Gateway City Church, Penang: Second Anniversary!

In January, we celebrated Gateway City Church's (GCC) second anniversary. Although I wasn't exactly at the very beginning of GCC's birth, I must say that my personal journey there so far has been one that is life changing. Below is a video made by GCC's very own media expert, Saw Poh Sim, showing glimpses of how God has blessed us throughout 2009! Enjoy!

LOL & LWL!

My involvement in floorball has never been so great a deal until about 3-4 months back. How perfectly He orchestrates the symphony of events that took place is one that baffles my mind. From the birth of GSN to adopting floorball clubs in schools to forming Spearhead Floorball Club and to my personal journey in APAC 2010, the chronology of events that unfolded was the epitome of a Genius at work. He is the master planner and organizer of all things.

Getting myself more involved in floorball meant that meeting and possibly leading people would be inevitable. I've always been passionate about working with people. I find joy in reaffirming, encouraging, listening and possibly counselling people... But I'd never thought myself to be working amongst youth! He has His ways in training us. I must admit that in the initial stage, I was a little uneasy being amidst the group of youth I was working with. It has been a long while since I've been in touch with youth. Naturally, I felt a little 'disconnected'.

But their presence has made my personal race in life so much more meaningful and purposeful. They are a great bunch and it's odd how God teaches you a thing or two by first putting you in a position to teach. While you're at it, He begins to reveal what he has in store for you bit by bit. One of the key things I've learnt is that the word 'ministry' is merely a word used to compartmentalize different areas of focus. Yet at the same time, it's a word which holds each individual accountable as to how they live their lives. Ministry applies at a personal basis as well, knowingly or unknowingly, our lives - the way we communicate, live, speak and what we do - is a ministry in itself (1 Corinthians 10: 31).

Another key thing that I've learnt and something which I still struggle with once in a while is this whole issue of inadequacy. Many times when I look at the task which He has entrusted me with, I wonder to myself, "Why me when there are others who are far more capable??". Obviously, God being God, He didn't reveal to me His answer :P I'm a PhelgMel to begin with and add that up with a little low-self esteem, you'll get a person who constantly struggle with the issue of inadequacy. I've learnt this - If you're on your own, the truth that you'll get is that you will forever be in lacking. But if you're in Him and with Him, then you shall not be in lack (Psalm 23: 1). Ah, sounds theoretically simple, eh? But it isn't. The struggle is real, at least for me it is. Yet the truth remains as it is - If He is our shepherd, then we shall not be in want. Through our inadequacies, He will manifest Himself. This requires simple faith.

Nike puts it simply - Just do it.

Living out loud (LOL) and living without lack (LWL) for Christ is a constant challenge. But in order for it to be a challenge, you must first choose to accept it in the first place. Should you choose not to accept it, then it's not a challenge that you'll need to face altogether. So...

Are you LOL and LWL for Christ?

Mission Emphasis Week

Last Sunday service, GCC had its Mission Emphasis Week, a service focussing on mission work and how the church as a whole can move towards that direction. When it comes to mission, it always excites me somehow. We had the privilege of having Pastor Richard, a pastor who have been serving for almost 30 years now in the mission field, to speak and to share with us in particularly about the Penan people. Pastor Richard is currently working very closely with the Penan (when I say working closely I mean he actually hikes and lives in the interior with this group of people) in Borneo. He came with a bag loaded with experience, knowledge and passion. I'm always amazed by people like himself - people like Jim Elliot, Hudson Taylor and even Eric Liddell - people who are willing to literally live a life of reckless abandon for the sake of the gospel. Simply astonishing.

I first started to develop a heart for mission, cross-cultural mission to be more exact, about 3 years back under FES's S.T.O.M.P. programme where I had my first visit into the interior of Sarawak to be part of the Iban community. Since then, I've been going back to Sarawak. Last year, with His guidance, I had the chance to organize my first mission trip called G-S.T.O.M.P with a group of graduates who too shared a heart for mission and in particularly, the Iban community. I can say with all my heart that every single time I stepped out there, God has never failed to remind me of something old and reveal to me something new. He holds a different agenda for me each time.

Interestingly enough, while last Sunday was on Mission Emphasis, a friend of mine who was part of G-S.T.O.M.P. last year was coincidentally up in Penang for a break. I had the chance to catch up with her, shared about our passion and heart for the Iban community and even traded thoughts as to how we can further develop G-S.T.O.M.P. It's always encouraging to have conversations such as this with people who share the same conviction. Not many people these days, especially people in our current generation, are willing to take time out from their daily routine to do short-term mission trips any longer. I guess the idea of stepping out of our comfort zone - nice bed, clean bathroom, air-conditioned room and good food - isn't too appealing to many.

The thing I'm most attracted to about the Iban community is their life of total simplicity which in turn, enables them to access freely into living a life of simple faith. Simple faith is something that we urban people seem to have long forgotten amidst all the turmoil of our concrete jungle. This group of people are not "contaminated", so to speak, by the pollution of what this modern world has to offer. This people don't have proper electricity running 24hours a day, no phone lines, no running water and no proper toilets for that matter. They live day by day, depending on simple things like nature to provide food, rain and river for water and above all, God for everything. I too am constantly struggling to learn to live simply. I guess coming from a big city, we will constantly wrestle with the idea of stepping out from here and into the interiors. But when we so decide to do that, it's amazing what God can teach us through that journey.

If I could only share one thing that amazes me about going for a cross-cultural mission, it would be the realisation that God's children is from every corner of the world - no matter how different our world and theirs may be - how different our cultures, background, language and lifestyle - it need not matter at all because through One man we have become one family. That's the evident beauty about cross-cultural mission. It's hard to describe how my spirit reacted when I had my first experience worshipping in Bahasa Malaysia, my first experience praying in BM or Iban for that matter, my first experience preaching in BM and my first experience witnessing the Iban people sharing their testimonies. It left me totally in awe of how big our God is and how loving He is.

And here I find myself in a room with full-fledge electricity powering the fan that's blowing right into my face while connecting half way across the world through this ingenious technology called internet as I sip a nice hot cup of Milo away.

Ahhh... sweet isn't it?

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How long shall we stay in our comfort zone?

Eternity

If you pause for a moment and think, you'd realise that we're all actually standing at the edge of life. No one knows how much time they have left ahead of them. I could well be in my room blabbering this post away and possibly found dead the next morning in my room. I don't mean to sound morbid but I'm merely trying to get my point across.

For the living, we often take for granted the days that we have. We don't think and process about what we do anymore, we just... do. The cycle of life just goes on without any true significance. Childhood, youth, adulthood, parenthood, all of these are but phases of lives that will eventually lead to the one inescapable doorway - Eternity.
Question is, what are we doing between now, the temporal phases of life, and then, the lasting and infinite phase of Eternity?

Truth is, every second of our lives counts for something. I hold strong to the belief that every person is made to leave a certain legacy behind. Good or bad, big or small, that's besides the point. All of us have the capacity to carve a legacy in the lives of others.

Sad to say, I'm not exactly at the brink of adulthood any longer. I am already an adult. A quarter century old to be precise. Bleh. Hence, I've been thinking of changing the theme of my blog, something I've been meaning to do. So, I was mulling over what's ahead in my life - what's the next phase? Courtship? Parenthood? Neeehhhhh...

And thennnnn in occurred to me... I'm actually standing...

At the brink of Eternity.

I don't know how much more of life I have left in front of me. Eternity is imminent. Every step that I take ahead of me is one that takes me closer to Him. I don't know if I'd ever be a boyfriend, husband, father, grandfather... I don't know. But what I do know is that Eternity awaits me.

He awaits me.

So, between now and then, as I stand at the edge of Eternity, I pray so earnestly that my journey will be one that will leave trails of legacy. It will be one crazy ride, that's for sure. But heck, that's the beauty of it, ain't it? ;)

(Will post up my new header tomorrow!
YES, I made a new header finally!
Woohooo! :)

Changes

It's been two years since I graduated. I remember when I first decided to stay back on this island, I had three specific reasons (which I'm not going to disclose). Whether or not they were 'man-made' reasons, even so, I had already made a choice. I felt a strong desire to be 'left behind' not knowing exactly why.


2010.

“The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.”
Jacques Benigne Bossuel.

Looking back, my whole life must've somehow been planned out. There's really no other way to it. Every now and then, I'll get into this trance of recalling back what made me put my two feet down on this ground - this island - and honestly, until today, I can't really put a finger on what those reasons were. I realized, however, that those three reasons I had (of which I have 'fulfilled' all of them) were merely temporal reasons, reasons that could not truly give me a rooted purpose. Maybe, just maybe, those reasons were excuses for me to escape from things I do not want to face. I guess that's the beauty and mystery of hindsight altogether, it gives a somewhat clearer picture but yet never fully comprehensible.


2009.

“The way to see by Faith is to shut the Eye of Reason.”
Benjamin Franklin

My reasons for staying back begin to dissipate. One by one, I managed to accomplish all I wanted to do in Penang and before I know it, one year has passed me by. But as I've said, my life must've been planned out word by word, page by page. When all my reasons for staying back dissolved, I really had no excuses left, no concrete pillar of which I could cling on to. Then came along this "person" who oh-so-conveniently decided to drop me a much bigger reason to stay back a little longer (and mind you, "little" is really an understatement). I wrestled with him for a long time but as I looked back, I realized I was wrestling with myself rather than with him. His reason was very clear. The problem was, I couldn't accept it. I couldn't understand and I did not have all the answers to the 'whys'. I was trying to rationalise, to reason with myself and what I needed to do. Faith took a back seat.


Present.

"For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. "
The Bible (Ephesians 1: 4-6)

Do I still asks myself why am I still here on this Island? Sure I do. But not so much as to question or to doubt myself, more so as a reminder. A reminder to myself that I had been chosen for a very specific task, one that has been given to me way before I knew I was going to do my form 6, way before I knew I gotten USM as my university. A purpose that has been embedded in me even before the creation of the world.

Reason dissolves, purpose sustains.

Post Time-Out!

Last week, I had the opportunity to hang out with 13 vibrant youth for 3 days and 2 nights doing various team building activities, water sports and a rather torturous treasure hunt! Time-out was great! :)

After several weeks of planning, the camp was finally at its execution stage. In all honesty, I was worried with the small number of sign-ups. I wasn't sure how the participants would react knowing that it was only a handful of people joining. But as it turned out, we did have a good! Being a small group, it made things easier for me to get to know each one of them at a slightly more personal level.

I believe that connecting with youth requires a certain amount of passion, skill and gifting. I was a little nervy in the beginning knowing that its been a while since I actually touch base with youth/teenagers. Coming in contact with this young energetic bunch was like stepping back into familiar ground, a path I once trudged on. I've also forgotten how time has altered ideas, perspective, values and attitude of the youth of my time and the youth of the present. I guess as believers, our task is to be continually aware of the tides and currents of time and be ready at all times to reach out for those who are being pulled away by the waves of the world.

Reaching out.

Being a youth, most would disregard the importance of forming the right values and beliefs. More often than not, we would chase after elements that are appealing to the eyes rather than the heart. I remember when I was a youth, I wanted to look cool. I longed for popularity. I craved for approval from others. And the songs we listen to today seem to echo the grandness of these things. We need to educate youth to stand up against the teachings of the current media. Going through your youth is like walking on thin-ice - and we have to be their guide along the way to lead them to thicker and firmer ground so that they are safe from the misguided ways of the world.

Sometimes, it's cool to be uncool.

We need to educate and empower youth to walk on solid ground.

Gateway Sports Network (GSN) believes in the power of sports to influence and impact lives. During the course of Time-Out, we emphasized on a couple of values that we felt were important for the participants to take back home.

Listen.
I remember that when I was in my youth, one of the main issues I had was listening to others. I believe that this issue is still very much relevant to youth these days.

One of the main things we crave for as a youth is freedom; the freedom to do what we want and when we want. In every youth, there seems to be this growing angst and rebelliousness within them that can apparently distort their sense of hearing and listening. I too was once like that.

We wanted to reinstate the importance of listening in Time-Out. Hence, one of the key issues we drilled them was to be able to listen to instructions and to move according to the instructions given. We wanted them to understand the importance of listening while at the same time help them see the consequences if they choose to do otherwise. Without the ability to listen, a person character and foundation can never be changed.

Never stop trying.
Any professional athlete would tell you that the phrase 'give up' is not in their lexicon. These two words do not exist. Youth needs assurance when they are pursuing a certain goal in life. Failure can traumatised their perception of perseverance, hence, many youth these days find it hard to strive forward towards a certain goal when failure taunts them. Understandably so.

As one who once walked through the thinned ice phase of youth, we need to be their cheer leader, pushing them to never stop trying when they are pursuing something that is of value. On the other hand, we also need to be there to stop them from chasing after things that are of no value in this life. We must know when to cheer and when to jeer accordingly ;)

Participants engaging in a team building activity and they never stopped trying until they got it right!

Attitude reflects leadership.
If you've watched the movie "Remember the Titans" you would have remembered this quote - 'Attitude reflects leadership'. It basically means what we do and how we bring ourselves about will affect the people around us, what more if we're in a leadership position because who we are will flow down to our followers.

It's like canoeing. When you canoe, you're given a paddle. With that paddle, you have control over your canoe. How you paddle and how you steer the canoe will determine where you'd go. But it does not only affect you. How you paddle also affects your friend who is in the canoe with you. The person who sits in front of the canoe must then be able to paddle properly, consistent to a certain timing and towards a certain direction. Only then, will the friend who is sitting behind know how to paddle, when to paddle and where to paddle to.

You have control. What are you going to do about it?

We are all a leader in our own right. Therefore, we all possess the power to make a change. Towards what sort of change, good or bad, is entirely up to us to decide.

We need to live to play it in such a way that we make positive change towards society.

We had numerous activities for this young bunch to do. From the "toe skill" activity to "pail-lifting-while-singing-Nergaraku" to "caterpillar walk". For every activity, we wanted to impart something that is of value to the youth.

Doing the caterpillar walk.
Learning to keep pace as a team to accomplish a common goal.

It requires a strong bond of unity, tolerance, understanding and perseverance to be able to stand as a team.

As a team, we must always lookout for our team mates.

Safety comes first before fun.

I had a blast at Time-Out with this group of youth. It's encouraging and even inspirational to see how much potential each individual has in their own different ways. Some showed maturity beyond their age and it's refreshing to see that. God will definitely build champions amongst them, champions who would lead the way to His kingdom.

Seriously

crazy bunch of people!

A glimpse of the promised land.

I was still in KL when I had my first glimpse of floorball. I was just 14 back then. Floorball didn't interest me at all. I brushed it aside thinking that it was a game only for 'sissies'. Well, God has a funny way of making me eat my words. Who would've known that years later, I would be part of a floorball family here in Penang, engrossed and totally sold out for the sport! ;)

I wasn't in Penang when floorball first started off. Hearing stories from the people who were there since day one always makes me wonder how was it like when it first began. From what I've heard, they used to play on rough cemented basketball court without any proper knowledge of the rules and regulations. C'mon, some even taught the wrong stuff!

It has been almost 7 years now since Penang first held a floorball stick. The tides have changed. Over the years, floorball has gained momentum through the efforts of pioneers who persistently ploughed through each season. They toiled against every obstacles and got their hands dirty so that we can have what we have today.

7 years is really quite a long time. To brave through a stormy ride for 7 years ain't an easy task. But 7 also represents a perfect number and truly, this year proves to be one that is significant as God opened a crucial door for the floorball scene here in Penang. It's almost as if God is saying, "Well done! And here's just a glimpse of what I'm going to give to you if you continue to move towards my direction!".

This year, floorball for the first time ever, was featured in SUKAN PENANG 2009 (also known as SUKPEN 2009)! Now, you'd be wondering what's so special about that? For years, the pioneers of floorball have been working hard towards making floorball a national sport in Malaysia. So to see floorball taken up by the Penang Sports Council with open arms is a small but essential step towards the growth of the sport as a whole. This is indeed a milestone for floorball in Penang.


Last week, I had the privilege to be part of the floorball contingent to witness the opening ceremony. 10 of us represented the Penang Floorball Association. It was truly an honour to be able to stand in line with my fellow comrades who had the same passion and most importantly, comrades who shared the same vision. I remember a challenge someone posted me once - "Would you be standing in line with the true vision of floorball or would you walk away and just be another passer-by?". Looking at where we are now, I'm glad that there are people who dared to take up the challenge and stayed in line even though at times the battle ahead seem a little too overwhelming.

Standing in line alongside the rest of the floorball troops!

Marching into the hall during the opening ceremony was really quite special. Even though I wasn't exactly the first batch of floorballers or pioneers, I still felt a great sense of pride of what they've achieved up until that very moment. The walk into the hall was an assurance that a new chapter is about to begin, one that is filled with greater obstacles and bigger victories. At the end of the ceremony, Penny came up to me and said, "When you guys walked into the hall, I got teary. It was an emotional moment because as I witnessed you guys marched into the hall, I was witnessing God answering our prayers that very moment". It's true, without God in the equation, floorball would not have journeyed this far, or exist for that matter. Thanks Dad! You da' man! =)

Marching with pride and thanksgiving into the hall.

The various contingent lined up during the opening ceremony.

I had chat with a friend this afternoon via msn. Interestingly, I found myself sharing with him what people once shared with me - the vision of floorball. I had a full circle moment there. It's always a joy to see young potential rising up in the floorball scene and even greater to see them catching and owning the vision. My personal prayer for many of the younger players would be that they'll see floorball not merely just as a sport but beyond that. It is beyond the euphoric feeling of winning medals. It is more than just achieving technical and tactical skills. Floorball is about instilling character. It is about empowering, impacting and changing lives. It is about acknowledging the mastermind behind it all and keeping to that blueprint of His.

It is about Him.

Will floorball ever going to make it to the national level?
Of course it will. I have no qualms about it.
But until that day comes and even when that very day arrives, let's continue to cling on to that vision, playing the positions that He has assigned us to and play it at the level best we can. Let's not walk nor stray away.

And so, to the pioneers of floorball in Penang, job well done! I'm glad to be able to be part of the floorball family in this tiny but very happening island! ;)

To the Mastermind and Genius behind it all, thanks! We'll continue to stand in line as we march forth towards Your promises!

Running the race

Almost exactly a year ago, I ran my first ever half-marathon in the Penang Bridge International Marathon (PBIM). I decided to have it a go again this year after last year's disappointing campaign.

And so, on Sunday, I found myself amongst 2,839 half-marathon runners all set to take on the bridge at the most ungodly hour. Kuan Yang, through last year's run, has since been my Bridge run buddy. But this year, I also had a new running buddy. He hails all the way from Kluang, JB - Mervin the pheno-Menon! Haha! It was awesome having him around this year both on and off the track :) Not only that but I also had the privilege to run together with all my CG mates this year! I am definitely amazed at their willingness to give it a shot for a half-marathon run! Great job peeps! Remember, suffering leads to perseverance! They'll be more races to come for sure!

Runners all getting ready to conquer the bridge!

How did I fair this year compared to last?

When I finished the race and looked at my time, I was actually quite satisfied with it. But..... the more I began to evaluate my performance, the more I had negative feelings about it. I realized that maybe there wasn't much improvement after all since this year's distance has been shortened down to 21km instead of last year's 25km.

Realized the first guy leading the pack is a Kenyan...
They are insane runners.

On the other hand, I am happy that I managed to push myself a little more this year considering the fact that I didn't really train for it. My main concern in the run was my right ankle. I've had problems with my right ankle since high school days and during last year's run, it taunted me again.

This time I told myself not to give in to the pain. Thinking about the bus picking me up sure did motivate me to run further. Hehehe. By the time I hit the 15km mark, my right ankle began to sulk. But I was really adamant to 'conquer' the bridge by running to and fro without stopping. And yes, I did 'conquer' the bridge. However, by the time I got off the bridge, I faced the second problem -I call em' 'baby cramps'.

Baby cramps are the kind that give you that sudden burst of muscle spasm. It gives you the notion that it will go into a full-blown cramp but then abruptly dissipates for some strange reason. It is the most annoying thing ever. I really wanted to run all the way to the end and felt rather good about it until my right calf decided to give birth to baby cramps at the most undesirable moment. I was disappointed and agitated.

I had no other choice but to switch to the 'walk-and-run' technique. I ran as much as I could and then stop and walk again once I felt the cramp coming. I did this for the last 5km or so. Not a very satisfying way to end the run but what to do. I do thank God that I didn't experience any major cramps throughout the run and managed to cross the finishing line with my head held high. HAH, Take that you bus drivers!

As I reflect on the run, there are a few things I could pick out from it.

The first 10km is the killer!
It's true. The first 10km is the real test. To get past that threshold was a real mental war. Life comes in different stages and seasons, each with its new beginnings along with an unforeseen endings. Often, stepping into the unknown gives us shiver. We don't really know what to expect and the first few steps will be the hardest to take. But once they are taken, things begin to pick up and before we know it, we're back to feeling complacent! What a life cycle! When complacency sets in, that's the cue for us to start pushing ourselves.

Push!
After I hit the 10km mark, I felt pretty good about going all the way. But I realized that my speed was constant all the way and I wasn't particularly tired from it. I was complacent with my speed.

Human beings are habitual creatures. The moment you sit in your office, you'll run through the ritual of what you normally do; you step into church every Sunday and right away you sit at your normal seat; we are habitual creatures. It's not really a bad thing but I guess it plateaus one's potential to achieve greater things in life. When things become habitual, often we become complacent. That's when we decide that a change of pace is a bad thing. But to explore the threshold of our potential, change is a pre-requisite. As much as we push ourselves, we need to be pushed and we need to push!

Come on, brother! You can do this!
I must thank Mervin and KY for leading the pack during the first 10km of the run. If I had been running alone, I think I would have stop.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to 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.

I'm a phlegmel and that's equivalent to having a big sign on my forehead saying, "Please someone... anyone... Give me a kick in the butt!". Admittedly, I can be quite lazy. In this race of life, we need people along the way who would be willing to run with us and motivate us to go on. Likewise, we need to be the ones that cheer people to keep them going. I truly believe in the power of encouragement through words.

Did I enjoy the run this year?

Yea, I did. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't like running. Hahaha. And that's the last lesson I learn through this experience.

There are some things in life that we just dread doing but somehow or another, are forced to do it. When we decide to better ourselves, we also need to be ready to do things we don't like. The funny thing is this though, even though you may not like doing what you have to do, at the end of it all, in some strange way, you'll learn to cherish the moment, enjoy the experience and appreciate the people.

From left-right:
Kuan Yang, Hairy boy Mervin & yours truly.

"A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

Blooming.

Last week, I had the opportunity to meet several young, energetic and passionate youths from a Christian organization known as 'Youth With A Mission' (YWAM). They are currently undergoing a 6 months Sports Discipleship Training School (Sports DTS), a programme under YWAM. Part of the course is to do sports mission work at certain countries. How awesome is that??!! I was blessed enough to have the chance to work with them.

The sports ministry of Gateway City Church, Gateway Sports Network (GSN), had the privilege of hosting this vibrant group, all from seven different nations - Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, America, Singapore and our very beloved, Malaysia! The feeling of having different people from different parts of the world with different background coming together as one and worshipping together to the one same God is indescribable!

I've come to believe that whoever steps into Penang Island has got to try out this sport... otherwise, their journey here to Penang would be equivalent to that of not tasting the famous Penang Char Kuey Teow or Penang Asam Laksa... Where can like thaaatttt... Must try wan ma... Correct? :P So yea, if you ever do come by Penang Island, make sure you try this sport out... Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about. What else...

Floorball, baby!

The moment the YWAMers' came in contact with GSN, we did not waste any time as we shared with them the good news of floorball! ;) We brought them to floorball school on Thursday afternoon for a quick 'crash course'. We also shared with them a little background on floorball and the vision behind it. It was great to see how keen these young bunch were and gosh, they were good! But little did they know, floorball school was just a warm up.

The following day, we arranged another game of floorball for them... And this time, they were in for a little competition against our very own local youths!

Bukit Jambul School (BJ) vs. YWAMers!

Both teams just started playing floorball, in fact, it's the second time for both teams to be picking up a floorball stick! So if you view it as that, then the game should be balanced out... Should be larrr... Aih, but we forgotten to take into account that Godzilla tagline -

'Size does matter'.


The guy on the left is huge and he's only 20 years old!!!!!
How can that be???!!!!??
Alien I tell you... Alien!!!

I believe the YWAMers' had heaps of fun. For me, I'm glad I was able to hit two birds with one stone - I got to connect with both the YWAMers and also the BJ'ians. It was my second floorball session with the BJ'ians and I'm glad we're all slowly beginning to connect with one another. I'm excited for them as they begin their journey of pioneering their very own floorball club in their school. Could see that the students really enjoyed the company of the YWAMers!

Who won in the end?
I can't remember.
I think it was the locals.
Hahahaha.

If they weren't playing on court, they go nuts off court! ;)

It was sad that the YWAMers' could only be in Penang for a few days. The BJ'ians' wanted them to come again but oh well... All in God's timing I guess. The YWAMers' did leave a certain mark behind even though it was just for a few hours... No doubt they helped ignite the passion for floorball amongst the students.

GSN, YWAMers' and the BJ'ians!

Apart from floorball, GSN also took the opportunity to bring them for our running activity at Bukit Dumbar park. One of the strengths of the YWAMers' is street evangelism, thus, we gave them the opportunity to utilise it. It was really encouraging to see everyone taking the initiative to go up to somebody and strike up a conversation! Two of them even managed to get connected with a veteran group of runners. Awesome! I'm not sure if it's just an Asian thing but I always find that foreigners have it easy when it comes to talking to strangers. If a Malaysian goes up to some random guy or gal just for a chat, that person would probably just freak out or give you a 'You're-weird' look. Then again, it could well be a pre-conceived notion or plain old mental tak kuat.

GCC invited the YWAMers for prayer meeting and Sunday service too. It was truly a blessing to have so many of them with us! Most of them are between 19-21 years old, the oldest being 25 years of age. As young as they were, they possessed spiritual maturity and depth anchored by a firm relationship with Christ. It's good to know that young leaders are rising up in the sports arena.

Being around this bunch really helped me fan the flame in which God has sparked within me. Their presence, sharing and testimony gave me a certain assurance of what God is doing in the sports arena. It's always reassuring and good to know that there are people out there who runs alongside you, people who also believe that, as cliche as it may sound, there is more to it than just winning medals.

After spending 4 days with this bunch, it was time to say goodbye. It was really a bummer that they couldn't be with us a little longer. Looking back, I can only thank God for bringing and partnering GSN with YWAM. It doesn't matter how small we are, God can still use it for His glory.

As I was driving back home after sending the YWAMers off, I reflected about the whole experience and He gave me an insight that made me went "WOW". Relatively speaking, GSN is still at its infancy stage but yet it's jaw-droppingly amazing to see how God's favour is upon us because not only did He provided us with an organization to partner with... He gave us the opportunity to share and to partner with 7 different nations all within the span of 4 days! WOW! Andddddd... 7 is a perfect number. What more can you ask. ;)

Thanks, Dad. You're amazing when you work your magic! Although we may still be young, it's always good to know that we're blooming in You :)

P.S.: To the YWAMers, looking forward to be working with you people again!

Making God famous through sports!

I am pressing in step by step!

Time is something I'm really chasing for these days. I haven't had the time to pause for a second for the past week. It was really a tiring week but at the same time, an extremely fulfilling one. Odd as it may seem, I must admit I kinda love the feeling of being on the go.

My week started off with my church "Leaders' Prayer & Planning Retreat" up at Penang Hill. It was my first ever Leaders' retreat. I was never really involved in leadership position... well... at least not until now. To me, it was really an eye opener in many ways - organization, management and of course, spiritual. I just want to share some of the things I picked up from this retreat. Sharing is caring as they'd say... ;)

I am weak but I AM strong.
Call me a pessimist or simply a guy who lacks confidence, but all my life, I've always struggled with the issue of being confident. I mean seriously, Moses and I can be good friends man. Why? Possibly due to some past experiences in my school days, my mental tak kuat, or maybe, I'm just plain chicken. Either way, I know I am weak in many, MANY ways. At the leaders' retreat, this struggle intensified when I saw myself being put at the front line alongside people who were far more stable, experienced, grounded and capable. There I am, standing with these people... Noooooo pressure, eh?

"Me? At the front line? With these people?? Are you sure about this, Dad???"

............ Sweat..........

The facts are these -
I am new in this field.
I am inexperience.
I am flawed in more ways than one.
I am unstable.
I am lacking in knowledge.
To put it simply, I am weak.

Yet, in all these, I am reminded of the greater 'I AM'.

One of my favourite verses in the old testament is taken from Deuteronomy 33: 27 which says,

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms".

From a literature perspective, it's poetically beautiful. Simple yet precise. But that's besides the point. It's been a while since I last thought about this verse but at the place where we stayed during the retreat, I found this verse hung upon one of the walls there. What a timely reminder.

This is the God who brought the Israelites out of slavery.
This is the God that divided the Red sea.
This is the God that gave Joshua the authority to possess the land across Jordan.
This is the God that brought down the walls of Jericho.
This is the God that gave Nehemiah the vision to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
This God, this eternal God is the same God that has taken me underneath His everlasting arms and assures me that He will give me the strength to press in and press on.

What a relief to be given such an assurance!

I pray that I'll always be this guy who lacks in confidence, because in that, I am made humble... In that, I rely on Him and Him alone... And in that, my confidence will increase in Him and not in myself.

Thanks, Dad.

2 Corinthians 12: 9
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness".

P.R.E.S.S! (Pray Relentlessly Even though Super Sleepy!)
One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed during the retreat was our 3am prayer rally! It was awesome! All of us gathered together, after getting a few hours of sleep, at 3am, to worship and to pray right up until 6am! I've never prayed this long before but it was something spiritually satisfying. As believers, we need to continually P.R.E.S.S in and press on for God. Yes, even when we're sleepy and tired! It is in those times that we learn to rely on Him ;)

It was a real challenge for me physically cause' I had to go off for work that morning. So, right after the 3am prayer, I quickly took a 45 minutes power nap, then got up and change and then took the cable car down at 7am. Driving to work was a pain... I almost langgar the curb on the way! Thank God for His protection.

But this whole experience really empowered me. Prayer is the pillar of our relationship with God. Let's continue to P.R.E.S.S in!

Praying over Penang Island and the nation.

Step by step
Just two days ago, MTV was playing old school video clips and this song by New Kids on The Block came along... "Step by step... Uuuhhh Baby..."... Retro stuff man! Anyway... What I'm getting at is this...

God reveals things step by step.
He moulds us step by step.
He provides for us step by step.
He empowers us step by step.
And He walks with us step by step.

I have to constantly remind myself that God works in me step by step, day by day. As we were planning out for the coming year, certain things just blew our minds. Everything seem so... so... impossible. It was beyond us... hmm... Maybe the rest already biasa but for me, I was a little overwhelmed... Haha. Things seemed too small to make any impact, things seemed lacking in so many areas, things seemed ridiculously big for us to handle yet as we reflect on the Big Guy and how He works, everything somehow became possible... So long as we keep our eyes fixed Him. Even as I blog this down, I must tell you people that He has already shown me the first step He has taken for me, for us, to make Him famous through the events of the past week!

My friends asked me just now whether or not am I convicted of my 'calling'. I was a little taken aback and as I was driving back home, I thought about it more. Again, He reminded me to take it step by step and not be shaken by words of men but to cling on to His purpose and promises... Not sure why must be step by step... Can't it be 3 steps at a time? Am I thaaaat slow a learner? Truth is, I am scared. I don't deny it. Driving home and thinking about everything gave me cold sweat. But it's in times like this we go through the burning bush experience and I ain't gonna miss that.

Dad, give me the assurance that you are there every step of the way.

It's been almost 4 years now that I'm in Penang and people has been asking me when am I coming back to KL.

When?

I really don't know. I wish I knew but I don't.

All I know is this... I'm meant to be here for such a time like this.

But Moses said to God,
"Who am I, that I should go to Pharoah and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
And God said,
"I will be with you."

Exodus 3: 11-12

Going the 70's way.

I was reading a friend's blog who posted this article from another source.
Ah, how conveniently timely this article came about.

"During the 70s, responding to the full-time calling as a late teen (between 17-19 years old) was the "in-thing" among the churches I was associated with. Today, many denominations have shyed away from that model, prefering more matured people who holds at least a Bachelor's degree and have worked a number of years in the secular world. Theortically, it seems to be a good direction to go but in reality, how many young adults in their mid-twenties would be able to respond to full-time calling? Reason is very simple: most of them at this age would have gone into the workforce having a car loan to service. For those who are already hitched, they would also be making plans for their big day and possibly have a joint house mortgage to pay back. basing on the present low salary that most churches offer, no sane person in this age bracket would go full-time! Hence, we still need to challenge young people to view full-time ministry as a career path. Church leaders at the same time should draft out a proper career path for them which involves training in theology, management, leadership, etc and also financial remuneration.

I would also like to highlight an idea that I got while reading Fred Smith "Learning to Lead". How can a young pastor help an auto mechanic, a stock-exchange remiser or a sales executive? It's difficult for a young pastor to have the depth of the necessary understanding that can only be accumulated through years of knowledge and experience. But he can point people to the appropriate resources i.e. older in-house advisers esp. if they are elders of the church. In business, they have staff advisers, consultants and specialists that they can call upon to meet particular needs, why can't we apply the same principle in the church? The church board must stand behind their young pastor and groom him to lead the church. Of course he will make mistakes (plenty of them!) but the wise leader will stand with him."

(NECF Leadership Commission - Read the original text here.)

The Final Period

I was just thinking and it dawned upon me that it's been almost 4 years now since I first picked up a floorball stick.

4 years!
Gosh, how time flies!

Until today, friends back home are still wondering why in the world am I so hooked on to this unheard of sport. My answer is always the same when I face these sceptics,

"Aiya, you never try you never know... Once you try, I guarantee you sure jadi floorball-addict also...".

Nah, kao tim.

I remember the first time I started floorball, I was totally amazed and inspired by many the players in Penang (whom I still do of course :). That was probably the first key thing that really got me into the sport - to see players representing the Penang State and the National, how to not be inspired... Haha. That gave me an extra drive to my interest in floorball. But as I grew in the sport and in the team, I too evolved.

My first floorball major competition - UM Cup!

I recently watched a sport movie called "The Express" (click here to read movie review) about American football. Great movie with issues that I can relate to. Towards the end of the movie, the main character, Ernie Davis, says this;

"But football is just a game.
What matters is what you play for."

The Express.

It's true, isn't it?

Every now and then - when I have a crappy game, when I fail as a coach to impart values and knowledge to my players, when discouragement comes banging down my door, when harsh criticism becomes my best friend - I have to remind myself that floorball is just a game and then asks myself what exactly am I playing for. I'm not just talking about floorball per se, but more than that - life. Because that answer, whatever it may be to you, is the one thing that will keep you at the right track when you hit rock bottom or when you hit the peak of your career;
it keeps you growing while at the same time, keeps your feet grounded.

Floorball is great but life is greater.
And it's how you play your life out that counts when the final whistle is blown.

One main reason why I play floorball is because I want to emulate those players who first inspired me, people who's sheer presence itself brings much inspiration and encouragement (and again, I'm not just referring to the game of floorball, but also in terms of their life). Personally, I believe that that kind of presence is a gift from God. It is not something that you can earned by being the best around the court but something that's been given by the Creator, a 'talent' so to speak. I know I don't have much of that particular 'talent'. I probably won't be a great floorball player in Penang, or Malaysia for that matter, but even with the little that I have, the 1 talent that's been given to me, I sure do what to make use of it to the fullest.

In the movie, Ernie Davis became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, a prestiges award in the American football arena. However, he was later diagnosed with leukaemia and was never able to play professionally again. Eventually, he died at the age of only 23 (Sorry guys, gave away the ending... Hahaha).

23.
I'm 24 this year.

The thing about life is this - we will never know how much more of it is in front of us.
I may well be in my 1st period, 2nd or maybe even the final period of my life. Who's to say, eh?

What have I done so far?
Have I encouraged anyone in my team?
Have I inspired players around me?
Have I given my all for the team?

Often, people say life is too short, so we must live by the moment - Enjoy while we can.
I say life is too short, so we must live in His purpose - Make Him famous while we can.

I just hope that at the end of the final whistle, my coach will walk up to me, puts his hand around my shoulder and say to me,

"Son, you played well."

(Wah, check out the player's number... 14!
Haha.
My jersey number... Freaky stuff)

The Sun will Rise.

We all go through some form of trials every single day, big or small, we face them nonetheless. However, (correct me if I'm wrong) there's always a time in our lives when a certain form of trial seemed to be the height of it all, the one that truly tests us in every sense of the word.
Such times are surging forth for some. Recently, a friend shared with me about the trying period in which she/him is going through.
Difficult times are ahead, times when the sun seemed to have shield its warmth from us and when night seemed to have gain a foothold in our lives.

But the assurance is this...

No matter how dark the night may be, at the end of it all, know that dawn will break forth and light will shine its beauty in its most glorious form.

It's like this;
We all know that the sun is always there. Even when night comes, the sun is still there just that we don't see it. Similarly, God is always there even when times of difficulties flood into our lives. God may be overshadowed by the circumstances around us but that doesn't mean He is not there.

Last week, my pastor shared about his experience one early morning in one of the mountain tops of Hawaii, standing there and waiting in the insanely breezy and cold weather just to see the morning sunrise. Nobody in the right mind would stand in a cold weather, what more on top of a mountain early in the morning to see the sunrise unless he is sure that the sun will rise, correct? I thought about it and something spoke out to me.

Many times, we stand at the mountain top when darkness is still looming above us and we fight this wickedly cold weather with all our might. We wait for the sun to arise from its sleep but nothing seems to happen, so what do we do?

We walk off.

Many will walk off the mountain top because the weather is too cold and some will say that's it's not worth the wait...
But only a few will remain there, waiting... believing... trusting that the sun will rise. And the moment the sun breaks the darkness of the sky, that's when the light of His grace embraces them, these few who remained in the cold weather. Are we those few?

During Jesus's final hours on the cross, darkness came over all the land. That was the pinnacle of His trial and yes, it almost seemed as if the sun had totally disappeared from the universe. But what happened on the Sabbath morning?

"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week... "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, he has risen.." (Matthew 28)

When the sun appears, something amazing is going to happen!

The simple fact of life is this - we will face difficult times. Period.
Big or small, that's besides the point. There will come a time when night will fall on us.
My encouragement to those who are facing the pitch black darkness of night right now in your own lives is this... remain in Him.
Because He knows, He sees, He hears, He reigns.

He reigns
(Gateway City Church Worship team)

Verse:
You see the fears of my heart,
You know my every need,
You know the pain to these tears,
You hear my every cry,

Pre-Chorus:
I run to You my Lord,
I’m desperate for Your touch,
Fall on my knees I pray,

Chorus:
I surrender my all to You,
I’m placing my trust in You,
You are my strength, my song and my salvation,
I lay it all down to You,
Giving all praise to You,
I’ll remain in my God
My God who reigns
Oh He reigns

Bridge:
Though night will fall on me,
I will trust in Him who sets me free,
The sun will rise up high,
The light of His grace embraces me

"Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation."
(Isaiah 12: 2)

Wow!

It's been a while....
It has, hasn't it?

The last time I posted an entry was August 9th! Definitely my longest spell away from blogging. I know I said I was going to post about my mission trip experience but I really haven't had the time to get it going. Hopefully by this week I'm free to do that...

A couple of interesting things happened in the course of my 'absence'. Some things made me smile, some made me frowned, some made me pull my hair in frustration... Yet in spite of all these, I realized that sometimes, we just need to seat back for a few seconds and say "Wow" to the One who provides all these different moments in life - happy moments, heart-breaking moments and hair-pullin' frustrating moments.

Life takes a different turn every once in a while.
More often than not, you'll meet sharp turns along the way. And of course, every once in a while, you'll be driving on a smoothly tarred road.
But how often do we stop our car, turn off the engine, recline in our seat, and say,
"Wow, You're simply awesome!"?

Not very often, is it?
Maybe it's about time you pull your car over. ;)

Away mode: Sri Aman, Sarawak

I'm off peeps!

Keep me and my mission team in prayer as we enter four different Iban longhouses in the next 5 days.

Prayer items:

1. Pray for safety as we travel by air, land and water!
2. Pray for spiritual protection and covering over the mission team and their family back home.
3. Pray for openess of heart amongst the Iban community in which we are reaching out.
4. Pray for spiritual and physical rain to pour down (apparently, the drought there is really bad).
5. Pray for new insights!

Will update once I get back! Godspeed!

You were there

Title: You were there
By: Avalon
I wonder how it must have felt
When David stood to face Goliath on a hill
I imagine that he shook with all his might
Until You took his hand, and held on tight

'Cause You were there, You were there
In the midst of danger's snare
You were there, You were there always
You were there when the hardest fight
Seemed so out of reach
Oh, You were there, You were always there
You were always there

So there he stood upon that hill
Abraham with knife in hand was poised to kill
But God in all his sovereignty had bigger plans
And just in time, You brought a lamb

'Cause You were there,
You were there
In the midst of the unclear
You were there, you were there always
You were there when obedience
Seemed to not make sense
You were there, You were always there
You were always there

So haven't I learned that my ways
Aren't as high as Yours are
And You alone keep the universe
From crumbling into dust
You are God and though we would
Not have understood You
There You were

Hanging blameless on a cross
You would rather die than leave us in the dark
Every moment, every planned coincidence
Just all makes sense
With Your last breath

You were there, You were there
During history’s darkest hour
You were there, You were there always
You were the Victor and the King
You were the power in David's swing
You were the calm in Abraham
You are the God who understands
You are the strength when we have none
You are the living, Holy one
You were, You are and You will always be
the Risen Lamb of God

You were, You are and You will always be
The Risen Lamb of God