Saturday, December 24, 2011

all i want for Christmas MV (again!)


my fav secular Christmas song. think this is at least the 3rd version i've put up here over the years. this one has 2 artistes that i have been praying hard for: Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber. they have such huge gifting and anointing fr God. i pray that they will experience Christ in a deeper way, way beyond intellectual knowledge. so that their lives and gifts will be unleashed truly in the way they are meant to be.

Friday, December 23, 2011

my goodness! i had merely wanted to remove a bug in my html n then accidentally changed my settings n the look of my blog! sigh... n i didnt back-up. so there's no turning back. bye bye to the pink and hi to the blue. that's for now until i m super free to change and write one on my own.
oh well... surprise!
merry christmas!

air safety demo christmas dance

this, i super like! hahaha... made me laugh!
some friends of mine are flying on this airlines. too bad i aint going on hol during Christmas cos it's super peak work period for me. otherwise i would fly with this airlines just for smiles. ;D

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

count your blessings.
dont focus on what you dont have or have lost.
cherish what you have now - the support, the love, the friends, the resources.
not grumble about what you have not.
or worse, live in the lament of your loss.
everyday has its own blessings. everyday is full of God's grace and mercies. everyday abounds with joy, hope and faith. if only your eyes are opened to them. only when your hands free from holding onto the past, are they able to pull these blessings close.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

it's interesting how hard it can get - feels like waddling thru water, feels like breathing thickly polluted air... many times i caught myself wishing i was back in Bethel where the sky is clear and heaven is near, where the unseen is tangible and anything is possible, where it felt like being in a bubble, untouched and untouchable. then i had wanted out. then i had yearned for a battle, for a challenge to test my mettle.
now, out of breath and out of gas. it's barely been round one!
to be fair to myself i have had my victories since coming back: camps, speaking engagements, dreams, visitations, travels in the physical and spiritual, sozos, breaking off stuff etc. but really, it's barely round one!

i m getting used to "pastor". it's a bane and a boon at the same time. it is interesting how conversations have changed to a great extent. they have taken a problem-focused mode. whenever people talk to me, they see someone they can bring their problems to and find help, assurance, healing, faith, encouragement, edification - a pastoral concern needing pastoral ministry. the title has changed a normal friend, co-congregant into some sort of God's mini-superman. 
on the other hand, it bestows some sort of legitimacy and authority to the office to facilitate the call and the work. it really is humbling. it does facilitate building a kingdom culture, a culture of honour. 
i have learnt to receive honour and respond better to it. 

i have learnt self-control, learnt communication, learnt to love and pursue, learnt greater awareness.
i have learnt to say "no" so my "yes-es" can be better, stronger, more effective.
i have learnt that some things can be claimed and gotten here and now, others have to a process to be walked through. wisdom is in knowing which is which.
i have realised friends are gifts. i have had many, such that i had taken lots for granted. but i have learnt to take stock and hold dear, to fight for, not neglect.
i have learnt and resolved not to condescend but to lift the other up.
i will resolve to commit to the fight and know that it really isn't a fight in that it has already been won. thus a fight in rest. not a fight to rest. it's not a paradox; it is the true way and we have gotten it muddled up in the first place.
i resolve to live on supernatural hope and perspective.
i resolve to choose to love and bring up in faith.
i resolve to declare and live the truth for Truth lives in me.
i resolve to continually draw from my Home, my Source, my Strength, my Joy, my Love. (home is not a place as much as it is a Person.)
i resolve to not let ministry distract me from my Muse.



Monday, November 28, 2011

As for me and my house - John Waller



Verse 1: 
I'm done 
Building my own kingdom 
No more 
Seeking worthless idols 


Pre: 
Like sheep 
we have all gone astray 
We must choose this day 
Whom we will serve 


Chorus: 
As for me and my house 
We will serve the Lord 
We will serve the Lord 
Idols raised, tear them down 
Cause we will serve the Lord 
We will serve the Lord 
To one king we bow down 
As for me and my house 
We will only serve the Lord 


Verse 2: 
I'm done 
With powerless religion 
No more 
Living in deception 


Bridge: 
We will cross over Jordan 
We will claim what you promised 


Out: 
We will not give our hearts to another 
Will not give our hearts to another 
We belong to the Lord 
We will not give our hearts to another 
Will not give our hearts to another 
We will only serve the Lord

Sunday, November 06, 2011

A woman would be much better off if...


A woman would be much better off if...
she could distinguish the difference between 
a man that flatters her & a man that compliments her...
a man that spends money on her & a man that invests in her...
a man that views her as property & a man that views her properly...
a man that lusts after her & a man that loves her...
a man that believes he is God's gift to women & a man that REMEMBERS a woman was God's gift to man.
- Kris Vallotton

Thursday, October 20, 2011

For a sixth straight year, Singapore remains the easiest place to do business, according to the World Bank report published Wednesday.
source: AFP Thursday 20 October 2011, 8:50

Top 10 Highest Paid Government Leaders

investopedia
On Wednesday 19 October 2011, 0:28 SGT
You may think that those wishing to suffer extreme public scrutiny while making decisions that affect millions of citizens would demand the big bucks, but when it comes to pay, many world leaders look like chumps compared to the CEOs of many corporations. While most salaries pale in comparison to the likes of Warren Buffett's, some are downright huge when compared to the people a leader may govern.
Top 10 Political Leader's Salary by Country (2010):1. Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore): $2,183,516
2. Donald Tsang (Hong Kong): $513,245
3. Raila Odinga (Kenya): $427,886
4. Barack Obama (United States): $400,000
5. Nicolas Sarkozy (France): $302,435
6. Stephen Harper (Canada): $296,400 
7. Mary McAleese (Ireland): $287,900
8. Julia Gillard (Australia): $286,752
9. Angela Merkel (Germany): $283,608
10. Yoshihiko Noda (Japan): $273,676
Salary Compared to GDPWhat makes a world leader's pay reasonable or outlandish? One way of making this call is by looking at pay compared to a country's GDP per person at purchasing power parity (PPP). Using PPP helps make a better estimate of just how far money goes in a country, since the cost of living will vary from country to country. Comparing each leader's salary (in international dollars) to the IMF's 2010 PPP figures shows how much more a world leader makes compared to an average joe at home.
1. Raila Odinga (Kenya): 255.30
2. Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore): 38.51
3. Donald Tsang (Hong Kong): 11.17
4. Nicolas Sarkozy (France): 8.92
5. Barack Obama (United States): 8.54
6. Yoshihiko Noda (Japan): 8.08
7. Angela Merkel (Germany): 7.86
8. Stephen Harper (Canada): 7.57
9. Mary McAleese (Ireland): 7.29
10. Julia Gillard (Australia): 7.21
What do these numbers mean? Looking at GDP per person doesn't show how a country stacks up in terms of income inequality, a statistic that can measured using the Gini coefficient. Ranking the leaders by their country's income inequality can really show how far out of touch a leader is with those governed. The Gini coefficient changes things up (zero means perfect equality and one perfect inequality).
1. Donald Tsang (Hong Kong): 0.434
2. Raila Odinga (Kenya): 0.425
3. Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore): 0.425
4. Barack Obama (United States): 0.408
5. Julia Gillard (Australia): 0.352
6. Mary McAleese (Ireland): 0.343
7. Nicolas Sarkozy (France): 0.327
8. Stephen Harper (Canada): 0.326 
9. Angela Merkel (Germany): 0.283
10. Yoshihiko Noda (Japan): 0.249
Base Salary Vs. Perks
When it comes to what a leader is really paid, a distinction must be made between base salary and additional stipends. Leaders may receive free residences or residential stipends, free healthcare, free travel and other perks. They may be permitted expenses that most people would have to pay for out of pocket. Those figures are more difficult to come by, especially in the murky world of political influence.
Less scrupulous world leaders may pad their own bank accounts with their own country's money through corruption. "Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI)," first released in 1995, tracks corruption trends in 178 countries. It assigns a rank of 10 to countries deemed clean, and zero to countries considered highly corrupt. Ranking the leaders by how corrupt their countries are, the ranking shifts to the following:
1. Raila Odinga (Kenya): 2.1
2. Nicolas Sarkozy (France): 6.8
3. Barack Obama (United States): 7.1
4. Yoshihiko Noda (Japan): 7.8
5. Angela Merkel (Germany): 7.9
6. Mary McAleese (Ireland): 8
7. Donald Tsang (Hong Kong): 8.4
8. Julia Gillard (Australia): 8.7
9. Stephen Harper (Canada): 8.9
10. Lee Hsien Loong (Singapore): 9.3
Of these countries, only three would not be considered "full democracies" by the "Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index:" Kenya, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The Bottom Line
What do all of these numbers tell us? Leaders of advanced economies earn very similar salaries to each other, and those countries tend to be less corrupt and more democratic. While Lee Hsien Loong may earn 38 times the average resident of Singapore, his country is considered a good place to do business even if it is not fully democratic. On the other end of the spectrum, Raila Odinga earns an incredible amount more than the people he governs, and presides over a country that Transparency International would consider one of the most corrupt around (ranked 154 out of 178 countries).

Monday, October 03, 2011

1st Oct. "Pastor" evan. little did i know that such a title can be so jarring on my ears. hearing it, seeing it in print, in emails the past few days was hard on my system! the invisible yoke of expectations and hopes (and yes, problems) of people, including my own, weighs heavy. yet i remember that His yoke is easy and His burden light.

but wow yes this is a position that i knew is mine for more than 10 years. i did take this long to get ready for it. and yet, when one reaches "it", one realises, "being prepared" is a myth just as much as the unicorn or phoenix! the state of being ready or wanting to "get ready" exists in one's mind but is as elusive as the mirage of an oasis in the desert. one can never get fully ready as we can never predict the twists and turns of events, much less prepare for every single possibility. so what is left to be done? cliches like "bite the bullet", "step up to the plate" comes to mind. even NIKE's slogan "Just do it" is apt.

i love Steve Backlund's teaching - any area that doesnt glitter with hope is under satan's deception. i'll write it out BIG and paste it either in my office or my work desk at home. life with Jesus - knowing how victorious He is and therefore we are - is saturated with, is full of, drips, overflows with, hope, peace, love, joy.... everything good and yummy and fantastic.

i asked God for a challenge. i want to stretch myself. well, i gotta say, this one is pretty tailor made for me. 2 jobs. one in christian ministry, one marketplace. I... LOVE IT! (think of M1's irritating ad as well as McDonald's "Loving it").

let me rattle on... i realised i like ads alot! interesting. haha... MVs too... well, anything abt media, communications... interesting... i'll think abt it.

listened to chen nian ren's 喜欢你. i realised i actually know how to sing this song! haha.... didnt know i knew how to sing ANY mandarin songs accept ai ru chao shui. haha...
well, i really do like this song. beautiful and self-indulgent. not really singing to the other person. singing (as if to him) but it's really abt one's liking of that person. haha... 


陳潔儀's 喜歡你


喜欢你 给我你的外衣 让我像躲在你身体里
喜欢你 借我你的梳子 让我用柔软头发吻你
喜欢你 车窗上的雾气 仿佛是你的爱在呼吸
喜欢你 那微笑的眼睛 连日落也看作唇印
我喜欢这样跟着你 随便你带我到哪里
你的脸 慢慢贴近 明天也慢慢地慢慢清晰
我喜欢你爱我的心 轻触我每根手指感应
我知道 它在诉说着你承诺言语

Sunday, September 11, 2011

9/11 10 years on...


10 years ago, i was glued to the tv in GCTC as i watched the events unfold. same time 10 years later, glued to the tv watching memorial events. praying for the healing of a nation's soul and the release from the grip of trauma and terror.

10 years ago, i was undergoing training in my full time ministry career. was in GCTC (great commission training centre). i felt i wanted to watch some tv after dinner... was there at 8plus pm (8 plus am in NY) when the news (a plane crashed into NY world trade centre) interrupted whatever was airing on channel 5 then. then watched live as the 2nd plane crashed as well as when both towers came crashing down. 

10 years on... was told today that i will be my church's youth pastor. back in "full time ministry" part time now. 

one reporter was saying on tv that we tend to measure our lives in 10 years - 10, 20, 30 years old... pretty true. how far i've come. 10 years went by... pretty fast. was a good 10 years. 

watched the porgramme featuring audio recordings of the victims leaving last words to their loved ones... we dont need to wait for such a time to our loved ones how much we love them.

Friday, September 09, 2011

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Getting Rid of Bad Breath

source:http://www.home-remedy.org/getting-rid-of-bad-breath.html

De-Mystifying the Mouthwash Myth

If you would like to freshen your breath try preparing your own breath freshening mouthwash. A rinse consisting of a few drops of peppermint oil in a glass of water will do the trick nicely just don’t count on it to kill bacteria. Also just use it as a rinse and do not swallow.

There are other essential oils that work as well. Try tea tree, myrrh, spearmint, and ginger as they are also effective.

Rinsing your mouth with salt water is a great home remedy for a sore throat. It is also good for eliminating bad breath. You might also try rinsing with lemon or lime water as well. Both are equally effective and may taste a bit more pleasant than salt water.

Try drinking a small amount of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water at least once a day.

Banish The Breath Mints And Chewing Gum.

Neither of these commercial products are particularly helpful as they only mask the problem and in fact could cause tooth decay. Try some of our alternative recommendations:

Remember the trick the Greeks used? Anise seed is readily available and chewing on a few of them work just as effectively today as they did several thousand years ago. Fennel, cinnamon and cloves also work well. Try popping a few into your mouth after meals to fight bad breath.

There are many other natural replacements for commercial mouthwash. Try adding a bit of baking soda to your toothpaste. After all, not only is it used in cooking and the laundry, we also use baking soda to absorb odor in the refrigerator. It will work well to help eliminate bad breath.

Did you ever wonder why parsley and mint are often used as a garnish when dining out? Just like the Greeks, remember the Romans. Chewing on parsley helps fight bad breath.

The reason is the high content of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll very quickly changes carbon dioxide into oxygen in the body. This prepares the digestive tract to prevent gases and toxins from backing up and by lubricating the tract and various valves.

Boil a mixture of myrrh resin, sage leaves and lavender flowers in a small amount of water. Gargle three times a day as a bad breath remedy.

Aloe vera will cleanse the colon and prevent toxins that could possibly back up in the digestive tract.

Getting To The “Root” Of The Bad Breath Problem.

Poor dental hygiene is a major factor for the cause of bad breath. Yes, you’ve heard it before, brush and floss after every meal and make regularly trips to your dentist for cleaning and examination.

Monday, July 25, 2011

"Here for Good"
i LOVE this standard chartered bank ad!!



Can a bank really stand for something?
Can it balance its ambition with its conscience -
To do what it must, not what it can?
As not everything in life that counts, can be counted.
Can it not only look at the profit it makes,
but how it makes that profit.
And stand beside people, not above them.
Where every solution depends on each person.
Simply by doing good, can a bank, in fact, be great
In the many places we call “Home”,
our purpose remains the same:
to be here for people,
here for progress,
here for the long run,
here for good.

the making of the ad:


another version of the ad:


another version:

making of this version:


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Guinness Hokkien Mee

Step 1: Prepare the Guinness reduction base

500 ml Guinness stout
3 drops apple cider vinegar
35 grams rock sugar (in blocks)
1 pinch of salt

1. Heat up a big pot and bring Guinness stout to the boil. Light a fire over the stout to burn off the excess alcohol.
2. Add vinegar, rock sugar and salt.
3. Simmer until the volume is reduced to half the original amount or 250 ml.
4. Stir before straining the mixture. Cool and store between 5 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius an air tight container to keep fresh.

Step 2: Prepare the prawn mee stock (can be used for at least 6-8 portions)

500 grams prawn heads (pre-roasted)
1 liter water
500ml Guinness stout
25 grams blue ginger (smashed and sliced)
1 stalk lemongrass (smashed and cut to 4 cm long)
2 teaspoons toasted coriander seeds
1 red onion (peeled and cut into 4 pieces)
1 pinch of salt

1. Pre-heat a non-stick pot.
2. Fry the onion and lemongrass until fragrant.
3. Add the coriander seeds and blue ginger.
4. Add the prawn heads, rock sugar, salt, Guinness and water.
5. Simmer until boiling and then reduce until the stock is halved in volume.
6. Strain the residue and cool.
7. Add 250 ml of the Guinness reduction to the mixture.

Step 3: Stir fry the noodles

2 tablespoons pork fat oil
35 grams minced garlic
3 whole eggs
280 grams yellow egg noodles
80 grams thick bee hoon rice noodles
60 grams bean sprouts
2 tablespoons soya sauce
3 teaspoons fish sauce
60 grams squid rings
150 grams tiger prawns
60 grams pork belly (sliced)
25 grams red chili (sliced)
1 pinch of salt and pepper

Garnishes

2 tablespoons sambal chili
3 small limes
20 grams spring onions (sliced into rings)
Half cup prawn stock
Quarter cup Guinness reduction

1. Heat up a wok with oil and lightly fry the noodles and bean sprouts.
2. Push the ingredients to the side of the wok and fry the eggs.
3. Add in the rest of the noodle ingredients one by one and cook for another four to six minutes.
4. Add in the prawn stock and Guinness reduction and continue stirring.
5. Cover the wok and let the noodles braise in the liquid for one to two minutes or until the liquid thickens.
6. Serve warm with the garnishes.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

10 years ago i started my full-time career in a non-profit faith organisation. 10 years later, i start my career in part-time F&B "career". this is a rude and rough shock for me, to be on the "other" side of the dining experience. worked from 4pm-2am.

i feel like i'm more than 10 years late. youngsters who wants to work temp jobs go into F&B. in my late teens, young adult years, i managed to evade this route, despising the low pay and opting for jobs that bring me more than $20 an hour. yet now, having loads of working and management experience under my belt, i find myself rubbing shoulders, sweating and working alongside pp that i would never have before or otherwise. it's interesting. lots to learn.

the F&B outlet was pretty packed on a fri night. never, never start work in F&B on the weekend. it's c-ra-zy! v shiong. harder than running full marathon.

was so dead tired and hungry after working more than 10 hours but... working with so much good food and seeing loads of food wastes... dont have the appetite.

got alot of thoughts. alot of learning points for me. one such thing is how to eliminate wastes and encourage recycling or conservation practices in a fast-pace and stressful environment.

F&B pp are my new heroes. not easy. yet for those who love the adrenaline and satisfaction of feeding and serving with excellence, hat's off to you!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Green Hornet:
it's not dying that you need to be afraid of; it's never having lived in the first place.

Alice in Wonderland:
Alice: this is impossible! (when she saw the monster "Jabberwocky" that she has to defeat)
Mad hatter: only if you believe it
Alice: sometimes i believe as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast.
Mad Hatter: that's an excellent practice.
Alice (as she fights the Jabberwocky): 6 impossible things: number 1: there's a potion that can make you shrink. Number 2: a cake that can make you grow, no.3: animals can talk. No.4: cats can disappear. No.5: there's a place called wonderland. No.6: i can slay the Jabberwocky.

and she did!

-- it is indeed good practice to declare the impossible things and see that they are "possible"!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Francis Xavier's prayer
My God, I love thee;  
not because I hope for heaven thereby,  
nor yet because who love thee not are lost eternally.  
Thou, O my Jesus,  thou didst me upon the cross embrace;  
for me didst bear the nails and spear,  and manifold disgrace.  
And griefs and torments numberless and sweat of agony;  
even death itself,  and all for one Who was thine enemy.  
Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ  should I not love thee well?  
not for the hope of winning heaven,  or of escaping hell.  
not with the hope of gaining aught,  nor seeking a reward,  
but as thyself has loved me,  O ever-loving Lord!  
Even so I love thee, and will love  and in thy praise will sing,  
solely because thou art my God,  and my eternal king.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

lines from criminal minds
Hotchner: skills i have, but i dont know how to do this (looks at his son).
Rossi: you just need to know what kind of father you want to be. then you will know what to do.

great advice!"
being" precedes "doing". =) "doing" flows out of "being"

---
Rossi: scars show where we have been, they don't define where we will be going.
---
Hotchner: What lies behind us and qhat lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us - quote from Henry David Thoreau

Friday, June 24, 2011

1) Which animal has a whopping 22 month pregnancy?
A. Gorilla
B. Elephant
C. Whale
D. Giraffe
2) How many eggs does a female octopus lay on average?
A. 500
B. 5,000
C. 50,000
D. 500,000
3) How long does an orangutan nurse her offspring?
A. One to two years
B. Three to four years
C. Five to six years
D. Six to seven years
4) At birth a giant panda cub is about the size of:
A. A stick of butter
B. A loaf of bread
C. A pint of icecream
D. A head of lettuce
5) How does an alligator mom know its time for her eggs to hatch?
A. The eggs change color
B. The eggs virbate
C. A high pitched noise comes from inside the eggs
D. The eggs start to smoke
Answers: 1) B, 2) C, 3) D, 4) A, 5) C

Thursday, June 23, 2011

interesting quote from email:
what ever you give a woman, she will make greater. if you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. if you give her a house, she'll give you a home. if you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. if you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.
she multiplies and enlarges what is given to her. so if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.
15-19 June YaYA Camp - Kingdom Culture @ Covenant Presbyterian Church
it's so so fun!

--

i've always loved the phase Campus Crusade always use: "in the power of the Holy Spirit". it became my standard, my mantra, my chant. but it eluded me. for years of serving in ministry i felt that the power trickled like a leaking tap instead of a fire hydrant hose. now i realise "in the power of the Holy Spirit" is what it is - in the power of the Holy Spirit. you wont be able to come away claiming any bit of credit. it's not about how well-planned, well-executed etc. He shows up and it is clear only He alone can do it. there's clear power, clear who's in control - definitely not man.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Robert Capon:
i am and i am not a universalist. i am one if you are talking about what God in Christ has done to save the world. The Lamb of god has not taken away the sins of some - of only the good, or the cooperative, or the select few who can manage to get their act together and die as perfect peaches. He has taken away the sins of the world - of every last being in it - and he has dropped them down the black hole of Jesus' death. On the cross, he has shut up forever on the subject of guilt: "There is therefore now no condemnation..." All human beings, at all times and places are home free whether they know it or not, feel it or not, believe it or not.

But i m not a universalist if you are talking about what people may do about accepting that happy-go-lucky gift of God's grace. i take with utter seriousness everything that Jesus had to say about hell, including the eternal torment that such a foolish non-acceptance of His already-given acceptance must entail. All theologians who hold Scripture to be the Word of God must inevitably include in their work a tractate on hell. But i will not - because Jesus did not - locate hell outside the realm of grace. Grace is forever sovereign, even in Jesus' parables of judgement.

(Mystical Union - John Crowder p162,163)

Friday, June 10, 2011

the consequence of having a "grasshopper mentality" -
you got to take God at His word and not indulge your low self esteem. God's people are giant slayers, walls crumble before them (see Jericho)... you can keep your "grasshopper mentality". but you would have forfeit the promised land and bought yourself a 40-year desert cruise to nowhere. see Deut 1:19-46, Numbers 13.
God put giants in the Promised land to keep unbelievers out - Jimmy Evans www.kentcrockett.com



more movie quotes:

Kungfu Panda 2:

Master Shifu: anything is possible when you have inner peace.
--
Goat (Soothsayer): your story may not have such a happy beginning. this does not make who you are... you are who you choose to be. who are you, Panda?
--

Lord of the Rings
Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

watched X Men first class y'day.
some nice lines:

Mutants to Charles (Prof X) when they saw his huge castle-like mansion:
is this your house?
Charles: this is our house.
--
Eric (Magneto) after Charles (Prof X) pulled him up to the surface thus saving him from drowning: i thought i was alone.
Charles: You are not alone.
--
Eric (Magneto) to Raven (Mystic): you want society to accept you and yet you cant accept yourself.
--

Sunday, June 05, 2011

christians think they are the thermometer but they are called to be thermostats.

we spend time building our portfolios, resume, careers. how about building your family, your life, your home?

what i gained from 2nd year in BSSM -
got my 3Cs i set out to get. Character, Covenant relationships, Call.
learned to trust my heart. God showed me He trusts me. b4, i "know". now i really know.
know God more. (different from know about God more). i really grew tremendously in knowing Him.
more aware of God's delight, pleasure over me. God ravishes me. i m God's delight and desire.
and that i ravish God's heart. God is my delight and desire.
alot more able to operate in who i m, what God has given me.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

quotes from Henry Kissinger:

"(on LIbya) the true test is what emerges. one cannot deduce the outcome of a revolution form the pronouncements of those who start the revolution. and one has to assess a revolution not only in terms of its initial enthusiasm. as a general principle, the greater the destruction of existing institutions, the greater will be the violence in re-establishing order."

"the Chinese approach to policy is conceptual, while ours in pragmatic. For the Chinese, history is part of current reality. For America, current reality usually begins with the perception of a problem we are trying to solve now... In the West we look to assemble overwhelming force; the Chinese look for a superior psychological balance. The West waits more or less passively for a provocation and then seeks to overwhelm it. the Chinese think that provocations have to be pre-empted, though not necessarily overwhelmed."

"in Afghanistan, i think withdrawal will become a political necessity because of the inability to create a structure which we can turn over. so i would negotiate with surrounding countries who would be threatened by a terrorist Afghanistan if it emerged."

"...i believe in a policy of engagement rather than confrontation. those of us who had access to the Chinese government sought to use our influence to improve human rights through quiet diplomacy rather than showdown."

Monday, May 23, 2011

wow... i'm back in Singapore. hot and humid. perspire within 5 min of stepping out of the shower.
sweat more in 1 day in Spore than 9 months in redding put together!



Thursday, May 19, 2011

may 13 (friday) was 2nd year BSSM graduation.

facebook status: "tis the time for teary goodbyes, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la~!"

saying goodbye to Bethel, to Redding and to friends are so much harder than i had expected. i ve been down, crying, getting emo, feeling drained emotionally... goodness! i usually handle goodbyes v well, giving myself time to grieve and have closures. but this time the intensity of emotions hit me like a ton of bricks!

it's been a really special 2 years. or more accurately 18 months. family, kindred spirits; people who have made my life so much fuller. tears are threatening to well up as i m typing this. oh Jesus, thank You so much for this 2 years at BSSM.


Tuesday, May 03, 2011

i've just gone for my 2nd round of john crowder school of mystics at Chico. 29april - 1st May.
so good!!!!
the cross didnt change God, it changed us.

coming elections - seems like the opposition party has matured v much. it's the most exciting elections with good strong candidates on both sides. too bad i'm not in Spore now. and too bad i wont be casting my vote.

Friday, April 29, 2011

spring break - 22/04 - 3/5.

went to stanford (and the surrounding cities), SF, gilroy.
met super smart and prophetic people. God is so amazing.
went to Tree of life Church on sat and went to Santa Cruz John Crowder church for easter.
so good. wonderful churches.

--

Royalty is my identity. Servanthood is my assignment. intimacy with GOd is my life source. So, before God, I'm an intimate. Before people, I'm a servant. Before the powers of hell i'm s ruler, with no tolerance for their influence. Wisdom knows which role to fulfill at the proper time. - Bill Johnson, Dreaming with God p88

Thursday, April 21, 2011

interior design: pirate ship in bedroom and slide
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Pirate-ship-bedroom/ss/events/en/041911pirateroom

Friday, April 15, 2011

i've changed quite alot!
i came to Bethel to grow in 3 Cs: Character, Covenantal Relationships, Call. and i realised, by God's grace, i've grown so much in them.
i've gotten what i've come here for.
i've worked on getting rid of condemnation - a fuller work of Rom 8:1 in me. even when i stumble, i found grace and strength to not allow condemnation (from the accuser of the brethren) to get me. i've grown so much stronger in who i m, in trusting God and being able to trust my heart - which, according to God's word, is the heart of flesh that God has put into me. (Eze 11:19, 36:26).
so good!

and thank God for the community of covenant friends He has put in my life.
these next few weeks would be weeks of much coffee - closure times with them, saying temporary good-byes. for we shall be separated geographically for some time, but not in heart and spirit. it's really such a blessing to be in the Body of Christ. i need them as much as they need me. i've blessed them, just as they've blessed me.

call - ah...! i'm ready for a new challenge and adventure. this part can only come properly when knowing God and knowing who you are falls into place. otherwise, it's like a kid trying to drive a car - a disaster waiting to happen. most believers are so caught up trying to find this without the 1st 2 and they wonder why it is so hard walking out their call. we always get ahead of ourselves. it's only 3rd in place of knowing God and knowing who you are in God.
---

the Mozambique mission trip has been so instrumental in helping me internalize and solidify God's work in me these past months. i have been able to become more fully myself after the wonderful TLC i've received from the team. it's such a wonderful team: one of the best i've ever been on, if not the best. (i've been on alot of mission trips!) their love and affirmation tipped me over. "you're so worth it!" "pocket evangeline" "i love you" it really has been such a huge turning point in my life, not in terms of direction in life but in becoming more truly me. thank You God! thank you, guys!

---
busy next few weeks preparing to come back to Singapore. the bethel chapter is about to come to an end. like i said earlier, alot of coffee meetings for good-byes and thank yous, alot of shopping to do (books is my one vice!), giving/selling of assets like furniture, home appliances, car, filming some testimonies that will be helpful for the people God will have me minister to... homework to do in order to graduate! haha... and most importantly spending time with God. it'll be a time of accelerated growth and crazy encounters!

love You Jesus! i love this life You've given me.
may all those i love realise how wonderful their lives are in You. John 10:10

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_localsfo/20110411/ts_yblog_localsfo/sand-written-wedding-proposal-mystery-solved

Mary Jo Bowling

Before we delve into the deets behind the mystery proposal that captivated our readers, let's get a couple of things out of the way: (1) Her name is Kelly Riplinger and she said "yes" and (2) Jason Fordley, the mastermind behind the sand art question, might well be the most romantic man in San Francisco.

On Wednesday at approximately 3 p.m. I posted a blog featuring photos of what appeared to be an elaborate wedding proposal writ in sand, hoping we might be able to locate the couple and find out what happened. The reaction was swift: Within an hour readers identified the pattern's artist as Andres Amador; by 10 p.m. I had an email from a friend of the couple saying he was contacting them; and the next morning there was a message in my inbox from Jason's (admittedly) proud mama ratting him out and providing his email (thank you, Laurie Rickson). In between there were a few doubters (someone commented that there was no way it was real) and several women who offered via email or Facebook to take the mystery man up on his offer if Kelly rejected him.

Ladies, you are out of luck. As Kelly told me via phone late yesterday: "He's taken, sorry!"


Here's how it all went down: Several years ago, Jason and Kelly were enjoying a picnic of Thai take-out on Ocean Beach when they noticed Amador creating a mural in the sand. "It was one of our first dates in San Francisco and it was just so cool," says Kelly. "We took a bunch of photos and it was a great memory."

Three years later, Jason tracked down the artist via the Internet and asked him to create a wedding proposal sand mural on February 12. The artist conceptualized the design and directed a handful of the couple's friends in raking it into Ocean Beach. It took them, according to Amador, about an hour and a half to get the job done; then everyone took cover on the sidewalk above the rocks.

Meanwhile, Jason was luring Kelly back to the picnic spot. "As we walked down the beach, we talked about the mural we'd seen years ago," Kelly says. "When we came upon the patterns in the sand, I couldn't believe the artist was back!"

Because the design was so large, Kelly couldn't read the message until she climbed up on the rocks (which took some coaxing). The waves were just starting to erase the edges of the mural when Jason pointed out the words and got on his knee. "I was in total shock," says Kelly. "I mean, after five years I was getting a bit impatient, but I had no idea he would do anything like that! He told me that he'd made me wait so long, he knew he had to make it really good."

And, as I said at the beginning, she said "yes." Jason slipped the ring he'd designed on her finger, their friends (and the small band of onlookers) cheered and the champagne started flowing by a fire pit on the beach.

But the surprises weren't over. Jason chartered a limo to take the whole crew around the city to scenic spots (such as Crissy Field and Twin Peaks) before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge for an In-N-Out Burger feast. After that, they came back to Ocean Beach for a bonfire. "There happened to be fire dancers there that night," says Kelly. "It was the ONLY thing he didn't plan."

I asked Kelly what women around San Francisco want to know: Is the guy this romantic all the time? "He really is," she says. "He's just stupid creative. I don't know how I got this lucky. He made a huge effort, and it was the happiest day of my life."

The wedding is set for next fall in the Wine Country.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

8-23 march South Africa and Mozambique
came back on 23 march 10.30pm after 50 hours of straight travelling.
wonderful team, wonderful trip.
will blog more. school starting soon. cheers.

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

28 feb - started my violin playing.
really glad that it's so cheap here. rental is only $15 per month.
wanted to buy it instead of paying rental. but it's good to share the rental with jo b4 i commit to getting one. the cheap ones sound really bad. to get a good one is a huge financial commitment. so i will make sure i get good enough to warrant the pricetag.
yet i m also wanting a good guit too! sigh... hmmm...

---
i was a mid-trib, dispensational pre-millennialist - futurist.
now i am an ammillennialist, partial-preterist.
tomorrow... who knows?
i dont think (and i hope not) that this is something i really want to teach about. there's more to get right about the Christian life. but then, like Kris, i may find that i need to tackle this mindset in order to bring about world transformation.
---
really enjoyed the singaporeans who attended the prophetic conference. praise You Jesus!

Friday, February 18, 2011

it's snowing!!!!!!!! it's so beautiful! i can hardly wipe the grin off my face. so so beautiful. thank You Jesus! went out and walked in the falling snow, threw some snowballs. had the wrong shoes on, without gloves but the wonder of seeing my 1st ever snowfall overwhelmed the cold gnawing on my fingers and feet. =) i m so happy. thank You Jesus. You are beautiful.

Friday, January 28, 2011

it occurred to me in the shower that 2010/2011 or BSSM 2nd year has been a year where i spoke the least! and i laughed the most! (listened way more than i used too!) incredible.

now in Pasadena attending Che Ahn's HRock Prophetic conference.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

"Take a step back and view your life through the perspective of eternity. Each decision that you make etches a lasting inscription in the walls of history. Choices that are made will become the fruit of the following generations. this is the beautiful part of being alive - the blood that was shed on the battlefield of decisions now becomes the inheritance of authority in your family lineage.

There will come a day of justice when history will be revealed to each person. In that moment, the fruit of your life will be unveiled right before your eyes. On that day there will be a great celebration in the heavens for the man who has weathered the many storms of life while planting a harvest for a generation that he is now able to see. His reward will be everlasting. He will hear the father’s words, ‘well done good and faithful servant, the little that has been given you has been multiplied through your hands.’

There is a conviction that is meant to weigh heavy upon each person who calls himself a believer. We live within the awareness that life was meant to be sown into a destiny of people that we will not see. This conviction drives the mighty to pursue the impossible; the strong to brave many storms. There is no escaping the thundering storms of opposition, for we are the ones who have been commissioned to calm each of them. Each believer is called to take the test of life and turn it into a testimony. we have been launched into the darkest places of the earth transforming them into light of the world. We are the ones who see an army in the dry bones. It is us who can win the battle with the jar and the torch.

Who you are should not be decided by the economy, persuaded by popular opinion, or formed through the media’s bend. We are counter-culture by nature. We are predestined from the womb, set apart from the beginning. This life that we have chosen can only be navigated with the renewed mind. The old man screams too much when faced with the impossible and the flesh is a poor decision maker.

Have you decided who you will be? Do you know what you will leave behind? With your words you create worlds; with your prayers you release inheritance. the balance between life and death has been designed to rest in your hands. like many who have gone before you, we now have the opportunity to create change in the world around us. how you choose to live today is a choice for eternity." - Jason Vallotton

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

it's amazing how God's grace meets you right where you are.

was talking with RH 2 nights ago and things that i thought i had dwelt with thoroughly came back to me like ghosts 2 haunt me (well, not all bad memories, some were... blissful tho =p). i felt like there's still some hook on me. i spent the night talking 2 God about them and all my usual onslaught of questions to Him. got some answers, but more questions were unanswered. nonetheless, went to sleep with lots of peace. the very next day at sunday morning service i struggled to worship God (also cos it's so crowded in the sanctuary!)until the song that goes like this "there's power in the name of Jesus x3, to break chains x3" and suddenly i had a picture of me pulling out a huge sword from the sheath on my back (yes back, "Heman-style" not like the asian way of hanging your sword on the left hip) and in one swift and strong stroke broke the chain over me and i started breaking many chains over others. it was so good. i felt freer, lighter, more powerful. it's really God's grace. there wasnt anything i could do to get it other than in worship and waiting upon God.

God is good. i release the fullness of freedom in your life as you walk with God, courage to deal with the messes in your life as Holy Spirit reveals you to. (don't view your past apart from the blood of Christ and the victory He has given you).
--

now at Simpson Lib. is so good that simpson reopened fully for school. i did enjoy Barnes and Noble, and redding library. but i had made a number of friends ("lonely souls" as they call themselves and errantly labeled me that too!) just trying to get things done there.
it's funny just thinking about it. i asked God for guy friends. and i keep meeting guys wanting to find someone to talk to! God, this is not funny! so while B&N is alot warmer (they heat up their place pretty well) and the libraries more chilly, i still think the libraries are better hideout places where i can get work done.

i really want to go skiing or something in the mountains. but first, let me conquer the mountain of homework! oh well, i sound like i have tons. but i am actually pretty much done. just got preachin to prepare for. which i m surprised that i m more stressed over it than i thought i would. oh com'on, evan. it's your thing. u live to preach! u come alive on stage remember?

went to twin view sun night service and got a prophetic word about me going to different churches to preach. God ALWAYS reminds me through ridiculous(!) number of prophecies that i will be speaking at conferences, schools, churches etc all over the world. nice way of helping me whenever i feel anxious. grace of God again! (look out for God's grace - or "graces" as the desert fathers call them in small and big things/events/circumstances in your life!)

and God keeps reminding me (again last night) as with every prophetic word i m getting these past weeks that i have been dreaming too small. this again is not funny. i need to rethink my dreams and jump off the cliff with them. ah....

2011 has been a rather unsettling year so far for me. i had thought i was in a very good place of super fast growth and revelations, visions etc. and now God is showing me alot of work, stretching etc. the challenge for me is to do all those without striving, not on my own strength but on His grace that is always sufficient. like how i was lamenting on my lack of strength of character, emotional strength etc. and God took me to those past memories and showed me how He has preserved (protected, shielded) me, kept me in such purity, made me to be who i m today, helping me see that it's all His grace. like Daniel V who testified in sch and at church about Apple calling him to order anything cos it's paid for, i need to know (know know) that it's a done deal. and it's "effortless fruitfulness". it sounds almost contradictory. but it really isnt. it's in coming into the fullness of God, not dwelling in fear, uncertainty and insecurity. evan, go boldly before the throne of grace. it's grace, grace, grace. evan, it's your name! heb 4:16... is it? let me check. yep. that's right.

where God gives a vision, He always gives pro-vision - Kris v