Marathon

Yesterday got a good time chating and catching up with my fren, also my finacial insurance agent. Had know him for 6 years… wow. Time flies.

The first impression of him wasn’t a good one. The first encounter still stays vivid in my mind.

I opened my hostel room. The room was a big mess. Never in my life enter such mess. The floor is browny in color. The bed full of “don’t know what thing”. I only remember a lot of pirated cds and cd-rom around. And I saw one guy sleeping there... I was so shocked, as the room supposed to be vacant for new tenant.. anyway, he was there, and he ‘squat’ in my room for a few months. Slowly get use to his presence, and the friendship grow. As a senior, he did help me in small and little way. And, the most idea is I can use his pc to surf net and play game. Ho ho. (

Anyway, the friendship grew and I enjoyed his company too.

His life took a big turn when he was down with major illness and was hospitalized for few months. I wasn’t aware of this. Only till I met up with him again for his insurance business. I saw a changed person. I was really amazed at how God work in our life. I wonder if God going to struck me with major illness to awake me…

I got a good time meeting him, not just on financial matter. He shared about his recent experience in participating of marathon. Thru it, he learned that running marathon need a lot of mental perseverance, and he now fully appreciate what it takes to run a good race for God in Christian faith. Running with aim, and draw strength from God, and receive encouragement and fellowship with fellow runner. He shared that he able to run the full marathon only with strength God gave, and with a god-sent runner to encourage him to keep on, and keep pace with him.

Wow. Very blessed by his sharing…

Sometime, I felt also alone in my own marathon. Felt like giving up, or, maybe I wasn’t giving up, but I already slacken in my walk. I believe it is timely that God sent him to share with me his part of life.

Let us all keep each other in pace, and keep in step with the Spirit.

Hebrews 10:23-25 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Another military aircraft crashes...

Another military aircraft crashed in Malaysia. An almost wild rage rouse within me.

“another one! Every year one or two case, and a few soldier died! What the government doing over there?! Tax payer money is no money?! ”

Recently I read and explore into current issue in Malaysia, be it politics, economics, or, the most concerned one, the education. The more I read, the more disheartened I am. I think I finally can appreciate the frustration my frens shared few years ago. Few years ago, I still yet to be critical toward government. If start to be critical about the government, Malaysian government stand no chance of getting 1 point.

Quote from magazine: “In Malaysia, as in many South-East Asian countries, the Chinese minority traditionally controlled the large share of the economy, while Malays and Indian take less influence. In 1969, resentment at this situation helped to fuel a convulsive bout of race riots. The government of the day (also led by UMNO) settled on affirmative action as a means to defuse racial tensions. Most jobs in the bureaucracy were reserved for Malays, as were the majority of government contracts. Quotas were set for university admissions, allowing Malays to win places ahead of better qualified Chinese and Indians. Companies were supposed to place at least 30% of their shares in Malay hands. Developers were required to sell a certain proportion of housing and commercial property to Malays, often at a discount—and so on and on.”

Magazine comments on this on-going phenomena in Malaysia as such, “The world's most notorious system of positive discrimination has had only limited success and hardly any recently.”

Time to change a government? Not likely, or, no people want to risk the ‘apparent peace and growth’. The ruling party (especially UMNO lead Malays) likes to remind the citizen of 13 May 1969 incident to instill fear among the minority ethics group. The message behind is “if you dare to change government, no one will guarantee the M group will do any funny thing to destroy everything we have now.”

This is very effective mean. Most people would like to settle at what seem to be good, and don’t like to risk for best. Can we have faith in such area? I am sure we can. Who will go before us for our future good? Me? Can I? Can a businessmen so successful to influence the government? Can the M group change their attitude toward national matter? Can the police force don't disgrace the name of Malaysian anymore? Can the officer quit the 'bribe-addict'? Can chinese stop all those illegal transaction? Can chinese stop to give bride to governing officer for commercial interest? Can Malaysia achieve low-corruption (I don't hope for ZERO corruption)?
Can all the angry Malaysian change the political climate in Malaysia? Malaysian can hope for a better government?

I am keeping my fingers cross…

A call at 1115pm...

1115pm. Phone rang. Caller ID Number showed +6012608XXXX. I was quite puzzled. I thought the work contacts in KL call me at such late hour. What an odd hour with an odd number display. A bit doesn’t feel like pick up the call when I associated it to work-related. Thinking maybe I just return call tomorrow morning.

Anyway still have to pick up the call. Then a familiar voice at the top of her voice pierced thru my ear. I was still a bit unsure about that. Finally, it is really Yoke Yao. Ha ha. The first few minute was all her scolding for not contact her for long long time. I am not sure how many of you know her, perhaps only the bro and sister graduate from NTU know about her. She came to our church for a period of time…

Got a good chat with her and catch up over the phone.. Goodness.. Expensive call.. 50++ mins… hais… next time must prepare an IDD card always in wallet…

Anyway, just to share about this fren as I recalled that I did promise one person to share about this unique friend.

She is the first one that really taught me what really mean to care for a friend beyond the comfort zone. As far as I remember, I was challenged by her in everyway. I thought I was loving enough, but I was told never truly concern for a friend in some ways. And my friendliness was said to be not genuine. It was quite hard to accept such idea. Thru her truthful relating and honest confrontation in way I perceive things, certain area of my perception and idea was like been examine so thoroughly. It is another kind of examination. Different from shepherd’s kind, shepherd’s kind more toward spiritual discipline, her kind is really dealing with friends. Anyway, at the end of it, I think I really grow to be a better friend to her.

Well. Don’t know how to elaborate more. Too much details to say. I believe we all bound to encounter such “difficult” (in our own definition) friend in our life, maybe you are now facing one, as long as we learn to go to the source of love, our Father in heaven, no friend and no enemy too difficult to love and care for…

I was thinking this. We are like waiter/waitress in a restaurant, and our manager is Jesus, our customer is fellow bro/sis, and friends. And when we receive complaint that our service is lousy, it really take a humble attitude to first examine ourselves first, and then, of course, Jesus will show face to attend to the complaint and help us to settle the unpleasant thing. (In a way, Jesus is the perfect example of love). Then, we just learn from Jesus how to serve (love) better, and make sure each customer step into the restaurant will leave the restaurant with 100% satisfaction. But if it is false accusation, the manager definitely understands us, for He know everyone of us more than we know ourselves.

Peter Neoh Paraphrased 2 Co 5:20, for we are all Christ’s servant in restaurant, and if we do a great service, people will come back for more of our Christ’s like service. And one day, they will be inspired by the service, they too become Christ’s servant to learn of the way of perfect love and service.

4D, Toto... What do you think?

Today got a piece of good news from mother. She strike 4D first price using my handphone number. -.-

I was quite excited about it at first… ha ha… then, was reminded that I shouldn’t be so happy, as it is not what I encourage her doing ever since my secondary school. I don’t know what to say, just told her not to be too happy about that, anyway, she has been giving money to that Magnum (a lottery company like Singapore Pool), Magnum just give a fraction of that money as a token of gratitude to her unfailing support.. ha ha. Not sure how she felt. Anyway, it is quite pointless to say ‘buy 4D is no use’, when she actually won quite a big sum from that... well. I consider it maybe a way that God use to bless the family financially.

Mm... What do you think?

祂不會在緊要關頭退縮

I was reading this article, and was very blessed by it... I hope those who can read chinese may benefit from this reading...

祂不會在緊要關頭退縮

作者：蘿莉‧白‧瓊斯( Laurie Beth Jones)

馬丁‧史柯西斯(Martin Scorsese)的電影《基督最後的誘惑》( The Last Temptation of Christ)挑起了國際間的爭議，因為電影中暗示，假如耶穌放棄被釘十字架，決定要繼續留在世上經營木工店，會發生什麼事？這點其實很重要，而且是我們需要思考的。假如耶穌在這個緊要關頭退縮，會發生什麼事？身為一個人類，祂很可能會這麼做。祂可以在任何時候收回自己的主張，這可以讓不願將祂處死的政治勢力鬆一大口氣，同時可以讓堅決將祂送上十字架的宗教勢力感到錯愕不已。「我收回我的話，你們都對。我只是一個來自拿撒勒的人，被人們的熱情沖昏了頭。我想我現在只要把我母親和朋友找來，我們就都可以回家了。」祂可以撤退，停止爭鬥，但是祂在思考之後，卻下定決心，不在緊要關頭退縮。

在我們的生命裡，有些時候我們會在緊要關頭退縮，通常都在我們的整體價值受到質疑的時候。不久前我接到一通一位女性朋友的電話，當時她的心情極度沮喪。有位名叫比爾的人離職了，而他是她一手提拔，充份信任的人。結果比爾自己開了一家公司和她競爭，而且在客戶面前說了很多她的壞話。在隨後的幾個星期裡，雖然她有機會擴張公司版圖，但都因為比爾的背叛而灰心喪志，甚至不太確定自己還要不要在那個行業繼續經營。我提醒她，就連耶穌都有個叛徒猶大，事實上猶大也是上帝計劃的一部份。假如她離開這一行，比爾和他低道德感的心就獲得勝利。

她的確走到了一個關鍵點。要退縮？還是堅持原則與使命？我跟她一同禱告，結果她卻定要繼續前進，相信上帝贊同她為善的意念。她雖然受到屈辱，心裡受到傷害，還是決定不要在緊要關頭退縮。稍後不久，她打敗了所有的競爭對手─包括比爾─獲得一只價值兩百萬美元的合約。

「他必不怕兇惡的信息。他心堅定，倚靠耶和華。他心確定，總不懼怕，直到他看見敵人遭報。」─詩篇112:7-8。

啟示錄告訴我們，「遵守」上帝命令的人，總會得到權柄。─啟示錄2：26。靈魂總是在接受試煉的時候才能衡量，到底會不會在緊要關頭爆裂、折斷，破碎？

根據聖經學者的說法，約伯記是目前被認為聖經中最古老的一卷，甚至比創世紀寫得還要早。整本書的主題就是在陳述「不在緊要關頭退縮」。故事中撒但告訴上帝：「約伯當然每天向你禱告囉。你看看他！他什麼都有！」─約伯記1:8。因此上帝允許無數的考驗降臨到約伯身上，約伯終於說：「他必殺我。我雖無指望，然而我在他面前還要辯明我所行的。」─約伯記13:15。不論環境如何艱險，約伯在接受考驗時，還是堅持自己的信仰，相信上帝極致的愛。重要的時刻就是約伯因信心進入，而非離去。

在任何情況下，耶穌都能夠證實，祂可以承擔重任。

祂不會在緊要關頭退縮。