The Dash Poem

The Dash Poem
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
©1996 Linda Ellis

KHS Reunion Dinner @ The Banquet

Isn't it amazing how God gives us friends
Friends, such an important element in life
But when asked, Who is your best friend,
Not everyone can give the answer straight

Thankfully
I've came across a handful of close friends
whom i know i can turn to when i face problems
and also whom i can trust with secrets
and a pair of listening ears
if not shoulders to lean on

Time passed so fast
It has been 5 years since we left KuchingHigh
and I am so grateful
for we can still relate to each other
during this reunion dinner
and the good thing is, we come and leave in smiles

Memories came flooding back
when we look at the childhood photos
how we struggle to for the newspaper recycling competition
how we 'cheated' during ERT and wood-making
how tears dropped and huggies rewarded

My dear friends
Also to those who can't make it to this reunion dinner
i hope all of you well, happy and blessed
Bring light to the world
Be good examples for our juniors
just like how we respect our seniors

Cheers to Kuching High
Cheers to our clubs
Cheers to our teachers
Cheers to our F.R.I.E.N.D.S.H.I.P.

Esther's Baptism @ St Peter

Esther dear cousin,
Children are sweet miracles
sent by God above
To fill the world with goodness
and the blessings of his love.
May you shine radiantly in His Glory
Spread your love to the ones around you
as how He loved you so..



Warmest Regards,
Cousin Sis,
Yiing @ Ah Mei Jie Jie (^_^)

First Mission Trip to Betong

Hooray, our 5 hours road journey to Rh Ensudin, Betong embarks~! Yvonne shielding from the scorching sunlight with her sarung..haha. 3D2Ns = well-spent!




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Skulls. Apart from the skulls i saw at Sarawak Museum, this is the real ones at Long House Rumah Ensudin. Iban long house. I really need to polish, no, learn some bahasa sarawak. The kids, eg Daniel, can speak 4 languages: Iban, Bahasa Melayu, Bahasa Sarawak, Chinese and English. How geng is that =)btw, head-hunting is no longer practiced here at Sarawak..



Me! Took several 'sendiri syok' photos here. Windy, clear sky, just wake up after a good night sleep..given a choice, would u choose to live in city or village? as for me, i wud love to spend my holidays at village, i miss Long Lama, it's just so peaceful. you can leave ur bike's key and go down to some grocery, also no one will come and drive your bike away..




Little Daniel Chin. I miss you! This little boy, is so active, adorable and sweet! When i open my arms, he'll come running, pause for a moment, smile, and continue running towards my embrace. haha. sounds so motherly here. It does feel good to hug and be hugged~! I miss you, take care and be careful while doing your 'gymnastics' k. God bless you my dear (^_^)




Breathtaking Scenery. Out of the many picturesque scenery that captured my heart, this is my favourite! I love this place, it's so peaceful. Want to have fish for dinner, easy, just get down the river, with the sampan and fishing net..voila, up came Ikan Keli etc..fresh and tasted so much nicer than UPM's..haha. same goes to vege, just cross the river and into the kebun, thr, you got yourself big leafy greens~ Free of charge, free from pesticides..Amen!





This is the first baptism i witnessed. Pastors dip their heads into the river, symbolizing new life is born. This is the original way how John the baptist baptise Jesus at the river. (pls correct / edit if i am wrong..) btw, 8 baptised at Rh Ensudin, praise to the Lord~!



Children Ministry. Thanks to brother Hadlee for leading this session. It seems so much easier to teach village kids to sing, dance and colouring than the city kids, at least they listen and participate. Well done, kids~!




Bare footed. Somehow, it feels good to touch the soil with our bare feet, so close to nature. Yvonne, little Daniel and I are running towards to Pig sty, uncle says there are piglets there. The little ones scattered so fast when i try to snap shots of them..lolx.




On the journey home to Kuching, thanks for driving Uncle Lawrence! Yvonne,Noraini and I. Slept, chat, tea break Lachau. Decades-old trees along Jln Tun Jugah chopped down, there goes our shades when we are stuck in the traffic jam under the scorching sun...Nasi sudah menjadi bubur, at least the traffic to KIA won't be that bad anymore..

What Matters Most

"Life is all about LOVE". How far do you agree with this statement?

Finally caught up with PDL, love this DAY16 so gonna summarize and share with you what I learn today:


#1 The best use of life is LOVE
#2 The best expression of love is TIME
#3 The best time of love is NOW




Time for a little reflection. Why are we studying now? Why do we have work after we graduate? To earn money? To eat and have a house to stay in? Yes and no. Personally, I think most of us will prefer a warm HOME than a luxurious HOUSE, no? No because some greedy ones (like me, want BOTH). haha. anyway, continue reading...

" I have been at the bedside of many people in their final moments, when they stand on the edge of eternity, and I have never heard anyone says, "Bring me my diplomas! I want to look at them one more time. Bring me my awards, my medals, that diamond ring, that baby Lexus I was given." When life on earth is ending, people don't surround themselves with objects. What we want around us is people - people we LOVE and have relationships with." So, why should God give you another day if you're going to waste it? Think about it... =)



Quote another interesting paragraph from Rick Warren: TIME is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time. Hope this will be a constant reminder to us all that we should value our time, and be wise in spending them with our loved ones.. =)



Lastly, why is NOW the best time to express love? Because you don't know how long you will have the opportunity. Circumstances change. People die. Children grow up. You have no guarantee of tomorrow. If you want to express love, you had better do it now.. If there are certain reasons you just cant love someone, maybe the first step is try to forgive him/her, let go of the past, and welcome him back into your life as a new person? Guess it takes TWO TO TANGO.

Good luck to all is sharing your love with each other~ Life is beautiful, flash a smile to a stranger and it might change his day beautifully =) Something beautiful for us to remember: Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is "T-I-M-E." May peace be with you all (^_^)

how to glorify god

each activity can be transformed into an act of worship when u do it for the praise, glory n pleasure me God. The bible says, 'So whether u eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God'. how is it possible to do everything to the glory of God? By doing everything as if u were doing it for Jesus n by carrying on a continual conversation with him while you do it. The Message paraphrase says, ' Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering'.
Thankfully, after attending Cameron Camp, i've started the habit of having conversation with God, normally it's the first thing i do in the morning when i open my eyes, thanking God for a good night sleep n pray for a fruitful happy safe day ahead n praise him for his blessings all day round before i shut my eyes at night.
Quote another paragraph from the book Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, Day 8, 'when i first fell in love with my wife, i thought of her constantly: while eating breakfast, driving to school, attending class, waiting in line at the market, pumping gas-i could not stop thinking about this woman. I often talked to myself about her and thought about all the things i loved about her. This helped me feel close to Kay even though we lived several hundred miles apart n attended different colleges. By constantly thinking of her, i was abiding in her love. This is what real worship is all about-falling in love with Jesus. @

how many of us out thr truly fell in love with Jesus? With all the distractions on Earth, one really needs lots of determination n discipline to resist the earthly temptations. Anyway, why does Rick Warren says when i first fell in love, meaning after he married his wife, he reduced thinking bout her 24/7? Lolx..

Ps. My laptop can't be switched on for the past 2 days, posting this via hp for the first time. Thanks därling! I know u r reading this. Haha. Have a wonderful week ahead friends! I know mine will be another great one. Hehe. See u classmates, in another 20 days. Much reluctance to head back school but this is life, i wan to graduate fast. Haha. Peace be with you :)

Love's best habit is in seeming trust...

Sonnet 138: When my love swears that she is made of truth

When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutored youth,
Unlearnèd in the world's false subtleties.
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false-speaking tongue;
On both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love, loves not to have years told.
Therefore I lie with her, and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flattered be.

William Shakespeare

Happy Birthday, Cynthia

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

A hot afternoon w Bro to Masjid Jamek

Our Kuching's Masjid Jamek..after 22 yrs, then i got the chance to visit. (thanks to my bro, who brought me along to see him supervising the construction site)


is that the library to put kitabs?



The Dome is so big!! wad are the arabic words thr?


Am impressed by how big Masjid Jamek is, can imagine how crowded this mosque will b like on Fridays..and Mekah. wah, Ed, don't get lost when u r there next week~ lolx..



My koko 'supervising'...so handsome! haha. sometimes i wonder, is engineer's work as tough as the workers? n im impressed by how the workers can do their job fast and good, even when supervisors are absent.



Leaking...wonder how often do other buildings faced such problem? or is it just Malaysia's constructions..ahem.



VIP room..under renovation. bro says this renovation (under Poly Building, the company bro's currently doing his internship) will be done in another month or so..

My Love For You

I like it when u walk toward me
with your sweet gentle smile;
I like it when u look at me silently
and that smile is still there;
I like it when you play with your fingers on my palm
when I lay them open for you;
I like it when you just cuddle yourself in my arms
when we are close together;
I like the way you smile and close your eyes
when I kiss you;
I like how you always close your face
when you say you are shy;
I like the way you look
when you are asleep;
I like the smell of your hair
when your head lies on my shoulder;
I like the feeling of walking hands in hands with you
wherever we go;
I like it when you take charge especially in situation
where mandarin is required;
but why I LOVE YOU is because
You are part of me that I am not.
All that you do,
is what makes you special,
and its because you are special the way you are,
that makes me LOVE you even more.

Mongol

The movie is an epic story of a young Genghis Khan and how events in his early life lead him to become a legendary conqueror.

The 9-year-old Temüjin is taken on a trip by his father to select a girl as his future wife. He meets Börte, who says she would like to be chosen, which he does. He promises to return after five years to marry her. Temüjin's father is poisoned on the trip, and dies. As a boy Temüjin passes through starvation, humiliations and even slavery, but later with the help of Börte he overcomes all of his childhood hardships to become one of the greatest conquerors the world has ever known.

P/s Thumbs up for this International Award winning Foreign movie~! Reminds me of Uncle Shaggai and Uncle Chris, esp when the fighting-entertainment scene!

Sharing the Good News (^_^)

So many things happen in just one month, and i proudly says they are all happy things that happened in beautiful May. Welcoming the month of June with warm huggies, yes, this will be another awesomely beautiful month simply because it started off beautifully~!

Quote Yee Ling "Jia Yiing, i find you relly like to use the word BEAUTIFUL". Lolx, yes, i couldnt agree more that being positive makes my life reli beautiful. Grandma Ee Ling, thanks for reminding me that life is not all beautiful, i shud be prepared if unfavoured things happened, n have faith that God is walking closely beside me. Really learnt alot at Cameron Camp, duno where to start blogging about. Day one or throught the interesting activities? I'll just type what crosses my mind.

#1 LECTIO DIVINA = Listening to God's spoken words
This is the session where we campers have to be at the main hall b 7:20am to listen to God's spoken words, and reflect or jot down what verses captures our heart. I love this, especially the part where we were asked to walked out and face the majestic mountains before our eyes. I have always been a nature lover, and that morning, when i indulge in the beauty of our natural surroundings, i'm really amazed and grateful at God's creations. Yes, you are really God the Creator. So please, dear smokers, please don add on to our air pollution..litterERS, don dirty our environment. you might find it convenient for you to just throw that piece of used paper of peanut shell off the car window, but think of the workers who've to bend down and collect your sin. haha. tat sounds way to harsh, but please lah...

#2 WORDLICIOUS INVESTIGATORS = bible study
Oh yes, surprisingly most (if not half) of us enjoyed this activity. The way FES carried it out is so motivatingly interesting. Too bad i'm lazy to upload the photos here, but u shud see how they transformed our chalet 9 into the demoniac scenery! and the way they read the psalms, letters and narratives, full of emotions, it really draws us back to the ancient times. this camp reli give me alot of workable ideas on how to capture my students attention! Thanks to Wilson and Uncle Chris, n UPM friends for the bible n christian books as my 22nd birthday presents, hope i'll make them to good use =)

#3 TEA BOH PLANTATION day trip
AGain, the pictures should paint a thousand words here. it took us 2-3 hours to hike up from Lakeview. there was barely a single boring moment throughout this trip. mainly because we were assigned a friend to walk along with, and the scecery is enought to take your breath away~! thanks GEL, for introducing us to take photos 'sleeping on the tea plants', literally! thanks grandmas for the teabreak at the cafeteria, Marrybrown, indian food, icecream, chocolate, and your LOVE for us~!

#4 CHALET 9 - my family in christ
here, i get to have 2 beautiful grandmas, one handsome indian grandpa and one sporty American uncle Chris who was in Mongolia for the past 4 years. also, i've gained 13 siblings almost in every state. haha. being the 6th (middle children), i am not neglected because in our Knights family, we really reached out for everyone. i'm really thankful we get to know each other in just a mere 3 weeks, so much deeper than friends we have for years.

#5 16 MAY 2009
i turned 22 on this day. celebrating birthday at cameron highlands is like a dream come true! it's doubled the happiness cuz this is the first year nearly 80plus friends sang happy birthday song for me. thanks family, thanks grandpa Joshua for driving all the way to get me the Strawberry Strudles. i'm touched to tears!

#6 FAMILY TIME (930pm - 11pm everynight)
after sessions, we'll have this family time before heading to bed. grandpa will ask us to share and journal down our day's events. then we'll play some games and sharing. personally, i love this session because this is when everyone opens up, revealing their most sincere thoughts and secrets, and we give hugs and words of comfort prayers when tears stream down our eyes. well, now we are back to reality, down from the beautiful cameron highlands, hopefully we'll apply this family time with our real family at home. it'll be nice even if it's once a week thingy.

#7 REDEEMING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (week 1)
i remembered most bout the part where we have to first identify our weakness, accept and love ourselves before we can love others. we sisters all gather in our bedroom and have pillow talk, saying our secrets out might not 100% solve the problems but then, it's just comforting to let things out. yes, i agree tat girls express better, in other words, emotional. not all girls are that weak, nor are all guys rational. haha. in short, God created each and everyone of us unique, don worry, for he has all planned out for us. even the hair we are going to loose each day is planned. yeah, i tend to think how insignificant we are at times. from Psalms 96: 1000 years on Earth is just a like a day to God. haha. don't ask me why then do we have to work so hard, earn money and die at the end, because u shud know the answer by now. anyway, i'm just grateful for what i have now, thank you God for a happy family, loving bf, good friends, promising and a job i love, good health and happy soul!

#8 REDEEMING RSHIP W FAMILY (week 2)
What is your family like? aRe you happy staying w your family? never did i imagine ppl around me are from abusive families, i mean, i do read in the newspapers tat there are parents who torture their children. (wait, they are not even worth hving the title parents, if they know wad are the roles of parents) Grandma Annete, u are an awesome speaker! your stories about the broken families bring me to tears. i'm angry, and reli disappointed w that kinda ppl and society. argh...quote one examplary incident: a church elder fetched the girl student to church for SUnday mass, and raped her each morning.
Why? WHy? i don understand. lust? c'om, think of it, wat if it's your daughter who got raped by some stranger? okie fine, there are cases where fathers, brothers, grandfathers rape their female family. think again, if the girl u r going to married is the victim? or you yourself are born out of wetlock?! geez, i thought i don hate anyone, but now, after writing, i think i do, i am really angry at those unscrupulous ppl! yeah, wearing masks, this reminds me of one incident where there is this church pastor who asked the female worshippers to take off their clothes in a room as some sort of offerings to God. (sorry, no offence to christianity but it's a fact that these things DO happen, every religion, every country, every race. sad case)
Talk bout sth happy fr this session: i called aunt for a reunion dinner after the session, and hallelujah, our big family gathering is beautifully organized and carried out, we had a great time gathering on Gawai. the sweetest part will be aunts and uncles thank me for suggesting this potluck dinner. thanks to the Camp Cameron too, i get to redeem my relationship w relatives again. quite embarassing i kept on lost track how old my little cousins are dy...

#9 REDEEMING RSHIP in courtship, friendship n gender issues (week 2)
Highlight for courtship: no hurry in finding a bf/gf, God has his plans beautifully prepared for you. the time will come for you to meet the right one, (unless u r called to be bujang) so grandma's advice is to polish ourselves first now b4 searching high and low for the other half. respect, love wholeheartedly, understanding etc are all basics to ensure a healthy lasting r/ship. yeah girls, love your body as if it's God's temple. since young, mom has instill in me that we shud reserve our most precious only to our husband. many friends might not agree, but like what grandpa David says, they too, faced the 'temptations' when alone, n taught us the way to avoid such temptations is to be in groups. showing affection is important, juz tat we need to be clear and firm w the boundaries. right? (note: no offense, jz personal opinion here)
Highlight for redeemin friendship: friends, i love you all. sorry if i didnt play a good role as a friend. here, we are reminded tat friends are seasonal. some came into your life, impact a little, then leave with o without footprints. the friend i mentioned i wan to redeem rship w this holiday is pam. and gladly, we two make it to Palm Beach yesterday. who is your best friend? some might find it hard to answer this. some might say it's their mom, their wives their dauthers o friends. no man is an island, if you really care for someone, reach out for her and not selfish, it's really hard not to have a friend. most likely, it is due to busy life and self-centredness that we unintentionally neglected our loved ones. this happens, n its nature. wad are beaches and vacation trips for? haha. bring your loved ones away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, spend quality time together, be it just a dinner or even a phone call, or sms, u never know when u will save a life.

Geez, kinda late dy. will continue again soon. still got lots of beautiful memories i wanna jot down here, Sabbath Day, Tanah Rata trip, OIRA, Camp Special, BBQ, Pirates of the Highlands, grand dinner, food, family, RTM, F&N etc... Do sign up for this camp, while u still can. recommend others, spread the good news =) Grandpa, grandma, thank you for loving us and taking good care of us this 3 SHORT weeks. God bless you all in all areas of life~!

My First Photography Class' Works @ Cameron Highlands

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are blue, you never know dear, how much i love me, please don't take my sunshine away"




Smile, when you wake up seeing i'm blossoming before you




No man is an island




"I'm the king of all plantations here,touch my sons and daughters, u'll loose your hair..."




"I'm juicy-ly appealing, but if you pluck me away from my siblings now, i'll rot or be eaten, never will i see sunshine again..."




"Thanks azure sky, you complement my beauty"




Purple, where is my sweetheart lavendar?