Saturday, January 22, 2011

Full Gospel Church, Johor Bahru

Full Gospel Church, JB.
Woke up at 7:15am, Efa is already awake and getting ready to send me to church. I'm very touched. Last night, after the depressing 'Ballad of Anggerik' post, i opened my mouth and ask her help to send me; and she nodded happily~ Thank You God, for the wonderful housemates You gave~ (^_^)


Worship.  
FGC is one of the biggest church in JB, and it's a stone's throw away from my rented house here in Johor Jaya.  The stage is decorated with chinese new year festive theme.  I wonder how did yvonne and friends decorated Ka En Methodist Church yesterday.  The young girls danced well on stage; how i wish i have dancing bones too~ :)

Dancing and singing; what a beautiful way to glorify our God :)

this is just 1/3 of the hall.  
 Everyone's concentrating worshiping; i sempat took my hp and capture this scene. Yes, lately, i've been very hardworking in updating my blog and Facebook photos.  Simply because, this is my last semester at JB, and i hope these entries and photos will brighten my later working days :)  keeping record of my life, too influenced by 'A Moment to Remember' i guess :)

Epim Canteen.
 Not sure if i got the name of this canteen correct.  Btw, FGC is big; they just launched their 3 storey carpark on 1st January 2011.  Praise the Lord~ as more people can come :)

Welcoming New Visitor Corner, free coffee and cheese-sausage-sandwiches.
 I've been doing a lot of church hoping; not that i want, but it's because i've to adapt to my surrounding.  Most probably i haven't found the right church; but after going to few churches for the past few years, i realized, we all served the same God.  And each of the church has their uniqueness. hope to get baptized once i settled down then my children will have a church, with a sense of belonging :)

Bookstore
 Guess who i met at church? Lian Dai sister! Such a big church, and she came and sat beside me during worship, her usual seat~ Is this God's arrangement or what? Since i've transport problem to church, i stated my transport needs to the leaders; i signed up for 'undergraduate fellowship' too, it'll be on Friday night, 7-9pm. and they'll arrange transport for me. Hallelujah~ hope to have a good time with the members there :) kinda miss Serdang Chinese Methodist Church, UPM friends.  how are you guys?

Door gift in conjunction with CNY.
 Apart from the red packets, FGC printed sharing gospel mini booklets too; we can put the booklet in the red packets, and add some money.  What a good idea of sharing gospel :) anyone want? RM3 for 2 packets :)

curry rice by the Undergrads
The undergrads fellowship are having fund raising for their missionary trip to Miri end of Feb~! how i wish i can join, it's my home State, SARAWAK~ but it falls on my practicum week.  Anyway, hope they raised more than enough fund and achieve their objectives there, while experiencing our Sarawakian local villagers lifestyle.

Today's preaching: 'Will those who are born again, still sin?'

John 3:8 "The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the spirit."

conclusion: "when a man is born again, he has a new self, he is born of God, has God's image, has God's nature, do not sin and cannot sin'.

My Reflection:
Many a times, we do repeat the sin; but as a Christian, (or other religions), we will feel guilty; this guilt serves as a reminder that we shouldn't repeat the sin. For example, if you found a 'miracle' medicine that instantly cure cuts, will you cut yourself on the face repeatedly? This goes same to God. He can cleanse our sins, but that doesn't mean we can/should sin again and again.

Happy Chinese New Year to all readers~ It's RABBIT Year~!


Ballad of Anggerik

Ballad of Anggerik

BY Ho jia yiing
(On the snatch theft nearby a church in Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru, 2010)
“Darling dear, may I go to church
Instead of staying in at home,
And worship God 
As today's Sunday?”

“No, darling, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And knives on motor-bikers,
Aren’t good for a young lady.”

“But, darling, I needed a church,
At this new housing area
And march the streets of Anggerik
To feel the peace surrounding it."

“No, darling, no, you may not go,
For I fear those bikers will harm you.
But you may self study the bible instead
And You-tube for choir or songs.”



--------paraphrased, to be continued-----

Original:

Ballad of Birmingham

BY DUDLEY RANDALL
(On the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama, 1963)
“Mother dear, may I go downtown
Instead of out to play,
And march the streets of Birmingham
In a Freedom March today?”

“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And clubs and hoses, guns and jails
Aren’t good for a little child.”

“But, mother, I won’t be alone.
Other children will go with me,
And march the streets of Birmingham
To make our country free.”

“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For I fear those guns will fire.
But you may go to church instead
And sing in the children’s choir.”

She has combed and brushed her night-dark hair,
And bathed rose petal sweet,
And drawn white gloves on her small brown hands,
And white shoes on her feet.

The mother smiled to know her child
Was in the sacred place,
But that smile was the last smile
To come upon her face.

For when she heard the explosion,
Her eyes grew wet and wild.
She raced through the streets of Birmingham
Calling for her child.

She clawed through bits of glass and brick,
Then lifted out a shoe.
“O, here’s the shoe my baby wore,
But, baby, where are you?”

Happiness & Sorrow

I was about to post a happy blog about our bread-pudding and kite flying experience, until i read few of my friends blog; they were upset.  and instantly, the joy in me faded.

Yes, that is how easily affected i am.  (for those who matter to me, only)  As for those who never care nor know me, sorry. 

Talking about friends, i have a few good ones.  Some are really God send, like Yvonne Ling. I think i can write a few hundred pages about the memories we shared. Haha.  like this moment, though i am chatting on MSN with you, i miss you~ mooshy not? :P

and Ed too. gonna miss this friend once we graduated. you promised to come to sarawak right. dont quiet quiet come, or only inform us on the last day ha. friendly reminder aje. hehe. and sorry bout the dangerous driving yesterday.  Felt bad to give you a fright, will only drive when yvonne alone is on board (since she's more faith in me) :P

and Malcolm Tang. perhaps cuz you just commented on my blog. it has been quite some time since we last chat too. quite sad to read your last blog though i can understand your situation.  But to me, going to church every Sunday gives me peace.  Now i'm staying at Johor Jaya, there's a Full Gospel Assembly nearby; but many says this area is dangerous. and i'm now thinking of carrying a knife with me for the 25minutes walk tomorrow.  (scared)

and  Sam, Cyn and Hui Yi.  These 3 ladies are like their own gang, thanks for allowing yvonne and i to tag along sometimes.  Since staying out, i barely get to hang out with you girls.  Miss Kong, kindly organize more outings? haha!

.....
....
and many more.

especially the ones overseas.  how i pray distanced will not bring our friendship apart.

fun outing with my girls at UK FARM last 2 weeks :)

mehhh....baaaa... 

kite flying and picnic nearby our house this evening :)
Good night people :)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Anggerik's Batik Cake Recipe

4 ingredients only!! Milo, condensed milk, marie biscuit & butter cup :)


Step 1: break the marie biscuits in pieces

Step 2: chop and melt the butter

Step 3: melting

Step 4: add in condensed milk, half can.

Step 5: Add in milo. Half packet.

Step 6: Mix in the biscuits.

Step7: mix up!

Step 8: Compressed it with a spoon.  Serve after cool down.

Total cost: RM 19 / 2.

conclusion: The fun of staying out, having housemates who are marvelous cooks~! Thanks to Efa and Ziham!

Introducing:  Anggerik's Batik Cake.  Recipe from Kelantan.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

A moment to remember

A good way to release stress?
Sob hard.

"When the memory is gone, so is the soul". - A moment to remember.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

From Johor Bahru to Singapore

Another 6 hours, i've to wake up from Yvonne's bed. Both she and Diana are sleeping soundly.  Why am i still awake?  Have i miss home? Kuching or Johor Jaya? 

I've had fun slumbering my weekend away here with yvonne. but this is afterall not my place.  This brings me to the topic Annie discussed with us at Ang Mo Kio Singapore last night.  I am attracted to their high pay salary, especially after conversion.  Indeed, many of us Malaysians go to work in Singapore simply because the salary is higher and standard of living there is higher, and safer.  I love Singapore, so as i love Taiwan.  Both of these countries  bring comfort to me, i feel...peaceful. 

Reverend Jiang's topic on Motivation for 2011 this morning touched on the security in Malaysia.  With the decreasing crime rates announced to the public, are we assured that Malaysia is really getting safer as the days go by?  I experienced a live snatched handphone personally 5 years back when i first landed Johor Bahru; days ago, my junior broke the news that her friends' handphone got pick pocketted at JB too. Says you?

and talking about home.

Will we ever feel at-home while staying at other people's territory?  Short term vacation and slumber nights will bring fond memories, simply because they are still fresh and new. But, if i were to stay with yvonne sharing one single bed for the coming weeks, will one of us have sleepless nights? if i were to homestay at my Taiwan foster parents house for months or years, will they still be as warm hearted and treated me like their very own daughter? I am not doubting their sincerity.  Anyway, this instant, i miss them.  how are they doing? do they know their daughters in malaysia still think of them? i wish them well :)  and, many have went, is going, will go overseas to work, how many will get a PR and never return home?

and it all boils down to the fact that....

we were all children of God.

Nothing is permanent in this world. eventually, we'll leave this world. i hope to enter heaven, and i believe many will choose the same path too. In conclusion, i am here for a reason.  The career He assigned me is to be ----- an educator, not mere teacher who just teach what's in the syllabus but educate the people about life.  Wah, now that sounds big!

Wishing my TESLIANS coursemate a happy and blessed final semester ahead! May God bless our friendships and career path ahead.

annie lai, geraldine foo, me & yvonne @ Yigloo, VivoCity Singapore.
"keeping in touch with friends abroad is a blessing, to me~!"
- a smile lit-

Thursday, January 6, 2011

From Taiwan to Johor Bahru

Came back to JB on 3rd January 2011.  Efa helped me to shift my stuff from IPGKTI to Anggerik, Johor Jaya.  This, will be my nestle for the next 5 months ~

Dusty, Boy and Panda are part of my neighbours.  Boy is our watch dog at night (^_^)

My parents helped me when i first moved into MPTI. 5 years later, i moved out, with the help of my friends.  The moment i paid for this mattress, i realize i needed to manage my finance well. 'Captivate' struck my mind instantly. should i? haha.

Helped Efa and Gharm at the kitchen this evening.  Fell in love with Farah's Tom Yam paste, it's sooOoo GoOD!!


Tada~! The chicken costs RM2 only. haha. well, this is our first home cooked meal at home. Yeah, welcome to our house warming party. Date to be confirmed.  (^_^)

After a proper floor mat, a decent study table, my bed and HP netbook..oh ya, i got my Maxis broadband today!! so yeah, life staying out can be good/bad.  Depends on how you see it.  Some might think, eww,..sleeping on floor~! but after the literature lesson today, should i be grateful and say 'hey, i've got a roof on top of me!" haha.



TO SEE AWORLD IN A GRAIN OF SAND - WILLIAM BLAKE

-To Be Continued-