Great Blessing for this New Year from God

Two weeks from now, the Chinese community including me will be celebrating Chinese New Year. We can see that people start to decorate their house with new year accessories, which believe will bring luck and joy for them throughout the year. Besides decorating their homes, people were also busy with those magazine that explain about their zodiac throughout the year. In summary, they are more concern toward their luck for this coming year.

We often equate good fortune, happiness and luck as things that are subject to fate. There are greater forces beyond us that determine whether we would have a good year or a bad year. The type and number of crystals that we should display in our house or wear around our wrists; the colour of our hair; the animal zodiac and its influence throughout the year; the number of gold fish that I should rear in my aquarium. We often equate good fortune, happiness and luck as things that are subject to fate. There are greater forces beyond us that determine whether we would have a good year or a bad year. The type and number of crystals that we should display in our house or wear around our wrists; the colour of our hair; the animal zodiac and its influence throughout the year; the number of gold fish that I should rear in my aquarium. 

For this coming new year, I’m not going to tell you what’s your fortune for this year, whether you would be experiencing lots of good luck or bad. No. I have a much better prediction for year. It’s going to be great year, a year full of blessings, a year of true joy. Why? Because God has promised to be with you. If God is with you at all times, you don’t need good luck or good fengshui or good omens. God will be you sustaining you, giving you strength to bear with all the burdens of life. God will be with you to help you through the darkest moments. God will be with you guiding you when you feel lost. God will be with you comforting you in your loneliness and pain. God will be with you healing you, forgiving you and blessing you with his grace. 

Prayer is the only way

Have you come across a difficult moment in your life? Have you ever feel hopeless? Feel sick with everything in your life? Perhaps, you might find that you are in a situation that no one in this world can truly understand your feeling and you feel yourself is abandon by the society. In this modern era, we are facing many different types of challenges,in term of economic and society challenges. The rewards of these challenges might lead the person to the dead end of the road in life. Undeniable, in every aspect of job that we enroll our-self in, we cannot escape from the word ''Pressure'. Pressure is a negative emotion to human beings, it harms a human emotion and bring them to the stage of depression. I'm pretty sure that none of us can escape from this experience in life. However, it is normal for human to have this experience in this modern era where everything require us to be fast.

Due to the high statistic shows that many people in this modern era are experiencing this types of pressure in life, we can see that in the market, there is a lot of psychology trying to making profit out of it by writing some books to teach people how to reduce and handle their stress when they are facing some difficulties in life. of course, I'm not a psychology writer who can produce psychology advice for those who are facing challenges in their life. But, as a lay person like me, the only way out of it is prayer. Prayer is the communication with God. We can lift up our problems to Him, who created us and know each of our strong points and weaknesses.

When I was a kid, I always find that by praying, it does not help me much. When the verb 'praying' appears in my mind, what comes after next is bored. However, I start to embrace this wonderful gift that God has given it to me after my baptism. I start to feel the power in it! I start to enjoy talking with my creator! I start to lift up my problems to Him (partially, at this point of them. Hope I can improve further on it.)

As a Catholic, I can pray at anytime and anywhere that I want because God is everywhere. We can talk to Him anytime when we feel like like doing so. They should seek God in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:27)

Often, people always thinking that praying in a one way communication with God. Actually that is not true! God often speaks to us. The problem is whether we can identify it or not. If you do not know how to pray, ask him to teach you, and ask your heavenly Mother to pray with you and for you (POPE BENEDICT XVI,  to the young people of Netherlands, November 21, 2005)

If you are seeking God but do not know how you should begin, learn to pray and make the effort to pray everyday (Blessed Teresa of Calcutta).

Besides praying alone, sometimes we might need someone to intercede for us. This is because we find that is better to call some other friends to pray for our own special intention or petitions that you need for that particular moment. Besides calling some of my friend to pray for me on certain occasion, I specially like to call the Blessed Mother (Blessed Virgin Mary) to intercede for me. This is what most of the Catholic like the most by calling the Blessed Mother to pray fro us in heaven. Mainly because she is the mother of the universe and she is the closest to Christ. Always, we find that her intercession is the most powerful in heaven.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10)

So, have you pray today?

Holiday Report

3 weeks holidays, perhaps some of my friends might have 4 weeks holidays due to my exams ended quite late for this semester. Holidays, what will comes in your mind first? You might have a list of activities that you plan to do throughout the holiday seasons. But, not for me!

Throughout this holidays season, besides working (as mention in the previous articles that I went to Sibu), the only activity that I had in my mind is SLEEP! some of you mind think that is such as waste that I didn't fully utilize my holidays to have fun. By scrolling through my facebook, a lot of posting that associated with the word FUN seems appealing to me. However, what pop-up in my mind still remain.

Besides sleeping, of course, reading is my leisure. I start reading some books which categorize themselves as the book of self-enrichment, and some religious books as well. I start to realize that when we read the books that we like during the holidays, it can really expand our minds in different ways. Of course, it will not be good for those people who hate books a lot since their early age of Pre-school!

Nothing much about my holidays for this season. What about you?

What do you think?

Superstitious is a killer! A Hong Kong drama that is showing on T.V reminds me that. The story illustrate this topic by showing that during the olden days, especially in the Chinese society, peoples will do sort of funny things, in order to get lucks in their life. The believe something called 'Good Luck' and 'Bad Luck'. Of course, good luck period, people will believe that everything comes to them is good. What about someone who are experiencing their downfalls, in the Chinese society, people would say you're experiencing some bad luck! In that particular drama, because the mother believe that two of the brother and sister cannot stay together because both of their lives will curse each others. At the end, one of them will die if the mother didn't separate this two siblings. Does it make sense to you? Of course you might be laughing and saying that the mother is stupid in acting that way to their own children. But, we seldom reflect on ourselves that we sometimes might act in a superstitious way even one might not realize that actually we are doing or supporting the act.

Let us pause for a moment and think. Does superstitious play a very critical role in our life? Does it determine  the day of your life?
Superstitious is not the way of life. Superstitious is not the way for a comfort life instead of bringing more and more problems to your life.

The only thing we can only do is Believe in God, and He will bless with a abundant of blessing. This inner peace of life you will never get it from any others on earth!

Date of L.O.V.E

Yesterday, 2013.1.4. In Chinese, it means 我爱你，一生一世 (I love you forever). Many of the beautiful pictures and quotes are found on the internet and social media. People is creative in using the matters around us such as date, time and etc to make a particular day become meaningful.

Picture explanation: 5=I ,520= I Love you, 1314= forever. This is the Chinese translation based on the number above.

This event makes me recall on a particular evening when my friend and I, both of us was sitting in the coffee house chit-chatting. Both of us was talking something that keep us further elaborating on it. That is the topic of LOVE. She asked: will you be finding another girlfriend? and I answered: I guess so!

She further posting another question on me by asking, what is the definition of love? Personally, without any standard measurement, love is something holy for me. Love is part of God life that we should respect each other, love each other forever once you have commit yourself in that relationship. of course, we cannot expect a relationship should be perfect in that way. Sometimes, we might face some problem or hurdle throughout the process of love. We cannot expect everything to work in the way that we want. Since, this is the problem, I think couple should hold their hands tight to overcome all the hurdle that will make them fall apart. This is what we call Love, right?

For me, I leave everything to our Almighty Father to decide it for me. In future, I might be ended up in a marriage life, or single life or even a priesthood life. Let God decide for me, because everything He do for us, He has his reason.

Journey to Sibu

It was 4.15 a.m, I'm still lying on the bed dreaming and the alarm continue to sing his wonderful songs. Just before 4.30 a.m, I managed to jump down from my bed and rush to the toilet. Yeah...Today is the day that I'm leaving to Sibu! Thank God that I just managed to wake up on time instead of continuing my beautiful dream, or else I would have missed my plane!

I'm just feeling a bit tired when I am on my way to the airport. Maybe is because the purpose of the trip is working. Please don't misunderstand my statement, it does not mean that I don't like my job, probably is because I just finished my few days holidays, I'm just getting a bit lazy! This is human weakness, right?

Around 11 a.m, managed to arrived Sibu airport safely. After lunch, the first destination that we heading to is Bintangor, a small town located 60-70 KM from Sibu. The people there are nice, whatever questions we asked, they will try their very best to give us the best answer that we want.

Apart from working, I managed to try some of their local food that we couldn't get it in Peninsular Malaysia.

Finished my job around 5.00 p.m and check-in to the hotel.

 My Queen Size Bed

 I'm flat...I just need some rest! 

                                                            My tired face on the first day!

The best thing ever is that the hotel where I'm staying, there is a Catholic Church located nearby (5-7 min walk). I still remember the day before I went, I told my mum that it will be great if I manage to finished my job on time and get to attend their local mass. Thank God that my prayer is answered. Lord Jesus said,:ask and you shall received. 

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Sibu ( Sarawak)

 Second day, the place we are heading to is Sarikei, located 80KM from Sibu. The weather that day is a bit hot and I guess that will be the most difficult moment that we ever felt. As usual, we have to get respondent. Basically, everyone is good and kind to answer our questions. Nothing special, just another working day for us. 

The third day in Sibu. Data entry! What a wonderful day for me. I do not need to stand under the hot sun to interview. I just need to stay in the hotel room and key in all the data that we have collected!

Fourth day, went around Sibu town. I managed to found a christian book shop and bought two books for myself as a reward!

The case for Christ---Lee Strobel

Finding freedom from your fears---H.Norman Wright

My lecturer also brought me to taste some local cuisine.

Fook Zhou food. 

These is my journey to Sibu!

I guess I starts to fall in love with this place. I hope I got a chance to visit Sibu in the near future. The experience is great. 

Sibu, I will be back!