Another nice quote

The Cross may be heavy and hard to bear at times, but it beats any GPS device and it’ll be the coolest thing you’ll ever carry in your lifetime!

-Sister Ah Ning

Very well said!

I’m still figuring..

Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth or power. Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter, so that the world will be at least a little bit different for our having passed through it.

-Rabbi Harold Kushner

Rob’s Movie Picks

Feeling bored so decided to list some of the more memorable movies i’ve caught before:

(Note: All summaries copied from imdb. I do not claim credit for any of the content in this post)

The Bucket List (2007)

Corprate billionaire Edward Cole and working class mechanic Carter Chambers have nothing in common except for their terminal illnesses. While sharing a hospital room together, they decide to leave it and do all the things they have ever wanted to do before they die according to their bucket list. In the process, both of them heal each other, become unlikely friends, and ultimately find the joy in life.

We Are Marshall (2006)

In November, 1970, virtually the entire football team and coaches of Marshall University (Huntington, W.V.) die in a plane crash. That spring, led by Nate Ruffin, a player who was ill and missed the fatal flight, students rally to convince the board of governors to play the 1971 season. The college president, Don Dedman, must find a coach, who then must find players. They petition the NCAA to allow freshmen to play, and coach Jack Lengyel motivates and leads young players at the same time that he reexamines the Lombardi creed that winning is the only thing. The father and the fiancée of a player who died find strength to move on. Can Marshall win even one game in 1971?

Harrison’s Flowers (2000)

Harrison Lloyd is a Pulitzer-winning photojournalist. His wife and family are making it hard for him to keep his mind on his work when he’s in a war zone, and he wants to change jobs to something less stressful. But he’s got one last assignment, in war-torn Yugoslavia, in 1991, at the height of the fighting. Word comes back that he apparently died in a building collapse, but his wife Sarah (also a journalist for Newsweek) refuses to believe that he’s dead and goes looking for him. She’s helped immensely by the photo-journalists Eric Kyle and Marc Stevenson that she runs into over there; together, they’re determined to make it through the chaotic landscape to Vukovar, which is not only the nexus of the war but where she believes Harrison is located. Meanwhile, Harrison’s son Cesar is looking after his father’s prized greenhouse, keeping hope, and flowers, alive.

Gracie’s Choice (2004)

Anne Heche plays an abusive mother to Gracie, played by Kristen Bell. Gracie has always taken care of her three younger brothers and one sister. When her mother’s drug and alcohol use goes too far, Gracie decides to take on the official role of mother to her brothers.

The Kingdom (2007)

When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an international incident is ignited. While diplomats slowly debate equations of territorialism, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury quickly assembles an elite team and negotiates a secret five-day trip into Saudi Arabia to locate the madman behind the bombing. Upon landing in the desert kingdom, however, Fleury and his team discover Saudi authorities suspicious and unwelcoming of American interlopers into what they consider a local matter. Hamstrung by protocol-and with the clock ticking on their five days-the FBI agents find their expertise worthless without the trust of their Saudi counterparts, who want to locate the terrorist in their homeland on their own terms. Fleury’s crew finds a like-minded partner in Saudi Colonel Al-Ghazi, who helps them navigate royal politics and unlock the secrets of the crime scene and the workings of an extremist cell bent on further destruction. With these unlikely allies sharing a propulsive commitment to crack the case, the team is led to the killer’s front door in a blistering do-or-die confrontation. Now in a fight for their own lives, strangers united by one mission won’t stop until justice is found in The Kingdom.

The Passion of the Christ (2004)

This film depicts the final hours of Jesus Christ, starting from His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane and His betrayal at the hands of Judas Iscariot. It goes on to show the trials He endured under Pontius Pilate and King Herod as well as the torture and ridicule He suffered in between. Once the death sentence is pronounced, He carries a heavy wooden cross to Golgotha amidst throngs of jeering citizens and horrendous beatings, while a few citizens do what they can to help Him. Throughout this time, we are shown memories from His past with His mother and Disciples, where He gives His teachings. Finally, He is crucified, dies, and is buried, but resurrects from the dead on the third day.
Finding Forrester (2000)

Jamal Wallace is an inner-city kid from the Bronx who has an aptness at basketball and a genius at writing. While always a C student, Jamal comes to the attention of a prestigious New York prep school when he scores highly on his standardized tests. While Jamal is given a heavy load at his new school, both he and the school know that the real reason they took him on is for his prowess on the court. Befriended by fellow student Claire and helped along by Pulitzer-prize winning author and recluse William Forrester, Jamal pursues his dreams both on and off the court while overcoming obstacles placed by his bitter literature teacher. As Jamal is shaped by Forrester, he finds that he is changing the old writer as well, forcing him to confront his past…and his future.

The Dark Knight (2008)

Set within a year after the events of Batman Begins, Batman, Lieutenant James Gordon, and new district attorney Harvey Dent successfully begin to round up the criminals that plague Gotham City until a mysterious and sadistic criminal mastermind known only as the Joker appears in Gotham, creating a new wave of chaos. Batman’s struggle against the Joker becomes deeply personal, forcing him to “confront everything he believes” and improve his technology to stop him. A love triangle develops between Bruce Wayne, Dent and Rachel Dawes.

True Crime (1999)

A recovering alcoholic, womanizing reporter, who can’t stay out of trouble with his bosses (mostly because he is sleeping with their wives), inherits a human interest story about a prisoner, who is sentenced to die at midnight for the murder of a pregnant woman who owed him $96. However, the reporter immediately figures out that the key witness lied about what he saw and believes the prisoner is innocent. He then sets out to prove his belief in the final 12 hours of the prisoner’s life. James Woods appears as Eastwood’s Editor-in-Chief and the only man who still believes in his talents. Denis Leary is Eastwood’s direct editor, who wants him fired for his direct belligerence and the fact that he slept with Leary’s wife.

The Negotiator (1998)

As a decorated hostage negotiator, Lieutenant Danny Roman has made a career out of talking down dangerous men who don’t listen to reason. But he goes off the deep end himself when he is framed for the murder of a colleague investigating corruption in their department. Convinced that the Internal Affairs office contains evidence that can exonerate him, Roman takes everyone inside the building hostage. Roman demands Lieutenant Chris Sabian, known for his anti-violence creed, be brought in to negotiate thinking it will buy him time. When Sabian’s attempts for a peaceful resolution are constantly undermined by local authorities, he begins to suspect there may be method to Roman’s madness.

WELL, thats my two cents worth haha. There are more that i enjoy, but its gettin to be quite a drag to keep on copy&pasting hahaha. If any of the movies do catch your atttention and u haven’t caught it before, go grab a copy! Just dun kill me if it turns out not to your liking..

I DO have pretty good taste though hehehe.

If you have any movies to recommend of your own, leave a comment!

He is Mighty to Save

Brightened up my day, hope it’ll do the same for you =)

Random Post

Yay the ~25year long war in Sri Lanka has finally come to an end! (apparently)

I dunno what it’ll mean for the Tamil minority there.. but i’m just glad the fighting has ceased and the suicide bombings come to an end. Lives have been lost, but hopefully life can now go on peacefully for the rest.

True to the title of this post, it’s gonna be random. Just saw a quote on facebook:

“In life, it’s not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can GET hit yet keep moving forward.” I believe it was a quote from the movie Rocky Balboa… the champ telling his son how to quit complaining and grow up. I like this quote.. reminds me of 2 Cor 12:9 – And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Ain’t that true.. what doesn’t kill u only makes u stronger than ever before. It’s in our moments of weakness that we are molded to become what we are meant to be and do.

Wolfram Alpha (a new search engine) has been released and is touted to be the new Google-killer. Read more about it from Reuters  HERE.

Extract:What’s so great about Wolfram Alpha? Unlike Google (GOOG), which scans keywords in a search query and offers you thousands of ranked Web sites that might contain the information you’re looking for, Wolfram Alpha reads your question in natural language, scans its own databases, and gives you the answer.

I think it needs a better name if it wants to threaten Google. Nobody’s gonna say: “Hey, u can Wolfram Alpha the answer to that question”

Okk last random point.  The Star Trek trailer looks quite cool. HERE

I’m gonna catch it tom yay! Hope its good.. coz someone’s giving up Zac Efron for this lol.

More Than a Carpenter

That’s the title of a book i found. By Josh McDowell. After searching high and low for a suitable one. For benjy that is, as part of our ‘cultural exchange’ in ‘religious texts’ haha. I believe it is an appropriate book, and hopefully will touch him in some way. I’m to read ‘The Joy of Living’ by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.

I’m glad to have this great great pal whom I can share everything with, and oftentimes we end up talkin about and exchanging views on religion and life. When u find a friend like that, u know that the friendship runs real deep.

Real glad to have qiang join the Upper Room small group again this week! I hope that through participating in our bible study and discussions, he would be able to discover answers to some of life’s unresolved questions. Another great pal that i can share anythin with haha.

I’ve got some unresolved questions of my own, but today God spoke to me like almost directly. Like almost saying it to my face. He’s only done that twice previously.. once when i was about to be baptised, and the next.. well i’m not gonna elaborate on the other time.. hehe come find out yourself. Today was through a sermon.. literally every word seemed crafted to what i wanted to and needed to hear. This might sound weird to non-believers, but its true.. He has personally, and i mean PERSONALLY,  guided me through all the major events in my life since I came to know Him. I’m amazed myself. Things just keep gettin more and more interestin =)

I had a pretty good weekend. Celebratory dinner, drinks and ktv with FH peeps (well, more like ex-FH for most), complete with cake and choc muffin from the gang, and very thoughtful pressie from miche. Small group the next day, with LOTS of cake coz it was mag’s bdae too!

Really appreciate all the thoughtfulness and efforts!

Mothers day today. Oh did i mention that i was born on mother’s day? hehe. Nice meal with the family and the ‘hey-sonny-boy-yep-i’m-talkin-to-you-and-there’s-no-denying-it’ sermon at church were the highlights of the day.

I’m lookin forward to tues! Will be having slugs for dinner hehehe.

FLD

FLD is something I desire. It’s 3.30am now and i’m tired.. spent hours preparin for my turn to lead small group bible study. Though it’s late, I desire FLD more than ever now.

FLD = Faith like Daniel. The story of Daniel in the bible really inspires me.. I had a good time reading up about the history of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius etc. Ok i’m not gonna tell the whole story or i’ll end up sleeping at 5am… go read up wikipedia if you’re interested. Basically Daniel is a trusted adviser to the King of ancient Babylon. However his jealous enemies try all ways and means to sabo him. They can’t really find any fault, so attack him for his faith in God by devising a way to use his devotion to his God against loyalty to the king. The king doesn’t want to do anythin to Daniel, but has no choice but to throw him into a den of lions due to some laws the king unwittingly passed under persuasion by Daniel’s enemies.

Daniel’s faith in God however, delivers him unscathed from the lions den.

I really like this picture. How Daniel is a picture of coolness, composure and peace despite the lurking powerful lions. He is resolute in his faith.. he knows that God will protect and deliver him.

He could have compromised his own values to safeguard his life, he could have complained and blamed others, he could have  tried to suck up to the king… but he knew all these were fruitless in the eyes of the One who has power over all.

FLD. I so need that. Ok i’m tired.. hope to see more ppl at small group so we can discuss this together heh! Was great to have qiang join the last session.. really happy! =) =)

anyone who wants to join in to find out more about the christian faith, please do get in touch!

Sri Lanka Reloaded

Hehe i was missing Sri Lanka so dug up some long-lost video from the recesses of my decaying hard drive. Have fun watching! Credit for the video goes to Joyce and Amy!

We turned the horrible-looking walls of the orphanages into something more pleasant to the eyes. Too bad there is no shot of the pre-work walls.. faded, crumbling patches of dull paint.. giant holes in the wall which we had to plaster.. etc etc. Anyways enjoy!