New Year

Lots of things goes through one mind when the New Year comes. The chance to start afresh, another year to live life, another year to make mistakes and learn from them so that one day we trade those mistakes for wisdom when the time comes.

I know for a fact this year, will be my year of transaction. I will be moving forward in terms of finding a career in a new city and moving into an entirely different place. Something alien, something bizarre in the city called Chicago. This move will be begin slowly without me realizing it, but the small things I do will have large impacts in the coming months.

Soon I will be working fervently on my final senior project, while at the same time looking for a job on and off campus. Starting a job search and then finding an apartment to live in new city is while exciting but I have a sense of apprehensive. Its will slowly hit me over the months that my days as a college students are slowly coming to an end.

Do I feel excited? I do actually. Leaving behind my student life and moving on to a working life is exciting despite what everyone says. Even though things will be tough, such as fitting into a new place and so on, I feel a sense of peace that it will work out.

Just like how it worked out for my internship at PosAd. That 2 months still have helped me learn a lot about the work environment and has teach me how to work in an office environment. I am truly thankful for that opportunity that Ray Chew has given to me. I also want to thank those who helped me while I was there, teaching and guiding me was no easy task. Henry, Jackson, Rossy and Mei Chin who all have taught a thing or two in my two short months there, I'm truly grateful for their chance in providing me an insight into the office environment and the working experience.

I remember Ray telling my mom that I do not need get an overseas degree but rather I can do the same thing on the homefront. And I choose to accept that as a challenge that I can prove to him that because I have an overseas experience I will be better then your average cup of joe.

But the man has passed away, but my challenge still stays. Even though he will never hear it from me, his challenge will be a testimony to me and to those who hear my story. And with that, 2011 summer working experience was insightful to the real world and I move on back to 2011 fall of campus life.

While I struggle with a lot of issues being thrown at me, things all just work out on their own accord and I'm still breathing in a comfortable living environment on Spring of 2012. Well almost comfortable, but its better than living out in the cold and I don't have much to complain after that.

Spiritual journey still remains where I have been all this years. Still stuck in the same spot: neither growing nor backsliding. I am not proud of that. But somehow, I know God works in my life. My experience during the fall semester shows how things work out and I believe He had a hand in it. But still, I can't give myself a pat on the back on that. I have to keep growing both spiritually and character.

Even though I have established myself as a jerk at times (I adore that role) I know where I stand in character. People who don't know me will not like my attitude towards people at times. But I'm not interested any more in making everything so convenient for people, I'm interested into making them feel uncomfortable to understand that the world isn't a very pretty place. Of course, this does mean that I lose some friends overtime and they slowly become acquittance instead to which I think that's perfectly fine.

While all humans require social interaction in their live, I came to realize I don't need to talk to everyone any more. I would just talk to the people whom I'm interested in getting to know because I feel energized talking to them. A friend to me is someone who is can provide me from encouragement to random talks to "pointless arguments" are the ones I would like to talk to simply because they energize me.

Well my time of writing this post are certainly coming to an end. But first I must write down my resolution for the year because I want to see if I can meet those resolutions or goals by the end of the year. So here it goes:

1) Read the Bible everyday.
2) Workout as much as I can.
3) Blog every now and then.
4) Graduate
5) Grow spiritually and mature as a young adult
6) Be willing to take more risks
7) Pick up a skill or a language
8) Make me parents proud of their son

Well eight goals sounds reasonable. Till another post.

Cheers.

So ends the year of alignment, what's next?

So end's the year of alignment...

My 2008 was a mixture of everything a normal teen will take. A mixture of good and bad, happy and sad moments, fun and depressing moments.

As I sit down and finally take time to type this out, I am reminded that I'm ALIVE to be typing this post. As I was at church celebrating the last day of 2008, I am reminded that I should be thankful of all my events in this year.

So here goes a list of what I can think of to give my thanks:

1. Thanks to God who has sustain me the entire year with His strength, His undying love, His comfort when I'm down, His wisdom, His never ending mercy on my life. To the opportunites that I am able to share my wisdom to some people and to the times where I could impact other people lives. Without you, I wouldn't be typing this and remembering that I give thanks to you.
   
2. To all my friends who has stuck to me the entire year, to all the moments we shared laughing and having fun to the times when I needed a ear to listen to my thoughts and rants.
   
3. To the great friends, those who has somehow impacted my live in ways that makes me want to be a much better person (Joel, Trisha, J. Chu, Phoebe, Marwan, Deborah Heng, Pamela Lai, May Choo, Paul Leong)
4. To Joel, who has always taught me many things and the many times we share talking about the Word. From the wise teachings that he has taught me to the times we had times talking about the Word and to the great eye openers that are in the Bible. I hope that we will always maintain this relationship and grow a stronger bond in the future
   
5. To Trisha, who is one of the best encouragement and comforter during the times I need someone to talk to. To also become another one of pet sisters to which I hope we can always be one way both a supporter and encouragement to one another.
6. To J.Chu, as one of great friends from the start of the year. To the crazy times and stuff that we did, I'll cherish those moments. To the late nights that we had talking just random stuff, to singing each other Sweeney Todd (Lol), to being a friend who taught has taught me to not shoot my mouth too much XD. Even though we may grown a distant, I do hope one day where we can be where we were earlier last year :)
   
7. To Phoebe, who I had fun being with such friend. To the times talking really fun stuff and living with your "greatness". To the times we had over the small disagreements that I can never win which always turn out to be fun. Cheers to your greatness and the thanks for the ever encouragment to make me study harder.
   
8. To Marwan, who turned out to be one of the best (and only) Iraqi friend I had. To the times where you will entertain me with your acting skills and your passion for videoing things. To teaching me some great games, that I learned to enjoy and watching you in awe when I turned out to be good? Hahaha... to that, a great friend who has entertained me throughout the year.
9. To Paul, who was willing to take me as a student. Is hard to believe that the timing was so precise when I going to start looking for a teacher in drums. As a teacher who has enough patience to teach me (and again if I forget) and high hopes for me to play as a drummer. To the many times he had to nag me to practice more (lol). And as a friend, from high school so that we can sometimes reminiscence about some friends.
10. To Deborah, whom I found a new friend that I could talk some college stuff which I find it difficult to share. To the times where we both pour our rants to each other about assignments and exams. To also an almost trip to Malacca which didn't work out in the end lol. To hopes that we can do another sometime soon.
    
11. To both Pam and May who we manage to overcome time to become great friends again like once we were so many years. To the many meetings that we had, to catch up with one another and have fun talking, to finally an outing where we enjoy not just us but a few more old friends that we couldn't meet up.
12. To my family both blood and not related, who has encouraged me when I needed encouragement. The love showed to me by my parents. Thank you.

One of my proudest moment in my year of alignment was that I managed to finish at least one journal book of my devotion. Though I didn't manage to finish the entire devotion book but nevertheless it was an achievement which I couldn't achieve for the pass few years.

Also, that I have pass my P license and I am not a fully competent driver. I thank God that even though I had quite a few accidents in my two years time, I am grateful that I finish it without receiving a single demerit to my license and I will always give thanks that I passed my driving exam when I could have failed a second time.

My year of aligment is not a perfect one, but it's a start in my story in this world. I do know now that in my walk with God that I lack the ability to pray. I somehow find myself struggling in just like spending time talking to God.

To one of the greatest lesson I was taught and will most likely never forget which is that not everyone will become a leader by title. This lesson was taught to me by Joel who showed me in the James 3:1 "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment." I have learn that I need not to be a leader by title but just a person who serve the Living God and when I serve Him, I will surely one way or another lead people in ways that I could not see.

As the year starts a new, I began this year with hopes that I can be a better person in terms of spiritual and character. That I strive to become more Christ like everyday.

I welcome the Year of Influence!!!

New Year, New Hard Drive

The blogger is deeply saddened by the tragic lost of his pictures, music, videos and personal documents again. But it's a new year, so it started with a new hard drive.

If you any of you who read this, please assist the blogger with whatever photos you have of the blogger. For music, please inquire with the blogger on what he wants. Help is deeply appreciated.

-ZS-