Masterpiece

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous and how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God!

They are innumerable!

I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up in the morning, you are still with me!

Psa 139: 13-18

British Isles Terminology

Just did my research on this important point. I strive to be as socially, politically and morally right as possible in my writings, thus the emergence of this post - both for educational as well as correction purposes.

Below is an excerpt from the ooh-la-la-thank-God-for-Wikipedia site. Thanks to Wikipedia, our hair is still much in a bunch and in place, without which we would be pulling them off in dismay and frustration at the limited knowledge that restricts our educational horizon. Thanks to the Internet, thanks to all who contributed to the Internet and made it accesible for all. Peace to the world! ;)

Ok 'nuff said. Here goes...

From Wikipedia:

The various terms used to describe the different (and sometimes overlapping) geographical and political areas of the islands traditionally referred to collectively as the British Isles are often a source of confusion for people from other parts of the world, and even for the inhabitants of those islands themselves. The purpose of this article is to explain the meanings of and inter-relationships among those terms.

- British Isles (as a geographical term) is the archipelago consisting of the island of Great Britain, the island of Ireland and thousands of smaller surrounding islands.

i.e. British Isles = Great Britain + Ireland

- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the official name for one of the two sovereign states of the British Isles

- United Kingdom is short for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

A Venn diagram clarifying the terminology. Geographical locations are written in red, political entities are written in blue

- Great Britain (as a geographical term) is the largest and most populous island of the archipelago.

- Great Britain (as a political term) consists of England, Scotland and Wales, and includes those politically-integrated islands (e.g. the Isles of Scilly and Shetland). It is sometimes incorrectly used to mean the United Kingdom.

i.e. Great Britain = England + Scotland + Wales + other isles

- Britain in its modern usage is the usual short form for Great Britain and also for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

- British in its modern usage is an adjective for Britain (with the same ambiguity). Also the official term for citizenship of the United Kingdom.

Britain

Bring me to Britain -

The land of great Williams;
William Wallace - the loyal patriot
William Shakespeare - the dramatic playwriter
William Blake - the artistic poet
William Wordsworth - the romantic poet

The land of great historians & icons -
Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana

The land of starry Sirs -
Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton, Elton John, George Michael

O the land of Kings -
Edward, Harold, William, Henry, Richard, James, George

Hail the land of Queens -
Mary, Elizabeth, Anne, Victoria


Aye the land of the Tudor Courts noblemen -
Duke, Earl, Lord, Marquis, Viscount, Baron

Bring me to Britain -
Land of the Great.

- A.T.

Loneliness

In a world plagued with an overwhelming sense of loneliness, evident across faces, people, names and personalities, let's get to the bottom of the issue and understand what loneliness truly is.

Ravi Zacharias' take on loneliness:

If you've not learnt to worship Him in the aloneness of your life, you'll never be able to deal with the problem of loneliness. In the darkness of a dungeon, you can be alone and still have something greater than the darkness around you. That's worshipping God with your innermost being.

Loneliness is not so much aloneness as it is a sense of emotional abandonment.

Worship takes away loneliness because:

1. It binds the fragmented areas of your life - fusing it with meaning.

- Eric Lidell in Chariots of fire: "When I run, I feel God's pleasure."

- Worship pulls the fragmented area of my life - when I play music, when I write. Every area of my life becomes worship.

2. It bestows dignity to every calling.

3. It brings purpose

4. It builds gratitude

Musings of A.T.

The most powerful tool bestowed unto man - that distincts him from all other creatures, is his mind - his ability to think, rationalize, analyse, and reason. His ability to convince and be convinced. His ability to persuade and be persuaded. His ability to find illumination from the darkness that so often surround and grip. - A.T.

Below are thoughts, illuminations and revelations over a period of some 10 months:

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In conflicts, differences and misunderstandings, isn’t it funny how we don’t speak the language of love.

Fact is, we should.

190506

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How do you find strength in pain?

Psa 77:10 "this is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works of the Lord."

In your anguish remember the goodness of God and His works in your life.

180506

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Psa 77:15 "Your way, oh God, is in the sanctuary."

If you need directions for life, go to the house of God. You'll find directions for life in the house of God.

180506
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When we truly seek God with all our heart, mind and strength, the revelation of His presence is more powerful than the struggles in our lives.

180506

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The thoughts of a darkened mind and cold heart upon seeing the plight of a woman made widow by a sudden stroke which claimed her late husband's life, leaving her with huge business debts and uncaring children who refused to provide for her now in her old age - my heart is bleeding turmoil not because it's beyond my capacity to help, but because I'm afraid I may turn out as unfillial as her children are. Yet I ask myself, do I want my thoughts to be a self-fulfilling prophecy? Certainly not! Thus I will arise and make amends.



Apr 06

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In a crowded bus right in front of me sat a young pretty girl but with her head bowed low. Next to her sat her boyfriend. Neither looked happy together. It broke my heart to see a young girl who has so much in store for her to carry herself with such low self esteem and unhappiness.

And a sudden illumination dawned on me: That love edifies and builds up. Love makes a plain Jane a stunning Julia. ;)

Mar 06

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Friends are important. The happiest people are those with good buddies to hang out and venture sports, music or interests with.

Mar 06


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We constantly need to lose something because that's when God steps in to fill the void.

170805

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A person with purpose never feels lonely. He's a madman on fire chasing after all he's worth.

290705

Concluding Marriage Quotes

Marriage means handing over yourself, your body, your future, your keeping to the one whom you dearly love, although this person may in many ways remain a stranger.

This tremendous act of faith is something that can unlock in each lover powers of compassion, generosity, joy, passion, fidelity and hope that no one guessed was even there.

That is why the confidence of young lovers is not foolish or arrogant, but an expression of a basic fact in human experience, that the greatest of human gifts are set to work only when people are prepared to risk everything. And first you risk it before God.

The above quotes were made by Ravi Zacharias in his message "I, Isaac Take you Rebekah" available on podcast via iTunes. Search for "Ravi Zacharias" under podcasts. He has 2 programmes: Just Thinking & Let My People Think. Both are phenomenal.

Quote Me Baby!

If our homes fail, history collapses. - Ravi Zacharias, on the value of the relationships and marriages

Without a determined sacrifice, we will never accomplish the call to which God has placed us. - Ravi Zacharias, on the purpose of men

Fear tastes like a rusty knife, don't let her into your house. Courage tastes of blood. Stand up straight. Admire the world. Relish the love of a gentle woman. Trust in the Lord.

- John Cheever, on everything

When your soul prospers, eveything becomes positive. When your soul regresses, everything becomes negative - that even when opportunities surround, you can't see them.

- Angeline Tan, on the inner self

Secret Force

"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing.

Action always generates inspiration.

Inspiration seldom generates action."

- Frank Tibolt

We have a life to give.

We have talents to dislay.

We have creativity to innovate.

We have a mission to accomplish.

Equipped with the same love for music & a mission to accomplish, here we are on our first get-together.

Beneath the funny faces we're on a serious business.

Chill it! Laughter is the antidote of the soul.











"First the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head..."
- Matt 4:28

The Power of Love

Love makes one beautiful

Love makes one joyful



Love makes one fashionable

Love makes one arty/creative

Phil Wisdom On Struggles

International speaker, preacher, author, painter, song writer, Phil Pringle from CCC Australia phenomenally expounds on an issue very often you and I are abashed to share publicly and struggle privately.

May you find encouragement and inner strength from the truth shared below, a direct excerpt from Phil Pringle's message:

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God wants your attention more than He wants to give you your results. He does want you to have your results - that glorifies Him, but He knows that giving you results without your attention on Him as No. 1 is gonna destroy you; it's gonna damage you; it'll steal your heart. So He will always arrange for things to be in your life that will get your attention.

Jacob in Hebrews 11 "by faith he blesses his children, blessing God, leaning on a staff."

Jacob had a limp, and he had a limp all his life. God never fixed that problem up. Jacob always got to walk with a walking stick.

Faith is not a thing for a moment. It's a thing for a lifetime.

So that everyday, even though you've got a limp, you get up and you walk again. You lean on a staff and God isn't fixing the problem, but the very strength that it takes for you to get up and go, in spite of a limp in your life causes you to finish your life, worshipping your God and blessing your children. You have no cynical attitude, but you're a worshipper and a blesser of the people in your world.

People struggles with all sorts of areas in their lives. Some struggle with their sexuality, some with eating disorders, some with drugs or alcohol addiction - and it doesn't seem to get fixed. For many people their addiction never really got fixed; they are always susceptible to it, and they walk through life with a limp. And God doesn't fix it. Coz He wants your attention more than He wants your comfort.

The first half of the book of Hebrews is about people who had a moment of faith and they got set free from the mouth of the lions, but the second half of the book of Hebrews is about ppl who didn't get set free, but still had faith and lived above their circumstances.

Remember the movie "A Beautiful Mind". John Nash, a mathematical genius, made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim, but soon found himself on a painful and harrowing journey of schizophrenia. His problem never got fixed but he managed to live above it and ended up receiving a Nobel Prize.

Understand this, there are many things that God will fix in your life - tonnes of things, but generally there's just one thing - one thing you pray e'day of your life "If only I could get rid of this" - and you find yourself stretched by that thing - and that causes you to grow. That gives you prosperity on the inside.

Love Is... Commitment

Marriages are meant to last a lifetime, but why don't they in this current age and time?

Below are extremely wise and hard truths to digest from author & apologist Ravi Zacharias, but when we are desperate and honest enough to get past the unwillingness of the flesh to the eternal reward and blessing of a live of obedience based on the truth, we will find ourselves cherishing every single moment of life with our loved one, namely, our spouse, or for many of us, our spouse-to-be ;)

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Love is as much a question of the will as it is the emotion, and if you will to love somebody, you can.

Love is stronger than a mere flutter of the heart.

Love is an enormous commitment: -

• A commitment that will test you at some of your most vulnerable areas of spirituality.


• A commitment that will force you to make choices between some difficult issues that you'll be faced with.


• A commitment that will force you to deal with your lust, greed and every area of temptation that the Bible talks about.

That commitment is a constant dying to self, and giving - it is hard work.

Romance has to be transcended by a strong will and a degree of commitment to it.

There is never a reason to be unkind - there may be reasons to disagree, to struggle; after all it's 2 wills emerging into 1.

There are compromises and struggle, but there is never a reason to be unkind.

Thomas Lang

"The pulse of life is the heart as the pulse of music is the drum." - yours truly, ahem! A.T.

Here's one young, superb and promising drummer-cum-producer, Thomas Lang. Below are excerpts from his homepage.

“To play the unplayed… ” That is the self-proclaimed lifelong aspiration of drummer/producer Thomas Lang. Given his astonishing independence of limb and his stalwart dedication to improving his craft – Lang’s aspiration is more than well on the way to reality. Thomas Lang has dedicated his life to the exploration of all things drum.

A native of Vienna, Austria, Lang took up drums at the tender age of five. Inspired by a televised performance of a heavy metal band, Lang assessed (quite rightly!) that he wanted to be a drummer when he grew up because, “the drummer looked like he was the boss – AND he got to sit down!”

I religiously follow a constantly-evolving practice routine. It’s not glamorous, but for me daily practice is a principle source of growth and inspiration in my playing,” says Lang.

Despite his reputation as an innovative and prolific drummer, Lang has a surprising take on technique. “Technique has nothing to do with music. It’s like a tool, like a hammer. You can build a shed – or you can build the Sistine Chapel,” Lang told Modern Drummer magazine. “Some days I want a shed – some days I want the Sistine Chapel – or a villa… or maybe a bowling alley…!

On the Da Vinci Code

My first introduction to Marina Mahathir is her weekly contribution to the Malaysian local newsfeed, The Star Online, her column titled "Musings by Marina Mahathir".

Below is an excerpt in relation to the infamous Da Vinci Code, now made even more famous with the movie starring Tom Hanks.

Musings by Marina Mahathir (excerpt):

A friend was relating how after her daughter had read the Da Vinci Code, she had wanted to read the Bible. Which is not in itself a bad thing except that she was concerned that an impressionable young mind would not be able to differentiate fact from fiction. Also it seemed that perhaps what was needed is a Da Vinci Code-type book for Muslims to spark off the same level of interest in young people in their own religion.

Except that if anyone tried to write a similar thriller based around Islam, they'd be hounded and pilloried and threatened with death, thousands would riot in protest and people who would never have been able to read the book either because they are illiterate or can't afford it would have died.

Such is the difference between our religions. While there are many Christians who are upset about the book and movie, they are countering it with seminars and other educational events to balance what is being said in the book, even if the book is only fiction. There have not been Da Vinci Code-related riots or deaths thus far. Which speaks volumes for the adherents of the faith.

It would be nice if everyone could brush off similar challenges and say "we are strong enough to withstand any attack". Even if a book or a movie becomes a runaway hit, compared to the total number of any faith's followers, the numbers sold can never match it. Books are by nature, in a world where illiteracy is still common, a luxury item. As are American movies, no matter what arguments people make about cultural imperialism.

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Woo-hoo! Amazing isn't it? That this actually flows from the viewpoint of a female Muslim apologist. And she hails from my birthland, mind you. ;p

Am proud, real proud, of her. ;)

Marina Mahathir

In all aspirations, there is often a neglect of home-grown resources or resources within the vicinity of one's background, experience and knowledge.

One good example, of which I am humbled, is my new found discovery of Ms. Marina Mahathir, a prolific writer and Muslim apologist, whose mention of name would have you immediately associate with Malaysia's former premier, Dr. Mahathir Muhammad.

Hailing from Malaysia, I realised how much of a well-frog I have been, oblivious to the many intellects, writers and thinkers in my nation who are progressively making headlines with their contributions in their respective fields of expertise.

Ms. Marina Mahathir is no small name in the Muslim as well as international world. From the many acclaims of his service in the Malaysian political scene, Dr. Mahathir has been hailed as the engine of modern Malaysian growth, and given his leadership calibre and keen mind, his offspring is no less significant in the intellect department as well.

As staunch a Muslim as she may be, and contrary to the expected behaviorials of staunch faithful adherents of certain groups, she is a liberal minded and impartial thinker and writer. Maybe it is her social background - she is twice married to foreigners and lives overseas.

It is truly liberating to know that there are Muslim advocates for an impartial judgment of Malaysia.

In an article she wrote for the AsiaWeek magazine, the title of her article reads: A Need To Truly Value Women, and a quote to which I applaud with all enthusiasm: "In Malaysia, we should change the way society looks at their (women's) roles." (Click on the bold & underlined caption to read the full article)

A highly interesting read, please do not pass this up. You are sure to be as liberated as I am!

Of Passion & More

The only constant in life is change, thus to ride high in life, let's be quick learners and sharp minders. Here are life-changing points (elaborated by and picked up from Pastor Mark Conner, Melbourne) which I leave you to ponder & work on:

1. God dwells in a state of perpetual enthusiasm. - A.W. Tozer

2. Intelligence alone is not gonna lead to success in life. See the statistics below: -

- 75% of the American Presidents were in the lower half of their class;
- 50% of Fortune 500 CEOs average C- in school; &
- 50% of self made millionaires have no university degrees.

If intelligence alone ain't the answer to success, then it's gotta be:
i. ATTITUDE - how you think, and ii. PASSION - how you feel.

3. Enthusiasm and persistence will make an average person superior while indifference and lethargic will make a superior person average. - William Ward

4. The enemy targets our strength.

5. Often your frustration is the key to your anointing and to your gifting.

6. Many of us may not be prominent but everyone of us is significant.

7. What you tolerate, you will never change.

Bigger Than Life

Growing up I've always wished I was born in a different family, in a better environment. Yet through the years I've come to thank God for everyone of them, despite our quirks, disagreements, arguments, conflict, hurts and pain - and am grateful for this family that God has given me.

What could be bigger than life if not for the family that so richly shapes our lives - a place to belong to, a unit of identification, a cell of love.

Big bro Wilson & me

2nd bro Willy

Sis Irene & me

Willy's lil' ones: Eunice & Isaac
Irene's lil' one: Sheena

Willy's wife & 2 adorable ones

P/S: Pics of Dad & Mom are not yet available.