3 Testimonials as of Nov 2011

I feel that the Lord keeps on reminding me to write this to give him due credit - I've been procrastinating o'er this for ages. 

Basically, this includes one which I've already told / shared with some of my contacts:

1. My video camera which costs me around RM 2,500 was completely spoilt and then got to functioning again about some time after I prayed to Him on how troubled I am about having spent so much and not having used the device enough (less than 20 times and just 13 months at that point in time).
   Repair by technician was quoted to be RM 1,000 minimum.
   When brought to another technician, as I was about to show the guy my device's problem, it just miraculously turned itself on when I pressed the power button. I tried many times before, even with changing of new battery previously, but it just wouldn't work. Credits to Him. 
2. I prayed for something very personal to my heart, and He gave me a FREE FLIGHT TICKET to London (return journey). 
3. I made a transaction online costing around RM 1,350 and wasn't charged a cent. I take this as Him blessing me as I've previously lost monies before due to me paying for a good which I not receive (RM 550) and also for some other losses like visa interviews with the US embassy). God knows our every situation, I read this o'er and o'er again and this leads to me believing more into that.
   

Resurrection of a video camera - True Story

The Lord had impressed upon my heart to testify this: My video camera (which cost me a bomb when purchased new) used less than 20 times and went faulty one month after expiry of warranty period. Wouldn't turn on, or recharge itself despite with replacement of a new battery in place - multiple attempts to no avail.


One month back, I went to a technician to show him the problem and as I tried turning it on, it worked flawlessly. Being in disbelief, I tried a few more times, and the same thing reiterated. I've never hear of such case happening to non-organic things, and yet the very first time I do, I had the privilege of it taking place in my life. He has indeed 'resurrected' my video camera.


And this came at a time of me being at pit bottom struggling with financial provisions.

I thank Thee.

US embassy - visa application interview - what to expect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=006R_6XFWGQ

And when you write- in to get a better explanation of what happened if your visa application ever get rejected, then what you'd get is typically a lazy vibe kind of reply, attached as below.
(Note: there's no appeal available after rejection - though you paid 450 - 534 bucks depending on their policy which changes from time to time). 

---

Subject: RE: Visa application
Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 07:53:15 +0800
From: KLConsular@state.gov
To: xxx@hotmail.com

Dear Mr. x,

The consular officer who adjudicated your nonimmigrant visa case gave you a detailed explanation about your refusal under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. 

Your nonimmigrant visa case is now considered closed.  Consular officers cannot provide guidance or advice to a nonimmigrant visa applicant before or after his or her case.

Thank you for your correspondence.

Regards,

xxx

Vice Consul

U.S. Embassy Malaysia 

God allows U-turns! :)

Farewell, love, and all thy laws forever
Thy baited hooks shall tangle me no more
For hitherto though i have lost my time
Me list no longer rotten boughs to climb

One day I wrote her name upon the strand

I thought the passage below is really beautiful in projecting one of my many feelings upon a time. An excerpt though.

One day I wrote her name upon the strand,
But came the waves and washed it away:
Again I wrote it with a second hand,
But came the tide, and made my pains his prey.

Edmund Spenser (1552-1599)

Laying down our lives for our own brothers and sisters

Thought I make this post - cos after reading a part of a book, this has really impacted enough to leave some lingering effect there.

Taken from 1 John 3:16.

In my own words - "Just like how Jesus laid down His life for us, so we should as well lay down our lives for our fellow believers".

To care, to nurture, to encourage, to forgive, to encourage and all other good deeds alike - the way we're supposed to be towards our brothers and sisters in Christ - thus, stresses the importance of belonging to a local church where we would learn to get along with imperfect people having various likeable and unlikeable behaviours and attributes like ourselves. Now that I've read about this, I must say that I'm still learning to put this into practise - it's a continuous process which I hope I would master by one fine day, by His guidance and grace.

I've really have to settle in a home church soon. I further read that uncut arms and limbs from a body would be rendered useless, much alike members of a church who have backslidened or stop attending church would be without the support of others and the protective covering of the spiritual leaders of a church. These people rendered alone spiritually, would be utterly defenseless against any attacks by the evil one.

Text also states the importance of having spiritual partner(s) who would be having accounts of our daily actions as to keeping tab of our spiritual lives. I've read this now in 2 books by 2 different authors - so I figured this practise is of much importance. Having spiritual partner(s) - by mutually supporting each other, we keep each other in check. The phrase as Rick Warren puts it 'Mind Your Own Business' doesn't apply in Christian Life - to me, that's very true if we were to have a spiritual partner who we are not to hide anything from, thus forcing us to make sure that we're always aligned to the teachings of His Word, so that at the end of every day, we could come clean with excellent grades in our performance/progress report.

p.s. just for the fun of things, since these clock works as below are always in my head. With peeps all o'er these localities, it helps to avoid disrupting them at wrong hours like graveyard shift hours, etc.


Signing off exactly at time...
Wednesday, April 28th 2010
2.25 am (KL)
1.25 am (Hanoi)


Tuesday, April 27th 2010
6.25 pm (London)
2.25 pm (Ontario)
11.25 am (CA, WA)

I Kissed Dating GoodBYE

 
Finally managed to cover the entire book after like 3 weeks - cos i was taking it progressively, sipping in a lil each day the moments i find meself free, and down to destressing myself, and also to bring meself up again - more so, from a recent incident that utterly brought me down to the ground. Yes, a failed relationship. And a long one too that has been. Okay, won't detail so much of that here, as to bore you to sleep with my rambles.

Alright, few of the pointers that hit me:

• Stop at being at any point in time, flirtatious or tempering with feelings of anyone of the opposite sex - cause that's when I stop gettin to know the other party better in the spiritual and emotional sense.
• Same goes to those in relationships - getting physical would result in the same detrimental effect as mentioned above.
• To lead a more purposeful relationship the next time I'm in a courtship - with direction, and not linger in some things too long yet not being too hasty in some aspects.

• To seek consent of the other party's parents / guardians in regards to commencing the courtship (ideally this should be done).
• To involve each other in as much activities that the guy and gal normally dwell in - not to sacrifice these activities for the sake of gettin and meeting up in the relationship, but to involve these activities in the relationship - thus sharing parts of your life with your partner. A very good way, according to author, Josh Harris on letting your partner an insight into everything you are, in terms of character like how you deal with people, your passions, dreams and your strengths - basically gettin to witness you in action, and in the so-called daily mundane routines and repetitious cycles what-nots. Cause that's what marriage is all bout - the never ending mundane cycles of things you do over and over again. Not so fairy tale at all, eh? No, sir.
• Ask the Lord for a certain obvious sign that you'd know when you could start a relationship - and only act if that sign comes. Josh highlighted the story of how Rebecca met Isaac, through Abraham's trusted servant who asked for a certain obvious sign from the Lord.
• Continue building relationship with Him - in prayer, walk of faith with Him, and everything else in between.

• If you're single, it's the best time to devout all time available to Him, cos as soon as one is attached to courtship or marriage, he/she finds that priviledge has come to pass all too often.
• He builds us very vigorously and thoroughly when we're single, that's when He's preparing us to be ready / fit for our future partner - and yet at the same time, He's preparing our future mate (for those who're single) in the same way so that the person would be a fit match to be with us, joined in unity for courtship leading to marriage.
• Giving in to emotional and sexual needs to some person, entails (always) risk of gettin really hurt by the other party, when the relationship ends. I personally still suffer the after-effects of this. And nope, it ain't pretty sight at all. In fact, it lingers and seem to never go or fade away. Not one bit, if not in part.