POWER in Weakness

Being weak is probably one of the last things anyone of us would want to be. Most of us like people who are strong figures- dependable, stable and strong. I love superheroes (yea,my favourite is Batman & Spiderman) and superheroes are not well-known for their weaknesses.Superman is well-known for his super strength,X-ray vision and his many other super abilities, NOT for his weakness towards Kryptonite. That's why kids (and many of us adults still) love superheroes so much. There's just that small part in us that imagines ourselves being the hero, saving the world, protecting the ones we love. People always admire people who are strong. No one finds glory in being weak. 


And I guess for me, that is the answer! No one finds glory in being weak. So that when I overcome in my weakest times, no one can get any glory but Jesus alone! I've always tried to be strong, or at least appear to be. I am already physically challenged. Others around me can do things I can't. They can be helpful to others while I always felt useless when I was younger during my school years. 


I've overcome many challenges in my weakest times, and every time I am the victor, it was simply because I found strength in Jesus. The time that you see me being "strong"? Well, those were the times Jesus carried me in His arms! Whatever you've seen in my life so far is only the beginning. One day a challenge will come, so BIG that no one can deny that it is God that overcame,not me. 


You don't have to be Superman all the time. It's okay to be a normal human being every once in a while, you know? And humans get weak. Then will you see that there is POWER in WEAKNESS, simply because it's in your weakest hour, that God's strength shines most in your life. People will your life & they will praise God for who He is!  "...For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10)


POWERED BY JESUS
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)

Life is NOT a SNAPSHOT

There's a lot of things in life that I don't understand. Sometimes, things just happens & all of a sudden your life became more complicated than it ever was. It could be a bad result in an exam, it could be a decision you have to make about starting a new relationship, it could even be the death of a loved one. 


When my dad died from heart attack so suddenly, it seemed that there was no hope for me & my family. I wasn't a Christian back then. So,I couldn't understand why it had to happen to me. As a Buddhist back then,I thought it must be karma. It must have been something my dad or me did in our past lives to deserve such fate. Now that I know the hope that I have in Jesus, I thank Him that from something so horrible that happened to me & my family He was the only one who could make something beautiful out of it. After my dad passed away, my mum had no choice but to move to another town to work. It was from there that I came to know Jesus personally. 


Sometimes we just wonder why we have to go through the things that we just come our way without invitation. There were many times where I wondered if the pain & aimlessness will ever end. It NEVER makes God happy seeing us suffer. However, God is the only one that can make something beautiful out of the mess that we are in. All we have to do is to have faith in Him & just hang on a little longer. 


Many times, I can't see the bigger picture of God's plan for me in my life. Sometimes I don't even know where God wants me to go or what He wants me to do. But one thing's for sure. Life is NOT a SNAPSHOT. It might take some time & more snapshots, but soon enough I'll be able to see the bigger picture of His plan for me. Until then, I'll trust in my Father. 

p/s: Whatever that you may be facing right now, He has a better PLAN in store for you. Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's NOT THE END YET. 

Sometimes,it takes more than one snapshot for us to realize how much He loves us.Hope you've been blessed. ;)

You are LOVED!!

"...Everyone wants to be understood....Everyone wants to be loved. Don't give up, because..you...are...LOVED."

"You Are Loved(Don't Give Up)"- Josh Groban 

It's been quite some time since I've encountered this feeling. The feeling that tells me that I don't belong there. The feeling that tells me that they don't want me there. To feel like a burden. Ever since I was a boy,I've been struggling with this issue. I thought that now that I've grown up, it won't hurt as much anymore. It doesn't seem the case for me.

Everyone has an innate desire to be accepted...to be understood...to be loved. It's not a good feeling at all when someone keeps hinting to you that you are not wanted there. It DEVASTATES me. Sometimes I'd think to myself, "Maybe it's better if I stop trusting people. It's better if I don't rely on others. Maybe I should stop getting too close to others. Everything would be less painful if I just give up on people." 

And that may be what you are thinking right now. It's not wrong to feel like giving up on trusting people. I just felt like that yesterday! It just mean that you and I are humans. It's normal to tend to think that way. The important thing is NOT to be convinced by it. Every time I start to convince myself that people are not trustworthy, that I am a burden, that I should give up on people, Jesus touches my heart & tells me "Don't give up. You are LOVED. Even if the whole world abandons you, I will NOT." 

So,if you are trying to convince yourself that you are unloved & to give up on trusting people, think again. JESUS is telling you now that YOU ARE LOVED. As humans we are not perfect,so me may hurt one another. But every time that I thought I should give up on trusting people,God uses the brothers & sisters around me to remind me that I am loved. I want to tell u that because Jesus loves you, I LOVE YOU too..So,don't give up...You are LOVED. 

p/s: Just wanna wish Sue Jane Happy Birthday again! I thank God for yesterday. If it wasn't for you,and Lisa & ALL the wonderful people I met yesterday, I'd still be trying to convince myself of that thought. SO, thank God for all of you...

(You haven't give me the pics frm ytd yet...so i just stole one from ur FB..hahaha!!)

It's also the birthday of a good brother of mine. Gan Kel Vin!! Happy Birthday!!! A brother that helped me a lot & never once complained. I really thank God for you. Sorry I couldn't be there this week. 

The Moment of Truth

"The more I look at myself, the more I feel like I don't deserve you." Those words linger in my mind sometimes. They linger whenever I've hurt you. They linger whenever someone says I'm not good enough for you. They linger whenever I think I'm only one mistake away from you leaving me. 


I sometimes lose sight of the things that matter most. I do things for you to show my love for you. Some people tell me that LOVE must be shown in ACTIONS. Some even tell me that if I love you, I'd do my best for you, to give my everything & nothing less. But there's so many times that I've done things that I'm not proud of, things that I KNOW would hurt you. Sometimes I feel that I'm just not good enough. How can somebody continue to love something that is such a disappointment over and over again?


It is during these times,however, that you whisper to me, "Go back...Go back to the moment of truth". The moment I first heard you say "I love you" & that was the time I said "I do". I've been comforted over and over again by the reminder that it is NOT by what I do that you love me so. It is not by being "good enough" that I deserved your love. It is by how much you LOVE me, and how much you would sacrifice to show that your love for me is greater than mine for you. 


So,whenever you feel that God will not love you anymore because of what you have done, well you are not alone. Most of all, be assured that His love for you NEVER changes. He loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay the way he found you. He has made you GOOD. So, be good! NOT to show that you are worthy of His love, but to experience the FULLNESS of His GRACE whenever you realize that you can't do it on your own. 

Go back to the time when you first held His hand & He held yours. He LOVES you back then...He LOVES you STILL....

God is calling YOUR name

"You know just how much I love you...Even if everyone leaves you, I will stand by you til' the end. I am willing to die for you." Well, at least that was what I said until they came and took you away. I fought for you at first, but I was too weak & you didn't want to see people getting hurt. You know what's worse?? When I was trying to see where they were taking you, some of the people around recognized me. I panicked. I didn't know what to do. My mouth just blurted out,"What are you talking about? I swear, I don't know such person!" Before I knew it, the rooster crowed & I remembered what you said. All I could do was to weep as I regretted denying the very person I loved. I've let you down, Lord. Will you forgive me?


Simon Peter is probably one of the most memorable for me among all of Jesus' disciples. But because of his denial of Jesus, Peter used to be the 2nd last person I'd want to be among Jesus' disciples; Judas Iscariot being the last person I'd wanna be. However, I find myself being able to identify with Peter most of the time. There were so many times that I felt that I've betrayed His love and forgiveness that He so freely gave to me. I sing that I love Him and that I'll offer my life to Him, but there's just so many times that I feel that I've failed Him. How can He still love me after all these?? I've let You down too many times, God.

It just amazes me how long it took for me to realize that in this RELATIONSHIP, He is the one holding me up, and He NEVER LETS ME DOWN. There's no way I could let Him down if I've never once held Him up. 


When Jesus resurrected, the angels of the Lord told Mary and Mary Magdalene "He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' " (Mark 16: 7) The angel said, "..tell his disciples and Peter." 


"..his disciples and PETER." 


Just when Peter thought that he's blown it. Just when he thought Jesus will never forgive him for what he's done, God mentioned his name. God mentioned Peter by name to let him know that He still cares for him & that He's forgiven him. 

So whenever you think that you've blown the chance that Jesus has given you, think again. God is calling your name, to let you know that He still LOVES you & He forgives you. Remember, He is the one holding you up, not the other way around. We can never let Him down. cause we can't! He never lets us down. 

Somewhere I Belong...

When I was in secondary school, Form 3 to be exact, I used to have a "secret place" in my school where I always go to and nobody else passes by there. It's a little garden right behind the block where my class used to be. It was peaceful, green, full of plants and flowers, and the best thing was, somehow nobody seemed to pass by the place other than the occasional gardeners. It was like my very own little "sanctuary". It was a place I could think, reflect, be at peace, a place to escape the pain of school life, and a place to let out some tears occasionally. It felt like the only place in the school where I BELONGED.


Now that I'm 19, and in my 3rd year of college in KL, I still couldn't find any place like it. It's very easy for me to feel out of place sometimes. Throughout my years growing up, I've always felt out of place, as if I don't belong anywhere I go. This feeling is still no stranger to me. 


There is one thing that I find comfort in though, and that is Jesus was born a STRANGER to this world too. Through Jesus all things were made, without Him nothing was made that has been made. He came to this world that He has made but the world did not recognize Him. In his lifetime, REJECTION and feelings of "not belonging" wouldn't be any stranger to Jesus too. Wow, that feeling would be wayyy worse than mine. How could He have handled it? Well, other than the obvious fact that He's fully God (and fully man), I would think it's because He had a place that He could go to too. It's His own "secret garden". That place is the Father's arms. That would surely be His greatest comfort in this world that He didn't belong in.



Though I no longer have this little garden in my school to go to, I have a BETTER place to go to. It's a place that I look forward to going one day. One day, I will see Jesus & my Heavenly Father face to face. This time, all tears will be wiped away, together with my shame, my pain and my sins. That will truly be SOMEWHERE I BELONG. 



The place that I'll be going will be WAYYYYYY better than this pic...but guess I'll just have to be satisfied with this pic for now...;)


Blessed Christmas everyone!!! =)

YOU are worth....EVERYTHING!!!

Have you ever felt like a NOBODY?? Well,I don't know about you but I feel that way A LOT when I was growing up. It is still something that I'm struggling from time to time up until now. That feeling that you are not really worth anything to anyone. That you'd just die & nobody would care or feel any loss. The feeling of WORTHLESSNESS. Many times I've wondered if anyone would remember me at all if I just "disappeared" one day. Memories of nobody, without someone to miss me at all. Well, however UNTRUE that is, I still felt it many times in my life & I believe that many people out there feel this way too (maybe in different ways/degrees). Don't feel too depressed though. This is not an "emo" post.

Growing up,I've "convinced" myself too many time that I'm worthless & many times I've let others make me feel unworthy. I'm pretty sure some of you can relate to that.The TRUTH however, is very far from what I've always felt about myself. I am fearfully & wonderfully made. His works are beautiful & I know that full well (Psalm 139: 14).

Now that I know that "full well" & remember that I am made in His own image, I must not let myself believe that I'm worth nothing to anyone because I know that I'm worth EVERYTHING to HIM. This is how Satan gains a foothold in many Christians' lives. He(satan) knows that he can't take away our SALVATION, so he tries his best to make us feel that we are less than what we are actually worth.So, don't give in to that thought!! I'd still feel that at times & that is when I need Jesus the most to remind me the price that He paid for ME at the cross. Then, I'll really see how much I'm WORTH to HIM!!! (Besides, I'm worth something to the people around me too...)

Don't listen to those who make who feel LESS that what you're really worth...You're WORTH EVERYTHING!!!

Be blessed;)

-DaNiEL-

You are NOT ALONE...

Saw a friend's blog post that talked about how to overcome hardship & pain. He said that the most reliable person to rely on in times of trouble is yourself, cause you can't always rely on family or friends while God is only for those who already has a strong relationship with Him, otherwise you will not feel comforted as God will not come and say, "I'm here to take your pain away." and everything's gonna be fine. If you are reading this(which I doubt so), please do know that I have no intention of judging or saying that it's wrong but please hear what I have to say.

I used to find myself relying on no one else but my own strength. All my life, I've been a burden to others & what I hate the most; yes,even more than being weak; is to be a burden to the people around me, especially the ones I love. When I consider turning to God, I figured "Nah, I'm not strong in my relationship with God yet & I'm not wise enough to understand His will. I can pray all I want, but I'd still can't see God's way."

Well, this is one thing God proved me WRONG!! In my darkest hour, and without having a strong relationship with Him nor having much understanding of God, was when God understood me the most. It then struck me. God did not come to save the righteous nor did he come to help the strong. HE came to SAVE the sinners, to COMFORT the weary, to STRENGTHEN the weak. HE CAME TO SAVE ME!! It's a very humbling experience to know that GOD THE ALMIGHTY would look at a speck of dust like me who does not know Him.

Yes, He would not come and say "I'm here to take your pain away". But ONE thing God told ME was "I know it's painful & I know it hurts, but you don't have to do this alone. I'm here with you, always. You are NEVER alone."

P.S: I know you feel that it's very fake when people ask you how you are and all, so I didn't ask. But I'm praying for you. You are not alone & you don't have to be. You don't have to be "strong enough" to seek God. Each one of us matters to Him just as much. He's our Heavenly Father after all. - Same goes to all those who are reading this post ;) -

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17)

Well, no harm learning to rely on ur friends too sometimes ;)

Hope you are blessed by this,

-DaNiEL-

Keep Holding On...

What should I do now that I REALLY wanna give up? Really wanna quit, raise the white flag, throw the towel. "Don't give up! Try harder!", that's probably what I would say to a friend, but when it comes to myself now, it feels kinda different. Sounds HYPOCRITICAL, do I not?

The song "Keep Holding On" by Avril Lavigne just popped into mind. Though I'm don't fancy her, this particular song is meanigful. "You're not alone...Together we stand...I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand..." Kinda wish that will happen to me too *fakes smile*. Well, for now I'll just have to strive harder, I guess. Never give in...Keep holding on...

I'll still have YOU, don't I, God? I know you will strengthen me till the end.

YOU are N.O.T. (No Ordinary Thing)

Why does it rain like this?

As though as You know what I'm going through?

Each drop of rain

as if it is from my heart.

Just as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return to it without watering the soil

And just as Your WORD that goes out from Your mouth

and does not return to You empty

So will be my tears that I shed

do not return to me without "watering" the SOULS around me.

I am NOTHING,

but certainly NOT WORTHLESS

HELPLESS,

but certainly NOT USELESS.

Though I may feel that way sometimes,

my worth is in YOU all the time.

With Your strength, I will rise again

and together with the people You put in my life along the way

I shall WALK with YOU till the end of age.

-Daniel L.-

I thank God for every "rain" & "storm" in my life cause I know that it'll make me STRONGER. Through every hardship in my journey, I'll learn to encourage people along the way; letting my life be used for His GLORY.

P.S: It's NOT true that you can't do anything right at all. Yes, YOU. You are NOT useless, nor are you an idiot, a fool, or even a failure. You are N.O.T. (No Ordinary Thing) So,stay strong & never lose faith, for HE is with you all the way.