It Is Now www.zlwin.com

My new website is finally launched. It is now www.zlwin.com. Decided to get a domain because of what I am doing and what I will be doing in the days to come. You will find out soon. I hope my readers will still be with me after a long period of abscence. I will get back to posting devotional materials for this is my passion and I will continue to do so.

In the meantime, I am still desinging this website so please bear with the coming changes.

Take care and God bless you all =)

It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

It’s not about how hard you can hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. It ain’t over till it’s over.

On March 24, 1975, in Cleveland, Ohio, Muhammad Ali fought a journeyman fighter from New Jersey named Chuck Wepner, “The Bayonne Bleeder.” Bleeder or not, this was Wepner’s heavyweight championship bout, and to is chance to be a “somebody”. Even though the 6 feet 6 inches boxer ranked in the top ten and had fought Foreman, Frazier, and the rest, he was twenty-to-one underdog. Ali said the fight will be over in three rounds.

On the faithful night, however, Wepner put up the fight of his life, stunning the boxing world. He knocked Ali down in the eighth round, but in the end, Ali’s skill won out over Wepner’s heart, and Ali won in a TKO in the final seconds of the fifteenth round. The forgettable fighter had put up an unforgettable fight.

A young actor happened to see the fight.

Within three days, with a ballpoint pen and a spiral notebook and in a state that he later described as a “frenzy”, he wrote the screenplay Rocky. The actor was, of course, Sylvester Stallone.

The script was strong and well-written, and studios were eager to buy it for as much as $250,000. But Stallone demanded that he must play the title role and he must receive a share of the profits. Producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff accepted the bold terms. Rocky went on to become one of the biggest hits of all time, winning its author and lead a Best Actor nomination. Audiences saw it as the quintessential triumph of the underdog story, a mythic comeback legend for modern times.

Rocky was made for just $1 million, a small budget even in 1976. Stallone was paid a salary of all of *23,000 for his acting performance. It was a great investment for all participants. The film took in $225 million worldwide.

But that was just the start. Rocky would prove to be a billion dollar idea.

The six Rocky movies; Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa brought in a total of $1,200,000,000. That is more than one billion!

Sylvester Stallone did not have a happy childhood. He was born to a chorus girl and an Italian immigrant. During his birth, an accident with the forceps cut a nerve in his face and left parts of his lip, tongue, and chin paralyzed. His speech would always be slurred slightly, and his lower lip would droop; it wasn’t an act for Rocky, it was real.

Besides the nerve damage, Stallone suffered from rickets. His parents struggled to get food on the table for Sylvester and his younger brother, Frank. Most of his five years were spent in foster homes. As a result, he was starved for attention and affection, and he believes this catalyzed an interest in acting.

When Stallone was eleven, his parents divorced, Sylvester was assigned to his tough dad. By the time he was a teenager, Stallone had attended twelve different schools and racked up several expulsions for behavior problems. His grades were terrible, and his classmates bullied him. He made it bearable by creating fantasies in which he would cast himself as a hero and defender of the underdog.

When he was fifteen, Sylvester relocated to Philadelphia to live with his mother and her new husband. There he was sent to a school for emotionally disturbed children. He spent his time lifting weights in the gym, learning fencing and playing football and of course, involving in theater. He then graduated and got an athletic scholarship to the America College of Switzerland. From there, he slowly picked himself up and went for his dream to become an actor. He starred in many small films and went for many auditions. However, all those were not enough for him and his wife whom he married in 1974.

Then, Stallone saw the Ali-Wepner fight, created his own acting vehicle from it, and catapulted to the top of the acting pyramid. He also penned and starred in the Rambo films.

At the age of sixty, Stallone made another comeback with the film Rocky Balboa (a long 16 years after Rocky V)! In a radio interview in advance of the launch, Stallone revealed his deep motivations for the movie. He wanted to respond positively to the issues raised by his friend Susan Faludi in Stiffed: The Betrayal of the Modern Man (1999), regarding the emasculation and discarding of the male in the modern society, especially the older male. Stallone himself was a case study in the book. Stallone wanted to show that the older male still had the utiliy, still had dignity, pride, worth – that he could make a comeback, and a huge one at that.

The advertising slogan for Rocky Balboa was “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

Sadly, unlike Sylvester Stallone, many of us give up too early.

Under Construction

This site is currently under construction.

So expect some "weird" stuff in here for the meantime.

Anyway, I am having my exams tomorrow until Thursday. Please pray for me =)

Will get back to this site again after that. And expect something different!!! =D

God bless all! Please stay tuned to www.zlwin.blogspot.com

To Put To Naught The Things That Are

1Corinthians 1:26-29
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

Paul said the above sentences to the church in Corinth which he planted several years ago. Now he returns to strengthen them and encourage them to continue in the work of God. The verses above were spoken to the Christians and not mere Christians but Christians who have been working and keeping the church strong and growing. They were pastors of that time, they were shepherds, deacons, disciples, teachers and those of the like.

They may have become weak in their faith. Just like you and me.

After working for many years and seeing that their achievements were nothing to boast about, they probably felt that they had not done anything and it would be better for them to give up and return to their old lives. This was what the leaders of the church would have felt before Paul came and encourage them.

That is why Paul said, “Brother, think of what you were when you were called.”

If Jesus was a man of the world, he would have chosen the wisest men to be his disciples. Jesus would have gotten the most influential men to be with him. He would have worked with the rich and famous. He would have chosen the elite of his day to accomplish his mission on earth. Instead, Jesus chose simple fishermen. He chose those that were considered uneducated and illiterate, lacking in “social status”, wealth and worldly distinction of any kind. These simple men were the ones Jesus chose to build the kingdom of God here on earth.

When the people of Israel, God’s chosen generation, were slaves in Egypt, God did not choose a king with an army of tens of thousands to rescue the Israelites. Instead God sent a single man. This man was a murderer before and an exile and he was not eloquent in his speech, he was just a simple man. However, God showed the world that a single man with an available spirit could change the history of a whole nation.

Throughout the Bible, we read of the Lord choosing and using the weak things of the world to confound and shame the wise and powerful. God loves to reveal his awesome power through humble vessels. And He is still doing so today.

Do not let the enemy to convince you that you are not good enough to be used by God. Do not let the enemy tell you that you are too weak, you can’t speak well, you are not good with people, you are shy, you are not rich enough and you are not talented enough or not influential enough. Let me tell you that the lesser you are, all the more better it is because God will be able to use you more to demonstrate what He can do with weak people like you and me. If only we would lay down our lives at the foot of the cross and fully yield our life to God, we would not be able to see what God can do.

God does not look at the things men look at for men looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.

God uses the "nothings" to put to naught the things that are.

Barry and Stuart Magic Show Live in KL!

(The information in this post were taken from www.themagicannexe.com and www.barryandstuart.com)

Next month there will be a special treat for all of us. Scottish magicians Barry and Stuart will be coming to Malaysia to perform at Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC). The run dates are 3rd to the 15th of March. And tickets ranges from RM50 - RM 100.

Here's the SCOOP! You can get a 50% discount on the first three days!

All you have to do if you want to enjoy a 50% discount on the first three days (3rd, 4th, 5th March) is.....

1) Go to a hidden page at this link: http://www.gardnerandwife.com/tickets_specials.asp

2) Enter the discount code: Anslem Roy (it's NOT case sensitive, and it should also work if you enter it without the space!)

3) Purchase your tickets here. This priviledge is extended to your family and friends too!


The Cast


Barry and Stuart are two Scottish BAFTA-nominated comedy magicians. They regularly perform wonder-invoking, laughter-inducing, awe-inspiring magic. Stylistically dark and weird, these guys are creepy, cool, and funny.

After winning national ‘Young Magician of the Year’ competitions, the duo wrote and starred in their own television series, the award-nominated “Magick.” This ground-breaking series featured psycho-induced conjuring feats and continues to be shown all over the world.

In 2005, they hosted the BBC Channel 4 Friday night comedy series, “Dirty Tricks,” a live studio magic show in which Barry and Stuart presented the greatest and strangest acts from around the world and which was nominated for a Golden Rose at Montreux, Switzerland.

In their Christmas and Easter special, “The Magic of Jesus,” and “Tricks from the Bible,” the pair raised the dead, walked on water and even made a real honest-to-goodness virgin pregnant. These feats were so impressive they resulted in Barry and Stuart being nominated by BAFTA Scotland for an award in the category of Best Performance.

Their weird illusions have also earned them places in “The Twenty Sickest Tricks of All Time,” (Sky One) “The Top Fifty TV Moments,” (Five) and even a shameful place in the Off Com twenty most-complained-about programmes on television.

When performing live, Barry and Stuart present a mixture of jaw-dropping magic, head-warping feats and comedy sketches involving genuine members of the audience. More magical than Merlin himself, more laughter inducing than a bed full of extremely tickly feathers and more twisted that your twisty DNA structure, Barry and Stuart are dark, often bloody but above all very, very funny.
_____________________________________________

Reviews

Barry and Stuart are pure Magic - The List
Hugely enjoyable, funny and engaging... This show deserves an award! - The Stage

Ingenious and genuinely impressive... highly entertaining routine of quickfire
magic and oddball comedy - Three Weeks

Dark Vaudeville fr the 21st century - Metro

Brilliant. Just brilliant, and so much more as well... witty, tight, slick, clever, fun, incredible, mind-boggling, skilful welcoming and did I say brilliant? - ABC Edinburgh

Subversive magicians Barry Jones and Stuart MacLeod boldly go where others fear to tread. Watch and marvel - Scotland on Sunday

Barry and Stuart work modern-day magic - Radio Times

Beneath the gore there are some genuinely remarkable tricks - The Sunday Telegraph

MacLeod and Jones’ approach to magic is refreshing… for those of you old or brave enough, its pure magic - The Big Issue
_______________________________________________



For more information please visit:
www.themagicannexe.com
www.themagicannexe.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=225&Itemid=1
www.gardnerandwife.com/09_wizards.asp
www.barryandstuart.com/

My First Valentine

This is the time where boys are rushing to buy roses for their love ones and girls are getting chocolates wrapped up in beautiful boxes to give in return. Flower shops are blooming with business this season and love is in the air. Or so we think =)

For many of us, Valentine is about gift exchange between couples and it is the time to get all lovey dovey and romantic. Singles try their luck with their targets and sends them beautiful roses with notes and poems. Some write songs and some sing it in front of their crush’s home at midnight. Oh how romantic.

As for me, this day is different. It is a day where I look at couples and see how similar they are with my first love. I remembered how my first love comforted me when I was down. I remembered how my first love gave me so much peace when I was all stressed up and worrying. I remembered how my first love would tell me how much I am loved in spite of all my flaws. I remembered how my first love told me I will still be loved no matter if I am good looking or not. I remembered how my first love shared inspiring stories to lift me up in times of uncertainty. I remembered how my first love gave me hope when I saw none. I remembered how my first love died for me…

My first love is Jesus Christ.

He will be my valentine each and every day of my life.

Talk about roses.
Jesus was the most beautiful rose, thrown on the ground and trampled on and broken and destroyed. So that its aroma may come out and the scent may be captured by those who love him.

Talk about love poems.
Jesus wrote us tons of love poems telling us how precious we are and how much he loved us. Lovers said, “I will not leave you.” They stole Jesus’ words saying, “I will be with you always, until the end of the age.”

Talk about songs.
Jesus taught us to pray a prayer that has been sung as a song for centuries. “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”

Talk about love.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son (Jesus) that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Knowing this. Have a lovely Valentine you all.

Blessed Birthday, Grandma!

Last month we celebrated my Grandma's birthday at a restaurant in PJ. The whole family from my mother's side were present except for my father who couldn't make it. We had a good time eating and chatting and laughing. I was especially glad because I managed to chat with my cousins whom we have kind of lost contact for many years now. They were my mother's elder brother's children. We grew up together but somewhere in history we lost contact. We did meet up two years back for my grandma's birthday but didn't chat much. Only that night we did had a good chat. Good to know that they are Christians as well and they are faithfully serving the Lord. Couldn't believe that God turned this family of staunched Buddhist into faithful Christians. Only the love of Jesus could do such things. Amen to that.

Pam, Petula. May you grow deeper in your relationship with God and fulfill the call of God upon your lives. Let go of the past, look forward and fix your eyes on Jesus. Also don't forget to pray for our uncle's family yea =)

God bless!

My happy grandmother with her second generation offspring!

From left: Charlene, Alwin (my brother), Pamela, Celine (the little one with the finger sign), Jolene (at the back), Petula, and me.

Pam, Grandma and I.

The Tay family. The uncle is my mother's elder brother.

My grandma and her children! So sweet. =)

From left: Hillary Tay, Ronny Tay and my mother Lily Tay.

People Who Say Such Things...

Romania
1960s

The Communist torturers came towards Pastor Florescu again, this time with red-hot iron pokers. “Who else believes as you do? Give us their names!” Florescu would not speak. They had already cut him again and again with knives and beaten him very badly. When he refused to cooperate, he was returned to his prison cell.

Starving rats were driven into his cell through a large pipe. He could not sleep, having to defend himself at all times. If he rested a moment, the rats would attack him. He was forced to stand for two weeks, day and night. The Communists kept asking him to betray his Christian friends, but he resisted steadfastly.

In the end, they brought his fourteen-yea-old son and began to whip the boy in front of his father, saying that they would continue to beat him until the pastor told them what they wanted to know. The poor man was half crazy. He bore it as long as he could. But when he could stand it no more, he cried to his son, “Alexander, I must say what they want! I can’t bear your beatings anymore!”

The son answered, “Father, don’t do me the injustice of having a traitor as a parent. Withstand! If they kill me, I will die with the words, ‘Jesus and my fatherland!’”

This enraged the Communists. They grabbed the young man and beat him to death, his blood splattering over the walls of the cell. He died praising God.

Hebrews 11:14,16
People who say such things show that they are looking for country of their own – a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. For he has prepared a city for them.

This true story was taken from the book Jesus Freaks: Voice of the Martyrs by dc Talk.

_______________________________________________________________________

Reading stories like that makes me wonder will I really be able to do what these heroes of faith did. If someone points a gun at my head and threatens to kill me if I do not deny Jesus, what would I really do? Would I deny and then later go to God and ask for forgiveness? Or would I shout, “I love Jesus!” and get my head blown off in front of my loved ones.

Too far-fetched.

This kind of thing wouldn’t probably happen to us on a daily basis unless we live in countries like Saudi Arabia where there is a constant threat on Christians. But for people like you (who sits in front of the computer reading this), a thing like that won’t happen. So then, do we really know the meaning to die for Christ? Or do we know what it means to give our lives for God?

Do you know that you face life or death situation each day in your life?

Your decision not to spend time praying and talking to God is similar to denouncing the name of Jesus when a gun is pointed at your head.

Your decision to follow your ambitions and dreams and not do what God calls you to do is similar to saying, “Wait! Don’t shoot me. I want my life. I don’t need Jesus.”

Your decision to live the life the way you want and not bothering to be a Jesus Freak is similar to claiming, “Jesus is not real. God does not exist. It is just a wishful thinking.”

You ask, “Go on talking, Mr. Preacher. I still have my life to live and you are not going to shoot me. So what does it matter?”

Fireworks...

Fireworks.

You hear lots of them during the Chinese New Year season and also some religious festivals. You see them flying up into the night sky in all kinds of beautiful colors. They make so much noise and rob off your sleep. And they stink up the air with burnt smell. Then in the morning you see the residues left by them in the streets. And in front of some Chinese house you see piles of red papers on the floor and no one sweeps it away for at least 5 days because it is considered an auspicious thing.

Fireworks have very brief lifespan. They are made to be burnt. In them are lots of gunpowder and firepower that allows them to make so much noise. People light them up and see them go up in flames for a few brief seconds. After that, they are remembered no more. They attract a lot of attention and all eyes look at them on their last moment of life when they blow up in the sky producing a beautiful display of lights and sounds. And we humans are in awe to see such beautiful night amusement.

Fireworks live a life so brief.
________________________________________________


Last week, a group of us gathered at Jolene’s house for a CNY meet up and we had some fun playing card games, chatting, blowing off fireworks and doing some minor vandalism haha.

I have been really busy this season to constantly update my blog. However I would love to update it more often once I am more settled and know how to use my time well. Will update this space as often as possible.

As for my new blog design, it is incomplete. I am not the one doing it, my friend Christopher Cheong is doing it for me and he is so “nice” to leave his work half done. I am chasing him to complete it as soon as possible so bear with me ya =)

Lighting up the mini bombs and placing the orange cone on top of it and watching it blow off sending the cone flying up into the air =) was fun...

When Sheng Giap farts...

Harry Potters wannabes.

And then they kidnapped my camera...

And did this.

Happy CNY. =D

This Blog is under construction =)

Please stay with me yea.