Busy Weekend

Weekend has been a great time for me especially with some adventure activities. On Saturday morning, my department when out for hiking trip to Monkey Beach which is situated in Penang National Park. As it's name suggests, the beach is inhabited by monkeys especially one unique species that eats crab and I think it is called the Crab-Eating Macaque. I always thought monkeys are vegetarian but this one is different.

The hike along the cost to Monkey Beach took around 1.5 hours. A variety of fauna and flora can be found along the way. It was great time for especially getting to know staff much better especially in an informal setup. We had our brunch at Monkey Beach under the watchful eyes of a group of monkeys aiming at our Nasi Lemak, Curry Puff, Sandwiches and other stuff. We manage to secure our food stuff and belonging from the monkeys. Had some good beach game with the team. Our return journey was much relaxing. We took a boat ride back to the park entrance.

In the evening, together with my good friends, we went to try Frog Moi again (frog porridge). Unbelievable right...!!! We had frog moi twice in a week. This time we drove over to the mainland to try out at another outlet belonging to the same chain of restaurant that we visited on Monday. The journey to Bukit Mertajam took about 1 hour by car. Interestingly, the frog moi in the mainland taste much better than the one in the island. Furthermore the frogs are much fatter than then one in the island. I wonder whether the frogs in the islands are going some dieting program...haaa...haaa...haaaa.....!! As usual we ordered the extra spicy Kung Poh Frog with porridge, veggie and kung poh eel.

On Sunday, as usual, we went for Sunday service. I was serving as backup singer last weekend. After service, we suppose to have Operation Tanggam Meener but was not able to carry out due to some technical glitches. Will try again next week. Emmmm....you would be wondering what is this project all about....It is for us in PATI to know and for you to find out. We had lunch in church as it was our church fellowship weekend. We then proceed to BA and Jessy's new home for fellowship and testing of their new reclining sofa set....Awesome...wish I got one at home.

We reach back home at 5.30p.m......took my usual weekend evening nap but this time, it was a bit unusual.........I woke at 9.30p.m.......shows how tired I was after the busy weekend.

That's all folks from me today.

Be Blessed.

The Ultimate Trip to Heaven

Received this email from my good friend, Abby Phua. Wanted to share with all you.

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Planning to go to heaven? Here's a traveler’s guide...The ultimate trip ... see you there! ...

1. ACCOMMODATION
Arrangements for first-class accommodation have been made in advance.
'In My Father's house are many rooms ...... I am going there to prepare a place for you.' (John 14:2).

2. PASSPORTS
Persons seeking entry will not be permitted past the gates without having proper papers/credentials and having their names registered with the ruling Authority.
'Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life'. (Revelation 21:27).

3. DEPARTURE TIMES

The exact date of departure has not been announced. Travellers are advised to be prepared to leave at short notice.
'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority.' (Acts 1:7).

4. TICKETS

Your ticket is a written pledge that guarantees your journey. It should be claimed and its promises kept firmly in hand.
'I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.' (John 5:24).

5. CUSTOMS

Only one declaration is required while going through customs.
'That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.' (Romans 10:9).

6. IMMIGRATION

All passengers are classified as immigrants, since they are taking up permanent residence in a new country. The quota is unlimited.
'...... they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one ........ He has prepared a city for them.' (Hebrews 11:16).

7. LUGGAGE

No luggage whatsoever is necessary.
'For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.' (1 Timothy 6:7).

8. AIR PASSAGE

Travellers' going directly by air are advised to watch daily for indications of imminent departure.
'After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.' (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

9. VACCINATION AND INOCULATION

Injections are not needed, as diseases are unknown at the destination.
'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain....' (Revelation 21:4).

10. CURRENCY

Supplies of currency may be forwarded ahead to await the passenger's arrival. Deposit your heart, mind, soul and life.
'But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.' (Matthew 6:20).

11. CLOTHING

A complete and appropriate new wardrobe is provided for each traveller.
'...For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness....' (Isaiah 61:10).

12. TIME CHANGES

Resetting of watches will not be necessary to adjust to the day/night schedule.
'The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp........ for there will be no night there.' (Revelations 21:23,25).

13. RESERVATIONS

Booking is now open. Apply at once.
'...... now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.' (2 Corinthians 6:2)

14. CORONATION CEREMONY

The highlight of the journey is the welcoming reception and coronation which await the arrival.
'Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.' (2 Timothy 4:8).


The Blessings of the Lord be upon You
Lamentations 3:21-23,25 'But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness...the LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.'

Be Blessed.

Funny Day

Today, I had two funny encounter. First, at 8.06 a.m., I received a call from my friend ET. I answered the call but there is no one on the other end. 20 minutes later, I call back ET and she said she never called me and in fact there was no record in her phone that she called me this morning....not even by accident. I wonder whether is there something going wrong with our mobile phone systems especially with the latest move allowing the switch from one provider to another while retaining your number. Some of my friends have expressed the same experience I had this morning.

Today also marks the 3rd service for my Honda City. In 5 months, my faithful City has already clocked over 10,000 k.m. My wife's 3 years old Perodua Kancil only clocked 14,000 k.m. so far. I guess my high mileage is due to my love for driving especially long distance. My wife picked me up from the Honda service center (how I wish Honda can provide shuttle service back to office). Send her back to her office and then took her Kancil back to my office. I realize after 5 months of using automatic car, I almost lost touch driving manual car. For the the first few minutes, I struggle on the gear change. At one of the traffic light, I just applied my brake without releasing my clutch......guess what happen lar...the car jerked.... haaa ... haaaa ..!!!

Oh well, I thank God for today and for everyday. HIS love and grace is always abundant for me and for you too.

Be Blessed

Frog Moi

Frog Moi or translated in English as Frog Porridge is a local delicacy in Malaysia especially among the Chinese and some Indians. Recently, my good friend BA Lim, tried this delicacy in one of the restaurant in the mainland of Penang. He manage to find out that there is a newly opened branch of the restaurant in the island of Penang.

On Monday, seven of us explored this place for dinner. It was an in-prompt-to decision. As BA Lim puts it nicely, "We have strived, persisted & fervently pursued our objective last night of eating frog moi even though it was a 11th hour decision".

Some may still puzzle whether I am joking when I say frog for dinner. Yes, we had frog for dinner........to some, this may sound insane but to some, this is a food from paradise. For some, this may be their fear factor. For me and my friends, this is an adventure.

The restaurant is called New Receipe located in Jalan Dato Keramat. Most of their meals are cooked using clay pots. Somehow, I always cherish meals cooked in clay pot. Some says it has authentic taste when cooked in clay pot.

This is their first outlet in Penang island with other two outlets in Kampung Baru, Bukit Mertajam and Raja Uda in the mainland.

We order two pots of plain porridge (topped with chopped spring onions, sesame oil and strips of fresh ginger. ), two pots of spicy frog cooked with black sauce (kung poh), one pot of spicy eel on black sauce and plate of fried lettuce with oyster sauce and floss meat (bah hu). The food was awesome. I love it and it is the best frog kung poh I have eaten so far.



A good meal is only good when you have good companion to eat with. We really had good time especially with our good friends who are also fellow PATI members (an unofficial social club). The price is slightly on the high end as frog and eel are considered exotic meat. Mind you that this is not the normal frog that you see in the street. Some called it the Bull Frog. The Hokkien speaking folks calls it "water chicken" and the Mandarin speaking folks calls it "paddy field chicken". What ever it is, it still looks like a frog but the meat taste like chicken meat.

So, if you want to try out something new, try Frog Porridge in Jalan Dato Keramat.

Sweet Sleep

Yesterday, I was covering on the topic of worries and today I want to zoom into one of the outcome of worries that is sleeping disorder. Today, a lot of people suffer from this condition.

The 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39% get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight.

I wonder what is the statistics like for my nation especially with the current economic turmoil. Worry is definitely one of the reason for causing sleep disorder but there are other reasons that add to this condition.

Good sleep is a basic necessity of life, as important to our health and well-being as air, food and water. When we sleep well, we wake up feeling refreshed, alert and ready to face daily challenges. When we don't, every part of our lives can suffer. Our jobs, relationships, productivity, health and safety are all put at risk. And lack of sleep due to sleep loss or sleep disorders is taking a serious toll.

Proverbs 3:24 says "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet". The Lord provides a way for us to have sweet sleep. Psalms 3:5 says "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me".

In order for us to have a sweet sleep, the Bible gives us a little instruction in Psalms 4:4 that says "...when you are on your beds, search your heart and be silent". How do we search our heart and be silent? I believe strongly this is a call for a time of devotion and prayer before sleep. Surrendering our worries, our cares and our troubles at the feet of Jesus will help us to have sweet sleep. Psalms 4:8 continue to elaborate on the outcome. The Psalmist says "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety “.

So my friend as you lay down to sleep, I pray that the Lord gives you sweet dreams, a restful sleep. That you sleep in peace and wake up refreshed in the Lord.

Be Blessed.

Find Rest in the Lord

We live in a world where we worry about all sorts of things. When we are a student, we worry about exam. When we are in university, we worry whether we will get a decent job once we graduate. When we start working, we worry about whether we would get a near perfect life partner. When we get married, we worried whether our partner is loyal to us or we are worried about our children. And the list goes on. Day in and day out, we we worry about all sort of things.

The Bible that I believe strongly as the book of wisdom says in Proverbs 3:5 - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Worry tells us if we can’t solve a problem, there is no way God can either. Worry brings God down to our own frail, human level, so we question His ability to overcome difficult circumstances. But the book of Proverbs require us to trust in God with all of our heart and lean not with our understanding.

Friends, our own assumption and our limited understanding may lead us to unnecessary worries. Worries will lead to mental and physical fatigue. The Lord provide a way for us. We can refuge under the shadow of His wings. The Word of God says, "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest". This is the call of Jesus to us today. Come to Him and find rest in Him.

The story that God will give us rest reminds me of the contemporary parable about the footprints in the sand. Two pairs of footprints were in the sand, walking side by side. Suddenly, there was one pair of footprints. God said, “That is when I picked you up and carried you.” God lifts us up and carries us when the burdens of our lives are difficult.

Why not surrender your worries at the feet of Jesus and let Him take control of your life. God is too big for us to figure out, so just relax in His arms as a child does in her parent’s arms, knowing God is bigger than any human need.

Be Blessed.

Camp Site

It is a another brand new week. Thank God for last week and the weeks before that. He is a faithful God and a God who loves us.

Last Saturday, I was on the road again. This time traveling to survey two campsite for our youth camp. Together with Felicia Yee (my pastor's one and only wife), Rachel (my pastor's daughter) and Sathy, we drove to Gopeng which is a small town located in the state of Perak. Our journey started as early as 7.30 a.m. My good friend Ivan will know this by heart because every time when I go out on an early morning trip, I will make sure I will call him.....haaa...haaaa...haaaa.......and he will faithfully answer my call.

We drove straight to My Gopeng Resort in Sg. Itek, Gopeng. It was an adventurous drive. The drive to the camp site passes through a lot of narrow road with with some large pot holes. My Honda City survived such terrain....maybe because of the skill of the driver lar....haaa...haaaa....The scenery was awesome especially when we pass some villages. After a 20 min drive through the village road, we reach My Gopeng Resort. It is a simple and beautiful place. I am pretty sure it will bring our Youth to a "Back to Basic" experience. The best thing is no 012, 016, 017 and 018 mobile phone service is available there. I was told only 019 have some reception.

After surveying the place and talking to the person in charge at My Gopeng Resort, we drove to Kampar to try out Yau Kee Chicken Curry Bun. Man oh man.....I will give my No.1 rating to Yau Kee compare to CB Chicken Curry Bun. Their dishes are also pretty good. I love their Mayonnaise Pork Rib.......MaaMaaMia...awesome.

Then we proceed to check out the Grand Kampar Hotel. It is a pretty new (1.5 years) 3 star hotel located 5 minutes drive from Kampar town. They have really good facilities. I love their meeting rooms and their rooms are really spacious. It is also has a youth leader's friendly setup...e.g. nice bed, air-conditioned, clean toilet and etc....haaaa...haaaa...haaaaa.......Oh well, that will not be criteria for selecting the place. As a Youth Leader, we are ready to serve God anywhere we are....!!! Amen!

On our way back, I was having dilemma on which camp site to choose. Should we go for luxury or should we go for adventure. It is going to be a very tough decision. Anyway, for the sake of suspense and suprise, I will not disclose the decision now....haaa...haaa...haaa....

Check out for more update on our Youth Camp at http://www.youthimpactrocks.blogspot.com. It will be an awesome camp.

Have a great week & Be Blessed.