Boundless

for the first time in my life, i finally understand the lyrics to this song by Beyond. i heard it as a child, and the tune stuck with me, but no one could (or would) translate it to me...until now...

海阔天空
作词：黄家驹
作曲：黄家驹

今天我 寒夜里看雪飘过 怀着冷却了的心窝飘远方
风雨里追赶 雾里分不清影踪 天空海阔你与我可会变（谁没在变）

多少次 迎着冷眼与嘲笑 从没有过放弃过心中的理想
一霎那恍惚 若有所失的感觉 不知不觉已变淡心里爱（谁明白我）

原谅我这一生不羁放纵爱自由 也会怕有一天会跌倒
背弃了理想 谁人都可以 那会怕有一天只你共我

仍然自由自我 永远高唱我歌 走遍千里

as i read the different translations off of the internet, and as i began to research the words, i began to identify with the lyrics. and here's the translation i came up with, to the best of my ability.

Hoi Fut Tin Hong (Vast Oceans and Clear Skies)
words and music by Wong Ka Kui
performed by Beyond

This cold night, as I watch the snowflakes flurry by, I sail towards the horizon and beyond with a frozen heart
Chasing the wind and the rain in the storm, I can't make out the shadows and silhouettes in the fog
This world, with its clear skies and oceans vast, and you and I, it may change (who doesn’t change?)

So many times, I bore the cold stares and the jeers, but I never gave up the dream in my heart
Yet in a moment I forget, and I feel lost, without knowing it’s fading away – this love in my heart (who understands me?)

Forgive me, this indulging in an unbridled, freedom-loving life
Although I'm afraid that one day I'll fall too
It's so easy to abandon a dream, anyone can do it
But I won’t be afraid when one day all that’s left is you and me

But I’m still free
And I’ll forever sing aloud my song
I will run the distance

such a powerful song. even though i couldnt understand it, the passion spoke into my soul and spirit. such is the power of this song.

the breakup...

Newman said "I'm bought by blood."
Oldman said "I know."
Newman resumes, “It’s written in the Word."
Oldman replied "So?"
"I don’t have to whine and cry,
I don’t have to sigh,
My life has been bought by Christ,
I'm not afraid to die!"

Oldman turns and shows a face
of unconvinced disbelief
"What a shame, what a disgrace!"
he says, and exhibits his teeth.
Newman continued, unfazed,
"The new has come today!
The old is past, I live by faith!
I walk in Jesus' way!"

"How be it that you speak so bold
of God's redeeming grace?
When you still entertain the old
yet with your lips you praise?!
Why live in this cursed paradox?
What have you got to gain?
There's so much more in Pandora's box
Why live with all this strain?"

Half disturbed by Oldman's claim,
half refusing to give up.
Then recovering from his shame,
Newman spoke as he looked up.
"I struggle with lies and lust;
of this I must admit.
I used to not have hope or trust,
I used to always quit.
The things I do are not just vile
like you, but also fast and cheap.
Lazy pleasures for a while,
And trouble I have reaped.
But I've been shown a greater path
of trust and hope and love.
He redeemed my soul from sin's great wrath;
I'm freed from death thereof!
And yes I walk with constant pain
but it is not regret.
A friend to me it will always be
so His love I wont forget!”

Oldman, with eyes rolled up high
huffs a breath of contempt
and loudly, boastfully replied,
with the intention to tempt
“Surely you know what you
are losing out in life!
There’s no sense in this bogus truth,
it’s nothing else but strife!
Take the easy road, my friend,
and walk this road with me.
I’ll show you all the goods and ends,
And everything is free!”

“Away from me, you wretched fraud!
Don’t stand in my way!
Eternal life I walk toward,
From this road I will not sway!
My past is now behind me,
my sins matter no more;
no other cause consumes me,
than to know and please my Lord!
To my faith in Christ, I shall cling,
for faith alone upholds
a righteous standing with my King,
His eternal mercies untold!
Your ways, they lure and they distract
me from this righteous cause.
God forbid, that they attract
me, and send me back to lost!
So away from me! Away! Away!
Let all my passions cede
except the zeal to see that day
when my Savior and I meet!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!

Philippians 3:8 AMP Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and
intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One)

Philippians 3:12-14 AMP 12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

Galatians 2:19-20 AMP For I through the Law [under the operation of the curse of the Law] have [in Christ's death for me] myself died to the Law and all the Law's demands upon me, so that I may [henceforth] live to and for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Philippians 1:20-21 CEV 20 I honestly expect and hope that I will never do anything to be ashamed of. Whether I live or die, I always want to be as brave as I am now and bring honor
to Christ. 21 If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more.

busy

man! being in school and work is so difficult! i mean, this is REAL school now, no more easy CFNI hahaaa. i've been so caught up with so much unimportant things. i realized that i'm not a very good time manager. so the past couple of days i've been quite disappointed with myself. but it's OK. i've resolved to do better.

but here are some notes and thoughts on Romans 1:

• Paul was set apart for the gospel of God concerning Jesus Christ. I, too, am set apart for the gospel!
• we receive grace through Jesus to being about obedience of faith among those who do not believe. Faith results in obedience. and this we should preach and declare to those who do not know Christ.
• FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL, FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD FOR SALVATION TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES, TO THE JEW FIRST AND ALSO TO THE GREEK. oh how often have i quoted this with my mouth, but cower to live it out in my life!!
• it is in the gospel of God that righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, therefore, "the righteous man shall live by faith."
• God and His works are evident in the earth and the universe, which are His creation!
• all men have knowledge of God, but those who choose to deny Him allow their hearts to be darkened, hardened, because they insist on worshipping the created rather than the Creator.
• because of their disacknowledgement of God, they become overtaken with unrighteousness and all forms of immorality. v32 came very hard on me! ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW THE ORDINANCE OF GOD, THAT THOSE WHO PRACTICE SUCH THINGS ARE WORTHY OF DEATH, THEY NOT ONLY DO THE SAME, BUT ALSO GIVE HEARTY APPROVAL TO THOSE WHO PRACTICE THEM!!!
• oh, how often have i said, "it's ok," or "it's alright, everyone does it" to someone who did something wrong, immoral, or unethical! how reflective it is on the person that says it! how dare we say it's ok and give our hearty approval?! how dare i, even myself, do what i know is wrong and compromise the values that i've set for my life!

wow.

CNY Dinner

GONG HEI FATT CHOY!

just got back from a simple CNY dinner with my church's executive pastor, Eric Soon, who's from Singapore. we had actually agreed on having a CNY gathering, so i cooked some rendang, SeulKee made some chicken dish, and Eric...wahhh that fella! he made hainan chicken rice (just the rice minus the chicken), singapore chicken curry lah, and some SATAY...fantazmorific, man! it was one of the best meals also. actually i ate too much today. for lunch i went out with ThomasB to Tokyo One for his belated b'day celebration. buffet japanese cuisine. i had 4 helpings. right now i am so full it hurts!

there goes my exercise efforts. *sigh*

anyways, if any of you guys are wondering how come i keep changing churches wan, well, i have prayed about it, and decided this time when i came back to Dallas i wanna be active in a church and serve instead of just attending services, which i did the first 2 years i was here. there's more to that than just that sentence, but i don wanna explain it here lah. the bottomline, i believe God led me here. and to me, thats all that matters!

so, back to Chinese New Year. ahhh. this year had already started out very well for me, praise God! and as i think about actually making it through the first month and still being very sane about it, it's God's grace. i'm not kidding. my schedule is so packed, i hardly have time to breathe. going back to serious college after several years of taking it easy on academics is tough. but i'm liking it.

ahhh so thats all for this post. i'd love to write with more insight (not like i have lots of it) instead of just news, but i'll have to make time for it. meanwhile, i wanna say thank you again to all you friends and family who have always kept me in your prayers. i do not take it for granted, i am indeed grateful. i praise God they have been and always will be an encouragement to me.

oh, please also keep Lynn in prayer. she's been having this constant headache for the last six days since Friday. Claim the victory with me!