Dinner at Six Premium Cantonese Restaurant at Penang Time Square

Blessed to a dinner at Six Premium Cantonese Restaurant.
                             

Sauteed Udon with Chicken in Black Pepper Sauce

Lunch at "Spicy Lemak"

Trying out nasi lemak at "Spicy Lemak" in Prangin Mall Shopping Centre

Happy Living

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude." - Denis Waitley

To a traveller - happiness is being able to roam freely without worries or fear.

To an ant - happiness is having enough sugar for a lifetime and not getting squashed by a shoe.

To an owl - happiness is the trill of catching a prey.

To a sheep - happiness is eating the lush grass of the meadow in spring.

To a squirrel - happiness is living in a walnut tree all by yourself.

To a cow - happiness is making my master happy by providing milk and not getting eaten.

So what is happiness to you??

Happiness is when your life fulfills your needs.  In other words, happiness comes when you feel satisfied and fulfilled.   Happiness is a feeling of contentment, that life is just as it should be.

God's Word tells us that true happiness comes by keeping God's law.

Proverbs 16:20 tells us "God blesses those who obey him, happy the man who puts his trust in the Lord." TLB

Solomon reminds us that God grants happiness to us as a privilege :-Ecclesiastes 3:12 "So I conclude that, first, there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and to enjoy himself as long as he can;"

Ecclesiastes 7:14 "Enjoy prosperity whenever you can, and when hard times strike, realize that God gives one as well as the other—so that everyone will realize that nothing is certain in this life."

Ecclesiastes 11:9 "Young man, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it! Do all you want to; take in everything, but realize that you must account to God for everything you do."

Man cannot find happiness when he lives only for himself.

True happiness in life comes when we bring happiness to others - it is not our condition or outer appearance that makes someone happy, but our existence itself. 

The world offers "passing pleasures" (Hebrews 11:25), but the Lord Jesus offers to give us full and lasting joy (John 15:11).

True happiness is not a function of getting, but a function of giving and serving.

Be thankful

Cultivate the habit of thankfulness.  Thanksgiving has great curative power.  The heart that is constantly overflowing with gratitude will be safe from those attacks of resentfulness and gloom that bother so many religious persons.  A thankful heart cannot be cynical. - A.W. Tozer

Big lies start small

"Once a liar, always a liar" is a proverbial parental admonishment.  A national study in the United States claims there is truth to the adage; People who cheated on exams in high school are considerably more likely to be dishonest later in life, according to a report released recently by the Josephson Institute of Ethics.

Solomon offers a prayer that would be suitable for Christians in bondage to such appetites : "Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom." Song of Solomon 2:15

Unimportant though they may seem, these little, fox-like demons may spoil the tender fruits of the Spirit that God looks for in our lives.  One form of spiritual fruit that inevitably suffers from the little foxes is the fruit of self control.

God's power can be more easily seen and experienced in our lives when we get rid of sin's build-up every day.  First John 1:9 reminds us : "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  But unless we do that often, we'll be running on diminished power.  That's because the power for living comes from God and not us. [2 Corinthians 4:7]

So we must always be sensitive to sin and deal with it immediately.  The strategy for dealing with sin - includes confession and accountability. Likewise our focus should always be on God's holiness and purity.

James 4:8, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

What we may consider "little" or "harmless" sins can be our downfall.  Stretching the truth", for example, is actually lying.  And gossip is nothing less than character assassination.  The trouble is that those little sins will inevitably grow larger.

The most deadly sins do not leap upon us, they creep up on us. 

A little sin can be the first step in turning away from God.  It is not the sin we don't know about but the sins we excuse that cause us the greatest trouble.  We must never let away sin go unchallenged.  In our life, an unchallenged sin spread like a deadly cancer?  Don't excuse it.  Confess and ask God for strength to resist temptation.

The Bible urges us not to under estimate the destructive potential of what we say.  We must let the wisdom of God check our thoughts before they leave our tongues.  "The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy" James 3:17

WORDS CAN'T BREAK BONES, BUT THEY CAN BREAK HEARTS.

The capacity for love

The capacity for love gives depth to human relationships, brings people closer to each other physically and emotionally, and makes people think expansively about themselves and the world.  In his triangular theory of love, psychologist Robert Sternberg theorizes that love is a mix of three components: some (1) passion, or physical attraction; (2) intimacy, or feelings of closeness; and (3) commitment, involving the decision to initiate and sustain a relationship.  The presence of all three components characterizes consummate love, the most durable type of love.  In addition, the presence of intimacy and passion in marital relationships predicts marital satisfaction.  Also, commitment is the best predictor of relationship satisfaction, especially in long-term relationships.  Positive consequences of being in love include increased self-esteem and self-efficacy.[4]

The Bible records why Christians should love one another :-

1) God has commanded us to love (1 John 2:7-11)

2) We have been born of God and God's love lives in us (1 John 3:10-24)

3) God first revealed His love to us (1 John 4:7-21)

"We love ... because He first loved us."

What happens to a believer who does not love the brethren? 

1) he lives in darkness, though he thinks he is living in the light (1 John 2:9).  He thinks he sees, but he is actually blinded by the darkness of hatred.

2) he becomes a cause of stumbling (cf. 1 John 2:10).

an unloving brother stumbles himself, and in addition he causes others to stumble.  The best way to help other Christians not to stumble is to love them. Love makes us stepping-stones; hatred (or any of its "cousins," such as envy or malice) makes us stumbling blocks.

3) it retards a believer's spiritual progress (1 John 2:11). 

Christ in your heart

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.
— Ephesians 3:16–17

Is Christ at home in your life?  If He were to walk around from room to room, would He see things that would make Him ill at ease?  Would He see things that might cause Him to ask, "Why do you have that?  What is that on the wall?  What are these magazines?  What is on your computer screen?  What are you reading?  What are you doing?"

The apostle Paul made an interesting statement to the believers at Ephesus.  He said, "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him . . . " (Ephesians 3:16–17).  Why would Paul pray for Christ to dwell in the hearts of Christians?  Doesn't He dwell in the heart of every believer?  Yes, He does.  In Paul's prayer, the word "dwell" has more meaning.  From the original language, "dwell" could be translated, "settle down with finality, be at home in."  So Paul was saying, "My prayer for you Christians is that Christ may settle down and be at home in your heart with finality."

It can be difficult to settle down and feel comfortable in some homes.  Then there are other homes that feel comfortable the moment you walk in.  We should live our lives in such a way that Jesus would be at home in every room of our hearts and where He would have the master key to every lock.

We should be able to say, "Lord, make yourself at home.  Go where you want to go.  Want to look in that closet?  Look in that closet.  Anywhere you want to go, it is all yours, because you are a permanent resident."

Is Jesus settled down and at home in your heart? Harvest Daily Devotion for 1/3/2011: "At Home in Your Heart?"

Crossroads

Whenever we come to a crossroads in life, what choice do we make?  In other words, in what direction will we travel and what habits will we establish?

Inevitably, in life, we need to make choices everyday we wake up.  What to eat?  What to wear?  Every choice we make creates a ripple effect on our lives as well as the lives of others.  The choices we made throughout our life determine where we are and what we are becoming.

A habit is a pattern of behavior that we follow consistently.  We need to decide prayerfully, what habits we will practice.  Paul's referred to his life journey as a race.  He learned that the only way to stay the course was to discipline [his] body and bring it into subjection.   No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. [1 Corinthians 9:27]

Disobedience to God makes our heart-home dirty.  But obedience that is expressed out of love for Him will make our heart a suitable home for God now, and we will be ready when Christ returns.

In the beginning we make our habits; in the end our habits make us.

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14 KJV

W.I.S.D.O.M. of married life

'W '  is for working it out

One should always make an effort to preserve one's marriage.  Successful marriages are not perfect or made in heaven but rather well managed.  Accept the realities of day-to-day life, and work within it.  It is important that marriages be sustained and improved upon.

Divorce is not a wise solution in most cases, often time, it is only the convenient way out.

'I'  is for in-laws

Your relationship with your in-laws must be conducive.  Do not put your spouse in a difficult situation where he has to make a choice between you or his parents.  Always have the right attitudes towards them as choice of words are important as a sign of respect and love.

'S'  is for self

We always forget to put emphasis on ourselves.  Keep some time for yourself, your spouse should also do the same - your own 'me-time'.  It is lovely to have the peaceful sanctuary of ones own room just being alone.

'D'  is for dumb and deaf

When an argument arises, it is wise to act dumb and to turn a deaf ear to whatever says. Words that are not thought over are best left unspoken.  Better still, write them down - will give you time to ponder and evaluate your innermost feelings.  A wise man treats an argument as a way to understand each other better.  It is not a matter of winning or losing.

'O'  is for observe

Observe what your spouse despises and avoid them.  Learn to pick up the hints from body language and facial expression.  Quarrels can be easily avoided once we are able to recognize the trigger points.  Care and take notice of his 'liking'.

'M'  is for mediate

Sort out any disagreements, talk it out and find an amicable solution.  You have a lifetime to spend with this person, yet life is too short to be wasted on unconstructive arguments.  To strengthen a marriage, there must be mutual effort.

Beauty of woman

God said, "When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

And finally, I gave her a tear to shed.  This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."

By: Navin Jethmalani

RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE HEART CAN MAKE ANY LIFE BEAUTIFUL