Simple or complicated?

Yesterday, I have to wake up at 6 am to get myself prepared to church. Man, it’s really early. It’s been 4 years plus that I have not pushed myself to wake up so early to school or church. This is really self discipline.

Around 7.05 am, I reached church. The weather was cool and windy. It’s going to rain soon as you can see in the photo. Stepped into the church, look at the clock, 7.15 am and the church bell rang. Most of the people are half awake, half asleep because it’s really early. However, it is always a privilege to be in the house of God and the first song is sang title, “We bring the sacrifice of praise”.

The order of the service are like the normal sermon that I usual attended, hymns are sang, sermon is preached and holy communion is served to remember that Christ die for us.

After service, like what we normally do last time after every week service, we prepare ourselves to take breakfast in an old place with some old friend, eat some old menu noodle. At night, dinner is served, with the secret recipe of my dear friend. This wonderful dish called, black pearl whereby the other dish is just a simple ‘century egg dumpling (pi dan gau)’ which is quite popular in Sandakan. We have a fantastic time together. As you can see from the picture, they are actually making it so that dinner can be served while I couldn’t help them because I have a bigger calling to do that is to make new ribbon for my church dancers. My friends are considerate because they understand and help me along.

Life in Sandakan is simple, easy and people around us are kind hearted without much bad intention. “Staying here for the rest of your life is not a bad choice after all”, an idea suddenly came out from no where. Maybe different people will have different requirement. Some would like a challenging life so that they can keep on improving themselves, some would like a peaceful and calm life so that they can enjoy the meaning of life, some would like to gain more experiences to be more professional in certain field, some would only want to be with their parents and work a normal job with the same routine for the rest of their life.

These kinds of situations make me think about, what I want for my life? Do I want a continuous stressful and filled with competitor’s life to force myself to improve in the society? Or I would like an uncomplicated life where house and car are provided with an easy job that earn reasonable amount of salary? There are always good and bad in very area and in everything that you see. After all, it depends on what I want my life to be because God gives us choices. After all these thought, again I surrender myself to God. For not what I want but what He wants. Not my will but His be done. Yes, I do have choices, so I choose to follow Him.

**Surrender my all again**

Family time, family day

I’ve been given the privileged to come back to my hometown for Chinese New Year celebration, rest, and to have some time to spend with my family and friends here. For your information, my hometown is in a beautiful state name Sabah, in a big town name Sandakan. Sandakan is a place where most of the people will say that is peaceful and calm town. Employees start to work at 8am and end their work at 5pm. Some company will have lunch time for 2 hours. People will sleep at 9 or 10pm and most of the café will close at 10.30pm. So, do you agree with me that this is a calm and peaceful place? Parents will sleep early and wake up early for jogging and exercises.

Meanwhile in my house here is even calm and peaceful. My mom and dad sleep around 9.30pm, my house television only have TV1, TV2 and TV3, my brother is studying upper 6 now and my home PC is out of service so it’s in PC’s hospital for treatment now. Thank God that Grace, my best friend is kind enough to borrow me her laptop so that I still manage to connect with the world today.

Nonetheless, we do spend some family time together. One fine morning, the whole family went out for an early morning breakfast. I’ve been morning called on 7am to prepare for the morning breakfast that planned on 9am. This is torturing….

We went out for a tasty breakfast together with one of my aunt friend that came from KK. After the breakfast, the whole family went to visit the new market that located in Harbour square. This is a brand new and beautiful market. Harbour square is a new place which most of Sandakan people will be proud with and where we can see the sea and feel the sea wind. Hihihihihi….

Around noon time, we all went to complex Sibuga for a walk and jogging together with my Dad friend. We have some family time in this place as well. It considered a good place to jog and relax because it’s surrounded with green leaves and trees. It’s refreshing… the air is good, the place is clean and surrounded with birds.

Wonderful time with my friends and family back in hometown where I can only enjoy one’s a year. I’ll be going back to KL in two more days. For sure, I’ll miss them. Miss my family and my old friends here. After going back to KL, life will again become a routine where busy schedule reveal again on my table. Hmm….life still goes on. May God be with me.

**Rest and relax**

Willing?

On 20th of February, an old friend of mine has his wedding in my beautiful hometown church. Believe me, my hometown church is really pretty because it’s an old church first of all, and this church filled with memories. This is where I grew up; this is where I belong, where I meet God, where I meet most of my good friends and a place where I found things that I’ve lost. Coming back my mother church is always something excited, happy and feels like family.

This old friend of mine has his wedding in this beautiful church. The ceremony was simple and attractive. During the wedding, it reminds me about willingness. After they get married, they will have to travel to an island name Solomon Island and worked there. All these while, my friend has been working there and his purpose for coming back this time is to bring along his partner to work together with him over there.

As I tried to wear the wife shoes and stands on her point of view to think, this is something that need a big commitment, big courage and big responsibility. Throwing everything just to follow someone that he love to somewhere that she have no idea can survive or not, somewhere that she need a big courage to face, a place where might not suitable for her and a place that is totally not familiar to her. Family and friends are all around her most of the time before she is married but now she have to let go of all these and start a brand new journey with her husband, to live together in a strangers place. This is really a big challenge.

When this situation reflect back to me, a question pop up from my mind, do I willing to pay such a cost to someone that mean a lot to me? Or do I willing to let go of my all when there is time for me to let go? It again reminds me of willingness. If I have willingness, if I really love Him, I would go no matter where, I would do no matter what because I know He love me, I am not alone for He is with me. Willingness…. a big lesson and this is what everyone should have when come to certain situation. Not an easy lesson for it takes a big cost.

Lord, teach me to be willing and give me a willing spirit.

**Willingness come from inside**

Can girl and boy become best friend forever?

From the above topic, what do you think? Can different gender become best friend and keep their friendship forever without further down into another level?

A few days ago, I have this topic in mind so I take it out as a conversation with some friend of mine. He strongly agrees that guy and gal will not be best friend only. Some day, they will fall in love with each other and end up become couple. Some of my friend also said that, your best friend is your spouse. So, that actually concludes the whole topic of the above question.

Last time when I was in a relationship, I agree with different gender will never becomes best friend only but now, my stand is no longer that strong but a little bit doubt here and there. After trails and difficulties, your perspective on certain things will change. Why two different genders cannot become best friends? I personally have a few boys’ friends that consider close to me and we share everything.

Some people will agree that, if you broke up in your past relationship, and both of you become friends again and he or she might able to be your best friend forever only with the condition that one of them is attached with someone else. Two single persons will not become best friend. Do this statement valid?

Some people will said that maybe girls will be ok with it having a male friend as their best friend because most of the girls have motherly love and unconditional love to give and share with people around them. But as for guys….they will not invest something that is not his thing or no benefit at all. Is that true in guys’ point of view? Ones a guy treat you more than normal friend, it mean something more than friend and they expect something more than friend. How true is that statement?

Honestly, my point of view is nothing is impossible and nothing is certain. Like one of my friends said that, she will not choose her best friend to be her boyfriend. I asked her, why? She answered me, I have no idea but it just seems weird. As for me, I don’t think it’s weird but I will said, I don’t choose my best friend to be my boyfriend because I cherish the friendship. I don’t hope that I myself am the one that cherish the friendship a lot and I am the one that ruin the friendship at last. Maybe some other will said that it depends on how you define the word “ best friend” and others will said that it depends on what you want and how you see things. Well, what do you think? Can different gender become best friend forever that share everything without further down? Maybe can, but a very thin line. Do drop your comment….

**Can or cannot**

Happy Valentines Day

Today is the most romantic day for the whole year. Couple will meet up and share their love and time together. Some of my friends willing to travel miles just to spend this day with their love one…. Awww… so romantic. I would like to take this opportunity to greet every couple, happy valentines day. May God bless every couple that they will continue be in romance and non-stop fall in love with each other. After so many years of being attach with someone, this year I’ll spend my valentines being single again. Hmm….. The feeling is still ok, consider good. I kinda enjoy today because I got accompany by some friends, received some sms and most important is, I can feel the love of my Lord again. Nothing is more precious than the love of God. I’m being reminded how much He love and care for me. While I’m still waiting for the other half of mine, I enjoy life and spend most of my time with my friends and family.

Another joyful thing that I wanted to share is the flowers. I received these flowers from two friends of mine. Thank you… so happy because I have flowers for this Valentines Day. Every girls will filled with joy when they received flowers from someone in this special day. Although they gave me the flowers on last Sunday not on the actual 14th February but I do feel cheerful.

Just now, when I was updating this blog, my darling came over to my place and bought me a Ferrero Rocher bouquet. It was a surprise and I’m touch. I am really happy and there are tears in my eyes because I never expect her to give me anything because each of us has a tight budget and her boyfriend is here some more which means that they will need to spend a lot in dinners and gifts. I’m touch and so happy. Thank you dear…. Love you so much too.

At that moment, I really thank God. Thank Him for giving me so many wonderful people around me to be with me and to walk with me. No matter where am I, God will provide someone to support and love me. God love me so much, my friends around me love me so much and I love them so much too. I am single but I know, I never alone. 

As for single, don’t feel stress because of Valentines Day but take this chances to flash back how beautiful life is. There are a lot of people who care for you as who you are. Nonetheless, take pleasure no matter where you are, no matter you have that special someone or not. Be glad and have faith for God will surely provide and bless us.

**Valentines special**

Silent journey

There is a time when our spiritual walk with God became quiet and calm. This past two weeks, I tried so hard to walk, to laugh, to smile and do what I suppose to do. Things still doesn’t seems right, doesn’t seems like what I’ve expected. A lot of people said that we should expect more… expect more from God. I do put my expectation on God as well, but most of the time, I don’t get what I expect and I’ll end up stand alone silently before God.

Everything, every word, has more than one point of view. After all, it depends on what we want, how we see things and how we think. Like what I mention in my previous title, I’ve been busy. Busy with ministry, busy with work, busy with friends and busy with my own stuff. Packed schedule, a lot of things I have to learn, a lot of things I have to figure it out and a lot of expectation from here and there. After all these busyness, I look back and ask myself, what do I gain? Do I gain appreciation? Do I gain experience? Do I gain benefits? Do I gain stronger? Or I only gain one word, which is exhausted? I put a lot of effort and time on things that I like, on things or people that matter a lot to me…. Now, I can only stand before God silently, speechlessly. Don’t know what I want, wondering what has got into me? Am I still ok? Am I doing too much? Am I caring too much? Am I still the one that God want me to become?

Struggle here and there; difficulties lay along the entire roadside. I stand in the middle of my journey, silently, without any word in my mind, with no expression in my face and wait upon my Lord.

(Do you find yourself in a "wilderness" experience, isolated from friends and family? If so, the Lord may want to teach you lessons of faith and endurance that you could never learn in a busy crowd. —Dennis Fisher
In solitude, on wings of prayer
My soul ascends before the throne;
My only hope of strength is where
My heart and His meet all alone. —Anon.
God is with you in your most barren wilderness.) * Today’s word in daily bread – speaks to me, speaks about me.

**Cry without tears**