A Pot Of Holes [Part 1]

"Ever heard the one about how light can only shine through a pot with holes? hee. God chooses imperfect people to do great things, to show how awesome He is. sounds cliche right? but here's the point i think few people think about --> have you ever thought how cool it is that in the process of showing His glory through you, you get to grow in character and skills? awesome right?"

Frankly, I suck in "preaching"... CYD people can testify to that, especially recently. Even my EALD oral skills drop like mad. I suck even in talking these few months. I'm back into the old extremely introverted, don't talk at all, hate talking Calvin. Maybe I never changed in the first place, living in a hallucination of "I'm a intro-extrovert. Not bad lar. At least halfway out of the cocoon...".

Anyway, no point dwelling on that. Today CYD discussed about studies and its importance. Today break record 20 people came!!! For the first time, we had to photocopy extra copies of study material. When you think least people come, almost gave up hope thanks to "my utterly boring 'preaching' skills driving people away" and resorted to a desperate prayer on the night before, God brings people in droves. I think I prayed too much already...=p

More people meant more tension for me. CK didn't come, so I had to worship lead. This time we have the people and volume, but it's still pretty daunting to lead in that big hall. At least the icebreakers relieved me. Then, it came for time of discussion on studies. It was such a big circle of people!!! I prayed for the best and start "crapping".

Studies to me have been "natural". I love studies. Homework and exams are obstacles I dealt with often till I'm quite confident. And yet there, with my 13 A1 reputation, I suddenly lost thought of my purpose of studying. Studying suddenly seemed meaningless.

WHAT'S MY PURPOSE OF STUDYING?

Then other questions came.

"How do you finish so much homework? My teacher gave me NINE English essays to complete in a 9-day holiday..."

"I cannot absorb anything in. Or it comes in and comes out immediately. How?"

I gave some really impractical advice. I just simply couldn't answer. I finish my homework, but sometimes I can't finish in time. I read and I absorb, but at the same time, I can't memorise certain things. And that idea of the ability to study is a talent somehow became real. I've seen enough people who put in so much effort yet still stuck there. Hard work and determination might just be comforting and encouraging words to a unchangeable reality.

Some people don't like to read books. It's hard to change, just like one's preferences for brocolli or bitter gourd. The more one forces them to read, or even themselves, finds reading even more horrible. But I somehow, don't know why, loved reading.

Some people just cannot sit still, study and memorise stuff, even with all the mnemonics and lingo, whereas for me, x = -b plus minus square root of b square minus 4ac, then divide the whole thing by 2a, or the first 20 elements in the periodic table: H, He, Li, Be, B, C, N, O, F, Ne, K, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Ar, Na, Ca... I've no idea how my mind can key in so many elements today and it's stuck there. Yet at the same time I'm still confuse over what's brass and bronze...

Worst still is the fact that many students do not have good teachers to make them like studying. We have no student right to choose our teachers, it depends on probability to get a good teacher, even tuition teachers. One reason I realise why I studied well and love studying was because of my teachers. Okay, don't get me wrong, don't flock to Kuantan to study just because there's a higher chance of getting great teachers there. But back to the point, what if there's no good teacher to help me develop my intellect?

These are hard questions to answer. Despite what most want to believe, not everyone is made to study. Is this true? I've no idea.

[To be continued...]

Flying Colours and Marks

Disclaimer: Calvin acknowledges self-praise is universal disgrace.

YO PEOPLE!

I GOT 96 FOR APPLICABLE MATHEMATICS!!!!

WOOHOO!!!!

Finally my prayers and wishes come true

I get a nine-digit marks for Maths.

It may seem stupid why a 13A1 SPM student would rejoice over this.

But people, college maths is not as easy as it seems.

I never failed my maths before in my life till college!

Australians sure know how to set extremely challenging questions

on simple mathematics knowledge.

When you look at the question you'll either have these three reactions:

[1] What on earth is this question?

Quote Nasuha: This question is from HELL.

Faef corrected: "No lar, it's question from heaven! Since you all DIED in that question."

[2] Okay, I understand the question. But how to do wei, BRAIN JAMMED!

Cheh, so easy one to do one.

Most say that after seeing the answers, but real examination time answers don't fall from heaven. The questions want us to DIE first...

[3] Yay, finally a question I understand, straightforward and can do.

But it's only ONE mark, and even the one mark one loses because of carelessness.

So in the end, DIE also.

Every one in AUSMAT has a reason to hate Applicable Mathematics.

However, this time I feel I'M LOVING IT!

(there goes a free advertisement for McD)

This time I BELIEVE I CAN FLY

with FLYING COLOURS!

Never thus far, I scored more than 80 for Applicable Mathematics.

Hope is coming for me

and Mock Exam next week please don't mock me!

Most of all I thank people who without complaint and without ceasing

prayed for me throughout the hectic months of exams and assignment.

Thanks Un Dex, Sarah, Nicholas, and all the CYD people and SAGC

and my bro Caleb and family.

(It may seem funny to thank everyone

before I know whether I fail Mock exams or not,

but I appreciate all of their prayers no matter I pass or fail later

for they are all my bro and sis in Christ.

And yes Daddy in heaven, thank you to You the most

although people might not believe that you helped me in exams

You were there

when Ophelia turned up (TEE 2003:18)

when Bruce and Kylie appeared with their twins (TEE 2004:15 and many more)

when I got stuck in augmented matrix

when my probability of understanding the question = 0

when I realised my intellect is NOTHING...

Thank You for your love that is exponentially distributed (growth style),

never ending, goes on for infinity,

and possess the "lack of memory" feature

on all my procrastination to study and lazying around with Facebook

and NEVER FAIL to comfort me

and love me (plus the discipline).

Oh yeah, thanks for the good marks in Physics, Chemistry and Economics.

It's time to dig into Applicable Mathematics past year questions...

It'll will be hard time raking my brain cells, but worth it to bring You glory.

Plugging In To IBA Unplugged

Four Bands One Competition One Winner.

Undecided

from SS Gospel Centre

H.I.S.

from Antioch NetWORK CommUNITY

99+1

from Klang Gospel Hall

and et cetera

from Shah Alam Gospel Centre...

(oh yeah, et cetera is the band name...)

This year's IBA Unplugged was cool!

You have speaker who wore rugged jeans.

And imitating Rudi's style of chairing

It's amazing that the "We are in a Brethren church" Christians in Malaysia

are raising such fine musicians

with the drums, electric guitar and keyboard

which were considered "evil" by conservatives.

One definitely cannot equate conservative with Brethren today.

Yet, the musicians never forget that "Brethren distinctive"

of creating biblically deep meaning for songs and hymns

which so many contemporary Christian music is lacking.

This year sees a raise in standards of creativity.

Teams wrote their own songs as a band

and remix hymns in ways beautiful and serene.

I particularly like the band 99+1

who wrote the song Rush of Fools

and totally remade the hymn "A Purple Robe"

with mellow music and RAPPING!!!

H.I.S. also did a great job on daring to try new stuff.

They sang Salvation Is Here in a cool slow way and

those jokers (literally) did a great job

in presenting the Gospel through the medley

albeit rendered confusing by judges.

I love the ending of the medley:

"It's not a human right

to stand and not fight" from Solution.

Two bands covered the hymn Nothing But The Blood.

Simple hymn but it speaks tonnes

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

washed us white as snow...

Overall, it was a great time listening to songs

and worshipping God at the end.

Oh yeah, by the way, the winner was undecided...

(the band Undecided? get it?)

As the speaker said, we are born with a purpose

We are all born to say

what the song Et Cetera played

"I'd Love You So"...

Way to go man, BRETHREN music

Take over Hillsong one day lar!

Carpe Durian

Maybe it smells like pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.

But I'm gonna carpe diem, as Mr Kok said,

Seize the days of youth when you can eat TONNES of durians!

Seize the durians! Carpe Durio zibethinus!

Durians, or lest I die!

(Although there are news reports

Of people dying from excessive consumption of durians

there are people like me who are dying of durian deprivation)

Ever since last year, I never tasted durian in raw form.

And if this year I don't get to eat,

It will be five years of durian deprivation in Kangaroo-land

because Kangaroos hate that fruit.

I never get why Westerners hate it so much,

and we Malaysians are whacking away in that hydrogen sulphide-d fruit.

Just do it, Australians!

And life for me in Australia will be more wonderful!

In view of durian deprivation in Kangarooland,

And I was allowed to choose what birthday gift I want from church friends,

I decided to stock up durians in my stomach.

It was great to have the Chinese Ministry people to bake a chocolate cake

and some girls whom I barely know than less a month baking delicious cupcakes for me.

But I "need" durians!

The Lord shall provide all your needs

So the church blessed me with DURIAN RUNTUH!!!

Whack the durians kao kao at some stalls in Sri Muda.

God bless even further for it was a night without rain

And many can enjoy durian under the moonlight!

Thanks Un Dex for sponsoring all the great durians!

Thanks Linus, Michelle, Hui Min, Chee Kean for accompanying me just to eat durian.

Thanks Ivan for coming too although you looked blurred with the durians

and Mrs Elaine Teoh for bravery in attempting to poke the durians and try some.

Of course, Samuel, my very young and cute friend for eating durian like me!

When you go home, don't snatch from Popo and Mummy their durians.

(And Linus, love your comment that

Popo can run to the durians without tongkat, so kua cheong! LOL=)

Durians made my day!

No, SAGC folks made my day!

And thank God for that fruit!

(Hope it's not the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden,

coz Eve will have a hard time carpe durian!)

Okay, time to move forward into durian deprivation period. T.T

Blessed Sunday

It has been a meaningful Sunday.

I get to talk to people you missed talking.

I get to eat good food.

I get to eat CG spiritual food.

I get treated for dinner.

I get to treat some people with the cheesecake people treat me.

I get rest and sleep.

But you know what, the meaningful Sunday came

not just because of the "I get"s but the "I give"s.

I give my listening ear to others and share my heart.

I give compliments and "encouragement by finishing food" to the cook.

I give my brain and time to let God teach me.

I give myself available to be blessed.

I give what I really wanted to enjoy more - cheesecake

(don't worry SSCC, I'm more happy to give you the cheesecake!)

I give God a chance to refresh me through His ways.

And best still for"give" some people!

The LORD will provide...

Most of my dinners are pathetically the same.

But dinners are the ones the LORD provides the most.

It's a need. If don't eat, where got glucose to be alive?

Yesterday, Elaine baked a cake for me.

My birthday is still a bit way off.

Sometimes, food do drop from heaven.

That day, when I was so tired to cook.

Then suddenly an SMS came that I can take Tony's dinner.

I didn't even know Tony caters.

And so happen on the day he caters (Thursday), he got sick

and I got his rice.

Then books dropped from heaven in SAGC office table.

I wanted so much to read some good books lately

and TADA the books I wanted to read appeared.

So I was allowed to borrow it.

Yeah, it might seem I overexaggerate things...

After all I know those people who gave me those things.

But why on earth Elaine suddenly bake a cake? She's has no reason to bribe me.

Why on earth Tony happen to fall sick on the same day that I was too tired to cook?

Why on earth people just dump good and brand new books on the office without specifying who should read it?

Sometimes when we belanja people, we have no reason.

But COINCIDENTALLY it brings much joy to the person belanja-ed.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

And yeah, thanks Elaine!!!

Talkpassive Weekend

Calvin has become talkpassive already.

Do not know what to talk.

Too tired to talk.

Too tired to continue in conversation.

But enjoys laughing.

After Pizza Hut-ing in Kota Kemuning yesterday night,

it's just amazing to hear people start a conversation

on SWINE flu and there's so happen to be a vet-to-be-there,

and everything about the animal kingdom came in.

MeiShan the especially "wonderful" swine and the Belgian Blue muscular cow...

The proposal of Jun Yi to introduce artificial shark fins for shark to swim...

Good laugh, especially seeing Jun Yi with so much cheese.

(I didn't even know why I commented the cheese it's dirty

and came up with the lame excuse of that's it EXPOSED to air)

Became super talkpassive after sharing on Amazing Grace in CYD.

Somehow I really felt I'm not up-to-the-job to be a speaker

Especially talking about the most passionate subject in my life - GRACE.

All I'm willing to do is actually share events in my life,

not some big theologically great speakers.

Talkpassive is not a good thing.

Gotta talk more.

Cannot revert back to my old self.

I guess I've put off so many people who asked me questions today.

Eric who asked which college I'm in and which uni I'm going to study in Australia

(he repeats that question to me EVERY week)

but I admire his courage to try to speak to someone always, even though it seems stupid.

He decided he must come out of talkpassivity.

So must I.

God, give me grace to speak.

and the grace TO DO ASSIGNMENTS!!! Yish

Birthday 2.0

Hi, I'm Calvin! And I am PREDESTINED to marry you!

(not a Christian pick up line confessing love to Michelle, Linus!)

WHAT A TESTIMONY ON GOD'S WILL!

"Then I said, ' Look, I have come.

As is written about me in the Scriptures:

I take joy in doing your will, my God,

for your instructions are written on my heart.'" - Psalm 40:7-8

The next exciting thing happened was the surprise party at Michelle's house.

Uncle Voon Siong and Aunty Mei Lin are such wonderful parents.

They somehow manage to "berkomplot" with Michelle's college friends

and Shah Alam Gospel Centre to plan a surprise party for Michelle.

First off, the college friends bring Michelle out for shopping

so that we can prepare ourselves for the party.

We had park our cars far away from the house and hide our shoes.

Linus had ronda with his bicycle

then the caterer had to brought away as he arrived too early.

Michelle was absolutely clueless about this

she even called home to ask his dad whether she can bring in her college mates back home!

But we waited really long for her to come back.

Hiding on ourselves in the living room as if

hiding from caught by an enemy.

My long body, I realise, is unsuitable for hiding!

Anyway, the moment came.

Michelle opened the door and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHELLE! with drum rolls from Clement

She was absolutely speechless!

The night went well.

Good food and I smashed a glass against the wall

(accident after hearing Yin Ching's accident).

Uncle Dexter dedicated Psalm 23 to her

Jason with his creative brain made a wonderful birthday brochure for his sister.

Linus HUGGED her sister.

Andrew was wearing the shirt "Don't make me to come and hug you!".Lol

Everything was great and I reached home about 11.30 pm.

Tired and you know what

Monday only is Michelle's birthday!

Birthday 1.0

Happy Early Birthday to Michelle!

The first surprise birthday celebration for

Lee Hui Xin happened in CYD.

What a lame excuse that I say that

We are gonna sing a MEANINGFUL song

To end the day's discussion.

Was glad that many shared and show their appreciation to Michelle.

I think I was nearly moved to tears by their sharing.

(It should be Michelle crying, right? Apa pasal I cry)

Because we'll never know how much

we made a difference in other people's life

despite our weaknesses.

Then, Michelle turned into a tom-yam slave

serving everyone during Copa IBA reunion dinner.

Kesian!

And I turned into a daddy and Hui Min into Mummy at our table. Lol.

Had to serve our hungry, chirping kids meat and lots and lots of veges.

Thanks for to the Your "High"-ness Chai Yen and Hui Ying!

Tiring night it was, with all the washing and laughing

but memorable indeed.

Holy Ground

Serene.

Holy.

Big.

Heaven-like mansion.

That's SAGC.

Dexter: Calvin want to be more holy!

He's staying in church baby room!

Sermon version 2.0

"Preached" the second time in SAGC.

Pastor Calvin is a nice name =)

Philippians 4:6-7

Did I just preach on prayer?

I just feel too young that I actually did this.