Family Day, OLL 31st August 2013

Joyous, harmonious fun, togetherness, solidarity, community, BEC, team spirit  that's  the Big Family do of Our Lady of Lourdes, Klang,. this morning and afternoon  - 31st August 2013, at La Salle's Klang! What could be more memorable than organising the special event  on the very day, the Nation celebrates liberation day! 

Merdeka Malaysia! Congratulations you are 56! How proud our voices as we lustily sang   the Negara Ku !! Our country and our homeland!! Such cheers , such thunderous applause resounded when the celebration balloons were released at the end of the  National anthem .  A powerful message -We are Malaysians -families of Malaysia!

Happy Independence Day Malaysia! and to you parishioners  of Our Lady of Lourdes Klang , friends and  Migrant communities-Happy Family Day!!

No celebrations would be complete without thanksgivings to the good Lord!! And who could lead the prayer for blessings more powerfully than the good Rev Fr. Michael Chua?? He does not fail, he never does, not when it is the works of the Lord we talk about..

The fun started with the  Big Faith Walk  for four categories of participants, the children (fancy dress walk) senior citizens, youths, and adults participants -taking a big  route  across a number of residential gardens and returning to the base at La Salle school where the rest of the fun fare continued.  Children from the St. Bernadette Home Klang, Ozanam House, SVP Home, Elizebeth Home  and the various migrants community were among the excited participants. 

Freebies were generously rolled out. Coffee, tea, mineral water, milo and cordial drinks were  aplenty for the participants. Buns, breakfast of nasi lemak and mee hoon too,  were on the house.

Activities included the  all ages tele-match, treasure hunt, entertainment by OLL's very own band -OLL Youth Band. Of course, not forgetting , the aerobics  warm up starters and Jasmine, the aerobics instructor  who lead the body stretch, stretch., bend and stretch was fantastic- so full of energy! I was informed there was a cultural performance by the ethnic and language groups and a magic show  in the afternoon, which enthralled both the children and the adults. 

Totally a lovely and amazingly day of  activities, get together, relaxation, bonding, just being family! Team spirit was a top performer!  George Doss , organising chairman of the Big Do attributed its success to combine efforts - PPC, unifying with BECs, volunteers and hard workers of the parish. The amount of prizes, raised by the Committee for  the big event were just incredible. Efforts translated into achievements! YT bet  everyone went home with a prize!  Jessie , PPC chairperson added that the committee also have to thank the generosity of  parishioners and good  support from well wishers for the loads of prizes..

Besides the freebies, there were a number of stalls selling an interesting range of  cupcakes and sweets, miniature cakes with the National  flag standing regally on them. Baby sausages, burgers too were sold!  Hmmm and what  do you know- .there was .ice kacang as well ! It was truly a welcome sight in such brilliant and sunny weather! There was even a stall selling packed ingredients for varied dishes, curry laksa..fish, meat..xtra..Home Cooking made easy. They do think of everything!

Pop corn,  Cotton candies ..totally won the hearts of the children! It is not everyday that they are allowed such "goodies", but then this is a day of fun, so hei, let's just enjoy!! Others have worked so hard for us!!

The child in Yours Truly too, was caught up in the magic of the pink fluffy cotton candies. It was ages, since she last saw a candy machine, and tasted those lip smacking fluffies. She could almost see the  old Ah Pek of her childhood days, performing the same  tricks , except that he very  deftly , does  the spin and the roll  from the back of his big grandfather bike..!

Almost twelve, and food started coming in. A caterer was seen frying his  mountain of well marinated chicken. YT had a peep at the trays placed at various locations-woh! mouth watering curries - lots of yummies for lunch!!

The heat got to YT..and she had to call it a day, but the day's fun was far from over. Infact the tempo was just building up. There were piles of prizes just calling out for ownership, and many were patiently waiting to take home some of the attractively packed prizes.

Worthy of mention were the three huge pink Inflatables placed in the middle of the field. A wondrous , safe and magically fun play land for the children !  So much laughters ,scrambling up and down, hops and jumps, giggles!.It was mighty  heartening to see such happiness on the faces of the children! Whoever suggested that idea...great job! great job!

People's Doing Elects.
with parish Priest Fr. M.Chua

Thumbs up for the two VIPs who were good enough to join the community in their family day joy  -an appreciation of thanks, a big round of applause- the very popular YB Charles Santiago and YB Dr. Xavier Jayakumar.!! Elects, with a heart for the people! Fact seen!

Parishioners of OLL, did you enjoy your fun day??

My torch for you

Who knows what goes on in this vale
The storm that rage within
The tug of war, the needs
and wants
amidst the silver of time.
I hear your silent calls-
that only a mother feels and
hears,
flooding my conscious...
And my heart empathise.


I shall not fail my role
I will not  abandon ..
No... I shall hold up my

torch for you till the last
breathe ..
I know not what my Maker
has written for me
But I know He has listed
compassion and love
to reign foremost the paths He
ordained me!

A generous mind and spirit ..giving willingly and not out of compulsion or  reluctance; that 's the call- Whether it is the religious, or the secular  do it because you want to and not because, you were compelled or it is the right thing to do-an obligation. The pure unselfish act  opens blessings  and    providence  in abundance that  you have  sufficient  to carry out your good works. 

Cheerfully give, for your cheerfulness  flows outwards with the impact,  the power to uplift another,  and in many ways inspires them to emulate and do good to others. generating more good. Goodness glorifies God and God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians .

It is a good feeling just knowing that the giver wants to- his good deeds is out of his heart, that he is not made to. And you send out a  message..I am able to..I have sufficient to share.  When others raise up their eyes to thank God for the angel in you....God in turn blesses you! 

For variety - See what Big Brother can do!!

Talk about big brother!

Thought you guys might find this interesting. Much faster than Google Earth.

Now this might scare the heck out of you. It's unbelievable technology.

Is there nowhere to hide??

After opening the link below, type in the address you want slowly, letter by letter, space by space, and watch each time where it takes you.


Showmystreet.com

Thanks Paul for the sharing!! Scared the wits out of me too!!

Greater than our hearts is God

God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. 1 John 19

Surely, because, He is the  Source of all Inspirations  and his Word fills  and directs us. Does feelings arise from Wisdom that we act in truth and light? There is no certainty, it all depends if God abides in you and wisdom walks with you.  

From the heart arises feelings, the emotions generated by the moments , the circumstances,  the situations and yet it's spontaneity may be governed by self and not fairness, nor clarity and is a cause for confusion and errors in judgement and that may send you down the wrong paths.

We may labour endlessly but if the Lord does not bless our labour and approve of our works, it will all be in vain and none of what we do will be fruitful. How many fruit trees have been planted and yet do not bear fruits- efforts worthless! . God know everything..He knows what is good for us. In this big school of existence, He teaches us that we may graduate skilled in His designs of us-people of substance-fruitful..  Do the characters in a story book, know more about his existence than his creator? Never try to out speak Him, but in patience, listen, abide and walk along the paths He has moulded for you, if you are to bear fruits.. Just make every moment count, every step-valuable and memorable  and through Him, score in this big school of life!

Standing in as surety-Be very wary

Times are not good and many people seek surety and guarantors for their many needs.

While it  is good to help  others, many are not worthy  of the pledges and surety,    people of  good  heart put up for them.  Be very wary and do not go out of your way to offer assistance,  to people you do not know very well, especially for something as big as Surety and Guarantee. Too often the one who are generous with their  insurance coverage and umbrella  find themselves in trouble, when they are left in the lurch by people they help. Not all know the meaning of gratitude and doing the right thing..some  have no qualms letting another person carry their burdens for them,while they disappears out of your life for good..

But if your umbrella is solid enough, and the goodness in you feels it is worth the while- why not? You never know, that person you help may really  be deserving of help and God Bless your generosity!!

Rule is-Be street smart, people,conduct and character smart. No harm doing some background checking before you rush into the Helping.

Help only the worthy , those with a genuine cause, NOT those who are in trouble because of their irresponsible behaviour and actions, their excessiveness  and their lack of control, you could unknowingly be creating more potholes for them. Be very cautious- else, you may  end up the ultimate loser. Caution is the BIG word.

Money in itself is good -not the obsession

For the love of money is the root of all evil..and yet money is the just reward, the  wages for good work done, that man may eat, survive and raise their family, and go about their business in life productively. Money in itself is not evil..it is good..it has  good use... a tool for living...the maintenance of life.. a catalyst to work hard ,deters one from idleness, a means to progress and advancement. 

What then is the root of all evil? It is the  obsessive   love, the excessive craving of money wealth that puts one on the relentless pursue of it without a regard for other aspects of living-health, relationship, family,spiritual attainment, friends and so forth..

Every quest, every movement becomes  a $ sign. You are a machine, a slave of money - without a heart and soul thus are controlled by the elements of the illusionary world and that could lead to dire circumstances.

Good living comes with the ability to recognise the point of  contentment and satisfaction and the ability to harness it and that brings in the peace and harmony, because you are able to convert it into sharing with others in your living world. You are the master, the controller.The opposite leads to ultimate loss of peace and happiness, because it is more centred on material possession and self- A slave controlled by the elements of the material.

Strangely for all our love of money and security...without peace, happiness and love in our lives...money and life too loses its meaning!

Faith & Dreams apart from works & deeds is dead

A man is justified by works and not by faith alone. Faith must be active along with works and  be completed by works ...faith apart from works is dead...derived   from James 2:18-25

As the body apart from the spirit is dead, so are faith ,dreams and aspirations without the works, the actions, the doing. ..How often do we dream dreams and keep on dreaming..not realising that dreams in its dormant state is useless-worthless!They vanishes as soon as we awake. They are clouds and images of desire and wishful thinking, dispersing with the puff of the wind, or remains just a fragment of our imagination in the backyard ....lifeless!

The conquerors of dreams are those, who put on their workmen's clothes and put their tools to work with great grit and determination, not giving up until they attain realism-the state of being and even then, keep working to fortify their entire structure, keeping it in good and strong maintenance  and  though storms and hurricanes strikes, it stands unperturbed,  solid, firm and living.

Little things can be big things

Neither cold or hot...lukewarm. No passion, no high nor low..just routine, doing nothing extraordinary- a survival of the  daily set  norm.   

How many of us are in that category, we do not want to get our hands dirty...we do not want to move out of our comfortable set routines.-We have enough on our hands  without messing with all the mumbo jumbos of the  world, you say. It is perfectly alright to be spectators on the stand, the forgettable  person among the crowd, sometimes because, not everyone are destined to be part of the main cast all the time.. Some have to be one of the crowd -ordinary human beings, but hey, normal does not mean, you cannot cannot  stand out among the crowd...you could cheer and lend your support from that spectator stand. You  could rise above the Lukewarm to hot and passionate even as an ordinary person, in terms of behaviour, kindness, consideration to others, a good friend, neighbour and members of a family and community - your best efforts in whatever you do-best results within your limitation.. Sometimes, it is the little things in life that makes you great. 

The power of Faith and Beliefs

The greatest subjugation to slavery of any kind is fear. Evil makes use of fear to make a mockery of you;  those with ill intentions create fear in your mind  to make easy preys of you. They use fear to  conquer you-, to overpower your inner strength and shuts off your fountain of confidence so that you could be easily lead into their cages- a slave to do their bidding.

Faith and belief in God is the antidote, the ultimate  power which releases you from captivity, from the poison-your mind was subjected to  and sets you free -forward towards the right course- the paths, you should walk in..FREE...your own person.

Religion is not for nothing-it is there for SOMETHING, for a Good Reason .. The Fortitude of Religion is deep faith and belief in the powers of the Supreme and that FAITH AND TRUST  is the beacon-  the saving grace which enables you to see, discern  and  break  free from the many pitfalls and imprisonment, you have fallen into.

 Each time Fear invades..dissect, examine, analyse. If there are valid reasons..correct and fortify yourself,.....if its is all in your mind-PURGE.,Strengthen your mind. Focus. In all things and all all times, have a private and intimate conversation with God. Clarity and resourcefulness comes faster and you survive better with a friend by your side. .

Grow your own

He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly...he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:6

We were taught to make full use of all the resources given us, not to be self limiting. The greatest contributor to lacking is complacence -to a large extend plain laziness to action self advancement and progress. Sometimes, we think the world owe us, so we could claim without action and hard work . We think, we are allowed to recline in our armchairs and heaven is obligated to shower all the goodies for our survival..... Think again! No one owes you anything, least of all the world. 

Plough your own field. Plant your own seed, nourish and nurture your seedlings and work hard to ensure it's survival -that it thrives, tending over it, putting manure , constantly watering until it has grown into a lush tree, and even then, you still need to watch over it-prune to keep it healthy and in shape! 

Sincerity comes from the heart.. Good deeds does not need advertisements nor loudspeakers...If a person goes around  broadcasting his "good deeds"  over "national radio", it is probably for self glorification  with no notable sincere intentions to the cause. 

Empty vessels makes a lot of noise  but at the end of the day, the hard work is done by others who quietly go about their tasks. We are living in an inflated environment under trying times and people try their darnest to outdo each other for the credit and approval of the world they live in. It is all part of the day's job. PR is the new buzz  word. Be "nice" on the lip front, forget your heart-forget how you really feel. "Hate the toenails out of him, but what to do? He is good butter for my bread." We have become very superficial and materially inclined . Today's smile is merely a upward twist of the mouth without the attached feelings/ Sad but true. Not everyone who smile at you is a friend. That's the reality of today;s living.

Oh, good old sincerity and goodness still exists, only you need to look for them under the haystack.But is there a way, we could reverse the trend.. that is....instead of looking..let's just start practising it ? That way, their existence grows and perhaps we could bring some healing into our environment. Wishful thinking?