Valentine's Day

Secular songs of romantic expressions abound on this day. For the Christian, a hymn about love is also appropriate for Valentine’s Day, and no sweeter expression of one’s love for Christ can be found than these anonymous lines from an early American folk hymn.

For the early Christians, February 14 was a special day. Tradition tells us that a man by the name of Valentine was a Christian doctor who went about doing good deeds wherever he could, in imitation of his Master. Valentine became a good friend and helper to the Christians, who were being persecuted by the cruel powers of the Roman Empire. It is believed that the good doctor was eventually imprisoned because of his loyalty to his fellow “followers of the Way.” After he was beheaded on February 14, that day was observed each year in Valentine’s honor by the early Christians.

As time went on, however, Valentine and his deeds of kindness were forgotten. Because February was near the beginning of spring, with its feelings of romance, the day became a secular holiday celebrating romantic love. Tokens of love and affection were given to sweethearts and friends, starting the custom that we still practice today.

Dr. Valentine gave his life for his fellow Christians because of his deep love for Christ. We too can express our love for the Savior with these simply stated yet profound words … “but how much I love Thee my actions will show.”

I love Thee, my Savior, I love Thee, my Lord;
I love Thee, my Savior, I love Thee, my God:
I love Thee, I love Thee, and that Thou dost know;
but how much I love Thee my actions will show.

O Jesus my Savior, with Thee I am blest,
my life and salvation, my joy and my rest:
Thy name be my theme, and Thy love be my song;
Thy grace shall inspire both my heart and my tongue.

Oh who’s like my Savior? He’s heaven’s bright king;
He smiles and He loves me and helps me to sing:
I’ll praise Him, I’ll praise Him with notes loud and clear;
while rivers of pleasure my spirit shall cheer.

Rick Warren says...

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.

The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than l life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.

And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

A portion of what Rick Warren shared during his interview with Paul Bradshaw. Find it really interesting and just want to share it as well. It spoke to me and may it speaks to you too.

Trip to Amcorp

Went to Amcorp mall and saw this amazing antique fan. A 1901 antique fan (hopefully didn't get the wrong year) And guess what.... He got it from IPOH..!! Cunted huh? Ipoh's the place.. Anyway, the man is heating up the fan for it to operate. Even the woman (around 40+) said she haven't seen that before. Kinda lucky to be there... And the rest are just some of the stuff sold there.

Kingdom Hearts 2

At last I managed to finish up this game after a long time abandoning it due to error reading the DVD. Bought a few hoping to be able to play but to no avail until recently. Went to Yik Foong and bought this game again cause I really want to play this game. Thank God it worked.. No problem loading and etc... Really enjoyed playing the game as it has a lot of Disney characters in it. Might look a lil childish but it's a great game... Makes me think back of the old Disney cartoon and how nice it is compared to the cartoons now. Hehe... Anyway, enjoy the ending...

Murata Boy

Just came back from Ipoh Parade. Went there for the lauching of.... *drum rolls*..... Murata Boy..!! Hahaha... Wondering what it is? Well, it's a Bicycle-Riding Robot.. Really enjoyed the demonstration and it reminds me of my own final year project --> Single Sensor Line Follower Robot *applause*.... Gone are those days where I rush from here to there... Going to see my supervisor and looking for other lecturers for guidance. Awww... Miss those days... *emo* ... Hahaha... Anyway, a preview of my robot...

First Design of my Robot

Final Design of my Robot.. See the difference??

Now... Back to Murata... Amazing bicycle-riding robot... Live in Ipoh... First time in Malaysia....

Stagnation

To sinful patterns of behavior that never get confronted and changed,
Abilities and gifts that never get cultivated and deployed -
Until weeks become months
And months turn into years,
And one day you're looking back on a life of
Deep intimate gut-wrenchingly honest conversation you never had;
Great bold prayers you never prayed,
Exhilarating risks you never took,
Sacrificial gifts you never offered
Lives you never touched,
And you're sitting in a recliner with a shriveled soul,
And forgotten dreams,
And you realize there was a world of desperate need,
And a great God calling you to be part of something bigger than yourself -
You see the person you could have become but did not;
You never followed your calling.
You never got out of the boat.

-An excerpt from "If you want to walk on water, you got to get out of the boat"-

.: There is no tragedy like the tragedy of the unopened gift :.

2008

a NEW year...

a NEW beginning....

a NEW journey...

Leaving the past

BEHIND...

straining toward what is ahead

and......

thank God for

2007