Miracle seed and lasting fragrance for Jesus

Aug 23 2010

Last week, Pastor Prince revealed that this sunday 22 August is going to be Miracle Seed Sunday.

Miracle Seed Sunday is an annual sowing event that our church started when we decided to embark on the One-North building project.

It was fundraising for the church but it was sowing for me. I am trusting Father God to grow the seeds I sown into a jaw-dropping harvest for me.

My first Miracle Seed Sunday was in 2008 and it was a very exciting day. I gave a one-time sum that I considered small but was all I could muster because I didn’t have a lot of cash. Although it wasn’t much, I remembered feeling a buzz all over my body when the congregration prayed together with our envelopes held up.

A month after that, I was told that I can stop the monthly mortgage that I was making for an investment that I made a couple of years back. The investment is entering the exit stage and I would be getting my money back. As a thanksgiving for the good news, I decided to redirect the mortgage amount to the One-North project.

Father God was good and kind in the first year. I was amazed at the accumulated amount that I was able to sow in 2008. And even more amazed at the harvest I received. The profit from the investment was around 15% per annum and I was invested for around 9 years.

In 2009, I gave only 10% of the 2008 amount. Before I had time to feel bad about it, I realized why. I bought a home at a good price. Harvest time wasn’t over yet. :) The Lord knew I needed the cash to pay for the legal, transactional and renovation fees.

This year, I looked at my bank account contemplating the amount to sow this time round. I am preparing to give the same amount I gave for the entire of 2008 at one go. It is the largest amount I have ever given.

I couldn’t have been able to give this much if I couldn’t see that this is not merely a gift to God but a seed sown. This is the principle that Pastor Prince has always taught us, that if we rely on our own efforts, or focus on our actions to be good, we will never succeed. But when we focus on Father God’s goodness, then we will succeed. God will take that seed and do great things with it and reward us exceedingly for our gift.

Pastor Prince also called this the FRAGRANCE offered to the Lord Jesus and that it would last forever. AMEN to that.

It is good to be part of God’s household. To be hidden in Jesus where all things are made through Him and made for Him.

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Hidden gem?

Aug 09 2010

Found this little hidden Japanese restaurant in Choa Chu Kang, Keat Hong to be exact.

We ordered the chirashi and pork ramen. The dishes look good, shall have to dig in to see if they are as good as they look.

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Radish cake recipe

Aug 09 2010

I got this radish recipe from the local newspapers. I want to try it so I thought I’ll park the recipe here first.

Ingredients
1 kg radish
250g pork belly
75g dried shrimps
400g rice flour
200g tapioca starch flour
50g shallots
5 dried chinese mushrooms
50g garlic
20g ground pepper
20g salt
100cc cooking oil
1400cc water

Directions

  1. Wash and peel the radish, shred thinly
  2. Wash the pork belly, parboil for about 10 minutes
  3. Cut the parboiled pork belly into thin strips
  4. Soak the dried shrimps in warm water until soft
  5. Drain and ground it in a food processor
  6. Soak the dried chinese mushrooms until re-hydrated
  7. Remove the mushroom stems and slice thinly
  8. Peel the shallots and slice thinly
  9. Peel the garlic and chop finely
  10. Sieve the tapioca starch flour and rice flour together
  11. Add the radish shreds, water and salt, mixed to form a batter
  12. Bring some oil in a wok and fry the shallots until golden brown
  13. Remove and put aside
  14. Lower the heat and fry the shrimps, mushrooms and garlic
  15. Add the fried mixture to the batter
  16. Mixed well
  17. Oil a large cake pan and pour in the mixture
  18. Steam the mixture for 45 minutes
  19. Remove from steamer
  20. Slice into serving sizes and garnish with shallots before serving
  21. Or slice thinly and fry with egg

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Am I a patriotic Singaporean?

Aug 06 2010

National Day is drawing near.

National Day Parade 2010 logo

National Day Parade 2010 logo

The local radio stations saw it fit to start a ritual of broadcasting the “famous” National Day songs, like a countdown to the actual day. This morning, over the radio, I found out that the most popular National Day song, in a recent vote, is Stand up for Singapore.

My God! I hate that song.

As the song started to play over the radio, I saw myself in my school uniform, standing in line with the rest of the school singing this song in the school auditorium. Not out of patriotism or of my own accord, but forced to do it because it is a compulsory school assembly.

Since then, I find all the National Day celebratory activities a chore. I can see (rationally) why it is important for nation-building but somehow all these expressions of patriotism just make me cringe. I don’t think I have ever attended the National Day Parade live or sit through the telecast. I dutifully hang the Singapore flag from my windows and corridor only because I didn’t want to be a difficult case for my Residents’ Committee volunteers.

Does that mean I am not patriotic? Does that mean I am not a good Singaporean?

Sometimes I think so…

…until someone badmouth Singapore.

An overseas friend once complained to me that he thinks the malls and food places closes too early in Singapore, comparing Singapore to a certain place where food can be found everywhere, round the clock.

My reaction was a surprise even to me. I can’t remember my heated retort exactly but it was something like Singaporeans don’t loiter out too late because they have very comfortable homes to go back to…unlike some places.

I mean, I have my own pet peeves about Singapore and Singaporeans. But somehow, I’m still protective. This is the place I was born in, a place I grew up in. So many of my cherished childhood memories are tied to places here. There are good reasons for certain things being the way they are in Singapore.

So here I am, still cringing at National Day Celebrations but yet still celebrating Singapore as a distinctive, unique and independent nation-state.

Happy Birthday Singapore!

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我的朋友我的同学我最爱的一切

May 25 2010

郑展伦 has a new album or should it be called an extended play because there are only 6 songs in it. It is called 同学会 (translated roughly class gathering).

同学会

The first song in the album caught my attention. It is 我的朋友我的同学我最爱的一切. The title looks familiar but I couldn’t really recall why. It appeared as the last song again as a piano version. When I listened to it, the voice that sang the first stanza wasn’t 郑展伦. It was 吴庆康. Now, I realised why it was familiar. This song was written by 吴庆康 in 1990 and appeared in his album of the same name.

What a pleasant surprise and find!

吴庆康 was one of my favorite writers and songwriters when I was studying in the university.

An additional surprise was the modification of the lyrics.

This one below is from the original version. It is used as a farewell ode for many graduation ceremonies and parties. I have found comfort in this song when I felt the impending separation from friends and classmates keenly. I still remember the feeling clearly…the sadness and the inevitability.

渐渐走远了 我的年轻岁月
慢慢累积了 我的悲伤和喜悦
在全世界开始变冷的那一天
我惦记的是我的朋友我的同学

春夏秋冬再也没有什么分别
你们永远占据了我的思念
我的未来有太多你们的从前
因为你们是我最爱的朋友最爱的同学

我的朋友我的同学我最爱的一切
希望 失望 是那么的长年累月
心痛 心动 也是那么的长久缠绵
我得到不多 但不介意有过那么一点

我的朋友我的同学我最爱的一切
我爱的不是你们美丽的容颜
我真的好想你们 你们的一切
谁叫你们是我最爱的朋友 最爱 同学

我真的爱你们 欢笑流泪的感觉
我在乎我们的一切 虽然不一定会永远

Listen to the original version sang by 李伟菘

Twenty years on, the lyrics have been changed to reflect a mellower view.

已经走远了 我的年轻岁月
回首看不清 那年的风花和雪月
在全世界开始变冷的那一天
我是否还记得我的朋友 我的同学

春夏秋冬 最能将一切都搁浅
你的今天有多少我的思念
我的未来有太多 承诺没实现
匆匆一转眼朋友和同学在记忆沉淀

我的朋友我的同学曾最爱的一切
希望 失望 是淡淡的经过身边
心痛 心动 原来不一定长久缠绵
我得到不多 但不介意有过那么一点

我的朋友我的同学曾最爱的一切
无所谓你我的生活怎么改变
我真爱过你们 纯真无忧的感觉
我微笑拥抱这一切 那是我最灿烂的瞬间

Listen to the new version sang by 吴庆康, 郑展伦 and 李伟菘.

Some might think the new lyrics are more cynical but it reflects present feelings. 已经走远了 我的年轻岁月, no matter if I think so or not, I am no longer considered young. 春夏秋冬 最能将一切都搁浅, I have left some things behind with time past. 我真爱过你们 纯真无忧的感觉, 我微笑拥抱这一切 那是我最灿烂的瞬间, my feelings then were real, but they were also fleeting (with 20 years as a backdrop).

It is good to meet the songwriter 吴庆康 again.

才子就是才子

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