Got my back buddy?

Recently I learnt that I have a weak lower back. My ego was seriously hurt when I discovered that I'm doing the same weights as me wife!

Come on man... how can la?

But I am! A little more investigation showed that I do have REALLY weak lower back. Like when I run, the first place that gives way is my lower back. It starts to ache and standing straight seems tiring.. you know the feeling?

So I started to do more lower back exercise. One of them, my favourite, for giving me maximum 'pain' is the dead lift. Basically you stand straight with your butt sticking out and back straight and just bend down to pick up a weight (bend the knees a little forward but not more than your toes). I start off very light... ok ego aside, I only do light weights! can?

Yes the lower back is that weak.

I remember this friend I have - CCL. She's a petite girl with outstanding posture... she only stands or sit or walk ith her back straight (or almost arched back). So straight that we all know she has got a nice butt :) I don't know how she does it but if there's something she can't do - she can't hunch over and pick up a pen! (hahahahahaa.. but i can! ngek ngek ngek)

because I start sweating just holding the weights standing like that. Especially the butt sticking out part, it targets the lower back really good.

Anyway I'm working on the back really hard and I do hope it gets stronger. It's gotten a bit stronger since a couple of weeks ago when i started and already I can run, swim, sit up straight much easier.

Now that I think about it, was that the reason why I had a bad posture. (It used to be worse!)

Anyway I'm glad I found this out now... lets see how I will feel with a stronger back.

Recipe for revival

After my healing, we went for a run. When I came back, I quickly took my shower and got ready to go out for dinner. But before we headed out again... I took my watch and put it to my ear.

Hahaha. Tick tick tick.... I smiled and cried all at the same time in my room as I praised God for the wonderful gifts.

It was easy for me. I prayed and He delivered. Pure grace. Easy for me. But it didn't come cheap, He paid for it with a price.

Grace is cheap? Hardly. It's easy though.

That's the hard part for many to accept I suppose. It seems that we would rather prefer to work for something than to get it free. No wonder Paul was so mad at the galatians when he ask, " let me ask you one thing, did you receive the gift of the holy spirit through work or through faith?"

The word 'revival' is not used in the NT. Surprise? I think there's no need to use it because it's an on going theme. Whenever the gospel is preached, there's 'revival'- if revival means there's a lot of ppl coming to the lord.

I can remember 2 occasions recorded for us that this happen. First was by Peter in which 3000 ppl got saved and the other by Paul, 'almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord'.

So what happened during these 2 'revivals' recorded for us in the bible?

1. Peter to the Jews at Pentecost:

Act 2:38 Peter answered them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.
Act 2:39 For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are far away, whom the Lord our God may call to himself."

2. Paul to everyone:
Act 13:38 Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,
Act 13:39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Notice the common theme?

Repent, which means change your mind in greek. Change your mind from what? What does Peter tells the 'men of Israel' to change their mind from? That the law of moses cannot save you (Act 2:36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.")

AND through this man is preached, is proclaimed the forgiveness of sins to you by which you are freed from everything you could not be freed from the law of moses! Then you WILL also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit - as a guarantee.

It is ALWAYS through Him, the foundation of our faith, the cornerstone, that 'revival' starts. Nothing else matters.

Those who believed, received the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise. (What promise? ALL the promise in the bible)

That is the gospel - the only recipe needed for a 'revival' - the good news, the best news of God that He came to save and all sins are forgiven - your present, past and future ones. The key by which the New Covenant takes place. Hallelujah.

Believe in it.

Still I see ppl find it hard to believe. They feel that there's still 'sin' in them. They need a 'touch' from God since their 'last sin'. They still feel guilty that unless they are 'purified' from all 'sins' God cannot work in them or through them. They feel that they have not been completely obedient.

Well from what I read in Hebrews, the only disobedient the author was concern is this: that you stop believing that your conscience is cleared. Therefore the author say: strive to enter that rest. The 'rest' that it's now no longer our efforts, it's been done for us by Chris. And throughout the book, the unbelief is refered to as sin. And in its context:

Heb 10:26 For if we go on sinning (to stop believing that we have been forgiven) deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

So if we want to 'do' revival do this, believe that through this Man, is preached the forgiveness of sins and by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
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It's a few days now since the healing and I'm still enjoying hearing my watch tick. It's so funny, I feel like a little boy every time I put my watch to my right ear. It's as if I have heard it for the first time. Just like the gospel it seems I have just heard it for the first time, again, today.

Many things I do not know...

but this I know, once I couldn't hear my watch ticking on my right ear now I can.

It was about last week that I found out that my right ear cannot hear the ticking of my automatic watch while my left ear can. I tried putting it at different angles but I just can't hear it ticking like the way it sound on my left ear.

Today we decided to hear a sermon by Peter Youngren or something. It's one of the sermon from New Creation. To be honest, it's one of the more boring one. But at the end of the sermon, on mp3, He said people are being healed and to pray. So wife and I sat here in our bed claiming we are healed here and there.

I prayed for my ear but I felt that it was such a 'small' thing, it can hear a lot of stuff just not 'ticking' but I hear a voice saying, He can heal everything. So I prayed for my mind to be boosted with wisdom, my ear, my knees...etc

About 5 mins later, Peter said to stretch out your arm/legs to test it out. So I took out my watch and there it was.

It sounds like music to my ears.... tick tick tick tick tick tick.

Hallelujah!

Psalm 23. Part 5

Psa 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Just haven't had much time to write. But I'll try to conclude the series now.

You prepare a table before me.... in the olden days, the when kingdom goes to war, the victor chain their enemies and eat before them. It's really a way to taunt them and 'show off' that you're the winner. So here the Lord prepares the table for us to eat in victory. Hence when we pray, we pray from victory not for victory. Because God has done it for us.

He annoints my head with oil. Oil for sheeps are like insect repellent for us in modern times. Sheperds used oil to keep away flies from the sheep with oil. For us spiritually, His oil keeps all things evil, sickness, poverty away.

My cup overflows. This is so nice because when a king keep your cup overflowing in ancient days, it means that he wants you around. He is saying, ' hang around, I like you' so he keeps your cup overflowing (with wine usually in ancient times). Half full means: times' out my friend, get lost. So does God wants us around? YES! Keep my cup OVERFLOWING. With Him around, you can expect overflowing of all things. He is afterall, the creator.

Man, if you think that's good, the best is yet to come!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. This last one sounds pretty obvious is it not? But let me add a spin to it. "Shall follow me" actually means "to run after.. with hostile intent" in hebrew, or hunt.

Imagine that... God's goodness and mercy (sugar and spice and everything nice!) is chasing down you. Think you can escape that?

So even in your lowest of most days you can be sure, God our Lord, friend, our everlasting refuge and good sheperd is always desiring for you to be around. His goodness is sent, chasing you down.

Even while David was under Law He knew this of God, it's no wonder He is the man after God's heart. What more now that we have the Grace that has been revealed to us.

Hallelujah. Shalom be with you my friends. Have a great weekend.

Addicted to Oil

Before I write more I want to say that I totally don't agree with the way the government increase oil prices? Why can't they warn everyone first, like 3 months before so that everyone is prepared mentally. It seems they like to 'shock' everyone. Maybe they were trying to prevent prices to 'increase so fast' but that's inevitable isn't it?

As Malaysia is pondering about the shocking price increase I can't stop to wonder, why are we still addicted to oil?

And human race as a whole seems to be a forgetful lot. Take Malaysia for example, just more than a few months ago, we were 'shocked' when fuel prices went up to 1.9. The governement said it'll use all the savings for this and that... now they're spinning the same story. Are we expecting the 'savings' to put to good use again...?

So everytime the oil price hit a new high, the human race cries out. When crude oil first hit 50/barrel then 80/barrel then 100/barrel and then 130/barrel as in now. Each time we cry foul! The airline all went crazy. Then the powers that be produces a bit more oil, bring the prices down a bit... and then.... all is merry again!

The car manufacturers, oil producers...etc are playing all of us suckers! Electric cars (google who killed the electric car) were mass produced 10 years ago. Using 'lousy' batteries in today's standards and yet they still say electric cars are 'not ready'. Comparing electric cars and Hybrids, we would conclude that Hybrids are the 'Low-tech' cars isn't it?

So the Low Tech Hybrid cars are made so 'expensive' today because like all new product, they're going to bring the price down slowly. Does that make sense, you decide.

Yet government don't make efforts to shift us from the addiction. Why don't they give tax exemption for such cars? or restructure incentives to promote alternative energies. The technology is not ready is complete bull. It'll never be 'ready' if it isn't given a chance. Actually I think it's more than ready... just google it and you'll see what I mean or if you don't know how to read or spell just watch discovery. But what's stopping it from happening is $$$, money, mulah.

There's just so much unmade profits! from oil, from electricity...etc power supply is big business.

The other half is that, we're not used to energy being free. Humans are habitual creatures and after 100 years of paying for energy we're just not used to it being free... and it can be free. But in a capitalist world that's not gonna happen. And when there's money, there's greed and with that - even the best projects in the world can fail. (but really 100 years ago, energy are mostly free)

Meanwhile, the weather in the world gets worst. We blame it global warming- which is linked! heloo?!

So back to Malaysia and the world, we're addicted to oil and we're not doing anything about it. Like the guy who's addicted to cigarettes, he tells himself... after his it's the last stick. I was there and I tell you, he's bluffing himself. Until the world becomes convicted, we'll continue to be addicted to oil... so start preparing for 200/barrel and then 300/barrel.

You're nourishment

When you go, you will be nourishment to the land and the ppl there. You're like the grass, the water and the gardener. You will bring new grass to the land.. and where there's one grass, it spreads very fast. You water it and it will grow bringing new life to the land.

I see a fountain of water and fresh grass growing and reproducing and soon the land is a whole green garden.

So your role/you will be this nourishment. Bringing in new life a fresh new living water.

Psalm 23 pt 4

Psa 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

I have been thinking about this verse for quite some time. And since I can't sleep tongiht, I thought I start typing.

I like this verse very much. :) I know I seem to say that of every verse I write on. And it's true, I'm actually learning new things every time I start thinking of the verse and God seem to reveal things to me.

For this verse, I felt that the emphasis for me to write on is 'even though'. Even though what? What is even though? I keep asking myself. After some thought.... I figured even though is even though!

Even though, I, the BIG I walk through the.... Contrast to the previous verse, this verse speaks of ME walking. No longer God, the shepherd is leading, but I am walking. See what happens when we start walking our own ways? We tend to end up in the valley of the shadow of death.

Also I felt that this 'even though' is for those moment when we choose the path where we sincerely thought it was a right choice. It also includes those moment when we know it's the wrong choice but decide to go with it anyway... and go 'what was I thinking back then!' months later and regret. Either way, we shall fear no evil because the Lord watches over us with his rod and staff.

Remember also that the rod and staff of the shepherd was not meant to hit the sheep
but to keep the wolves away.

In the NT, there's a verse that also say that ALL things were worked together for our good, those who love Him. ALL things I guess includes the bad ones. Hmm... I wonder if this also fit into this verse?

Either way, even though I walk through some bad paths, I will fear no evil because God takes care of me. David calls these paths - SHADOW of the valley of death. It's not the real thing, it's just the shadow. David, who has gone through many battles and wars know a thing or two of death and he says it's just the shadow. God protects him then just as he does now to us.

Psalm 23 pt 3

Psa 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

I wanted to write about this verse for quite some time. I think God revealed something new to me :).

Firstly, He restores my soul. He and me, we're are good buddies :) Such a personal God. Restores speaks of well, restoration. Soul here refers to our soul, our being. So (I think) He restores us - in our mind, in our will, our bodies and implies 'spirituality'. I think many of us see it that way too. He restores it all.

He can leads us to paths of righteousness BECAUSE of his name's sake. Actually most time I see 'FOR' in the bible, substitute it with 'BECAUSE" so that you can find out because of what to know the context.

Again, He leads. We follow. As a sheep we just relax and follow. I don't remember herding sheep with whips.

.. Because of his name's sake. It is really God's pleasure to lead us righteousness and He does it gracefully - literally. At least I think it's much more graceful in shepherding sheep as opposed to buffalos or cows? But then I have never shepherd... just watch TV only and learn only :P

Anyway, what I notice is this: (and I think God reveal this to me)

Did you realiase that the Psalm speak of 'material' want first before 'soul'? First God lead us to 'no wants', food, water, place to rest, then only come 'soul'. It seems that God IS interested in our physical needs. He wants us to be well taken care off! Once that is taken care of, He comes to restore our soul.

Isn't it wonderful to know that God really want us to 'rested'?

It comes quite directly opposite of what I thought I hear about 'set your life up right first... only THEN God will bless you'.

This is the gem I learnt last week. God, like a shepherd takes care of our makan, our living first before He starts talking about our 'spiritualility'. I think, I believe once we have tasted His goodness and live in His restedness - we are already spiritual. That's the relationship of a Father and son.

Psalm 23 pt 2

I'm a bit busy this week, so post will come a bit slower.

He leads me beside still waters.

He LEADS speaks of God leading us. I'd imagine a sherperd guiding, watching over them. Oh, btw, in ancient Israel, they don't use 'sheep dog' to do th herding. So no barking at you my friends, just leading, guiding.

He leads ME. ME speaks personally about - me. Me speaks about a personal god who looks at us individually, so that at times of need, I can be sure that he'll be leading me. Sometimes I think that God looks only at the big picture. You know, He wants the church to do this and that.. He wants the nation to be this and that... I'm comforted to know that He also guides me - this tiny person on earth. He speaks to me to guide me, personally. That's like the world's wisest, smartest man being my advisor, counsellor.

And He guides me where? beside still waters.

Still water here don't mean stale water. In hebrew (I think) it says peaceful waters like shallow gentle flowing streams. It speaks of peace, rest, ease.

So the whole sentence says: The Lord, who is my God, speaks to me and guide me, to rest and peace and ease.

I like this verse a lot. Because sometimes when I pray I don't get a 'direct answer' - like a lightning or a thunder you know? But what I do get is this 'life and peace'. I just know that God will be with me if I follow down this part and there's this joy and there's this peace - this 'at ease-ness'. It doesn't mean that the path is 'easy' in the conventional sense but it does feels right- peaceful. I try to follow it because I believe my sheperd is guiding me to quiet waters, even when I'm looking for a parking or when I'm playing dota or when I'm doing business (I've turned down many 'good' deals this way and found them to be the right choice months later).

So friends, when you pray for direction or confirmation, sometimes it is okay not to get a 'sign'. Just go with that PEACE that goes beyong ALL understanding. He's closer than you think!

Psalm 23

Psa 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
Psa 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
Psa 23:3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Psa 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psa 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Psa 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I was talking to a mei-mei today and we came to the topic of Psalm 23. Being the super cheong hei, long windededme... I decided to share with her what I learn from it. Much of it I learn from Pastor Prince. Seriously, if he isn't a preacher, he should be a teacher.

So Psalm 23 starts off as:
The Lord is my sheperd.
The Lord - the only one Lord. Who is He? The one mighty and loving :)

The Lord IS. Present tense. Which means that the Lord is, currently my - a personal - sheperd. He's not just any sheperd but by MY sheperd. Now why sheperd? Why compare the Lord as a sheperd. I think firstly because sheeps are dumb and in this case, we're the sheep. And it's good to be sheep with a good sheperd because the good sheperd knows our name, goes before us and He takes care of us. It's the image of Him taking care of us - despite what I do because He's my sheperd. I read that sheeps are really quite dumb and that the sheperd takes care of every aspect of thier lives - this is true of our Lord as well and what I believe David to be saying.

Wow all those words just for one sentence!

Wife also adds that the reason why we are called 'sheeps' is because sheep are obedient as compared to goats who needs to be prodded.

I shall not be in want.

Shall - confirmed in the future. Not be in want. Why want? Why not need? Why not hunger? Want is want.

It speaks of abundance. Not just 'ngam ngam ho', it's shall not want.

So that's an introduction of the Lord for us - a sheperd that takes care us who gives us more than enough.


He MAKES me lie down in green pastures.

Emphasis is mine. and MAKES really speak of God MAKING us lie down. He wants us to rest and to rest in green pastures. For a sheep, green pastures is a lot of food... imagine if you're a sheep and the green pastures roll horizon to horizon. How much food is there!!! and He MAKES us lie down, to rest on His abundant supply. Ahh.... I see myself rolling on the green grass - a bit like the bollywood scene kekeke...

eh, btw, today's 'labour day' so I'm stopping here :) I need a holi-holi day.

Running on the threadmill

I got an email today from a friend bragging, I mean telling me how she has improved on her running. The reason:

Because she has new shoes!

Hahahah... it's like the old Nike Ad I used to 'worship'. I thought I jumped higher with a pair of Air Jordans. No, I REALLY did!

Anyway, I've been telling her that Ive been training my runs on the threadmills. Eileen, being the kind, loving person that she is immediately told me to get my lazy ass outside and start running because the outdoors is good for the feet, the lungs and the soul. Ain't no nothing like running outdoors. Besides real roads don't move underneath you....

Well it's true... until recently that it's been raining so much I decided to train in the gym. Here's what I do. I crank up the speed to about 10% faster of what I can run outside and put a 2%-4% gradient to it.

What do you know.... I actually find this working very well :P It's like doing a tempo run, except that I can't cheat because the machine won't stop (ok, there's this time where I lower the gradient down a bit). I find myself getting breathless very fast.

Still.. I have to catch up with Eileen - she's WAY fast

Preaching the gospel to myself today

Lord, you have establish a new covenant with me in Christ

In this covenant You Lord, will put Your laws into my mind, and write them on my heart, and You will be my God, and I will be your child.

... and I shall know you, intimately....

because You will be merciful toward my unrighteousness or my wrong deeds, and You will never again remember my sins.

Tools for reading the bible

Jenmama asked me yesterday what are some of the tools I used to read the bible and to search for hebrew/greek meaning.

Well here are some of the sites I use:

• Esword.
• My light saber really. Download their FREE software and other plugins. It comes with dictionary, commentaries, maps the works. I usually start my study with this tool reading 3 to 4 translated version of the scripture.
• StrongNumbers.
  
• A site giving explainations to all the words, the occurence.
  
• Spurgeon's archieve.
  
• A site having all his past sermons. His sermons are always good read to learn more about scripture and he's an awesome preacher.
  
• Bibleontheweb.
  
• Bible on the web
• Blueletterbible.
  
• A site for all kinds of bible tool. Concordance, dictionary, different translation. The only downside is that its a bit slow.
• Google.
• It's always important to compare the findings of a site with many many others. So keep searching.

Cheesy B grade movies

I love movies and I'm a sucka for cheesy movie. Like REALLY crap Cheesy movies.

So crap I think some of them should pay me for watching their show. Take this show for example: The MAGUS. When I first watch the show, I thought it was a 1980s movie. The screenplay was so bad it could pass of as comedy. Wait, was the genre really comedy? No, it was action thriller - maybe. But have you seen a thriller going REALLY slowly to the end? It's made last year and it's made so bad I think any amatuer youtube production is better!

We all know that cheesy movies have the same story line, screenplay, script. What many don't know is that they ALL have the same sound track! Yup, you read it right. They all have:

1. mystical, inspiring music for the beginning
   
• when the hero is still innocent
2. boy meets girl music
   
• when the hot girl appears
3. bad guy music
   
• when the bad guy first appears, think star wars when darth vader first come to visit
4. hero training music
   
• yup the training, or learning the 'secret' skills. usually accompanied by some older guy telling him to 'seek yourself' or 'seek the wisdom that cannot be found'
5. boss fight music
   
• you know the last fight, usually by this point the girl is covered with little cloth, tied to a table/pole/rock - immobilised.
6. hero gets girl music - kissing, making love, fading to black then credits - back to inspiring mystical music.
   

Despite knowing all that I'm still a sucka for it. Especially when the movie has a title with the words: Ninja, *enter exotic word no one understand here*, fist of the *****, boy-who-is-nobody-is-the-chosen-one

No wonder I make such good friends with the DVD uncle :)

Reading the bible.

A while ago I posted my first comment on RPK's website. Someone was saying why the bible is such and such..... misquoting it.

Actually many ppl misquote it. Including many christians and me! :) Anyway I'll just post here what commented there:

http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/5551/84/

The bible are often misquoted (even by christians) because many times context is not taken into account. Without context, you can make the bible say anything you want. As an example the Bible tells us: 'There is no God'.

What in the world am I smoking? But when we read it further it says Psalms 14: To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."......

The bible is a 'story' gathering many years old and contary to popular believe it's not written in english. it's a Jewish book. Written by Jews in Hebrew and Greek (in the NT). So in order to understand them, one has to really study the culture of the time, the language of the time, and the context of the text.. and follow the story (time/era is important).

For example, (for the purpose of this comment), the main era can be seperated into pre-law (abraham's time), law (moses' time), post-law (jesus' time). Each period is marked by a covenant God has cut with man. Hence we have the NEW testament which is a NEW covenant made by Jesus. So when the NEW covenant was made, the OLD is past. Not that the OLD is not relevant but a NEW covenant was made on top of that, one that supersede the old. Much like renewing a agreement with new (less) terms - in which Jesus fufilled the law and paid the price of the law which is death. The book of Hebrew in the NT explains the connections between the New Covenant and the one concerning the Law.

Other speeches of Jesus, parables of jesus, epistles (or letters in modern day) like the one he quoted about dogs and hands can be better understood this way.. by reading into the context, who he is talking to, why was he saying it, what point was he trying to make and some the lingo of the day.

In modern day we can hear a father telling to a child: do not play with fire or else you won't have dinner! The context of such a sentence was that it was spoken to a child about maybe 4 years old? The same father could tell the same child of 18 years old: Go light the fire in the charcoal, we need to get this bbq going! Was the father inconsistent? No. He was simply speaking to a different 'crowd'.

Lastly, the bible is not written in English. As a random example, the writer quoted:

1 Timothy 5:5-6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.

This NT is written in greek which means: But she that liveth in pleasure - Ἡ δε σπαταλωσα· She that liveth delicately - voluptuously indulging herself with dainties, it means one who indulges herself in good eating and drinking, pampering her body at the expense of her mind. The word is used in reference to spoiled children.

Dead here also means: θνήσκω thnēskō
Thayer Definition:
1) to die, to be dead
2) metaphorically to be spiritually dead

So it's not saying that they live as 'naughty girls' or a person who can' t be 'merry'. But as a person with cares for mostly about eating and drinking and without much on top, without a purpose in life, like spoiled children is spiritually dead.

Well, in any case I hope this help the writer start reading the bible better. I would recommend him/her to read a book on 'how to read the bible' by JI packard' before s/he studies the bible.

From the star

Thursday April 17, 2008

To heaven and back

By SARAH CHEW

A grave accident leaves a young boy paralysed and in a coma. When he awakens, he displays extraordinary abilities. His mother documents their story in a book.

Retha McPherson is a striking woman with piercing eyes and she wears four-inch heels, as can be expected of a former beauty queen.

But those eyes tear up when she speaks about her experiences in 2004, which she writes about in her book, A Message from God, that was launched in Kuala Lumpur recently.

It began on June 19, 2004, the same year Retha, a Christian and an image consultant, was chosen as Mrs South Africa.

“My life was so perfect,” Retha wrote in her book. “I had a wonderful loving marriage, two beautiful healthy children and a successful business.”

Against all odds: Aldo McPherson and his mother, Retha.

All that was to change when the family had a car accident on a highway in Free State, South Africa. In an attempt to avoid a stationary car, her husband, Tinus, swerved onto a watercourse and their vehicle rolled over several times. When Retha came to, her children Aldo, 12, and Josh, three, were gone.

“My children flew out of the car,” recalls Retha at the launch. “When we found Josh, he only had minor cuts but I found Aldo on the other side of the highway. I could feel his cracked skull and blood gushing out. I couldn’t feel a pulse.”

The paramedics arrived on the scene by helicopter, revived Aldo and punctured his collapsed lungs to insert respiratory tubes.

Aldo had a four-hour operation in Union Hospital, Alberton, Johannesburg, and doctors informed Retha he had serious brain injuries.

Tinus, in an e-mail interview, remembers having to deal with the trauma and guilt that followed the accident since Aldo was the one who bore the brunt of it.

“I felt so responsible for the accident and the first few weeks after were the lowest points of my life, seeing him on the bed and not responding to anything,” he says.

“I stayed with him in the intensive care unit for a week and doctors told me to say goodbye to him,” Retha says. “On day 12, they told me, ‘Mrs McPherson, you have no medical funds left and we cannot detect any brain function. So we are going to take Aldo off the life-support machines. Either he lives and becomes a vegetable, or he dies’.”

That day was a defining one for Retha and her family, because as she prayed in a room by herself, she felt as if God was talking to her.

“Despite my son’s condition, it was the best day of my life,” she says. “I felt peace, love and acceptance all at one go. I even forgot about my son, everything just disappeared.”

It was then that she decided to take her son home. Two months after the accident, Aldo left the hospital. Still in a coma, he was hooked up to respiratory machines and a feeding tube.

When he was 12, Aldo was hospitalised and hooked to life support machines after an accident left him paralysed, comatose and severely damaged his brain.

One side of Aldo’s body was paralysed and the other, spastic. He was blind in one eye and could not open his mouth to eat.

But Retha refused to accept his condition and with depleting finances, set out to slowly help her son recover.

At the airport one day, she saw Aldo’s favourite candy called “sour worms” and bought four pieces. Every day, she would stick one in his mouth and on the fourth day, he opened his mouth. From then, she began feeding him soft food.

Six months after the accident, he ate his first hamburger.

At the book launch in KL, Retha showed photos of her family putting Aldo on an exercise bicycle to strengthen his legs although five people had to support him.

As Aldo’s limbs strengthened, Tinus would cycle with him on a tandem bicycle.

“I borrowed a tandem bicycle and put Aldo on the back,” Tinus recalls. “Initially, we had to strap him in, even his hands were tied to the handle bar.

“We soon got the hang of things and three months later, we completed a 40km cycle race.”

Only eight months later could he speak and almost a year after the accident, he could see with both eyes. In April 2006, Aldo stood up for the first time in two years and a year later, he started to play football although he still falls down often.

Aldo’s story

Four months after Aldo’s accident, a therapist suggested putting a pencil in his spastic hand, which eventually relaxed, so that he could doodle.

“I held his hand and he started to write. I knew then that his brain was fine,” says Retha. “Even now in school, people still have to support his wrists when he writes because he has a twitch.”

Aldo communicated through writing and one day, he wrote that he had gone to heaven.

“In heaven, we played and sang for Jesus, the angels were all around us,” Aldo wrote. “No one is sick there.”

Aldo had also written that when Retha found him at the accident scene, his spirit was “taken up” and he could look down and see what had happened and describe the details.

Retha admits that she and Tinus kept all this a secret at first, not wanting people to think that they were mad.

During his recovery, Aldo communicated frequently by writing before he could speak. This is one of his notes in which the first few lines reads 'faith in God'.

Aldo, however, kept telling her about his heavenly experiences and once, kept making a circular motion with his hands over his head.

“Tinus and I asked him to stop it, but he wouldn’t and said it was about two boys, Dwane and Anton, whom he had met in heaven,” Retha reveals.

Aldo wrote letters to these boys’ parents telling them that their children were healed and happy, but were concerned about their parents. He put the letters in envelopes and gave Retha their addresses.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is too much, the medicine is too strong’,” Retha laughs. “I told Tinus that we had to get Aldo off the medicine somehow.”

But Aldo was adamant and in the end, the family made contact with these two families. They found that indeed they had had boys by those names who had died. When shown family photographs, Aldo could point out their faces. Anton had Down Syndrome, and the circular hand motions were Aldo’s way of describing it.

“Anton’s mother told my husband that she had been taking pills for depression,” says Retha. “But she has gone off the pills since she received Aldo’s letter.”

That was not the only incident which stumped his parents and others around him. One time, he had a “vision” of water flooding housing areas in December 2006.

“He kept telling me to put sandbags around our house because water was coming. Then he wrote ‘Mum, you’re going to need rest because you’re going overseas’,” Retha recalls. “I told him, ‘I’m not going anywhere’, because I usually don’t travel in December.”

Two days later, the Dec 26 Asian tsunami struck and because Retha was Mrs South Africa, she was asked to go and help those affected in Aceh, Indonesia.

Apart from Aldo’s extraordinary ability to “see” difficult situations and people’s thoughts, Retha reveals that he is a normal boy who is struggling with his weaknesses.

One eyelid still droops, he has stitches and bruises due to falling every few steps, he speaks in a painfully slow monotone and has epileptic fits when he is tense.

“When he talks, he puts up his hands even in public, we don’t know why he does it,” she says. “Some people don’t react well to him, especially initially when he hung his head and drooled – people would stare at him and say ‘look at that freak’.”

Tinus describes the entire experience as a “very lonely road” and not many friends were willing to walk the journey with them.

But he and Retha have learnt to take things in their stride, because they have seen the big leaps in Aldo’s recovery.

“Aldo is now in a regular private school where he is the only ‘disabled’ child,” Tinus explains. “He has a private tutor who picks him up at the house in the morning, takes him to school, helps him there and then she will take him to speech and physiotherapy in the afternoon.”

Though Aldo, now 16, has come a long way since the accident and defied medical logic, some have asked Retha if she is disappointed that Aldo is not completely healed.

But Retha points out that people are more likely to believe their story when they see Aldo in his recovery stages. She is thankful for the journey that has made her family selfless.

“I tell my husband that nothing in this world impresses me anymore,” she reveals, adding that she realises that not even good works can make her happy.

She is on a mission to share Aldo’s story.

“Before this, I was an image consultant but today, I do workshops in church sometimes on total image – body, soul and spirit,” she says. “How can you tell women to dress up when they are hurting inside?”

So far, Retha has travelled to the United States, Indonesia and Singapore to promote her self-published book. A Message from God has reportedly sold 25,000 copies around the world.

Retha ended her book launch here on a light note about Aldo’s hope to marry someday. “Aldo is praying for a woman who loves scars!”

Check out their webpage here.

Getting fitter

Well it has almost been one year since we went to mount kk. I remember it's that faithful trip that made us realiase how unfit we were both were. So we decided since then to improve our health, fitness.

We started off with just running around kiara park. I remember the first time I ran more than 30mins, my first 10k run. Then I learn how to swim and my first time swimming in the beach where my feet could NOT touch the seabed. (I was saying,' I'm going to drown'.... for 30mins until I realiased that I wasn't going to)

Then in January, we joined a neighbourhood gym. The weights, cardio... hmmmpppmmhh. I must say I enjoy my workouts very much now. My body is leaner. I got 2 1/2 packs instead of 1 big one! The 'V' is starting to form (I'm thinking I'll stop at daniel craig in james bond or matt damon in bourne series) Although I'm still far from my ideal weight and my 10km run is at 75mins (from 81mins) I'm glad I got fitter.

I just feel so much better about my own body. More energy. I look better in my clothes too. Lovin' it.

These couple of months

feels like years because so many things has happened!

Of course one of the biggest thing that happen since my last post is the outcome of the Malaysian election.... and not erection as somone once pronounce it! hehe.

It still feels sureel that BN has been denied their 2/3 majority - because really I think they haven't really let THAT news sink in yet!

Well that's the thing that makes Malaysia politics interesting.

We just never know! hahaha

Is AAB and Khairy working Anwar?
Is Najib working with TM?
Is Najib working with AAB?
Is AAB and the SIL working with Anwar?

Wah... so many questions unanswered. Feels like I'm watching a sitcom... so until the next exciting episode of Malaysia Hari Ini.

Easter pt 1

Easter this year is at March 28. I remember that I got to know a new friend called Christ about one week before Easter some years ago. Looking back it has been an awesome 9 years.

Having just celebrated Christmas a month back and Easter a few months down the future, it got me thinking about the relevance on easter to us Chrsistians.

I thought it odd that Christmas is celebrated so widely, so intensely, so viraciously, so much over the world these days by christians. I mean we eat, drink, throw parties, buy presents, shops go on sales, we go on shopping madness, the world's financial system takes a rest, we get our promotion...etc Meanwhile during easter, we go to church, sing a few songs have a good rest - maybe even check on our stocks.

However when I read the gospel, more chapters are devoted to Jesus' death than his birth. For sure, if Jesus wasn't born how can He die? But I was thinking, do our actions do speak of our belief - and it seems we don't see much relevance in His death.

Is there relevance to how he died to many of us christians in this urban age?

I wonder how many of us christian thought about it. I know I did. I used to wonder when I became a new christians, what does his death mean to me? I mean I know that believing in him makes a christian but now that I'm a christian, so what? My life got better sure, my bad habits got less and less? (This is not to say that I did like being christian, I loved it. I just wanted more of God)

But really how does this guy's death relate or affect my my work, my relationships, my life...etc? Hey I... the big I.. still have to work as hard you know! It's a dog eat dog world out there man! It seems being a good christian also mean that I MUST be of a good example to turn people to God. Pastor says, we are doing this and that to sow the love of God... and we shouldn't complain because we should work like we're working for Jesus - the bible said so.

Sure... I mean I love serving and He deserve our service because of what He has done. His great love.

However when I think of God that way: He is there and I am here. I'm here to serve Him who is 'there', wherever there is. He seemed formal and distant at best. We pray for Him to help us in our work, relationship and then go about working on our work without Him. Worst, I only 'pray' to Him!

You must be wondering if I'm smoking something. Nothing wrong there to pray to Him but I find it very wrong if we ONLY pray to Jesus. Whatever happen to TALK or LISTEN or JOKE or ASK...etc?

Jesus died and rose again. He endured the pain and took our sins. Now that He is risen, He realllly is God.

I think most people see easter as that - He is now God so serve Him.

But if we look beyond that we would clearly see how that has relevance to our lives - every part of it. One of the 'things' He did which I am thinking of right now is how His death and resurrection made us close to Him.

Even if you don't serve Him, don't pray to Him, He is now very close to you. Even if you have done wrong, or not obeyed you're VERY VERY close to Him. His spirit dwells in you. The Holy Spirit dwells in us as a gurantee that He'll come back. Gurantee man! This gurantee can happen because He rose!

Our relationship with God now is very very very close. We don't have to be more holy to be close to Him. We get closer to Him like how we get closer to a friend - by developing a relationship. He wants a relationship with me not my holiness - for at best my holiness is like used sanitary pads (in the bible it translate in greek to filthy rags). His spirit who dwells within us will help us, teach us into all things including our work, our relationship... etc

We can now enter boldly to the throne of God. What used to be limited only to the High Priest once a year IF he does all the rituals correctly is now accessibly to me -wirelessly (literally :) ), instantly and at anytime.

So how does all this affect our every day lives? It means now God is not distant anymore. In fact Jesus only called God once just before He died, the rest of the time He called Daddy. For us, He's now your best friend, who comes by your place to comfort you when you're down. When you screw up, He's there to help you. When you don't know how to finish your work properly, He'll guide you. You know the time when you screwed up so badly your best friend help you 'fix things', He does that too. When you're bored, He's there to talk to you.

I used to think that if I follow his examples, I WILL be able to get better and achieve more. Sure I did. Now I found a better way, I do it with Him, along with Him for 'He writes His laws in my heart', 'He leads me to quiet water'.

I'm not saying we shouldn't serve I am however saying that He does not need us to serve to love us more or He loves us any less.

He is closer than you think.

No, really...

He was talking to me....


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