ignite 'n inspire

the bus. A mode of transportation that I used to see but never sit in. Being from Markham, Unionville, I was an oblivious child who was fortunate enough to have my parents drive me around to places I would want to go and visit. There was never an urge to step into these mysterious blue vehicles that were known to me as 'pricey' and 'foreign'. Stepping into this new stage of life, my parent were unable to drive me to school every day...and marked the beginning of my new discovery in what happens inside these loud steaming viva buses. In this place, people come, people go. They listen to music, some rap, others classical. Having their own destinations in mind, the bus seems to be a temporarily stop to an ever-changing world of jobs and opportunities that lies in commercial building and these social institutions. I have discovered that it is a place of rest and communication. Every now and then, there will be the one individual, that speaks loudly in another language tal...

This summer has been an exciting roller coaster, one filled with laughter, love, adventure and growth. Volunteering at numerous summer camps have given me an opportunity to learn how to deal with individuals with various characteristics and backgrounds. But most certainly, I was granted with a lifetime privilege to work alongside my brother and sister for four whole weeks. As the summer dies down and the autumn winds begin to blow, signs of school and stress begin to linger around in malls and amongst my conversations with friends. The countdown begins and as the CNE closes its door, I seem to be enjoying my time in silence, contemplation and quiet conversations. When Oprah interviewed Nelson Mandela, he said that 27 years in prison gave him the opportunity to think . That really spoke to me because this week felt like my personal time of 'reflection'. Instead of running around the church taking care of kids, I got to think about my commitment on leadership teams, see what God...

As individuals who are fundamentally sinful and imperfect, I have come to realize that conflicts and arguments that occur within teams/co-workers aren't always preventable. In fact, in a typical family, conflict always occurs. I mean, who has ever seen a family where two brothers don't yell or boss each other around? In today's society, where we are often incredibly foolish and self-centered, fights have become a form of communication. The same goes for a leadership team or group. I strongly believe that it is through these tough conversations that we learn more about our own flaws and the importance of listening. Coming from experience, serving in many teams before, I have been confronted through long (and maybe loud) conversations that YOUR way may not always be the fastest, easiest and best route. And remember, at the end of the day, no matter how heated the argument may have been, you guys are still a family, a group of people placed together with a single purpose! May...

Don't you feel like sometimes you want to escape from everything and just bury yourself inside a hole? For me, every single weekend feels like an escape from fear of getting my tests and assignment back. Instead of focusing on calculating my average admission mark or seeing people stress about post-secondary education, Saturdays and Sundays are a time of rest and meditation. Two weeks ago, my weekend escape was heading to a scenic and beautiful place called Blue Mountain just a few hours away from Toronto. It honestly felt like a dream there. With sunshine, I got to stroll around the village with some of my old and new friends...but most importantly, enjoy a Starbucks frapp without the rush to go back home to complete my never ending to-do list. With my guitar, I got a chance to play an 1.5 hour worship music jam with my sister and friends. Worship music never sounded so beautiful in my ears With a television, I got to watch movies and get all emotional about the power of...

You only live once. The trending hashtag that American celebrities and teenagers posted for the longest time…this sent a bright message that proclaims the idea that we should take risks in life and live to the fullest. I believe that the center of this hashtag isn’t the concept that we only live ONCE but the idea of LIVING…Nobody here can tell you how long we will be living for or whether or not we will get a chance to see our children graduate from university… Serve, Love and Be Happy are the three things that came up in my mind recently after witnessing emotion-filled event in my personal life. Serve those who’ve served you. And serve those you want to serve. Give back and help those who were in your position because that is how you can use your physical abilities to honour God. Recently, a family friend was re-diagnosed with Stage 4 bone marrow, breast and lung cancer. She was given a second chance to live six years ago and she used this past six years of her life in m...

There is a well-known Christian song named ‘Indescribable.’ The song talks about all the wonders of God and how the creation of the world shows how amazing He is. The words to the chorus are: 'Indescribable, Uncontainable, You place the stars in the sky and You know them by name, You are amazing God'   As much as I understand from the textbook about how miniscule organisms are or how the complex humans’ mind functions, the idea of His power seems to be so vague and difficult to understand. It was only until my Maritimes road trip last summer that allowed me to see how majestic his creation really is. The sounds of the Bay of Fundy waves and the sun setting beside the Atlantic Ocean really offered me a small peek of this universe. But despite his awesomeness, I find that over time as I’m growing up, the idea of ‘God’s Grace Is Enough’ becomes less and less true. From seeing people that are my father’s age dying from cancer or families...

Flowers are signs of life. This week, I got to see two different types of flowers that symbolize two complete different symbols of love. The first one is a white carnation. A symbol of romantic love coming to life. As a walk pass the hallways on Monday, I saw this girl holding her boutique of white carnations. They were beautiful, romantic but most importantly, it reminded me that there was some boy in my school that cared about her so much enough to send her a special sign of affection. The second one was a white rose that I held today at a funeral. The funeral was a celebration of life and a symbol of appreciation to an accomplished mommy after  years of hard work raising her children. Even though she is no longer living. the seeds that she has planted in this world are actively spreading the love that she once gave. restinpeace motherly love, fatherly love, family love, and romantic love are all types of affection that we should never take for g...