Melbourne Zoo

Melbourne Zoo is only 4 km away from the central business district of Melbourne. That's the wonder of it. You're hopped on a tram towards the zoo, you passed the modern buildings and architecture in the city, passed Queen Victoria Market, and the next thing you know you're going on a track towards a lush tropical park.

With more than 320 species on view, Melbourne Zoo offers a window into the diversity of the world’s wildlife. There are designated time slots each day for visitors to meet the keepers at some of the animal areas. See them feed the animal and explain about conservation projects or interesting facts about the animal.

The zoo's botanic garden setting also provides a relaxing atmosphere with a variety of landscapes, from the Victorian-era formality of the main drive to the lush jungles of the African and Asian rainforest areas.

Have a walk down nature's lane, you'll find that God is such a creative God that He even created some animals that have no apparent reason to be there. And when we look at His beautiful creation and the variety of it, wow... you'll see Him at work; you'll be amazed!

The blue frog -- looks like the colour of china porcelain. Opps... privacy invasion. XD

Looks like this lizard's body is too fat for its small legs to carry it. It's lapping on the water with its blue tongue.

Meerkats! So cute when they stand up on their hindlegs.

This looks so much like a peacock.

Ostrich holding its head up high.

Zebras have shorter necks than horses. Did you spot the giraffe behind it?

Erm... sorry, don't know the name of this deer-like animal.

Giant Tortoise with its keeper. Yes, they are huge and look like rocks, but it's real. They can grow up to 150 kg. This one's still in its teen years.

Kangaroo feeding from the trough.

Don't look at me, I'm just lying here.

Emus are like ostrich, but they don't have wings.

Here's another kangaroo. They basically just sit around, that's because they are not in the wild.

Wombat! One of my favourite animals.

Giraffes

Otters sunning themselves by the waters.

Baby elephant

Pelican

Ducks have beautiful water-proof feathers

Mum shading the gorilla

Bamboo forest

She tamed the vicious croc!

Surprisingly, they actually have signboards in Bahasa for tropical animals.

Orang Utan arts & crafts

Mandrill is bored

Lemur

Let there be a white-furred monkey.

A peacock sneeking up to people in search for food. They aren't shy or scared at all.

Little Penguins. These are a different species from the Antartic ones.

Poor bear, he's got nothing to do all day except just lying around

Stacy, reporting from Melbourne Zoo, March 19, 2009

For Chiann

My dear friend, Melbourne has claimed you citizen, but your veins flow the Malaysian blood, still firmly rooted in your Chinese origins.

Time has passed us by, how we have grown! How our paths have separated! How we have parted in our ways! Yet, our paths have crossed again, despite the many times they have went where destiny beckons.

I thank God for every time that we meet again, fellowshiping and praying together, watching the stars at night, counting the meteors, pillow talks... And I thank God for this friendship that flourishes despite the distance and difference of our destinies. Who can understand this mystery, but the Lord who brings all things good together for His glory?

Lord, I pray, please bless this life. Wherever You lead, may she be given wisdom and understanding of Your divine destiny for her. And wherever You lead us, let us meet again, not only in heaven forever, but here on this earth. May Your beauty and glory be upon her, that she would shine for You, the way You have destined for her to be. Crown her with righteousness and bless her with grace everlasting.

And as Your words says that You have thoughts of peace amd not evil for us, that You will bless us with a good future and hope, that as we seek you with all of our heart we will find You, Lord, let it be true for us both.

Chiann, I miss you... God loves you. ^_^

Melbourne!

This is my first overseas trip, first time that I have flown 8 hours, and my first time in Melbourne, Australia. It has been an awesome time for my mum and I, getting around the beautiful city on our own and visiting the wonderful sights. There's not enough words to describe all the overwhelming expriences, so I shall let the pictures speak for themselves :)

Waiting to board the plane

Mum and I

We have arrived! It's almost 1 a.m. (Melbourne time)

On the free Tourist Shuttle taking pictures of buildings in the city.

Steel sculptures by the Yarra River bank

Melbourne city trams -- takes you everywhere you want to go, literally

The City Museum

The Parliament -- open to public when not in session

At the Melbourne 360-degree Observation Deck at Rialto.

Me posing with sculptures in front of the Rialto building. (The Great Reunion)

Sunset view of the Melbourne City from the Observation Deck

The Southern Star at Docklands / Newquay -- largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere

Beauty!

Queen Victoria Market, where everything's fresh, fruits and vegetables are in abundance

The Public Purse, by Simon Perry, in front of the GPO at Bourke Street

The GPO. Previously the General Post Office, it has been turned into a mall

Graffiti art in the city

Another sculpture art in the city. There's a lot of sculpture like this right in the heart of the city

The GPO at night

Flinder Street Station -- one of the train terminals

Wall of art made up of beautiful coloured mosaic

Cathedral. Melbourne city is a blend of gothic, heritage buildings and modern architecture.

At the Yarra River bank

By the way, this is where we stayed -- Miami Hotel Melbourne. Nice, clean and good service for a backpacker's hotel

Oh, we also went to the Melbourne Zoo, Melbourne Aquarium, The Great Ocean Road and Mount Dendenong, but there's just too many photos to upload them all. Hence, I shall end here and post some more interesting sites that we've visited in another blogpost. Hang on there...

Direction Found >>

"Looking for Direction?" shouts the flyer for Graduates Seminar.

Personally, it was a night of liberty for me. I hope many of my friends and church members who attended the seminar had found direction in their life with regards to entering into the working world.

As for me, I believe I have found guidance from the Lord, even though I myself was one of the speaker for the night.

The night started with us picking up the food from food stalls, getting the hall ready, welcoming friends and church members, distributing the door gifts to them, enjoying the light refreshments, etc etc. I was feeling nervous about what I was going to share, as it has been quite some time since I have delivered a testimony. I had only started to prepare my script about two days prior to the event. Oops.

Ps. Monica shared about tips for interview, what's the right job, confidence in interview, etc. Her topic was actually a long, extensive sharing if it should be carried on without time constrain. However, she only managed to skim through the booklet on all the topics; yet it was good enough to let the audience read on their own so they get the full picture of it. Praise God, it was a good delivery.

Ps. Lois' sharing was enlightening. She shared about Peter and his fishermen partners at the shore and how Jesus called him to be a fisher of men, even though they were total failures just the night before, having caught nothing for the whole night. She shared that God is able to use us. Even if we have made mistakes before, but He is able to help you let go of the defeat and failure and to let us start afresh. I could relate it with myself, having made countless mistakes... It was really comforting knowing that the Lord could let me start afresh, if I would just put my trust in Him...

As for my part of the sharing, actually it's already in this blog, titled 'The Rainbow'. I spoke about how the Lord had blessed me in this job, about how He has seen me through many times that I had wanted to give up -- even right when I was sharing the testimony (though I didn't announce it to the audience, of course). I spoke about the Rainbow -- the one that the Lord has created for me to see so that I could set my eyes on Him.

I had wanted to leave so badly, but there were so many things that happened and caused my plans to be thwarted. For the first time I understood what it means to be hindered by the Spirit of the Lord, like how Paul was hindered from going to Macedonia initially. I experienced and knew the difference between a holy hindrance and a hindrance sent by Satan, a.k.a. a thorn in the flesh. I felt it in my spirit.

This very night that I shared my testimony again about God's Rainbow of Promise, it seemed that there was a clarity in my spirit against all the confusion that has been built up in me for the past few months. As I finished my sharing and sat down at the back, I felt an assurance deep down in me, and I know that I know that I know that Jesus was speaking to me. He wasn't just telling me that He loves me; He was saying that He is with me, right where I am, right where He will be bringing me.

There are times it seems that we have been running for a long time for a long distance and we suddenly feel so tired of everything in life. We look at others and we start to compare. We wonder how it would be for us if we were at where others are. We ponder about how it would be if we were at a different environment. But we don't really have the answers. I didn't have the answers, and I don't think I ever will, but I knew it deep down inside that it was never meant to be. I would rather be at a place where I know the Lord is with me than at where it seems good to human standards but it's not God's will for me.

Just want to encourage you, deep down inside you will find the answers, because God reveals them to you.

Verse to Remember:

"Then you will call upon me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord…” -- Jeremiah 29:12-14

The Best is Yet to Come

Keep Your Fork -- Author Unknown


There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was given 3 months to live. As she began getting her things 'in order', she called her pastor and asked for him to come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she wanted read, and what dress she wanted to be buried in. She also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible in her left hand.

Everything was in order and as the pastor was preparing to leave, the woman suddenly remembered one final request that was very important to her. "Please Pastor, just one more thing," she said excitedly. "Sure, what is it?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important to me," the woman continued ... "I want to be buried holding a fork in my right hand." The pastor gazed at the woman, at a loss for words.

"That surprises you, doesn't it?" the woman asked. The pastor replied "Well to be quite honest, I am puzzled by the request".

The woman explained. "You see, Pastor, in all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I remember that when the dishes were being cleared after the main course, someone would inevitably lean over to me and say, 'Keep your fork' ... it was my favorite part of the meal because I knew that something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie. Something wonderful to end the meal!"

The pastor listened intently and a smile came upon his face. The woman continued, "So, I just want people to see me there with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ... 'What's with the fork?'... then I want you to tell them: "Keep your Fork ... the best is yet to come".

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman good-bye. He knew that this would be one of the last times that he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of Heaven than he did.

She knew and trusted that the best was yet to come. At the funeral, everyone who walked by the woman's casket saw her wearing a beautiful dress with her favorite Bible held in her left hand and a fork held in her right hand.

Over and over the pastor heard people ask the question, "Why is she holding a fork?" and his smile began to get larger and brighter each time.

During his message, the pastor told the people about the conversation that he had with the woman shortly before she died. He explained the fork and what it symbolized to her. The Pastor told everyone how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us. Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to "Keep your fork."

Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share... being friends with someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.

Quote to remember:
Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind. -- C. S. Lewis

Jesus, I love You

Last year, a brother in church composed this song he named "More than anything". It's a very simple song with simple lyrics and simple chords, composed in the simplicity of heart, I believe. Yet it's such an impactful song. It has touched my heart countless times when I sang it or played it. It's a song that sings that cry of my heart, that desire to love the Lord more, more than anything. It's a song that speaks of the crave for Jesus, that I really need Him.

I had this imagination (or impression) some time ago, where I was a young girl, and my Lover was the Lord Jesus. We were sitting together by the stream, our bare feet soaking in the cool water. He was holding me in His embrace, just loving me tenderly. We were silent all through, just watching the waves in the stream, enjoying the beautiful scenery, oblivious of time and space. My worries melted, my burdens lifted, and that joy as He kissed my forehead and smiled at me...

There are many times in life when we face challenges, difficulties, struggling through quicksands, having great waves coming; when we are distressed, upset, depressed, hurt, angry, disappointed -- it's times like this that we always tend to ask a lot of questions of why's. But it's also times like these that we really need to tell God, "Lord, I love You", to just worship Him and tell Him how much you really miss Him and want to be with Him.

Someone once said that there are some questions in life that no matter how many times you have asked it or much you try to find the answer, there just isn't an answer to it. So quit asking and give it a rest! The Lord doesn't owe us any explanation. He just wants us to trust Him that He will lead us through any situation, and through it all, to grow in faith and to be more like Him. He wants us to reflect His strength so that others would experience Him the Almighty.

There will be times when God doesn't answer us the way that we want to. He doesn't tells us the things we want to hear, but what He wants to tell. He doesn't answer us the way we want it to come, but the way He wants it to be answered. Many times, He won't tell us 'yes' or 'no'; He'll just be silent or say 'wait'. Many times we will need to be the ones making the final decision, especially if the decision will not cause us to love Him less, but to trust Him more.

Joyce Meyer said: we have no testimony without a test (Beauty for Ashes). I learned (am still learning) that God really does make things work out for good, even when we go through times that we don't fully understand what was happening. He makes things work out for good, because He wants to give us the opportunity for testimony -- to glorify Him.

Really, if our lives are made to glorify Him and to make manifest His glory, to witness of Him and preach His love and greatness, how will we do it if we don't have a personal experience of His glory? And how will we experience His glory if we refuse to let go of ourselves to let Him have His way in our lives? How will we experience Him if we keep asking 'why' and not rest in Him? How can we say that we love Him if we don't want to be intimate with Him in worship?

Tell Him that you love Him. Tell Him, singing, "Jesus, I love You, more than anything..." so that you can tell others that He loves them.

When Love Takes You In

This is one song that makes me want to say:

Lord, take me in to Your love, to the place where I belong, where You are embracing me in Your arms and never let me go. Take me to the place where I belong, right there in Your arms, where every burden is lifted from me.

Love that line that sings, the loneliness ends and a new life begins...

I'm like that little girl in the song, running to the open arms of my Father...

Will You still love me?

She sat on the floor in her darkened room, broken and grieved, feeble and unspeaking. She could hear voices in the living room, her family chatting and laughing together, joy in their hearts. She didn’t want to join them. She wanted to withdraw herself, to be alone. Yet at the same time, she also wanted to cease this feeling of loneliness inside her; she wanted people to be around her, to comfort her, to understand that she was in depression.

Depression was an old enemy, a fiend who would haunt her with negative thoughts, pulling her down… down… down… There was no reason or explanation to justify why it was here, dominating over her, or why there was so much unanswered questions in her mind. But she knew it well, this pain inside her. She has come to the point where she has no strength left to resist it, no will to fight against it.

Tears rolled down her cheek as she thought about her life – full of rejection, hurts, failure, emotional setbacks, unloved… Why do they keep coming back? Haven’t all these been taken away when she believed in Jesus? Haven’t it been put to a stop? Why doesn’t she have joy?

She cried silently. She didn’t want her family to hear her sobs. But she knew her tears will not soothe her heart or bring the peace that she longed for. She knew deep down that she couldn’t allow herself to be pulled any lower, but how to let out the pain inside of her?

She drew out the blade from the box of stationeries, and her heart sank ever so low as she stared at the sharp edges of the blade. Fear rushed over her. She knew that she had warned herself against it time and time again, and even now. But the pain in her heart was so compelling…

Don’t do it. She told herself mentally. Don’t do it, Clare. Just don’t do it. DON’T!

But she couldn’t. Her hands wouldn’t obey. She gripped the blade tightly in her left hand and placed it lightly on the smooth skin of her right inner forearm. She didn’t want to die; that was not the point. She knew this feeling, depression, and she just wanted to channel it out. If only she could hurt herself physically to siphon out the pain from inside… If only it would help...

Clare closed her eyes and she knew that God was watching her. Don’t do it, Clare… But the fiend that overpowered her: It’ll be quick. This is what you wanted. Satisfy me.

Her left palm was sweating, making her grip slippery. It'll be quick. You've done it before. Let it be quick. Quick!

She pressed the sharp edge of the blade into her skin, but she knew not to do it too deep. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want to be in deep physical pain either. The blade drew a thin one-inched long cut across her pale skin. It wasn't deep; blood was barely visible.

And she pressed it down into her skin again a second time, a little stronger this time... Deeper! Quicker! The fiend was instructing her.

And a third time, faster stroke with more force. A deeper cut. The blood surfaced, but not much. Yet the pain was there. Deeper! Quicker! It demanded.

The fourth, she deliberately stabbed her skin and slashed the blade across it rapidly to give it a satisfying cut. Immediately, her inner forearm was crimson with blood, and the fiend in her savoured every moment of pain...

She broke down in tears again, holding her bleeding right forearm with her left hand, leaning on the edge of her bed. That emotional pain was still there, perhaps even more intense than before she had cut herself. Her heart was in excruciating pain.

She knew that there was only one way, but she has sealed it with the blade. She knew that only God could save and deliver her from this suffering, but she has rejected it, and she has no right to ask of it now. She knew that only God's love could heal her of this pain, but she was unworthy and an ugly sinner.

The moon cast a strip of silver light through the window onto the floor where she knelt. The night was cool and silent, broken only by her sobs. She gazed up to the starless black sky through the window. I have fallen short of Your glory...

She took a glance at her right arm, where the crimson stains were still glowing and in pain. Now I have done this... Lord, I have done this. I don't love myself anymore. Do You still love me? Will You still love me? Now, will You come and heal me? And would You hear my selfish desires? Do you hear me? Jesus... Jesus!

Clare did not know how long she was on the floor, crying and sobbing until she barely had strength left to climb into bed. She did not know how she fell asleep, but she woke up to a day that she didn't want to face for the first time.

"Clare, we'll be late for church!" her mum called outside her room.

"Ok. I'm up," she called back, remembering that it was Sunday, and there was no escape, no excuse to say that she won't turn up.

How on earth am I going to do this? Me? Going to church like this? She asked herself as she gently washed away the dried blood over her wound. The slashes on her arm singed as the cold water ran over it. She forced herself not to think.

She quickly got dressed and they got to church. As the praise celebration started with worship, she reminded herself mentally not to raise her hands too high, or people might see her scars. What if they do see it? What would they say? The fiend said, luring her to crave for attention. Clare tried hard to tug the thought away. Keep your hand low, Clare.

The worship ended and the pastor went up for the word as they settled comfortably on their chairs. Clare was thankful that she was sitting alone. She glanced at her right arm.

"Great grace of God," said the pastor. "is the title of today's message," he looked around the church hall. "Let's say together, 'grace'." The congregation echoed "Grace!"

She stared at the notes on her lap and the intense, excruciating pain struck her heart all over again.

"The Apostle Paul prayed for the church in Ephesus that 'Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God'," he preached.

"How will you be filled with the fullness of God? It's by comprehending and having understanding of Jesus' great love for you."

And tears started to well up in Clare's eyes. She bowed her head so that her hair covered her face. She suddenly realised that she did not understand the love of Christ for her.

"Thank God that He didn't say He loves you, because you are qualified, or you are worthy, or you are with high position in the society. He didn't say, 'Oh, you've won many souls, therefore I love you more.' Nor did He say, 'Oh, you are smarter, more beautiful or holier, therefore I love you more'.

"No! God loves you, even when you are yet a sinner, even when you think you are unworthy, even when you are imperfect. He. Just. Loves. You!" he emphasised.

At this point, she couldn't stop the rivers of tears that flowed. Oh, stop. Stop! She wailed silently to herself. It's not even half the sermon.

"And if you would understand the width and length and depth and height of the love of Jesus Christ, the Lord said you will be filled with the fullness of God -- that means, you will be empowered in your life. That means, you will experience the abundance of God in all sense, all areas of your life!

"The fullness of God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. The fullness of God is great power and --"

But Clare didn't know what else did the pastor was preached, for she was already trembling uncontrollably from crying so hard and trying to keep back her sobs.

She was loved, now she knew, certain as the sun that rises in the east. She was not unloved. She was deeply loved, treasured more than precious jewels, valued above gold and silver. She was the apple of God's eye.

Clare, I will still love you. whispered the still, gentle, small voice in her. I still love you, like no one else, like no other on this earth. I love you.

And she knew that Jesus was hugging her, embracing her tightly, giving her the courage to stand up again, to fight the victorious battle against the fiend.

Lord, I need you. Clare said. Come, Lord Jesus.

Graduates Seminar

I remember the time when I was going to graduate in about 3 months' time, I was pretty nervous and unsure of what I was going to do. Even though I knew by God's grace and help, I have obtained a good qualification that enables me to soar to great heights, I didn't know where I was heading to. The future felt pretty scary with a lot of uncertainties.

And it was at that time that I thought to myself, how nice it would be if we could have a Graduates Seminar at church. People will learn more about the working world, how is working life different from student life, the dos and don'ts for interview, how to choose the right job by the guidance of God, etc etc.

But most of all, it would guide people to know the love of Jesus Christ and how He loves to bless us in all areas of our lives, including in our working life.

Praise the Lord, by His grace and strength, I am organiser for the Graduates Seminar 2009!

Honestly, there's only one statement that could summarise my part in this event: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Phil 4:13)

My hopes and dreams: that people would receive useful tips and guidance on finding the right job; have a clear understanding about how the working world is; receive overflowing blessings from the Lord by trusting Him; experience financial liberty in times of economic crisis as we trust in Him.

Come join us!

Date: 11 March 2009 (Wednesday)

Time: 8 p.m.

Venue: World Harvest Church (Wangsa Maju, KL)

Admission is free, refreshment are served.

Remember to bring your friends :)