Top 10 countdown

Who's really the king of the Universe? Not dis man thankfulli

while searchin for videos that highlight how human beings who try to run their own lives without God or with themselves as king in God's place inevitably screw up...i found the greatest example of a screw up tryin to run the world's most powerful country(n i'm not too sure about God being honoured as the rightful king inspite of all that rhetoric)..Thank God the universe does not come down to dis bloke's rule...

am i missing Australia?

i hav no ans to dat qn i juz posed in the title..i think i do...but i'm dreadin the whole semester startin again n havin to face some of the most dour lookin n poor attitude givin lecturers n tutors aroun...they couldnt even motivate or inspire a koala...wat more a student?

i do look forward to unichurch n Focus n solid bible study again..i dun find much of dat here in sg...honestly...had a talk wif a fren recently whos back from australia as well n who was part of FOCUS there...but not from newcastle...she agrees generalli...churches in sg talk bout lots of stuff but are not sharp n clear about stuff like full time christian ministry n work n life priorities...n even wat ur salvation means in practice on a day to day basis..

n i wanna juz submerge myself in ministry n my studies n juz not think bout the whole gal n relationship issue...y is it so difficult for a guy to hav his feelins reciprocated i wonder? ok nuff philosophical musings..

been tryin to keep track of unichurch sermons via podcast(or rather, Hunter Bible Church)...its been helpful...thank God for good use of modern technology..i would like to make better use of stuff like you-tube videos n Audio-Visual media for emceein in church n in teachin kids church...how can i do so? hmmmm...shall use my blog as a testin ground for such media...

inertia and determination

am filled with a great deal of inertia now in gettin things done...be it my bible study on the book of James that i'm supposed to e-mail to Paul n Lake...or in gettin my research done on housing patterns in Singapore which i promised i would do as part of my so-called personal summer research..

the onli bright spots would b the weekli kids church ministry that Charis church is doin at the local Boon Keng area and of which i'm a teacher...for better or worse..so, actualli puttin in2 practice the skills i've learned at NTE in sharing the gospel with children and presenting God's Word in a fun and excitin manner has been very rewardin and challengin...the stuff we learn at NTE is really like swimmin in a pool...but real ministry is like swimmin in the open sea with all the inherent dangers...but i kinda like the thrill and excitement involved..

lets talk about some of the kids who have been comin to kids church...C, the 9 year old whose father walked out on the family when she was born(n she's never met him)...beautiful and sweet and smart...n W, the 11 year old gal whose mum walked out on their family 3 years ago..very interested but reserved...D n J, the sisters who live nearby and come to our kids church even though they actualli go to another church on Sundays, Pt, the kid whose birth parents sold to his aunt because of financial difficulties...in the gifted programme of his primary school (for students with genius level intelligence)...who said when we first did 2 Ways To Live that he wanted to choose to live with Jesus as his king rather than anyone else..n others like the half thai siblings P&P n the 2 gals we've been tryin to disciple who were saved a while back but whose father is a chinese temple medium(predestination at work)

i realli dun noe wat to teach the kids under my charge after we finish 2 ways to live...which is in 2 weeks...been prayin about it n I do feel that these children need to noe wat the True love of God the Father is realli like...so i believe thats the direction that we'll be goin..

n i dunno wat to do bout another issue: there are some pple in life u wish u'd met earlier...there are some pple whom one could say i'd b happy to just b wif this person for one day n heck about the rest...n when it seems that this person shares many things in common with u...or at least, lots of common discussion topics...n the most important is ur faith...one realli begins to think that mayb i'm gonna get thru life after all...its not all bleak n dark...but it just seems too good to be true n u're alwaez waitin for the other side of the story to come crashin in...thats the dark/bad side...

at the decisive point where one can really say, i don't know wat i'm doin or wat to do...except pray n ask God to be Lord of this situation...its also the most scary....

I sue ya...Crazy Americans..

Frens' Frens

it seems that Kian's galfren has the same name as another fren of mine i noe..we had a good laugh about it on Sat nite at Boon Keng Prata shop...n of course he had to say,"if u n ur fren-who's-also-got-the-same-name-as-my-galfren get together then when u introduce her to us...its like who copy who..." yes kian...very perceptive...n no, i'm still single...but its a good laugh..

n today, i acted like i'd never been out of Singapore n staying in Australia for 6-9 months at a time when i was like 3cm from some ang mo guys n their chinese galfrens...n they were talkin bout experiences overseas n the places they've been to including Sydney....n deep down i was smilin very slyli....u're talkin bout Sydney? yes, wat do u noe bout it? the charming chaos of Chinatown? the beauty of Harbour Bridge esp at night? the crazy drunkness of Australian pub culture that realli is taken to extremes? Mrs Macquaries Chair..with the superb Harbour Views? Townhall n Worldsquare? Maybe Epping, Chatswood and Strathfield with all their amazing Korean subcultures? Do u even noe that the red pulsating heart of Australia is almost-socialist Labour that would not have Sydney built the way it was (think Newcastle) if they could?

when i'm back home...i kinda miss the place...both Sydney and Newcastle..when i'm there...i miss Singapore n family...such a strange situation huh?

Shhhh...its a SECRET

Reflections on NTE 2

Now, i'd like to go in2 a bit more detail about the Missions phase of NTE and do a small ad for next year's one..

it was wonderful to serve in an Anglican church in North Sydney..felt a bit familiar after those years in St Andrews School and with the background of Pa being a former Anglican minister and all that..we stayed with the minister in charge of some congregations..Nigel Fortescue and his 4 lovely children..Michelle 11, Megan 9,sweet Brianna 6 and wonderful little Brodie, just 3 and so full of energy and life (reminds mi of Elliot but 3 times as active..hahaha)

the real hero was James..who had never sung a single Christmas carol before in his whole life but joined us in singing to the old folks at the nursing home...and on the first day, he acted in the school play for 11 year olds..such a 'Wiseman'...n thanks Harvey for calling mi 'Evil Herod' thru out the mission after that...oh no, i think its gonna stick with the unichurch pple liao..just like somebody callin mi Jothanan after hearin it from Elliot n spreading it aroun...*ahemmmm*...

Children's ministry, as i said, was wonderful...how do we put 'Christ' back into X'mas?how to teach kids about the birth of Baby Jesus and how special it was? (n yes, Moses, everytime u tell a lie, u make Baby Jesus cry......)the hidden talent was Bec Lee...never knew a fourth year medical student had so much in common with 6 year olds...hmmmm i wonder....but it alwaez amazes mi to see gals become suddenly motherly and warm aroun children...is it innate maternal instinct? watever it is, i think that is the most beautiful aspect of a woman...seeing her kindness and generosity and warmth aroun children..(yes, better learn that galss....besides cookin n cleanin)

n of course...we did Christmas flyer distribution at St Leonards Train Station at 7 am in the mornin (super tirin n super scary)...once again..James was able to shine by distributin his lot of flyers fastest..something about a psychology student allows him to convince pple they need to take one of his flyers i guess..

but the talks with the ministers like Nigel, David Lim (pastor of the Asian congregation) and Rick the senior minister were realli the most rewardin...David told us how he qulified as a Doctor after 5 years studyin and 1 year housemanship den decided to go into full time ministry...n how his Christian family practicalli crucified him and den excommunicated him because of that...makes mi wonder...as Asians, is our Christianity onli skin deep? is it a cover for more selfish agendas?so, its alright to serve God thru practicin medicine (n get rich) but wrong to serve God as a minister (because u can't get rich)..n Rick told us that as Christians,we should hav our priorities right...so, u choose ur church first, den where u live next, and last ur job..unlike the world which has it the other way round (n wrongli)..

the testimony time on Sunday was fantastic..we all gave our testimonies at different services...n we all attended at least 4 services..some 5..the Asian church was where James n i were at mainly n it was interestin...of course got a lot of sam gu lok po (3rd uncles and 6th aunties aka busybody-eat-finish-nothin-better-to-do) as Asian churches alwaez do includin mine here in Singapore (lets hope no one from Charis reads this)...but it was worthwhile seein Christians from other parts of Australia n different subcultures (the Asian community in Australia is still different from Singapore n even the white Australia we know in Newcastle) worshippin the same God n preachin the same Word..very encouragin..

anywae...i think its important international students go...we need to care about our fellow Australian Christians n learn the differences in church work in Australia n back home(wherever that might be)..n i think that we will go back much more confident of our Christian faith n teaching..if even James can go...all of us can...Heres to NTE next year..Cheers!

Reflections on NTE

i enjoyed NTE...the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students puts up a great training event each year that really builds Christians well..

this shd b the first of a 2 part series on some of my reflections on NTE..i enjoyed meeting pple who realli are Christians..In Christ there is no Jew or Greek, Barbarian, Scythian, Slave or Free..but Christ is all and is in all..different languages and cultures, but unity in Jesus Christ..

n the talks were amazing...Greg's exegesis of the book of Hebrews was inspiring..Supremacy of the Son, endurance and running the race..Peter Adams' funny and quirky talks about God's Word...n the missionary-meeting events..the idea of Christ being the centre of the gospel but not the only thing that Christians shd speak about when interpreting the Bible..dat was such a humbling experience..

it was encouraging meeting Christians from other campuses and knowing that we're not alone here...n even FOCUS pple from other campuses...we're not alone truly..the battle for the hearts and minds of university students continues everywhere..i onli wish that it were as dynamic and relevant in Singapore..

i thank God for James man...otherwise i would hav truly felt even more lonely than i was...we're only human and 10 days with pple u barely know does take its toll..no matter how much u care for them in Christ...n i was constantly reminded of certain fundamental truths dat is really hard to remain true to on our own...

i appreciate Nigel, the minister at Naremburn-Cammeray giving us a word in season...how one of the older women at church had gotten married to a nominally christian man and that always held her back in her christian walk n service...n especially in the christian upbringing of her children...n she died without seeing her husband change...well God is gracious and worked in her husband's life after her death such that he realli started living his life for God..But the fact was...God maybe sovereign and gracious...but that does not make right the disobedience and foolishness of His people..I'm not making this up...its a real life ministry story from a real life minister in a real life church..

n i realised that i enjoyed Children's Ministry so much..Phil Jensen always said that Women's and Children's ministries are The Most Important in the body of Christ...n not the least as we are often deceived into thinking..its amazing how much children can be taught using simple tools...simple communication but deep content..if i could make an impact on one kids' life for Christ i'd realli be happy...n if that kid was a Minister's Child that would be worth it...i only wish that when i was growing up as a minister's child i'd had that luxury of good mentoring...mayb i would not hav ended up as screwed up as i am..dats why it means something to me...its worth a god-damn that kids turn out right because Jesus died for these kids..

Love these Ads

Another Classic Philip Tan showed my class...dat stupid idiot!

Final Rant before Canberra

am essentially finished at Newcastle for the year...except for that Eastern Tiger dinner James, Lake, Tim and myself swore to go for on the 10th when i get back...but done...essentially

10 days in Canberra? why? 5 days at a conference where we learn interestin stuff n meet new frens...den 5 days at a church called Naremburn-Cammeray in North Sydney, doin some Children's ministry and helping out with Christmas decorations and evangelising at the local train station(i'm beginnin to fear that one oredi as i write this; just imagine the mud thats gonna fly in our direction)...i could do this for a long time with frens n pple i care about n hav come to treasure..yes, even Harvey..dis is not the kind of Christian ministry i was raised with...dats realli brutal

talk to Shian if u dun believe mi..anyways, this magical 10 days no. kinda reminds mi(there i go again) of Wallaby 04...i remember...not bathing or changing for 10 days..i remember...the REAL Australian bush....i remember...Shoalwater Bay Training Area n Sabina Point where Damien hollan-ded to (not mi...him)...i remember the blood sucking ticks(complete B*st*rds those)...i remember...sleeping under the dusty sky, looking at the stars like Orion the Hunter..i remember..the guys i worked with, the men i'm honoured to have serve under and the boys who i'm privileged to have led (simply the best)...i remember..the loneliness but also the intense peace...(n i'll let u in on my little secret, after those nites, i realised that i could be alone n unloved in life...n whenever i return to that place in my heart n mind...God gives mi the strength to carry on again)

i've been having disturbing dreams for some time...there are times i find myself again surrounded by strange n unfriendly ,even evil creatures that would harm mi...but den...the moon shines thru or somethin...n i find myself changin into somethin else...a wolf or some beast from my deepest, darkest subconsious...a drum beats in my breast..even now i can almost hear it...steady and distant, den louder n louder..closer...more violent..can u hear it as well?..thump thump thump...n i noe one thing...the hunt is afoot...little demons? the creature enjoys crushin the skulls of such animals between its strong , powerful jaws and with those hard, slightly blunt fangs...even demons are prey for certain creatures who in their wakin hours disguise themselves as innocent victims..camouflage!...dis is disturbin indeed..wat dreams are these that full of strive and violence so grip me??

see u guys in Canberra or Singapore...n friends who are not dat small ;) it'll b good to see u back home...very soon

See everyone soon

to my frens whom i will b missin and who r leavin Australia for the last time this year, thanks for all the memories and the wonderful times we've shared..thanks for ur friendship and the care and concern u've shown me..i'll be rememberin u guys..n i will see some of u soon...

n to those of my frens goin home soon...i'll catch ya back home..juz dun play until forget ur aussie frens..farewells are such dreary events sometimes...still..its always good to take n say ur goodbyes whenever u can cos u never noe when u'll hav e opp to meet again..

But i'd much rather say my hullos to frens whom i'll b meetin again after a long time....den say bye-byes to friends i'm not going to see..so, to u guys back home, those who mean somethin to mi, the NWO, Kian n Richard n the armour bros..the SFMS gang, Yve, Leonard, YQ, Zishuang, Serene...the SAS bros, Shian, Dan, the Alvinses...the Scouties, Shamir, VR, Gab, Tsang n the ladies...we're gonna b meetin soon..i'm thankful n expectant..realli

N Labour hav won the elections in Australia...Excellent! New Leadership n change...always a good sign...i wonder wat it says for my own country?

Anti Business?

here's that famous (or infamous) Labour anti-businees unions dominated political video authorized by the Liberal Party in Canberra for the Australian government (as background information, the Liberals and Nationals form the current Coalition government in Australia and the Australian Labour Party or ALP is the opposition)

on the even of the Australian Federal elections it appears that Kevin Rudd, leader of the ALP seems to have lost some ground to John Howard and the Coalition..this of course, is expected before any major election where previousli unsure voters n voters who've previousli decided for Labour suddenli get cold feet and decide to stick with the incumbent government rather than change...thats human nature...inertia and better the devil you know than the devil you don't..

n there is room for concern when one hears the stuff goin aroun about Labour being Union dominated or even controlled and Kevin Rudd being the mere puppet head and poster boy of an anti-business party..dat would mean a reversal of 11 years of growth and progress for the Australians..

do you believe that? i'm not Australian n an outsider, but frankly i think this whole thing reeks of last minute desperation to halt Labour's lead in the polls...as well as trying to use the communist/union/strike bogeyman to scare pple..its looks to mi like bullying tactics..

well, good luck n hav fun tomorrow at the polls my Australian friends and both parties...but u noe which team i prefer..

Written by Jonathan Chua for the Elections 07, Canberra

i may be an international student, but if there's one party i could vote for this Saturday in Australia,u noe clearly who i'd vote for...i'd like to see more dog-eat-dog political campaignin of the type seen over here in Australia back home in Singapore...put the leaders under a grill n turn up the pressure n heat to find out if they are truly worthy...politicians shd not get it so easy if they want my vote...nuff said..

everyday from today onwards i'll giv my 2 cents worth bout the upcomin elections over here n post an interestin campaign vid for both sides though u noe who i'd go for n who i'd feed to the dogs..

My Guys

this is gonna b an emo post...sorry if u're cringin oredi..

when i first came to Australia i prayed for a great group of Christian n other frens to mix aroun with n get to know.. end last year i prayed that even more...

n this year i really met the best group of frens a guy could wish for..not that my other frens i met last year arent good..in fact gettin to noe u better this year has been better than last year...i thank God for u korean guys like Josh, Lake and James..

there are actualli pple in newcastle whom i can relate to so well..guys who realli noe how tuff it is to b a guy...N yess, women n ladies, it IS difficult many times..we cry as well...we hurt as well...we have feelings as well..we are fully human as well..so next time you think about gossipin bout us...think again...words do break our hearts n souls even if not our bones..

Lake, u're one heck of a mature n considerate guy who's sincere n kind...even Darius agrees..n u're the onli one in newcastle whom i can hav a beer with n realli talk bout the issues that mean something to us..am gonna miss u when u head back this december..I wish i'd gotten to noe u earlier n better..n seriousli, this is nasty Jonathan sayin...if any b*tch is gonna reject u..she's just dat...a B*tch who isnt worth it..so tell her in a nice, gentle,forgivin n long-sufferin Christian spirit to piss off n go to hell..

James, you're my man...the glue in the group of guys n the one who's the most sociable, outgoin n fun..wat would we do without u? so much less thats for sure.. you're the guy that helps us laugh at ourselves...more than Paul i'm sad to say(orhhhhhhhhhh) n the one who alwaez puts a serious situation into a funny context that realli throws new light on stuff..wif that heart of gold of urs i understand why ur galfren in Japan loves u so much...hear that gals....its the HEART, not the damn looks or the cheesy lines...

Josh, you're doin well man..its hard sometimes to leave the pple u care about n come to Australia n now, leav the pple u've grown to care n LOVE...n go back home..we'll alwaez remain in ur heart(i hope) as you'll alwaez remain in ours...thanks for the games at Focus camp n the great sportsmanship you've shown n the fun-lovin devil-may-care attitude that we need so much n admire so much..where the heart is concerned, take the memories n leav the pain...why am i so cryptic? i dunno...as i learned from the great American dudes like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman..lets not get too caught up in the details of life n forget the eternity that we are part of..

finally, its not the end of our friendship..or rather Ends are just Beginnings.."Ever inventive nature produces one new form from another. Nothing in the universe ever perishes, believe me, but things vary, and adopt a new form"-Ovid, Metamorphoses

As Found

Peter Reyner Banham, quite a notorious architectural writer, historian and critic, was the author of the 1982 book Scenes in American Deserta, an anthology of images of the American desert with his own running commentary..this was probably a culmination of his life-long taste for rough, as-found textures and materials...which could sometimes be brutal..

I'm much influenced by that ethic or aesthetic(depending on ya point of view)...look at that maintenance shed behind the Newcastle University Fine Arts Studios..storm damage (the same as that which beached the Pasha Bolga on Newcastle Beach) caused that...one can say that ruins look awesome and fantastic if captured well (i, of course, have failed terribly)...its a record of the events in life and that reality is often not manicured and perfect...having said that, they look no less beautiful than perfectly manicured French gardens..

Are the pictures brutal? yes they are..is the condition of the building brutal? of course..but is it attractive and eye-catching? why, yes one admits...is it really because they're ugly or because there is something strangely human about seeing a broken building and goin, "siao liao! simi lan ch***?"

As-found...thats wats lacking in most modern design today...as-found materials, qualities and textures add a human dimension to spaces and places..you touch the rough, coarse texture of a coconut husk and you know that is something intensely human and immensely satisfying..enough of that minimalist Zen sterile laboratory rat living...give us sensuous, warm, rough and hairy spaces! If decoration can help acheive that or amplify that as-found aesthetic, so much the better..

a word about the pictures..i dun think our university is going to get that damage repaired anytime soon..it is, afterall...a case of having to fork out money rather than receive money so understandably...the delay...but i think they stand as good reminders of storms and not always needing to be perfect...and that buildings are immensely strong, such that they'll still being used and i dun think anyone seriousli entertains the thought that the roof is goin to collapse anytime soon..it looks worse than it actualli is..never judge a book by its cover...or rather judge a book by its cover onli if u can understand the idea that went into the design..

ThAt BlackListEd Mastercard Ad

I was recommended to see this when i was a wee 17 years old by a fren of mine...its a bit crude n ReaLLy banned in Singapore but its so funny...both then as much as now..

Guys, do u remember those cool or crappy (depends on yer viewpoint) Citibank or Mastercard ads that used to get played on tv promoting the good life if u used their cards/banks/products? Some things are priceless.. for everything else there's Mastercard..

Car Design

Architects are designers. We love good design and it always thrills us to see design thats good or interesting. Some of my influences include car design. That image above is the Toyota Prius 08 model.

whats so great u ask? its not fast, not visually stunning or sexy, no image of power or even purpose besides looking like an oversized family car...

this raises a few questions..why do car designers design so conservatively nowadays when the technology inside is new and has so much potential? why do we view certain designs like a Mitsubishi Evo VIII or IX like they are so great when all they do is waste petrol and u can't really race them in Singapore? If its because of the 'babe attractin power' den yes i agree..but is that wat the car was designed for? to help upper middle class ah bengs get a chio ah lian galfren to screw with after prata at jalan kayu?

u noe why i like the Prius? because its something Original..its in the Spirit of motoring which is risk and adventure...look beyond the styling...its wats inside..n i sincerely hope that soon, the technology will be so advanced that it can be placed in the kind of GTR bodywork that makes everyone, from a wannabe ah beng to the pretty office lady to the uncle in the street envy it and respect it...

a word about the technology...hybrid cars are inefficient in startin up from rest, cos they use a cold-start electric motor and battery rather than an idling engine..and the system to control the balance of battery power /electric motor versus internal combustion engine is quite complicated and not that reliable yet..but if they used more stuff like flywheels to store energy and improved computer control...hmmm..i wonder where it might go..

finally, the spirit of experimentation is just not found that much in the car market these days...its very stagnant...we need to experiment or else we die...from a design point of view, we need to try new stuff that pushes the technology out further and looks for new corridors to explore..dat is the spirit of motoring and wat the Prius has....now we can do something about the styling...

Cut the Crap n give us Jesus La

As u can see above, i'm puttin on something by The Chasers War on Everything-a fabulous Australian Prime time show that criticises and has a laugh at everything...n in the spirit of taking ourselves lightly, i say we Christians should have a look(if u havent oredi)

My God! look at that self-pious hypocrisy and self-righteous holier-than-thou nonsense man...why can't ministers stick to preaching the gospel and God's Word or else say it as it is: I love money and the world and fame..and you're gonna give it to me...dun mix the two..its disgusting..

and yes, Shaun i'm inspired by your Batman Superhero Hillsongs music video on your blog really..lets just say what we all think but dun dare say for fear of offending our brothers: Stop using Christian faith and the church as a source of personal wealth and gain...and ask ourselves the question: Did Jesus die for this? Really? What kind of a Saviour do you really believe in?Do we have a form of godliness but deny its power? Is our God our belly?

Come on...lets call a spade a spade..

Kevin07-Chinese Propaganda Video

All Hail the Power of an Independent and Skeptical Media