After four years..

Just finished catching up with Ian not too long ago.. Probably the last time for a while.. As I look back the 4 years I've spent at uni, one thing that will remain with me forever would be the relationship that was built. Yeah, I've learn the basics of engineering, been in plenty of adventures all around New Zealand, meet plenty of different people and gained between 15-20kg along the way (=D i'm glad i did and i'm pretty sure a big chunk of it is muscle mass).. but above all that, I'll remember how there was someone who hold me up when I'm down, someone to listen when I needed to pour my heart out, someone to keep my rear end in line, someone that cries with me and also laughs with me. Lots of stuff happened during my last 4 years that I wouldn't have been able to live through if it were not for you guys, and for that you have my gratitude. Thank you. You know who you are, old and new, far and near.. =)

.........

Actually, heck.. I might as well be soapy and name you guys.. (in no particular order..)

- Gloria for being a good friend for the last 2-3 years. Always there for me to disturb and also to talk to..
- Ben, YL, Calvin, Bernard.. It's been a joy leading the lifegroup and it's definitely one of my highlights of the year.. I've learn alot!
- Ian.. someone I can truly call a brother..Thanks for all the good advice and encouragement..
- Jerica.. somehow, through the 4 years, you were there when I needed someone to talk to..
- Paul.. for always challenging me and pulling me out of my comfort zone
- Nev, Andy and Andy..for allowing me to join in all the adventures and showing me what it's like to be a Kiwi boy..my mum is not going to be happy if she finds out the influence you guys had on me..
- Sam and Fraser.. uni would not have been the same without you guys.. i'll remember all the all nighters, not for the pain it caused, but because somehow, you guys made it fun..
- Celestine..haha, yes you made the list too.. very encouraged by how you've grown over the last year..and thanks also for listening to me when i needed to bounce my thoughts off someone.. :P

Thank you and I love you all heaps :)

This made me laugh :)

Night of Stars

So I didn't actually said everything I wanted to say during the Night of Stars (someone must have sprayed some pepper spray coz my eyes started to itch and my voice broke apart) =) That kinda threw me off track and I forgot what I wanted to say. So here is the text of my speech and I hope it encourages you =)

Let me take you back 3.5 years ago. A fresh first year international student, very excited but not quite sure what to expect. Everything was foreign to me and the people were a lot whiter than what I'm used to back home. Finding a church that I could feel belong to was among the first few things that I set to do. Few weeks rolled by and I can't really say I found one. Somehow rather randomly I got connected with Claire. I remember that weekend, I experience my first hail storm the night before. That Sunday, I meet Claire for the first time and we walked to church, which that time was at Girl's High. It was a cold long walk with someone I've never meet before. I can truly say that, the moment I stepped into church, it felt right. I still remember the very first thing Pastor Bernhard said to me. He told me, "Welcome home".

And that's really what it has been. This has been a place I can call my home and each one of you, my family. It has been the best 4 years of my life, with so many memories that will stay with me forever. I'll remember all the camps and camping trips, fishing, the parties and gatherings, the late night talks and non stop laughter, but above all, the friendship and life we shared together.

I remember during one of our life group sessions last year, we were doing a study on wisdom. The ever so wise Ian said this, "The wisest and best decision I've ever made was to come to church". Of course that's where he found Aya, but I'm sure he'll agree with me that church isn't just a place to find the woman of your dreams (although it's a very good place to do that!) =). Being students away from home, each one of you has a choice to come to church or not. Nobody is here to make sure you attend church every Sunday. You might have another two or three years left at uni and it's totally up to you how you live it. For me, the best way to live it is by getting plugged in to the church and build good lasting relationship, not just attending church. God will then take you on an amazing journey. I can truly say that I've been blessed, more than I could ever imagine through the people I've meet here.

*I'll cut the thank you part =) All the best for exams guys

The End Of An Era..

=) ... Well, not quite the end considering exams is just around the corner.. It's been an amazing week to say the least.. There's so many stories to share and each one of it deserves a post on it's own. Maybe, now that it's study break, I might actually write bout each one of it.. Just maybe. For now, I'll let the pictures do the talking..

Birthday!!



Project Day



Night of Stars



And a nice dinner of Paua to end an eventful week.. =D

More pictures on facebook soon..

Love

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails...

=)

I'M FREE!!

For the night at least.. =) Time for a much needed break after just 4 hours sleep over the last 36 hours (that's including an hour nap in the car).. Quite happy with the end product of my Energy Audit report and the Management Science test was great!

For now, it's shower and then bed time!! Good night earth..

Liverpool 2 - Manchester United 1

YYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:D

By the way, read what this match winner have to say about his goal celebration here. :)

Spring is here!!

I love holidays :D

Just got back from Hanmer Springs yesterday. It was beautiful! Always wanted to be there when it snows and it did!! Thanks to all those who came along.. you made it fun! Come to think of it.. I'll miss times like this when uni is over. Darn, this is suppose to be a happy post. Haha, ok change tone..

And football today was awesome! Played in the Ansvar Cup. It's a 7 a side football tournament to end the football season before cricket season starts. So we lost in the quarterfinals (by penalties!!), but thats ok.. Being in the top 8 is still a good achievement. We manage to top our group during the preliminary rounds and not concede a single goal. Now, that's impressive!! Oh, and we won the Handicap Cup! No.. we're not disabled :) It's for the team that won the most point in the tournament added with handicap points due to tournament being participated by teams from Division 1,2 and 3. We also got presented with a trophy for being runners up in Div 3. So yeah, I'm happy :D

Now, I'm wasted. Did I mention that we came back from Hanmer at 5, then I went for a birthday thingy at 8, got home at midnight and woke up at 8 for football? And I played tennis after that as well. But this is exactly the thing that drives me, going out there doing stuff with people. Was supposed to go out and watch the rugby at Sol Square with some friends but I'm just a lil bit too tired for that. Considering I'm on band tomorrow and that means an 8am start, I think thats wise :)

Yea...the title has got nothing to do with the content of the post. Just didn't know what else to put.. Heheh

Merdeka!

Some reflections over the past week

• Already halfway through the holiday..man its going by real quick
• I'm now a certified first aider!!
• There's some hurdles to go through with my final year project..Time to improvise and make things happen :) In the process of submitting a paper for a conference. Exciting!
• More project work to be done this week. Can't wait for Hamner on Thursday!
  
• Futsal tomorrow! Yeay!
• Paul and Tanya coming back on Thursday!
• Malam Malaysia last night was alot of fun.. Good work Gloria in making it happen! :)
• Played tennis today. First time since end of summer! Welcome good weather!!
• Life is exciting!! Loving every moment of it!! :D
• MERDEKA!! Happy Birthday Malaysia. May you grow into a great nation..
  

Where's my bed?

Had a bbq on Friday to celebrate end of term 3. Always cool to have people around with the bbq going and the sun shining.

So I had to go for a practise at 4pm. Didn't want to chase the guys off so I told them to make themselves at home. When I came back, everyone has gone home. So I went to my room and I realised my bed was missing. Here is my thought sequence.

1. Where is my bed??
2. Oh no, the house got broken into.
3. Wait..Why do they want my bed?
4. Why is my duvet layed down so perfectly on where my bed was supposed to be..
   
5. THOSE CLOWNS!!!!!

Haha..So I went looking around the house to look for it. Must say they did a pretty good job hiding my bed. I only realised where it was when I switched on my computer. My wallpaper was changed to this picture of Neville pointing to my bed.

Field Trip

Going to a field trip tomorrow. YEAY! Imagine this, 50 mechanical engineering students, in a cabin, in the middle of no where...hehe. Sounds fun :) Oh, also 5 guys traveling together in semi-posh university vehicle with a full tank.. hehehehe.. Already made plans to head out earlier and make a proper road trip out of it..

Sadly...I'm gonna miss church, futsal and the start of the PREMIER LEAGUE!!! Dang...It's ok, Liverpool will beat Sunderland..EASY!

Uni is definitely getting busier but it's ok, one more week to go to spring break. That also means good weather ahead! Currently in the process of designing an aerodynamic car and going to build a 1:20 scaled model to test in the wind tunnel next term. That's gonna be lotsa fun. Project is coming along really well as well. My main problem now is getting my hands on some load cells to do some testing. Where is my load cells!!!???

Alright..snooze time. Before I leave... just one more time... GO LIVERPOOL!! Looking forward to the good news after the field trip :D

i cant sleep..so i reflect :)

it's nearly 3am and i'm still not sleepy...was lying in bed for 1 hour just now when i finally decide i'm not getting any sleepier..few shots of whiskey and here i am waiting for the effect to kick in..

so whats been happening and whats going to happen this week :

• it's looking like the easy cruisy period is officially over..2 asgmts due this week and a field trip the weekend after...+ oth asgmts coming in soon..
• full day at uni tomorrow + a project meeting with my sponsor and mentor..time to make up stuff to present :P at least i've got the parts i designed done and manufactured so i can show it to them tomorrow..i'm thinking project is going really well..very excited to see it slowly working out..final prototype should be out soon! AND we might write a paper on it to present in an international mechatronic conference ;)
• i'm excited about church camp! it's going to be alot of fun!! a whole weekend with a great bunch of ppl..can't wait!!
• i'm not sure whats happening next year, but i sure am looking forward to go back home at the end of the year!
• oh..i've been enjoying first three weeks of uni.. :)
• dark knight was fantabulous.. 5 star!
• i don't like rainy weather..spring come faster!
• i'm thinking of a getaway for the spring break..time for a break from chch
• i should really get some sleep...
  

Sunday reflections+thoughts

• the last uni break was great! great time hanging out with people
• final year project going really well...can see it stepping up a lil over the next few weeks but it's making great progress!!
• should know on tuesday about a job offer for next year
• its very encouraging seeing people grow..oh, what's even better is having a growing relationship with them!
• check out this video..ever wondered what you would actually do if the doctors told you that you are going to die very soon? let's face it, we don't know when the time will come..but i wanna be prepared when it comes..
• Premier League starting next month!! this is our year..yes you read that right!! time for Liverpool to shine!
  
• looking forward to another great week!
  

:)

Someone out there is willing to do whatever it takes to bring me joy and happiness beyond my wildest dream.. in ways I could never imagine!!

Now, that thought just totally blew my mind away!

Holiday, Church, Dance...

It's holiday time!! Just sat for my last exam yesterday. Got to say that this exam season has been the least stressful one ever and that's with working on project at the same time and having Jerica around for the whole study week (had the most fun time and I'm expecting you to come back here pretty soon!! ;) ). So big thanks to all those who took some time out to pray for me. YOU are the greatest!!

So right now, I'm experiencing sore arms and legs. Was dancing the night away last night choreographing a dance for GoldRush. Make sure you are at the Every Nation Community Centre, this Friday, 7.00-9.30 pm. Let's say for now there will be some spinning, flipping, dipping, kicking and a whole lot more. Had so much fun making the dance. It'll be amazing!! Alright, and i'm off for another round of practise. Remember people, Friday, be there..

By the way, church was awesome today!

My Dad & I

Was chatting to my dad on msn this morning..

Me: dad, i wanna ask you a question..what can i do to make you proud?
(after 15 minutes of silence)
Dad: who you are and what you've done is already enough to please me..all your achievements are great, but i ask for nothing more than a loving and obedient child

:) yes, I love my dad and I'm not ashame of it!! also a reminder to myself on what makes my parents happy.. :)

A step into the unknown..

So I just read this. These few lines screamed for my attention.

“Hey Ray, that’s what I want for you! I want to take you places you’ve never been. I want you to experience things you’ve never experienced. I want to make you aware of things that you have no idea that even existed. Follow me!”

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Isaiah 30:21

Yes, I’m willing. Please make it easier for people around me… Alright, time to get back into the studying. First paper tomorrow! :)

It's Snowing!!

:)

ENME 456 Go-kart Race Day

A snippet from the Ensoc email promoting the event

Mechanical Engineering Go-Karts- Thursday
During Semester 1 ENME 456 have been building 4 sweet as go-karts as part of their course. The final part of there assessment they will race these Kart around a track in the central quad. Its free entertainment for your Thursday arvo and a ideal way of procrastinating about those 10 assignments due Friday or dragging you arts students amongst us away from the Foundry.
Details as follows
Location: Central Quad (where you signed up to ENSOC on clubs day)
When: Thursday 12:30 -1:30
What going on ?: Racing includes the ENME 456 teams as well as a celebrity race including university staff and James Park From IPENZ. ENSOC will provide sausages to spectators and DJ Carl will be scratching some sick beats on the music blasting machine.
Special thanks to IPENZ for their sponsorship of this event and to MOTOSOC for their time and expertise.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So we had a test drive today and the kart is looking mint! (yes, maybe I'm a lil bias).. Felt like we're part of an F1 crew, doing all those test run and tweaking the kart here and there. After all those sleepless night it is going to be put to the test this Thursday. Come along, it will be fun! The picture at the top is what I designed for the suspension system. Kinda cool designing something and sending the drawings to the workshop to be build.

What Keeps Me Going..

Take my hand to the promise land
And on You I want to stand
‘Cause I cannot do it on my own
You're what I need and I need to be
Right by Your side ‘cause I cannot hide
Lord, I know that I need You

Na na na na na na na na na, I need You
Na na na na na na na na na, I need You

Without You I'm so alone
I am weak but You are strong
You pick me up when I'm falling down
And I am crying
Out to You inside of my heart
I need You, Lord, oh so, for the part
I want You to have my life, Jesus
I fall to my knees
And I'm begging You, please, oh, Lord
Won't You change me
Make me new from the inside out
I want to shout out Your name

Thoughts

Was emailing this guy and sharing with him whats happening in my life. Here's some interesting stuff that he mentioned.

• Run towards something, not away from something.
• Girls.. they all get old! Find someone that will love you and be faithful. Don't find one at all until you're ready to be faithful to her!!

Just some gold nuggets of wisdom to share :)

The Pursuit of Happiness II

Due to the number of response I get in my last post, I felt it's only right to write on what I've learn in my journey so far.

• Get to know the girl first and ask the BIG question when you know its not just infatuation and you are prepared to take the relationship up another level
• It comes down to a point where you just have to take the risk. Just a note for the girls out there, when a guy decides to pop the question, it takes tremendous courage. He is putting himself on the line..pride and dignity, something we value alot! (But obviously you are worth alot more than that, so we'll gladly take the risk ;) ) So even if the guy is rejected, kudos to him for taking that brave step.
  
• The guy has to always be one step ahead of the girl in the relationship. Take the lead and make her feel special :)
• Respect her as though you would respect a sister. Also, don't mess with her, she could be someone else wife in the future!
• Have a group of man that would pray for you as pursue that special one. (I'm glad there are plenty of guys I can talk to and be vulnerable with in this matter. Thanks for the support buddies!!)
• If she is uncomfortable with the whole thing and just wants to remain friends, respect that! Again.. RESPECT the girl!!
• Make sure the lady shares the same values. Very important that both have their priorities right.
  
• Pray, pray and pray more! Right now, I'm praying that that lady would grow closer to God and somehow thinks that I'm ridiculously good looking ;)
  

This post serves as a reminder to myself, to keep me in line with my belief and moral. You have total right to disagree. Post a comment and I would love to hear from you :) Thanks to those who responded to my last post. There are lots more points to consider in regarding to relationship, but these are just the few that I need to remind myself at this stage. So please don't take this as a blueprint on how to pursue a lady :)

The Pursuit of Happiness

Disclaimer: This post is just a current flow of thoughts. On another note, I feel the need to say that happiness doesn't come only from being in a boy-girl relationship.

So I was reading this post on How To Pursue A Young Lady. The question I have in mind is, when do you start pursuing? Is it when...

• When you think the girl is hot?
• When you know you want to be in a relationship with the girl?
• When you just want to get to know her a little better?
  
• When you feel that you enjoy spending time with her?
• When you think that marriage is a possibility? (I guess if you know for sure you do not want to marry the girl, why get into a relationship in the first place? AND I'm definitely not saying that you should only go into a relationship knowing you want to marry her!)

I guess it depends alot on the culture you are in as well. Then there is the question, how do you ask a girl out (just to get to know her better) without misleading her?

So girls out there, help me out here. At what stage do you want to know what the guy is feeling? When he is slightly interested, when he "loves" you or somewhere in the middle.

Little things that makes me happy

After church the other day, Josh came up to me and ask if I would like to be there for his baptism. It's difficult to express how I felt at that moment. Honored, joyful, happy and proud. Yeah, a mixture of those and alot more.

So it made me think, it doesn't take much to make me happy. Here's a few things that would make me smile..

• seeing friends I walk with grow to be a better person (what a great investment!!)
  
• a simple acknowledgment (recently a friend thanked me for all I've done..guess what, it made my day!!)
• hugs from friends that cares for me
  
• a smile from a friend sitting at the other side of the hall
• a word of encouragement

I need to stress that I don't do the stuff I do expecting people to repay me in some ways. Even if it goes unnoticed, it really doesn't matter.

So tomorrow we're driving out to the Waimakariri River(picture) and I get to witness a brother make a public proclamation of the love and saving grace of God and the life he has choose to live!

Graduation

Congratulation to three gorgeous ladies on their graduation. Very honored and proud to be part of it =) Take note of those beautiful flowers ;)

p/s: glad I don't have a gf.. Flowers are expensive!

Abel Tasman

What an amazing place! I was trying to find the right words to describe the two days in Abel Tasman and the closest I could came out with was paradise. Josh summed it up well... just one word, epic.
So I went with Andy, Josh and Simon. There
wasn't much planning before the trip and it was amazing how perfect it turned out to be. Couldn't have came out with better plans if we tried. The first day was all kayaking. The red lines on the map is the path we took on the kayak. Went to check out Split Apple Rock, then went to the two islands to check out the seals and some penguin looking bird, stop at a few bays and then pitch tent at Anchorage. Some of the bays were just amazing. My favourite is Te Pukatea Bay (picture at the top). So peaceful and serene... Whats exciting was because we were in our kayaks, we felt like explorers. Going around the point and discovering each of those bays were so exciting! Oh, and our mexican feast that night was one of the best meal I ever had!

The next day all we did was walk, walk, walk.. Basically tramped from 9 - 6.30 with lots of stops. Went to check out Cleopatra's pool and the few bays we missed while we were on the kayaks. Went for our daily swim/bath at Appletine Bay (marked X on the map). Then it was decided that we're gonna take the coast track back to Marahau to add a sense of adventure to wrap up the trip. Went around and over some rocks. Was literally living life on the edge as you don't know what to expect on the other side of the rocks. Even had to do a few rock climbing manouvre with out huge packs on our back. When we reach Marahau, it's already 6.30. Glad we made it before we lost complete daylight. At the end of the tramp, we have four smelly guys with cuts and bruises and aching muscles.

We had fish and chips at the kayak base and drove back to christchurch at 7.30. Reached Christchurch at 1.30 am and went straight to bed. Had such an amazing time :) I think my best memory of the trip is sleeping to the sounds of crickets, waking up to birds chirping away and taking a nap on golden sand beach to the rhythm of the waves.. ~~bliss

p/s: I even made it to soccer that morning and played the full game. We won 5-1!! What a way to start the season =)

For more pictures, check out my facebook album. Here's some of my favourites.

Pre-Abel Tasman

Leaving for Abel Tasman tomorrow and I'm excited! Been a while since I went for a proper tramp and I'm dying to get in the wilderness. This is roughly what I'm going to do for the next four days. Start kayaking from Marahau and head for either Fisherman Island or Adele Island. Have lunch amidst the seal colony and then kayak again till Te Pukatea Bay which is near Anchorage. Gonna camp at Te Pukatea Bay and have a Mexican in the Bush night. The next morning, tramp back to Marahau. Depending how fast we go on the first day, might end up kayaking further up. So looking forward to it!! Three days in the wild amidst awesome company, can't see anything going wrong :)

Maybe next time when I have more money would kayak all the way up to Onetahuti Beach. Thats the furthest you can go in a kayak. Just our 1 day in the kayak is gonna cost us $70. But from what I heard, it's all going to be worth it!

We're gonna leave tomorrow morning after the BIG Champions League game and returning on Friday night. I'll probably be in a no cellphone coverage area (not that I'm gonna switch on my phone anyways). See you on Friday.

Oh, and church league football starts again this Saturday! Fun Fun Fun..

I SURVIVED!!!

So I made it.. :)

This was what i went through last week. 6 assessment due in 5 days, one after another, among which are a 3000 word work report, 40% design assignment, 2 test worth 20% and 25% each and the designing and modelling a go-kart suspension system ready and fit to be manufactured (can't wait for race day!)..

After quite a few late nights in uni, reality sinks in and I came to the conclusion that this is not doable.. Amazing huh, how at your lowest point God picks you up and takes care of everything. Thats when the bible verse in the previous post (see below) really came to life for me. Indeed I came to a point where I gave up and surrendered it all to God. The sense of peace is just indescribable.. As days pass, all of a sudden things aren't that difficult anymore.. I mean it's not like i just don't care and let God take care of it. But rather than feeling like jumping in front of a car everytime i cross the road, it all seems very manageable. It was still hard, but it helps knowing theres a big guy covering your back ;)

Now that the madness is finally over (for the next one week at least), I'm looking forward to a good rewarding break. Maybe the next few days would be just relaxing but i'm looking forward to building relationship with people, going into the wild and exploring the unknown (Abel Tasman here i come!!YEAH!!) and futsal! All that stress should give that ball a good beating..better if it ends up in goal (hopefully not anyone's face or bum)..Sadly it'll be all work again after that but i'm gonna enjoy my holiday! Oh and also I'm borrowing Nisarg's PS2, so swing by to hang out if any of you are keen!

Alright, time to hit the sack. Only had 3 hours sleep last night. I miss my bed..

He told me..

He told me,

My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.

Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11

On Fire - Switchfoot

They tell you where you need to go
They tell you when you'll need to leave
They tell you what you need to know
They tell you who you need to be

But everything inside you knows
There's more than what you've heard
There's so much more than empty conversations
Filled with empty words

And you're on fire
When He's near you
You're on fire
When He speaks
You're on fire
Burning at these mysteries

Give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see
Give me everything You are
Give me one more chance to be... (near You)

Cause everything inside me looks like
Everything I hate
You are the hope I have for change
You are the only chance I'll take

When I'm on fire
When You're near me
I'm on fire
When You speak
And I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries
These mysteries...

I'm standing on the edge of me [x3]
I'm standing on the edge of everything I've never been before.
And I've been standing on the edge of me
Standing on the edge

And I'm on fire
When You're near me
I'm on fire
When You speak
(Yea) I'm on fire
Burning at these mysteries... these mysteries... these mysteries
Ah you're the mystery
You're the mystery

Weekend Escapade..

It's amazing how refreshing just a few days in the midst of good company can do to you. After 2 hard tough weeks in uni, the weekend getaway was very much welcomed. I went to Kaikoura with mates from church for a Leadership Camp/hanging out time. Wasn't so much a camp as most of the time was just hang out time. I guess good leadership can only come from good relation between the leaders. Was great to strengthen relationship with the guys and also to get to know the new boys. Feeling so much more recharged and ready for the year ahead! I guess the picture below represents the weekend very well. Its the view right in front of the bach we stayed at. Simply amazing :)

Back in Christchurch

So, I'm back home in Christchurch after a long time away. Overall, summer has been great with lots of experience gained not only work wise, but alot on life as well. The road trips are cool and its great to see more of this country that I've came to love. Even ended it with a massive 7 day road trip covering 3/4 of NZ! Thanks alot to Celest, Zhi Wei and Roger for accompanying me down to Chch. It was awesome!

It's exciting to see everyone in Chch. Lots of stories to share and whole new year to look forward to. One thing that struck me the most is how everyone is kinda on the edge, anticipating that something great is going to happen this year. Was talking with a few friends and its amazing how everyone is on the same page about this! I fully agree and I'm expecting magnificent stuff to happen!! Don't trust me? Stay tuned in to this blog and I'll let you know as the year unfold ;)

This year is for You! Be glorified Father..

Happy Chinese New Year!!

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!! Don't drink too much but party hard!


Oh, by the way, two more days of work and then it's holiday for me!! Looking forward to a good break and being back in Christchurch! Also I received a great news yesterday. I might be able to work on something very close to my heart for my final year project. Continue to pray hard people. Help me make a difference. =)

Pure inspiration

I'm not a big fan of ballet and I won't pay to watch one (under normal circumstances), but this is worth checking out..



read the story as posted by sharon here

one single thought came to mind...how many times we give up when it seems too hard..seems so easy to indulge in self pity and let circumstances dictate how we live life..

time to dream big and reach for it..

you were meant to live for so much more

-Switchfoot

thats a really good song by the way... Meant to live by Switchfoot. Check it out if you haven't ;)

One BIG Garden of Sound

So I've been back from what could be the best weekend of my life! Yeah, thats a big call I know, and as I'm writing this entry, I struggle to find the right words to express myself. 4 days, over 40 bands, 9 stage and 25 000 people!! And thats the number of people camping over the weekend.. Thousands more came for the day for the main bands namely Switchfoot, Hillsongs United, Israel, Leigh Nash and a whole lot more.

Highlights of the festival for me :

• Imagine this..25 000 people all dancing and singing their hearts out.. wait, maybe you don't get me.. I mean EVERYONE, all the 25000 people there! At one point during one of the main sessions, I turned around and I dont see a single person standing still. Such a joyful atmosphere..
• Leigh Nash was just soooo lovely. For those who don't know her, she is the lead singer for Sixpence None The Richer (and she broke the news to us that the band is coming back together).
  
• It's amazing how all the bands are just so humble. Leigh Nash in particular kept saying thank you and you just know how much she means it. If she was 10 years younger, I'd ask her to marry me! lol.. Switchfoot are cool too, they're so passionate bout what they do.
• It was a good time catching up with friends from Christchurch. A total of 15 of them made the journey up here

I think the main highlight of the festival for me was going through the Mission Experience (something like One Life Experience).. It gave me a renewed sense of purpose.

Copying the Mastercard advert:

Parachute ticket: $140
Food over the weekend: $20
The joy and fun : Priceless.. :)

more pictures available here

Relationships ;)

This is so good that it must be shared. It's a long post obtained from perrynoble.com but its well worth your time reading it. ;) Oh, and it is written by a christian pastor, so if you are not a christian, please don't let that turn you off. I think this is just what every girl wants deep down in them. It's a good read anyways. Guys scroll down halfway down the post and take notes.

Four Things A Single Girl Should Know

Last year I did a post entitled “Five Things A Single Dude Needs To Know” that I felt like really challenged guys and gals…at least the e-mails proved that to be true. AND…one of the questions I received for several week after was, “What about the girls, when are you going to challenge them?” Well–after about eleven months here goes…

#1 - Girls Chase Boys, Women Wait To Be Pursued.

Ladies, please believe me when I say that if you are pursuable then a godly man will take notice at just the right time…wait. If you have to pursue a guy and initiate all of the conversations and planning then the dude is not ready to lead…which would automatically disqualify him biblically from being your husband.

Ladies–admit it–the desire of your heart is to know that someone thinks you are lovely enough to pursue…and when a guy makes an effort to win your heart–there’s just something about that that makes you feel special.

God created you–designed you…and it wasn’t so you can throw yourself at a guy, hoping that he notices. Fall in love with Jesus and a godly guy will notice, I promise.

(If you are whining right now saying, “But I am in love with Jesus and no one is noticing” then you need to stop and listen to yourself…trust me, a dude doesn’t want to pursue a woman who whines!)

#2 - Set High Expectations

This sort of goes along with the first thing…but ladies–let me say this clearly–Ephesians 3:20 says that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, which means that you should not look at a guy and say, “I can fix him up and he might work.” As I often say, you are NOT the Holy Spirit–”fixing people” is the job of Jesus…not you!

When you get married you need to be willing to say, “I will love this person AS IS for the rest of my life, if NOTHING changes I will love them!” BECAUSE, when you get married, change is NOT a guarantee…so don’t listen to promises of change if evidence is not shown beforehand.

I am SICK and TIRED of godly Christian young ladies settling because of insecurities in their lives OR because their friends are getting married and they think that they are going to be 28 and single–which would be the end of the world!!! I have seen girls get here and panic–and then date and marry some dude, only to be in divorce court in less than five years–which brings about another set of issues altogether!

Ladies–remember–Ephesians 3:20! Is he more than you could ever ask for or imagine?

#3 - Don’t Over Analyze!

Girls are HORRIBLE as this…a guy will ask them out and they will think the following…

• “He just asked me out–what does he mean by going “out?”
• “If I go out this once then does that mean we are dating?”
• “What if I don’t like going out with him–and he asks me out again?”
• “Is he thinking marriage? Oh my–if we had kids they just wouldn’t be cute!”
• “He hasn’t called me in a day, he hates me, did I have broccoli in my teeth?”

I could literally go on and on…but ladies, if a guy ask you out and you want to go–then go, and don’t spend the 72 hours before and after trying to analyze things that probably will never happen. Seriously, God probably hasn’t even invented some of the problems that ladies get stressed out about–CHILL!

#4 - Be Honest!

If I have one pet peeve with girls…it’s this–they will go out with a guy, say they had a great time…he will ask can they go out again and she says, “Call me.”

So he calls…and calls…and calls! The girl never answers when she sees its him on caller ID, she thinks if she ignores him then he may just go away. BUT, because he’s a guy and probably a little clueless–he keeps calling.

Finally they accidentally run into each other somewhere…I say “accidentally” because she had NO INTENTIONS of ever speaking to him again. He says, “I’ve been trying to call you,” and she replies, “Really…yeah, uh, I’ve been…uh…you know…busy.”

He says, “That’s cool–I understand…so, what are you doing tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow night? Uh…well…uh…I have plans.” (This is always the safest answer, right?)

“Plans–well what about the night after that…”

This conversation goes on and on with the girl making some obscure reference to having to check her schedule and for him to call her–and the game goes on.

Ladies–please–be honest. If you like the guy and want to go back out–and he asks you–then say yes. Don’t play games…say yes and go. BUT…if you have no intentions of ever going back out with him again…then please, tell him because he is probably driving his friends crazy!!!

Those are just a few hints…we are doing an entire series for singles next year–should be FUN!

Five Things A Single Dude NEEDS To Know…

OK guys…here we go…I’ve been wanting to do this one for a long time. Please keep in mind that I made TONS of mistakes as a single dude…so these lessons are NOT all as a result of my success stories. BUT…I did manage to do some things right…and I have a red hot wife to prove it. (Thank You Jesus!!!)

#1 - If You Are Interested In A Girl…YOU Need To Talk To HER.

The Bible says in Proverbs 18:22 that he who FINDS a wife finds what is good (AMEN!) Men…it is up to you to FIND a wife…that means YOU are to be the one to initiate things…if you want to be the leader IN the relationship then you should take steps to be the leader at the beginning of the relationship!

This means, if you are interested in a girl…you talk to her!!! You don’t call HER friends and ask them to drop hints for you…unless you are a pathetic wimp. You don’t get YOUR friends to drop hints to her friends. BE A MAN! If you want to ask her out…ASK HER OUT! Trust me…her friends don’t want to talk to you about it anymore…and if you keep bothering them they are going to tell HER to stay away from you!

I did this right…when I finally decided that I was interested in Lucretia I told a couple of buddies so they could pray for me…and then I had a conversation with her and was completely honest and transparent about the way that I felt. She said she would “pray about it” and that she was “not saying no,” which was NOT very encouraging. BUT…I found out later that she always told her friends that if a guy was interested in her then she expected him to talk to her…NOT anyone else.

#2 - When You Talk With Her–BE HONEST & DON’T PLAY GAMES!!!

One of a man’s top fears is rejection. SO…in order to stay away from this pain and hurt he will not come out and say he is interested in a girl…he won’t say, “I would like to take you out for dinner.” Nope–he plays games…drops hints…all the while hoping that the young lady will pick up on his pathetic attempts to “woo her” and then begin to pursue him.

Dude–stop it, right now!!! If you are interested in a young lady–tell her. Just come out and say it. If you are not sure…but you think you would like to get to know her better…then tell her, “Hey, I would like to get to know you a little better…can we have some supper?”

DO NOT SAY, “Hey…uh…well…maybe, you know, if you like food…uh, do you like food,” hoping that she will say, “Yes, take me to get some.”

Ladies want a man that can be honest…and if you can’t be honest with her from the beginning then how in the world will you ever convince her to trust you in the future?

One more thing…another reason that dude play games is so that they can fuel their pathetically weak male ego…they string girls along…they are not interested–but do want someone to make out with on the weekends. To be honest–I want to punch guys like this in the nose. (And if you are ANY sort of man…and you have a daughter…and a dude does that to her…you want to punch him as well–no matter “how godly” you are!!!) :-)

#3 - On The Date–Be Creative

Ladies–please…if a guy ever takes you to supper and then a movie ON THE FIRST DATE…DROP HIM like a bad habit. Trust me…this relationship has started off on the wrong foot…and here is why…

When you go to a movie on the first date you learn NOTHING about one another…there is NO interaction, no conversation…and so when you get home one person will lie to the other one and say they had a nice time…when they really didn’t because time and money were spent on getting to know all about the lives of the fictional character on the screen.

Guys–think enough about her to PLAN the date…and when you PLAN…PLAN it well! (This is where you CAN get advice from her friends.) When you pick her up–don’t ask her where she would like to go eat…HAVE IT PLANNED. (There should be a conversation somewhere about particular restaurants that are liked and are not liked.)

I know one dude that took a young lady to eat and then they went to Wal Mart where he said, “Let’s get a buggy–go through and pick out five things that we identify with…and then meet back here and write them down…and then go somewhere and talk about them.” DING DING DING–we have a WINNER!!!

(Note: Movies are NOT a bad date idea…they are just a bad first or second date idea!!!)

#4 - On The Date–Be A Gentleman

Dude–you have GOT to treat her like a lady. Walk her to her car door and open it for her. I have had guys argue with me & say, “My dad doesn’t open the door for my mom.” I always reply, “Well…maybe your dad is an insensitive jerk!” Just a thought.

(Ladies…if he does not open the door…just stand outside of his car–he will get the hint. If he doesn’t find you valuable enough to open the door for you…trust me, it’s going to go downhill.)

Guys–a lady wants to feel special…like someone really wants to take care of her…and trust me, the little things matter…so open her car door.

Oh yeah, one more thing…when you come to her house to pick her up…cut your car off, walk up to the door, and ask for her like a man. If you pull up in her driveway and call her from your cell phone–you are a loser. If you pull up in her driveway and honk your car horn…you are REALLY a loser.

(A dude came to pick up my sister once a blew the horn…she got up to leave & my dad told her to sit down. The guy outside then began to hold down on the horn…my dad, who had drank a beer or twelve, got up, walked outside, opened his car door and hit him in the nose, knocking him across the car. He said he was going to go home and tell his father…to which my father proceeded to invite him to do so, telling him that he would be glad to give his father the same treatment. The dude left & came back an hour later cleaned up and apologized for the way he had treated my sister.) I LOVE TELLING THAT STORY!!! :-)

#5 - If She Says “NO,” That Means NO!

Guys–if you ask a girl out on a date & she tell you no–back off…stay away…you can be her friend but do NOT begin to try to put pressure on her…this freaks her out.

I have had so many single dudes tell me, “But Perry, you talk about how you pursued Lucretia for nearly two years before she even went out with you.”

YEP–that is true…but I was her friend and not a freaky stalker. During my two year friendship with Lucretia we maybe had five conversations about the possibility of us dating one day…and she NEVER told me NO or to never bring the conversation up again. We were friends…we hung out…with NO strings attached. She never told me to back off.

If a young lady tells you no and you continue to pursue–dude–you are NOT being romantic…you are being stupid. Let it GO!!!

That’s about it for now–just curious–what are some things a single lady needs to know? (I will post about this–but remember–this Sunday is the message for the women at NewSpring…the men came out in full force…ladies…don’t miss this!!!)

So, what do u think? I think guys should restore their manhood and be bold and girls should keep to their standards. Guys if you are trying to make up excuses, suck it in and be a man!

A day at work with Raymond

It's been 3 days since Christmas/New Years break was over. Work has been really really slow. I've not done anything worthy to be called work so far. Here is what my last 3 days looked like

The first thing i do everyday at work is set up my laptop. Then i go make myself a cup of tea. As I sip my morning tea, i would log on to soccernet.com, bbc.com , cnn.com, stuff.co.nz, thestaronline.com.my and whatever .coms thats i could think of. Ussually at this stage i just scan through everything. After an hour or so, I would go pay my colleague a visit. Start asking if they got any job for me. For the last 3 days it's been no but i stayed around and have a chat anyways. Ussually the topic range from their good old days as a newbie engineer to fishing (today was about terrorist). After that i would go back to my room and go back to all those .coms and start to read anything that is vaguely interesting. Just found out today that stuff.co.nz has daily sudoku..that would be something to look forward to everyday i guess. When i run out of stuff to read, i'll start emailing my dear friend. Haha.. Oh, lately i've been reading lotsa blogs as well. Been reading lots from www.perrynoble.com. Very strong words from a great guy. I'll copy and paste 2 of his post which i thought was hilarious in the coming days. I'm sure it'll bring a smile to you as well ;).

Tomorrow morning i've got a meeting with the job manager. Finally something for me to do.. I kinda can guess what he's got for me to do and i think it would be boring..but hey, its something to do at least.

2008

So far 2008 looks like it’s going to be amazing. The fact that it could be my final year as a student adds lots of excitement and anticipation to it. I found myself asking this question.. What do I want to see happen this year? A great guy once said this, “to see extraordinary things happen, one have to do extraordinary things”. Can’t get the real quote, but you know what I mean :P I don’t believe life is meant to be ordinary. So why live a mundane routine life?? This year is going to be life changing with lots of big decision makings that would orchestrate my path for the next 3-5 years at least!!

So here are a few stuff that I want to see happen (call it my new year’s resolution if you like)..

• End uni with a bang! That means to do well in my studies..
• Build relationships that last. It’s sad (and also exciting at the same time) to know that after this year, most of my friends would go our separate ways. It’s been cool rubbing shoulders with you guys so let’s make this year a memorable one.
• Live a healthy life. That means working out, exercise and healthy eating. Note that that doesn’t mean in any way that I’m going on a diet. Hahaha, that would be the joke of the year if I ever do go on a diet. Sports, sports and lotsa sports
• Be more active in church. Had always wanted to get involve with sound and with Paul moving to Aussie, there’s no better time than now! Quite keen to see small group move up one level as well.
• Find my soulmate – haha, what a joke ;)

Nothing really extraordinary there just yet but check with me again at the end of the year. I’ll tell you the great things that took place ;)

Let me end with the quote thats on my page :

"The future belongs to those who believes in the beauty of their dreams"

I have a dream.. and it's purposeful and beautiful :) How bout you?

Northland and Beyond..

Happy new year people!!

I've just been back from a wonderful adventure. Had so much fun doing stuff and spending time with friends. So here's some of the highlight of the trip..

I guess the most exciting day of the trip would be the day that we spent at Koofai Bay. It is a private beach only accessible from Andy's farm on a 4WD. Felt like we own the whole bay to ourselves (well, actually we did, kinda...it belongs to Andy's family).. The journey started with us on the back of the 4WD truck, hanging on to the metal railings on an open carriage. After a short lunch, we walked around the cliff/rocks to the fishing spot. I don't think I've been to a better fishing spot ever! They were biting the moment you put the bait in the water. The water were so clear that you could see schools of fish swimming around every 10 minutes or so. The first two fish that we caught were filleted and smoked straightaway, doesn't come any fresher than that :)

Other stuff that we did were camping, climb Mount. Camel, went to Cape Reinga, bonfire and heaps more. Check out Celest's blog for more details. Feeling very lazy to blog on it. Going to enjoy my weekend before going back into work.

One thing I realised from the trip is that theres no better way to recharge after a hectic year than just spending time in good company. Man bond by doing stuff together, be it fishing, football, board games or just getting into a car and have a good long drive. :)

*check out more pics on my facebook album