SUKAD 2008/09 – Archery

It’s been some time since I last posted a blog here. Very much ‘distracted’ by many things. After losing badly in SUKAD Squash few months back, I started playing archery. With Julian as the coach, and my 2 brothers as teammate, Alex and Arvind, we started training way back 3 months ago. I know I’m taking a big risk, cause by doing this, I will have less time in studies. But I really wanna try this last opportunity to glorify God in sports. Age is catching up with me, so does time. Archery was my last shot to get a gold in SUKAD. After this, I will ‘officially’ retired from competitive sports. No more intensive training after this. Just as the bible says in 1 Corinthians 9: 24-25, “Do you know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
The crown that athletes won in sport is a crown that will not last. Somehow, someday, they will be beaten or their records broken. But the crown that will last forever is the crown of our personal relationship with Jesus. We live a life that glorify God, that’s the crown that last forever. That’s why in sports, we give glory to God when we win.
Our training wasn’t an easy one. It was really a strenuous time. We shot arrows everyday except when it was raining, starting around 4.30pm till around 7pm. On weekends, we trained in the morning and evenings. And most of time, especially in the mornings, I go knocking on Arvind’s door. He will show his sleepy face, opening the door. Then after a few weeks, there come the raining season for about 1-2 months. During that period, I went to district hospital, Hospital Pasir Mas for 3 weeks.
Sometimes our training was fun, all those kutuk-mengutuk and gurau-bergurau between me, Alex and Arvind was hilarious. We used to joke, saying to Arvind, ‘If he hits the bullseye, Lynn will fall in love with him.’ Hahaha! Through this hard but fun training, I develop a bonding with Alex and Arvind.:-)
Came back from district hospital in the early January, we continue our intensive training for 2 weeks before we depart to USM Main Campus together with the female team. My family prayed for me and Im very happy that my dad owiz support my course and struggle in university. Many friends sms me encouraging messages, I was very touched.:-)
We prayed together before we go for each competition. The archery competition in Penang was eventful, we leads both events, 20m and 30m,winning the gold. The women team also got gold. This is my 1st gold won in USM, an unforgettable memory.

Gold medalist

Giver of Life

Testimony by T. W. Hao

I was born into a Christian family. Everybody assumed I was a well-behaved child. But this is not true until I believe and accepted Christ. Since kindergarden I was a very very rebellious child who likes to break the rules. I liked to bully girls and was constantly picking on a fight with the boys. As a consequences, my teacher, frustrated with me, decided to send me away from the ‘excellent’ class as she was worried that I may have a negative influence on the well-behaved children.

Then, I enter into primary school. I started to smoke, gamble, fight, and even steal my parents’ money to buy story books I fancy. I stole books from book exhibitions. My neighbours also thought that my future was gone. By the time I graduated from primary school, my elder sister decided to bring me to church. Initially I was reluctant to attend because I could not stand the boring sermons by the preachers. With my attitude at that time, it was astonishing that I would have the patience to give it another try,but I suspect it was the work of Holy Spirit, that I have the patience for attending the biblical teachings conducted in the church. All of a sudden, I begin to experience a 180 degree change in my life. I became enthusiastic to care and help other people. I do not steal anymore and I even admit my small faults like breaking an egg to my mother. My mother was surprised and touched by the new change in me and encourage me to go to church more often.

However, in secondary school, I became decadent once again. The reason was – all the youth attending at that time were females and I was embarrassed and shy to go to church to mix with them. I was dissatisfied for a few years. Then arrive to the second turning point of my life when I was in matriculation, and my friends invited me to join their Christian gathering, which was conducted weekly. I joined their activities and was again touched by the Holy Spirit. I attended every gathering there and went to church regularly even if the members of the church consists mostly of girls as I do not feel embarrassed in front of them anymore because I know we are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

I was baptized 3 years ago, now I am most happy and relaxed when I go to church and I am drawing closer to God day by day. If it wasn’t because of Jesus, I think I will not be here in USMKK. If it wasn’t because of Jesus, I think you would have seen my photo in newspaper photographed as gangster, thief, robber and any other law-breaker. Jesus Christ is the Giver of my life because He turned my life and gave me a new life. How about you, who is your Giver of life?

Tuesday with Morrie

Testimony by T. Liszen.

… a book that I read during early in my fourth year in University, I could recall not much of the book’s messages, but there is one chapter, one particular that keeps on lingering in my mind until now…and will once in a while pop out to echo loud in my mind. It is a chapter where Mitch, the author asked his old, bed-ridden professor, Morrie, who had been afflicted with a disease known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS, about his opinion of the Book of Job. I suppose Mitch was wondering how a suffering patient like Morrie would see God’s deeds on Job in order to test Job’s faith.

As a Christian who was very enger to know more about God then, I am ashamed to admit here that I was terrified when reading through the Book of Job.
Yes, I was terrified.
“If I were to give all out for God, will I be experiencing the same situation as Job?”
It was not the adversities to come in the way that I feared the most; It was the process of testing my faith to God.
I love God very much; at least that was what I thought I was then. “But will my faith survive all those adversities if I were Job?”
Despite all these thoughts, I could not help but try to learn to be a good servant of God, because without His salvation, I will not be here writing this. Hallelujah!
Hence I began my journey to learn to be a good servant since my Year 4 in University. And more often than not, I would be encountering helplessness, loneliness and being perceived as a weird person or hypocrite. I survived these and I said to myself. “Hmm, not bad…may be it is not as bad as I thought it will be. Yes, as long as I put my eyes on God, God will help me to go through all those trivial trials. He will be my strength when I am weak.”
I had been holding to that thought whenever I encounter difficulties, until a few months ago, I found myself too weak to even to think of that thought.
I was confused, bitterly in pain emotionally and physically, and worse, I blamed God for what had happened.
I blamed Him for giving me a problem that could not be undo, I blamed Him for allowing that incident to happen, I blamed Him for involving the people I care and love all this while, if all these were to help me to grow…why it could not be that I being the one and only who undergo it?
Then during the CF meeting when Mick came to preach about “Encounter”, he said about how job demands of God an explanation of his plight, and God said,

“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer me.
Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?”
Those verses were like a slap on my face.

Who am I and what am I to question and to even blame God? Then I realized that I had been loving and worshiping not God, but rather God’s gift and blessings upon me. I love what God can bless me with, to the extent that I idolize the gifts, not the Giver. That is the reason, I suppose, I agonized so much when things gone so wrong in my eyes, and forgot that sometimes, humans will never be able to comprehend all of God’s ways. For God’s ways are higher than our way.

The recently, God put me through a serial of events to help me to seize the meaning of true faith in Him. I could not share with people I love what are in my mind, what are troubling me and why am I acting in such ways. It was indeed a true agony, when the people you love started to doubt you and you could do nothing to make them understand. Then I learned at that time, am I not the same? Putting God into such situation myself? I doubted Him so many times, while deep inside, I know He loves me, and He has always been there for me. It must have been very painful for God too, to have His child to doubt Him, when all the things He has been doing, are for the good of His child, just that it is beyond the child’s ability to learn the blessings behind. Thus, I know now, Father in Heaven, that I should keep on having faith in You, even if the situation looked terribly grim and messed up at that moment.
And at the end of that chapter, Morrie answered Mitch, “I think, God overdid it.”
Personally, I think, God was doing things in His ways, in accordance to His will.
Well, so now I am really grateful and praising God for the trials He has been giving me, and I think there are more to come…but thank you, Father in Heaven, for promising me that You will not give me burden that I cannot bear. And I would really love to end this by sharing with you all these verses.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4.

Faith and Science

Professor: Do you believe in God?

Student: Yes, sir.

Professor: Is God good?

Student: Yes, sir.

Professor: Is the Devil good?

Student: No, sir.

Professor: Did God created everything?

Student: Yes, sir.

Professor: Then how is God good if He created evil?

The student kept still in silence.

Professor: Do you believe in God?

Student: Yes, sir.

Professor: Have you seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Professor: Then how do you know that God exists??

Student: Erm… I think you have to count it on faith, sir.

Professor: Now, that’s the problem science have, Faith.

The whole lecture hall became quiet…

Professor: According to science, everything that exist on Earth is based on the 5 theorical senses; touch, taste, smell, sight and sound. So, have you touched your God??

Student: No, sir.

Professor: Have you ever tasted Him?? Smelt Him?? Heard Him??

Student: Erm… No, sir

Professor: Then according to the fundamental, basic, empirical theories of science established today, it says that your God does not exist.

The student stood still and said nothing. A smile was creeping up on the professor’s face. He thought he had proven his theory right.

Student:  Sir, is there such thing as cold??

Professor: Yes, of course.

Student: No sir, there’s only such thing as cold. You can hit 450 degress below zero, which has no heat but not cold. Cold is just a term used to describe the absence of heat.

All the students were now paying attention to what the student was saying.

Student: Sir, do you teach that humans evolved from apes??

Professor: Yes, I do.

Student: But have you seen the process of evolution??

Shaking his head, the professor was getting confused…

Student: Then sir, aren’t you just preaching your theories and not the actual facts of science??

The student turns to face the whole hall…

Student: Have anyone seen the professor’s brain??

All the students slowly shake their heads…

Student: Have anyone touched the professor’s brain?? Smelt it? Heard it or tasted it??

Turning back to the professor…

Student: Well, sorry to be rude but according to the fundamental, basic, empirical theories of science established today, science says that you do not have a brain sir.

The lecture hall broke into a contagious laughter…

Student:  How then are we supposed to believe anything that you teach??

Smiling, realising where this was heading…

Professor: I guess you have to based it all on faith, my son.

CF USMKK need a blog!

I would say CF USMKK needs a blog. Here are the reasons why…

1. Now is the era of science and technology. CF USMKK also needs to move along this line to promote itself among other students in USMKK. People in USMKK especially needs to know the existence of CF and its role in USMKK. With a blog, people can find out more about CF.

2. Many people are not attending CF regularly, due to many reasons such as busy, need to study, need to dating, etc etc… So with a blog, these people can keep in touch with the events in CF without feeling left out.

3. With a blog, the graduated CF members can still keep in touch with the events in CF and find out the latest events in USMKK. They also can post their suggestions over the blog. Besides that, it would be easier for them if they wanna do any contributions to CF.

4. We can share the gospel and our CF member ‘s testimonies through this blog. Those interested to share their personal experience with Christ can do so through the blogs (since so many people are not attending CF regularly, so only through this blog, we can get our message out)

5. We can promote our Xmas nite and get donations.

6. We can put on announcement over the blog, easier for those people not regular to CF to get their announcement. Then it will be easier for the CF committee to get volunteers if they need.

7. We can promote our CF activities through the blog, maybe some non-christians may come across it and be interested to join in.

8. We can put up important prayer request over the blog. More people will get the informations and pray for those involved. One important thing, our nation and government needs our prayer.

9. Blibical issues can be placed over the blog, and let the members get involved in active online discussion. Even outsiders can get involved

10. This will be one of our ways to bring unity back to CF!!!

May God wondrous blessings be upon CF and its members! Lets put our hands together and bring CF to greater heights.

CF Camp

Wow, these are the bunch of craps in CF. Me being the biggest Crap! Hahaha!

USMKK Latest News!

The results of Professional 1 and Professional 3 is out! USMKK recorded a 100% passes for Professional 3 although many circulated news that a small number of students failed. Im personally glad for many of my frens who passed their Pro 3 and now heading the way to become House Officer. Wow, how nice! People gonna call u guys Doctor… U guys deserve it!

The bad news is that many failed Pro 1. About 50 medic students and 25 dental students failed their Pro 1 exam. Some of them are repeaters, that means they have to switch their courses. In USMKK, u cant repeat a major exam more than once. If u failed twice, u will have to switch courses. I felt for those who didnt make it this time, some of them are my frens. It gonna b tough for them. But life must go on, after all the shock and disappointment, they shud rise up and go on with life. Find other means to survive in this tough and difficult world.

My prayers goes all out for them. I believe God don’t just simply allow failures in our life, He owiz has a plan that we may not see. Most importantly we must seek Him owiz, ask Him wat are His plans for us. Never give up in our fight in life. Put God 1st and Live for Him! One day, when u look back, all this failures will b  a testimony that glorifies His name. When u failed, come to ur knees to God, seek Him…

Maybe one day, someone will step into our shoes and experience the difficulties we are facing. He/She will learn from ur hardships and take u up as a role model…