We only have TODAY

"Go ahead and be the light TODAY, because tomorrow is not guaranteed."

-Sonia Lee (Jayesslee)

No one in this world, however rich or powerful he or she may be, can claim that they have tomorrow in their hands. It doesn't matter who we are, none of us can guarantee that we can live past today. Things just happen & nowadays we see bad things happening so suddenly to people whose time are not supposed to come yet. 

When someone knows when he/she is going to die, everything falls into the perspective of what is most important. The most important thing for me is probably to touch lives for God & make a lasting impact in the world with my presence. If I want to be remembered for anything that I did, I want to be remembered for my ability to love. That's why I want to try my best in being a person who loves the people around me, however bad I am at it. 

Mordecai said to Queen Esther, "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). I know that I am destined to impact lives, not only that, I was placed where I am & how I was for such a time as this. If I do not live according to the purpose I was called, then God can raise someone else from another place and I will have just lived a meaningless life. 

So, I will remind myself as many times as possible to be the light TODAY, for I do not know what may happen tomorrow. If we all live this way, for such a time as this, how can we not SHINE for Jesus the way we are meant to? So say what you need to say to your loved one TODAY, approach that lonely person in your class TODAY, and live TODAY like there is no tomorrow! After all, we only have today- one today at a time ;)

Why? Why? WHY??

A dedication to someone who inspired this post. One day,everything will seem clear. Then you will see that God's plan is to use your life for His glory ;)

"Why?" That is probably one of my most asked questions of all time. "Why is life so challenging at times? God if you are good, why can't be born normal like everybody else? Why must I go through the pain that I am experiencing now? WHY ME?" These are all questions that had went through my mind before. I have my own sets of why's in my life, and most of us do too. The feelings that we have to go through, the pain that we can't seem to bear, or even the fears about the things we are unsure of.  Sometimes, we can only ask "Why...?". 


There are still many things that I still don't understand in life. I can't stand in place of God to answer all the "why's", not even the "why's" in my own life. But through experience, I know for sure that God has plans- plans to prosper us no to harm us, plans to give us HOPE and a FUTURE. "But why must I go through emotional pains, or poverty, or even a fail in finals for God to give me hope and a future?" 


I can't know the specific reasons for God to let you go through what you are going through now, but one thing I am sure of -that is God is planning to use all the things in your life to help you see Him clearer, and for you to use it to helps others SEE too. 


Do you think the small things you face is too insignificant for God not to use it for His glory? Definitely not! How can someone who has not experienced hurt in relationships empathize with a person who just broke up with his girlfriend? Or can a person who gets straight A's all the time comfort a person who just failed his mid-term paper? 


Every hurt, hardship or question that you experience, however small or common it may seem, God has BIGGER plans for it. I am a testifier of that! I understand how people feel when they are lonely because I've felt it. I know how hard it is to overcome challenges, but I overcame! In the midst of finding the answer to my "why's", I found something more- a purpose. To help others see that in the midst of their "why's", there is HOPE in Jesus, the Christ!


"You intended to harm me, but God intended for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20)

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)

LIMITLESS

Well,I'm NOT talking about the movie starring Bradley Cooper,though it was a really good movie.A must watch! Haha. Okay back to topic. 


A few friends of mine from HELP visited me a few times to do a documentary of my life for their assignment. Honestly,it felt a bit weird watching a 30min documentary about myself. But I think it also humbles me that I could be used this way to encourage or touch another person's life. All GLORY to GOD alone! 


It feels very VERY weird sharing this video with all of you. However, I believe the hard labor of my friends should be shared & appreciated with encouragements from others. So, please do comment on the video on my friend's blog here to encourage her to do better & use her talents for God's glory yea? Credits to Sue Jane, Lisa, Beatrice & Kenny. Love you guys so much!  ;)

Well, I hope you guys have been blessed by it. I know I did. I was really touched by the unexpected messages towards the end of the video. A very job well done on the editing by Jane =). 

Little is much...

It's been 9 days now since I joined the lovely Hannah Tan as business partners in something that we believe would impact many many lives & help to save,feed,clothe & educate many underprivileged children around the world. First of all let me clarify this: I HATED BUSINESS!!! I'd never thought in a million years that I'd be involved in business. But I really believe what Hannah,Reymee & the rest of us are doing will really impact lives, help the people around us, save children all around the world & help make His gospel of love known(of course not all of them know abt this particular part...). That was the main reason why I decided to join Hannah and her team in this. So,I'm really driven to make a difference in the lives of the people around me & the lives of kids all around the world. 

Of course any cause worth fighting for will not be easy. It's getting harder for me especially now that my "coach" Hannah went overseas for work. These few days I've felt like giving up. I've felt down because the people I really really want to help think that I'm trying to gain something out of them. Others think that they have much more knowledge about business than me (which is true,but this one is not a conventional business with conventional "purposes" of gaining profit for themselves-which i really hate..) & have preconceptions & prejudgment of what it is all about. As a result I started to have doubts whether I can do it anymore. Can I really be the difference in the world & inspire others to do the same?

The next thing I know God is telling me, "Little is much when I'm in it. Just give the little that you have & I will use it to do EXTRAORDINARY things." God reminded me that He was the same God that used 80-year-old Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, the same God who was with David when he defeated Goliath & the same God that came down to save me from death by overcoming it. 

God uses the weak to do great things, the ordinary to do the EXTRAORDINARY so that I cannot boast of my own strength & people may see that there is a God that gives me the strength that I need. Little is much when God is in it. So, I will learn to trust in Him & be sensitive to His voice in my life. 

p/s: Though I have God on my side giving me strength, it really will help too if you come back earlier Hannah!! LOL!! 

My awesome coach & wonderful friend. Be safe in Korea. God bless =)

Making the DIFFERENCE

I can't believe that the past few days were real. It all just happened so fast & before I know it,I'm already learning so much from Hannah. I really really wanna thank God for providing such an AWESOME opportunity for me to work with the greatest people I could possibly find. What are we doing you may ask? I can't tell you what we are doing yet but it's DEFINITELY something that will make a very big IMPACT in the society. 


We call it "The Next Big Thing" because we believe that what we are doing is gonna save many lives, change how people live & making a difference in the world that we are living in. I am really REALLY excited to work with them & I can't wait for God to use me to start MAKING THE DIFFERENCE in the lives of many people for His glory!! 


So,what I want to ask is that EVERYONE can continue to PRAY for us that we will make this dream of ours & the vision of changing lives come true!! We really really need your partnership in prayer. Let's make a difference together!!


p/s:I really thank God for leading me to a thing that I'd NEVER expected I'll be involved in. Ultimately I thank Him for allowing me to be used to impact lives & making the difference in the lives around me,not just in the Christian "circle" . Thank you Lord!! =D


pp/s:If you listen carefully,you can actually hear me GASP in shock when Hannah said she's gonna show me speak...LOL!!! Fail!!! ><" Remember,PRAY FOR US!!! =D

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....

The Lamb Over Me...

"It is because if him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has became for us wisdom from God- that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption." (1 Corinthians 1:30)

Being a righteous man in the society's standard would already be a hard thing to do. Being a righteous man would most probably mean that you do not cheat in anything at all, you do not talk bad a bout a person, you are trustworthy, full of integrity and honour. Now,imagine being righteous in God's standard. Wow,that seems like an impossible feat to achieve. How can I claim to be righteous and dare to stand before God blameless?

Well,I've recently got to know this interesting fact from a friend's blog (thank you Clarence..^^) about the word "righteousness" in Chinese. Here is a picture of how it looks like. 

Now now,before all of you who can't read Chinese (this includes me) start scratching your heads in confusion, I'll explain to you all why this particular word is interesting. 

The word "righteousness" in Chinese consists of TWO individual words combined together. The upper part of the word is made up of the word "羊" which means "lamb/sheep" and the lower half of it is the word "我" which means "me". When the two individual words "lamb" and "me" are combined together, it forms the word "righteousness". And since the word "lamb" is above the word "me", I guess the phrase "the Lamb over me" is more than appropriate to describe righteousness. 

Before Jesus came, the people of God cleanse their sins yearly by going to the priest,bringing an offering of lamb,bull,goat,etc. What happens next is that the sins of the person who brought the offering will be transferred to the animal. What's left to be done is for the priest to kill the animal and offer it to God, and the person walks away blameless; righteous in the eyes of God. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming- not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once and for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder for their sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4)


The imperfect offerings of animals did not take away their sins once and for all, but reminded the people of their sins and made them have a guilty conscience. When Jesus, the PERFECT sacrifice, came and died for us on the cross, we can finally be cleansed ONCE and FOR ALL. Being made RIGHTEOUS before God NOT because of what we've done, but because of what the Lamb has done. 


So,the next time I feel unworthy & ashamed of my sins, I just have to be reminded that I no longer need to feel guilty since the perfect sacrifice has come. Instead, I will remind myself that my righteousness comes from Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God. I just need to remember to bring my Lamb. Because the Lamb over me has done it perfectly once and for all on the cross that day. 


p/s:For those who may have a problem/doubt in the theological soundness of the phrase that I made about no longer needing to feel guilty, it's okay. Feel free to respond & I might even post another post explaining the reason for it. Be blessed. Remember, RIGHTEOUSNESS is the result of the Lamb over us. 

R.I.U.T (Risk It. U-Turn)!!

Just came back from the 6 day National Conference: Risk It. U-Turn (R.I.U.T.) in Port Dickson and I would say that it was AWESOMENESS!!! The 6days was PACKED from morning til night but at the same time I feel myself getting more refreshed as the days went by. This conference is really something different. One thing about believers from all over Malaysia, some even from Korea, Africa & other foreign countries, ALL worshiping our God in UNITY makes it an UNFORGETTABLE experience.


This conference is much more "calm" as compared to certain camps that I went that gives the "spiritual hype" that  later on dies down. Nonetheless, it's impact is great, if not GREATER. It's gives me a clearer perspective of God's heart for the people of this world and my role in MAKING A DIFFERENCE in this nation. To walk against the social norms of this world that is not His will. God has put in my heart a burden to stand up against INJUSTICE when I see it happen, a burden to do my part in making this country a better nation by voting, to rise up against CORRUPTION, RACISM, OPPRESSION. Most of all, He taught me how to LOVE my neighbours more than I have before. To learn to LOVE like He does, not like I do.


Some of the highlights for me in NC:
1. More than 400 people from all around Malaysia came for this conference!! There's even a group of Koreans who came to Malaysia just for this conference!! AWESOMENESS!!! =)

2. Met tonnes of new friends, some mean a lot to me. Had tonnes of fun with my groupmates: Lyon, Jared,Bryan,Jessamine,Jee Leng,Kelly and Jacqueline. Really wanna thank God for each one of the friends that I've made in NC. Thank you Jeremy & William for the SHOULDERS during worship. HahahaXD.

3. Awesome time of FUN playing Frisbee during breaks with the gang of Frisbee people(Sophia, King, CK, etc.) . Made some of my most cherished friends in NC just through Frisbee. Really appreciate them for letting me lay & teaching me patiently. Thank God that I met Jane ("this" Jane) there who has encouraged me a lot through out the NC.

4.I wont forget the 1st person who gave me a smiley that encouraged me during NC. Thanks again Sue Jane for the smiley. Also thanks everyone else who gave me a smiley too. Jane Wee, Carmen... The smileys I got from NC is one of the things I cherished most from my experience in NC.

5. The Bible exploration by Dr. Thomas Chung was really a GREAT blessing to me & made a great impact in my experience there in NC. Go for GOLD baby!!~ XD

6. A very HONEST sharing from Haris Ibrahim really touched me a lot. His opinion of what is happening in this country, as a Malay, as a Muslim but MOST OF ALL as a MALAYSIAN FIRST. His courage to stand and voice out against injustice, oppression and racism despite threats and challenges was really inspiring. It was an eye opening sharing that puts a burden in my heart to stand against INJUSTICE and fighting RACISM.

7. All the time that Annette was on stage giving the R.I.U.T. report, making jokes, giving announcements and even the time when she officially hands her post over as she moves on to a new journey in IFES was a blessing to me throughout the NC. Annette is really one of a kind. She can still make people laugh at the most touching of situations. LOL

8. The WHOLE NC itself was one of the best thing that happened to me. No words could sum up how much this 6 days has been a blessing to me. I just pray that now that I'm back here to "reality", I could stand strong and MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the community around me and then the nation.

What will you do when you realized that you've been driving in the wrong direction? Will you continue driving straight? Or Risk It? Make a U-Turn that is NECESSARY in LIFE? 

Risk It. U-Turn. R.I.U.T!!!!

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-

The ROLE of a LIFETIME..(Letters To GOD)

When I was young, I used to get laughed at by my schoolmates cause I was in a baby stroller & I get carried by my mum wherever I go. I remember very clearly how I heard that some of my classmates would laugh at me behind my back. It didn't feel very nice at all. I've never really thought of what to do with my life at the time. All I cared about was to somehow find a way to survive from all the laughs & the humiliation of my disability. All I wanted was just to be....normal.

I realize it now that I wasn't born with a disability for no reason or by accident. I am handpicked by God for the ROLE of a LIFETIME. I am HANDPICKED by Him to be His WARRIOR; not a warrior that fights with violence & brute strength, but a warrior who is full of truth, love, humility & righteousness. Maybe when people see how I've been strong in facing the challenges in my life, they'll look into their's as well. That way, they'll turn to Jesus & finally see the TRUTH.

Many times I lose sight of this purpose & live my life as though God's work did not happen in my life. I am reminded just now of how significant my life is in glorifying Him & changing the lives of people around me.

YOU are HANDPICKED by God too!!! YOU have the ability to become His WARRIORS too & to inspire the people around you!! So, don't ever feel that your life is insignificant or think that God's purpose for you is any smaller than other people's. YOU are HANDPICKED by HIM for the ROLE of a LIFETIME, ya know?? ;)

Was inspired by this movie...Really worth watching...

-HOPE is CONTAGIOUS-

Hope you were blessed by this.

-DaNiEL-

I wanna be...

"I wanna be a BILLIONAIRE, so freaking bad..." Well, actually I don't. I would say that compared to most of my friends, I don't have much of a BIG ambition for my future. Most of them have ambitions of being successful & having big cars & houses, but honestly, I can't really imagine myself owning all that. What do I want to be? I wanna be an ENCOURAGEMENT. "What? You wanna encourage people for a living? What kind of ambition is that? How do you even plan to survive?", some people would say.

Well, surprisingly for a person who says "I know what God's will in my life is.", I honestly don't know what I would be working as in the future. One thing I do know, it's that I want to be an ENCOURAGEMENT to the people around me. To be able to lift people up when that are facing challenges in their live to the point that they think they can't hold on any longer. To testify that God LOVE all of us & that He is the STRENGTH that kept me going throughout the years. To be an instrument of God to make a DIFFERENCE in a person's life.To be there for a person in need. THAT would be my biggest dream.

Well, say all you want but however "small" or unambitious this ambition of mine may sound to you, it is the reason I wake up every morning, CONVINCED that no matter how weak I am, God has COUNTLESS miraculous things He wants to show me using my life. I'm still learning to allow God to work in my life & mould me into a person into that person one day, despite all my imperfections.

I just wanna be a "hand" that reaches out & lifts people up when they are down.

A Little "Push" Along the Way

I was just sitting around & a thought just came to me which really made me wanna post this up as a token of GRATITUDE to the people God has put in my life.

I just really wanna thank God for putting many WONDERFUL people in my life who had made great impact in me & in my walk with Him. I've come to realize that God has and will always put people in my life to give me a little "push" when I feel as if I can't go any further. Recent incidents of how a friend encouraged me instead when I was initially intending to encourage the person in the first place (Really thank you for that...), really made me realize that help may come from unexpected people and places.
There are so many more people people that God has put in my life to help me when I was down, so many that sometimes I might no even realize it. In the same way, I really pray that I too can be that little "push" that would help a friend who's in need of encouragement, a lost soul who just wants comfort or even a college guard who's in need of a smile :). Thank YOU, Lord!

We may need a little "push" along the way sometimes,

and it may come from places we least expect it.

When I say, "I DO"?

Was doing my devotion just now before bedtime & felt a very strong urge to share this that I decided to get up from bed and blog this.

Devotion was on Genesis 24: 61- 67, regarding how Rebekah came to marry Isaac. Well, Isaac's father, Abraham arranged this marriage before his death. Both Isaac & Rebekah had never met each other before that but he married her, and LOVED her.

What I got from this devotion basically reminds me of what I've seen happening around me. A lot of us would fall in love, get into a relationship but after that is faced with a dilemma when the feeling of love isn't the same anymore. I've always taken romantic relationships very seriously. To me, a romantic relationship isn't just a trial nor is it for fun, but I'll look at it just I as I would with MARRIAGE.

"Feelings" on itself is NOT a reliable measure of the strength of your relationship with another person, mainly because our "feelings" tend to change from time to time. Many couples break up because "the feeling is no longer like how it used to be" or "the feeling of love has faded". At times, feelings towards our partner (GF/BF/wife/husband,etc.) may change but LOVE is more than just FEELINGS, it's a life- long COMMITMENT. Many people take love so lightly & when the so-called "feelings" are gone, they find it hard to maintain a relationship with their partners.

So, I was thinking how does this devotion apply to my life? Is God teaching me what to do when I'm in a relationship? Yes, I believe so BUT when I meditate on it a little longer, another thought just popped into my mind. I compared this to my relationship with God & realized that as a human, with all my defects & weaknesses, my "feelings' for God might sometimes fade & that is when I start to stray away from Him. I should not just rely on this kind of "feelings" to determine my walk with God.

Sometimes I find myself stop praying or doing devotion just because I don't "feel like it" & do not want to do it just for the sake of doing it. I realized that when I said "I DO." to God, it's is a COMMITMENT & that though at times my feelings may change (because of sin, distractions,etc. ), I would not let this get in the way with my LOVE & my RELATIONSHIP with Him. I just have to put in more effort to seek Him with all my heart, & when I feel like I can't hold on, I'll always have His STRENGTH that hold this relationship together.

So, if you manage to even read until this part of the long post, & you find yourself struggling with your passion for God; wondering why it's not the same as it used to be, remember, love is MORE than feelings, it's a COMMITMENT & when you make a commitment with God, HE will give you the strength to hold on to Him. So, don't give up!! Take this into account too when thinking about our romantic relationships.

Hope you are blessed by this. Sorry for the "long-windedness":P

If you want a relationship WITHOUT a COMMITMENT, marry a COMPUTER.

^^&