"Arh-Chooww!!"

Ah-choo can be someone's name. It can also be the noise you make when you sneeze.

Ever wondered where that blog of phlegm went to when you sneeze? Yeah, you felt something come out, but it didn't land on your tissue nor your palm. For a while you couldn't locate it...The next thing you hear is "Siicccckkkkkk!!"

Congratulations! You have just won yourself a one-way ticket to the land of "Apologise or die of humiliation and wrath"

This follows the act of not covering your mouth fully when you sneeze.

You enjoy the relief of 'after-sneeze' but realised that you cannot locate the huge blog of phlegm. Upon realising that, you suddenly see the aghast look on a stranger's face...the muscles on the cheeks twitch with such intensity you can almost guess where it landed. Such embarrassment...

You can choose to walk away if you are in a hurry but that spells more trouble if the victim chooses to give chase.

If you are a man, it might not do so much harm because we are not known to be 'demure' creatures. It's not so bad, just thicken your skin and apologise. There's no way of escaping because that person sure heard you sneeeze less than 1metre behind.

If you are a lady, gd luck. Your face will probably turn red. If not, you are really powerful. Now, if your glue landed on a guy's leg (assuming he's not wearing longs...perhaps he'll just need to clean it off his leg hairs) it's not that bad. But if your glue landed on his working pants, then it might be a little tad bit tricky. Say you are a fairly decent looking lady, then you might just win your way out by smiling and looking shy. But honestly, whether you are a supermodel or not, you'll probably get the "uh-huh?" look from me. But HEY, if your glue landed on another lady, muahaha, this would be interesting. Woman vs woman = no good. Quickly change your gears, put on the pair of asics and run.

That's the problem when you walk in crowded places and your nose got itchy inside. Here's some suggestions to help yourself:

1. Cover FULLY the vents that can possibly spill out glue...white or green.

2. Use a tissue or handkerchief to cover, if you're fast enough to reach into your pocket to grab it.

3. Sneeze upwards and create a fountain. (no, i'm just kidding.) Neither should you just turn to the left or right and let it go. That victim will hate you more. So, always face downwards. That would reduce the chances of sharing your glue with others.

All these would be easy if the victim was just brisking around the shopping centre. If he/she were carrying bags of grocery from cold storage, then it's going to get complicated. Victim would need to put everything down, scream at you, then clean it off. It's just an extra step of putting down the veg and toiletries before wiping it off. But hey, nobody likes it man.

Imagine, YOU are carrying something really heavy, perspiring like mad, feeling uncomfortable all over and someone does that to you. Promise me you wouldn't blow up? Some people are really short tempered, a little trigger means an explosion. So phierce! haha...jk.

I know of this Person who was once carrying a wooden plank weighting approximately 40kg, extremely exhausted and still had to walk a distance of about 650m. He didn't react like what was mentioned above. He humbly accepted all that happened. There was more than just phelgm, blogs and glue. He was paying the price for something he didn't buy. It wasn't cheap like some chewy mentos sweet. Neither was it the price of a MacPro. It cost Him His life.

To a human being, it's totally insane and out of the mind to have done this. Why would you want to go through this? haha, crazy right. And that's the love of the Father. If He didn't choose to do this for us, then hell would be a more populated place. The heat would be shared by more people. And that place is open to public, free access. No need invitations.

But hey! That's not what is intended for us! A huge mansion, awaits everyone single one of those who loves and trusts in Him. I can't imgaine how it will look like, neither can I find a picture that I think would be near it.. :)

So let's not give up, even when the tide is low low low, it will come back high high high again.

Self-sufficient is the last thing you even want to be. You'll be the first to die in battle. David's army was never self sufficient. They depended on one another. They fought together. Self sufficiency was never in God's dictionary. ok, shall not steer in that direction yet..

And so........ each time you sneeze, think about where the glue landed. And think about the times when Jesus took all that for us. It never came cheap nor was it done in vain.

Gam Bette!

Did you know...?

This shall be the "Did you know" post.

"Did you know" truth No. 1: I was punked

There was this co-lifegroup leader who went to Bali for the recent mission trip. For anonymity sake, let's just call the person J. And so J went and returned, a good trip I suppsed. On her hands held mini 'surfboards' & 'bass guitars w 4 strings'.

They call those things souvenirs.

So J conveniently mentioned and at the same time, motioned to Ah Lee Thiar, saying, "look, she bought these for her co-leaders! Very cheap over there...approx S$2+....I didn't get anything for u leh." (Well, I must say that my expression was nonchalent, in case you hear a different story.) "But I took the picture of the wax for you! I'll send to you online ok?"
Being a trust worthy person, I took those statements at face value. Just 1 day later, over dinner, I casually mentioned "ok, so where's my 'surfboard' and 'guitar' present from you?" Together with the bag of souvenirs popped out this black bag tied up and placed just in front of me. For a moment, I didn't notice it probably it was well camouflaged (just like how the giver intended to hide it from the start). Ah ha! I took it, undid the knot and to my surprise,it's a Gatsby Wax which I was told I won't have! I did a standing ovation in front of IGNITE and BREAD for this successful attempt of J. Not bad, considering it was planned way back in Bali, in one of the obscure room near the beach. *clap clap* She must have been affected by the Amazing Boys in Bali. (Raises eyebrow) I was punked!

"Did you know" truth No. 2: Good English Campaign in Singapore

Ahh...There was a flood in Novena Mrt Station just 2 days ago. The cause of it, as mentioned by Channelnewsasia, was due to the construction site nearby.

For those who know, it's the one just beside novena square. See on the right for the picture of those walking in the water. Report has it that it was up to 3cm in height of water in the train station. Man...how often do you get to walk in a train station flooded with water? Maybe when we finally get into a war with Dr. Magneto.

Well, together with the flood came the 'Speak Good English' Campaign launched that very same morning when the waters came in.

"Attention! Floor Slippy! "Excuse me?! Floor is slippery or slippy?? Can you tell me which chinese, indian, malay typed that out? ( if I missed out any colours, I'm sorry and I wouldn't waste time explaining why I'm sorry.) My first reaction was "I can't be bothered with that, I'm hungry and I'm headed to TTSH to join Ignite for dinner." But hey! Mr. Special Program from HCI couldn't help but take notice of that beautiful poster and had a picture taken of it. There's just this air of confirmation of how the campaign has been sooooooo successful huh. The civil servant striking the toes of the government. From the same source, he has another picture which states "English Lanaguage Book" for the primary school. If there's a better description to my reaction, let there be. If not, my jaws dropped. I read an article which mentioned that teaching language will begin from as young as kindergarten. Starting from grammer. Well, start from the teachers please. In the same way, revival got to start from our hearts first. Leaders got to own the vision. Members got to own the vision too. nvm, shall not steer into that direction yet. Well, here's one from me... "make sure u all study heart, get your england straight and next time u can become a dogtor." (Hey, if u read it properly, that's how we all actually pronounce those words at times.)

"Did you know" truth No. 3: Night snacks

Flipping through the bible can become a habit as I look through what I highlighted. Don't say never share night snacks with you...Here goes:

Colossians 2:14 "...He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the Cross. In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authories. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the Cross." - NLT.

Even more interestingly, in NKJV, it states in v14 "...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us...and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the Cross..."

A couple of things caught my attention here. 1. "Handwriting" 2. "disarmed" 3. "Nailed it to the Cross"

I did some reading up and realised that the 'handwritings' here, back then, refers to the monetary obligation being acknowledged by a debtor. It is a signed confession of indebtedness or bond. Basically, a legal proof. In this case, it would be a debt book. A record which showed and testified the debts of men; that is, our sins and what punishments are due to us. More can be read here, a sermon by Charles Spurgeon, enjoy.

Hmm, I shall not write much over here except for you to read the link given you...Read not with preconceived knowledge of what you already have but imagine yourself receiving it first hand and understand the extend and measure of what was done on the Cross.

Dig it in!

Interesting things to find out each day huh. What more from the Word of God. Fresh bread from the oven of the Most High God. Arh...that's another post for another day.

From the Prodigal son's Dad

What do you think went through the mind of the Prodigal son?
And what do you think went through his Dad's mind? His Dad who loves him so much..

"What have I done wrong
Was it something that I said
Was it something that you wanted
Was it something I withheld

What could be the reason that
You’d turn and walk away
Where could you be going
Are you coming back someday

My heart is slowly breaking
But one question still remains
How long will I be waiting
To see you here again

I love you and I still believe
That you will love me too
I love you if you return to me
I will return to you

To this place where I last saw you
I’ve returned a thousand times
A thousand tears have fallen
A thousand dreams have died

But I believe the day is dawning
I’ll see you coming down the road
I’ve had a ring made for your finger
and the servants made a robe
And the calf has been made ready
Our favorite feast is overdue
Cause one chair at the table
Is empty without you"

- "Return to Me." Jason Upton

What is He singing to you?

Bak Kwa or Durian?

sunsetttttttt
Originally uploaded by elginwx.

Neither. Mr. Teng is a non-pork eater and a no-no durian being. :) At the recent church retreat, I briefly commented over a meal at the table that I'm taking 4 days worth of 'Leave'. Indeed, it was a good deep breath. (clean air) *Thumbs up*
A question was asked of me. I replied. I realised that I used to like red & blue when I was much younger. Now, it's changed. However, blue and red do remain as colours that i'm always comfortable with, just that green catches my attention a little bit more lately. As you can see, the colour of the content is mostly...grass.

The desires of my heart didn't change either.
Was it my flesh? I thought long and hard over the weeks. It isn't.
Was it just my personal interest? No, I never really enjoyed dwelling in the midst of irritants. But once I see them, it's all different.

I read a story about this little boy.(let's just called him 'T') who grew up in his village. A small village, situated far away from the town, had a composition of various groups of people from all over the community. Being young, he was always subjected to the influence of those around him, especially the older ones. He saw what they did and he simply followed. No one told him what to do, all he did was follow.
And so, he went to school. Met many people of different faces, heights, shapes, lengths and breadths. Over the next few years, he stayed with his friends, closer ones. He had the time of his life. "Happy go lucky" was a pretty much comment made on him. (I wish I'm like him..haha)
One day, he was selected by his EngCik to join the school's soccer team. He was obviously overjoyed yet fearful because he had never really trusted his ability to play well in that sport. Nonetheless, driven by his boyish desire to play, he joined. His skills began to develop as he continued to mingle with the top notched players in his school: Those who were much older in age and in experience. He, too, grew. Well, of course, he also faced criticism from other people saying that he belonged to the 'Elite group' since he was found with the school's top soccer players most of the time. What can he say? He's in the team man...
Soon after, he grew from his little years into a teenage. His body grew physically and so did his soccer skills. The sports council spotted his talent and invited him to join the national team where he will train with the U-21 (under 21 years old) boys. Without hesitation, he joined! Knowing that was the place to go next. Happily he went. Happily he stayed. With the team, he fought a few games and they came out victorious.
Years had past and T reached the age of 21. He looked back with fond memories from the days of humble beginnings to the day where he got into the school team and right to the day when he played his first game on TV. He has grown taller, stronger and his skin tanned after basking in the sun for long hours at one go during training sessions. In fact, many of his childhood friends couldn't recognise him. Not to mention, he lost some and grew further from some. The price he had to pay, somehow. Nonetheless, he had his teammates to go to. Through much training together, a bond was formed amongst them which cannot be explained by words. No one knew how much he went through, just to play soccer for his country and to fulfill his little desire.
Yet again, at the age of 21, the Coach approached T and asked if he was interested to learn how to coach together. The Coach had in mind, to place him as a coach to the U-16. Obviously, the Coach knew very well T's ability and experiences, and where is the best place for him to be. T had always been comfortable with his team of friends. Thus, leaving the team was the last thing on his mind. Little did he know, as he recalled, he was gazing straight at the TV screen as it flashed the moments where a coach was shouting from the bench to his team and giving instructions on how to overcome the opponent. Assistant coach, James Singhram once told T that he might one day become a coach. T knew in his heart, where he would go next.

This story inspired me. I wonder what happened next as T went on in his life.
Let me just imagine....(like I always do)

1. T will face opinions from his friends.
2. Voices that tell him otherwise. His trusted friends would tell him to go where he knows he has to go. His other friends might desuade him and tell him that he is probably too young to coach those boys in U-16 and would not be able to perform as best as he would in this current team (Despite what the Coach said).
3. His life would take on a change. He will not be on the field running and chasing. But he will, as his Coach teaches, learn to coach as well. I wonder how itchy those legs would get.
4. Would his skin stay tanned? You know...coaches can wear a cap or simply stay in the shelter.
5. And yes, how did the story end? Let me go search for it on the internet...and if I do find it, I'll share more with you. :)

Another long post but I was deeply inspired by this little boy. Because I see myself in him. Except that I'm not that great a soccer player and I have never played in the school team. I only know how to pick up balls when they are played out. (muahahahhaa) The 'Elite group' thingy was interesting. I can identify with it. How long would people ever stay in their old mindset and judge with a self pity point of view?
It's like saying..."How long must I bear with this stubborn and stiff-necked generation?"

I learned of this story while I was at the church retreat, a very good deep breadth.

*Thumbs up & Gam Bette!*

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Friends & the letter 'T'

I have thought long and hard before I added this post. It took me a lot of brain juice and effort to have this done up but still, it's necessary. Friends and the letter 'T', shall be the topic of this post. Pictures are done up as best to simulate what went through my mind during the actual situation. The rest are basically facts and truths that were recorded as evidence. Here goes..

Story 1:

The short buildings along the Singapore River are unusually set apart from the rest of the surrounding tall buildings. Each time I cycle to town, I would make it a point to cruise pass that stretch. Perhaps it's the way the buildings were structured or it could be the overall ambience of that place (minus the club houses across the river), I enjoy walking around that place.

And so, I found my way to The Arts House. There, I was very honoured to have been invited to a performance by a graduate from the Laselle Arts School. "Resonance" was theme of the evening's performance. Beautiful pieces and some extrememly powerful diaphragms in the house.

Now, hungry as we were, we made our way to grab a bite at the Esplanade. Here, I witness an account of 2 persons, for anonymity sake: Great Talents and Great Humility, shooting their own toes. (I would have to apologise for hyping up the story and bringing it down to a low at this point.) I'm not allowed to include the rest of the story or I'll be juggernauted.. I wrote about this because I mentioned that I would include the 2 great talents in my up and coming post. But what happened were blunders and times when we all had a good laugh at one another. Akin to spiking one anothers' drinks so that we will lao sai the next moment all with kind and humurous intentions. When was the last time you had that with someone?

Story 2:

The smell of great food never leaves our nostrils. Never. With arch bishop in our midst, we're bound to find food, somehow, somewhere. Introducing, Botak Jones for the second time, this time with a different picture. We had an extremely fun time out cycling. Just a small group this time round because the others had to serve the nation the next day and it was a 1 gender thingy night. The picture you see is specially edited so that you'ld only see the food that was spreaded before us. What happens in moments like this? We laugh, we joke and we also talk abt serious things like how our teams are doing in the premiere league. Whether any of them backslide, who's rising up, who scored a goal, etc. This is called bonding. Someone once said "so nice...I also want to go!-oink." Go organise one for your pack, baby baby. (just joking) Again, when was the last time you had that with your friends?

Story 3:

Whoever was so talented to have started this 'T' word is indeed the talented from the east. Check out this sms reply from a friend. (All names have been omitted to ensure the anonymity of every individuals. I hold no responsibilities to any incidents where their identities are being disclosed, or found out.)

The letter 'T' has been greatly misused.

Let's use Gifted from now on. Thumbs up@!

Well, so much for those 'stories'. But hey! You have those stories of your own too right? Have you ever wondered where they came from?

Mine came from friends around me.

In the team I'm in, together with 2 other managers, we have seen many players come and go. Some are still around, some have been around for wow...very long - They are called 2nd generation league players. Their parents are also fellow players.

However, there are those who never knew how the world of soccer is all about. They heard about it, read about it and they even want to join the team. Yet some of them leave after a while. No, not because they wanted to change team. Rather, they found soccer boring after a period of time. They found themselves alone when they see the teammates bond amongst themselves. And so they left.

Have you ever seen a team play on the field with such unity because the managers do a good job in gaining rapport and building relationships? Not so.

But I do see teams that perform outstandingly well when they play and train often with one another. Gaining rapport and building relationships amongst themselves. That, I'm impressed. Thumbs up!

Soccer, 1 ball. And in one of emirates' advertisement, they claim they speak 1 language. What language do we speak? Love? :)

Ok, enough soccer commentry.

And enough of the 'T' word in my life. From now on, let's use gifted. See, if you use gifted...it's sounds weird to call someone D.G - d*ryl gifted, or J.G - Jam gifted. Or even G.G. So let's use gifted lar. Sounds nicer and less sarcastic.

Thumbs up! Gam Bette!