The Rocks

In conjunction with Teachers' Day & in our attempt to be a blessing to the secondary schools around Jalan Ipoh, TOUCH will be giving gifts to 120 teachers in SMK Raja Ali. We chose Raja Ali because it's the nearest school from our church., & we chose to bless the teachers because... what better way to penetrate into a school than to first touch the hearts of teachers, right?



Yesterday (Thursday) a bunch of helpful volunteers came over to my humble room to make beautiful paperweights. It took us (9 people if you include Rebecca & I, missing from the picture) 4 hours to complete 52 paperweights, simply because we (by that, I mean they) put our hearts & souls into each one - we want every teacher to be blessed by this small little gift. Tomorrow, we'll hope to finish another 68 more paperweights, while making another 120 handcrafted bookmarks. I hope that tomorrow's bunch will be able to give as much passion & enthusiasm as those yesterday.

Oh, in order to fund this community project & also others to come, we've started selling car stickers with our (new!!) TOUCH logo & our blip.tv link on them. Hopefully as we document our God-given ventures, www.touchpictures.blip.tv will create awareness towards our cause. I've recorded yesterday's paperweight-producing moments, that video will be up soon.

Many thanks to those who have given to help out in this endeavour - your talents, money, time, petrol are well-invested. THANK YOU.

Back & Gone Again

I've just came back from Taiping about 5 hours ago. HUGE camp 2007 was wonderful. There were some things that I wished would have been different, but I'm glad to say that I was blessed indeed. I'm very excited about writing on my experiences in HUGE here, but time doesn't permit. I will be on another bus in about 9 hours' time, this time the destination is Johor Bahru. Hopefully I'll have some time alone to pen (type) my thoughts down during my 4 days' stay down south. In the meantime, you can check out the videos below.

Gosh I'm missing TOUCH already...

HUGE pictures

2nd Prize

On the way to Menara Star this morning, I keep trying to imagine myself letting out a shout of victory, but I just couldn't. Neither could I imagine myself out of the top 3 placings. For the past 2 weeks I've been getting mix reviews from friends, mostly positive ones. Even so, one can't help but to think about the mistakes we made - we should have done more research & planning before the contest; we shouldn't have wasted almost 2 hours in Rawang; I should have used Adobe Premier Pro for sound mixing; boy we should have had time for Penang food...



It was really nerve-wrecking to wait for the results with May & Freddi. The MC was counting down from 10th place & we kept saying "don't call our name, please don't call our name". Good thing we were told beforehand that we were in the top 5, haha!! But in the end, we were beaten by a worthy opponent, & the results were fair. It's a bittersweet feeling, though, knowing that there was a 50% chance we would get first prize and RM2000 more.



Well, all in all, I'm grateful for the outcome of my first attempt in a video competition and my first taste of fame. Knowing that I could have done so much better with the video, I have confidence moving forward.

A big THANKS to all those who voted for us.

I've Quitted My Job

June 29, 2007, was my last day at my job of 2 years and 4 months. There was such an adreneline rush as I packed all my stuff; an excitement of having something that I want to come to my end, actually coming to an end. It was only as I typed the traditional 'farewell' email to my colleagues that I began to shed some tears. It sunk in - I will miss the people whom I've seen most in the past 2 years. I held back my tears as I shook their hands & gave some hugs.

I'm so thankful that I've been fortunate enough to be a part of that company. The people there were so patient with me & helped me so much as I grew from a young kid to a working adult (i'm still a young kid). I hope I have given a little something for them as well.

Now when I pray for them, I sweep through the office & remember them by their seating. I don't know if I'll ever forget what it was like there. But I know it's the right thing to do, leaving that job. I'm at exactly where I've envisioned myself to be. It was strange, at first, that God-given vision of mine. Quitting only after June would mean getting a 4-month extension on my previous contract. 4 months!! But I got it, amazingly. Now I'm mentally and emotionally ready for such a time as this.

So what's next for me?

My big plan is to make yet another movie. These 2-3 months my primary focus would be on writing and filming my second ever movie production. And if everything goes according to plan, I have sponsors & enough cash to do it like the pros. Of course, there are other things that I will be doing::

1. Make my passport.

2. Travel to Singapore & Phillipines.

3. Weekends are focused on youths & the weekend pictionary club.

4. Watch DVDs!!

5. Catch up with old friends & get them hooked on PICTIONARY!!

Wish me luck. If you want, you can even pray for me. Thank you all.

Weekend Pictionary Club

Above are pictures taken last Saturday night- a gathering of young people, bonding with conversation, food, and pictionary... Pictionary has got to be one of the best board games ever. It's interactive, it's a team sport, requires a lot of brains & creativity, it's rarely about luck. It's just such a fun game!! Funny how it has been in my house all my life & I've only discovered it recently. And I'm really grateful and amazed to see how it can bring people together!! I believe every cell group should own a set.

since 1985

The Weekend Pictionary Club is only the beginning of another God-given dream. And I'm so excited!!

(picture taken by Josephine Kang)

May & Rabeekah... Together we form a deadly partnership...

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

2 Corinthians 5:16-17 - Therefore, regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

I like this scripture. Because of His death, I now participate in HIS LIFE - it tells me that I'm bigger than my body gives me credit for. My status in society, my ranking in the office doesn't define who I am or what I can do. I am part of the movers and shakers of the society. I can actually make a difference. I can look at the happenings around me & not be depressed, because I have the power to turn things around. I'm a new creation. The possibilities are endless.

I believe that this scripture also encourages us to not regard others according to the flesh. To look at others through God's eyes; to stop placing pre-judgements on people. I remember I had this dislike towards a particular person for the longest time. I would constantly get frustrated and angry (I'm sure I had the same effect on him). It was only years later that I decide to stop pre-judging him, to stop considering all our past encounters & place a label on him. I ask for his forgiveness, and made a vow to give of us a fresh start EVERYTIME we meet.

Since then our relationship has been so much better. We both were happier people. Having this perpective might not change the other person, but it would be so much more easier to love that person. After all, isn't that what God asks of us - to love our neighbour?

God I thank You for a new identity in You. I thank You for the cross that opened the way for me to be an heir of the Kingdom. I thank You for Your love upon me & I totally love the way You think of me. Teach me to love others the same. Amen.

I'm leaving my day job.

It is confirmed - I'm quitting my day job. My current contract actually ends in February, but I'll stay till April to make sure all my tasks have been passed on.

Ready to take off...

Had a conversation with my boss, for whom I am grateful. He gave me a chance to learn in his company & meet so many friends. He reminded me of the opportunity I'm leaving behind - involvement in a big project that will look good in my resume & job security for at least 2 years. He also allowed me the opportunity to share with him the frustrations I have with this job (will write about that next time).

The reason I'm leaving this job is because of HOPE & BELIEF. I hope the real world isn't filled with jobs that will drain the life out of every individual. And I believe that if the real world is what I have experienced in the past 2 years, that the real world is LIKE THAT, then I need to create a new reality, or at least represent what I believe reality should be like.

the sky's the limit

My family & friends have really motivated me towards this decision, especially with the arrival of my PC & my video camera. God has been really good to me as well, answering me exactly the way I asked for. It's awesome to know that I'm not alone in this journey of running with a God-given dream. I'm still planning out the things I want to do during my first few months of unemployment. One thing's for sure - I have a video camera and a powerful PC which I desire to fully utilise.

You'll see me doing a lot of that...

Decisions, Decisions...

This week is quite crucial for me. My manager has placed pressure on me, & I have to decide on whether I'll be staying with the company beyond February or not. And oddly enough, my entire family is not with me right now. Brother is in Australia still, dad went to Phillipines & mom has gone to Kuching. I wish I can talk to them face-to-face. I've heard their opinions, but never really have I shared my dilemma with them.

It used to be easier. Day by day I would face more and more situations that were hard to bear. Work wasn't fun. But I've come to realise that no matter who I work with, there's certainly be conflict & contrasting opinions, so it's not about that anymore. It's not about hardship I've faced anymore, because I know following my dreams will be equally challenging. And it's definitely not about money, because I know that my Dream-Giver has my back.

It's about where He wants me to be, who He wants me to touch, and what He wants me to learn.

And so I've asked God to help me imagine my near future. I need to see myself - what I'll be doing & how I'll be using my time... If I can see it, then I can do it. I don't know if it's just me, but I see a lot of myself being without a full time job & doing free lance stuff... Movie making is one thing. Maybe more stuff on videos... There's plenty to explore in that area, and it's one of my strongest gifts. Another thing I love about not having a 9-5 job is the amount of time I can have to invest in people's lives.

Of course, keeping this job will assure income - Stability. But as innocent as it sounds, I believe that if God wants me to quit this job & go free lance, he'll meet my every need. Plus, I can get any job I want (i think), though I doubt I can find a job that pays as much as what I receive now. I have actually thought about it, and the worst job I can get is kindergarten teacher. God knows how bad I am with children.

People say that those who follow their dreams are brave people. Well I'm scared as a hungry mouse that has just been injected by some Australian lab student with some chemicals that cause its skin to illuminate - scared to stay hungry, scared to be eaten by the cat if I do venture out. I want it to be God's timing. I want to be doing what God wants me to do lah, simple as that. Could you pray with me please? Maybe we'll get an answer...

My 22nd Birthday

Yea, I know it's a bit too late to blog about something that happened on 20 Oct, but I just had to do this. It's my small way of saying thank you to all those who made my birthday a memorable one.

Those who made it happen - mom, dad, and May.

Somehow there wasn't a picture of the 4 of us together.

Joseph presented me the gift, but in this picture it was more like his birthday. Haha...

When you have a dream, some friends will dream along with you. Some friends will encourage you & push you forward. And then there are those who ask you to be reasonable & sensible, to keep a balance between chasing a dream & facing the realities of life - which is understandable.

 

 

My bunch of friends (BIG FAMILY) have so much faith in my dream, and more importantly, in me, that they actually invest their money. Most of them are students, mind you. Took me 3 days to write 28 thank cards. I could have just send them an email or print something out, but writing to each one of them personally is the least I can do.

So this is it. My new camera, costs nearly RM3000. 3.1 Megapixel, 3 CCD (don't ask me what it means. I just know that it's very cool & extremely good). May managed to bargain and got several free stuff too, like a very cool umbrella (finally an umbrella I can call my own!!) and a tripod (sweet!!).

 

Thank you everyone!! It's a truly awesome gift. To TOUCH, thank you for loving me. Maybe I shouldn't be the youth leader next year, cause the next thing I want is....Haha. Thank you all. Thank you for believing in me. I won't let you down, and I'll make you very proud. It's an investment you won't regret, and someday you'll be proud to say that you helped kicked off Joash Chan's dream.

Thank you, Chi Wing, for this very cool pen. Johannah Ang, thank you so much for your card. You're a sweet girl. I hope you always remain a joyful person. And of course, Lemuel & Melanie, thank you for the wine. We shall open it when both of you visit my house.

 

I am bold and courageous, cause the Lord my God is with me!!

Today I turn 22...

and I'm struggling for words... Birthdays can be very depressing. Another year has passed and I don't know if I have done anything at all in this dream-fulfilling journey of mine.

Perhaps it's because I'm beginning to see the path clearer now and there's still so many things to be done!! Short term goals & projects are serving as stepping stones, training ground & a good roadmap. Currently I am at a crossroad. I've been offered a career opportunity of a lifetime. Yet at the same time I have a brilliant business idea - the chance to earn money while doing something I absolutely love for a great cause. Talked with dad about it last night & he (indirectly) said that I lack discipline to work as my own boss. And he is right. I have to start being discipline. I have a lot on my shoulders & I don't want to disappoint the people that trust me.

PEOPLE... So many people. I want to impact their lives - my colleagues, the businessmen I meet everyday, waiters, train passangers, friends, old schoolmates, long lost friends, residents of Jalan Ipoh. I want the sisters to know that perfect love is found in God. I want the brothers to know that friendship is a precious thing. I want young people to know that their lives are meant for so much more. I want them to be people of HOPE, people of FAITH, and people of LOVE. I want the world to know that when they put their hope in Jesus, they can describe their lives as ABUNDANT, FULL, LIVELY, not mundane, or boring.

I want my parents to know that I love them very much & I appreaciate everything they do for me. I want to thank them for providing me with a place I can call HOME & for allowing May to feel the same way. I want my brother Emmanuel to know that I admire his many good qualities, especially his ability to capture an audience. I want May to know that I love her & I pray that I'll be able to be her best friend & a good role model always. I want Michael Chow to know that I miss him dearly wherever he is. I want the youth leaders who have been working with me for the past 5 years to know that I'm sorry that I didn't lead them well enough & that their potentials are limitless. To TOUCH and all the young people in FCC, I desire to inspire them to live a life of GREATNESS by achieving the dreams I have set out for.

Other special shout outs for :-

• Alina Ong - my dad prayed Psalm 20 over me this morning. It's for you too. Happy Birthday.
• Chong Soo Fen & Samuel Tan - you have shaped my life, more than you know.
• Lemuel Yee - thank you for your friendship. With you I can be myself. You are thought-provoking & inspiring.
• Ming Yan - I didn't know what to expect with you. But I'm glad we're friends.
• Mike Ng - You're simply an amazing guy & friend.
• Famous people who don't know me (yet) - Amanda Congdon, David Letterman, Kenny Sia, David Tao - you make me believe that dreams can come true.

Dreams

Got this sms from Daniel... Not sure who composed it, but it's quite inspiring...

 

When we ponder upon the stars,

When we reach for our dreams,

We're never bothered by how far away they seem.

Instead we are inspired by the beauty of our vision.

Dreams are like stars=brilliant & enthusiastic.

The beauty of the stars will give you strength,

Inspire you to move on,

& make your dreams come true.

Experimental Grounds 2nd wave

We had our ExG 2 last Friday night. It's really nice to see young people expressing themselves in worship unto God. Some of them were absolutely inspiring. I'll be writing about it later. I'll be making the video on the event and post it on the internet. You'll be able to find it at the sidebar link "My Videos". For now, i'll just show you my piece.

This is only the first version. I had to rush through the ending, as it was really late already and I know it was going to be a long day ahead. As I was lying on my bed I actually had to force myself to stop thinking about ways to improve the video. I've decided to get back to this project after I have completed the church videos. I think there's 5 videos that need to be done. So that will take 2 weeks.

Feel free to give comments. And if you're rich, you may want to consider being my producer for my movie. Haha. Enjoy.

It's Time To Fly

In the VisionCast Service last Sunday, I taught about Galations 5:6 which says that "For in Christ Jesus, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion has any value; what mattes is something far more interior - faith expressing itself in love". Easter Sunday reminded us of the implications of the blood of Jesus - the redemptive power of it all. We are no longer bound by law or religion or traditions. Salvation is assured. So 2 questions are left now, and I challenged the youth, myself included.

What is your faith? Do you know what you believe in? Are you sure of what you believe in? Millions of people since the early church has died and suffered under persecution of the faith. Many more have dedicated their entire lives to tell others of that same faith. Do you know what you believe? Do you know God?

What is love? How would you define love? How do you show love? Is it giving your best, your all? What then is your best, your all? There's no one else that can decide that but ourselves; it's between God and each individual - the how, what, and how much. So often I hear young people talking about how busy their lives are, and how they wish they can do this or do that. It's time to stop the wishing and start the walking!!

I reminded them about the commissioning of Peter. Peter just denied Christ a few days before Jesus asked him that important question- "Do you love Me?". That was Jesus' only concern, really. It was the only requirement for Jesus to trust Peter with that great commission and duty. The answer to that question would determine our direction and our course of action, which is far more important then our current state of being.

And maybe you can hear Jesus asking you that today. If it helps you, then imagine so... It's Time To Fly.

To watch the video:

1. Click on the "play" button.

2. Click on the "pause" button.

3. Wait till the the grey line is full, indicating that the loading process is complete. In the mean time, go and read an email or something.

4. Click on the "play" icon again and enjoy.

It's that feeling again.

My spirit was really troubled this past Sunday. I couldn't understand why at first. I mean, I do know why I was feeling a bit upset that Sunday. Things happening around didn't really please my eye. But there was this feeling inside my spirit that I couldn't figure the cause for...

 

I completed the usual tasks of mine and headed to the corner of the santruary, where youth service will commence soon. My spirit was still troubled, so I became quiet before God. Stopped trying to figure why I was sensing such sorrow, just let the Spirit do the talking. It didn't take long before I came to a realisation - So much has not changed...

 

So much hasn't changed, and most of it has to do with me. God has done so much to assist me along the way, but somehow I have not experience the breakthrough, the personal revival I need. Not enough discipline, not enough passion, not enough initiative, not enough love... I have not done my part to the best of my ability. I let myself down, I let the people God has placed in my life down, I let the Dream-Giver down. I keep blaming and pointing fingers for how things are now, but I forget that I am also responsible in building the Kingdom.

 

Yes, things need to be changed. And that change has to start with me. I remember saying that before... I'm the biggest hypocrite I know. So help me God. Thank God for grace.

My Dream

It's my birthday today - 21 years old. My supervisor couldn't believe it and suggested that I get a plastic surgery. He said I look older than my age, and I don't blame him. When I was 18, a church member thought I was 24. But it doesn't really matter, I know who I am.

My brother, who is now in Australia studying song-writing and theology, asked the right question. He asked me 'how does it feel being a 21-year old?'... It feels like it's way past to make an impact here on earth. It feels like I'm living on borrowed time, solely on grace alone... There's a mission that has to be accomplished, there's a dream that must be fulfilled, there's a hope that must be passed on, there's a script to be completed, there's a story that needs an ending, there's more love to give...

But as I say to my youth group, the Dream-Giver isn't interested in what we do or accomplish - that's how the world measures your worth. Yes, the world judges facts. They look at your certificates, at your trophies, at your bank account, your accomplishments and failures... What He really wants is YOU. And so He looks into your heart. The Dream-giver, in my opinion, dreams not to have things done, but that His creation fulfills their purpose, their function.

So really, this is my dream - to fulfill the Dream-giver's dream - to be all He has destined me to be from the very beginning. And so as I continue to write a script about knowing the Father's love, I allow Him to be the mastermind of it all.

There's this feeling

The Sunday before last's Jacklyn and I led worship for our church service. After the service there was a worship team meeting, and we received many good feedback. It was funny, though... As they were talking I was reflecting upon what we did on stage that morning. Was it that good? Did it require that much skill? Were we that good? Because I wasn't leading worship that morning, I was being led...

A prophet once told me that God is wiling to shine His glory upon me because He knows that I won't take credit for it, and that I'll reflect all the praises back to Him... Looking back, I feel that God was dealing with me the same way He dealt with Gideon. You know, the way God called a coward a mighty man of valor... I don't know how far I have run with this God-given dream of mine, I could be a million miles away from fulfilling His calling upon my life. But His favour, His trust towards me, His love, His presence, His grace - all so ever close...

Looking forward, I'll be worship leading again on the first Sunday of October. And there's this feeling... A fear. Not a fear of others expectation, though. It's the feeling of confusion, of what-shall-I-do-next... It's as though as I have reached the end of myself... I can't do it anymore. I can't lead the people - not to where they were on that Sunday morning. And I think of it as a blessing...

Matthew 5:3 "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule." (The Message)

Can a nation be changed?

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land".

"But if you turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you and go off to serve other gods and worship them, then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples. And though this temple is now so imposing, all who pass by will be appalled and say, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land and to this temple?' People will answer, 'Because they have forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.' "

The passage above, taken from 2 Chronicles 7, speaks something every loud, every clear to me...

The fate of the nation is in the hands of the saints.

Yes, that's right. The way that we live has an immediate effect on what happens to our nation. I see the evil of this world and how governments go about controlling and solving the problems caused... You know them, so I don't need to mention them. And we also know that the root problem really is the human heart. No government, no law, no amount of counselling can change the evil in our hearts. So what can we do about it?

Well, it's simple really. Humble yourself, pray, seek God, turn from our wicked ways. Then the Faithful One will forgive our sins and heal our nation. Not the sins of the criminals, your non-Christian parents... no. We need to humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways. That means we stop pointing fingers and blaming others, because the way I live has an immediate effect on the crime rate of this country, the sorrow and emptiness my friends have deep within them, the divorce rate... Yes!! I need God to change my heart, not someone else's!! Do you see it?! When I turn from evil, He turns and listen to our cries to HEALING FOR THIS NATION.

Want to change a nation? Change your heart.