Chapter 3: It's Not About Winning...

I've been living in Melbourne, Australia for the past 3 years and I'm loving it. It's a wonderful city no doubt but at the end of the day, it's the community and friends around me that makes it great. Thanks for being such a blessing and inspiration to me!

2 weeks of filming, 3 nights of editing and over 200 footages. First official video shot by 30Hearts. Dedicating this video to all 34 of you who invested into my dreams. Thanks to everyone who helped out one way or another.

~ ...though it'll be nice to heheh ~

Chapter 2: Marchin On

Shinyi posted this really cool conversation between Man and Jesus on facebook. It's quite a long read but it sorta answers life's biggest questions quite nicely. Have a read and i'll meet you at the bottom!

Jesus: Hello. Did you call me?
Man: Called you? No. Who is this?
Jesus: This is Jesus. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.
Man: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.

Jesus: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Man: Don’t know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic. It’s rush hour all the time.

Jesus: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Man: I understand. But I still can’t figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

Jesus: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Man: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

Jesus: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Man: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

Jesus: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

Man: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

Jesus: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Man: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

Jesus: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Man: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

Jesus: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Man: You mean to say such experience is useful?

Jesus: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Man: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?

Jesus: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Man: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don’t know where we are heading.

Jesus: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Man: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

Jesus: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Man: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

Jesus: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Man: What surprises you about people?

Jesus: When they suffer they ask, “why me? When they prosper, they never ask “Why me” Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Man: Sometimes I ask, who I am, why am I here. I can’t get the answer.

Jesus: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Man: How can I get the best out of life?

Jesus: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Man: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

Jesus: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Man: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the day with a new sense of inspiration.

Jesus: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don’t believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

Man: Thank you so much.

Jesus: You are always welcome. Have a good day my friend.


"Always remember, God's Word is the Word for YOU".

__________________________________________________________________________

This post has been sitting in the drafts folder for the past week now. Guess I've got nothing more insightful or smart to offer. But this conversation has definitely made me ponder. Right now, I feel like the Man. Busy. In the midst of something. Hectic. Always in rush hour. Still unable to figure it out.

Thank God for Jesus. He's such a smart dude. I'm still trying to get my head around all of this. But hopefully I'll be able to catch a glimpse of... clarity? Hope? Healing? Purpose? Direction? Oh yea, direction sounds good. Haven't prayed for a while so instead of making excuses, I might as well do it now.

God, I pray for direction and guidance. I can't do this alone. Teach me to listen and draw strength from the spirit. To not be led by my sinful nature and the idols that I cling onto. I pray for focus and productivity in my studies. Give me strength and rest throughout the week as I juggle dancing and uni commitments. I also pray for a vacation work position. That where ever I may end up, I will be able to find meaningful work. Forgive me for my shortcomings and my complacency. Reignite the passion and courage than you have instilled in me. I commit all this into your mighty hands. Amen.

May we continue to inspire and be inspired. With that, I leave you with OneRepublic's "Marchin On".




~ keep marching on ~

Bonus Chapter: Around the Bay

Went home today with grazed knees, sunburnt arms, a sore neck/bum/shoulders and a serious case of helmet hair. Hard to believe I rode 100km today. It's a surreal feeling. Pedalling for 6 hours plus, riding through the rain and out of it, along the coast together with 10,000 other bikers. Thinking back now, I have no idea what encouraged me to take part in this event. I guess I wasn't really thinking. But it was definitely a chance to do something I've never dreamt of doing before. And what better time to do crazy things like these than during your uni years! After today, I reckon my cycling skills have leveled up.

Of course, all this wouldn't have been possible without my fellow bikers.

"Steve the Beast" and "Ian the Climber".

Climber because Ian always overtakes everyone when going uphill and Beast just because Steve is. Blessed to be able to do this with them because of their patience and encouraging presence. Thanks to Isaac for training with us during our only two training sessions and to Ivy for the pre-race dinner and the snack pack!

Time to recuperate and face a busy week ahead. Take care friends.

~ oh btw, don't tell mum ~

Chapter 1.5: In the Midst of (Half-time)

It's been a testing week. I always thought it'll be easier the 2nd time around but it's actually harder. Maybe cause this time I was more intentional - praying, thinking, scheming, hoping. Like a football player visualising his route. Scheming how to swerve pass each opposing player. Hoping that his two feet will be strong enough to carry him down the end zone. But when the whistle's blown and the ball has been snapped, suddenly you're overwhelmed. As prepared as I thought I was, even though I saw it coming - I fumbled. 

It's a terrible feeling. Walking down the hallway back to the locker room. Heads down, silent with nothing to boast about. The feeling of defeat. In this space of solitude, let me rest here for a while. And when the time is right, pick myself up and get back on the field. But for now, let me rest. Maybe some ice-cream will help. Yea, some ice-cream will be good.

~ Day 20 ~

Chapter 1: Restarting

Hmm... funny. I can't seem to find the right words to say. Maybe I'll should let it sink in for a while. Anyways, just thought I should let you guys know. 

~ Operation C*rry is no more ~

The October Issue #3

October. It's that time of the year where I randomly create a "magazine cover" for my blog. From now till the end of the year, I would usually prepare a bunch of stories and events to share before concluding with a reflective post. However, this time around I'm not so sure where I'm going with all this. But one thing's for certain... I'm deep in thought. 

Check out the past two issues here:

The October Issue #2

The October Issue

~ would love some toast right about now. ~

One Step at a Time

And we're one week into the 40 day fast. Hmm it really isn't a fast but more of a 40-day-trial-period-of-building-disciplines-that-will-hopefully-be-carried-over-after-the-40-days. Yea, let's call it that. Can't say I've been diligently doing my devotions but 6 out of 8 days is decent (just sayin' to make myself feel better). There're so many things that I hope for and the feeling of wanting all of them makes me feel greedy. I want breakthroughs, salvation, discipline and direction. Is that too much to ask for? 

Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

I love catching up with friends over coffee. It's nice. As simple an adjective 'nice' is, that's what it is - nice. I reckon everyone yearns for honest conversations & these "coffee-sessions" is sorta my way of having just that. Blessed and grateful to be able to do so. 

Feeling fidgety and excited but at the same time uncertain and dreadful. I should learn to focus on one thing at a time. Ok, I'm way over my 30 minutes cap. Think blogging time should be exempted as well. We shall chat soon. 

~ anticipating ~

This City

~ can't wait for Soulpunk! ~

40 Day Trial Period

Looks like things are finally falling into place. Deadlines have been etched, errands have been ran and goals have been set. Now comes the fun part. Execution. 

The 40 day fast starts tmr. Two things that I'll be doing: i) daily devotion on the books of Tim ii) 30 minutes of internet usage daily (minus uni/work related requirements). 

Reading the bible is a discipline which I'm lacking, so this will definitely do me some good. The internet is my greatest source of distraction. Putting a cap on how much time I spend on facebook, twitter, youtube, etc. will help me to focus and create space for more productive and meaningful work.  Hopefully by the end of it, I'll be able to carry these disciplines along with me beyond the 40 days. 

Was talking to abi last night about our relationship with God. And it saddens me how I always revert back to feeling so undeserving of God. Always feeling like I'm never good enough. I wish I had everything together - awesome prayer life, clear direction in life and even having the strength to solve all my problems on my own. 

"Well if you could do that, you wouldn't need God would you?"

Chew on that for a bit.

Yes, we are undeserving of God's love but it's given to us, FOR FREE! After all, "tt's the message of grace what, it can't be earned". I know all of this but I guess it's time for it to sink from here to here *gesture from head to heart*.

God I thank you for your love and grace. We are so broken and undeserving yet you redeem us. Teach me God to trust you whole-heartedly, to love you more than my desires and my brothers and sisters. I pray for discipline during these 40 days, that I'll be led and driven by the spirit. Teach me once again to engage, embrace and empower as I journey together with my friends. I surrender my fears and uncertainties to you. I know you're here with me. Light the way. Amen.

~  exciting times are here ~

Stage 4: Lover

Currently reading The Way of the Wild Heart. This is a book about how boy - and a man - becomes a man. The author brings forth the idea of 6 different stages a man goes through during a masculine journey. 

Boyhood to Cowboy to Warrior to Lover to King to Sage.

John emphasizes again and again that each stage cannot be pin to an exact age. 

"They overlap, and there are aspects of each stage in every other." (John Eldredge 2006, pg. 11)

"Now, let me say again that these stages are all present to some degree at any period in a man's life, and they all come together to make a man whole and holy man." (John Eldredge 2006, pg. 14)

But for today, let's talk about stage 4: Lover.

Two sentences which struck a chord with me. Lemme break it down and discuss both quotes separately.

"A Lover comes to offer his strength to a woman, not to get it from her." (John Eldredge 2006, pg. 13)

I always thought that I would be able to find strength in a woman. That having a woman would give me a reason to fight - a drive, a mission. So you can see how this quote totally goes against what I believe in. But surely a woman would prefer a man, a warrior with a clear mission, a guy "who've got it together" ie. not me. Surely, no woman would want to be with a man struggling to "get his life together", to share his burdens and put up with his uncertainties. If she did, sorry but I think you're a fool.

(What do the sisters in the house think? Drop me a comment or let me know personally!)

And because of that, I'm always struggling with the thought of never being good enough. As ready as I think I may be, it's never good enough. Hopefully I'll find more clarity once I've read through the book. A little confidence would help too.

Moving on.

"Service for God is overshadowed by intimacy with God." (John Eldredge 2006, pg. 13)

So the time of the lover is not foremost about the woman. It's also about loving God. Notice how each post is connected to one another? God's speaking but sometimes I'm just so lazy and distracted. Anyways - Service vs Intimacy. Simple to grasp, hard to do. As we all know God wants a relationship with us. To father us, to take our spiritual journey to a whole new level. And for that, we need to love God, just because.    

The 40 day fast starts next week. This time around we're focusing more on building strong disciplines that would (hopefully) last over the 40 day period. The last 40 day fast brought about lots of breakthroughs. Really excited to see what's gonna happen this time. 

Gonna be great doing this together with the community! 

~ lots of thoughts about the future. hmmm. ~

Love God

Alrighty! I think my thoughts have finally been processed (after 2 long months). Let's see how I well I can articulate this. So things have been dry, spiritually. I've been waiting and waiting for God to speak, move, do something. But it's been quiet, stagnant, empty. Till yesterday - when I had a chat with Mel. 

"Love God."

As simple as it was, it was all that I needed to hear. I don't love God enough. Oh if only loving God was as easy as loving beautiful songs and fast food takeouts. Why is it so hard? Maybe I'm distracted or just downright lazy. I think I'm both. God wants a relationship with us and yes, that means investing time, words, and energy. Unfortunately, God and I don't have a low maintenance relationship. Ahh if only. There I go again, being lazy.

Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV)

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I AM SO DISTRACTED. Yes, like typing in caps lock - it's distracting, but it does drive the point home. I digress. See? Distracted. Why am I distracted? Honestly, I very well know the answer(s) to this question. Guess that's something to consider during the 40 day fast. Just two more weeks to go folks!

For now this quiet is ok, yea? 

Be still. Seek God. Love God. 

~ thank you mel! ~

Fanboying... yes it's a word.

I've been listening to Karmin everyday for the past week.

They are good. Nuff said.

And who knew Sara Bareilles would have such an awesome stage presence. Always thought that she would be a sweet, soft-spoken lady. Guess not. Super cool and fun band too.

~ feel like recording something nyaaa ~

Sista's Graduation

@ Perth Convention Centre - 27th Aug 2011

Happy Graduation sis! May this be a stepping stone for you to pursue your interests and reach for greater heights! Currently in Perth, spending time with the family and visiting old but familiar places. Making good use of "30 Hearts". Can't wait to show you guys what I can cook up with this new toy. Yea, I do miss Melbourne. Just a little.

~ mm listening to Sara Bareilles ~

30 Hearts

Life has always been about pleasing my parents. Getting good grades, being a good boy.

Life has always been about pleasing others. Don't talk back, don't ask questions, just do. 

Life was... simple.

When did life become so complicated?

My parents wishes for me to live a happy, comfortable life. 

Which parents wouldn't? 

I would want the same for my children too. 

So what seems to be the problem?

Money. 

And I'm sure that deep down inside, each and every one of us agrees that money = happiness + comfortable life. You need money to feed yourself. You need money to support your family. You need money to socialise. You need money! And you need more of it! But is money really the problem?

When did life become so complicated?

When I stopped getting good grades?
When I stopped being a good boy?
When I began to question?

No.

Life became complicated when I began to yearn for more. 

Surely, there's more to life than pleasing others.

Surely, there's more to life than earning money.

Surely, there's more to life than "getting it right".

I've been caught in between the limbo of chasing my dreams and pleasing my parents for far too long. I have the understanding, I have the willingness - and now the capacity. It's time to take flight. 

I'm gonna please my parents by chasing my dreams. 

How that's gonna work out, I don't know. But some things are worth fighting for. I pray for who ever that's reading this, may you find something worth fighting, crying, breaking the rules for. Cause we deserve it. As much as we deny, shy away from it, we very much deserve to chase our dreams and hope for greater things. Never tell yourself otherwise.

HA! What bold statements. But that's, well.... my revelation. 

21st [Take 2]

Thank you for believing in me. 

For all the encouragements and prayers. 

Thank you for your generous hearts.

For investing into my passions and dreams.

I am truly blessed to have you all in my life.

Thank you.

Love,

Jules

~ holding onto 30 Hearts ~

Celebration

.... rhymes with graduation!

"He does eye things"  - 13th Aug 2011

Ms Bachelor of Arts - 15th Aug 2011

Shout out to Chris Law, Mich Lim, Melissa Wong and Cherie Voon.

Am honoured to celebrate this milestone with you guys. Wishing you all the best in your future endeavours. Cheering you on. Congrats!

~ more celebrations to come ~

Love Wins

Just finished reading Love Wins. Incredible book.

Love Wins talks about Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Rob Bell's views on these topics challenges the common belief of the Christian faith. And it's a book riddled with questions.

Questions we fear to ask.
Questions behind the questions.
Questions no one has the right answer to.
Questions we wouldn't otherwise..... question.

This book has garnered tonnes of controversy. But for someone to finally ask these questions out-loud and share his honest views on them, that takes guts. I like this Rob Bell guy. I rather you find out for yourself what's written in this book rather than sharing it here. It's definitely a book worth reading.

With that said, I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone. This book is by no means the answer to life's biggest questions but may it inspired and give you a new perspective on life itself.

__________________________________________________________________________

Now for me to jot down snippets from the book for my own reference:

So when the gospel is diminished to a question of whether or not a person will "get into heaven," that reduces the good news to a ticket, a way to get past the bouncer and into the club.

The good news is better than that. (Rob Bell 2011, p.178)

As Paul writes in Philippians 3,
"Let us live up to what we have already attained." (Rob Bell 2011, p.188)

Forgiveness is unilateral.
God isn't waiting for us to get it together,
to clean up, shape up, get up -
God has already done it. (Rob Bell 2011, p.189)

"It's only when you lose your life that you can find it, Jesus says." (Rob Bell 2011, p.190)

Ahh Matthew 10:39, we meet again.

God's gonna do something.


~ look at me referencing like a good boy. wheee ~

Something's Brewing

Matthew 10: 37-39 (NIV)
37 "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

I think God's trying to say something.

Been watching the Planetshakers Conference 2011 DVD together with the housechurch and today we were watching Reggie Dabbs' sermon. Interesting how this verse that he brought up resembles what Pastor Tim shared about two weeks back.

God's trying to say something.

I had a funny dream recently. I vaguely remember the setting of the dream. We, a girl I knew and myself, were sitting against a wall, chatting (I think). It was an open area, probably outdoors.

She was holding a knife. 

Just a tiny one, almost pen-sized. As she showed me the knife, she told me, "You're the only one who knows about this knife."

That was when the dream ended and a new one began. I dreamt that YahwehAG had opened a branch in Kuching and that it had four cashiers. Bliss.

I digressed. 

How I interpreted the dream: That girl has what it takes to hurt me. 

God's saying something? Nahh must have dreamt about knives because of all the cooking I've been doing of late. Or maybe it's just a reference to Alice: Madness Returns. 

Alice's got a knife!

I'll let my dreams be dreams.

~ still processing my thoughts ~

The Words Of A Dying Man

Pastor Tim has been preaching from the book of 2 Timothy for the past month. He appropriately entitled the series "The Words Of A Dying Man" as it was the last letter that Paul wrote before he was beheaded. Poor guy.

A couple of things/questions that I took away, thus far:

Number one - Am I able to love God more than my family, friends, above all else? 

No.

It pains me to say it, but No, I don't think I can. Really? Can you love God more than your mum, your dad, your wife, your MacBookPro or your need for control? Can you love God instead of loving the things He does? What does it mean to love someone/something that isn't tangible, out-of-sight and at times just seems so far away? Can you? How?

Faith.

But how much? 

Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

The Bible knows best.

Number two - Hold On, Guard It, Be Strong, Entrust them with Truth.

Sounds like the most awesome tag-line to a movie. Hence, the movie-esque poster. Unfortunately, I don't remember anything else from that sermon. I should start taking notes again. Before Tim ended the sermon last Sunday, he briefly mentioned the 40 day fast. Too quick! It's amazing how fast the year has gone by. Alas, we can only, and we should, press on. Hmm still finding time to gather my thoughts. It'll come soon enough.

~ time to pick up my slack. ~

Thank You

Keep It Real

The first time I watched Clara perform was 2 years ago at Cafe Crema. Since then, I've become quite a fan. Clara Rhoden is a powerhouse. I love how her vocals are accompanied with equally powerful lyrics. Lyrics which are genuine, honest and real! Clara's music is, at the very core, rock. So for those looking for something heavier or music which doesn't explicitly talk about sex, booze and partying, you might enjoy this album. My favourite songs from this album are "Real Again" and "One More Chance".

"Clara's debut album Keep it Real is a challenge to us all to live unreservedly and wholeheartedly as the people God made us to be." - clararhoden.com (Biography)

Check out her website and listen to her previews here. It's not too late to join the real revolution!

~ in support of melbourne's local music scene ~