Prayer Requests

My boss came back from his week-long holiday in Thailand today and the first thing he said was, "I could have been part of the tsunami (tidal wave) death toll!"

Tat, a friend of mine who's holidaying in Bali is also unaffected by the chaos that rocked southern Asia on Sunday.

So I was totally unaware of the natural disaster that never before in history happened in Malaysia. My family and I slept through it all that morning and felt nary a tremor. However, there were a few people I know in Port Klang who saw their books moving about in the bookshelves, the hanging potted plant rattling above wooden beam and the fish behaving strangely by huddling only at one side of the aquarium. And they came to the conclusion that an earthquake has come to our shores.

I wonder what I would have thought if I saw these strange happenings. But I doubt that I would so easily thought of the possibility of an earthquake. The victims of this tidal wave probably didn't know what hit them either. It was such a shock to see such a high death toll in Penang and the other countries that were affected. Something that we never expected had finally happened and it just drives the point that we never know when or how death may knock on our doors.

The holiday-makers who perished and their families would never have thought that it would be the last time they say goodbye to each other. Pray for the surviving victims and families as they are suffering from anguish and lost in this tragedy.

What a trying week it is! Several friends are hard hit by pain, trauma and needs and most times the only thing I could do is try to be there for them and to pray. And I pray that the next week will be a better one for them.

By the way, does anyone know where to get a second-hand or free wheelchair?

My boss approved my leave and I will be attending the interview for the post I wrote about, tomorrow afternoon. I'm pretty excited about it and hope to share good news about it tomorrow. Please pray for me, ya?

God is awesome in making a way for me to attend this interview. You KNOW it's not easy to get leave from my boss. 'See' y'all tomorrow!

Would you hire a reformed hacker as your IT security specialist? Does the hacker's illustrious past give him credence as a security expert? This [url=http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid14_gci946215,00.html]article[/url] by Ira Winkler, CISSP expounds on this subject in a delightful and enlightening manner. I especially liked the way he ended his article: "Would you want Hannibal Lechter to operate on you? He's probably a great surgeon, but he might be tempted to grab a kidney for a quick snack."

On the subject of criminals, our nation has been plagued with a long spate of brutal violence against women and young girls. This month, two 10 year old girls have been raped and murdered in the space of two weeks. And late last year, [url=http://www.bringcannyhome.com/]Canny Ong[/url] was found brutally raped, murdered and burnt beyond recognition.

Should sexual offenders and murderers such as these be allowed to roam freely in society after they have served time? The security guard who pleaded guilty for raping one of the 10 year old girl was sentenced to a 20 year jail term and 24 cane strokes. This is the maximum sentence for such crimes. He would be 67 years old upon his release. He might be too old then to assault other young girls, but what if he was 27 at the time of conviction? The maximum jail term of 20 years would see him walking out at the age of 47, free to mix and mingle in society.

Is it too risky to offer second chances to criminals with such a perverted nature? And what about the rest of us who are civilized citizens but harbouring sinful thoughts and perverted habits in our private lives? Are we any better than the average rapist? If we should slip and fall into sin, do we deserve 2nd chances?

Yes, it is hard to equate a normal person with a sick sexual offender, but as the Chinese proverb goes:

Sow a thought, reap an act
Sow an act, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character
Sow a character, reap a destiny

The convicted rapist acted on the seeds of lustful thoughts and now is reaping his destiny in the local jail. Does he deserve a second chance? As hard as it is to say this, I think he does, if he demonstrates genuine repentance. I also think he should be also kept under supervision and not be allowed to roam in complete freedom upon his release.

Our nation needs our prayers. This trend of violence and disregard towards women and the value of their lives is the work of the evil one. Christians, let's take our stand together and intercede on behalf of our land. Above all, to guard our hearts and minds against sowing unfruitful thoughts in our minds that will lead to a terrible destiny.

... there's a new devil.

That's what our Senior Pastor said the past week. Thanks to the 14 days of fast and prayer, there has been a spiritual revival in my life. I'm out of my comfort zone and complacency, and have a renewed passion and zeal for the things of God and for His people.

This brings about a new level of growth, and therefore, a new devil, too. And I feel it right now at my work place. Something's brewing in the office and it's not good. However, a good thing that sparked out of this is that we, the Christians at the office are united in prayer now.

Lord, we really need to see a breakthrough in our workplace. You've placed us here for a purpose. Help us fulfill our destiny here. Let Your presence fill this place. We really need You...