MealZ on WillZ

I was watching a movie yesterday about this guy that accidentally killed someone else.. and at the very last part he just broke down and asked for forgiveness..

"Forgive me... I really didn't mean to take your life... forgive me..."

It opened my eyes. When we remind ourselves of how Christ died for us, to take away our sins, wash us clean and give us a brand new life, we often think of it as something that He HAD to do. Adam messed up the whole thing and we bore the consequences of sin (death eternally - Romans 6:23) ... He bore the penalty and retrieved the rights to death and hell (Revelations 1:18).

We see the whole salvation story as one of which we nailed Christ to the cross.. even if we do, bring it a step further. Think of it as us shooting Christ straight in the face. Think of it as us injecting that lethal needle into His arm. Think of it as us pulling the handle at the hanging gallows. Think of it as us turning on the switch of the electric chair. "It's not that morbid right? I didn't kill Him that way!" We did, even if we didn't know it. Luke 23:34. If you think of it, it was more like us that had to be shot, injected, hung and burned.

You know what's even more amazing? Yes, it was our sin that demanded a ransom... but did sin really take His life? Hmm... I think what took His life wasn't sin, but love. God loved so much that He GAVE. (John 3:16) Love killed Jesus. (John 15:13)

Let us come before Him not only because our sins are forgiven, but more so because His love has won us over, God has won us over.


WillZ

How awesome is this song huh? It's in Shout To The Lord 2000, yet it's one of my favorite songs. It's hymnal... it's powerful... It's based on His Word...
and it pops up every now and then in my head.

It speaks about walking thru valleys low, going thru mourning, darkest nights... yet it lifts up your eyes to see His higher way... how He steals our heart...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll walk closer now on the higher way
Through the darkest night will You hold my hand
Jesus guide my way

O You mourn with me and You dance with me
For my heart of hearts is bound to You

Though I walk through valleys low
I'll fear no evil
By the waters still my soul,
My heart will trust in You
My heart will trust in You

O You counsel me and You comfort me
When I cannot see, You light my path

My heart will trust in You

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A combi of my favorite verses - Psalm 23 & Proverbs 3:5,6.


WillZ

I kinda like this phrase. I think I will use it when I go back to Malaysia.

Friend : "Eh that day I was at Prangin Mall, I walk walk ar, I saw this ah pek like siau siau already one la. He was like putting 50 ringgit on ppl's car windscreens, a lot of people go take lor. I also got. I collect 150 ringgit lor. Nearly got into a fight somemore."

Me : "Surely you jest with me!"

Friend : "?????? What talking you?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But ya... was asked by my principal yesterday if I could give them more hours as they will be requiring a lot more of my services this year.

She : "...is it ok with you give us more hours?..."

Me in my heart with a grin : "Surely you jest with me.. takkan I say nokay?"
Me out of my mouth with a straight face : "Hmm... I'm pretty sure that can be arranged... shouldn't be a problem. I think the consultants' proposal was really good."

Well, basically my school engaged an IT consultant group to do a study, and came up with a 3 year strategic plan to give the school an idea of what best practice models look like in terms of ICT in education. They got so excited about it (so did I, more hours who not excited right) and met me straightaway after the consultant's meeting to discuss plans and offered me more hours. And of course I fueled their excitement when I gave them some ideas of what can be implemeted if I were given more hours. It's good stuff. They might be thinking of making the IT Tech's job a fulltime one next year. Hmm, maybe I'll hang on to this job for a while more eh? A lot to learn cos they are really moving fast in education. They've got a new building coming next year and will really be pumping a lot of resources into getting the IT stuff done properly. Imagine being able to participate in such a project - IT management of a new facility which includes a whole computer lab, server room, managed switches and more. I'm excited.

Well, kudos to Princes Hill Primary. I think you guys will be the cutting edge school in terms of ICT integration; you focus much on the sustainability of such visions and results will be good.

So ya, Father... You know my heart and You really are interested in my well being in all aspects. Seek Your desires first, and You will meet my needs and desires in due time - help me keep the faith. Thanks Dad.


WillZ

...of a Christian walk with the unseen God.

I remember Uncle Chin telling me a long long time ago the secret to his success in life. "Read the Bible, pray, live righteously. Simple only what."

Cool eh? Seriously... that's what we have to do. We were taught a few basic things in children's church.

"Read your Bible, pray everyday you will grow, grow, grow!"
"Regret the Bible, refuse to pray you will shrink, shrink, shrink!"
"7 days without prayer makes 1 weak."
"Walk walk walk walk in the light.. walk walk walk walk in the light"
"Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so."
"I love You Jesus, deep down in my heart.."
"Father Abraham has many children.." ... ermm.. ok maybe not this one.

But ya... I wanna do just that for now, don't struggle with wanting to take huge strides of faith.. just walk the everyday walk that He wants me to. If a leap is needed, He'll carry me. That's what fathers do for their kids. They walk walk walk then reach a drain.. he carries the kid across. What does the kid do? Stretch out his hands in faith and daddy carries them across. Just because we're adults now doesn't mean we forego the child-like faith we're told to keep.

So read your Bible and pray everyday... you will grow grow grow.
...and don't forget Milo.


WillZ

This is my 350th post on the blog!

Since it's such a milestone, I'll post a link to something that almost ALL my friends will benefit from. Consider it a charitable gift... no need to thank me!

So here you go.. CLICK ON ME... before it's too late.

....Really, hope you didn't click on it too late.


WillZ

...and love captivated those men, to leave their wives and children and risk everything? What made them do it? I want to be captured and captivated to realise too that there is no greater love than a man laying down his life for another.

It really makes you think about how far you would go for Him. It really takes you all the way to the other end of your life where you'd actually go "Har? Really ar? Give THAT much? I thought You'd understand that this is one line that You wouldn't ask of me to cross.. cos ya You do want to bless me right?"

"I will not let go unless You bless me."
You wrestle with me Lord.


WillZ

The max for the today is 18C.
Room temperature with no heater on - 24C.

How cool.. ermm how un"cool" is that?


WillZ

What do you do when you don't know what to do anymore?

Just do what you should be doing even when things don't seem out of control. You humble yourself before God, without a hint of pride. You trust that He has heard your prayers. You believe He is working on things even if your eyes see otherwise and results go the other way.

You utter a simple prayer - "Lord I don't know what to do anymore."

"Don't worry my child, I do."


WillZ

Verse:
You spread out the skies over empty space
Said "let there be light"
Into a dark and formless world Your light was born

You spread out Your arms over empty hearts
Said "let there be light"
Into a dark and hopeless world Your Son was born

Pre-chorus:
You made the world and saw that it was good
You sent Your only Son for You are good

Chorus:
What a wonderful Maker
What a wonderful Savior
How majestic Your whispers
And how humble Your love

With a strength like no other
And the heart of a Father
How majestic Your whispers
What a wonderful God

Verse:
No eye has fully seen, how beautiful the cross
And we have only heard
The faintest whispers of how great You are

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Here's what I hear the Spirit of the Lord's saying tonight - You're still in the womb. You're still in the womb. See because when you came through the birth and out of your mother, God wasn't finished making you. So even as we sing this song 'What A Wonderful Maker', the processes of God go on through all kinds of different wombs. He cocoons you in places, often times where you feel that your liberty is gone, where you feel that you're confined. You see, with Joseph, in each stage of development the 'making' process of God was going on to prepare him for the palace. You see the pit was just the womb. Potiphar's house was just another womb. The prison was just another womb. And there many of you are in a place of transition, there's a shift that's going on in the spirit. You've been uncertain, you do not know what the next phase, the next step is.. but you felt it, you felt something going on. And I hear the Master saying so clearly that... that process is coming forth. You're coming to a season that you're about to transition from the place of confinement to the place of release. Every gift that He has prepared in you is about to be released. And that has bothered some of you so bad because there are gifts that are within you that have never been released. You've been in places that you didn't understand how to release those gifts because they weren't always meant for the place that you were, they were meant for the place you were going. You're in the womb. There is a shift, and it has troubled some of you. In fact there are some of you here you feel like you've missed God. Well you haven't missed God. You're on track. You know why? Because your heart is after the Lord. Listen, if your heart is hard after God you're not gonna miss God. If your heart follows hard after the Lord it doesn't mean you won't be in hard places. Lemme say that again, if your heart is hard after the Lord it doesn't mean you won't be in hard or difficult places. But in those places of difficulty that press in on you, you gotta see God's hand nonetheless at work. How many would honestly say right now 'Even in the hard places change has come to me that I have needed for my own life'? That's why you can even rejoice for the difficult times. When you get on the other side you'll go 'Oh God, that's what You were doing. I needed that.' It doesn't make it any easier in the middle of it. But on the other side you'll go 'Oh God, I see Your master plan right now and I needed that hard thing to break this piece of me off. Because that wasn't any good. That would've messed me up in the new place.' Come on, there are some pieces of you that have fallen off in the last 2 to 3 years that needed to fall off of you, because it would've messed you up if you'd have got into the new season still carrying that, and you've been broken before God, and now there's a new release that is coming!"


WillZ

Comparing our lives with the lives of others has its pros and cons.

Pro : We have an idea of what others (ones that are doing better) are doing and we place a goal for ourselves to achieve.

Con : We have an idea of what others (ones that are doing better) are doing and it makes running our own track tiresome.

But whatever it is, gotta be reminded that our eyes should be fixed on our own tracks, cos there are good stuff along the way.. and we miss out on the fun parts of the journey when we envy the tracks others are on.

Once in a while, it is good that we catch a glimpse of what others (more unfortunate ones) are doing and helps us to realise that what we're facing on our tracks are not as bad as we make them to be. Life isn't that hard anymore.


WillZ

After sitting in the shop for 4 months, someone finally bought my Zoom 2020 Guitar FX unit... and I now have $80 dollars more to put into my rental fund.

Bought the thing more than 10 years ago for the price of nearly RM700. I guess after so many years I could still fetch RM215 (according to xe.com) for it.. not too shabby?

The AUD is dropping... 2.70 to the ringgit now right? Students and their parents must've been praying really hard. Time for people earning AUD like myself to fast and pray against this. ;) COME ON!! We can do it! RM3!!


WillZ

When I see the beauty of a sunset's glory
Amazing artistry across the evening sky
When I feel the mystery of a distant galaxy
It awes and humbles me to be loved by a God so high

* What can I do but thank You
What can I do but give my life to You
Hallelujah, hallelujah
What can I do but praise You
Everyday make everything I do
A hallelujah, a hallelujah
Hallelujah

When I hear the story of a God of mercy
Who shared humanity and suffered by our side
Of the cross they nailed You to that could not hold You
Now You're making all things new
By the pow'r of Your risen life

Paul Baloche & Graham Kendrick
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


WillZ

According to a news article published on StarOnline, there has been 2 million cases of lost MyKads since 2001.

That got me thinking. 2 million MyKads. If you laid them down flat on the ground.. next to each other. And say every MyKad is 2 x 3 inches in size. The total area covered by the lost cards would be 2 x 3 x 2,000,000 square inches = 12 million square inches. Which is equivalent to 304800.60960121924 square metres. Which translates to 304 square kilometres of MyKad.

Provided my math and calculations aren't wrong :
How in the world did we lose sight of 304 square kilometres of plastic cards???


WillZ

I have probably posted the lyrics of this song on my blog before. Knowing where he came from, what he was feeling when he wrote this song,... it draws out the same prayer within me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jeremy Camp - I Still Believe

Scattered words and empty thoughts
Seem to pour from my heart
I've never felt so torn before
Seems I don't know where to start
But its now that I feel Your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Though the questions still fog up my mind
With promises I still seem to bear
Even when answers slowly unwind
It's my heart I see You prepare
But its now, that I feel, Your grace fall like rain
From every fingertip washing away my pain

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your Holy Word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

Well the only place I can go is into Your arms
Where I throw to You my feeble prayers
Well in brokeness I can see that this was Your will for me
Help me to know that You are near

I still believe in Your faithfulness
I still believe in Your truth
I still believe in Your holy word
Even when I don't see, I still believe

I still believe (repeat 8 X's)

Ohhh, i still believe, i still believe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lord, give me a story to glorify You with... Amen.


WillZ

Nickelback - Photograph
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
How did our eyes get so red
And what the hell is on Joey's head

And this is where I grew up
I think the present owner fixed it up
I never knew we'd ever went without
The second floor is hard for sneaking out

And this is where I went to school
Most of the time had better things to do
Criminal record says I broke in twice
I must have done it half a dozen times

I wonder if it's too late
Should i go back and try to graduate
Life's better now then it was back then
If I was them I wouldn't let me in

Oh oh oh
Oh God I

Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Remember the old arcade
Blew every dollar that we ever made
The cops hated us hangin' out
They say somebody went and burned it down

We used to listen to the radio
And sing along with every song we know
We said someday we'd find out how it feels
To sing to more than just the steering wheel

Kim's the first girl I kissed
I was so nervous that I nearly missed
She's had a couple of kids since then
I haven't seen her since god knows when

Oh oh oh
Oh God I

Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

I miss that town
I miss the faces
You can't erase
You can't replace it

I miss it now
I can't believe it
So hard to stay
Too hard to leave it

If I could I relive those days
I know the one thing that would never change

Every memory of looking out the back door
I had the photo album spread out on my bedroom floor
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Every memory of walking out the front door
I found the photo of the friend that I was looking for
It's hard to say it, time to say it
Goodbye, goodbye

Look at this photograph
Everytime I do it makes me laugh
Everytime I do it makes me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


WillZ

...drives out all fear.

God is love.
God is patient.
God is kind.
God does not envy, does not boast, is not proud.
God is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not easily angered.
God keeps no record of wrongs.
God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

God never fails.


WillZ

1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

~ Psalm 112


WillZ

Psalm 3:8 ~
From the LORD comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.

Psalm 4:8 ~
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 7:17 ~
I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness
and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 8:4 ~
What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Psalm 9:18 ~
But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.

Psalm 13 ~
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.

Psalm 15 ~
LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.

Psalm 16:2, 5-11 ~
I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."

LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
you have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 18:16-19 ~
He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Psalm 19:13-14 ~
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Psalm 139:23-24 ~
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


WillZ

...represents Strength, Faith, Courage, Power.

Courage is not the absence of fear, it is taking over your fear and telling it that it is not the lord of my life. Doubt is the opposite of faith.

*the following words brought tears to my eyes, don't ask me why, it spoke strongly to my spirit*

"We need to step through fear, doubt and weaknesses - that is what will teach your kids strength, faith, courage and power."

"Because one day, you will have to lead" (Joshua 1:6)

It is true. It encouraged me to push on in spite of the brick wall in front of me. I don't want my kids to learn that I'm a wimp. One that has a defeatist attitude. I want them to know that I was a hero. A man that gave others strength, walked by faith, led with courage and stood firm in power when facing my enemies.

The world teaches us to discover our potential. God teaches us to discover His potential. "When I do it through you, it is because you are not as gifted, it is then that I get the credit".


WillZ

I've seen ppl go wide-eyed when they step into choc stores, boutiques, max brenner, kokoblack... and this is where I go wide-eyed.


WillZ

If there's one person that I've grown to respect and love as a lead worshipper, it has got to be Paul Baloche. If by any chance you stumble upon this lil blog of mine, Paul, I thank you for using your gifts and answering your call to impact the world with your heart for God, your heart that seeks to worship and please Him. Thank you for ministering to me through your songs. Keep up the good work, and thanks for being an awesome role model to me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Way by Paul Baloche

The way the thunder shakes the earth
Lightning strikes and shouts Your worth
The way the seasons come to pass
Shows my heart Your faithfulness
The way the morning star returns
The way a fire burns

CHORUS
I see You, I feel You like the wind against my face
I hear You, I 'm near You in every step I take
I want to follow You more and more each day
'Cause You are the way, You are the way
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are my way Lord. Even when I don't see, I still believe.


WillZ

It's never easy to choose the path less taken. When you know God has placed something in your heart to pursue, there will be things that come to steal, kill and destroy it.

Deut 28:1-3
If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

Will I see my promise come to past in my lifetime? Am I willing to walk His way when I don't see? Friends, even if my God doesn't show up as I delight myself in Him I want to keep doing so, or at least try. I do not know how many more days, weeks, months I have left to live, I've always felt that I'll die young... but for now I want to live with no compromise.

I may be stupid or foolish for doing the things I'm doing now, but I want to know that I'll jump when He says, "Jump".. and only when He says that. I don't believe God will blame me cos I believe if I'm doing wrong He'll lovingly correct me. But this is what I see at the moment, the tools I have in my hand. The very things that He has given me today is all I have to make decisions for today. It's not easy, not one bit when you have much around you to be envious of. I have asked, "Why?".. and He hasn't spoken yet.

Yes, I do want to have a life consisting of a great career, thriving finances, wonderful wife and beautiful family. But if my life ends today with me being poor, alone, and a failure in the eyes of the world - I want my God to know that I did my best to please Him. "Abba, forgive me if I missed Your instructions and Your voice. I'm weary and I'm full of flaws, but use me Lord in spite of who I am, so that You may take credit. That many will see and fear, and put their trust in You."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Stern - No Compromise

Lord look into my heart, look into my life
Tell me what You see
I choose to walk the straight and narrow path
And not the way that's easy

A double-minded man cannot stand against the
storms of evil
So make my life a sacrifice keeping your commands

Chorus:
It is my prayer, and it is my cry
Place in my heart
No compromise

It is my longing, and it is my yearning
Place in my heart
No compromise
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do I know what I am doing? Am I doing the right thing? I will only know when I reach the end of my journey on earth...


WillZ