Merry Christmas 2009

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Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6 -

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KL Wedding Invitation Cards

Now that all wedding invites are out of the way… time to concentrate on my next task.

... all in all .... 190 cards produced.

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Also, thanks to NeeKee for taking the beautiful photos... and ofcoz some photoshop by me! =D

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BuSy bUSy....

Last 3 weeks or so was probably the busiest days I’ve ever experience! First on the list was the wedding invitations I had to finish end of July. Thanks to few of those who helped… we managed to get the first batch out as planned. Well, not to sound proud but I’m pretty happy with the outcome and shimei suggested I start up a card making business… hmm… will consider that option. but if anyone interested... please place your order =D.

Next in line was the RQI twilight walk movie that I procrastinated to the very last minute. After a few sleepless nights, finally got the final clip ready for Ted’s presentation for the conference which was on the 9th of August. I was pretty happy of the outcome but as we where going through the clip, we realise that there was a little white flash of something in the clip… so ended up using the previous clip that I did previously!

And finally, last but not lease, a movie for Glen Henderson the artist that me and Ted were doing for her. Spend the whole day (which was a holiday) with her yesterday trying to finish the sequence. Unfortunately we were short of time and I had to spend the rest of the night and morning continuing finishing it at home. Phew… all done …. for now at lease! …. Well but at lease it’s a paid job!

part of the 84 cards!

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A Journey to ONE

Finally, production for wedding invites are in progress. Got all desired cards, papers and materials and we are ready to rock and roll…=D

To have our own personal touch and probably to save a little (not sure we did), we thought it will be better to make our own wedding invite, how hard can it be… so I thought! From colour to size to font type…. everything had to be on the dot. Many trails and errors but after 2-3 months of toiling and refining and ofcoz looking for the right materials, right shop (coz paper are so expensive!) the end is finally in sight. Phew….a little behind schedule, but hey, good things happen to those to wait! Its was a fun process anyway.

Looking forward to start the machine and get production in progress…!

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'How Well I Know My Mate’

Got this ‘how well i know my mate’ from A Journey to One blogspot and was ask to fill it in... not the usual me doing this kind of stuff coz i hate filling up forms but this was an exception. However, i found it quite interesting, cracking my head at times but manage to squeeze my way through!


Tell us about the first time you met and your first impression of him/her
- This girl can really talk....

What’s a weird habit or quirk that s/he has?
- Eats really slow... ! but the time she finishes half the plate... she have to heat up the other half to conitnue.

What makes him/her sad?
- Not being able to talk or express herself.

What makes him/her angry?
- Annoying people.

What excites him/her?
- ... ME! =D

Tell us something funny about him/her:
- For those who havent notice... her earing are never the same of both sides

What’s s/he like at home
- She’s the same wherever she is.

What’s s/he like at work/school?
- Dedicated (although occasionally late) and diligent.

Describe his/her room:
- Colourful

What’s his/her best friend like?
- Funny, Friendly

Do you know who s/he hates the most?
- Can’t think of any at the moment.

Have you met his/her exes?
- Too many ... but met a few ... =D

Do his/her parents like you?
- Starting to ....

What’s the first thing s/he would do or say if s/he fell down and scraped their knee:
- Looks around to see if there are poepl looking ... then ouch…then laugh… then cry

What would s/he do in an emergency situation with other people involved?:
- Panic for the first few minutes then start to get help.

Which shop would s/he spend the most time at in a shopping mall?
- Any jewelry shop, especially those that have a bargain... $10 for 3 kind!!

What would s/he have for a typical breakfast
- Cereal and milk.

Where would s/he want to go for dinner?
- Anywhere that cost more then $30 a dish and as long as the food looks nice...

What kind of movie would s/he choose at the cinema?
- Funny, girly and those with handsome looking vampires!

Describe his/her taste in music
- Soft soothing music

If s/he wasn’t going out with you, who would s/he be going out with?
- Her girl friends

What item in his/her wardrobe would you like to burn?
- The old auntie looking brown long pajamas!

What is s/he good at?
- Singing, talking, acting (always calls herself the acting-queen)

What is s/he totally horrible at?
- Remembering directions.. a.k.a. no sense of direction. Can get lost in brisbane city even after working in it for 2 years!

What’s something about him/her that is annoying/infuriating?
- Punctuality .. I say no more!

Is s/he possessive?
- no…

Why would s/he succeed in life?
- Great attitude and personality

What is the coolest gift that s/he has ever given you?
- A movie on a CD about the genesis of our relationship.

What does s/he avoid at all costs?
- Quarrel

What does s/he spend the most money on?
- Jewelry

Describe his/her typical Sunday
- Church, ministry & a quiet night at home.

What’s something about him/her that would surprise all of his/her friends?
- She is RICH !

What do you love most about him/her?
- She is just so out going, friendly and so positive/optimistic... never lack of encouraging words and never fail to cheer me up!

The biggest lesson you have learnt from loving your soul-mate
- Her out going character, friendliness and joyful spirit.

Samsung F480

Few days ago, out of the blues, my little adorable fiancé surprised me with a new handphone! Long story short… she got the ‘3’ $29 cap plan and got the free phone which she so graciously decided to bless me. How cool is that….. !

Well, all showing off aside, this little act of love got me thinking.,,,

Life can sometimes be so routine and mundane …that we can forget that it has a beautiful side. With tough and challenging times as this, work, work and work seem to have taken the top seat in my life! Not like I’m working super hard, 24/7, but just pondering about it and worrying over nothing can sometimes be depressing and suck the Fun out of liFe!

Nevertheless, it’s good to be reminded that good things do drop by once in awhile … not because of something I’ve done but …. its just does!!!

....'life is too short to let it pass unnoticed'

Happy Birthday

Finally had some discipline to sit my behind down to get some photos up!!..

Turning 27 is no big deal!! Just another day just another year; I guess the older one gets the less interest one takes in this so called ‘birthday’!

This year was also a little special/different. After much persuasion to not give me another surprise, Leann finally yield to my demand. Instate of the yearly ritual of ‘SURPRISE, happy birthday Joel!’ that Leann has so faithfully organised every year (which I appreciate from the bottom of my heart), this year was a rather quite one.

Since Friday(10th April) and Sunday(12th April) was a public holiday which mean an additional surcharge, we decided to have dinner on the Saturday thus headed off ZigZag restaurant, thanks to the entertainment book discounts.

Anyway, food was average for the price they charge! And the super small portion dint help either..’sign’! so after the dinner, we headed of the my favourite shop…’McDonald’ to get some ice-cream for dinner…. Best!!

26th Dec'08 - Leann’s Birthday

Day trip to North Stradbroke Island to celebrate Leann’s birthday. Was a little lost when we got to the island coz wasn’t sure of the bus schedule… and worst, we realise we dint have cash for the bus. So we had to walk around looking for an ATM machine.

But all went well and we reached our destination. Besides the heat, it was a truly a spectacular place to be and the scenery was just breath taking. Good practice photo taking practice for me. And as for Leann, I guess the best part of the trip for her was receiving her ipod touch. Burn a hole in my wallet but it was worth the price.

enJOY in the midst of adversity

WAG 2009 has been an exciting journey not only for me but I believe also the 71 delegates that have attended. Faced with the current economic situation, how could one possibly find any relevance to this year’s topic ‘enjoy’? If anything, people should be worrying, working harder and saving up. But, as Isaiah writes, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, declares the lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

The 3 day 2 nights getaway has been truly a great time of learning and experiencing God for me even more so during this hard times. Being part of the statistic of the ‘unemployed’, life has been going down hill. The thoughts if insignificant, rejection and inferiority occasionally creeps into my mind. Though these thoughts still linger, I’m better prepared and can now better handle these situations by the love, power and wisdom of God. WAG09 has taught me in many aspects through the sessions, workshops, and through the lifestyle and testimonies of other brothers and sisters in Christ.

In one of the workshop sessions, Balancing work, life and ministry, Pastor Wilson talked about 3 key concepts of a balance life, which are PURPOSE, MOTION and RHYTHM. And when this three are in tune, it leads to a sense of fulfillment – BEAUTY. Through this God reminded me of His wonderful purpose He has for me and that He place obstacles and challenges in our way not to stop us but to stretch us to become better and stronger. David would still been a shepherd boy if not for Goliath. Paul would still been Saul if not for the bright light. Just like in Romans 8:28, and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose. It’s comforting to know that I have someone greater that I who is in control of my situation.

Besides the mind filling sessions and workshops, WAG this year had some really cool activities installed. There was the Synergy Quest: In search of the lost treasure, which my team would have won if not for some technical errors by…( you know who you are =D).. but still a big thumbs up for the organizers. Then there was the Valentines’ Day Special that you can read more about it below. All in all, it was more then I could ask for. Through this, we were able to know each other better and meet and make new friends across the different services in Hope Brisbane.

Finally, I’m really glad I was able to make it to WAG this year in spite of my current situation. Though the 3 days of ‘paradise’ is over and now it back to reality but enjoy I did in the midst of adversity!

Monday Boost

Today, like any other Monday….. getting to work was a drama and the thought of the next 4 long days of work, made the Monday even blue er… ‘sign’. So, decided on the bus on me way to work that Ill get meself some energy booster… which I can say, did get some energy into my day!

Also one thing I notice, its December, the last month for 2008! This means 3 more weeks of work then 2 weeks break! Yeah! …. Counting down the days! 31….30…..

The Search Continues ...

Some photos taken during our hunt for wedding venues, was checking out the park in New Farm and did some photo shoot during our break!

Though our wedding venue hunt still continues, we have managed to narrow our choices down and hopefully get things settle by this year end. It has been a long and winding journey….seems like a trip into the unknown. But I guess this is what makes the journey exciting. It hasn’t always been nice and wonderful, we had our ups and downs, disagreement about where and what is best etc. but at the end of the day, we learned from our mistakes and to work better as a team.

And from this, I have to admit, that Leann is the more organized one between us. If it was left to me, I would probably start preparing I week before the wedding.. Neh, may be one month! I give all credit to her!

My Nokia E65

It’s been just over a year since I had my Nokia E65. As I’m no ‘hi-tech’ gadget man! Matter of fact, I’m just technology illiterate! So, I could not for the life of me figure out how to upload songs into my phone and get photos out of it (photos which I’ve took through out the year- photos which are significant to me). And I think after a few tries, I gave up all hopes to get me Nokia fully functioning except making calls.

Not until recently, when I was going through some of my stuff, I found my old Nokia box and few CD’s inside. So, with not much to do that night, I thought ill try going through the installation CDs and see it I can get my phone working properly. After some time messing around, my few hard hours of labour paid off! I manage to download 1 year worth of photos and get to upload songs and use phone as a mp3 player. Basically happy that I’m fully utilizing the phone functions.

With all wonderful experiences, there are always lessons to be discovered. Through this, I think one thing that really struck me was how important it is the read the manual!

As I reflected on this, how true it is with our walk with Christ. Everything that we need to know about God, life and everything that goes on around us is all found it this wonderful manual called ‘the bible’. The more we read it, the better we understand it, the better we understand it, the more we would be able to function to our fullest potential.