I Heard...

About the freakish injury suffered by Aaron Ramsey, a football player, playing for Arsenal. The dude who tackled, Ryan Shawcross, was obviously feeling bad about it. The video's here if you want to watch it.



It's quite horrific. Hopefully Aaron will get well both for his sake and Ryan's. Ryan is only 23 years old while Aaron is 20. Both of them have so much years of football ahead. It'd be really bad for Ryan if he has to always live with the guilt of ending a young player's career and Aaron if he can't play the sport he loves anymore.

At times like these, people see footballers no more as footballers of a rival club, but rather as humans.

May both of them be alright.

Pray.

I Passed...

My Undang! Ya, I'm a bit lagging behind, I know. Was busy enjoying the little things. Anyway, driving instructor was supposed to pick me up at 8.30 but came at 8.45 or so. I think by now I can tell his clock at home, watch, and the clock in his car are 15 minutes slower. The last time also he came around there.

He dropped me off at the Undang place and I took the number. It read 43. I was like "So early in the morning still so many people take the test ar? No school meh? No work meh?" I waited outside at first with 3 others who were studying. I would have loved to study but I didn't bring my book because I thought I would probably be the only one to go for the test today. I got nervous when I saw them studying so hard while I was looking at the wall, and then my shoes, and then the wall again, and then my shoes. Literally.

When I went in, there were about 10 more reading inside. The longer I waited, the more nervous I felt. So I looked out the window to see the students doing 3-point-turn and stuff at the driving school. I saw a few naik bukit and then slide down again. They gagal-led. That made me more nervous. I waited until 10.10 before I could go in. By then I was so-very-the scared already.

The lady told me to use Computer 10. I went in and took some time before I could find that darn computer. Anyway, I read the instructions and did the eye test thing. I passed. I did one more test where you just follow exactly what they put on the screen and I got one wrong. I was like 'OOPS! Oh noes! Hancur! Mati! Die la! How to take the real test like that?!?!' and had to retake that part. That wasn't very helpful in building up my confidence man.

Thankfully, I managed to get all correct this time and went on to do the 50 questions. Prayed to God first before doing. It was relatively simple until I reached question 40. There was a dude on my left who left when I was doing 40. I saw the results.

GAGAL

WAHLIU! I became nervous again. I so did not want to see the word that it made me hardworking and I checked again. But then my hardworking-ness was shortlived la. I stopped at question 30+. Oh ya, while checking, there was this next dude who sat beside me, and he was quite blur. Even blurrer than my sis. Amazing! He asked me what to press and stuff although instructions were clearly given. It's like we're in a school exam, papers are distributed, and he asks me what to do with the paper. Thinking back, I really do hope he managed to pass.

Back to me, myself and I, I passed! Goshies, so glad and thankful for it. In fact, I was so glad and thankful, I would have belanja-ed anybody I knew if I saw them. Too bad though, none of you whom I knew were there.

I'm Back...

But somehow it feels like a lot has happened. Youth time change, scandals here and there, new buildings popping out. Time seems to fly really fast when I'm not around.

People always slow down on good things and hasten time when it's not good.

Time seems to slow down in Malacca when I'm around.

Time seems to hasten in Malacca when I was away in GLO.

Logical.

A Post To Raymond

Yep, I'm back from GLO, but Raymond was always in my mind during my entire time there. I prayed for him, and asked the other students to pray too. I had faith that Raymond would be healed, however serious his condition was, if God would just say it.

I made a point one day to fast for him. I was inside the room while the students were having dinner. I prayed very hard to God, asking Him to heal Raymond because he was young and had a lot to offer for Him here, not forgetting that he was just engaged. I seemed to forget what the lecturer for the first week said,

"When we pray, we're not telling God our will, but placing ourselves in His."

I didn't understand what that phrase meant until that day when it all became clear. If God intended to bring Raymond home, then so be it. May His will be done. But at that point, I was just praying that Raymond be healed. It was my will the whole time when I prayed.

Just as I finished praying, I suddenly remembered Job. There were two verses that came into my mind and they were,

Job 1:21

And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Job 2:10

... What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?...

That was God's answer to my prayer; that at every situation, whether Raymond lives or dies, the Lord's name be blessed and I should accept the outcome. It's funny how I always thought that God seemed to be out of control when someone nears death, as if calling Raymond home was never part of what God wanted. Now, a week after his death, I know what God's will is; to bring Raymond to a better place, Home.

Of course I'm sad at the loss of a friend, but nevertheless, I trust that he is somewhere much better than when he left off, and if that is so, may God's will be done.

Ray, thanks for the fun times we had together. I'll be looking forward to seeing you in Heaven.

For us here, may these verses encourage you the way they have encouraged me during my time in GLO.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.