Monday, July 31, 2006
Coffee Anyone?A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see”. “Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take
an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?” Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water. Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”
theDRUMMER @
1:40 AM-
Saturday, July 29, 2006
When I Grow Up I Want To Be.By Angelina GutierrezWhen I was a kid I used to say, "When I grow up I want to be." Then while I wasn't paying attention, one day, childhood snuck away from me and suddenly I found myself up. I wasn't as prepared as I would like to have been. Who am I kidding? I wasn't prepared at all. I looked out into the world and for the first time I took notice of the pressures that lay before me. They're everywhere. Pressure to act, pressure to try, pressure to follow, pressure to become. The list is too long. Even though no one ever has to really say a word because we have enough criticism within ourselves to pressure us for a lifetime. It's true we are the hardest on ourselves than anyone else.
It's hard enough trying to be still for five minutes when drive-thru's and microwaves aren't fast enough anymore. Suddenly life has become a race and we've fallen into the trap of comparing. But to who's standard? And are standards supposed to change? Because every time I turn around the world has a new set. Loose morals. That's what they are. It's whatever feels comfortable; whatever feels good. It's being spread across the entire earth like a sick disease, and the killer? Conformity.
And then there's disappointment. It likes to walk by your side when you hit that age when you're not where you pictured yourself to be twenty, ten, or five years ago. That's when you have to learn to ease up on yourself and make contentment your friend because no matter how many years we live, we still have a while to go. And no matter how many struggles, sufferings or mistakes we go through we still have a lot more of those coming our way too. So after all is thought through you reach a point where you realize that "In God We Trust" really wasn't just a nice quote to decorate our money. There were those that believed it to the core of their being and died knowing that no matter what changed, their God never would.
I'll be turning thirty in 51 days and yesterday someone asked me, in all seriousness, what I want to be when I grow up. At first I laughed at the feeling I got of being a kid again. I haven't been asked that question for about fifteen years. It got me thinking though. No matter how many times I didn't meet my expectations there's always been room for another chance. I've just recently come to realize that age is not the issue. The issue is we can be whatever we want to be, and we can start today by working towards it, never conforming to what we don't believe in and putting our trust in God.
theDRUMMER @
12:07 AM-
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
THE GREATEST ADVICE -Rick Warren, the Purpose Driven Life*
Don't date because you are desperate.
Don't marry because you are miserable.
Don't have kids because you think your genes are superior.
Don't philander because you think you are irresistible.
Don't associate with people you can't trust.
Don't cheat. Don't lie. Don't pretend.
Don't dictate because you are smarter.
Don't demand because you are stronger.
Don't sleep around because you think you are old enough & know better.
Don't hurt your kids because loving them is harder.
Don't sell yourself, your family, or your ideals.
Don't stagnate! Don't regress.
Don't live in the past. Time can't bring anything or anyone back.
Don't put your life on hold for possibly Mr. Right.
Don't throw your life away on absolutely Mr. Wrong because your
     biological clock is ticking.
     Learn a new skill.
     Find a new friend.
     Start a new career.
Sometimes, there is no race to be won, only a price to be paidfor some of life's more hasty decisions.
     To terminate your loneliness, reach out to the homeless.
     To feed your nurturing instincts, care for the needy.
     To fulfill your parenting fantasies, get a puppy.
     Don't bring another life into this world for all the wrong reasons.
To make yourself happy, pursue your passions & be the best of what you can be. Simplify your life. Take away the clutter.Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits,and dangerous liaisons. Don't abandon your responsibilities but don't overdose on duty.
Don't live life recklessly without thought and feeling for yourfamily. Be true to yourself. Don't commit when you are not ready.Don't keep others waiting needlessly.
     Go on that trip. Don't postpone it.
     Say those words. Don't let the moment pass.
     Do what you have to, even at society's scorn.
     Write poetry.
     Love Deeply.
     Walk barefoot.
     Dance with wild abandon.
     Cry at the movies.
Take care of yourself. Don't wait for someone to take care of you.
     You light up your life.
     You drive yourself to your destination.
     No one completes you - except YOU.
     It isn't true that life does not get easier with age.
     It only gets more challenging.
     Don't be afraid. Don't lose your capacity to love.
     Pursue your passions.
     Live your dreams.
     Don't lose faith in God.
     Don't grow old. Just grow YOU!
When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion ofyour life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give to someone is your time.Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spelllove is T-I-M-E because the essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves*
God is good all the time!
In Christ Alone
In Christ alone will I glory
Though I could pride myself in battles won
For I’ve been blessed beyond measure
And by His strength alone I’ll overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal to the grace by which I stand
Chorus:
In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victoryLet it be said of me
My source of strengthMy source of hope
Is Christ alone
In Christ alone do I glory
For only by His grace I am redeemed
For only His tender mercyCould reach beyond my weakness to my need
And now I seek no greater honor in just to know Him more
And to count my gains but losses to the glory of my Lord
Chorus
theDRUMMER @
1:39 AM-
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Burdens? God take my all..Don't wait.. unload each burden to the cross.. load in the Love from that cross..
Have you ever felt so burden by the lies from satan.. that idot.. i do.. although sometimes we know that these are lies, but its just too hard to reject these.. and just give it to Jesus..
For me, personally these lies are like i just can't get myself to study, sometimes control my actions and temper.. and worst of all is the burden of being such a burden to others.. to people.. i understand that people do encourage me and stuff.. but.. what i feel is that.. they are only expressing encourage but not truely in hearts.. i feel such a burden..useless..
But i do know in my mind that God is working, and beside me.. helping me through.. but all i want to ask is that i can know this in my heart.. that i may unload these to Him.. to be able to sing this in my heart ' God Be My All!'
Help me.. pray for me.. thanks..=)
Prayer Request:
-To be able to let God be my All..
-To Let God Work in me.. if He can move mountains, move me..
-Trust between Him and me..
-To be able to release these to Him, to be able to load in Love from Him..
-To be able to reject lies, and believe the Truth..
-To have self-control and discipline
-To be able to study
theDRUMMER @
1:19 AM-
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Scars? oUcH! i got one..oh.. scars..? ya.. i got one.. thanks for your concern people.. =) ya.. story goes like this.. on a thursday night.. it rained all of a sudden(not drama k.. its for real) i like.. rushed to the kitchen to like keep the cloths..(SO GOOD BOY RIGHT? AMEN?!) then came my mom.. who helped me..
i was about to fall back already, still knowing the oven was behind.. so i held onto the gala.. but my mom.. PULLED IT.. i fell back.. and touched the oven and oUcH (Sound for real: ZEEEEE) i was like PAIN UH.. then.. ya lor.. thts how i got the oUch SCAR.. haha..
mom then gave me a LOVING CARE TO IT..(jealous boys and girls? *winks*)
not my mom's fault actually.. didnt blame her.. its not anyone's fault actually.. its just an accident.. haha.. oh wells.. anyway the scar did me good.. MADE ME MORE MAN.. haha.. okok.. JUST JOKING..
and oh ya.. do still keep me in prayer.. have been feeling the pain inside.. and abit of numbness.. yup thanks people!
But guess.. my point isnt only the physical scar.. but the scars in my heart.. no matter how small is it.. it'll be there.. and is very painfull.. sometimes theses scars get so serious that it turns numb... no feeling..
talked to galvs today about my scars made by life.. it was scars that lead me to so called hate God.. to break my trust in Him.. and for many month.. i just took a step back away from Him.. making my distance even further.. i just couldnt accept that He would put me into this kind of life.. with all the garbages that satan throws at me.. its really a kind of life i find such a burden to live for..
but one thing that galvs reminded me was... a Grace.. a Love.. so far greater than all these things, trials and burdens.. he asked me was i built on gifts..blessings.. or was it the rock of my Salvation..
man.. that hit me.. to really remember why was giving my life to Jesus.. and i thought to myself that it was for that Love.. it was for Grace which was all done.. just for me.. on one day.. to lift these burdens, these bags of garbage.. and nailed it onto a cross of Calvary..
and.. i realised at that moment.. i was actually still blinded.. was tricked by the devil.. i was tricked to hold on to my past blessings.. and not the Grace of God.. not Agape... and worst of all i compared them.. and blamed God.. like why this.. why that.. why this is happening to me.. if there is truely a God in this.. why does He have to take these blessings away from me.. why am i here to burden.. to get burden.. why cant i be a blessing? God how can You be so cruel to me.. my heart trembles, my life shakened..
this were all questions running into my heart and mind.. and it was just sooo.. difficult just to worship God.. just to say He is faithful.. just to say how great He is..
through the weeks and months.. one area is studies.. its O'level man.. why isnt He providing help for me just like last year.. where's the hope i need.. dissapointments with my results.. from 15points to like 25points?! what is this.. what is happening..? i asked.. apart from lazyness.. i see that God isnt THERE FOR ME.. so what the bible is a lie?
No! its just simply i haven been seeking God.. but instead i seek His blessings.. and this is just a wake up call for me.. Thank You God! thanks galv! Question.. Am i seeking God or His hands..? Have i been surrendering? Was it there all along, just that i have just come to realise it?
It is true.. i seeked His blessings.. not Him.. i depend on myself and neglected lifting it to Him.. believe more about myself than in God.. its just so I.. just like SIN with the middle I..
All i can do now is to surrender.. to pray.. not about me anymore.. but rather its All About Jesus.. the Faithful one.. the Grace given.. the Agape that i received..
i guess.. all you people can help me is to pray for me.. let Him take over..
Thanks..=)
Believe Me Now
Written by Steven Curtis Chapman and James Isaac Elliott©2004 Sparrow Song / Peach Hill Songs / BMI / Admin. by EMI Christian Music Group Publishing / Cabinetmaker Music / ASCAPPsalm 119:89-93 / Isaiah 41:10 / Romans 8:31-39 / Hebrews 13:8
verse 1
I watch you looking out
Across the raging water
So sure your only hope
Lies on the other side
You hear the enemy
That's closing in around you
And I know
That you don't have the strength to fight
But do you
Have the faith to stand and...
Chorus
Believe Me now
Believe Me here
Remember all the times I've told you loud and clear
I am with you and I am for you
So believe Me now
Believe Me now
Verse 2
I am the One who waved my hand
And split the ocean
I am the One who spoke the words
And raised the dead
And I've loved you long before
I set the world in motion
I know all the fears you're feeling now
But do you remember who I am ?
Do you...
Chorus
So believe Me now
Believe it's true
I never have, I never will abandon you
And the God that I have always been
I will forever be
So believe Me now
Verse 3
I am the God who never wastes a single hurt
That you endure
My words are true
And all My promisis are sure
So believe me now
Oh, believe me now
theDRUMMER @
12:14 AM-
Thursday, July 06, 2006
A Life Journey with GodAn email from my friend, and a reply back from me... its not just for him or me.. but i thought it'll be good for everybody, especially O's, N's, PSLE students and STUDENTS in the world.. haha..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "jun hao ong" - A camper from SUPA camp(P.6)
Subject:Studies
hi, how r u going on with ur sch i kind of find it a bit boring 4 me as keep studying 4 psle... hope u r doing well bb--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Well.. sometimes life will get really boring..sometimes lonely.. but we all have our respondsibility..that which is our studies, whelther a not there's PSLE, or N' level or O' level.. remember i asked you once abt studies.. and if.. i were to take away your stuies.. you would be REALLY EVEN BOREDER(if there's such a word..ohwells..) haha.. well.. i believe if you set yourself focus on Jesus our God.. there would be a whole lot a purpose and meaning to study, to move on..
I'm sure.. sometimes.. you would just feel like.. man.. school is SUCH A BURDEN, such a BORING thing to do.. well.. but if i were to leave you with no studies.. for the first two weeks.. you would have alreadyed tire yourself with many things that you would want to do.. but after the two weeks? you would be STUCK at home LOST with what you wana do..(just like your holidays, if there weren't any school) and then.. you would COMPLAIN abt being BORED to DEATH.. is like TOTURE..
Well.. i guess its time for you to change your mindset.. change your focus.. turn your focus of YOU HAVE TO STUDY FOR PSLE.. to I WANA STUDY FOR JESUS, TO GLORIFY HIM.. and then..you study and depend on Jesus.. =)
And that is the big difference between a Christian student and a non-christian student.. that is.. we are missionarys with a mission that is to be an example and we have a God who will and wants to bless us! how about that man?
'In this you greatly rejoice, through now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith(in Jesus or yourself or on the things you have to do?)-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith...' 1 Peter 1:6-9
Just remember.. His Agape Love for us.. for you.. for me.. remember what He went through, all just for you..=)
Come let me pray for you over the email =) 'Dear Jesus, i want to pray that you would speak to Jun Hao.. Lord i believe sometimes we begin to lose our grip on You.. and that we tend to rely on ourself, telling ourself there is smth better out there for me.. this life is so boring.. so useless to me.. and we like to question WHY AM I HERE? Why must i study? Why must i even go through such a stage of life.. cant i just skip it.. and move on.. Lord, HELP US.. help Jun Hao, me and whoever is thinking that way.. help us to understand that God You have a purpose for us.. a plan behind everything You do.. all i can ask is for strength..
Lord.. we are all tired.. we all have lost that grip.. bring us back.. help us.. let it be our prayer to ask for strength.. let it be a Love that would flow into our hearts and change our heart as i pray.. GOD WE NEED YOU, GOD HELP US.. help our focus to be back to YOU again.. let it be.. i want to glorify that God who has given me hope, a meaning to life.. a purpose to move on..
and for those who still cannt receive that Agape Love.. i pray in the name of JESUS that you will BREAK that HEART to be able to RECEIVE His LOVE!
God.. let my sec 3 experience be shared with everyone reading this, even me LORD.. show us about Your greatfullness and that meaning.. that Agape Love that helped me focus onto you.. till we would all understand that it is the process of our journey that counts.. that would give us much more joy and meaning than the end result.. help us see the bigger picture.. that is you, Jesus..=) And all God's children say.. AMEN!'
Just remember my last entry people about studies.. the `Tuesday, October 11, 2005'
Its not the result we should yearn for, its the learning process that we should be yearning for..Hope in God! Seek Him! Let Him bless you!
Toodles ppl! Jia You!
theDRUMMER @
9:44 PM-
