Quiz from Feby

It's 4:00am and I am bored.

ABC About You Questions:
A - AVAILABLE: No
B - BIRTHDAY: Oct. 8
C - CRUSHING ON: Aspirin tablets!
D - DRINK YOU LAST HAD: water, i believe
E - EASIEST PERSON TO TALK TO: JEN S. =)
F - FAVORITE SONG: i don't only have one..
G - GUMMY BEARS OR GUMMY WORMS: worms =9
H - HOMETOWN: Jakarta
I - IN LOVE WITH: JC
J - JUGGLE: sometimes
K - KILLED SOMEONE: no..
L - LONGEST CAR RIDE: don't remember
M- MILKSHAKE FLAVOR: strawberry
N - NUMBER OF SIBLINGS: 1 younger, dearest brother <3
O - ONE WISH: ........................... :)
P - PERSON YOU CALLED LAST: Myra
**Q IS NOT HERE!!**
R- REASON TO SMILE: 'cause everything gets better when you smile..
S - SONG YOU LAST HEARD: "That Day" by Natalie Imbruglia
T - TIME YOU WOKE UP: late
U - UNDERWEAR COLOR/PATTERN: you mean UMBRELLA colour :P
V - VEGETABLE(S): BROCCOLI, green beans, lettuce
W - WORST HABIT: wasting time
X - X-RAYS YOU'VE HAD: teeth, knee
Y - YOYOS ARE: retractable??
Z - ZODIAC SIGN: Libra

Random Questions About You:
Spell your name without vowels: Hzl
What color do you wear most?: almost every colour
Least favorite color? yellow.. =P
What are you listening to? the night wind
Are you happy with your life right now? ooohhh yeaaahhhh.. =) always have been, always will be
What is your favorite class in school? BREAK TIME! oops.. that's not even a class
When do you start back at school/college? i'm in school for the summer T_T
Are you outgoing? depends
Favorite pair of shoes? flats! They're so simple.. you can throw them on wherever and whenever. They never go out of style
Where do you wish you were right now? I'm already where I want to be

THE CANS:
Can you dance? I'd like to think so. I used to, though
Can you tie a cherry stem with your mouth? No
Can you whistle? a LITTLE.
Write with both hands? hmm.. I'm not ambidextrous.. but I can try
Walk with your toes curled? sometimes yes! and also when i'm sitting down =D

THE DO'S:
Do you believe there is life on other planets? my knowledge hasn't come that far
Do you believe in miracles? YES
Do you believe in magic? naahh..
Love at first sight? NO. But when you were in kindergarten you probably did..
Do you believe in Satan? I believe in the notion of his existence
Do you believe in Santa? No, I'm past kindergarten :P
Do you know how to swim? I used to take swimming lessons.. but I'm not a decent swimmer
Do you like roller coasters? YES YES YES, AND YES!!! need I say more?
Do you think you could handle the stuff they eat on those reality shows? probably not.

THE HAVES:
Have you ever been on a plane? how do you think i got to Canada??
Have you ever asked someone out? to a casual hangout, yes; to a date, no
Have you ever been asked out by someone? Y
Have you ever been to the ocean? the closest i ever got to is a beach.. but i still love oceans :)
Have you ever painted your nails? PSHT.. obviously

THE WHATS:
What is the temperature outside? don't know.. but it's kind of chilly in my room
What was the last restaurant you ate at? hmm... Pho Dau Bo?
What was the last thing you bought? i seriously don't remember
What was the last thing on TV you watched? a scene from the old "Friday the 13th" at Myra's

THE WHOS:
Who was the last person you IM'd? Fiona
Who was the last person you took a picture of? lil' Rachel! haha
Who was the last person you said I love you to? EVERYBODY!!! I love you all =)

CRYING SECTION:
Ever really cried your heart out: come on.. i'm a girl
Ever cried yourself to sleep? yeshh
Ever cried on your friend's shoulder? hmmm.... physically, i don't remember
Ever cried over the opposite sex? of course!
Do you cry when you get an injury? depends on how severe it is
Do certain songs make you cry? i'm a very emotional person, you know

HAPPY SECTION.
Are you a happy person? YEAAAHHHH!!! :D:D
What can make you happy? anything and anyone ^,^
Do you wish you were happier? sure..
Can music make you happy? certainly!

LOVE SECTION.
How many times have you had your heart broken? this is getting personal..
Have you ever loved someone so much that you'd die for them? like Jesus?

LOOK AT ME.
What is your current hair color?: black
Current piercings?: ear lobes
Have any tattoos?: naah..
Eye color?: dark brown

IN A BOY:
Favorite eye color: doesn't matter
Short or long hair: short. long hair seems greasy to me :P
Height: at least 4" taller than me muahahaha
Best clothing: as long as it "makes sense"

HAVE YOU EVER
Been to jail: nope
Ran away from home: nope
Laughed so hard you cried: HAHA yes
Cried in school: uhuh
Done something really stupid that you still laugh at today: MAYBE.. o_O
Gone skinny dipping: no.. lol although i think that idea is pretty funny

THIS OR THAT
Pepsi or Coke: what's the difference??
McDonald's or Burger King: in case of an emergency, Burger King!
Single or Group Dates: depends..
Chocolate or Vanilla: chocolate
Strawberries or Blueberries: blueberries
Meat or Veggies: poultry (haha)
TV or Movie: hard choice..
Guitar or Drums?: guitar =)
Adidas or Nike: *_*
Chinese or Mexican: food-wise?? i like tacos & pitas =9 Chinese food is a bit too conventional for me, since I'm already Asian anyway
Cheerios or Corn Flakes: CHEERIOS FTW
Cake or Pie: depends
MTV or VH1: neither

Waiting in patience *UPdated*

Just about a couple of days ago, I was prepping to post about patience. Little did I know, long story short, let's just say now is the perfect time to do so.

It never ceases to amaze me how awesome and glorious our God truly is. You may think that whenever you feel distant from him, He's not there.. like he's somewhere up in the air, far away from you. When in fact, He never leaves your side. He's inside your heart. That's how it is and that's how it's going to be for the rest of your lives. For me, Jesus is the ONE person who understands me most thoroughly. He knows me like no other person would. Even before I utter my deepest desires, he already knows what I want, what I long for.

Many times, my faith has been put to the test. And out of brutal honesty I dare to say that it is not by my works and what I've done that I'm still standing where I am. Our God is a faithful and loving God whose grace and mercy never stop pouring. He always takes me back into his loving arms, despite the number of times I've ignored his voice. He simply

n e v e r

s t o p s

c h a s i n g

m e.

I can't ask for more in my life. He's my ultimate wholeness. He's the most essential component of my life.. and he certainly IS the pivotal destination I'm running towards.

Sorry, I seem to have digressed more than I should.

We, as humans, possess a nature of being anxious and overly eager to have something we want.. and we want it NOW. "If we don't get it now, then forget about it." When we don't get what we want, we tend to give up on it and as a result, we miss out on the sublime outcome that may spring up from waiting.

In relationship cases, for example, there are couples who grow impatient with quarrels and end up breaking up in the most painful ways. Maybe they're not meant to be.. sure, but instead of looking onward to the beautiful friendship they could have created, they've produced more enemies for each other. You know, not all disagreements have to end in pain. I believe they were created so that we could love and understand one another better.

There are also couple-to-be's who become restive because "the time" still has yet to come. Again, they rush things; at length, things fall apart.

For you singles out there who are yet to be met with your helper/spouse, be patient. I'm speaking for myself as well, so I know exactly how it feels to wait.. especially when time drags on and on and on. Been there. Through that. But during that period of time, that's when I got to immaculately feel His presence.. know His love.. know MY love for HIM. Why? Because when there's nobody else to focus on except God, it's like.. indescribably beautiful. Your utmost attention is paid to Him. Your love stays undivided for Him. Your time will be devoted just for Him. What a wonderful, peaceful life with Your Creator. I long for this more than words can say.

RUSH. Is it necessary? God has made everything beautiful at its own time (Ecc. 3:11), which means everything has been set to happen whenever God has set it to be. So why are we rushing?? Are we trying to control our life, or are we letting God reign in every aspect of it? First of all.. God is God and this life that we have is entirely His (as we have been given the opportunity to borrow it from Him). Who are we trying to take control of it???

Secondly, our lives have been planned by the creator (Jeremiah 29:11). God says that He has planned our lives to prosper us. What more can we ask from that?

When we become too focused on one thing, we tend to forget about all the other ones. Most importantly, our paramount attention should be on God, the author of life. If He hasn't answered our prayers, it doesn't mean that he doesn't hear or care about you. Nor is he busy with "other things". He simply wants to train you and test your patience with Him. While worldly things wear us down, focusing on our Loving Father is not an option. He loves us more than his own life. He considers us more precious than ANYTHING at all. So when that time comes where we have to wait, think of it as this:

"Sometimes God says, 'Wait'. When He does, His intent is always that He would become more precious to you during the waiting than if he had said 'Yes' immediately." -- Unknown

I don't know with you, but for me, I'd rather wait on the Lord until he gives me a green light. I would rather take more time to delight in the beauty of waiting than to rush and fast forward everything that's been offered for me to enjoy. Besides, if we wait for Him, we find favour from the Lord and whatever it is we may be waiting for, will be greatly blessed. Hence, HAPPINESS EVER AFTER =).

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." ~ Psalm 27:14

Take care all,
xoxo Hazel

Hillsong United - Rest in You

Your faithfulness endures always
Where mountains fall and reason fails
And You calm the raging seas
And You calm the storms in me, again

All I know is I find rest in You
All I know is I find rest in You

My heart will praise throughout the night
Where singing seems a sacrifice
Your grace is all I need
Your grace is all I need

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

~ Matthew 24:35

Lest we judge

At particular times, I assume things, people, situations.. assumptions that come from my own judgement and opinion-- which we all know can be spurious and misleading. I mean, not only mine, but when we think of the word 'assume', what do we think of? The word itself means that we're concluding a verdict without tangible proof. Usually assumptions are made of one's thoughts and observations.. not a factual evidence that's been proven to be true.
Honestly, I've been guilty over this matter. I'm going to be forthright and tell you that all this time, my current perception on a certain person has been distorted, simply because of what my thoughts were telling me about this person. I know we've had rough patches along the way, but somehow, slowly, I'm being consumed by chattering teeth and jabbering mouths around me, and little by little, it's altering my point of view on this person.. in a negative way.

-----*

I feel like a hypocrite. I keep telling people to guard their mouths and actions, yet I, myself, am having this problem with someone whom I dearly love and care about.

This made me think about how non-Christians inspect Christians from their goggles. Are they seeing fundamental hypocrites or are they seeing genuinely loving, caring individuals who want to make the world a better place? One of our biggest problems as Christians is that we often speak too soon, while shutting our eyes and covering our ears with both our palms. Sometimes we refuse to see or hear because we're too busy to express what we know. Not to mention, half the things we do/say in church don't even reflect our daily lives. We may think we know so much, when in reality, we are the ignorant ones -- the less knowledgeable. David Kinnaman writes in his book: "Christianity has become bloated with blind followers who would rather repeat slogans than actually feel true compassion and care." (pg. 15).

Don't get me wrong on this. I, with no doubt whatsoever, am a firm believer and follower of Christ, who is passionately interested in The Living One. In spite of that, I dislike the idea that this world has placed on the word 'Christian'. Many people today view Christians as hyper-spiritual, goodie-two-shoes back-stabbers who judge others and tend to slip from their 'churchful' words. From the bottom of my (currently) honest heart, I just want to point out that we, as Christians will only keep polluting the world if we continue to speak without acting on what we preach. Non-Christians who are yet to know who Jesus is won't just listen to our bogus words about some God they don't know. Without actions to back us up on our words, they will mean nothing.

I mean, who are we to look down on the adultresses? Who are we to despise and be intimidated by homosexuals? Who are we to scorn the alcoholics? Who are we to look at these people differently? WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE AT ALL??! We, Christians aren't even any better than the prostitutes, homosexuals, trans, drunkards, beggars.. We're not. Who are we to even hate George Bush? Believe it or not, at one time or another, we've actually been little George Bushes in our own communities. Even The King of kings, the Lord of all highest lords love them the same. We're not God and we still judge. Who are we??!! It doesn't matter how small or infrequent we sin; we're just as bad one way or the other. We all need Jesus to be saved and forgiven. Matthew 7:1-5 says, 1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

I, as one of the millions of people who claim to be Christian, would like to apologize for the inconsistency in my words and actions. I have been one of the many who have marred the image of Christianity. Christianity is supposed to be all about love because God himself IS love (1 John 4:16). Yet in our world today, there's been a lot of unnecessary things added to it.. that aren't even supposed to be there. I'm sorry that I haven't shown enough love. I'm sorry if I have judged and mistreated you. I'm sorry that I feel bad for the oppressed and less fortunate, yet still do nothing about them. I'm sorry that bad things about other people still occasionally ring on my mouth. I'm sorry that we have been "mini-converters" who are desperately trying to "convert" people into our 'circle'.

It really breaks my heart to see how the notion of Christianity has now been corrupted with fallacious concepts. In the bible, where does it say that we can reject the homosexuals? Does it make a clear statement that we could disdain the adultresses or the alcoholics, the cheaters, the liars, the thieves..? Jesus forgave them all. Back then, prostitutes were considered the lowest of the lowest in their hierarchical system. Most of them died by stoning. But when one came to Jesus and repented her sins, she was forgiven straight away. Not the day after, not an hour later, but immediately. It's because we, Christians sometimes feel like we're superior.. we're above everyone else.. with our faith and all. It's true that we've been saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8), but instead of embracing it with joy and love, we take pride in that-- a kind of self-admiration. We must always remember that we didn't receive grace because of who we are or what we did.. but by the unconditional love of Christ. And if Christ loves all, then why shouldn't we??

Let us do a reality self-check by asking ourselves this question: am I loving enough? Am I being a brother/sister to my friends who need me? Do I show enough compassion to the hurting, broken, and lost? Are people seeing Jesus Christ in the way I live my life? In 1 John 4:20, it says: "If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." From here, we can look into our full-body mirror and examine ourselves.. am I truly living in love? Or am I just living by my human judgments?

As for my case, I'm in the last position to assume or judge. I'm sorry if I have previously judged or hurt my fellow brothers or sisters in Christ. From now on, I invite all of us, including those who are non-Christian to minimize your judgments and start (if you haven't) spreading love to ALL mankind. No more assumptions, no more judgments. The only person who has absolute authority to judge us is The Mighty Lamb who sits on the throne of heaven. As Christians, our job is to show the love of God to those who haven't seen/felt it; to let them see Jesus shine in our lives.

"There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbour?" ~ James 4:12

Take care and God bless,
Hazel

I'd better be sure according to you..

Picture source: Google Images

Wow, I'm sorry for the lack of updates these days. After my old posts got deleted, I kind of lost the desire to write posts anymore. But it's not like anyone besides Jennifer ever reads this, right? Haha. It's not that I'm lazy or anything, but I just don't as much time currently.. which is pretty ironic when you think about it. 'Cause while I was in school, I had no problem writing and updating every day, but now that it's summer, I don't have that much available time. It makes me wonder..........

At the moment, I am juggling summer school and work - which I have to admit, has been fun thus far. It's very tiring, but it's better than not doing anything at all. I don't know with you, but if I feel like I'm not doing much, I'll feel unproductive and it'll make me lazy to even do anything at all. Now that I have a responsibility, I'm obligated to fulfill my duties (that sounded cheesy).

So things have been working out quite nicely, I must say. Of course there are those booger situations and remarks, but they're actually what make me grow spiritually and as a person. That's what makes life even merrier, because what is life without challenges? Even the more reason to love it! One of the things I've learned from my experiences is: Keep loving your neighbour no matter what. People might have hurt you in multiple ways with what they said or what you heard about yourself. But it's stated several times in the bible, to Love your neighbour as you love yourself (Leviticus 19:18). And if they attack you, you musn't seek revenge, rather to "turn the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39) - the one on your face, that is. Or is it??

Anyways, my point is, it really won't be of any importance to sweat over small things like that. We will always be assaulted with endless false accusations and the devil will use more people to walk up and spit in our faces. Jesus endured all that perfectly well. Ultimately, it is God's word that prevails (Mark 13:31).

On to the next BIG thing, I received my 2-week's paycheque yesterday. To be completely honest with you, I wasn't looking forward to it. More like I totally forgot about it until my co-worker reminded me. *Oops..* That's one of the exciting things that happened this week. I was going to mark out Earl Grey Tea, but it was too late, so I better not forget it today (end of the week.. or else I won't get my markout this week.. boohoo). Oh, I was making drinks on the bar the other day and a customer ordered a "grande black tea lemonade". It was during the busy hours and there were a million of people lining up (not really), and I was a bit-- understating --freaking out. Being a newbie that I am, I made this drink, with the correct recipe, but not in the right size. I was repeating the order out loud "grande black tea lemonade", yet I was measuring tall size. I ended up giving her a tall-sized BTL for a grande price. I'm sorry, lady.. whoever you were.

At the present time, I'm addicted to the song "Ink & Tight Jeans" by The Real Efforts of Real People. I don't know why, but I started to get hooked on this kind of songs. For some reason, they'd sound more 'real'.. if I were to compare them to Miley Cyrus's hits.

All in all, in this update, I just want to say that I'm very thankful for everything that has happened in my life - whether it be bad or good, stupid or clever, snagging or advantaging. I'll give you this wonderful verse of the day: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." ~ James 1:17
I think it beautifully conveys its message.


Take care, children of God.

Love you all in Christ,
Hazel


"Iced venti, vanilla, nonfat, no whip white chocolate mocha........."