Psalm 86 + He Answers

1Hear, O Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2Guard my life, for I am devoted to you.
You are my God; save your servant
who trusts in you.
3Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4Bring joy to your servant,
for to you, O Lord,
I lift up my soul.

5Your are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6Hear my prayer, O Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.

8Among the gods there is none like you,
O Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you,
O Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.

Don't you just love it when you open your bible at a random spot and something just jumps out to you? Well if you don't, that's too bad. I find it quite fantastic because it seems like the Lord is trying to say something to you. Trying to grab your attention.

I was in Organic Chemistry class one day and Shirley Y. was sitting beside me with her bible on the table. I wanted to take a look at her bible because she had this metal bible holder when most people had a fabric holder. It so cool, the case is kept closed by a magnet, SICK! Anyways, I took a look at the bible and started to flip through pages and randomly stumbled upon Psalms 86.

Let me back-track for a second and tell you how my week was so it makes more sense as to why these verses jumped out to me. So basically last Saturday I did my Biochemistry exam and felt really bad about it because I can feel that I didn't do that well. I felt quite confident at some point before writing the exam that I might just be able to do well on this exam. But during and after the exam, that feeling pretty much wasn't there at all. But couldn't do anything about that anymore since I'm not writing the exam anymore. So the next thing I had to study was for my Geography "quiz" (50min with 39 questions does not constitute as a quiz in my vocabulary). I thought to myself, "Oh good, I have a few days to do some studying for this test." Sunday came by, Monday came by, Tuesday came by. It's not like I didn't do any work through those few days but it felt like I did minimal work. On top of that, I remembered I still had to do my Biostats lab assignment which was due on Friday with a lab to do as well for Organic Chemistry Friday morning. So basically, I was pressed on time to get stuff done.

So I decided to try to pull another all-nighter so I could finish the lab assignment for Biostats and get some more notes done for Geography. I did a bit of the lab but didn't understand at all how to do it so I just left that. By that time, it was already 4am and I had no energy left to stay up. Wednesday rolled by and I was feeling quite crappy and stupid. The fact that I couldn't get everything organized and manage my time better made me feel crappy. The fact that I couldn't understand how to do the lab and study properly for the quiz made me feel stupid. After I got home from classes, I started to study like mad for the quiz. Rachel messages me and asks me about the lab assignment. So I just sent her my unfinished copy while I continued to study. A few minutes later she messages me and said I sent the wrong lab assignment. Then I realized that I sent the wrong lab because I did the wrong lab. After finding that out, I felt even more crappy and stupid. I was bascially thinking again, "KILL ME NOW!"

I've never felt this bad in university before I think. But at time moment, the Lord sent his sons and daughters to my side to comfort me. People just started to message me and asking how I was feeling and why the crappiness and stupidness. Upon that, they also prayed for me and stuff :).

6Hear my prayer, O Lord;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7In the day of my trouble I will call to you,
for you will answer me.

So basically story cut short at this point. The Lord does answer your prayers. He was just so awesome after that point on. The quiz ended up being extremely easy, my lab assignment was completed due to the help of Rach and Steph, and the chem lab was pretty easy as well. It just felt like all my stress and anxiety was replaced by happiness and freedom. God had answered my brother and sister's prayers and mine as well! He heard my cry for mercy and help and He came. Ah, the feeling that I got when everything was done was unexplainable.

One thing that I really wanted to do after all my work was done was to be able to just sing praises all night long in ACF. And He answered that too! It was Praise and Prayer night at ACF yesterday. WOOT! How great is our God!!

In Christ,
Jeff

Rushing...

The title means that I've got to rush this post because it's almost time for me to leave for class. Nothing much has happened since the last time I posted. Other than the horrible Biochemistry exam that happened last Saturday, sigh. On a better note, Automobile Collision Force is off to the second round of playoffs! And we'll be playing agains Amazing Catch! Fielder (note: both are ACF teams). It was a default win but a win is a win. It was a really nice day as well so we just played a friendly game since we were all there. As well, Shelby, Justin L. and Glendon came along to watch us play and got a piece of the action.

Been so tired lately and as well being rushed to finish my work + study for my Geography "quiz" (how can it be a quiz when it's over 40 questions and worth 15%?). I tried to pull another all nighter last night but practically died around 4am. Am I starting to feel the effects of age 20? No more all nighters??!! So behind with work. Got to finish my Biostats lab by Friday but got the "quiz" on Thursday evening and I'm already behind in studying for that due to absense of all-nighter which was suppose to allow me to finish the lab AND study. I only got through half of the lab because the rest made no sense that my state of mind at 4am. Ugh, I feel so stupid and crappy and weak and dirty and...and...errr...cold-ish now. Sigh, pray that I'll be able to get all this done and be free from testings and examinations. But even if I get through all that, I still have the "catching up" phase which I have to catch up to as well. Feel like I'm going to explode/break. Hopefully it won't happen.

Note: I think it's been now...6 or 7th week of me being sick. Not that good. I still consider cough a bit to be sick. If you don't, the I was all better a few weeks back, haha.

In Christ,
Jeff

Birthdays!

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to Jeffrey. Happy birthday to you!" That was sung by my Biochem class + our professor. This was all thanks to Simon and Rachel. It felt embarrassing yet joyful at the same time, lol. Having over at least 700 people singing happy birthday to you is a birthday gift I'll never forget.

So yes, I did study on my birthday. Didn't get much done though. Only had maybe...3-4hrs to study that day. Anyways, so the day started off by going to Biostats class. Nothing special happened there except I saw Rachel telling something about me to Karen L. Afterwards, we studied a bit but not much at the library. Off we went to eat lunch and then to Chemistry. Was "fishing" a few times during that class. Then came BIOCHEM! Always loved that class. Our prof for these few sections is great. So funny and enthusiastic (can't believe he can use Calvin and Hobbes comics to relate them to biochem). As everyone was starting to leave at the end of the lecture, the prof announces: "Jeffrey Cheung. Where are you?...It's his 20th birthday today. Lets all sing happy birthday to him." All I could do was to turn to Rachel. How did I know it was from her. I guess it was from experience and just knowing she would pull something like this. And she got herself a helper too. But thanks Rachel and Simon! for that..umm...gift. After that, I stayed behind for the tutorial with Karen L and Charis. Karen and I were hungry/thirsty, so we walked up to where else but Tim Hortons. When Karen was purchasing, I heard her say boston cream. I was like "WHOA! Karen's going to eat a boston cream!!!" But after she got it, she just gave it to me and said happy birthday, lol (darn, thought she was finally going to eat it). It would have been a better gift if Karen at it for me, hahaha, but it was still very nice. Thanks Karen! After tutorial, we went to the library to study. Only got an hour done there since I went to prayer meeting. And all the time I was at prayer meeting I was worrying about my stuff being taken away at the library because I left it there. This was all thanks to you Karen as well for making me think it's going to be taken. Prayer meeting ran a bit longer than usual but it was fine. Got back and started to study again. Got text messages from my sister and her boyfriend saying happy birthday as well. Thanks Karrie and Kevin! I then got a call from Simon to come home earlier because people are coming over. So I left at 10pm with Shirley (birthday girl), Enoch and Vivian for my house. When we got there, there was pretty much only a few people at our house. It seems like no one arrived earlier than us to give Shirley and me the "surprise!". Slowly but surely, everyone started to arrive. Tracy brought a mango cake from TO for Shirley and me. Thanks Tracy! After failure attempts of me trying to slice the cake and loitering at our house. I opened the presents people gave to me. Thanks Rachel and Victoria for the 15 pairs of black socks! Thanks Stephanie and Hiram for the dress shirt! Thanks Abraham and Karen C. for the dress pants and tie! Now I have another full suit I can wear. It will make its first appearance either at Unity Formal or LCAC dinner. Afterwards, Justin L decide we should all go to A&P, so we did. Bought a few groceries at that time too so we won't starve during our studying week.

Overall, this was a great birthday. Highlight was definitely the prof + biochem class singing happy birthday. Got a hand shake from the prof too! Thanks everyone for a great day!

So now I'm 20 and 30 is starting to crawl nearer. Why am I already thinking about 30s? I've got other things to worry about than turning 30, lol.

Thank God for providing me with such great brothers and sisters in Christ and family. Been a wonderful birthday and hopefully the last birthday gift would be a very well done biochem exam (too greedy??)!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHIRLEY!!!!

In Christ,
Jeff