Lost Stories of National Service

word cloud

2006-03-25T18:25:00.000-05:00

from http://snapshirts.com/custom.php

(kuilan, pastor in samfoo)

2005-08-29T11:15:00.000-05:00

"in christ alone
i place my trust
and find my glory
in the power of the cross

in every victory
let it be said of me

my source of strength
my source of hope

is christ alone."

we sang this song at the end of almost every service at TBC during NS. Thank you Pastor Kuilan for being our shepherd then. :)

dollah, runaway commando

2005-08-27T00:09:00.000-05:00

(Pat Robertson's Bio: Marion Gordon Robertson, better known as Pat
Robertson (born March 22, 1930), is an American Christian
televangelist, entrepreneur, and right wing political activist. He is
the founder of numerous organizations and corporations including: the
American Center for Law and Justice, Christian Broadcasting Network
(CBN), the Christian Coalition, the Flying Hospital, International
Family Entertainment, Operation Blessing International Relief and
Development Corporation, and Regent University. He is the host of the
popular TV show The 700 Club, which airs on many channels in the
United States and on CBN affiliates worldwide. wikipedia)

violence vs nonviolence?

Dollah was the name of the great big man who was to be our tree-hugging, barefoot commando.

At age 18 he ran away from home and disappeared from the eyes of his family.

Suddenly he emerges as the boxing champ of his military academy.

He even has his own gym.

He's friendly.

He's good with the girls.

He's got a heart of gold.

Now let's discuss..

WHICH ONE OF THESE MEN IS THE BETTER?

on churches

2005-08-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

"He became the 13th pastor from Bethel to be ordained a Bishop. The pastor following him became the 14th. He was Rev. Frank M. Reid, II, who was also a civil rights activist. He marched with Martin Luther King in Alabama. He was noted for his punctuality and organizing ability."

I remember with fond memories TBC and Pastor Kuilan.

random

2005-08-23T20:57:00.000-05:00

Pen resting on notepad

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(not the barbershop)

2005-08-19T05:48:00.000-05:00

silentsoliloquy said...
"Living conditions are typically 30 bunk-beds to a room, with a single attached bathroom".. sounds like National Service in Kem d'Jelapang... should take you up there sometime. I'll be back 3 weeks Christmas. Yeah, I know. It's quick.

August 19, 2005 6:33 PM

A comment in response to this post by quackyogi.

Tim, the Nano-Tech Techie

2005-07-24T21:48:00.000-05:00

Google's new accelerator looks cool.. it's something the techie man Tim would like.

http://webaccelerator.google.com/

Tim's none other than my Best Friend Emeritus who does a lot of things. His latest project is reporting for the KYUEM blog, veritus: uncensored and live.

All the best to ya, pal!

Blog Day 2005

2005-07-24T11:50:00.000-05:00

SUPPORT PEOPLE, SUPPORT!!!

"GET UP! STAND UP! STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT!"
- BOB MARLEY

K'Own, Blue Kapok Guitar Man

2005-07-23T21:39:00.000-05:00

I will never forget K'Own, the guy who convinced me that even without any musical training you could make really great music.

He brought his little blue Kapok guitar and made the camp never the same again.

This song goes out to you, my friend.

Thanks for inspiring me forever.

Going to Tim's house now in the little PX. ;) Thanks Uncle Weng Seng.

ACUNGKAN EMPAT JARI !!!

2005-07-22T19:57:00.000-05:00

WHY I SUBSCRIBE TO LEFTIST ACTIVISM AS A CHRISTIAN
a defense of affirmative action commonly taken to be narcissism or “buat pala”-ing, especially by “right-wing” fundamentalists

prologue:
“e-Sword, the sword of the Lord in the electronic age.”
- open source Bible program

“Son of man, eat what is offered to you. Eat this scroll and go, speak to the house of Israel (context for us: Malaysia).”
- Ezekiel 3:1

“But you, son of man, hear what I say to you; be not rebellious like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
- Ezekiel 2:8

“And he said to me,, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel (onceagaininourcontext: Malaysia), to a nation of rebels, who have rebelled against me; they and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day.”
- Ezekiel 2:3

Chapter 1 - Meditation
This is my rumination/meditation/devotion for today. Once again I’m turning back to the book of Ezekiel.

Now, we all know that democracy is about speaking up. Non-Conformists understood that. Congregationalists understood that. Even John, Charles, Samuel and Susanna Wesley all understood this need to “preach the Word with boldness”.

And here we see, in our church, the evil gall of bitterness and iniquity. People hate each other. People hate certain preachers. People are in denial of hating. Outsiders can rightly call the parish a “bunch of bloody hypocrites”.

And how do we respond?

With kindness? Yes, indeed, with kindness.

With love? Oh, of course: 1 Corinthians 13 says enough about the “law of love”.

And what does Peterson say?

“Dear Gunnar,

What I have in mind for you in your new job as adult youth advisor to those seven or eight Norwegian teenagers is simply this: Invite them over to your home to cook a meal with you. Make it a regular thing… Do you realise how much of Jesus’ ministry took place around cooking and eating? …by now, you can discern the conviction that is behind my suggestion: that “ministry” is organic, growing out of who and where we are in the circumstances in which we know and serve Jesus; not something we impose on a person or setting as “mission” or “evangelism” or “youth ministry”.

Cooking. Eating. Does that sound bloody mundane to you, Reader? Well, if it is: welcome to the adult world of drudgery. You’re probably in the wrong field, the wrong place, and though since I don’t believe the concept of permissive will, my simple advice is this: pray, then determine to get out of the wrong thing you’re doing that is full of boredom!

“Ley Hayyim!”
- Hebrew “To Life!”

Rev. Anthony Loke, professor of Old Testament at Seminari Theologi Malaysia once said during an Old Testament Survey:

“Every day I try and do something different… my wife would ask me, “Why are you taking this road today?” Well, variety is the spice of life! God created us to enjoy!”

“A time for everything.”
- The Quester/Thinker/Preacher/”Qoheleth”

Are we all so scared of being labelled as “preachers”. I heard from my old friend Charles that Universiti Teknologi Petronas has its local preacher who makes everyone fed-up because everytime he opens his mouth, he talks about Christianity.

I think his problem is style: NOT content!

So here we are, afraid to be labelled as extremists. Afraid to voice our views… more content to just sit around, brood about the world and keep it to ourselves.

Bah, humbug!

What a twittering bunch of git! We create language! We form perceptions! We influence the way our country goes!

“Democracy stops when democratic people stay silent.”
“Our language belies our thinking.”

“When we focus too much on man, we forget the Son of Man behind the man.”

All these quotes are thoughts running through my mind. And who would have known if not for me sharing them?

“You have turned the world upside-down with your teaching!”
- Aristocrats of the 1st Century A.D. NOT Jesus Christ of Nazareth

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU GUYS…

BUT AS FOR ME AND MY (FUTURE) HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD: AND GIVE UP ANYTHING TO SERVE HIM!

“BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE, BUT NOT ATTACHED. DE-ATTACHMENT SOUNDS BUDDHIST BUT IS ACTUALLY SO CHRISTIAN. WE MUST BE ABLE TO LEAVE THE CRAP TO THE MOTHS OF THIS EARTH.”

ONE LAST QUESTION:

“ARE YOUR COFFERS IN HEAVEN EMPTY AND RATTLING?”

“ARE YOU A SCROOGE MCDUCK?”

EPILOGUE:
“WAKE UP! WHAT YOU REAP IS WHAT YOU SOW.”
- RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

Reuben, the Orthodox Brethren

2005-07-20T22:44:00.000-05:00

Reuben is my pal from NS that's just over four feet tall. He's even shorter than 4"6 ;)

But he's a man of a great heart to serve God. He really knows the Word.

But like all humans, he has his faults: he struggles with smoking.

He's been struggling since Standard 3.

How can we blame him, white-washed walls and unclean filthy sepulchres that we are... :P

I can't even care to correct my spelling anymore.

Perfectionism = Just-the-other-side-of-not-caring.

Take that, heritage. :P

My dad was Samuel Wesley, my mum like Susanna.

A great team, they were.

And I'm Charles Wesley? :P

Tsung-Jern, Charismatic Doubter of Everything

2005-07-19T21:15:00.000-05:00

Tsung-Jern.. well, he's what my papa (read: grandpa) would call a QB. ;)

Gotta rush to see Pas. Frankie Khoo now. Adieu all. I'll finish this one later, Vader-haters. :P

Syed, the Butter Maniac

2005-07-17T08:50:00.000-05:00

Syed was the bassist in the cover band I was part of during our National Service last night. He introduced me to a band that will forever change my perception of the local music scene.

This band was.. the Butterfingers.

Strange how it became a snare to me during my days in NS. Reading my Bible was hard because the song "Faculties of the Mind" kept playing in my head.

And now things are different. I hear it in my head, but it no longer distracts me the way it used to. Now it's like elevator music.

I like it, and most don't.

But it's just in the background, to add some colour to my every day. ;)

Thanks Syed, old buddy.

P.S. I've started a Bintang 3 cell in Kedah. My main blog is now the webpage for the "Gunung Jerai" Bintang 3 cell.

Heya all..

2005-07-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome to "Lost Stories of National Service".

This blog was started by some crazy 'fella with his blog here.

What's the purpose of this blog? To post stories, tales and all sorts of retellings of stories from NS, the good and the bad, but ultimately to show that Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) has ultimately benefited PEOPLE.

Interested to contribute? Drop me a line or two through the comments page... that's 'til I set up this page properly.

Keep seeing this post and no others? Drop me a line to urge me on with this 'lil project. Thanks a lot, everyone.