Just wanted to let the WHOLE WORLD know that my beloved sister and my best friend are finally married after 7 long years of courtship. It was such a beautiful wedding at the Hillsong Chapel. They are 2 of the finest people I know and I'm so glad that they found each other to love and cherish till death do them part. 
"All I need is you...All I need is you Lord..." - Hillsong United
The phrase above is from a song written by Hillsong United. I used to think that this song was a little unrealistic. It sure gave me 2nd thoughts because I'm so tied down to this world. I don't want to make a pledge I can't keep. There's so many things that I "need".
But tonight, I'm listening to the song again...with a new understanding. The lyrics are more from the perspective of someone who has probably lost something in life. Rather than a "boast" unto God, it is more like a cry unto God. As though we are clinging on to Him because our lives depend on it. "God, despite what happened, it's ok...i still trust in you...you hold the universe...you're all I need".
I think I desperately need to renew my trust in God and my adoration of His greatness. If merit in this life is given based on my relationship with God and the things that blossom from it, then I'm not doing very well.
Over the months I've become someone who prefers to hold on to everything and trust my own false sense of security. Why? I dunno. Maybe that's just human nature. To want to control everything. There I've said it! I'm quite the control freak. It's weird...I know He loves me, yet I don't trust Him to provide the best for me.
But today, I want to say it all over again. Just like the time that I first accepted Christ into my heart. I don't want to cling on to anything else anymore. Your promise of love is sufficient for me.
"Lord, take your place in my life. I know you love me, so I put my trust, hope, and future in your hands. All I need is you..."
Hello people, missed me?? Errr...maybe not :) Well how've you been? Life has been a little unpredictable for me lately. I'm having my current mindset challenged. Maybe by God...I dunno...but I sure hope so. I'm currently a lil tired of where I am and I'm looking forward to moving on to the next level...in my relationship with God and myself as a person.
So, what's else has been happening? Well, I watched TRANSFORMERS!! If u haven't seen it, you desperately need to. Oh, and there's another movie on the list for me. It's called "Amazing Grace". It's the story of William Wilberforce, the man who fought for the abolishment of slavery in Britain. If I'm not mistaken, he was a friend of John Newton, the guy who wrote the song Amazing Grace. Apparently it's a really great movie.
Oh, and recently I went to Adelaide on the 1st of July for the Australian Medical Students Association (AMSA) convention. Was pretty cool. Altho I gotta say, Hillsong is still the best and most well planned convention I've ever been to. But anyway, it was good fun and I experienced quite a few new things. These include med students dancing half naked in the club, harmless gambling in the casino, watching ridiculous debates, traveling around Adelaide, and attending medical skills sessions, inspirational talks, and educational lectures.
I'm a bit emo atm, keke...so listening to music from my all time favorite anime: Rurouni Kenshin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt2-nniC1AE
First of all I wanna say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dearest Mommy!! You are truly beautiful inside and out. You've been an amazing influence on my life, and I wanna thank you for taking care of me all these years. Seriously, you're the awesomest mom in the whole wide world!! Thank you again - for always being there!!
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Today, Ps Ashley Evans fr Paradise Community Church in Adelaide (www.paradise.asn.au) preached at Hillsong. When I laid eyes on him, I didn't think his message would be anything special...but how wrong I was!!
Rather than give a sermon with several key points, he told more of his life experiences. And I think that's amazing. You know, if there's one thing people can't deny, it's when you tell them your testimony...what God has done in your life.
Story no 1:
His first story was in the U.S. He was visiting a church there, and God put it in his heart to bless someone. God pointed out a woman seated 5 rows in front of him. Ps Evans then put a lump sum of $$ in an envelope and passed it to her. After the service, the woman approached him and told him her story. A few years back, she was attending Bible college and wanted to serve God. Then 1 fateful day, the car she was in was blown away by Hurricane Andrew. It hit a pole and she was heavily injured. All the $$ she had was spent on surgery. She was so poor she resorted to eating dog food to servive. She was so bitter about it that she swore never to serve God again. That night (for some reason), she went to church for the 1st time in 5 years. That night, what she needed most was $$. And God met her need. God sent someone half way around the world... and out of the hundreds or thousands of people in the crowd... God picked her out. So, the next time u think God doesn't care...think again!
Story no 2:
He lived across the street from someone who was wheelchair bound. God had impressed upon his heart to go visit that man. However, Ps. Evans kept putting it off. So for 2 weeks he did not go. Then one day, he couldn't take it anymore. His heart was too troubled. So he asked his wife to bake a pizza for him to bring over. When he went over, he found out that the man had motor neuron disease. He had only 4 weeks left to live. The man knew that Ps. Evans was a Christian and went to church. He had been watching Ps. Evans from his window. And he prayed this..."God, if you are real, send that man (Ps. Evans) from across the street to come visit me". There and then, Ps. Evans led him to the Lord. A few weeks later, that man went home to a better place...to be with God. With a simple act of obedience, a man's soul was saved for eternity. How awesome is our God!!
First, I wanna say thanks to the friendster team for their quick response. Over the past few days I haven't been able to post anything on my blog for some reason. So I sent a message to the friendster team and a day later, it's all fixed!
The purpose of this post is to thank God, my family, my girlfriend and all my loved ones. My year 1 results were released last friday. I scored 74% overall for my first year. That's much higher than I imagined. Although it was only 1 mark short of a distinction, but I'm truly grateful to everyone who prayed for me, supported me, encouraged me, sms-ed me, called me, tolerated me, and stood by me through my first year at Bond.
And a great "thank you" to my Lord who brings me through trials & tribulations... allowing me to emerge victorious and stronger than ever before... relying not on my strength, but His alone.
I'm officially a 2nd year med student :)
Hello people! First of all, I wanna say, "Happy 21st Birthday" to Ashley Ho Yue Li! Your life has inspired so many people, including myself. Looking forward to continue doing life with u and Aaron :)
Now, a bit about myself...i just completed my barrier exam not too long ago, so I'm currently on holiday!! woohoo!! Results are gonna be out soon, and I'm half scared and half excited as well. Very odd feeling indeed...
So what have i been doing since holidays started?? well, nothing much....muahahaha!! Can't believe I can actually watch a movie and not have to worry about studying after. So last week itself I rented 6 movies!! Oh, and btw, i totally LOVED the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie! So cool! I don't care if anyone thinks it's childish, but let's get this straight once and for all.....I LOVE THE NINJA TURTLES!!!! Oh, and another thing...I started training in other martial arts to complement capoeira...namely grappling, jiu-jitsu and hopefully some boxing/kickboxing. I found a really good deal too! Like...$20 for the first 8 consecutive days of training. So, that's 1/3 of my holiday training for just $20! But of course after that it's gonna be something like $20 per class. After the last class, I was covered in bruises.
Other than that, I've just been hanging out with my family and friends. Really having an amazing time. Honestly, I've really been blessed. If I count my blessings, it would amount to the size of a mountain.
Oh, and more good news. Over the years, I've been praying for a few of my friends. Recently (or maybe not so recent, but i only found out recently), 3 of them received Christ. To me, this was great news. Like the villagers who heard of Jesus through the samaritan woman, now my friends can say that they don't believe because of what I've told them, but they believe because they've seen for themselves the goodness of God! So, make a note to yourself, prayer works! even if when u pray, nothing happens, take note of this...God cannot be mocked. He hears and He will answer in His own time.
Today I realised that sometimes I look to man/self for what only God can give. I seek every other solution, except God's solution. I don't do these things intentionally, but I do it nonetheless. I've heard it preached about a million times, but it's just something that creeps in. Today, in the shower, a song came to my heart. A simple and old praise song. So, I sang, and worship brought me freedom. After so many days, I felt close to God. So note to self: When you feel empty or in need, look upwards...towards Heaven!
Hey everyone,
Last wednesday I shaved my head for the "World's Greatest Shave" to raise funds for the Leukemia Foundation. Doesn't look too bad right? 
I wasn't the only one who shaved my head. So did the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine. He promised to shave his head if our faculty managed to raise $1000. And we did!!
So what else has been happening? Well, nothing much. Not this semester anyway. It's all studies for me because we have a barrier exam at the end of this semester. That means I have to pass this exam if I ever want to be a 2nd year med student.
Sometimes I look back on my life, and I think...no, I'm sure...that it's only by God's grace that I've gotten this far. I mean, here's this clueless boy fumbling thru life, facing impossible challenges and making so many mistakes along the way...yet somehow I'm still standing! Indeed God has really poured out His grace and mercy upon my life.
So I wanna encourage anyone who's reading this. Sometimes if you feel lost, just call out and continue to trust in Him. It's only when we're lost that God can really "find" you...if you know what I mean. If we think for 1 sec that we have everything under control, then we have no need for God...and in that situation, even if we're headed somewhere, we may be going the wrong way!
Anyway, hope all of that made sense. I'm going to sleep now. Take care people!
Hello 2007!!! It's a new year! WOOOHOO!! 
ok ok...so I'm 11 days late. so what? :P Anyway, let's just say 2006 has been colourful. So many unexpected things happened. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Anyway, I told myself some years back that I wanted to get into medicine by the time I was 21, and I did! Oh, and I received my new capoeira cord/belt in November. 
Ok...so what are my resolutions for 2007... I'm gonna keep them simple.
1. Fill myself with God's Word. Bible, preaching, CDs, books etc. People's opinions are important, and I treasure them. They do not, however, contain the power to change nor to set people free. This can only be attained from the Word of God.
2. Study consistently & sleep early. This is especially for my January semester where I am sitting for my barrier exam.
3. Shut my mouth. This year, I'm steering clear of negativity. Also, I'll think hard before saying anything. That way, I'll also refrain from saying the wrong/right things at the wrong times.
4. Trust God and not stress. When circumstances are stacked against me, I'll remember that the facts may not be good, but there is a higher authority: God's truth. At the end of the day, when it's all said and done, as long as I hold on to God's promises, the facts will have to line up with God's truth.
5. Make time to serve in church.
So what do you think?? ;) And no. I don't have a wishlist. Most things I desire can't really be bought with money. Ceh, sound so cool...but it's true. I kid you not. I guess my wishlist is covered by point 1 and 4 above. However, I don't mind any gifts or monetary donations that you may feeeeeeel compelled to give to me. keke...
Let's make 2007 an amazing year!!
Before I begin, I wanna wish all my friends and family out there a very Merry Christmas! A big shout out to everyone who supported me through 2006. Those of you who were not afraid to tell me the things I need to hear, those of you who spent hours praying for me through tough times, those of you who took the extra step so that I didn't have to, those of you who took care of me - I wanna say thank you from the bottom of my heart. May God continue to bless you and your families abundantly.
Christmas. Indeed, it is the most wonderful time of the year. Christmas trees, roast turkey, reindeers, santa, presents, shopping, and jingling bells. The list goes on and on. But I've just been thinking a little about Christmas and the one person that makes Christmas different from any other religious festival...Jesus.
For me as a Christian, Christmas is the time of the year when I celebrate the birth of my Lord Jesus Christ. In the gospel of Matthew, it is written about Jesus:
"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means God with us" - Matthew 1:22
The person who wrote the statement above was one of Jesus' deciples, and hence lived during the same time as Jesus. He was merely recording what had happened.
But about 600 years before that, a prophet by the name of Isaiah had already prophesied the birth of Jesus:
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given..." - Isaiah 9:6
To some, Jesus maybe a distant deity or a good moral teacher...but the Bible is clear about who Jesus Christ is. The Bible was not a book written by someone who had too much time on his hands...neither was it written because the people of Israel needed story book as entertainment. It was written by many different authors and was written as a record of Israel's history. Time and again the Bible points out the person of Jesus.
"For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life" - John 3:16
During Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. With Him, comes the gift of salvation from God in Heaven. A gift that cannot be bought with all the money in the world. A gift paid for with flesh and blood.
So, on this day I wanna say, "thank you" to God in Heaven...thank you so much for your priceless gift...and Happy Birthday to my precious Lord Jesus!
Hey all,
Before I begin, I wanna wish my dad a very Happy Birthday! Thanks for being the great dad that u are! May God continue to shower His grace and blessings over your life :)
Sorry I haven't been updating my blog lately. You see, lotsa things have been happening lately. Well, for one, I bought a new car!!! Woot! I bought a 2004 Toyota Camry Altise Sport on the 23rd of September. It has a 3.0L V6 engine and is pretty huge. Best part is...it's black. I love the car so much but it gets dirty pretty easily since it's black. keke...It's a really handsome car and I'll post up a picture soon.
That brings us to the 2nd part of my post. The reason I don't have a picture of my car up yet is because a few days after getting it, I busted my ankle. lol! So I can't be bothered to go out and take pictures. So how did it happen?? Lemme guess...the 1st thing that comes to mind must be capoeira! Well, guess again...it was kinda like this....
That morning, I was rushing to go for my community placement and initially wanted to wear my brand new leather shoes. But I was late, so I just used my old pair of leather shoes which I've been using for the past century (soles have all worn out!). Later that day, I finished my class at uni, and it was raining. So, I was running to a friend's car. Seconds before reaching the car, I took a wrong step and entered a world of pain! hahaha....I know a lot of people think I'm crazy, but through this event I learned that I really AM crazy. You see...most people would have been either crying or cursing, but I found the whole situation hilarious for some insane reason. So I was laughing all the way. Yups....all the way to the medical centre.
And this is the even more hilarious bit...Warning to anyone who lives on the Coast! DO NOT go to the medical centre at Market Square, Varsity Lakes! A friend drove me there and I entered hopping on one foot. After waiting for a while, a man walked by mumbling something and then walked away, not even looking me in the eyes. So I just ignored him. Moments later, he came around again, looked at me irritated, and said in a harsh voice, "Come in!" Only then did I realise he was the doctor. So anyway, I picked up my shoe and hopped over (without any help from him!). When I entered he told me to lie down. He examined my foot and after causing me more pain, he said, "I dunno what's wrong. I don't think u broke a bone though. U need an x-ray". I then asked an innocent question that he seemed to be offended by, "In that case shouldn't I get a CT scan or MRI?". Glaring at me like I was a total idiot, he simply replied, "U need an x-ray". Okay....So I just sat there as he bandaged my foot (btw, his bandaging was terrible. No technique at all!), then quoted to me RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). He asked me to elevate my foot with a pillow whilst sleeping. Since the air seemed a little tense, in the midst of my pain, I cracked a joke and said "Oh, haha...even if I tried that, I prolly move too much in my sleep to keep my leg up". His reply was shocking...he rebuked me and said " I'm just telling u what's best for u. If u don't want to follow it, that's up to u!" I was stunned beyond words. The worst part was when he said, "Don't bring your x-ray to me. I close in 5 mins". I mean....what the???? haha...But thinking back, it was pretty funny :)
So what is wrong with my ankle?? Well, I sprained it. No bone fractures, but I think there's ligament damage and I had to be on crutches for the past 2 weeks. But during this time, I've just seen the best come out of some of my friends in the Gold Coast, and of course my beloved parents who came up to visit me. They've been really really sweet helping me in any way possible :) I feel so blessed! *Happiness* Anyway, a giant thanks to everyone who gave me a hand when I needed it and those who showed their concern. Muchas gracias!! 
Hey people! Uni for me has started again and I gotta seriously kick myself into study mode...ugh!
Well, yesterday I did a capoeira performance in uni with the Bond Uni capoeira society. Also present were a few people from the Zambiacongo team: Mestre Luizinho, Instructor Adam and Formado James. It was heaps of fun and from the compliments we received from the crowd after the show, and the number of sign-ups, the classes may get much bigger this semester :) *Happiness* I actually caught a video of the performance using my camera, but its 140MB...apparently Youtube can only hold up to 100MB. Sigh...Neway, here are a few pics, although the video shows us pulling off some pretty crazy moves...
That's me, Ash, and Rungano...Ash and Rungano are med students that just started doing capoeira :)
Me vs Instructor Adam
Yasmin vs Anna (Yasmin is also a med student, and has been doing capoeira for about 2 years)
Formado James vs Anna (James teaches the capoeira classes at Bond Uni...his acrobatics is pretty good)
Anyway, recently whilst I was back in Sydney, I had a chance to catch up with the Usyd capoeira club, and boy, have they improved!!
The class, with Instructora Gaivota trying to strangle me!
Tony and Dave (a.k.a Gung Fu -the angmoh that is more asian than most asians). If u can't figure out what's happening, well, they are hanging horizontally just using their arms! Insane rite?!?
Sarah doing a version of queda de rins (standing on kidneys)
Andrew Meyes (a.k.a. Envergado) doing mortal (back sommersault)
Gung Fu again!
And that's moi (a.k.a. curumim)!
And whilst I was in GC, this happened!! 0_0 That's winnie and Gung Fu...I've known them both for years!! but I'm so happy for them :)
Kogarah Bed Racing
These are just some funny pics from the Kogarah street festival where the main event was a bed race to raise money for charity. I had a great time with my mom.
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Amazing Friends
A giant "Thank You" to Aaron, Ashley, Darrel, Nydia, Melissa and Jeanne for hanging out with me last Saturday! Just wanna say u guys are amazing and I'm honoured to do life with u.
I appreciate u all for taking time out cause I know for most of u, it's exam week. Really touched...=)
From left: Jeanne, Melissa, Nydia, and Ashley
For some reason, no one took pics of the boys...hmm...lol!
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Who am I? (inspired from the song "Who am I" by Casting Crowns)
That's a question that recently caught my attention. "Who am I?"
In the light of eternity, I am, but a 'vapor in the wind', 'a flower quickly fading', and 'a wave tossed in the ocean'....
Yet...
For my empty promises, I've received His blessings...
For my wandering heart and adultery, I've received His faithfulness...
For my ungratefulness, I've received His forgiveness; a second chance...
For my pride, I've received His mercy...
For my foolishness, I've received His divine guidance...
For my inability, I've received His favour...
For my idolatry, I've received His holiness...
For my torn heart, I've received His un-failing love...
For my broken body, I've received His healing...
For my troubled spirit, I've received His hope...
For my insanity, I've received His peace...
For my weaknesses, I've received His strength...
For my sins, I've received His grace and eternal life...
and having nothing of true value to give in return, I've received His only Son...
Truly I am nothing but a vapour in the wind...but I'm thankful that I have someone that places value on my life. Someone who catches me when I'm falling. Someone who protects me when I'm hurting. Someone who saves me when I'm drowning. Someone who watches over me when I'm sleeping. Someone who chooses to light the way, even when I go astray. Because of that someone, the sun shines for me, and life is worth living =)
Hey everyone, I'm announcing an engagement!! NO, not mine!! haha...=) Just in case u didn't know already, Joshua Ratilal proposed to my sister, Priscilla, last Friday night (25th August) and she said yes. (Duh!) So, to Josh and my dearest sister Pris, CONGRATS!!
So spread the good news around. The date of the wedding is yet to be determined, but it'll most prolly be sometime next year. keke...I think love is in the air. All of a sudden all the girls wanna get married. haha...I wonder who'll get married next? Either Daz & Nydia or Aaron & Ashley. Hmm...tough one. Anyway, I'm gonna put up some pics of their engagement weekend :)
I thot the "I love you" flower petals were really sweet. Well done, Joshy! And what's more romantic than the Sydney Harbour bridge and Opera House as background. In the last pic, God decided to include a rainbow. As some of may already know, the rainbow represents God's blessings and promises. There are 7 colours in a rainbow. 7 is the number of perfection. And indeed, although neither Josh and Pris are perfect people, but they will make a perfect couple. Because they've centred their relationship on a perfect God! :) Have a blessed week!
Dear friends, below is a true story by my friend, Angeline, from Malaysia. It's the story of how God healed her father when the doctor said he only had a couple of months left. It was on her blog Angie's Blog and I got her permission to copy and paste it here cause i thot it was just amazing. Please take time to read it:
Hey all,
No, I didn't have a bad day. Haha...but that was the theme over the past few weekends at church. Btw, I'm currently attending Hope Church, led by Ps Paul and Janine Allen. http://home.austarnet.com.au/hope/
Anyway, Ps Paul's message this week was based on John 19:25-27.
"Near the cross...When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved (John) standing nearby, he said to his mother,"Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home."
Take home message: "Be sure to take care of those near to you". The example was set by Jesus, that although He was having His worst day ever (He was being crucified & all the sin of the world hung on his shoulders), He still took time out to care for those within His reach. How sweet is our Saviour...The following are the main points of the sermon with regard to our roles as neighbours to those close to us:
1. I will be there when you need me most
An interesting fact: The highest divorce rate in the US at the moment is amongst soldiers. This is because their wives were not willing wait for their husbands who were away fighting a war. How sad...especially when the marriage covenant they took vows "love through sickness and health, till death do us part".
"Look out for one another's interest, not just your own" - Phil 2:4
2. I will choose to be tight over being right
It's true. Sometimes human nature just drives us to want to be right all the time. Even with relationships at stake. For eg, as Christians, we sometimes argue to convince others about the Bible, but many times, end up scaring people away. Jesus never forced himself into anyone's heart. But instead loved us so much, that we give ourselves willingly to Him. That's what separates Christianity from many other religions. That Christ first loved us, and died for us, that we may know Him.
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins" - 1 Pet 4:8
3. I will always be honest with you
Good relationships require honesty & transparency. I think most of us struggle with this one...The Bible calls the devil the father of all lies and the accuser of the brethren. Being dishonest puts us in a similar category to him and makes us subject to his accusations.
4. I will value you for who you are
"...love your neighbour as you love yourself" - Luke 10:29
The point being made was that we should not show conditional love. When God first loved us, He loved us just the way we were. Sinful, dirty, smelly, and what have you...Sure, he wants us to change and become more like Jesus. But if we don't, that doesn't mean he loves us any less. Our love for those around us should be no different.
Oh wells, just wanted to share that with everyone. Hope it wasn't too heavy. Btw, I had Holy Communion today. I wish they had it more than once a month. Twice would be good. Until next time...=)
Hehe...sorry everyone, for not updating u guys...been rather busy with uni work.
On the 19th of July 2006, I went for the Colours of Asia night at uni. It was organized by the Malaysian Society and Thai Society. There were some fun performances (eg lion dance) and some pretty odd ones as well.
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Today, I went to the Bond Christian Connection's (BCC) Big Day Out. It was a day long leadership/motivational seminar with time out for some meals and fun at the beach. Here are some pics from the Big Day Out:
Just something a friend drew on my hand...but what it says is so true (that I love Jesus!)
In recent days, I've been spending more time with God. All in all, I just wanna say this...that my God is faithful and HE cares about the little things YOU care about. The next time you pray, do it with all your heart and truly cry out to Him, for He hears your prayers. There is a promise in the Bible from Luke 18 about the persistent widow:
"...pray and not give up (v.1)...(read the parable yourself)...will not God bring justice for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see to it that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth? (v.6-8)"
When we pray, we should claim the promises of God for our lives. The Bible is full of promises, and they are for us to use as a constant reminder to God. Not that God has forgotten us...for He numbers the hairs on our heads...but He desires our fellowship and faith in Him.
Adonai, I just wanna say...thank you!
