Dedicated to Wilson (Demon's Bane). Part of what has happened is my fault, though he said its no one's fault. Anyway, I do believe God is stirring something, for the good cause of course. For "even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good" (Gen 50:20). :-)
_______________________________________________________
Bad Day
Written and Performed by Daniel Powter
VERSE 1
Where is the moment when we need it the most
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
They tell me your blue skies fade to grey
They tell me your passion's gone away
And I don't need no carryin' on
VERSE 2
You stand in the line just to hit a new low
You're faking a smile with the coffee to go
You tell me your life's been way off line
You're falling to pieces every time
And I don't need no carryin' on
CHORUS
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
VERSE 3
Well you need a blue sky holiday
The point is they laugh at what you say
And I don't need no carryin' on
CHORUS
You had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
The camera don't lie
You're coming back down and you really don't mind
You had a bad day
(Oh.. Holiday..)
BRIDGE
Sometimes the system goes on the blink
And the whole thing turns out wrong
You might not make it back and you know
That you could be well oh that strong
And I'm not wrong
VERSE 4
So where is the passion when you need it the most
Oh you and I
You kick up the leaves and the magic is lost
CHORUS
Cause you had a bad day
You're taking one down
You sing a sad song just to turn it around
You say you don't know
You tell me don't lie
You work at a smile and you go for a ride
You had a bad day
You've seen what you like
And how does it feel for one more time
You had a bad day
You had a bad day
END
Had a bad day
Had a bad day
Had a bad day
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Financial Testimony
Another testimony for the Glory of God!
Last Thursday during Intercessory Meeting, we interceded and claimed financial blessings for SWYF and all SWYF members. It was a fantastic meeting - we prayed, interceded, praised, worshiped, and claimed abundant financial blessing that was poured onto us.
On the next day, during our regular SWYF meeting, Andre gave a talk related to the "Giving Till It Hurt" series. The talk was centered on the story of Elijah asking for food from a poor widow (1 Kings 17:8-16). The widow had just enough food for one meal (for herself and her dying son) in the midst of drought, and they would be waiting to die after the meal. Yet, she obeyed Elijah and gave him a small cake. What happened was, the jar of flour, oil and water (required to bake bread) never went empty - though not lavish, God has blessed with enough food to carry on in the midst of drought.
Learning from the widow, we should offer up to God whatever we earn as a sacrifice, and no out of convenience. This was paralleled with the poor lady offering her only two coins, and Jesus placed her higher than the rich who offered buckets of coins (Luke 21:1-4). Which means, we should tithe to God, even in the midst of recession.
That Friday night, I actually planned to sell of all my ALTR ESPP shares, because of two reasons: I noticed the closing price at a high point of USD16.87 the day before - an uptrend for two consecutive days; and I need the money. So, I thought of going online after SWYF meeting, and look for a handsome price to sell off my shares. It ended up that I was so tired that I totally forgot about going online!
So, I slept. The next day, I realized that the stock price went up to USD17.50! I was overjoyed, but kinda worried, because the stock price might drop on Monday. So, with a certain confidence (and a little bit of don't-care feeling), I did what I had never done before - go online and set to sell all my shares at market price. I thought - whether it is going up or down, I must sell it off.
And come Monday night. I never bothered to check the stock price. So, I slept and checked what happened this morning (Tuesday already). What happened was, when market re-opened on Monday, ALTR went up to USD17.63 before dropping all the way down to USD16.62 and close. My market order was filled when it was going up, at USD17.59 to be exact! Cool!!
The interesting part is, I saved up the energy of having had to monitor the trend, and set the 'right' limit order. I was able to catch my sleep, and earn a handsome amount! Rather, God gave me rest and money! Thank you, my Lord Jesus!
I guess I have to tithe my earnings. :-D
De-jargon - Tithe (n.) literally means ten percent. To tithe (v.) means to pay a tenth of one's earnings. In Judaism and Christian terminology, to tithe means to set apart a tenth of our earnings / first fruits as an offering to God.
Last Thursday during Intercessory Meeting, we interceded and claimed financial blessings for SWYF and all SWYF members. It was a fantastic meeting - we prayed, interceded, praised, worshiped, and claimed abundant financial blessing that was poured onto us.
On the next day, during our regular SWYF meeting, Andre gave a talk related to the "Giving Till It Hurt" series. The talk was centered on the story of Elijah asking for food from a poor widow (1 Kings 17:8-16). The widow had just enough food for one meal (for herself and her dying son) in the midst of drought, and they would be waiting to die after the meal. Yet, she obeyed Elijah and gave him a small cake. What happened was, the jar of flour, oil and water (required to bake bread) never went empty - though not lavish, God has blessed with enough food to carry on in the midst of drought.
Learning from the widow, we should offer up to God whatever we earn as a sacrifice, and no out of convenience. This was paralleled with the poor lady offering her only two coins, and Jesus placed her higher than the rich who offered buckets of coins (Luke 21:1-4). Which means, we should tithe to God, even in the midst of recession.
That Friday night, I actually planned to sell of all my ALTR ESPP shares, because of two reasons: I noticed the closing price at a high point of USD16.87 the day before - an uptrend for two consecutive days; and I need the money. So, I thought of going online after SWYF meeting, and look for a handsome price to sell off my shares. It ended up that I was so tired that I totally forgot about going online!
So, I slept. The next day, I realized that the stock price went up to USD17.50! I was overjoyed, but kinda worried, because the stock price might drop on Monday. So, with a certain confidence (and a little bit of don't-care feeling), I did what I had never done before - go online and set to sell all my shares at market price. I thought - whether it is going up or down, I must sell it off.
And come Monday night. I never bothered to check the stock price. So, I slept and checked what happened this morning (Tuesday already). What happened was, when market re-opened on Monday, ALTR went up to USD17.63 before dropping all the way down to USD16.62 and close. My market order was filled when it was going up, at USD17.59 to be exact! Cool!!
The interesting part is, I saved up the energy of having had to monitor the trend, and set the 'right' limit order. I was able to catch my sleep, and earn a handsome amount! Rather, God gave me rest and money! Thank you, my Lord Jesus!
I guess I have to tithe my earnings. :-D
De-jargon - Tithe (n.) literally means ten percent. To tithe (v.) means to pay a tenth of one's earnings. In Judaism and Christian terminology, to tithe means to set apart a tenth of our earnings / first fruits as an offering to God.
Monday, March 16, 2009
God Saves
Have you ever experienced that God truly saves your life? I did. For my first time as a Christian!
I was driving my friend's car - a manual-transmission Myvi - back to the office from lunch. I was fetching 3 colleagues who were fast asleep after lunch - you know, high carb diet kicking in. So, while driving along the coastal highway heading to FIZ Phase 4, I was listening to a secular song named "That's The Way It Is" by Celine Dion. I was then contemplating on only one part of the lyrics, which is: "Don't give up on your faith". Yes. Amen. I thought. A short thought it was.
There was a point of our journey back to Altera where we need to make a U-turn on the coastal highway. And, soon enough I reached the U-turn point. I was waiting at the edge of the divider, waiting first in line for a U-turn opportunity. On the other side of the road, there were a lot of vehicles passing by. Amid the streak of fast-moving cars, I noticed that there was a gap between two fast-moving cars, and, since I was driving a manual car, I thought I could make it in time to do a U-turn safely between that two cars.
However, I felt a slight nudge (remember, all my other colleagues were having forty winks). It prompted me not to do a U-turn, but wait. So, I waited. The two fast-moving cars zoomed past. And, a minute or so later, it was clear for a slow and steady U-turn. Only by that moment I realized that the car was engaged to level-2 gear, and not the lowest gear!! My God! If I were to do a U-turn earlier, the car would not have speed to brush past the first car and avoid the second car in time. I would have kena banged sideways by the second car!!
Just by my acknowledgment of the little faith that I should have, God have protected me and my colleagues through his soft prompting! Thank you, my Lord Jesus!!
________________________________________________
Psalm 91:9-12
Because you have made Yahweh your refuge,
And the Most High your dwelling place,
No evil shall happen to you,
Neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
For He will give His angels charge over you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
So that you won't dash your foot against a stone.
I was driving my friend's car - a manual-transmission Myvi - back to the office from lunch. I was fetching 3 colleagues who were fast asleep after lunch - you know, high carb diet kicking in. So, while driving along the coastal highway heading to FIZ Phase 4, I was listening to a secular song named "That's The Way It Is" by Celine Dion. I was then contemplating on only one part of the lyrics, which is: "Don't give up on your faith". Yes. Amen. I thought. A short thought it was.
There was a point of our journey back to Altera where we need to make a U-turn on the coastal highway. And, soon enough I reached the U-turn point. I was waiting at the edge of the divider, waiting first in line for a U-turn opportunity. On the other side of the road, there were a lot of vehicles passing by. Amid the streak of fast-moving cars, I noticed that there was a gap between two fast-moving cars, and, since I was driving a manual car, I thought I could make it in time to do a U-turn safely between that two cars.
However, I felt a slight nudge (remember, all my other colleagues were having forty winks). It prompted me not to do a U-turn, but wait. So, I waited. The two fast-moving cars zoomed past. And, a minute or so later, it was clear for a slow and steady U-turn. Only by that moment I realized that the car was engaged to level-2 gear, and not the lowest gear!! My God! If I were to do a U-turn earlier, the car would not have speed to brush past the first car and avoid the second car in time. I would have kena banged sideways by the second car!!
Just by my acknowledgment of the little faith that I should have, God have protected me and my colleagues through his soft prompting! Thank you, my Lord Jesus!!
________________________________________________
Psalm 91:9-12
Because you have made Yahweh your refuge,
And the Most High your dwelling place,
No evil shall happen to you,
Neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
For He will give His angels charge over you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
So that you won't dash your foot against a stone.
Judge, Dread!
This is Lady Justice, or in short, Justice. An icon for judicial system that is and should be executed without fear or favour.
The first time I took notice of this iconic figure was when I watched the movie "Judge Dredd", a story of a futuristic hero named Joseph Dredd, a Judge, convicted of a murder he did not commit, and sent to the deserted "Cursed World" outside populated megacities. In a scene in "Cursed World", a statue of Justice was shown in a deserted building which I presume used to be a courthouse. Chief Justice Fargo was telling Judge Dredd that the new judiciary system comprising of judges had robbed her of the role of justice.
--Quote--
Chief Justice Fargo: The blind lady.
Judge Dredd: Who is she, sir?
Chief Justice Fargo: Justice before your time. We should never have taken justice out of her hands.
Judge Dredd: You put order to chaos, sir.
Chief Justice Fargo: Yes, we solved many problems, but created many more.
--Unquote--
I won't explain more about the movie. Get yourself a DVD or go here to find out more.
Next is the Hong Kong TVB Drama "File of Justice (壹號皇庭)", where, in the opening titles of each episode, the iconic Lady Justice standing above the Hong Kong Supreme Court building is shown.
Much recently, I found out that, the original statue of Lady Justice was not blindfolded. In order to portray justice being impartial and applies to everyone, a blindfold was added - to show that Justice sees no color, language, religion, nor party (this word is open for interpretation). More info could be found in Wikipedia.
Without Fear or Favour. I still remember this phrase being the motto of the Prefects Board in my old school ACS Ipoh. A phrase that we stood for, and I hope the ACS Prefects now still stands for. I remembered clearly that, despite reluctance, I had to reprimand a student who was then our famous national swimmer (yet a humble boy indeed - he forgot about his name tag and left it in his school bag). That's one of the without-fear-or-favour in action.
Looking at our not-so-far-away land, I am extremely disappointed at what had already happened. It seems that in the current political situation in our country, I cannot fit in the words "without fear or favour" anywhere anymore. Isn't that sad???
I believed in the law - but it is written on stones, and is dead. Alas, now I even doubt I can believe in man who can ever "uphold" it here.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Spring in Penang
One of the seasons that truly uplifts my mood is spring, where I can actually see blooming and beautiful flowers amid green fields and above trees. I first witnessed (not via pictures, but with my very own eyes) such a beautiful view when I was on my business trip to San Jose exactly two years ago. Come March, the dull green field by McCarthy Blvd became filled with bright yellow flowers. Sadly, I did not take any pictures of those beautiful scenery there.
[ And I totally missed visiting Lombard St, San Francisco in spring! ]
I used to think that, as long as I am in the hot and humid rain-forest country of Malaysia, I would never ever experience truly the four-seasonal scenery. I was wrong. I was shocked to see MPPP people sweeping fallen petals from the trees by Medan Bayan Lepas while on my way to work yesterday!
Strange, eh... 迎春花 in hot-and-humid Penang!
[ And I totally missed visiting Lombard St, San Francisco in spring! ]
I used to think that, as long as I am in the hot and humid rain-forest country of Malaysia, I would never ever experience truly the four-seasonal scenery. I was wrong. I was shocked to see MPPP people sweeping fallen petals from the trees by Medan Bayan Lepas while on my way to work yesterday!
Strange, eh... 迎春花 in hot-and-humid Penang!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Pondering over statements pertaining to the Silver State
Been too busy to blog, but somewhat found it worthwhile to scribble down.
The following was extracted from MalaysiaKini online:
" The judge had also ruled yesterday that Sivakumar could not be represented by any private lawyers and can only be represented by the state legal advisor as the "speaker was part of the government". "
So, points to ponder:
1. Does that mean the judge acknowledge that V Sivakumar is still a legitimate speaker for DUN Perak?
2. Does that mean the judge acknowledge that V Sivakumar is part of the government, and since V Sivakumar is a Pakatan Rakyat ADUN, Pakatan Rakyat is the legitimate government, and because of that, Barisan Nasional state 'government' led by 'Mentri Besar' Zambry is illegitimate? [ By the way, we MUST understand that in the Westminster system, Legislative component is NOT the Government, but Executive component is. ]
Well, don't shoot at me. I am just trying to interpret what the judge had said.
P.S. My heart is painful over the situation of my home state.
The following was extracted from MalaysiaKini online:
" The judge had also ruled yesterday that Sivakumar could not be represented by any private lawyers and can only be represented by the state legal advisor as the "speaker was part of the government". "
So, points to ponder:
1. Does that mean the judge acknowledge that V Sivakumar is still a legitimate speaker for DUN Perak?
2. Does that mean the judge acknowledge that V Sivakumar is part of the government, and since V Sivakumar is a Pakatan Rakyat ADUN, Pakatan Rakyat is the legitimate government, and because of that, Barisan Nasional state 'government' led by 'Mentri Besar' Zambry is illegitimate? [ By the way, we MUST understand that in the Westminster system, Legislative component is NOT the Government, but Executive component is. ]
Well, don't shoot at me. I am just trying to interpret what the judge had said.
P.S. My heart is painful over the situation of my home state.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Today is a good day to fight
Wallau! It has been nearly two months since I last wrote my blog! Nearly lost all the blogging spirit after being down with a cold, healed, busy with Advent and Christmas, another round of flu, and get healed. What a time wasted!
Well, today is indeed a big historical day for Malaysia, as we will again see a 3-corner fight between BN, PR and an independent part in Kuala Terengganu. Since the sudden collapse and death of the former Kuala Terengganu MP Deputy Education Minister Razali Ismail passed away on November 28 last year, this is the day that both BN and PR are looking for.
Since the nomination day, many things have happened, which include:
- Sudden inflow of money to some Terengganu businessmen
- Permit to campaign by PR leaders denied
- Journalists receiving envelope with money
- Poll analyst Ong Kian Ming giving his piece of analysis with poll results would swing in PAS favor
- Our "beloved" current DPM and PM in-waiting is seen extra busy, not with his Executive portfolio, but in a by-election (oops... he did it again, first time being in Permatang Pauh)
- And many more. I don't have to mention in detail. In fact, I don't even follow the news very very closely.
Hmm... makes you wonder who to believe and trust, and makes you ponder why certain people are easily irritated when accused of being involved in "money politics" eh...
Well, if you are asking me personally which one would I prefer, no doubt I want PAS to win. This would be like a slap on BN's face once again - hopefully, and God-willing (:-)) they will realize that arrogance doesn't pay. Well, don't expect much from post by-election analysis of theirs, they could once again fall into the state of denial by bringing up blames and finger-pointing actions in their post-mortem. I would also want to see PR maintain her number of representatives in Parliament at 82 (at least for now), so that the giant's irritating an favored voice would be continued to be suppressed with the same amount of strength.
In general, I pray that all citizens under the Kuala Terengganu constituency would vote wisely, that God will give them wisdom, courage, and foresight of who they want as their representative and voice in the People's Chamber (Dewan Rakyat lar...)
Well, today is indeed a big historical day for Malaysia, as we will again see a 3-corner fight between BN, PR and an independent part in Kuala Terengganu. Since the sudden collapse and death of the former Kuala Terengganu MP Deputy Education Minister Razali Ismail passed away on November 28 last year, this is the day that both BN and PR are looking for.
Since the nomination day, many things have happened, which include:
- Sudden inflow of money to some Terengganu businessmen
- Permit to campaign by PR leaders denied
- Journalists receiving envelope with money
- Poll analyst Ong Kian Ming giving his piece of analysis with poll results would swing in PAS favor
- Our "beloved" current DPM and PM in-waiting is seen extra busy, not with his Executive portfolio, but in a by-election (oops... he did it again, first time being in Permatang Pauh)
- And many more. I don't have to mention in detail. In fact, I don't even follow the news very very closely.
Hmm... makes you wonder who to believe and trust, and makes you ponder why certain people are easily irritated when accused of being involved in "money politics" eh...
Well, if you are asking me personally which one would I prefer, no doubt I want PAS to win. This would be like a slap on BN's face once again - hopefully, and God-willing (:-)) they will realize that arrogance doesn't pay. Well, don't expect much from post by-election analysis of theirs, they could once again fall into the state of denial by bringing up blames and finger-pointing actions in their post-mortem. I would also want to see PR maintain her number of representatives in Parliament at 82 (at least for now), so that the giant's irritating an favored voice would be continued to be suppressed with the same amount of strength.
In general, I pray that all citizens under the Kuala Terengganu constituency would vote wisely, that God will give them wisdom, courage, and foresight of who they want as their representative and voice in the People's Chamber (Dewan Rakyat lar...)
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