Happy 1st Birthday to BIM

A video created specially for my niece, BIM .
Enjoy!

What is your AIM in life? Find out about BIM's

To date, I'm an 11+ months old baby in Mandurah. My parents are PFM (parents from Malaysia) and so are my grandparents and siblings. I'm so lucky to be born in Mandurah, Perth, Australia and THAT makes me feel very special. My grandparents & Uncle MJ came all the way from Malaysia to see me by the time i came into this world - which makes me feel EVEN more special. I have my ONE & ONLY 姑姑 who is my AIM (Auntie in Miri), but sadly she couldn't make it to come so until now I haven't physically seen her. Nevertheless, I'm very confident that she loves me very much (Of course I love her too!). That's perfectly reasonable & logical since my parents were in love with each other too even before they physically met one another.. Isn't that sweet? =)

Okay, lets get back to topic. Well, yeah, my AIM is crazy about me, even before I was born! She bought me a Children's Bible which has many lovely pictures and interesting caption with both English & Chinese language.

My Children's Bible from my AIM

I received many other books gifts from my grandparents too. Wow, I guess they are all excited about me learning to read! My Uncle MJ has always wanted me to read an encyclopedia. Well, Uncle, I doubt you read when you were my age!

The video above was taken about half a year ago, when I was 6 months old. This was how I read a book. Firstly, I scrutinize it. Then, I would feel it, emotionally experiencing it with my imagination, and then finally sharing my comments on the book, expressing using my own language. It is very interesting, that has become one of my hobbies and I'm loving it! I love to taste books too, it's my way of reading and getting to know them.

I know, I know, it's in my genes. My parents blog, so do my AIM. They are bloggers! Not only that, both mummy & AIM are pianists, I'm not excluded from that too =)

Well, so much said about all the nerdy stuffs, please don't get me wrong - I'm NOT a nerd, I'm just an all-rounder. I took part in creative Fashion Show before I even know how to sit. Wonder how I did that yeah? :) I will blog about it soon. At the meantime, just to keep you in suspense. If you ask me now, this is the response I would give to you:

Oh, Perhaps you could try asking my AIM. 

****

Tough luck, she is giving a similar response:

What a cute AIM I have! I definitely have her genes too, don't ya think so?!

(Declaration: The content of this post may be true only to a certain extent, as it is written based on baby BIM's perspective which may be fictional.)

Baby Niece called BIM - a first introductory post

Born on the 15th of January, 2013, my baby niece is a baby whom I'm most crazy about ♥.
15 Jan 2013 is an official date whereby I'm officially upgraded to become a 姑姑 status, which is also her one & only 姑姑 in the whole wide world. And she, to date, is currently my one & only niece in the world too! 

I'm inspired by a blog dedicated especially to her, written by her parents (Mummy especially). They creatively called it "LIFE of BIM" (I certainly can guess where it comes from! Life of Pi!) "BIM" is short for "Baby in Mandurah", Mandurah being the baby's hometown. The parents chose to write the blog based on the baby's perspective, which I personally feel it very fresh & interesting.

Much inspired by that, I tried to write my own version, too. Me being, her AIM (Auntie in Miri).

It will be, of course, dedicated especially to the lovely BIM & her wonderful parents.

To make it interesting, I will be writing them based on BIM's perspective, too. The stories are true, pictures real; only BIM's perspective are being fictional. I wonder what will BIM think when she can read them in the future.. Anyways, I think BIM wouldn't mind because she will have a gracious heart like her mummy and daddy :)

BIM's parents took thousands & millions of her pictures and videos. Unlike most of us, the baby will have a perfect record of her life, from the very beginning. 

Also, she has her very own community page at https://www.facebook.com/babyinmandurah . Feel free to visit!

Appreciating the Greatest of all Miracles in the Midst of Total Simplicity

Thought of sharing this devotion.. in conjunction with the coming of Christmas season.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son (John 3:16, NIV).
Do you understand why Jesus came to earth as a man? Read on.

May God bless you all.
~
I make room for things that are important to me. I eat two or three meals every day and sleep several hours each night even though my "to do" list is not much shorter today than it was yesterday. I will choose to play with a grandchild over cleaning the house any day of the week. I manage to find a place for that great piece of furniture I don't really need ... but really like. After all, it was on sale. I like watches. Don't ask me why because I simply don't know. I only need one watch, but I own several inexpensive ones. I will have lunch with a friend instead of running errands. And there is always room for chocolate! Silly examples ... right?
I wonder. I wonder what the innkeeper thought as he turned away the young man and his very pregnant wife that holy night so long ago. He had no room ... it was that simple. Do we?
The Christmas season is here. Our calendars are already full, our bank accounts are closing in on empty and our hearts and lives are crowded with things we deem important. But have we made room for Jesus?
I simply cannot imagine a world without the presence of God and yet I often live my life as if He does not exist. A crisis hits, and I try to handle it on my own. I don't understand the trials in my life while those who could care less about God seem to prosper. Instead of reaching out to Him, I withdraw into the darkness. Financial stress fuels worry. Instead of turning to God, I rely on what I can see and understand. I settle.
When I do cry out to God, He lovingly fills each dark corner with Light. His love flows over the pain like soothing balm and once again, I experience the manger. Once again, Jesus Christ steps into the smelly, unlikely and very ordinary existence that is mine to change everything ... absolutely everything!
Jesus could have come to us in many ways. The simplicity of His birth is extraordinary and sometimes hard to grasp. Jesus could have been born in a mansion. He was, after all, a King. Instead, He came to a dirty smelly manger and His birth was announced by common shepherds instead of Kings -- the greatest of all miracles in the midst of total simplicity. Today, Jesus still wants to meet us in the midst of our simple daily lives. It seems too easy and too good to be true, doesn't it?
It was Christmas Eve, and the family was preparing to attend the special service of their local church. Everyone was going except Dad, who was an honest man, a man who could not seem to wrap his logical mind around the story of God come to earth as a baby in a manger. He didn't want to be a hypocrite, pretending to worship a Savior he wasn't sure even existed, so he stayed home, built a fire to dispel the bitter cold of that winter night and began to read the paper while waiting for his family's return. Hearing a knock at the window, he turned to see a tiny bird trying to reach the warmth of the fire. The man opened the window, but the bird refused to come in. Grabbing his coat, the man raced out to the barn and opened the barn doors wide ... but still, the bird refused to come in. The man thought, "If only I could be a bird, for just one minute, I could lead the bird to safety." At that moment, he heard the church bells ring and finally understood why Jesus came to earth as a man - to become one of us - so He could lead us to eternal safety.
The very heart of Christmas is Emanuel, God with us ... with me ... and with you. Christmas is not a date on a calendar. Christmas is a way of life that celebrates the presence of God in the simple, ordinary happenings of daily life: where we go and what we do -- the smile we give the harried stranger or the patience we choose in the crowd of impatient shoppers -- the love that prompts the secret gift or the heart that constantly celebrates His birth through every sparkling light, every beautifully wrapped gift, each special meal, every card, phone call and visit. God is with us ... if we choose to make room for Him.
Let's Pray
Father, today I celebrate the reality of Your presence in my life. Thank You for sending Your Son to earth as a tiny baby in a manger. I celebrate the birth of Jesus and the gift of life that He brings. I choose to receive Your gift of love and forgiveness for my sins. I now surrender everything I am or ever hope to be to You. Please take control of my life and direct my paths. I promise to follow. In Jesus's name, amen.
 ~
Amen. Merry Christmas to all! =)

Beyond that smile

Beyond that smile, there are hurts which you never knew...
Beyond that smile, there are tears which you never seen...
You can never understand how much a person can mean to somebody.. until you put yourself in her shoes.. And when you put yourself in her shoes, you can't seem to understand as much, until you face similar situation yourself..

How can a heart be so fragile? How can God created us this big need..to be loved, to be understood, to be accompanied, to be cared for? How can a seemingly important person in your life, suddenly become the least important person, & you wouldn't even care how is she doing?


Maybe, just maybe, time can fade everything away, every memory away.. But, it is worth it? Is avoidance the best way? Or do we have to deal with it honestly & openly?

I'm dizzy.. and confused. Are things going to be alright, if we keep using the tool of avoidance?

A friend who studied psychologist says, an issue will never really be gone UNTIL you deal with it. Avoidance is a bad way to deal with, because it may arise further complications in the future.. 1 day, the problem may pop up again & we'll still make the same mistake. We need to FACE it. But, how, oh how, can we have the courage? When will God give us this courage?

Hope is the only thing. Hope in God, that one day, in His time, He will make all things beautiful.. in His Time ...

After 1 + 1/2 months of overworking

It's been about one & a half months that me & my team are working on this big project. We have been through sleepless nights together, zombie nights, sleeping talking, sleeping walking & even sleep-working. Towards the end of the submission due date, we stayed back late at night to work. Last night we were in the office until 2AM!

A glimpse of the piles & piles of files that has been compiled..

Along the way, i met many angels.. I'm so touched that when i asked help from colleagues from other department, their answer were:
"It's my pleasure!"
"What are friends for? A friend in need is a friend indeed!"
"Okie dokey!"

I said, "You are my angel".
Her reply, "You are my angel too.. You always cheer people up".

So these are the end product which are packed into huge boxes...

And with the naughty me sitting on it...

A result of all exhausted days & nights.. my brain became jammed many times.. oh no.. head damage.. i can hardly think clearly & brain has become slow.. due to heavy lack of sleep :(
Forgive me when i say weird things or being silenced at other times, all at either extreme. What i lack of is sleep. but i'm a weirdo who thinks sleeping is boring & lonely.. anyways.. ... ...

However, i can still sing & i enjoy singing for the Lord.

A "commercial" break ...

Notice the girl at the most left? She is from SMCGC. What a breath-taking gorgeous lady who look alike Final Fantasy!

The Love Story of a King

There was a king who loved a humble maiden. The king was like no other king. Every statesman trembled before his power. No one dared breathe a word against him, for he had the strength to crush all opponents.
And yet this mighty king was melted by love for a humble maiden who lived in a poor village in his kingdom. How could he declare his love for her? In an odd sort of way, his kingliness tied his hands. If he brought her to the palace and crowned her head with jewels and clothed her body in royal robes, she would surely not resist-no one dared resist him. But would she love him?
She would say she loved him, of course, but would she truly? Or would she live with him in fear, nursing a private grief for the life she had left behind? Would she be happy at his side? How could he know for sure? If he rode to her forest cottage in his royal carriage, with an armed escort waving bright banners, that too would overwhelm her. He did not want a cringing subject. He wanted a lover, an equal. He wanted her to forget that he was a king and she a humble maiden and to let shared love cross the gulf between them. For it is only in love that the unequal can be made equal.
The king, convinced he could not elevate the maiden without crushing her freedom, resolved to descend to her. Clothed as a beggar, he approached her cottage with a worn cloak fluttering loose about him. This was not just a disguise--the king took on a totally new identity--He had renounced his throne to declare his love and to win hers.
Likewise, the King, your King, lowered himself to a place of putting on human flesh in His pursuit of your heart. Paul described it this way:
[Jesus] who, being in very nature God,
Did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
But made himself nothing,
Taking the very nature of a servant,
Being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled himself
And became obedient to death --
Even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
And gave him the name that is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
In heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11)
Why would God do such a thing? Because He loves you and longs to have an intimate, personal relationship with you. It was a high price to pay, but Jesus knew you were worth it.
Oh friend, you are not only chosen, you are pursued to the utmost! Chosen. Pursued. Loved. And when you understand the great lengths God has gone through and continues to go through to win your love, it changes how you view all of life.

"But made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant," (Philippians 2:7)