Category Archives: Top Ten & Other Lists
Be it ABC or 123, this is a consolidation of every single list that appears on this blog.
perth day 9: I carry you with me.
Four final shots at our unofficial Perth Retreat Centre. Haha! :P
I’m glad I took the time and effort to write daily in the past nine days; now these wonderful memories are forever locked away and never forgotten (especially since I am so absent-minded). It has been a memorable holiday and certainly served its purpose of providing rejuvenation and revelation. With bated breath, I look forward to leading R-AGE, marriage preparations, restarting a new school semester next week and… My next holiday. (: For now, I believe I will enjoy re-reading these entries and re-living those memories:
- Day 1: high time to unwind. | Huiyi and I set foot in Down Under determined to unwind.
- Day 2: uptown girl and downtown boy. | One day was all we needed to see the city centre.
- Day 3: a tiny glimpse of the great outback. | We felt awed and dwarfed by God’s majesty.
- Day 4: mentoring on the road. | All roads lead to deep and meaningful conversations.
- Day 5: in wide open wonder. | Man could only complement what God delivers everyday.
- Day 6: the jewel in any family. | Prayerfully, may it be a foreshadow of Mummy and I.
- Day 7: it doesn’t matter where we go or what we do. | Love should be experienced together.
- Day 8: top eight regrets of this holiday. | I’ll add one more – wished this break was longer!
Day 9 passed the fastest. Before we knew it, we already had lunch and completed last-minute purchases at Cockburn (pronounced “Koh-burn”, not “Kok-burn”) Gateway Shopping City. We returned home after that and Huiyi and I attempted to seal our luggages while Ervina and Chin Seng prepared for our last supper at the patio. No one could actually tell that I was feeling quite sad that I would soon be saying goodbye to the lovely people here; I honestly thought it was too melodramatic to display my emotions so I held myself back.
Chin Seng powered up the outdoor gas-powered barbecue pit and brought out gigantic tiger prawns and huge chicken wings while Ervina prepared a refreshing spinach garden salad with red wine vinegar and a lovely concoction of mint honey iced tea. Even Granny Aw joined in the action and contributed an avant-garde spicy cucumber and parsley salad of her own. (I’m pretty sure Huiyi and) I felt the love that has been so generously lavished upon us as we waited for dinner to be ready. Ervina gave thanks for the final time as we tucked in to a sumptuous spread. I shamelessly asked Granny Aw if she would miss me… And she said, “当然会，你们走了这个屋子没有那么热闹”. My heart practically melted.
We snapped our final photos before we gathered in a circle in the living room and held hands to pray for one another. I was so inspired by the way Granny Aw prayed – fervent and full of faith! With one final sweep of the house, we ensured that we had left nothing but good memories behind. We sat in their grey Mazda 3 for the final time, linked up with Ervina’s grandmother along the way, and drove to Perth International Airport.
There was a part of me that wished that there was only four of us at the airport. Maybe without Ervina’s relatives around, I might have actually expressed some emotions because I needed an outlet! I already knew that I was going to miss them both so much and even as I type this, I feel a heart-wrenching sensation at the core of my being. Beyond all the sights and sounds, this couple was undoubtedly the highlight of Perth and I’m glad Huiyi and I spent the bulk of our time in their endearing company.
I love those Love Birds so much more after this nine-day getaway and I’m sure it will be a good reunion when we do meet again. Lord, thank you for bringing me to Perth but more importantly, thank You for placing Chin Seng and Ervina in my life.
***
Darling, maybe someday
Forever I will stay
Lord knows that’s what I’m dreaming of
And I’m trying to find a way
But for now the wind keeps blowing
It carries me across the sea
So don’t you worry now, because
I carry you with me
I carry you with me
(“I Carry You With Me” | Tyler Burkum)
perth day 8: top eight regrets of this holiday.
We have arrived at the end of our mini-sabbath… And it has been a good one that I am thankful for. Today’s programme was even more relaxing than yesterday’s. I slept in ’til the late morning while Huiyi and Ervina had D&M at a coffee joint in Fremantle. After that, we went to North Bridge Road (coincidentally also Perth’s Chinatown) to have lunch at the Vietnamese restaurant Tra Vinh. Then we headed to Coogee Beach to enjoy a beautiful sunset before returning home to enjoy home-cooked chicken and pork ribs curry prepared by Granny Aw. She treats me like her grandson. (:
So, I’ve decided to write something alternative on the eve of my departure from Down Under. Sounds untypically cryptic for me to write in a pessimistic manner, but here goes – my eight regrets on this trip (so far):
1. Oversleeping and missing the annual Anzac Dawn Parade today; not that I planned to go for it anyway…
2. Not reading any of the books I brought along; instead I bought three more at CS+E’s church.
3. Not dining at the famed Ciao Italia because it’s closed until 29th April; I need the tiramisu… NOW!
4. This is the biggest bummer of ’em all – not hanging out with Liang Zhi; I haven’t had quality time with him in years!
5. Not meeting up with Ps Benny as our schedules didn’t coincide; I was on a road trip on his free days.
6. Not asking Granny Aw to pray my recovery from Dercum’s Disease; I’m going to strike this out tomorrow though.
7. Earning a surface scratch on Liang’s car with a dustbin that I couldn’t see with either mirror; I’m flabbergasted.
8. Not applying medication to my huge ulcer below the tongue sooner; ulcers have a way of tainting any experience.
Less than 24 hours before Huiyi and I return to Singapore… I’m looking forward but I’m also feeling bittersweet. Won’t we all after a good break? (:
Rocking it out at Coogee Beach with air instruments…
JAT reads in end-March.
May you enjoy these articles as much as I have.
- Amos Poh provides a glimpse into a teenager’s struggles and earnest desire to pray.
- Chua Yi Xian shares a psychologist-to-be’s tussle with relativism and Christianity.
- Evangeline Tan represent a daughter’s sincere cry for real communion with her father.
- Hilary Hoe walks us through the Book of Revelation as part of his Lenten journey.
- Lim Mei Yin talks us through her thoughts on God talking to us and how we hear Him.
- Matt Lawton interviews the entertaining Patrice Evra, whose honesty charms us all.
- Matthew Tan gives us a theological perspective of community and its importance.
- Michael Walker highlights unfulfilled potential by juxtaposing Rooney and Jeffers.
- Perry Noble diagnoses with alarming accuracy the signs of an unhealthy Christian.
- Serene Wee spells out the ten desired qualities of a godly man – her unattainable one.
JAT reads in mid-March.
A part of what I do for a living is to keep up with my youths by reading their blogs; I’m subscribed to nearly 70 (and counting!) blogs and each time they update, Google Reader feeds it to me; you learn a lot about people by being a phantom reader. I also subscribe to other websites and often enough, I chance upon a good article that is worth sharing…
This is my first attempt to show you what I read and I plan to do this every other week if I can keep up. Hope you enjoy these articles as much as I have.
- Bethenia Dixon refreshes everyone with a great perspective on giving – love her closing.
- Clarence Chua puts himself in the shoes of his semi-deaf father – a riveting piece.
- Dan Walker of the BBC captures Le Magnifique Eric Cantona in an exclusive interview.
- John Piper brings us back to 2002 and reminds youth workers of their great responsibility.
- Joshua Ng reflects on what it means to leave behind a legacy as a legend.
- Lim Jun Hong reminds us of the importance of being properly rooted in the Word.
- Perry Noble looks at the ten ways to fail as a minister – what a sobering reminder for all…
- Serene Wee provides an excellent insight into the situation in Japan, as told by a Japanese.
- Soann Chng writes about Cavan’s responsibilities as her firstborn – something I identify with.
- Steven Chan shares how he missed the earthquake in Tokyo by a mere 50 minutes.
You never know – you might just be featured next month! I’m a big fan of superb writers and always on the lookout for read-worthy articles.
review of the unattainable girl, seven years later.
I found an interesting post which I wrote seven years ago and I thought it made for good reading. It’s regarding my dream girl – so impossible to find I called her the unattainable girl. Here’s how I described her…
- She shouldn’t just be a Christian. She must be in love with God so much she inspires me to fall even deeper in love with Him.
- A family person, because I am. I think being family oriented is of utmost importance.
- Has a kind-hearted nature. You know, the kind who will gladly help a granny cross the road, return a wallet, give up a seat, etc. She should have a big and generous heart!
- Doesn’t necessarily have to be pretty, but she must be beautiful. Get it?
- Her confidence should exude in the way she carries herself.
- Some girls have a glow… And some girls have a Jesus glow.
- I always believe a healthy body produces a healthy mind i.e. be physically fit. We can exercise together!
- Well, being patient and understanding are cliché traits to ask for, but when those are essential when it comes to dealing with me.
- Please do not be whiny… And please do not cry all the time… And please do not go “Sooooooo cute!!!” too often.
- Crazy about children, because I’m thrilled about them! I can’t wait to be a father!
- I hope she’s NOT taller than me. *hopes* I wanna look good beside her!
- Football is part of me, so it’d be great if it was part of her. This would be way cool but it won’t be important though. A bonus if she cheers for TeamR-AGE and Man Utd.
- Be ever so supportive of what I do and what I ought to do.
- Nice hair, eyes and complexion, because I don’t have these.
- A captivating smile to take my breath away, a tender touch to cool my hot-temper, a soothing voice to calm my kancheong-spider nature and an affectionate hug to assure me everything’s gonna be all right.
- Oh I certainly hope our conversations are filled with laughter, wit and genuinity. She should be capable of small talk and big talk too. Oh, and please pretend to be amused even when I start to say lame things… One day my mojo will run out. Hopefully only when I die.
- A lively and intelligent mind to stimulate the relationship and the conversations, and to always keep things fresh.
- Being sweet and thoughtful are lovely traits to have as well.
- She’s single, available and wants a long-term relationship? She’s a wife-to-be, not a girlfriend.
- She must not snore… Although this won’t be applicable during the initial years of courtship, but still…
- Last but not least… She loves me as much as I love her. Balance you know?
Sounds like a great deal? Haha. Maybe. Probably. Well, I know I definitely do not deserve a girl like this (if she even exists in the first place). But hey, I did not deserve Christ too. So, I won’t speak too soon… Optimism lights my path. Hehe…
So that was seven years ago, eons before I even set eyes on Huiyi… I thank God that she’s everything I want and need, and all that I am searching for. I may not be the best she knows or vice-versa, but I believe we’re the best for each other. I thank God for sending me Huiyi and if God-willing, I look forward to spending this lifetime with her. (:
Post script: I shall alter trait #21 in light of being with Huiyi. If you are searching for a girlfriend, please make sure that she inspires and motivates you to LOVE HER MORE THAN YOU LOVE YOURSELF BY SIMPLY BEING HERSELF. This was one of the factors that really drew me to Huiyi and she didn’t even need to do anything to attract me this way, except to be herself!
have you considered switching lenses?
This entry is referenced from the book of Haggai, where we observe two types of workers in the church. The older ones had probably experienced some form of glory days before. Hence it would be natural for them to:
- Look backwards towards good old days
- Reminisce past memories
- Remember what it used to be, and
- Relive history
More often than not, this constant comparison would leave them disappointed and disillusioned. The younger ones, however, are anticipating their own days of glory. Hence you would expect them to:
- Look forward towards new beginnings
- Be out to create new memories
- Imagine what it could be, and
- Want to make history
So this would naturally result in them being energised and driven. The difference was that the younger ones caught sight of the future – a glimpse of greatness and a flash of hope! So I believe that at the end of the day, in light of positivity or negativity which would inevitably happen around us, it boils down to perspective!
Ed Silvoso once said, “The greatest hindrance to faith is not unbelief but memories.” I concur. Our memories can indeed become hindrances and limitations to what God can do because we have a tendency to repeat positives and avoid negatives. This causes us to be reluctant to embrace new ideas and initiatives. Let’s not get caught in the rearview mirror. We must learn to honour the past, cherish the present and anticipate the future. It’s not our past that determines our future but God’s presence.
My favourite footballer, Eric Cantona (whom I saw in person just last week!) once said this, after he returned from an eight-month ban from kung-fu kicking a fan who verbally abused him – “I use the past to breed a better future.” We must not compare the former R-AGE, e-Gigs, camps, conferences or any other events (or even people!) with the future R-AGE. Every year is different and quite rightly so! Instead, we must look forward to the future with hope and expect that God will bring us from glory to glory.
For the older ones – don’t dishearten the younger ones… And for the younger ones – set an example for your leaders by inspiring and motivating them with your energy! When the energy of the young and the experience of the old comes together, the youth group becomes a powerful place.
Instead of comparing today with what happened in the past, the older ones must instead:
- Remind the youths of their heritage
- Encourage them
- Rely on their strength, and
- Not be wet blankets and water down their passion
Most importantly, they must provide a platform for God’s purposes to be performed through the younger ones. In turn, the younger ones must approach the elders this way:
- Remind them of their destiny
- Enthuse them
- Glean from their wisdom, and
- Not be foolish and ignore the advice of the older ones
One of the best thing they could do for themselves would be to approach the older ones to be mentored by them so that God’s purposes in their life could be progressed. The most dangerous thing for us to do is to compromise and meet in the middle – we end up neither here nor there and result in dissatisfaction. We must dream together to birth what God has deposited in our hearts! Remember, it’s all about interchanging our perspective for a better one from God!
top ten reasons for not exercising.
I had fun coming up with this list! Which reason(s) excuse(s) do you always use?
- “I have a huge/ major/ important exam/ test/ appointment/ presentation/ meeting/ date today/ tomorrow.”
- “I didn’t sleep enough the night before.”
- “I don’t feel like it because it’s my, erm, time of the month (I’m convinced some guys get it too!).”
- “The weather today is too hot/ wet/ cold/ sunny/ humid/ nice so I better stay home.”
- “It’s unsafe to run so early/ late.”
- “My mother/ father/ (insert family member) doesn’t allow.”
- “It just doesn’t feel right today.”
- “The gym is too expensive/ far/ crowded/ smelly/ noisy/ filled with gay people.”
- “My muscles are still aching/ recovering from the last run/ week/ month/ year.”
- “Outside got ghost.”
joey asher | misunderstoodsunshinekid 