Happy 53rd Merdeka!

Merdeka! I hear people, greeting each other with "Merdeka"! Now that is a great bonding gesture! Astonishing!!!!First time, this writer hear this greeting so freely lavished upon one another and with such pride and joy!  It so unifying, so touching to the spirit of 1 Malaysia,  the One Malaysian Identity - Sounds very much like  Peace to this writer..and .there is this funny, warm feeling of belonging, rising from the heart. Yes, this is indeed Merdeka, Malaysia! if we, the People of Malaysia, acknowledges our roots in this land of overs  and forge an Identity of Oneness with this Nation we call Home!  We are Malaysians and proud to be Malaysians!  Happy 53rd Merdeka,  People of Malaysia!

Be Humble of Heart

What glorious thanks to the Lord God! Lord, Let your glory flows all over the earth and fill the earth!!And the Voices of praise that filled the church this morning  was  joyous and spontaneous! The good God , He has gifted us, the grace of goodness in His Presence!!!

And the wisdom from Ecclesiastes...gives much room for thoughts.......the higher one goes, the more humble the heart should be, for the Lord God loves  homage that comes from a humble heart. The humble-hearted is humble because he knows his standing, he acknowledges that his good fortune comes from the pleasure of the good Lord  and unceasingly, gives praise and glory to God. Can we be anything without the hand of the Creator leading us???Be humble! .....else, the light dims and takes away our direction.!!!

From the Heart, Malaysia!

Politics! They talk about abuse of letterheads, they pick on petty issues to do the war dance, when there are more important matters of the state and nation to attend to.....Sure, those who make mistakes, must be educated, disciplined ,but keep that internal and then move on to more important and pressing tasks.Have they noticed  how disintegration is  eating into  a nation born of such great promise, causing massive cracks and a weakening of structure ? Fifty three years of independence ...and the nation finds itself embroiled in  racial, religious and political disintegration, uneasy harmony,  lack of respect for fellowmen, indiscipline, among our youths.  etc..etc.......Our own declining values, starting from homes, schools, colleges of higher learning spreading  over the nation....unemployment....dipping reserves, inflation,  the many dumping of babies, the increase in crimes and robberies , etc...etc...and our elects continue their fights over use of letterheads????

A popular radio station has been incessantly reminding us ,"1Malaysia, that is what we were and that is what we will become again!" Will we really be able to recapture the essence of our former status, glory and achievement??? We, the older generation, who had walked every step of the 53 years with this beloved Nation, and had known deep  belonging and a wonderful bond with this land, we call Home, laments the disintegration, sweeping in... We had cultivated and fostered wonderful and long lasting friendships.. where  Ali,  Ah Chong and Muthu were such good friends.. and .race was never an issue......1 Malaysia, can we really re-capture that same spirit again?? For Peace and for all  our  sakes, this writer really hope so..
 

One Malaysian Identity, One Race..One united Malaysian Spirit!! , we call out for the good sense and the determination to cultivate, to build, and preserve the realisation of this vision, a very concrete and strong Home Base, for our future generation. Wake up, People., it is time to be pro-active... reach out to one another, cut across race, religion and social   barriers, start the healing and unity process otherwise our vision of  1Malaysia  may just  remain  a Talking Dream! 53rd Merdeka! May you be the beginning of solidarity, friendship, love & respect, understanding  for one another, Oneness of Spirit and Much Peace! We love you Malaysia!!!

Poor Beggars or rich towkays???

People,  does anyone know how much, one could earn from begging??? One source said RM8,000/-!!! That is a wow figure! Imagine, just sitting in a crowded public area, body hunched, head bent...waiting for generosity to drop into your plastic container placed in front of you! You do nothing, except look pitiful and stretch out your hands and generosity showers upon you!

YT is curious, yes, she is and one of these days, she might just don one of those beggar clothes and  step into the beggar's lair ......eat and drink with the very wealthy towkays of the pavements, shop corridors and street corners, just to taste a little of  that special experience - how it feels like to live off the pockets of your kind hearted fellow men.. well, just for one day..(..)....  for the sheer want of capturing and bagging  that begging experience;  and perhaps even scooping, an opportunity to understand the plight of the poor and homeless who has no means of income except to beg. ???.  Some people even claimed, begging has become a lucrative industry of its own...There is gold in begging! Well what says you???

True or not, the curious in this writer wants to touch the 'how it feels like" to  stretch out one's hands to receive charity and  for free money. What feels- standing on the street stage and tugging at the heart strings of the general public, all day long, day in , day out???. Are those reported big bucks true or  pure nonsense???Does a person feel degraded, does he feel an outcast, ashamed of his condition,,etc...etc...what  whispers  the inner most heart,  feelings that none could ever understand, except those carrying the beggars bowl for survival/??..Or is it just business...all in a day's work and really,  what is there to feel???

Whatever the situation, whatever the true picture, fact still stands out that while foreign beggars are making their fortunes  here, the local people, our unemployed young graduates are crying out for survival and the working class are finding it hard to make a living in our very own land where inflation has set in ......and purchasing power of our hard earned money...begging for the values of our former glory....

Cries of innocent babies

Please do not dump me! I want to live! I want to grow up! I want your love! I am a gift to you, a life God entrusted into your care! Mum, Dad, please  look after me, take good care of me! I am your own flesh and blood! See how helpless and fragile I am!  Please do not throw me away! Please do not abandon me!

There are many who are childless and in desperate want of a child, and though they pray, sometimes, their prayers are not answered and they cry silent tears of longings for  a child. I am already here,gifted to you. Thank God for me!

The Virtues of Discipline- Hebrews 12

Funny, never thought of God disciplining, those whom he loves and receives into His fold.  What values Discipline and what significance its role in life's journey???? The picture of a loving Father correcting and moulding us his children, for our good that we may share in His Holiness! Awesome!

If we could  practice teaching and disciplining our children because we wish the best for them, , how much more the Father of Life, for us,whom  He had accepted as His sons and daughters???. When we love and care enough, for certain people in our lives,  it is natural that we   point out their shortcomings and faults that they may correct themselves, improve, change for the better  and progress well in life. If such attributes are not there, would anyone bother to speak out???  Marie for one, would just zip her lips and look the other way.....perhaps ,  a polite smile and a look of "no comments" , on her face! But if it is people she cares for....you can't stop the ocean of words that rolls off her tongue...Tell Marie if that is not the same with you folks as well!!!

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later  it yields the peaceful fruits of righteousness to those who have been trained by it....Hebrews 12:11

Now people! isn't that truth, in its purest form??? Marie is just amazed how relevant every single word and text which comes out of the Bible ....Those who had  received discipline and learnt from them, emerged from the narrow and crooked into the wide and straight roads....where they continue their journey in peace and contentment, and there is great promise of reaching home safely- to be with the Lord.  Those not blessed, with discipline and chastening , and allowed to grow in their crookedness.....cries in bitterness when no good came of their unlightened ways and suffer they, the consequences of darkness and pain.

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This brought to mind, a story, told by Marie's mum  when she was young... A real story...and the scene - a prison somewhere in Taiping. A mother visited her only son for the last time in prison- before he was sent to the gallows.... He was her only son and she loved him so much that she gave in to his every whims and fancies. She had such high hopes for him.....As she  lovingly fed him his last meal, he pushed the food away, wept inconsolably  and asked her, " Why didn't you disciplined me when I was bad Mother?? Why didn't you punished me when you should???If you had scolded and canned me. then mother,..I would not be here today!"   The mother was utterly heart broken!  She was struck by a grief beyond words, with the  Realisation that  She was the one who sent her only son to the gallows.....and story has it that she lost her mind and wondered around the village, ..until mercifully death claimed her.....

Discipline! you are the virtue that  spells goodness nurtured !

Sleep vs exercise

Which  is more important, getting enough sleep of at least 7 hours per night, which means enough rest for your body to self heal from within  or exercise yourself to the lean and mean? Say, you lead a very successful but stressful life, and manages with 3-4 hours of sleep per night. Will exercise make up for the lack of rest ...pump you up with  health  and increase your life span???

Recently,  media attention were drawn on people, who exercise a lot, appears healthy  and fit externally,  successful....mostly the "have it all"... but dying of heart attacks at a relatively young age..and at the prime of their life and career-early forties to be exact. A few days ago, a radio talk show, discussed this topic in depth.   Appears that an overdose of exercise could be actually bad for the body....you may be injuring yourself, hurting  your bones  etc.. with  wrong types of exercise, wearing wrong shoes etc..and that could  lead to osteoporosis, later on in life. Athletes and sportsman are known to suffer from   health problems , knee, ankle, back problems, muscular pains etc......quite possibly caused by over strenuous exercise;  pushing themselves above their limits etc..

Marie for one thinks too much exercise is bad. Infact anything in access is BAD news! Further more, once a person enters into an exercise regime, that person has to stick to it for as long as goodness know how long....maybe forever.... otherwise...for some reason, weight bounces up and fat accumulates...some people like Yours Truly,  double their size once they stop exercising. She remembered wearing size 29 jeans up till  her daughter was 10 years old. Unfortunately, she though she was overweight  and starting  jogging and exercising. Then, work put a stop to all the exercising AND.....she just ballooned up..up and up........Never could slip  into a size 29  jeans ever again....maybe one leg....Now with all the weight gained, her knees suffered...and her bones creaked....not to mention, the granny feeling.

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And sleep?? YT is a great believer and a great fan of sleep. Even with 7 hours sleep, she still feels sleep deprived. Her  friends talk about waking up after 7.00a.m.- seven something they said... that,  dear people, would be a  luxury to madame. Happy are those who  work near the vicinity of their homes. 8.00a.m.,  and there is still plenty of time to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, some toasted bread, with half boiled eggs, and then take a slow drive to work!  Yea, That would be life!
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What do you think?? Which is more important..sleep or exercise-???? Perhaps a little exercise such as walking, yoga, tai chi, swimming and more sleep huh???

Feast of the Assumption

Welcome! This morning, It's Father Timothy from Rome with a rich message on the Blessed Virgin Mary's " Bottle of YES" to God.... . What better time than - the Feast of the Assumption , to be reminded of Mary's YES es which has brought  Christianity  into this world. Indeed without the obedience and YES of the Holy Mother,, the new covenant  and renewed bonds between God and man would not have manifested and LOVE would not have shone into this World, the way, it did.. The  difficult part. is ..imitating the Holy Mother's   acts of obedience...   picking up each of our YESes to God and storing them into a  bottle......as a sign of our love and commitment to the will of God.

Holy Mother Pray for us!

Cahayasuara Communications Centre-Media Skill Workshop

Marie was at the Holy Redeemer  Church  one morning and  something at the church bulletin board caught her eye. A Write Design Media Skill Workshop and at a cost, she could afford! Impulse and Curosity  whispered, "Why Not??"

Finding the place was a muddle,  for Madame Marie, that seems to be the norm, she got lost yet again, rounded the inner roads of Kuala Lumpur no less than three times, before she finally decided to stop and asked for directions and hey Ah Beng! it was just two right turns and a left and there you are, your destination!

Did she find the course useful and interesting??? Perhaps,a little on the basic side..Can't really complain though-RM60/- for a full day's course, two tea breaks and lunch thrown in, that's  value enough there, but hey folks, the bonus was a young and talented Miss A Karen, a main stream media reporter sharing her knowledge and expertise, dishing out some very useful tips and don'ts.   And she did a great job too. The morning session that is,  was of a standard, Marie had not expected, and although Miss Karen lost it there for the afternoon session,- folks,  the big pie was  distributed in the morning itself and  ...overall, that course was worth every single cent and more!

If you are just starting out and wanting to learn how to write..it is definitely a must attend.  There are two more sessions coming up...Saturday 21st (feature writing) and 28th August 2010. (publications)....so would be writers.....those seeking basic writing skills ...,  give it a try. Might pick up a gem or two.

A group of interesting,  experienced and qualified participants and Marie sure enjoyed her day socialising and brushing up on her skills!

9-8-2010 The Convocation

Congratulations! Miss Anne!

You are now a Masters Graduan and Master of your own destiny! As you walk and achieve your dreams, remember it is to God that we owe our gratitude, and it is to God, we owe our thanks. So long as you keep the Light from above radiating in your heart,you shall surely act and walk in the certainty of wisdom , blessings and contentment , any direction asked of you..