Saturday, April 07, 2012
.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued,
''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So, love the people who treat you right. Think good thoughts for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is part of LIFE...Getting back up is LIVING...
Have a great life.
by: Ultima National Resources, LLC
Friday, April 06, 2012
The Vow - Channing Tatum play guitar scene
Best quality I could find in youtube. This scene made me pick up my guitar and play it again. Awesome movie too.
Monday, April 02, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
David Choi - Won't Even Start - Official Music Video - Wong Fu Productions
Nice concept of the video :)
Saturday, March 24, 2012
1 Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, And let the people renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; Let us come near together for judgment. 2 Who raised up one from the east? Who in righteousness called him to His feet? Who gave the nations before him, And made him rule over kings? Who gave them as the dust to his sword, As driven stubble to his bow? 3 Who pursued them, and passed safely By the way that he had not gone with his feet? 4 Who has performed and done it, Calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am the first; And with the last I am He. 5 The coastlands saw it and feared, The ends of the earth were afraid; They drew near and came. 6 Everyone helped his neighbor, And said to his brother, Be of good courage! 7 So the craftsman encouraged the goldsmith; He who smooths with the hammer inspired him who strikes the anvil, Saying, It is ready for the soldering; Then he fastened it with pegs, That it might not totter. 8 But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend. 9 You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, And called from its farthest regions, And said to you, You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: 10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. 11 Behold, all those who were incensed against you Shall be ashamed and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, And those who strive with you shall perish. 12 You shall seek them and not find them Those who contended with you. Those who war against you Shall be as nothing, As a nonexistent thing. 13 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, Fear not, I will help you. 14 Fear not, you worm Jacob, You men of Israel! I will help you, says the Lord And your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15 Behold, I will make you into a new threshing sledge with sharp teeth; You shall thresh the mountains and beat them small, And make the hills like chaff. 16 You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them; You shall rejoice in the Lord, And glory in the Holy One of Israel. 17 The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. 18 I will open rivers in desolate heights, And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. 19 I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, The myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine And the box tree together, 20 That they may see and know, And consider and understand together, That the hand of the Lord has done this, And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
Read it using Pastor Phil's voice.
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
Psalm 71
don’t let me be disgraced.2 Save me and rescue me,
for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me,
and set me free.3 Be my rock of safety
where I can always hide.
Give the order to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,
from the clutches of cruel oppressors.5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O LORD, from childhood.6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you!7 My life is an example to many,
because you have been my strength and protection.8 That is why I can never stop praising you;
I declare your glory all day long.9 And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside.
Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.10 For my enemies are whispering against me.
They are plotting together to kill me.11 They say, “God has abandoned him.
Let’s go and get him,
for no one will help him now.”12 O God, don’t stay away.
My God, please hurry to help me.13 Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers.
Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me.14 But I will keep on hoping for your help;
I will praise you more and more.15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
All day long I will proclaim your saving power,
though I am not skilled with words.t16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD.
I will tell everyone that you alone are just.17 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.18 Now that I am old and gray,
do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
your mighty miracles to all who come after me.19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things.
Who can compare with you, O God?20 You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.21 You will restore me to even greater honor
and comfort me once again.22 Then I will praise you with music on the harp,
because you are faithful to your promises, O my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.23 I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
for you have ransomed me.24 I will tell about your righteous deeds
all day long,
for everyone who tried to hurt me
has been shamed and humiliated.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Be the ones that inspire and aspires to be a good example for many to follow
Be the ones that speak wisely, not with idle words. As out of the heart, the mouth speaks. Guarding our hearts, not allowing worldly attitudes creep into it.
Be the ones that speak life, not with spikes and curses. There's power in our spoken word and this power can build, as much as it can destroy.
Be the ones that make a change, not whining and pinning that there's nothing you can do.
Can one man make a difference? Yes. One at a time.
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Thursday, February 23, 2012
I was totally amazed by the book. Words cannot describe what I feel, but what I do know is that its amazing in Heaven.
The boy's child-like faith, constant reminder of how much Jesus loves us and how huge God is never fails to touch my heart. Every chapter is amazing and the encounters are beyond imagination.
Throughout the book, I am constantly amazed by the child-like faith the little boy had. The author narrates him usually speaking with a matter of fact tone, with all sincerity and honesty.
I started to evaluate my own life.
After being a Christian for donkey years, have I turned into a professional Christian? One that knows scriptures and promises of Jesus, yet without encounters and personal experiences with the Most High.
I faintly remember praying the most child-like faith prayers when I was a baby Christian.. "Gentle breeze as I sleep through e night" "Stop the rain as I'm leaving for sch, continue e rain only when I am back in shelter"
And these prayers were answered for me, not just once, but many times! Maybe most people would say, "That's good, God is building up your faith to pray and to believe in Him." But I guess its also because of the child-like faith that I had, absolutely believing that God will hear and answer my prayers.
When was the last time I prayed and God answered?
Has my relationship with God become an act of works? Do I do it because I have to... Or because I want to?
When in a close relationship with someone, they are constantly in your thoughts and in your speech. They are the first people that you turn to, no matter what you feel.
Has God been sidelined in my life? Am I still fiercely guarding the spot that God rightfully remains in my life, or have I allowed other things to take over Him?
So many questions, thoughts and feelings from a simple short book.
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Saturday, February 11, 2012
Just witnessed a bunch of X-Country Runners from Nan Hua High School pushing the chairs back to their original places as they are leaving the cafe in MacRitchie Reservoir.
Seems like a rare phenomena as its something not common in my school.
Not sure if there's a direct correlation between mental strength and discipline, but I feel that students who are mentally stronger, tend to be able to disciplined.
Somewhat, I realized when I was in e Army, I was able to push myself easily, beating my timings whenever I ran and pushing my body to the limits. It was all linked to the discipline of my mind and body.
However after I'm out of the Army, the mind and body is not as disciplined as before and I do not push myself as hard as before. My mental strength has depleted and my discipline to run just as much, just as fast, has waned.
Discipline is also telling yourself to do what you do not like to do, and you would need a fair bit of mental strength to do that. Its like what the bible says, to crucify our flesh.
How do we develop mental strength? Probably the only way I know how is positive self talk, and the bible is full of promises for us to cling onto, that speaks faith into us.
And I guess to a certain extend, sometimes there's a need to be ruthless on our flesh. In context of running, if I do not push myself and run beyond my comfort zone, I will never improve. However, it is extremely painful to run and stretch the distance, loads of negative self talk, pain and exhaustion comes to the mind.
But it is usually because of that one, or a few, reasons that keeps someone going, pushing beyond the limits.
Perhaps without discipline, I believe one is able to achieve much. But with discipline, the right mental motives and faith as the backbone, one is able to achieve much more.
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Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Sunday, February 05, 2012
At a course I attended recently, I realized that many of the thoughts, things that I say are actually very judgmental! Based on what I see, I "judged" the person. It may be a reflection of what the person is feeling, but it's not 100% accurate.
That experience got me thinking very hard. I understand that the verse means that we do not condemn another Christian who might have sinned, but we lovingly educate the Christian, in hope of leading the person to repentance. Closely related to discipleship, it is extremely important, however if its not done properly, relationships would be broken and it would lead to disappointments and hurts.
I also realized that sometimes my perspective of someone do affect the way I communicate to that person and it is potentially dangerous as I am not demonstrating love in my actions.
As the younger generations are getting better education and unlimited access on the Internet, it is increasingly difficult to contain and shape them to be of a certain "pattern" and "style". Everyone's into expressing and being themselves.
The danger lies when I become "judgmental" in my point of view and feel that maybe that person is not ready because they did not display a certain "trait". I also believe that if I really want to, I would be able to find flaws in that person, just to justify myself.
But that's being totally judgmental isn't it?
What was going on in the person's mind? What caused them to do what they did? How did they arrive at the decision?
My guess is that sometimes we do not even know the answers to the questions above, and we jump into conclusion. Many times, I have done it myself, often accusing students for not paying attention or being extremely lazy. But usually after probing, its usually linked with something that affected their morale, their emotional well-being.
No matter what, nobody likes to be judged wrongly.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Goes to show how true the statement "Change is Constant" and being human, having new stuffs never fails to excite us.
However, in the midst of all these technological advancements and developments, we should never fail to remember our roots, first love and social contact.
Have we forgotten to appreciate the colours as we walk (or rush) to catch the train or have we forgotten to take a breath of the fresh air in the morning as we take a walk in the park?
With all the convenience in our hands, have we forgotten to write hand written letters and mail them by post, instead of composing messages or emails, mostly while traveling from one point to another.
Has all these advancements made the social relationships closer, or has it driven it further apart?
Yup, I have thousands of friends in my facebook account, hundreds of followers in twitter and tumblr. However when was the last time I met some friends just to hang out, grab a drink and get recharged?
Technological advancements are good.
But nothing beats the human touch.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Kim Jong Kook - Don't Be Good To Me
TRANSLATION:
Stop being good to me
Don't be good to me anymore
Being cold would be better instead
Or being unconcerned would be better instead
Taking off the dust stuck on the hem of your dress
Leaning on my shoulder without a thought as you laughed
It's just a habit, but even though I erase it and spend my day busily
I think and think about it again, like a picture taken with my eyes
Stop being good to me
Don't ever be good to me again
I get on my knees in front of love
I don't have the confidence to be hurt
If your feelings are different
If your feelings are different from mine
When someone asks
I'll introduce you calmly
As just a person I know
It wasn't that I wasn't able to answer
That late night call you gave me several days ago
I couldn't answer it
Because I was drunk and from my lonely heart
I might have thoughtlessly told you that I missed you
Because I thought that by the morning, it would be nothing
Stop being good to me
Don't ever be good to me again
I get on my knees in front of love
I don't have the confidence to be hurt
Because even though I miss you
I can't find the path that leads me back
To when I thought I had the entire world
Through that love alone
Because your feelings might be the same
Because your feelings might be the same as mine
I anticipate and I wait once again
In front of love today as well
Like a fool
I hesitate in front of you again
Like a fool
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
30 Things to do in 2012!
- Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.
- Start facing your problems head on. – It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them. Problems will not disappear unless you take action. Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done. It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch. These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.
- Start being honest with yourself about everything. – Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed. Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become. Be honest with every aspect of your life, always. Because you are the one person you can forever count on. Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are. Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there. Read The Road Less Traveled
.
- Start making your own happiness a priority. – Your needs matter. If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. Remember, it IS possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you. And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who need you most.
- Start being yourself, genuinely and proudly. – Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are. Be yourself. Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms. Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.
- Start noticing and living in the present. – Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening. Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.
- Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. – Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning. Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again. Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving. Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures. One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement yet.
- Start being more polite to yourself. – If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend? The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. You must love who you are or no one else will.
- Start enjoying the things you already have. – The problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc. Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll likely have a new destination in mind. You’ll end up spending your whole life working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have now. So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate where you are and what you already have.
- Start creating your own happiness. – If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out. Smile because you can. Choose happiness. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey into tomorrow. Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it. If you look for happiness within the opportunities you have, you will eventually find it. But if you constantly look for something else, unfortunately, you’ll find that too. Read Stumbling on Happiness
.
- Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance. – In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.
- Start believing that you’re ready for the next step. – You are ready! Think about it. You have everything you need right now to take the next small, realistic step forward. So embrace the opportunities that come your way, and accept the challenges – they’re gifts that will help you to grow.
- Start entering new relationships for the right reasons. – Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. Choose friends you are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect – people who reciprocate your kindness and commitment. And pay attention to what people do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how others represent them.
- Start giving new people you meet a chance. – It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made. People and priorities change. As some relationships fade others will grow. Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work. Trust your judgment. Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.
- Start competing against an earlier version of yourself. – Be inspired by others, appreciate others, learn from others, but know that competing against them is a waste of time. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be. Aim to break your own personal records.
- Start cheering for other people’s victories. – Start noticing what you like about others and tell them. Having an appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places – productive, fulfilling, peaceful places. So be happy for those who are making progress. Cheer for their victories. Be thankful for their blessings, openly. What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering for will start cheering for you.
- Start looking for the silver lining in tough situations. – When things are hard, and you feel down, take a few deep breaths and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope. Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times. And remain conscious of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.
- Start forgiving yourself and others. – We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others. And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.
- Start helping those around you. – Care about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.
- Start listening to your own inner voice. – If it helps, discuss your ideas with those closest to you, but give yourself enough room to follow your own intuition. Be true to yourself. Say what you need to say. Do what you know in your heart is right.
- Start being attentive to your stress level and take short breaks. – Slow down. Breath. Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose. When you’re at your busiest, a brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity. These short breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.
- Start noticing the beauty of small moments. – Instead of waiting for the big things to happen – marriage, kids, big promotion, winning the lottery – find happiness in the small things that happen every day. Little things like having a quiet cup of coffee in the early morning, or the delicious taste and smell of a homemade meal, or the pleasure of sharing something you enjoy with someone else, or holding hands with your partner. Noticing these small pleasures on a daily basis makes a big difference in the quality of your life.
- Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. – Remember, ‘perfect’ is the enemy of ‘good.’ One of the biggest challenges for people who want to improve themselves and improve the world is learning to accept things as they are. Sometimes it’s better to accept and appreciate the world as it is, and people as they are, rather than to trying to make everything and everyone conform to an impossible ideal. No, you shouldn’t accept a life of mediocrity, but learn to love and value things when they are less than perfect.
- Start working toward your goals every single day. – Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Whatever it is you dream about, start taking small, logical steps every day to make it happen. Get out there and DO something! The harder you work the luckier you will become. While many of us decide at some point during the course of our lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually work on it. By ‘working on it,’ I mean consistently devoting oneself to the end result. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
.
- Start being more open about how you feel. – If you’re hurting, give yourself the necessary space and time to hurt, but be open about it. Talk to those closest to you. Tell them the truth about how you feel. Let them listen. The simple act of getting things off your chest and into the open is your first step toward feeling good again.
- Start taking full accountability for your own life. – Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to improve upon them. Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will. And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own. You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life. And no, it won’t always be easy. Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them. But you must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles. Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.
- Start actively nurturing your most important relationships. – Bring real, honest joy into your life and the lives of those you love by simply telling them how much they mean to you on a regular basis. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be everything to a few people. Decide who these people are in your life and treat them like royalty. Remember, you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of.
- Start concentrating on the things you can control. – You can’t change everything, but you can always change something. Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery and stagnation. Invest your energy in the things you can control, and act on them now.
- Start focusing on the possibility of positive outcomes. – The mind must believe it CAN do something before it is capable of actually doing it. The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. Listen to your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Regardless of how a situation seems, focus on what you DO WANT to happen, and then take the next positive step forward. No, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react to things. Everyone’s life has positive and negative aspects – whether or not you’re happy and successful in the long run depends greatly on which aspects you focus on. Read The How of Happiness
.
- Start noticing how wealthy you are right now. – Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
A lot of thoughts running through my mind. Sometimes I wish I could select the thoughts that I do not want, and clear them.
But I guess that is why I have to depend on God so much more. There is only so much that I can do. But if He is in the equation, He enables me to do even greater, even more.
I got to to learn to be bolder. Cannot always be that nice guy, especially if I am being put into a position of responsibilities.
Learning to be accepting. There are just so many things happening on the inside of people, that we have no idea of. Man sees the surface, and we make so many conclusions based on it. Though some of them help, it is just surface deep.
What shows on the outside, might not exactly be what's happening on the inside.
There are just so many things happening all around.
Rebuilding the walls, fending off attacks and worshiping Him at the same time.
