I'm a big fan of Gandhi and many things I know about his leadership has been an inspiration. Having watched the blockbuster movie on VCD and loving every single moment of it, I knew I had to read his autobiography "The Story of My Experiment with Truth" when I saw it for RM10 in a KL bookshop.

Reading it now and am surprise the extent of his problem of shyness and low self esteem in his youth and adulthood. Gandhi was shy? Hey, that's just like Moses and that's just like me and maybe like you too.

May Ann is going to be a Junior Leader. She invited me to attend her investiture at school. I don't know what that is but I'm so excited.

Han and Keith are two brother in laws anyone will be proud to have. They are Mag's younger brothers and both God fearing man who serves faithfully & passionately in their local churches in key leadership roles. Han the elder has a wonderful wife and daughter, resides with the family in JB while working in Singapore. Keith is in full time ministry in one of the (or is it 'THE'?) fastest growing church in Kuala Lumpur. Their dedication and devotion to the work of the Lord have always been an admiration and source of inspiration to us through the years.

They came for the Lunar New Year visitation this evening. Han shared with us a website he has set up with his personal time & resource called "ShareGodLove.com". He asked for our opinion & feedback. I visited and found the website to be personal and well organised with very useful articles. It has a certain charm that will certainly bless certain audience. I think it's really great work for a personal project like this. Anyway, I think as long as he knows its God's work in him, my feedback doesn't matter.



It is always refreshing to see people creatively expressing their passion and talents to share God's love to reach others. Everyone has a unique voice and it is in my opinion that everyone should use that voice and make it accessible to others. Blogs, podcasts, forums, videos and other internet tools were never available to us in the past. We have them today. If we don't use them for good, others will abuse them.

So check out ShareGodLove.com and do drop him an email either to say hi or share what you think.

Remember that God makes the best YOU. You can only be a second rate SOMEONE ELSE. It is therefore worth the while being open for God to use you to develop a voice to express His love. So when will your ShareGodLove.com be setup?

Last Friday we hopped on a bus and brought the family back to Kuala Lumpur. Reached there at exactly noon time. In the crowded place and scorching heat, we had to settle for lunch at KFC. It was rare fast food for us and the kids complained the food was too salty. I look at Mag with hint of being astonished by her food training program at home. She smiled. Dad picked us up after that and our first dinner at home was simple.

On New Year's Eve we ate out for what is to be a 9 course meal for our family reunion meal. There were all of us except my second brother who was in Brisbane. Yu Sheng didn't taste as good this year. Maybe i've moved on with my taste in food. I found the fish and the light desert rather refreshing.

On New Year's Day, mother's side of the family visited because she's the eldest of them all. There were kids, kids and more kids. It was a vibrant lot. That night I sneaked out for teh tarik with 4 old class mates where we talked about old school mates, their vices (and virtues). We exchange about Malaysian politics, doing business and about making our first million. It was lots of rambling about life but at the end of the day we all agree that money is overated and is not the most important thing.

On the second day, my dad's side of family visited. They were the older lot.. the members somehow not as fertile as mum's side so average age = much higher. It was a good lunch time with them. In the evening, drove south and visited Putrajaya, Malaysia's new administrative centre in the southern part of Selangor. It was an hour's drive and boy, that place's huge (And costs lots of money too). I was impressed that they did all that at one go. It was a result of a man's vision and that made it clear that sometimes a vision is all it takes (with of course after that a never give up attitude). See these pictures.

Day 3, woke up at 3:45am, did my stuff and then watched TV from 4:30 to 730 for 3 hours straight. I can be a TV junkie. Watched a BBC english comedy, Seinfeid, Oprah Winfrey, Initial D a chinese movie, a business executive award presentation, CNBC news and some music videos. I think the problem is not 'Cable TV' but its the remote control. Without it I won't last 30 minutes. I was like catching up on TV for what I missed the whole of last year. Anyway I learned a lot that day. For me the TV is not to amuse but to give ideas and to open up minds a little bit more than if I engage in mere daily routines. For breakfast, we went for our newly discovered metre-long or high 'Roti Tisu'. It was lunch too because the roti tisu is really that huge. In the afternoon we were all prepared to return to Singapore. On our way to the bus station, we experienced the 'great KL traffic stand still'. Despite getting off the car and lugging our stuff to the station by foot, we missed our 2:30pm bus. Had to wait for the next bus at 3:30 and with 3 kids in the over-crowded Puduraya Station, it wasn't Club Med. It was nerve wrecking actually because we can only board if there's vacancy in the next fully booked bus. In other words someone has to miss their bus. Anyway Mei Si prayed and so exactly 5 person missed the bus, we were humbly given their seats. We were glad though we reach Singapore at 11pm. It was good that I didn't drive also because of the occasion jam along the way. I rested enough.

This morning, came back to work and before that could happen, our blue Lancer had a punctured tire. Spent an hour figuring out how to change tires. Never done it before but the experience was worth the effort. It confirmed that life's going to be problematic. However since God has overcame them, we can only be better off going through it. Through it all we are more experienced and better enriched people.

God has been good and for a Chinese New Year that is full of everything, I'm happy to have it as an annual tradition. So how was yours?

Yesterday I thought I found the answer to life. I was so excited but I didn't write it down. Today I forgotten what it is. I told Mag over dinner and she felt sorry for me.

So I guess that may not be it.

Sometimes I wonder if God looks down on us an sees a circus rather than all these serious thing we attempt to be. And if that's true, I guess I'll try my best to be the best clown that I can be. My dream, really is to be that useful.

This maybe my last entry before my Chinese New Year break. If that's the case. Happy Chinese New Year and remember to be useful the coming year.

Was at the afternoon matinee of "I Think I Can" last Saturday. It was put up by The Little Company which is the division of Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) which produces musicals & plays for children. This production is targetted at children aged 2-6, so for once Chern Han could go. It wasn't a problem for him to sit through one hour of it. It was interesting enough for him which the props, story and characters did enough to captivate the little ones towards the lesson of believing they can in all that they do.


I've been fascinated and impressed by what Little Company and other kids targetted theatre organisations like Act3 and iTheatre has been doing with kids and for kids here in Singapore. They really bring back the imagination and creative depth to children here in hectic and fast pace Singapore. G.K.Chesterton once said that while a poet tries to get his head in for a glimpse of heaven, a mathematician (or a logical person) tries to get heaven in their head. Guess whose will explode? Most of us adults have lost the sense of wonder and we are trying very hard to make children lose theirs at an earlier age. I applaud those who attempts to provide education and development for kids at their level and bring something back. Their level is one of heart, imagination and creative expression.



On Sunday our dear Hannah with her usual bubble of joy approached me and suggested that we do a musical for kids. I told her that's what I've been thinking too. She smiled and shared her idea of showing God in everyday things that kids may face today. In a matter of minutes we decided to work towards a musical for our next HopeKids United Holiday Club (HUHC)in September. This will be something to look forward to.

Meantime there's still Chinese New Year, Easter, HopeKids Camp and every Sunday where in the ministry we can put in a little bit more to make it the best learning time for our kids. They don't deserve it, they need it. Their future (and ours too if they end up having to take care of us) may just depend on it.

Hi,

Yesterday, I had a tough day. Ministry in the morning, meetings in the afternoon, house cleaning in the evening and a big argument at night. I was quite disappointed because it has been a while I've had hectic days and yet harmony.

I don't know if people form this picture of bliss when they see a couple with 3 kids walking around. Marriage doesn't take away our problems, hurts or lonelines than it may enhance them. It has its good as it's bad. The bad comes naturally without work because instead of one set of problems there's the burden of two. The good comes through lots of hard work. We need to have the character to work on relationships, the foundation to love and to forgive plus the strength to be foolish enough to work things out humbly.

I learned that we can't solve problems in relationships so much. We can only be better prepared for it. And as I would recommend, today is not to late. The effort spent now to be a better person, to work on character & gain Godly persective is much more useful that any communication skill or clever techniques we employ to resolve our conflicts. This is truly what I think, having gone in the barracks and through the barricades.

God bless, take care and be His,
Hong Teck

This morning I ate what I honestly think is the fattest banana I've ever eaten for breakfast. I also think that at the same time I've read perhaps one of the heaviest wisdom ever from the bible.

"But the King (David) replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing" So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen and paid fifty shekels of silver for them.
- 2 Samuel 24:24

David insisted on paying for a sacrifice that could have cost him nothing.

This reminds me of when we do work without motivation, without passion and without life. When we won't put in extra anymore in our service or giving to people or the Lord. When its all token work that really doesn't costs us anything. That's when it all becomes meaningless. We are doing and yet things don't get done. We are giving and yet nothing good has been given.

I think we need to chill out a bit, let go of what we are holding so tightly to because that could be the very thing we need to "insist on paying". If we open our hands and let go of what we hold tightly too, it'll first and foremost be less burdensome and secondly, there may be a better chance that something will be left on the same hands that have let something go.

It's a strange thing about our giving that works everytime. Insists of giving intentionally and with heart! I don't know, sometimes things just don't need a reason. The Lord doesn't demand us to be smart. He just ask us to listen, obey and be His. Don't live our live accidentally but do it intentionally.

Its one of the the heaviest breakfast I ever had.

When I was around 15 or 16, I bought this album entitled "Short, Sharp, Shocked". It was on cassette tape and the music was a constant companion in my youth particularly a song in it called 'Anchorage' about a letter received from a childhood friend reflecting their days of old. I used to like the song, but now I like what it means to me as well. I'm nostalgic about old times and how things used to be. Our heritage regardless of whether it is good or bad serves to enrich us if we allow it to.

I started a personal project last month. Penned the first few pages of my autobiography, something I'm glad to have started as its long overdue. I like how its going to be written as life long work. That means it won't be done until I am. No deadline just something personal that keeps me intact. If there's going to be a soundtrack for it, I feel that 'Anchorage' has it to be just the perfect one.



If you like this, check out Memories of East Texas also off the same album. The bootlegged video is not fantastic but still beats a lot of today's MTV.

By the way, I'm clearing things to prepare a room for Rachel who will be moving in to stay with us next week. These are new unopenned Bob Dylan cassettes of rare and unreleased songs in a box. Let me know, if you still have a cassette player, like Bob and have a ear for some nostalgic folk music, I can give it to you.

There are two very unusual call that Jesus made to a bunch of unlearned men of Galilee.

Jesus said...

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven"

An insignificant group of normal people called to be salt of the earth and light of the whole world? That's absurd and totally impossible.. Well at least it is to the elite of the world. Yet in the eyes of God and in the spirit of the beatitudes, God knows it can be done as he did Joseph, Elijah, Simon Peter and heaps of others.

Being salt requires us to stop trying to be sugar of the earth instead. Too many Project Superstars or Apprentice or American Idol wannabes around. Pass us those who wanna love God, chase God and be God's, those who Keith Green terms as 'being bananas for Jesus'. We have to be salt as well as keep the saltiness to truly make a impact.

Being Light of the world calls for the ordinary towards extraordinary courage, good deeds and leading without title. Everyone who has usable ears will hear and respond to be in a place to be salt and light of the world.

However we should know that the cointainer that will help carry us there is found in Jesus' words before the call in the Beatitudes. "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth". A monk who lived in 16-century Japan under a bridge once said "Most people try to know more to become more clever with each passing day. I attempt to become more simple,uncomplicated and humble every day." I have to agree with him and it is that which makes us effective salt and light.

I set up my acquarium tank in the beginning of the year. I can post a picture because with my colleague Raymond's recommendation, I got new digital camera. Lost my old one in HopeKids last year, was sad but sadness don't last at all. This one is much better.



After the tanks was 'nitrogen cycled' for 2 weeks, my colleague Tze Wei wanted us to give his 5 Tetras and a corydora a new home. The kids were thrilled. I'm okay with tetras but I'm a big fan of corydoras. Here's the picture of Belle the bronze corydora, Tze Wei had since the fish is small.



The fish are doing just fine in their new place. Yesterday I felt I wasn't doing well in the new year. It was 31st Jan, the end of only the first month of the year and it was already my second MC. This time my whole body was weak and I couldn't get myself to do anything. The doctor said I caught a cold and have gastric flu. I had 'cholic' earlier this month. Well, I spent my day in bed, with the kids, Mag and the corydora. I didn't feel well but these things/people helped made things better.

I ended my day in the company of fellow pastoral leaders over dinner at Hotel Miramar Ps Jeff and Claudia hosted. It is always good time hanging out with them. There's so much to learn and absorb and I truly have greatest respect for all of them for their work in their respective portfolio. The spirit and attitude is always good & inspiring. The mother of all good spirit & attitude is Ps Jeff himself (or should I say 'father'). I'm really thankful for him for all that he has done to believe in people and make a difference in our lives. We are all (as long as we are human being) in self deception and lived in the box so to speak. Deny it and stay in the box or admit it and live outside of it. Within the box, we can't see clearly others and ourselves for most of the time. He for one has always tried to live outside the box and leading from there makes the biggest difference in the impact that can be made. It was a great dinner. Ps Jeff & Claudia paid for it. Life's good when someone pays. That's why Jesus is such a big deal to me.

I was on MC and its a great time at home and with good company. Was at morning club and think I'm ready to go back today. I'm still not 100% but then when is anyone 100% anyway? We just go, try, fail, learn and succeed. It's like that.