Archive for September, 2005

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words and ministers…

Monday, September 5th, 2005

On Wednesday, the day after Mr Brogden (former NSW Liberal Leader) was rushed to hospital with self-inflicted wounds, Mr Abbott (Health Minister) joked that if the Government were to adopt a particular health proposal, it would be "as dead as the former Liberal leader’s political prospects". Later the same day, he opened a speech at a Liberal branch meeting by saying: "I have never told an inappropriate joke, I’ve never pinched a woman on the backside and I never make inappropriate gestures to women."

Labor stepped up its calls for him to resign, with health spokeswoman Julia Gillard saying he had failed in his ministerial responsibility for the mental health of Australians. Ms Gillard said the jokes showed Mr Abbott was not fit to be Health Minister.

"There he is making jokes at the expense of a young man who’s tried to kill himself, 24 hours after it happened," she said.

*****

Thought to myself, how could a Health Minister be so insensitive as to joke about someone being suicidal, especially since mental health is a national health priority in Aust, due to the paradoxical fact that depression and suicide rates are on the increase despite the country being developed, voted most livable, has terrific social securities, pensions etc. I mean, that is his ministry, what he represents, what he should be helping to curb…yet his words betrayed him.

*****

It’s true that in words lie the power of death and life.

It reminds me of my own ministry, that I am a minister of God’s grace - a GRACE MINISTER, but yet I’ve allowed many thoughts of un-grace and sometimes speech of un-grace slip through.

Grace = unmerited favour. Unconditional love. That it’s not about whether a person deserves good. That it’s about me surrendering my "rights" to God - the right to hold a grudge, the right to hate, the right to dwell in my prolonged hurt and bitterness, the right to not-speak-to-that-person-ever-again, the right to talk bad about the person… I surrender all.

Because I haven’t forgotten that I am a daily recipient of much-needed-grace myself, and He has not asked me to do something that He hasn’t shown me before.

It’s not easy. But it’s my identity - a grace minister.

Grace is a unique character of Christ =)

*****
Q: Why do people like Oprah so much?
A: Because can always Winfree stuff!

*****

Everyone loves a gift. Grace is a gift, and can only be presented to the undeserving. The ones we present to the deserving are called rewards.

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it worked!

Monday, September 5th, 2005

I was such a blurnut at the operating theatres today (first day). I did wake up on time though - for such a long time now I haven’t seen the clock displaying *6am*… since my high school days maybe? who wakes up at  6am for uni?!

The choosing to rejoice decision did work! Was preparing myself for scary nurses and un-people-person surgeons in the cold-operating-rooms… which came true:

Scolding number 1:
Forgot to remove my watch and bracelet (thin silver one, it’s not even the made in china jade ones) - after scrubbing my hands clean and while wiping myself with the sterile towel…
NURSE: you’re not supposed to have your jewellery on - it’s got lotsa germs on it. I’m sorry but you’ll have to remove your jewellery and re-scrub!
(nurses, doctors, surgeons looking as penny removes jewellery and hurries out of operating room to wash hands again)

Scolding number 2:
*feels nurses eyes staring at self when walked into operating room, picked up sterile towel to wipe hands*…
NURSE: Ah!!! The STERILE towel touched your clothes! I’m afraid you’ll have to do it all over again… make sure your hands are not near your body when you wipe it…

Sigh…
misquote: "who shall ascend the hill of the Lord… but he who has CLEAN HANDS and a pure heart"…

Surprisingly I took it well! Just appreciated the constructive feedback on scrubbing methods and aimed to do better the following times - which I did!! Now I’m expert in removing jewellery, washing hands, wiping hands with STERILE towel and dressing up in the surgical gown - yay!

POWER of CHOICE - it’s real!

*****
Penny: Tell me, where do you weigh a pie?
Victim: Huh?? Where?
Penny: Somewhere over the rainbow lah…
Victim: Huh? How come?
Penny (sings): Somewherrree…over the rainbowww.. weigh-a-pie…

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the battle tomorrow begins today…

Sunday, September 4th, 2005

I can’t believe my classes are starting at 7.30am for the next 5 weeks. Plus it takes 40mins to get there, which means I’ve got to leave home at 6.45am!! Means got to wake up at 6am?!! Aaaaahhh… helpppp…

So I should sleep by 12am tonight.

I’m really not a morning person. I’m also not a Monday person.

But I don’t care. I’m going to CHOOSE to make it a good day tomorrow, as pastor said at church today, we have the POWER of CHOICE! This is the day that the Lord has made, I choose to rejoce and be glad in it! I think I’d be foolish to know how to make good plans for years ahead but don’t have a plan for tomorrow!

I will be early tomorrow! I hate having to rush. Mum says we’re not meant to be people who rush around - We are Malaysians, not Rushians.
Or as someone puts it, the rhythm of life is not meant to be disrupted by rushing and procrastination.

*****

Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot most of the time, 
which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate
very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he
suffered from bad breath. This made him . (Oh, man, this is so bad,
it’s good)…..A super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

(NB: I didn’t come up with this, but thought it’s a good happy way to start the week!)

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G.I.R.L.S.

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

when Growing Into "Real Life" Sucks (sucks is a word used by young people to describe a dreary, usually no-fun & difficult situation), when certain circumstances make you wonder if God Is Really Love Sometimes…

there is a special bouquet of G.I.R.L.F.R.I.E.N.D.S who comes along, each made unique and special in God’s own ways, each bearing the refreshing aroma of Christ, each reflecting the beautiful workmanship of the Creator, each a blossoming masterpiece of God.

each a walking evidence that God is Love.

apparently we are all Growing Into Real Ladies Soon, but inside us remains little princess girl, a child in a warrior’s suit, whom God sees, whom He loves to take into His strong and loving arms.

it’s magical when we come together and share hearts, and recognize the little girl inside each of us - the vulnerability to harsh words spoken, the curiosity of why’s and how come’s… and the privilege of running into the Father’s arms together, in prayer, in word of encouragement, in a hug.

woke up this morning with a deep gratitude to God for each sister, friend, whom God has used to shape me to be who I am. how wonderful it is that He has brought you into my life to not only spur me on in love and good deeds, but to show me love with skin-on.

*****

"…behind every successful woman is more successful women…"

*****

- dedicated to all you girls who have scattered my life with little packages of blessings…

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Wawasan 2020 - What is it?

Thursday, September 1st, 2005

On a more serious note, we often speak about Wawasan 2020 - our country’s vision, what Tun Dr Mahathir saw Malaysia to be in the year 2020. We know bits and pieces of it, but do we really know what it entails? We are the generation who will see / make it come to past. Please take time to read it through (compulsory for Malaysians):

*****

WHAT IS VISION 2020:

  • Hopefully the Malaysian who is born today and in the years to come will be the last generation of our citizens who will be living in a country that is called ‘developing’. The ultimate objective that we should aim for is a Malaysia that is a fully developed country by the year 2020.

  • What, you might rightly ask, is ‘a fully developed country’? Do we want to be like any particular country of the present 19 countries that are generally regarded as ‘developed countries’? Do we want to be like the United Kingdom, like Canada, like Holland, like Sweden, like Finland, like Japan? To be sure, each of the 19, out of a world community of more than 160 states, has its strengths. But each also has its fair share of weaknesses. Without being a duplicate of any of them we can still be developed. We should be a developed country in our own mould.

  • Malaysia should not be developed only in the economic sense. It must be a nation that is fully developed along all the dimensions: economically, politically, socially, spiritually, psychologically and culturally. We must be fully developed in terms of national unity and social cohesion, in terms of our economy, in terms of social justice, political stability, system of government, quality of life, social and spiritual values, national pride and confidence.
  • By the year 2020, Malaysia can be a united nation, with a confident Malaysian society, infused by strong moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, caring, economically just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.
  • There can be no fully developed Malaysia until we have finally overcome the nine central strategic challenges that have confronted us from the moment of our birth as an independent nation.
  • The first of these is the challenges of establishing a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny. This must be a nation at peace with itself, territorially and ethnically integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership, made up of one ‘Bangsa Malaysia’ with political loyalty and dedication to the nation.
  • The second is the challenge of creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian Society with faith and confidence in itself, justifiably proud of what it is, of what it has accomplished, robust enough to face all manner of adversity. This Malaysian Society must be distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations.
  • The third challenge we have always faced is that of fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practising a form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model for many developing countries.
  • The fourth is the challenge of establishing a fully moral and ethical society, whose citizens are strong in religious and spiritual values and imbued with the highest of ethical standards.
  • The fifth challenge that we have always faced is the challenge of establishing a matured,liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practise and profess their customs,cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation.
  • The sixth is the challenge of establishing a scientific and progressive society, a society that is innovative and forward-looking, one that is not only a consumer of technology but also a contributor to the scientific and technological civilisation of the future.
  • The seventh challenge is the challenge of establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture, a social system in which society will come before self, in which the welfare of the people will revolve not around the state or the individual but around a strong and resilient family system.
  • The eighth is the challenge of ensuring an economically just society. This is a society in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation, in which there is full partnership in economic progress. Such a society cannot be in place so long as there is the identification of race with economic function, and the identification of economic backwardness with race.
  • The ninth challenge is the challenge of establishing a prosperous society, with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.

    • Source: http://www.wawasan2020.com/vision/index.html

    *****
    I am thankful for leaders, for a country that has a VISION.

    "Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; But he that keepeth the law, happy is he." ~ Proverbs 29:18 ~

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    Merdeka @ Kolej Segiempat

    Thursday, September 1st, 2005

    CLICK HERE to view photos!!

    My Karangan of semalam’s Merdeka selebresyen…

    It was a malam yang riuh-rendah. The beginning was already so Malaysian (timing) ie 1.5hrs for arrival of guests. Then we nyanyi (I like the word nyanyi) our various state anthems (which some people didn’t know existed), followed by raising of the flag (human poles) as we sang MyCountry (Negaraku).

    Jay led us in prayer for our beloved country - thank God that the jerebu is gone, prayed for our leaders, that we will know and live in freedom, for peace, continuous racial harmony… We love Malaysia!

    For dinner, everybody masak-ed something sedap (I suspek cooking comes naturally to M’sians).

    AUTENTIK Malaysian cushion cuisine: Among the lauk-pauk were (from left to right): kordial, potatochips (sigh all these Westernized M’sians), TianTian&Huiping’s PENANG ASSAM LAKSA, claypot chicken rice served in stainless steel pot, Indomee cooked until became Msiamee (18pkts), Mee Siam (Siam is also Msia if you switch the letters around), telur sambal, baked cheese on rice (KimGary’s?), non-ayamas chicken wings, herbal eggs, dark soy sauce porkbelly, lemon chicken, cut-against-the-grain-super-tender BEEF RENDANG, SBRJ (suetbeng’s roti jala), steamed egg with minced non-halal pork by antiricegirl, Indian mamak mee goreng cooked by Sibu-chinese-boy, chicken cooked in various ways, and nasi.

    Teh tarik.

    Desserts: moist-in-the-centre-dry-on-the-sides chocolate cake (lotsa varieties), Malaccan sugar (gulaMelaka) jelly, and babysarahmei’s wonderful OREOICECREAMCAKE to top it all off!

    I ADMIRE THE COURAGEOUS PERSON WHO BROUGHT THE SAFEWAY CHICKEN (tip: at least wrap it in Ayamas packaging next time)…

    Patriotik photos. Chipmunks. Freakshows. Hand-in-mouth competition. Arm-leg-coordinated marching and running. Hand-made-rekorder-playing-tune-of-Titanic.

    I love the rich heritage of culture that we share, growing up in Malaysia. Wouldn’t exchange that for anything! It’s really these little things… by the way anyone remembers the kotak susu coklat they make us buy in primary school? To build our kalsium levels?

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