Province of ProVince: 2008

Monday 29 December 2008

Pause:Rewind

Gee that was fast. 2oo8 whizzed by. Did you see it?

As I reflect back on this year, God has been good. It always seems that He is good, and it is a true fact! He is good. Despite the trials, the problems, the worries, the calamities, the uphill challenges and daunting tasks, God reigns above them all and I can see that He is still good.

So here's a lineup of events that I can dig up and recall

hmm...not chronogically arranged though

*rewinds to January 2oo8*

hmmm...I seemed to have forgotten entirely what happenned early this year

let's see..

2nd year (4th sem) same ol same ol - think, conceptualize, research, present, crit, draw, flair

CNY - food, food, food, money, food, food, food, family, food, food, food+ dinners, dinners, dinners, dinners, relatives from afar...

farewell: xiao qing left for ONE Academy

went to penang for architectural camp and

won competition

intro camp for juniors

visited TPM and Lim Kok Wing

Passion Conference

Visited grandma place in No.9 Land

went with lecturers to Kuantan resort (yea that's him KOed)

eating Pearly's cooking (thank God i'm still alive)

Asia Conference

birthdays, birthdays, birthdays, my birthday, birthdays, birthdays (can't find pictures)

hari raya (cant find 2oo8 pics only 2oo7)

seeing old friends from eons ago (Jia Qi, Rehn, Derrick, Eric, etc)

Architectural trip to Singapore

scratches, dents, marks, bumps, dents again (lost count)
(not my fault...only 3 of them are)

did measured drawings (was troublesome)

move to new studio

watch badminton LIVE

amazing Christmas season (photos can't obtain yet)

worked in a firm (got my very first pay! woohoo!)

I can hardly remember all the things I've been through throughout the year, only by looking back at photos then i recall them and it was nice to remember them back. Seems like it was soo long ago..despite the changes and hard times this year especially in the area of education, God has been gracious to help me pull through and I'm thankful for that...another highlight of this year was that i turned 20...two decades old...a hallmark in my life; I recalled last time when I turned a decade old (10 yrs) I proudly told my family I was the same age as Nobita in Doraemon (swt..yeah i know..swt) For what reason I have no idea, but now turning 20 seems to be a milestone that has marked a lot of exciting events in my life over this two decades and there's so much more ahead. I look forward with anticipation to what 2oo9 has in store and what God's gonna do this year around. Surely His everlasting goodness will prevail.

"Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins.

If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out

and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour

new wine into new wineskins,

and both are preserved."

Matthew 9:17

May we continue to let God's spirit 'pour' fresh anew into our lives and may we be renewed daily to contain it.

~Happy New Year 2oo9~

Saturday 29 November 2008

Oil that keeps you going

*laughs* literally

God speaks to you sometimes in funny-till-u-wanna hit-your-own-head ways.

here's the story...

several weeks ago, my car would do sudden small jerks, especially going uphill..i thought it was nothing major because i assumed it was my clutch-accelerator-balancing-technique that wasn't good so such incidents were put aside. A week ago was gearing up for Asia Conference so a friend brought me to church for bus departure. My friend in turn took the car and brought it back to my apartment where the car engine suddenly died. Soon, i came back from Singapore and drove car back. I noticed that the car engine light was blinking but ignored it, thinking it was nothing important (warning: never ignore blinking red lights) A couple of days later, my friend and I were bored so randomly we decided to travel around KL and get lost (petrol 1.90 ^^).

Drove around KL went to National Museum (interesting). Went to Mahathir's ex-house, used his toilets. Yeah, we were that random.

Got lost. Kinda.

4-5 days with the light blinking and car jerking now and then; by now surely a sane person would think something's wrong with the car, but no not Vincent Lai...until tonight, this night that i am blogging, i had the 'instinct' to notify dad and ask whether it's

important (duh) and sure enough i found out that engine oil IS important. (sweat...literally)

I checked the engine oil to see its level...It was COMPLETELY DRY. (Those of you like me who had a revelation in cars tonight, FYI, engine oil helps to keep the engine cool and make it run smoothly) Without it, the pistons and works of the engine would get rusty, dirty and

spoilt. Repairs gonna be costly. I had extra engine oil in boot so added it in with cell leader's help. Hopefully tomorrow when i'm gonna check the car engine nothing's wrong. Might have a leak somewhere, oil filter, gasket. i am the clueless.

But lo behold, God speaks.

Was driving home after prayer meeting with cell group; i realised our own spiritual lives can be like that, God flickers warnings when we're 'absent' with of his 'oil'. When you run dry spiritually, and temptation sets in, God knocks and shouts "hey, be firm and stand strong" but like many of us we tend to 'ignore' it. So running dry and empty for a while would result with rustiness, dirtyness and being spoilt; likewise in the natural so is the spiritual.

This served as a good reminder and am so THANKFUL nothing's wrong so far with the car and i manage to drive safely these few weeks...

*phew*

Wednesday 26 November 2008

Touching Asia, Transforming the World

*sweeps dust from blog*

Been eons since i last blogged..assignments can be grueling...shrugs
What's been happening? Past week went to Singapore for 6 days attending Asia Conference if some of you knew. Definitely without doubt it was gonna be good, and with that much expectation it indeed was. One of the highlights for me however was the call of engaging into the world today. Overall the theme of what was shared and imparted was the call to be relevant in today's society. The marketplace, the various cultures all over Asia, media, in education, the government, and much more. Being the salt and light of the world (Mat 5:13) ain't easy at times but penetrating into the world (kosmos-social order) requires a lot of faith to sustain oneself in such environments. Recently I've been bombarded with a lot...A LOT of cultural shocks being in KL over the couple of years. Sometimes a change in mindset, a total shift in your paradigm of thinking is needed and I'm still struggling to change that perspective but slowly..slowly. Always bear in mind, the method may change but the message remains the same. God surely has a lot in store for Asia in the coming years.

Another highlight was being imparted with keys to effective evangelism. It struck me to think again, to just sit and seriously think; I'm 20 years old, what have I been doing with my life, what about my friends who do not have Jesus as their personal Lord and Saviour, and after that there's much more to work on their salvation and faith. Day in and day out, how much time left?
Phew, seems to be an grim task but yet people of faith make it easy~ and it sure is. There were many practical ways to effectively reach out but one interesting one that Ps. Tan Seow How (Heart of God Church, SG) shared was about praying. He shared about how his church grew exceedingly fast over the years was because of the fact they fervently prayed. He shared about how creation and recreation was parallel to redemption and salvation of man.
Gen 1:1-3 talks about:

Creation,
then earth without form and void in darkness,
then God's Spirit hovers over the water,
Word of God is spoken,
the earth is recreated.

Likewise, we are born,
we were in sin-without spiritual form, living in Christless void in our hearts, walking in darkness, God's Spirit began hovering over our lives and doing work in our hearts,
Word of God is spoken into our heart and spirit,
we are saved and reborn in the Spirit.

God's Spirit hovers over our lives when we pray. So likewise, Ps. Seow How shared that his church their cell groups of high school students prayed daily for one or two friends for about 30 seconds tops. All of them. God's Spirit 'hovers' over their spirit and through fervent prayer, when they come to church and hear the Word of God spoken into their lives, God's hand moves because His Spirit rests above them, by His grace they're open and receptive to what God speaks to them, and receive their eternal destiny in Christ Jesus. The call for souls is huge. The numbers are staggering, the harvest is plentiful, we've all heard that before. Yet as to where God has placed, our destiny in Christ, we play the role of Christ there.

All talk and no action produces nothing. So I gotta do much more than what I'm doing now. Phew...dainting task, by faith, by faith.

Truly another milestone in my life was going for this conference, my eyes have been opened up to much more, especially the political, economical situation of the current world. Very interesting.

Other than all that...food ranks 100 over 10. Ps. Kong Hee went all out. Singapore wonderful place...lots of interestinng architecture...transportation uber-cool...but arghh...didn't get to meet Samuel, Elden or Tim...Justin another fella....sigh...

That's all lah i guess for now...besides having dreams and visions for what God has in store in the next few years...I've got visions of me in my bed at KK in 5 days time...muahahahahah....

Touch Asia, Transform the World.

Tuesday 9 September 2008

It is FINISHED...well sort of...

7 Major assignments and projects...

1. Studio Design
2. Measured Drawing - done..almost
3. Catalogue
4. Institute Islam Report - done!!
5. Kiosk construction
6. Building Services Report
7. Amalan Binaan Case Study

ONE DOWN!! ONE MORE ALMOST DOWN!!! relief!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday 19 August 2008

Hungry anyone?

Being so caught up with daily routines one can always miss out what's important, skipping breakfast is NOT good, so is skipping 'breakfast' with God. I was sitting on bed about to spend time with God then my tummy rumbled (reminded me of what someone said, the natural reflects the supernatural) and I realised I was spiritually hungry as well. Here's what nourished my deep hunger after going through a 'famine'

Ephesians 4:17-32

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21 Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Thursday 14 August 2008

Beban melampaui batas

"An architect is the drawer of dreams."
Grace McGarvie

o_O

7 major projects and assignments are now overlapping one another

oh God, help me...

Tuesday 5 August 2008

Passion World Tour

WOW...seriously...WOW....that Sunday I almost did not want to go due to a very VERY important presentation due tomorrow that I had hardly started on....BUT i went...and it was worth it...

Close to 4000 young people from all over Malaysia coming together to just celebrate His goodness and proclaim His greatness..AWESOME!! The experience itself can't be comprehended, mind boggling...you'll have to experience it the next time around..you could try reading Aaron's blog, Wini's blog and others for stories on God's amazing grace in people's lives. Ashley's story was a story I'm praying will happen for my friends in due season.. (excluding dying part of course...salvation part la...)

Simply put, God is stirring up people in these last days and its becoming exciting!!! The mere thought of seeing every nation, every tongue, every tribe, every people from all land gathering to bring glory to Christ....WOW...

Put together into one, many experiences and reminders, one that had me thinking was when Ps. Louie Giglio mentioned about making your life matter. At present I have always wanted to do something big, making a difference, seeing others achieve great things and wanting to do it to but his words reminded me that those are good but there's something else too, something that will last for eternity. The salvation of my friends' souls. Something like that, you bringing them to know the true King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Saviour who created the whole universe, to let them know He loves them. Always it will slip my mind off what God has called us to do, but setting daily affairs aside and just being reminded of it again revives the spirit, refreshes. I definitely want to see them in eternity with Christ, I want to be part of their journey working on their salvation. 'God of this city' made my cry out for Christ's ownership over their lives. All of my friends who don't know you, i pray that You'll save them too.

Greater things are yet to come and yet to be done.

I want to make my life matter for others, for Jesus.

Friday 18 July 2008

Kecil-kecil cili padi

source: wikipedia: 'which refers to something small in size or stature that contains something unexpected for its size.'

Many times i've heard that despite feeling small or incapable of doing big things, we have the potential to do GREAT things in life; our dreams and visions are seeds that can bring a difference, all just waiting to be 'bercambah'.

God somehow or rather picks people who think they were insignificant and as recorded, we know that those 'small' people took the decision to obey God when He called them to stand up for their faith, to leave their homes and belongings and they went all out with faith, commitment and desire to see what God had in store for them.

All of them who submitted to God, did GREAT things beyond their own capacity for God. David who beat Goliath and delivered Israel, Gideon who led 300 men to victory, Moses who brought an entire nation out of Egypt, Abraham who became our the father of nations, on and on.

Our spirit may feel small but with God's Spirit, oh yea~ we can make a difference unexpectedly BIG or small for the matter...but the point is we clearly can bring about change when we decide to, little by little as we learn bits and pieces in life it's all put together to form the puzzle of our destiny in Christ.

Mine's beginning to take shape, but that's another story.