Happy Chinese New Year! :D

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!!! :DD Ordered Yusheng from Sakae Sushi...cute package isn't it?:D
Steps to "lao" yusheng: #1: Open the box! :P

[This is the base for the yusheng as being put nicely in this manner.]

#2: Pour the ingredients.

[As you pour the other ingredients, you are supposed to say good wishes like “年年有余”， “财源广进” accordingly.]#3: Get your chopsticks ready and mix it!

[While you mix the ingredients, you are to pick a small portion and drop it back to the dish from the highest point you can reach. The higher it is, the higher level of good luck you will receive in the coming year. :)]
From left to right: Weiting, Qiaoling, Bingz, Peiying, Me and Janice. :)From right to left: Alvin, Joe, Weiming, Terry, Zhiwei, Vincent and Tze Shuuan.
Another surprise CNY goodies from church...I LOVE THE BAK KWA!!! :DD

Pastor Derek preached about dealing with the attitudes that may destroy our relationships in our daily life. There are 4 major emotions that kills a relationship: 1) Selfishness; 2) Pride; 3) Insecurities; and 4) Resentment.

Even in the bible it mentions in Proverbs 28:25 that "selfishness only causes trouble" when all we think of is ourselves. It is our nature to be selfish as we would often thought of what to wear to look nice on us, what is good to eat for our appetite etc. And the anitdote to cure our selfishness is to be selflessness. Being selflessness, we learn to think less of our own desires and be more concerned for others. It will bring out the best in the relationship as they will know you are truly concerned for them. And as you listen to the others more, you will be influence to change for the better, and at the same time, the other party will start to change because of you too.

While pride will lead to more arguments, pride is very self-deceiving as you will never notice it and only others will see that in you. We will have a tendency to compare people down. Pride will also make us a very stubborn person and very often we will find excuses to defend ourselves even when we have in deed done wrongs. And so, we need more humility so that we will not be proud. Yet, it can be pretty difficult to being humble as every one of us has pride in ourselves. Humility only increase when we are being more closer to a humble person, a person like Jesus. We will only learn to be more humble by spending more time in His words, with other christians etc.

As I shared with Zhiwei yesterday night while we walked back to hall, I realise the major issue that I have is probably insecurities. The fear of others' opinions have stopped us to move out of our boundary. Insecurities will make us fear of exposures and cause us to hide. We fear of rejections and hence we choose to keep quiet to avoid misunderstandings. I guess I am more afraid of rejections from time to time that it stopped me to speak out what is in my heart. And the anitdote suggested by pastor is love. Love will make us being willing to take the risk and try. Love will take us to put the focus off ourselves and concentrate on the needs and to understand what the other person is saying better. Love will make us complete and not feeling of any gaps in our life as much.

The last attitude that destroyed relationships is resentment. We are animals and like the usual reaction you get from an animal that is hurt is to bite back. That's what my hamster did most of the time too. Having resentment in our hearts will pile up anger. We can only let go of this anger by forgiving others. Doesn't each of us will desire forgiveness from someone we have offended? If we don't forgive, how would we expect people to forgive us? Forgiveness is not justifying ourselves. It is a joy that we do for others. I like the definition mentioned by pastor for the word "forgiveness":

"It is letting go of the pain and letting go of the right to get even with others."

These are all something that we need to deal with everyday in our lives as I believe every one of us certainly have gone through these emotions in our lives. It is a really great way to start a new year like this. As we visit our relatives and friends, there may be people we haven't talked to because of certain resentment in the past. Definitely after this service, it is time to make a change... :)

Went back hall early yesterday night to "lao" yusheng with my hall friends. It is really fun and happy. The feeling is very home-like and cozy. We are certainly like a big family living under the same roof for the past 3 years. Love you guys so so much!!! :D

Anyway, I will be leaving for HK in a few more hours...YEAH!!! :D Won't be blogging as much till I got back here unless I find an internet connection to do so...hahaha...lol So in the meantime, have fun guys and wish everyone a very very HAPPY CNY!!! *hugz* ;D

"Away in HK/Macau/China from 16 Feb to 1 Mar...stay tuned! :P"