When life throws you a lemon...

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... suck it up. It'll be sour but suck it up. Jesus will make it sweet in your heart. It has been an highly emotionally driven holidays for me but it's about time for me to come back to God's hands and be his little child. Life sucks from time to time but God will provide a way for His children to suck it up : )

Now back to work... Die! Homework! Die! (... throwing lemons at my textbooks...)

Happy New Year Everyone!

Life as a Sponge

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What can be a better way to celebrate Christmas and New Year than to play a no-brainer game. It's a great way to have stupid fun in the midst of all the festive but also stressful activities (ie: shopping). Therefore, two days ago my friends and I decided to play the Game of Life: Spongebob Squarepants Edition. Believe it or not, I was so excited right at the beginning and I just want to see how the game is spiced up with a twist of Spongebob. However, after getting stunned by jellyfish 3 times, changing occupations 7 times, and failing to win a shell phone after 11 attempts, I realized that Spongebob and the gang actually have a very boring life. What kinda world are you living in if it let you switch jobs and houses almost every single turn. Maybe I am just bitter because my pineapple house was continuously eaten by sea monsters. Next time I will win the shell phone for sure. Nevertheless, good times... good times indeed.

Merry Boxing Day everyone.

The One and Only Victoria Li

Yesterday my church had an English EM and it was an impressive display of talents. Props to you, TSCAC. But most importantly, my good friend Vicki was willing to come to the EM with me. Therefore, to appreciate her being a good sport, I am dedicating this post to her.

Name: Victoria (Vicki) Li
Gender: Female
Age: Undisclosed
Birthday: January
Marital Status: Undisclosed
Height: 5'6'' ???
Weight: Undisclosed
School: University of Guelph, Albert Campbell C.I., Banting and Best
Used to: Wear Braces and Perm her Hair
Now: Harry Potter scarf at all times
Favourite Movies: Harry Potter 1234
Favourite Books: Harry Potter 123456
Favourite Show: Harry Potter???
Favourite Band: Any boybands with decent looking guys
Favourite Game: The Game of Life (Sponge Bob Edition)
Favourite saying: "Gavin, you're so weird."
Enjoys: Long walks on the beach

I met Vicki back in grade 11 physics class. It is the last place you would want to meet anyone new but... oh what the heck... She and I would team up insulting the class genius everyday during class. Now I've known her for four and a half years and we would still gang up on our friends and make fun of them without mercy. Funny girl she is...

The Crazy Perming Days

Her slick Home-made Harry Potter Scarf

Number of times she read the first Harry Potter book

Group Picture of the Old Gang

Her Birthday

There she is.

Right there, radiating...

You can't miss her...

She is very sneaky... indeed...

All Smiles : )

... Victoria Li, you complete my life... haha.

Ouch

Many of us sing and proclaim that death has lost its sting in our lives once we put our faith in Jesus Christ. It also says that "the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law." It is a sin to let the fear of death to control our lives since we are not living like a saved person. I completely understand that... But when the sting of death is rite in front of my eyeballs in such close proximity, I doubt I could remind myself that death could no longer defeat or hinder us. Things are always easier said than done.

Yesterday was a big smack in my face. It was late at night and my mom called for me with her eyes filled with tears. She then told me that my uncle (my dad's older brother) has just passed away from a stroke in Hong Kong. I am not very close with my uncle since he lives in Hong Kong. In my expectations, it didn't hit me that hard when I heard it. However, once it started to sink into my mind, the full effect manifested itself. It's the feeling of knowing that you will never see someone's face again and the feeling of inevitability and helplessness inside you. I just saw him the past summer when he came to visit and everything just happened so sudden. No matter how much I do or try to give up for Christ, it seems like there is something in life that will backstab me in some way. Death has never come into my mind with that kind of intensity and all I could ever do is hide.

I also volunteered in the senior home which I worked in for the past summer yesterday. While I was there, I found out some familiar faces among the residents were gone also. Normally i wouldn't be affected by these things so easily but with the death of my uncle, all these things seem to be so much bigger... contain so much more impact... It sucks that everytime when I go back I will found someone gone. Four months ago some of the residents were offering candies for me and now some of them can no longer do that anymore. For the first time I feel pain about people leaving this world and there's nothing I can do but to suck it up. I know that Christ's glory is the only way out yet the pain lingers on in my heart. Turning away from the pain and focus my eyes on the cross is something I feel I cannot do. But God has made a clear statment to me to be strong in the cross... for my family... for everyone around me. Death certainly haven't lost its sting in my life... not yet, and it hurts like crap.

Taking the Plunge

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

(Romans 6:4)

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Yesterday was my baptism, the rebirth of my life, the public declaration of my faith, the "official" cleansing of my sins by Jesus Christ, and possibly another one of my leap of faith. For the past 2 years my decision to get baptized has always been a dilemma. "Is this a suitable church for me get baptized in?" "Am I ready to take that step for Him?" "What if I end up leaving my church one month after I got baptized?" "Am I doing it just for show?" These questions circulate my mind everytime i think about my baptism. It was the past september where I found out that my mom and my grandparents were getting baptized and it would be a great day if 3 generations in the family getting baptized on the same day. Everyone said that I have to do it eventually anyway so just go do it, and so I did.

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While most people would say the baptism ceremony is an exciting time for the baptized, I have certainly struggled with that for the past weeks leading up to my baptism. I couldn't feel the joy in Jesus Christ even though I am getting reborn. Rather, it seemed to be a relief that I am getting it over with. A mean to an end. Everyday I prayed to God to reveal His majesty to me that I may feel that heart-warming joy in Him on the day of my baptism. Nope. That didn't happen. Yesterday on the day of baptism, everyone was so concerned about the order of service, gifts, dress codes, the temperature of water, and all that jazz. Greetings, congratuations, and gifts from everyone overwhelmed me. Sometimes it seemed so commercialized that all it needed was a corporate sponsor. I was squeezing my heart (not literally) so hard just to find a hinding place in me to focus on HIM. I wished things could be simpler and I never believed that God's love is expressed through materialism.

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However, thankfully, I was reminded by a friend/semi-mentor of mine that feelings of joy should not be what I am looking for. It is still important to turn our eyes onto Jesus Christ but that also means to embrace life as it is. Nothing is going to be perfect in my eyes but it is in Jesus Christ that everything is complete. Struggles and disappointments are and will always be a part of the package. A new life doesn't mean a perfect life in my standards but a life devoted to obedience to Jesus Christ and He will make my life perfect : ) I should embrace the fact that many family and friends come and celebrate with me. I should embrace the fact that even though I was rarely in my home church, they still see me as part of their big family. I should embrace the fact that I got a chance to get baptized into His Holy Name, that I am forever His. I should embrace that I am blessed.

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One BIG thank you to everyone who came to support me on my Happy Day, especially the ones who still have exams yet foolish enough to come for a few hours and immediately return to their respecitive campus. KCCFers became my cheering section. You guys almost made me cry, almost... I got a stack of new devo books and Bibles. You guys are great. People from my church and FX, thanks for all your lovin'. Sometimes I struggle to see God's love from my peers and all of you guys have erase any of my doubts. Simply speechless.

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Born Again... lol

No One is Perfect

I know no one is perfect... well... except Jesus, but I think I have some of the worst flaws a person could possibly have. The crimes which I committed are not illegal or unforgiving. However, most people would find them extremely annoying.

Ever since I don't know when, I has always been told that i eat really loud. No matter what food I am chewing on, I tend to articulate every chew with my teeth really well. Mouth opened or closed, it makes no difference. For a period of time I tried to consciously control my chewing and eating habits. As silly as it may sound like, I thought I have corrected that ugly habit of mine since no one has said anything about the way I eat for a long time... until yesterday.

Yesterday our whole xray class had a test during the morning. Halfway through the test I felt really hungry so I opened my bag and grabbed a banana. Banana is always part of my stable diet so I usually eat it very quickly. On the other hand, I was concentrating on the test so I ate that banana in a span of 30 minute. I took a bite, chew chew chew, put it back on the table and so on... After the test, I went out to the washroom and came back to the classroom. Then, out of the blue, the female classmate who sits in front of me turned around and looked at me with fiery eyes. "Gavin! What were you eating?!" I was so shocked all of a sudden because usually we don't really talk to each other. "It's a banana, _______." Then she looked at me with disbelief. "Why were you so LOUD." and I asked her "Was I really loud?" That girl and two other girls who sat around me said it simultaneously "YES!!" What a great way to piss off the opposite sex. I asked a different girl who sat right beside me if I chew really loud. She respond with a smile and a "duh" attitude. "Yes, Gavin you always chew really loud and when you are doing a test you tend to talk to yourself a lot. I could hear everything." I do mumble and sigh a lot during tests and exams but I thought I do it in a voice level which only I could hear. For a moment there I felt that my world is tumbling down because for the whole time I thought those flaws were corrected by my countless attempts, my chewing was still annoying people everytime I ate with them. Either they were too nice to tell me the truth or they were too dumb to hear anything that came out of my big mouth. I doubt it's the latter. What sounds OK in my head sounds annoying to others' ears. It's also just funny that the poeple who seem to notice my flaws are all female. Geez, it's been a while since I last dated and I wonder why God hasn't given me a girlfriend yet.

I can't wait until a girl standing next to me during worship tells me "Gavin, you sing out of tune. You should just shut up during worship."

Cell Group Convo Series #1

Disclaimer: I feel that I must apologize to my cell group about my entry about my cell group around 2 weeks ago. It's one of those things where I thought it would be funny but it wasn't. My cell group doesn't hate me and I don't hate my cell group. Now my cell group can finally get off my back.

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Date and Time: Nov 25, 2005 at around 5pm
Who: Me, Jo, Sarah, and Becca (not in my cell group)
What: Baking for bake off

Me: You know what guys, we should take a picture of us baking (even tho only sarah knows what she is doing) !
Sarah and Jo: Sure
(Us trying to pose with the ingredients, Becca was there to hold the camera)
Me: Guys, I'm holding a sugar since I am too sweet (again, it's one of those things which i thought it would be funny...)
Sarah: Then why am I holding the fat??!! (She's holding a cup of butter)
Jo: (giggles)
Me: (cracking up inside my head) Alrite, i'll hold the butter. Sarah, you'll be the sweetheart.
Sarah: Well it would make sense. I'm holding the sugar cuz it's white and you're holding the butter cuz it's yellow...
Me: (looking at the bag of chocolate chips in Jo's hand) ... so Jo's brown?
Becca: ...

(flash!)

Much lovin' for the F tofuz.