Posts tagged thoughts

2011 Year in Photos

The year everything changed – 2011

Here’s looking back the 12 months in photos from blog entries excerpted over the year.

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

Surprisingly no photos and no entries in April.

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

Friday Worship

As I drove out this morning, my trusty iPod mini hooked up to my Alpine CDE-9873 played Somewhere in the Middle by Casting Crowns The Altar and the Door CD. As is my habit nowadays, due to the lack of time and workload, I begin my morning with Worship in traffic. It calms my heart, and helps me re-focus the start of each new day on our Lord, God and Creator. The days feel much more bearable and I find strength to carry-on when I do this compared to a few days where I did not.

Of course today was a bit different as I was heading to the KWSP or EPF to withdraw some much needed cash for my new house & studio! This particular song caught on to me and I replayed it a couple of times. It really made me think and somehow I think it accurately describes me and where I am right now. It’s trying to decide if I should plan and calculate all probabilities or to trust in God’s supreme providence and faithfulness. To rely on my steady income or jump into my passion for photography. To pursue my personal goals and ambitions or who God wants me to be. To having everything to giving everything. No easy answers and not something one can decide or even do overnight or over a year.

icon_ltgray_open_quoteSomewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You’re making me
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You’ll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You’re by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I’m caught in the middle icon_ltgray_close_quote
© Casting Crowns

Time & time…

How time flies. It’s middle of May already and I’m still sleep deprived. Work is piling up on all fronts and there seems to be no let-up. New old House renovation plans are still being drawn and finalized while I’m hoping I won’t need to sell all my stuff to finance it. Then again, I also can’t wait to move out of the 12th floor. Condo living may suit some people but I think I prefer my feet on solid ground and no elevators to ride home. Makes going on vacations and photo shoots difficult too – imagine all the stuff you need to carry out and down and all that! I also seriously miss my two dogs and while I won’t be taking them from my parents, I can’t wait to have my own! Hopefully I can have a larger work area than my current space, cozy though as it is, there’s not enough desk space for my wacom tablet and other stuff.

The May photoshoot got postponed into June and I think I’ll try some with my cousin and his new bride if we have time. He’s flying in end of this month with my iPhone and I’m wondering whether I should go quad-core on my PC and all that. Ah, but I have to save money for the house. My to-buy list is getting longer and longer. Delayed gratification indeed!

Hope you like my messy desk… hope to have a new workspace for 2009!

Hard Drive Henge

Came back to work after taking a day off to service and fix the car and saw this on my desk. A strange assembly or construction to be sure but I think it’s the origins of how the first people decided to erect the Stonehenge.

Merdeka, a reflection

independence (Merdeka)
1. The state or quality of being independent; freedom from dependence; exemption from reliance on, or control by, others; self-subsistence or maintenance; direction of one’s own affairs without interference.
2. Sufficient means for a comfortable livelihood.

For #1, looking back, one has to consider the most important liberation of all, from sin and death. It just reminds me about the chorus of Chris Tomlin’s Amazing grace:
My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, Amazing grace

Just remember that and you’ll see life completely different. Even if people don’t appreciate what you’ve done or what you’ve given, when people still scorn your life poured out for them, undeserved; realize then that our Lord Jesus himself poured out his life, unreservedly, completely, for us all – also undeserved. His Grace is sufficient for me. That’s all that matters.

What would you choose:
1. Wealth unlimited and fame beyond measure or Love, pure love?
2. To live forever or just a ONE lifetime with the one you love?
3. Everything and anything on this world, or just one, the one you love?
That’s the answer to #2…

Flags flying at Sutera Harbour

Merdeka Eve

It’s the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Independence day of Malaysia.
We’re going down to Cyberjaya to catch a glimpse of the fireworks and also to chill out with some friends.
Well, hopefully I’ll have a few good photos to post. Of course I’ll also give Alice’s brand new 400D a workout to make sure everything’s hunky dory!