IAD project 3 Interim Presentation 1!

IAD project 3 Interim Presentation 1!
Its been one of my tightest block, especially in this past week...i'm really trying my very best to manage my time well and rest well...But this week been a little tough!
Currently, im preparing bible study this saturday about "leading an unhurried life"... but the IRONY... its hard to practice that when time is SO TIGHT even when i dun compromise and prepared as early as i cld....
But i'm amazed at how God has been carrying me thru...I THANK GOD so much for given me the strength to pass thru the long nights.
Like when i started yr 3... after my internship..i told God that every single work i do in school.., is all for Him! I want to work my hardest for Him! And thats what i have did for my two recent modules...creative writing which has just finish today which i tink i might get a rare A in it.. check out my next entry where our will post THE BEST story i ever wrote! ok maybe bcoz i dun really write much short stories... but its purely inspired from God and heard very good comments for my lecturer...so something everyone sld looked out for! =P...
And now this other major project..where i'm having a presentation tmr! Another thing to THANK GOD for is so coincidentally he put my presentation slot to be tmr..instead of today, when i thought i cld just get over and finish presenting today..,He actually put me in the friday slot...where i got one more day to prepare and GIVE MY VERY BEST for this first major interim presentation!

Check out some of my work i have been doing like CAD plans and mock models the past week...



(the zoning of my areas)

(i took more than 6 hours to do this last nite... or u can say this morning...)




(sectional view)

(I like this double volume space which shows the interlocking of areas)

YM leaders retreat 2008 at Prince George Park (NUS)

YM leaders retreat 2008 at Prince George Park (NUS)
June 20-22
Just came back from a good church leaders retreat! I good break from sch work! and one enjoyable time getting to know the other leaders better as well as some really good spiritual feeding! =)

Friday
Stepping in to Prince George Park really bring back the first Campus Crusade camp METAMORPHOSIS in 2006 which i went... and the good old memories poured in from the different parts of PGP...
Anyway nothing much on first night...just plan out the preparations of ingredients for the IRON CHEF battle the next morning between the GIRLS AND GUYS!
"Chef" David called his mom for some good recipe to make!

Preparation time for IRON CHEF!


(the master chef!................we help him in this "bread pudding"

(we were commended for the guys efforts! But the girls won it)

(the MALE IRON CHEFs!)

(the females!)


(the nice view of PGP)
After breakfast...
Adriel gave a message on...
1- Experiential Spirituality
2- Exuberant Programme
3- Victorious Vision

After lunch...
Ice breakers...

(some icebreakers!)

(matthias and bel doing forfeit..chicky dance)


(Guest speaker John Chong who did a session on Spiritual Disciplines)

BBQ night!



Some played polar bear...


(Mel was the "guru"... and she was hinting the polar bear was ellen... i pointed from behind of ellen to let the others know that ellen was the polar bear...and we were RIGHT!)

(Ian, Caleb voting ppl to be the polar bear!)

(And then some played bridge...)


(some had nice conversations)

After BBQ...
played some card games..this pretty cool BEAN farming game!

(thats david posing! hahah!)

(the WESLEY YM LEADERS 2008!)

(Lunch... ate this cheap and
(delicious sirlon at the fully packed ASTONs at the PGP canteen!)

On the bus back to church...


(the sleepy guys! hahha! Ian,david ,isaac legs)

An inspired writing from nature.... new personal record run at bedok reservior!

An inspired writing from nature....
Monday
Sorry haven't had the time to blog the last few days, gonna squeeze a quick one to blog about a reflection i wrote as we had 20 mins in the open of nature during creative writing class... as i sat at the fountain of TP before the scenic bedok reservior...i was inspired to write something that i got the chance to share to the class after...

(i was sitting at the edge of the pond...reflecting and soaking in nature)

9.55 -10.15am (creative writing class time)

The vast blue sky above, me fluffy white clouds floating in the air, And a corner of the blue sky lays dark gray gloomy clouds. The sounds of the fountain splatters across the calm serene pond as the water vapor flew across the pond like mist. Beautiful lush green grass surrounds me, looking ahead at the beautiful reservoir were cluster of trees which just filled the space, yellowish,red of shrubs setting side by side.

While writing a nice cool breeze of wind blew past the back of my neck, looking and experiencing such scenic view and hearing the calm soothing sound of nature makes one ponder how this beautiful creation came about. Like the plane that just flew across as i ponder, that we know were made by the engineers and mechanics of men. But then such vast, intricate,beautiful nature is way too much for the ability of men to create. I'm so sure there must be a creator, all this can't just appear out of no where. All this sets this thought in me, that there must be a higher being that is just too much for us humans to comprehend with our minds and theres actually so much around the world that we humans do not understand.

After school...
Hannan and me wanted to start trying for our napfa test... so at 5pm we headed for a run around the 4.8 km route of bedok reservior... last time recorded runnign there was in Wednesday, November 14, 2007, my personal record time was 23.05 then... when i thought my fitness has drop, i was wrong.... despite still not getting the 10 min mark for 2.4km... the good pacing run with hannan help me to achieve another personal record timing, smashing the previous time by 30 secs... with a time of 22 mins 36 secs!

(my class mate hannan! One good pacer man!)

Alrighty... i sld be getting back to work now! ....

Will be away from 20-22 june at Wesley Ym leaders retreat at PGP at NUS!!!! Can't wait for this water break!!! =)

Creative Writing... Entry 8-10

Creative Writing... Entry 8-10

I have come to the last entries of my Journal entries for my creative writing! Enjoy reading! =)

Inspirations for entry 8 and 9 came from a couple of sermons...

13/6/08

Your Words Matter

I have been pondering, have you ever actually thought how the words coming out of our mouth can be quite powerful. In fact, how those words can actually make a huge impact on us or others? This is a quote I heard from a preacher once, “The tongue is like a fire. We can use it to bless or curse others.”

Let me share a scenario, imagine if this boy who in school has classmates who would always tease him of how fat he is or tease him with names or even scold vaguer words to him. I believe those hurting words said to the boy will be emotionally painful enough to be worst then someone hitting him. In fact I believe such words said to even a big grown man can bring the person down. That’s how dangerous words use in the wrong way can bring harm.

Another example, imagine if every single day, you go in front of the mirror and say “I’m a loser, I don’t see any purpose in living anymore”, and say this for thirty days straight about yourself, I can imagine that person actually really believing in what he says and inevitably commit suicide after awhile. If that’s a little too morbid, how about doing the same thing but saying different words like, “I can do it, I will give and make the best in everything I do”, I’m sure that this psychological method is so powerful that if you do that everyday, you will actually start believing in those words and I’m positively sure your outlook in life will be so different.

Personally to me, I strongly believe to make the best of the words coming out of our mouth, by using it to bless and encourage others instead. I really believed that encouragement is one of the most powerful tools in the world that anyone of us can actually do if we make the effort to use it. In fact, I feel very joyful my self if I’m given opportunity to just bless someone or encourage someone, so not only you make others feel affirm and assured, your words coming out of your mouth can somehow give you this intrinsic feeling yourself too. Such words are so powerful that an encouragement to someone can actually bring a person who is very down up again. And most of all personally I feel its something not hard to do. I believed that we all need such encouragement in life; I can’t imagine someone going on living his or her whole life without any affirmation or encouragement from anyone.

Personally to me, if I put myself in a scenario where the boss affirms me with encouraging words like “you did an excellent job” in front of the whole company, the intrinsic feeling of that, compared to the extrinsic factor of a pay rise would be more important to me. That’s how powerful words are.

In conclusion, personally I feel that our words we say matters a lot. We should always watch what we say to our selves or others. And I hope to encourage everyone to speak words of encouragement to bless others when ever you got the chance to.

14/6/08

The Great Game

The Great Game is a British term for what the British saw as a strategic rivalry and conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. But I won’t be sharing anything about that in this entry, in fact I will share about the other “Great Game”, which is none other then soccer also known as football.

Soccer is one of my greatest passions, there’s so much history between soccer and me, from the times when I watch my first ever soccer match on television, to the time how I first supported my first English Premier League club. And over the years how I have been so influence by it, playing soccer almost everyday in my primary school days, from kicking water bottles during recess times, to upgrading to tennis balls at upper primary and continuing to real soccer balls after. Playing for the school soccer team over the years is another story. Actually I can go on and on sharing about the history of soccer and me, but what I actually been observing and wondering about are how the culture of soccer has grown over the years and impacted so many lives.

Just looking at the people around you, male or female, the growing number of soccer fans has seemed to have grown, to me at least. Especially, when ever big games happen like during the “World Cup” or big matches between some of the biggest English Premier League clubs, it will be like the talk of the town. Even some non soccer friends will suddenly just become soccer fans for the night just for the sake of watching a match with friends outside. Well then there are others who watch not for the game but for the players itself, especially many young girls.

You will be surprise how such big matches can have an impact on avid soccer fans. One such example is the recent big match between Chelsea and Manchester United in the “Champions League Final”. I read the reports on how people would even go the extra mile to take leave from work the next day so they can spend the wee hours of the night to watch the big match.

Not only that, avid soccer fans get so passionate about their clubs that they actually feel they are part of it. The emotions they get from watching their favourite team as they win or lose can bring out the inner most happiness or sadness in them. I have seen many soccer fans that literally jump and shout for joy when their team wins and then there are times where I see fans crying when they see their teams lose, some even go the extend of feeling depressed. And then a common sight I see or even I do is when we jokingly taunt our friends who support our rival clubs. Such passions are so real that you can really see it in their faces and actions.

Another example of how soccer has impacted large number of people around here and hit the news is when, our very own nation, Singapore, take on other countries in big matches like “Tiger Cup Finals” or against the better countries in the world. With families and friends coming together, going to the national stadium or watching in their homes or coffee shops to support our very own country. It’s a very pleasant sight to see, uniting the nation in a common way.

Non soccer fans may not comprehend why fans would feel so much for their teams, I believe they maybe wondering in bewilderment how such people can experience the same feelings as the players of the team they support even though they are not the ones playing. Well, it’s hard to explain how that feeling comes, but it’s something which I guess only soccer fans will know.

15/6/08

Running

Have you ever thought how one can actually learn a life lesson in a simple thing like running? Well, running is one of my favourite forms of exercise and as I ponder about this, there are so many insights to learn from this. I hope to share some good insights as I reflect upon and write this last entry.

Not many people will know this, but there are so many benefits of running besides just keeping you fit. I have come to learn that running is the fastest and healthiest way to lose weight. And in this stressful environment in the world today, I believe that running is one good way to overcome stress as it just makes you happy after completing a run.

I like running long distances, like five to ten kilometers, and there was once I started to wonder why that each time I finished the run instead of feeling just tired there was this feeling of joy and this thing inside me that just make me so “high”.

I was thinking could it just be the satisfaction of completing a long distance? Or there was more to just that? So I went home that day and did a little research on it and found out that, there’s a name for this feeling, It’s called the “runner’s high”. This is where chemical in our bodies called “endorphins” are release when we do strenuous exercises.

Another thing I have learnt about running is, if we set ourselves a goal, like a certain timing to complete the run and when we actually attained that goal at the end of the run you also attain a high like no other. When you see your progress over time, and just look back to see where you have come from, you really be amazed also excited by the fact that what ever you want to achieve, is within your control. A personal stretch goal achieved, gives a high far greater than any business stretch goal achievement.

Remember I shared at the start of this entry that you can even learn a life lessons from running. Well, there was once I was running the ten kilometers trails in MacRitchie Reservoir, and I was reflecting and thinking about various issues as such reflections keeps my mind going and away from the tiredness as well. And when I was at the last quarter of the run I was getting a little tired, to me I feel running long distance is sometimes more of a mental challenge then a physical challenge.

Anyways, I started to notice that there were many steep hills that can just knocked you off your pacing and if your not focus and not pushing yourself your mind will tell your body to give up. And if you do not know this, in running long distance, you really need to pace yourself well if you want to complete a run in a good time. And we shouldn’t stop to walk as it will actually spoil one pace in a run.

Well, I realize that after each steep slope that I conquered I knew there was going to be a steep down slope too where it will be a breeze down. And it actually makes me reflect about the situation of how our life is like a marathon. There will be steep up hills that will just make our life so miserable, and if we don’t preserve through such times we may actually just give up and it will bring us down even more. And then there are those down hills, where if we preserve enough those up hills we know that there will be a down hill after that. To summarize that, I have learnt that tough times will actually build out our character if we preserve through it with a good attitude. And sooner you know it; better times will come as your character has been molded from the tough times.

I want to share a quote which I found that sums up my sharing, "Top results are reached only through pain. But eventually you like this pain. You'll find the more difficulties you have on the way, the more you will enjoy your success." quoted from Juha "the Curel Vaatainen”.

DEE DAH DAY!!!!

DEE DAH DAY!!!!
Friday
Our grp presentation of Joo Chiat!

(the wonderfully nice story boards done by the layout grp..i like the lights reflecting of the roof)

(the yr 2 RHD class testing out their chairs made of carboard... weng and koko "kaypo" drop by the Junior class to test out for them)

Saturday!
I'm just so DEE DAH DAY HAPPY!!! After a loooong week of sch.. Thats the topic for todays bible study led by steph, its my favourite topic out of the whole book of "The life you've always wanted" so far. Well basically, its the discipline of JOY! We should understand that JOY is God's basic character, "True joy,as it turns out, comes only to those who have devoted their lives to something greater than personal happiness." Those were some of the nice quotes from this JOY CHAPTER!!! To be honest, looking back at alll the small grp times and bible study times...i can OUT RIGHT SAY that today was really and literally the MOST JOYFUL SESSION EVER! It was just non stop laughing and sharing of joy as we talk abt this so edifying and encouraging topic! And really, God dun want us to be Christians who lead depress lives...He wants us to be JOYFUL! remember that JOYFULNESS comes from the LORD! And thats our STRENGTH!!!! I'm just so happy being with this bunch of people from God's clay! They adds to the JOY in my life! =) =) =)

(Seeing that makes me happy! Steph got a bunch of advertising cuttings of this from "TODAYs" newspaper...so everyday theres a new advert.. like tuesday, TERRIFIC Tuesday,for wednesday..wonderful wednesday, etc... ONE HAPPY advert! =)

Just pondering about this joyful day, I really can't imagine myself leading a life without Christ....
I'm all SMILESSSSS TODAY!!!!! I=)

Creative Writing... Entry 5-7
Haven't been blogging for awhile, because been really packed with school work... Anyway this are the last 3 entries i did for the past week. 3 more to go over the week ends! I'm tired! I'm going to sleep now! As i know sleep is GLORIFYING GOD! =)
Enjoy reading... if your tired...JUST SLEEP too =)

8/6/08

Time management

People rushing from place to place, squeezing themselves into packed Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) trains. Especially a scene from the interchange of the red line of Dhoby Ghaut to City hall, I was there a couple days ago in the morning rush and it was as though it was crossfire of humans just dashing like it’s the end of the world. It’s amazing that I didn’t see any clashes of human beings. These are scenes that many go through or experience if they take the public transport in the morning on working days.

Just being in that scene really make me ponder, why do people always have to rush all over the place, can’t anyone just learn to mange their time better and discipline themselves to wake up earlier. Isn’t it so much better to be able to take your own time just walking to the train and not to exhaust oneself while they “fight” for a place in the train, just because you are late? Isn’t the world already fast paced enough?

Anyway to be honest, I do feel I’m also caught in this “rush syndrome too, it seem to be one contagious habit that I hope to change. So far I have noticed that, in life everyone’s like always rushing and always busy. Especially for many students now, besides school work we have so many other commitments like co-curriculum activities or for me church commitments too.

And our time has become so tight and precious that we have to drain ourselves overnight doing school work to cover up for lost time. Personally I have gone through that many times, and it’s quite tiring and draining especially when it takes out most of your sleep.

Anyway hope to share some insights which I heard from a preacher once, I find it quite practical and something which anyone can follow. Since in life our schedules get packed so easily immediately and there are so many things that we keep doing and doing till it drain us. It’s good to take note the things that drain us, for example, doing work? And also to note the things that fill us up like sleep or doing something you like.

After knowing what drains and fills you up, plan your schedule for the week in terms of putting in the rest times first. As inevitably your schedule can get packed so easily that we lose the time for rest as well as times of break. I hope I don’t portray that you become a slacker, but personally to me, in life we can’t always work and work. If we carry that on for the rest of our life, we might actually die of working. Thus, we need a good balance of sleep and work. Just think about this, if we have enough sleep as well as do things that fill us up, won’t we have the energy to do our work more productivity. And we don’t have to always have that “rush syndrome” anymore?

Basically, at the end of the day, I believe one can be successful in life if they know how to manage their time well. Sometimes saying “No” to good things might actually help you if you are overly committed to doing so many things. You will never know, the more time we have to spread, the more productive one may become.

10/6/08

A Smile

I’m an optimistic person, thus smiling is one of my favourite expressions. A smile is a facial expression formed by flexing those muscles most notably near both ends of the mouth. The smile can also be found around the eyes. Among humans, it is customarily an expression denoting pleasure, happiness, or amusement. Scientifically, it takes less muscle to smile than frown.

Smiling is one of the easiest forms of enforcing your positive outlook, even in down times; if you smile it just bring your spirit up. In fact, personally I feel it’s the best facial expression anyone should put on.

Not only that, you may never know, but a simple smile you give to someone can actually make someone’s day. Smiling can help yourself as well as having a positive effect to the people around you. Personally, I like being around people who are always happy and joyful, their presence of them smiling just make your day. When I smile, and someone returns with a smile, I receive acceptance and recognition. Isn’t that awesome?

Many people have ask me before, while do I always smile, always so optimistic and happy. Well, my answer would be simple, like shared in my earlier entries as Jesus Christ is my centre focus in life, everything would inevitably lead back to Him as deep down in my heart I have this inner joy in me as I’m being assured that Jesus Christ is in my life and somehow all my deepest needs are met in my heart.

Anyway a practical way I can share of how to smile is as simple as to be happy. In fact you can be happy all the time, you can think happy thoughts instead, as funny as that sounds. To me I would think about something or someone that I care about, or think about a funny moment that happen. Remarkably, when you're feeling down, smiling can help cheer you up, even if you have to coax a smile out at first.

Another thing which I realize, do you know if we smile with our mouth, we can smile with our eyes too? I remember once, in a public speaking class we have to speak many times in front of a class. And my lecturer told me that when I speak there is a kind of “smiley eyes”. I didn’t really understand what that means until I research more about it. Well, we think of smiling, we think of the mouth, but the eyes may actually be more essential to a genuine smile. It makes your eyes somehow twinkle. To get a feel for how to make your eyes smile, get in front of a mirror and practice smiling, but concentrate only on your eyes.

Another thing I feel is important to take note, although I have been sharing about my thoughts about the importance and benefits of smiling. We should never fake a smile. As it can make you look phony or nervous, maybe even dangerous. So don't just try to put on a smile without first practicing it.

Even just writing this entry makes me smile as I reflect and talk about the power of smiling. So I really encourage everyone out there to smile too. =)

12/6/08

I'm dedicating this post below to my Dad...

My Dad

His smart, wise, decisive, a manager in his company, the head of the house and the family, well that’s my dad. Reflecting back about the past, I can say without hesitation that his the one that played a major part of bringing me up to whom I am today, from my interest, my hobbies, food that I like to eat and even my character and passion.

I would say I have an interesting relationship with him. Although he played a huge part of my life when I was much younger, now I hardly talk to him. One main reason comes from the many things happening in my life right now. School work alone practically takes up the most part of my time followed by other commitments like church and school activities and not including personal time try to run and gym to keep fit. And when ever I get home, I would just continue doing school work or other commitments that need to be done, and the only time I would talk to him is if I need to ask him something.

Writing this entry, make me relive the times when I was very young, where he taught me drawing, taught me how to play table tennis and introduced soccer to me when I was seven years old. And it’s amazing how because of that fateful day, now soccer is one of my greatest passion. Actually reflecting back about the many things that my Dad uses to do and taught me in the past, one thing I’m most grateful for him is he introducing Christianity and bringing me to church. Like shared in my past entries, I used to be very apathetic about my faith and I would always make excuse not to go church or would only reluctantly go because of my parents dragging me along. But if not for all those times where they had to dragged me to church, I would never had been expose to Christianity so easily. In fact I would never be what I am today.

Now a days, I can see my dad trying to actually make the effort to talk to me, I can see his intentions, but to be honest I find it quite hard to talk to him, as most of the time the conversations are about unimportant things and just replying when I’m tired is a very hard thing for me. Well I appreciate his effort; I guess I’m still learning how to work out this issue. For now, I just take what ever chance I have in the car to catch up, a good excuse for me to get car rides.

Well, imagining my dad when he was young is quite amusing after all the stories that he shared to me when he was younger. One story which I can recall was how he used to sit in his dad shop house and read comic books at the display. And I can imagine him doing all other kinds of weird things which not many would do. I guess his one that you can call “a happy go lucky” boy when he was young.

So after all that I have shared about my dad and that interesting relationship I have with him now, at the end of the day, I would say his a great dad and it’s timely that I’m writing this entry when Father’s day coming too!

Happy Father's day in advance! =)

TRP crusade birthday surpirse at 18 Chef!

TRP crusade birthday surpirse at 18 Chef!
This is a slightly late post, but anyways last Sunday had this awesome birthday surprise at 18 Chef originally planned for ethel and jem... but realise that asriel and karen birthday were around that day too... in the end jem and asriel cldnt make it... anyways this place has really cheap and good food! Heard its run by ex convicts and they are christians.

(the nice cosy restaurant in Simei East Point..FIRST TIME IN my life in SIMEI!)

(the reknowned Jamie Oliver from the Naked Chef trained the chef here)

(Some of the crusaders in this pic... the birthday girls...karen and ethel)

(Glenn showing off his card tricks that got everyone amazed!)

(you see that boy there he was working there and his only 12 years old...AND HE PRAYED FOR ALL OF US before our meal..and wow it was really really brave of him to pray for strangers and i cld see that this young boy has really this real passion for God! It was a prayer of real Child like Faith and it was really encouraging to see such a powerful prayer from a boy so young... btw see those "Oreo Cheese cake"... it was super duper delicious! AND ITS BAKE by my very on disciple John! We all cldnt believe he really bake it bcoz it was soooooooooo goood! It tasted like those expensive oreo cheesecake! But wow!!!! I'm so proud of John for baking this 2 splendid cake! Next time DG outing! We must learn from him! HAHHA!)

Creative Writing...Entry 4 (Apologetics)

Creative Writing...Entry 4 (Apologetics)
The writing below took me more than 5 hours to write it out and research on.
Most of my writings below were based from a workshop led by Adriel on apologetics at Ym camp 06.

6/6/08

Worldview

Continuing from my last entry, I brought up two tests to come out with my conclusion. Test one, is it logical? Test two, is it livable? And before I can come to a firm conclusion, I would like to evaluate some of the world’s major beliefs, mainly Atheism, Christianity, Buddhism, and answer some of the deepest of life’s questions, what is God? What is real? What is good? What is hope? What is our purpose?

These are some of my deep reflections which I feel is something interesting I can share from my point of view. And I personally feel is important that all of us should at least think about once in our life. Sometimes we need to question our own beliefs and faith and after studying some of these religions over the years, it gave me more reasons to why I’m following this Christian Faith. I hope to emphasize that in a Christian life it isn’t leading a blind faith but it’s more pragmatic than that.

Just a disclaimer first, as this is a sensitive issue, I do not wish to disrespect any other religion in my writing. I hope to write it as impartial as possible and not to be bias in my judgments. What I’m about to write about might be quite hard to comprehend, so will try my best to write in a way that one can understand.

Starting with Atheism, basically it means the non-existent of God. Many atheists are skeptical of all supernatural beings and cite a lack of empirical evidence for the existence of deities.

What is real? Atheist use a method called “empiricism “to “try it and see”. It’s a practical experience testing, where scientist can find anything that is empirical. This is an analogy of how this test might be flawed, imagine the observer has only been living in his room, and everyday for the next ten years in his life he sees a green apple that comes in the door, and the probability of it coming again gets higher each day, first of, we all know that there are red apples too and thus his observation is already limited to just that room. Since the observer has live in that room all his life, he would take it as only green apples exists. So as we all know in reality this is not true, but the observer is constraint to that in his test. So first this is a flaw in their philosophy.

The next question, what is good then? Who has actually said in the first place that donating money to charity is a good thing and that killing someone is a bad thing. Who has actually given than law to that in the first place? To answer that, a higher law is needed and that requires a Higher Law Giver. Absence of which that means no one can judge others. “If God does not exits, then everything is permitted” quoted from Fyodor Dostoyevsky. And then this would go back to the issue of morality, which can be defined as the learning process of distinguishing between virtues and vices. Imagine if you’re in a place where there’s no higher order, won’t that means that all morals don’t exits anymore which I feel will inevitable lead to chaos as well.

What is their hope? To them, humanism only has himself to rely on, his education and technology. “We are left alone, without excuse”, quoted from Jean Paul Sartre who is believes in Existentialism (a form of atheism) isn’t that a sad hope?

What is their purpose? “Life has no meaning the moment you lost the illusion of being eternal” also quoted from Jean Paul Sartre. Basically I can infer that there is no purpose in living then right.

Now comparing with Christianity, like shared on my previous entry, just thinking about the magnificent intricate complex life system, won’t one actually ponder that there might actually be a God of a higher order to be that Architect who created this magnificent world? And since God is good, morality stems from His being. And if talking about hope, salvation by Faith in Jesus Christ is our hope and it’s not be the works that we do. And our purpose is to fulfill His will for our life.

Next for Buddhism, their goal is Enlightenment which is Nirvana, the realization that all of reality is an illusion at which point the soul dissolves. What is real to them? You can say its nothing since reality is an illusion. And that suffering is caused by the unnecessary attachment to the illusion of reality. What is good to them? The Law of Karma is “the eight fold path” is good to them. What’s their hope? As long as they continue in ignorance, they are trapped in the Samsara which is the cycle of reincarnation. Their purpose is as reality is an illusion which they seek to liberate themselves from. Basically I feel that almost everything ends up as an illusion, and you can say that they have no ultimate purpose too, as it’s an illusion too. With all due respect, I really hope this doesn’t insult any Buddhist but that’s just a personal point of view I see.

So in conclusion, from all these religions I mention of evaluating and testing if it’s logical and livable to me. Not all will agree with me, but personally I feel that Christianity is one religion that gives me that hope and purpose in life and it fills any emptiness that one may have. So being pragmatic and open about the whole situation, there is so much more to it then just accepting the Faith and living it out.

Creative Writing...Entry 2 & 3...

Creative Writing...Entry 2 & 3...
I shared the first entry with my lecturer, and well i got a comment that she hope i'll be able to touch on and explore on other issues in this writing journal too. Well... it kinda blow my bubble, but for now, i just want to be as honest as possible in the writings i reflect and talk about....

3/6/08

My Personal Life Changing Testimony

Looking back in the past I wasn’t actually that staunch about my Faith. Although I was born into a Christian Family, I just followed my parents to church and accepted Jesus Christ into my life when I was about 4 years old from the influence of my parents. But I won’t consider myself a true Christian as I never had that close personal relationship with Jesus Christ for the first 16 years of my life. In fact I didn’t really understand much about my Faith .One can say I was “Sunday” Christian actually.

My personality and character then was totally different from right now. I was very shy, had low self esteem, low confidence, not very sociable with people and I worry about almost everything, basically I was an extreme introvert. Although I would go to church every Sunday, I would just keep to myself and be very quiet in small group time. And I would just leave right, and that was how it was every Sunday. And I never talk to any of my small group members at all. That’s how quiet I was. I would make excuses not to go for youth camps or group outings. My life then was just about soccer, school and computer games. Just reflecting back, I realized that there was something missing in my life then. It wasn’t a total emptiness, but there was just that something.

At the end of 2005 after my O’Level examination, I decided to stop making excuses and sign up for my youth church camp in 2005. Just thinking about that decision now, just makes me smile to myself. It was a decision that provided a clear path for a personal break through in my life.

Reflecting back about that camp, I’m amazed how I can remember this whole event so vividly in my mind. I still remember on the second night, On 9 December about 9 plus pm, after the sermon from an invited pastor. Somehow I was convicted by that whole message, and after that the pastor asks the congregation who is willing to surrender their life totally to God to go to the front. I contemplated a lot at that point and I was very afraid. I was thinking to myself, no way am I going to give my life totally to God, I still have my studies, career and so many things I want to do. I was very pragmatic at that time about such things, and my thinking at that time was that the act of surrendering your whole life to God will mean that you will lose your own freedom and that you can’t go and do what ever you want to anymore. But after a long while of deep thinking, something in me just prompted me to go up to the front by faith and to be prayed for.

And while different leaders prayed for me, slowly but surely for the first time ever in my entire life I started to experience God in a very real tangible way. I have never experience him so personally and real in my entire 16 years of my life till that day. The presence of God at that auditorium was so real that such an inner peace and warm feeling filled my heart with a strong assurance of who God was.

And from that day onwards, I was a total change person. My life became so much more exciting, and all my deepest needs was fulfilled, my self esteem and confidence grew, and from a total introvert I started to become more extrovert.

When I surrendered my life totally to God, it actually filled that missing thing that I felt missing in the first 16 years of my life, I just felt so cleanse and forgiven, and a warm feeling just filled my whole body. After that day instead of me worrying about my life, everything just went better and everything in life just fell into place so nicely. Even my small group members were shocked to see the drastic change in me, as they were the ones who knew how I was like over the years before the camp. I remember one jokingly told me that she never knew I could even talk.

Right now there’s this inner joy in me that I can’t describe in words, and ever since I received and surrendered my entire life to Jesus Christ. That missing thing in my heart was filled and the best thing of all I am assured that I one day when I pass on, I have a place secured in heaven that God promise us if we believe that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Saviour and his the one that forgive all our Sins on that cross.

5/6/08

Worldview

As I write this post, I have been racking my brains out thinking of other issues or something which I feel is important or interesting to write about. I don’t want to write something just for the sake of making a nice piece of writing, that sounds nice to the world to read about, but if it’s not of something from my heart and true feelings, I would rather not write it at all.

Even right now as I’m at a lost of what to write, I’m looking outside the window, trying to find inspiration from. And looking at the vast blue sky, the white fluffy clouds, the beautiful greenery of trees and bushes and the sights of birds flying in the sky really makes one ponder how they actually came about. And even at a macro level, from the vast ocean, to our planet Earth and than to the universe. It really amazes me how such complex intricate life system came about.

Such a topic has been debated and talked about for years. One example is Charles Darwin’s famous “big bang theory” and “evolution” etc. Like shared in my last entry, I’m a pragmatic person. To me there needs to be substantial facts and evidence before I truly want to believe in it. And remember “the big bang theory” is just a “theory”, looking into that theory, it has many scientific problems. The big bang erroneously assumes that the universe was not supernaturally created, but that it came about by natural processes billions of years ago. However, reality does not line up with this notion.

I know I’m going to link back to God again, but just being pragmatic about this issue, to me this theory has to much coincidences after coincidences and it has make it a little to far fetch to me. Right now, dwelling and expanding more into this topic I’m going to be open about this whole issue of our Worldview and not immediately link everything to God to solve this whole issue.

First of, I feel that there is no such thing of a “free-thinker”, everyone believes in something, and there is a cost to every belief. Everyone and every religion have a worldview, the way we view everything in life and the world.

Since science is always based on test and results, let me share some of my views to test out different worldviews on my next entry. Test one, is it logical? Test two, is it livable? And before I can come to a firm conclusion, I would like to evaluate some of the world’s major beliefs, mainly Atheism, Christianity, Buddhism and some of the deepest of life’s questions, what is God? What is real? What is good? What is hope? What is our purpose?

And instead of just focusing on my Christian faith, I hope to take this chance to fairly evaluate these major religions in the world as fairly and impartial as possible. I also hope to answer as much of the deepest of life’s questions I brought up in the next entry before I come out with a conclusion to my views and thoughts about this.

Site Analysis at JOO CHIAT!!!

Site Analysis at JOO CHIAT!!!... my first Creative writing post.....

Just realised that this could be my toughest block to date... with IAD PROJECT 3 combining with Creative Writing which literally involves really a lotttttttttt of writing! but i'm enjoying this 2 modules! As i'm committing them to the LORD! =)

Joo Chiat Road...

(with our TEAM of 19 people! Taking analysis of the area)


(some of the photos taken! The nice colour Art Deco shophouses that we are going to select as the units for our project..... the STRIKING RED BUILDING which stands out in Joo Chiat)

(we were discussing when we notice our lecturer Derek cool posing there! HAHA! GOTCHA!)

(You will be amazed that this is the back of one of the shophouses! Its 4 storey!)

After much observation...
We split into different grps...
7 of us walk up joo chiat road... got LOST trying to find a nice Halal place to eat... walk and walk...and decided to take a bus down... didnt know where to stop... after awhile stop at this market after geylang!

Took a "lunch break".... abt 430-530pm...

(Izzati and me were trying to piece the different parts of Joo Chiat map together)

Took a bus back to Joo Chiat... to catch the night life.....

First interviewed a guy from Joo Chiat CC to find out more of the area...

(sitting down at our allocated area..making observations,sketches and measurements... many walk by looking at us strangely...)

(that was us about 6-7 plus pm...)

(Hannan proudly posing! hahah!)

Walk abit more.. and after 7 plus pm we went home...

My first Creative writing post.....

My first Creative writing post.....

Continuing from yesterday post....

Below is the extract of my school assessment journal writing for creative writing...

CREATIVE WRITING

Journal writing

2/6/08

As this is going to be the first entry for my journal writing I felt that, I should be all honest about the deepest desire and conviction of my heart and something I feel is the most important thing in my life that nothing in the world can ever compare with. I can talk about almost anything in the world and comment on anything, but as I was pondering on what was something interesting or important to write about, I realize that almost everything I talk about will end up with my main focal point in life. And if you haven’t guessed that yet, that is my relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ.

Many people would wonder what exactly Christianity is, many would say it’s another religion, but to me, it’s not like any other religion as it’s a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Who is Jesus then? Well in a quick summary He is the Son of God who died for our Sins on the cross and forgiven us more than 2000 years ago, he is my Lord and Saviour and whoever believed in him would have eternal life. He is the one that change my life entirely and is my greatest inspiration of all.

Many would think I’m crazy if they are reading this now, imagine me writing this for my school assessment. But I will not be ashamed of my Faith but I will proudly proclaim it as this is my innermost desire in my heart that I just felt a need to share.

Many will not understand why do I link everything back to Jesus Christ, but I just can’t help it? It is in my nature now that I have Jesus Christ in my life.

Recently, I had had a conversation with my good friend who is a non-Christian; and we both realized that we seemed to have many issues that we see in life contracting each other due to our centre focus of our life. For example one issue we were talking about relationships and somehow through out the whole conversations I find that our opinions of finding a life partner are so different from each other. For him it’s just someone whom he likes and can relate, but for me it’s not only liking that person, but having Christ in the picture of it first. And my life partner has to be in the will of God. It’s hard for a non-Christian to understand what I mean by God’s will, but I will share about that another time. Well basically everything that I lead in life, its Christ first before my self. If our main core values are different in life, I’m sure a relationship will not last.

Many in the world lead a self directed life, one choose their career path, where they want to go, what they want to do in life, and all in all it all it leads back to themselves directing their own life. But for me, it’s Christ in the centre and throne of my life and everything I do and choose will be led by Him. He gave us all free will, if not we will be like “robots”, but out of my own “free will” I have chose Him to be my shepherd in my Life, the one who directs and guides my life as I know that His will for me is always good.

And since Jesus Christ is my greatest inspiration of all, I just feel so inspired and excited to be given this opportunity to write and share my deepest thoughts and views of many life questions that one may have ever think. If you’re still wondering why I’m so staunch with my Faith, well you will find out on my next entry.

FIRST day of FINAL YEAR in School! (My greatest inspiration in life....)

FIRST day of FINAL YEAR in School! (My greatest inspiration in life....)
Today after two and a half mths of not attending school and doing sch work due to us on Internship and a 2 weeks break, i have finally OFFICIALLY become a SENIOR in TP design school! 3 years has passed so fast!

With 2 modules this block, CREATIVE WRITING and IAD PROJECT 3!
One major project that will practically take out most of my time this 2 mths! And then at the same time juggling my CDS class.... BUT.....

Do you know that my FIRST ASSESSMENT for CREATIVE WRITING is to write 10 entries of anything you feel is important or interesting to me! And immediately as i read that brief! I was pounding with excitement in my heart! As this is A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to write and share about my innermost desires and what i feel is MOST IMPORTANT in my life! And my lecturer will have to read and assess it too!

So looked out for my next 10 entries for CREATIVE WRITING CLASS! I'm going to post them on my blog! If you haven't guess what yet!... just a preview...its going to be my greatest inspiration in LIFE!....
hint hint!..... anyway i really THANK GOD so much! As i told God at the start of this semester that in my FINAL YEAR at TP DESIGN..im going to commit every single work to Him! And seems like His my INSPIRATION for my next few writingssss! WHAHHAHA! =)