Phew... 40:07.96


Achieved another personal best this morning. I actually wanted to go below 40 but I am already pushing like nobody's business! Thank God for the last minute surge of strength!

Can't blog much as I need to go pack up my stuffs liao... flying back to Kuching tonight, WITH MY DARLING! Woooooohoooooooo.........

An early Happy Valentine's Day, especially to Francis & Geri, Jack & Steph, Luke & Jen, Jono & Lyd, Garfield & my sis, Chun Yen & Melissa, James & Qiu Yun, my office colleagues - Angel, Rachel, Ying Zee, Sin Swen, Sharon, Carrie, Yoon, Regine (sorry, I dunno your bf's names), hmmm... did I left out any marriageable couples? Sorry if I did... And this wish goes out to all the married couples too, and all the singles out there!

See you all again in a week! Adiós!

"If my heart would beat for every second that I love you, I'd be immortal."

The Prayer of Jabez!

Hi Friends! Enjoying your Chinese New Year so far? I'll bet... with all the good food, fun and MONEY! LOL

Well, well... I have so many updates, but I shall start with the trivial ones first...

I ran my fastest ever 10 rounds (personal best) on 7th Feb - 25:33.72, almost 10 secs faster than my previous PB of 25:43.53! Yay!!! I'm back! So many things happened since the time I had a lot of fast times... injury (the left heel), and a couple of long lapses due to lack of discipline... But surely, this time, I am back on track... Now looking forward to breaking these few PBs:

10th Feb - 15 rounds - 40:14.10

14th Feb - 5K - 33:03.73

17th Feb - 10K (SJ RUN) - 69:07.34

22nd Feb - 2-mile - 17:45.63

Next update...

Have you ever eaten a FORTUNE COOKIE? I never did... until like last week, I "happened" to see a box of it lying on the "common" table where shared food is normally placed in my office. So innocently, I took one cookie without much thought...

After I unwrapped it, I could see that it was a weird-shaped cookie, hollow in the middle... As I took one bite into it... I was like... WHAT THE? I tasted something hard, like paper. When realization dawned upon me, I was like... DUH... FORTUNE COOKIES are supposed to contain some message on a piece of paper inside... LOL... Damn jakun-nyer aku...

Ok... so I excitedly took out that piece of paper... and lo and behold... a message that hit right on the spot...

What a nice reminder... heh heh heh... I shall not speculate when I am getting married, because it will be next year, for sure... Thanks for the reminder Lord! (I shall not reveal what my darling thought I said, when I read to her the Chinese version... LOL... only between me and her... but I think it applies too!)

AHHHHHH! The most important update of ALL...

I just finished reading The Prayer of Jabez by Dr Bruce Wilkinson in less than 2 hours... and MAN... it spoke DEEPLY and DIRECTLY to me. So powerful and convincing that I had multiple paradigm shifts!

I wished I had read it earlier, cos it's really something every Christian need to read... even for those back-slidden ones like me...

Only God knows how far away I had fallen... but thank God that He never gave up on me... His grace keeps reaching out to me...

When I first started reading the book, I didn't expect much... I was like... "Oh well, just another self-improvement book"... But as I read on, and on, and on... the facts presented startled me! My God! Real life miracles!

I'm sure most of you have heard of Jabez, whose name in Hebrew means pain. Why did God, among a long list of names in Chronicles, had a special mention of this guy (description). I mean, the rest of the other guys only had their name listed, without any description, but Jabez was the special one... and WHY? God said in 1 Chronicles 4:9 that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. How did a guy, given a terrible name, mocked and abused throughout life became someone God calls "more honorable" than everyone else during his time?

There was something special about his prayer!

Jabez prayed:

"Oh, that You would bless me indeed,

and enlarge my territory,

that Your hand would be with me ,

and that You would keep me from evil,

that I may not cause pain."

Most people, even mature Christians would not see anything special about that one-sentence prayer, but God through Dr Wilkinson revealed many truths and amazing messages about how a simple prayer like that caused such a powerful transformation in Jabez's life. It transformed my thinking too!

A few key points that spoke to me:

1. Make it a point to ask God to bless you daily (and bless you A LOT)!

Many Christian believe God to be some kind of auto-blesser kind of thingy... at a pre-determined rate... whether you asked for it or not... LOL Don't worry... I am a culprit too...

"Ask," promised Jesus, "and it will be given to you" (Mat 7:7). "You do not have because you do not ask" (James 4:2). If you didn't ask God for a blessing yesterday, you didn't get all that you were supposed to have. That's the catch. You forfeit your blessings when you didn't ask. Is that why many Christian are not living the ABUNDANT life promised by Jesus (John 10:10)?

This part struck me hard... and from today onwards, I'm going to start a prayer journal. And I'm going to ASK GOD TO BLESS ME EVERY DAY! I don't want to miss out His blessings (daily)!!!

2. "... enlarge my territory..." was something very scary for me...

I mean, I always knew, and my leaders knew, that God had a great plan for me... I was destined to do great and mighty things for Him... but the mere thought of that scares me... I mean... I don't think I am ready to step into any BIG things for God, now... sigh...

But Dr Wilkinson's sharing inspired me...

"Let me encourage you, friend, to reach boldly for the miracle. Your Father knows your gifts, your hindrances, and the condition you're in at every moment. And He also knows something you can't possibly know - every single person who's in desperate need of receiving His touch THROUGH YOU! God will bring you to that person at exactly the right time and in the right circumstances. AND AT THAT MOMENT, YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER TO BE HIS WITNESS!"

Wow... powerful huh? I knew, at that moment, that I shouldn't be afraid to ask God for people I can minister to, for more ministries, more businesses, more abilities, giftings and talents - all related to ENLARGING YOUR TERRITORY.

3. We need God's hand.

This is, simply said, all about dependence on Him. You could ask Him to enlarge your territories, but without His hand, you could lose hope, lose the enthusiasm, cease to experience MIRACLES, and eventually give up on the initial plan. "Larger territories" can be overwhelming many of times... and usually involve you getting out of your comfort zones... This is not in the book, but I think, God's hand could also be the spanking for some Christians to get up and get moving out of their comfort zones... Hello? Anybody there? Too busy living your own lives to bother? Too comfortable to do something different for His kingdom?

4. And of course, we need the protection.

Relating to asking God to enlarge your territory, guess where you are stepping into when you asked for it? The enemy's territory, of course. People who never heard of the Good News. People who had gone astray. People who need a special touch from God.

I agree very strongly with something Dr Wilkinson's mentor said - if you are in the ministry, and everything is going perfectly well, guess what? You are not doing what God wants you to do... Because if you are doing what He wants you to do, do you think the enemy will leave you alone, and let you expand into his territory like nobody's business?

And another thing that struck me was, Jabez did not ask God to give him the anointing, power or what-nots to go head-on and fight the enemy... He simply asked God to keep him AWAY from evil... I think that's so wise... it'll save a lot of heart attacks and frights if you keep coming face-to-face with the enemy daily... Of course, there's nothing to fear, but like what Pastor Vernon shared... we are still human... and normal reaction to fear is often unavoidable. But if you have a choice of a path free of demons, and another one filled with demons, would you rather take the demon-free one, or instead, that the other one and having to ask in God's Name, cast away all the demons? I'd rather ask God to keep me AWAY from evil!

This applies to temptations as well. Keep AWAY from temptations, or asking God for strength when faced with temptations?

Of course, some school of thoughts say, hey, if you keep avoiding meeting the enemy, aren't you becoming a JELLY Christian, and will fall like nobody's business when you eventually meet the enemy one day?

That's true, but let's be honest here... Would YOU ask God to give you more challenges, more troubles, more demons visitations at night... to make you a TOUGHER Christian?

The last thing that hit me on the spot was this statement:

"The only thing that can break the cycle of abundant living is SIN. SIN breaks the flow of God's power."

When I stand before God, I want to be able to stand boldly and proudly give an account to God for all that I had done for Him and not for Him. Of course, He already knows, but the Bible said that ALL of us need to give an account to Him when we get to heaven. Don't you just look forward to hear God telling you "Well done, good and faithful servant"?

Seriously, I BEG you... read this book, if you haven't... apparently, they already have a 5th Edition (ISBN: 9781590524756) to the one I read:

"So God granted him what he requested."

PART THREE


Oooooppss! Fell asleep halfway last night, cos too tired... let me continue:

24. If your goal is to become financially secure, you'll likely attain it... But if your motive is to make money to spend money on the good life... you're NEVER gonna make it.

25. Purchase your cars by CASH... if not, don't bother buying one by leasing.

26. Buy the number one vehicle sold, at least 10 years old, CASH, and by negotiating with several dealers to get the lowest deal, usually the best time is last 2 weeks of December into February. (Why best-selling car and 10 years old? Because your car will be the last car a thief will steal, or follow you back to your house.)

27. Never tell or give the impression to your kids that you are wealthy until they are self-sufficient economically, and showing a mature and disciplined lifestyle.

28. Teach your children DISCIPLINE and FRUGALITY.

29. Teach your children to achieve, not just to consume. Earning to enhance spending should not be one's ultimate goal. Always strive to be the best in your field... Don't chase money. If you are the best in your field, money will find you.

30. Let them be exposed to the working world early... part-time jobs. They will appreciate the fact that money earned should not be wasted.

31. Tell your children that there are a lot of things more valuable than money - God, good health, longevity, happiness, a loving family, self-reliance, fine friends, reputation, respect, integrity, honesty, and a history of achievement. Like what Pastor always said... LEAVE A LEGACY.

32. The CHARACTER of the person is more important in predicting his level of wealth than the type of occupation he does. Like what Pastor always said... the blessing is not in the land, but IN THE MAN.

33. Always think twice before you buy something costly - Do I NEED it? Can I LIVE without it? Without it, does it cause disruptions in the proper functioning of my life?

34. Have goals and visions always within your sight.

The next few points are guided by the richest person EVER - God:

35. Tithing - 10% or more

36. Offering

37. Firstfruit offering

38. Saving

39. Hard work

40. The anointing to get wealth

41. Feeding on the Word, meditating on it day and night (Psalm 1)

42. Pray in tongues as frequent as possible

43. Ask God for it! How sad it'll be when you see all the riches God has in store for you when you get to heaven, and God telling you - "You never asked for it!"

44. Commit all that you do to Him - ask for His blessings

45. When making an important decision - pray and find the peace within... be led by the Spirit

46. God gave us WISDOM - use it!

47. Giving out of GRATITUDE - the highest level of giving.

48. Through Jesus, we are heirs of God.

49. Philippians 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

50. Know your calling - some are called to be KINGS in the marketplace, some are not. Some are better off serving in the church.

I will be your next door millionaire!


Hi Friends! First of all, let me wish all of you a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year! Don't worry about what people say or predict what this year's going to be like. I heard so much rubbish, like those born in the Year of the Horse will have a difficult year, on the 4th of Feb, you will know what the whole year's going to be like based on what happened on that day (4th), bla bla bullshits... and what nots, even things like, to overcome your difficult year, you must wake up from the East of your bed, bla bla bullshits... No offence to those who believes in these things but don't you think it's a bit ridiculous to base your future and prosperity on these "predictions" and superstition? Oh well, I, for sure, am not going to dwell on these things but rather place my trust in the God who supplies all good things, and fulfills all my needs and dreams, regardless of what the world says or "accurately predicts".

That was not supposed to be the intro to my post, but dunno why I got into it... LOL

Actually, I want to summarize a book that I have just finished - "The Millionaire Next Door". Oh NO... it's 4:44pm already! I better go run my 10 rounds, and then get ready for my first reunion dinner with my darling's family.

I will continue this post later... Ciao!

*******************************

PART TWO

Hi again! Yup, just got back from the reunion dinner, and it was good... hee hee hee... Getting to know her relatives didn't seem so difficult or scary after all... And the food was good! Not to mention the champagne, vodka, red wine, Sheridan, dunno what else!!! LOL and nope, I didn't get drunk... ;P

Ok, ok... I almost forgot my purpose of this post!

Now, just to summarize the main points about becoming a millionaire:

1. WEALTH is not the same as INCOME. If you are in a great paying job, but spend all your salary, you are not rich or wealthy. YOU ARE JUST LIVING HIGH. Wealth is what you ACCUMULATE, not what you spend.

2. Live well below your means.

3. Allocate your time, energy and money efficiently, in ways conducive to building wealth.

4. Believe that financial independence is more important than displaying high social status.

5. You don't need Economic Outpatient Care (EOC) from your parents.

6. Your adult children are trained to be economically self-sufficient.

7. Be proficient in targeting market opportunities.

8. Choose the right occupation.

9. Building wealth takes DISCIPLINE, SACRIFICE and HARD WORK.

10. Stay in the same house (you purchased) for more than 20 years.

11. Invest 21% of earned income.

12. The higher your education status, or the more you study, the higher your chances.

13. Work between 45 - 55 hours per week (that's 11 hours per day for a 5-day week).

14. Many so-called "rich" people have little or no investments, appreciable assets, income-producing assets, common stocks, bonds, private businesses, etc.

15. Multiply your age times your realized pretax annual household income from all sources except inheritances. Divide by 10. This is what your net worth should be.

16. If your ACTUAL net worth is EQUAL to the calculated net worth in point 15 above, then you are an Average Accumulator of Wealth (AAW).

Prodigious Accumulator of Wealth (PAW) = AAW X 2

Under Accumulator of Wealth (UAW) = 1/2 of AAW

The more you are a PAW, the faster you'll be a millionaire.

The more you are a UAW, the more likely you are a habitual high-spender, and spend all or more than what you earn.

17. Self-employment is a MAJOR positive correlate of wealth.

18. It is unfortunate that some people judge others by their choice in foods, beverages, suits, watches, cars, etc. To them, superior people have excellent tastes in consumer goods. But it is easier to products that denote superiority than to be actually superior in economic achievement. Allocating time and money in the pursuit of looking superior often has a predictable outcom: inferior economic achievement.

19. Wealth is rarely gained through the lottery, with a home run, or in a quiz show fashion. But these are the rare jackpots that the press sensationalizes.

20. Most people will NEVER become wealthy in one generation if they are married to people who are wasteful. A couple cannot accumulate wealth if one of its members is a hyperconsumer.

21. Budgeting and planning are the foundation stones of wealth accumulation.

22. It is easier to build wealth if you don't live in a high-status neighbourhood.

23. If you're not yet wealthy but want to be someday, NEVER purchase a home that requires a mortgage that is more than twice your household's total annual realized income.

24.

FINALLY!

A Spielberg film after 3 years since Munich... and did I say that the writer is none other than the great George Lucas, yep, the same guy who created Star Wars! Wooooohoooooo!

Here's a preview of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull:

May 22... I'm all set... After coming back from a great Phuket retreat, what's better than being entralled by a great movie by a great director and writer... heh heh heh... YES!!!

Other movies I'm looking forward to:

The Happening - M. Night Shyamalan in June

It's confirmed! Holiday Inn Phuket Resort!

Thanks to my darling, I managed to book this hotel via Zuji.com and saved at least RM200++, compared to if I booked it directly via the hotel website.

For those of you who don't know (like me), this site can help you get cheaper flights, hotels, cruises, packages, almost everything. And you can get even cheaper rates if you happen to find and make use one of the promotional codes featured in Singapore dailies, radios, TV ads, the website itself or via email when you sign up as a member.

Hmmm... do I get anything for promoting Zuji?

Wooooooohooooooo! Can't wait to go........ will be looking forward to spending time with my darling, enjoy every bit of Patong Beach, Holiday Inn Phuket's facilities....... *drooling* *day-dreaming*

Sawadeekap! ;P

Oh my God! How to choose???


I tried looking for more information on hotels in Phuket, and guess what? There are OVER 262 hotels in Phuket!!! What the...

Anyone who's been there have any suggestions?

Top 25 Hotels in Phuket according to phuket.com:

1. Twinpalms Phuket
2. Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket
3. JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa
4. Novotel Phuket Resort
5. Holiday Inn Phuket
6. Moevenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach Phuket
7. Kata Beach Resort
8. Laguna Beach Resort
9. Evason Phuket and Six Senses Spa
10. Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort
11. Karon Beach Resort
12. Patong Merlin Hotel
13. Banyan Tree Laguna Phuket
14. Banthai Beach Resort & Spa
15. Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa
16. Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club
17. Cape Panwa Hotel
18. Burasari Resort
19. Impiana Phuket Cabana
20. Kamala Dreams
21. Dusit Laguna Phuket
22. Allamanda Laguna Phuket
23. Amanpuri Resort
24. Best Western Phuket Ocean
25. The Mangosteen Resort and Spa

Ok, at least I've got a shortlist... LOL let's look at other recommendations... Top 25 according to tripadvisor.com:

1. Holiday Inn Resort Phuket
2. JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa
3. Mom Tri's Villa Royale
4. Amari Coral Beach Resort
5. Indigo Pearl
6. Marina Phuket Resort
7. Pacific Club Resort
8. Twinpalms Resort
9. Banyan Tree Phuket
10. Merlin Beach Resort
11. Marriott Phuket Beach Club
12. Cape Panwa Hotel
13. Andaman Seaview Hotel
14. Sawasdee Village
15. C.C. Bloom's Hotel
16. Diamond Cliff Resort and Spa
17. Moevenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach Phuket
18. Treetops Arasia
19. Benyada Lodge
20. The Racha
21. Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort
22. Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa
23. Squareone
24. Malisa Villa Suites
25. Kata Minta


So, to combine both, we have:

1. Twinpalms Phuket
2. JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa
3. Holiday Inn Phuket
4. Moevenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach Phuket
5. Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort
6. Banyan Tree Laguna Phuket
7. Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa
8. Cape Panwa Hotel

Ok, now, let's look at the room rates per night and combined rating points...

1. Twinpalms Phuket - RM841 (Wahlau!)
[43 points]

2. JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa - RM518
[47 points]

3. Holiday Inn Phuket - RM474
[46 points]

4. Moevenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket - RM609
[29 points]

5. Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort - RM509
[21 points]

6. Banyan Tree Laguna Phuket - RM1782 (Woah........! More than double of Twinpalms... *fainted*)
[30 points]

7. Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa - RM259 (cheap and cacated)
[15 points]

8. Cape Panwa Hotel - RM313
[23 points]

Looks like we have 3 winners:

1st - JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa
2nd - Holiday Inn Phuket
3rd - Twinpalms Phuket

I think Twinpalms is a bit off the budget, errr... maybe next time, for honeymoon lah... but not for the moment. No thanks!

What's next? I think I'll let my darling pick between JW Marriot or Holiday Inn... heheheh...

Anyways... I'm real happy cos my leave has just been APPROVED! Woooooohoooooo....

Return airtickets - YES

Annual leave - YES

Hotel - Coming soon.......