finished in 1hour 30mins.
You think that's crazy?

The winner of the full marathon (42km) men's veteran did it in 2 hours 30mins!!!
Insane!

I still cannot fathom the motion of finishing a race in that kind of time.
It's just mad.
Anyway, KY and I decided to reward ourselves...
With this....

..................
.................
................
...............
..............
............
..........
.........
.......
......
....
...
..
.

Subway!
Oh yea, mate! ;)

Now, my legs macam taufu.
I usually take about 5 minutes to walk to work.
Today it took me a whooping 15 minutes man!!!
Walkin' like a crab across the road.

Note:
A special thanks to Captain KY for the motivation and for running alongside me! That treadmill of yours really made you stronger wei. Haha. Thanks man! 10km, here we come!

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Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

I'm sorry...
You may not know who you are...
Here's a hint..

The moment you read this, and you still feel a sense of betrayal, neglect, anger, and most of all, if you still feel I'm a jerk for doing what I did,
that you're that person I'm saying sorry to.

I'm bad at saying sorry.

And no, it's not meant to be jiwang nor meant to make you feel jiwang (and I know you don't feel jiwang anyway),
It's just me trying to say I'm sorry.

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Stolen

What a week to begin with.
My house got broken into.

Laptop gone.

I was at work when my house mate called me.
He was panicked with rage.
Surprisingly though, I was pretty calm.
I think the fact that my house mate went berserk forced me to be the "sane" one in the situation.
It felt a little surreal.
I wasn't particularly angry but just a little worried.
In spite of all this, I thank God nothing else was stolen.
My passport was still where it was (PHEW~Can forget about Korea if it's gone.. Kekeke..).
So yea, like I always say, in all its ugliness, there's always something beautiful...
Something to be thankful for...

Now I can start reading those backlog of books I've been procrastinating.. Hehe...

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Great Invention

To me, music is one of God's greatest invention.
I love music.
And almost everyone can relate to music in one way or another because it IS indeed, as cliche as it may sound, universal.

Those who know me well enough can tell you that I love Indon Christian Songs (Lagu Rohani).
Something I grew fond of through my experiences in the mission trips that I've participated in.

It's beautiful.

What attracts me to it is the language, I think.
Being a Malaysian, the National language has somehow embedded in me through the years of growing up on this soil, eventhough I must regretfully admitt that I don't use it as often as I should.
Nonetheless, there is a sense of attachment and belonging in this language.

Relatively speaking, the English language is way more complicated than the Malay or Indon language (trust me, I majored in English Language *ahem*).
I always felt that the attractiveness of the Indon/Malay language is its ability to translate seemingly complex "adjective" or "nouns" into something less-complex but yet at the same time, keeping the root of its meaning grounded.
Musically, I feel these songs are way much simpler too.
Comparing to the current trend of heavy distortion, electronical effects, and pumped-up loud bass, I personally feel that most Indon Christian songs differ from such trend.
Going against the norm but the message and the essence of worship is brought across through the lyrics, the emotions of the singer and the music.

Currently, I'm plugged into this particular Indon Christian singer name "Dewi Guna".

I doubt any of you have actually heard of her.
Pretty low profile...
But she's really good.
Here's one of my top playlist songs.
I know you guys can't actually listen to the song (I'll try to put it on my blog if I have the time) but check out the lyrics.
Simple yet powerful.
Love it.

Lebih Lama Lagi

Tiada
laut yang terlalu dalam
Tiada
gunung yang terlalu tinggi
Saat
Engkau Bapa menggandeng tanganku
Lewati
laut gunung kehidupan…

Tak’kan
dapat aku bayangkan
Arungi
hidup tanpa-Mu Tuhan
Hatiku
rindu bersama-Mu
Lebih
lama dan lama lagi Tuhan

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What Are You On?

A pretty cool Lance Armstrong advertisement.
Check it out.

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C.O.N.S.I.S.T.E.N.C.Y

I had my Connect Group (CG) meeting last night, a weekly gathering that I'm slowly growing fond of - a small group of believers, coming together to connect with one another and to the One who connects us to Him -
We touched on this one very simple, but not-easy-to-do word:

C.O.N.S.I.S.T.E.N.C.Y.

A word we so often use, but can never seem to apply.
Interestingly enough, in my previous entry, I blogged about mental strength, an element I believe correlates to consistency.
To put it simply, consistency to me is the power to keep saying yes to something and no to another consciously.
The role of consistency is crucial when it comes to battling addiction, inculcating habits, hitting the gym, doing daily devotion, etc.
Consistency is what keeps us on the right track.
Mental strength is what pushes us further, to go that extra mile where most can't.

As a CG, we shared our struggles in keeping certain habits consistent in our lives.
I shared a few but deep down inside, I know there were more than just those few.
The irony about this whole thing is this;
I'm consistently not being consistent in several areas in my life.
Paradoxical, ain't it?

There was a point in my life in which I was struggling with having to juggle a double life
(No Bruce, not the super hero kinda double life).
It was a constant battle that I had between my conscience and my rationale.
I struggled to find my footing because due to my lack of consistency, I was loosing ground in my spiritual self.
Overtime I build this facade, one that looks good from the outside but inside, nothing but emptiness resides.
I can only thank God for picking me up and getting me out of that "dark" hole.

To say that I'm not living a double life now would be a lie.
It's a very bold statement to make, something which I still don't have the guts nor the right to proclaim for I know I've much to work on.
Having said that, I do believe I have gain a certain sense of integrity through the lessons of life I've learnt along the way.
The current book (by Beth Moore 'Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy') that my CG is using place much emphasis on integrity.

"The lifeblood of integrity is becoming the same person no matter where we are - no matter who's around. When we become people of integrity, everything we are on the inside is obvious from the outside. The Latin word for "integrity" literally means "entire". The essence of the term is wholeness and completeness. Integrity is "the quality or state of being complete and undivided"

(Beth, M. 'Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy')

I'll be frank - right now, I still change costumes.
There are things in my life I'm yet to resolve.
I'm clinging on to the hope of becoming the same person no matter where I am.
Coming to a place where people can look at me from the outside, and sees the me inside.
It all starts with a conscious decision of being consistent.
That in itself is a step which requires faith.

"You see, therefore, how much integrity depends on consistency;
Integrity not only calls us to live inside-out, it keeps the outside from coming in.
Consistency in our walk and in our talk becomes a transportable cloak of protection around us, going anywhere we go.
Life becomes so much simpler when there aren't so many costume changes."

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