Human Rights Creed

Saw this document newly pinned on the office notice board today and took an immediate liking to it. And with the general elections now looming on the horizon, I thought it'd be good to throw this in here for good measure as a reminder to the masses. Not that traffic through here is anything to shout about. Heh. : )

Anyway, here we go. U ready?

HUMAN RIGHTS CREED

I DO NOT BELIEVE
In the right of the strongest, in the language of weapons
In the power of the powerful

I DO NOT BELIEVE
In racial supremacy or in wealth
In privilege or in the established order

I DO NOT BELIEVE
That I can share the oppression there
If I tolerate injustice here

I DO NOT BELIEVE
That war and hunger are inevitable
And peace unattainable

I DO NOT BELIEVE
That efforts are in vain

I DO NOT BELIEVE
That humanity's dreams will go up in smoke
Or that death is the end of everything

I WANT TO BELIEVE
That the whole world is my home
That all reap, what we all sow

I WANT TO BELIEVE
That the right is the same here as the right there
And that I am not free
While one human being remains enslaved

I WANT TO BELIEVE
In the right of all people
In the open hand, in the power of the non-violent

I WANT TO BELIEVE
In the modes of actions, in the love of generous hands
In peace on earth

I DARE BELIEVE
Always and in spite of everything
In the new human being

I DARE BELIEVE
In God's own dream
Of a new heaven and a new earth
Where justice dwells

Random sharing.....

Hi Grace@Work,

Sunday, 2nd of March? Whoa! I'll pencil in that date for sure. :)

Though not deserving, I thank you for the praise. Yes, back then in Camerons, I was but still taking small baby steps in my walk with the exalted One. Sep '06 seems like such a long time ago. In the time that has elapsed since, my path has been been randomly littered with unavoidable tests and challenges at certain stages. Yet, faithful as He always is, He watched over me; the guardian of my conscience of being. It also helped tremendously that He placed me in the company of good and godly people akin to our Rabbi and also, my extended family in BLC.

Surreal but opportune that you should use the words "your next chapter" in your reply. It made it sound as if you were sub-consciously aware of what's been taking place over here in my life recently; for as a matter of fact, in three days time on Monday, I will be begin reporting for duty at an NGO. Yes, I have moved away from the private sector to begin a new career undertaking work involving social concerns and reforms; where I will be hacking it out under the auspices of ??AAA??, that famous (or infamous, depending on which side of the political fence one stands) organisation helmed by The Madam. When I went into my new work place for an introductory briefing exactly a week ago, I remembered walking out of it overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job scope. And to think that the briefing was only a half hour long. Nonetheless, in the days that followed, the Lord shed upon me a truth when I prayed and meditated upon it. This little epiphany helped greatly in assuaging the fears and inhibitions that were manifested by the weaknesses of the human form in me. At times, I can be really clueless and be at a loss to explain why certain things happen; for I am not quick to differentiate between "things just happening" or "things happening just"; whether events and happenings were just mere coincidences or if they were instances of the Sancte Spiritus quietly hiding and working in the background. Oddly enough, just days before I had been offered the post, I had watched a movie on the life of the great abolitionist William Wilberforce titled "Amazing Grace". I had only watched it to be entertained; and never for a moment had I even suspect the sort of difference that it was suppose to later make. You see, during the moments of trepidation that I had with regard to my new obligations, impromptu memories of this film came to mind. And when it hit me, I lit up like a bulb, for it was then that the bottomline dawned upon me; Wilberforce did not achieve his dreams to see out slavery overnight, and his tireless lobbying certainly took a lot longer than the course of 90 minutes of screenplay. With this realisation and a quick Google thereafter, I learned the fact that the actual passing of the law to abolish slavery only took place three days before Wilberforce's death in 1833. It had taken this exceptional man his entire lifetime; a total of 46 years from when he first decided to undertake the cause in 1787. I felt humbled, and in that instance I also began to understand that to serve the Lord's calling, time and other extrinsic gargantuan factors matters not; for I now accept the truth that Abba never gives one anything that He didn't think that one could not handle. His Kingdom come and His will be done.

I give thanks to our Father for His blessings and favour, and I embrace Him, the Lord, our God, in the mighty name of His son, Jesus Christ.

Shalom and a safe night, my good brother.

Warmly,
Mille Meow

Note: Words shaded in BLUE are to preserve anonymity of individuals from the general public.

A New Calling....

It's been a 2 weeks wait. The telephone call finally came this morning. When I recognized the voice at the other end, I greeted her with a voice aplomb of self confidence. But in truth, I was nervous and faint hearted for fear of bad news. So the brave front was actually borne more out of a need to disguise this shortcoming.

The lady at the other end of the line jested when she asked which news I wanted to hear first. The good or the bad? Ooops! Not good. Not good at all. I thought about it for a nanosecond. Then it hit me. Waitaminit, waitaminit. Her statement laid the grounds of the possibility of bad news but yet, it reeked with the hint of good?

Ahhhh....almost kena conned leh. Hehe... :)

And so it was with good news that my new week awoke to. That come forth the new month of February, I shall be setting off on a new journey for myself and my life. A path where I will finally get to answer and serve the Lord's calling. As Soo Choo, my friend and soon-to-be new colleague would echo, "HIS KINGDOM COME. HIS WILL BE DONE."

So now it's cast in stone. A new milestone in my life will be marked. A new career with a new direction and new benchmarks. I have spent almost two decades of my working life in the private sector doing things and acquiring knowledge, which for the most parts may probably not have any bearings on my new vocation. Taking that into consideration, and in discounting those unneeded tools from the equation, I now have to believe that it is the remaining few skills left in my possession that will have a practical usefulness on how I navigate the waters of this new and alien territory that I chart. Mien Gott, the Lord has surely gone about preparing me for this task in a funny but wrong way. Hmmm... I may well be forgiven if I accused Him for deliberately designing humour for His own pleasure at my expense. That also loosely translates to saying that our God is a bona fide joker. That He laughs heartily at the end when He discovers that He has excelled Himself when He successfully pulls off certain stunts on His servants.

:P

Heh! But I too jest when I wrote the above. Maybe it's the warped sense of humour that some say I have but as I reflected on those very same words at the second reading, it did dawn upon me that it was funny. At the same time, it also simultaneously occurred unto me that maybe I may have read Him wrong. Maybe God was not the joker I had made Him out to be. Maybe this time He did the reverse? That He inverted the position. That this time He had sacrificially assumed the mantle of comedic clown for my pleasure instead; albeit, one where His ulterior intent for me is good.

Puzzled??? Here's why I thought what I thought and it goes like this.

Maybe God wanted me to experience all of what I've experienced in my life, thus far, to adequately prepare me to assume my new role in the overall big picture. And the greatest lesson He had willed for me out of this exercise was to learn not to lament on my journey of the past but rather, to happenstance on the understanding that it was all a pre-designed pathway to learning and understanding futility, and more importantly, to acknowledge and then to surrender to it. And when all of this is done, I am to then sit back and take in the simple joy of discovering how to laugh alongside Him at the oxymoronic idiosyncrasies that I had created for myself the last 43 years. At this juncture, I had another epiphany. For as I learn to laugh at myself in this process, maybe I may just be lucky enough to discover the godly grace that He means for my life and I.

Thank you for Your faithfulness, God, my Lord. I serve willingly in Your kingdom.

Amen.

MSM - Selective Omission

Found this article which was reported over on BBC news today. Unsurprisingly, not a whiff of it was heard over our local main stream media (MSM). Certainly not over Bernama, which I've checked just to be sure before I begin calling them monkey names again. After the police derailment of last Saturday night's solidarity candlelight vigil for the abolishment of the ISA, this is but yet another telltale sign that the ruling government is fearful of even its own shadow.

Anyway, here's the article.

Malaysia bans S Asia recruitment

Malaysia has suspended the recruitment of workers from India and Bangladesh, amid rising domestic tensions.

A government official said the decision might be linked to the actions of a group that led protests complaining of discrimination against ethnic Indians.

But the official did not say why the decision had been made, nor how long the restrictions would last.

The ban will affect thousands of manual labourers as well as professionals, including religious workers.

There are currently about 250,000 legal workers in Malaysia from India and Bangladesh.

'Unprecedented'

The move to freeze visas for all workers from the two countries was taken three weeks ago, the government said.

But Tuesday's announcement took many people by surprise.

A Vaithilingam, president of a Malaysian inter-faith group, said that the decision came without dialogue and was "unprecedented".

The BBC's correspondent in Kuala Lumpur, Robin Brant, said it was a significant diplomatic move by the Malaysia government.

A Home Ministry official told the BBC that the decision "may be linked to Hindraf", the Hindu activists group which organised recent rallies by Malaysian ethnic Indians.

Thousands of ethnic Indians took to the streets late last year in protest against perceived social and economic discrimination by the Malay-Muslim majority.

The announcement came on the final day of a visit to Malaysia by Indian Defence Minister AK Antony.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Mr Antony "did not raise the issue of ethnic Indians in Malaysia," reported the French news agency AFP.

An unnamed Indian professional told Reuters that the Malaysian government should not have taken such a drastic step.

"They should recognise the contribution made by Indian workers and professionals in the economic growth of the country," he said.

OI! WAKE UP LAH, SLEEPYHEAD!

I read with great amusement today a report that was carried over on Malaysiakini. It was about the antics of a group of Malay youths. These young men, not unlike a great many of the rest of us in this country, were less than enthusiastic with the performance of that lame duck of a PM we have. Yes, that same one, who a few years ago wooed us all with a campaign slogan that shouted “Work With Me, Not For Me.” Somehow, back then we took him for his word. So imagine how disgusted my compatriots and I are now when we realised that we’ve been conned into voting for a buffoon like him. And to that lie he told us back then, I’ll just resort to the classic Lat cartoon gesture. Ptooi!

Anyway, since not all of us have access to Malaysiakini, I thought I’d reproduce the article here. But before that, let’s take a moment to salute this group of discerning young men and women who were not blind to the nonsense that the current BN administration is about. They got brass balls, they do. I salute you all! I really do.

Ok. The moment’s up. Enjoy....

Group Hands Pak Lah Special Gift
Andrew Ong | Jan 4, 08 4:26pm

A group of disgruntled young Malaysians today symbolically handed a ‘gift’ to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to express their disappointment with his administration.

The gift was in the form of a yellow pillow and a bolster - both decorated with the Malaysian flag and the Petronas Twin Towers.

Abdullah however was not on hand to receive the items, which the group left at the doorsteps of the premier's office in Putrajaya this morning.

Spokesperson for the group Badrul Hisham Shaharin said he and his eight other friends had come to the conclusion that the government's ineffectiveness was due to Abdullah's purported "sleepiness".

He added that Abdullah had previously been allegedly caught nodding off at various official functions both locally and abroad.

“So we wanted to send a ‘memorandum’ about the what the youth wants. This memorandum is in form of a pillow... He can use the pillow to continue sleeping or wake up and realise that his administration is not efficient,” Badrul told reporters.

Badrul said the group consisted of artists, poets, bloggers, writters and activists but denied that the ‘pillow act’ was politically motivated.

Badrul (right) informs security guard on the group's intentions.

The group displays posters mocking Abdullah over his alleged ‘sleepiness’.

A poster referring to a 2006 report by Turkish newspaper Hurriyet regarding a luxury yacht allegedly linked to Abdullah.










“We don’t expect him to reply our ‘memorandum’. Thus far, he has never replied any memorandum sent by civil society groups,” Badrul told reporters.






Journalists and the police were stunned when the ‘memorandum’ turned out to be a pillow and a bolster.








“He can come and pick it up later if he wants,” said Badrul.










The banner reads, “The last hope of the young Malaysians: Continue sleeping O’Prime Minister”.






Baffled monkeys took a while to register what was before them before deciding how to deal with the items.










"Kita check dulu. Mana tau dari hotel yang dipakai oleh YB gila seks itu."

In solidarity with the fallen....

On a bleak day such as today, words are hard to come by to reflect the turmoiled emotions within. Oppression abounds ceaselessly within the confines of this land I live in. When man can execute without conscience upon another an act that deprives the other of his right to live as a free man, surely brokenness has immeasurably befallen upon tanahair ku. Wherefore is your dignity as a human being, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi? Where has it gone? For what has the devil promised in exchange that swayed you readily in submitting to his evil will to soil your hands with the blood of others? Do you consider this fair trade? Failure to justify this will equate to failure to have God's grace availed to you.

I am not personally acquainted with the 5 persons who have been incarcerated. I have never met them. Nor have I ever heard them speak. But my faith advocates one to not just love God but also, to love your neighbour as yourself. And so for them, I post this out today in solidarity. I know not what is happening to them at this hour of time in writing. I know not if there will be unspeakable acts being inflicted upon them; not unlike those sufferings that past detainees had reportedly been subjected to. The situation seems hapless and grim.

A friend was kind enough to dedicate a song to me in recent days. In another lifetime from the past, I have learned to experience music as a source that solace is able to feed from. And so as I seek meaning from the words to this song, I shall also pray for my 5 HINDRAF brothers for today's gross miscarriage of justice.

Who here among us has not been broken
Who here among us is without guilt or pain
So oft abandoned by our transgressions
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

There are no strangers

There are no outcasts
There are no orphans of God
So many fallen, but hallelujah
There are no orphans of God

Come ye unwanted and find affection
Come all ye weary, come and lay down your head
Come ye unworthy, you are my brother
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

O blessed Father, look down upon us
We are Your children, we need Your love
We run before Your throne of mercy
And seek Your face to rise above

Words & music by: Avalon

Almighty Lord my God, I commit to thee the oppressed.
In times when you hear cries of sufferings, lift their burdens.
Should harm's way arise, protect them O Lord. Shield them.
In your infinite mercy, I ask thee of this.
Amen.

A gentle reminder, dear PM....

Fujimori: A Classic Case Study
The former Peruvian President, Alberto Fujimori,
has been sentenced to six years in prison for abuse of power.

Dreaming.....
And hoping.....
And praying.....

That inevitably hitherto
A time and instance such as this
Will befall upon those with arrogance

For the lies they've spun
And for the abuses they've committed
Against those whom they've pledged to serve

For they will be judged
In this life, by their peers
Misdeeds forgotten not by history

Now lest they forget
Be reminded worse will still be to come
When in afterlife, they are judged by the Maker

Lord have mercy on your souls
Though undeserving as you are

Random Rants

Just a quick one before rushing out to join friends at a dinner party.

Caught this load of crap on Bernama news and got too irritated to bottle it in and to ignore taking a potshot at it.

PM, DPM Praise Samy Vellu For Dedicated Service To Nation, People "
Click here to read the stupid article"

There is so much to be said about this sod; albeit, in a negative sense. So I'm just gonna echo Patrick Teoh's blog name to sum it all up in one word.

N I A M A H ! ! !
"Click here for Patrick's blog"

How addicted to coffee am I?

As someone who need several shots of caffiene injected into his bloodstream each day just to keep the old engine running, this is either wrong or it means that I still have a 23% chance to be "reformed". Reformed? Oooo...how apt a word as the Reverend keeps reminding us that Reformation Day is just around the corner.

I am 77% Addicted to Coffee

"Rate your dependency on coffee here"

Hmmm... I wonder if there's an online method to gauge the level of my dependency (read: addiction) on nicotine?

The one on Merdeka eve.....

This was the other cake.....







And the food to go along with it.....







The mess we made thereafter.....







And of course, a great coffee to go with it.....




Thanks for that wonderful evening, guys. You know who you are.
Much appreciated.

BLC Taiping Retreat 2007 (Part 3 of the final part?)

After Camp Effect
It’s edging close to three weeks since Camp 2007 ended…and I’m overdue on completing my reflections on the event. Not that I’m offering any excuses but I had to allow a few other events of significance to take precedence over compiling my final thoughts. Not least of all was at the workplace; for which, upon my first day’s return to the office after Taiping, I unequivocally and unhesitatingly informed the company that I was leaving. And I summarily executed that decision too, in a manner most rejoiceful, 6 days ago. It’s kind of lengthy to go into details. So, I won’t. Abstractly, let’s just say that you know things have turned the corner when work practices/ethics begs questioning and/or are in direct conflict with one's faith. Nothing explosive, mind you but for my own peace of mind, I prefer not permitting my walk with God to be compromised.

I’m not going to chronicle about the remaining events of the three days of camp. There’d be too much to write and most of it would not necessarily bear witness to the rest of my own personal experience. Notwithstanding, for those who may wonder at what had transpired at churchcamp to have led me to adopt such a life transforming transgression as to choose to give up what other third parties would deem a pretty cushy job, I’m happy to advise that the answer is ‘NO’. No, as in I did not have any supernatural visitations (nor hear any strange voices) telling me to quit my job.

:P

However, there were other inclinations that had surfaced during those few days, but none more important to me than what I will share with you below.

Re-engaging God
In the few months that preceded the retreat, I had become acutely conscious of a wedge that had come between the faith that I serve and my way of being in the real world in relation to the former. Unfortunate as it seems, this consequence stemmed from my work as there was an unanticipated cost attached to the job; a price that I had not expected to be compelled into paying as part of the package. At this juncture, I once again decline to go into details. Suffice it to say that if the work and the promise of inevitable high rewards had meant more to me, I would have had to willingly succumb to oft accepting morality conflicts as a trade-off.

Now fast forward to a quarter of a year later. By now my instincts were ominously overclocking, indicating that I was already adrift off the shore. And slowly but surely, widening cracks appeared. I was beginning to feel worn down and it showed. Outwardly, my behaviour had become erratic on unwanted occasions, while decision making became unexplainably convoluted at the worst of times. Though not entirely lost at sea as yet, I had to be mindful of it; for I was aware of where I was headed if I did not throw caution to the wind. My spiritual health begged re-examination. Heck, I had even begun skipping Sunday worships involuntarily and I detest doing that.

The sojourn in Taiping had been lively and nothing short of fun. It was also shorter by a day compared to 2006 and I was sorry to see it end when it did. Regardless, as it was still a church based gathering by nature, it provided an avenue for me to return to the fold; to reconnect with spiritual roots. The prayer workshops conducted by our guest speaker (whom I must commend for never creating a dull moment) and the devotional sessions spent with my assigned camp sub-group could not have manifested itself more timely and evenly in my quest to re-center and endear my way of being with our Holy Father again. The theme of the retreat had been “To Pray and To Love” but for one who had been as spiritually challenged as I had been for this spell of time, the pivotal crunch came when we were posed this question, “Do you know where you are with the Lord?” When it was highlighted, it brought to the foreground for me a self-confrontational naked truth that resonated louder than all other existing aspects at that particular moment in time.

A God of Surprises
So it was to this small town that I came, asking for the Almighty to surprise me. As always, He did not fail me. He responded in no small measures and in more ways than one. Notwithstanding His generosity, there were several notable things that stood out; each leaving its own signature footprint on me.

The first of these was a motley crew of seven other people with whom I will be sharing my thoughts with, and with whom I shall have to work hand-in-hand with for the duration of the camp. This was the sub-group that I had mentioned earlier. Each of us were randomly selected and banded together. Quite honestly, with the exception of my Godsister-in-Christ, I knew very little about the others. But for the Holy Spirit anointing us with the elements of fellowship, this would all change rapidly. Very quickly, we learnt to knit ourselves together into a single identity. And in tackling the task the group had been assigned with for the retreat, we gelled when it mattered most. Indeed, being with and working in unison with this group of wonderful people turned out to be an incredible source of joy. At this point, I have to confess that the human weakness in me will always cave in and resort to intentional disassociation from the mainstream whenever I feel vulnerable. I become ill at ease with others around me. But this time, the abundance of goodwill generated by my fellow brothers and sisters-in-Christ was a factor that was not lost on me. Sheepishly, I have to admit to ceaselessly drinking from the pool of blessings that spewed forth from this pool of goodness. I suppose this was the lesson our Lord God intended for me to learn when He created the space for me to re-immerse myself into community by full association. And community is what really matters at the end of the day, is it not? No man is an island, as the wise would say. And so as I end my thoughts regarding Camp 2007, one of the things I ought to do before signing off is to acknowledge this sub-group who regarded and unconditionally accepted me as part of the bigger body of Christ through whom we share. Regardless of whether they were conscious of it or otherwise, I would like to thank them for the contributions they have made to my life at a time when I most needed it. Thank you, Bawi-li.

Oh, and then how's this for surprise #2….

An unexpected celebration.....

A candlelit cake.....




All round well wishes in the midst of the entire churchcamp gang bellowing out a song. I may have just turned forty three but this left me speechless. Irredoubtably speechless and happily stunned.

Thank you, God.
You’re just too good to me!
I am in awe of you.

"How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this? "

Lyrics from Everything by Lifehouse

Conclusion
Oh, regarding what had been troubling me earlier? Let’s just close that chapter of my life by saying that I’ve never been happier to leave a job to renew my journey with God. ;)

Amen to that!

BLC Taiping Retreat 2007 (Part 2 of ?)

“Wettest” Location in Malaysia
Another well known infamous trait associated with Mob-town is its rainfall. Long established as the “wettest” region in Malaysia, it receives almost twice as much rainfall as any other place in the country. So having been pre-warned, few among us from the churchcamp gang dared ride into town that Friday afternoon without being armed with an umbrella or two. Afterall, we did have that little outdoor activity to worry about as we assembled at Taiping’s fabled Lake Gardens for icebreaker games.

Mind you, the skies looked gloriously dry that day; and defying the odds, it remained that way for the rest of the day too. I could not resist but reflect why. Once again, I remind readers that we are talking about Taiping here. The very same Taiping where the locals are known to put a wager or two on whether it’ll rain on any given day and at any given time; even to the specific hour and minute of when the first drop would fall, I was told. Really, I kid you not.

Anyway, why did the Lord have other plans for this day? If it was so much as due to His divine intervention, why, one would asked, did He want to buck the trend? Why tilt the balance? What was He after?

A serious thinker could (and one suspects, maybe would) dig deep and probe even deeper into DNA for nano-atomic answers. Hark, for a serious thinker, indeed. And that I am not. I have no capacity, nor the stomach. Not since a long while ago. These days, I’m more intrigued by how to arrive at simpler answers. At this juncture, I’m reminded of this joke someone told me a few days ago. It went like this…

A question, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” was posed to Aristotle, ex-President Clinton and Colonel Sanders. Undoubtedly, each arrived with different opinions.

Aristotle: “It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.”

Clinton: “I've had so many chicks. I can't remember...?”

And the all-time winning answer was…

Colonel Sanders: “I missed one?”

Muahaahaha…

But seriously folks, humour aside, I think the most appropriate and suitable answer would be a common sensed based reply. An answer that is simple and logical to all minds. Something not unlike what a kindergarten teacher may answer her 6-year old pupil. Something that one’s mind wouldn’t have to bend over backwards for. Something like, “Because it wanted to get to the other side...”

Sweet!

And so maybe it is the same for the Lord. No overly strenuous explanation. That He did what He did to not allow the games to be aborted for the simplest of reasons. And that was because it gave Him great joy to watch His children play. Regardless of how farcical and mindless the nature of the games was.

And so He made it that it did not rain that day…but unfortunately for the rest of Camp 2007, it was just for that day. Heh!

BLC Taiping Retreat 2007 (Part 1 of ?)

Man: “Life is so scary. And so confusing. I wish things could be more clear.”

God: “There is nothing scary about life, if you are not attached to results.”

Man: “You mean if you don’t want anything?”

God: “That’s right. Choose, but stay on the path of ‘don't want’ after that.”

Cameron Highlands 2006.
I had attended churchcamp there last year, and had enjoyed that experience immensely. More so, as it had been my first ever.

Taiping 2007
Now, exactly twelve months later to the day, Camp 2007 beckoned. I had been unsure about what to expect this time. I don’t know (and won’t know) about the outlook of others, but unlike the cool and idyllic holiday setting of 2006, this year’s chosen venue was the small town of Taiping; an eon old relic town enclaved midway up the northern region. The name Taiping comes from the Chinese word Tai-Peng which means eternal peace. Ironically, its history was anything but such. Word has it that this sleepy hollow was birthed during a notorious era when warlords battled one another for the much coveted prize to control the lucrative tin-fields. A slash, slash here and a chop, chop there. Not much different from the typical blood and gore stuff that reeks out of HK gangster movies.

TAIPING (a.k.a. Mob-town). Heh! :D

Anyway, I digress.

Casting aside the infamy of the location, there was further reason for my slightly left-of-center pessimism regarding Camp 2007. I had, in the fore year’s event, experienced a spiritual “high”. And the source for that may mostly be attributed to the presence of a particularly skilled guest speaker whom my church had invited. Renowned as he was for his oratory deliverance, he had impressed most of the participants; leaving upon us his indelible mark. Heck, tickled I am still each time the word “plumbing” is uttered, for it fastidiously serves to remind me of what transpired during the “Men’s Only” workshop session.

And so, herewith, this gave rise to a mini dilemma. That is, if I choose to attend Camp 2007 carrying the expectations of Camerons 2006, I may become vulnerable to disappointment if the event failed to live up to its billing. Wary and worried as I was about being disenfranchised with church retreats, I thought I’d strike up a deal with the Almighty. And so I said, “Abba Father, I give thanks for the gift to attend this year’s camp but if I may, I’d like to go with NO EXPECTATIONS. I only ASK TO BE SURPRISED by You, and for this, I also ask for You to CREATE OPENINGS in my heart and in my mind to receive as such. Amen.”

3 Days Later
And with that, I scooted off to Taiping and returned 3 days later fully renewed with my second consecutive “high” in two years.

Conclusion
“God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good.”

(To be continued…)

Perhaps, an all-Malaysian 'Unifying' Barbecue?

I'm not normally given to reproducing news reports unnecessarily but this one struck a chord. So I find myself asking "And why not?". Afterall, we do live in "Boleh-land" and eating is a passion with its inhabitants. Ok, ok, it's also my primary passion. There. I've admitted it. Happy now? :P

TUTU PRAISES 'UNIFYING' BARBECUES

Archbishop Tutu's favourite sausage is a beef boerewors

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has become the patron of South Africa's Barbecue (Braai) Day, saying the pastime is a unifying force in a divided country.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate celebrated his appointment by donning an apron and tucking into a sausage outside his office.

"This is something that can unite us. It is so proudly South African, so uniquely South African," he said.

Braai Day takes place on September 24, which is also National Heritage Day.

Organiser Jan Scannell said the idea was not to have a mass braai, but rather many small ones with friends and family.

'Wonderful institution'

"There are so many things that are pulling us apart, this has a wonderful potential to bring us all together," Archbishop Tutu told reporters on Wednesday.

"We have 11 different official languages but only one word for the wonderful institution of braai: in Xhosa, English, Afrikaans, whatever," he said.

Sometimes I am surprised when people say, 'You are our patron' Archbishop Tutu

"We've shown the world a few things. Let's show them that ordinary activities like eating can unite people of different races, religions, sexes... short people, tall people, fat people, lean people," he added.

The retired Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, who won the Nobel Prize in 1984 for his anti-apartheid struggle, continues to speak out against injustice at home and abroad.

He is linked to a peace foundation and HIV and TB centres, and he is patron to a number of organisations, including children's hospitals, hospices, nutrition clinics, orphanages and a soccer team.

Darn! It's past 1 in the morning now and this blogpost has made me hungry. Where the heck am I gonna find me a hotdog made of beef boerewors sausage?

I'm sorry....

"Aside from that, I can think of no other words. Yet, I know that despite the infinite times I echo those words, nothing will bring you back. I'm so sorry.

It's been more than 2 days now since that tragic accident. An extremely haunting period for one to live through. The depression is filled with much mixed emotions, and all of it is entirely guilt and remorse. Absolute.

Forgive me, Father. I have sinned. Whether I had intended or not intended for it, I have taken a life that I had no right to take. I didn't know. I could not possibly have known that it was lying on the ground beneath the car. Regardless of the price, Father Lord, I will gladly answer for it if it means redeeming that poor soul into your everlasting Kingdom. Please Lord, by your grace, I ask of you.

Amen."

This guilt ridden note is written consequent of me unwittingly running over a baby kitten while reversing my vehicle two days ago. The animal endured much suffering and pain before dying within a few minutes.

Another Malaysian politician talk cock

Aiyoo...!!! Not another mindless politician uttering nonsense (see below). Beh tahan liao. Lord, have mercy.

Senator Proposes Relocation To Solve KL Flood Woes

KUALA LUMPUR, July 16 (Bernama) -- A senator Monday proposed that Kuala Lumpur be relocated to solve the problem of perennial flash floods in the federal capital.

Senator Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said that geographically Kuala Lumpur was located in a valley and exposed to floods as the densely populated city was becoming more congested.

"Rather than spending billions of ringgit on flood mitigation which have yet to be proven effective, why not relocate the capital and name it `ibu kota tanpa lumpur' (capital city without mud)?" he said, much to the delight of members of the Dewan Negara.

Dr Mohd Puad referred to the massive flood in the capital on June 30 and said he attributed it to the failure of the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) to drain off the floodwaters.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Territories Ministry Yew Teong Lock said the floods occurred two weeks before the SMART facility was completed and that as such it could not be deemed ineffective.

"According to Kuala Lumpur City Hall and the Drainage and Irrigation Department, the SMART facility, which was commissioned recently, can prevent massive flooding in Kuala Lumpur," he said.

Replying to a supplementary question, from Senator G.K. Loga Chitra, Yew said no compensation would be given to shopkeepers who suffered losses due to the floods because it was a natural disaster.

To Loga Chitra's original question, he said plans to overcome flash floods in Kuala Lumpur entailed short-term measures such as regular maintenance of rivers and drains as well as long-term measures such as upgrading of drains, and building more retention ponds and flood control pump stations.

-- BERNAMA

As an aside, GE seems to be coming up soon. Hope the electorate will be more matured in who they vote in this time. Adoi..!!! Now it seems that I'm the one talking cock. Malaysian voters matured? Too early in the day for me to be daydreaming, I suppose. ;)

Human Transformers

aiyoo, my God. these people are as the hokkiens will say, "chiak beh tua".

WHAT TYPE OF CHRISTIAN AM I?
PROTESTANT NON-FUNDAMENTALIST You are a Non-fundamentalist Protestant. You don't really have a lot of formalized clergy. Your worship is pretty free in terms of what and how you worship. You love the Bible. Your pastor preaches almost an hour. You don't receive Communion all that often and you don't really care to either. Jesus is your life and you pray to Him a lot like He's your brother.
Take The Quiz Now!	Quizzes by myYearbook.com

This predictor is "so-so" only leh. Two parts were inaccurate. Here's why:

1. My pastor DOES NOT preach for a whole hour; he only clocks up three quarters of that at best, but this is probably due to the deep rooted subconscious Anglican Communion inclined type of Christian in him (;P); which, depending on what the occasion is, can be a tad too long, especially for sleep deprived kitties like yours truly. Ermm.... HINT! HINT! Hehe... ;)
   
2. Meow-meows do receive of and also, greatly believe in the Holy Communion. Of course they do. If not, how else can one explain why is it that all of us felines can so easily obtain the "LULUS" seal of approval on our visa applications to enter Heaven when our time here on Earth is done (Note: read my earlier post below). Sadly, I have to report that dumb canines also enjoy the same privileges. It's just "so-so-so" not fair. Sigh.... :<

What does my birthdate mean?

Now, am I really, really all of the below?

Birthdate: 31st August

You're a pretty traditional person. If it's lasted, it's probably good. You seek stability - both in your career and your romantic relationship. In return, you're very loyal and predictable. Which is usually a good thing. Without a partner, you feel lost. Being with someone is very important to you. Your strength: Your dependability Your weakness: You hate being alone Your power color: Midnight blue Your power symbol: Shell Your power month: April Click here to check on your birth date

A Meow of Noble Descent.....

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: His Grace Lord Millemeow the Kind of Mousehole by Sea Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Another of the Rev's playthings.
How apt the mention of the word mouse? Purr....fect.... ;)