Grace in simple term is just something given to you that you don’t deserve. Especially in terms of when you’re supposed to be punished but it was given to you as relief of that punishment. But whats even more amazing about God’s grace is that He doesn’t only take away the punishment but blesses you and assures you of His love.
Today that word brought about again a deeper meaning. To know that a terrible man like me deserved to be loved by a God that has so much grace. I do not deserve it but He has lavished blessings upon blessings upon my life.
I woke up with much anticipation as I would be handed keys to this:
It has been bestowed upon me the rights to use this bike. Thinking back. Just slightly over three months and I have been blessed with amazing things again and again. Now I’m speechless. Just awed by the grace shown to me.
What do you think? I never thought I’d be riding a purple colored bike haha. Still it is just amazing. Now bikerz adventures will resume hahaha on my Daelim motorcycle, which has been loaned unto me indefinately.
Some of you would be really glad to know that this bike can’t go fast at all. Haha. So I’ll be cruising my way across the island. Still its good to have the wind in my face again….I better wash it more if not pimples will be a problem hahaha.
I must say it is a good bike and will certainly help me cut tonnes of time travelling and fuel costs too. Still all that fills my head is just the word GRACE. Thank you all for loving me so much too. Am I a blessed man or what? What should I name her?
Dream on Leon. A bike with a ferrari enzo engine, fighter jet controls on the handles and buttons from a formula 1 car. I think I die already also cannot afford leh ahaha
Still someone has agreed to loan me his bike. I’m so glad. I hope this works out soon.
There are moments in life that changes our lives forever. Such is when there are the happiest moment and also the saddest moments of our lives. I heard this album when it came out early because as usual it was none other then the renowned Steven Curtis Chapman. After so many years in the Christian Music industry and winning loads of awards, selling millions of albums and tonnes of achievements when it comes to music, you can expect nothing less than an excellent album from him. His specialty is pop music and of course he has his own style. Very guitar based pop sometimes rock like styles. Plenty of amazing acoustic sounding stuff plus a blend of amazing up tempo fast songs and just heart melting ballads.
I must say this in bold. I have never ever been disappointed in buying an album by Steven Curtis Chapman. Never! That speaks a lot of his talent and growth in music. What I admire more is the spiritual growth you can see through each album.
This would not be my favorite album by him because in my heart the album Speechless by him is probably one of the best albums in the world. It is so well done that I think it set a bar soooo high that is quite hard to ever achieve such things all the time.
Still this album is the most moving album in my life. If you don’t know the story behind this album, let me be honored enough to share it with you through my own words. When I heard this album, one song stuck out like magic. I was literally dancing the first time I heard it. It was a magical song. I was literally living my dream as a father at that very moment. It was so powerful. It was a song speaking of how we should spend each moment with our loved ones (in particular his daughter hence the title Cinderella) because we never know when the clock will strike midnight and they’ll be gone. I am sooooooooo emotional as I type this.
Then it happened….the clock struck and she was gone….Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter was killed in an accident not too long after this album was out. The song immediately found a greater sense of meaning for both his family and for families around the world. Hence the change of the albums name from This Moment to Cinderella (special edition). It was so moving. Not only because of the story but because of the message itself that came out from a beautifully written and produced song.
That overshadowed the rest of the album which in my opinion was superb in itself. Many other wonderful songs are contained in this album. The special edition comes with some extra bonuses like acoustic versions of the Cinderella song. But it don’t matter, I was in love with the album before that. I’m more in love with it now. Come to think about it, I think I realize that even the post before this was about Lea Salonga in Cinderella. I think this is no coincidence.
To help you understand why I say so, I have decided to stream the song for you. Please click and pause until it loads completely….then sit down, relax, put on good headphones, earphones, or speakers. Make sure you don’t get distracted for just 5 mins. Click on the play button again and close your eyes. After hearing it, you can comment whether I’m mistaken to give this album a full rating.
Album : 10/10
Cinderella - Steven Curtis Chapman
She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I’m sittin’ here wearin’ the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It’s been a long day and there’s still work to do,
She’s pulling at me saying “Dad I need you!
There’s a ball at the castle and I’ve been invited and I need to practice my dancin’”
“Oh please, daddy, please!”
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
She says he’s a nice guy and I’d be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says “Dad, the prom is just one week away,
And I need to practice my dancin’”
“Oh please, daddy, please!”
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
She will be gone.
Well, she came home today
With a ring on her hand
Just glowin’ and tellin’ us all they had planned
She says “Dad, the wedding’s still six months away
but I need to practice my dancin’”
“Oh please, daddy please!”
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song,
(even one song)
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
Here’s how it goes….I received an sms from a friend telling me wonderful news! Lea Salonga is coming to town for a musical! My heart beat raised 10 notches up it’s normal BPM. I have to go. I have to!
For those who don’t know, I have blogged that she is my favoritest singer of all time. But the price, well, I’ll pay anything. Still it was wiser to just calm down before I made a decision. So I thought about it then this thought popped in my head. How am I supposed to be going alone? My heart beats another 10 notches faster. That would be no fun at all. But I don’t know who to ask out. This has to be a very special night for me. A momentous occasion. And I want to go out with someone special.
So I decided by faith to do this. I bought two tickets! The concert is in January and I hope to go with someone special on that day! The tickets are costly but I certainly want to make this a night I will never forget. Heart is beating out of control!!!
The date and time has been confirmed. 11 January 2009 . 8pm . Partner…..is non-existent at the moment. Pray with me. I really want to just have a moment where time stands still. I can’t believe I am actually doing such a thing. Who knows it could just be a night with a very good friend or maybe even a day where Leon works up the guts to ask perhaps a beautiful young lady for a date. Who knows? I certainly don’t.
It is not these tickets but I just had to put a pic for me to visualize it.
Maybe it is like I said about me being a ‘hopeless romantic’ meaning just hoping for my happily ever after once more. Maybe I will just end up watching it alone. I also wonder if people would actually appreciate that night with me. Oh no, I’m starting to doubt. I don’t know what got over me that I was just so so so like on another planet and now I have two tickets. What should I do?
Here I was thinking…..what in the world should I do on my off day, when someone asked me out for a movie. Wait! Hold back those reactions. It’s a guy. Wait!!!!! Hold back those reactions….we are both straight and he has a girlfriend. Hahahahhaaha
Oh well our target was to just see one movie. That was the plan. Then everything changed. When two people have apparently nothing to do….this is what happens.
*Phone rings*. Leon: Hello (manly sound), so how what do you think? 1030am the movie starts.
Anonymous (to protect the identity so that you all won’t harass him) : Ok la. How we going to get there?
The view from the rooftop garden that we were going to makan at
I’m fascinated by lights so much. Fireworks and anything that glows just make me feel happy. I don’t know how to describe the feeling I have but it just sparks a warm glow deep inside me.
So I was asked by a friend to come for a little fellowship with the choir members celebrating the mid-autumn festival. What I didn’t expect was to be holding a long lost favorite toy of mine. Lanterns. Oh how they bring back memories. I remember walking around proudly with that little lantern around the neighborhood.
Nice? I trying to take blur (I don’t know whats the term) images
Fellowship so sweet
Now it felt odd like I was that little kid again but you know what? I liked it. Hahaha. The lights were just so nice. Of course the fellowship was nice too as I got to know some of the people so much better. Initially I was hesitant but because this friend means so much to me here and also for her effort to really be such a good friend, I obliged at first but was happy I went.
Cute Lanterns
Nemo
I said something last night that was stupid which I don’t even know why it came out that way and I’m so sorry to that person. Thank God she was gracious to the silly me. I miss my friends back home so so much. I am grateful for the friends that have accepted me here too. I pray that our friendships will always reflect God’s glory.
I guess this is how I learnt to buy a guitar and also a little knowledge of why I bought Taylor guitar which Mike thinks makes no difference from a RM60 guitar. Now if you all remember me saying, I never had my own guitar prior to this. Therefore before this, my knowledge of guitars were relatively limited. Even now I don’t claim to be an expert but I definitely know how to choose a good guitar and tell what is a good guitar now.
This post will hopefully help most of you get the basics of choosing an acoustic guitar. Come to think of it. Should I teach you all how to choose other instruments? Please vote on this too ok?
The back of my baby
Why I am doing this is because I realize there are hardly people patient enough or even made the effort to teach me all these things. I don’t see simple articles that help. Also many articles make me feel stupid rather than help me know that everyone has the right to own an instrument that is worth their money. Some even sound like they look down on our knowledge and make us feel small. A lot of what I learnt is from oral tradition and of course experience. I do not hold to the thought that this guide is perfect. But I hope to help some to just start off into the big huge world of music easier. I also believe that everyone can play music someway or another if we only help them patiently. So I hope this post will help ignite an interest to learn music too for some. Read the rest of this entry »
After you watch this, please dear readers, know that you can be so much more than you can be. I have one of his albums. All I can say is that if not for God’s mercy where would we be. This is also dedicated to a special friend. You are a miracle. You can make it through
I have finally done Chapter 2 of about me. So head over and read all the boring stuff about who I am. Haha. Actually I just followed the previous format due to lack of creative ideas. I initially wanted to do more.
Oh well maybe tell me what you all want to know about me more and I will add it in?
Hi, I apologise for the lack of reviews recently. There are two reasons:
Reason one. I have been recently just been trying to focus my creative juices to arrange and rearrange songs and write a song. I have a deadline. Problem is I get so confused and unable to think if I am focused on other material other than my own work. I promise you, when I get the chance to listen I will. I just want to be listening and not just hearing.
Reason two. I noticed that my album review posts are the least popular. Comments are low and visits are rare. I’m guessing it has to be the nature of the review being hard to comment about. At the same time i don’t know if it has actually benefitted anyone. Has it? I can’t even be sure. I guess I am focused on doing things that are purposeful because time is getting more and more hard to find.
Overall, I miss hearing good albums. Some people may even be doubting the objectivity and whether my reviews are serious or not. All I can say often times in these matters it is a matter of perspective. But my opinions are sincere.
I also write for the benefit of those who don’t know what albums to buy seeing the vast amounts of choices and the lack of financial health to just buy. Cd’s in Malaysia and here are expensive I have to admit. But I don’t believe that if we can afford it that we should be downloading it or copying it. In a way it is my attempt to also encourage you all to buy and hear good music.
Enough said. I have been lacking in posts only because I have to be with my parents while they are here. It has been great having them here. I just wish i had more time to spend with them. I feel awfully weak also, like I’m falling sick….yet I don’t know. I will swim now to get rid of this massive blues. see ya!
Have you ever wanted to be famous? Be recognized for your gifts? I have. It was quite recent that I had a spell where I felt like I was nobody and that my life and gifts were just so unappreciated. In fact I feel like I have no gifts at all. Don’t ask me why I felt that way but I certainly did. Personally I have been finding it hard to take it in because there are a huge amount of people looking down on others. I just don’t get why artists are so arrogant.
Oh well my dreams of being a superstar is often thwarted by the fact I just want the recognition without the fame and fortune. Maybe I will have to die like our dear Vincent. One day a song may be written about me that is as beautiful as ‘Starry, Starry Night’.
Oh well today, I finally get the feeling of what a green screen video shoot feels like. Very interesting. In the pic you see my boss working on his script. Behind is the green screen so we can add visual effects perhaps? Make it Star Wars like hahaha. No la just joking.
I just had three lines to say. But again a problem arose. I am supposed to smile and talk. I did but smiling made my eyes too small. Sigh……looks like I am not photogenic. That means stardom is far from what I can achieve. I’m probably one that will die and nobody will remember my face. Hahaha. As long as I am remembered then I guess it’s ok.
Still I know I’m no superstar nor am I meant to be one. I just hope that I can live with my ego bruised and pray that God will take pride in this broken vessel.
At long last, today, I got to sink myself in the vast coolness of a bluish chlorine filled pool. Ok ok that didn’t sound exciting….hahaha but it surely was exciting. So much so I was so eager to rush out of the house that I forgot my towel the first time. Then I forgot my keys the second time. Hahha.
Boy was I shivering when I got in but I just put on my Arena goggles, kicked started my engine and went into it at full speed to warm myself. Oh it was just amazing! Just so relaxing. I’m going to do it again definitely tomorrow. Anyone care to join me? Hahaha.
That being said, its a nice pool. It even has small waterfalls and a slide. I wonder if I can fit in it…..hmmm. Went to try to go up to the gym but I couldn’t go up I’m not sure why. Plus I found that there was a snooker table there too. Nice. If only I could find a partner to play with.
Perhaps if I keep this up, I can lose the weight I gained from my sad sad past. Hahaha. I just feel like singing ‘just keep swimming, just keep swimming’ but I don’t remember where I heard it from. Does anyone of you remember?
We were at camp and people were asking me whats the difference between an Emu and an Ostrich? Well this is an Emu!! That’s the look people give me when they hear what I do. hahaha
I’ve had this question thrown at me a million times. What do you actually do? Hahaha. It is a hard question to answer. Somehow when I explain what my job is, people think I don’t have much to do. It is puzzling why whenever anything is associated with the arts people cannot quantify it as work. I mean what is so hard to understand? I do work…..I don’t sit around and shake my leg and get paid. Haha.
In my line of work it is just not something people can relate to. Deadlines and schedules and paperwork is something everyone can relate to but what in the world does Leon actually do??! This post is an attempt to justify that I am working very very hard! Hahahahaha Read the rest of this entry »
I have just came back from a wonderful break from all the stress of trying to be who I ought to be and just had a few days where I could be who I am inside. I let my hair down. Got some chopped off. Rode my beloved bike. And heard my God-daughter call me with her cute little voice ‘Kai Yeh’ which means God-father in Cantonese. It is just soooooo moving.
I have come back very happy but groggy due to the terrible journey. I mean its not that terrible la but I hate traveling. Makes me so sick. But given the recent whole lot of activities and work in my life, it has taken a tow toll on my blogging. I have not been able to write because I never could live with my blog kinda badly done. I always want to give my best.
At the moment I am gathering all the pictures to show you what has happened to me over the past few days. It’s like so memorable to me. I have to write about it.
Oh well this was written to tell you all….. Prepare….I am going to flood you all with posts muahaha. I hope I can find time though hahaha. Also I really hope to receive a flood of comments too. I miss my readers opinions so much.
I’m still recovering from the ordeals of my bike adventure of a total of maybe 500km throughout the entire holiday. And massive adrenaline rush that makes me feel happy but more like a junkie now without those excitements anymore. Hahaha no la tomorrow I will attempt to go for a swim. Pretty exciting already. Still I think that plan will fail again.
Till tomorrow then. I’m a happy man just to happy.
What should I name her?
