Technical Difficulties

Hi all faithful readers of my humble blog,

I'm currently having problems getting my laptop to upload my daily updates on the Hillsong Conference 2005 in Sydney Australia. I'll try and back date them once i get back to Singapore on the 9th of July.

Meanwhile, here's just a brief update.
This week's been really awesome having heard from great teachers of the word like Joyce Meyers, Reinhard Bonnke, Brian Houston, John C. Maxwell, Doug Fields. I think it really gets me very excited about sharing and applying what i've learn thus far. Though tiring, i think this week has been one of the most fulfiling and exciting week. Every single day at the conference is just soooo good, and such a full spiritual experience that i think i'm getting spiritually obese now... :oP

Ok, gotta sign out now.

Jon

Signing out from Darling Harbour, Sydney

Hillsong Conference 2005 (D-5)

Hillsong Conference 2005, Sydney, Australia
28 Jun 05 (D-5)
SIN – SYD

06:00am (GMT +0800)
Awoken by the alarm on my mobile to freshen up and pack the necessary toiletries before double-checking and sealing the luggage bag.

07:15am (GMT +0800)
Set off for Changi International Airport to check in for my flight. Decided to take a bus to save money, but realized it wasn’t such a good idea to hop onto a public bus along with the morning crowd. After checking in, I somehow felt apprehensive about the trip even though this is not my first time traveling alone. But I know God is with me through it all, so neither who nor what shall I fear? It’s all in good hands.

09:45am (GMT +0800)
The plane finally took to the skies in the direction of Sydney, Australia, after a brief delay. Lunch was served shortly onboard. The entertainment was passable, so time passed pretty smoothly despite it being a 7.5 hr flight. Had a brief nap after 3 hours into the flight.

19:20pm (GMT +1000)
Finally touched down at Kingsford-Smith International Airport. Travelling light this time, so customs and quarantine clearance was very smooth. Took a train to the city centre to the YWCA hostel before joining the rest of the team at Somerset Darling Harbour on the 30th. The ride cost me a shocking A$11.20. But still, it’s much cheaper than a cab.

21:00 (GMT +1000)
Had a bit finding my way around. Was overconfident about my knowledge of Sydney roads. Decided to pop by a local motel to ask for directions. Finally found my lodging for the night after 15 minutes on foot. Decided not to shower until the next morning (EeeeeEeeeeee…) due to the cold and also the fatique. Decided to have an early night at 21:55pm.

Jon,

Signing out from Sydney, Australia.

Moment of inspirational blurbing

Was responding to someone's blog entry, when i suddenly came up with an analogy which by now is termed the 'Coconut Theory'. Food for thought.

"COMPLEXITY IN SIMPLICITY

Sometimes, the more we try to see things simply, we become even more aware of the complexities surrounding them. To me, true simplicity is like enjoying a coconut - You need to drill deep to reach the core to appreciate the real essence. The more we probe and understand the complexities, the simpler it will become. By keeping things simple, perhaps all we can find are the coconut husks, but never reaching the core to appreciate the real stuff within the core? Simplicity in complexity, and vice versa. Food for thought."

Book of the Bible

You are Proverbs.


Which book of the Bible are you?
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Name origins & Meanings

Interesting to discover how various names came about and what they mean. These are just some of the more common names that i know of. Found yours?

Aaron (M) - Hebrew, Arabic: Shining Light, High Mountain, Messenger
Albert (M) - German: Noble & Bright
Andrew / Andre (M) - Greek, French: Manly, Valiant, Courageous
Andrea (M/F) - Greek: Courageous
Angel (M/F) - Greek: Angelic
Angela (F) - Greek: Heavenly Messenger
Anthony (M) - Latin, Greek: Priceless, Flourishing, Flower, Worthy of Praise
Ashley (F) - Old English: Ash-Tree
Benedict (M) - Blessed
Benjamin (M) - Hebrew: Son of my right hand
Celeste/Celestine (F) - Latin: Heavenly
Charles (M) - Old English: Manly, strong
Christian (M)/Christina (F) - Greek: Annointed, Follows Christ
Christopher (M)/Christine (F) - Greek: Christ-bearer
Colin (M) - Celtic, Greek: Youth, Child, Victor
Constantine (M)/Constance (F) - Latin: Faithful, Firmness
Cornelius (M)/Cornelia (F) - Latin: Horn
Daniel (M)/Danielle (F) - Hebrew: God if my judge
David (M) - Hebrew: Beloved one
Deborah (F) - Hebrew: A bee, To speak kind words
Dennis (M)/Denise(F) - Greek: Of Dionysus
Derrick/Derek (M) - English/Old German: Famous Ruler
Diana (F) - Latin: Divine
Diane (F) - Latin: Celestial Hunter
Dion (M/F) - Greek: God of Wine and Revelry
Donald (M) - Old English: Ruler of the world, Brown Stanger
Edward (M) - Old English: Guardian of prosperity, guardian of the mists
Edwin (M)/Edwina (F) - German: Prosperous Friend, Heir's Axe
Elijah (M)/ Elisha (F) - Hebrew: Jehovah is God
Elizabeth/Elise (F) - Hebrew/German: Consecrated to God
Emil (M)/Emily (F) - Old German, Latin: Industrious, Eager
Erlina (F) - Celtic: Girl from Ireland
Estelle/Stella (F) - Persian, Latin: Star
Francis (M) - Latin, Old French: From France, Free
Frank (M)/Francesca (F) - Latin: Free
Franklin(M) - Old French: Free Man
Gary (M) - Old English, Latin, Teutonic: Spear Carrier
George (M) - Greek: Farmer, To work the land
Ignatius (M) - English: Firey one
Inez (F) - Spansh: Meek
Joab (M) - Hebrew: Praise God
Jacob (M) - Hebrew: Held by the heel
Jack (M) - English: From the name JOHN
Jacqueline (F) - Hebrew: Supplanter
James (M) - Hebrew: Supplanter
Jamie (M/F) - Celtic, Gaelic: From the name JAMES
Jane (F) - Hebrew: Gracious, Merciful, God is gracious
Janice (F) - Hebrew: God is gracious
Joanne (F) - Hebrew: God is gracious
John (M) - Hebrew: God is merciful
Jonathan (M) - Hebrew: Gift of God
Joseph (M)/Josephine (F) - Hebrew: God will increase
Joshua (M) - Hebrew: Jehova Saves
Joy (F) - Old English: Joy
Joyce (F) - Latin: Rejoicing
Keith (M) - Celtic, Welsh: Wood, Wind, Wood-dweller
Kevin (M) - Gaelic: Gentle, Lovable
Kim (M) - Old English: Chief
Kimberley (M/F) - Old English: Land belonging to Cyneburg, royal fortress meadow
Lawrence (M) - Latin: Laurel Crown
Lina (F) - Arabic: Tender
Louis (M)/Louise (F) - Old German: Famed Warrior/Warrior Maiden
Luke (M) - Latin: Bringer of light
Matthew (M) - Hebrew: God's Gift
Margaret (F) - Persian, Latin: Child of light, Pearl
Mark (M) - Latin: Warlike, Hammer, Defender
Mary/Maria (F) - Hebrew: Bitter
Mavis (F) - English: A small bird
Michael (M)/Michaela (F) - Hebrew: Who is like God
Michelle (F) - French: Who is like God?
Nicholas (M)/Nicole (F) - Greek: Victorious People
Pearl (F) - Middle English: Gemstone
Peter (M) - Latin: Rock-Stone
Philip (M) - Greek: Horse Lover
Rachel (F) - Hebrew: Little lamb, an ewe, One with purity
Ruby (F) - Old French: Red Gem
Simon (M) - Hebrew: He who hears
Terence (M) - Latin: Polished, Tender
Tracey (M/F) - English: Brave
Tracy (F) - French: Path, Road
Thomas (M) - Greek: Twin
Victor (M)/Victoria (F) - Latin: Victor

Know of any more?

You'll never walk alone!

The Cup is back at Anfield !!

Liverpool are the crowned the new Champions of Europe!

Japanese Name... Cool...

My japanese name is 松尾 Matsuo (tail of a pine tree) 明 Akira (bright).
Take your real japanese name generator! today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Name Generator Generator.

Intelligence Degradation?

Well, i think what is to follow will probably induce some people to contemplate printing their fist-marks on my face... LOL...

If online IQ tests were any accurate indication of one's true level of intelligence in terms of logic and comprehension, then i might have a degrading Intelligence Quotient. I think it was back in August 2002, i had attempted an online IQ test and obtained a score of 135. Well, not fantastically impressive, but considering how some people actually recognise a score of 140 as being pretty genius,... So i wasn't too far off, was i?

Well, close to 3 years down the road, having completed uni and sort of 'over and done with' academic pursuits (at least for now...), i took the same test again and only managed 127. It seems 120 is pretty much the average IQ a grown adult show have. So on the positive side, I've slightly smarter than the usual??? ( I hope... :P)On the down side, I'M GETTING STUPID~! How sad is that? Maybe it's the fatique after work + 2.5 hours of Overtime. (Ah~! I hear people murmuring in the background already. *excuses, excuses...*)

Hey, i kill alot of brain cells in order to do a service to mankind by trying to detect unlawful funds, k? So better learn to respect my job. Hey wait, i'm beginning to act like an idiot. See? I'm losing it? Ah! Stupidity has caught up with me again...

Come to the Festival of Praise!

The dangers of electronic communications

Just a few hours ago, my beloved cell group leader messaged me on MSN to say hello. I happened to be chatting with another cell member, and was typing pretty fast. (I'm actually terrible at typing quickly...), so in my haste to respond, i had typed 'hello' and typed the 'Enter' key a little too fast (reflex action, maybe.. ) and the letter 'o' at the end didn't go out with the first line of text.

DISASTER~!!! You know what that would spell right? It spelt 'Hell'... Managed to rectify the mistake, but it then reminds me of a lecture i had in university for 'Internet Communications Strategies'.Electronic communication is so unlike our normal face-to-face communication, where our facial/body expressions can give a more accurate picture of what we are trying to convey.Or written communications, whereby we can still get a shot at retrieving our messages as long as it has not been physically handed to the receipient, whether intended or unintended.

Electronic communications like Email or instant messaging is so different. Once the message is sent, how the receipient interprets it is entirely out of our hands.

I mean, in my case, you would easily have brushed off the response as a joke, cos you can't possible (or rather, logically) respond to a "hello" with a smile accompanied with "Hell". Imagine how 'off' that would be?

More discussion to follow.

Comments?

Incredible Character

Which Incredibles Character Are You?
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Here's another quiz... I'll smash my face if i had his chin though...

Sniff Season is here again.

There seems to be an epidemic of the flu bug lately. Wonder why? Is it b'cos me? Hmm...

My 4th week into my job now... So far, so good, though i still crave to be taught more stuff. My job function lets me work independently, so i kinda like the solidarity at times. But then it would also be good to interact more, so maybe i shall try to go 'cubicle surfing' tomorrow if it's not too busy.

Having a kind of writer's block lately in terms of blogging. Haven't had the inspiration or the energy to write anything.Either i'm too mentally tired after work, or i have a deterorating memory, so much that i have difficulty recollecting my day. Maybe i should just keep a notepad with me to write down my thoughts throughout the day and transcribe it on to the blog when i get back home after work.

Yea~! I got the job!

Hahahahaha... I don't know how to contain my joy now.

Well, about the job offer in the morning, i went for a brief interview at the recruitment agency in the afternoon, and guess what? The manager at the bank replied the agency and I got the job at about 5pm this evening! Quick huh? Couldn't believe it!

Starting work tomorrow morning. Actually the hirer was Standard Chartered Bank. Which makes me even happier, cos i had previously been turned down by them after an aptitude test. I guess this is really divine intervention that allows me to have a second opportunity to work for them. Praise the Lord! God is soo good to me this weekend, that i'm beginning to feel so unworthy of such an avalanche of favour from the Lord Father.

Psalms 37:3-5
Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass

A job on the way?

Was woken up abruptly this morning by the ringing of my mobile phone. Feeling a little sheepish from a lack of sleep, it took me quite a while to walk over to my desk (which seemed like a mile when your eyes are half-shut). It was a lady from a recruitment agency asking me if i was interested in a position that they had. Wow, i never knew an adrenaline rush could be so rapid... from a 'half-alive' condition, i immediately sprang into life, and put on my 'chirpy & sunshine' mode.

It was for a temp position at a foreign bank.Now, there are quite a few things that i like about this offer:
1. It's for a foreign bank. Typically challenging but rewarding.
2. It's based in Tampines Central which means i can beat the morning MRT crowd since i live nearby.
3. It's temp, but the conversion rate to perm or contract basis is quite high at 80 - 90% (at least that's what the lady told me...)
4. It's involving Credit & Corporate Finance work. The chances of transferring to analysis dept is also quite high, depending on performance.

Almost everything i ever wanted so far. At the beginning of March, God had put in me a vision that He has the perfect job for me, and all i have to do is be patient and trust in His timing. Of late, i was quite disappointed with job searching already, owing to the poor response rate to my 'resume-shooting' frenzy. Then this offer came along. Is this God coming through for me?

Enneagram Test

Saw the link on LC's site, so decided to give it a go as well.

Amazing results:

Enneagram Test Results Type 1 Perfectionism 66% Type 2 Helpfulness 58% Type 3 Image Focus 74% Type 4 Hypersensitivity 18% Type 5 Detachment 54% Type 6 Anxiety 62% Type 7 Adventurousness 62% Type 8 Aggressiveness 62% Type 9 Calmness 66% Your main type is 3 Your variant is sexual

Take Free Enneagram Personality Test

Jehovah Rophe! God the Healer!

Halleluiah! Praise the Lord!

First of all, i must say the Easter celebration at Singapore Indoor Stadium is 'fanta-bulous'~! Praise God for the giftings and annointings that He has given to His people. I knew we had a great drama team and dance team, but they never fail to impress me time and time again. As i was watching the performance, what i saw was beyond what was on the stage. Rather from the whole cheorographing of the whole show, one can't help but to notice the spirit of excellence behind every worker, from drama, dance, makeup & costumes, sound, lighting, pyrotechnics, vocals, even the ushers & security people. This is what is would like to call, 'Pure Professionalism'.

Seeing the crowds that came forward to receive Christ into their lives never fails to bring a tear of joy to my eyes. When one person comes to Christ, the whole of heaven rejoice! Let alone half a stadium!? It's like seeing so many 'babies' being born at the same. Oh~, a tear...

You know what's particularly exciting for me? My Dad, who's deaf in one ear since young has had his hearing in the other ear reduced by half over the past 2 years. Towards the end of the service, Ps. Kong decided that we should have a time of healing. So the congregation did all we could to usher in the healing presence of God. As another brother prayed for my Dad, the presence of God came upon my Dad and restored hearing to his half-functional ear! Wow! God is so amazing!

The Easter Story 2005

Come join in the Easter Services and discover the Easter Story.

26-27th March 2005 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium!

Quietly shedding the kilos

Oh, somehow someone just made my day by sharing with me an observation that resulted in a smile that just wouldn't seem to go away.

Well, Planetshakers was in town for Synergiz Conference, so i invited a former housemate & her friend to come along for the night rally tonight. Turns out to be a short but enjoyable time praising God in the air-conditioned 'tentage' on the lawn of Downtown East. Well, the usual 'supper after some exercise' routine never fails to win me over, so we went for some roti john. That was when my nice housemate whom i have not met since September last year commented that i slimmed down. Ok, i'm a little vain (in a sense), so i was VERY happy. But then again, my face still looks like a mooncake. So i wonder if the comment was just another consolation... Nevertheless, it still perked me up, and made me even more determined to continue the good work & exercise. Even more so, when i look at my desk calendar and realised that i have only 9 months left to clear my IPPT for this year's window.

Ok, *kampate~!!*, *Jia You~!*

1SIR 11th Mono-Intake Specialist ORD Parade

It's finally showtime. After many days of tiring rehearsals, 'burnt' leave and off days, many 'NG' attempts at what i would call military stunts, constant polishing of boots and bayonets, cleaning of weapons and ironing of parae uniform... Gentlemen, this is IT!

We spent the night before the parade in camp, so as to facilitate the morning rehearsal and final run of the parade sequence. I can see that everyone had put in lots of effort and are determined to make this parade a good one to remember.

At 6.30am, everyone was gathered at the battalion parade square, ready for the morning rehearsal. Probably due to the previous day's fatique and the lack of sleep, it started off sluggish. But what really impressed me was that the regular specialists and CSMs were with us all the way from the 1st reheasal till the final run. Kudos to them. I'm really so touched by their commitement. By 8.00 am, we were all formed up for the uniform inspection and final touch-up. It's a first for many as not many specialists in the Army actually get to don the No. 1 dress, which is usually reserved for state ceremonies or to receive foreign dignitaries.

At 8.45am sharp, the parade RSM marched onto the parade square and gave the command for the parade contigent to form up. As we marched to the drumbeat of the military fanfare, there was a subtle nervousness and excitement that kept our heartbeats racing and the butterflies fluttering in our guts. Somehow, the actual parade just turns out to be our best attempt. Everything just flowed so smoothly. The tempo was right, the placing and spacing were right, everyone marked time to the exact beat. Just perfect.



Once the parade was formed up, the parade sequence was handed over to the parade commander. The reviewing officers and VIPs began to arrive one by one. It was then followed by a presentation of arms upon the arrival of CO, and another time for the arrival of Brigade Commander.

The parade commander then invited CO to review the parade. Now here's the interesting part. Along with the military fanfare, the inspection was accompanied by a '21-Gun Salute' simulated by thunderflashes. It was followed by the recitation of the Army Specialists' Creed.

That was followed by the next highlight of the parade: the Fire of Joy, just like during the National Day Parade (Well, maybe the execution was a little poor, but the idea was there...) But it feels like as if it was NDP.


Once permission was sought & granted, the parade then proceeded to prepare for the ceremonial march-past.



To cap off the wonderfully cheorographed parade, we ended off with a slow march to the tune of 'Auld Lang Syne' while the principal staff officers and officer commanding of the respective companies sent off the specialists with a military hand salute.


The post parade festivities and photo taking was a scene of joy and excitement. Espirit d' Corp is how i would describe the feeling. ORD Loh~!