ourlifesong

Win or lose, this is it...

2011-11-06T18:32:00.002+10:00

to the praise of His glorious grace

2011-10-31T11:13:00.002+10:00

in the midst of all the busyness, baptism sunday almost slipped my mind. but praise God that ten young ones decided to take the plunge yesterday. what a glorious day, and how encouraging it was!

hearing the testimonies really encouraged me that all the effort poured into YF and church over the years is really worth it. day to day we may not necessarily see drastic changes in people, but over time we are just the conduits of God as He keeps pounding on people's hearts through His Word - and, sinful as we are, the lives that we live. that latter thought is a very humbling one indeed.

praise God that he heals the broken!

* * * * *

lately days and weeks have been coming and going in an endless blur. just one week and it will be all over!

One down...

2011-10-25T19:37:00.001+10:00

Goodbye TECH! For so many years, the bane of my uni existence and the source of incredible stress. You were a time sucking, life draining jerk and I will never miss you...

Onto design now! Probably shouldnt have washed and waxed the car instead of nerding... But hey, might as well be productive while procrastinating!

Thankful

2011-10-16T22:09:00.001+10:00

Things are tough going at the moment.

But in the midst of it all, I have much to thank God for.

Had an amazing time at church today listening to a talk on International China Concern. Really heartbreaking stuff, and I am excited about how it is going to change us and fire us up. Havent had to lead singing with tears streaming down our faces before...

And oh - my wife, she's incredible!

Week One update

2011-10-11T07:26:00.001+10:00

so it is with architorture. you can spend a whole weekend and achieve nothing, then a sudden brainwave and you have the problem cracked within five minutes...

designing a church for my uni project has been the hardest that i've ever done. it's especially difficult given that the whole idea of "church" has been twisted in an architectural sense - whereas Jesus was all about the church as His body, architects think it is about creating this "aah" moment - almost always it means making you feel terrible as you reflect about yourself and how small you are compared to the greatness and might of God.

so as i pursue something that doesn't portray God as this faraway, huge and overbearing being - after all, He came to us to save and redeem us, and sent us His Spirit to be with us - architecturally it is exactly what the tutors are not looking for.

they want a "holy" space. i'm giving them a community centre.

the challenge is to make something work when it's almost like a big house, built with domestic materials and scale. how do you make it special, without showing favouritism to believers over the nonchurched? how will the building educate nonbelievers about God and His love for us?

i've resigned to the fact that this won't be a popular project. but i will follow my beliefs and see what comes out of it.

i'll be free within a month!

in the midst of all this, God's faithfulness shines on! i'll post more next time :)

an early progress render...

i'm back!

2011-10-05T07:20:00.000+10:00

blink, and it's been almost a year.

as i sit here and type, i know i've got the hardest 5 weeks of my life coming up ahead of me. but i didn't come all this way to fail. sometimes i wonder what God has in store for me. i get to work on our church building now - looking back, wasn't that everything i dreamed of?

but i think there's something greater. whether it's eMi, or something else...

the past year has been such a massive time of growth. mark driscoll was right, having a godly wife really reveals a man's shortcomings! but i'm happy to say that God is challenging me constantly - about my priorities, love for people, cars and wealth and glory and honour. how to give generously. how to share. how to show hospitality (how did keith green do it?!). being content with worldly stuff, because what matters is the prize...

i'll update more later. but i really like this web space, i can just sit here and ramble at no-one in particular.

* * * * *

i've been trying to reform my driving lately. see, i love the feeling of speed, the rush of acceleration, finding a gap in traffic, the sound of a turbocharged engine...

but all that must die if it has the potential to discredit the message of grace in my life!

seeing this in my rear-view helps!

almost there

2010-10-25T12:41:00.001+10:00

waiting to present my thesis now =S it's never easy getting up in front of people. it's even harder when i have to get up and talk about something related to faith. we'll see how it goes!!

it just hit me... i'm not a kid anymore.

it's funny, looking back and seeing so far we've come this year. it's been crazy. i couldn't have imagined it. sitting in level 9 always brings back memories. the good old days of study parties!

i hope this thesis presentation goes well ... i hear rumours of possibility something developing from it. exciting and immensely humbling at the same time...

i wonder what God's plans are!

the humanity of the unborn

2010-10-12T07:56:00.001+10:00

dominion

2010-09-23T09:03:00.002+10:00

when we read about dominion or stewardship in Genesis, we too often forget to read it in the context that we are created in the image of God.

i didn't make this up, but i thought it was pretty profound. it means that we should have the same attitude to creation as God has shown in His dominion over everything in the universe.
since He never exploits, but instead cares with the utmost love, patience and providence - we must surely do the same!

even more encouraged

2010-09-15T22:39:00.004+10:00

so my thesis supervisor suggested that i try and get in contact with bellbowrie's pastor to find out more about their church, and why they decided to build it in such an innovative way.
(this building has won numerous architectural awards... and seriously the stuff within it is incredible. its practically EVERYTHING we learn at uni packed into a single package)
i gave him a call .. and within an hour i was sitting with him, chatting away at maccas.
it was only meant to take 20 minutes but we spoke for about an hour .. about sustainability, churches, chinese weddings and other stuff...
what an awesome guy, and what a visionary church.
i'm so blown away!

if you have a spare sunday, go visit them =)

it feels like a million things are going on at once. got a 7.30am-9pm work day tomorrow.
in the midst of all this, we need to pray for study lounge.
i really DO believe it's a great way for us to make a difference.
yes i do believe it's gonna be hard ... but ...
by God's power, and not our own, it will happen!

massively encouraged

2010-09-12T22:53:00.007+10:00

After a tough few weeks, this past weekend has been a massive encouragement.

Today Gracie and I had the privilege of visiting Bellbowrie Community Church. Not only do they have a very cool building full of innovative sustainable ideas, but the people were amazing and full of warmth.

Building wise, I love it - simple, contemporary, community-focussed. It's got a natural ventilation system that, sadly, works too well (they got floor vents that are too breezy and ladies who wear skirts dislike it, so it almost never gets used). Coupled with silly council laws (you must use air-cond while a PA system is used on the site...) it means a lot of the sustainable initiatives introduced by the architect are lost.

No worries, it still has some really cool bits - rainwater is collected, stormwater runs off into landscape, natural materials are used, a small slit window sits behind the stage so you can see the sky moving while the pastor preaches ... and on one side it has an entire floor-to-ceiling glass facade overlooking greenery, yet it's fully protected from direct sunlight ... so clever!!

I am so impressed and inspired at the same time ...

More importantly, afterwards we had a meeting about community initiatives. finally!! it's like our church was a tree which, before, just sucked in nutrients for its members as it grew. but now it feels as though we're moving into a time to be fruitful :)

weddings

2010-08-27T20:23:00.001+10:00

cant believe timjo are getting married... it means mine isn't far away either! time to prep! arghh!!!

photo

2010-08-12T07:36:00.001+10:00

on my way to work monday...

having fun with artlantis

2010-08-04T10:41:00.002+10:00

at work i get to do some artlantis renderings...

hehe

seriously

2010-07-31T07:42:00.005+10:00

i've been told i should think about how i can use my blog to humanise myself by revealing my sins and struggles to others. so thanks to mrs mike, i will now be serious! and instead of making you jealous by showing pictures of me eating bao, i will show you these pictures...

inside swiss pavilion restaurant -

outside swiss pavilion -

okay, i probably made you hungry there again. but this post has a point.

you see, people who pay enough at pavilion restaurants get to walk straight past a 5-8hour entry waiting line and jump straight to the front of the queue. so if you have the funds, you basically get to enjoy a delicious feast while everyday people are standing in 35 degree heat, sitting on (awesomely designed) $1.50 foldable stools, waiting and suffering for hours on end. then you walk straight past them with your VIP pass, stomach full and totally satisfied.

unfair isn't it? you bet!

this leads me closer to my point. it's undeniable that as Christians we are the privileged ones, feasting and enjoying a relationship with the loving and everlasting God. we didn't even have to pay anything - entry and food was provided free through the blood of Christ.

meanwhile, people are outside... lost, hungry, tired, oppressed, and having no idea what goodness and joy is being felt inside the building.

so do we just keep on feasting? what good is it to continuously gouge ourselves on spiritual food, enjoying the nourishment that it offers... when all the goodness is being selfishly absorbed into ourselves while myriads people are lost and hungry?

we ought to be doing something different!

what are you gonna do about it?

(the more meetings i have to go to about logistics and programs and making life better for ourselves, the more i realise that the outreach aspect is sorely lacking. that is why i love ideas such as study lounge, food outreach, christian surfers ... it's time to stop focussing so inwardly)

where have i been?

2010-07-18T01:48:00.001+10:00

yayers!

when i get back to brisvegas i REALLY need to exercise ><

deceiving

2010-06-07T07:48:00.003+10:00

oh man... have you seen this.

it's a clip of a crash test between an Audi Q7 and a Fiat 500...

i think the Fiat driver would die, even though both cars are 5-star rated.

those star ratings are deceiving!

lecrae

2010-06-02T23:24:00.007+10:00

everyone loves a bit of lecrae.

man this guy is good...

the less said about the narrator the better. just let the man speak hey...

ten thousand

2010-05-31T23:35:00.007+10:00

the most ridiculous thing happened on sunday. i was being a bad, naughty driver and overtook someone from church when i maybe shouldn't have - no names here.

later i said...

hey ____, so sorry for being a bad driver. i need to change and repent.

(i was feeling really ashamed at this point)

she replies...

im SO SORRY!!! for driving too slow!!!

WHAT! such unexpected kindness and grace... haha.

i was waiting for fury.

i feel extra terrible now..

anyways, on 10000km now, so here's a little report.

good points: it's big, so i can fit people in. and asians don't drive skodas.

bad points: skoda dealers, slippery gear knob, handling (compared to shirtripper that is), the stereo...

# of animals killed: just one - poor blue tongue lizard, his guts were squeezed out like a tube of toothpaste. i felt terrible! those creatures are beautiful!!

overall: i like. i also like the secret spot where i took the photo :)

you know what's scary tho! 10000km of driving means 2t of emissions without factoring in the embodied energy of petrol and also the car itself. when you stop and think about this... surely we can steward the world better?!

Jesus ProAm

2010-05-28T06:34:00.003+10:00

i have never been on a surfboard. i dont think it'd be a good idea... knowing my limited snowboard AND swimming abilities... plus my fear of JELLYFISH.

yup that's right, i think i have jellyfish phobia - whatever that's called! i once caused mass panic cuz i saw a jellyfish in front of me while snorkelling. the aussies thought it was pretty funny... my mum didn't, cuz i kicked her while i was trying to swim away.

seriously, those things are only good as FOOD.

anyways... those guys at christian surfers makes me wish i wasn't like this... they're doing great work down on the coast and throughout the world!

http://jesusproam.com.au/

surely... there needs to be justice...

2010-05-26T08:31:00.002+10:00

Bring justice to our unborn Zoe, say parents Brodie Donegan and Nick Ball
By Richard Noone
From:The Daily Telegraph
May 24, 2010 2:03am

THE parents of an unborn baby girl, killed when her heavily pregnant mother was run down on Christmas Day by a driver allegedly on drugs, are demanding a charge of murder or manslaughter over their child's death.

But according to New South Wales law, Zoe Ball was not a human being because, despite spending eight months in her mother's womb, the baby did not take a breath.

Parents Brodie Donegan and Nick Ball have decided to tell their story about the loss of their child with one aim: To change the law.

Ms Donegan was 32-weeks pregnant with the second child they had longed for when she went for a short walk to "stretch her restless legs". Just 20m from her driveway an allegedly drug-affected driver swerved off the road and hit her.

The impact shattered Ms Donegan's pelvis, lower spine, hip and right foot. She went head-first through the windscreen of the woman's minivan. The 40-year-old driver escaped uninjured.

The couple want the driver charged with their daughter's murder or manslaughter. But the officer in charge of their case said the driver could not be charged. The charges - driving under the influence of drugs and causing grievous bodily harm - are yet to be heard in court.

The police report provided to Ms Donegan and the driver's insurance company did not even mention that she lost the child.

"As Zoe did not technically take a breath and was stillborn they say they can't charge her with manslaughter," Ms Donegan said.

From news.com.au - Read the rest of the article here

how about this!

2010-05-20T15:24:00.004+10:00

CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE LIGHT, OAKLAND

Images are from inhabitat.com

The interior is beautiful... but I find it hard to agree with the design!

Repost: Pebbles

2010-05-16T18:22:00.006+10:00

It's been a year since we did Pebbles. Can't believe how much effort we put into it ...

Anyways if you're a YF newbie - enjoy!

Access the full PDF here (be patient - takes a little while to load!)

depth

2010-05-13T15:02:00.004+10:00

ok. surely there's gotta be something for me to post that's not automotive.

uni is hard. i'm looking into the theology of churches at the moment, reading heaps of journal articles and books about church design. man it's a massive, gigantic can of worms. fundamentally, is a church about its people, or are you meant to engage in architecture that brings honour and glory to God? if architecture matters, how can you justify spending money on buildings when there's great need in terms of poverty and missions?

what's the best form for a church? how important is creating spiritual spaces through light, materiality, shadows, spatial quality, tectonics, volume, aesthetic effect, acoustics, religious symbolism? what about sustainability?

should a church impart reverence or not? is it meant to be set apart, special, or are you meant to create a humble, simple space that simply doesn't distract people?

should we just leave every separate denomination and church to do their own thing and not think about it at all...

tempting as though that is, in reality i look at some of our church buildings and feel sad - knowing what the ideal church building would be like, compared to the buildings that we actually create in our shortsighted obsession with lowest possible initial cost.

anyways...

"do not covet"

2010-05-08T12:37:00.001+10:00

a bit hard when i'm working on this...

saaaaaab

2010-04-17T09:33:00.005+10:00

took my car in for warranty repair yesterday and they gave me this thing to drive...

and yes, it was embarassing.

it's a saab 9-5. the design's about 13 years old. they decided to make it "new" by sticking glasses on it.

problem is... the new face doesn't gel with the rest of the car. proportions are terrible, and the whole car pretty much looks and feels its age. it clearly shows Saab was running out of money. and the dealer clearly couldn't sell it, so it became a courtesy car.

more embarassingly... something about it really attracts it to old retired men. i have never had so many of them stare :S and they are pretty plentiful in sandgate...

the interior is a bit crazy... the key goes in the middle; gearstick is 90's GM and the plastic feels like it's made of tupperware. there are plastic panels, button blanks and even some exposed bolts everywhere. all this in a luxury car?!

driving it ... it's all numb and a bit 90s. the seats are nice, but its brakes are terrible and it just understeers, floats and bounces its way through. it's got gearshift buttons on steering wheel, but to drop it down a gear you need to change it to M with the stick and then press (-) ... and the engine sounds weird, like a vacuum cleaner...

so... in every way, it gets completely owned by the octy.

but you know what? i actually liked it. it's so bizarre and a bit crap, but i actually feel sympathetic towards it. they are obviously a company who believes in what they do (who else would give you four sunvisors?!) ... and it's weird but wonderful at the same time. something about the quirkyness just gets me. and there are design touches that are impressively clever, like the air vent which is controlled by a multi-directional joystick... or the cupholder, which is pure art.

they say saab is an architect's car ... hmm. we'll see.

tees

2010-04-11T00:03:00.002+10:00

Abort73 Easter Fest Leftover Stock

easterfest

2010-04-05T19:30:00.005+10:00

now that we're back home, it's a good time to reflect on easterfest. i'm sure most of us who went are charged up, excited and totally wasted at the same time.

this picture is an actual-size representation of a 10-12 week old embryo. we got it from our new friends at the priceless life centre. it was fantastic getting to know them, as well as the super nice aunties and uncles at emily's voice.

we all learnt a lot in the process. we were deeply encouraged by many kind people who came to offer us words of support and encouragement. testimonies were immense and powerful, some people were drawn to tears and others were just blown away by the fact that we'd have the guts to go there and proactively take a stance.

i get the feeling that the abort73 "brand" is more established now - people would come looking for our stall, or come with an order list. it's great. i wonder what holds for next year - how do we take it to the next level?

in the end, we sold hundreds of shirts and more importantly had conversations with hundreds, if not thousands of people. money wise we didn't break even, but the exposure and the "message getting out there" is priceless. our next project is to sell some of the tees at local churches up here in brissie - through that, hopefully awareness of the truth of abortion will increase and lives will be saved.

aside from the stall, we were able to check out some cool music. highlights were article one, a canadian band ... we got our CDs signed and gave them some abort73 shirts... hopefully God will use them (both the shirts and the band) to do something great =)

we also saw the dude from playjerise ... he was trying to do some late night shopping while the crowds were down, and had his hoodie on to cover his identity. anyway his cover was blown, so we got him to chat (and to sign our CD) - a real down to earth guy, and ping was delighted to meet him.

plus.. newsboys, with michael tait, was awesome!!

last note - the whole thing wouldn't have happened without the wonderful people who made it happen. ben and sisi cooked up a storm (this roast pork is fantastic) and the team worked super hard but had fun at the same time!

thanks for reading! i hope this fills you in on what happened there. don't stop praying for justice =)

stand

2010-04-02T06:29:00.004+10:00

so i find myself sitting inside a queenslander cottage on a beautiful quiet morning... outside everything is still, apart from the birds chirping. there is no doubt that creation declares the glory of God, and that in temperate toowoomba - the garden city - creation sings a little louder than usual.

thank you Jesus for your sacrifice.

we're here to take a stand against injustice. last night we began setting up the abort73 stall at easterfest, australia's largest christian music festival. it's a bit daunting raising awareness about such a controversial issue. but when 42 million lives are lost per year, something has got to be done.

if you're a Christian and you're not sure about your stance on abortion - or you think it is justified - I'd recommend you to check out the abort73 website. better still, listen to pastor mark driscoll, who gives the truth to you straight and without sugar coating. go to mars hill church at search abortion.

we're probably the only organisation who's openly taking a stand against abortion at easterfest - the rest are catered more towards helping girls out. it's good, but we're prepared to face some rage haha... since we're probably the most confronting...

this is not going to be an easy weekend, but by God's grace we are going to make a difference. our voices are small in the big scheme of things, but they are God-given, and it'd be ridiculous for us to sit back and do nothing.

word

2010-03-07T06:58:00.002+10:00

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
Col 2:8

giving sorrow words

2010-03-06T10:43:00.003+10:00

time really is passing incredibly quickly ... can't believe it's march already. summer is gone, and autumn brings awesome sleeping weather (and an insane dose of rain going by the last 10 days or so). it also means that easterfest is coming up soon :)

this year we're actually gonna be running the abort73 store ourselves - as their aussie representatives, which is kinda scary(!!) i've been thinking it over a lot more lately. we love the group's work - the awesome tshirts and all. but reading the book giving sorrow words has given me a new perspective on what we're gonna be doing. it's probably one of the heaviest books of all time - filled with stories of women who have had abortions and how it affected them for the rest of their lives. absolutely heartbreaking stuff... and definitely not a book to read in the morning. i'll guarantee you'll be in a bad mood for the rest of the day!

but then reading it has definitely awakened me to the fact that we need to cater to these girls somehow. after all, we're not there to condemn, but to stand up for the silenced. i still fully support that... it's just that- we tend to forget that these women are often victims as well.

pray for us!

mourinho quotes

2010-02-25T08:47:00.002+10:00

soccer fans - this is for you, thanks to Eurosport.

The one that kicked off the love-hate affair with the British public on his arrival at Chelsea in 2005: "I'm not a defender of old or new football managers. I believe in good ones and bad ones, those that achieve success and those that don't. Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one."

On rivals Arsenal: "I am not concerned about how Chelsea are viewed morally. What does concern me is that we are treated in a different way to other clubs. Some clubs are treated as devils, some are treated as angels. I don't think we are so ugly that we should be seen as the devil and I don't think Arsene Wenger and David Dein are so beautiful that they should be viewed as angels."

After losing to Barcelona in the Champions League in 2005: "My history as a manager cannot be compared with Frank Rijkaard's history. He has zero trophies and I have a lot of them."

On the strain of chasing for the title in 2006: "For me, pressure is bird flu. I'm feeling a lot of pressure with the problem in Scotland. It's not fun and I'm more scared of it than football."

On Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, a jibe he later apologised for: "I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea."

On Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson: "After the game on Wednesday we were together in my office and we spoke and drank wine. Unfortunately it was a very bad bottle of wine and he was complaining, so when we go to Old Trafford for the second leg, on my birthday, I will take a beautiful bottle of Portuguese wine. "

On Chelsea's performances at the start of the 2006-07 season: "Look, we're not entertaining? I don't care; we win."

On Pietro Lo Monaco after the Catania president said he wanted to 'smack (Mourinho) in the mouth' in 2008: "As for Lo Monaco I do not know who he is. With the name Monaco I have heard of Bayern Monaco (Munich) and the Monaco GP, the Tibetan Monaco (Monk), and the Principality of Monaco. I have never heard of any others."

And finally, on new Chelsea manager and former AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti: "Now they say of him in England that he is Prince Charles. But I only know one Prince Charles, and that is the Prince of Wales. Ancelotti is no friend of mine."

Eurosport
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24022010/58/champions-league-mourinho-way-words.html

...now on windows 7...

2010-02-23T06:41:00.002+10:00

last week i said goodbye to my macbook pro. it had served me faithfully for almost 4 years.

because these days i have to scunge, i find myself using a dell. i spent about 4 hours reinstalling stuff last night cuz that file transfer thing screwed up on me while upgrading to windows 7. such a PITA! on mac you just put a DVD in and wait!

whinge aside, to be honest I now realise the whole PC vs MAC thing is a non-issue... they both suck at some stuff and are good on others. plus now i can have e-sword, which is awesome :)

thankful

2010-02-13T12:06:00.002+10:00

been a while since last update...

work has been such a blessing - it's hectic pulling 7-7 days, but i'm learning incredibly much and they are teaching me by throwing me into the deep end. so i've got 2 projects :) cant wait to see them built!

ive also been privileged to see my older brother get married to an awesome girl - good work arex ;) dancing was not fun but hanging out with my fam was. i'm especially proud of my 88-year-old grandma, who tried to poke a cassowary with an umbrella. good work! plus the presence of more canadians in my house brought me great joy :)

i have been exceedingly spoilt with very very great friends - THANKYOU...

it's a privilege growing older with you guys :)

first day of the rest of my life

2010-01-17T20:56:00.003+10:00

so this is it. i bid farewell to my final ridiculously long uni summer break. i doubt i'll ever get a 3-month holiday ever again - probably not until i'm old and wrinkly (God willing I'm gonna be like that one day).

i believe a great 2010 is coming. awesome things are happening at church - i'm really excited about new ministries and roles. also there is a canadian at my house for this year (jam please! yes!) and even work is a new adventure for me. i'm scared and unprepared, but i know God put me there for a purpose. so i'm very excited about what's coming.

i start tomorrow! prayers very much appreciated :)

commute

2010-01-11T10:01:00.002+10:00

long time no update! it's been a long and relaxing break. japan is really an incredible country, and i'd love to go back. photos are on facebook, and i can't be bothered posting them here again.

anyway, back to reality.

this year my commute will look something like this:

it's about 75km of driving per day return. most of it is highway, which flowed much better than i thought it would on my test run this morning. i got to sandgate from my house in less than 40 minutes...

thinking about it, it's probably $6.70 or so in fuel each day, plus $5.90 in tolls (ouch). factor in tyres and servicing and it'll prob end up being $14 or so ...

daily travelling time = 1.5 hours.

alternatively, i could use public transport...

my commute would be 3 hours in total though :\

i think... with ministry stacking up, i could really use those extra 1.5 hours each day.

but then, it feels SO silly striving for sustainability at work when i'm polluting the planet with such a long commute.

hmm... what to do?

:)

2009-12-28T11:35:00.000+10:00

we're leaving...

2009-12-23T14:59:00.002+10:00

next post i make will be from a special place ;)

take care aussies!

End of an Era...

2009-12-15T18:59:00.001+10:00

OH MAN IT FEELS GOOOD!!!

Finished my last shift at my music shop today. It's been a great three years, and at least two since I started wanting to leave... I'm proud to say that I've seen the shop grow during this time, especially the music school which must be 4 times what it used to be... I've learnt a lot bout graphics during this time, and hopefully the shop will keep growing...

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I have never hung out with workmates more so than I did today. Today I also tried doing some of other peoples jobs... now I know how hard it can be being a store slave like Chis. Still, I hope seeds have been planted through my words and actions over the last 3 years...

As I move onto the big bad world of architorture, I trust God will guide me and use me for His glory alone!

For now, Im gonna enjoy my last ever summer break and also complete some freelance work for Harding.

Til next time...
Billy

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

MK6 GTI

2009-12-11T15:46:00.004+10:00

Over the years I've been lucky enough to have done a fair bit of graphic design for Harding Performance. Today was one of those lucky days when work itself turned out to be ridiculously fun...

Baz and I had a mission to shoot a few shots of HP's new Mk6 Golf GTI. It's been lightly tuned (ECU, airbox, exhaust, wheels) and I'm sure heaps more mods are coming later. In the process of getting around to the photoshoot sites, I decided to give it a good test drive also :)

Verdict? The steering wheel is bonkers in an awesome way, interior is nicely detailed (red highlights everywhere!) and the car itself feels like a lightened, tighter Octavia RS. It's seriously impressive.

Best moment of the day was in the tunnel which runs under and onto the Story Bridge... I decided to open the windows, drop it into second and step on it a bit! The noise was terrifying, the echoes were making it even more intimating and it was capped off with a loud whoosh from the blow off valve as I changed into third...

So addictive!

But...

I'd have to say that the GTI isn't for me. It's just too flashy and attention grabbing (maybe it's cuz it's new - just onto the market - and a bit loud, so a lot of people stare).

Still, a great day and good bonding also.

Baz doing his thing...

On location in Southbank...

And Mt Cootha...

and here's a HDR shot...

I'm sure Baz has better photos that will come to light later...

apt6

2009-12-11T01:30:00.005+10:00

recently mr and mrs 6 came to visit us in aussieland. we really appreciated their visit :)

and yes... the view at the winery is nice ... :) check out the Vantage V12! beast!

GoMA is probably the most sophisticated place in town (it really is quite impressive) and right now there's a really cool triennial Asian art exhibition going on. I'd highly recommend it - especially since it's free!

Firstly! Of course we need a happy snap. Kurilpa Bridge actually looks okay from here - from most other places, it's oversized and messy.

Very cool Indian stuff...

Matt - you need one of these.

This is an antelope made from crystal ball things...

Nice Suzuki ...

Lastly, there was a range of North Korean propaganda artworks there. It's crazy how surreal they are - everyone is smiling even though they may be doing mundane stuff (handing in forms) or hard labour at a metal smelter. In a way, seeing these paintings sorta humanised my thoughts about the country - I left feeling heavy...

I'm trying to enjoy my last ever summer break. Somehow though, every night seems filled up. I've had church meetings Wed and Thurs this week, plus another one tomorrow. Next week's schedule is almost filled too. SIGH!

wonder...

2009-11-30T16:19:00.004+10:00

interview done!

i was scared ... my first interview in an architecture firm

BUT

i ended up talking more about theology and sustainability than architecture

ahh! the amazement of being in a Christian firm!

can't wait for next year!

right now, this very moment

life seems too good to be true.

i know it's a season of blessing

and i really praise and thank GOD for it.

i can't help but think though...

should i be expecting tough times ahead?

cool

2009-11-28T15:36:00.001+10:00

challenge

2009-11-24T10:37:00.002+10:00

feeling spoilt?

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19

car shopping

2009-11-23T08:33:00.006+10:00

this year has been a lot of growing up. lots of learning about adulthood and looking after a house and stuff like that. and for the first time i've been trying to buy a car. materialism is hard to fight against!!

i started off looking at a ford fiesta, but couldn't accept a 0-100km/h time of 12 seconds :S i would have driven around very slowly and with a smug face on, only because it uses less fuel than a Prius. but i know that joy wouldn't last very long.

what i ended up with is fantastic ... great value and should be practical enough for eventual kids (God willing, one day not soon :P), and plenty fast enough :) also hopefully vanilla-looking enough that church people wont get envious or be stumbled! it's prob gonna be my car for the next 10 years or something, so i promise to use it as a tool to serve God.

i feel so blessed and spoilt.

but yeah, dodgy car dealers are everywhere...

One guy was selling a car so boring I nearly fell asleep looking at it. He then insulted me by calling my GTI boring (how dare he!), and told me I can do up his car by putting huge rims, lower it, install a subwoofer and coloured seat covers because it's a blank canvas :S Pimp My Ride styles! me and kwok were both like :-0 and we had a good laugh at him afterwards.

Another dealer down south taught me a lesson that cars can be advertised by compliance, not build year - and technically they can even call the car's MY year by compliance year also. Seems schneaky to me!! I didn't find out the build date (2007 MY08 spec - even though it's advertised as 2009 MY09) until the deposit was paid and the contract turned up to be signed :S it's still a great price, but the guy apologised but wouldn't do a better deal! AND I need to trust these guys with the condition of the car since I'm not gonna see it til it arrives up here. Scary thought!

Conclusion: Go to Garry Crick on the Sunshine Coast and find Andrew, they've been an awesome dealer to my fam. I wish they had stock of what I wanted. Definitely would've saved a lot of hassle!!

MINE

2009-11-16T18:21:00.002+10:00

these days i'm used to the dogs snoring in my room. my mum's back tomorrow!! guess i can now sleep in peace and quiet...

exciting times ahead!! i love my break!!

sleep texting

2009-11-13T08:56:00.003+10:00

this was the convo between me and pingalingading this morning...

5.59am

P: Im waiting for plane :-D cya all in twenty one days

B: hav a gd trip man :) God bless

6.17am

P: I will go look for pro evo haha

6:38am

B: yay :) woke nebulous rr Deeann hahaha

??? what the ???

i don't even remember being awake or typing anything!

proevo

2009-11-08T00:34:00.001+10:00

yep, our fav bonding pasttime :) after an epic 6men battle last night we played more tonight... here my striker jus missed an easy shot and I threw away my controller in frustration. it's that intense :p

I love YF and the fantastic fellowship that we have. girls put on an amazing night for us boys tonight. we're a very lucky bunch!!

time to sleep- more blogging over this week!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

uni church project

2009-11-04T10:59:00.002+10:00

What do ya reckon?

UPDATE: sorry, only half of it was on before! now fixed :) with numbers and everything!

sister's night

2009-11-02T00:26:00.004+10:00

as men, it was a real honour to serve you daughters of God.

each and every single one of you is a living, breathing miracle.

(not saying it for brownie points. but it's true)

stay strong!!!

just while i'm here, a happy snap since i haven't posted one up in AGES

design

2009-10-30T09:30:00.000+10:00

felt like blogging, so here is a design that i updated recently.
had fun doing the photography too.

go get yourself a skoda :P

SPAMMED

2009-10-29T15:17:00.006+10:00

I AM SO SORRY!!!

seems like both jasper and my old embarassing highschool hotmail got hacked and lots of people got spammed in the process. doh!!!

(i just got an iphone and i love it, but i don't love it so much that i'm gonna spam you about it... haha)

extra sorry to the people who were excited about hearing from me but really... you weren't... hahaha.

now msn has decided to block my hotmail ...

no more aznpride then ... (shame on me for even having that email)

feel free to write to my gmail though :P

i'm not alone

2009-10-19T18:05:00.001+10:00

sometimes things seem like they're weighing you down so overbearingly that it seems impossible to cope. today felt sorta like that.

this is encouraging tho:

Colossians 1:11-12
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Amen! stand strong, be joyful, stand for truth and pray continually.

love Billy

grow

2009-10-19T01:48:00.000+10:00

livin alone has been an interesting experience... first wk gone n we're tryin to settle in. some things are harder than others. right now I shuld b sleeping but my dog Kiara is snoring at my feet. it's weird hey, she never used to give me attention but it's like she doesn't trust anyone else anymore...

I shouldn't complain... This house is massive and is actually quite peaceful when it's just me :) but of course Id prefer if things were the way they used to be...

anyhow jus gettin some iPhone typing practice in. my hearts been pretty heavy though. def one of the most challenging times in my life so far

i sorry if I'm rambling, it's pretty late

a new wk - gotta b pure, angry and victorious :) hav to put to death sins and bad habits (not jus manage them) rage Gainst injustice, and also believe that God created me for a purpose- and that thru his spirit I can accomplish great things :)

JESUS RACING

2009-10-08T15:31:00.003+10:00

it's me not grace :P but this is awesome!

umbrella

2009-10-05T17:22:00.002+10:00

this ridiculous contraption is a bamboo umbrella.

i now know how it feels to be a prius driver. i can snob you metal umbrella users! i also paid way too much for what it's worth. and as sustainable as it's meant to be, it's NOT, because the most sustainable thing would be not to buy it at all...

anyways... back to uni work...

lucky #2

2009-09-15T12:37:00.001+10:00

another pic of lucky - thanks iggy. btw he's lying down, so he's not like totally mangled. but he was injured. i hope he's still alive.

:)

2009-09-15T11:28:00.004+10:00

this contraption is billy's man bike seat! an investment for my future generations :D

meet LUCKY!

2009-09-11T23:26:00.003+10:00

this is the story of LUCKY, who i miss already... hahah

i was just heading home tonight from the tai ranch after farewelling DoJ. mt cotton road is dark, curvy and surrounded by bushland - and i was following Dentist's mazda3. about 400m down the road there was a wallaby carcass in the middle of the road - a relatively fresh one, but apart from that nothing too extraordinary.

as i drove around it... something moved.

what?

i drove 200m or so down, turned my car around to double check ... and sure enough... the joey had been thrown out and now it was crawling around, confused, limping and in shock. its mother, meanwhile, was very very dead.

two things to note at this point:

if ur not from here... mt cotton road is really just bush in some parts, completely pitch black, and people usually drive around 100km/h at night (not saying that i do :P)
the wallaby got killed in the middle of the road, just around the corner after a crest... couldn't be worse really

i stopped my car, put my hazards on and opened my door (hoping that people would see me easier). i waited to watch a car drive past, just to make sure i wasn't invisible. to my surprise the next two cars both stopped to ask if i was okay :) one was a really nice middle-aged lady (shes got guts to stop - she was by herself), the other a young guy who was a little bit spaced out. but still, it was nice that - in this day and age - people still care.

luckily DoJ had given me a few tshirts tonight, so i used one of them (thanks bro) to pick up this tiny creature - it was so soft and delicate - and brought him back to the ranch, and eventually to a 24hr vet. he still had his suckling instincts. i hear that he will probably be saved. i very much hope so.

i especially hope the Lucky story will have a much more pleasant ending than ronald, the last animal that me and grace tried to rescue*.

ok so Lucky got me thinking about a few things. mainly that...

if DoJ wasn't going on an awesome missions to taiwa n tomorrow, i prob wouldn't have been at the ranch so early tonight
if i didn't have the sniffles (which have disappeared since i met Lucky), i definitely wouldn't have gone home so early tonight
if DoJ hadn't given me some tshirts, i wouldn't have known what to carry Lucky with
if God didn't give me a compassionate heart towards animals - some of my friends run over stuff and laugh - then Lucky would probably be dead, eaten by a snake or ran over by a car or whatnot

coincidence, or does God love Lucky? or God is using Lucky to teach us something? or he's got some special purpose to use him?

*last animal gracie and I rescued was Ronald, a hen which made my dog kiara so jealous (cuz i was feeding it fried rice) that she chomped its ass. after i brought it to the tai ranch, it lived happily ever after ... for the next two weeks. then it got its head taken off by a fox :(

brisbane magpie hotspots :(

2009-09-09T18:03:00.001+10:00

according to this map, i should be able to ride my bike to grace's shop...

:)

2009-09-07T07:39:00.003+10:00

was super excited yesterday as five YFers plus an uncle i knew got baptised during our church service. somehow everything gelled together, and it was super encouraging to have awesomely positive feedback about the whole service - for me especially the music, which even aunties loved.

somehow an inflatable pool didn't look too out of place in our warehouse church ... heheh.. kinda cool.

more importantly, i rejoice in the testimonies of how God has reached down and really changed these six people...

... including chis, getting baptised properly... here is him testifying

guess who else got baptised? haha...

they even put the baptism water to good use afterwards - raising money for CMS missions!

window

2009-09-05T13:23:00.005+10:00

sitting in my windowless office, sms and tweetdeck being my window to the world.

it has been a tough time. huge assignment was due yesterday, which i absolutely screwed up and very probably failed.

i have been thinking a bit though...

when you talk to Christians about studies/career, there are usually two opinions...

that Christians should make a super awesome effort, because good results bring glory to God, OR
that Christians should be mediocre because our priorities lie in better things...

before you go WHAT?!? ... let me admit that i actually agree with the latter.

does that mean we intentionally do a crap or average job? no... but i think putting Jesus first has a cost, and career is an aspect of that.

looking forward to my weekend. 5 yfers are being baptised tomorrow :)

on other topics - absolutely love the font "titillium" - get it! very modern and sophisticated - and it's open source. i usually skew it 5 degrees in InDesign to make it less formal :)

http://www.campivisivi.net/titillium/

ecofont

2009-08-23T23:32:00.003+10:00

just downloaded ecofont - basically a font with holes in it to save about 20% ink, designed to look okay at 10pt. gonna use it at church this week and see how things go. every bit counts for the environment right (plus you can save some money on exxy toner)!

you can get it at www.ecofont.eu

boring

2009-08-19T00:39:00.002+10:00

if i ever have a baby, i hope he/she is as cute as emma... haha. good work celz/julz/GOD.

sorry for the lack of recent updates. life has been eventful to the max but i shouldn't really fill you in. you'll just have to believe my word that it HAS been an insane time - that i'm not actually boring to the max. haha.

i know God is MIGHTY TO SAVE and he answers prayers, so i am not gonna give up.

tired

2009-08-14T10:03:00.005+10:00

sorry to whinge, but the past week was tough.

i am so weary and i have no rest. it's like this giant weight on my shoulders has suddenly appeared - but somehow i don't even know how to express it. i can hardly guess what others are feeling right now.

part of me just wants to give up... sit around... do nothing. my head is so clouded...

but i know that my Deliverer is on my side.

in the midst of all that it's exciting to see God at work. and i have faith that He can help everyone through every situation.

pray for miracles. people need Jesus.

Would you be free from the burden of sin? There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win? There’s wonderful power in the blood!

final tribute

2009-08-05T20:12:00.003+10:00

so barry told me that his secret is to use _________... thought i'd try and fix some photos i have lying around... like this one. finally got a full band photo! woo. much love - but i gotta stop reminiscing. gotta look forward!

RICE RALLY

2009-08-03T00:16:00.003+10:00

Rice Rally was unbelievably good. I miss RICE band already - it's amazing to worship with a great bunch of guys and girls who love God wholeheartedly.

i shall post up stuff later (thanks susie for pics).

for now, be encouraged that... 292 kids came instead of the 150 we expected... 17 committed to becoming a Christian (and not just an altar call), and countless seeds were planted. also it's awesome to hear stories of God at work... (read mike's account here) - for me, i sang something with a high G in it, which for my dodge vocal range is near impossible... it was a spur-of-the-moment, something-took-hold-of-me thing. i really don't know what happened. i am quite puzzled, but i am glad God decided to use a big bunch of imperfect, unworthy people like us to bring him glory...

band

2009-07-31T18:10:00.002+10:00

it has been a complete honour serving with these guys plus gav.

they have been so patient, devoted and hardworking...

tomorrow is RICE RALLY.

pray for us... and more importantly... the kids!

got rice?

2009-07-27T18:19:00.004+10:00

come worship God with us
and be examples to a big bunch of teens
RICE BRISBANE 2009
SDBC at 6pm this saturday!

pray that kids will find God
and love Him and live for Him
and that generations will follow in their footsteps...

yf camp

2009-07-16T08:59:00.003+10:00

through the years yf camps have changed my life in many ways... ;)

ok more seriously, this year's was epic. my whole view of "Christian hope" was blown away.

if you, like me, thought our hope was in helping God save souls... then... you're wrong...

pete ko gave a very convincing counterargument, and because he's top of the class at moore college (and a top bloke to boot) i will not argue with him.

(he's a great speaker)

technical stuff permitting, we'll put videos of the talks on the yf blog within the next few days. so you can go watch it and learn yourself!

it was also my first go as BSL (bible study leader) ... i actually really enjoyed it, even though i felt way out of my depth. i hope my group learnt stuff.

lastly, there was this hugely virulent cough that spread throughout camp and struck down at least 30% of us afterwards. i didn't even know i had a temperature of 39.3. anyone beat my score? there were also some really weird symptoms like... messed up sleep... you'd sleep and wake up every hour, totally parched, but the hour in between feels like 5 hours... and every hour has a different experience, ie one i'm shivering, the second i'm sweating like i'm in a sauna. i also had epic dreams during this time. they were so real and ... harrowing. some of them were really bad.

all i say is ... praise God for antibiotics. soon i'm off to help both ping and i recuperate ... in the only way we know how ... i must take advantage of the fact that ping is weakened by this sickness ... :)

today

2009-07-08T16:28:00.001+10:00

trying to tweet

2009-07-03T01:00:00.002+10:00

this whole rage about tweeting was intriguing me... so i decided to give it a try. the problem was, it made me feel like my dad in the sense that i had absolutely no idea what was going on! am i technologically out of date already? i need instructions now?!? NOOOOOOOOOOO

(lately i've been feeling my age... suddenly i've graduated from being a young-one at YF to being one of the oldies. what happened?! and why don't i understand the stuff coming out of their mouths?!)

don't worry, i'm not much hooked to twitter. seriously... compared to facebook... it stinks. the only good thing is that i can follow my favourite famous people... mostly Christian bands like starfield, third day, and the cathy nguyens and brooke frasers... :) i will definitely sit there and wait for updates to keep me entertained while i'm doing work...

(lastly... if you want to start using twitter... make sure you download tweetdeck, it makes it so much easier for noobs to understand)

musicell

2009-06-28T22:29:00.003+10:00

i realised today that i don't actually have a musicell photo... sigh. i also realise today that i really, really, miss (and cherish) those times. i don't know how to explain it - cept that it was so completely raw and honest... brutally so, times when distractions were cast aside and the sole focus was to worship God through music... together...

these words were spoken by Paul 2000 years ago... but today, there is nothing more that i could ask for from you guys...

"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel..." - Phillipians 1:27

found...

2009-06-22T09:52:00.001+10:00

woke up to this... too cute.

zodi is threatening to bite his head off though...

HDR

2009-06-18T00:35:00.000+10:00

i've been trying some HDR photography - seems that it really doesn't work unless you shoot at ISO 100. this is a quick one i did outside church tonight... i was planning on doing a few (to thank arex for letting me borrow his bus) but i heard footsteps in the darkness. church is pretty creepy at night since it's in an industrial area. i bailed pretty quick.

on other things, this... i'm sorry to say... is what my clutch and brake pedals looked like as of this morning. i have no idea how i could wreck a set of audi TT pedals. i'm sorrry.

but! my oettinger set is here! they're SO nicely made out of real metal that i want to display them and touch them - not trod all over them with my dirty shoes... best thing = massive savings, thanks to ebay!

day of the african child

2009-06-17T10:45:00.006+10:00

today is the day of the african child. but of course, poverty and injustice is rampant across the whole globe. compassion is the international children's ministry going in Jesus' name.i pray that you will consider sponsoring a child if you haven't done so already. if ur a student like me, grab some friends and do a joint sponsorship. for about the same price as an iPhone plan every month you can give a child a chance at life. how priceless as that!

in the last issue of compassion magazine there was a couple who sponsored 227 children. 227! sponsoring ONE child might seem small and insignificant in that context (or considering the 1000000 others that are sponsored through compassion)... but just look at it this way. if you share a sponsorship between a group of 4 it amounts to each of you giving up 3 or 4 cups of bubble tea every month. would you do that to give someone a chance at life?

these kids I printscreened off the compassion website - they are just a tiny portion of many who are waiting for sponsorship. every single one of them is waiting for someone to intervene and help them out of the poverty cycle. God has given us the means and the call to do it. i pray that you will step out in faith!

RICE goes LIVE...

2009-06-15T15:48:00.002+10:00

RICE is coming up pretty soon... 1.5 months to go! I can't say much apart from what's on facebook. The band's been working hard though... Pray that we'll do a good job of pointing people towards Christ!

pups

2009-06-12T11:06:00.001+10:00

lucia brought her puppies to gracie's house - i gave them my own names bahaha. they are so cute!

they are for sale... so hurry up and buy one...

who did this?

2009-06-09T14:50:00.003+10:00

who found a maple leaf and put it on my windscreen?!?!

RAGE 2

2009-06-04T00:12:00.003+10:00

i've been here since 9am... 15 hours straight in front of the computer.

the end is soo close...

oh my goodness!

2009-06-03T12:24:00.003+10:00

watch from 1:10

almost makes you want a WRX...

most intense driving skills ever

RAGE

2009-06-02T13:17:00.004+10:00

if you're thinking of getting a sonyericsson c905, avoid it like the plague...

i've driven to woop woop and back 4 times to get it fixed... and it's still screwed :|

no doubt it'll be another 4 weeks til it comes back from sydney!

hermit

2009-05-28T08:00:00.003+10:00

this architortured lifestyle is ridiculous. i wake up, stumble three steps across, sit at my desk all day then stumble across to my bed again.

the story goes that

a) unit coordinator doesn't like my core idea

b) i have to throw it out and start from scratch...

one week to go!

at least it's getting somewhere...

Wow!!!!!

2009-05-25T21:03:00.002+10:00

That's My King! from Albert Martin on Vimeo.

Linked from RICE Regenerate's website!

humbled

2009-05-24T21:49:00.006+10:00

this weekend was such an awesome recharge for me. in the midst of the most completely insane uni scheduling possible (3x 55%+ assignments due within 3 days of each other... this time next week...), it was so refreshing to take some time out to work on RICE. rice has gotta be the biggest youth movement in the asian church scene down under... it's great to catch the vision of RICE leaders from sydney and brissie, being inspired to work together for the glory of God.

i got smacked in the face with the realisation of just how much responsibility and how great an honour it is to "lead" music worship... and, at the same time, how much i need to humble myself so i can serve with the right heart and focus.

i do have a great team serving together with me... it's great having a bunch of guys and girls who love God, love music and are excited about the times that lie ahead.

honestly, working for the kingdom of God is SO endlessly more fulfilling than architecture. i shall finish my course and see what happens... :)

rice song ideas:

Rice

flood

2009-05-20T17:59:00.003+10:00

the rain in brisbane has been pretty crazy hasn't it? we hear of reports of flooding in ipswich, potential landslides at The Gap and stuff like that...

anyway, just as i started on my way to uni i experienced some localised flooding of my own. in wishart. inside my golf gti.

and i was wondering why the car smells so funny after the rain...

total water extracted = about 8 litres

these sponges are floating in my footwell :(

cars tokyo drift...

2009-05-18T09:55:00.000+10:00

i really should go watch the real movie...

dreams... pt 2

2009-05-17T14:50:00.002+10:00

So here are more drawings from my design. I don't know if I was taken seriously though, or whether they just think I'm a dreamer...

I realise though that architecture runs SO much deeper than normal people realise. So I still have hope that I can (and will) make a difference...

dreams...

2009-05-13T00:46:00.006+10:00

Upstairs... Yes... There is a moss garden in the middle of it :)

The aunties will be happy with that kitchen...

Isn't it cool when you dream of something, and then others catch your dream and it slowly begins to turn into reality... :)

Hopefully this will turn out well!

I do have some crazier ideas that I haven't put into the concept model yet...

a) community cafe - food outreach program - this is super labour/time intensive (my friend's church has 2 people working on it full time, plus volunteers) but has massive impact on the local community! especially in an area with a large proportion of immigrants, like ours. i designed the kitchen right next to a window which can be easily converted to be the cafe access!

b) cycle powered church - i kid you not... this will be awesome. firstly, get some gym junkies to use a small CCCB gym located in the current Chinese hall... this way our building will be occupied for most of the day, good for security and also giving us a chance to witness to the community! secondly, make them have spin classes where they can help offset our energy bill by cycling like crazy on bikes hooked up to a dynamo... it teaches them about sustainability, helps them get fit, saves us some energy bucks, helps us strive for creation care, and because we can entice them to make more power by giving them credits at our cafe - they get food. so everyone's happy! who would be keen to come to church early to get some exercise and free brekkie??

(plus, if recykle ever comes back, we'd be invincible.. hahah)

anyway... before i get carried away... our first step is to plant some maple or illawarra red flame trees so that they're ready to go when the building's finished... :)

i planted my first plant ever today to practice haha... it's some tulips in my garden... don't die on me!

weekend

2009-05-05T22:53:00.006+10:00

the busiest weekend of my entire life so far has just passed. just the first half of it...

first thing, abort73 tees are here!!! so pick it up asap from me :)

meanwhile, i've got rellies over! the Lam No.1s are visiting from singapore... i've taken the opportunity to take a mini-break. food pics are from sirromet winery :)

a 5.30am start for a "very legal" drive up mt tamborine with some TRIG men. sustainability goes down the toilet for a while... but nevertheless... totally worth it!

then factor in a wedding, YF, church, my brother's engagement party, a day of hardcore skirmish, josh's 21st, thonglao... man i wish every weekend was so packed.

highlights of second half: getting to pay out arex in front of everyone, watching wells get pummelled, giving chis a new nipple, losing soccer AGAIN and eating humble pie...

haunted...

2009-04-28T17:40:00.003+10:00

no, not really. but an old abandoned house in the middle of the bush, late at night, is always creepy.

it took me forever to get this shot...

anyways... just reminiscing about good times... and glad that everyone are running strong.

keep striving all!

container village update

2009-04-27T11:44:00.004+10:00

this is t3 - made from 2x 40ft containers, so big enough for a small family...

and this is the village... can't wait to finish it

ps. matt you're a doctor - you can't live in a container. but i will make you a house, with a worship room.

best 70 minutes you'll ever spend...

2009-04-26T21:52:00.003+10:00

Mikey's right. This ain't no ordinary BGR talk. Mark Driscoll gets very, very, very mad.

This video smashed us into a pulp. Highly recommended.

Brothers... if you THINK you are a man, you have to watch this... and realise how inadequate/crap we are.

Sisters... please, please, please, please watch this and make sure you wait for a real man, not some silly boy.

Best 70 minutes you'll ever spend. Start at 7min mark and watch right til the end!

making containers work...

2009-04-22T12:25:00.000+10:00

container project is coming along nicely. i shall show you finished product when i'm done. just assembling different typologies so far for different purposes within the same block.. here they are.

t2: short term stay

n1: natural retreat

t1: emergency overnight accom

ok! let me introduce T1 - my first draft of trying to fit two people into a 20ft high cube container. there's a fold-out bed plus a cool coffee table/storage/wardrobe/seat thinggo on rails, so you can slide and position it differently during the day when the bed is folded into the wall. i'm really starting to question why we as modern humans need so much built space - seems like a huge waste to me. this box is less than half the size of what they told us to design...

T1 is a single module designed for short term emergency stays, hence no kitchen/tv... i've gotta do different types that are bigger and have different purposes, then fit it all into an apartment block! advantage is that everything can be made off-site... the apartment body corp can plug/unplug depending on needs :)

* * * * *

on other news, thonglao got our first win tonight... wooooo!!

for (wo)man of the match, i vote for friz. she was fully clattered by some dude, then got up and didn't complain at all... then awesome defending work - at least twice saved us from one-on-one situations. plus yellow card for slide tackling after captain ping told her not to do it... nice
(pingu's 3 goals is 2 less than what we expect from him.. not good enough pingalingadingding...)

now let's think of how we can use it as a ministry opportunity... :)

me and gracie's kid...

2009-04-21T16:21:00.001+10:00

his name is yehezkiel! pray for him.

blank canvas

2009-04-16T00:55:00.002+10:00

if you had a blank canvas, what would you do??

easterfest

2009-04-12T23:43:00.003+10:00

man we had a great time at easterfest in toowoomba - australia's biggest christian music festival.

the music bit was great. personal highlights: audio adrenaline, paul colman trio and naturally 7. also great was sons of korah...

the company was awesome!! i love them so much.

the best thing though was having the opportunity to serve at the abort73.com stall. in hindsight, i wish we were better prepared for the hard questions that came our way, because standing up for something as politically incorrect and controversial as this was bound to fire some people up. but yeah... we were there to stand for the Truth - not to make people feel good about themselves. so i rejoice in the fact that we were able to impact many people, and that the message will be carried across on the many shirts that we sold.

(we'll be organising a mass order of tshirts soon - there's a lot of surplus stock - so stay tuned)

praise God. He is amazing.

PEBBLES

2009-04-10T00:01:00.003+10:00

finally! pebbles is out!
sorry if it takes a long time to load...
please read about it and think about it :)

http://www.scribd.com/doc/14061408/Pebbles-WEB-212408

money

2009-04-08T21:24:00.003+10:00

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. - 1Tim 6:17-19

i took off my last post because i realise i make no sense. i keep blogging about cars and design stuff, while on the other hand i'm meant to be past all this materialistic stuff. so... gotta keep my eyes focussed on what's eternal. and gotta try not use k.rudd's handout to invest in some new, black rims.. hahah :D
(but... bigger wheels = more rubber = safety. plus, maybe it'll help me minister to other car-crazy people... hmm...)

on other things - man i love brooke fraser

cs lewis song - brooke fraser

If I find in myself
Desires nothing in this world can satisfy
I can only conclude
That I, I was not made for here

If the flesh that I fight
Is at best only light and momentary
Then of course, I'll feel nude
When to where I'm destined I'm compared

[Chorus]
Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the mornin'
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me

Am I lost or just less found
On the straight or on the roundabout of the wrong way
Is this a soul that stirs in me
Is it breaking free, wanting to come alive

'Cos my comfort would prefer for me to be numb
And avoid the impending birth of who I was born to become

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the mornin'
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me

For we
We are not long here
Our time is but a breath
So we better breathe it
And I
I was made to live
I was made to love
I was made to know you

Hope
Is comin' for me
Hope
Is comin' for me
Hope
Is comin' for me
Hope
He's comin'

Speak to me in the light of the dawn
Mercy comes with the mornin', mornin'
I will sigh and with all creation groan
As I wait for hope to come for me, for me, for me, for me...

refreshed

2009-04-06T11:05:00.001+10:00

what a weekend it was!

i woke up this morning feeling so incredibly refreshed. i played music at 2 churches 3 times on the weekend (friday night, saturday night, sunday)... went to 2 youth groups... spent 1 day at work... i should be kinda burnt right?

but i feel great - especially after sleeping in this morning. if you are tired and energyless - i definitely suggest giving that a try :) plus, it proves that.. if you are doing what you love doing while you serve... it doesn't burn you out at all!!

music is awesome, especially when the band is creative, enjoys what they're doing, and works together for the glory of God. i wish it was like that all the time... :|

(not criticising yf musos - you guys rock - i pray that you will always love and enjoy serving God thru music ministry. i care about that so much more than the sound... that will come from our joy)

thank you Jesus for sustaining me... and for awesome friends who support me, even when i'm raging!!!