Thursday, November 13, 2008

Voice for the silenced

That day, there was a child lying on the sick bed in the ward. She was sickly and pale, robbed of all the joy and happiness that every normal childhood would provide. Only a young age of 5, but she is already suffering from an anomaly in the head. I am not quite fluent with medical terms so the name of the condition escaped my mind, but I know that the anomaly had taken away her sight as well.

A teddy bear was given to her by a visitor one day, but she cannot see so she asked her father what it was. To the father's dismay, he could not describe it to her because she has never seen anything like it before. She tried to make out what it was, but all she could feel was just a fluffy soft object.

Her father had stopped working in order to take care of her, he even sold his car to pay for the expenses. Her mother was not working as well because she was pregnant and was not able to work. With no income, her father was clueless about what to do,and many questions lingered in his mind. Who will pay the bills? who will pay for the treatment? will the doctors be able to make her better at all?..

Its getting close to Christmas, her condition is getting worse. The doctors do not have the facility to operate on her, but it will be ready by next year. The question is, would she last until next year? How long more does she have until her illness take away more than just her sight?..

There are many other children who are suffering out there, with much severe conditions and deteriorating environments. They cry but we do not hear them, they walk amongst us but we do not see them. Externally, they are just like you and me, they deserve just as much as we do. But they are suffering as we sit in front of our computers, as we lie on our beds, as we go to class or work, as we go shopping, as we waste our time away with unproductive activities.

There are all round us, but what are you doing? do you hear their cries?..

May God so help us...

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Changing Our Nation Little By Little

Today I learnt something very important in Bible study group, the importance of Praying for the Nation. The Key Verse was taken from 2 Chronicles 7:14if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

There are just four things that are required for us as God’s people
1. Be Humble
2. Pray
3. Seek God’s Face
4. Turn From Our Wicked Ways

Simple isn’t it? I do not think so, if it was so simple to do, our nation would not be how it is right now. The state of our country today, the corruption of the government, the political instability, the racial discrimination and all other nonsense that we have is, believe it or not, what we rightfully deserve!

In 2 Chronicles 7:14 God promises to forgive our sins and heal our land, yes, if only we, the people of God, God’s chosen people, are able to humble ourselves, pray and seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.

What is being humble? It is doing what God says is right and not what we ourselves think is right. For God resists the proud and listens to the humble (James 6).

What do we pray for? Pray for change, because nothing will happen if we don’t bother to pray. If only the Christians of this nation spend as much time praying for the country instead of complaining, I’m sure our nation would have changed for the better ages ago.

How do we seek God’s face? See, we usually seek God’s hand in our prayers, requesting for God to do things, to grant us things and such. When we seek God’s face, it means to seek a relationship with God. When God is able to call you His friend, he will reveal to you the matters of His heart, when that happens, we will be able to pray more specifically.

Turn from our wicked ways? Yes, we are wicked and sinful, not just the country. We are ambassadors of Christ to this nation, what have we been doing to allow this nation fall into disarray? Do not ever think bribing the policeman to get away from a speeding ticket is a small matter. Whatever little thing we do, reflects God’s image, and if we allow such things to go on, how are we to expect the others to not do the same in even bigger magnitudes?

Remember, we are to give an account of every word and every action that we have done on this plane of existence. If you were to die today, will you be able to answer to God what you just did? The disaster that you have allowed to fall upon this nation we call Malaysia for neglecting your duties?

Like it or not, it is our duty to pray for Malaysia, not just occasionally, but always and every day. For if we do not pray, nothing will happen, and Malaysia will continue to rot away…

May God so help us...

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Living Contented Or Living With A Purpose

I had a friend who would constantly remind me to do my best, push myself to my limits giving my all in whatever I do. I firmly believed in that and encouraged my friend to do the same. But at that point in time, I was so clueless on what to do to the extent of not even knowing what my goal in life was. So I thought about it for a very long moment, considering all the values and lessons I have learnt in life to come up with a dream which I could present to my friend. Or at least allow me to have some aim in my life at that point of time. It was difficult for I have lost all my childhood dreams after realizing all my shortcomings throughout my stages in life.

It is amazing to see how easily people are able to lose their dreams after realizing their own restrictions may it be financially, intellectually, physically, emotionally, and sometimes in terms of education. People simply just give up when they find out that their big dream is sad to say, close to impossible. Society often encourage us to dream big, but when we start having dreams of epic proportions reality starts to kick in and then they’ll say “ok, slow down there, not so far off, perhaps a little more close to earth?” Or, perhaps it’s just me…

But somewhere along those lines, I had already lost my dreams in life. I was just waiting on God to instruct me on my next move. Earnestly waiting doing pretty much nothing but gratifying myself temporarily because I was so lost, and thus the name Wandering Minstrel.

One can say that I am a person without dreams, having the mentality of crossing the bridge when I come to it. I can see that it was not very assuring for my friend when I said I do not have a dream. So after a long duration of critical thinking, I finally concluded that living up to my name is my dream. Although it was still very unclear what my dream actually is, at least I have something to work on…

Kind of… Until now…

My dream is clear, I have my focus, and I know what I want in life. But it is hard to share it with others; it is just too big for them to comprehend…

I know of a very God loving and contented person, he is simple, lives a simple life, keeps simple goals, and have simple ideals but are founded firmly on God’s word. Even though I am not without God, my beliefs are usually at a conflict with him. I had a conversation with him regarding investments and how to become wealthy (In Robert Kiyosaki’s definition in the book Rich Dad Poor Dad), and yet again we had different thoughts.

So I have some questions that are related to the Bible: God promises that He will provide, and He says that we should let tomorrow’s worries worry about tomorrow.

My questions are: Didn’t God give us intellect? Didn’t God give us the ability to perform our duties? Is it wrong to do the best that we can do by our own capacity and then let God do the rest? Is it wrong to invest with the money that we have to give us additional funding when it is also within our capacity? Most importantly, is investing considered worrying for our future? Or is planning considered worrying for our future?

I don’t know, but in my opinion, if God wishes, He can allow our investments to grow or take it away whenever He wants. I want to be like the two servants in the parable of the talents, who multiplied the talents which the master gave them. Not just in the area of finance, but also in the area of my personal growth. If I want to be successful, I will have to mingle with successful people, if I want to be a leader, I will have to mingle with leaders. These people have the right characteristics that I look for, they have the right attitude. No, not just that, they have the winning attitude that motivates and gives the drive to achieve the impossible. That is what I want…

No longer will I conform to the ideals of a contented man, living day by day perfectly well adapted with his comfort zone. That was how I was, but it got me nowhere. Now that I have found my direction, I will pursue it until God says otherwise.

May God so help me...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

My Education & My Future

Finally, after duration too long to remember, I've gotten my internet access fixed! Hurray!..

I guess..

The past few months have really been a time of discovery for me. I have been exposed to many a thing that I can never hope to ever learn in my classes as an I.T. student. With the beginning of my final year, I can expect things to be very much tougher in my studies, but yet I remain not bothered about it.

Yea, I admit, I am very lazy, always procrastinating, always believing that everything will be fine. Because I know I can handle it, I know I will not fail. Sure, that worked out fine and dandy in my early years of college, but things are not that easy anymore. Putting things off will just result in bad grades, speaking of which, I've just blown my chance of graduating with first class honours. Wow, how did that happen? Because I just could not care any lesser about my studies anymore. You may ask, "Hey, it’s your future, why are you throwing it all away?" Well, it’s all because my dreams are not real enough for me..

I have spent so many years studying, studying my whole life ever since I knew how to speak. Let’s just say that studying got a little dull for me, my life in school is just so very dry...

"Study hard and get a good job so you get a good pay!" That is what almost every parent will say to their kids. Yes, education is indeed very important, I do agree with that. But in the recent few months, I have come to realize that there is so much more that I can do rather than graduate and work my whole life away in a company with high demand and very little freedom.

Let’s face it, everyone needs to earn money to support them, but not everyone knows that working for other people is not the only way. There might be jobs with high pay, yes, if you study well and perform well, people headhunt you to offer you very fat pay checks. But at the end of the day, that is just another prison.

An average worker wakes up early in the morning, prepares for work, get stuck in traffic jams for long hours just to get to office on time; so that they will not be penalized or their pay checks do not get thinner. In work, they have to perform well under the pressure and stress from employers in order to again not be penalized or subjected to a thinner pay check. After work, hopefully without doing overtime, they will again be caught in a traffic jam for long hours just to get home for dinner. With such a hectic day, most individuals will usually be drained from work. All that is left for them is the meagre few hours of the night to spend with their families before they call it a night and go to bed to prepare for the next day. And thus the never ending cycle continues...

Well, believe it or not, lots of people have gotten so used to that life cycle that it has became a norm. They get so comfortable with that lifestyle till the point where they fear to venture out from that rat race!

Is that what I really want in life? Ya, sure, I'll get promotions along the way, earn more money and get to do what I want “then”. The question is, when is "then"? In a job, you are bound by the job; you cannot go off whenever you wish. As for me, I love to travel, I have been dreaming to travel to far off places to see and experience the beauty of the different countries in our little planet we call earth. But I will probably be able to do that when I am 40 - 50? That is just way too long for me.

Okay, so maybe I’m not too optimistic about getting a job, but it is not just me. Honestly, I am drawn to making money, mainly because, being a student I do not have much to spend and there are so many things out there that I wish to buy, which sadly are ridiculously over priced. With that, I had always been on the lookout for opportunities to earn money. So one day, I came to know of a multi level marketing business (MLM) which offers a lot of money, as long as you are determined to work for it, the riches will come. And really, it does come; you will be generously rewarded for your efforts, no kidding.

So there I was, at their meetings, sitting in the midst of many people from different backgrounds holding different occupations. It is surprising to see what kind of people are there, I have met doctors, engineers, lawyers, businessmen, accountants, managers, all sorts of highly educated people there, and of course, there are the not so educated as well. Hey, everyone wants to earn money right? But what are professionals doing there? Are they not paid enough that they want to be involved in direct selling? Don’t they have better things to do with their time?
The truth is, they are not free, no matter what profession they are in, no matter how high in position they are, it is in fact, just another prison, a more luxurious prison...

While I was at the meetings, these people shared their experience with me, and I have learnt plenty. I can say that all of them are looking for one thing, financial freedom; freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Thanks to them, I have learnt to dream again, because a person’s dream is a motivating factor for a person to succeed and to strife for the better. This time, my dream is rock solid, I know what I really want in life, and it is no longer just a far off dream. I know for sure, it is possible to achieve...

Though how to get there, I still do not know, but I am not without options, I am still evaluating the best means for me to achieve it. There are many businesses out there that I can venture into, the more I am exposed to things like these, the more I will learn. It is best to keep an open mind and try to understand things rather than being a sceptic. But most importantly, I now need to know how money works. I do not want to trade time for money like many other individuals, I want to use money to make money...

A bit hard to understand isn’t it? But hey, everyone has 24 hours, so how come some people are so rich?.. And some so poor?..

Anyway, after saying all that, I still need to get my priorities right, my parents invested in my studies therefore, I must produce results. Even though now I have decided against taking a 9 – 5 job, it is still my obligation to study well to obtain a degree. Besides, I also wish for them to be proud of me. Other than that, I want to live my everyday life as like how a leader would; in my every conduct, I want to be an example to the others around me. It is of utmost importance because being a leader and being a follower are two very different things. I have learnt that if I want to be successful, I must be a leader. Therefore, I will groom myself to be the best that I can be.

May God so help me...

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Farewell My Love

My dear persona, my guise as I leave the safety of my home...
You have served me well all these years protecting me from the lies and deceit of this ugly world...
Accompanying me in my times of solitude, comforting me when no one was there for me...
I have loved you more than I have loved anyone else...
But it is time for you to go, and let me love others as how I had loved you...
Allow me the chance to live life as life truly is, feel pain as it truly hurts, feel happiness as it truly brings joy, not by our own ideals and definition, but by how God has made it all possible...
For there is a need in this world, I have a duty to carry out, and I cannot grow stronger if I do not get hurt...
I cannot be so self centered anymore...
So please, return to your world, where you are free to roam...
And let me return to reality, where I truly belong...
I will be fine, don't you ever worry...
I want to experience the beauty that God has created in this world filled with the ugliness of man...

Goodbye my beloved persona...
May our paths never meet again...

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Wake Up Call

You are living your life utilizing your potential the best that you can, maybe you have higher standards for yourself, but still you are doing so much more than what I am doing with my life. How could I ever be so blind? All this while, I have not been living my life to its optimum potential, I know that all too well for I am able to do so much more, but I chose to continue to live life contented with what I have, immersed in the little pleasures that my simple lifestyle could provide.

No, this is not what I am destined for. I am not just able, I am blessed with much more untapped potential within me, all hidden deep inside this physique that I have only begin to know and discover even though I have had it for my whole life.

I can honestly say I'm inspired by you, I want to live life like you do, having that perspective you hold as you view life, always keeping in check of your purpose, always questioning the significance in your actions, and knowing where you are heading.

There is no time to waste, I must make haste. I can't remain your rookie guardian forever. You made me realize that I have a dream, now I have the reason to chase after it. I hope one day as you save the lives of others, I would be able to save yours.

You said that you would choose to die if you lost your purpose, I would choose to die for the sake of my purpose. May God so help me to not only be a wanderer in search of tales, but also a wanderer in search of souls.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

If I didn’t know you…

I got the shock of my life as I woke up this morning. To my horror, I was greeted by a message from Elaine Low the youth worker in CGMC. It read: “Got di-yan’s sms (3.40am). His mom had passed away. Elaine”

Di-yan, a friend of mine… a close friend of mine. Our meeting was rather unusual…

Although I have known him only over a short period of a year, we had already formed a close bond. He was almost like a brother to me. I met Di-yan through Darren Hew, Darren asked me to fetch Di-yan to church and I agreed. From then on, we got along really well, we shared the interest of watching anime and playing games, we hung out around Meru Valley often, went to church together, helped out in the Kids church together, where ever I would go during the weekends, most of the time he would follow. I had fun, really did…

One day, the doctors discovered tumor cells in his mother’s brain and lungs. It was suspected that it had spread from previous cancer developments that had been treated. She went to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to receive frequent check ups and treatment, and it had a great impact on Di-yan’s life. He was no longer as cheerful as before, he was no longer as lively as before, he became quiet and was deep in thought at times. The issue of his mother’s illness was brought up in our Morning Prayer group, and we even organized a trip to visit her and to pray for her. Of course, it was originally Di-yan’s plan, out of filial piety he wanted to show his mother that there are many people who really care for her and are praying hard for her even though they do not know her personally…

His parents were open; they were happy that we paid them a visit and even allowed us to pray for his mother. Many MYF members turned up so much that there wasn’t enough space in the dining hall to fit all of us. But it was encouraging, I was happy that I was able to do something to help out this dear friend of mine…

Then his mother went on with her treatments in Hospital University in KL on a frequent basis, about twice a week, traveling back and fourth between Ipoh and KL in between treatments. Eventually, things became more stable, and Di-yan slowly got back to his cheerful lively self again. I assumed that everything went well…

But during that time, Di-yan said that he would have to cut down on his activeness in church because he wanted to stay home to spend time with his mother. He realized that all this while he didn’t really notice how important his mother is in his life. He felt that he had been taking his mother for granted, so in return he decided to take care of her in this time where she is at her weakest. Chemotheraphy, is a treatment that is very taxing on the human body…

After awhile, things when on as usual, but we still uphold Di-yan’s mother in our regular morning prayers. Then it was time for me to leave for KL for my further studies. That is when I didn’t keep in touch with the happenings in Ipoh anymore, as I had other things and commitments. Even now, I am in the midst of still finishing up my assignments and preparing for my final papers which are coming up in the 1st week of December. I was totally unaware of what was happening back in Ipoh, what had taken place in the Ho residence up till this fateful morning…

I was crushed emotionally. Of all things, why this? Why now? Why him?

I was at a lost mentally. I was so confused, what am I going to say? What am I to do? I can’t even go back to attend the funeral?

I’m so far away, all I could do was make a call, and I pretty much don’t know what to say at all…

It grieves me to know that I am so limited…


“I wonder what would have happen if I didn’t know you” said Di-yan, but all I did was smiled as I drove up the porch of his house letting him off to return to his house. Those were the words he said to me just shortly before I left for KL… I really do wonder, what would have happen? That I do not know, but I know for sure that this is not the end...

Di-yan, sorry I could not be there for you…

I hope that you will find comfort in Jesus Christ during this time of need, and may God’s blessing and peace be upon you and your family. Stay strong alright? don't give up.

Your brother and friend,

Rong Tau

Melodies of The Soul