Psalms 118:17

King James Version
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.

Message
I didn't die. I lived! And now I'm telling the world what God did.


New American Standard Bible

I will not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD.

New International Version (©1984)
I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.

Bible in Basic English
Life and not death will be my part, and I will give out the story of the works of the Lord.

我 必 不 致 死 ， 仍 要 存 活 ， 并 要 传 扬 耶 和 华 的 作 为 。


Geneva Study Bible
I shall not die, but live, and {h} declare the works of the LORD.
(h) So that all, that are both far and near, may see his mighty power.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
17, 18. He would live, because confident his life would be for God's glory.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
118:1-18 The account the psalmist here gives of his troubles is very applicable to Christ: many hated him without a cause; nay, the Lord himself chastened him sorely, bruised him, and put him to grief, that by his stripes we might be healed. God is sometimes the strength of his people, when he is not their song; they have spiritual supports, though they want spiritual delights. Whether the believer traces back his comfort to the everlasting goodness and mercy of God, or whether he looks forward to the blessing secured to him, he will find abundant cause for joy and praise. Every answer to our prayers is an evidence that the Lord is on our side; and then we need not fear what man can do unto us; we should conscientiously do our duty to all, and trust in him alone to accept and bless us. Let us seek to live to declare the works of God, and to encourage others to serve him and trust in him. Such were the triumphs of the Son of David, in the assurance that the good pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand.

Psalm 118 (The Message)
1-4 Thank God because he's good, because his love never quits.
Tell the world, Israel,
"His love never quits."
And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world,
"His love never quits."
And you who fear God, join in,
"His love never quits."

5-16 Pushed to the wall, I called to God;
from the wide open spaces, he answered.
God's now at my side and I'm not afraid;
who would dare lay a hand on me?
God's my strong champion;
I flick off my enemies like flies.
Far better to take refuge in God
than trust in people;
Far better to take refuge in God
than trust in celebrities.
Hemmed in by barbarians,
in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Hemmed in and with no way out,
in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;
Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;
in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.
I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,
when God grabbed and held me.
God's my strength, he's also my song,
and now he's my salvation.
Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs
in the camp of the saved?
"The hand of God has turned the tide!
The hand of God is raised in victory!
The hand of God has turned the tide!"

17-20 I didn't die. I lived!
And now I'm telling the world what God did.
God tested me, he pushed me hard,
but he didn't hand me over to Death.
Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates!
I'll walk right through and thank God!
This Temple Gate belongs to God,
so the victors can enter and praise.

21-25 Thank you for responding to me;
you've truly become my salvation!
The stone the masons discarded as flawed
is now the capstone!
This is God's work.
We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!
This is the very day God acted—
let's celebrate and be festive!
Salvation now, God. Salvation now!
Oh yes, God—a free and full life!

26-29 Blessed are you who enter in God's name—
from God's house we bless you!
God is God,
he has bathed us in light.
Festoon the shrine with garlands,
hang colored banners above the altar!
You're my God, and I thank you.
O my God, I lift high your praise.
Thank God—he's so good.
His love never quits!

Cloudy with a chance of meatball

Shall we say life is predictable?

As predictable as this weather ?

This story, I mean movie was the bedtime story for my boys when they were growing up.

We were talking about 7-8 years ago when the eldest was just 5-6.

I told them one night.

"This is such a good story that we can read over and over again!"

"I think it will be made into a movie soon !"

"Really?" they asked me.

"Although, it has to be cartoon animation because of the food falling from the sky!"

Since then, the boys have gone on to read other books and I still keep this book somewhere.

After watching the movie UP, my boys and I had a good scream outside the movie threater!

"Mum, look, it really happened!"

"It rained meatballs and doughnuts!"

"It has become a movie!"

My boys' review of the movie since they have read the book before.

"They have to make adjustment to the storyline to make it look real."

One Family Birthday Dinner - Michael's Mum Birthday Celebration

Christmas Thoughts

I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. ~Charles Dickens

The King's New Palace

One upon a time, there lived a king in his Palace.
One day, he noticed that the Palace was needing repairs.
He thought to himself, "I have been staying here since my birth and it had not been renovated properly since then ! Do I not deserve a new Palace ?"
That was not a question posted by the King.
That was a decree ordered by the King.
For all his life, whatever he thought to be shall come to be.
Whatever that the King felt he need shall his needs be met.

He decided to go on a long holiday.
He passed the adminsitration works to his dear Prime Minister
together with these instructions:
"Go and build me the King a new Palace in my absence as well as run my kingdom for me !
As for the Treasury, you can have it at your disposal !"

With that, the King left the kingdom for a good two full years !
In his absence, the Prime Minsiter was baffled with lots of problems
to resolve people's disputes and hungry poor people.
There were just one too many !
He felt so helpless and did not feel right to call on the people to build the Palace.
So, the Prime Minister took money out of the Treasury to help the poor.
In no time, the Treasury had been emptied !

One day, the King returned.
He could not believe his ears!
He could not believe his eyes!
For he saw no new Palace however hard he went to look for it~
For he heard that the Treasury was finished !

The King was furious ! He threw the Prime Minister into the jail and was planning how to punish him.
Just a week before that, the King's brother met with an accident while hunting and he went to heaven and he was being shown around the heavens. He saw from afar, a huge new beautiful Palace. The King's brother asked whose Palace was that!

The angel answered,"That one is being built for your brother the King, for all the Treasury money was given to the poor. Everytime, the Prime Minsiter gave money to the poor, a diamond tile will be put up."

The King's brother sobbed uncontrollably until the angel asked him what was wrong. "Oh, you must grant me one wish, to return in a dream to warn my brother not to harm the Prime Minister. He owes it to him for this future investment awaiting the King in heaven!"

And so, the King's brother wish was granted to him and he went in a dream to warn with the brother. The King repented and released the Prime Minister, together they stayed in the old Palace, helping the people and the poor to live. Since that day, the King gave a decree not to build another Palace and the people would come in to volunteer their work to repair the Palace. In that kingdom, the King and his subjectes lived happily ever after!

 What we treasure on earth will rod away,
what we treasure above is here to stay!


We must build for our kingdom in heaven and not on earth !

Narrated by Ps Dr Paul Ang and re-written by Doria Tai

The Bible Verse for this Season

Psalm 18:1-3 (The Message)

Psalm 18 1-2
I love you, God— you make me strong.
God is bedrock under my feet,
the castle in which I live,
my rescuing knight.
My God—the high crag
where I run for dear life,
hiding behind the boulders,
safe in the granite hideout.

3 I sing to God, the Praise-Lofty,
and find myself safe and saved.

4-5 The hangman's noose was tight at my throat;
devil waters rushed over me.
Hell's ropes cinched me tight;
death traps barred every exit.

6 A hostile world! I call to God,
I cry to God to help me. From his palace he hears my call;
my cry brings me right into his presence— a private audience!

7-15 Earth wobbles and lurches; huge mountains shake like leaves,
Quake like aspen leaves because of his rage.
His nostrils flare, bellowing smoke; his mouth spits fire.
Tongues of fire dart in and out; he lowers the sky.
He steps down; under his feet an abyss opens up.
He's riding a winged creature, swift on wind-wings.
Now he's wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black-cloud darkness.
But his cloud-brightness bursts through, spraying hailstones and fireballs.
Then God thundered out of heaven; the High God gave a great shout,
spraying hailstones and fireballs.
God shoots his arrows—pandemonium!
He hurls his lightnings—a rout!
The secret sources of ocean are exposed,
the hidden depths of earth lie uncovered
The moment you roar in protest,
let loose your hurricane anger.
16-19 But me he caught—reached all the way
from sky to sea; he pulled me out
Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos,
the void in which I was drowning.
They hit me when I was down,
but God stuck by me.
He stood me up on a wide-open field;
I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!
20-24 God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I'm alert to God's ways;
I don't take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.
25-27 The good people taste your goodness,
The whole people taste your health,
The true people taste your truth,
The bad ones can't figure you out.
You take the side of the down-and-out,
But the stuck-up you take down a peg.
28-29 Suddenly, God, you floodlight my life;
I'm blazing with glory, God's glory!
I smash the bands of marauders,
I vault the highest fences.
30 What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth.
Every God-direction is road-tested.
Everyone who runs toward him Makes it.
31-42 Is there any god like God?
Are we not at bedrock?
Is not this the God who armed me,
then aimed me in the right direction?
Now I run like a deer;
I'm king of the mountain.
He shows me how to fight;
I can bend a bronze bow!
You protect me with salvation-armor;
you hold me up with a firm hand,
caress me with your gentle ways.
You cleared the ground under me
so my footing was firm.
When I chased my enemies I caught them;
I didn't let go till they were dead men.
I nailed them; they were down for good;
then I walked all over them.
You armed me well for this fight,
you smashed the upstarts.
You made my enemies turn tail,
and I wiped out the haters.
They cried "uncle"
but Uncle didn't come;
They yelled for God
and got no for an answer.
I ground them to dust; they gusted in the wind.
I threw them out, like garbage in the gutter.
43-45 You rescued me from a squabbling people;
you made me a leader of nations.
People I'd never heard of served me;
the moment they got wind of me they listened.
The foreign devils gave up; they came
on their bellies, crawling from their hideouts.
46-48 Live, God! Blessings from my Rock,
my free and freeing God, towering!
This God set things right for me
and shut up the people who talked back.
He rescued me from enemy anger,
he pulled me from the grip of upstarts,
He saved me from the bullies.
49-50 That's why I'm thanking you, God, all over the world.
That's why I'm singing songs that rhyme your name.
God's king takes the trophy;
God's chosen is beloved.
I mean David and all his children— always.

Psalm 18:1-3 (King James Version)
Psalm 18
1I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.
2The LORD is my rock, and my fortress,
and my deliverer; my God, my strength,
in whom I will trust; my buckler,
and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3I will call upon the LORD,
who is worthy to be praised:
so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Psalm 18:1-3 (New International Version)
Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.
He sang to the LORD the words of this song
when the LORD delivered him from
the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
He said: 1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn [a] of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.

Footnotes:
Psalm 18:2 Horn here symbolizes strength.

詩 篇 18:1-3 (Chinese Union Version (Traditional))
詩 篇 18
1 （ 耶 和 華 的 僕 人 大 衛 的 詩 ， 交 與 伶 長 。 當 耶 和 華 救 他 脫 離 一 切 仇 敵 和 掃 羅 之 手 的 日 子 ， 他 向 耶 和 華 念 這 詩 的 話 。 說 ： ）

耶 和 華 ， 我 的 力 量 啊 ， 我 愛 你 ！
2 耶 和 華 是 我 的 巖 石 ， 我 的 山 寨 ，
我 的 救 主 ， 我 的 神 ， 我 的 磐 石 ， 我 所 投 靠 的 。
他 是 我 的 盾 牌 ， 是 拯 救 我 的 角 ， 是 我 的 高 臺 。
3 我 要 求 告 當 讚 美 的 耶 和 華 ；
這 樣 我 必 從 仇 敵 手 中 被 救 出 來 。

101 Greatest George Carlin Quotes

101 Greatest George Carlin Quotes
By James A. on May 12th, 2007
The man who says “life is worth losing” turns 70 today. George would say that’s irony, not a coincidence. George Dennis Carlin was born May 12, 1937 in New York City and for the last 47 years he’s been doing stand-up comedy better than anyone else on the planet. In the process he’s pissed off a lot of people and accumulated some of the funniest, and most controversial, quotes known to man. Even a list of 101 quotes is just scratching the surface. In no particular order here are his 101 best…

1. I don’t have pet peeves — I have major psychotic fucking hatreds!
2. Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
3. Swimming is not a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning. That’s just common sense!
4. A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff.
5. Have you ever noticed that their stuff is shit and your shit is stuff?
6. I wanna live. I don’t wanna die. That’s the whole meaning of life: Not dying! I figured that shit out by myself in the third grade.
7. I used to be Irish Catholic. Now I’m an American — you know, you grow.
8. You can’t fight City Hall, but you can goddamn sure blow it up.
9. If the Cincinnati Reds were really the first major league baseball team, who did they play?
10. Honesty may be the best policy, but it’s important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.
11. If it’s true that our species is alone in the universe, then I’d have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.
12. No one knows what’s next, but everybody does it.
13. There are 400,000 words in the English language, and there are seven you can’t say on television. What a ratio that is! 399,993 to 7. They must really be baaaad. They must be OUTRAGEOUS to be separated from a group that large. “All of you words over here, you seven….baaaad words.” That’s what they told us, right? …You know the seven, don’t ya? That you can’t say on TV? Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits.
14. The very existence of flamethrowers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, “You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.”
15. The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept.
16. Just when I discovered the meaning of life, they changed it.
17. Religion has convinced people that there’s an invisible man…living in the sky, who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten specific things he doesn’t want you to do. And if you do any of these things, he will send you to a special place, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time. But he loves you. He loves you and he needs money.
18. Weather forecast for tonight: Dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning.
19. If it requires a uniform, it’s a worthless endeavor.
20. If you live long enough, sooner or later everybody you know has cancer.
21. You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.
22. Soft rock music isn’t rock, and it ain’t music. It’s just soft.
23. Reminds me of something my third-grade teacher said to us. She said, “You show me a tropical fruit and I’ll show you a cocksucker from Guatemala.”
24. As soon as someone is identified as an unsung hero, he no longer is.
25. If a movie is described as a romantic comedy, you can usually find me next door playing pinball.
26. The IQ and the life expectancy of the average American recently passed each other in opposite directions.
27. I knew a transsexual guy whose only ambition is to eat, drink, and be Mary.
28. I put a dollar in a change machine. Nothing changed.
29. If you’ve got a cat and a leg, you’ve got a happy cat. If you’ve got a cat and two legs, you’ve got a party.
30. You can prick your finger — just don’t finger your prick.
31. By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.
32. Ever notice that anyone going slower than you is an idiot, but anyone going faster is a maniac?
33. Isn’t it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do “practice”?
34. I don’t like to think of laws as rules you have to follow, but more as suggestions.
35. I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
36. When you’re born you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front-row seat.
37. Eventually, alas, I realized the main purpose of buying cocaine is to run out of it.
38. I never fucked a ten, but one night, I fucked five twos.
39. I never joined the Boy Scouts. I don’t trust any organization that has a handbook.
40. I would never want to be a member of a group whose symbol was a man nailed to two pieces of wood.
41. Have you noticed that most of the women who are against abortion are women you wouldn’t want to fuck in the first place? There’s such balance in nature.
42. So I say, “Live and let live.” That’s my motto. “Live and let live.” Anyone who can’t go along with that, take him outside and shoot the motherfucker. It’s a simple philosophy, but it’s always worked in our family.
43. Catholic — which I was until I reached the age of reason.
44. Here’s a bumper sticker I’d like to see: “We are the proud parents of a child who’s self-esteem is sufficient that he doesn’t need us promoting his minor scholastic achievements on the back of our car.”
45. I love and treasure individuals as I meet them; I loathe and despise the groups they identify with and belong to.
46. Beethoven was so hard of hearing, he thought he was a painter.
47. Don Ho can sign autographs 3.4 times faster than Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
48. God bless the homicidal maniacs. They make life worthwhile.
49. I’ve never seen a homeless guy with a bottle of Gatorade.
50. One great thing about getting old is that you can get out of all sorts of social obligations just by saying you’re too tired.
51. If Helen Keller had psychic ability, would you say she had a fourth sense?
52. What year did Jesus think it was?
53. George Washington’s brother, Lawrence, was the Uncle of Our Country.
54. Have you ever wondered why Republicans are so interested in encouraging people to volunteer in their communities? It’s because volunteers work for no pay. Republicans have been trying to get people to work for no pay for a long time.
55. In America, anyone can become president. That’s the problem.
56. Once you leave the womb, conservatives don’t care about you until you reach military age. Then you’re just what they’re looking for. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers.
57. “One thing leads to another”? Not always. Sometimes one thing leads to the same thing. Ask an addict.
58. No one who has had “Taps” played for them has ever been able to hear it.
59. Property is theft. Nobody “owns” anything. When you die, it all stays here.
60. The best thing about living at the water’s edge: You only have assholes on three sides of you, and if they come this way you can hear them splash.
61. The future will soon be a thing of the past.
62. The planet is fine. The people are fucked.
63. The real reason that we can’t have the Ten Commandments in a courthouse: You cannot post “Thou shalt not steal,” “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” and “Thou shalt not lie” in a building full of lawyers, judges, and politicians. It creates a hostile work environment.
64. Boxing is a more sophisticated form of hockey.
65. The only good thing ever to come out of religion was the music.
66. I think everyone should treat one another in a Christian manner. I will not, however, be responsible for the consequences.
67. Bowling is not a sport because you have to rent the shoes.
68. “When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?” This title offends all three major religions, and even vegetarians!
69. Thou shalt keep thy religion to thyself.
70. And now, in the interest of equal time, here is a message from the National Institute of Pancakes: It reads, and I quote, “Fuck waffles.”
71. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
72. Whoever coined the term “Buyer Beware” was probably bleeding from the asshole.
73. Cloud nine gets all the publicity, but cloud eight actually is cheaper, less crowded, and has a better view.
74. Have you ever noticed that the lawyer always smiles more than the client?
75. I’m always relieved when someone is delivering a eulogy and I realize I’m listening to it.
76. Just think, right now as you read this, some guy somewhere is gettin’ ready to hang himself.
77. The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it.
78. If all our national holidays were observed on Wednesdays, we could wind up with nine-day weekends.
79. “Meow” means “woof” in cat.
80. Most people with low self-esteem have earned it.
81. Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.
82. “No comment” is a comment.
83. If a man smiles all the time, he’s probably selling something that doesn’t work.
84. You can’t argue with a good blowjob.
85. Most of the time people feel okay. Probably it’s because at the moment they’re not actually dying.
86. So far, this is the oldest I’ve been.
87. Instead of warning pregnant women not to drink, I think female alcoholics ought to be told not to fuck.
88. Do you think Sammy Davis ate Junior Mints?
89. When you think about it, attention-deficit order makes a lot of sense. In this country there isn’t a lot worth paying attention to.
90. The Golden Gate Bridge should have a long bungee cord for people who aren’t quite ready to commit suicide but want to get in a little practice.
91. I think I am, therefore, I am. I think.
92. If the cops didn’t see it, I didn’t do it!
93. Hooray for most things!
94. Capitalism tries for a delicate balance: It attempts to work things out so that everyone gets just enough stuff to keep them from getting violent and trying to take other people’s stuff.
95. I don’t have a fear of heights. I do, however, have a fear of falling from heights.
96. What was the best thing before sliced bread?
97. May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house.
98. Life is a zero sum game.
99. Somehow I enjoy watching people suffer.
100. I have as much authority as the Pope. I just don’t have as many people who believe it.
101. It isn’t fair: the caterpillar does all the work, and the butterfly gets all the glory.

http://blogzarro.com/2007/05/100-greatest-george-carlin-quotes/
We do not subscribe to all these ideas behind these quotes especially the ones regarding religions and morals. Yet, it is interesting to understand what a great man perceived by the world would say about these things in the 21st century. They serves as a reminder what we Christians have failed to educate and share to the world !

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian. He was also an actor and author, and he won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin

About Aging!

Carlin's brand of wisdom hits the nail on its head

This is a must read

George Carlin's Views on Ageing

Do you realise that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about ageing that you think in fractions. 'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five!

That's the key You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!

And then the greatest day of your life .... . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.

Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70!
After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime.

And it doesn't end there Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'Then a strange thing happens.

If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help..
9.. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Being Thankful

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl
when the alarm rings each morning,
thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly closed
against the morning light as long as possible,
thank you Lord, that I can see.
There are many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed
and put off the effort of rising,
thank you, Lord that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic,
when socks are lost, toast is burned, and tempers are short,
thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines
and the menu is at times unbalanced,
thank you, Lord for the food we have.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
thank you, Lord, for the gift of life.


~Author Unknown

Our Disney World Experience !

Ecclesiastes 3 There's a Right Time for Everything

Ecclesiastes 3
There's a Right Time for Everything

There's an opportune time to do things,
a right time for everything on the earth:
A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does?
I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly.
True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—
but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to,
whether he's coming or going.

I've decided that there's nothing better to do
than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life.
That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift.
I've also concluded that whatever God does,
that's the way it's going to be, always.
No addition, no subtraction.
God's done it and that's it.
That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.
Whatever was, is.
Whatever will be, is.
That's how it always is with God.
God's Testing Us

I took another good look at what's going on:
The very place of judgment— corrupt!
The place of righteousness—corrupt!
I said to myself, "God will judge righteous and wicked."
There's a right time for every thing,
every deed—and there's no getting around it.
I said to myself regarding the human race,
"God's testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals."
Humans and animals come to the same end—humans die, animals die.
We all breathe the same air.
So there's really no advantage in being human.
None. Everything's smoke.
We all end up in the same place—
we all came from dust, we all end up as dust.
Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven
or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth.
So I made up my mind that there's nothing better for us men and women
than to have a good time in whatever we do—that's our lot.
Who knows if there's anything else to life.


Bible according to The Message

Psalm 1

Psalm 1

How well God must like you—
you don't hang out at Sin Saloon,
you don't slink along Dead-End Road,
you don't go to Smart-Mouth College.
Instead you thrill to God's Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
You're a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom.
You're not at all like the wicked,
who are mere windblown dust—
Without defense in court,
unfit company for innocent people.
God charts the road you take.
The road they take is Skid Row.


Bible according to The Message

Psalm 7

Psalm 7 A David Psalm

God! God! I am running to you for dear life; the chase is wild.
If they catch me, I'm finished:
ripped to shreds by foes fierce as lions,
dragged into the forest and left
unlooked for, unremembered.

God, if I've done what they say— betrayed my friends,
ripped off my enemies— If my hands are really that dirty,
let them get me, walk all over me, leave me flat on my face in the dirt.

Stand up, God; pit your holy fury against my furious enemies.
Wake up, God. My accusers have packed the courtroom; it's judgment time.
Take your place on the bench, reach for your gavel,
throw out the false charges against me.
I'm ready, confident in your verdict: "Innocent."

Close the book on Evil, God,
but publish your mandate for us.
You get us ready for life:
you probe for our soft spots,
you knock off our rough edges.
And I'm feeling so fit, so safe:
made right, kept right.
God in solemn honor does things right,
but his nerves are sandpapered raw.

Nobody gets by with anything.
God is already in action— Sword honed on his whetstone,
bow strung, arrow on the string, Lethal weapons in hand,
each arrow a flaming missile.

Look at that guy! He had sex with sin, he's pregnant with evil.
Oh, look! He's having the baby—a Lie-Baby!
See that man shoveling day after day,
digging, then concealing, his man-trap down that lonely stretch of road?
Go back and look again—you'll see him in it headfirst,
legs waving in the breeze.
That's what happens: mischief backfires; violence boomerangs.

I'm thanking God, who makes things right.
I'm singing the fame of heaven-high God.

Bible according to The Message

Psalm 96 Sing God a brand-new song!

Psalm 96

Sing God a brand-new song!
Earth and everyone in it, sing!
Sing to God—worship God!

Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,
Take the news of his glory to the lost,
News of his wonders to one and all!

For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.
His terrible beauty makes the gods look cheap;
Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags.

God made the heavens—
Royal splendor radiates from him,
A powerful beauty sets him apart.

Bravo, God, Bravo!
Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!
In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.

Bring gifts and celebrate,
Bow before the beauty of God,
Then to your knees—everyone worship!

Get out the message—God Rules!
He put the world on a firm foundation;
He treats everyone fair and square.

Let's hear it from Sky,
With Earth joining in,
And a huge round of applause from Sea.

Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,
Animals, come dance,
Put every tree of the forest in the choir—

An extravaganza before God as he comes,
As he comes to set everything right on earth,
Set everything right, treat everyone fair.

Bible according to The Message

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 - A David Psalm

God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through Death Valley,
I'm not afraid when you walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life.
I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life.

Bible according to The Message

The goal of The Message is to engage people in the reading process and help them understand what they read. This is not a study Bible, but rather "a reading Bible." The verse numbers, which are not in the original documents, have been left out of the print version to facilitate easy and enjoyable reading. The original books of the Bible were not written in formal language. The Message tries to recapture the Word in the words we use today.

Thought of the Day

He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.

Mothers Day 2009 Present for the Home

http://my.lge.com/prodmodeldetail.do?catModel=10&actType=&modelName=&currentPage=&categoryId=060401&parentId=0604&modelCategoryId=060401&modelCodeDisplay=WF-TS1400#

Finally, we replaced our Electrolux with LG, this is an amazing break-through if you know how we were so convinced and loved Electrolux Washing Machine and we bought ours 15 years ago at the price of RM1350! After 15 years, 4 kids, the Electrolux was actually still working except the door had been badly abused by the previous maid and there is just no spare part to go for ! Sad news for Electrolux ! After advertising and telling the world that their machines can outlast half a century and it was shamed by no spare parts ! This is what we call self-destruction !

Why LG? It was recommended by close friends and we love the 14 Kg heavy weight load ! Our Electorlux was just 4 Kg ! LOL ! This giant washing machine is like amazing machine ! We got it delivered on Mothers Day on 10 may 2009, 24 hours after the temporary maid ran away as we recognised that the top priority is to wash our laundry !

Model : WF-TS1400

TurboDrum Health CareFree

Silver Color 14kg
WF-TS1400

▪ Load Size: 14kg

▪ Stainless Steel Tub

▪ New Square Transparent Lid

▪ Tub Clean

▪ Air Dry

▪ I-Sensor

▪ TurboDrum

▪ Delay Start: 3-48 hrs

▪ Dimension (WxDxH, mm) : 637 x 670 x 1020

Capacity (kg) : 14
Color : Free Silver
The material of Wash Tub : Stainless
Dimension (W*D*H mm)
Net : 632 x 670 x 1020
Product Weight (kg)
Net : 47
Washing Algorithm : Fuzzy Logic [ 3 Step ]

Many Pairs of Hands at Work at the First Good Friday

There were many pairs of hands at work at The First Good Friday. The crowd gathered around Jesus, followed him through the events, witnessed the entire process. Many pairs of hands were working then. Some of the hands' actions are what we do today. This is a good reflection of what we are to use our hands for. May the Lord has mercy on us that we do not use our hands for vice and evil, rather with the Lord's help, we bring love, hope and peace to this world.

The hands that washed the feet - Not just anyone's feet, Jesus washed his own disciples' feet after they declined to wash for each other as there was no servant that day. To serve men we need to have humility before God!

The hands that prayed - Jesus knelt down and prayed to the Father, "Not my will but yours be done." His hands submitted to God. The hands that surrender to God has perfect peace.
The hands that sold Jesus - Judas took 30 silvers and sold his master and friend out. Betrayal is not just a political tactics, its human nature to be tempted to trade for something better and higher!

The hands that captured - A group came to seized Jesus in the secret dark hours, carrying out their plot with their hands. When we do things that are not right before God, we always have to hide it, do it in the dark against our conscience.

The hands that chopped - Peter seeing the crowd, took a sword and chopped off one ear. He thought a bit of self- defence could prevent disaster from happening. How often in life, we take matters into our hands, doing it our own way and thinking we are doing God a big favour. But actually, we mess up God's perfect plan!

The hands that healed - The Lord Jesus used his very hands to heal the "fallen" ear. But alas, his words and deeds have fallen to deaf ears. Many desire the healings but not heeding the word of God.


The hands that accused - The group of leaders schemed and framed Jesus and told Pilate that Jesus incited spirit against the Romans. How evil can evil be? When we accuse someone, always remember that we point with one finger and three other fingers are pointing back at us. "He who has no sins, let him cast the first stone!", Jesus told the crowd when they wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery.


The hands that did nothing - Although the crowd knew that the accusations were false, they did nothing and moved along with it. They were just being spectators. In life, when we are unsure of certain accusations made against someone, we do no justice when we just sit around and say nothing to defend or worst still, we help spread the wrongful statements around!


The hands that pushed off responsibility - While Pilate had the power to release Jesus after finding no sufficient faults against Him, he chose to refer to someone else, so that he did not have to do the bad guy job. Passing the bugs, blaming others are the very traits of human beings. What we do not like to do, we pass it on! It is easy to give comments after someone have done it!

The hands that have been washed - Pilate thought that by washing his hands, he became not guilty when he judged an innocent man of death penalty! How naive can one be? When our hands are caught with the blood of the innocent, we simply wash it off and thinking all is well!

The hands that punished Jesus - The Romans soldiers who beat Jesus and fooled Him around did more than their duty call, for they had no fear of God in them! Even Pilate's wife feared so much that she sent messenger to Pilate to have nothing to do with causing harm to Jesus!


The hands that was nailed to the cross - Three pairs of hands were nailed to the cross that day, one pair repented before Jesus and accepted by the Lord; the other pair rejected and laughed at Him. But that ONE PAIR who took away the iniquity of us all ! That ONE PAIR was crashed through the bones pierced for our sake!


The hands that took Jesus' body for burial - Joseph did something very noble. He stood up against all odds to ask for the crucified body of Jesus, he was not even family member. He was not afraid or ashamed. He gave his new family tomb to Jesus! In our life, we need to learn to show acts of kindness to people of other races and creeds.


We have much to learn from all these pairs of hands at work on that day when Jesus was crucified. Think before we use them! God give us one pair of hands so that we can put it to good use. It is never too late to repent and turn around to God.


Inspired by God to write this on Good Friday

Doria Tai
Sabah
10 April 2009


At this holy event, my favourite hymn is “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” by Isaac Watts written in 1707. Charles Wesley reportedly said he would give up all his other hymns to have written this one.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.


Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.


See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?


His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.


Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.


[Added by the compilers of Hymns Ancient and Modern]


To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.

Doria's Nephew in Australia

Grange youngster’s formula for successSport - Soccer
16 Jan 09 @ 10:52am

Yohan Schmutz-Leong is a state maths champion and an award winner in short story writing.

GRANGE: Yohan Schmutz-Leong has found a successful way to combine maths and soccer. He has worked out a formula to determine if he is a valuable player for his under-9 team at Grange Thistle. The formula works, with the Grange nine-year-old claiming first prize in the Maths Investigations 55th Queensland Science Contest. It comes on top of an Australian Children Literacy Board’s Young Australian Writer Award for a short story Yohan wrote. The story was about his dad Beat and a pirate called Captain Blacktooth. Yohan said he enjoyed playing soccer, writing and performing on the violin, but his future was in science and maths. ``I want to keep doing what I am doing. I am interested in studying living things,’’ he said. His mum Set Lee said it was just like Yohan to find a way to combine two of his loves. ``He wanted to know if he was a good soccer player. ``He is a defensive player, so he was not scoring, but he wanted to find out if mathematically he could determine if he was a good player. His dad was confident it was workable. ``Then Yohan looked at the averages of games to see if he might figure out if he could compare the two teams. The trick is to look at the gap between teams in scoring.’’’’

Note by me :-
I re-posted this from the link my cousin sent me. I decided that such an achievement of my family must be a keeper for reminder of what we are all capable full if we release the full potential.