Yo

I don't mean to disturb you on purpose when you sleep. It's just that I have work to do and sometimes it goes beyond the average sleep time.

Probably you could wear more than 2 sleeping masks?

The Phleg says "Screw it", but the Sang says "Bear it".

Oh noes, I'll be the next Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde yo!

P.S: I love sleep too.

Planting A Seed

Today was an eventful day. First, I went out with my Christian Fellowship pals to tour part of Penang. The taking pictures and food aside, I really enjoy being with them. Also, the event provided a platform for me to get to know the seniors and fellow batch mates in a deeper way. While there were barriers previously, I suppose they have been broken down or damaged heavily. Probably one more critical hit to seal the deal! Man, I miss games. :D

The new family. :)

After the morning's activity, I went to the Youth Meeting. Feeling a bit tired, a 2-hour nap would have been great but I'm quite glad I went anyway. The sharing struck deep into my heart. It was about planting that important seed in your non-Christian friend that God can only grow and bear fruit.

The Seed of the Gospel.

To be honest, I was feeling a bit proud when he introduced the topic as 'Evangelism' because I had shared the gospel with two of my friends and also brought them to Captain Ball to play with fellow believers, so I thought I was doing well enough already. Then Kah Wei (speaker) said,

"Some of us think that by bringing our friends to a church event then the seed has already been planted and we're fine already, but it's not."

Uh-oh. That wasn't all.

"Also, some of us think by sharing the gospel once then all is fine too."

As I was writing the notes down, I was actually attempting to hide my face rather than jotting down notes as the sharing went on. All previous confidence was shattered within minutes. He continued,

"When you bring your friend to the event and the gospel is shared, does he know the gospel well? If he doesn't, then the seed is not planted. When you share the gospel with him, do you think he grasps the whole gospel truly? If he doesn't, then the seed is not yet planted, and you still owe him that seed."

He made me realise that evangelism isn't so much about blurting out the whole Bible or Two Ways to Live, but letting them understand why we are in separation from God, why we need a Saviour, and what God came to do. Only then, a seed is planted in the heart. Another reminder came as well,

"Remember also to plant the right seed of the gospel in the right place, and that requires the farmer to know the seed well himself."

Still got lots to do and to learn. By His strength I will. :)

P.S: Just saw on Facebook, my friend 

just became a dad. Yay for him!

Funny!

I find it funny how after the serious post titled The Decision, the latest chatbox comment asks whether I kuat makan or not. :D

The Decision

Sometimes I just wish I have more of myself rather than more time to do more things. Being in USM for the 4th week, it has been a time of setting priorities; which to commit, which to leave behind, which church to go, what to do at this time. Things like that.

During that 4-week period, I've come to realised that there are many things I want to join or do (24 seasons drum, Christian Fellowship, debate, church activities) and also time is no friend of mine. I suppose this dilemma is present for all since we all share the 24-hour cycle, but for me (and Christians perhaps), things are a little different.

Having a higher authority over me, I owe God my service.

By service, it means to be faithful to His work and be an active participant in whatever measure I can.

By service, it means to devote time to His work.

By service, it means to leave your interests, no matter how big they are, to do His work.

By service, it means God is first, and you are second.

It took me a while to cope with that, with thoughts like; 

God wouldn't make me sacrifice my interests for His sake.

God would surely leave some time for me to use right?

Surely I can have freedom over what I want to do.

These thoughts were, at the least, self-centred. Having committed myself to Him, I suppose it is only right that His work be first over my interests. God isn't being mean by making me do so, He just deserves it.

The moment I accepted the privilege of being His son, I accepted also the responsibility that came;

Him first, everything else second. 

I've learned that when there are conflicts of interests between these two, I need to select the one that best benefits God, not me. Tough lesson, but valuable nonetheless.

Not like God preferred His own interests over mine when He sent Jesus to die for my sins anyway.

It's ALLLLIIIVVVEEE (Ace Ventura style)

Yep, the blog lives again after a 1 year lay-off. I stopped blogging for a number of reasons:

1. Sometimes the Internet was immensely slow, especially when the mood to blog was high, so the feeling died.

2. I lacked creativity to write; in other words, the writers' block.

3. I was playing lots of games.

So why start again? It's because:

1. Internet here is quite good. Every 4 rooms share a router, so it's fast and rarely slow.

2. I removed the block.

3. There're no more many games to play. T.T

I also thought it'd be a good way to update myself so that my faithful 8 followers can keep up on what's happening here. Your faithfulness shall be rewarded with nonsense posts I guess!

Anyway, it was a tiring one week of orientation. Sleeping at 2 (sometimes 3) and waking up at 6, crazy-packed schedules which only allow 20-minute meals (which upon lining up takes 10 minutes+), and the 20-minute walk from hostel to meeting place each day. Truth be told, I think I got thinner already from all the walking. Still, it was a good week because I got to make new friends of the same wavelength, different wavelength, and those of a particular distant universe.

The orientation ended on a high (meaning highest form of torture) with a 3-days-2-nights camp in Cinta Alam Kelimat, Perak. During my 3 days there, I only got to bathe once because of the tight schedule. On the first night, they let us off at 12am. I had to do patrol work at 1 and with my shift ending at 2, was looking forward for some good rest. Rest though, only belongs with the dead and we had to go for jungle trekking immediately after my shift. Came back around 6+ before the next activity started again at 7am.

Had a presentation to perform that night, and with 12 groups performing, the 6 worst would be sent to 'rendam' in the river. Well, my group was one of them. 'Rendaming' was fine, but before we could get to the river, we had to crawl through the mud which was disgusting to say the least. >.<

In my 3rd day there, the camp commandant was especially strict on us. He made us do many push-ups, claiming that we weren't disciplined and united. His favourite stunt was the 'ukur padang' where we would have to lie flat on the field and roll all the way to the other side. If we didn't count together, he'd make us roll back to the other end of the field. In between the torture, he'd teach some things about taking care of the environment, and also unity, but no need until like that gua. What he did was like killing a fly by running a 5-ton truck over it when you could just have done a Karate-Kid chopstick kill. I guess the more severe the longer the effect lasts though.

So all in all, I'm kinda glad the 1st week was over. Class was on yesterday and it was interesting. I'm the first batch of students who'd be undergoing a 4-year course in Mass Communications instead of 3 years that have been going on before this. They're teaching us about the history of it now which I like and the lecturers so far have been nice.

Looking forward to coming back this week for Sharlissa's wedding and meeting my family again. Oh wheeee, oh whee oh whee, am baba wei!