Sunday, July 25, 2004
yo peeps! i've just been to the most funky church ever! city harvest church! :) it was truly a memorable experience.. though i am not converted yet.. let me start with the whole story.. woke up super early today.. was supposed to meet alina and then go to boon lay MRT to meet meiqi and the rest.. but her mum suddenly "went crazy and insisted that she stayed home" (quoting al).. was deciding whether to go or not.. but still went in the end cos i felt i shouldn't betray meiqi.. she needed people for her netball team.. well.. so in the end, i went to the mrt station.. met mq, carissa, daphane, and doreen.. dun really know them that well.. but at the end of the day, we became better friends..
City Harvest is really really rich.. they chartered buses to ferry people from all the MRT stations to the church.. like 80+ buses were chartered.. gosh.. i'm really surprised.. so we took the chartered bus and arrived at the church.. well.. the church is really a magnificent building.. doesn't look like a church, more like some.. er.. company building or recreational building.. all the decorations, shops, fountains etc.. its unbelievable.. according to the pastor, this titanium building cost 8 million bucks to construct.. what a hefty sum.. the building had 9 levels.. B4 all the way to level 5.. its really amazing.. the whole place was fully conditioned.. had book shops, cafes.. roof top garden, some pools.. and at B4.. what i saw really astounded me.. it was this super super cool audi.. comparable to UCC la.. (just that it doesn not have 2 levels).. the place was overflowing with people.. it was supposedly weekend connection, and the people were supposed to bring their friends along.. its really cool.. the audi is super hi tech.. there's screen that projects the things happening on stage.. like during a concert that kind.. throughout the whole time.. i felt as though i was attending the live telecast of a rock concert.. its such a different experience from the time when i went to john chia's church.. here, the people worship their god differently.. they sing pop songs.. they throw their hands in the air and jump about.. on the stage, there were drums, choir people dressed funkily, electric guitars.. and they say their prayers through playing rock religious songs.. sang quite a few songs.. i din join in cos it'd be too fake.. its really a whole new experience.. i really see people so into their religion.. could feel the sincerity in their worship of Jesus from the way they really immerse themselves in singing the songs of praise.. how they jump about in the "joy of knowing Jesus was there", lift their hands up to feel god.. its really a breathtaking experience.. i've never seen people who are so passionate about their religion.. except perhaps the terrorists.. haha.. its really amazing.. and the singers were amazing too.. their voices were so great.. i wouldnd't be surprised if they are like.. rock stars man..
after quite a long while, we got to sit down.. and the pastors spoke to us.. welcomed us there.. but what i really wan to share with everyone is what pastor kang said about dreams.. he's a really eloquent speaker.. really good.. veh impressed.. he said.. dreams.. spelt D-R-E-A-M..
d= desire
r= research
e= enterprise
a= association
m= mastery
d: Desire
Know what you desire.. Know what are the things you want out of your life.. things that you are passionate about and really want to do.
r: Research
Find out the ways you can achieve what you desire and what you have to do in order to reach ur dreams. Also research if your dream is a realistic one. Do not dream unrealistic dreams. (like wanting to give birth when you are a man) Also, find out if your dreams are worth your sacrifices.
e: Enterprise
The resilience and courage to look fear in the eye and the determination to hang in there despite difficulties. Courage is not the absence of fear, but confronting fear face to face and not giving up. Dare to take the road less taken. Do the right thing, not the popular thing.
a: Association
Hang around other dreamers. Don't hang around the wrong company, people who have no dreams and who destroy and dampen your dreams. Mix around with people who can help you achieve your dreams, not those who stand in your way of achieving what you desire.
m: Mastery
To dream about something but not putting in concrete efforts and actions would eventually amount to nothing. Everything requires skills. If you want to succeed, you have got to be willing to put in the time and effort to perfect your skills. Practise and you shall master.
He added on that many successful people have dreams.. but they do not have god.. so what's the difference between having god and not having god.. he said that when one's dreams are god given dreams, then, fulfilling these dreams will not only make you and your family happy, but also benefit the community.. (i understand what he is trying to say.. but well.. i found it quite hard to accept.. its true.. but still.. is it true?)
all in all, it was such an inspiring speech.. all the things he said about dreams are so true.. perhaps bits and pieces of these exist in my cluttered brain, but it really takes an intelligent mind to summarize and piece all these little pieces together.. And i thought to myself.. i desire to be a doctor.. but i don't have the enterprise.. i think about the hardship.. the long hours of studying.. the deprived life.. and i dun think i can make it.. and after my preliminary research.. i have decided that this dream is not worth all my sacrifices.. i wanna be a great mother.. i wanna have a more fun life.. though i want to help people, giving up the fun factor is too much for me.. there are other ways i can choose to help people.. but i dunno in what ways. Medicine is the popular thing.. but in the end, i know there is a high chance of me ending up miserable and regretting the choice i made.
besides talking about dreams, the pastor also talked about other things.. around the end of the sermon.. he asked those who wished to be prayed upon to proceed forward.. the whole grp of us did.. i found what he said to be quite touching.. like.. i can't remember much.. i only know its about praying for us, letting god find his way into our hearts, helping us find our dreams and direction in life.. i was desperate.. i told myself.. just give it a try.. perhaps god might really enlighten me and help me find my way in life.. as i proceed down the stairs to the front.. i felt this sudden urge to cry.. i dunno why.. it just seems like after the pastor had made such an inspiring speech, i have still yet to find my own direction in life.. and i'm desperate for an answer.. i went down.. the pastor led us in this mega prayer.. we repeated after him.. i sincerely said everything he said.. hoping that some miracle will happen and i will suddenly get enlightened.. but i guess this kinda things can't be helped.. meiqi daph and doreen held me and carissa (we were the only 2 non church goers) bowed their heads and prayed for us in their tongues.. (tongues as in.. some language that they speak to god in.. and the devil will not understand.. mq said its just.. suddenly you know how to speak it.. and before that.. you seriously have no knowledge of what that language is all about.. you get cos you got prayed upon by others, or just suddenly.. u get it.. i'm veh fascinated.. its really.. so 'holy'..).. this counsellor also held both of us with the rest and prayed for us.. i really find their sincerity so overwhelming.. and i really admire their strong belief in Jesus their savior.. too bad i can't understand that.. or else, the church trip would have been a much more fruitful experience..
the sermon ended.. we went to the rooftop garden..got introduced to a lot of people.. ate free orange julius hotdogs and walls ice cream.. they are really super super super rich can.. there was so so so much free food lo.. blahz. stoned our time away at KFC till the bus took us to NUS... were at NUS to take part in their netball outreach.. played 5 games i think.. this girl brought her whole Singapore Sports School Netball team there la.. we were like.. what the hell.. they go there for what.. sure win one wad.. bleahz.. lost to them.. and another grp... and we emerged 3rd.. we also played a friendly with the guys team.. not professional guys team.. but the church's guys team.. its quite fun.. haha.. we won them! woah!! super cool lo! shot in some beautiful shots.. so did carissa.. i was GS while she was GA.. she had more mo qi with daph.. :) played in the hot sun from 2-5 and now.. i'm emitting infra red rad even as i am sitting down.. i'm burnt at my shoulders.. and my cheeks hurt.. looks like i applied blush though.. haha..
really made a few new friends today.. like leila, sophie, carissa and some others.. got to know my existing friends a lil better too.. and i really admire doreen's character.. she is charismatic.. and she is really mature and nice.. she is really.. *mei hua shuo!* :)
just wanna thank meiqi for giving me this chance to add more experiences to my life.. and thank god that i made the right choice today..
