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[3am on 12/18/09] |
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Love Song - Sara Bareilles |
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One Liner #4: What are you wrestling with?
We all have our problems, we all have our ups and downs. The things that we like and approve of happening, and those that we don't want to happen, but sometimes they just happen anyway. God let them happen when we least expected... Who are you wrestling with? God or the problem itself? Such a simple question, and its answer is supposedly clear, but sometimes we just forget, and we wrestle God instead of the problem itself...
Don't become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because "we are more than conquerors through Him..." (Romans 8:37).
Segala sesuatu terjadi karena Tuhan ijinkan terjadi, tapi di belakang semua yang terjadi, Tuhan ada maksud Dia sendiri, dan kita hanya bisa percaya bahwa semua ini terjadi untuk kebaikan kita, supaya kita bisa diteguhkan imannya, menjadi saksi yang terang di antara dunia yg gelap.
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[10pm on 12/15/09] |
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我很好那么你呢？ - 王心凌 |
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Let's be optimistic!
That's such a cliche statement. People always tell you that! It's such a boring statement, don't you think? Especially when everything becomes so hard and difficult in life, they always tell you to be optimistic.. Well, today I start my new segment of lab classes, my classes rotate on a 9 day schedule, so I'm done with "Cookies and Petit Fours" and today's the first day of "Hot and Cold Desserts" - learning all about ice cream production and flambe desserts... Awesome stuff! And today is the day, I told myself to be "optimistic".
 Picture taken from Flickr I will bring my camera to class tmw!
This class is relatively interesting, we're staying away from the hot ovens and we're finally playing with the freezer and hand torches. But who said that class will be easy when you've got one heck of a strict chef as your professor? He is so strict! A very discipline man of metal steel, talks funny because he's a Swiss, his name is so hard to pronounce everyone calls him by his initials. Let's imagine, He looks like Mr. Bean, maybe a little more handsome for some reason, his forehead wrinkles when he raised his eyebrows (weird guy ya?) BUT he teaches well and he's so professional. More things to learn from him...
When you're faced with a difficult situation. For example (I got reminded of) a 15 page research paper in high school. When the teacher first told the class that, the first thing I thought to myself was "OH MAN, i can never do that... i don't want to think about it... i don't want to do it.. why... " but then after a month, not knowing how I went through it, I got a pretty good grade for that paper. It's such an enriching experience, knowing that God will give you the strength to hang on and get through with those hard situations. Right now, my hard situation is this grumpy, temperemental chef, and for some reason deep down, I know that it's one of those time again, when I know that God will guide me through this 9 days of roller-coaster "fun". After all, I came here to learn and improve my skills... :p
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[12am on 12/15/09] |
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Oklah Kalo Begitu - Warteg Boyz |
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Christmas Gospel Rally in Boston, 2009
It's what we've been praying for. We prayed about everything from start to finish, and I can say (because the Boston church/family is so small and close and warm, we're all in this together!) Yes, we're all in this together, from the planning to the preparation, we even split the job of accompanying the preacher to a daily schedule. For example someone will bring him out on Monday, then another one will bring him out another day... We want to prepare well so that others might be blessed though this service - that lives will be changed through listening to the Gospel - yet, we're the ones that are the most blessed.
I've noticed that in a big church like the one that I was in, in Sg, ministry can be so easy because everything is set up for us already. If you're scheduled to usher on a Sunday service, it's pretty self-explanatory, you just stand, smile, shake hands, and direct or assist people to their seats. When you're assigned to usher, you practically do that only. You can't do help out else-where, everyone has their own assigned duty. But in a small church like this, responsibilities pile up. You're not just assigned to usher or pray for the offering, you're supposed to be there for anything and everything. And that is what I call ministry. You don't have to be scheduled, because everything you do should always be a ministry and service to God. I got reminded of a phrase from my senior pastor in Sg, "no one come to contribute no one come to helpbut everyone come to learn and to serve". Another struggle that I've been learning a lot about being in a different community and environment. Yet I thank God for such opportunity to learn and grow and serve in the Boston church.
 Bingo, i was assigned to decorate the room, so i looped Christmas lights from one pillar to another on both sides of the room, then hang ornament balls randomly on every other balcony railing.What a time-consuming job, 2pm set up, 8pm take down.I wished it was there everyday till Christmas!  Trying to get the banner up.
Unfortunately I've learned that the banner is too heavy to be suspended with fishing stringsIt snapped when we tried to... HAHAHA now I can laugh about how stupid that idea was...And I thought that it was an awesome thing at first... In the end Shimon was smart enough to put it up on the windows... We're just looking with amazement when he took this picture...
 When Pak'Cip was here for a week, he gave us a lot of intensive seminars and workshops. Thanks to technology, they were relayed to a number of states in the US -the LA church, SLC church and some friends in Philly and NY.There were 2 workshops which I couldn't attend because I was having night classes in Prov, I tried using the online conferenceto connect with them but for some reason, my friend said that windows vista isn't that compatible to the program- so i had such bad connection, but I ain't converting to Mac because of that, I'm not convinced enough to do so, just yet.
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[5pm on 12/11/09] |
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Seandainya - The Titans |
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WOW #3: Hey buddy, that's life!
Someone reminded me again of the many different types of people there are in this world, let's say - in my life. There are people who truly love you for who you are, and there are people who love you for what you have. People come with countless motives, how can you judge when people treat you well - that they are 100% sincere? It takes time getting to know someone and sometimes we might feel disappointed when we don't get our desired results. Even if that happens, don't stop giving, don't stop loving, and don't stop smiling, because doing so is already a personal blessing all on its own.
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[10pm on 12/7/09] |
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小星星- Cyndi Wang |
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Long Day, But We're Lovin' It!
On a Saturday night, the night before we had our KKR, after long hours of workshop + seminar (continuation of the Calvin series) + PD (prayer meeting) We were stuck at MIT library from 10am-6pm. This is what you get after a long day... photo-booth and shabu-shabu!  I'd have to say, it's been a blast ever since I came here. It just a warm feeling to realize that the people God place in my life is a miracle all on it's own. These people just pop up and make my experience a fun and positive one. They're such a blessing to me, just like how my friends in S'pore are. I cannot emphasize how blessed I feel being here. Being able to go through school every single day, going though all the tiring ups and downs in the kitchen labs, all that unnecessary stress that my chef gives, the techniques that you have to learn up within a day or two, and the never ending quizzes and tests, and know that I'm gonna have a great time with my friends in Boston. As far as it goes, they're just like family to me, and I really thank God for them. :)
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[1am on 11/28/09] |
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I had my one week break from school last week! (still am now) Anyway, I went to Philly and dropped by New York for a few hours then back to Boston. A lot happened within that short short week, and I took heap-loads for pictures with my beloved dslr canon BUT I didn't bring my card reader for my CF card, so I can't transfer pictures yet.
TODAY, I had my first thanksgiving dinner/gathering in Boston.
Happy Thanksgiving 2009! Gobble Gobble!
Today's PD (prayer meeting) was on "The difficulties of giving thanks". Why? Why do we have difficulties in giving thanks? About anything, big or small, good or bad in our lives... We tend to complain about the bad things that happen but we don't really give thanks for the good things that happen along the way. Sometimes we might even think that our lives "ought" to be smooth sailing. Everything has to be picture perfect, if not we're not going to be happy. Why is that? Aren't we suppose to give thanks for everything that happens? Yes, and it's hard, but we should.
So this year I'll share my personal little thanksgiving:
- Thanks be to God that my parents aren't with me now, it made me more dependent to God.
- Thanks be to God that I've survived a school term without my parents in the US.
- Thanks be to God that I've got a good fellowship in Boston, great friends.
- Thanks be to God that even if I'm far from home I can still take part in church ministry in Boston.
- Thanks be to God for blessing me with a great deal at Copley House.
- Thanks be to God for my mom who cares and is always concerned about my well-being.
- Thanks be to God for my dad who works very hard to support our family, I miss him :)
- Thanks be to God for my brother who can talk random things at random times of the day,
who'll eat my food-stuff and give honest remarks and critics.
- Thanks be to God for my sister who is ever so "LOL".
- Thanks be to God for technology, for BBM which has brought me closer to my family.
- Thanks be to God that Christelle is coming to Boston soon.
- Thanks be to God for my friends back in Sg, they really a fun bunch who taught me a lot of important stuff.
- Thanks be to God for my salvation which I am totally not worthy of, for it has changed me totally, and made me brand new.
- Thanks be to God that thanksgiving this year was warm.
- Thanks be to God for the strong bond of friends I've got in Boston.
Certainly the list goes on, but I'm dead-tired now.
I woke up at 7am, to get my turkey at 8am from whole foods supermarket. Roasted turkey from 2.30pm to 6.30pm. Turned out great, except that the legs were a bit of a dark brown. Overall, it wasn't that bad. Picture credits to Gama. :)  The gobble-gobble cooking partner! :D  Lather butter all over body before tanning... >.<  Poke-poke ^^  my crew + photographer of the day (notinpicture) :p  Too bad he didn't cook anything, I bet if he does it'll taste sooo yummy!!  Foilious metal piece of breast plate aka turkey triangle!  hahahaha, like what the caption was on fb, "trying to take all the credit" HAHAHA!  If we were all in surgery uniform, my kitchen could have transformed into a surgery theater..  talking about how great YH's cooking skills are.. :P  Had Thornton's for a late lunch before going to PD+Thanksgiving Dinner.. The best food place in Boston! Great food, great songs, great environment, great friends! Nothing beats that!  Potluck thanksgiving dinner Indonesian+International-style Turkey, gado2, tuna salad, curry chicken, potato pedas, brocoli tumis ayam, siomay, and chocolate pudding...  M. J. F. Mama H.  :D  PD, with Ko David on TeeVee. hehe  Yes, and you always gotta have your Bible. :D |
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[10am on 11/19/09] |
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分开以后 - Danson Tang |
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God didn't promise days without pain,
laughter without sorrow,
sun without rain,
but He did promise strength for the day,
comfort for the tears,
and light for the way.
If God bring you to it,
He will bring you through it.
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[4pm on 11/10/09] |
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Broken Strings - Jay Chou |
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WOW #2: Are you suffering?
Guess what...?! If you are going to be used by God, He will take you through a number of experiences that are not meant for you personally at all. They are there to make you useful in His hands and to enable you to understand what takes place in the lives of others. "Being used by God" does not only mean being used to do this, do that. It goes beyond typical understanding. Investing time in the lives of another might just be how God is using you right at this moment. Because of this process, you wil never be surprised by what comes you way, the challenges and the randoms. There might be some people who tick you off from time to time in our daily lives. We might say "Oh, I can't deal with that person." But why can't you?
Sometimes it might seem like we don't know where God is taking us. But in a way, not knowing is a good thing - for knowing might make us spiritually proud. We never realize at the time what God is putting us through - we go through it more or less without understanding. Then suddenly we come to a place of enlightenment, and realize - "God has strengthened me and I didn't even know it!"
There are times when I felt like I'm going through such a long tunnel of uncertainties. Life for one reason is full of uncertainties. But one thing is for sure. Where ever I go, I know that God's leading my way day in and day out. In moments when you feel like giving up, persist on, hang on, and He'll show you a marvelous miracle by giving you the strength to carry on - to do the things that you thought you won't be able to.
Thank God today's baking science practicum went well.
Thank God that in the midst of all the chaos and lack of knowledge in my mind,
He still gave me patience and wisdom.
Thank God that my basic pizza dough came out perfect. PERFECT.
Thank God for every little detail that happened to bring about a great score. I
t's such a blessing to be given an opportunity to pursue excellence for His glory.
I wouldn't want to trade my score for anything higher because I've given my best shot. :)
Thank God that public speaking class' final speech is finally over.
Thank God that I spoke clearly - didn't stumble a single word.
TBTG! :D [Quiet Time Sharing:
My Utmost for His Highest]
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[8am on 11/9/09] |
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Love Always Exists - Rachel Ling |
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A Cheesecake Conversation
 " It's like my stomach has found the meaning of its purpose!" Best Quote EVER!! |
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[2pm on 11/6/09] |
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哭過就好了 - 梁文音 |
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Sowalicious!
That sunday morning when Ci Jul was a vendor at Sowa, Me and my super awesome Boston friend dropped by for a quick bargain. I love flea markets, especially those that sell handmade stuff - I'm crazy about crafts and all things personalized remember.. hehe.. :)
It was the weekend before halloween, so the theme of the market was "Happy Halloween" - Vendors must all dress up. So here's some of the snaps me and Ika took.  Sow-licious! :D  Introducing: My Bos Bos Friend - Ika.  Cupcake Glass Bead Necklace. everything handmade! I bought this chocolate one. :D Reminds me of Kei's BFF cupcake necklace.  This is really scary. Now I know why people get scared of clowns. They aren't nice.  Orange+Black. America's second most celebrated holiday.  And we met a hot dog giving out free stickers!!  DJ playing funky music.... Look at that guy on the right.. OMG. So.....  So I asked If I can have a picture with him!! Then I asked him where the ATM machine's located... hahahaha...  Such a Cute Batman!! :D Girl batman btw, so cute! ^^  hand press print pendants. hahaha.. nah, i didnt buy those 3.... I got the one with "力" - Strength.  Looky Looky!! Guess who?  Such a "beautiful" vampire lady. haa... Ci Julie's not even scary....  Her merchandise  Getting me and Ika's birthday presents! :D I got a strawberry shortcake soapbar, facial scrub, and lemongrass foots crub!! Smells Yumm!!  Her stall :D  Then Suddenly I saw this indescribable corpse bride - siting down and eating lunch I stopped and said "THAT IS COOL" and she smiled at me... of course you ask if you could talk a picture!!  Cabbing back home - go to church. :)  The best thing I've got from the market. A vintage clutch with a 1914 brooch. <3
YESS!!! let's discuss..
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